As some of you know, I (Maggie) am a writer for Herb Quarterly magazine. In the current issue,I have an article about "green"gardening (ironic, no?), and I talk alot about re-using items you already have, or scavenging things from craig's list and freecycle. I mention our little greenhouse as an example - It was actually given to us, years ago - an older woman we knew was no longer able to use it, and wanted it to have a good new home. Her husband had built it for her, using primarily recycled window frames and ingeneuity. It's an adorable little greenhouse and has given many people years of use - while keeping loads of windows out of the landfills!

Kate, an HQ reader, wrote to me asking for pictures of our little greenhouse. I dug this out from our archives. If I can find better ones, I'll post them later, but for now, Kate (and all other curious HQ readers) - here it is!

Happy Freebie Friday!!!

Rosemary (sunflower seed) and ikkinlala are the winners of our Magic Mud giveaway! Drop us an email at shop at prairielandherbs dot com with your addresses and we'll send them right out!

This week, we'll give away some Healing Wands, as that was another much-requested item.

These wands are great! Our healing salve works beautifully on rashes, mosquito or bug bites, scrapes, sores, sunburn, heat burn, athlete's foot - well, in short, just about everything. We'll give away 2 of our .5 oz. tubes of this Healing Wand. Oh, they work great for pets too - in my house I keep on tube marked "people" and one marked "pets". :)

If you'd like to win these a healing wand- you must leave a comment on today's blog post.

Rules:
1) One entry per person.
2) You must have a registered ID to post - if your post shows up under "anonymous", we don't know who you are, and therefore you can't win.
3) You have until the next Thursday at midnight, CST, to enter your comment.
4) Winner will be announced the following Friday - you must check back to see if it's you!
5) International folks are welcome. We ship Prairieland Herbs items all over the world, so we'll ship our "Friday freebie" anywhere too!
6) Each eligible post will be assigned a number, and we'll use a free online random number generator to determine the winner.


It's amazingly beautiful and sunny here. It was 75 degrees yesterday! Today it's 60 and sunny. We're beginning to believe that spring might actually be around the corner. Of course, we tend to get our heavest snowstorms and biggest blizzards in March and April, so....I'm sure we've got a bit of "weather" coming our way yet.....

Our friend at Des Moines Adult Ed have asked us to share their great lineup of spring gardening classes with you - including a class taught by us! Check them out! (Click on the graphic above to see it larger)

So, the other day my grandpa (who lives on the farm with my mom) was diagnosed with gout - in both his little pinky fingers.

He was most disgusted, as he said, because "that's an old folk's disease".

(note: Grandpa will be 90 in May. How I love that man!)

So, at excellent suggestion from the Nature's Gate website, I whipped him up some customized "Gout-B-Gone" using our St. John's Wort oil and the essential oils she recommends.  And my grandpa says it really works!

So I just thought I'd post this, in case anyone else is looking for some relief from gout. 

Friday Freebie DOUBLE HEADER!!!

For the next 10 weeks, Prairieland Herbs will be participating in a SUPER COOL Herb Blog Group Contest! A group of 12 herb businesses have banded together, and every Friday a different one will offer a giveaway on their blog. So make the rounds, click on all the links below, and increase your chances of winning. And don't forget to come back every Friday for a new giveaway! This week's Herb Blog Giveaway is from The Essential Herbal!

For the week between Friday, February 27 and Thursday, March 5 you can enter simply by entering a comment in response to this blog entry and take a chance at winning a full year’s subscription to The Essential Herbal Magazine! The Essential Herbal is written by, for, and about herbie people and the things they love. It is a grassroots publication that talks about the things you want to know when it comes to herbs.

The following blogs are also participating, so stop over to enter with them for additional chances to win AND the chance to explore some cool blogs. If you are already a subscriber, we’ll just add the free year on the end. Be sure to leave an email addy in your response so that we can reach you if you win!

Possum Creek Herb Farm

Blessings of an Herbwyfe

Garden Chick ***

SunRose Aromatics ***

Herbs from the Labyrinth ***

Patti’s Potions ***

PrairieLand Herbs ***

Aquarian Bath ***

The Rosemary House ***

Natures Gift ***

Torchsong Studio ***

The Essential Herbal ***

*** These blogs will be having contests for the next 10 weeks. Be sure to come back!

Happy Freebie Friday everyone! :)

Last week's winners are - Denise Muller, and our friend Sandy Thompson! ladies, please email us at shop at prairielandherbs dot com and let us know which kind of Botanical Bath Salts you'd each like!

And for this week's freebie - you spoke, and we listened. It's our wonderful Magic Mud!!


This "mud" is gentle concoction of ground herbs, clays, glycerine, and essential oils is a wonderful exfoliating facial cleanser, OR it can be used as a facial masque. The choice is yours. :)

Let's give away TWO of these to some lucky winners....

If you'd like to win these bath salts- you must leave a comment on today's blog post.

