Making Herbs Simple Vol 1 Give-Away

There is a tree full of weapons in my backyard:
the chestnut tree with it's seed pods.

They fall from the tree,

spiny balls of green prickles that later turn to brown.

They HURT when you step on them;

worse yet, it seems there is some kind of toxin in their spines that

causes the body to hurt even hours after the unfortunate event.

Violet stepped on one a couple of years back,

and moaned of the pain for the rest of the evening.

At bedtime, I was confronted by her.

The pain had not stopped and sleep was avoiding her because of it.

I remembered what I'd read about plantain from the Bulk Herb Store catalog

and the information that they gave about it.
It was something like this:

I fetched some outside using a flashlight,

took it to my cutting board,

cut til it was a gooey green pulp,

and applied the slimey mess to her ailing foot beneath a damp paper towel.

I then put a tight sock on her foot over the green slime

and told her to see if that helped at all.

I didn't hear from her again til morning,

when she came into my room amazed that the pain was gone.

This happened another time with a splinter that was deep in her finger.

We applied the green goo and then some gloves,

and she wore them while she slept that night.

Although it was not gone the next morning,

the pain had stopped,

and after a couple nights of doing this,

it did come out.

A child herbalist was born.

Now, whenever there is any such problem,

I am beckoned to fix her some of the green goo.

Plants can be amazing healers.
I've discussed two before already:
aloe and garlic.

Amazing!

I love herbs because I have seen them work

with my own eyes

on my body

and the bodies of the people and animals

that live in my house.

So when I saw this DVD,

I thought it would be a great tool to start teaching

my daughter about herbs.

What an excellent supplement to our home-schooling!

Bulk Herb Store sent me one of these videos to view and post about

as well as offer three in a giveaway.

I found the DVD chock full of information,

in a fun,

diversified manner.

Shoshanna Easling introduces a variety of herbs to the watcher:

She also presents different methods for using herbs:

Not only is the DVD full of excellent photography

and nicely paced information,

but it also uses written signposts to help one remember the information being discussed.

Shoshanna wanders about

showing the herbs in their natural environment...

showing what the leaves look like from the top and bottom...

clearly pointing out what the flowers look like...

and explaining the various uses of the plants

as well as what they are beneficial for.

There are guidance moments:

as well as warnings on moderation...

and information on which parts of the plant should be used

and avoided.

Throughout the program,

there are fun questions.

Do you know what willow was used for?

Why is the Jewel Weed

a real jewel to have when you come in contact with poison ivy?

What is a healthy, inexpensive home-made toothpaste?

After the informative but nicely paced segment introducing some incredibly useful

and relatively common herbs,

Shoshanna then has a segment on how to store herbs for future use:

A friend joins Shoshanna for this part,

giving a fun variety to the DVD.

After drying the herbs is discussed...

Shoshanna's mother helps demonstrate the making of tinctures.

I found this segment very helpful to me.  I knew of  tinctures,

but was unsure why the different uses of vinegar, food grade glycerine, and vodka are used.

I understood after watching this segment.

Shoshanna's friend returns in the last segment about making poultices,

which is basically what I did for Violet:

our green goo.

However, I didn't know why this was so effective,

and this segment helped me understand a bit better about that as well.

Of course, throughout the different segments,

a warning would appear at the bottom of the screen

to remind folks that this is herbal knowledge and not confirmed by the medical field.

There are definitely times to see a doctor,

but there are also times when a simple natural solution would prevent the need for

unnecessary treatment by chemical drugs.

After all, we wouldn't want to put those big pharmaceuticals out of business,

would we?

(Yes, I do appreciate many of the benefits of modern medicines:

just jesting a bit here).

A booklet is included with the DVD

giving fantastic color images of the herbs discussed...

as well as detailed descriptions

of the plants.

A catalog for the Bulk Herb Store was also in the box.

Not only is it colorful and well presented,

but it also has a valuable listing of the herbs offered for sale at reasonable prices,

and a great description of what the herb is used for.

There are beautiful photos

as well as fun facts about some of the herbs.

A nice listing of herbal blends, water filters, supplies for making herbal remedies, and helpful books

are also for sale in the back pages of the catalog.

The back inside cover reminds how to make tinctures.

I was very impressed with this video.

I know quite a bit about herbs,

but I must admit that for a beginners' video on how to use them,

I learned a lot.

I appreciated how well the video was made graphically,

how interesting it was: it held my attention throughout.

I think the first section about the various herb plants to be easily found

and identified in the wild

would hold my 8 year old daughter's attention.

The sections on how to preserve them

might get a little long for her,

but I expect in a couple years,

she would be able to glean much from them.

I have been given the privilege of offering three of these videos to my wonderful blog readers.

1. If you leave a comment, you will be entered to win

(If you read my blog off of Facebook, you can leave a comment there instead of here, if you'd prefer.)

2. If you follow my blog, you will have anther entry to win.

3. If you "like" the Bulk Herb Store on Facebook on facebook
(and leave a comment here telling me about it),
you will have another entry to win.

4. If you "like" Shoshanna Easling's Facebook page
(and leave another comment here telling me about it)
you will have another entry to win.

5. If you click on the Bulk Herb Store
(either on my sidebar or on the facebook page)
and leave a comment here about your favorite product
or a product that you have an interest in, you will have another entry.
(You do not need to put a comment for each entry.
  You can just sum it up in one comment, if you'd wish.)

This giveaway will be open until next Wednesday, March 23.

  The winner will be announced on Thursday, March 24.

I cannot express enough to you how beneficial herbs can be

when properly used.

Educating oneself in the knowledge of them is a wise investment.

"Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates."

 Proverbs 31:31 

I am still overwhelmed seeing the images of Japan. Please, join me in remembering to pray for the many who are facing such life altering circumstances over there, and for those who are still waiting to hear from loved ones.

Linked to:
Homemaker-by-Choice
Under the Table and Dreaming: Sunday-Showcase-Party
Its so very Cheri: Its-party-time

Serenity now 4 Amanda: Weekend-bloggy-reading-link-up
Cottage Homestead: Simplicity-Saturdays-link-up