It’s surprising to me that others are also interested in my old-fashioned, simpler ways of doing things obsession and now I am not so embarrassed to share my tips. You know many people think a not so old girl sharing these discoveries/ tips is a strange thing but I am really into all this simple living stuff and I am glad you are too!

So here are a few more of my favorite bits of old fashioned know how & do it yourself remedies. Feel free to share your own in what ever way suits you or to stumble me or link to your favorite tip. Enjoy!

Want to stop smoking? I am not a smoker but my mom is and she reads this… I did find a old-fashioned recipe that is said to help you curb the urge to light up. You just drink it down with your morning tea/ coffee or juice and you will have decreased desire to smoke.

Here is the recipe: Mix 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tarter, 1/2 teaspoon of rochelle salts (from pharmacy). Or you can simply obtain some Ginseng root and chew it in the morning/ swallow the juice to curb your cravings.

Alright ladies, many of you have tried those facial masks that you apply, allow to dry and the peel off right? They remove dead skin cells, black heads and tons of other junk but are costly and sometimes hard to find so why not make you own facial mask that peels off? Also, If you enjoyed peeling dried glue off your hands as a kid this mask is for you.

All you need is 1/2 cup of apple juice, 1 packet of unflavored gelatin and a drop of essential rose oil (or another oil of your choice). Heat up the apple juice (try using a double boiler if you can, keeps the mixture from burning) and mix in the gelatin. Remove from heat when the gelatin is dissolved and allow to cool. When mixture is almost set (begins to firm) add the essential oil, mix and then apply to your face. The mask will dry, then you can peel it from your face or you can scare little kiddies with your gelatin cover shiny face. Finish by rinsing your face with warm water to remove all excess mask that you couldn’t peel off and you are done!

I have this strange spot on the carpet in my bedroom that I need to spot clean. I have tried those spray on, foamy carpet cleaning solutions and it seems they just make the stain spread. I found a recipe for a non-soapy carpet cleaning solution that only uses stuff you already have in your home!

All you need is 1 cup of white vinegar (don’t worry about the vinegary smell folks!) and 1 quart of “denatured alcohol” (or cheap vodka or rubbing alcohol). You just mix the vinegar and alcohol and then sprinkle drops of it onto the carpet or sponge it onto the bad spots. Next rinse very lightly with cool water, allow carpet to dry- soak up excess moisture with towel and then vacuum.

By the way, I love the vinegar microwave recipe I posted on sunday! All you need is one or two cups of white wine vinegar, a bowl and your nasty microwave oven. Place the uncovered bowl containing the vinegar into your microwave and turn it on full power for 5 minutes (or more if your microwave is extra nasty). When the microwave turns off simply use a dry dish towel to wipe the greasy mess off the top and sides of the microwave oven. I repeated this process twice casue mine was super dirty but it worked great! No elbow grease needed to clean the dang thing and then I poured the vinegar down the garbage disposal to keep it disinfected.

If you like this post consider reading some of these other do it yourself remedies that have been posted:
Homemade Cold Relief
Find the miracle products in your home that will clean and save you money.
Remove sweat/ perspiration stains naturally!
Alternative Hair Removal Recipe (sugaring)

The post Old-Fashioned Know How- Do it yourself remedies part 2 appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.

Sugaring is an ancient method of hair removal that was first practiced in the Middle East. The sugar mixture is heated to form a tacky paste. It is spread in the direction of hair growth, allowed to cool and is then ripped off the skin in the opposite direction of the hair growth. Some choose to use paper or cloth strips to press against the sugar mixture once applied to the skin. The cloth/ paper is then pulled off to remove the hair and the sugar mixture. Others choose not to use strips, they simply pull the tacky sugar mixture off thus removing the hair.

Making your own sugaring solution is like making candy. The mixture has to be heated up to about 250 F for about 10 min according to various sources. I made this up last night and it actually worked…

You will need:
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon or lime juice
1/4 cup water

You combine the ingredients and cook for about 10 min. The mixture will boil rapidly and you should stir constantly to avoid boiling over. Then you simmer it for about 5 more min to allow the mixture to thicken. The mixture changes from clear to a deep amber color (similar to the hardball candy phase).

You remove the mixture and allow it to cool. You can then use the sugaring mixture to remove hair or you can store it in a microwavable container. Like waxing you should heat up the mixture slightly before use (this softens the mixture for spreading). You may use paper or cloth strips to pull the mixture off the skin if you prefer. Traditionally the mixture, once it has cooled, is just pulled off he skin with the fingers to remove the hair.

As with waxing the hair fibers have to be long enough to become properly embedded into the sugaring mixture. Therefore hair must be allowed to grow out after each sugaring treatment for the next sugaring to work properly.

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If you liked this recipe you should check out some of my other “old-fashioned know how” articles and recipes for more easy tips and tricks!.

The post Alternative Hair Removal Recipe appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.