AND! Another twist this week. Are there any items, gift sets, or anything in general you'd love Prairieland Herbs to make? A product in a different package or size? We always get our best ideas from customers - truth be told, we've hardly had to think of what to make next since we opened our doors nearly 11 years ago - you, our wonderful customers, have always had such great requests and suggestions. We just do our best to listen to you. So here's your chance to give us suggestions!

Rules:
1) One entry per person.
2) You must have a registered ID to post - if your post shows up under "anonymous", we don't know who you are, and therefore you can't win.
3) You have until the next Thursday at midnight, CST, to enter your comment.
4) Winner will be announced the following Friday - you must check back to see if it's you!
5) International folks are welcome. We ship Prairieland Herbs items all over the world, so we'll ship our "Friday freebie" anywhere too!
6) Each eligible post will be assigned a number, and we'll use a free online random number generator to determine the winner.

Are you tired of photos yet?

Our good friend Mary Swalla Holmes came over Tuesday to take some photos of us to end up on the Women, Food and Agriculture network homepage. They turned out great, and Mary generously offered her permission to share them with you!

Marge at Nature's Gift just did a great blog post about using essential oils to treat head lice. We've gotten this question before, and are glad to have her information to pass along!

I've been busy uploading pictures to our flickr account and found these wintertime scenes I thought you'd enjoy.

Everybody now, sing together (Loudly and off-key please - it's more fun that way)...

"Happy Birthday Dear Donna, Happy Birthday To Yoooooouuuuuuuuuuuuu"


That's right! It's Donna's 61st birthday, and to celebrate, she's requested that we offer 2 of her favorite products at a drastic discount!


Our 1 oz. facial serums are now $10 OFF - now only $20! These serums are WONDERFUL. Available in 3 types - for normal, oily/problem, or mature/dry skin formulations. We spent several months researching and testing various combinations of oils and essential oils, and LOVE the results. Facial serums are a super-concentrated moisturizer - you only need a few drops per application. The blends of oils/essential oils moisturize and tone your skin, yet are not at all heavy or greasy. You can apply makeup several minutes after putting on the serum. Customers have also told us they love these to use as hair serums, or to remove makeup at night.

Whipped shea butters are $5 off - now only $10!!!

Our whipped shea butters are simply divine. 100% natural (scented only with essential oils), these contain 70% Fair Trade shea butter. They're wonderfully moisturizing and can be used as an all-over body moisturizer, BUT, our customers love these as facial moisturizers too. The "Wise Woman" scent in particular has quite a cult following! The Simply Shea (uscented) version is a huge favorite of the fellows in our lives.

Sale prices good through March 8th....enjoy!!

Huzzah! My camera battery arrived. Now I can show you the pics I took a week or so ago. Here's a bit of late-winter sunshine.

Here's Contessa, one of our mini-horses, getting nosy :)

Here's Princess and her onery baby Delilah.

And Mo, posing beautifully!!

It recently came to my attention that our friends Michelle and Pat at Possum Creek Herb Farm have compiled a FREE HERBAL WEDDING PLANNER. Isn't that a wonderful idea? It is available free of charge to anyone who emails them, requesting it.

They also have a wonderful ebooklet of recipes available for purchase, which we highly recommend!

Pat and Michelle do a fablous job growing MANY kinds of herb plants and are experts at shipping them safely. If you need herb plants, we'd highly recommend checking out Possum Creek. (we are in no way getting any kickbacks or anything from this - just recommending a fellow herb biz. we know and trust!)

Happy Friday everyone! :)

Last week's winner is CowgirlTazz!! Please email us with your address,and which 2 Biscuit Bars you'd like, and we will ship them right out!

This weeks' Friday Freebie is brought to you by 1) my dry winter skin, and 2) my love of long hot soaks in the tub. In the winter, I HAVE to use these salts - enriched with rich, moisturizing ingredients such as milk powder, shea butter, herbally infused olive oil, and cocoa butter - in order to enjoy my long hot soaks (complete with paperback book and a glass of wine - if you're gonna do it, you might as well do it in style) without being an itchy dry mess afterwards.

SO! We're giving away a bag of our botanical bath salts to two lucky winners! (Your choice - they come in 3 varieties).

If you'd like to win these bath salts- you must leave a comment on today's blog post.

AND! A twist this week. I'd like help picking next weeks "Freebie" item. In your comment, please write an item or items you'd like to see in next week's FREEBIE!

Rules:
1) One entry per person.
2) You must have a registered ID to post - if your post shows up under "anonymous", we don't know who you are, and therefore you can't win.
3) You have until the next Thursday at midnight, CST, to enter your comment.
4) Winner will be announced the following Friday - you must check back to see if it's you!
5) International folks are welcome. We ship Prairieland Herbs items all over the world, so we'll ship our "Friday freebie" anywhere too!
6) Each eligible post will be assigned a number, and we'll use a free online random number generator to determine the winner.

