Scar-fading Miracle Mask?

I'm always up for trying homemade beauty treatments. I mean, who wouldn't want to claim responsibility for the production of their own beauty regimen resulting in beautiful, clear, porcelain-esque skin? I decided to try out a nutmeg-honey-lemon-cinnamon mask that promised to rid my face of any acne scars and clear up/prevent future blemishes. Knowing that all of the aforementioned ingredients are renowned for their healing and beneficial properties, I was sure that this one was going to be a keeper.

To start off, making the mask is a giant pain in the ass. Honey and lemon mix together just fine; add in the cinnamon and nutmeg and you might as well be trying to get oil and water to play nice. I tried stirring it together; then I used a whisk; then I tried to break up the powder bubbles with my fingers. Eventually I gave up and just stirred the whole concoction with my hands, kneading it like bread dough. Note the hot mess that ensued from the preparation.

And I like nutmeg just as much as the next girl; I'm a big fan of freshly grated nutmeg sprinkled over my fettuccine alfredo or in my hot chocolate on a cold day in the fall. But that's where my fanaticism ends. Turns out, the incredibly strong scent of nutmeg radiating from my face for 30 minutes was enough to trigger a migraine. No joke, I kept sniffing around my house, trying to find what smelled like mildew until I realized it was my own face. Just wash it off! you might be saying. Nay! I will suffer endlessly for the sake of genuine experiences in the name of journalism.

The original blogger, whose recipe I used, does make note of the fact that the mask burns "a little." Yep, I was gritting my teeth and my eyes were watering the entire time. My face was really red and irritated when I rinsed off the mask and it took two days before my skin felt normal again.

All in all, this magical scar-fading mask ate up an hour of my life that I will never get back and gave me a headache the likes of which made me want to vomit. I'd have to say, this one didn't make the cut.

Link to original Pin

Mug Shot

Anyone who knows me well is aware of my affinity (bordering on problematic obsession) for coffee; strong, dark and black. Along with my coffee love comes an adoration for great, unique mugs and other coffee vessels. I like to buy a mug any time I take a little trip or vacation; it's a memento that will be used often and keeps the memory of the trip fresh in my mind. I find myself sitting with my morning coffee, reflecting on the times had; good, bad and shit-show ugly, it all goes down a little easier with great coffee in a fun mug.

With this love in mind, I squealed (audibly, at work) when I found an amazing Pin with links to 50+ high-end-retail-knock-off DIY projects. The picture below was my first inspiration, a place setting from West Elm. I love the imperfect perfection, simplicity and cool calm of the dark blue on stark white.

50+ Retail Knock-Offs Pin



So I dug around through my vast collection of DIY Pins and mashed together the ideas from several similar themes; here's what I came up with: porcelain paints on dollar store mugs, baked at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. I picked up the paints on clearance at Michael's; they were $2.49/ea and the mugs were $1/ea. Quick note on the mugs: minimal selection (obviously; it's the dollar store) and one of the handles broke while I was painting it. So I ended up with only one mug, but that was fine for my first experiment. The project was surprisingly easy, with minimal set-up/clean-up and took less than 30 minutes, start to finish. Once you get the hang of it, I'm certain you could bang out a set of four in less than an hour.

Sharpie on Porcelain Pin

The hardest part for me was deciding what sort of style/pattern I wanted to use for the mug. (Visit my Pattern Possibilities Board if you get stuck!) I was nervous about ruining the mugs but the paint is easily washable, before it is baked. I tested out a few designs and found that it's a bit challenging to get the hang of the flow of the paint and the curvature of the mug. I did a few trials on plain paper and then let the paint fly in a lovely, imperfect pattern that turned out exactly as I'd hoped it would.

Below you can see my results of my own, original design as well as a picture of the specific paint used for this project. I didn't use the pewter color, though it is shown in the photo. I let the paint dry for 24 hours, per the directions, and then baked the mug according to the specs on the paint packaging. I was absolutely thrilled with the end result and gave it as part of a house-warming gift. This is, to date, my favorite Pinterest production.

Cutting Continuous T-Shirt Yarn = Frickin' Rad

I came across this Pin a few weeks ago and could hardly contain my excitement. With this simple trick, I've been able to filter through the piles of clothes that I no longer wear and combine two of my passions: crocheting and re-purposing of everyday items. The tutorial from the video is clear and easy to follow and I didn't have to change anything. The process is a little time-consuming but pretty mindless and not challenging at all. My kids were with their father for the weekend and I ended up with the stomach flu (awesome, right?), so I spent all day Saturday on the couch, watching bad movies and making yarn.

The only issue I encountered, happened when I didn't leave a large enough space at the top of the fold; make sure you leave a solid two inches, otherwise you'll end up with too-thin strips when you're finishing with the scissors and the fabric will rip when you go through the stretching step. I also found that tissue-tees/burn-out tees don't work because they are too thin to sustain the stretching step.

