Pruning encourages the plant to grow, so the best time to trim the plant is at the very start of the growing season, which occurs during spring and summer. This way, the new growth will make your plant look full and healthy. If you like, you can prune your plant after it finishes blooming, instead, but since the pruning will cause the plant to grow, it's best to do at the start of the growing season. Plumeria typically blooms from April through November in the northern hemisphere, and February through April in the southern hemisphere. You don't have to wait for a certain season to prune off unsightly branches. Trim them off of the plant as close to the base as you can get, using the same technique as you would for pruning. When you're pruning plumeria, you can use a knife, pruning shears, or a small saw. Older plumeria especially can get very woody, so a sharp tool is necessary to get a clean cut. Wear gardening gloves to protect your hands and improve your grip. For most plumeria plants, pruning shears are ideal. However, a pruning saw is a good option if you'll be cutting thicker plumeria branches, while a sharp knife would be ideal if you're pruning a younger, smaller plumeria plant. You can prevent the spread of harmful bacteria into the cuts by wiping the blade with rubbing alcohol before you start cutting as well as in between cuts. Plumeria is extremely tolerant to cutting, and it can be cut all the way back to a 12in (30cm) stem without harming the plant. Feel free to cut off any limbs or branches that are in your way or that you don't think look very good. The only way you can over-prune your plant is to cut it all the way to the ground. When you're getting ready to cut, locate the small knot at the base of a branch. This is the branch collar and is a part of the tree, and you should not cut it. Don't cut a limb in the middle of the branch; this is called topping and will not encourage new growth. Angling your cuts will help prevent standing water, which can promote the growth of fungus on the plumeria. The fungus leads to tip rot, which can eventually kill your plant. In addition to protecting the original plumeria plant, cutting the limbs at an angle will give them more surface area to grow roots if you're planning on propagating them. If you do notice water collecting on the tips, treat them with a fungicide.
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One-sentence summary -- Prune your plumeria in the early spring. Remove dead or diseased branches whenever you see them. Use a sharp, sanitized tool to make the cuts. Prune off any unsightly or overgrown branches. Make your cut about 1in (2.5cm) from the base of the limb. Make your cuts at a 45 angle to the branch.

Ensure that you get dried herbs for your soap. Some popular choices are lavender, chamomile, lemongrass, or oakmoss. Make sure you know who will be using your soap as some people may be more sensitive or even allergic to certain herbs. Each soap batch should use about a cup of dried herbs. While essential oils come from the roots, stems, flowers, and seeds of plants, their aroma can be artificially produced. Use about 15-20 drops of oil, or around a teaspoon, for a batch of this size. Cinnamon and cocoa powder create brown soap, powdered chlorophyll creates green, turmeric creates yellow, while beetroot makes an orange soap. Food coloring doesn't hold up well in soap so it's best to stick to natural colors.. Be aware that colors may change during the process, like magenta beet powder turning yellowish orange. Choose your materials based on their healing properties. For example, a lemon scent is said to aid concentration while calming and clarifying someone who feels angry, anxious, or worn out. Mix and match your ingredients for your desired effect. Lavender is said to aid with emotional stress while rosemary is said to give energy, improve memory, and fight exhaustion, headaches and mental fatigue.Cinnamon aids concentration and focus while peppermint is said to boost energy and increase concentration.
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One-sentence summary -- Pick up dried herbs from your local craft store or online. Get oils from your local craft store or online. Stick to natural colors rather than adding artificial coloring. Understand how aromatherapy works.

The real trick to motivating yourself to exercise is to not think about it, and just throw yourself into it. Taking action and getting moving can stimulate a response in you emotionally and encourage you to keep at it. You might be dreading going for a run or lifting some weights, but generally once you're going your feelings will change. Exercise allows more oxygen into your brain, which in turn releases more chemicals that make you feel good. Once you're exercising you will have more positive feelings, and your mood will improve. This is why exercise is a great natural anti-depressant, and is often recommended for people suffering from mild depression. One of the most important factors in maintaining your motivation is finding something that you actually enjoy doing. Exercise shouldn't be a chore that you have to force yourself to do. It might start out like that, but finding forms of exercise that you like will make a huge difference in getting motivated. Keep an open mind and try new things. Don't be put off by the memory of freezing cold cross-country runs when you were at school there's more to exercise than this. You could do anything from a ballroom dancing class, to badminton, horse riding, or martial arts. When you find something fun, keep it in your routine, but still look for some variety. This won't be possible for everyone, but if you live within running or cycling distance to where you work, turn your commute into part of your exercise routine. Often people struggle to put time aside to exercise, but by exercising on your way to and from work you are being active without having to set aside any extra time. Running or cycling to and from work will also help you clear your mind in preparation for, or to recover from, a stressful day in the office. Cycling to work is a great workout and will help you get into the habit of cycling and exercising more generally. If you are busy it can be tough to find time to exercise, but you are more likely to stick to it if you firmly book it into your schedule. Go through your diary carefully and try to carve out a regular window that is free most weeks, if not every week. If you do exercise at the same time and on the same days every week, you have a better chance of maintaining it. Sooner or later the exercise will become as deeply embedded in your schedule as everything else. You'll even find yourself looking forward to it as a break from the everyday grind. Habits and routines take a while to form, but they can be very powerful once they are in place. A good way to get more exercise in your day is just to add in little bits of physical activity whenever you can. Making small changes can add up to a big change in the long-term, as well as helping you change your outlook and get more used to being physically active. Some examples of small changes you can make include: Taking the stairs instead of using the elevator Walking or cycling to the shops instead of driving Taking a brisk walk when you have a break at work Put yourself in a position where you have to walk and don't think about it being a form of exercise. This could be done by getting off the bus a few stops earlier to home or work, or by walking anywhere you can in a reasonable distance such as to the grocery store, school, the post office, or a friend's house. For example, you could park further from stores so that you have further to walk to start shopping. The more often you do this the easier it will become as you get used to it.
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One-sentence summary --
Take the plunge. Have fun. Turn your commute into exercise. Try to exercise at the same time each day. Punctuate your day with physical activity. Use walking as a form of stealth exercise.