To All My Faithfully Friends And Entrecard Friends

I wanted to just say thanks for continuing to visit me in my absence during my move. I have not got to drop for many days but will be back on track with posts and drops next week.

BEWARE! THIS IS A SCAM!

Sorry for posting so late, I am in the middle of my move and trying to move by yourself, no help and to small boys is a trip. And it is HOTTTT!

I just got this in my inbox and since it looked so official I clicked the link and it wants all your personal info so I thought that seemed odd since they already have that info. So I click contact irs and a couple of other spots and it comes right back to this page. I called the irs and it is a scam he said that I was the second call today about this. Just wanted to spread the word. If you get this he said to forward it to phishing@irs.gov






Over 130 million Americans will receive refunds as
part of President Bush program to jumpstart the economy.

Our records indicate that you are qualified to receive the
2008 Economic Stimulus Refund.

The fastest and easiest way to receive your refund is by
direct deposit to your checking/savings account.

Please click on the link and fill out the form and submit
before June 29th, 2008 to ensure that your refund will be
processed as soon as possible.

Submitting your form on June 29th, 2008 or later means that
your refund will be delayed due to the volume of requests we
anticipate for the Economic Stimulus Refund.

To access Economic Stimulus Refund, please click here.


© Copyright 2008, Internal Revenue Service U.S.A. All rights reserved.

The Toaster Oven Revisited

Today it seems that there are so many different appliances to chose from in the kitchen. I find that many are just a waste of time,money and counter space. But one that I do find to very useful is the toaster oven.

I wonder how many of you have one that you have really never taken the time to see how useful it really is. I have used one faithfully for about 10 years now and I have had it packed away for a while till I moved and last night I moved it to my new house and sat it on the counter and thought man I have missed not using this.

Especially in the summer when it is hot I love it. It is so handy when you have kids. For easy reheats of things that do not fair well in microwaves, pizzas, pizza rolls, cookies, cakes, brownies. The possibilities are many.

It also is great for a single person or couple.

Although this sounds like I am getting paid to promote toaster ovens, I am not I just find it to be such a handy tool in the kitchen.

So if you have one that might be sitting around collecting dust or maybe you have never owned one at all, I encourage you to take a second look at this great appliance. You might find it to be handy as well.

Now that its hot weather and the little
ones are enjoying their wading pools,
add several bathtub appliqués to the bottom
of the pool to keep them from slipping !!


It takes forever to mix until all dissolved,
so mix with with a potato masher, it only
takes a few seconds.


When you get those pesky skeeters' get you can put Ziradryl or Caladryl on them to stop the itching. It really works great. I have used it for years.

Find more great Tidbits @ Melinda Zook

Make It Yourself Monday!

For this week's project I found a heathly and easy to put together summer treat to make with the kids by Marie at Make and Takes

Frozen Grape Pops are the perfect treat for a hot summer day. Even though you’ve probably frozen grapes in the freezer before, these pops prevent fingers from getting sticky or wet by adding a lollipop stick to the mix.

Supplies for Frozen Grape Pops:

• Grapes - any color or size, washed
• Lollipop sticks - preferably 8 inches long, but any size will do. You can buy these at Walmart, or any cake/candy supply place. (We tried these with popsicle sticks and they are too wide for the small grapes.)

First, wash your grapes and dry them as best you can with a paper towel. Then pick about 6 grapes per 8 inch stick. Using the hole side of the grape, push your grape onto the stick. Go down about 1-2 inches from the bottom. Now pile the rest on.

Place your grape sticks in a freezer safe plastic bag. It’s best to wait over night for really good frozen grapes, but we could only wait till the afternoon. Even then, they were cold, mostly frozen, and delicious.

What Does Your Fridge Say About You?

I found this over at Mommie Knows Everything and thought it was kinda interesting. What Your Fridge Says About You

You like to be surrounded by things you love. You aren't exactly greedy, but you can be materialistic at times. You are a very thrifty person. You don't like to waste money... or food. You don't tend to be a very adventurous person, but you do surprise everyone now and then. You have a bit of a wild side. You are responsible, together, and mature. You act like an adult, even when you don't feel like it. You are likely married, possibly with kids.

