The tier leaning ladder shelf makes a great display area for the kid’s room. Let them fill these shelves with all of the trophies of their school careers or just the toys they love. School storage can really be a problem for busy hands. Convenient ladder shelf storage is nice for, stuffed animals, notebooks and plants; it really comes in handy.

Have a passion for wicker furnishing? The ladder shelf with its three drawers is a lovely way to have extra storage. The open shelf and the enclosed shelf storage make an attractive addition to any room. Keep pens, paper, and Children toys in the pockets of some of the shelving.

Pesticides can have a cumulative effect on your pet, on other members of the household and on the environment. For that reason, many people prefer to avoid using them. Fortunately, there are effective ear mite home remedies available.

Even though ear mites are not dangerous in themselves, they are irritating to your pet. They directly cause around half of all ear infections as well as many cases of scratch wounds that can become infected.

You can create effective ear mite home remedies using essential oils, but first, you will need to remove as much as possible of the brown waxy or mealy debris that you will probably find in your pet's ears. Massage the ears to bring the debris up to the surface where you can wipe it off with damp cotton wool. If the ears are scratched, use plain water or a non-stinging antiseptic liquid mixed with water. If not, you can use diluted vinegar (one teaspoon vinegar to five teaspoons of warm water) on cotton wool.

If there are significant amounts of debris and you look at it closely, you will probably see live mites moving in it, so be sure to throw out the cotton wool immediately. If you don't see the mites, you may want to take a trip to the veterinarian's office in case the ear problem has a different cause.

Then you can use essential oils to treat the ears. Mix 1 tablespoon of almond oil or olive oil with 400 IU vitamin E liquid in a dropper bottle, and apply about 10 drops into each ear. Massage around the ear, let the pet shake its head and then clean with cotton wool – not Q-tips. Repeat on alternate days for three applications over six days, then leave a gap of three days and repeat the six day treatment.

Always make sure that the oil is at body temperature before using a dropper to get it into the ear canal. This will mean gently warming it, for example in a bain marie or over steaming water. Either use a thermometer to check the temperature or drop a little onto the inside of your wrist. It should not feel either cold or warm.

After this, move on to step two of the treatment. Mix 1 tablespoon water at body temperature with 10 drops of yellow dock root extract which you can find online or from health stores. Drop half of this mixture into each ear. Massage, let pet shake, and wipe clean.

You will need to continue the yellow dock root extract treatment every three days for a month. It takes that long for all of the mite eggs to cycle to a point where they will be susceptible to the treatment.

If you have other cats or dogs, be sure to treat them too. Even if they do not have symptoms yet, they very likely have some mites which will increase in number and spread right back to the pet you just treated with one of these ear mite home remedies.

How Do Natural Weight Loss Remedies work?

There are four main ways to lose weight:
1. Eat less.
2. Use more calories by exercising.
3. Use more calories by taking something that increases metabolic rate.
4. Digest less of what you eat, e.g. by taking something that blocks absorption of fat or carbohydrates.

Most natural weight loss products are like diet pills. The idea is that you can eat the same amount, exercise the same amount, and still lose weight because they work with method 3 or 4 above; or they act as an appetite suppressant so that you eat less without difficulty.

Unlike other diet pills, their claims may not be rigorously tested. This means that you may need to try them to find out if they work for you. Medical advice is recommended before using any type of weight loss remedies.

Hoodia Gordonii

Hoodia pills contain an extract from an African plant in the cactus family. It's an appetite suppressant that African people used to take so that they could carry less food on hunting trips. It won't help you to lose weight if you keep eating the same amount, but it can help you stick to a diet by making you less hungry. Use in conjunction with a healthy diet plan.

Green Tea

Green tea has been shown to help with weight loss in several studies. It appears to increase the metabolic rate without having a high level of caffeine. This means that you can eat the same amount and still lose weight. It's still important to track what you eat – it won't work if you replace the extra calories that you are burning by eating more!

Acai Berry

Pronounced 'ah-sigh-ee', this Brazilian palm tree berry has become very popular in the 21st century. It is claimed to have many properties including acting as an antioxidant and metabolism booster. Its antioxidant properties have been well researched, but its effect on weight loss is less clear.

Herbal Weight Loss Supplements

Herbal supplements for weight loss may contain several different ingredients:

- Dandelion root is a diuretic which helps if you have water retention. The effects will be short term (once you have lost excess water, it won't help you lose more weight).

- Boldo root is a mild laxative, helping food to pass through the system more quickly.

