Hey, ladies! The weekend is nearly here. Don’t have any plans? Awesome. We’ve got a beautiful suggestion.

If you love making your own beauty products, you will enjoy this video. It’s filled with 5 DIY beauty recipes that are easy to concoct.

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Trimming your own bangs and even your dead ends is easier than you might think.

Stylists tend to recoil in horror when clients admit to snipping their own hair at home. But while it may not be the greatest idea to give yourself a drastic new cut, a bit of a trim here and there is quick, easy and totally indistinguishable from a pro job once you know what you’re doing. Here’s how to trim your own bangs, from blunt cuts to side-swept fringe.

How to Trim Straight-Across Bangs

It may seem like getting blunt bangs trimmed perfectly straight would be impossible to do on your own, but there are a few tricks to it. First of all, don’t cut your hair while it’s wet; it tends to shrink after drying, so you can trim more than you bargained for.

Blow dry bangs (straight, if necessary), and then comb them into place. With a pair of small, very sharp scissors (cuticle scissors work well), cut vertically into the ends of the hair starting from the middle and moving out to the sides. Use the comb to maintain a straight line. Brush your bangs into place with your fingers to style them, and trim any additional pieces as needed if they’re not even.

How to Trim Side-Swept Bangs

Trimming side-swept bangs requires just a slightly different technique, still starting with dry hair and cutting vertically into the ends. Pull one-inch sections of hair out away from your face on the opposite side from where they will fall. Avoid trimming more than half an inch at a time.

How to Cut Your Own Bangs

Do you dare to cut your own bags, without the aid of a stylist? This is definitely going a bit further than a trim, and it’s a bit risky, but if you want to try, the technique above makes it pretty simple. The twist-cut trick results in bangs that are slightly longer on either side.

How to Trim Your Own Hair

This video from Cosmopolitan explains how to trim dead ends without taking a trip to the salon.

Photo: gomainstream

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More ways to justify your addiction to caffeine.

Can you imagine life without coffee? We’d all stumble around like drones for hours every morning, lost without our precious fix. We love coffee for its flavor, its aroma and of course its pick-me-up, but there are at least 20 more compelling reasons to stay stocked up. These tips will give you surprising and unusual uses for fresh coffee beans or grounds that have gone stale, the pounds of used grounds you toss out every week and the dregs at the bottom of your cup.

Kill fridge odor

Wouldn’t you rather smell coffee than two-week-old leftovers, half-rotten produce and spoiled milk? If your fridge is a nightmare of foul odors, place a bowl of fresh, unused coffee grounds inside and leave it for a day or two. The coffee will absorb the odors and you’ll crave a cup whenever you open the door. This odor-killing trick works for practically anything else as well – just place the item in a sealed plastic bag along with an open can of coffee grounds and bye-bye stank.

Reduce cellulite

Pricey cellulite creams almost always have one major ingredient in common: caffeine, which supposedly enhances fat metabolism, reducing the appearance of these fatty pockets under the skin. To make your own coffee cellulite treatment at home, mix warm used coffee grounds with coconut oil and rub it onto your skin in circular motions for a few minutes before rinsing.

Erase smells on your hands

Garlic, salmon, cilantro – there are some things that smell delicious when cooking, but aren’t so pleasant hours later when they linger on your hands. Get rid of them by rubbing a handful of used coffee grounds on your hands and rinsing with warm water.

Make rich compost

There’s a reason so many gardeners swear by adding used coffee grounds to compost. The grounds are rich in phosphorous, potassium, magnesium and copper, they release nitrogen into the soil as they degrade and they’re a little bit acidic, which is great for certain soils. If you compost on a large scale, you can get used grounds for free at your local coffee hot spot or mom-and-pop cafe.

Get shiny hair

Who doesn’t want shiny, healthy-looking hair? Coffee is often recommended as a simple, natural treatment to make hair extra-glossy. Brew up an extra-strong pot, let it cool and apply it to your dry, clean hair. Leave it on for at least twenty minutes, then rinse. Keep it up once a week or so for best results.

Natural dye

The natural pigments in coffee make it a great natural dye for fabric, paper, Easter eggs – even your hair. Brush paper with strong brew and let it dry, or soak fabric items in hot coffee. The results won’t be color-fast, and may bleed out onto other items, so it’s best to use this on items that won’t be washed very often if at all. Using coffee as a hair shine treatment, as previously mentioned, may temporarily lend a rich, dark tint to your hair.

Reduce fireplace mess

Want to clean your fireplace without causing a dust storm? Wait until the embers are cool, sprinkle damp coffee grounds all over the ashes , let them sit for about 15 minutes and then scoop out the whole mess into a metal ash can. The coffee grounds cling to the ashes, so they don’t  spew dust nearly as much as they would otherwise.

Pin cushion filler

Dried, used coffee grounds are the perfect filler for homemade pin cushions. Just wrap them in some scrap cloth, tie it off with a rubber band and place the cloth in an egg cup or other small container. The grounds will keep your pins from rusting, too.