One last thing. This weekend we'll be offering a couple of REALLY GREAT SALES ($5 and $10 off certain products!) in honor of Donna's upcoming birthday. If you're not on our mailing list....you really should be :) New members to our enewsletter get 10% off their first order too!

FINALLY! Some farm pics!!

Our good digital camera is still broken, and my old junky one needs a new battery. John took these with good old fashioned FILM (remember that stuff?) and put them on cd for us.


An artistic view of our drying shed.


This is Delafino, the smallest and youngest of our minature horses. Doesn't he look like a dirty little street urchin? I *promise* he is well cared for. He just really enjoyed playing in the mud on this particular day.


Just a random farm gate, but it has charm, doesn't it?

Over the last 10+ years, we have amassed many, MANY photos of the farm, herbs, products, and farm critters. I'm slowly putting them on our new Flickr account, for everyone to enjoy! So please, "friend" us on Flickr and check back often - I plan to add 5-10 pics every day or so.....there will be tons and tons of them!

We won our first blog award! How VERY exciting! :) Our delightful and talented friend Jill from Blue Gate Farms gave us this great award. Thanks Jill!

So, we are supposed to list 5 addictions....here goes!

1) First one is easy. Any and all dairy products from our fantastic neighbors at Picket Fence Creamery. With 25 varieties of homemade ice cream, handmade Jersey Milk butter, the world's best chocolate milk, and a handmade cheeseball that is simply out of this world - well frankly, it's amazing we aren't each 300 lbs!!!!

2) Secondly, we're spoiled by some amazing goat cheese - Chevre from Reichert's Dairy Aire, and the amazing aged cheese (and the divine chocolate sauce) from Northern Prairie Chevre.

3) GOUDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have NOT tasted gouda cheese until you have tasted this divine stuff from Frisian Farms. Iam SOOOOO delighted that Picket Fence Creamery carries it now - I was buying it every chance I got at the Downtown Farmer's Market, but....having it available next door is even better!

4) Wine from Prairie Moon Winery in Ames. Every variety is delicious, but in particular I recommend the Marechel Foch Reserve. I really, really want to try the Winter Moon Ice Wine. Maybe someday!

5) COFFEE!!! Donna likes it light, Maggie likes it thick and dark, and we both enjoy it with generous dollops of pure Picket Fence Jersey Cream (no wussy half and half or - *shudder* MILK!) Home roasted fair trade organic is the best!

Okay! Let's see - and to pass the award along, I nominate Tina at The Essential Herbal, for her inspiring writing, Susan at Farm at Coventry for her astounding photos, and Sarah at Wallypop for her fantastic natural goods for babies, as well as her excellent blog posts about CIPSA.

Happy Friday the 13th!

I did get some farm pics yesterday, but my camera is being a pain. I have to recharge the batteries before I can upload pics, so, I will post those soon. But for now - it's Freebie Friday time!

We had FIVE winners from last week! These lucky 5 folks get:

A copy of The Essential Herbal Magazine
a 1/3 oz bottle of essential oil (their choice)
and a bag of herbs (their choice).

So, if Ikkinlala, Just Jenny, Liz, Susan in Florida, and Lilie White would please email us at shop at prairielandherbs dot com with their mailing adddress and choice of essential oil and herbs.....we'll ship your items right out! Oh, and do report back and let us know what you think of the magazine, and what you do with the herbs and oils, ok???

On to this weeks giveaway!

This week's lucky winner will get to choose 2 "Biscuit Bars"! These are wonderful essential-oil soaps handcrafted by our friend Terri. Why are they "Biscuit Bars"? Because her business, Biscuit's Boutique, is named after her cat Biscuit (shown below).

f you'd like to win these soaps - you must leave a comment on today's blog post.

Rules:
1) One entry per person.
2) You must have a registered ID to post - if your post shows up under "anonymous", we don't know who you are, and therefore you can't win.
3) You have until the next Thursday at midnight, CST, to enter your comment.
4) Winner will be announced the following Friday - you must check back to see if it's you!
5) International folks are welcome. We ship Prairieland Herbs items all over the world, so we'll ship our "Friday freebie" anywhere too!
6) Each eligible post will be assigned a number, and we'll use a free online random number generator to determine the winner.

Just found this free online aromatherapy course - I haven't read through it all, but it looks really great!!

Aromahead Institute - Free online Introduction to Essential Oils class

The internet continually amazes me - the sheer amount of free, wonderful information available is truly astounding.

It's time to announce our 2009 one world, one heart winners!

Drumroll please:

The winners are:
Vie Chaotique
Melanie
and Bibi!

I have sent email to each winner! Thanks to EVERYONE who participated!

Local folks - you can now buy some Prairieland Herbs goodies in Adel new flower shop - Adel Florist! It's located right inside Harvey's Greenhouse (and it looks spectacular!)

