DIY Face Mask for Nourishing Skin and Reducing Acne

My skin has been rebelling lately.  I've always battled acne and now adult acne is extra fun. Not.  A while back I shared a Nutmeg Face Mask (for reducing acne and exfoliating) and it's still one of my favorite quick and easy ways to spruce up my skin.  This mask helps tighten skin, smooth it and even reduce some inflammation from acne already on your skin.  This one has a 'yucky' texture due to the egg whites in this recipe.  My family thinks the nutmeg mask looks like poo smeared on my face...I just can't win.

I'm gonna try and explain why these ingredients are good for your skin and what they do rather than just list some stuff to spread on your face!

Egg whites: egg whites are full of protein and help nourish your skin.  They tighten your pores and skin, too.

Lemon Juice: lemon juice helps extract dirt from pores and blackheads.  The citric acid helps clarify skin.

Honey: honey has anti-bacterial properties that help reduce acne.  It also helps hydrate your skin.

Baking Soda: baking soda softens skin and exfoliates without drying your skin out.

You will need:
1 egg white
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon honey (local and raw is best)
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best but I didn't have any on hand)

Mix all ingredients well.  You will find that the backing soda will drop to the bottom so before applying give it another whisk.  I used a cotton ball to apply the mixture and let it sit for 10 minutes (give or take).  It'll dry fairly quickly but just let it sit for a bit.  Rinse it off with warm water and pat your face dry.  Your skin will feel tight for about an hour or so but I resist the urge to moisturize right away.  I love the way this leaves me skin!

Homemade Apple Butter in the Crockpot (No Sugar Added)

No Sugar Added Apple Butter (AKA Naked Apple Butter)

Each year my grandparents (or as my kiddos call them, GiGi and PopPop) end up with more tiny green apples from there trees then they know what to do with.  Lucky for me!  These apples are perfect for cooking and I love cooking with fresh, organic home grown ingredients any chance I get.

Last year I took many of the apples and made apple butter for the very first time.  My nephew was living with us and has an allergy to peanuts so I used the apple butter as a fun treat on toast for all the kids.  The recipe I came up with (and the ones I keep seeing) had quite a bit of sugar and this year I decided to attempt  to make apple butter with no sugar, I'm calling it naked apple butter!  I picked up some local honey at a farmers market recently.  I thought it might be the perfect sweetener for these tart little apples. Spoiler Alert: it was!


You Will Need:
16 small apples (approximately 2 lbs)
1 cup of water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons honey





Core and slice apples (I peeled mine but you don't have to if you plan on using a blender later for a smooth butter). Place the apples in the crock pot and add the water, honey and spices.  Cook on high for 4 hours.  Once the apples are soft and easily mashed you can turn off the crockpot and let cool.  If you prefer a chunkier apple butter you can leave it be.  I like a smooth apple butter so I used my blender.  Store your apple butter in the fridge and enjoy on toast, in a pie, with peanut butter or on a spoon straight from the jar!

Creating A Stylish Bathroom on a Budget

 

If you have a family, or even if you just live by yourself, keeping a bathroom looking stylish or even tidy and up to date can feel like a chore. Just keeping it clean with everything put away can seem like a full time job, and on top of that, many household’s bathrooms tend to be outdated or left uncared for. In reality though, it can be pretty easy to create a bathroom that looks stylish on a budget and still covers everything you need.

Being one of the most used rooms in the house aside from the kitchen, so you’ll really need to consider everything that goes into your bathroom carefully. Make sure first that you are able to compromise and be flexible on what you’re willing to have in your bathroom.

If the bathroom is a small room, you’ll need to make the most of the space you have. There’s really no point trying to squeeze in a bath or a double sink because these will just take away your storage options and make the bathroom appear cluttered. Instead make sure that you have as much built in storage as you can, and use mirrors and lighting effectively to open up the space. Pale coloured tiling will also make the room appear slightly bigger.

