Category: DIY

Valentine’s Day….Honeybee Style! (much better than Gangnam Style)



Valentine’s Day is tied for my favorite holiday! My other favorite holiday is Halloween (because you can dress up and be anyone you want that day and no one thinks it’s weird).

I was born four hours shy of Valentine’s Day. But for the first 19 years of my life, my mom made a big deal about it by getting me a heart-shaped cake, heart-shaped treats, etc. And I loved it. I miss her.

As an adult, Valentine’s Day is still very special to me (and not just because it’s so close to my birthday). It’s a great day to take some time out to let another person know just how much they mean to you. I’m not talking the traditional jewelry, flowers and perfume thing (not that there’s anything wrong with that). But do something personal and special for the one you love. And you can do it for little or no money at all. Here are some suggestions:

1. A personal note. Don’t let Hallmark tell your loved one how you feel. Put it in your own words. It means so much more. Feeling crafty? Make your own Valentine’s Day card. You can download Valentine’s fonts for free and even print free cards, but add your own sentiments. Check out our Valentine’s Board on Pinterest for links.

2. Dinner. It’s impossible to get dinner reservations on Valentine’s Day. That’s one of the bad things about having a birthday so close to a holiday. So, why not cook TOGETHER at home? You can make a meal that’s healthier, less expensive AND get exactly what you want. We posted a link to some great recipes from The Food Network on our Pinterest Valentine’s Board.

3. Bath Time! There are few things more romantic than taking a bath together. Don’t have a tub? Improvise – take a shower! But really, the bath tub is more relaxing. Light some natural candles, turn off all the lights, fill the tub with some wonderful bath salts or natural bubble bath gel. Use a homemade sugar scrub. And have a large cup or pitcher nearby. Nothing feels better than having warm water poured gently over your body by someone who loves you – try it! And guys, shampoo her hair. AND give her a scalp massage in the process. She will melt. Find sugar scrub recipes, bath salt recipes and other bath time ideas on our Pinterest page.

4. Ahhhh massage. Nothing feels better than a massage AFTER a romantic bath. Your muscles are loose from the warm water and you’re all nice and clean (i.e. you won’t be rubbing stinky feet). I’m personally a fan of massage bars. They’re less messy than massage oils. We posted a wonderful step-by-step guide on how to give a killer massage on our Pinterest page. We also posted recipes for creating your own massage bar.

5. Sleepy time…or whatever. “Clean Sheet Night” is always the best night in my opinion. I swear I sleep better on clean sheets. Some folks like to have scent in the bedroom too. I’m not a big fan of that, but if you’re into it, use a light bulb ring with some essential oil, or a Scentsy burner with meltable natural wax you can make yourself (recipes on – you guessed it – our Pinterest page!) What I AM a big fan of is soft, snuggly blankets! I hate being cold. And in Pennsylvania it gets COLD this time of year. Not Minnesota cold, but still too cold for me. So wrap her in clean sheets, warm snuggly blankets and a warm, clean massaged YOU.

Don’t forget to check out our Valentine’s Board on Pinterest for more recipes and great ideas:

What are YOUR favorite things to do on Valentine’s Day?

Brush Your Way To Better Skin


A few months ago, I became interested in “dry brushing”. Now that I’m in my 40s (*gads!*) it takes more effort to make my skin look its best. This means eating clean, drinking lots of water, NOT tanning, moisturizing regularly, etc. Dry brushing is purported to promote healthier skin by removing dead skin cells on the surface of the skin, allowing it to breathe and absorb more nutrients. It also stimulates and increases skin cell production, stimulates the lymphatic and circulatory systems, and boosts your immune system. The gentle pressure and brushing sensations are said to have a calming effect; increasing your blood flow reduces stressed areas of the body and stimulates nerve endings in your skin which in turn rejuvenates your nervous system. Last but not least, dry brushing supposedly reduces cellulite by increasing blood circulation to the skin, helping to break down and release toxins that cause cellulite in legs and hips.

This I had to try.

I went on line (amazon.com) and purchased a Yerba Prima Tampico Skin Brush. If you’re going to try dry brushing, you want a natural bristle brush or loofah. Look for bristles that are made from plant fibers. Synthetic bristles can be too harsh and cause irritation. The brush I chose has a removable handle so you can use it in the palm of your hand, or use it with the handle for harder to reach areas like your back.