They'll gladly carry any items you'd like them to, so don't be shy to ask them to carry your favorite Prairieland Herbs goods.

Here's a nice article about the new flower shop.

Happy Freebie Friday! It's a glorious sunny day here....I hope it's beautiful where you are too.

Last week's winner is JAN from NC! She found us through the one world one heart blog giveaway. Jan, drop us an email (prairielandherbs at shop dot com) to let us know your address, and what scent of body oil you'd like!)

Today's Friday Freebie is extra-cool, because: We have a GUEST GIVEAWAY!
Our friend Tina, at The Essential Herbal Magazine, has generously donated five copies of the latest issue of her magazine. It is absolutely jam-packed with herbal recipes, information, lore and more! We are sure you are going to love this magazine.
But wait - there's more! (hee hee)

Each lucky winner will not only get a copy of this fantastic magazine - but they will get to choose an 1/3 oz. bottle of essential oil (of their choice) as well as a 2 oz. bag of dried herbs (again, their choice). So you will be ready to get crafting, cooking, and creating with your herbs, after being inspired by this wonderful magazine.

This week's Friday Freebie will have not one, but FIVE winners, so sign up now!!


If you'd like to win one of these fantastic herbalicious prize bundles - you must leave a comment on today's blog post.

Rules:
1) One entry per person.
2) You must have a registered ID to post - if your post shows up under "anonymous", we don't know who you are, and therefore you can't win.
3) You have until the next Thursday at midnight, CST, to enter your comment.
4) Winner will be announced the following Friday - you must check back to see if it's you!
5) International folks are welcome. We ship Prairieland Herbs items all over the world, so we'll ship our "Friday freebie" anywhere too!
6) Each eligible post will be assigned a number, and we'll use a free online random number generator to determine the winner.

There is a benefit going on Saturday February 14th at the Methodist Church in Woodward for Lindsay Pickell May. She has ALL leukemia. (Lindsay is Maggie's age - they went to school together. )


Here is the information: Warm Your Heart Benefit Soup & Supper

Soup Supper 4-8 pm Woodward Methodist Church
Silent Action* 12-8 Woodward Methodist Church

Raffle Tickets are done by the Woodward Lions club and can be purchased at AJs grocery or at the event. An account has been set up to accept donations at Wells Fargo. If you are wanting to volunteer your time, help with raffle tickets or donate items for silent action, please contact Kathy Yager (515) 438-2775.

I have heard that Lindsay had a bone marrow transplant lined up and the donor backed down. However, there are a couple of other prospective donors. The surgery would be performed at University of IA hospitals. I'm sure any and all help is appreciated by Lindsay, her husband David, and 2 year old son Dalen. As well as Cambre (Lindsay's twin sister) & her folks.

*we donated a large gift certificate and large gift basket to this raffle - so if you are a fan of PLH goodies, please - buy raffle ticket to suport this good cause!

News from our neighbors at Picket Fence Creamery! :)

Happy Valentine's Day from Picket Fence Creamery!

Yippee! Temperatures in the 50s this week even though the ground hog saw his shadow! Our cows and calves will be kicking up their heals for sure! And the rest of the Picket Fence crew is celebrating by inviting you to our...

Valentine Sample Sunday

Feb. 8 Noon to 5 p.m.

Admission is FREE!

(This event is being held in conjunction with our great neighbor across the highway to the north, Prairieland Herbs. They'll have samples of body butter, whipped shea and facial serum you won't want to miss!)

Local Food Samples Galore - Cherry vanilla ice cream, Neva's famous cheese ball, Bob's Red Mill 10-grain muffins, elk sticks, freshly made peanut butter, local gouda cheese, creamery butter, "the best chocolate milk this side of the Milky Way!", creamed honey, and MORE!

Kids - Explore the barn and see the bottle calves and cows. Enjoy a bag of freshly popped, Picket Fence buttered hulless popcorn for 50 cents.

Guest vendor - Stan from Penoach Winery will be here to sample several of his wines - perfect for Valentine's Day!

Valentine goodies

Chocolaterie Stam Chocolates - the finest chocolates in the area - made in Des Moines. Priced right too - we'll have selections under $10, and up to $20. Treat your valentine to the BEST!!!

Joan's Cheesecakes - the finest cheesecakes in the area - made just east of Woodward with Picket Fence cream! The selections will be black forest, pink champagne, and white chocolate with raspberries. All are heart-shaped and very reasonably priced at $18.99. You have to see them to believe them! (Also available will be the cutest minature cheesecakes (look like cupcakes) in containers of 6 for $6.99!)

Iowa Wines - Buy any bottle of wine and receive a FREE wine basket or valentine bag! Your valentine will definitely be impressed!

Cherry Pies - Homemade lard crust pies from tart cherries made right here in Woodward! Priced right at $9.99 for a deep dish 9" pie. PIE AND QUART OF ICE CREAM SPECIAL $12.99!

