More tips

De-puff
Mix together ¼ cucumber (puree) and 1 ounce of aloe vera gel---incredible de-puffer –it will keep In the fridge for a few days.
This won’t cost you a cent to look more rested (helps to de-puff under eye area)…before you rise out of bed, place a pillow under your head (elevated) for 15 min ( during that time go over your schedule, meditate or relax).

To tighten skin, apply whipped egg whites to your face with a fan brush, leave on for 20 minutes to see results.

Exfoliate your skin with 1 T applesauce and 1 T of wheatgerm add together and make a paste—apply and leave on for 10-15 min.

Lighten up those dark patches with ½ cup mint (fresh) water (brewed and strained) to ½ cup of lemon (squeezed) apply to dark areas like elbows or knees and let dry, repeat 3-5 times.

Clear up Skin with 1 T yogurt and 1 T honey, mix-apply and leave on for 15 min.

Stimulate your hair and scalp with a rosemary water, take a few stems of loaded rosemary and add to 4 cups of spring water, boil for 2-4 minutes then strain, reserve the cooled liquid for your container and use as a final rinse for your hair routine---The results will be shinier more youthful hair.

Itchy scalp? Resolve it by keeping apple cider vinegar (organic) in a squirt bottle—in your shower, after you rinsed your hair with rosemary water—squirt some vinegar on your scalp.

Beautiful hands and feet—quick and easy soft skin made simple by applying un-petroleum jelly to rough dry hands and feet before bed (cover with gloves and socks) then wake up to soft supple skin! Another one to try is simply using organic coconut oil.

DIY Highlights
1 T of Chamomile tea into 1 C of purified water strain and cool
2 lemons (squeezed)
Pour into spray bottle—leave on hair and sit in the sun for 15 min (sunscreen on your face) but even without any sun—you will still see a difference.


Hair Mask
¼ c coconut oil
3-4 drops of Rosemary essential oil
Leave on for 20 min. then rinse.

Alternative to Botox
Frownies—price is anywhere from 14.95 (drugstore.com) or 19.95 at WholeFoods—the results are amazing—they retrain the muscles around the eye, forehead and mouth area.

If Frownies is not in your budget, you can use scotch tape, the kind that you would wrap a present in—use on the wrinkles, let it stay for four hours—

Another use for tape is…wrap a piece of tape around your finger, sticky side up—pat on dry flakes of skin around the chin, nose or forehead—it is a quick way to eliminate them when your in a pinch.

On a serious note...I know these tips will help the mirror reflection,however you need to remember that you are beautiful inside and out.
God wants us to accept ourselves just as we are. He loves us and our imperfections. He wants us to be beautiful without the vanity.
You are highly valued, needed and made on purpose for a purpose!

All of these tips are from an awesome friend Shelly Ballestero which you cn find at
http://www.beautybygod.blogspot.com/

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

I came cross this article on a friend facebook and loved and tried myself ....so yummy.
Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Ingredients -

•1/2 cup of cocoa
•1 cup of water
•2 cups of sugar
•1/8 tsp salt
•1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Whisk cocoa into the water until dissolved. Start heating on high and add the sugar. Stir well while the syrup starts to boil. Once boiling I turn it down so that it won't boil over, but I keep it high enough that it is still slightly boiling. Boil for 3 minutes. Then add the salt and vanilla and stir well. Cool and then store in the fridge for several weeks. I keep mine in an old store bought chocolate syrup container for easy pouring. You can also store in a regular tupperware container and spoon out as needed. Quick, easy and yummy! You can't beat it.


Also some great recipes I came across on www.LivingOnADime.com .

*Calico Stuffed Squash

3 small acorn squash
6 Tbsp. margarine or butter
6 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen mixed veggies in butter sauce*
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup walnut halves

Cut squash in halves, scoop out pulp (the stringy gooey stuff around the seeds) and seeds. Place in a shallow baking pan, cut side down. Fill baking pan with 1/2-1 inch of water. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Carefully turn over, dot each squash with 1 Tbsp. margarine and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. brown sugar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 20 minutes more. While the squash are baking, cook veggies according to package directions. Add 1/3 cup brown sugar and walnuts. Fill centers of squash and serve. Makes 6 servings.

