12 Bath Recipes

read article and recipes here

♥ Valentines Cards ♥

download & print from Free People Blog

Valentine Zine

via Design Sponge

Inspirational!

Just got this fantastic little electric fireplace, the "Personal Fire Cube".

It's cutting the edge off the chill & darkness of January.

One Ingredient Beauty Tips

 Whole-milk yogurt is surprisingly an excellent way to cleanse the skin. The milk fat sucks out impurities, while the lactic acid acts as a gentle exfoliator. Simply massage a small amount into your skin, rinse with lukewarm water, and pat dry.

 Tea tree oil is one of the strongest natural antiseptics out there. It’s also antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, and more. To help nip acne-causing bacteria in the bud, dilute some tea tree oil in water and use as a spot treatment before bed.

 Similar to lemons, oranges contain natural acids that are great for exfoliating the skin – only oranges are much more mild. After showering, splash your body with freshly-squezed orange juice and massage into the skin for a gentle, natural exfoliation.

 These and other one ingredient beauty tips via Free People.

Little Things (Plants)

Keeping a Gratitude Jar

article by Miann Scanlan via Free People Blog


 "There is nothing that has changed my life more profoundly than gratitude. It was my savior amidst great suffering that I experienced a few years ago, when my spirit was engulfed by deep grief. It was during this time that I found yoga and was introduced to the practice of being grateful for literally everything on life’s journey, including the bad times and the struggles.

 This simple notion of being grateful for my suffering was the catalyst that launched me on my spiritual journey, and now I want to share that feeling with almost everyone I meet!

 I firmly believe that gratitude is the elixir of life – the facilitator for all abundance and the key to unlocking bountiful happiness.

 Cultivating thankfulness not only makes your days shine brighter, but with time it also promotes feelings of compassion and generosity which create further joy in our lives. Gratitude can soften a hardened heart, and also builds the capacity for forgiveness – which creates the clarity of mind that is ideal for spiritual development.

 A Gratitude Jar is kind of like a piggy bank, except coins are substituted with good vibes and blessings, and the reward is of far greater value than any sum of money could ever provide.

What you’ll need:
A mason jar

Your favourite pen & a note pad

Scissors

Embellishments of your choice: I like using elements of the earth like sand, dried flowers, curious rocks, and twigs

Directions:
Add some of your embellishments into the jar. I poured some sand into the bottom as I am grateful to live by the sea. You can adorn the jar with anything that makes you feel positive and at peace: Full moon charged crystals, incense sticks, glitter… you name it!


 Each morning write down something you are grateful for, ceremoniously folding up the paper and lovingly adding it to the jar.

 Once your jar is full of gratitude, take it to a place where you can sit quietly, as one by one you take out and read over your blessings. I like to take my jar down to the beach and build a ceremonial nature mandala around it as I sit for a while and meditate.

 Et viola! You have just experienced a taste of true abundance."

Kitchen Love

Plant In An Eggcup

Whiten Your Teeth With Strawberries

The straight forward way, via the Free People Blog:

Eat strawberries!

I remember hearing this when I was young and it has stuck with me ever since — and the truth is, it works. Strawberries contain an astringent that aids in the removal of surface stains, and vitamin C, which whitens teeth by clearing away plaque. Strawberries are in season in the summer so take full advantage and keep your fridge stocked with them! When you eat one, take a bite out and then rub the remainder over your teeth.

Or you could try this weekly treatment, via MichellePhan.com

Nothing complements a swipe of lipstick better than a pearly-white smile. Unfortunately, most whitening treatments can be harsh for those with sensitive teeth (not to mention expensive!). So what’s a girl to use instead? One word: strawberries. That’s right – according to Health.com, strawberries contain malic acid, which acts as an astringent to remove surface discoloration on your teeth. Next time your teeth need a pick-me-up, give this easy DIY treatment a try:

Ingredients:
1 strawberry
½ tablespoon baking soda

Instructions:

1.) Crush the strawberry to a pulp-y consistency

2.) Add in baking soda until blended

3.) Use a soft toothbrush to spread the mixture onto your teeth

4.) Leave on for 3-5 minutes

5.) Rinse and brush thoroughly with toothpaste

6.) Floss out any stray strawberry seeds

NOTE: It’s best to apply this treatment only once a week – the acid can damage the enamel on your teeth if you overdo it.

Paisley Elephant & Stenciled Table

Domestic Imperfection ~ paisley-stenciled-table

Wednesday

Things To Do

Growing an Avocado Tree

"You can make some pretty tasty dishes with an avocado but did you know that you can grow a tree from it too? It probably won’t produce any fruit, but it is a nice addition to your home plant life.