Valentine All-Iowa gift baskets - Choose from the beautiful baskets that sister Julie made up, or grab a basket and make your own - full of yummy Iowa foods! You're sure to be popular!

Ames's Cafe Diem coffees - Choose from Chocolate Seduction (dark chocolate, sweet caramel and a hint of berries), Cafe Amore (rich custard with sweet brown sugar and vanilla), vanilla creme, snickerdoodle, and caramel crunch. Reasonably priced at $2.99/small bag, and $6 for the large bag.

And don't forget the 25 flavors of ice cream!!!

SUPER DEALS

1. Buy a bottle of wine, and get the gift basket or bag FREE

2. Apple crisp and quart of ice cream - $10

3. Buy a local salsa, and get a bag of fresh tortilla chips for $1.

4. 90% lean ground beef, only $3.49/lb. with 10 lb. purchase. And for our newsletter readers.....

90% lean ground beef, only $3.39/lb. with 20 lb. purchase; $3.29/lb. with 30 lb. purchase! WOW!

DOOR PRIZE! Sign up for an All-Iowa Valentine Gift Basket - value of $50!

Farm-raised PUPPIES! Jack Russell-rat terrier mix - adorable! They'll be here Sunday, or call 515-438-2641.

Other News...

NEW! Kutztown sodas - made with pure cane sugar and no caffeine - only 99 cents!

Choose from grape, orange cream, root beer, and sasparilla.

New Location for Ice Cream - we are now in the Johnston Dahl's store (along 54th St. on the north side) with our ice cream!

Teacher Supplemental Grants - The Farm Bureau is again offering grants of up to $200 to teachers to increase agriculture knowledge from books and supplies to field trips. (We have hosted many school groups who have benefited from this money.) Contact Melissa Brooks at 515-225-5425 or mbrooks@ifbf.org. The deadline is Feb. 13.

If you are interested larger quantities of beef, contact our friend, Jerry Peckum, at 515-370-0077. He has quarters and halves of pasture-raised Angus beef available.

That's the update for now. If you want to special order anything for Valentine's Day, give us a call at 438-2697. If you have friends in your address book who would like to spend a warm and wonderful February afternoon in the country, feel free to forward this message! Hope to see you this weekend - the specials start as soon as you receive this email!

Your friends,

Jeff, Jill, Jenna and James Burkhart

14583 S Ave.

Woodward, IA 50276

515-438-2697

http://picketfencecreamery.net

We accept MC, VISA, EBT

We love giving out free samples.

If you've visited our shop, you've seen/browed in the infamous "sample basket". It is a huge brown basket that sits on the edge of our shop counter, and we just keep it full of - well, samples. Whatever we have made last, our whatever bits of soap we get from Karla. When we pack orders, we'll usually toss in a few samples too. It's our way of saying "thank you, and here's something else we hope you will like".

Well, I'm feeling rather generous right now - because there are some AMAZING samples in our basket right now.


Yesterday I bottled up 100 little sample bottles of our "normal" facial serum.


I also spent ages scooping bits of our Wise Woman Whipped Shea butter into sample-sized jars. There are about 75 of those.

Next, I'll cut up about 10 bars of these amazing Amber Resin Luxury Soaps.

SO - if you want a free sample of any - or all - of these items - just let us know when you place your next order. The catch? We have a Sample Sunday this week, so the samples will probably be gone by then. So, you've been warned! :)

Otherwise, it's a good week here. The sun is shining! I'll try to get some more farm pictures soon. Donna is feeling better, and we've got lots of orders and 2 wholesale orders to pack/deliver. Just a normal week here at Prairieland Herbs.

We've been tagged!

Tina at The Essential Herbal tagged us for this game, so here goes...
6th Picture Meme!
Here are the rules to the photo meme
1.Go to your Picture Folder on your computer or wherever you store your pictures
2.Go to the 6th Folder, then pick the 6th picture in that folder
3.Post that picture on your blog and tell the story that goes along with the picture.
4.Tag 6 other people that you know or don’t know to do the same thing and leave a comment on their blog or an e-mail letting them know you chose them.
This is a borage plant, from our garden in late June 2008. I love borage plants - they're beautiful, have delicious edible flowers (they taste like cucumbers),and self-seed every year. When we have bus tours or garden tours, I usually just lead folks around and ask them to taste various herbs. This one is always a favorite - it's got such a delicate and lovely taste.

I'm tagging:

Sagescript Institute and Colorado Aromatics
Jag's Photo Blog
Sun Rose Aromatics
Blue Gate Farm
Walk Slowly, Live Wildly
and
the delightful Miss Effie

First off - thanks to those who offered kind thoughts and wishes about Donna's health (see post below). The verdict: an inner ear virus. YUCKY, no fun - and nothing that can be done about it other than lots of rest. So I, Maggie, will probably be womaning the shop for a bit. :)

Secondly - Dang, you guys like those lotion bars, huh?? Our winner of last weeks Friday Freebie - a lotion bar of her choice - is Rebecca! (the 3rd commenter).