*Note: to make this recipe easier, you can use some canned mixed veggies with melted butter. You only really need to warm the veggies rather than worrying about cooking them when you do this.



*Speedy Breadsticks

1 (8 oz.) can of refrigerator biscuits
1 egg white, slightly beaten
Coarse salt

Heat oven to 400°. Grease a cookie sheet. Separate dough into 10 biscuits and cut each one in half. Roll into a pencil shape about 4-6 inches long. Place on cookie sheet, brush with egg and sprinkle with salt. Bake 12-15 minutes until golden.



*Easy Pumpkin Bars

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 yellow cake mix
3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice*
1 can vanilla frosting
3 oz cream cheese, softened
Nuts, optional

Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 15x10 jelly roll pan. Combine sugar, oil, pumpkin, and eggs on high for 1 minute. Add cake mix and spice. Mix 2 minutes on high speed. Fold in nuts, pour into pan and bake for 25-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes clean.

Combine frosting and cream cheese until smooth. Frost cooled bars. Store in fridge.



*Here's the pumpkin pie spice recipe from our Dining on a Dime cookbook. You'll need to triple it if you want to use it in the above recipe. You can also make a large batch and store so that it's ready for all those holiday recipes you want to try!

Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. cloves

Mix well. Makes 1 teaspoon


Also some great tips there.....We do not celebrate Halloween, but I do take advantage of day after sales on costumes for my kids because the dress up all year and candy for cooking and treats.

Today's Tips:

Don't forget to hit the candy sales after Halloween.


Check out non-candy items, too. One year, the store had a bag of 24 bags of lunch chips for a dollar. This was an even better deal then packaging my own chips.


If you make candy for the holidays and use the melting chocolate wafers to dip it in, buy the orange wafers on clearance and add red food coloring (paste or gel) to use for Christmas.


Don't forget to think about New Year's parties. Black and silver is used a lot for them, so pick up some black plates, napkins etc.

My kids and I love this smoothie

Since everyone seems to be worried over flu's and colds...I thought I post this shake I make every week for me and the kids. The kids love this stuff.

I use my juicer first...

I juice about 5-6 apples (whatever we have on hand)

3 to 4 carrots

half a bag of spinach

1 raw beet

then transfer juice to the blender and add:

2 - 3 handful of frozen strawberries

1 banana

flaxseed oil

coconut oil, warmed in microwave to liquefy and not be gritty.

and powdered vitamin C

Blend and drink up.....My kids get so excited when they hear the juicer start, they come running.

New edition of my blog...hope it is helpful and enjoyable

Hello welcome to Wednesday October 28 2009

Starting the each blog with simply idea's on being your child's parent...things to make them feel special.

Today special tip is...Have your child tell you all her dolls and stuffed animal name, and all his superhero/action hero toys names.



So today is a rainy day here in Massachusetts. We decided to take a page out of the busy toddler book...lol...and pulled off all the sheets of the bed and made forts around the house...today I needed to change them anyways so why not have fun in the process.


"The King is enthralled with your beauty; honor him for he is your Lord" Psalm 45:11
Now some momma tips...
I love wearing red nail polish but every time I take it off my nails are yellow...so what to do?

Solution: Use acetone nail polish remover which is stronger then normal..your nails produce enough natural oil to offset the dryness from the polish remover. If the yellow still shows up, the use a toothbrush dipped in water and a few drops of traditional teeth whitener like polident or Pearl drops.

Do your lips get chapped this time of year like mine and need a little rejuvenation?

Solution: Apply non-petroleum jelly to dry lips then you an old toothbrush to gently exfoliate away dead skin.

Do you need quick relief for tired feet?

Solution: Grab a salad or mixing bowl and mix a solution of warm water, white vinegar and lemon juice. Soak your feet for 10 mins and then rinse. Pat dry and apply coconut oil ( great moisturizer) to cracked or dry feet. Cover with socks for 10 mins and then tada soft happy feet.