Monday, January 11, 2010

Bee Good to Yourself!

Winter is not my favorite season. Don't get me wrong - I love the freshness of a new blanket of snow across a cornfield at rest, and the huge snowflakes as they drift down from the sky. But, I prefer to look at the frosty scenery from inside my cozy cabin! Springtime is a long ways away for us Michiganders. We're still cooking up batches of stew and tasty chili, and hearty soups to keep warm after snow plowing or doing chores, and in the evenings after dinner, we like to sit by the fire, quilt and Corgis on our laps (yes, all 4 of them, PLUS Nitro, the Aussie!), and sort through seed and poultry catalogs! Imagine THAT!

Winter can be depressing to some folks if they are housebound much of the time. I love being outside during the other seasons, but in winter I tend to do things indoors. One blog I visit often had a post about a book that sounded interesting to me, as I love to read, and learn new things. The book is about BEES! See her post for that day HERE. Jayme is a kind person, and is seeking ways to simplify her life. She has some pet hens that give her daily wisdom as they hunt and peck for goodies to satisfy their taste buds, and her blog has common sense advice sprinkled with good humor! A calming place to visit, so when you go there, plan to stay a while and return again and again!
Buzz-z-z-z-z-z.....

Bees. Honey. Hmmmmm!! Having to battle "the blues" from time to time, I've found a couple recipes to pamper myself a bit. I'll share them with you today.
Herbal After-bath Splash - 2 Cups apple cider vinegar, 1/3 cup pure honey, 1 tsp dried sage, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp ground dried cloves. Mix together all ingredients and pour into a clean jar. Let it sit for 2 weeks, shaking the jar daily to re-mix the ingredients. After 2 weeks, strain the liquid and pour into a clean bottle. To use after bathing or shower, splash on your skin and let dry. Yields 12 ounces.

Facial Scrub - 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp honey, 1 drop tea tree essential oil. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. You can use white or brown sugar - even raw sugar. to use, wet skin and apply the cleanser in circular motion. Rinse off with lukewarm water. This recipe (makes 1 treatment) keeps at room temperature for a week, so you may double or triple the batch if you like.

Have a wonderful Monday!

6 comments:

Carmen S. said...

Those are neat recipes, I'm gonna have to try that scrub and see if I can scrub off some wrinkles ;) Thanks for sharing these and I'm goin' over to check out Jayme's blog!

Susan at Charm of the Carolines said...

What a sweet blog! Love the pics of your Corgis.

Keep in mind it's only 10 weeks to Spring. Warmth is on the way!

Susan

^..^Corgidogmama said...

Monica, what an awesome post today! It's just what yet another snowy day calls for! Refreshing! Uplifting! Poetic!

Olde Dame Penniwig said...

I am glad that there are folks who can stand the severe weather...I'm not sure I could...but where would this nation be without those able to take the snow? In terrible shape! The northern states feed the world -- timber the world -- grow seed for the world -- (ditto for those cold places of Europe like the Netherlands, where so many seeds are grown)...

I do think maybe the Internet makes it a tiny bit easier, since it can function as a "window to the world." A way to "get out" a bit even when housebound. But nothing is as good as a nice day, with sunshine and warmth, so the outdoors can be enjoyed...how I love the out-of-doors...

Angela said...

Hey Monica!

I know that my Little Man is getting cabin fever! It has been 3 weeks since he has been in school. Today was his first day back. He has been wanting me to take him on a car ride because we have only been out of the house a total of probably 4 times in that 3 weeks! lol Too much snow and ice for me to drive in.

I'll take a look at the Bee blog. I'm interested in bees but I don't want to get stung by one!

Have a Great Day!
Angela

Chatty Crone said...

Winter is a hard time - death to the old and waiting for the birth of spring. I think you have some good ideas to help pass winter. Sandie