What Do the Contents of Your Refrigerator Say About You?

My apologies for not getting to post yesterday I am getting ready to move and I have been such a busy bee that I actually forgot that I did not post.
Thanks so much for all who have stopped by anyway it is much appreciated.

Family Friday! The Family That Plays Together Stays Together

Whoo Hoo, It's Friday!

I thought this was a great article on addressing values with your children. Today it seems more and more that values are falling to the wayside. It is up to us as parents to make sure that our children have a good value base instilled in them. In my opinion with out this they have nothing.

Besides the fact that is good practice for us as adults to keep ourselves in check.

GIVE YOUR CHILDREN THE VALUES THEY DESERVE

Parents can combat societal pressures with the right approach

Peers, TV shows, movies, magazines…With so many external pressures facing kids at younger and younger ages, parents often wonder:

How can I get my children to listen to me…instead of the ‘cool’ kids at school?

How do I teach my child the importance of hard work, honesty, and humility?

How can I reach them when they get so many messages that seem to say, "Who you are is not as important as how good you look, and how many toys you have?"

There is hope. Using the following tips, parents can have a much stronger influence than any friend or TV commercial:

Tip #1: Instead of telling your kids how to live, show them

Wise parents commit lots of honest, respectful, kind, and responsible acts in front of their kids. Simply stated, actions speak louder than words.

The next time another driver cuts you off or someone in your neighborhood needs help, treat the situation as an important opportunity to show your children how responsible, caring adults act.

Tip #2: Talk about your values when they’re eavesdropping

What we say in front of our kids is more important than what we say to them. When you do something great, talk about it within earshot of your kids. For example, when your child is sitting nearby, you might say to your spouse, "Honey, the clerk at the store gave me ten dollars too much in change. I could have kept it, but I gave it back. I always feel better when I do the right thing!"

Tip #3: Teach character and responsibility with empathy and consequences.

The most effective parents allow children to make mistakes in safe situations. Kids develop character and positive values when they learn that poor decisions result in uncomfortable consequences.

Parents who deliver consequences with anger raise kids who spend their lives feeling angry and who reject their parents’ values. If those same parents replace anger with empathy, their children begin to see them as caring and recognize their values are important.

By Dr. Charles Fay

Tidbit Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday to you!

Today I got a some great beauty tidbits. I love homemade nautral beauty here is a few to get you started.

Breakfast for your Skin - (Oatmeal & Brown Sugar Scrub)

Exfoliates and is very moisturizing but doesn't leave a greasy feeling. Before you turn off your shower scoop a small handful of scrub into your hand. Rub gently onto your skin. Rinse.

3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup ground oatmeal (not instant)
1/4 cup pure honey
3/4 to 1 cup (or to total saturation)
Oil of choice - I use Jojoba, Grapeseed or Sweet Almond
1/4 tsp Essential or Fragrance oil of choice (optional) Vanilla works nicely. Though this smells great on it's own.

Mix the brown sugar & oatmeal together in a large bowl. Now add the honey. Drizzle the oil over the mix. Mix well. When all your mix is saturated and sinks to the bottom of the bowl and you have oil on top you're done. Add your essential oil or fragrance oil. A six or eight ounce wide-mouthed jar works nicely. Spoon mixture in.

Brown Sugar and Lemon Scrub

A touch of lemon makes this scrub so refreshing!

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup salt
1 tablespoon of kalamansi or lemon
1 tablespoon of virgin coconut oil(vco)
1 tablespoon of honey

Mix brown sugar and salt, then add kalamansi or lemon juice, virgin coconut oil and honey, mix well.

Floating Bath Soak

3 oz cocoa butter
1 tbsp creamed coconut
1 tsp almond oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp powdered oatmeal
2 drops tangerine EO

Melt cocoa butter in double boiler, remove from heat. Mix creamed coconut, almond oil, honey and oatmeal, blend well. Add mixture to melted cocoa butter, blend well. Add tangerine EO (or your favorite EO!), blend in. Pour mixture into ice cube trays, chill until firm. Toss one into tub of running water and enjoy! Note: Use caution upon exiting tub, it may be a bit slippery. But, oh, what a soak!

