Pinterest Week 5: Chocolate Mud Mask

So it is edible...but I'm not so sure you wanna eat it. Unless you like Greek yogurt. Which I do not. :P Anyway, this mask was great! It lasts for so long too, though it does grow some mold after a while so just keep an eye out before you stick it on your face. Haha! 

Here's the link to the recipe:

http://www.essentiallyeclectic.com/2013/04/diy-edible-mud-mask.html

One more warning; it's gonna be cold when you put it on and it does get a little messy. I recommend spa time before shower time. Then you can treat your hair with some coconut oil! Just make sure it's organic and cold pressed. Yeah, I know, more expensive. But it actually works-unlike the regular coconut oil. Have a great spa day!

Pinterest Week 4: Hair Repair

Sorry it's been so long!  I've been pretty busy with the holidays coming up and my job (which I currently just got laid off from so now I have plenty of time!).  Anyway...this is the hair repair recipe that I have found on Pinterest.  I must say, it gets sticky.  But I do promise that your hair is shinier for it.  The pin itself doesn't have a website that it links to but I do have the recipe and instructions!

Hair Repair Recipe:

2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

Mix ingredients in a small bowl until they are well combined on dry, unwashed hair.  Apply the mixture starting at your roots and combing through your hair to distribute evenly.  Clip your hair up and wait 30 to 60 minutes.  Rinse mixture out of your hair and shampoo well, use conditioner if you would like.

And that's it!! I haven't officially tried the avocado hair recipe but I will let you know which one is better as soon as I try it.  Have a great day!  Spa happy!

Pinterest Week 3: Coconut Oil Facial Cleanser

So I had to use this one for a while before I found out if it works or not. And I like it! Steaming your face feels awesome but you can feel the oil working it's magic too. Here is the original post: 

http://campwander.blogspot.com/2012/08/coconut-oil-cleanse-with-essential-oils.html?m=1

Since I work at a factory, I get a lot of dirt on my face so I use baking soda as a scrub beforehand. And when I get out of the shower, I use apple cider vinegar as a toner and I put more (yes, MORE) coconut oil on to prevent dryness. Since the weather has dropped so drastically here in Iowa, it's gotten really dry really fast. Which sucks, but...what are ya gonna do, right? So I'm thinking coconut oil body butter is in order for next week. 

Now, the vinegar and added oil and baking soda might make a difference. You can try whatever you want for your different skin needs. Nobody's the same, ya know.

Lastly, I would like to say that usually my face is pretty oily. I normally feel the need to wash my face every day because it feels so gross in the morning. With the oil regimen, I don't feel that icky feeling the next day. Which is great when you have to be to work at 6am til 4pm and you just want to snuggle in bed for five more minutes...

Pinterest Week 2: Leg Exfoliator/Shaving "Cream"

Oh my goodness...this stuff. I have never liked something I've made for my body so much. It's a scrub AND a shaving cream, of sorts. The only complaint I have is that it is hard to wash down off the bottom of the tub. That might be because I used coconut oil, I'm not sure.

Now I have tried scrubs before. Like a coffee scrub that just uses coffee grounds and olive oil. I found out quickly that the oil clogs my skin and gives me something known as foliculitus. Trust me, you don't want it. It's a sort of rash that just itches like crazy. Thus why I used coconut oil in this exfoliant. I've never had a problem with coconut oil so I know it works for me.

As for the shape of my razor, all of the hair comes clean off the blades, but it does clog up behind the blades if that makes sense. So I end up holding the razor backwards to clean it off. But it shaves you clean without having to constantly put it under the shower stream or swishing it in the bath water. I use some disposable razors too so I'm not sure what would happen if you used like a Venus Gentle Glide or something.

All in all, I'm so happy I found this pin. Here's hoping it works for you too!

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/07/diy-skin-smoother-for-silky-soft-legs.html

Next week, I'll have a "mud" mask for ya. :) happy pinning!

Pinterest Week 1: All-Natural Laundry

Ya know how people write about stuff they've tried on Pinterest? Well, I figured I would start it up because I use a lot of the homemade tutorials I've found on Pinterest.

