DIY Toothpaste

Save money & make it at home!!!!

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp baking soda
1 Tbsp vegetable-based glycerin
1 Tbsp hydrogen peroxide
6 drops peppermint
Stevia, to taste (optional)

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and place in an airtight container. 

Enjoy!

Lip Exfoliation Recipe ~ Get Baby Soft Lips Anytime!!!

My grand-daughter, Katie Rae, with perfectly soft
& kissable lips!

What you'll need:

1 tsp sugar
1 to 1 1/2 tsp honey
1/4 to 1/2 tsp olive oil

STEP 1:  Using a spoon, combine all ingredients in a bowl until you've created a paste.

STEP 2:  Apply to lips in a circular motion, taking about 30 seconds to one minute to apply, to ensure complete exfoliation.

STEP 3: Wipe off excess paste with a paper towel or tissue, then use a warm, wet washcloth to finish cleaning off the rest.

STEP 4: Dry lips. All done!!! Your lips should feel amazingly smooth and free of dry skin!

*Apply a dab or two of the plain olive oil,  just like you'd apply lip balm, so lips feel supple. This can be done anytime your lips feel dry, whether or not you've exfoliated.

For other beauty ideas using Olive Oil, check out this makeup removal idea....

Homemade Waxing Supplies

For under $10.00 you can purchase enough
 supplies to last quite a long time.

Waxing at home is simple & inexpensive if you have the right equipment. Once you've got your Homemade Sugar Waxing Recipe made, you'll need just a few more items to make this a relaxing & effortless experience.

This is a basic list with no details on size or brand. I purchased the jumbo craft sticks (Above, left) at the craft store along with the popsicle sticks. (Center) The sticks on the far right are wooden coffee stirrers. You can buy these by the hundreds, if desired. The fabric is just plain muslin, purchased at the fabric store. One yard will go a LONG way! Make sure you've washed & dried the fabric once you get it home, as some fabrics have a residue on them which resembles Scotch Guard. (This inhibits the absorption you'll need from the fabric.) My small strip was cut straight, while most purchased muslin strips have an edge that resembles small teeth, which can be achieved with some pinking shears.

Now of course, you can go ahead and purchase any of these items from the beauty supply store, if desired.

Wooden sticks

Cornstarch

Muslin strips

Mild Cleanser

Baby Oil

Aloe Vera or similar product to soothe & cool

STEP 1: Use the mild cleanser first to clean the area of dirt & oils.

STEP 2: Dust a light coating of cornstarch over the area. This will help absorb any remaining oil your skin has produced, causing the wax to adhere solely to the hair, not your skin! (This really helps with the ouch! factor when the strip is pulled off.)

STEP 3: Apply warmed wax to the area with the wooden applicator of your choice. Apply the wax in the direction that the hair grows. Don't apply wax to an area any larger than your muslin strip!

STEP 4: Apply muslin strip, rubbing over the area to insure it adheres to the wax sufficiently.

STEP 5: Quickly remove muslin strip in the opposite direction of hair growth. (Rip it off! FAST!!) Repeat as necessary.

STEP 6: Once the area is free of hair, use the baby oil to remove any wax residue.

STEP 7: Use your mild cleanser once again to wash off the baby oil.

STEP 8: Apply Aloe Vera to any areas that require soothing/cooling. A cool rag works well if you have no Aloe Vera.

Homemade Sugar Scrub ~ A Sweet Treat..from head to feet!

Candy Cane Sugar Scrub on left.
Candy Cane Bath Salt on the right.

A homemade Sugar Scrub is just about the easiest homemade beauty recipe. It can take as little as two ingredients, or more if you want to add a little personality to yours.

What you'll need:

1 cup oil (Mild cooking oil, OR baby oil, OR glycerine, OR honey. All work just fine.)

1 cup sugar (Regular table sugar, not super-fine. Brown sugar works great, too)

STEP 1: Combine the two ingredients thoroughly.

STEP 2: Add 1-2 drops of essential oil, if you want a smell. Add coloring, if you want color. 

STEP 3: Scoop some sugar scrub into your hand and massage gently into your skin. Leave on for 3 to 4 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Enjoy your soft skin!



Packaged up & ready to give!



*My first sugar scrub was made with white sugar, peppermint essential oil and red food coloring. Of course, it turned out pink. I made it as gifts at Christmas time. I called it Candy Cane Sugar Scrub. I had purchased some clear plastic containers online with white lids. I placed one jar of the Candy Cane Sugar Scrub and one jar of Candy Cane Bath Salt into a Christmas cellophane bag. I then tied it up with matching ribbon. and a tag. It's a quick & easy gift idea that doesn't break the budget!

.

Sugaring- A Waxing Technique to Make & Do at Home

Bought these containers through the mail.... very cheap!

