3 Unexpected Uses for Coconut Oil

I'm a big fan of coconut oil - and really, who isn't these days? From cooking to skincare, it's the best all-around item to keep in every room in the house. Here are a few of my favorite non-conventional uses for uber versatile coconut oil:

1. Leather Conditioner
It's great for skincare, so why not leather? After all, leather was skin at one point, too. A pea-sized dab of coconut oil can give a quick condition & shine to those winter boots and leather shoes. I just buff it in with a cloth or tissue, and voila! 

And speaking of shine...

2. Furniture Polish
Nothing beats that freshly-shined look of wood furniture in your home, but sometimes I worry about all of the chemicals in an aerosol can of furniture polish. I mean, it looks nice,  but at what cost?
Mixing a few drops of your orange or lemon essential oil into coconut oil can make for a great furniture polish - and a little bit goes a long way here. Plus, you get that fresh citrus-y clean smell without any of the harmful additives. It's a win-win!

3. Sticker Remover
Nothing is worse than those little price stickers that leave behind a gummy residue when peeled off. There are some expensive goo removal products in stores, but again, why use all of those chemicals? Rubbing a little coconut oil onto the sticky part, and then rubbing with a cloth or paper towel, should remove whatever a sticker may have left behind. It might take a little extra elbow grease, but you also don't have to worry about an abrasive solution damaging whatever it is you're removing the sticker from.

Have more ideas for coconut oil uses? Let me know in the comments!

Found Objects

Being the magpie that I am, little found objects tend to float into my line of vision and beg to be picked up. A few of nature's souvenirs came home with me from our last trip to the seashore and are now finding a home in our home.

A teensy natural quartz geode I found amongst the beach pebbles. I found two of them, actually. So lucky. 

An absolutely picture perfect baby scallop shell that my hubby found for me has been repurposed as an incense holder.

That Warm Fuzzy Feeling

It's the time of year when cold nights and mornings, snow flurries, and blustery winds begin to penetrate through layers of clothing and leave us all a little chilled. What better way to spend an evening curled up on the couch, than with a warm spiced drink that can also keep those seasonal sniffles away? Here's a recipe for my favorite home sniffles remedy drink, and it's darn yummy too.

It begins with some spices: cinnamon, anise, and cardamom (optional - I added it to the recipe because I love it). Cinnamon is a natural anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial, and anise and cardamom aids in digestion and stomach issues.

Next, ginger. Ginger is my favorite natural year-round health boosting addition. Pop a chunk in a cup of tea, or finely chop and add to stir fry or soup for a delicious zing with countless benefits. Ginger aids in detox, is anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial, and can calm an upset stomach. (Ever wonder why your mom gave you ginger ale when you had a stomach bug? Because there's actually ginger in it, and ginger is good for your stomach)

Finally, fruits. Oranges (I used tangerines, because they happened to look particularly delicious today), lemons, and pear add natural sweetness and immune boosting vitamins, as well as essential oils from their peels. The full recipe is below, but basically you bring everything to a boil, then cover and let steep, and drink warm or cold. Or, if you'd like to keep a batch ready for the next day, put everything in the slow cooker the night before. Tadaaa!!! Hope you stay all warm and toasty this winter.

Sniffles Stopper Spiced Drink

2" ginger root, peeled & cut into several pieces

2 cinnamon sticks

1 star anise

1-3 green cardamom pods (optional)

2 slices orange, with rind

1 sliver of lemon peel

2 slices of pear

4 cups water

-Add all ingredients to a small saucepot & bring to a boil

-Cover & let sit until warm (drinking temperature). 

-Enjoy!

PS- As mentioned above, this drink can be made in a slow cooker (crock pot) and stay warm for you all day. I recommend doubling the recipe listed above and preparing the night before if you choose to cook it this way.

Rosy Cosy Rosewater

If you follow me on instagram, you'll know that I spoiled myself last week by bringing home 2 dozen roses for absolutely no reason. Sometimes, a smile is reason enough. 

Well, after a few days, a couple of my roses began to wilt. I didn't want my beauties to go to waste, so I decided to make some rosewater using 6-8 of the roses. Rosewater has so many properties and uses. It contains the essential rose oils, as well as being a light and refreshing floral scent. Supposedly, Cleopatra bathed in rosewater to seduce her lover Anthony. It is also a lovely facial astringent, which is mainly what I use it for . You can use any type of roses, but I prefer something pink or red, because it gives the rosewater a really pretty pink hue.