If your problem with keeping your bathroom looking great is keeping it clean, here are a few simple tips. Try not to let the clutter or job of cleaning the room get over your head. Make sure that every time you or a family member uses the bathroom, they pick something up and put it away, or give the sink or mirror a quick wipe down. You can make this easier by having fittings that are easier to keep clean in the long run, such as pieces from the stylish Vitra Designer collection. For surfaces that only need a quick wipe down everyday rather than a deep clean, mix vinegar and water equally in a spray bottle with a few drops of an essential oil of your choice – this will keep things clean and give them an amazing shine.

Give your bathroom a bit more of a spa feel to create a relaxing environment by keeping the décor all under a simple colour scheme or theme. If you’re going for nautical, purchase towels in shades of blue; perhaps do a bit of DIY and wrap some thick roping around your mirror frame; or place ornaments like model ships on a windowsill. If the bathroom is small, try to keep your theme minimalistic, perhaps in monochromatic shades of black and white. It will really stand out and impress your guests.

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Kid Safe DIY Homemade Paint

My two year old still randomly decides to taste things.  His older brother rarely (if ever) put stuff in his mouth.  And Baby G doesn't do it often but when he does it's always things that freak me out.  Like Easter egg dye, crayons and paint. 

Our summer list included painting and I changed that to painting with homemade paint.  I figured it'd be an activity within an activity.  I wanted to let them mix the colors in and then paint with the color creations they'd made!

Here's how we made Homemade Edible (but not yummy, but you know, just in case!) DIY Paint! 

Warning: Do not tell your kids you are starting this process.  There is wait time to let the mixture cool and well, if your kids are like mine...waiting isn't a strong suit!

You will need:
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 tbs white sugar
1 tsp salt

On low to medium heat mix ingredients in a saucepan and let warm up, stirring occasionally.  It took a good 15 minutes for my mixture to thicken.  I was able to walk away and tend to other things, coming back in to check and stir.  Perhaps if I turned the heat up it would've been quicker, but I wasn't chancing it. 

If you are planning to reuse the paint you'll want something airtight to keep them in (baby food jars would be good).  I didn't plan to save the paints so I used a shaped ice cub tray (and a baby plate with four separate areas since the ice cube trays only came in a two pack and I have three kiddos :)).  Let the mixture cool...I told you there was waiting involved!

Once the mixture has cooled let the kids use food coloring to make custom colors for their works of art.  We used small paint brushes and toothpicks to stir.  Us can use this paint on regular paper or something thicker (or even a driveway and when they are done you can just spray it away?!).

Dollar Store Craft: DIY Display Stand

I found some easy DIY stands on Pinterest (follow me!) and knew I wanted to make one for my vanity or bathroom.  I kept it in the back of my mind but it certainly wasn't on my top priority list.

While I was waiting for my prescription I decided to kill some time in the dollar store nearby.  This project popped into my head. 

The awesome part about this DIY project is it you can change it up for what your store offers, you can change the sizes or styles of the plates...the possibilities really are endless.  So here it is- my stand for $3!

DIY Face Mask for Acne Healing (and Exfoliating Skin)

I've read that nutmeg and honey both contain anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.  When used on your face it can help acne heal quicker.  I have heard of using nutmeg and honey as a kind of paste and applying it to your face.  I didn't like the consistency of that so I read up on other natural solutions.  I wanted to use items typically found in homes already- not things I (or you!) would have to buy for this purpose.

 

I found that milk is a natural and gentle exfoliator and the Vitamin D found in milk helps with skin  growth.  I did read that organic and full fat milk are best for using topically on your skin- which makes sense.  I think if you have organic honey, that would be best, too. Truthfully, I don't by organic milk often (simply because of price), sometimes I have organic honey...but I use what I have on hand.  If you aren't keen on cow's milk (or have an allergy) you can certainly use Almond Milk, if you prefer.

I'm not a scientist so use this recipe and your own common sense.  The logic of why these three things work makes sense to me and I use it and I love the way my skin feels afterwards. 

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon milk 


Instructions:
Mix ingredients together to form a watery paste.  Apply to face in circular motions, being careful not to rub too hard.  Let dry and wash off (again being careful not to scratch your face- not a whole lot of pressure is needed for the nutmeg to exfoliate).  I washed it off before it was completely dry because my family wasn't being very nice.  Examples?


