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Unusual Uses for Honey

HoneyOur garden is not getting many bees this year and I continue to be worried about the demise of bee populations worldwide. And now I have found an article on 20 unusual uses for honey that was reported on the Huffington Post site a few months ago. Did you know that honey can be used for the following very useful purposes beyond just sweetening your tea? Some of these below are not so surprising so I have combined them. And I have added a couple more at the end and here is a honey link to order some right away. Read on:

 

1. Put it on your lips, rub it on your elbows, take a bath with it and soften your skin.

You can make lip balm with a mixture of honey, beeswax and almond oil. Nothing's worse than scratchy elbows (no really) so next time, after you've washed and scrubbed, rub some honey on to soften the skin. Leave on for 30 minutes then wash off. You can also add a few tablespoons of honey to your bath, for sweeter smelling, softer feeling water. Honey is an excellent exfoliant. You can pair it with ground almonds and lemon juice for a killer homemade facial scrub.

2. Make your own honey moisturizer

If you've got a handful of sweet smelling herbs -- think lavender -- laying around and ready to be used, why not use them for your own homemade honey lotion? Warm honey over a saucepan until it gets to a liquid consistency. Pour honey over herbs and cap tightly; the ratio you want to use is 1 tablespoon of herbs per 8 ounces of honey. Let sit for a week and then mix 1 teaspoon of liquid into an 8 ounce bottle of unscented lotion.

4. Prepare for the end of the world

Honey never goes bad! You can store it pretty much forever.

5. Drink it, eat it, add it to your salad dressing, to your tea and

We all know a drop of honey in tea is good for a sore throat, but you can add it to most drinks for an extra energy boost. And simply because it's a whole lot better than tossing in a few Sweet 'N Lows.

7. Give yourself a facial

Honey is a natural humectant with antimicrobial properties, which means your skin will be happy when you give it some sweet honey love. Try a basic honey wash by mixing a dollop of honey and two tablespoons of warm water and massaging the mixture into your skin. Or you can go all out and try the Cucumber Honey Facial.

8. Go the extra mile with the energy boost

Forget energy bars and shots, just pop a tablespoon of honey before your next workout. Seriously, it has been proven to boost athletic performance.

9. Remove parasites

Got a post-Southeast Asia backpacking trip bug that just won't leave you alone? Mix up a good blend of honey, water and vinegar and you'll quickly be on your way to being parasite free.

10. Clean your cuts and scrapes

Honey can actually be used as an antiseptic, like a natural Neosporin. Because of its many antimicrobial properties, it can be used to treat wounds and even burns.

11. Get rid of your hangover

Forget a morning of popping ibuprofen, spread some honey on your toast or add some to your tea. Because honey is loaded with fructose, it will help speed up the metabolism of alcohol.

15. Eat the honeycomb. No really, just do it. 

Yes, it can be done! One of our fave food bloggers Clotilde Dusoulier, of Chocolate & Zucchini, put the ingredient to her readers and got some fun responses. The best sounding one? Mix it with crunchy peanut butter on toast.

16. Get an energy boost

Feeling lethargic? Skip the coffee and go for the honey instead. Mix a tablespoon into a cup of tea and you'll be feeling better in no time.

17. Beautify your hair

In the shower, after you wash your hair, coat the ends with a bit of honey. Let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing out and you'll find that your hair is less frizzy and extra conditioned. Or make your hair shiny and bright by adding one teaspoon honey to one quart of water, and after washing your hair, pouring the mixture over your head. Let dry and enjoy your new-found shiny do.

18. Preserve fruit

Jam is so five years ago; show you're truly cutting edge by preserving your fruits in a honey sauce. All it takes is one part honey to ten parts water and then covering your berries. Pretty much the closest you're ever going to get to bottling up a little bit of summer.

20. Lose weight

Well, what were you expecting? With a list this long it had to be pretty apparent that honey is in fact a wonder food, and as it turns out, you can even make it part of your next weight loss plan. Honey is an excellent substitute for sugar and it also helps speed up metabolism. Just remember: all things in moderation.

 

I would like to add - honey can soothe a sore throat. Take a spoonful of honey when your throat feels raspy and it will provide a smooth coating that might help you feel better.

Horoscope for the Week of July 22, 2013

MadonnaThe Sun enters Leo and heats up our otherwise cool existence. Our lives become vibrant and colorful and we feel as if we could charm the world with one big toothy grin. Show us your pearly whites  and see how far the fluffy stuff carries you forward.

(Madonna has Sun in Leo)

 Never miss your horoscope again -- free sign up here. Here is my favorite book on astrology and a "must" for anyone interested in learning more: Secrets from a Stargazer's Notebook: Making Astrology Work for You and here's a guide to the best books available this month. This column is (c) 2013 THE STARRY EYE, LLC., All Rights Reserved. For Entertainment Purposes Only. Madam Lichtenstein is the author of the best selling astrology book “HerScopes ” now in its 8th printing and available as an eBook.