This week I decided to pick laundry. I make my own detergent and I would never go back to regular detergent. Mostly because I save a TON of money. And no liquid mess! There are tutorials for liquid homemade detergent, if you'd like. But I feel like it takes up more space and is harder to clean up. Not to mention you might have to get a pot specifically for making your detergent if you go liquid. As for me, I just put it in a huge Mason jar and use about two tablespoons every load. (I work at a factory, my clothes get really dirty and gross.) I love that it's more natural too. You know exactly what's going into it. Here's the recipe I use:

http://www.diynatural.com/homemade-laundry-detergent-soap/

I also use my own fabric softener! This is an even bigger money saver. Fabric softener costs quite a bit for how little you get. I will admit though, this softener starts to smell more like vinegar as it sits so I'll probably make a little less next time. The conditioner I used was strawberry scented (from Suave) so that might also make a difference in how the vinegar reacts to it. I keep mine in a pitcher with an airtight top. Here's the recipe for fabric softener:

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/homemade-fabric-softener-picture-tutorial

One more thing; dryer sheets. There's another tutorial using sponges and an airtight container that is easier than this one, but I'm weird about sponges. You can even use the softener you just made! Here's a tutorial got coffee filter dryer sheets:

http://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2012/10/diy-dryer-sheets/

If you would like to look up the other tutorials I've mentioned, feel free! These are just the ones I use that I find good for me. Thanks for checking it out! Next week I have a shaving cream/exfoliator for you to try. :)

Mother's Day Wreath

This is my mom's wreath. G is for their last name and I think it needs one more bunch of flowers. It will look great on their door! Also needs a new hanger, the plastic one broke. :/ Oh well, it's cute! I got all of the items at Hobby Lobby. The G is made out of a thin wood which was painted, there are three bunches of flowers (soon to be four). I hot glued the G on, though I may put some string around it just to keep it from falling off in windy conditions. The flowers had bendable stems so I just wrapped them around. Pretty simple! And cheap, I think I spent just $20 on the wreath, "G", flowers, and door hanger. I'm going to try to take off the G and see if it's good or not, maybe I can raise it up a bit. Thanks for checking it out! Happy crafting!

Mothers Day Approacheth

So I'm moving next weekend but Mother's Day is coming up fast! So I better get on creating my presents. Mom is getting a wreath, Grandma D is getting a cute little mug that I'm going to write on (hopefully that turns out cause I've heard it doesn't sometimes), Grandma H is getting a recreation of a mirror I gave to her last Christmas that fell and broke this past Christmas (lol), and my best friends mom is also getting a wreath. Stay tuned for the tutorials and pictures! :)

DIY Sock Snowman

You can make this guy an ornament or just a little guy who sits somewhere. :) I made this guy a girl since I couldn't find a red sock for the hat. And I also had some flowers laying around, so I put that instead of a pom pom on top. Either way, it's super cute!

What you need:

White toddler-size tube sock and matching thread

Polyester fiberfill (or cotton balls, which is what I used)

Buttons (small, two black, three others)

Fabric glue

Red child-size ribbed sock and matching thread for hat

Pom Pom

Black pipe cleaners for arms (I used white because that's what I had and I just wrapped it in black yarn)

Ribbon or a scrap of fabric for the scarf

Large embroidery needle

What to do:

Turn the tube sock inside out and stuff with fiber fill/cotton until full. Gather the sock at the top and sew closed. To form the head, tie off the ribbon/fabric. If you want to make his head larger, just tie of farther down the sock. Glue on the buttons to make the face. To make the hat, sew on the other sock, rib side down. To make a smaller hat, cut off the top of the sock and sew back together. Glue the Pom Pom on top of the sock hat. Thread the pipe cleaner onto the embroidery needle and push through, cut pipe cleaner and twist to make fingers.

Ta-da! All done! To make it an ornament, just thread through on the top to make a loop. :)

Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere

We made some pretty pumpkins! The one on the left is mine. I used glitter and metallic crayons to create quite an effect. The one on the right is my boyfriend, Joe's. He used sharpies to make that cute little face. :)

Of course we had to carve some too! I did Tinkerbell and Joe made a storm trooper. We plan on making more so stay tuned!