So how do you do it? It’s best to dry brush when you first wake up in the morning, before you jump in the shower. Here is the recommended dry brushing process:

1. Start with your feet, moving in soft circular movements (always moving towards the heart) first on the bottom of the feet, and then on the top.
2. Work up each leg, one at a time, first the back of the leg (using the same soft circular, always towards the heart, movements) up through the buttock and then the front of the leg. Avoid any delicate skin, like the skin on the insides of the thighs.
3. After you are finished with the lower half, start at the fingertips of one arm; move up the arm (palms of hands, back of hands, forearm, bicep) and towards the heart. Repeat on other arm.
4. Move to the back working your movements towards your stomach, starting and finishing with one side of the back and then the other.
5. When you get to your stomach, start at your lower abdomen and work your way up (make sure to steer clear of delicate areas like the nipples) and end at your chest in an upward stroke.
6. Rinse off and shower as normal.

Skin brushing Tips:
1. Avoid the face! While dry brushing is excellent for exfoliating skin, this body brush will be too rough for the delicate skin on your face.
2. It’s sometimes best to dry brush in the shower (with the water off) since there may be a lot of dead skin brushed off.

How often should you dry brush? For best results dry brush at least two times a week.

I started looking into some of the grand claims of dry brushing. It DOES get rid of dead skin cells, increase circulation (as a brisk walk would) and help the lymphatic system work better, and decrease bloating (as a massage would). However, the grander claims are more suspect. Even if done religiously over time, will dry brushing reduce the appearance of cellulite? Experts like Dr. Carolyn Jacob, a dermatologist in Chicago, feel probably not. Why? Cellulite is a complex problem that involves thin skin and the kind of fibrous bands holding in women’s fat. Dry brushing “won’t change fibrous bands at all,” Dr. Jacob said — a dagger to the hearts of women with cottage-cheese thighs. Twisting the dagger, Dr. Jacob cautioned that avid dry brushers put their skin at risk for inflammation, redness and an eczema-like itchy rash.

So is dry brushing for you? As long as you don’t have any severe skin irritation (acne, rash, eczema, open sore/cut, etc.), I say yes. It is an invigorating way to start the day, and it really does make your skin feel smooth and healthy.

Last Minute Gift Idea



Need a last minute gift idea AND a way to keep the kids busy AND not have it involve baking anything? Well I have the solution for you: Bath Fizzies.

These effervescent little fellas are easy to make, fun and remind the person to whom you are giving them, “Relax. Take some time out for yourself.”

Rather than writing the whole thing out myself, I decided to reference a link which I thought was pretty good. Let Martha Stewart tell you how it’s done!

http://www.marthastewart.com/280275/how-to-make-bath-fizzies

My New Big Thing



I’ve been reading a lot about coconut oil recently, and how it’s good for everything from healing acne to losing weight. Naturally, I had to try it.

Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconuts harvested from the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). It is very heat-stable, which makes it suited to methods of cooking at high temperatures like frying. Because of its stability, it is slow to oxidize and, thus, resistant to rancidity, lasting up to two years due to its high saturated fat content. Multiple studies on Pacific Island populations who get 30-60 percent of their total caloric intake from fully saturated coconut oil have all shown nearly non-existent rates of cardiovascular disease.

But how can that be if coconut oil is so high in saturated fat? The fact is all saturated fats are not created equal. The fat in coconut oil is largely made up of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA). Unlike other saturated fats, MCFA doesn’t heighten cholesterol and it can help to protect against heart disease.

You may have heard that coconut oil has antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiviral properties. This is because of coconut oil’s high percentage of lauric acid, a “miracle” compound because of its unique health promoting properties. On absorption, the body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.

If that wasn’t enough to spark interest, Victoria’s Secret supermodel Miranda Kerr says she has been using coconut oil since she was 14, consuming up to 4 teaspoons a day. Have you SEEN what this woman looks like?!

I went to the health food store and bought organic extra virgin coconut oil. If I was going to do this, why not work with the good stuff? It was about $15 for a decent sized jar. I didn’t know if that was reasonable or not, because I didn’t know how much product I was going to have to use for my experiments.

Experiment #1: Sugar scrub. One of our Facebook friends mentioned she used coconut oil to make a sugar scrub, which sounded yummy. Now this time of year, I have alligator legs. My skin is SO dry. I can moisturize over and over, but within hours, my skin looks reptilian. I’ve used salt scrubs that had some nice oils in them and kept my skin smooth for a bit longer, but never more than 12 hours. Anyway, I decided to melt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in the microwave. Since coconut oil melts at about 76 degrees F, this took only a few seconds. I had some regular cane sugar that had been sitting in my pantry forever, so I decided to add 2 tablespoons of it to my now clear liquid. I mixed it up, but felt like I needed more sugar. I wound up adding about 2 additional tablespoons of organic brown sugar, and stirred thoroughly. Coconut oil remains liquid for a pretty long time (a few hours maybe?) so it’s not like you have to work fast. I poured the sweet smelling concoction into a plastic container and took it upstairs to use in the shower the next day.

