Homemade Cough Drops

The idea of making my own cough drops/sore throat drops is especially appealing when I think of all the unknown ingredients that are in the cough drops available at the store. My interest is peaked even more when I think of my grandchildren, and my daughters concern over what they eat, including trying to limit their sugar intake. This is a simple solution to both concerns.

This first website lists different flavors (Herbs) of cough drops and for what use each particular herb is used. http://snappyliving.com/homemade-cough-drops/

Once you're there, they have a link (which I also added to the end of this paragraph) to a site with the actual step-by-step recipe and method. (Including lots of great photos!) http://homesteadinghomemaker.blogspot.com/2008/12/make-your-own-horehound-cough-drops.html

I can't wait to try this!

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!

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!