Whatever, I look good! ;)



When my 4 year old came into my room right after I'd applied it his reaction was "Eeew!  Why is your face gross?!" 

His dad wasn't any nicer! Hubby asked why I'd smeared poo on my face.  Hi-lar-ious.

Ok, ok.  It's not the most beautiful looking mask.  But it smells good and it works so whatever.  Mock me!

Do you have these ingredients in your fridge and pantry?  I definitely recomend trying it.  But maybe wait until you're alone. :)  Let me know your fav DIY beauty tricks below!

DIY Kids Wedding Favors (Less than $2.50 Each!)

Our wedding favors consist of can koozies and bottle openers- not exactly kid-friendly.  So I decided to make some personalized kid-friendly wedding favors.  Since we're on a budget (like so many others) I wanted to give something to the kids they'd like and that my wallet could handle.

Here's what I came up with using these cool hinged tins.  I opted for the ones with the window because it was the perfect size and I liked that they could look into it to see the goodies inside.  Plus, they could possibly use them later at home (I'll show you how we used the extra ones later in the post).

I knew I wanted to fill it with some treats- but wanted to find candy that was individually wrapped so I didn't have to buy more items like bags to hold the treats.  Most candies I saw where wrapped in brightly colored papers with the name of the candy plastered all over it.  Hershey's Kisses match the silver of the container and they fit perfectly in the depth of this tin.

I already had a Sharpie Paint Pen (although if I was buying a new one I wouldn't use super fine- but I worked with what I had!).  I wrote the kids' names on the window with the paint pen.

I decided last minute instead of filling the entire thing with candy to add a deck of playing cards for the kids.  I found these Love cards ones for less than $1 each.  They had the grey/silver matching and were too cute to resist.

Total: $1.50 per container
           $0.32 Approx.4 cents for each the Hershey's Kiss.  I used 8 in each tin
           $0.59 per deck of cards ($7/dozen and I got free shipping!)
           $2.41 Per Favor!

Freund Container & Supply is a DIY paradise.  I saw some amazing deals on mason jars.  If I wasn't travelling for my wedding you bet I would've been using those jars for decorations and centerpieces!  I could browse all the containers (metal, plastic and glass options) for hours inspiring some fun new DIY ideas.

I had a few tins left over and found some creative uses for them!  K and Baby G's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have lots of little weapons that come with them...the hinged tin is PERFECT to contain them all.  I think Barbie clothing/accessories would be great in these too.  Also, these are great for desk drawers (erasers, paper clips etc) and on your vanity (bobby pins and hair ties)! 

***Disclaimer: Freund Containers and Supply graciously supplied the tins for this DIY.  All opinions are my own. If you have more questions regarding this please check out: http://www.lovinglifeandlivingonless.com/p/disclosure-and-policies.html

Xbox Birthday Party

K turned 4 years old last week (eeek!) and we celebrated with a birthday party on Saturday.

I hate to admit it but my handsome and smart son LOVES playing video games.  He started playing with his older sister and dad and in true 'boy' fashion took to them like a duck to water.  We limit his time playing them but I'm fairly certain if given the opportunity, he's play them all day!

We have a Microsoft Store nearby and I won a party there in a raffle.  I honestly had never heard of anyone having a party in the Microsoft Store and didn't find much when I Googled it but took a chance and decided to make that the location for my Xbox loving-almost-four-year-old! 

I hadn't even been in the store so I had no idea how or where the party would be held.  Usually this would stress me out to the max but I've been so outrageously busy I haven't had time to stress too much about any of it.  I went with the mantra "It will all be ok" and it was.  Was it seamless and perfect? No. Did the kids seem to have fun? Yep!

When we arrived nothing was set up.  The area they were calling the 'Theater' for the party was just a area in the back of the store (totally open to customers and definitely not big enough for the 20-30 people I was told could come).  After about 45minutes of moving things around and changing the games the party was able to really get started (and yes, my guests arrived on time and we all kind of just waited around in the store area).  The Kinect wasn't working properly and the host wasn't aware of that so the kids weren't really having a whole lot of fun with the Kinect (which was the main attraction) at first.  By this time I was stressed quite a bit...the kids were clearly not having much fun.  Once everything was fixed and they were able to play the Kinect on the large TV and other Xbox games on the littler ones and I started to relax.