Morning came, and after feeding my hoard of cats (because Lord knows you can’t do ANYTHING upon waking before you feed them), I stepped into my shower. After washing with my natural bar soap, I tried the now hardened sugar scrub. I scraped out about a teaspoon full and massaged it into my legs. The sugar melts quickly and rinses away. I did the same with my arms. As I was drying off, I noticed how smooth my skin felt. Not oily, not sticky, but protected. Needless to say, I expected to see dry flaky legs when I got home from work that night. But to my surprise, my skin still looked great. Not as perfect as they did after I had just stepped out of the shower, but WAY better than they normally do. Now it’s been several days of this cookie-scented sugar routine, and I see a big difference in my skin. I don’t have to moisturize at all. And the texture of my skin is softer and smoother than it’s been in a long time. I’m going to keep doing this AT LEAST through the winter months.

Experiment #2: Face wash. When I was a teen, I had acne. Not just a few pimples, but nasty patches of cystic acne. The dermatologist put me through years of chemical treatments including (progressively) antibiotics, Cleocin, Retin A and finally Accutane (which was new drug at the time, and I remember having to sign release forms). God knows what damage it did to my body, but I was a kid and didn’t know better. But since then, I have always kept anything containing oil far away from my face. Contrastingly, for years I would dry out my skin with alcohol and harsh soaps, trying to make the acne ‘go away’. So the concept of using a greasy substance to wash my skin was a tough pill to swallow. I always wash my face with natural bar soap and water before going to bed every night. Reluctantly one evening, I used a dollop of coconut oil instead of my soap. It felt like I was smearing Crisco on my face. The only redeeming quality about the experience is that the stuff just smells so darned good. Anyway, I rubbed the oil into my skin, and rinsed with warm water…for about 10 minutes! I felt like I had to get that oiliness off my skin. And water wasn’t going to take that away. I dried off, and went to bed, fearing a breakout to rival all breakouts the next morning. Well, I can tell you that after having done this for a few days now, not only have I not gotten one single blemish, but those dry blotchy patches I’ve been battling on my skin are going away too. AND my make-up stays on better throughout the day because my skin is actually moisturized. This is almost too good to be true.

Experiment#3: Body lotion/Massage oil. Having had such luck with its other uses, I decided to use coconut oil as a body lotion. It’s hard when you first scoop it out of the jar, but begins to melt instantly from the warmth of your skin. I allowed some to melt in my hands, and massaged the oil into my legs and feet. I don’t feel it has enough of a long term ‘slip’ to make a great massage oil, unless you’re giving a very short massage. But it rubs into skin nicely, making it an effective body lotion alternative. AND it keeps my skin moisturized longer than anything else I’ve tried thus far.

Last Experiment (for now): Hair conditioner. I’ve read about people massaging gobs of coconut oil into their hair, starting at the scalp and working all the way to the ends. Some even do this and then sleep with a shower cap on. While I’m sure it makes a great deep conditioning treatment, I haven’t had the guts to try that yet. But what I have done is massaged the oil into the ends of my hair (about the last two inches) and kept it on my hair for several hours before shampooing out. My hair is notorious for having fly away ends and looking frizzy. I’ve only done this experiment about three times so far, but I can tell you that each time, my hair does look better on the ends, and behaves better throughout the day.

I guess next will be cooking with coconut oil. If I ever get a chance to cook again (this time of year is so busy). Or maybe I’ll come up with a NEW use for it. How do YOU use coconut oil? Let us know. And if you haven’t tried this miracle product, by all means give it a shot. I’m sure you’ll be delighted by the results.

Alternative Halloween Treats for Kids



(from Parent Magazine)

You don’t need doctors to tell you that all the candy corn, chocolate, and other high-calorie goodies your kids collect at Halloween aren’t healthy — but they’re happy to remind you. “Given our nation’s alarming rates of obesity and hyperactivity, gorging on candy isn’t smart and sends the wrong message,” says Jessica Grant, M.D., of West Care Pediatrics in New York City. To stop the sweets overload this Halloween, consider handing out healthy snacks and nonedible treats like crackers, miniature toys, and temporary tattoos — items you might find in a typical goody bag. Even if you risk provoking an eye-roll or two from trick-or-treaters, these alternative Halloween treats are creative ways for kids to celebrate the holiday without adding to the sugar rush.

