What is a salve? And how to easily make one!

image of pouring herbal salve into mason jars

Salves are probably the easiest herbal skin care product to make at home. They’re fantastic for healing and soothing all kinds of skin conditions. If you’re new to this diy lifestyle you may find yourself asking, “Yeah, but what IS a salve?” What is a salve? A salve is basically an ointment that is applied … Read more

Using Honey for Allergies – breaking down the evidence

image of a jar of honey with a honey dipper being pulled out

As a family who keeps bees I’m often asked about using honey for allergies – mainly, does it work? The simple answer is “it depends.” There are a lot of variables to consider when deciding to use local raw honey as part of your seasonal allergy protocol. The basic thought process of using honey for … Read more

Growing and Using Maypop Passion Vines

passionflower on vine

Soon after my husband and I got married, he brought home a beautiful lavender flower that had a lovely smell, He had found on a pasture fence line. It was a native purple passion flower, Passiflora incarnata, which is also known as maypop in areas where it grows wild in North America. We’ve been growing … Read more

Making herbal tea blends – what you need to know

A cup of herbal tea and mason jar of honey

We are a tea loving family. In fact, I joke that growing up while other kids drank Kool-Aid® or Tang®, we drank tea (meaning sweet iced tea, I am from the South, you know). As a young adult I was introduce to herbal teas and fell in love with them, too. At first I would … Read more

DIY Body Butter for Healthy Skin

an overhead view of a mason jar with body butter

Dry skin is something that drives me crazy but putting chemicals on my skin is something I’m not willing to do to moisturize it. I’ve been on the hunt for a homemade moisturizer for quite a while. I’ve tried several recipes and techniques; some have been super oily and didn’t absorb well, others had water … Read more

Pink Lemonade Herbal Bath Fizzy

jar of herbal bath fizzy

A few years ago we tried to make bath bombs and let’s just say they were one of my more epic DIY fails. We had fun, but they didn’t work the way Martha said they would. The problem was you had to add water to them to get them to stick together and the water … Read more

Homemade Vapor Rub for the Cold and Flu Season

Discover the soothing relief of homemade vapor rub with jars from SchneiderPeeps.com. One jar sits open, revealing creamy yellow contents, while the other remains sealed. Follow the tutorial to craft your own blend and embrace natural comfort.

When my big kids were little we used to use something we called “nose medicine” when we were stuffy, most people call it Vicks® Vapor Rub. It works great, but we decided to stop using it for a several reasons. Now, I make homemade vapor rub salve for our family using essential oils, carrier oils, … Read more

How to Make and Use Infused Oils

Infusing herbs into oils is a great way to add flavor, color and medicinal value to oils. Learn how to make and use infused oils as both food and medicine.

In fusing herbs in oils is such a great way to add flavor, scent, color and health benefits to oils. I’ve been making infused oils for quite some time and thought I’d share with you my no-fuss way of infusing the oil. But first let’s chat about why you would even want to infuse oil. … Read more

DIY Herbal Bath Tea For a Better Night’s Sleep

jar of sleepy time bath tea and reusable tea bag

There’s nothing quite like slipping into a warm herbal bath after a long day. I realize some people have thing against baths and only take showers but I’m defiantly in the Team Herbal Bath group, especially when we need a little extra self care in our lives. Whenever my kids aren’t feeling well they are … Read more

How to use nettles for seasonal allergies

A cup of coffee on a table

Yep, those weeds that sting bare little feet as they run over them are great for helping with seasonal allergies. I use stinging nettle in several different ways to help with season allergy relief. Several of our children struggle a bit with seasonal allergies and I often find myself with itchy eyes when the mold … Read more

How to Make an Easy Comfrey Poultice plus how to use it

Comfrey poultices made from herbs wrapped in cloth are displayed on a surface. The text at the bottom reads, "How to make Comfrey Poultices for bruises, sprains and muscle pain - SchneiderPeeps.

Poultices are a staple in our homemade first aid supplies. I like to keep a few homemade comfrey poultices on hand for when we need them and I’m going to show you how you can make them in advance too. A few years ago our oldest daughter bruised her big toe at dance (pointe ballet). … Read more

Moringa Tea {a simple and frugal healing tea}

A cup of moringa tea with a honey dipper drizzling honey into it. In the background, two jars stand, one open to reveal its contents. Text overlay reads: "Moringa Tea: a healing infusion.

Being from the South I grew up on tea…sweet tea. In fact, I remember having sweet tea available daily but rarely drinking those fruit flavored drinks. I was an adult before I knew there was any kind of tea besides sweet tea (ok, so I knew about unsweet tea but didn’t know anyone who actually … Read more

Herbs, Herbalism and Herbariums

SchneiderPeeps- Herbs, herbalism, herbarium- The Herbal Academy of New England has started a virtual herbarium. Each month new information will be added on the traditional and scientific uses of herbs.

One of my goals for 2015 is to learn more about using herbs, both in cooking and for medicinal purposes. For years I’ve purchased herb combinations to help take care of my family. It’s been good for us. But I think I’m ready to take my herbal knowlege to the next level. One of my … Read more

A Sensitive Subject – Teenage Acne

Close-up of fresh sage leaves on a wooden surface beside a bottle of organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar and a glass of water. The text reads, "An Herbal Acne Remedy that actually works wonders for your skin.

With a house full of teenagers we’ve had to deal with the sensitive subject of acne quite often. Fortunately, none of my children have what would be considered severe acne but they’ve all had “bumps” from time to time. Now, I’m no acne expert, I’m just a mom, but I do know that no one … Read more