Who doesn’t love helping the environment?  We no longer want large water heaters or other expensive features. Smart buyers are looking for environmentally friendly choices. Water, specifically, is an area ripe for improvement.

The benefits of going green are twofold. First, it adds appeal and versatility to your home, offering unique value compared to other homes lacking these features. Secondly, of course, is that many of these items add actual financial value, both in terms of property value and savings on bills!

Whether you’re currently looking to sell, simply want to live a greener life, or just want to keep your options open in the future, these solutions offer fantastic benefits for everyone.

Harness The Rain

If you live in an area with plenty of rain, turn this to your advantage. Rain collectors can harness this resource for dish washing and other uses around the home, helping to cut down on water bills. However, this water isn’t entirely clean, so it can’t be used for drinking.

That being said, you can add a filter to purify the water for various home uses. This is often where the real value comes in, as it can then be used to provide free shower and tap water! Once you have an effective system set up, you’ll rarely need to use muniipal water.

Organic Gardens

A well-kept garden can do wonders for a home’s price tag, but an organic one also serves a purpose. Whether it’s a large vegetable patch or a simple raised bed, any garden can introduce organic crops. While these will improve your value, they’ll also provide tasty and healthy veggies in the meantime.

Just remember that a key to understanding property value lies in thinking like a buyer. A ready-to-go organic garden helps ease buyers into a better lifestyle and suggests at how green the wider property already is.

The Water Boiler

Even if you have an effective collection system for rainwater, every home still needs hot water. How you heat your water matters a great deal. Your average boiler uses gas or electricity, both of which are power-heavy, to heat water throughout the home.

An efficient boiler, on the other hand, helps save money and adds to the property’s value both financially and in terms of environmental awareness. It will also help improve your home’s energy efficiency, helping to create another vital selling point.

Natural Water Features

Speaking of the garden, how many homes these days feature a water feature of some sort? Most people may think of pools, but these require a lot of clean water and expensive pumps. Still, some simple landscaping can create features that use natural rain water, reducing your need for maintenance and imported water.

A fountain can recycle rainwater, for instance, while a pond serves as an aesthetically pleasing feature. Tastefully done, adding these add little touches to a well-finished garden, increases the value without added bills or running costs.

Water Usage

While cutting down on how much water you use will help keep bills low, it doesn’t influence your home’s value until you make some physical changes. Taps, pipes, and showers all use water, so determining just how much water they use is key.Eco showers speak for themselves, but what else can you do?

Tap inserts can be fitted in your kitchen and sink to ensure a full spray of water without wasting it at the same time. These little features help cut down on water without changing your lifestyle, making them easier to advertise and display if your home ends up on the market.

Similarly, for the extra passionate homeowners, a bathwater diverter can re-direct or collect used bath water into an outside container for use in the garden. If you combine this with a rainwater system, just think how effective this will be. These physical installations add instant value to your home as new buyers can easily see the savings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up9lgvZ83Ik

Conclusion

So, there you have it – 5 effective ways to help improve your property value and save the environment. How you choose to implement these depends on your home, of course. Not everyone has space for a pond, but even the smallest organic patch will help. Your home should proudly showcase its green lifestyle, making its water-savvy features tempting for anyone looking to buy in the area.

Recommended Reading:

• Is the Water In Your Rainwater Tank Safe to Drink? – 4 Pumps
• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Natural Cleaning Solutions For Your Home
• Zombie Foreclosures Are Bad For The Environment
• 5 Easy Home Improvements To Make Your Home Green And Healthy
• How to Save Money on Your Water Bill

Sources:

• The best domestic water-saving gadgets – The Guardian
• Six Ways To Improve Your Home Value With Water – 4 Pumps
• Gorgeous Landscaping Ideas: Trees, Lighting, and Retaining Walls –Houslogic
• Add Value to Your Investment Properties with Organic Gardens – BiggerPockets
• How it can pay to go green: The energy efficiency measures that could add 16% to your home’s value – This is MONEY

Living in the big city does not have to cause your green thumb to wilt. In fact, urban gardening projects are becoming more popular in these modern times, whether the gardening is done indoors, on a small patio outdoors, or the roof of the building in which you live.

Whether your passion is exotic fruit trees, herbs, or growing your own vegetables, there is something for everyone who likes running their fingers through a fresh bag of potting soil. The following tips will breathe new life into your big city gardening project.

