Last week, the Idaho Cattle Association held their annual Convention in Sun Valley. Cattle raising men and women from across the state came to mingle with old friends and learn new information. This year’s theme was “Not Your Grandad’s Industry,” representing that things have progressed a long way since the days of our grandparents. As I walked around and chatted with my fellow ranch girl counterparts, one thing stood out in my mind—these cattlewomen are not taking cues from their grandma’s closet!

Ranch women are plagued with the stereotype of someone whose only outfit consists of a button up shirt, high-waist Wranglers, and a hair kerchief. However, in the two days I spent in Sun Valley, there was no plaid, no kerchiefs, and the Wranglers I saw had plenty of bling. Ok, that’s a bit of a lie. I wore plaid; but it had sequins. I’ll be the first to tell you, my Grandma Marie never wore sequins with her plaid, so I think I’m in the clear.

When it comes down to it, the cattlewomen of Idaho are a stylish group of ladies, and the rest of this post will do nothing but prove that fact. Unfortunately my phone was dead most of the day on Monday, so the only outfits I got a chance to document came from Tuesday. I missed a couple of great ones, including fellow ICW bloggers, Jayme Thompson, who wore the most beautiful braided scarf, accompanied by a gorgeous pair of Stetson boots, and Julie Kerner, who looked stunning in an Aztec print dress—with sequins. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

~ J

It’s probably no surprise to you when I say, “I absolutely love working outside.” Every day brings something different from the last, and always leaves me thinking about how blessed I really am. Everybody jokes that their ranch is God’s Country, but let me be the first to say, I am constantly blown away at the beauty of this place I get to call home.

Unfortunately when you’re outside 8+ hours a day, seven days a week, those elements can start to take a toll on your body—especially if you’re a woman. For a man, sunburns and cracked hands are just part of the job; but for me, those are things I try to stay away from. Just to make things clear, I don’t spend an hour before work putting on my makeup and making sure my hair has the perfect pouf. Very rarely is my hair styled in something other than a braid, and chapstick is surely all you’ll find on these lips. But at the end of the day, I want it to be extremely apparent that I am a Jessie, not a Jesse.

Because I know that women are always looking for new beauty products, I’ve taken the liberty to share a few of my favorites that help keep me feeling like a lady, even when I am out working with the guys. You can find links to all of the products I talk about within this post, but if you have any questions be sure to leave a comment so I can get back to you! Also, please know that this is not a sponsored post. I use all of these products on a daily basis, do not get paid for it (unfortunately, because wouldn’t that be nice), and wouldn’t suggest them to others if I didn’t believe in their quality.

Body:  I will be the first to tell you, if you only put one thing on your body, be sure that is sunscreen. I would rather tell me dad that I wrecked my car, than tell my dermatologist that I don’t regularly wear sunscreen. This is not a lie. And she (my dermatologist) is right. Regardless of what month it is, sunscreen is a must. Melanoma (skin cancer) has been on the rise for the last 30 years, and it won’t be going away any time soon. Sunscreen is your best defense against this killer; and let me be the first to tell you, tan skin is not worth it. There are tons of faux tanners out there that will give you the perfect sun-kissed glow in no time, without the harsh effects of too much sun. My favorite facial sunscreen is a mineral stick that I brush on over my makeup. As for the rest of my skin, I use anything with an SPF of 45 or higher and a decent smell. This Hawaiian Tropic stuff is my favorite!

As much as I love Idaho, its dry climate is not a friend to skin—especially anytime November-March. Combine the cold with a 10-20mph breeze, and your skin really has something to complain about. When it comes to a general lotion, I live by Cetaphil products. They have a really great moisturizing lotion that’s perfect for all-over use. However, when things start getting really cold and dry I always add some Bio Oil in with my lotion. It adds in a lot of moisture without being extra greasy. Coconut oil also works great, except it stays solid above 72 degrees, so you have to put a little more work into getting it in oil form. I generally buy these products at Costco because that’s where I’ve found them to be cheapest.

Face:  My facial ritual is extremely simple. Morning and night, I moisturize with Cetaphil’s Moisturizing Cream. On those days when the wind is really howling, I mix equal parts hydrocortisone cream and Neosporin, applying it to my nose and cheeks. This mixture really helps to keep redness and wind burn at bay. As for lips, I always try to keep them protected with an SPF lip balm. ChapStick brand is a great go-to, but I also really like Eos’ Sphere Lip Balm. The shape makes it super easy to apply, although it’s not made to be put in one’s hind pocket.

Hands: More often than not, my hands take the worst hit from Mother Nature. I love getting a manicure just as much as every other girl, but unfortunately they just aren’t built to outlast ranch work. Instead, I will be forever plagued with hang nails, cracked knuckles, and jammed-so-often-they’re-crooked thumbs. Luckily enough, I’ve found a product that works just a good at keeping my hands looking as ladylike, as possible. This Just a Minute Hand Scrub from Bath and Body Works is something I absolutely swear by. It always manages to get rid of whatever grime I have underneath my fingernails, removes cuticle like a champ, and leaves my hands feeling oh-so soft. Afterwards, I use a combination of Bio Oil and Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream (both linked above), to really lock in moisture.

Hair: In an effort to keep hat hair at bay, I’ve found a miracle product. Josie Maran Argan Hair Serum. Yes, it’s a mouthful—but never have I found something better at protecting my locks. One pump of this stuff, and I’m ready to take on the day! Now, when I say one pump I truly mean it—anymore than that and looking like you swam in a bacon fryer. I will be the first to warn you, at first glance this stuff is expensive. But it lasts forever and is absolutely worth it. I’m still working at a two-ounce bottle that I’ve had since last Christmas, which pencils out to $0.14/day.

