De-Calcifying Faucets

Use nature's little scrub brush to shine up your faucets. Cut a fresh lemon in half rub it on your faucet and aerator, twist, twist, twist. Shiny and clean. Rinse with clear water and dry with a soft cloth.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Most of us have this impression that there's some magic ingredient in store-bought toilet bowl cleaner. Some mysterious ingredient so rare that only their product has it! Yet, so important that every household has bought the myth.

Then when it's time to choose which brand to be faithful too, they start boasting about the new improved lemon scent, or the extra whitening power of the bleach, and the bottle in my cupboard actually brags about having baking soda! Not exactly the big, secret, hard to find items that you were imagining right?

The one thing they do have that is unique is the funny bottle with the duck neck spout. So when mine went empty, instead of sending it to the landfill and running to the store in a panic, I refilled it with everything it boasts.

Guess what! It works great!

MY RECIPE
1 cup water - to dissolve the baking soda
One half cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) - abrasive agent, neutralizes acids and break down proteins
One half cup lemon juice - antibacterial, antiseptic, cuts grease stains
Fill the rest of the way with bleach - kills bacteria, whitens stains

If you're bold enough to live in a chemical free home, check out my Bleach-Free Toilet Bowl Scrub. Bleach is so overrated.

Cleopatra's Fresh Mask

This fresh facial is as old as time. The honey infusion leaves you smelling like a baby. Some of us do not have facial clay sitting around the house, so here's a quick introduction.

2 tablespoons of facial clay - anti-aging, healing, astringent
2 teaspoons of yogurt - nourishing and moisturizing
2 tablespoons of honey - nourishing and moisturizing

Mix until smooth. Use the back of a spoon to attack any stubborn clumps. Allow the clay to stand for a few minutes to absorb the moisture. Use your fingers to apply a 1/8 to ½ inch thick layer to the face, throat and neckline avoiding your eye wells.

Allow to set for 10 minutes (no more than 20). Never allow a mask to dry. If you feel the mask is starting to dry and crack, it's past time to take it off.

Never rub your face vigorously. Use a warm soft damp cloth. Allow the warmth and heat to penetrate the mask and wipe gently using an upward motion.

Windows

Keep the spray bottle when your window cleaner runs out. Refill it with plain ordinary white vinegar. Safe, fast, and a great clean shine. It's the natural ecological choice, and it just works great!

AU NATURAL
To save even more trees and money, trade out your store bought paper towels for yesterday's newspaper. That's right, reuse an old spray bottle, with ecological vinegar, on old newspapers - for sparkling clean windows!

Tropical Manicure

Not sure what to do with the other half of that fresh lemon that you put in your tea this morning?

Into a medium sized mixing bowl...
Squeeze half of a fresh lemon - for silky smooth skin
2 tablespoons of yogurt - nourishing and moisturizing

Turn on a film, settle into the couch, dunk your hands into the bowl, and lather luxuriously for 20 minutes.