Save on Gardening Containers

If you think you need to go out and buy a ton of planting pots to start your urban garden, you’ll appreciate these cost-saving alternatives, many of which you probably have on hand:

• Plastic bottles from drinking water, fruit juice, and other liquids. Rinse the bottles thoroughly with plain water, and cut off the tops where the bottles start to narrow.
• Plastic containers from yogurt, spreads, nuts, and other food items. Wash the containers, put the tops in the recycle bin, and you’ve got pots.
• Buckets that are cracked or have lost their handles.  A severe crack can be mended with tape while a minor crack will be useful for drainage.
• A shallow wading pool. Have fun by planting your crops in concentric circles or a spiral from the inside out.
• Hanging flower pots left over from seasons gone by. They’re ideal for vertical gardening and can be placed on the ground, too.
• Plastic kitchen bowls and cups. Turn items you’re likely to discard due to appearance into containers where something green will grow.

It is important to drill holes through the bottoms of containers that don’t already have them to allow drainage of excess water which might otherwise cause roots to rot, destroying the plant.

These and many similar items are easily modified for gardening purposes. A large low-rimmed plastic tub or storage container will also work for potting multiple plants in the same container. One thing you need to take into account, other than the obvious factor of plant size, is that different plants need different amounts of mulch. Choose plants accordingly and make sure the pot has enough space to spread the mulch nice and even. Organic mulches provide extra benefits. They add valuable nutrients and promote soil micro-organism activity for overall plant health.

The Role of Light in Your Plant’s Development

One of the critical, dynamic factors involved in indoor and outdoor plant growth is lighting. It is important to remember that different plants have different lighting requirements. According to the University of Illinois, plants exhibit three types of responses to light.

The first of these responses is photosynthesis. This process is how plants convert light into storable chemical energy necessary for a plant’s survival.

The second of these responses is phototropism. In the process of phototropism, plant growth hormones build up on one side of a plant’s stem. This buildup causes it to tilt in the direction of available sunlight.

The third reaction is photoperiodism. This fascinating response is controlled by a pigment in the leaves called phytochrome. The pigment changes form to determine how a plant will developmentally respond to receiving red light during dark periods. In short, this means that a plant has a reproductive cycle that reacts to the changes in the lengths of day and night.

What does all of this mean for your success with urban gardening? Here are a few tips and takeaways.

Know the light needs of the plants you’re growing. Most plants require full sunlight, especially if they are bearing fruit. The best place for fruit and veggie plants is outside. If you’re committed to growing them indoors, a bay window facing the sun might suffice. Otherwise, you’ll need to install grow lights.

On the other hand, a wide range of plants such as climbing hydrangea, Japanese rose, and columbine prefer partial to full shade. These do very well indoors near a window or glass door or outside where they get limited direct sunlight during the day.

The stems of plants growing near a window or against an outdoor wall might start bending toward the light. To keep the plant growing straight with a stem that is robust all around, rotate its container 90 degrees each day.

Any fruit-bearing plant will produce more abundantly with grow lights. The best solution is LED grow lights that use far less energy and create much less heat than conventional grow lights.The better you understand the role light plays in a specific type of plant’s development, the easier it will be to customize the light intake for each one.

Organizing Your Gardening Tools

When your space is limited, it is best to keep all your big city gardening tools organized for easy access. Here are three tool organizers used by urban gardeners:

1. A small wooden box or crate repurposed for your tools.
2. A pegboard on the wall, inside or outdoors, that also has floor space.
3. A small gardening cart with a handle that includes storage inside and a lid for sitting on as you prune, pull weeds or pick fruit.

With Limited Space, Think Vertical

Depending on your living arrangements, you may have lots or very limited space for your big city garden. Urban-based agricultural projects range from expansive green roofing designs to a single square foot outdoors or an indoor garden. Fortunately, the ongoing development of urban gardening techniques means that just about anyone living in the city can have the thrill of making something grow! One of the most popular trends is known as vertical gardening, and you’ve got interesting options:

• Use trellises for tomatoes, beans and other vine plants to climb and produce.
• Arrange rows of hooks on a privacy fence or the outside wall of your home. For example hang one row at one meter and a second row at two meters. Hang baskets from the hooks, and use the top row for plants requiring full sun. The lower row will be ideal for plants preferring partial shade.
• In similar fashion, attach rows of planting boxes to a fence or wall, and select appropriate plants for each row.

