Chest congestion rub

10 oz of veg oil

1.5 oz of beeswax

1 tbs of menthol crystals or

2 tsp of peppermint oil

Melt the beeswax over the stove or in the microwave warn the veg oil but not where it is boiling. Mix the warm oil and the beeswax together. Add the menthol crystal or peppermint oil. Pour in a push up tube or a small sterile jar allow to cool. Rub on chest as needed.

I put dried patchouli in my water and let it sit for a few days. The plant essence will be in the water. Therefore, I get the scent and benefit of patchouli without the expense. I have also done it with peppermint, which gives the final bar a nice cooling feeling on the skin.

My last batch of soap I decided to experiment. I made a strong pot of coffee replaced some of the water with the coffee and mixed the lye and all ingredients like normal. I was able to make an awesome kitchen soap that removes odors from your hands. I even put ground coffee on top of the soap before it set up. Works great after cutting up onions or handling garlic.

By using rainwater, less demand is placed on municipally treated water. Less demand means that less energy is needed to treat both incoming water and outgoing (sewage) water.

NOTE: Collected rainwater should be drained from collection containers within seven days, to help prevent stagnation and the possibility of mosquito breeding.

With so much talk on keeping it green, I wanted to share a recipe for making your own laundry soap.

The benefits of making your own laundry soap are numerous:

You control what goes in it

Save on gas (no running to the store)

Environmental friendly (no harsh chemicals)

 Homemade Washing Soap

1 quart Water (boiling)
2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda

• Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water and stir until soap is melted. You can keep on low heat until soap is melted.
• Pour the soap water into a large, clean pail and add the Borax and Washing Soda. Stir well until all is dissolved.
• Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.
• Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir the soap each time you use it (will gel).

Now another great benefit is that you can use homemade soap in the recipe so again you are in control.

Natural Carpet Deodorizer

10 Drops Tea Tree

10 Drops Lemon

20 Drops Lavender

1 16 Ounce Box of Baking Soda or Borax

Directions:

Add the baking soda to a large bowl and then add the Essential Oils. Be sure to

Mix the oils into the baking soda well. Since Lemon Essential oil is normally

Yellow, it is important that it is mixed well into the baking soda so that no

Undiluted Lemon oil stains your carpet. This blend may be adapted to use your

Favorite Essential oils, but try to add Essential oils that offer antibacterial and

Disinfectant properties to give the deodorizer an added benefit.

Easy air freshener spray

10 to 12 Drops of Essential oil(s)  

1 Cup of water

Place ingredients in a spray mist bottle. Shake well and

Spray fragrance in the air or in a specific area

Antibacterial Surface Spray

100 ml distilled water

100 ml of rubbing Alcohol .” Do not use Isopropyl as it is derived from petroleum.

50 ml of White Vinegar

30 drops of essential oils

Make a blend of a blend of Clove, Lavender Orange Oregano, Pine and Rosemary essential oils.

Blend all ingredients together. Shake before use. Store in a cool dark location. Shelf life up to 12 months.
Use on counters and surfaces to clean and help eliminate harmful bacteria without the use of toxic chemicals. Keep out of reach of pets and children.

The best thing about almost all of these recipes is that you can found the ingredients already in your home or your local grocery store. You best believe her next care package will have a few items like to this in it

Now I do know for a fact that charcoal works on bug bites. My youngest son, (who seems to always get into stuff), was bitten by something. My son had a hung red, swollen painful blister on his arm. I applied a charcoal poultice made from water and charcoal powder and had him go to bed. The next morning the blister was gone and so was all the swelling.

Here is what Wikipedia has to say about activated charcoal on a medical application…

Medical applications

Activated charcoal is used to treat poisonings and overdoses following oral ingestion. It is thought to bind to poison and prevent its absorption by the gastrointestinal tract. In cases of suspected poisoning, medical personnel administer activated charcoal on the scene or at a hospital’s emergency department. Dosing is usually empirical at 1 gram/kg of body weight (for adolescents or adults, give 50–100 g), usually given only once, but depending on the drug taken, it may be given more than once. In rare situations, activated charcoal is used in Intensive Care to filter out harmful drugs from the blood stream of poisoned patients. Activated charcoal has become the treatment of choice for many poisonings.

 Therefore, after I read that information I started thinking if charcoal binds to poison inside the body it has to do the same on the outside. I made a detox soap using charcoal. Actually, charcoal has been used in soap in places like China for years.  So far, I have noticed, how it absorbs oil on my face and helps get rid of pimples, it also gives my skin an extra squeaky-clean feeling.

