Smoke Signals

Grandma:  "What is it?" Kids:  "Just more of Dad's bugs." (☉_☉) The Chief has been growing from seed, raising and cultivating our food & medicine for more than 15 years.  He is the green thumb, not I.  He prefers to be recognized as a seed sower, and by the size of our family, this rings true, in more ways than one.    So this is why you can find our home literally filling up with ladybugs, fruit flies (to feed the ladybugs), worms (yup- we have a worm farm), praying mantises, green lacewing eggs, assassin & pirate bugs.  Oh MY! ...Just when you think the mini fruiting chamber (mushroom cultivating) in your bedroom is getting a bit wild.   What do all the bugs have to do with growing food and medicine you may wonder. Well we are only as healthy as the food we eat, no? The food we eat is as healthy as the soil it feeds on and the environment it thrives in. In other words, healing the land is part of healin...

CBD Dosing 3 main things to consider; The concentration of CBD Your body chemistry Your WHY - are you taking it There isn’t a “one size fits all” dosage and there will be some trial and error while gauging your proper dosage. Also keep in mind, one’s physiology will change while using CBD, as your receptors interact within your Endocannabinoid System this will create shifts in one’s optimal dose. So how do I begin? Concentration Know the amount of CBD in your product. If your product is not disclosing this information, this is a red flag. I always suggest starting small and increasing gradually. You will find many saying start with body weight but I have found this to be hogwash. I believe it is more about how your Endocannabinoid system is to begin with and some are especially sensitive to it while others require much more and this doesn’t seem to have anything to do with one's size or body weight. See, I am one of those 'sensitive types...

So I began juicing cannabis a couple weeks ago. Having been wanting to do this for a very long time.  And I reported, even advertised, that this was a great way to get all the super beneficials that this plant has to offer without a "lift" whatsoever.  Because there really are some that do not want that "lift". Personally I have never done well with THC (the psychoactive cannabinoid in 'Marijuana').  Being a somewhat high energy (strung?) type, I wanted to like it and receive that unwinding or chilled out effect.  However for me it was the exact opposite.  I feel like my body is under attack and I get anxious, thoughts racing and even feel nauseated.  ✧*。ヾ(｡>﹏<｡)ﾉﾞ✧*。 So I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is not the case when I smoke a hit or two of CBD hemp flower.  I can actually relax!  As time went on however I came to find that too much CBD also did what THC did to me!  Since I formulate CBD products, I use ...

Recently I had a customer who was not happy with her shampoo bar. (｡•́︿•̀｡) This is why it took me so long to formulate one.  Honestly, using natural products altogether can be a bit of a learning curve as most of us are just so use to the way mainstream products seemingly leave our hair & skin. I blogged a bit about shampoo & conditioners here while I was trying to decide whether or not I wanted to offer them for sale.  As we moved forward my thoughts were this; 1.) I do not want my customers to be dissatisfied with their purchase. 2.) Yet I do want folks to go all natural, for the sake of their health, for the sake of holism.   3.) However, a shampoo bar may not be for everyone. After my first dissatisfied customer I quickly realized, 4.) Education is the answer here. So onto the point of this blog post.  Hopefully it addresses all of the above. What is the difference between a soap bar and a shampoo bar? Soap bars have skin ...

As the Cannabis 'industry' takes off we are experiencing many avenues left to be (re) discovered, at least for the masses. One of the issues that a grower (both those for fiber & those for flower) will encounter is what do we do with all the trimmings or fan leaves as they are known by growers. See most people embrace the Hemp industry with the sustainable/holistic vision in mind.  It's a good fit, no? ....And then they come to the trimmings. ..... Many will stuff them into a paper bag and toss them out!◖|◔◡◉|◗ That seems crazy, am I right?! Sure you can place them around your plant(s) for nutrients but some may find they have an abundance of them, especially if you are in the pruning is best category of growing. It may surprise you that the fan leaves are desired by almost as many as the flower. The issue here is many prefer them fresh and unless you know a grower, this can be almost impossible.  (⌣_⌣”) Yet, I do encourage you to make attempts to contact a...

Many of us are either sick or experiencing a loved one's sickness.  Either way the pain of illness is close. Smoke Signals is a place to share information that encourages one another.  We believe that we have been given everything we need to live and abundant life.  This is our mantra because we want it to sink in. It's true! We advocate WILD EDIBLES on our side bar, to the left, for many reasons. 1.) FREE medicine! It's wise & true that every seed bearing plant has been given to us for fruit and it's leaf for medicine. "Let thy food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." "Eat the rainbow" 2.) It's more than just a medicine or a food.  It's a holistic way of living. It's a symbiotic relationship. It's synergy!  We were created to consume these plants just as they were created for us to consume. It goes in a harmonious cycle. We give off carbon dioxide, they give off oxygen. They adapt to the ever ch...

If you have been following us on our other social media platforms you may have gathered we are submerging ourselves in the fungi kingdom. Since this kingdom is still so mysterious we decided to share our adventure with you in a series called, Mushroom Appreciation. Here we will try to expound on the benefits of this kingdom although so vast.  We hope to encourage wild foraging and even pass along some cultivating do's & don't s from our own experiences. Typography Illustration by chrystakay.com In our first series we are talking about Turkey Tail. Why?    Immune-Boosting Benefits of Turkey Tail Mushroom Packed With Antioxidants. Antioxidants are compounds that help inhibit or reduce damage caused by oxidative stress.  Contains Immune-Boosting Polysaccharopeptides. The specific polysaccharides are “Kresin” (PSK) and “Peptide” (PSP). May Improve Immune Function in People With Certain Cancers.  May Enhance the Efficacy of Certain Cancer T...

Hello, I'm Healthy! MOST people do not think of our words as being part of a health regimen. But the wise man once said that, "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones". With over 27 verses in the Bible alone about the power of the tongue, it is kind of amazing that this isn't thought of as part of a healthy lifestyle.  Then you have folks talking about "the secret" or "law of attraction" and how words have great power.  ...Well, the Bible also says that all life was created by a few choice words.  And some say that could have been, abracadabra.  (1.) Lately Ive been encountering a particular enchanting kind that claim words are spells, that is why it is called spell ing.   ◔̯◔ This had me recalling many years back to when we learned of an elaborate system to set up in your garden that played music to your plants. They claimed this was making their plants happy thus producing more. ...