Create your Own Compost

Today’s urban lifestyle is often a green one, and making the most of leftover food scraps is part of it. Your local gardening centre will have home composting bins, most of which come with complete instructions, and the few additional supplies you’ll need.

Ideal items for home composting include:

• Fruit and vegetable scraps.
• Bread and similar products.
• Coffee grounds and tea bags.
• Grains.
• Leaves that drop or are pruned from your plants.

Items you should not compost include:

• Meat and meat products including bones, fat, skin. Fish or fish waste.
• Dairy products.

Those who want to take home composting to the next level might consider using a composting toilet. That’s right, humanure, as many call it, is ideal for use in an urban garden! Composting toilets mean that waste isn’t really a waste after all.

Besides saving space, there are additional benefits of vertical gardening. Because the plants are elevated, weeding them and picking fruit and flowers is done without stooping. Inspecting for insects, pruning and weeding are less of a chore, too. There is little waste of fruit, since it won’t sit on the ground where it can rot, be eaten by pests, or be overlooked under foliage.

Conclusion

With the price of food constantly increasing, many residents of big cities are turning to gardens to reduce their grocery bills. Others simply appreciate the benefit of unadulterated, fresh, organic produce as a key component to a nutrient-dense diet. Whatever your reason for starting your big city garden project, knowing how to grow your own food is always a good skill to develop. You never know when it might come in handy.

Recommended Reading:

• 5 Natural Pest Remedies for Your Garden
• Companion Plants for Organic Gardening

Sources & Further Reading:

• Plants and Light – University of Illinois
  
• Modern Urban Gardening Trends – Urban Gardening Help
  
• Golden Rules of Mulching – Brisbane Tree Experts
• Vertical Gardening – Rodale’s Organic Life

Cleaning is crucial in any home, but regular cleaners take their toll on the environment. Instead, wouldn’t it be nice if there was a cheap, effective way to do housework without using harmful chemicals? Fortunately, there is! And most of the items you will need are already in your home.

Lemon Deodorizers

When it comes to natural cleaners, the humble lemon is your best friend. Why use expensive lemon scented fragrances when a real lemon does just as good a job? Simply take a lemon, cut it in half and leave one half with the cut side exposed (preferably in a dish). Not only will this hide odors, you’ll get a fresh lemon scent wherever you place it.

Vinegar Spray

Vinegar is highly acidic, which makes it useful for cleaning dirt on a variety of surfaces. More specifically, it’s great for cleaning windows and polishing metal. If you have a spray bottle, you can create a mixture that’s 3 or 4 parts water and 1 part vinegar. Then, simply use the spray as you normally would – you’ll quickly find it’s no trouble at all to remove various tough stains around the home.

Peace Lillies

A plant is just a plant right? Wrong – plants having many uses in the home, often acting as natural filters. Not only will you help oxidize the room, plants can absorb some of the harmful agents in the air, making them a great companion to lemon deodorizers. Better yet, try using a peace lily where possible. Peace lilies are great at preventing mold, and it’s always better to prevent a difficult task where possible!

Boiled Potato Water

The next time you boil potatoes, don’t throw out the leftover water. This water has a combination of a high temperature and the starchy extracts left from the potatoes. As a result, its perfect for cleaning silver, whether its cutlery or ornaments. Just make sure to use it when its hot. ( It can always be reheated, of course.)

Nut Shells

As a more unusual solution, Indian nut shells are great for washing a variety of things. It’s no surprise then, that they’re often called soap nuts in some parts of the world. Crush around 2oz of shells in a 3-5 cups of water. Bring the water to the boiling point to create a simple soap. This can be used to wash glasses, dishes, counters, and the car! You can even use this soap in the dishwasher, or just add a few of the shells in as they are. You can also put the shells in a bag and throw it in with the laundry.

Baking Soda

If you bake, chances are you have a spare bag or box of baking soda. If you’re not planning a cake anytime soon, it makes a great all-purpose cleaner, similar to vinegar. Mix 4 spoons of soda into one warm cup of water for an effective agent, perfect for surfaces and kitchen appliances. As with any cleaning chemical, use it with a cloth or wipe and you’ll have no trouble at all.  It also works well as a scrubbing agent. Shake it on a surface and use a wet rag to scrub.

