Spring kid-safe decorations DIY

Spring is coming and you are thinking of decorating your balconies with beautiful seasonal plants and at the same time, keep your children busy with something creative and without much expense. We have a practical idea for you !!! With a few jars, empty coffee boxes or medium-sized tapers, you can make the most colorful compositions and other useful items. The only materials you will need are young plants or seeds (herbs, spices, flowers, etc.) dye, a brush, old newspapers and a few small stones.

DIY plant pal

All you have to do is transfer the plant to a mason jar / taper or even a cut bottle that you previously painted outside by first placing a few stones inside for drainage.

DIY Pencil case

Same process as above, just decorate a tall jar or coffee box. If you want you can stick a magnet on the outside to keep your paperclips in order.

DIY Candlestick lantern

Truly one of the most exotic outdoor decorations are the transparent lanterns. If they are painted in vibrant colors they emit colorful pastel lighting.
You will need transparent jars (whatever sizes you have), a few pieces of newspaper, stones and tealights.
You can also hang them with string on the railings of your balcony.
Place pieces of newspaper at the base of the inside of the jar and wet them lightly to stick them (so that the stones do not slip). Throw a few stones on top and the tealight or large candles on top.

You will find all kinds of jars, vases, ribbons and other decorative elements at vaza.gr

DIY Products for eco cleaning

Many of our cleaning products we use almost daily are as harmful to our health as they are to the planet.
It is best to make some of our own products with materials that are already in our kitchen drawers to protect ourselves, our children / pets and the nature around us.

White vinegar
Vinegar cleans about like a simple all-purpose cleaner. All you have to do is mix vinegar with an equal amount of water. This solution will disinfect and neutralize all odors. It is also an excellent material for cleaning stainless steel surfaces.

Apple cider vinegar
If you add a couple of spoons of baking soda to the apple cider vinegar you can make your bathroom (tiles, sink, faucets, floors, etc.) sparkle. Where there is dirt, simply spread some of the mixture and scrub with a soft cloth.

Soda
With soda you can make your sink shine again! Clean it with some soda on a piece of cloth and then wipe it with a dry cloth. It will automatically look like new.

Lemon juice
Like vinegar, lemon can be used to clean many areas in your home. It removes salts and soap residues from the bathroom, while it can be used to give shine to copper items. In fact, if you mix the lemon juice with baking soda and vinegar you can create a mixture for cleaning dishes. Lemon is also a natural bleach.

Alcohol
Alcohol can permanently remove markers from the floor or wood. All you need to do is put a small amount on a cotton ball and smear the stain. Alcohol also effectively removes marks from bathroom mirrors, whether it is lacquer, toothpaste or makeup.

Lavender and tea tree essential oils:
These two oils are natural antimicrobials with antiseptic properties, while they have a subtle aroma. Add a few drops to a bottle of water, vinegar and borax and you will have a powerful cleanser whose action can be well compared to the products you buy in the supermarket.

General cleansing product for the house:
Dissolve and mix half a cup of vinegar and 1/4 cup of baking soda in two liters of hot water. The solution is stored for a long time and cleans windows, mirrors, calcium deposits in taps and ceramic tiles. Vinegar is used to remove grease and mold. For fats we can even use lemon juice. Use baking soda as a cleaning powder, and enhance it if necessary by mixing with vinegar.

Instead of toxic air fresheners:
Use herbs or essential oils because they are herbal products that cleanse, disinfect and perfume every corner of the house and some of them like mint lavender and Louisa are among the best insect repellents.

The best for cleaning are:
Grapefruit, lemon, lavender, orange, cypress, louiza and rosemary.

For disinfection the most suitable are:
Grapefruit, tea tree, thyme, lemon, lavender, eucalyptus, bergamot, louiza.
For shine the lemon, the grapefruit, for polishing the cedar, the sandalwood, the cypress and for the dazzling white the sage.

The best deodorants and fragrances are:
All citrus fruits, rose, geranium, lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus and marjoram. You can use them either in infusions (boil the herbs, drain them and use water) or by adding 4-5 drops of essential oils in a liter of water.
To exterminate cockroaches:
Put baking soda along with a little sugar on a small saucer and put it in the cupboards, behind the fridge or where they frequent.

