Lessons with Mrs. Belmont

Sometimes it is good to read blogs. Like today. You may have been wondering to yourself, "Hmm... I wonder what are some other uses for Milk of Magnesia?" or maybe "Hmmm... is everything I see on Pinterest a good idea to try at home?"

Well, you've come to the right place.
Today is your day. It's time to learn. :)

QUESTION #1: What are some non-traditional deodorizing techniques in order to avoid the nasty aluminum found in commercial deodorants which is commonly linked to Alzheimer's and other diseases?

Answer: According to recent Internet research, you can use various non-traditional methods such as (1) making your own deodorant stick with all-natural ingredients, (2) use Milk of Magnesia [yes, THAT Milk of Magnesia] applied with a cotton ball, or even (3) dab a few drops of essential oils on your underarms and dust with baking soda or arrowroot powder.

QUESTION #2: Have you tried using Milk of Magnesia? What is it like?

Answer: Milk of Magnesia is a great substitute for deodorant and leaves you feeling (and smelling) pretty fresh! It does not really have a smell of its own, so a splash of body spray can give you a scent if you are used to a scented deodorant.

QUESTION #3: Would you recommend using essential oil with baking soda?

Answer: NO! RUN FOR THE HILLS! IT'S A TRICK!
Well, at least if you are using peppermint essential oil (which is the only type with which the author of this particular blog has experimented)...

Okay, that's enough Q&A for now.

TRUE STORY: The other day, after many successful trials with Milk of Magnesia, I decided to experiment with the peppermint essential oils that I had picked up from Whole Foods in order to decide which option I preferred. I dabbed a few drops of peppermint oils on a cloth and applied them to my underarms, afterward finishing with a pleasant dusting of arrowroot powder. "Man, this is tingling!" I said to Belmont. "OOOoohhh!! Ack! This is REALLY tingly! Oww..." I said next, as he laughed at my deodorant experiments. "OH MY GOODNESS! THIS IS BURNING MY SKIN OFF!!!!!!!!!!!" I could not get the burning to stop. Ouch. I jumped into the shower and tried to rinse it off like crazy, but to no avail. Belmont later tried to put shaving cream on it (that's soothing, right), gave me some butter to rub on the burn (it was the fattiest thing I could think of in the house, and semi-worked), and later we sprayed some burn cream on it. OUCH! DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! I think that stuff is supposed to be d.i.l.u.t.e.d... Aren't you glad I tried that for you so that you weren't in harm's way? As Belmont said at the end of my sad groaning, with a laugh and a sideways I-told-you-natural-remedies-are-weird grin at me, "Soooo... I guess we can say that this is a natural remedy that doesn't work?" Ha! Yes, funny husband. I think I would say so. :)

In other news, there are awesome recipes on Pinterest as well. Take for example "Martha Stewart's Tub Scrub." Here is how you make a batch of your own:

1 c. baking soda
1 tsp. liquid dish soap
a few drops of essential oils
Water to make a paste

I used the whole batch, but I also cleaned two showers, two bathroom floors, and a stove top. You could make a half-batch or store the rest in a cute Mason jar if you didn't use the whole batch at once. Anyway, this stuff is incredible!! Apparently (as I've learned from my research and remembered from past cleaning), many of the chemicals in commercial cleaning products are "downers" and lead to short-term episodes of depression or fatigue. I used peppermint oil in my batch (... I just had some laying around...) and it made me feel so energized! I felt really great and happy the whole time that I was cleaning.

I can also say that it WORKS. I used to clean houses and office buildings as a part-time job while I was in school and one of my least favorite parts were showers and (especially) shower doors. I had one client that was c.r.a.z.y. about her shower doors. And they also happened to be shower doors from hell. We used a different product almost every month to try to lift the soap scum and nothing really worked. As I can testify, however, your shower doors will look amazing!! I thought that our shower doors were frosted. That was apparently not the case. (Yikes!) They are looking gorgeous right now and I cannot get over the fact that the recipe is so genius and so inexpensive.

Try it!

And thus concludes this episode of "Lessons with Mrs. Belmont." Tune in next time for more silly adventures and tips from our host, the lovely Mrs. Belmont!