Sunday, September 30, 2012

Make Your Own Plug-In Refills

Everyone loves a great smelling home, but why pay an arm and a leg for it. Yes, I keep my house clean, but I like to have a plug-in here and there to make sure the house is on the up and up (esp. around the litter box). I bought the Frebreeze plug-ins, but the refills are $6...yup I am that cheap. So I took off the lids and filled them up myself with castor oil and orange oil. Total cost per refill: about 50-75cents.



It's simple...take off the lids, fill 80% with castor oil (or any other cheap carrier oil) and about 10 drops of any essential oil.




Boom! Your house smells good and you got your thrift on!

At Home Tattoo Removal

Some of us have them, the lucky ones don't.....the awful tattoo that you would kill to get rid of.

This not-so-lovely tulip tattoo was the result of one too many margaritas and I regretted it the next day!

I have already been through laser and could not afford to go down that route again, so I started searching online for an alternative. Did I mention I also tried Wrecking Balm with no results??

Forgive me for not taking pics of the entire process, but I had no idea this would work so well. The results were truly astonishing.

The Beginning:
Here is a pic of my wrist tattoo from a few months ago. Sorry for the lack of close ups, this was the best pic I could find.



This is how simple it is:

I took a half a cup of kosher salt with a half a cup of water and rubbed on my tattoo (with a soft cloth) for 30 minutes, continuously dipping my rag in the salt water.  Honestly the first 20 minutes just felt like a salt scrub, but the last ten was a bit stingy.  I also was drinking wine and would highly suggest watching some smut on t.v. to keep yourself distracted.

The following day I put my wrist under water and sprinkled on some salt for a second treatment. *Salt has been used for centuries to treat wounds/infections because it pulls all of the impurities out of your skin. I let that salt sit for about 20-30 minutes and then gave it a good rinse with Dial antibacterial soap.

The area will get slightly bloody, so it needs to be treated like any other wound. Keep it clean! It is NOT my fault if you are dirty and get an infection!!

I  got a lot of flack afterwards when my scab was gross, but now people are simply amazed that my tattoo has been totally removed. So here comes the gross pics..... 

 And here we are 5 weeks later. I still have an area that reminds me of my tragic bike accident of 2009, but I know in time my skin will be completely back to normal.


And here is my 7 month update...barely recognizable! You can still see some traces of black ink, but I can totally live with that!







Be kind to your skin, keep the area moisturized (esp during the scabbing process). I used lots of coconut oil and Eucerin multiple times a day.

Scroll down for the gross scab pics....













This was about two days afterwards:


About 2 weeks later, the scab came off with the whole fudging tattoo!! Crazy!

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Renew, Reuse, or Throw it Out??

Do you ever find yourself looking at your recycle bin thinking, "Surely there is something else I can do with most of this stuff."

I have a major issue with pretending like I can upcycle anything.  I will literally save every jar and large yogurt container until my cabinets are crying out for an intervention. Sadly, wood can not speak, so it is usually my husband that has to put his foot down and STOP THE INSANITY.  There is a fine line between reusing and straight up hoarding.  


So when I saw this pic posted online I thought "How great! I can't wait to do that." Yup, you can take the hoarder out of the girl, but you can't take the girl out of the.....hoard?. 


Baked Zucchini Chips



Healthy chips??? Don't mind if I do!

Ingridients:
1 zucchini
1/8 cup panko bread crumbs
1 egg white
A few pinches of finely grated funky cheese*
5-6 basil leaves chopped
salt and pepper to taste

*I used an aged white cheddar, but parmessean is just as good

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with canola oil. Set aside.

Slice zucchini into thin medallions, about the thickness of a quarter. I would highly suggest a mandoline for this type of business, but if you don't have one, try to make the slices as uniform as possible.

Toss zucchini in a bowl with remaining ingredients. Lay out slices on prepared baking sheet, and spray tops lightly with additional cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper.  Place in preheated oven and bake 45 minutes. Rotate baking sheet, and bake an additional 30-50 minutes, until chips are sexy. Enjoy a supper healthy crispy treat!

