Aloe Vera

All this time we have lived at our parents house in the countryside. It has been lovely, no words can express. But it is time that we spent at least part of the week in Riga, our city apartment. We've been "visiting" couple of times already for one or two nights at the time, bringing "stuff" along. We didn't really manage to inhabit the place before baby arrived, so now we try to make it more cosy with each visit.
Next visit- plants! And first and most important plant that will live in our apartment will be.. (imagine drums and orchestra here) ALOE VERA!!! (Applause!)

This is amazing window sill inhabitant and should live in every house. I got mine from my mom, so it's already 3 years old with more babies growing in the pot. 3-5 year old plants are ready to use as home medicine. During the travel from it's previous spot to a bag two "fat" leaves broke. No no, I am not sad about it at all! I'm actually happy, because it's time for some home made medicine on green carpet.
So here's what I did with it:

• I cleaned the leaves, sliced each one on half and chopped in tiny bits. 
• I placed the chopped aloe vera in a glass jar and covered with honey. The proportion is 1:1. 
• Then- closed the lid and placed in a dark place, best in the fridge. 

After couple of days it will be ready to use in case of cough, colds, weakness. If you add lemon juice and hot water to this mix, you can drink it as energy boosting tea. Just remember not to do it in the evening, it can have an effect like coffee!

Another natural remedy use-

• Simply cut the leave and use the juice to treat dry, rough, chapped skin. 
• It is antibacterial and regenerative, it also reduces pain, so it's wonderful to treat cuts and bruises.
• It can cool and treat sunburns and other burns.
• Good to use on furuncules and purulent wounds.
• You can put it also on insect bites to heal. 
• It is good to treat various problems of digestive apparatus
• Aloe Vera is improving liver cell operation.
• It has anti-cancerous properties and strengthens immunity. 
• It has anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.
• It contains many vitamins- D, A, C, E, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, beta carotene, minerals, amino-acids, ferments, enzymes etc. 

What else I could have done with it? Home made cosmetics! Before using you should cover whole leave in foil and then some paper to make it really dark for the leave inside the "package" and place in the fridge for at least few days, better couple weeks. Then it is ready to use. How to use it?

• Cut the leave and cover your face and neck with the juice instead of a cream couple of times a week.
• Mix with honey and egg yolk for a nice, softening face or hair mask. 
• Mix with honey, lemon juice, olive oil for another hair mask. 

In the apartment where space is limited you must choose wisely how to use it. And when it comes to plants, isn't that wonderful that they can be more than just something green and good looking?