This came from a book I borrowed from my boss called “The Scented Room ” by
Barbara Milo Ohrbach.
This is a simple recipe to make a Lemon sachet for future, pillows, on the back of chairs ect.
In a large bowl add
Mix well together, This makes enough for 4 sachets
Happy Mixing!
This is a fun and relatively easy project to do with flowers and some cloth. I first discovered this technique on Instagram and immediately purchased the magazine to learn more. The process by Samorn Sanixay shows how pounding plants into fabric can leave a lasting impression of the plant.
After reading and following the directions and some experimentation right off the bat this is my end product after two months. The thing I did differently was used canvas as my choice of fabric.
This process requires soaking the fabric in vinegar and water solution for 30 minutes, I then placed the flowers on one side of the fabric and folded over the other half and commenced pounding the flowers. I waited for 24 house before I removed the dried plants and ironed the fabric. I highly recommend buying the magazine plants are magic or here at peppermint to get the full details and support the people.
An example from Samorn Sanixay
Plants Clean Our Air From Nasty Things
There are so many harmful toxins floating in our air; this is caused by low or lack of air circulation in small/ tight spaces. The bigger and leafier the plant the better for space as it occupies more surface area here are some toxins and a few of what they are found in
Formaldehyde: cosmetics, fabric softener
Benzene: Plastics, cigarette smoke
Trichlorothylene: Paint removers, stain removers
Luckily for us, there are superheroes that help fight back. Nasa and others have done studies testing these. Nasa did the study back in 1989 and while that was a while ago the evidence still stands that plants filter the air. All plants will filter different toxins and different in general https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19930073077.pdf – Report from NASA on how plants clean the air
Different plants https://www.boredpanda.com/best-air-filtering-houseplants-nasa/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic (-For more information here).
Toxins get into our homes by the area its self and from the outside, some places don’t have good air circulation. Maybe you live in a city, you don’t have good air currents, you can’t open your windows, and many other reasons. Things can get trapped and sit effecting your overall health. But plants are here to help, many websites and blogs talk about this. I chose the Sill because I’ve only had a good interaction with their plant deliveries and their blog. https://www.thesill.com/blogs/care-miscellaneous/why-you-need-plants-in-your-life The website explains how plants help keep the air crisp and then gives examples of plants that are easy for beginners. What I love about this is that they give you the tools they don’t just talk the talk but they walk the walk as well.
Some of my favorites (even tho I am biased as all are my favorite)
– Pathos (Epipremnum aureum)
– Arrowhead plant (Syngonium podophyllum)
-Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
The Benefits of Plants can be closer than you think.
Mental benefits of having plants on your house are numerous and range from cleaning the air to positive mental health. Plants light up a room and bring life into what can be a lifeless living space; this can bring joy, comfort, and ease to the people living their or visiting. Here are some ways plants help you mentally.
Reduced stress
Plants bring a feeling of calmness where ever they go. This can help reduce stress lower blood pressure and put a smile on a face. A study done compared the stress level of people who were tasked to transplant a plant vs a computer task. The participants handling plants showed a drastically lower sympathetic nervous system activity. This is important as the sympathetic nervous system is responsible for your fight or flight response. For people with anxiety, this can be helpful in soothing their sensitive sympathetic nervous system activity. While this study was a good step in the right direction the study only used males and I don’t know how accurate the study can be used regards to the effects on women or people with mental illness/ physical disabilities.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4419447/ – link to the study
https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/40/5/article-p1354.xml?ijkey=344f7235c750123a2dd32ee653f32f50ea8b2cfb&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha – another study called “Human Response to Window Views and Indoor Plants in the Workplace” that looks how anxiety levels were reduced for people who worked by a window and had a view of nature vs those who didn’t. I find this one interesting because in terms of school rooms, should school be constructed around having windows or just have plants in the room?
Reducing Stress also allows us to heal faster, it’s been proven that patients in hospitals heal and spend less time in the hospital when they have flowers or a window with a natural view.
