9 Unexpected, Delightful Uses For Epsom Salt

Everybody is always touting the magic of white vinegar and baking soda. And while I'm a HUGE fan of both because of their versatility...

 I'd like to call your attention to one of my favorite, frugal substances with a MULTITUDE of purposes: Epsom Salt.

Save your pennies by using Epsom salt

 At under $2 for a 16 ounce bag of this stuff, you'll find it does so many things, such as:

Foot Soak – Sure, this is probably the most well-known use for these amazing crystals and as the mother of a gymnast, I've become well-acquainted with this use because sometimes Lily comes home with achy feet. Just add ½ cup of Epsom salt to a large pan of water and soak for 20 minutes or so.

Hair Volumizer – Mix equal parts of Epsom salt with water and work the mixture through your hair. Leave on for 20 minutes, then rinse. 

Face Cleaner/Exfoliant – Mix ½ teaspoon into your cleansing cream and massage into the skin. Rinse afterward with cold water. It's also great for fighting blemishes.

Splinter Remover – I recently got a splinter on the bottom of my foot. After a 20 minute soak in Epsom salt, the splinter was drawn out. Amazing!

Epsom salt is so cheap, too!

Relieve Itchy Skin or Bug Bites – Dissolve a tablespoon of these crystals in a ½ cup of water either apply as a wet compress or spritz onto itchy skin.

Fertilize Houseplants – Your houseplants will thrive by adding 2 tablespoons of Epsom salts per gallon of water and using it monthly.

Fire Starter – I LOVE this recipe, courtesy of Martha Stewart, for making a fire starter. 

Fabric Softener Crystals – Mix one cup of Epsom salt and 10 drops of essential oil to make fabric softener crystals. Use ¼ cup per load and add it at the beginning of your wash cycle.

Sea Salt Texturizing Hair Spray – Wish I'd known about this one BEFORE I spent $4 on texturizing spray! Mix one cup of hot water, 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt, 1 teaspoon of aloe vera gel and ½ a teaspoon of conditioner in a spray bottle. Spray the mix into your hair and scrunch for beachy-waves.

One thing I didn't mention is using Epsom salts as a laxative. Honestly, I've never tried it, so I personally can't recommend it. PLEASE check with your doctor before ingesting anything.

As you can see, Epsom salts are one of those incredibly cheap, multi-purpose substances that people have been using for hundreds of years.  Give the uses above a try and let me know what you think.  Now excuse me. It's time to grab my carton of Epsom salts and cater to my houseplants! 

THANKS FOR READING!  

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Sources for this post included: /www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com; http://wellnessmama.com;  www.care2.com; www.treehugger.com;

Quotes About Those Tornadoes Of Nature Known As Teens

Attribution: Justin 1569 at en.wikipedia

My family was wandering through a few shops this weekend, when I spotted the following sign: Warning For Those With Heart Conditions: Teenager On The Premises. My son saw me giggling at it and said, “Thanks, Mom.” I thought it was a fantastic warning, since having a teenager in the house is kind of like having a smoldering fire around at all times; you never know when or where his temper or emotions will flare up.

So I decided to scour the web for other quotes which might amuse me and those of you who know, all-too-well, the dangers of living with a teen. Here are some of my favorites with attributions where I could find them:

• “When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished by how much he'd learned in seven years.” (Mark Twain)
• “Adolescence is perhaps nature's way of preparing parents to welcome the empty nest.” (Karen Savage and Patricia Adams, The Good Stepmother)
• “A teen brain is 80% song lyrics.”
• “Why do they rate a movie 'R” for adult language? The only people I hear using that language are teenagers. (Which brings up an amusing conversation I had with my son. He recently told me, laughing, that the 7^th graders in his school curse so much. “Mom,” he said, “they're so immature!”
• “Someone told me I was immature. Guess who's not allowed in my tree-house now?”
• “Adolescence is a period of rapid changes. Between the ages of 12 and 17, for example, a parent ages as much as 20 years.”
• “A babysitter is a teenager acting like an adult while the adults are out acting like teenagers.”
• “It's difficult to decide whether growing pains are something teenagers have — or are.”
• “At sixteen, the adolescent knows about suffering because he himself has suffered, but he barely knows that other beings also suffer.” (Jean-Jacques Rousseau)
• “A teenager is someone who is well-prepared for a zombie attack, but not ready for tomorrow's math quiz.”
• “Teenagers who are never required to vacuum are living in one.” (Fred G. Gosman)
• “You can tell a child is growing up when he stops asking where he came from and starts refusing to tell where he is going.”

And let's not forget this memorable quote from my son who said to his menopausal mom, “It feels like we're both going through adolescence.” He hit the nail right on the head.  Love that kid!

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