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Former teacher, clinical social worker and now entrepreneur. My focus, no matter what career I am engaged in, has been on helping people. Now I am on an incredible journey to change life in a leaner, cleaner, greener way. I hope you will join me in this transition.
Showing posts with label mosquitos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mosquitos. Show all posts

Monday, April 29, 2013

Virgin Coconut Oil Uses and Benefits


Virgin Coconut Oil has really come on to my radar lately so I checked out The Coconut Oil Tips Web Site to learn more ways to use this great natural product. 

Virgin Coconut Oil General Health Benefits
1. Antioxidant
2. Antiviral
3. Antibacterial
4. Antifungal
5. Boosts metabolism, burns quickly
6. Immune support
7. Improves mineral absorption (calcium and the ever-important magnesium)


 Coconut Oil Uses for Beauty
1. Cuticle oil — Softens and strengthens cuticles, and soothes/prevents hangnails.

2. Eye makeup remover — Use it to remove makeup, even waterproof mascara.

3. Wrinkle buster — Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
4. Defrizzer. Use to defrizz and smooth fly-aways. Works especially well on dark hair.

5. Deep conditioner – Coconut oil works extremely well as a conditioning treatment, especially as a pre-shampoo hair repair mask.

6. Natural deodorant — You can dab some under your arms plain, or mix it with baking soda.

7. Toothpaste — Use it as an ingredient, with baking soda, for homemade toothpaste. Good for gum health.

8. Sunscreen (SPF) — It doesn’t sound like it, but coconut oil has an SPF of 4-6. And if you use it while tanning, it prevents skin damage due to its antioxidant and moisturizing properties.

9. Body scrub — Mix with a little sugar or sea salt for a yummy, moisturizing body scrub.

10. Lip balm — Hydrating on dry or cracked lips. You can try mixing it with shea butter to make it richer.

11. Foot/Heel softener — Softens and smooths dry, cracked heels.

12. Facial cleanser — Massage in like any facial cleanser and rinse with a cloth. Some have reported that it works especially well if you rinse it off with tea tree oil. (Not sure about coconut oil for face?

13. Body butter –  Coconut oil is a great moisturizer by itself, but for even more pampering, whip it into a homemade body butter using a kitchen mixer.

14. Aftershave — Men can use this on their face, and for ladies it is amazingly soothing on legs and the bikini area.

15. Massage Oil — Just melt some down.

16. Elbows — Improves look of dry dark elbow patches.

17. Shaving “cream” – Just use it in the shower like you would with shave cream/gel, or apply it before shaving normally as a pre-shave preparation.

18. Hair growth

19. Bug repellant — Just mix with a few drops of peppermint oil and apply to skin.

20. Stretch mark oil — Use it on your pregnant belly to prevent stretch marks. It also works on stretch marks to reduce their appearance.

21. Bath oil — Add to your bath for a tropical and moisturizing pampering.

22. Fades age spots.

23. Mole removal — Use it after removing moles with the apple cider vinegar compress method.

24. Tattoos — Aids in healing a new tattoo, and regular use prevents the ink from fading.

25. Cellulite.

26. Hair dye help — Use on skin along hair dye to keep dye off during coloring process.

Coconut Oil Uses for Health

1. Keratosis Pilaris – Slather on a little bit of coconut oil after your shower while your skin is still damp, and over a couple of weeks it will drastically reduce the appearance of the little red bumps known as KP or “chicken skin”.

2. Herpes treatment – reduces viral loads in test subjects, use internally and externally.

3. Candida – reduces candida culture in the gut.

4. Dementia/Alzheimer’s – Because of its ketogenic diet benefits, coconut oil improves symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

5. Hypothyroidism – boosts metabolism, raises basal body temp.

6. Cold sores – can be applied topically to remove them.

7. Lice — Just slather some on the scalp under a shower cap for a few hours. A lot of people report success with this!

8. Detox.

9. Helps absorb vitamins and mineral supplements.

10. Scrapes and cuts ointment — Use coconut oil, which is antibacterial, topically to kill bacteria and heal the skin.

11. Athlete’s foot.

12. Nail fungus.

13. Pink eye.

14. Burn ointment — Like aloe vera, coconut oil has anti-inflammatory properties and is soothing.

15. Canker sores.

16. Gum disease/gingivitis — aids in gum health when used as toothpaste or rubbed on gums.

17. Asthma.

18. Autism.

19. Epilepsy — Coconut oil has been known to reduce epileptic seizures.

20. ADHD.

21. Breastfeeding discomfort — Sooth chaffed nipples from breastfeeding with coconut oil.

Coconut Oil Uses for Cooking

1. Cooking oil – Virgin coconut oil has a high smoke point, so it is less likely to degrade during cooking than other oils, and is more suitable for healthy cooking.

