This has been a perfect year for the bug population. Fleas, ticks, flies, and mosquitoes have thrived in this hot, humid weather.
Now if I can make a natural bug repellent that is the way I like to go. Now some folks like to use oils such as olive, jojoba, or coconut oil and that is fine, but for me it just feels a bit to greasy. I like to use a mix of witch hazel, water and some rubbing alcohol. You could use vinegar if you wanted, but that always makes me think of salads and pickling stuff.
So what you do is get a clean empty spray bottle. Put about 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol in it, then 1/4 cup witch hazel, and fill it up the rest of the way with water, leaving about 4 inches from the top.
Now add about 10 drops of basil essential oil, 6 drops lemongrass essential oil, 12 drops rose geranium essential oil, 8 drops citronella oil, 6 drops of peppermint oil and 12 drops of lavender oil.
Put lid on and shake well. Store in fridge for up to 3 weeks. You can spray this on you, and your clothes, not to mention your outdoor cushions and so on to keep the bugs away. It smells nice too!!
To keep ticks off of pets, put 2 drops of rose geranium oil between their shoulders, and a drop at their tail. Makes them smell nice also.
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Friday, August 5, 2016
Started on the Fall cleaning.
So yesterday I said to the hubby that I wish that he would take the seats off of the dining room chairs so that I could remove the covers, and wash them and put them back on and cover them also with a clear top. Well, what do you know? Got up this morning and hubby had them all off, and stacked up for me and the chairs ready to be cleaned also. Ok. Got it. Now, let me tell ya all a little secret here.
The last time I did this, I went a tad overboard with the staples when I put the covers back on. So I turned them over, and sighed, yep it was gonna be a not so fun job getting all of them out. So first I thanked hubby for doing that. He said I was probably going to have to use some of the Olde English on the chairs when I cleaned them, and I needed to find my Allen Wrench to tighten up a few of the bolts. So I smiled and agreed, and took the seats to the basement. Now after being together for almost 30 years I know a few things. IF I woulda said that he needed to help me take off those covers, he woulda hemmed, hawed and eventually decided to help. But I have learned a few things.
Now I know that if I go down, start banging around on stuff, just to make noise, throw in a few dammit's! and Ouch!! here and there, make a few trips back up to where he is, and ask him things like, "Don't we have a flat screw driver thingy?", or better yet, even though I don't need it, comment things like "I know we have a pry bar, don't we?", and then hurry off before he can answer, that he will start to worry. He does not like anyone touching his tools, plus he feels he can do a better job then me. Back down I go, make some more noise, and then come up, have a cig, and say Oh, I better go get the mail, or make some excuse to leave for about 5 minutes. Because I know at this point, he is going to take his self down to the basement, see what I am doing, and start doing it.
So off I go to get the mail. Get back and sure enough there he is working on taking the staples out of the seats. With the 2 of us working on them it didn't take long at all to get them all off and in the washing machine. Plus hubby was cleaning up the mess, cause he likes his work area spiffy. Works every time!! Hopefully he will not catch on to my manipulative way of getting him to help!!
The last time I did this, I went a tad overboard with the staples when I put the covers back on. So I turned them over, and sighed, yep it was gonna be a not so fun job getting all of them out. So first I thanked hubby for doing that. He said I was probably going to have to use some of the Olde English on the chairs when I cleaned them, and I needed to find my Allen Wrench to tighten up a few of the bolts. So I smiled and agreed, and took the seats to the basement. Now after being together for almost 30 years I know a few things. IF I woulda said that he needed to help me take off those covers, he woulda hemmed, hawed and eventually decided to help. But I have learned a few things.
Now I know that if I go down, start banging around on stuff, just to make noise, throw in a few dammit's! and Ouch!! here and there, make a few trips back up to where he is, and ask him things like, "Don't we have a flat screw driver thingy?", or better yet, even though I don't need it, comment things like "I know we have a pry bar, don't we?", and then hurry off before he can answer, that he will start to worry. He does not like anyone touching his tools, plus he feels he can do a better job then me. Back down I go, make some more noise, and then come up, have a cig, and say Oh, I better go get the mail, or make some excuse to leave for about 5 minutes. Because I know at this point, he is going to take his self down to the basement, see what I am doing, and start doing it.
So off I go to get the mail. Get back and sure enough there he is working on taking the staples out of the seats. With the 2 of us working on them it didn't take long at all to get them all off and in the washing machine. Plus hubby was cleaning up the mess, cause he likes his work area spiffy. Works every time!! Hopefully he will not catch on to my manipulative way of getting him to help!!
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