Creativity
One study by the Regent’s University London, United Kingdom showed that live plants and the color green can improve creativity. In this study they gave people a visual and verbal task; and divided the people up into three groups. Group 1 was in a classroom with plants, Group 2 had no plants or views of nature but had green paper and Group 3 had no views, no plants, no green paper. The studies found that natural views, plants, and green paper all increased visual creativity.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1871187115300250 -Link to study
Stay Focused And With Memory
A study by University of Michigan psychology research showed that spending time with any form of nature. House plants, outside, photos etc during any season helps improve memory and attention by 20%.
https://news.umich.edu/going-outsideeven-in-the-coldimproves-memory-attention/ -link to study
happy and mindful
This is my Pathos when I first got him
This is the same Pathos after two years of me having him
Taking care or a plant and watching them flourish under your care, fretting and waiting while it might have setbacks. Gives, a feeling of accomplishment, love, and attachment. We all have that feeling of pride when our plants grow and live, That feeling of attachment when you see a plant in the store and know that it’s calling to you. The joy of Bringing them to their new home. It only makes sense as this plant is your baby. This helps bring around more positivity, more feelings of confidence and accomplishment.
This also helps us be more mindful of the plant and that often translates into how we act with people as well. Not only that but remembering to take care of plants can help you remember to take care of you as well. It’s not easy and sometimes the best one can do is just being human but your plants are there for you even when people can be too much, plants provide companionship that just requires existing.
Plants Absorb Noise
Living in an apartment, a busy road? Place some plants near windows and/or low growing plants near the ground to reduce the noise.
Here’s a short blog on natural things you can use on cuts or burns
Aloe is a succulent native to regions of African and Meditrain. They like good drainage so their roots don’t sit in water and develop root rot. If you are to eat an Aloe Vera that you prepare from home; cut one end and soak it for at least 10 minutes then rinse it. The yellow sap that will come out is a laxative but too much ingested can cause stomach problems.
medicinal properties were first found by a Greek physician Dioscorides
It contains enzymes that reduce inflammation( saponins) and stimulate blood flow
And contains antibacterial compounds that keep away infection
https://www.rd.com/health/beauty/aloe-vera-benefits/ – For much more fun and interesting facts on aloe
Used by the Egyptians, Chines, Greek, and in the British army. Only use medical honey or organic raw unfiltered honey as these kinds are best. Honey helps stimulate the immune system, best results are applying the honey and then covering the area in sterile free dressing.
Honey helps in reducing scar tissue after the wound has healed
Burns, ulcers, Bacterial infections are all ways honey can be used
Remember to always put a burn immediately under lukewarm or cool water, do not put it under cold water it can cause shock to the wound. As always consult your doctor if your unsure or have questions, and please don’t use if you’re allergic.
This Mental Health spa treatment came to my attention from my boss. We were talking about face mask and such and she told me how her Mother; Would put egg whites on their faces and egg yolks in their hair. Then egg white tightens up the skin and is supposed to reduce wrinkles. While the egg yolk helps dry and damaged hair and is supposed to help the hair grow.
In the photo’s below you can see the process of me separating the egg whites and yolk, and it is applied to my face and hair. Here’s what and how I did this process of treating myself.
So first thing there’s a lot of egg whites in one egg, you might not use it all. And generally, the more that’s on your face the longer it will take to dry. You can save the extra in a jar for later, use all of it because maybe you have time to kill and want that time to relax and recharge or use it for cooking.
I applied it to my face with my hands and tried to get an even coat as possible. Which is more difficult than it sounds as egg white is goopy and runny and funny. Then I waited for it to dry and boy does this dry; It was really fun once it dried to try and move my face because yes IT WAS THAT STIFF!!!
The egg yolk was much easier to apply to my hair, I would recommend scrambling the egg yolk before application. I left the egg yolk in my hair for 20 minutes as that’s what my boss said she and her mum used to do. Then I rinsed with cold/cool water, my boss said that warm water can cause it to clump up and it’s harder to get out of the hair that way.
I am excited to share this with everyone as it was shared to me and is one of the main things this blog is about. Sharing information on useful ways to use what’s around us in the environment. While a lot of the time it’s plants but the other times it can be eggs, but as we share information it won’t be forgotten and it better connects us to the earth and our environment.
