CLEANING

1. Soft scrub - clean tubs and sinks with a homemade soft scrub made with baking soda, Lemon essential oil and water. Here's an easy homemade soft scrub recipe.

2. Pots and pans - clean cookware gently, yet effectively with a paste of baking soda and water. Just soak cookware for 15 minutes in a sink full of water with 3 tbsp of baking soda. This works really well for stainless steel pots and pans with cooked-on food or black burn marks.

3. Coffee pots, carafes and coffee makers - Add 1/4 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of warm water to a coffee pot. Swirl around until the baking soda dissolves. Let sit for 20 minutes. (If cleaning a coffee maker, pour the baking soda water mixture into the reserve part of the machine, return the coffee pot under the drip, and turn on the coffee maker. This will help to clean the whole coffee maker.) Wash the coffee pot or carafe as needed.

4. Stove tops and appliances - make a paste of baking soda and water. Add a few drops of Lemon essential oil. Scrub stove tops and appliances to remove cooked-on food, grease, grime, etc.

5. Drains - pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, then pour 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar. The mixture will bubble and help to clean the drain. After 20-30 minutes, rinse the drain with hot water for a minute to rinse away dirt.

6. Cutting boards - sprinkle 2-3 tbsp of baking soda, 2 drops of Thieves essential oil and a little water to make a paste to sanitize and deodorize cutting boards. This is great especially after fish, garlic, onion, and other foods with a strong odor. The Thieves oil helps to kill germs.

7. Produce - clean dirt and debris off fruit and vegetables, such as grapes, radishes, and tomatoes. Soak produce in a sink full of water, 3-5 drops of Lemon essential oil and 2 tsp of baking soda. The Lemon oil will help to sanitize, while the baking soda will gently scrub away dirt and debris.

8. Silverware - soak silverware in a sink full of hot water and 1/2 cup of baking soda for 30 minutes. You can even make a paste with baking soda and water to clean individual pieces of silverware gently.

9. Refrigerator and freezer - leave a box of baking soda (add a couple of drops of Lemon essential oil) in the back of the fridge and freezer to soak up odors and keep it smelling fresh.

10. Carpets and rugs - add 5 drops of Purification essential oil to 1/2 cup of baking soda. Sprinkle mixture on carpets and let sit for 30 minutes, then vacuum it up. Both the baking soda and Purification oil helps to neutralize odors.

11. Laundry - add 5 drops of Purification essential oil to 1/2 cup of baking soda. Add the mixture to laundry, and add detergent. Wash as usual. Both the baking soda and Purification oil helps to neutralize odors - and it works really well for stinky clothes, such as gym clothes or sports jerseys.

12. Washing machine - add 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda and 3 drops of Lemon essential oil to an empty washing machine. Set machine to "tub clean" or other setting for cleaning the machine.

13. Dishwasher - add 2-3 tbsp of baking soda to the soap dispenser in an empty dishwasher and set to a light wash (or check the instructions on your machine). Add a few drops of Citrus Fresh or Lemon essential oil for a fresh scent.

14. Trash cans - sprinkle 1 tbsp of baking soda and 1 drop of Purification essential oil to the bottom of trash cans in the kitchen and bathrooms to neutralize odors.

15. Litter box - sprinkle 1-2 tbsp of baking soda in a litter box to get rid of odors and keep it clean.

16. Closets - add 5 drops of Thieves essential oil to a box of baking soda and store in the back of a linen or clothes closet to neutralize odors and keep mold at bay.

17. Toothpaste - make your own DIY toothpaste with baking soda and Thieves essential oil. Here's an easy squeezable toothpaste recipe from Homemade Mommy.

18. Mouthwash - mix 1/2 cup of filtered water with 1/2 tsp of baking soda and a drop of Peppermint essential oil to freshen breath. Here's my even simpler DIY mouthwash recipe.

19. Toothbrushes and retainers - mix 1 tsp of baking soda, 1 drop of Thieves essential oil and 1 cup of water and soak toothbrushes, retainers, mouth guards, and other dental devices to sanitize, clean and kill germs.

20. Natural tooth whitener - make a paste with 1/2 tsp of baking soda and about 1-2 tbsp of water. Spread mixture on teeth and leave on for a couple of minutes. Brush teeth to remove paste and rinse well. This is best a couple times a week (rather than every day) as the baking soda can be too abrasive for daily use. You can also try oil pulling to naturally whiten teeth, which is gentler and can be done every day.