Be sure and visit Melinda Zook and see what tidbit she has today!

Make It Yourself Monday!

For today's Make It Yourself Monday, I found these cute drink parasols from Martha Stewart that would be great for the holiday coming up. They are very easy to make. This would be a great project that the kids could get involved in.

Drink Parasols

Add a burst of patriotic spirit to summer sips with these red, white, and blue umbrellas. Pop one into every beverage you serve for an instant air of festivity. Besides doubling as stirrers, the little paper parasols help identify each guest's glass. Once you've fashioned our patterns into umbrellas, grab yourself a drink, sit back, and get ready to watch the sky.



Parasol How-To

You'll need wooden skewers a couple of inches longer than your drinking glasses are tall. Download and print umbrella designs onto plain white paper. Cut out with scissors, then cut along the dotted line on each. Create a cone by slightly overlapping edges; secure using a glue stick or tape underneath. Poke a skewer through the underside of the cone's point.

Fathers Are Wonderful People

Fathers are wonderful people, too little understood, And we do not sing their praises as often as we should,

For Father struggles daily to live up to his image As protector and provider and hero of the scrimmage,

And perhaps that is the reason we sometimes get the notion That fathers are not subject to the thing we call emotion. But if you look inside Dad's heart, where no one else can see,

You'll find he's sentimental and soft as he can be. Fathers are just wonderful in a million different ways, And they merit loving compliments and accolades of praise,

For the only reason Dad aspires to fortune and success Is to make the family proud of him and bring them happiness, And like our heavenly Father, he's a guardian and a guide, Someone we can count on to be always on our side.

10 Surefire Tips For Dad To Have a Happy Father's Day

1. Admire What They Do:

Fathers do need to have their ego stroked and to have their families notice the quality of their work or other accomplishments. Letting them know will have their spirits soar.

2. Encourage Them To Share Their Life With Their Families:

Fathers often don’t easily share their everyday life with their families. It may seem “boring” to them to share the events of the day. Encouraging Dad to share will help others feel closer to him. And, it will be more likely they’ll share their lives with him!

3. Give Him The Gift Of Food:

Are there Dads out there who don’t love to eat? Cook him a great meal, or take him out to dinner. A father with good food in front of him is a happy father.

4. Talk To Him Using a “Bottom Line” Approach:

Fathers like to get to the point. It’s harder for them to follow long, detailed stories. At least for one day, get right to the point concerning what you’re telling him. He’ll appreciate it, and he won’t stress about missing the details!

5. Be Patient With Him As He Learns To Raise His Kids:

Fathers aren’t always the most skilled at effective parenting, especially during the early stages. Be patient with him as he makes mistakes. If he feels criticized, he may lose hope and give up an opportunity to learn and grow. Gentle encouragement helps.

6. Ask Him To Get Involved In An Activity:

Fathers love to be active, and they often connect with others by “doing something.” Ask the Dad in your family to go on a bike ride or go to a game. As long as their active, Dads are pretty happy.

7. Provide Him With “Vegetable Time”:

I don’t mean gardening here! Yes, dads like to be active, but they also like to vegetate sometimes. Give Dad some time to do nothing, and he’ll curl up and do nothing with the best of them!

8. Give Him a Romantic Evening:

Fathers feel like handymen in their homes at times. Nothing will snap them out of that as quickly as a romantic evening. And, this isn’t over when the dinner or movie ends. It ends when he has permission to follow his biological urge sleeping!

9. Touch Him:

Dads love to be hugged and touched by their family members. And even if they don’t act like they do, hug them anyway! It helps them to leave their heads and enter their hearts.

10. Give Him New Power Tools:

OK, this one doesn’t really help him connect with others, but it does satisfy some deep urge within him. And if it makes him feel good, why not?

Family Friday! A Family That Plays Together Stays Together

MANNERS MATTER!

I think a lot of parents have forgotten that manners are a important part of training a child for adulthood. I found this great tips to help get the job done.

