Creating a Herbal Notebook

dsc_1054Creating a Herbal Notebook

I want to share with you an exciting tool I’ve put together to wrangle all the new information we are gathering about herbs; a Herb Notebook! I’ll share the benefits & purposes of an herb notebook, break down each category I have included and give ideas for filling each section, post photos of my own notebook in progress, and best of all, I have included FREE printables of the beautiful title pages I designed for each section for you to start your own notebook.


Why Maintain a Herb Notebook?

Especially since having kids, I decided to operate on the premise that I will forget everything or at least won’t be able to recall it when I need it. Because it feels like I do. Since I don’t want to rely on my memory to give my child the right dose of Elderberry Syrup or remember if it was Catnip or Cat’s Claw that soothes colic, I write everything down & keep it where I can find it easily. This is the motivation behind organizing my herbal notebook.

Secondly, I have put together a notebook so that I can keep all my information in one spot.

There’s already enough papers coming in and out of the home or getting buried in precariously balanced piles. When you actually have information that you want to save, it’s great to stash it directly where it belongs. You can find it again easily, other people can reference your knowledge, and & it doesn’t get scribbled on or used to start a fire in the woodstove (in our house at least!)

Additionally, knowing that you have accurate information that you have researched and are confident about using right at your fingertips is invaluable!

I don’t know about you, but I get so annoyed when there is an issue and I need something NOW but can’t find information that agrees with each other online to save my life! Books that you trust are helpful for this, but many times it seems like they will mention what helps in passing or even give a recipe without giving the dosage. Trying to find a reliable adult dose for a treatment then doing the calculations to convert it for a child while you have a screaming, sick toddler hanging on you is unnecessarily stressful. Save yourself the drama, do the research ahead of time, and keep it organized so you can find it quickly!

Another benefit is having real tangible information that you can take with you

Having information and recipes written down is great because you don’t have to worry about your phone getting messy in the kitchen, you still have access to it if the power or internet connection goes out, and you can easily write down recipe alterations. I very rarely follow a recipe to the letter for anything I cook.  When using a random recipe off the internet, there’s no way to record alterations (and there is NO WAY I’ll remember them until next time!) Being able to take notes on a printed recipe helps me track the changes I have made, and decide whether to follow it the next time or tweak something else for better results. Having printed information about herbs is also helpful while you are outside gardening but don’t want to get your phone dirty.

What to include in your herb notebook.

dsc_1061– Recipes! The recipe section can be used for, obviously, individual recipes. You could organize them alphabetically like I have, organize them by type (tincture, tea, salve recipe etc,) or organize them alphabetically by issue (allergies, asthma, cold, diaper rash, flu etc.) You know how your mind works best & what will help the most! You can also includes notes on how you used the recipe, the results, any tweaks you made to the recipe, how to store it etc.

dsc_1060– Herb Spotlight! This is a place to store your notes on specific herbs. Add the handy FREE individual herb printables I share here at the Herbal Homeschool; Check out the Start Here page for the list of posts. Include your experience with herbs as you try them (yes it helped, oops I’m allergic to it but it helped the kids, etc.) Add interesting articles and studies about the herb, things you would like to use it for in the future, whether it works best as a tea, tincture, salve, essential oil, infused oil, etc. You can also store your herb catalogs here.

dsc_1057-Herbal Cheat Sheets! This is the spot to store directions on making teas, tinctures, oils, salves etc, instructions for adjusting dosages, measurement conversion charts, receipts for orders you may want to save to compare prices, Basically any general reference notes that don’t fit anywhere else but you would want quickly.

dsc_1056-Garden Info!  This is a great spot for plant identification and growth profiles (which I will be providing through my email list!), seed & plant receipts you want to save, the tags that come with the plants that inevitably get lost otherwise, garden maps for planning your garden, seed catalogs, records from previous years, photos of your garden to compare year to year (and for fun!) and anything else plant-related you might think of.

Downloads

Without further ado . . . Here are the links to download PDF printables of the notebook cover and title pages I have designed.

Herbal Notebook Cover

Herbal Recipbelow

Herbal Spotlight

Herbal Cheat Sheet

Herbal Garden Info