Search Results for: blog witch hazel

Witch Hazel

Despite the spooky name, this tree has nothing to do with witches! The name comes from an Old English word meaning “pliant” because the flexible branches made good bows for archers. Witch hazel is native to most of North America — the only place the tree is hard to come by is in the far west. It tends to grow in moist areas and prefers light woods and rocky streams. The tree prefers partial shade and sandy or peaty soil. Native Americans made a tea from the leaves and bark of the witch hazel tree. The tea was used to … Continue reading →

Frugal Beauty: Witch Hazel Makes a Great Toner

My mother had beautiful, flawless skin. Wherever she went, she was always admired for this feature. Although I wasn’t lucky enough to inherit her skin, I did inherit her beauty secrets. One product that she used in her regular beauty routine was good old witch hazel. Witch hazel is one of those things that often gets overlooked in beauty. It doesn’t come in different colors; it doesn’t have fancy packaging, and you never see it advertised. But witch hazel has been around for a long time because it works. It can often be found in either the skin care section … Continue reading →

Plants That Flower In the Winter

Winter brings thoughts of snow, rain, and sleet. It might bring thoughts of giant branches crashing down, storms that knock the power out, and general mayhem in the garden and in your home. While winter is lovely and full of that white powder for skiing and other snow sports, you may not consider it to be lovely in the garden. But winter can be lovely in the garden, and it can be full of fragrance and small splashes of color. While it might seem odd that some plants flower in the winter, they do indeed, and I’m trying to invite … Continue reading →

Botanicals for Health and Beauty

Botanicals are wonderful for use around the home. Ancient Europeans made liberal use of herbs for many applications. Now, scientist are finding that these gifts of the natural world have powerful anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and and antibacterial properties. Here is a guide to some of the more common herbs and their basic remedies. Lavender Lavender is a favorite herb for most people because of its pleasant scent. It can be an effective antimicrobial, which means that it kills germs. Because of this, using lavender to wash or clean makes good sense. In fact, the root word of lavender is “lavare,” which … Continue reading →

Feel Good Cleaning Products

Nothing makes me happier than an empty dishwasher and a full refrigerator. I mean, really, is there anything in life more pleasing to a busy mom than a clean house? Other than it staying clean for more than 45 minutes? Or having a band of cleaning fairies sweep into your home each week and sanitize it from top to bottom for free? All wishful thinking; still, there is something to be said about feel good cleaning. For some, using eco-friendly cleaning products that don’t force them to compromise their ethics is one way to make cleaning more tolerable. Organic cleaners … Continue reading →

Commercial Green Cleaners

Organic or “green” cleaners are no longer reserved for hippies who know a thing or two about mixing witch hazel and beeswax. Big name brands including, SC Johnson, which sells Windex, Pledge, Drano, Shout, and host of other household cleaning products offers a complete line of environmentally friendly products. The company has been using Greenlist labeling since 2001 to note their commercially produced “green” cleaners. Generally, the Greenlist items have fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than the traditional products. For example, since the early 2000s, Pledge has been reformulated for better biodegradability and less VOC pollutants. In addition, Fantastik Orange … Continue reading →

All Humans With Blue Eyes Share A Common Ancestor

What color are your eyes? We know that the color of your eyes depends on what genes you inherited from each of your parents. We know that blue eyes are a recessive genetic combination, and much less common in humans than brown eyes, the dominant phenotype. However, you might be unaware that a study has revealed that everyone who has blue eyes shares a common ancestor. Blue eyes are a recessive trait. You may have studied Punnett Squares in your high school biology class. Punnett squares are a simple diagram that can be used to predict the probability that an … Continue reading →

You Call This Glow?

My skin was really nice while I was pregnant… but not until I was well into my second trimester. I remember looking at my newly broken out complexion and wondering to myself, “where in the world is this glow all those women raved about?” I was looking in the mirror and I didn’t see it. I faked it with makeup and bronzer and no one knew the difference. When I finally got into my second trimester, when estrogen levels normally increase, I got some relief. The surge of first trimester hormones are to blame, increasing oil production and causing a … Continue reading →

How to Shop Smart

Sometimes it isn’t all about the coupons and sales but where in the store that you shop. Did you know that you can often find two of the exact same things (or at least similar things) in a store such as Target or Walmart and yet pay two different prices, depending on the section in which you find the item? Doing a little creative thinking can often save you some money. Similar use items When shopping for something first think about whether or not it might have other uses. Is it a specialty item? Are there other items that might … Continue reading →

Native American Heritage Day

There are so many holidays, but this year, the federal government decided to honor Native Americans – well, at least for one day. While I was busy blogging about Black Friday, the (sometimes) biggest shopping day of the year, I missed the news that, at least for this year, the government decided to name the Friday after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day. (This image is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code. See … Continue reading →