In all parts of their lives, children with great manners have a powerful advantage over those who do not. They make friends easier, get along better with their teachers, and eventually make much better employees and spouses. Here are four techniques that will give your child this life-long gift:

Tip No. 1: Make a list

Sit down with your kids and make a list of the specific behaviors polite people display. Have fun with this activity. Your written list might look something like:

• Say "please" and "thank you"
• Eat with their mouths closed
• Burp in the privacy of their own rooms
• Say "excuse me"
• Hold doors open for people

Tip No. 2: Model these manners

Children learn much more from our actions than from our words

Tip No. 3: Provide kids what they want only when they use manners

When parents use Love and Logic, they don’t waste their breath lecturing about good manners. Instead, they very politely refuse to provide what their kids want unless they hear a sweet "please" or "thank you" and see the other behaviors on their "manner list."

For this to work, parents must respond to requests with polite sadness instead of anger or sarcasm. For example, a parent might say in a sad tone of voice, "This is such a bummer. We can’t go to the movies today because you need more practice with manners first."

A parent who sets this limit, avoids anger or sarcasm, and holds firm by staying home will see a very upset child in the short-term and a much happier, more responsible one in the long-term.

Tip No. 4: Expect them to repay you for any embarrassment they cause

If your child continues to be rude, he or she may need to repay you for the embarrassment or inconvenience created. With genuine empathy and sadness, a parent might say, "How sad! Your rudeness at Aunt Mary’s house really drained the energy out of me. I’ve been too tired to clean the bathrooms. When you get them done, I’m sure I’ll feel a whole lot better."

If the child refuses or forgets to do the chore, wise parents don’t lecture or threaten. Instead, they quietly allow their child to "pay" for their bad manners with one of their favorite toys.

Thousands of parents have transformed manner monsters into polite kids who are a pleasure to be around.

By Dr. Charles Fay

My Observations Of Laundry Detergent

Warm Wednesday Greetings to you!

So today I thought I would share my observations about laundry detergent and see if anyone else might have noticed this as well.

Just like everything else lately it has really been ticking me off that not only have they raised the price of detergent but they have made the bottles smaller and have made the claims that less is more basically. Well I do not agree with they new theory. I purchased some of the new stuff and I found that I had to use more to even get a little suds in the water.

So when it came time to buy again even though it has been years since I used powdered detergent I noticed that you got more loads for a little better price. So I thought well I think I will revisit the old school stuff see if I was willing to deal with the ole box again.

Well I found I will be sticking with my old friend the powder. It suds up so nice and smelled much more fragrant than I even remembered it being. So even though I will missed the convenience of the liquid the powder out preformed it hands down.

Tidbit Tuesday!

It is Tidbit Tuesday and today I have a variety of tidbits hope there is something in there you can you use.
Be sure and stop over at Melinda Zook she has a tidbit about the keeping the bugs away.

Put fresh made coffee into your ice cube trays.
Use the frozen cubes as a summer treat or add them
to a cup of ice coffee & it won't dilute your delicious
coffee drink.

If you like Pepperoni Pizza but
don't like the grease, boil the
pepperoni in a small saucepan, drain,
pat dry and then place on pizza
before putting in oven.
Pepperoni will be crisp and no grease!


For extra shiny hair rinse
with brewed (cooled) Lipton Tea

Clean the dust from your TV screen is a "used" fabric softener sheet.
It collects the dust, and also helps repel more dust.

I just recently found out that if you have
a *new* prescription and you go to CVS, they
have a list of the $4 Walmart meds...BUT YOU HAVE TO ASK!
They will not willingly give up the info...I guess they
don't want it too well known that they do it to. So, next
time you need meds filled and if you use a CVS, ask before
turning in the prescription if it's covered under the
$4 Walmart plan...doesn't hurt to ask!

Make It Yourself Monday!

For today's project I found this great way to reuse a old jersey shirt from RePlayGround

I thought this would be a really cute idea for a book bag for school or a boy's beach tote or gym bag.

