Natural Skincare & Green living: Ways To Reuse Coffee and Make a Coffee Body Scrub

"Hey!!!Don't waste this"!!! These are the words I tend to tell my husband, my kids and my friends when it comes to certain things. I make sure that leftover water and leftover tea are poured on plants and when it comes to coffee it's no exception. So, I just I wanted to take some time to share some of my simple ideas for re-using coffee and hope to learn something from you guys in return!

Picture taken at a local Starbuck!

As a plant lover I learned that coffee and leftover tea, are good plant food!,
Simply pour your leftover coffee on your indoor or outdoor plants. The coffee grounds can also be used as compost. I always make sure to get some extra leftover coffee grounds from the coffee shop. It's great nutrition for acid loving plants and I must say it also seems to do some good to all my indoor tropical plants.

In the kitchen I found that rubbing some coffee on my fingers with ground coffee work as a good odor remover, especially if I had handle fish, garlic or anything smelly.  It works well too in the garbage disposal to deodorize and disinfect.  The leftover coffee can also be used as a fridge deodorizer, simply  place a small bowl filled with fresh coffee grounds in your fridge.
I love the smell of coffee so much that it's my room deodorizer of choice during the winter months. I simply brew some fresh coffee when I need to fill the house with a pleasant aroma! You can actually put some leftover coffee grounds on a cooking sheet and place it in a warm over, but I just prefer brewing.
Leftover coffee can also be used to:

Picture taken at a local Starbuck.

• Make some frappucino
• Marinate your meat
• Replace red wine when cooking meat in recipes calling for wine!
• Flavor cake or waffle recipes ( replacing milk or water for coffee)
• Mix with condensed milk and freeze as popsicle.

Replace milk in your smoothy! Deliciouuuus!
Make ice cubes.  Why wait on a super hot coffee to cool down when you can just throw a coffee cube in?!
Well there must be many other ways to use leftover cofee in the kicthen but that's my little tried and true repertoire here!

It's also possible to use leftover coffee as a dye! You can use your leftover coffee to dye paper or fabric to give it an aged look.
Did you know you can also add it to the wash water when you wash your dark color clothes?! It's also a good dye as beauty hair treatment if you have dark hair. Apply about 5-6 cups of leftover coffee to your wet hair and cover and leave it on your hair from about 15-20 mns before rinsing! But it's only a temporary dye I can not claim that it will work like Garnier!

Since I love hanging at perfumes counters and shopping for candles I also learned to use it to trick my olfactory senses. Carry along some leftover coffee beans  or grounds and inhale them after smelling a perfume! It neutralizes the scent of the fragrance you smelled previously and help you to better sense the following fragrance.
And as to my favorite use of leftover coffee grounds, a little messy I should admit but very rewarding, I use it as a scrub! Yep! I love to use leftover coffee grounds as a facial scrub or a body scrub in the shower.

MAKING COFFEE SCRUB
2 cups coarse coffee. I prefer to just recycle the one I freshly brewed
1/2 sea salt or brown sugar. I skip that step most times
3 tbsp. oil such as olive, coconut, sweet almond, jojoba etc
A drop of scented oil of choices. Totally optional!


The only inconvenience is having the grounds over the shower floor and in...well...let's say that I advise wearing a swim suit bikini when you decide to use it as a full body scrub! I don't know if it's the pleasure of rubbing something totally organic on my body, or feeling like I am giving myself what could have been an expensive spa treatment from the comfort of my home, but I love love love the way my skin  feels afterward! It's best to use fresh ground coffee as it still have many of it's antioxidant property when it's fresh. Like 20-30 minutes after you have brewed some since it will need time to cool some.
So before you think it's a messy idea ( I am making a face)give it a try because you might love the way your skin feel afterward, it's worth trying!

So... no need to let that leftover coffee go to waste right?
What do you tend to do with your leftover coffee? If you tried or try to use is as a facial or body scrub please let me know what you think of it as a scrub! Have you heard that it's claimed to remove cellulite when used as a scrub on thighs and legs?

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• N'na

The benefits of gardening: a sneak peek at my edible container garden

Gardening is a very rewarding activity and it feels great to have an edible garden as well. It's exciting to grow something new for the first time and it's rewarding to be able to bring some home grown food on the table!

The first time I harvested enough lettuce to fix a salad plate I was elated! I had limited myself to gardening flowers and herbs until now. I did not want to put forth the effort to get my yard ready for any substantial edible garden because I was not very confident in my abilities to maintain it! With the rewards from my container garden I am much more confident  in maintaining a large edible garden so I will keep you posted on my progress on this particular project! For now I invite you to take a quick tour in my container garden!

My first lettuce harvest

 It doesn't get more organic than that right? When you plant your own produces you don't have to be concerned about any recalls but you still have to rinse your food very well!

A very simple and healthy lunch: The strawberries are not from my garden, mine are still a work in progress

I tried to grow some strawberries last year but in seemed that some kind of creature was constantly nibbling on them before I could harvest even one strawberry! Thankfully I am being more successful this year...