Playful Plastic Jewelry
We’re not talking Tiffany sparklers but plastic jewelry featuring cartoonish ghosts, black cats, pumpkins, and other creepy creatures. You can purchase them in bulk from Oriental Trading Company (144 necklaces for $10; 144 rings for $5.25). Looking for something a little less scary? Party City also sells colorful baubles in bulk. Pick up spiky woolly rings ($3 per dozen) or value packs that include rings adorned with butterflies, hearts, and rhinestones (48 pieces for $8). Some jewelry even pulls double duty: Kids can blow bubbles with bubble rings ($6 per dozen) or play dress-up with lip gloss rings ($10 per dozen). Or you can always buy packs of the ever-popular Silly Bandz from Amazon.com (24 for $2).

Outrageous Accessories
Horrifying accessories are terrific treats, and boys will also appreciate them. Skull key chains with jeweled eyes ($4 per dozen) are available from BuyCostumes.com, and Oriental Trading Company has cool pirate eye patches ($5 per dozen), gruesome glow-in-the-dark Martian fingers (72 for $7), and even fang whistles (48 for $8). Girls may prefer tamer options, like fancy Asian folding fans ($3.50 per dozen), cute animal masks ($6 per dozen), plastic Halloween clappers (72 for $18), or glow-in-the-dark light-sticks (50 for $35).

Bizarre Body Decorations
Temporary tattoos are always a hit with kids. Stick with a Halloween theme and hand out vampire bite (8 for $3) or Pirates of the Caribbean tattoos (8 for $4), both from BuyCostumes.com. At Oriental Trading Company, there are girly and glittery pirate tattoos (72 for $5) and Disney Princesses (72 for $10). Makeup is popular with tween girls, so consider two-tone lip gloss ($10 per dozen); for boys, there are glow-in-the-dark (72 for $5) or neon (144 pieces for $8) vampire fangs, also from Oriental Trading Company.

Awesome Arts & Crafts Materials
Stickers are always fun to collect and trade. At Party City, you can find items like black glitter Halloween stickers, character stickers (Sesame Street, Harry Potter), and generic sports and animal stickers, all for just a couple of bucks. The Hello Kitty sticker dispenser is a good choice for giving out individual stickers instead of sheets ($2.29 for the dispenser and six-foot roll of stickers). Oriental Trading Company has Halloween coloring books ($10 for 72), small boxes of crayons ($8.50 for 48 six-crayon boxes), and big bug stencils ($5.25 per dozen).

You can even make your own beading kits by combining nylon string with foam Halloween beads (500 for $6), packed in sandwich bags. At Amazon.com, you can pick up tiny containers of Play-Doh (24 for $17) or animal ink stamps (24 for $7).

Spooky School Supplies
Even though school’s in session, kids will love showing off brand-new Halloween-themed supplies. Oriental Trading Company has skull-and-crossbones pencil cases ($8 per dozen), cute candy corn notepads (24 for $5), and eyeball pens and notepad sets ($7 per dozen). Or pick up pencil sharpeners (24 for $6), pencil top erasers (144 for $5.25), syringe pens ($11 per dozen), and rulers (48 for $5.25) with ghosts, witches, black cats, and other creepy creatures. U.S. School Supply has bat and ghost pencils (144 for $21.45) and Halloween sets filled with pencils, erasers, and stickers (24 for $10.45).

Terrifying Pocket Toys and Games
Hand out miniature playthings that will entertain kids in the car or on the playground. “Boo Bunch” mini yo-yos ($3 per dozen), tiny pinball games ($6 per dozen), jacks and ball sets ($5 per dozen), and knockoff Rubik’s cubes ($15 per dozen) are all available at Oriental Trading Company. Inspire outdoor fun with bubble sets (48 for $6), sidewalk chalk (20 for $4.50), inflatable mini balls (25 for $10), and squirting fish toys ($5.99 per dozen). Find mini Uno games ($8 for four decks of cards) and safari-themed finger puppets (24 for $6.45) at Amazon.com.

Hauntingly Healthy Snacks
Cut down on the empty calories and sugar by giving out sensible snacks, like candy’s close cousin, sugarless chewing gum. “It’s a natural cavity fighter,” explains Philip Schnall, D.D.S., of Schnall & Farkas, a dental care practice in New York City. “Chewing stimulates saliva, which fights tooth decay.” Mini boxes, bags, and packages of raisins, apple slices, pretzels, string cheese, cereal bars, Goldfish crackers, and Pirate’s Booty are easy to find at the local supermarket — and are well-liked by kids. Or hand out Halloween-themed bags of baby carrots (BabyCarrots.com has packaged them as Scarrots) or Angie’s Kettle Corn, which is gluten-free.

To reduce or keep away the amount of candy in your home, Dr. Schnall encourages kids to participate in Halloween Candy Buy Back, a national program that pays kids $1 per pound of sweets that are shipped to U.S. troops overseas.