"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within." --Elizabeth Kübler-Ross   NATURAL RECIPES & REMEDIES INSECT REPELLANTS Natural formulas to get rid of insects in your home ANTS To keep ants out of a house or a garden: sprinkle ground cinnamon around base of house. You can also sprinkle it on ant beds, to kill the ants. For your garden: sprinkle concentrated lemon juice round the whole garden, keeps ants & insects out of garden. Both are ok to use if you have pets or little kids around, safe for all to use & you can get the kids to do it for you without worry! ANT TRAPS: Ingredients: 1/3 cup molasses 6 tablespoons sugar 6 tablespoons active dry yeast Mix ingredients together in a small bowl until they form a smooth past. Spread the mixture into plastic lid. Any old plastic container will do. Set the mixture near the mouth of ant hill. For kitchen areas, coat a strip of cardboard with the mixture and lay along floor or in crevices where ants travel. Works best with medium to large ants. Try substituting honey for the molasses. MOSQUITO/INSECT REPELLENT Formula 1: Ingredients 3 cups rubbing alcohol 1 1/2 cups red cedar wood shavings 1/2 cup eucalyptus leaves Mix ingredients together in a large bowl or jar. Cover and let stand 5 days. Strain the solid ingredients out and save the remaining liquid. Store tightly sealed. Yield: 2 cups. To use, pour into a small spray bottle and spray lightly on skin. Formula 2: Ingredients 1/4 cup denatured alcohol 1 1/2 teaspoons camphor 1 1/2 teaspoons calcium chloride Mix ingredients together in a bowl and stir until dissolved. To use, rub on skin before going outside, or pour into a small spray bottle and spray lightly on skin. CAUTION: Do not use near eyes. Discontinue use if you notice a rash or other allergic reaction. Formula 3: Ingredients Mix together: One ounce of either oil of citronella or pennyroyal Baby oil or vegetable oil, a few drops Citronella and pennyroyal can be found at most health food stores. Apply to skin before going outside. Formula 4: Ingredients Four parts glycerine 4 parts alcohol 1 part eucalyptus oil Or make a solution of equal parts of isopropyl alcohol and methyl phthalate. Other tried and true remedies: -Avon's Skin-So-Soft -The castor bean plant. Seeds available from any nursery. Plant in pots within the house; replant outdoors. Decorative and they grow like weeds! -Garlic Juice. Use a mixture of Garlic juice and water. Use at least 1 part garlic juice to 5 parts water in a small personal size spray bottle. Works every time. Even works great in the woods for chiggers. Source: Unknown _______________ 10 COMMON USES FOR BAKING SODA By: Rachel Paxton © Copyright 2001   1) Make a paste of baking soda and water and rub on insect bites to relieve itching. 2) Remove coffee and tea stains by scrubbing pots or cups with baking soda and a plastic scouring pad. 3) Add 1/3 cup baking soda to a wash cycle as a bleach booster or to the rinse cycle for cleaner smelling laundry. 4) To remove black scuff marks from floor, rub them with a paste of baking soda and water. 5) Clean fiberglass showers and tubs with baking soda sprinkled on a sponge. Sponge clean and wipe dry. 6) Soak sour smelling dishcloths and sponges in water and baking soda solution. 7) Use a solution of water and baking soda to clean and deodorize the inside of your microwave. 8) Put a few spoonfuls in a cup of water in the microwave, boil for two minutes, then wipe down the inside with a sponge. 9) Sprinkle a little baking soda into the laundry hamper to minimize odors. 10) Remove crayon marks from walls by scrubbing gently with an old toothbrush and a paste of baking soda and water. Source: Pioneer Thinking _______________ "NO-SWEAT" TEA The following herbs, when brewed and drunk as a tea are reported to reduce perspiration within 2 hours of use with its effects lasting several days: 4 cups boiling water 1 teaspoon dried hops 1 teaspoon stinging nettle 1 teaspoon fresh cut rose petals 1 teaspoon fresh or dried strawberry leaves 1 teaspoon fresh walnut leaves 3 tablespoons of dried sage leaves Combine all ingredients, cover and steep for an hour. Strain and sweeten with honey if desired. Source: Kitchen Cosmetics _______________ FACIAL MASK: An egg makes a good mask. To tone and tighten, use a beaten egg white. Apply to your face and then rinse it off after it dries. To remove excess oil, the egg yolk can be whipped and mixed with six tablespoons of honey to make a peel off mask. FACIAL: A refreshing facial is as simple as pouring boiling water over chamomile flowers in a bowl. Just hold your face a few inches above the water and let the steam work its magic. (You can do this, and then later use the liquid for your hair.) If you need an astringent after your facial, Witch Hazel is an all-natural one that can still be bought for about one half of what the name brands cost. FOR THE BATH: For an all over beauty treatment, relax in a tub full of water with one half cup of powdered milk, which acts as a skin softener. To make your beauty bath do double duty, add a cheesecloth or muslin bag filled with your favorite herbs. Soothing herbs are chamomile flowers and rose flowers. For a stimulating bath, you can use basil, bay, rosemary, or thyme. Sage and strawberry leaves relieve aching muscles and joints. Or, you can make a cleansing body scrub with a handful of oatmeal and two teaspoons of sea salt. Source: Natural Beauty Recipes _______________ WASTE WISE GIFT WRAPPING IDEAS: -Creative wrapping paper substitutes include used blueprint paper, the Sunday comics, or even the sports section for a sports enthusiast. Design your own wrapping paper using paper shopping bags: decorate them with paints, crayons, markers, or art projects from school. -Wrap the gift in a drawstring bag and use an inexpensive luggage tag for the gift tag. -Put games in a backpack or a kid's design pillow case. -Put blouses and other gifts in decorative hat boxes and tie with a hair ribbon. -For a person who sews, wrap a gift in a fabric remnant and tie it with a piece of lace, ribbon, or a tape measure. -Any kitchen gift can be wrapped in a colorful dish towel. Kitchen utensils can pop out of an oven mitt. -Place home-baked cookies in a reusable tin box, a kitchen container, or a decorated oatmeal box. -Use a colorful tablecloth to wrap dishes or dining room gifts. -For a reader, wrap a book in a reusable canvas shopping sack. -For a gardener, put garden tools in the pocket of an apron, a planter, or a bucket. -Search the flea market, garage sales, and thrift stores for interesting old boxes that can be used as decorative packages. -Make use of that old satin bathrobe that's falling apart at the seams. Cut it up and use the pieces to wrap small packages or as a tissue paper replacement. Check your scrap rag box for other good pieces of interesting fabric that can be cut up and used for wrapping. -Search the attic for old family photos and mementos and give them to your favorite relative wrapped in grandma's old hat and a lace curtain. -Replace tissue paper with old lace or strips of paper shopping bags or used gift wrap. -Shipping a gift? Reuse the foam peanuts from another package, or use unbuttered popcorn for packing. -Don't forget to look for toys, books, and other products made from recycled materials. Source: Vermont Agency of Natural Resources   Back to Recipes Busy Moms Recipes Home Page   This site and its entire contents are Copyright© 2002-2003, Busy Moms Recipes™