Recipe to Refresh: DIY, Natural Skin Care | Washington Post Express THE LONG, HARSH winter left us with much bigger problems than shoveling fatigue. We’re talking frizzy hair (ick), flaky skin (double ick) and scaly feet that clearly saw nothing but the inside of snow boots for months. But since a full body fix-up at Le Fancy Spa costs as much as the city’s snow removal deficit, we suggest you try more wallet-friendly measures to welcome spring. For as little as the cost of lunch (and with ingredients picked up during a trip to Whole Foods), at-home treatments can turn your kitchenette into a decadent retreat. Even better: Because these DIY detoxifiers use natural ingredients — such as fresh fruit, coffee beans and even beer — you won’t be slathering scary-sounding chemicals on your skin. This guinea pig gamely tried out more than a dozen at-home spa treatments and ended up with a few favorites. BEER HAIR RINSE» Why It Works: The nutrients in hops add strength and shine to hair. Source: Brennan O’Farrell, stylist, Bang Salon and Spa (1519 15th St.
Trying something new... Wow! I never realized what a hit my chicken sandwiches were going to be. I just put them out on Pinterest as a lark and it took off like wildfire! Here's what I made for dinner Monday night. Rachael Ray's Southwestern Chili Con Queso Pasta Bake 1 pound penne rigate (ridged penne) 1 1/2 pounds ground beef 1 tablespoon ground cumin (1 palmful) 1 tablespoon roasted ground coriander (1 palmful) 2 tablespoons chili powder (2 palmfuls) Coarse black pepper 1 large yellow onion, chopped 3-5 garlic cloves, chopped (we really like garlic so I put in more, the recipe calls for 3) 1 jalepeño 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (2 palmfuls) 2 cups milk 3/4 pound cheddar cheese (about 2 1/2 cups) 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (a generous handful), chopped 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (a few handfuls) chopped 1 14-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes Preheat the broiler to high and position the rack 8 inches from the heat. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
24 - THE DIRTY - Dirty Laundry - {the blog} Friendship Day is 8/7. So I'm going to try my hand at making some friendship bracelets for a few of my friends that have helped me SO much with Dirty Laundry over the past several weeks. I'm going to try to make some snazzy ones! Here is my inspiration. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. I wonder which one I'm going to make?!? Update on Friday, April 13, 2012 at 5:27PM by Jeanee PLEASE NOTE: Due to the popularity of this blog post I want to note, again, that this is my inspiration and each bracelet has a link to the ORIGINAL maker giving them credit to their creations. My Rules for Consistent Happiness I work at a newspaper, I'm at home at 2 am or even later. I also have a second job. yeah, I guess its good advice, but not realistic. Are you really sure there isn't a decision point in there? I am sure most people have the choice, but they would have to give up other things or let people down. Some things are not by choice - if you have a child who is crying and cannot sleep at 2200, it would mess up your perfect schedule. Or even if you include fun things that you would absolutely miss, like seeing the fireworks at the ballpark on 4th of July because they occur after the game has concluded, usually around 2200-2300. Just think about people like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin, Martin Luther King Jr., Albert Einstein, Barack Obama and whoever else you can think of. Now consider that they all had 24 hours per day, just like you do. Everyone has the same amount of time every single day.
Mud Scrub: DIY What is Mud Scrub you ask?? Well... basically it’s a sugar and coffee scrub. I love it! Especially because the coffee has such great benefits for your skin. Coffee and Caffeine are showing up all over in beauty products due to their tightening and antioxidant effects on the skin. Guess what! What you will need: 1 C Sugar (white, brown, cane) 5 TBSP Coffee grounds 1/4 C oil (veggie oil, almond oil, extra virgin olive oil, baby oil…) 1 tsp Peppermint Extract 1 tsp Vanilla Extract Mix: Mix sugar and coffee. Add small amounts of oil to the sugar/coffee mix until everything is coated. (You may not need the full 1/4 C, I didn’t use all of it) Add any fragrance you like. Mix well. and You’re done. If you find it a little watery from the oil, just add more sugar and or coffee. This recipe can be tweaked to your liking. A few tips: ◦ If you have sensitive skin, do not add coffee grounds and use brown sugar (as it is less abbrasive)
Top 40 Useful Sites To Learn New Skills | This and That... The web is a powerful resource that can easily help you learn new skills. You just have to know where to look. Sure, you can use Google, Yahoo, or Bing to search for sites where you can learn new skills , but I figured I’d save you some time. Here are the top 40 sites I have personally used over the last few years when I want to learn something new. Hack a Day - Hack a Day serves up fresh hacks (short tutorials) every day from around the web and one in-depth ‘How-To hack’ guide each week.eHow - eHow is an online community dedicated to providing visitors the ability to research, share, and discuss solutions and tips for completing day-to-day tasks and projects.Wired How-To Wiki - Collaborate with Wired editors and help them build their extensive library of projects, hacks, tricks and tips.
Mod Mood Quilt Along | daintytime ~ Sherri Lynn Wood Ever since my fascination with mood rings when I was a kid in the 70′s, I’ve been drawn to the symbolic, cultural, and emotional aspects of color. When I came across this mood-color chart (replicated above in hand-dyed fabrics) a light bulb went off… I don’t know about you but I can be moody. So I decided to document my emotions this summer in a quilt. You are invited to craft-along with me and make your own Modern Mood Quilt. It’s never too late to join the quilt-along.
30 Books I'm Glad I Read Before 30 In various ways, these 30 books convey some of the philosophy of how Angel and I live our lives. I honestly credit a fraction of who I am today to each title. Thus, they have indirectly influenced much of what I write about on this site. A medley of both fiction and nonfiction, these great reads challenged my internal status quo, opening my mind to new ideas and opportunities, and together they gave me a basic framework for living, loving, learning and working successfully. If you haven’t read these books yet, I highly recommend doing so. Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert – Gilbert, a Harvard professor of psychology has studied happiness for decades, and he shares scientific findings that just might change the way you look at the world. What are your favorite books? Photo by: Katie Harris
Nifty Food & Plants To Grow Indoors {May Surprise You If you don’t have any garden space or you live in a climate with a short growing season, you can still exercise your green thumb with these indoor plant ideas…a few will even produce fresh produce too! You’ll find tips for growing assorted herbs, a couple vegetables and a few neat-o plants to try your hand at. You can grow them inside year round but many will thrive outdoors during the summer months (if you have the space) but move them indoors once it gets a little chilly and before the first frost (imagine having garden fresh tomatoes over the winter!). Never Pay For Onions Again Enjoy Garden Fresh Onions Year Round With This Tip Here’s a great tip from MyByrdHouse: Onion Recycling Tutorial: I learned this tip a couple of years ago and have tried it and found that it works and is quite marvelous. The trick is to take the cut end (root side) and plant it in a pot, water well, give it some time and voila! Please visit the site for complete details, great tip! Bean Sprouts In A Jar
True Secret to Success: Gratitude I'm utterly convinced that the key to lifelong success is the regular exercise of a single emotional muscle: gratitude. People who approach life with a sense of gratitude are constantly aware of what's wonderful in their life. Because they enjoy the fruits of their successes, they seek out more success. And when things don't go as planned, people who are grateful can put failure into perspective. By contrast, people who lack gratitude are never truly happy. Therefore, if you want to be successful, you need to feel more gratitude. Practice Nightly The best time to exercise gratitude is just before bed. Did you help somebody solve a problem? What you're doing is "programming your brain" to view your day more positively. Reprogramming Your Brain More important, you're also programming your brain to notice even more reasons to feel gratitude. The more regularly you practice this exercise, the stronger its effects. This method works.
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