A great gift idea you can make yourself and save money doing so.

Who doesn't like to smell good? If you could be remembered for a certain fragrance, what would your favorite be? Long ago, women would bath in all kinds of fragrant flowers. Some popular fragrances that women loved and men found enticing would be the scent of roses, lavender, jasmine and lilac. Here are a few things to try. Costs next to nothing, easy to do and you can always play around with the receipe and experiment with different items to make it your own or to 'personalize' it.

A Citrus Splash/Body Spray

Ingredients: 2 cups distilled water, 3 tablespoons vodka, 1 tablespoon of each - orange and lemon peel (finely chopped), 5 drops lemon verbena essential oil, 10 drops mandarin essential oil, 10 drops orange essential oil.

Directions: Combine the fruit peels with the vodka in a jar, cover and let stand for 1 week. Strain the liquid, add the essential oils and water to the liquid. Let stand for at least two weeks - shaking jar once a day. Keep in a dark bottle or keep in a cool dark area.

Soothing Body Spray

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon witch hazel, 1 teaspoon lemon extract, 1 teaspoon cucumber extract, 1 cup water.

Directions: Make an after shower spray by combining all the ingredients putting in a pump spray bottle. It will totally refresh you.
**There are laws about vodka so if you are considering giving away to people in different states/countries or selling the product, consider substituting the vodka with rubbing alcohol or witch hazel. Both of those will work just as great.**

Experiment using different types of flowers and herbs. You're sure to find something that you'll love. I like making rose water and spraying it on my linens. I also like using olive oil to make certain oil sprays that I can use after bath/shower to make skin soft and silky. Have fun and don't forget to PAMPER yourself.

Looking for ways to cut taxes?

Here is an interesting article for home owners trying to cut a few costs with taxes. It's worth taking a peek. It's called six tips to make a case for property tax cuts by Brett Graff. (Yahoo!Finance)
Visit http://finance.yahoo.com/taxes/article/111408/6-tips-to-make-a-case-for-property-tax-cut?mod=taxes-advice_strategy

Six alternative uses for your freezer!

And you just thought a freezer was to freeze and save perishable items. Well guess again. Here are some helpful tips that you probably never thought to use your freezer for.

Remove wax from candlesticks - Grandma's heirloom silver candlesticks will get a new life if you place them in the freezer and then pick off the accumulated wax drippings. But don't do this if your candlesticks are made from more than one type of metal. The metals can expand and contract at different rates and damage the candlesticks.
 
Clean a pot - Your favorite pot has been left on the stove too long, and now you've got a burned-on mess to clean up. Place the pot in the freezer for a couple of hours. When the burned food becomes frozen, it will be easier to remove.
 
To view the article in full, please visit the link: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/6-alternate-uses-for-your-freezer-2412274

Herbs for indigestion.

Here is a helpful article to help relieve the over indulging aspect of the holidays. It's written by Melissa Breyer.

Common causes for indigestion include overeating, eating too quickly, fatty or greasy foods, too much caffeine, too much alcohol, too much chocolate, nervousness, and emotional trauma. Translation: The holidays. Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia, is a term used to describe one or more symptoms including a feeling of fullness during a meal, uncomfortable fullness after a meal, and burning or pain in the upper abdomen; it may cause bloating, belching, and nausea. One thing is certain, it's no fun!

If that last wafer-thin mint has you cowering on the couch, you may want to try one of these natural aids for indigestion. Herbs have been used for millennia to treat any matter of ailments, and indigestion seems to be one woe that is well-suited for natural remedies.

Fennel / Fennel Seed - There is a reason Indian restaurants serve the fennel seed mix, Mukhwas, after dinner. Fennel seed has long been used to help fight gas, cramps, and acid indigestion, and to help ease spasms in the intestinal tract. Fennel has a long history of use in both food and medicine. Traditionally, it is said to act as a carminative, which means that it helps the body expel gas and sooth indigestion. Fennel is also a common ingredient in "gripe water," a traditional (and very alcoholic, by the way) preparation used for treating infant colic. A typical dosage of fennel is one to one and a half teaspoons daily, plus you can make tea with it.

To read the article in full, please visit the link: http://shine.yahoo.com/event/green/seven-herbs-for-indigestion-2412331