Huh? What Did You Say?

This might be along the lines of a gross subject but I'm sure more folks out there than just me have ear wax problems. I've always had issues with my ears, from the time I can remember. I've had constant ear infections since I was a baby, according to my mom and the doctor says I might as well have an ear wax factory in my head. It's frustrating when all of a sudden my ears clog up and I'm constantly saying "Huh? What did you say?" It annoys my friends and family. It doesn't help that I only have one good ear anyways, as I lost an ear drum due to a nasty ear infection in my early 20's. 

I've tried all the expensive ear wax removal stuff from the stores and none of it works all that well for me. Maybe it's the excessive amount of wax or maybe it's the product itself. *shrugs* Normally the only relief I get is if I actually go to the doctor's office and have them clean my ears out. It's not fun by any means, especially seeing as though I'm not fond of Dr.'s offices to begin with and my ears are sensitive to boot. This last time I went though I got a pleasant surprise. I finally asked the guy, "What do you use to clean out my ears?". His answer shocked me. "Peroxide and warm water." What? Really? You mean I could have been doing this all on my own at home without these stressful, albeit "charming" visits? (note the sarcasm) So, I went on to ask him how much water and how much peroxide, how many times to do it, how often to do it, etc. He gave me the instructions and a syringe and happily sent me on my way. (I make him nervous apparently. LOL)

So here it is, from me to you, the recipe for making your own ear cleaning solution.

              

Grab a bowl or a cup, whichever works better for you. Fill it about half way full with peroxide and add warm water until the peroxide is no longer cold. (You want to make sure it's warm because I can promise you right now that cold peroxide hitting your inner ear is NO FUN.) Grab a 5ml syringe or you can even get an ear bulb. Fill up your syringe or bulb, hold your head sideways, and squirt. *Do NOT cram the syringe or bulb into your ear* Let it sit for a minute then repeat on the other side (if necessary). Keep doing this until you no longer hear the fizzing or run out of the solution, whichever comes first.

Since I've started using this solution I've not had a single earache and I can actually hear what people are saying to me. YAY!!! A word of caution though. The same goes for this recipe that goes for every recipe posted here at PnP. We are NOT doctors nor do we claim to be. We post what works for US and us alone and anything you try, you do so at your own risk. Please consult a licensed medical doctor before trying anything of this nature, because what might work for us, may not work for you. We can not and will not be held responsible for any  damage done to yourself or others through your use of this recipe.

Happy DIYing Everyone!!!

Oil Slick Ahead.

Ever wiped your hand across your face and felt like someone dumped a bottle of cooking oil on it when you weren't looking? Yea, I know the feeling all to well. No matter how often I wash my face and no matter what I use, I still have that oil slick feel, especially around my nose. All that oil is not conducive to clear skin either. (I mean I'm 30 years old. I was done with the puberty acne outbreak 10-15 years ago. Seriously.)

Soooooo, I set about finding a way to fix this problem. And lo and behold, I think I might have come up with the right combination of stuff to take care of the oil AND the acne. WOOT!!! It's a fairly simple recipe and compared to the other acne medications out there relatively cheap as well.

Tea Tree Oil & Calendula Sea Salt Face Scrub

5-10 drops Tea Tree Oil (be sure to test for a reaction BEFORE using tea tree oil)

1 Tsp. Calendula Petals

Sea Salt

Olive Oil

A small container to put all the ingredients in. (I used a small baby food jar.)

Fill container (again I used a small baby food jar so keep that in mind when filling your container) almost to the top with sea salt. Add just enough olive oil to moisten the salt completely. (Any of the other oils will do just as well so long as you do NOT use baby oil. Olive, grape seed, almond, etc. are all light enough to absorb into the skin and will sit on top of it like baby oil does.) Grind your calendula petals into a rough powder and add that and the 5-10 drops of tea tree oil to the salt and oil mixture. Put the lid on the container and shake it vigorously. 

I use this mixture twice a week. Since the sea salt also acts as an exfoliator you don't wanna over do it. Twice a week is plenty. Since I've started using this recipe I've not had the "cooking oil" complexion. I absolutely love it.

Rated:

(5 Peas)

Burnt Out!!!

It's summer in the south and along with summer always comes family get togethers, BBQs, going to the pool, lake, pond, river (any water source that even remotely feels cooler than the outside air temperature). And of course another thing that always comes with summer and is the bane of anyone with fair skin, a SUNBURN.

I decided to do this one for my bf V. The girl is part vampire and freely admits it. (She's never tried to bite me but I can't say the same for anyone that has ever pissed her off :-p I love her anyways tho.) The sun's rays actively seek her out. About a month ago she was working on a project in her garage and still managed to get sunburned. Yesterday she was doing a grab and drive across several states (her man is on his way home...YAY!!!) and managed to get sunburned through the windows of her truck. Like I said the sun's rays actively seek her out. I'm sure that there are more people out in this wide world than just her with skin like that though. I am lucky in the fact that even being a redhead I only get burned one good time a year then it turns brown.

So for V and all the other half-vampires out there:

Sunburn Treatment

5 Black Tea Bags

3 Cups Fresh Mint

1 Quart Water

Boil the water. After the water has boiled turn it off and remove from the stove or microwave. Add the tea bags and mint.. Cover the pan or bowl and set it aside for an hour. Strain out the tea bags and mint into a 2 quart pitcher and refrigerate. Wait a few hours for the liquid to chill completely and then apply to sunburned skin with either cotton balls or by pouring the liquid directly on to the affected area. If you are gonna pour do it outside or in the tub or you'll have a minty, watery mess in your floor. I would even suggest putting the liquid into a spray bottle the way you don't waste any of it.

The mint will cool the sunburn and the black tea will draw out the heat. This combination restores the skin's natural acid balance.

I can't help you guys on the results of this one since I already got my yearly sunburn but I'll be more than happy to hear any of your results after you try it.

Happy DIYing Everyone!! 

Conditioning Done Right!!!

Sorry it's so late yet again. I've been attempting to clean up what looks like a natural disaster in my house. Anyways on to today's DIY thingamajiggy.

With all the recipes I've been trying out over the past week my poor shower has been getting a real workout. I posted the shampoo recipe early last week so I figured I'd better come up with a good conditioner recipe. If you have hair like mine washing it just isn't enough. If I don't condition it as well I can barely get my fingers through it much less a brush. I have horrible naturally curly hair and at this point it's short. (Yea due to that pine sap/hair dresser incident I mentioned back in the Had It To *HERE* With My Hair post.) And it is either really really dry or really really oily depending on how often I wash it. So earlier tonight I was browsing through my collection of recipes and websites and found this little jewel. It is great for all hair types, dry, oily, etc.

        Coconut Honey Egg Conditioner
        4 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
        2 Tbsp. Honey
        1 Whole Raw Egg

Mix all ingredients together very well.(I mixed it all together in a 1 cup measuring cup.) Coconut oil solidifies so you may want to have a small pan of warm water to sit your container in to liquefy it before adding the honey and egg. REMEMBER though, you do NOT want to use water that is to hot because you do NOT want the egg to start cooking when you add it to the oil and honey. Apply the mixture to your hair and let it sit for 10 - 20 minutes. I wrapped my hair in a towel but I imagine a shower cap would work just as well. After it sits wash your hair thoroughly.  *Double the amount of ingredients for long hair.*


My hair is all soft and shiny so I'm pretty happy with the results.

Rated:
(5 Peas)