I began by filling a pot (or you can use a bowl with a tight lid) with rose petals. 

Handy dandy electric kettle to the rescue! I poured boiling water over the petals until the water barely reached the top layer of the petals.

The lid on tight, I left the petals to steam and steep until the water had cooled. This took several hours.... so I got some much-needed laundry time in. 

Strain and bottle your magic potion! Voila!

Natural Beauty

It's no secret that I love to wander. New cities, new countries, new neighborhoods... If I haven't explored it yet, I soon will. On Wednesday, I happened upon another justification for my wanderings...

On a side street bordering Little Italy and Chinatown, I passed a shop window full of stunning beads, stones, statues, and trinkets. I doubled back and stepped inside Sun Wind, Inc. 

The woman standing behind the counter wasn't simply selling jewelry. She spent a good 45 minutes explaining all of the stones I inquired about, and even reading my energies and knowing my own preferences and needs. It was enlightening and exciting. 

I've always been interested in the powers and energies (not to mention the appearance) of natural stones and natural stone jewelry. In *many* previous posts and photos, you may have noticed the jade bangle and rings I permanently wear. As the most protective stone of physical health, jade is a key component and reminder of my years of battles against various health issues, all of which have more or less been overcome. 

I can't wait to return to her shop when I have more time to spend, but below are a few beautiful things I picked up to add to my existing collection.

These natural, uncut quarts earrings pictured below were irresistible to me. 

I was immediately drawn to this ring. As the woman who owns the shop explained, it is Botswana Agate, and it believed to be a sort of Evil Eye. It protects not only against spiritual evil, but also against natural disaster. As a lover of survival, and its beautiful vintage setting and look, I just had to have it.

So many gorgeous rings. It was hard to pick just one.... (for now)

I've acquired a lot of natural stone jewelry over the years. In fact, I gravitate towards it. I love the lack of "perfection" and symmetry, and the idea that every single piece is natural and unique. 

My cat, of course, wanted to be in this photo. 

My three favorite natural stone neckaces. From left to right: 

Pyrite (fools gold): Helps the wearer tap into their creativity

Lapis Lazuli: Healing and protecting the mind, & a stone native to my sign, Sagittarius

Agate: Balances yin and yang, good for artists and students

I could rant on and on about this topic all day, but I'll exercise a shred of self control.

Do you have any favorite stones that you are drawn to? 

Need A Granita?

So.... This is pretty much the simplest dessert you can imagine, and is the perfect refreshing, healthy alternative to ice cream and other summer treats. The best part? 4 ingredients, and it basically makes itself. No special equipment necessary! 

PINEAPPLE, CITRUS, AND BASIL GRANITA

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cubed fresh pineapple

Juice of 1/2 a lemon 

1/2 tsp lemon zest

4-5 basil leaves

-Chiffonade basil

-Add all ingredients to blender

-Increase speed in increments until all ingredients are well blended 

-Strain liquid from blender into flat baking dish, not exceeding 12" in diameter

-Place dish in freezer

-Stir, break up, and mash mixture with a fork every 30-40 minutes until it is completely crystallized and can be fluffed with a fork 

-Transfer to lidded storage container, or serve immediately and enjoy! 

Happy summer:) 

Into the Wild

First batch of pics from this weekend. My friend Naomi and I ventured to Frances Slocum State Park in Pennsylvania for a weekend of hiking, tenting, and escaping the concrete jungles we both live in. More to come - but I'm exhausted and ready to unpack and get ready to return to the real world tomorrow...
How did you spend Memorial Day Weekend?

Jaded

You may have noticed in previous photos of me, I'm constantly wearing a jade bracelet.
It's pretty much a permanent fixture for me, as well as my tiny jade rings. All of these pieces are carved from a solid piece of beautiful, unique stone.
Jade has been appreciated throughout history in a lot of eastern cultures, and has a rich history full of myth and wonder.
I personally love it for its unique details and flaws in coloration- sometimes I think that the more discolored pieces are even more beautiful than that appear to be more uniform.
It's all about embracing the natural and unique. <3