ARIES   (MARCH 21 - APRIL 20)
This week unleashes your chains and frees you up to have tons of fun, fun, fun. Be all you can be musically, artistically, dramatically and just plain party-wise-ically. Aries go to great lengths to demonstrate their creativity. Can you smell the romance in the air? Oh wait a minute - it’s just something that has been left on the stove for too long.

TAURUS   (APRIL 21 - MAY 21)
A home is more than just four walls. Taureans need to feel mentally charged in order to make their personal living space feel like their own spiritual refuge. Thankfully you find ways to fulfill this purpose and bring the forces together to create a homey harmony. Share this joy with close friends; Why not invite a few close buddies over for a chat and chew? 

GEMINI   (MAY 22 - JUNE 21)
Take a strong position and state your case. Your speech has verve and panache. Not only do you pack a diplomatic punch, you also easily grasp pithy ideas and high concepts. So don’t wait for the translation. Read between the lines and speak your mind. An impassioned cry from the vast void can be heard if a Gemini tweets it... or so a little birdie told me.

CANCER   (JUNE 22 - JULY 23)
Cancers discover gold among the dross this week. Even riskier investments pay off monetarily so keep an eye on the bottom line and know when to buy and sell. After all is said and done, you may be content to rest on your laurels. Don’t. Use your good fortune to push one step further up the food chain. Are your eyes too big for your stomach? Let’s hope so.

LEO   (JULY 24 - AUGUST 23)
This week marks a time of increased charisma where everyone seeks to orbit around your gravitational pull. While it will be tempting to lie back and watch the revolution, try not to get lazy. You make excellent first impressions and can easily set new projects into motion. Leos pack more charm per square inch than usual. Hmm, can you go for a yard?

VIRGO   (AUGUST 24 - SEPTEMBER 23)
Feeling confined and pent up? There is nothing to stop you from clearing out your cosmic debris this week. Virgos should not hold back. Blow your box of secrets open and let them evaporate into the fresh air. Fear of fall out? Don’t be. Check out this added bonus; Those who don’t have your best interests at heart are thwarted in their vile and dastardly plans. Good!

LIBRA   (SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 23)
The week heralds in a sociable time of friends, festivities and frolic. Your presence is demanded at every top event and your fan base increases. So why do you feel that you are working so hard? Well, Libras not only find themselves the leader of the pack, they also become organizers, pepsters and even clean up crew. Popularity has its price, it seems.

SCORPIO   (OCTOBER 24 - NOVEMBER 22)
Make your assorted marks in the corporate sphere now. Scorpios pack a political wallop and generate enough great ideas to keep the attention focused solely on themselves around the office. Don’t be content to sing in the chorus. Outshine the competition by getting out front. Grab your pinstripped costume and put on a grand performance. Bravo!

SAGITTARIUS   (NOVEMBER 23 - DECEMBER 22)
Sagittarians expand their global view. You can no longer be content to come and go with the usual boring routine. Suddenly life holds more promise and excitement. Good. Expand your horizons any way you can - travel, study or even traipse through the internet. Grab a bit of the world and seek your passion. Or will it grab you? Only if you are lucky.

CAPRICORN   (DECEMBER 23 - JANUARY 20)
Prepare for a surge in your sexual allure. You won’t even have to try to upgrade your look. You can come as you are... and you will! Capricorns draw more bees to their hive than ever before and create a swarm. Don’t dissipate the vibes by flirting with any old honey. Try instead to set your sights on one particularly attractive stinger and create a new buzz. 

AQUARIUS   (JANUARY 21 - FEBRUARY 19)
Aquarians have a tendency to overdo and can feel physically drained and spiritually dreary now. Although it can feel like a down energy cycle, turn your attention from selfish pursuits to selfless relationships. Go the extra mile and you will find that the benefits far outweigh the costs. At any rate, others will feel better and that is what really counts. Yeah right.

PISCES   (FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 20)
Rewards come to those Pisces who have put in the greatest effort at work. You now gain greater insight into the easiest and most successful course of action in any detailed work assignment. While the temptation will be to take the easy path, any true application and effort will pay extra dividends. Cash them through the summer when you can debrief on the beach.




Lucky Numbers for the Week of July 19, 2013

Lottery ads tell us you only need a dollar and a dream. But it is also helpful to have a list of lucky numbers to help spur the good fortune ... or fortunes. So with that in mind, here are some lucky numbers that can be used in any helpful way. I gazed into a pool of water, Nostradamus-like, and contemplated the cosmos. Then I mixed the tarot cards and allowed the spirits to guide me to the cards that represent the lucky numbers for this week. Nothing is guaranteed but who knows ....?