 I chose Shea butter to super fat my soap because, Shea butter is awesome for allowing the skin to believe, while still protecting it, and healing it all at the same time. You can use many different butters and oils to super fat see my post on ingredients for more information.

 I went to deliver some gift basket for two moms to be. I called it the Mom-To-Bee set. In the gift basket, I have a new item I created called Baby Bump Belly butter, which will be part of my product line if all, goes well. I also added bath teas, Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Bee soap, a candy bar for mom and a tube of beeswax-chapped stick. I did not make the Chap Stick  since I ran out of time. 

I also added a large tub of sea salt scrub. I had someone ask me about salt scrubs so I was telling her how easy they are to make with just a few ingredients.

 Salt scrubs or salt glows are used at the high-end salons, and the benefits for using them are amazing… Salt scrubs remove dead skin, open, and clean out the pores, and helps with circulation.

 What I thought I would do is share a couple of recipes so you can make your own.

Hey, Andrea this is for you enjoy.

I make two different kinds one that is oil based and one that is glycerin based. I personally refer the oil based because I like the thin layer of oil is leaves after I rinse off.

I am going to share a few different recipes for oil based salt scrubs.

 Salt Glow

 1 cups of salt

1 cups oil light oil like apricot of Sweet almond oil

1 cups of liquid soap

 Mix all the ingredients and massage into the skin use a light touch until you are used to it. Shower as usual.

 Salt Glow 2

 1/4 cup almond oil

¼ cup melt and pour glycerin soap

½ cup sea salt

 Place oil and soap in double boiler and melt gently. Stir well. Slowly stir in sea salt. Once all ingredients are well combined, remove from the heat. Pour into wide mouth jars. If you fluff it with a fork as it cools it resembles shaved ice. Add a label that state if separates to stir well.

 Salt Glow 3

 2 Cups Fine Sea Salt

4 Cups Grape seed, Apricot or Sweet Almond Oil

20-30 Drops Essential oil of choice, Lemon is recommended.

 Place salt in a wide mouthed jar and cover with grape seed, apricot, or sweet almond oil

scent with Essential oil.

To use, dampen your entire body. Using either your hands or a loofah mitt,

vigorously but gently, massage the salt and oil mixture into the skin. Begin at the

feet and work upward in a circular motion. Be careful to avoid any scratched or

wounded areas. When you have massaged the entire body, rinse with warm

water. Finish with a dry towel rub.

 Note: Never put salt scrubs in your face for those who want to have a scrub that is more facial friendly here is a sugar scrub recipe adapted from Snowdriftfarms.com. Most of the ingredients you would need to get from a supplier like Snow Drift Farms

 Sugar Scrub

Dry Phase

1 cup demerarra, raw, pure cane or “sugar in the raw” sugar

1/8 cup Natrasorb

Liquid Phase

1/4 cup wheat germ oil

1 tablespoon vegetable glycerin USP

1/8 – 1/4 cup polysorbate 20

1/4 teaspoon wheat protein

1/4 teaspoon silk protein

1/8 -1/4 teaspoon rosewood essential oil (optional)

1/16th teaspoon rosemary oil extracts (ROE)

1/16th teaspoon Phenonip

Process:

In a stainless steel or glass bowl, mix dry ingredients. In a larger stainless or glass bowl, mix the liquid phase with a wire whisk. Drizzle liquid phase over dry phase and mix thoroughly. (If this is for your own use, use your clean hand to do this. If being prepared for sale, use a gloved hand.) Pack into plastic tub and shower safe jars.

 Since eczema is, a dry skin issue and is very itchy, here is a recipe for a anti-itch herbal salve.

Red clover, plantain, and chickweed mixed together will give the skin a welcome drink of moisture. What you will do first is combine all three herbs into olive oil in a crock-pot on low heat for 3 hours you are making what is called and infusion. Here is the actual recipe:

 2 cups of dried herbs Red Clover, Plantain, Chickweed

4 cups of olive oil

This will make about 2 cups of infused oil.

 1 oz beeswax

 Put the olive oil and the herbs in crock-pot or double boiler and simmer over low heat for 3 hours.

Line a wire mesh strainer with a clean coffee filter. Pour the oil & herbs from the crock-pot into the strainer.

Press on the herbs in the strainer with the back of a spoon to squeeze out as much oil as possible, into a clean bowl.

Put the infused oil in a pan over low heat and melt 1-2
Tbs. of beeswax in the oil, depending on how hard you want to make it.
When the beeswax melts, remove from the heat and stir add your essential oils and pour into containers, let sit until cool.

To help preserve the salve add a few drops of lavender, rosemary and thyme essential oil store in the refrigerator.