For best chance of success, try this with a pit that has been taken from a very (very) ripe avocado that hasn’t been refrigerated. You may also want to start 2 or 3 at a time in case one fails.

Tip: If you have plenty of sunny locations in your home, you could start several of these in the early Fall and have a bunch to sell at your annual summer yard sale or donate to church raffles, team fundraisers, etc. Depending on what part of the country you live in, these can be hot sales items."

Directions:

• Wash all the flesh off the pit, pat dry and set aside for a couple days.
• After the drying time, remove the skin and insert 3 toothpicks 1/2″ deep into the pit equally distant from each other around the fattest part (circumference).
• Suspend in a dark glass (pointy side up) with the toothpicks resting on the rim of the glass.
• Fill the glass with water until the bottom 1/3 of the pit is submerged.
• Place glass in a sunny spot. Change water every two days so there’s fresh water instead of stagnant.
• Once you have a 6 inch stem with a couple leaves (this will take several weeks), cut the stem down to 3 inches.
• Wait several more weeks until you have a few stems with leaves, you’re then ready to plant. The roots should now be about 2″ long.
• Taking a 10″ diameter pot, fill with good, well draining potting soil (sandy mix works great). Removing the toothpicks, plant the pit roots down (pointy end and stems up), the top of it should be level with the soil surface.
• When soil is dry, water. Feed regularly with houseplant food once or twice a month.
• If the leaves turn yellow, you’re watering it too much. If leaves turn brown, you’re not watering enough. If it looks sickly, make sure you’re feeding it.
• If you want a bushy tree, pinch the leaves after it grows every 6 inches.
• Can be left outside during the summer months.

article via tipnut.com ~ how to grow an avocado tree

Teepees

Twig Tabletop Teepees ~ DIY

Pins & Needles

Wallpaper Your Fridge

find out how: Aunt Peaches

Natural Ways to Lighten Your Hair

photo via FP

Lemon Juice

My sister has dirty blond hair, and she is able to achieve platinum highlights every summer using nothing but lemon juice and water. If your hair is naturally dirty blond or light brown, you can get your hair considerably lighter by applying lemon juice to your locks. Fill a squirt bottle with two parts freshly squeezed lemon juice to one part water and spritz your hair before spending time sitting in the sunshine. This method takes some time to work, but if you apply lemon juice to your hair once every few days you should begin to notice results within a week or two. This method works because the acidic properties of the lemon lighten up the natural pigments of your hair. Be aware that the acidity does have the potential to slightly dry your hair, so be sure to condition your hair well after each application.

Cinnamon

Ground cinnamon is another home remedy that will lighten up your strands. Mix three tablespoons of cinnamon in with four tablespoons of your favorite conditioner to create a paste. Massage the mixture onto your head and comb it through to make sure your strands are evenly coated for best results. The cinnamon may irritate your skin for several minutes but should go away. Put a plastic processing cap over your hair once the mixture has been thoroughly worked in. Leave the cap and mixture on your head for a minimum of four hours, though sleeping with it on overnight will produce the best results. Rinse your hair and repeat this process until you achieve the shade you want or to maintain color. Cinnamon has the potential to lighten your hair by two to three shades.

Chamomile Tea

Freshly brewed chamomile tea is an excellent home remedy to lighten dirty blond and light brown hair without causing any damage. Brew a strong pot of tea by allowing at least thirty minutes for the tea to steep. Allow the tea to cool, and then add a few tablespoons to your conditioner and put the rest in an empty shampoo bottle. When bathing, wash your hair with the tea instead of your normal shampoo, and then condition with the chamomile conditioner mix. Air dry your hair by sitting in the sun if possible. Like lemon juice, chamomile tea slowly changes the pigment of your hair so don't expect extreme results after one application. However, the tea has no potential to dry or damage hair so feel free to use it daily until you achieve the results you want.

Honey

Honey naturally contains a small amount of hydrogen peroxide, making it ideal for using to lighten hair. The amount is so small it will not have the frying effect on your hair that pure peroxide has. To lighten up your locks with honey, mix 1/3 cup of honey with 1/4 cup of your favorite conditioner. Dampen your hair and then apply the mixture evenly to your head. Put a plastic processing cap over your hair and leave it on for eight hours before rinsing. Honey will not dramatically change the color of your hair, so its best to combine this method with some of the others mentioned in this article if you want your hair more than a shade lighter. You can mix a little bit of lemon juice or cinnamon into the conditioning mixture if you desire.

article by Bronwyn Judith via Yahoo!Voices