Before I announce the next Friday Freebie - blog regulars, check out the Jan 29th entry for a different and extra-special blog giveaway! And if you click on the blue world logo, you'll be taken to a page where hundreds (and HUNDREDS) of other bloggers around the world are offering givewaways too! I would not suggest trying this until you have at least an hour to spare. (personal experience speaking, here.)


Well, Valentine's Day is coming up - and so I think we'll offer an 8 oz. bottle of our Bath, Body and Masage oil for this week's Friday Freebie!

We really aren't into the commercialism of Valentine's Day. BUT, it is a delightful reminder for us all to spend quality time with the one(s) we love! Not just the smoochy-romantic type of love - but also the love we feel for our friends and family, and pets! One wonderful way to show someone how much you care for them is with a delightful massage. Loving touch can be soothing, sensual, relaxing, stimulating, or just plain comforting - whatever you choose.

You don't have to be a massage therapist to give a massage - simply do a bit of reading, and then ask your partner to give you feedback on how you are doing. Here are a few great links to free information about massage:

How To Give a Foot Massage
How to Massage Dog Ears (Our doggies looooove this!)
How to Massage the Elderly or the Ill
How To Give a Back Massage
Infant Massage
How to Massage Your Cat
How to Massage a Horse

Patchouli or Jasmine are delightful for a sensual massage. Lavender is wonderful for a relaxing massage. Rosemary Mint is wonderful for aching muscles, or to help stimulate joints or muscles. We even have a special massage oil just for babies! The winner of our massage oil will get to choose his or her favorite scent. :)

Of course you can also use this moisturizing oil in a bath, or just smooth it on your skin as a moisturizer.

If you'd like to win an 8 oz. bottle of our Bath, Body and Massage Oil - you must leave a comment on today's blog post.

Rules:
1) One entry per person.
2) You must have a registered ID to post - if your post shows up under "anonymous", we don't know who you are, and therefore you can't win.
3) You have until the next Thursday at midnight, CST, to enter your comment.
4) Winner will be announced the following Friday - you must check back to see if it's you!
5) International folks are welcome. We ship Prairieland Herbs items all over the world, so we'll ship our "Friday freebie" anywhere too!
6) Each eligible post will be assigned a number, and we'll use a free online random number generator to determine the winner.

Just in case anyone reading this blog is planning to stop by the store today - Donna is REAL sick. :( Some sort of Evil Death Flu. I'm taking her to the doctor this afternoon, so, we will be closed from about noon until whenever we get back. Sorry everyone!

This is our first time participating in this fantastic blogging giveaway event, One World One Heart - and we're just thrilled! This is a fun event designed to help encourage friendship and communication with folks from all over the world - oh, and you could win cool free stuff too!

For this event, we are giving away THREE of these wonderful little "Hair Affair Kits" - as we call them. It's a little set that includes 3 sample-sized bars of our bestselling shampoo bars, and a 2 oz. bottle of our Herbal Hair Vinegar.

Our shampoo bars are one of our best-selling items - we routinely ship them to customers all over the world, so we thought this was an appropriate giveaway item! If you'd like to read more about our shampoo bars, please read our FAQ about them. In short, they are handmade, natural bars that you use to wash your hair. Our customers tell us they make their hair shiny, bouncy, and fragrant. We have been using them ourselves for years and years, and LOVE them!



To register to win one of these sets, you must:
1) Leave a comment on THIS BLOG POST
2) The comment MUST INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS - so we can contact you if you are a winner!

That is all! We will choose the winner on Feb. 11th, and announce it here on this blog on the 12th.

If you like natural bodycare products, please visit our website at prairielandherbs.com. We have been in business for over 10 years, making fine handmade herbal bodycare products.

If you enjoy crafting, creating or cooking, please check out our selection of free herbal recipes!

And last but certainly not least - please consider subscribing to this blog - we have a "Freebie Friday" giveaway EVERY WEEK - we choose a new and wonderful even for you to win. All you have to do is leave a comment - and then check back next Friday to see if you have won! (Once again, our Freebie Friday blog giveaway is open to our international friends).

Thanks for looking, and good luck!

This recipe is not in any way herbal, but it is super-delicious, and I thought some of you might enjoy it. Warning: this is really, really, really addicitive.

REALLY addictive. (just so you can't say that I didn't warn you).

Apple Toffee Dip
by Robin Warren

1 cup marshmallow cream
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 oz. package English toffee bits.

Mix all ingredients together with electric mixer, and serve with sliced apples or pears.

Did I mention it was addictive?