Sports jersey tote bag

description: Turn used sports jerseys into tote bags in a few easy steps! These bags are great for groceries or even for the beach. Plus the jersey material comes with airholes - perfect for airing out your beach towel.

ingredients:
- old sports jersey
- webbing or grosgrain ribbon for handle

tools:
- needle and thread or sewing machine
- fabric scissors
- straight pins

instructions:
1. Cut off your jersey at the arms and neck.

2. Turn the jersey inside out. Sew along cut edge. The bottom of the shirt will become the top of the bag.

Are Yard Sales Really Worth The Trouble?

I am thinking that yard sales are not worth all the hard work and effort you have to put in to them. I just spent the last week preparing for a sale then setting it up only to have it rain.

For the past few years I have just sold things on Criagslist and Ebay. It has been several years since I had a yard sale and man I forgot how time consuming and tiring it can be out.

Then there's the sorting, the pricing, the organizing, signs,making sure it does not rain, not to mention getting up at the crack of dawn!

I think I am just sticking with the list and Ebay. Much simpler, less time and much easier. Then you can actually get a bit more for your items on the list and Ebay.

Just my little rant for today.

Family Friday! A Family That Plays Together Stays Together

Blended Family Bonding: Tips for Growing Closer

Whether the family you have is a “yours, mine and ours” or just “yours” it can take time to develop the tight knit family we all desire.

In order to achieve a family cohesiveness, you have to work hard at it – yes that means it is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to create a “bonding friendly” atmosphere.

Start with rich soil

You wouldn’t place seeds into red clay and expect it to grow, right? So, why would you ignore your family atmosphere and still expect relationships to flourish? In order for a family to grow and prosper, you have to provide a stimulating environment.

Your family environment should include:

• A setting in which open lines of communication are established and encouraged

• At least a few hours a week of “the whole family” time in order to learn about each other and team build

• Verbal and non-verbal love affirmation (saying I love you, kissing their cheeks, hugs, etc.)

• Clear rules established, maintained and followed through – everyone should be aware of what the house rules are that are consistently enforced

• Positive reinforcement – parents should generously reward those children and each other when positive behaviors are displayed – this helps children learn what acceptable behavior is and how to demonstrate it.

Then add water

Once you have established a healthy family environment, it’s time to water the soil and watch the seeds of happiness and closeness grow.

It is very important for parents/guardians to provide opportunities where the family can grow closer. That doesn’t mean you have to kill yourself by trying to come up with the most creative and expensive way to make your children happy; rather, you have to provide activities that give the family time to adjust and learn about each other. It isn’t just about the children, but the whole family unit – so if you get grunts of displeasure with your family bonding session announcement, don’t give up. They, and you, may be pleasantly surprised at the outcome.

Here are a few family bonding activities that are sure to bring your family closer together:

My Culture.

Have a family night with no television – instead, lay out refreshments and snacks and talk about your background. It is very common for families to come from different races and backgrounds, so why not talk about it? You may have to help the kids research their culture a bit online or at the library, but they will enjoy learning about the history behind who they are. This is an opportunity to teach your children that everyone is different and those differences make us beautiful individuals. It is also a great way to teach your children about coping with different prejudices and hardships that their parents may had to face.

Sowing the seeds of love.

Make a note of what vegetables and herbs that your family often uses and instead of purchasing them from the grocery, grow them yourselves. Give everyone a task in taking care of the garden, and then reap the rewards when it’s time to harvest. This shows your family that it takes a lot of work for anything to grow, but in the end the payoff is big. Be sure to provide analogies of how the garden is like your family – they’ll get the hint!

Go Team!

Kids love belonging to a team, so show your support. Make sure your partner and yourself attend the majority of your shared children’s sports games, spelling bees and other organized teams. It will show your children that you love and support them, and it will bring you back to the perspective you once had as a child.

Learning together.

Instead of cheering your child on, why not join them? Find an extracurricular activity that the whole family can enjoy together – join a choir, a karate class or a local theater group. Or, spearhead an organized activity – become a Boy Scout leader, a soccer coach or church youth leader just for your child’s age.

Picture Pages.

Sit down in the living room and have the family share their personal stash of pictures – kids especially love to see images of their parents/guardians when they were younger, and it provides you the opportunity to share stories of your youth.