- Seaweed extracts contain iodine. If you are not getting enough iodine or have a sluggish thyroid, this may help you lose weight by regulating your metabolism.

Natural Weight Loss Pills

There are also natural weight loss remedies that claim to work as a fat binder. Fat binders can help you lose weight by surrounding fat cells in the stomach or intestine and carrying them through the system so that you excrete them undigested. This means that you do not absorb all of the calories that you eat.

Natural weight loss pills are usually made from fruit or vegetable fiber such as the fiber found in grapefruit or prickly pear. These are fruits that are claimed to help with weight loss. The pills may not be tested very thoroughly because they can be sold as a food supplement instead of a medication.

Some weight loss pills may also have the effect of speeding up the metabolism. These could contain coffee extracts, green tea extracts or other substances that have the same type of effect as caffeine. They could affect your sleep patterns and heart rate. Consult your doctor before taking these or other natural weight loss remedies.

If your itching is caused by something like a flea or mosquito bite, any other type of insect bite, or a reaction to a plant like poison ivy, you can sometimes stop the itching by pressing hard with a fingernail onto the bite or irritated area.

Hold the fingernail down for at least 10 seconds. With bites, you can press twice, making a visible X on the bite. It should be hard enough to feel a little painful. The nervous system will register the pain, and forget about the less important itching. When the pain passes, the itching will not come back right away. Distract yourself by doing something interesting and you could stay itch-free for a long time.

Another method recommended by some people is to use a hairdryer on the hot setting right up close to the bite, as hot as you can stand. This is claimed to kill the enzymes that cause itching from insect bites, but it has its dangers. You may fry any hairs in the area or burn the skin. Be very cautious if you use this method.

Of course, you probably would not want to try any such natural remedy for itching on very sensitive areas such as the sexual organs. When you have irritation there, it can be difficult to know what to do.

If it is a bite, you could use an antihistamine cream. If you have frequent itching in that area without an apparent cause, check what your underwear is made of and switch to pure cotton if you can. You may have an allergy to something in the fabric. If you live in a hot climate, your itching could be caused by sweat gathering. Loose cotton clothing can help with this problem.

It is also possible to be allergic to your laundry detergent or conditioner. If the itching is not only in the genital area but on other parts of the body too, try another brand.

For chronic itching and dry skin from allergies or conditions like eczema, try applying an oil that contains omega 3 essential fatty acids, such as flaxseed oil. Fish oil is another possibility but you might not like the smell!

In many cases you can also improve a chronic itching problem or even cure it by increasing the amount of omega 3 oil in your diet. For most people, this means eating more oily fish or taking a supplement.

Many people also find coconut oil to be a soothing natural remedy for itching. Coconut oil can be found in most health food stores. It is solid at temperatures below 76 degrees F (24 degrees C) so it often looks like a white grease instead of liquid oil.

Taking a warm shower can be a good natural remedy for itching. If you use soap, make it a very gentle brand for sensitive skin. After your shower, pat the skin dry with a towel and apply a thick moisturizer (the type that is recommended for people with eczema is best).

Before you try any natural remedy for itching, it is important to know what is causing the itching. If you don't know, you are just treating a symptom, not dealing with the problem itself. It may be something obvious like an insect bite and treating the itching is all that you need to do.

However, it could be something more serious ringworm or shingles which might need medical treatments, or an allergy which you should know about so that you can avoid the substance that you are allergic to. So check out the possible causes, even if you are happy to have found a natural remedy for itching here.

However, even though the idea of curing your depression without medication is attractive, please keep in mind that depression is a serious illness. There is also a possibility that your symptoms of depression may be caused by a physical disease. So it is important to at least discuss your symptoms with your doctor.

Having said that, let's consider some of the specific natural remedies for depression that you may have heard about, and perhaps some that you have not.

St John's Wort

This is one of the best known natural remedies for depression. St John's wort or Hypericum perforatum is a traditional herbal remedy for anxiety, sleep problems and feeling low. Research has shown that it can be an effective aid for mild to moderate depression, but does not relieve severe depression.

Like many medications, it can take around one month before you will feel the full benefit of it. Meanwhile, there can be several side effects including dizziness, indigestion, lower energy levels and higher sensitivity to sunlight. It can also interfere with the action of other medication including antidepressants, HIV drugs and the contraceptive pill. Don't take it without medical advice if you are on other medication or if you are pregnant, have bipolar disorder or have liver or kidney disease.