Just a quick note for local folks - check out the great free (or very low cost) programs offered by our local County Conservation office. I'm continually astounded by the wonderful programs they have! Want to learn about owls, how to do fly-tying, cross-country ski, compost with worms, or build bluebird houses? Dallas County Conservation has it all!

And the folks at Polk County Conservation are offering snow-shoeing, ice fishing, day trips, night hikes, and much more!

Check out your local County Conservation office to see what fantastic opportunities are available in your area!

Do you want to retain the right to purchase handmade children's toys and clothing from small businesses?

If so, please read this information, and sign the petition against a badly-worded, short-sighted law that would put thousands of artisans, toymakers, and small-business owners out of work.

Handmade Toy Alliance

Because you asked - snow photos!

We got 4-5 inches of very light and fluffy snow last night. So this morning I grabbed my old decrepit (but still working) digital camera and snapped a few pics. Above, you can see some beautiful rosehips just piled with light fluffy snow.

Here is a sage plant.
This is an anise hyssop seedhead.

And purple coneflower seedheads. I love how all the plants look like they're wearing little snowhats!

And a picture of the fencepost, wearing it's little snowhat. So cute. :) The nice thing about this light fluffy snow is that it's easy to shovel. The bad thing? When we get wind (which we always do -Iowa is, I believe, the 5th windiest state), it can easily create dangerous driving conditions due to blowing snow, which reduces visibility, creates slick spots on the roads, and can make massive snowdrifts.

Ah, such is life in the heartland.....

A few words about Prairieland Herbs, and the economy.

For the last....hmmm.....5-6 months or so, people in the shop have casually sidled up to us and said, with a hesitant look - "So, um....with the economy and stuff.....how are you doing?"

We have always given the same (truthful) answer. We are extremely lucky to have such fantastic and faithful customers, and are doing FINE, no, really!

Things look a bit grim in the big economic world - there's no doubting that. But you know what? We aren't exactly part of that, and never have been. We don't fit in most boxes. We are 2 women, working a small bit of land, making great bath and body products, teaching classes, and doing our best to enjoy life. Are we farmers? educators? shopkeepers? gardeners? crafters? "herbologists" (as our favorite mail carrier calls us)? artisans? international business mavens? Probably a little bit of of all of the above - except perhaps the last one. :)

I mean - our shop is in the middle of cornfields, on a gravel road. (!!!) We probably have broken every rule about "What not to do in business". And here we are - better than surviving. Thriving!

There IS some economic sense to this. First of all - the infamous Lipstick Effect. (no, I'm not kidding). This is a time-honored economic indicator, which basically goes as follows: When times get tough, people (women especially) treat themselves to something small and utterly luxurious. For many women, that means a divine new tube of lipstick in the (hopefully) perfect shade. Or something very similar...a divine handmade soap, for example?

Secondly - even Forbes has notice that people are still treating themselves to things like personal care products - despite the economic downturn. PLUS, they are turning more to natural remedies - instead of going to doctors. Yes, we agree 100% that that's happening - and would like to add the following observations:

1) When folks have less money, they care more about where it goes. Buying local, and/or from REAL ACTUAL PEOPLE, is a far more interesting and statisfying way to spend hard-earned dollars.

2) People are understanding that buying quality is better than buying quantity. It's more enjoyable and in the long run, more frugal.

So, this is what we are seeing, and experiencing ourselves. So we're interested to know - what do YOU think? Have you tightened your belt, or changed your spending habits?

We ARE going to have to raise our prices within the next month. We haven't raised prices for FOUR YEARS - just think about that, folks. Four years is a LONG time. The price of EVERYTHING has gone up in the last 4 years! And during those 4 years our business expanded at a rate that allowed us to buy raw materials in larger quantities, which helped offset rising prices. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to absorb price increases. But it is not due to economic woes, simply the natural process of economic inflation. We're not thrilled with it - but, that's how the world turns. So, you heard it here first (and we promise not to raise any prices without giving you plenty of notice to stock up at the"old" price).

But, our pledge to you is this: We will continue to provide you excellent customers service, and a fantastic, quality, handmade, homemade-with-genuine-love product, from real actual people. I hope that is worth a small price increase to all of you. :)

YAY!! Congratulations go out to Annie from Oregon, who says she has never tried our shampoo bars, but quit using Lush ones after she realized they weren't really natural. (That can be a very slippery word in the hands of some businesses, can't it?) Annie, drop us an email at shop at prairielandherbs dot com, and let us know what shampoo bars you want, and where you'd like them sent! We hope you love them as much as we do!!!