K picked out the favors- surprise! he wanted to give chocolate to his friends.  So we got cartons of Milk Duds and I printed out little thank you notes on them. Easy Xbox favors!  I also made an Xbox controller cake that was a big hit!

All in all it was successful but not perfect.  K had fun with his friends and family and we got to celebrate my first born's 4th birthday. 

How do you usually celebrate birthdays? I'd love to hear your comments!

13 Uses For Johnson's Baby Products that Have Nothing to do with Babies

I use Johnson's & Johnson's products all over my home.  I wanted to share some of the uses for the baby products I love that have NOTHING to do with babies!

Uses for Baby Powder that have nothing to do with Babies!

1.       If you spill something greasy on your clothing you can rub a bit of baby powder on the spot to help soak it up and hopefully avoid a grease stain! Rub on spot, dust off, repeat.

2.       Need to wash your hair but don’t have time? Use a small amount on the roots of greasy hair (seriously, only a small amount!) and brush through.  If you have dark hair consider putting the powder on the brush first.

3.       As a finishing powder over your makeup- place a small amount in the cap or in your hand and use a large face brush to sweep over your makeup.

4.       Dust on body parts to prevent chafing.  Particularly on thighs!

5.       Use it after a visit to the beach to absorb moisture and make it easier to get sand off!

6.       Ant repellent!  Sprinkle a good amount on ant hills or near doors and windows if they are coming in your home.

7.       Carpet freshener-sprinkle over your carpet before you vacuum.

8.       Stinky Dogs no more!  Rub on dog fur like a little puppy massage and follow up with a brush.  Your pup will smell so much better and it’ll buy you sometime between baths.

Uses for Baby Oil that have Nothing to Do with Babies

1.       Doing a project that’s messy with paint?  You can use Baby Oil on a cotton ball and remove     the paint from your skin.

2.       Eye Makeup Remover- swipe over eyes to gently remove makeup.

3.       Use Baby Oil in a warm bath, soak and relax while softening your skin!

4.       Slather over dry cracked feet and put some socks on to help heal your skin.

5.       Make your razor last longer!  Before using, pour baby oil over the blades (you can also use baby oil in lieu of shaving cream).

This last one is baby related but I wanted to share my post on DIY/Make Your Own Baby Wipes (using Baby Oil)!

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DIY Dryer Sheets/Cloths

Like many of you I love to save money.  I also love to help the environment and try to be as eco friendly as possible.  I started making these DIY dryer cloths after seeing it on Pinterest about a million times.  I have been known to make my own laundry detergent (post coming soon!) so this seemed the a natural next step for me. 

It really is simple.  You will need:
Old rag/Cut up towel/Something similar
Liquid Fabric Softener
A place to soak
A place to hang














Take your liquid fabric softener and pour into your bowl/cup/place to soak.  I use about 1/2 cup at a time, but I don't measure.  Remember you can always add more.  Soak your cloth.  I let it soak for a few hours.  Warning, your home will smell like fabric softener!  I find it quite pleasant, actually! Squeeze out the excess and then hang them to dry.  You want them to completely dry before using them.  Once they are dry use one rag per load of laundry in the dryer.  Mine seem to last approx. 30-40 loads.  I sniff them every once and a while.  Once the smell has worn away, I do this process over again.  I have three on hand usually. 

Price Break Down:
I couponed for this bottle of detergent and got it for free a while back.  The cloth is a cut up old wash cloth- it was actually a baby wash cloth- long and skinny (could also be used as a burp cloth but still a terry cloth type material) and I cut it into 3 pieces.  Making this costs me nothing and once this bottle is gone depending on what kind of deal I get on liquid fabric softener; it will be fractions of cents per load.  I like that!  Plus, I'm helping doing my part to eliminate waste like traditional dryer sheets.  Win/Win!