Old Fashioned Horses
A few more photos from our wagon ride!
Blog
March 27, 2012
Sugarin’
Sugarin'
For the last few years my brother has been tapping his trees, collecting sap and making maple syrup in small quantities (2-3 litres) for our own use. This year we were so excited to collect our own sap from four very large and mature maple trees in our own backyard. On a good day these four trees will produce 20 L of sap which will translate to about 500 mL of syrup. We boiled down the sap on the weekend over a wood stove in my brother’s garage. Next year, we’ll plan a party around sugarin’ time!
Last week we had RECORD high temperatures that caused the sap flow to stop and many of us feared the season was over. My brother’s trees were producing “cloudy” sap, an indication that the buds were formed and that the sap was no longer useful for sugaring. Our own trees, however, seem to have restarted, so there is still hope for the seaon!
April
March 25, 2012
Shoo! Outdoor Body Spray
Shoo! Outdoor Bug Spray
I’d like to introduce to you our newest product: Shoo! Outdoor Body Spray. It’s not just a spray to make you smell nice, it is a bug repellant. Why didn’t we just call it bug repellant? It’s complicated, but suffice to say that cosmetic laws in Canada are sometimes baffling.
This is a product we’ve been working on since 2010. It’s been a long time coming and with lots of research and field testing, we’re pretty happy with the results! We’ve drawn on some of the latest research and traditional ingredients to make what we feel is an effective bug repellant.
The base ingredient is certified organic soybean oil. We use certified organic to ensure that the oil is NOT generated from genetically modified organisms (GMO), something we are concerned about at Anointment. Most conventionally grown soybeans are grown from GMO seeds. Soybean oil will provide protection against mosquitoes for 3 hours and up to 8 hours for black flies according to Health Canada.
We also use a considerable amount of neem oil. Neem tree oil enjoys an important position in Ayurvedic medicine and in addition to being an insect repellant it is useful in safely removing pests from plants and crops. Neem oil has a very distinct smell described by some as ‘peanuts and garlic’.
These two oils are combined and infused with lemongrass and bay leaf at low temperatures to extract the beneficial properties of these plants to the oil. Once infused the oils are strained and hand-blended with a mix of cedarwood (0.5%), lemongrass (0.5%) and eucalyptus (0.2%) essential oil.
Eucalyptus should never be taken internally and should never be applied undiluted to the skin. Please take extreme care that your children and babies do not have access to Shoo! Outdoor Body Spray or any other bug repellant product. Always apply bug spray to clothing first and then spray on an adult’s hand to apply to the skin of children. For extra safety, do not apply to the faces and hands of children under three. Wee ones are prone to putting their hands in their mouths!
All of our research indicates that this product is acceptable for pregnant and breastfeeding women. We do recommend following the same instructions as for children: spray your clothing first and then apply to skin if needed.
Shoo! Outdoor Body Spray is oil based and may stain light-coloured clothing. Mist carefully!
Most of all, get outdoors and have fun!
April
Posted in: Blog
Tagged: Anointment, bug repellant, business, family, outdoors, work
Leave a comment »
March 23, 2012
{details}
Adapted from Soulemama‘s “…Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.”
Rather than capture a “moment”, I feel inspired to capture the small details around me, to remind me to stop and smell the roses in this new iteration of our lives.
workshop wall art
The workshop wall above the stove where I spend so much time. Each one of these frames was created by the fine ladies who worked with me at Nurtured on the occasion of my first-ever baby shower (for my third baby). And of course, the walls are dill-pickle green. Thank you Simone, Gillian, Jessica, Sarah, Karen, Jessica (yes, two!) and Melissa.
If you’ve noticed interesting {details} around you, please share or leave a link in the comments.
April
March 22, 2012
Nick and the house of glass
All photos by Nick Chase.
Sackville Town Hall
Glass by Nick Chase
Sackville Memories
Sackville Memories
Last week our tiny little town opened a spectacular new Town Hall, Fire Station and RCMP Office. It is an amazing building with silver LEED certification, beautifully appointed interiors and really opens the chapter on a new era of our town. Part of the budget included public art and one of the installations is what you see above by glass artist Nick Chase.
I have known Nick since we were six years old in grade one. He always showed remarkable talent in every creative endeavour, even as a kid. Nick has found his artistic passion working with glass and his work is remarkable, beautiful and unique. Some day when there aren’t dozens of tiny feet tearing through my house I’d love to own some of his work.
Nick’s work was chosen among the entrants to permanently display a work of art in the new Sackville Town Hall. I really had no idea what to expect but was moved by what I saw. Nick is an incredible photographer and graciously allowed me to use some of his photos, but they don’t do his work justice – you really have to see it in person to understand what you’re looking at, and even then, you need to take the time to really look with more than just your eyes. Here’s what I wrote to Nick shortly after the Grand Opening:
“…your work is completely amazing and I was speechless. I had no idea what to expect but the – I still don’t even know how to say it – the nostalgia and the memories and the history you incorporated into your piece just made me want to burst into tears, in a good way. You put all the things that ex-pat Sackvillians long for when they leave, the intangible things you don’t know you missed until you come home and you can breathe deeply again because you’re in your native environment. At least that’s how I felt about coming home. You have such an amazing talent, you are destined for wonderful things. I’m so proud of you. Welcome home.”
His response: “That was exactly what I put in to those pieces…exactly, and I’m more than happy that you and everybody else actually saw it. This piece means the world to me because of what this town means to me…”
I knew then and I still know great things are in store for Nick. But this story is as much about his talent and work as the impact this tiny little town has on all of us, even those of us who find us here somewhat unwillingly or by accident. I want to share it with all of you.
April
add to a reader
Made in Canada
Anointment Natural Skin Care™ accepts payments by