Exfoliate skin

The same properties that reportedly enable coffee to reduce the appearance of cellulite can smooth and tighten your skin, and the texture of ground coffee will buff away dead skin cells, too. Make your own coffee-based scrub by combining a tablespoon of coffee grounds with half a tablespoon of olive oil and, optionally, a drop of your favorite essential oil.

Repel ants

Sprinkle dry, used coffee grounds in problem areas where you notice ants in your home or yard and they might just pick up and leave. To tackle huge ant mounds, pour an entire pot of brewed coffee right on the mound.

Fertilize plants

Acid-loving plants will thank you for sprinkling your used coffee grounds around their roots. Azaleas, blueberry shrubs and rhododendrons are just a few of the plants that flourish when treated with coffee thanks to all those nutrients. You can also dilute the leftover coffee in your mug and pour it right into your potted plants (as long as you don’t use cream and sugar, of course!)

Keep cats out of your garden

To you, that little garden in your yard is a beautiful source of fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables, but to seemingly every cat in a five-mile radius, it’s a giant, irresistible litter box. Just use the trick mentioned above, sprinkling used coffee grounds on the soil, and cats will want nothing to do with it.

Scrub all kinds of surfaces

Mildly abrasive and acidic, coffee grounds are great for scrubbing surfaces like countertops, cooking ranges and refrigerators. Use them alone or mix them with a little dish soap.

Auto air freshener

Next time you accidentally spill coffee grounds on the floor, don’t just sweep them up and toss them in the trash. You can use them to make an all-natural DIY air freshener like this one at Instructables. Try to use an old ripped pair of pantyhose and spare string to make this an even more eco-friendly project.

Grow mushrooms

Used coffee grounds are an ideal medium to grow many kinds of mushrooms, including oyster mushrooms. You can actually purchase mushroom-growing kits from a company called Back to the Roots which includes reclaimed coffee grounds, mushroom roots and a mini spray bottle. The kit can produce up to 1.5 pounds of oyster mushrooms within 10 days.

Repel fleas

Rub used, damp coffee grounds through your pet’s fur after bathing to repel fleas without questionable, likely-toxic chemical treatments. If nothing else, it will at least improve that post-bath wet-dog smell that gets all over your furniture.

Pretty vase fillers

Stale or dirty coffee beans are still a thing of beauty. Use them as vase fillers, or in cups or jars full of pens and pencils. Not only are they pretty, they continue to smell good for quite a while, too.

Start vermicomposting

Red wriggler worms, the sort used in vermicomposting systems, love coffee almost as much as we do. It’s not really clear why, but if you want a thriving community of worms to devour all of your kitchen waste (and those nasty little things really are amazingly efficient), be sure to add used coffee grounds to their bedding on a regular basis.

Secret recipe ingredient

Just a little hint of coffee can be the ingredient that becomes your undisclosed “magic touch” in foods like chili, ice cream and chocolate cake. Use a little bit as a marinade for steaks and not only will it make them unbelievably tender, it’ll also provide a hint of deep, smoky flavor.

Touch up furniture scratches

Scratches on wood furniture disappear almost instantly by simply rubbing in a little bit of instant coffee dampened into a paste with hot water. Repeat if necessary until the scratch matches the surrounding wood.

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Photos: visual panic, mzpromise, selma90, laflaf

The post 20 Unusual Uses for Coffee appeared first on EcoSalon.

Baking soda is a lazy housekeeper’s best friend.

If I said that my home is sparkling clean thanks to my addiction to white powder, would you haul me off to rehab? No need, because the powder I’m talking about is cheap, natural and totally legal. Sit back and file your nails or lose track of time watching cute cats on YouTube while baking soda cleans and freshens your life. This list of 20 unusual uses for baking soda – most of which require virtually no effort at all – will have you stockpiling the stuff in bulk.
Dissolving baked-on drips in the oven

Get rid of those gross, blackened globs on the bottom of your oven without scrubbing yourself sore or flavoring your next meal with chemical-based cleaner. It really is as easy as sprinkling a liberal amount of baking soda all over the oven floor, spraying it with water until well dampened, and forgetting about it for a few hours. Come back, wipe it out and rinse with vinegar to prevent a white film of baking soda residue.

Carpet deodorizer

All those little fibers in carpeting really hold on to all kinds of smells that you don’t exactly want lingering in your home. Sprinkle baking soda liberally, let it sit overnight and then sweep most of it up before vacuuming what’s left. Baking soda absorbs the odors instead of trying to cover them, so you don’t end up with a disturbing melange of floral perfume and cat vomit.

Acne-curing face scrub

Just coarse enough to slough off dead skin cells, baking soda makes an ideal natural face scrub. Many acne sufferers swear by the stuff, saying that mixing it into a paste with either water or facial cleanser can help clear up breakouts and prevent them from occurring in the first place. Just be sure to moisturize afterwards to prevent excessive drying.