Folic acid

Folic acid or folate is a form of vitamin B that is naturally found in the diet, especially in green leafy vegetables. Many of us don't get enough in the diet or have reduced folate levels because of taking medications including oral contraceptives. A deficiency of folic acid has been linked with depression.

If you are deficient in this vitamin, taking a supplement may prove to be one of the most effective natural remedies for depression for you. However, it should not be taken along with prescribed antidepressants.

5HTP

5-hydroxytryptophan is a substance naturally produced in the body. It has an important place in the production of serotonin, which is a mood enhancer. The theory of 5HTP supplements is that it will help your body produce more serotonin, making you feel happier. Effectiveness and side effects are not very well researched. Not to be taken alongside prescribed medications.

Omega 3 Supplements

Omega 3 essential fatty acids are found in some foods such as oily fish and flaxseed. You can also buy supplements which may be made from fish oil or vegetarian sources. If you don't have enough omega 3 in your diet, and most Westerners don't, these supplements have been shown to reduce the symptoms of depression.

Omega 3 or fish oil supplements can usually be taken with other antidepressants and may increase their effectiveness (but talk to your doctor first). They should not be taken with medications that thin the blood such as warfarin and aspirin. Because of its blood thinning effect, omega 3 should not be taken for two weeks before and after surgical operations.

SAM-e

SAM-e or S-adenosyl-L-methionine is another supplement that works a little like 5HTP. It is becoming one of the most popular natural remedies for depression and is also believed to help with osteoarthritis. It can have side effects including constipation and upset stomach. It should not be taken if you have Parkinson's disease, bipolar disorder or anxiety disorder.

Finally, a word of warning. Some of these products are known to have just as many side effects as chemical medications, and with a herbal supplement it is often harder to know exactly how much you are taking. Therefore, it is a good idea to take medical advice of some kind before you begin. Always read labels and instructions carefully and follow their advice. This will help you to get the most benefit from natural remedies for depression with the minimum of risk.

In medical terms, if you just have trouble occasionally or do not have a bowel movement every day, you might not be diagnosed with constipation. The official definition is having small, dry, painful bowel movements less than three times a week. Nevertheless, most people consider that a daily bowel movement is healthy and will be concerned if they are having anything less than that.

If you just have a problem occasionally, you may want to consider natural remedies for constipation that you can buy from a health store or drug store. These often have senna pods as the active ingredient. This is an effective natural laxative.

However, be careful not to use it too often. The body can easily become 'addicted' to laxatives so that you cannot function without them. This means that in truth, the problem has become worse instead of better.

For a more permanent solution, you will need to supplement your diet with fiber. Fiber is an indigestible substance found in all plants. It forms a soft mass in the stomach that passes through the body, carrying other waste products with it to sweep them out through the bowel.

The best and most natural way to get more fiber is to add whole grains, vegetables and whole fruits to your diet. Choose whole grain bread instead of white bread, brown rice instead of white, etc. Eat fruit rather than drinking fruit juice (there is no fiber in the juice).

If changing your diet is really a problem for you, you can buy fiber supplements to use as natural remedies for constipation. One of the best is psyllium husk which you can find in capsule form. Take this in the morning and you should find it helps you to become regular within a couple of days.

Another natural fiber supplement is ground flaxseed (also known as linseed). The best way to use this is to buy whole seeds and grind them in a coffee grinder. Once they are ground, keep them in the refrigerator so that they do not become rancid.

Flaxseed contains plenty of fiber plus essential Omega 3 fatty acids. One tablespoon per day added to meals and dishes such as soups should help you. It acts as a thickener with a gloopy consistency when heated, so it needs to be mixed into something to be palatable.

Bran, which was once a popular fiber supplement, is no longer recommended because it leaches minerals from the body.

If you prefer to use whole foods to solve your constipation problem, dried fruits can be very effective. They contain all of the fiber of the whole fruit in an easily accessible form. You can simply soak some dried fruit such as prunes or apricots overnight in cold water, then eat them in the morning. This is one of the best known natural remedies for constipation and many people find it effective.

In this article we will look at how to deal with a pimple when it is there on your face or another part of the body. Of course there are wider issues of clearing up acne and preventing breakouts. For that you should probably consult a doctor who may prescribe medication. You can also consider lifestyle factors such as diet. But none of these things will help to clear up the pimple that is bothering you right now. So let's go ahead and see what you can do to dry up that nasty zit.

Most acne pimples are caused by a blockage of the hair follicle or duct. If they are superficial, they are usually called either blackheads (where the follicle is plugged but not infected) or whiteheads if there is an infection.