Current events.

Openly discuss current events with your family when ever you have the chance (in the car, while eating breakfast, etc.). Get their perspective on what’s happening in the world today, and explain to them how the news applies to their own lives. This opens the door to open communication and shows your children that their thoughts matter, and in your mind, their votes count.

Game night.

Establish a game night one night a week and play all your favorites. Find some inexpensive gifts at the dollar store or candy isle and reward winners (and losers too). It’s fun and easy, and you’ll find your family eager for the next game night.

Family room fever.

Traditionally, mothers take it upon themselves to decorate the house in their tastes and desires. But, if you have a family gathering place – a den or rec room or other area – why not have the whole team design and implement a theme for the room? This is a great way to learn how to work together as a group and it gives kids exposure to that much needed characteristic – compromise. Once you have a plan in place, put everyone to work – paint the room together, go shopping at flea markets or garage sales to find furniture and accessories for the room and refinish them together. Then the next time you have family time in the “family room” everyone will appreciate all the work that went into it.

Sharing time.

Are you a whiz with the camera? Do you throw pots like a professional? Why not show your kids your special talent? Not only will they learn a new skill, but they may find a new passion they never would have known about if you didn’t open their eyes to it.

Watch it Bloom

Like those flowers you planted and cared for, your family will bloom with love just by making them a priority. It takes time and effort, but the end result is a close-knit family working together for life.

Jami Cameron

RISK FACTORS AND BEHAVIORS

I was reading this article and found this list of risk factors, as I read them I noticed so many things on the list were things we hear about children in the news almost on a daily basis. I feel like in some cases it can be directly related to parents not spending enough time with their children or monitoring their daily lives close enough.

What do you think?

Signs That a Child and Family Need Help

1. Any disruptions in first-year-of-life bonding and attachment
2. Lack of guilt or genuine remorse when child hurts others
3. Fire setting and other destructive behavior
4. Cruelty to animals
5. Chronic arguing with parents, teachers, and other authority figures
6. Lack of positive friendships with same-age peers
7. Hyperactivity
8. Perceives self as a victim
9. Chronic refusal to do chores
10. Hoarding of uneaten food
11. Outbursts of severe anger when adults set and enforce limits
12. Encopresis and/or enuresis
13. Chronic lying in the face of the obvious
14. Suicidal or homicidal statements (Take all of these seriously!)
15. Abusive, violent parents
16. Parents who belong to gangs
17. Tobacco and other drug use, as well as association with peers who use these substances
18. Obsession with violent movies, music, video games, internet sites, etc.
19. Violent, gory, or suicidal content in drawings, school writing assignments, etc.

Children who display one or more of these characteristics…

• should be closely supervised
• need their parents to remove weapons and other dangerous items from the home
• are screaming out for love, limits, and professional help.

Happy Tidbit Tuesday! A little behind schedule today!

For today I found these tidbits about peroxide that I did not know myself. I also double checked with snopes.com to make sure they really worked and the ones I have here were confirmed to be true and work.



Remove stains of unknown origin

Can't tell what that stain is? Still want to remove it? Try this sure-fire remover: Mix a teaspoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide with a little cream of tartar or a dab of non-gel toothpaste. Rub the paste on the stain with a soft cloth. Rinse. The stain, whatever it was, should be gone.

Remove wine stains

Hydrogen peroxide works well to remove wine stains so don't worry if you spill while you quaff.

Remove grass stains

If grass stains are ruining your kids' clothes, hydrogen peroxide may bring relief. Mix a few drops of ammonia with just 1 teaspoon 3% hydrogen peroxide. Rub on the stain. As soon as it disappears, rinse and launder.

Remove mildew

The sight and smell of mildew is a bathroom's enemy. Bring out the tough ammunition: a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Don't water it down, just attack directly by pouring the peroxide on the offending area. Wipe it clean. Mildew surrender.

Remove bloodstains

This works only on fresh bloodstains: Apply 3% hydrogen peroxide directly to the stain, rinse with fresh water, and launder as usual.