2. Butter substitute — Great substitute for baking, or just plain on toast!

3. Popcorn – Coconut oil has traditionally been used for movie theater popcorn and it’s just as tasty but much healthier if you use the extra virgin, unrefined kind! Just put a big spoonful in a pot, let it melt slightly then add the kernels on top for popping. Amazing!

4. Smoothies — Add 1 to 3 tablespoons of coconut oil to fruit smoothies and green smoothies for a subtle tropical flavor. This is my favorite way to get my daily fix and boost my energy, since it revs metabolism and also is known to help you absorb vitamins and nutrients.
Household Uses for Coconut Oil

1. Conditions wooden cutting boards.

2. Wood polish.

3. Furniture polish (mix with lemon juice).

Coconut Oil Uses for Baby

1. Diaper rash cream.

2. Cradle cap.

3. Circumcision healing.

4. Breastfeeding salve.

Miscellaneous Coconut Oil Uses

1. Massage oil.

2. Personal lubricant.

3. Shoe polish.

4. Unsticks fabric in zippers.

5. Unsticks gum.

Conclusion
Virgin coconut oil is an awesome product that everyone ought to keep around the house! If you want to learn more about coconut oil uses and cures, you can browse the rest of the Coconut Oil Tips site. I also highly recommend you check out the book The Coconut Oil Miracle by Bruce Fife.

There are several good brands of coconut oil — Just always make sure you choose well: It must be unrefined (also called “virgin”) coconut oil, ideally that has been cold-pressed and is stored in a nontoxic container.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Homemade Mosquito Trap

Just saw this on the Homesteading/Survivalism Blog. Maybe with the natural mosquito repellent recipe from yesterday and this tip on how to make a natural mosquito trap, I will be able to SURVIVE the summer!!

Image from the Homesteading/Survivalism Blog

 
Modern technology has brought us many benefits, including mosquito traps that cost hundreds of dollars, but sometimes we overlook simple solutions to difficult challenges such as mosquito control. When it comes to controlling pests, research tends to focus on chemicals or concepts that can be patented. Unless someone can make a profit from an idea, the public may never become aware of it.

HOMEMADE MOSQUITO TRAP

ITEMS NEEDED:

200 ml water
50 grams of brown sugar
1 gram of yeast
2-liter plastic bottle

Or US conversion:
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/4 tsp of yeast

HOW:

1. Cut the plastic bottle in half.
2. Mix brown sugar with hot water. Let cool. When cold, pour in the bottom half of the bottle.
3. Add the yeast. No need to mix. It creates carbon dioxide, which attracts mosquitoes.
4. Place the funnel part, upside down, into the other half of the bottle, taping them together if desired.
5. Wrap the bottle with something black, leaving the top uncovered, and place it outside in an area away from your normal gathering area. (Mosquitoes are also drawn to the color black.)

Change the solution every 2 weeks for continuous control.



Thursday, March 21, 2013

Homemade Mosquito Repellant

Image from SurvivingTheStore.com
I am REALLY going to try out this natural recipe!  Because I am sooooooooo sweet (wink), I am a total mosquito magnet.  I hope this works ... it would awesome to be able to sit out at night looking at the stars with my hubby and not feel like a human buffet for the bugs!! You can find this article on the Homesteading/Survivalism FB page.
 
Combine in a 16 oz bottle:
15 drops lavender oil [http://amzn.to/WOhOP8]
3-4 Tbsp of vanilla extract
10 drops of citronella oil [http://amzn.to/ZOLfyc]
1/4 Cup lemon juice.

Fill bottle with water. 
Shake and it's ready to use.
Spray on yourself.

(You can also use 10 drops of lemon eucalyptus oil instead of citronella oil [http://amzn.to/ZfYPbx])

Make some extra to gift to your neighbors, family & friends. Share this on your wall so you'll have it handy when it's needed.

Note: If you don't already have the oils mentioned above, the links provided are available for you to order them online.
 
P.S. I actually learned this little bit of trivia in a Trivia Game.  Mosquitos are attracted to people who eat bananas.  Guess what is off my food list in the summer!!!