The flowers are a very good sign that I have some nice strawberries coming...yeaah!!!

Yeaaaah some strawberries...

My Chives are 4 years old! They are a perennial herb that I find very easy to grow and much useful to use! As the weather get colder I generally cut them and freeze them, like this I can still enjoy them during the winter months. They are obviously great to top potatoes but they can also be used in soups and stew or to flavor sauces, mayonnaise, sour cream...

Some benefits of Chives: 

they are high in Vitamin C and A and contain essential minerals such as potassium, folic acid,calcium. 

Rosemary and Lavender

are among my older herbs too. They are great for bath, homemade scented sachets, adding scent to your cooking or body oil.

My thyme are 2 years old, obviously another easy perennial herb to grow! 

Some benefits of thyme:

The oil of thyme is used in aromatherapy to elevate the mood! The ancient Romans used it as a remedy for melancholy! Thyme also has some therapeutic properties. It possesses  expectorant and bronchial antispasmodic properties, making it useful in the treatment of acute and chronic bronchitis, whooping cough, and inflammation of the upper respiratory tract.

 Oregano is a must have herb in your garden! It's not only a delicious addition to flavor your dishes but it's full in antioxidants.

Some benefits of Oregano:

Oregano actually has 42 times the antioxidants of a medium size apple! 

Did you know that Hippocrates the great Greek philosopher and scholar used it for its medicinal properties? Oregano has many beneficial properties and it's worth considering as a natural remedy to some ailments! For example, it has antibacterial properties as well as anti-parasitical properties! It can be used as a natural treatment to E-coli! Thanks to its anti-bacterial and anti-septic benefits, the oil can be rubbed on wounds and cuts. In some cultures it's used as a pain-killer probably due to its anti-inflammatory properties, as the oil can also treat inflamed joints and muscles. Well as you can see much can be said about this special herb so more about it later.

This is my first year planting some habanero peppers, I am glad to see those flowers! Habanero peppers are greatly favored where I grew up as many cooks will consider that a dish without habanero peppers is weak in flavor. If you intend on losing weight, spicing your food with hot peppers such as those will assist you in that effort I will keep you posted on my harvest...

It's also my first time planting some broccoli, I am not sure what to expect but I think it's a head coming forth, stay tuned! I am also planted some Brussels sprouts and some tomatoes in my container garden.

 I think that there are 4 great advantages to container gardening:

1) It allows you to start small in case you are not confident.

2) It allows you to still grow what you want even if you do not have a lot of  space! So if you do not have a yard you can still plant an herb and edible garden.

3) It's practically low maintenance.

4) It can move with you once you change residence.

I hope this quick tour has inspired you to try growing something edible in case you have never done it before. Can you think of any more advantages to container gardening? What do you grow in your edible garden?

The benefits of gardening: A whimsical idea Monet would have smiled at....

A few days ago I went to my garden for our morning ritual, ritual that consists of heading there first thing in the morning to see what new bloom was birthed, taking some pictures and embracing the love from the flower garden....
As I was walking back into the house this fun idea occurred to me: To float some clematis in my birdbath! Strange idea!!!I know...but that's the thing about being in love with nature...it's okay to think out of the box! I do not have a lily pond so the idea was pretty cute and whimsical!

N'na's garden: Clematis & birdbath

I know it's not Monet's Lily pond at Giverny but I think that even him would have smiled at the sight of this birdbath...



I went as far as bringing some clematis in the house and ...

Talking of Monet this blurry picture  I took this morning before the rain could  make for Impressionist art don't you think?

I think that the following pictures would have definitely inspired our French Impressionist and I will show you why I am confident of that....

Cypress Gardens, South Carolina

Cypress Gardens South Carolina

Cypress Gardens South Carolina

Now you see what I mean? Below each one of my photograph I found a painting somewhat similar. I can't deny it Monet is my favorite Impressionist. It's obvious that him and I share a common affection for nature. What about you?

I don't have paintings to offer you, just pictures, so here are more pictures taken this morning....


N'na's Garden: Iceberg roses & Catmint

 My neighbor's mom stopped by yesterday morning and we talked about many of the flowers she was admiring, she was curious about my Lemon balm which you can see in the picture below. Lemon balm is an herb I planted in my garden a couple of years ago! It's a perennial herb and it faithfully returns every year with more leaves that I enjoy as tea or simply as a room freshener because the scent is simply divine!  Since I do not use any chemical in my garden and stick to homemade organic fertilizers it's totally safe to consume the herbs that I plant in my flower beds!

N'na's Garden: Iceberg roses

N'na's Garden Iceberg roses



The climbing rose below bloom profusely and is just a delight to watch, it's also quite a mystery because it kind of grow wild too.....humm the many surprises a garden reserves!!!

N'na's garden: Climbing Roses

Claude Monet said " I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers"!

I love photographing flowers and I think that I owe to flowers my interest for art as a whole!

Flowers make life so beautiful, someone said "one who plants a garden plants happiness" , I hope that in sharing those pictures with you this morning I have planted happiness in your day! These 2 geese below have been planting happiness in my days lately!