Another method to repel ants and annoying insects is to pour lavender essential oil or plain vinegar where they frequent.

At our site you will find jars and bottles with vaporizer pumps and pumps in many designs and sizes to store your natural cleaners safely and practically.

DIY hand sanitiser with 3 ingredients!

Make your own hand sanitiser quickly and easily!

As the urgency of our personal care and hygiene never stops, the use of hand sanitiser has now become part of our daily routine. For this reason, today’s article is about making a homemade hand sanitiser with three simple ingredients.

We all recognise how important it is to wash our hands often. Especially after the outbreak of the Coronavirus, the efforts for the benefit of our personal hygiene have increased. However, it is not uncommon being unable to wash our hands with soap and water.

Thus, using an antiseptic is the only way to get rid of germs. Below you will find instructions for making a hand sanitiser with aloe base based. Also, pay close attention to the tips you will see below as they can make the whole process easier for you!

What we will need:1. Aloe
2. Alcoholic lotion
3. Lavender and tea tree essential oil
4. Bottle

How to make it:
a) In a bowl or food bag (see tips) place 3 tbsp. of aloe and 1 tbsp. alcoholic lotion.
b) Mix your base very well and add alcoholic lotion if the mixture is too thick.
c) Add half teaspoon tree oil and 7-8 drops of lavender oil and mix well.
d) Transfer the mixture to a bottle.

Tips:
I. In order for your sanitiser to have a successful effect in killing germs, the alcoholic lotion should have a strength of at least 60%, and preferably 99% as it will be mixed with aloe gel.
II. The use of lavender and tea tree essential oils is not random. The lavender essential oil has healing and antiseptic properties. Tea tree oil, on the other hand, fights germs and has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect.
III. If you want your antiseptic to have spray form, you can add a larger amount of alcohol, in proportion to the aloe. Spray bottles can be found here.
IV. For a more comfortable transfer of the mixture to the bottle you can prepare your antiseptic directly in a food bag, opening and placing it on a bowl. So then, you will be able to cut off the corner of the bag and make a nozzle that will facilitate the pouring.
V. If we want to colour our antibacterial gel, we can add soap colour.

And so, there is no longer any excuse for dirty hands!

Reducing the use of plastic products.

How to adopt environmental habits and lifestyle

We begin the year in an eco-friendly mood, and we show you how to reduce the use of plastic bags and packaging. It is true that it’s difficult to change habits, but if you think of a positive environmental impact, I believe it will not be difficult for you to change a few little things every day, with the result adopting new habits.
Continue reading Reducing the use of plastic products.

5 essential oils you need in winter

Get to know the essential oils better.

Καραμελέ μπουκαλάκι για αιθέρια έλαια Essential oils are good allies in combating winter discomforts such as coughing, colds, muscle aches, headaches, dry skin and stress due to daily commitments. Essential oils are well known, but it is important to take care of which essential oils are used and to know their benefits.
Continue reading 5 essential oils you need in winter

The importance of the right packaging in food products!

The packaging of food products has a main part throughout the process, from production to consumer. Packages assure the preservation of the good quality, the protection from germs, as well as the decrease in the use of preservatives. Continue reading The importance of the right packaging in food products!

Cosmetics and allergic reactions

In our everyday life, we use a lot of cosmetics on both our face and body. Bottles and jars for creams, shampoos, deodorants, makeup and perfumes have become a part of our every day life. Perfumes, colors and conservatives often contain substances, which can cause an allergic reaction to our skin.

In cosmetics, what can cause an allergic reaction?
1. The chemical derivatives of the product may injure the outer layer of the skin and cause external dermatitis or
2. The immune system may react in a specific substance (cosmetic allergen) and cause an allergic dermatitis.

The time of development of the symptoms may vary. In cosmetics, fragrances are powerful substances and can cause a reaction within minutes, although soap is a lighter substance, which may cause a reaction after a few days or a week.
So if you have a sensitivity or you just want to be precautious, follow the advice bellow.

Did you have an allergic reaction?
Find out what you applied on your body or face in the last 24 hours. Don’t use any of these products until the symptoms have passed. You may reuse the products, one at a time, so that you can discover the product that caused the allergic reaction.
If the symptoms don’t pass after you have stopped using them, you should consult a doctor.