I started with 14 ratty, ugly old tees and long-sleeved shirts and ended up with 12 balls of t-shirt yarn in varying colors; the bottom picture is the finished product. One tissue tee didn't work and another long-sleeved tee was shot; rather than curl up when I stretched it, it simply expanded into a sad, wide strip that was unusable. I'm going to start by making some fun rugs for the bathrooms and kids rooms; they'll be washable and absorbent and better yet, Free!

The only problem now is containing myself from going through every item of clothing in our house and tossing everything in my to-be-cut pile. So you can bet your sweet ass I'll be trucking down to Goodwill this weekend and picking up some XXXL ugliness on the cheap, all in the name of homemade handicrafts. (Napoleon Dynamite reference, anyone?)

Link to the original Pin and video tutorial

Cheap & Easy Homemade Taco Seasoning

I have a son who was diagnosed with a very serious dairy allergy as an infant, four years ago. In the time since, I've become a food-label reading expert and I can spot hidden dairy at 10 paces. I'm continually surprised by the amount of foods that are processed with dairy/dairy by-products as fillers; for this reason, we have to stay away from most processed foods in our house. Note: this does not make me a crunchy, holier-than-thou, I'm-superior-because-we-aim-for-a-whole-foods-diet kinda lady. Quite the contrary, because I'd give my left foot to be able to toss Kraft Mac 'n Cheese and goldfish at my kids and wrap the night up with warm, ooey-gooey chocolate chip cookies.

Anyway, back to tacos: I was disappointed to find that lots of packaged taco seasonings contain dairy. Then along came Pinterest with more homemade (and ridiculously inexpensive) magic in the form of taco seasoning. Simply mix equal parts Ground Cumin, Chili Powder, Onion Powder and Garlic Powder. I cannot stress this enough: it fricking smells and tastes REAL. Like, Ortega-style real. The only thing I would change is to add 1/4-1/2 part salt to the mix. Example: 1 tablespoon of each of the spices and then 1/2 tablespoon of salt.

I threw a couple of tablespoons of this pretty little concoction into my crock pot with some chicken breasts and a few hours later, we had a delightful meal of chicken tacos which none of my children ate, but I gobbled with gusto and a heart full of homemade pride.

Here's another little tip to keep the cost down on this already very inexpensive mix: go get all the spices from the bulk section of your local co-op or Whole Foods. They're so much cheaper than the bottled spices that you usually buy and I guarantee they're much, much fresher and better tasting. If you're intimidated by the bulk section, here is my advice for you: Get Over It. I admit, I used to shield my eyes when I went by the bulk bins because I didn't know how to shop them; then I had the opportunity to listen to a speaker from my local co-op and I am now a very proud bulk shopper.

Try this out and let me know how it goes over at your house. And I'd love to hear about any of your special homemade seasoning mixes.

Link to the original Pin

Girl, Your Towels Reek

I always have bleach in my house, mostly for the relative frequency with which one of my children poops in the tub and I have to sanitize the entire room. Oh, and for the occasions when the sprinkling of baking soda isn't enough to kill that dead smell, lingering at the bottom of my garbage can.  But save for those few instances, I don't use bleach. And never, ever on my laundry; I have ruined far too many items of clothing to ever be able to justify pouring that yellowish chemical factory into my washing machine.

So imagine my delight when I came across this lovely little nugget of wisdom on Pinterest. Wash a load of towels on hot with a cup of vinegar - or if you're like me, just pour until it feels right. Then wash again in hot water with a cup of baking soda - again, I sprinkle until I'm satisfied. Don't use soap with either load; it negates the purpose of the vinegar/baking soda rinses. These natural products that we all have on hand in our homes serve to strip our towels of the left-over residue from our detergents and fabric softeners.

No kidding, ladies, my towels smelled like nothing when they came out of the washer and dryer. And by nothing, I mean Fresh and Lovely. No lingering rank mildew or sour I-should-have-washed-this-last-week smells. I tossed my bath rugs and kitchen rags/towels in as well and I was beyond impressed with the results.

And in case you're wondering, I have a top-loading HE machine and I poured both the vinegar and baking soda directly onto the towels. Do this; do it Now and then come and tell me how lovely your towels smell.


Link to the original Pin

Easy Fruit Cobbler

This recipe speaks to the inherently lazy nature of my baking skill set. Plus, it tastes great and I used a dairy-free cake mix to make it friendly for my eldest son.

While the recipe calls for a can of diet soda, I can tell you definitively that you do not need to use chemical-laden-artificial-sweetener-grossness. Instead, use a can of sparkling water; I used grapefruit-flavored LaCroix. The cake mix and fruit are plenty sweet enough and do not need any extra sweetness from soda.

The recipe calls for mixed berries but I used what I had in the house, which happened to be raspberries, mango and blackberries. It was so, so good and got great reviews from the people I had over that evening. This is a great recipe to throw together in a hurry for a last-minute dessert or impromptu get together with friends.