 I will have to find them a name, any suggestion?

Thanks for taking this small tour in my garden! I hope you found inspiration in many ways and that you caught on the happy vibe! Nature is greatly represented in Art and Monet is a great inspiration to me! What about you? Who is your favorite artist?

N'na

The benefits of gardening: A sneak peek at my natural garden

Hello friends!
Hope all is well with you all! I know you all have noticed that it's Springtime... With the weather improving I am less often around my laptop and I am more busy getting my hands in the dirt!  Those past days I have been more active outdoors taking full advantage of the sun and especially....especially admiring my humble & enchanting N'natural garden in bloom! Yeaaah!!!

You know when we talk about living a natural life, being healthier and improving our lives, I think gardening should be at the top of the list of things that are recommended for a better body and a better life the natural way!
Think about it, to garden you have to move, carry things, dig, pull, lift, bend...well, you get the point...you got to stay mobile right? Well, that's great exercise and you don't have to time yourself or do some monotonous repetitive motions like when you are at the gym etc. You get the added benefits of seeing birds flying around, enjoying the breeze blow when you need it most, and you even get a free tan!

 Well those are just some benefits of the actual labor...Talking of labor I am sore right now, I feel like I have lifted some weights...when you think about the bag of 2 cf potting soil, the bags of 2cf mulch,  some weed pulling and moving some planters etc. I have had a good work out for the last 5 hours.  Time goes by so fast when you are doing something you enjoy, gardening is one such thing for me!!!
So I have had a good work out in while doing some gardening but I was in a great mood the whole time I was working and this is why...




Pink knock out roses and Salvia in bloom April 2011.
N'na's garden.

 

Yes, many of my flowers are in bloom! There are a few more roses and other flowers that are reserving me some surprises but today these flowers smiled at me....



Blaze roses and Clematis in bloom April 2011.
N'na 's garden




Mint, Clematis and more April 2011.
N'na's Garden

Clematis and Blaze climbing rose in bloom April 2011.
N'na 's garden.


  And I smiles right back! I got to be honest with you, it's much prettier in reality! Seeing them in bloom, and watching the bees actively flying around the Salvia... I have been waiting for Spring with much anticipation! Today I was enchanted!
It was 4:30 pm before I finally had lunch. I am exhausted but I am so pleased. Gardening is such a rewarding activity! If you are a gardener I am sure you will agree with me!!!




Pink knock out roses, Iceberg Roses, Salvia in bloom April 2011
N'na 's garden.

Two days ago I got the pleasure of fixing my dinner with some lettuce from my container garden.
I have a big yard but I am not up for tilling and all so in my first attempt at growing some vegetables I created a small container garden on my deck. I have a lot of experience growing herbs in containers and this year I ventured into lettuce, broccoli, peppers and Brussels sprouts. So for a newbie I am so excited to see that I can now fix my salad with home grown lettuce! Yeaaah! I will keep you posted on my progress with the other plants.

My first dinner plate with home grown lettuce! Yeaahhh!

For now all I wanted to do was share with you how rewarding gardening is to me! From enjoying the beauty of flowers in bloom to the satisfaction of home grown produces, gardening is truly one of the most rewarding Natural Hobby one can have!
If you are not used to gardening give it a try this season it will totally improve the quality of your life. A few years ago my husband had a coworker who started to garden and he reported that she lost a lot of weight as result and she was a nicer person to be around! I think that it has some great psychological benefits! It's a great outlet!

Iceberg and Catmint in bloom May 2010 in N'na's garden!

One thing I love to do when my flowers are in bloom is to create small vases and treat a neighbor or one of my husband's coworkers to some fresh flowers! It's a small gesture but I have been told many times that they brighten their days in ways I could not expect and that I always seem to know the right time to deliver my small gift! I also love to make some tea bags or some sachets with the herbs from my garden and offer them as gifts!


Iceberg roses in bloom May 2010 in N'na's garden!


Gardening has the power of bringing people together. I had neighbors share their cucumbers, squash or okra with me and it's always exciting to receive fresh produces that are unquestionably organic (lol)!

 N'na's favorite:  Joseph's Coat Climbing Roses May 2010!
This is my favorite rose from my garden will tell you why later! It will soon be in bloom...

 If you are concerned that you might not have a green thumb just take a chance! It starts as a very small investment with very great reward! I say starts because once you fall in love with gardening you will invest more, but the reward will always outweigh the costs!  

Since gardening is one of my passion you will get to read more and see more pictures this Spring and Summer! Last year I took hundred of pictures, this year I will get to share some old and new pictures with you all.  I hope you enjoyed your little tour in N'na's garden. (Smiles). Please come by often, become a Follower here, Like the facebook page Goodhealthdiva and spread the word. I love hearring from you so leave your comments and let me know...

Do you have a green thumb? What's your favorite thing to grow? Do you garden for pleasure (flowers) or for consumption (food)? What's to you the most rewarding thing about gardening? If you are not much of a gardener are you now inspired to become one?




N'na