Cystic acne is another type of infected pimple but the infection is deeper in the skin, like a boil. Acne can also be caused by other skin conditions such as rosacea. It is always useful to know what type of acne you have before you start treating it with natural pimple remedies. Ask your doctor or dermatologist.

For infected pimples, you can try a natural antiseptic. Tea tree oil preparations work well, but do not put undiluted tea tree oil on the skin because it is too strong and is very likely to damage the skin. Instead, you can buy natural pimple remedies that are based on tea tree oil as the active ingredient.

You can also try aloe vera gel, which has a similar effect. Aloe vera is a common houseplant so you can even grow this. When you need it, you can break off a leaf and rub the gel straight onto the pimple. Or you can buy natural pimple remedies with aloe vera.

A popular home remedy for many types of acne is salicylic acid. This is sold in tablet form as aspirin. A simple way to use it is to take a soluble or regular uncoated aspirin tablet and dissolve it in a little water to make a paste. Use clean fingers or a Q-tip to apply the aspirin paste directly to the affected area.

You can also use an aspirin mask on a larger area for blackheads. Leave it for 15-30 minutes, then gently wipe off with warm water.

If you decide to try this, be sure that you have aspirin, not some other type of pain killer. Also, test first on a hidden area of skin such as behind the ear, to make sure that you do not have a bad reaction. Be aware that salicylic acid can dry out the skin too. Nevertheless, it is one of the most popular natural pimple remedies that you will find.

In this article we will look at some popular household remedies that DON'T work and are (in our humble opinion) just a waste of time and money or even downright dangerous, so that you can steer clear of them.

Rubbing Butter On A Burn

Did your grandmother tell you to rub butter, grease or anything else on a burn? Don't do it! It's a myth to think that this can help. In fact, it may even harm by keeping the heat in the area and helping bacteria to grow.

The best thing for a burn or scald is running cold water over it. Don't use ice or very cold water, that could cause further damage to the skin. Remove loose clothing that might touch and irritate the burn, but don't try to take off any clothes that are stuck to it. Call for medical help if severe.

Whiskey For Toothache

Grandma (or maybe grandpa) also used to tell us that whiskey was good for taking away the pain of toothache. Not true! Rubbed on the gum, it will not do more than dull superficial pain for a few seconds. If your pain is deeper, it will not help at all.

Instead of using alcoholic household remedies, it's better to use an oral antiseptic gel for gum pain and see your doctor or dentist for deeper pain. You could have a serious infection that could cost you your tooth without urgent need dental work.

Back in the day, people even used to use whiskey as one of the household remedies for babies' teething pain! Never do this. Babies shouldn't be taking alcohol in any form. Give them a chilled teething toy to chew, and ask your health care professional for advice if the child's discomfort continues.

Colloidal Silver For Many Diseases And Conditions

There has been a lot of hype around the use of colloidal silver to treat a number of diseases and conditions in recent years. You may see it recommended among household remedies on the internet for anything from fungal infections to cancer. But don't believe the hype.

There is no significant research to show that colloidal silver helps with anything at all. In fact, it is toxic. Our body has no need of silver and no way to dispose of it, so it collects in the organs. It frequently turns people's skin grey, and could lead to damage of the kidneys, brain or nervous system, even causing death.

All of these household remedies are best avoided if you want to stay safe. In addition, there are many herbal or natural remedies that may be effective but can have side effects. Well known herbs like aconite and comfrey can be poisonous in large quantities. So to be safe, always see a doctor or qualified natural health practitioner to treat your illness. Do not prescribe household remedies for yourself.

Of course, you can buy chemical treatments from the drugstore, but there are two possible problems with these. The first is that the lice may become immune to them, so they are not as effective as they once were. The second is that you just might not want to put poisonous chemicals on your family's scalp, to be absorbed into their young bodies. For these reasons, many people are turning to natural head lice remedies instead.

In fact, it's not necessary to use any products at all. You can simply shampoo, comb out the nits (lice eggs) and search and destroy any live lice with tweezers. This is probably the most natural and time tested solution to head lice and it is one that is recommended by the National Pediculosis Association (yes, there's an association for louse infestations!)

Combing and tweezing has two disadvantages over other methods, however. The first is that it takes time and requires a lot of patience from both parent and child. It's not a lot of fun doing this to a squirming, complaining or crying kid. The second problem is that you may not get all of the lice the first time around, so they have a chance to spread to other family members or other kids in school.

