Back when I had my first apartment, the summer sun blazed through the windows, and even through the mini-blinds, which made cooling the tiny 300 square foot place impossible. I was short on cash and pressed for time with college and two jobs. A friend of mine had an idea — “Why not use sheets?” […]
Homemade Lip Balm
Personal care products are one of those things that can be intimidating to make at home. Sure, I can whip up a loaf of bread or some spaghetti sauce in no time and without much thought, but what about shampoo? Homemade lotion or deodorant? Or lip balm? On the surface, a lot of these items seem […]
Dandelion: Uses and Health Benefits
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a valuable plant in cooking and in home herbal remedies. All parts of dandelion are usable: flowers, leaves and roots. Dandelion is a blood cleanser and good for the liver, and a great addition to homemade spring detox tea blends.
How Do You Make Soap – Hot Process Lye Soap
Making soap at home is a fun process that ensures your soap is free of harsh chemicals and allergens such as artificial colors and fragrances. Homemade soap can be given as gifts to friends and family. Get your kids in on the action and teach them a fun lesson in chemistry with this soap recipe. […]
Chicago’s Urban Oasis: Midwestern Beach Trip
I’m so ready for vacation. It’s next to impossible for me to concentrate on running errands, meeting deadlines, and finishing projects when I can feel the mercury rising outside and see the sun finally peeking its overly shy head out from the clouds. Even though it’s still too chilly to unpack a bathing suit, I’m […]
DIY Detox Herbal Infusion: Nettle, Dandelion, and Birch
I’m not a big fan of expensive detox packages, but this infusion is homemade. You might even find all the ingredients in your garden. I use this simple blend in the spring as a DIY liver cleanse/detox. I usually make my herbal infusions with fresh dandelion, nettle,and birch, but I also dry some […]
Homesteading eBook Bundle
In light of so many recent tragedies, now is the time to prepare your home to be prepared and a bit more self-sufficient. Our Untrained Housewife’s Guide to Getting Prepared has helped jumpstart these kinds of preparations for readers already. One wrote, I am thrilled to have a copy of Getting Prepared so I can […]
Homemade Skin and Hair Treatments with Banana
I’m all for using food in home beauty treatments. Last time, I tried a coconut milk hair treatment, which worked amazingly well, and then I found out I can use bananas for the skin and for the hair. A banana hair mask is meant to be good for dry or frazzled hair. I decided to […]
Determining Solar Energy Needs – For Home or Small Business Installation
Owning and installing a home solar power grid system is becoming more affordable as new technologies come onto the market and materials are easier to come by and mass-produced. Before you begin, find out if local and state laws permit home solar panel installations, determine your power needs, get detailed information on local (city, […]
How To Make a Homemade Hair Rinse
Homemade hair treatments are incredibly easy to do, and one of the easiest is a DIY hair rinse. Hair rinses give hair natural shine, deepen its color and condition the hair and the scalp. They are cheap, too: if you grow rosemary in your herb garden, you have all the ingredients you need for an […]
Make a DIY Robot Pinata
For Adam’s third birthday, he asked for a Robot themed birthday party. Wow – have you tried to find a robot pinata for a preschooler’s robot birthday party before? I found a couple, but they were pricier than I wanted to spend for a simple family birthday. So, we made our OWN robot pinata for […]
Why Would You Put Aspartame in Milk?
You don’t have to look very hard to find an article about how the dairy industry has petitioned the FDA to allow them to add aspartame to flavored milks. Why would they want to do this? How would it benefit them? What are the possible results? Are there side effects? Let’s explore all of these […]