So whether you work outside all day or are just looking for some new beauty products to pamper yourself this winter, I hope you check them out.

~ J

Jessie has returned to her roots on her family’s commercial Black Angus cattle ranch in southern Idaho after time away at college and working on behalf of the state’s cattle producers. She’s passionate about agriculture and the western way of life. When she isn’t doing ranch work or writing, Jessie enjoys baking, golfing and drinking coffee. As a newlywed, she’s also turning a little cabin on the ranch into a home.

As the leaves begin to turn their beautiful orange and yellow colors, you can begin to feel the chill in the early morning air. Fall approaches us this year with more items added to our “to do list.” Along with our horse and cattle operation and saddle business, my husband Matt, is a rep for Western Video Market. As per the customer’s request, he will travel to the location of where the cattle are, and video calves, yearlings or breeding stock. You can watch the sale on satellite TV or the Internet. When the seller and buyer agree on price and delivery date, the rep will go to location of cattle and help sort and load them. It is the reps responsibility to make sure the trucks are at the location to load, the cattle are the right weight, and all paper work is taken care of.

The boys and I have had the opportunity to go with Matt and help. On one of our most recent video sales, we went to a beautiful ranch in Wyoming. It required us to stay the night so we decided to stay at a hotel so the boys could swim. The owner of the cattle asked us to help him gather the critters in a large field above his house. So we loaded our horses, kids and swim suits. It was the later part of the morning as we pulled into the corral, saddled our horses, and put on the extra coat we didn’t think we would need.

We head out across the field aiming for the pine trees and mountains that lie ahead of us. The cattle are waiting in the mist, slowly milling around. The field turned out to be a rather large one. It took a large part of the day, the sun warming us up enough to take a few layers off. It was a great gather, the calves running and bucking, and cows bawling for their own, and we even got to rope a few stragglers that decided to turn back on us. No complaining here. It was a beautiful day, spent riding with my family, getting our young horses rode, and being reminded how blessed we truly are. We left them in a corral overnight so they would be easy to get to in the early morning to sort and ship. We had a nice evening, and the boys swam until their hearts were content.

The next morning came fast, a rather chilly one in fact! Matt and I sorted the calves from cows, making sure our counts each matched. The truckers were there, waiting patiently for their turn to load. The brand inspector looked the cows and calves over. Matt takes care of the paper work transactions, and we load the trucks. Away they go…

That job is complete, and now we go onto the next one…gathering our own cows. Happy Fall Y’all!

~ Jayme

Jayme lives in Shelley, Idaho, with her husband Matt, and their three sons. She was daddy’s little cowgirl being raised horseback on the family cattle ranch. Matt and Jayme have known each other since their early junior rodeo days. They are both 4th generation ranchers and have a cow-calf and horse operation. Jayme drives school bus, and helps Matt on the ranch in addition to chauffeuring kids. Matt is also a custom saddle maker.

Jayme also blogs at www.cavvysavvy.com where this post first appeared.

Our ranch encompasses a cow-calf, yearling operation and custom feedlot in southwest Idaho. My husband and I both were raised on livestock ranches in Weiser, so our industry roots run deep. Our children have been very active and involved in the ranch and feedlot, with both girls developing registered Angus and Hereford

herds. Our son, Sam, prefers to “run grass calves,” but still competes with his steer at the Washington County Fair. Shane will be a senior at Kansas State University, majoring in animal science. Dana will be a senior at Weiser High and is currently narrowing her college choice, and will major in animal science, as well. Sam, a fifth-grader, focuses on building forts, football, hunting and following in his Dad’s footsteps.

When asked to write a narrative of a “normal” day here, I randomly picked a Tuesday in May. It occurred to me as I wrote out the day, each day finds its own rhythm, but all the days flow because of the purpose and passion our family lives.

5:45 a.m. – Up with a pot of coffee, Magnificat and quiet time. Much needed before the day begins.

6:30 a.m. – Kids up and going. Sent them out to feed show heifers and 4-H steers. Breakfast, lunches, homework signed…only two more weeks of “school schedule”! Put a roast in the crock pot for supper.

7:45 a.m. – Up to feedlot to weigh and ship two loads of heifers and steers. Rode pens while crew finished up shipping and paperwork. Brought down two steers to scales for the local butcher to harvest.

11:00 a.m. – Back to my office to make payroll tax deposit, check balances and get a receivables deposit ready for the bank. Made calls for the upcoming Weiser River Cattle Association Turn-out Golf Tournament. Emailed Jodie Mink sponsor logos.

11:45 a.m. – Picked up the feedlot crew for lunch at the Farmer’s Co-op Café. Dropped by the bank with a deposit. Picked up a part at Hollingsworth’s for the swather.

1:15 p.m. – Checked cows and salt in three pastures.

2:00 p.m. – Helped load bulls to be Trich tested at the vet clinic.

3:00 p.m. – Headed to town to pick up Sam & Willie for guitar lessons. Stopped for Twisty Cones at Jeb’s for snacks. “Lucky Number Tuesday” at Bi-Mart—always need toilet paper on Tuesdays! Won a package of beef jerky, which Sam had half-finished before we turned down our lane.

4:45 p.m. – Home for chores and start supper. Homework finished. Did I mention only two more weeks of school?!? Answered phone and email messages. Dana will finish preparing supper while I head to play for Confirmation Mass practice in Fruitland at 6.

9:15 p.m. – Home from practice. Read with Sam as we are in the middle of Lincoln’s Last Days. Prayers.

10:00 p.m. – Read the Idaho Statesman, talked about today’s highs and lows with Bruce, and made a plan for tomorrow. Finished the night with Magnificat and thanks!

Every cattlewoman’s day is different, but we all have one thing in common—to care for our animals and raise delicious and healthy BEEF!

~ Julie