A popular home remedy for head lice is to use a greasy substance like mayonnaise to suffocate the lice. You will need a jar of regular mayonnaise (not low fat) at room temperature – not straight from the refrigerator. Apply it in handfuls all over the hair, making sure to cover all areas. Leave for two hours with a shower cap over the head to stop it from dripping, then wash out with a couple of applications of regular shampoo. Repeat after 7 days.

If you prefer, you can use vaseline instead of mayonnaise. It may be less messy and it can be left on overnight. (You can't do that with mayonnaise because of the risk of salmonella developing in the unchilled mayonnaise, and being eaten by the child.) But vaseline is harder to remove from the hair. You may need to use several applications of dishwashing liquid instead of shampoo and leave it on for a while each time before rinsing.

You will still need to deal with the eggs. You can begin by rinsing clean, wet hair with vinegar to loosen the eggs, then comb them out with a nit comb. When the hair is dry, check it carefully for remaining eggs. If there are just a few, the easiest way to get rid of them is to cut off the individual hairs that they are stuck to. Keep checking every day – any missed eggs will grow and become easier to see.

You may hear other parents talking about using dog shampoo on kids with head lice. This is just stupid. You wouldn't feed your kids on dog food, so why wash them with dog shampoo? It contains the same kind of insecticidal chemicals as kids' anti lice shampoos, but it also has other chemicals that are not safe for kids. So you might as well just use a child's head lice product from the drugstore that will at least be FDA tested for use on children.

Another thing that you may hear about as a purported home remedy for head lice is kerosene. Please, do not use this highly flammable fuel on your hair or on your kids' hair. It's toxic, it will be absorbed through the scalp and could poison you.

Also, there is a risk that somebody with kerosene on their hair will go near a fire or a cigarette, catch on fire and have severe head and facial burns, probably scarring themselves for life. So please, never use kerosene as a home remedy for head lice or anything else.

The bad news about the herpes simplex virus is that once you have it, you cannot get rid of it. It will always be latent in your body, waiting for a moment when your immune system is low to strike you with a new outbreak. This can be at times of stress or when the immune system is busy dealing with another illness. The blisters around your mouth are called 'cold sores' by some people because they often appear when you have just had a cold, flu or another virus.

But the good news is that you can often prevent outbreaks and become symptom-free. The best way to do this is to stay healthy, with a good diet based around plenty of fruits and vegetables. Avoid stress by practising meditation and other stress reduction techniques.

You can get prescription medications, but they don't work for everybody. There are plenty of natural remedies that you can try, after taking appropriate medical advice. Here are some home remedies for herpes that may help to prevent sores forming.

- Lysine: this is an amino acid that has an important role in preventing herpes sores. It occurs naturally in the diet but can also be supplemented for short periods (e.g. you might start taking it when you feel yourself getting a flu-type illness).

Lysine seems to work by blocking arginine, another amino acid that feeds the herpes virus. You can help your body fight herpes all of the time by eating more foods high in lysine (especially beans/legumes except for soy; also meat, fruit and vegetables) and avoiding foods that are high in arginine (e.g. chocolate, nuts, wheat, soy).

- Zinc – a mineral supplement that boosts the immune system has been shown to help control herpes in several studies. Be careful not to take too much zinc, as it can be toxic in large quantities. Good with vitamin C, especially if you are feeling run-down.

- Licorice has anti-viral properties. Take licorice root tea regularly to help keep outbreaks away.

- Many people say that if they apply lemon juice to the area when they first feel the tingling that comes before a blister around the mouth, the blister never develops. This is probably an effect of vitamin C and you might want to increase your vitamin C intake at the same time.

There are also several home remedies for herpes that you may want to use topically when you have an outbreak of sores:

- Zinc sulfate creams seem to help heal sores and stop them growing.

- Lemon balm (melissa) can act as an anti-viral against the herpes simplex virus. Look for lemon balm essential oil or a cream prepared from lemon balm/melissa extracts to treat sores. If using the essential oil, apply it with a clean Q-tip to prevent possible damage to surrounding skin.

- Tea tree oil and aloe vera juice are natural remedies that may help to heal all types of lesions, including fever blisters and genital herpes sores. Again, if you are using undiluted essential oil, keep it away from surrounding skin in these sensitive areas of the body.

Hint: when using Q-tips to apply anything to your sores, take a clean one each time and throw them away immediately after. Don't use the same Q-tip to treat more than one sore with home remedies for herpes.