21. Deodorant - make your own homemade natural deodorant with baking soda, arrowroot powder, bentonite clay and coconut oil.

22. Shampoo - wash your hair with baking soda and water instead of shampoo. Here's a tutorial on the No Poo method over at The Crunchy Moose. After washing your hair with baking soda, use apple cider vinegar to condition hair naturally.

23. Foot soak - add 3-4 tbsp of baking soda to a small tub of water and 4-5 drops of Lavender essential oil (fragrant and relaxing) and Peppermint essential oil (invigorating) to soak feet. You can even make a paste with baking soda and water to gently exfoliate feet to make them soft.

24. Detox bath - add 3-4 drops of essential oil to a mixture of 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cup of Epsom salt and 1 tbsp of almond oil (or your favorite carrier oil.

25. Facial scrub - mix baking soda and water to make a paste for a gentle exfoliant that makes your skin feel super soft. Here's a DIY facial scrub recipe with baking soda and essential oils.

26. Dry shampoo - sprinkle 1/4 tsp (or less) of baking soda on the roots where needed.

27. Blackheads - mix 1 tsp of baking soda with 1 cup of hot water. Hold a dry towel over the head to tent in steam of baking soda/water mixture. This helps to draw out blackheads for extractions.

28. Sunburn relief - add 1 cup of baking soda and 4 drops of Lavender essential oil to a warm bath. Soak for 20 minutes, and then come out and dry as usual. For toddlers and kids, use less baking soda - about 1/4 cup for kids under 5 and 1/2 cup for kids 5-10.

29. Insect bite relief - make a paste with 1/2 tsp baking soda and water. Add 1 drop of 

Purification essential oil

 to ease the itchiness of an insect bite.

30. Splinters - add 1 tbsp of baking soda to 1/2 cup of water and 3 drops of Lavender essential oil. Soak the area with the splinter in the baking soda mixture 2-3 times a day for about 5 minutes each.

Sometimes referred to as "Fertility Awareness" or "Natural Family Planning", fertility charting is based on the understanding that we can identify the fertile window- the days when conception is possible- by observing our natural fertility signals.

In each cycle there are just a few days that make up the fertile window.

Fertility charting with Fertility Friend thus involves observing and recording your fertility signs so that you can easily see your daily fertility status and identify your most fertile time. It is highly effective because your body provides clues (fertility signs) that tell you about your fertility status throughout your cycle.

A few minutes daily: Fertility Friend is extremely accurate. Based on your observations (it only takes a few minutes each day) Fertility Friend analyzes your data and provides you with an accurate interpretation of your fertility signs.

Fertility Friend provides easy to follow educational videos as well as more in-depth resources to help you understand your body signals. Benefit from the wealth of information that your fertility signs provides!

Your fertility is driven by your hormones. The image above shows you the relationship between your ovulation and period and a typical hormonal profile.

Fertility Friend helps you relate your observation of external fertility signs (such as Basal Body Temperature (BBT) and Cervical Fluid) to your hormonal profile to determine precisely your fertile window.

Your observations are collected on a Fertility Chart that Fertility Friend annotates with its analysis of your data. This chart becomes a dashboard of your current fertility status. It helps you both understand your cycle and predict your future cycle by comparing your very own patterns. Fertility Friend provides both tools and education for you to explore and understand your fertility signals:

1. ASPCA Mobile App (free)

The ASPCA mobile app stores and manages your pet's health records, delivers breaking news about animal welfare, includes a step-by-step guide for finding a lost pet, and tells pet parents what to do to take care of pets in case of a natural disaster.

2. Tagg (free)

Tagg offers a free app that syncs with their GPS Pet Tracker. Through the app, pup parents can track their dog's location and activity level. Should the worst happen and a dog get lost, the Tagg offers in-app driving directions to the pet's location.

3. PetTech PetSaver App ($3.99)

The PetSaver app from PetTech includes detailed instructions for CPR and first aid procedures, as well as lists of foods, plants and substances toxic to pets.

4. American Red Cross Pet First Aid App ($0.99)

Another comprehensive first aid app, the American Red Cross pet first aid app includes instructions for handling common emergencies, tools to find the closest vet or 24-hour animal hospital, advice on giving medication, and more.