Ground Coffee

If you are a coffee drinker, you have the makings of a good dish scrubber. Using an elastic band or string, use your cleaning cloth to make a ‘bag’ full of coffee beans. The rough texture, combined with warm water and the natural ingredients inside coffee make for an effective scrubbing assistant – perfect for tough dishes!

As an added bonus, you can sprinkle used coffee grounds outside, around the perimeter of your house to repel ants and other insects and you can put coffee beans in plant pots and other areas where pests might gather.

Natural Oils

Various types of natural oils have additional cleaning applications. For example, peppermint, tea-tree, lavender, and even eucalyptus oils all make effective bacteria killers. This makes them ideal for use in the kitchen. Due to their potency, you need only add a few drops of such an oil to a 50/50 mixture of water and white vinegar. On a similar note, the various plant-based oils used in cooking – such as sunflower or olive oils – are great at removing gritty dirt. Add a few teaspoons of salt to these vegetable oils to great a basic paste. Then, simply rinse with hot water and scrub away!

Salt

Salt is, of course, a natural product, and it’s course nature makes it great for scrubbing or scouring. This is best used for dishes, as the rough nature of salt helps to break away dirt, yet it won’t scratch precious glassware. It also works well on stubborn surfaces, such as wooden counters and the dreaded oven. So don’t be afraid to add a little salt when dealing with difficult stains.

Lemon Scrub

Finally, there’s one more use for lemons! Aside from being a good spray and deodorizer, you can also use it as a simple scrub. Squeeze and rub a lemon onto your cleaning cloth and then use it as you normally would. This acts just like a cleaning agent – thanks to the acidic, citric nature of the fruit – and doesn’t harm the environment.

Conclusion

As you can see there are more than a few ways to keep your house sparkling clean without harming Mother Nature or your family’s health. The next time you’re ready to reach for a cleaning product, take a look in your shelves first. You might just be pleasantly surprised.

Recommended Reading:

• Fight Cavities and Gingivitis Naturally With Homemade DIY Oral Health
• Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula
• Homemade Vitamin C
• 5 Easy Home Improvements To Make Your Home Green And Healthy

Sources:

• Plants That Absorb Mold & Mildew – Garden Guides
• Houseplants and Their Benefits- Hub Pages
• 66 All-Natural Cleaning Solutions- Real Simple
• 9 Cleaners You Can Make Yourself – Good Housekeeping

Coconut oil has been used since ancient times for its remarkable effects on skin and hair. It is rich in carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, which is the reason coconut oil is used as a major ingredient in many cosmetic soaps and creams and even used in preparation of many dishes and salads in Asian countries.

Coconut oil is a natural and safe alternative to chemical-laden products.

Natural Homemade Hair Conditioner

Coconut oil is the best alternative to your chemical based conditioner. It will make your hair soft and shinier.

Ingredients

• 1 – 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 2 – 4 drops of essential oils (rosemary, sage, peppermint, vanilla, geranium, lavender, eucalyptus or grapefruit)
• Something to cover your hair

Instructions

• Heat a small amount of coconut oil until it liquefies and then add essential oils and mix the two.
• Apply the oil directly onto your scalp and gently massage.
• Comb the hair to make sure the oil is evenly distributed throughout the hair. Cover your hair for some time with a shower cap.

Chemical Free Face Moisturizer Recipe

Coconut oil has moisture-retention property and that’s why it can work as a natural moisturizer. Moreover, applying it will also keep your skin soft and smooth and well-hydrated.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
• 1 – 2 tablespoons of shea butter
• 1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil
• 2 – 4 drops of essential oils

Instructions

• Heat coconut oil.
• Add shea butter
• Add vitamin E oil and essential oil
• Mix

You can apply this mixture to your skin to enjoy the benefits of coconut oil.

Coconut Oil Lip Balm Recipe

Although applying unrefined coconut oil to your lips is good enough to keep the moisturized, the following is a simple way to make a lip balm using coconut oil.

Ingredients

• 1 – 2 teaspoons of coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon of beeswax
• 1 – 2 drops of essential oils

Instructions

• Warm your coconut oil till it turns liquid and then add beeswax to it. Allow the beeswax to melt and then add few drops of your favorite essential oil.
• You can store this on-the-go lip balm in small containers and carry them wherever you go.

