Rid Your Pet’s Fleas With Household Items!

It’s that time of year and as much as I hoped it wouldn’t happen, it did– my dogs got fleas. They are indoor dogs, however they go outside to use the bathroom. It was inevitable. Sure, I could use those harsh chemicals to try and treat my dogs, which don’t always work, but I wanted to find a cheaper, better alternative.

After doing a lot of research online, I came across a couple ideas. These ideas included things you probably already have lying around your house. And guess what….

IT WORKS!

Photo credit: Bill Selak / Foter.com / CC BY-ND

• Bathe your animals in DISH SOAP. Yep, you heard right. Dish soap kills the fleas on contact! 

Haha, ok so not all my animals enjoyed the bath. But, boy aren’t they happy they had one!

NO MORE FLEAS.

You heard me– we checked and didn’t see ONE flea!

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However, we did find this nasty creature that must’ve jumped off just in time to die.

Poor thing.

(I changed the contrast and brightness so you could see the nasty flea better.)

• After you bathe your pets, grab an empty spray bottle (a clean one) and mix 1/2 part Apple Cider Vinegar and 1/2 part warm water.

 

Once your pets dry, take them outside and spray some of this mixture onto them (avoid their face). It’s supposed to prevent fleas for up to a WEEK.

Definitely worth trying out! The smell may not be pleasant, but can’t be any worse then those nasty bugs, right!?

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Do you have any home remedies for fleas? If so leave it below! I’d love to hear more ideas!

Homemade Face Mask

Last night, my boyfriend’s 12 year old daughter, Jaylen, and I decided we were going to make a tutorial video of the face mask we were making.

The video (our first tutorial video) was quite hilarious. We had so much fun and I decided to keep in a lot of the funny parts. Because, well… who wouldn’t want to watch a hilarious tutorial video!?

Both informative AND funny.

The mask is a homemade face mask using the following ingredients from your kitchen:

(coconut oil, 1/2 cucumber, 1 egg, 1 ripe banana, and 2 lemon slices)

Here is the fun tutorial we made:

If you choose not to watch the video (which you should) then here is how to make the mask:

• Take the ripe banana and peel and chop it up and put it in a food processor or blender.
• Peel and chop the cucumber and add it to the food processor.
• Mix these two ingredients until smooth.
• Now, add crack the egg into the mixture, add a couple spoonfuls of coconut oil and squeeze in your two lemon slices.
• Mix until smooth.
• Put mixture onto face and allow it to sit for 20 minutes then rinse with warm water.

(Jaylen and I waiting our 20 minutes so we could rinse.)

Hope you all have as much fun as we did making this face mask!

How-To Make Your Own Toothpaste!

A few weeks ago, I decided I wanted to eliminate some chemicals from my life that weren’t necessary. I researched “chemical-free alternatives to everyday essentials.”

The first thing I could think of that I used daily was my toothpaste.

So, how can you make your own toothpaste cheaply using household items?

• Rummage through your kitchen and grab the ingredients for this easy-to-do recipe.

You’ll need: baking soda, coconut oil, salt (optional), a small jar, and some essential peppermint oil, and a bowl for mixing.

• Step One:  Place about 4-5 big spoonfuls of the baking soda into a bowl. 

• Step Two: Set aside this bowl of baking soda and grab a microwave-safe cup (this part is optional, but makes mixing a LOT easier) and put about 3 big spoonfuls of your coconut oil into it. 

• Step Three: For easier mixing, place the cup of coconut oil into the microwave for 20 seconds, or until almost fully melted.
  

• Step Four: Take out your melted coconut oil and add it to the bowl of baking soda.

• Step Five: Mix these two ingredients thoroughly and then add about a 1/2 teaspoon or so of peppermint oil (for taste).
  

• Step Six: (Optional) Add a couple shakes of salt for a more abrasive paste.
  

• Step Seven: Pour liquid into a small jar. (I bought a pack of 4 from Walmart, but baby food jars work perfectly!)

• Step Eight: Label the jar so friends and family won’t mistake it for something else– although this smells exactly like toothpaste, so hopefully they won’t get confused!
  

There you have it. A cheap, chemical-free, alternative to toothpaste.

A couple tricks:

1. I should warn you, it does NOT taste good. I’ve been using this toothpaste for 3 weeks now and my trick is to avoid brushing my tongue (or getting it on my tongue) until the very end of brushing.
2. It seems very liquid-like when you pour the mixture into the jar, don’t worry– this will harden up quite a bit.
3. Something you should know about coconut oil– when it is above room temperature, it melts. So, when you’re ready to brush your teeth, soak your toothbrush in hot/warm water THEN dip it into the jar to help the toothpaste come out of the jar easier.

This toothpaste works great!

Not only does it clean your teeth, but I’ve noticed my teeth getting much whiter too!