Treat itchy insect bites

A paste of baking soda and water will relieve itching brought on by insect bites, and soothe the pain of stings. To get relief from poison ivy, chicken pox and other widespread sources of intense itching, add 1/2 cup of baking soda to a warm bath and soak.

Fruit and vegetable wash

Pests and, worse, pesticides are common contaminants on produce, so washing our fruits and veggies is essential. Sure, you could buy a pricey spray, but you know what works even better? A few tablespoons of baking soda in a bowl of cool water. Just soak them for five to ten minutes, giving some hard-to-clean veggies like potatoes and celery a little scrub with a vegetable brush.

Scrub out the toughest dirty dishes

Baking soda makes those dreaded dishes covered in dried crud so much easier to tackle. Dunk the dishes into soapy water, then sprinkle the trouble spots with baking soda. Let them sit a little while to soften. You can also add a dash of baking soda to the dishwasher for a boost in cleaning power and a reduction in funky smells.

Deodorize sneakers

Pour a few tablespoons into a paper coffee filter or scrap of tissue paper, tie it up with a rubber band and stick it into a less-than-fresh-smelling shoe and it will absorb the odor without making a mess or damaging delicate materials like suede.

Eliminate musty smell in books

Mold growth makes old books, photographs and other stored items smell musty. Get rid of both the odor and the cause, excess moisture, by sealing the items in an airtight container with a large, open tub of baking soda. You can also sprinkle the baking soda directly onto the items and brush it off.

Spackle substitute

If you want to fill a small hole in plaster or drywall but would rather not purchase a whole tub of spackle for such a small job, try this odd tip: mix baking soda and white toothpaste into a stiff paste. Once it hardens, you won’t be able to tell the difference.

Brighten your smile

Baking soda is a common ingredient in toothpaste, but you can give your teeth a little boost by scrubbing them with a paste of baking soda and water between brushings. Baking soda is just abrasive enough to scrape off coffee, wine and other yellowing substances before they penetrate your teeth.

Clean patio furniture

Even cleansers that are specifically made for resin or plastic outdoor furniture can be too abrasive, scratching or dulling the surface. A wet sponge dipped in baking soda will dissolve dirt without causing damage.

Buff out bug splatters and clear cloudy headlights

It may be among the most unusual uses of baking soda, but a paste with water will remove most insect carnage from unpainted car surfaces like bumpers and windshields; add a little dish soap for extra cleaning power if necessary. Headlights that have lost much of their brightness due to hazy, yellowing plastic can also be cleared considerably with the same mixture.

Waterless dog bath

Just like it freshens sneakers and smelly carpets, baking soda can make even the world’s most water-phobic dog smell freshly bathed. Rub it onto your dog’s coat, leave for a few minutes and then brush it out for a quick dry bath that won’t end with the scent of wet dog all over your couch.

Cut kitty litter odor

A shake or two of baking soda is all it takes to make your cat’s litter box a far less intrusive presence in your home. This super-cheap additive works just as well as commercial litter box deodorizers, and it won’t mingle artificial perfumes with the odor of pet waste.

Chemical-free ice melt

You don’t want to break your neck on icy steps in the winter, but you don’t want people tracking chemicals into your house, either. Melt that ice naturally without substances that put animals at risk and eat away at your flooring. Just shake on a layer of baking soda, then apply a little bit of sand for traction.

Remove oil, grease and wine stains

Sometimes, scrubbing a stain just makes it worse. Let baking soda do most of the work. Sprinkle it on, let it sit and it will lift much of the offending substance from the surface. Brush it off and then rub the area with a paste of baking soda and water if necessary. This baking soda cleaning trick will remove oil stains from concrete floors, and can save carpets and couches from permanent splotches of spilled red wine.

Clarifying hair treatment

Remove the product build-up that makes your locks limp and dull. A teaspoon of baking soda mixed in with your regular shampoo can be used as a clarifier once a week or so, and a little baking soda dissolved in hot water will clean crusty hairbrushes, too.

Polish silver, chrome and stainless steel

You don’t need a special polish for every surface in your home. A damp cloth dipped in baking soda makes chrome and stainless steel shine; add a little lemon juice to brighten brass. Real Simple notes that baking soda will even take the tarnish off silver: place the items on a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of a pot and add a solution of 1/4 cup baking soda, 3 teaspoons of salt and a quart of boiling water. Cover the pot for a few seconds, and the ensuing chemical reaction will do all the work.

Neutralize battery acid corrosion

The ability of baking soda to neutralize acid can save even the most corroded battery terminals. Mix six heaping tablespoons of baking soda into four cups of water and pour the mixture over the corrosion, allowing it to sit for about five minutes. Scrub with a toothbrush, then rinse.

Extinguish fires and control flames

Toss a little baking soda onto the coals if your cookout flames get too high for your liking. In an emergency, baking soda can also be used to extinguish small fires like stove top grease fires.

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Photos: , [casey], Pink Sherbet Photography, Mr. T in DC, Katerha

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