How to cure the allergic reactions caused by cosmetics?
• Avoid the specific product
• With a doctor’s recipe:
1. With creams or cortisone ointments, which help to control hives, rushes and swelling.
2. With a use of an antibiotic, pill or cream, in case of an infection.

Finally, let’s see how we can be protected, when it comes to the use of cosmetics and personal hygiene products in order to avoid allergic reactions.
• Prefer soaps and cosmetic products based on simple or totally natural ingredients. If a product has a lot of substances, there is a bigger risk of an allergic reaction.
• Always read the ingredients on the labels of the products, so that you can avoid a substance that has caused you an allergic reaction in the past.
• If you choose a new product, apply a small amount in the inner side of your elbow or your wriest and wait for 24 hours before using the product.
• Spray a little of your perfume on your clothes and not directly at your skin and let it evaporate before putting them on.
• Choose hypoallergenic products, with no parabens, no fragrances and non-comedogenic. Although there is a chance that hypoallergenic products can also cause an allergic reaction.
• Do not use cosmetics after their expiration date, even the most natural products. Stop using the product if their color or smell has changed, even before their expiration. Most of cosmetics expire after 12 months.
• Do not lend your cosmetics to other people and do not borrow any, as well. There is a big chance of transmitting skin diseases.

Perfumery: Decoration and equipment

Smart ideas to decorate and equip your perfumery

In the past few years, the demand for perfumes in bulk has increased, as well as the competition between the perfumeries. But who will be the one that stands out?

Here you can find useful advice on how to equip and decorate your perfumery, in order to make a difference. Continue reading Perfumery: Decoration and equipment

Red wine and its beneficial effects

Consuming red wine seems to improve heart function and also helps the cholesterol levels of people with diabetes type II, according to a new scientific study.
This particular research was published on the international scientific magazine Annals of Internal Medicine, and the scientists studied the effect of a medium alcohol consumption in cardiometabolical indicators of various diabetic patients and how there is a difference between the type of wine that is consumed.
In the research took part 224 diabetics, aged 40-75 years old. The participants were asked to consume one glass of metal water (150 ml), white or red wine with their dinner daily, for about 2 years. During the research, they also followed a Mediterranean diet, had frequent blood tests and completed questionnaires.

After the end of the research, the results showed that the cardiological danger was lower for the people who consumed wine. More specifically, the volunteers that consumed red wine presented good changes of lipid levels. Even though the two types of wine were related with the benefits, red wine seemed to have better impact to the levels of the lipid and metabolic profile.
The researchers claim that, even if the time period is a basic advantage of the study, the possible benefits and the risks of consuming alcohol must be tested again carefully.

Finally, it is worth mentioned that a significant percentage of other studies have also shown that a medium alcohol consumption is good for the cardiovascular system, especially if we are talking about one glass of red wine per day. As for diabetes, it seems that is encountered less on people who consume medium quantities of alcohol, but it is not sure because of the lack of long-lasting studies.

Make your perfume last longer

A basic advantage of every perfume is its duration. Sometimes you use a perfume every day but it doesn’t last, it fades after a few hours. Have you ever wondered what to do to make it last longer?
If you did but still didn’t found out, read the following piece of advice:
– Use your perfume soon after taking a bath, when your body pores are still open.
– The more moisturized the skin is, the longer the perfume lasts. A usual way to smell great all day long is to put a little petroleum jelly in the spots you will spray with your perfume.
– Spray your perfume from 15 cm distance away.
– Do not rub the spots you spray if you want to have longer duration. Wondering why? When you rub the perfume, its molecules split so its smell and duration are decreased.

– Try to spray your perfume in the warm areas of your body, like the neck, the inside of your elbow, the inside of the wrist and behind the knees.
– In a big ball of cotton, spray a little of your perfume. Place it in your closet close to your clothes and you will notice how nice they will smell when you put them on.
– Don’t store your perfume in sunny places. Prefer dark and cool places. Don’t put it in the fridge; its consistency will be ruined. After every use, close it securely!

Source: www.queen.gr