We've had quiet week here on the farm...which is not an entirely bad thing. :) The weather was even decent - as in, NOT below zero, wheee!! However, temps are plummeting today, and the winds are howling. We're headed to a -1 low tonight. *sigh*

And YES I know the blog has been rather devoid of snow or farm photos lately, and I really am sorry about that! We try to give you a "slice of life" here on the farm. Well our current slice of life is EVERYTHING TECHNOGICAL IS BREAKING!! (Mercury retro....*sigh*). Our digital camera is on the fritz. We hope it will be fixed soon, and we'll get back to posting farm photos. thank you for your patience!In other news - Maggie is twittering!!! I do twitter about Prairieland Herbs stuff (new blog entries, contests, news, farm info), BUT, I also yak a bit about random life-stuff. Usually food, music, movies, food, knitting, food. So if that appeals to you - please follow me! (in case I linked that incorrectly, you can also just search for girlwithasword on twitter.)


Okay - down to biz. This week's FRIDAY FREEBIE is a handmade lotion bar - your choice of scent! I simply love these. They are made from fair trade coconut oil, rice bran oil, and locally produced beeswax - so they're moisturizing and oh-so-delightful. They're perfect for travel, or keeping in a gym bag. Just swipe on, and you're done! They're perfect for all over moisturizing, but I particularly love them for my legs.

If you'd like to win a lotion bar - you must leave a comment on today's blog post.

Rules:
1) One entry per person.
2) You must have a registered ID to post - if your post shows up under "anonymous", we don't know who you are, and therefore you can't win.
3) You have until the next Thursday at midnight, CST, to enter your comment.
4) Winner will be announced the following Friday - you must check back to see if it's you!
5) International folks are welcome. We ship Prairieland Herbs items all over the world, so we'll ship our "Friday freebie" anywhere too!
6) Each eligible post will be assigned a number, and we'll use a free online random number generator to determine the winner.

Good luck!!!

A friend forwarded this to us, and I thought it was pretty cute. HOWEVER, I will say this - we Iowans are not as tough as our neighbors to the north - Minnesotans, Canadians, Alaskans etc. :)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

_COLD IS A RELATIVE THING. . . . . . .
65 above zero:
Floridians turn on the heat.
People in Iowa plant gardens.

60 above zero:
Californians shiver uncontrollably.
People in Iowa sunbathe.

50 above zero:
Italian & English cars won't start.
People in Iowa drive with the windows
down.

40 above zero:
Georgians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves,
wool hats.
People in Iowa throw on a flannel shirt.

35 above zero:
New York landlords finally turn up the heat.
People in Iowa have the last cookout
before it gets cold.

20 above Zero:
People in Miami all die.
Iowans close the windows.

Zero:
Californians fly away to Mexico .
People in Iowa get out their winter coats.

10 below zero:
Hollywood disintegrates.
The Girl Scouts in Iowa are selling
cookies door to door.

20 below zero:
Washington DC runs out of hot air.
People in Iowa let the dogs sleep indoors.

30 below zero:
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Iowans get upset because they can't start the Snow-mobile.

40 below zero:
ALL atomic motion stops.
People in Iowa start saying...'Cold enough fer ya?'

50 below zero:
Hell freezes over.
Iowa public schools will open 2 hours late.

What a great idea! World Smudge Day! Smudging is a great way to clear away old energies, and bring in the new.

On this historic day, we'll be participating - smudging our shop and homes. 2009 is a new year, filled with optimism and hope. :)

One of the coolest things about doing what we do is getting to know other folks who do similar things (i.e. play with herbs for a living). And play with and enjoy the things they make! So today I wanted to share 2 recent faves with you all.First off is The Essential Herbal's SUPER FUN beadmaking book and kit. HERBAL BEADS? Yes, indeed. It is so much fun to make your own beads out of fragrant herbal materials. They are earthy, beautiful, and fragrant. I suggest you get several different varieties of the powder mixt to try, because once you start playing with these, it's hard to stop. It's a fun project to do with a couple of friends or with some crafty kiddos. Tina's books are all well-written and totally top-notch, and this one is no exception.

Second - this amazing new perfume, Eden, from Aroma Artisan. I got this before Christmas, and cannot believe I haven't blogged about it yet. IT IS SO WONDERFUL! Making natural perfumes is such an incredible art - I do not have the skills for it myself (oh how I wish I did...), but I have incredible respect for those who do.

So, I don't really have words to describe this perfume, so I won't embarass myself by trying. Instead I will let the perfume artisan's words (and the ingredients list) speak for itself:

"Eden perfume oil focuses around 4 primary essential oils: Jasmine sambac absolute, rich sandalwood, fresh ginger and smoky guaiacwood.

This perfume has a lavish array of wonderful essential oils: jasmine sambac absolute, sandalwood, paraguay guaiacwood, indonesian fresh ginger, spanish myrrh, madagascar vanilla absolute, spanish saffron, folded italian lemon, french cocoa absolute, albanian orris root co2 select, french cepes absolute, in a base of fractionated coconut oi, jojoba oil and (vitamin e)."

In short, this is an amazing array of delightfully blended natural essential oils, absolutes, and resins. She even has very reasonably priced samples available for sale on her etsy store, so run, don't walk, to Aroma Artisan's Etsy store and try some. You won't be disappointed, I promise!