Homemade Toothpaste with Coconut Oil

Coconut oil’s anti-microbial property makes it efficient enough to buzz off the bacteria and germs in your teeth.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of coconut oil
• 4 – 6 tablespoons of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of powdered stevia
• 15 – 20 drops of essential oils

Instructions

• Heat the coconut oil to make it soft but don’t allow it to turn into liquid.
• Now add baking soda, essential oil, and stevia.
• Mash all the ingredients together and then whip it till it turns light and creamy.
• You can store this mixture in a jar and use it as your daily toothpaste.

Coconut Oil Salt Scrub Recipe

For keeping skin soft and smooth, nothing quite compares to a warm bath and this coconut oil salt scrub!

Ingredients

• 1 cup of coconut oil
• 1/2 cup of Epsom salt
• 1/2 cup of dead sea salt
• 15 – 20 drops of essential oils

Instructions

• Heat the coconut oil till becomes liquid and the add salts and essential oils to it.
• Mix well all the ingredients and then store it in a glass jar.
• You can use this once a week and then soak yourself into warm water to make sure the body gets nourishment due to these ingredients.

Recommended Reading:

• 35 Things You Could Do With Coconut Oil – From Body Care to Health to Household
• Heal Cavities, Gum Disease, Naturally with Organic Oral Care
• Things You Should Know About Garlic – DIY, Recipes, Other Tips

Container gardening allows you to anyone to garden at home without the need of a big, spacious area. You can set up your garden on your patio, balcony, deck, porch or inside your home, anywhere you like as long as there is enough air and sunshine for your plants. Container gardening not only maximizes your space, it offers cost-effective solutions to growing organic fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices right on your own doorstep.

Here are five ways to save money as you create a container garden.

Big Cans and Plastic Bottles

How much do garden pots, containers, and planters cost today? Depending on their size, style, and material, they can range from $5 to $100 each. But you don’t really need to spend money for your plants to have their own shelter. Your cans or tins at home, big or small, are a great alternative. Baby formula cans, food cans, and all sort of metal containers are perfect. Of course, you will use large cans for big and tall plants (ex. tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and fruit trees) and small containers for smaller types (ex. basil, parsley, rosemary, mint, and onion).

When it comes to plastic bottles, you need to cut them in two for horizontal hanging garden and just take off one side for a vertical hanging garden. The best seedlings to transfer to these plastic containers are spinach, lettuce, and other leafy vegetables.

Note: Do not forget to create holes on the back base of the cans and plastic bottles to avoid water clogging and for the plant’s roots to breathe well. Use a nail and a hammer to make a few holes, about 10 to 15, just enough to cover the base.

Animal Manure

Animal manure is a great source of nutrients and organic matter to improve the quality of soil, and of course, to increase plant production. Just to highlight, the manure from grass-eating animals like cows, goats, horses, and buffalos, contain almost all of the nutrients that your plants need including nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, zinc, iron, and calcium.

Note: Make sure to dry the manure before putting to your potted plants. Otherwise, flying insects will feast on it.

Compost Pit

Aside from animal manure, compost is also a great fertilizer for your plants. And, you don’t have to source other materials so you can create one. All you need are dried leaves, wood ashes, fruit and vegetable peels, kitchen leftovers, and other biodegradable waste.

Get a large can. Put the compost ingredients alternately with the soil as the base. Leave this compost for 3 to 6 months for moderate to full decomposition. When decomposed, you can use the compost as a fertilizer. And, unlike animal manure, you can just go ahead and spread it around the plant’s base.

Note: Always provide adequate moisture to the compost so that the microbes will continue to break down the particles. In order to determine the level of moisture, get a long and thin stick, push it towards the can’s base, and then, pull it off quickly. Feel the compost soil on the stick and see if it is moist enough.

Human Urine

Like animal manure, human urine is full of nutrients promoting plant growth. It has nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. And, if ever you wonder if it’s actually safe to store your urine in a chamber pot, especially at night as you wake up and pee — it is. Human urine is free from any health risks unlike human feces, which can carry E. coli and salmonella. In fact, the International Space Station astronauts drink urine after a purification process.

