The answer to this tree hug quiz is Tea Tree.

I use tea tree oil a lot. The other day I was thinking, so… “Is there really a tea tree?” I looked it up, thinking I’d find a shrub or small plant, but there is a tea tree. It’s native to Australia and while the tree resembles a shrub, it’s a tree.

Tea tree essential oil is a great all-purpose oil. You can use it for tons of stuff and it’s *safe for the whole family. Tea tree has properties that allow it to work as an antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral application. It can be used to treat acne, sunburns, athlete’s foot, toothache, colds, and more.

Here’s one basic use:

If you have the flu or a bad cold a mixture of 5-6 drops tea tree essential oil, 3 drops lavender, and 2 drops thyme in a nice warm bath can help. Alternatively you can add the mixture to a very wet loofa or washcloth and use in the shower. This mix helps to sooth achy muscles, clear sinuses, and relax your body. I like to use organic essential oils but you can use basic oils – they do go through more processing though.

To learn more about tea tree and it’s uses, take a look at the following resources:

The many uses of tea tree. This site has some nice recipes too.

About the tree.

Purchase organic tea tree oil at Florame.

*Please note that I’m not a licensed aromatherapist. If you decide to use essential oils, make sure you know a little something about essential oils, and how to use them safely. Always do a little dab test before applying oil to large parts of your body. If you don’t know what a dab test is, don’t use essential oils until you get yourself a good essential oil use book or talk to a professional holistic health care professional. I suggest this book as a good way to start learning about essential oils.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

In exchange — a cool nature experiment.

This experiment is fun for kids and uses stuff you likely have around the house.

You need:

• Dried beans (maybe six or so)
• A milk carton
• Soil from your garden or yard
• Plaster of Paris

Prep work:

1. Soak your beans overnight in clean water.
2. Wash out your milk carton, cut the top off, and fill it half way with soil.

The experiment process:

1. Water your soil in the milk carton until it’s fully wet but not oozing water — it should feel like a wet sponge.
2. Plant your beans about 3/4 of an inch deep in the soil. (make sure to plant them a bit apart so they can grow).
3. Make your Plaster of Paris mixture. To make it correctly you can follow directions on the container; but you really only need a little bit so you can just spoon a bit out and add water until you get a mixture that’s paste-like but still easy to pour.
4. Pour a thin layer of your plaster mixture over the top of the soil until it’s all the way covered.

Wait a few days and see what happens.

For more cool kid-friendly experiments that involve plants, sun,. and soil check out Gardening Wizardry for Kids by L. Patricia Kite.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family