I choose eight numbers because 8 is the number of wealth.

Here are the lucky numbers for the week of July 19-25, 2013:

10, 15, 27, 32, 33, 56, 62, 77

There are many ways to delve into your own consciousness to find luck and intuition. Try reading Dream Power/Improve Your Luck (Super Strength Series) and see if your dreams give you any clues and premonitions. Here's a guide to the best books available this month

Top Astrology Sites According to Alexa

Know your futureI love trolling the internet for new "top" lists and stumbled on this one that includes Cosmic World. We rank in the top 50 asatrology sites according to Alexa rankings. Ahem!

Best Astrology sites  shows the top 60 astrology sites based on Alexa rankings.

 

 

Rank Site Score
1 Astrodienst 4305
2 Astrology.com 5000
3 Jonathan Cainer 9806
4 Ganesha Speaks 11295
5 Astrology Zone 11384
6 Astro Center 16962
7 Cafe Astrology 18417
8 Russell Grant 41455
9 Astroyogi 48465
10 Astrology on the Web 52825
11 AstroVed 59710
12 Astrology Weekly 62650
13 Free Will Astrology 70593
14 Astrotheme 73593
15 Scientific Astrology 91845
16 Moonology 99660
17 ElsaElsa 115511
18 StarIQ 123332
19 Sasstrology 138122
20 Truth Star 157958
21 Shelley Von Strunckel 169893
22 The Astrology Room 170036
23 Darkstar Astrology 179276
24 Linda Goodman 182945
25 Terry Nazon 187702
26 Michael Lutin 197815
27 Skyscript 201915
28 Future Point 202575
29 Dr. Prem Kumar Sharma 218241
30 Libra Rising 230224
31 Bob Marks Astrologer 235119
32 Ed Tamplin 242824
33 Aquarius Papers 250244
34 Planet Waves 258968
35 Big Sky Astrology 267582
36 The Merriman Market Analyst9267679
37 Clickastro 291617
38 Mystic Medusa 293217
39 Astro Dispatch 326479
40 Astro Valley 351094
41 Constellations of Words 365031
42 Evolving Door 404659
43 Daykeeper Journal 447205
44 Noel Tyl 469929
45 Renaissance Astrology 495536
46 Vedic Astrology Center 524985
47 Astroguru India 530888
48 Jessica Adams 593462
49 Cosmic World 593521
50 Jupiter Meets Uranus 606339
51 Sky Writer 640993
52 The Mountain Astrologer 649958
53 Magi Astrology 660877
54 Dazzling Darkness 707937
55 India Astrology Horoscope 730341
56 Explore Astrology 732698
57 Justin Toper 737739
58 Astrology For The Soul 742917
59 The Mirror of Aphrodite 745782
60 Equinox Astrology 802710


LimoLand and Their Astrology Inspired Clothing

LimolandTrendy apparal company LimoLand is rolling out an astrology-inspired collection of clothing and has been asking artists to submit designs for their favorite astrology sign. For all you creatives out there who have an interest in participating, here are some of the details. The deadline is July 31. No procrastinating, Libra!!

 

Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and last but not least Pisces...these 12 Zodiac Signs give us great insight into our character, personality and the inherent qualities that we possess. 

In celebration of LimoLand's Zodiac inspired collection, Limoland's Founder, Jean Pigozzi, is inviting artists and designers from around the world to submit their most imaginative, fun, distinctive, original and cosmic Zodiac sign. If you're a Leo submit your ferocious Lion or if you're Cancer submit your most creative crustacean.

LimoLand and the Judges' Choice

Jean Pigozzi together with Barneys New York Creative Director Dennis Freedman and Founder LEITZES&CO Cary Leitzes will select 12 designs - one overall and an additional 11 - each of whom will represent one of the 12 Zodiac Signs. The overall winner will have their Zodiac design sold on LimoLand's official website under the 'SHOP' section.  In addition, the winner will receive:

 

  • $1,000
  • Exposure for their submission which will be displayed in the LimoLand store in New York's Meatpacking district and on LimoLand's Facebook page

 

An additional 11 winners, as selected by Jean Pigozzi and the judges, will be considered eligible for inclusion in LimoLand's upcoming 'Zodiac' collection. Additionally the winners will each receive:

  • $500
  • Exposure for their submission which will be displayed in the LimoLand store in New York's Meatpacking district and on LimoLand's Facebook page

People's Choice

The highest voted artist will receive:

Get Involved

Launch: May 6, 2013
Submit by:
July 31, 2013
Vote: August 1, 2013 - August 7, 2013
Winner(s) Announced: August 21, 2013

 

All phases close at 10am PST

 


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