Link to the original Pin

DIY Microdermabrasion

Link to the original Pin

Somehow I managed to get through the entirety of my adolescence with flawless skin. Not that I ever complained back then, but I'd have much rather had bad skin when everyone else was enduring the same horrors of hormonal imbalance than now, when I should be well on my way to worrying about crows feet and age spots. At any rate, I've not yet mastered my post-children-approaching-my-30's-getting-drier-and-simultaneously-more-breakout-prone skin.

I've paid ridiculous sums of money for microderm product sets that did nothing more than cause teenage-esque breakouts on my late-twenties complexion, so I was excited to find this suggestion for inexpensive, at-home microdermabrasion. Simply mix three parts baking soda with one part water, forming a paste, then massage in a circular motion over your entire face, avoiding the delicate eye-area. It works beautifully and leaves your skin feeling silky-soft. Follow it up with your favorite moisturizer and you'll be delighted with the results.

I do this before bed and not more than twice a week; don't overdo it because you'll strip your skin past the point of silky and into the raw neighborhood. I've also used orange juice in place of water and found that to be a great combo when fighting a breakout. The citric acid in orange juice works as a great toner, brightener and tightener. Plus, it smells awesome.

Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats

I adore crock pot cooking for about a million reasons, not the least of which is the dump-it-and-forget-it aspect. This recipe for overnight steel cut oats is nothing short of brilliant and absolutely delicious. I've made it twice now with varying results but the issue is not the recipe, rather my old crock pot that was in the midst of a long, slow, tortured death.

The offending crock pot chose to take a big fat dump while I was at work a few weeks ago. I anticipated coming home to a kitchen that smelled of delicious southwest chicken to be served over rice with cheese, green chiles and sour cream.  Rather, I arrived home to a blackened, acrid smelling, unrecognizable hunk of dehydrated chicken and what was at one time a jar of salsa and some taco seasonings. After a rather unceremonious tossing of said crock pot into the dumpster, I vowed to splurge on a beautiful new slow cooker. Or at least borrow my sister's.

But back to the overnight oats. They're delicious and I can see this being a staple in our family during the cold months. The original recipe doesn't make as much as I thought it might so I'll double it in the future. This will allow for leftovers that I can bring along to work. And I think you could easily freeze leftovers in single-serving containers, just add a little liquid when re-heating. We love hot breakfasts at our house and the versatility of the recipe will work greatly in my favor. It's also easy enough that my kids can help prepare; as every parent knows, kids are far more likely to eat something that they've had a hand in making.

Let me know if you try the recipe and what you used to flavor it. And how did your kids like it?

Link to the original Pin

Calm Bottles: Not Just For Kids

I renamed these Calm Bottles and made them for my kids a few weeks ago. They are seriously awesome and I love them just as much as my kiddies do. My intent was not to use them as a "time-out" tool but rather as a distraction from gross behavior and sibling fighting. Also as a fun tool to help them settle down at bedtime and for trips in the car.

We took a family trip to the craft store and stocked up on ultra-fine glitter and coordinating glitter glue. Turns out we didn't actually need to spend the money on glitter glue; clear craft glue will work just as well at a fraction of the price. Also lacking from the original posting was the size of the bottle used for the recipe given. I bought the one-liter bottles of SmartWater and ended up having to halve the mixture because it was far, far too thick to ever settle. Talk about a break, if you're using them for time-outs.

I'm going to make a few more so the kids can choose different colors and to maintain the novelty; I plan to milk this project for as long as I'm able.

Link to the original Pin

This Could Be A Problem: Coconut Chocolate Mousse

Holy crap, this is ridiculously delicious. I've made it twice with better results each time after some small modifications. I used Golden Star brand coconut milk, and while I put it in the fridge overnight, I didn't leave it uncovered; I didn't want it to end up tasting like the inside of my fridge. I would recommend not using any of the liquid that remains at the bottom of the can. And don't be like me: I got a little aggressive with my spatula while trying to coax the solid milk out of the can and ended up splashing a pretty healthy amount of coconut water all over myself. And my kitchen counters. And the floor. Coconut is oily. It was awesome.

The recipe needs sugar! I used a smattering of Stevia the first time and a few tablespoons of powdered sugar the second time around and neither time was it sweet enough for me. I would use at least 1/4 cup of a dry sweetener, and I think powdered sugar and Stevia are the best choices. For the second trial, I crumbled up some shortbread to sprinkle on the top and the texture it added was great. I used my hand-mixer both times to get a great whipped/mousse consistency and then I put it in the freezer to set up a little further. The freezer step might not be necessary if you omitted the remaining liquid.

The best part about this recipe is that aside from tasting delicious, it's made with healthy, good-for-you coconut milk and it's dairy-free, ensuring that my son can enjoy it along with the rest of us. This will be a staple dessert in our house.

Link to the original Pin