Enjoy this simple treat yourself you deserve it!!
egg spa
Egg Yolk hair treatment
This egg was hard to crack (no pun intended) Showing the whites being separated from the yolk
Egg whites on face
Pine needles are a great way to reduce aches and pains, fevers, and calm anxiety. I discovered Pine needle baths when my friend who had a fever couldn’t take any ibuprofen. So I jumped into the internet for natural remedies and discovered Pine needle baths! I added the actual needles for an aesthetic look (which you can too), and in the coffee filter (because I didn’t have any muslin bags at the time) was the cut-up fresh white Pine needles. You can use older dry Pine needles but I used what I had.
Once you collect only what you need which is about a hand full or less, run them under some cold water to clean them. Or put them in a bowl of water and swish it around; afterward cut them into medium size (I used my pinky finger as measuring and did either the whole size of half of it).
Now put them in any satchel that can filter out tie it closed and run it under the hot water for the bath. I make the water steaming first and let it cool down to my desired temperature. This not only allows the stem to fill the air which is good to decongest airways and noises, but it’s also calming.
Finally when the water won’t burn you slip in to relax and enjoy!
For the muslin bags, this site https://www.herbco.com/ (which I haven’t used yet) seemed like the best but you can get them from Amazon, Etsy and even reuse the ones that lush uses from their bath bombs if you buy one which is what I did.
Photo of a pine needle bath I am running for my sick friend
(Images from https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=PIST )
Pine needle tea holds many health benefits, to name a few; high in vitamin A and C, Rich in antioxidants. The Eastern White Pine was an essential food source in the winter for native American tribes. In 1536 French explorer and his crew Jacques Cartier used pine needle tea cured their extreme case of scurvy after being at sea, being shown this by the native Americans. Skipping a few years ahead the British colonies would use the trunk of trees for British Navy’s ship masses.
Plants to avoid
Pine Tea recipe
• If fresh rinse pine needles/ chop pine needles in half
2. Bring water to a boil then reduce heat
3. Add 1/2 cup pine needles
• I guesstimate by using a palm size
4. Cover and let steep for 3-4 minutes on low then remove from heat
5. After 8 minutes or until pine needle sink depending on the strength you want
6. Strain out pine needles and enjoy!!
Extra Links for info
https://www.superfoodly.com/how-to-make-pine-needle-tea-recipe-for-benefits-or-dangers/
http://www.practicalprimitive.com/skillofthemonth/pineneedletea.html
Pine Trees have been known for their uses for lumber and their medicinal benefits. With 36 pine species in the United States the oldest being a Bristlecone pine 4,600 years. Not all pine needles are edible ALWAYS CHECK TO SEE IF THE PINE YOU PICK IS SAFE; Time and practice will make identifying easier. I use White Pine (Pinus strobus) as it’s abundant from where I am from.
Pine needles are used after seeping in boiling water to release the benefits in the needles. Sap or pitch which occurs when the tree has a wound and uses the pitch to cover and protect it from outside elements. And the extract from the bark. Usages are diverse from being high in vitamin C to being used as salve pine trees are a year-round doctor (if you are seriously injured or sick please go to your doctor first).
And as always when you go foraging do so consciously, pick from bigger plants first, only take what you need; never take bark from the whole circumference take it in patches in order to allow nutrients to continue to flow, and be nice to the earth.
Pine Needle Health Benefits
Pine Sap Health Benefits
Pine Bark Extract Health Benefits
(do not use if you are taking anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet drugs as this can increase the risk of bleeding)
check in recipes for the ways to create and make the different usages from Doctor Pinus strobus
https://www.almanac.com/news/natural-health-home-tips/pine-needle-tea -Has a list of poisonous trees in the comment section
http://www.oldest.org/nature/trees/ – website of the 10 oldest trees in the world (where i got the bristlepine photo)
Using nature in crafting, building, creating can lead to a healthier and sustainable fun time. Collecting and using what you find also allows you to view nature in a different light; What has once thought useless no has a purpose.