Sanitize your cutting board

Hydrogen peroxide is a surefire bacteria-killer -- just the ally you need to fight the proliferation of bacteria on your cutting board, especially after you cut chicken or other meat. To kill the germs on your cutting board, use a paper towel to wipe the board down with vinegar, then use another paper towel to wipe it with hydrogen peroxide. Ordinary 3% peroxide is fine.


Clean your counter and table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Also in the bathroom it works too.

Add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to your laundry to whiten your clothes.

Well I hope you can use some of these. Be sure to check to see Tidbit Tuesday @ Melinda Zook as well.

Make It Yourself Monday

Who says you have to spend alot to be beautiful. Here are some great recipes to make your own beauty products.

Natural Shampoo

Clean your hair with these natural ingredients
Churn the following ingredients in a blender:
1 oz. Olive oil
1 egg
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
* teaspoon apple cider vinegar.

Brown Sugar Body Scrub

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 - 1/2 cup almond oil
1/2 tsp of vitamin E
45-60 drops of fragrance or essential oil

Mix almond oil, vitamin E and fragrance or essential oil together in a glass bowl. Add the brown sugar and mix in well. Divvy up into jars and have a great time using it!

Easy Lotion Bars

4 ounces mango or shea butter
4 ounces beesweax, yellow or white
5 ounces liquid oil (jojoba or grapeseed are both excellent)
2 teaspoons of essential oil or fragrance oil

This lotion bar does not use cocoa butter so you can use any fragrance or essential oil that your heart desires and not have a chocolate over-smell.

Melt the beeswax in a separate container and the butter/oil in another container. Add together, mix well, stir in FO/EO and pour into containers. Mixture will harden in approximately 1-2 hours. The cooler the mixture is upon pouring it, the less 'divets' you'll get in the bar (that sunken spot at the top of the bar).

Easy Lip Balm Recipe - using Lanolin

1oz. Olive Oil
.3oz of Lanolin
.4oz of Shea Butter
.4oz of Beeswax
Flavor oil and Stevia for taste.

Melt beeswax gently over a double boiler (or in the microwave if no double boiler is available). In a separate container, heat the Lanolin oil and Shea Butter up until it is fully liquid. Add the olive oil to the melted Lanolin oil and Shea Butter. Combine the beeswax and all the oil, stir well. Add flavoring (if desired) and pour into containers.

Skin Firming Gel

CroThix has a secondary use as a skin firming agent. (Its primary use is as a thickening agent in liquid soaps, and shampoos.) Here is an easy gel that you can make that is good for all skin types, using jojoba makes a non-comedogenic cream that won't clog your pores. (CroThix may be purchased at Bramble Berry Soap Making Supplies)

This makes (4) four ounce containers of gel-crème.

Water 13 oz.
Glycerin .5 oz.
Emulsifying Wax or Ceteryl Alcohol 1 oz.
CroThix .7 oz.
Jojoba Oil .6 oz.
Germaben II or Phenonip .16 oz.
Fragrance or Essential Oil .16 - .50 oz.

Heat the Water and Glycerin to 170 degrees and set aside. Heat the Emulsifying Wax until melted and add to the CroThix and Jojoba. Stir. Add the water and glycerin to the Emulsifying Wax, CroThix and Jojoba. Mix until the creme is 105 degrees (or less). Add your fragrance and preservative and package in jars or an easily squeezable package. Apply under make up for a more smooth application or as a night creme.

Recipes by teach soap

Beauty Tips By Audrey Hepburn

I found these beautiful words and thought they were worth repeating even if you have read them before it never hurts to have a refresher.
Below is a wonderful poem Audrey Hepburn wrote when asked to share her 'beauty tips.' It was read at her funeral years later.


For attractive lips ,
speak words of kindness...


For lovely eyes ,
seek out the good in people.


For a slim figure ,
share your food with the hungry.


For beautiful hair ,
let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.


For poise ,
walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone...



People, even more than things, have to be restored,
renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed;
never throw out anyone.



Remember,
if you ever need a helping hand,
you will find one at the end of each of your arms.



As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands;
one for helping yourself and the other for helping others."