Paying to have waxing done can become quite costly (especially if you are blessed with lots of hair!) Even home waxing kits don't come cheap. Here's a recipe to try next time you run out of your waxing supplies at home or just don't want to pay for a salon service:

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup lemon juice (I used Real lemon brand, from my 'fridge.)

STEP 1: Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan, keeping the heat medium/high.

STEP 2: Continue stirring until mixture begins to bubble.

STEP 3: Turn heat down to medium and continue stirring until mixture reaches 250*.

Don't own a cooking thermometer? Just test a drop of the sugar syrup in a glass of cold water...if it's thready or makes a soft ball, it's not ready. If it forms a firm ball, it's done! You can check the consistency with your fingers: after you've dropped some into the glass of water, scoop it out with a spoon. Touch it with your fingers. Don't worry, it will already be cool!

STEP 4: Pour into desired storage containers with lids.

STEP 5: You can wax now or later since the mixture can be used as soon as it has cooled down enough.

*Use with homemade muslin strips, your own wooden sticks and accessories, or use with store-bought accessories..

Best Deep Conditioner, EVER!!



My daughter, Abby, with her super shiny hair!
Photo Credit: Amanda Marie Photography, AZ.

 We've all invested our hard-earned money on products that we're told will produce amazing results. Too bad they aren't true.
Now I know what you're probably thinking....this is probably one of those same claims. But if you try this, I won't get rich. So I have nothing to gain by you trying it, and you have nothing to lose by trying it....except about a cups worth of a condiment that you'd be better off health-wise using on your hair...not your sandwich.

Any brand is fine, just not low-fat!

Any guesses? YEP!
Mayonnaise!

My youngest daughter, Abby, and I have both used it and loved it! So if you've got dry hair & want to try something with no chemicals, give this a try.

What you'll need:

1 cup regular mayonnaise (not low-fat)
1 cheap plastic shower cap

This is an overnight treatment. At bedtime, spread the mayonnaise over dry hair, combing through with your fingers to distribute it evenly. Cover with the plastic shower cap. As an added measure of protection, cover your pillow with an old towel in case the shower cap slips a bit during the night.

The next morning, just shampoo and style your hair as usual. Oh, and enjoy your silky hair!

Sleep Mask

Quick & easy project. I LOVE mine! 

                                                                                                                                                                                   








I am an extremely light sleeper...with every little noise waking me up...every movement of the bed  startling me...and of course, if there's even the teeniest little bit of light....well let's just say I can be a little un-'bear'-able! (yes....I act like a moody bear being wakened too early from hibernation!)

So I thought about buying a light-blocking sleep mask to see if that might help (I already wear earplugs every night for the noise...the movement thing...well, I'm still working on that). Then I thought, HEY! I should just make one!

So I looked on-line to find a pattern and came across an awesome website, Prudent Baby, with a great down-loadable pattern and clear step-by-step instructions. (I win!) Check out their tutorial here.

I had great fun making one for me (the flowers) and one for my daughter (she's loves Super Hero stuff, so this fabric was perfect for her).  Here's to a good nights sleep!

Homemade Eye Makeup Remover: Olive Oil

Costco is where I purchase our oil. 

Luxury defined: noun 1. a material object , service, etc., conducive to sumptuous living, usually a delicacy, elegance, or refinement of living rather than a necessity. In other words we don't need it, but we sure like having it!
This is how I feel about eye makeup remover. I love using it...it's made especially for the delicate eye area...it either feels good going on, or smells good. It's also something I had never even heard of until I was married and had 3 of my 4 children! (Ok...I didn't get out much) But it was definitely something I knew I didn't need, (I had removed my eye makeup for years with just soap and water) but I liked using it. You know. A luxury.
Well, recently we've been cutting back on our spending, which has moved eye makeup remover somewhere close to the bottom of the shopping list. Right down there with ziploc bags and cling-free sheets. I simply looked up 'homemade eye makeup remover' on the internet and found all kinds of ideas. After some trial and error and a little bit of research, we found a brand new favorite beauty product...and we found it in the kitchen!
We started out applying the oil using a cotton ball, but quickly discovered a lot of oil was being absorbed into the cotton ball, which is not only wasteful, but also more expensive. I bought a few reusable plastic squeeze bottles with flip-tops, which can be found at the following website: http://www.qosmedix.com/pages/category/8/Packaging.aspx.
We simply apply a few drops to our fingertips and gently smooth the oil over the eye area. We then wash with our regular face wash. Any residual oil I simply consider a bonus eye moisturizer! It's so mild on your skin and I've read numerous sources that name olive oil as an excellent moisturizer, even for eczema sufferers! Try it...you'll be pleasantly surprised...and a little richer!