I must confess, I pay very little attention to my feet. Unless they start hurting, I tend to take them for granted. That shouldn't be the case though, considering they get me everywhere I need to go and work perfectly fine. That's why I've decided to spoil them every once and a while. Want to know how? A DIY foot soak, that's how!
Growing up, there were a few different honeysuckle bushes around the neighborhood. They were like a kid magnet – we would all gather around them and wonder how a flower tasted so sweet, picking the little blossoms and sipping their sweetness. I had no idea at that age that these nectar-filled blossoms were actually good for me or that they held any sort of medicinal properties. Mother Nature's Medicine Cabinet is full of surprises and they are all really amazing.
Everyone deserves a little pampering every once in a while. In fact, I make a promise to myself to try and take a relaxing bath at least once a month. Sometimes life gets in the way of that, but when I do get a chance to take a bath, it's beautiful. I personally love adding in some bath salts to my bath. They add a beautiful aroma and are great for relaxing or reviving your energy (depending on the scent). Bath soaks are kind of similar, but they're made in a different way. Recently, I became curious about how to DIY my own bath salts and soaks, and it's actually not too hard.
This Christmas, I made my mom and my best friend a gift from my heart: A DIY body scrub and matching body lotion! They absolutely loved the gift and could not stop talking about how soft and smooth their skin was after using the scrub and lotion. So guess what? Today, I'm going to share the recipe for both with you. Trust me when I say, if you create these, you might be tempted not to share them. I have a whole stash of the body lotion in my room just for me! I couldn't bear to part with it.
I despise socks. I know that sounds crazy, but since I was a kid I would fling them off my feet the first chance I got. That's if my mom could manage to put them on me at all. The problem with freeing your feet is it can easily lead to shoe odor. Yes, I know how gross that sounds, but it happens. At one point in your life you too will have a smelly pair of old shoes stinking up your closet. And if you have kids, then you may have several pairs. Luckily, there are a few home remedies to beat the stench of smelly feet.
1. Baking Soda
Not sure what to give the free-thinker in your life?
“Alternative” people can be difficult to buy for considering we tend to gawk at the idea of “buying” presents. Consumerism is at its height during the holidays, but a lot of non-conformists (or anti-consumers) won’t set foot in a shopping mall, and have no interest in gifts from there, either. Here are seven stocking stuffer ideas for the free-thinkers in your family.
Essential oils and plant extracts have become increasingly popular in recent years, but health practitioners have been using essential oils for millennia. Health, beauty, aromatherapy, cleaning, and cleansing are some of their uses. Essential oils also have mental, physical, and spiritual benefits as well.
The average shelf life for essential oils is around 3 years, but some may last longer.
Spring is officially here, and as the days get warmer, the bugs come out. Sure, we know that some insects are useful – they provide food for birds and help pollinate plants, for example. But as the recent fears over Zika virus have shown us, the increased presence of mosquitos can threaten our health, in addition to being an annoyance.
Luckily, there are plenty of options for natural mosquito repellents you can use to protect yourself.