Note: Human urine has a pungent smell, so before you start using your chamber pot, make sure that you put water to it, 2 to 3 inches high. The water will help neutralize the bad smell. And, after dispensing the urine to the plants, clean your chamber pot using a laundry washing powder and bleach. This will effectively remove the urine stains left on the chamber pot.

Recyclable Plastic Wrap or Paper

To protect vegetables and fruits from scratches or insect bites, wrapping is very important as soon as they appear. Food wrappers and old newspapers are perfect wrapping materials. Just use a stapler to close the wrap’s opening.

Note: If you use food plastic wrappers, clean them using soap and water, and then let them dry beforehand.

So, who says you need to spend money in order to start or maintain a container garden at home?

Further Reading:

• Fall Container Gardening
• How Vertical Gardening Could Help Save the World
• How to Make Organic Compost
• Why Grow Your Own Organic Food

Sources:

• Best Cost Effective Veggies & Herbs to Grow at Home – Garden Aware
• Why Go Organic? – Nutrichium
• Fruit in Containers – Royal Horticultural Society
• The 35 Easiest Container and Pot Friendly Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs – DIY & Crafts
• Reusing Our Plastic: Vertical Hanging Garden – Moomah the Magazine
• Managing Manure as Fertilizer – Government of Saskatchewan
• Gee Whiz: Human Urine is Shown to Be an Effective Agricultural Fertilizer – Scientific American
• NASA: All Systems Go for Space Urine Recycling System – Scientific American

It wasn’t that long ago when we were told saturated fats were bad for us, that they clogged the arteries. Well, new studies have shown that was a myth; coconut oil is good for your health. Common sense should have told us this a long time ago. After all, societies that eat a lot of coconut are populated with some of the healthiest people on the planet.

Now that we are no longer afraid to include it in our diet, we have found we can eat the meat, drink the water, turn it into milk, and squeeze out the oil. Every part is a great source of nutrition. But that’s not the only benefit.

Coconut oil is also antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory. It has a world of uses. Here are a few:

Coconut Oil and Body Care

1. Oil pulling. Swish a tablespoon or so of coconut oil through your mouth for 15-20 minutes the first thing in the morning. This is a great practice for oral health and many claim other health benefits as well (oral health recipes).
2. Brush your teeth with it. Use it plain, add a few drops of essential oil (peppermint, cinnamon, tea tree, oregano), or make your own DIY toothpaste.
3. Use as a carrier oil. Most of the essential oils are too strong to use full strength. They should be diluted with a carrier oil and coconut oil works very well for this purpose. Just add a few drops of the essential oil of your choice to a tablespoon of coconut oil and rub it on your skin (essential oils for infections).
4. Use as a moisturizer. Plain coconut oil is great for the skin. It is said to lighten dark spots and help prevent stretch marks.
5. Make-up remover. Removes all make-up, including eye make-up.
6. Diaper cream. Use on baby’s butt!
7. Hair conditioner. Rub it into dry hair and leave it in for a few hours (shampoo conspiracy).
8. Use as a shave cream.
9. Use as a deodorant (deodorant recipe).

Coconut Oil and Health Care

10. Nail fungus. Add 5 drops of tea tree oil to 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Rub into nails (kill fungal infections).
11. Personal lubricant. Does not disrupt natural vaginal balance.
12. Cracked heels. But remember this can be a sign of diabetes. Check your blood sugar and change your diet!
13. Use after the burn cools off.
14. Bug bites. Stops the itching and promotes healing.
15. Chapped lips. Instant moisture. And it tastes good!
16. Use on abrasions. Helps skin heal faster. (Also for perineum post birth).
17. Stops the burning and itching.
18. Prevents and may help reverse Alzheimer’s.
19. Kills topical yeast infections.
20. Kills lice.
21. Soothes eczema and psoriasis.
22. Helps to heal acne.

Pet Care With Coconut Oil

23. Dry or cracked paws
24. Dry noses.
25. Hot spots.
26. Rashes
27. Cuts or abrasions.
28. Helps prevent parasitic infections.
29. Kills yeast and fungal infections.
30. Glossy coat.
31. Better digestion (dog food recipe).

Note: For dogs, one teaspoon per 10 lbs. of weight (or one tablespoon per 30 lbs.). Start with ¼ of the amount and work up to the full amount over a 3-4 week period. Mix it into food.