Organizing Embroidery Thread

I can be a very sloppy crafter at times, even though I am super anal about cleanliness and organization.  Recently I threw a ladies sewing party and was a bit embarrassed at my hectic and random sewing/craft boxes. I needed to get my craft life in order.

 I love embroidery thread, and have tons of it, but never knew how to keep all of the leftovers in check. A friend of mine suggested a super easy way to get them in order quick, easy, and cheap. This is only a bit of the mess I had in one of my boxes:


Take cardboard (just check your pantry for cereal boxes, etc.) and cut out two layers in an "H" shape. The multiple layers is for sturdiness. Glue or sew the two pieces together. I happened to have my machine out for the first round (in brown) and used glue for the second (white cardboad).

Wrap up your thread:
And that's it! You're thread is officially somewhat organized for your next sewing party. Show it off ladies!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Natural Cure for Pet Cysts Part 2



My sweet pup is old and gets cysts. It's such a pain b/c  the only vet remedy is surgery which is very dangerous at her age. My vet insured me that they do not hurt her and the best thing I could do was keep it clean. I have been researching EVERY holistic site for months and started using salt rubs which are very effective, but I have recently started putting straight castor oil on them with great results. After cleaning the cyst with a mild tree oil soap I apply about a teaspoon and repeat for a couple of days.


What else is Castor Oil good for??



Constipation – As an alternative remedy, castor oil is a very effective laxative. It provides temporary relief to diarrhea and constipation.


Ringworm – Undecylenic acid, which is one of the active compounds of castor oil, helps fight ringworm, a fungal infection


Skin Problems – Castor oil contains ricinoleic acid, which delivers anti-inflammatory benefits to the skin. It provides treatment for minor cuts, burns, abrasions, sunburn and prevents skin disorders such as acne and eczema. Aside from these, one of the benefits of castor oil is in skin conditioning. It serves as a natural emollient, which stimulates the production of collagen and elastin that hydrates and moisturizes the skin. It treats wrinkles, repairing and rejuvenating the skin to make it look flawless and smoother. When applied regularly, castor oil also helps diminish dark circles under your eyes.

Hair Growth- For a strong, shiny, and manageable mane, use castor oil for hair. Castor oil is the ultimate must-have for taming frizzy locks, removing split ends, and curing dandruff.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Mosquitos are back in full swing


I just stepped outside for 4 minutes to water my plants and was full on attacked by mosquitoes!

Unfortunately, Texas did not have a winter this year which is great if you want your annuals to last ALL year long, but not so good for the bug population. I saw a water bug last night too and oddly enough had a dream about it a few nights earlier (I have mad fear of water bugs). So after my attack, I of course quickly ran inside to make my trusty mosquito repellent, but needed some serious relief from my bites. Yes of course it's an essential oil. Sweet loving lavender. Just dab each bite with a drop or two for instant relief. On the agenda this week: making a mosquito trap with yeast and sugar water. I am taking them down!! Tutorial to come!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

A Moment on the Lips: Apple Cider Vinegar to Relieve Knee Pain

A Moment on the Lips: Apple Cider Vinegar to Relieve Knee Pain: ACV and I are very, very good friends. It's medicinal properties are endless and I can not imagine my life without it....I know that's a bit...

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Homemade Pickles Time!

I totally forgot to buy dill for my pickles, so I substituted a dark amber ale.....results in 3 days!

Spring has Sprung!

I can not wait to eat some delicious berries this season! I have been walking by the $1.99 strawberries and although they look so good, I know they are rancid. Eating in season is an age old tradition and is so worth it. I have spent my winter months gorging on citrus and apples and now it's super awesome berry time. Here's what's in season now:

Arugula
Asparagus
Beets
Blackberries
Blueberries
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Chard
Cilantro
Collards
Cucumbers
Dewberries
Dill
Grapefruit
Garlic (Green)


Kale
Leeks
Lettuce–Head and leaf
Mint
Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Oranges (March)
Parsley
Peaches
Peas
Potatoes
Radishes
Spinach
Spring Onions
Strawberries
Squash
Tomatoes (greenhouse)
Turnips