Homemade Playdough

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp of oil
1 cup of water
10 drops of food coloring

Mix up flour salt and cream of tartar in a sauce pan. Make a well in the center. Add oil to the well. Add food coloring to the water. While you pour the water into the well, begin mixing vigorously. Cook stirring constantly over medium low heat until its so hard to stir that you have to knead it. Set it aside to cool. Knead mixture adding flour as needed to keep it from being sticky until its smooth and lump free.

After Bath Body Oil

1 part vitamin E oil
1 part jojoba oil
a few drops of tea tree oil

combine and apply after showering.

Use Less Stuff All-Purpose Cleaner

Source: "Better Basics for the Home"
by Anne Berthold-Bond (Three Rivers Press, 1999)

• 1/8 cup baking soda (or Epsom salts)
• 1/4 cup borax
• 2 TBSP liquid soap
• 16 cups hot water
• 1/2 tsp antiseptic essential oil (lavender is a favorite, others include sweet orange, lemongrass, rose, clove, eucalyptus, cinnamon, rosemary, birch, lavender or tea tree -- all are natural antiseptic oils).

Combine the baking soda, borax, soap and essential oil in a spray bottle. Pour in the hot water, mixing well to dissolve the minerals, screw on the lid tightly and shake well. Label the bottle clearly, and as with all cleaning products (even the ones you make yourself), keep out of reach of children.

Note: Borax is available in the laundry aisle of most supermarkets. For liquid soap, use something mild like Castille soap, Ivory or Ecover. If you use a concentrated product like Sal Suds, use less than called for in the recipe.

Rosie's Parmesan Dog Biscuits

5.5 cups of unbleached flour
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups corn meal
1 tbsp yeast
3.5 cups chicken broth
1.5 cups grated parmesan ends
2 tsp dried ground rosemary

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Roll dough on floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Cut biscuits into desired shapes. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for one hour, or until they are toasty brown. Let biscuits cool completely. Store and or serve!

Makes approximately 180 small (1.5 inch star shaped) biscuits.

Natural Flea Powder

1 lb baking soda
5 drops of lavender essential oil
5 drops of geranium essential oil

1. Empty baking soda into a mixing bowl and add oil. Stir to blend.
2. Work treated baking soda into your pet's fur, beginning at the neck (where fleas live) and working toward the tail. Keep the powder away from your pets face.
3. Leave the powder on your pet for 10 minutes then comb/brush it out.

This makes on treatment for a medium sized dog

Herbes de Provence

1 Tablespoon dried basil
1 Tablespoon dried thyme
1 Tablespoon marjoram
1 Tablespoon dried summer savory
1 Tablespoon rosemary
1 Tablespoon oregano
1 Tablespoon fennel

You can also add:
lavender buds
dried sage

Flea Repellant Bandanna

1 square of fabric that fits your dog's neck
Geranium Essential Oil
Lavender Essential Oil

Sprinkle a few drops of essential oil on the bandanna and tie around the dogs neck. Its that simple.

You can also mix the essential oils together and rub between your dogs shoulder blades just like you would advantage or frontline. Just make sure they can't lick it off because the essential oils aren't good for them to ingest.