Household Uses for Coconut Oil

32. Season cast iron pots and pans.
33. Polish metals.
34. Polish furniture.
35. Use on scuffed leather.

There are many more health benefits from eating coconut oil. But remember to always choose organic virgin coconut oil.

It’s great for cooking and it takes very little to sauté a stir-fry. But you can add coconut oil to smoothies, use it instead of butter or margarine, replace other oils in recipes, or just eat a spoonful. Yes, it’s that good for you!

Check out Fight Cavities And Gingivitis Naturally With Homemade DIY Oral Health for a coconut oil based toothpaste and more info about oil pulling. And let us know int he comments below what you use coconut oil for. Enjoy!

Recommended Reading:

• Heal Cavities, Gum Disease, Naturally with Organic Oral Care – Toothpaste Recipes Included
• How To Cook Using Coconut Flour
• Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula
• Raw Hummus Recipe

Recommended Products:

• Coconut Oil

Sources:

• Natural Head Lice Treatment with Coconut Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar – Wellness Mama
• Twenty Magical Things to Make With Your Jar of Coconut Oil – Natural Living Ideas
• Benefits of Coconut Oil For Dogs – The Dogington Post

I am an herb lover, but I am also a spa lover.

When you put the two together, you have the start of a journey of delight.

It is all about relaxation in your own surroundings and using herbs from your garden to create a pleasurable, deeply beneficial experience. (Note to those of us who have been treated to a day spa: Creating the spa experience in your own home brings a special degree of relaxation because you don’t have to get in the car after your spa day and then drive home afterward. You simply relax, go to bed, meditate, or spend moments with renewed energy in your own space. What could be better than that?)

The Top-to-Bottom Scrub Experience

Exfoliate! Invigorate! Revive!

Body scrubs filled with herbs and abrasive materials gently massaged into the skin. These are a spa experience all their own. Blood circulates close to the skin, which pinks up with warmth as dead skin cells and impurities wash away. From the soles of the feet to the top of your head, spa treatments with texture help skin to feel renewed. Scrubs also help to flush toxins after healing from a cold or flu.

A full body scrub needs to take place in a shower or tub. Prepare your spa with fluffy towels, bright light, and upbeat music.

Step in the shower first to rinse and dampen skin. Turn off the water and place a towel on the floor. The oil in the scrub may drip and cause a slippery surface, so use caution. Apply scrub, starting along the neck and using gentle motions, work your way down the body. Be kind while working with a scrub – skin should be nice and pink, not red and irritated. After application, rinse mixture from skin and gently pat skin dry with a soft towel. Follow a scrub treatment with a nourishing lotion to polish off and pamper your skin.

Lavender Spa Salt Glow

• 1 cup coarse gray sea salt
• ¾ cup coconut oil
• 6 drops of lavender essential oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh or dried lavender buds

What To Do

Place all ingredients in a wide-mouth jar and mix well.

To Use

• Dampen skin.
• With a generous amount of salt/oil mix, massage onto the skin with gentle circular motion.
• Use caution around scratched or irritated areas of skin.
• Rinse off with warm water.

Floral Sugar Scrub

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup coconut oil
• 1 Vitamin E capsule
• ½ cup fresh rose petals

What To Do

• Mix sugar, coconut oil and rose petals in a wide-mouth glass jar.
• Pierce the Vitamin E capsule and squeeze into the mix.

To Use

Dampen skin. With a generous amount of floral scrub, massage onto the skin with gentle circular motion. Use caution around scratched or irritated areas of skin. Rinse off with warm water.

Après – Scrub Skin Oil

This is a light, simple oil that nourishes freshly scrubbed skin. Vanilla is a sensual fragrance that balances mood and relaxes.

• 1 cup jojoba oil
• 2 whole vanilla beans

What To Do

Start with a sterilized glass bottle.

• Slice vanilla beans lengthwise, scrape out the center mush, and place it in the bottle.
• Pour oil over the vanilla to cover completely.
• Place lid on the bottle and shake to mix well.
• Store in a cool, dark place for up to two months (shake every couple weeks).
• When vanilla aroma is intense, it is ready. Strain the oil through a mesh filter to remove bean remnants, and rebottle.
• If desired, add another whole vanilla bean to the finished bottle to add additional fragrance.

Editors Note: This article is an excerpt from The Herb Lover’s Spa Book by Sue Goetz. You can order this book online from St. Lynn’s Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other sites.