 Note: Salves can last a for year, but remember do not let anyone else put their fingers in it because we all have our own personal bacteria. You do not want to rub creepy crawlers on your skin

The movie was about dreams, and I decided to share with you a way you can affect your own dreams by making your own dream pillows.

 People have used dream pillows (small pillows stuffed with various fragrant herbs) to promote sound sleep and peaceful dreams for more than a century.

 Materials:

100% Cotton or Silk Fabric 5″ x 5″ (or slightly larger if you wish)
Mesh bag for herbal insert (muslin is a perfect type of fabric for this project)
Herbs & Flowers: 1 part Rose Petals, 1 part Dried
Chamomile, and 1 part Dried Lavender
Essential Oils: choose any of the following – Yarrow, Sandalwood, Jasmine, Geranium, Basil, Lavender, Peppermint or Rose. 5-7 drops.
Needle & Thread
Velcro

 Pillow stuffing Directions:

1. Cut your fabric into 2 pieces, one for the top of the pillow, the other for the bottom.
2. Sew the pieces together with the wrong side of the fabric on the outsides.
3. Sew 3 sides together then turn inside out so right sides are now showing.
4. Fill a mesh bag with a mixture of the flowers and herbs as well as a few drops of essential oil. Insert into a mesh bag and tie off with a string.
5. Place inside your pillow form and fill with pillow stuffing…do not over pack, as it needs air circulation to release some of the scents.
6. Finish pillow off by adding Velcro to the open end of the pillow, this will allow you access to change the herbs and flowers when needed or to wash the pillow itself.
It is best to keep the pillow in a flat shape not round.

 Note: When I make my dream pillows, I use the 4.75 x 7 Heat seal bags that Elements Bath & body sell to place all my ingredients in, then I place the bag in the little pillow. http://www.elementsbathandbody.com/Bath-Tea-Sachet-Bags-4×55-pr-389.html

Mountain Rose herbs is where I get all my herbs and essential oils. http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=114723 

TRAVELER’S COMFORT
if you have trouble adjusting to the unfamiliar smells of a hotel room or strange bed, try this calming blend:

1/2 cup mugwort
1/2 cup rose petals
1/4 cup lavender flowers
1/4 cup marjoram
1-tablespoon passionflower, leaves or petals

 VACATION BLISS
This traveling blend works more like a vacation than a sleepy-time comfort pillow. Author Jim Long has found it brings about dreams of big white fluffy clouds, tropical islands, orchids, pineapples, and soothing sun-drenched beaches.

1 cup rose petals
1 cup mugwort
1/2 cup hops flowers
1/2 cup lemon verbena leaves
1 tablespoon lemongrass, cut in pieces about 1/2 inch long
1 tablespoon jasmine flowers
1 tablespoon chopped mimosa flowers
1 tablespoon mint
2 whole cloves
1 small piece dried orange peel

2 tablespoons marjoram (optional)

Healing Blend

2 ounces Eucalyptus, dried
1 ounce Sage, dried
1 ounce Rosemary, dried
1 ounce thyme, dried
3 drops of Eucalyptus oil

 Headache Blend

2 ounces of Lavender flowers, dried
2 ounces of bergamot, dried
2 ounces of mint, dried
2 drops of lavender essential oil

 Nightmare Prevention

2 ounces Basil, dried
2 ounces Pennyroyal, dried
1 ounce Mugwort, dried
1 ounce Thyme, dried
3 drops of Lavender essential oil

 Hops Sleep Blend

2 ounces Hops, dried
2 ounces of chamomile, dried
1/2 ounce Eucalyptus leaves, dried
1 ounce Lemon Balm
1 ounce Orris Root powder
3 drops Lemon Balm essential oil

 Sweet Lavender Blend

2 ounces Lavender, dried
1/2 ounce Bay leaves, dried, crushed
1 ounce Lemon Thyme, dried
1 ounce Rosemary, dried
1/2 ounce Lemon Balm, dried
1 ounce Orris Root powder
3 drops Lavender essential oil

Restful Sleep

1/4 cup lavender flowers
1/4 cup mugwort
1/4 cup sweet hops

 Sleep Inducing

1/2 cup sweet hops
1/2 cup mugwort
1/8 cup sweet marjoram

 Peaceful Slumber

1/4 cup roses or rose petals
1/4 cup rosemary
1/4 cup lavender flowers
1/4 cup sweet hops

 Relaxing Dreams

1/2 cup Mugwort
1/2 cup lavender flowers

 Now you will be able to make your own dream pillows for a variety of sleep patterns. Pleasant dreams.