Hunger Games Nails and More

Have you seen The Hunger Games yet?  I loved the books so I had to go see the movie. Hubby went along but I had to fill him in on parts of the plot. The books developed the characters much better than the movie I thought.  One of my favorite characters besides Katniss, of course, was Effie Trinket. I just loved her colorful outfits. So when I saw this easy tutorial for doing her nails, I had to share!

These bunny nails are cute too and look easy to do. Go here for the tutorial.  I think I'm going to try these on my granddaughter's nails. Wouldn't they be sweet on a seven-year-old's nails?  Yours, too, I think!

Wordless Wednesday

                                                                                       House for rent.

How To Save Your Picnik Faves

Oh...we are getting so close to the date Picnik will no longer exist. Are you like me trying to Picnik as much as you can until they are gone? If so, you will appreciate this blog post  on Living Laughing and Loving. Renee has figured out a way to save a little bit of Picnik--the fun stickers that she is going to use as clip art. Her tutorial is very easy to follow. Go check it out.
What will you miss most about Picnik?

Do Our Imperfections Enhance Our Beauty?

                                                 l to r:  me, my sisters Nancy, Mary, Lisa and Pam--sister Annie not pictured

This weekend I had a somewhat unnerving experience. A colleague of my younger sister Mary (who is 10 years younger than me) asked if I was Mary's mother! I had never met this woman before so I was a little short with my answer "NO!".

Later, after I had the chance to reflect on it, I realized there will always be someone who is thinner, smarter, better-looking,more creative or younger than me. I can wallow in some self-pity or rail at that woman's insensitivity or accept the fact that we all have imperfections. In the book "The Woman's Book of Courage" by Sue Patton Thoele, she says that even clothes have a disclaimer. "This garment is made from 100% natural fibers. Any irregularity or variation is not to be considered defective. Imperfections enhance the beauty of the fabric."

I hadn't really considered that my imperfections could enhance my beauty. I'm still striving to be the best I can be but I 'm trying to accept that I am unique and can appreciate myself as I am now. This woman doesn't know what's on the inside, she was judging by what she saw on the outside. Yes, I'm older, but I have a lot of life experience to celebrate.

I also have to consider that maybe Mary is just VERY young-looking! If I got to add another daughter to my family, I'd be very proud to be her mother. As it stands now, I am enjoying the relationship that we have as older sister/younger sister. She is intelligent, generous and hard-working--one heck of a woman!! She has her imperfections too but that only adds to her beauty.

To celebrate the beauty of you why not pamper yourself with a jar of our Satin and Silk Shea Butter Lotion. I can't think of a better way to moisturize your skin on these beautiful days of spring!

Wordless Wednesday

                                                                                                    Spring evening.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Everyone is Irish today aren't they? We will be taking the grandkids to a parade in a little town about 15 miles from here that goes all out! So we'll pretend we are Irish today and join in the fun.

May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light,

may good luck pursue you each morning and night.

May your neighbors respect you, trouble neglect you,

the angels protect you, and heaven accept you.

                                       How are you celebrating St.Pat's Day?

Say No To Tanning

I read an interesting article on the Skin Deep website about Amy Forman Taub, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, founder of Advanced Dermatology in Lincolnshire, IL, and assistant clinical professor at Northwestern University trying to get the public to sign a "No Tanning" pledge.More than two million people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year and one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. (My mother and sister-in-law both have skin cancer. My SIL loved to lay in the sun, my mother worked outside in her flower and veggie gardens.) Ms Taub would like to lower those numbers.

Skin Inc. says..."In a 2010 study, people who tanned indoors had a 74% increased risk of melanoma compared to those who never tan indoors. And occasional visits can be harmful, too: The risk of melanoma increases by 11% with just four visits per year." Ms. Taub is trying to particularly target teens who usually feel they look better tanned. Their skin is much more vulnerable to the harmful UV rays.

Pledge takers promise to stop using tanning beds or intentionally tanning outdoors. They also agree to protect their skin with sunscreen and care for their skin with visits to their dermatologist. As summer approaches, Taub suggests using sunless tanning. I have used both the at-home spray-on tan and the spray-on tanning booth. Both gave me a tan very easily and safely.

So...can you take the pledge?

The Pledge

I promise to....

Stop using tanning beds or intentionally tanning outdoors.

Protect my skin and health by wearing sunscreen, and by making regular dermatology visits.

Find the beauty in my natural skin color.

&Educate my family and loved ones on the damages of tanning.

You can sign up to take the pledge online if you'd like. Go here. ( I'll take the pledge on my own.)

Wordless Wednesday

A very special lesson from Great-Grandma on how to make her "Butterhorns". This recipe has been passed down from many generations. So happy my granddaughters had the chance to make these!

Get Energized!

Some days I seem to have a shortage of energy. Does that happen to you too? Although now that the weather has turned unseasonably warm for MN I'm finding a little more energy from the sun. (Also a little more motivation to run outside.) However, on those days when I need a little pick-me-up I turn to Simply Celebrate's list of energizers. A quote from the website...

"When my energy is high I feel better, I laugh more, I connect to people more easily, I take action without worrying about perfection. When my energy is high, I simply feel more alive.

I wanted to send you the link to a free download of mine that includes 50 things you can do in less than 10 minutes to get a little more oomph in your life. Click here to download now."

I especially love this one #11 ... You just can't help smile and wish you were there to join in! #16 and 27 are pretty good too.  I think #51 should be ...play a song on your favorite musical instrument. I played a new song today on my piano and it gave me the boost I needed!

Check out the list of energizers and tell us which is your favorite! Or better yet, what is your favorite way to get energized?

A Weekend of Family Fun

This past weekend was a joyous one! My hubby retired from his job after 36 years and we celebrated his 60th birthday. Our son and daughter-in-law flew in from D.C. Our daughter flew in from Colorado. Along with my daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren who live nearby,our family was all together for the festivities.

His co-workers put together a very nice program for him on Wednesday afternoon. It was a little bit serious and yet had some humor. Very nice words were spoken about him from his boss, co-workers and administration. We were very proud to witness how many people he had touched.

Then came the big bash at our house. We both come from large families.So along with parents, siblings and friends we had a houseful. My children and grandchildren helped to put together a wonderful party. Our theme was "He's Going On Permanent Vacation.With three of us being teachers,(my daughter Rana , daughter-in-law Angela and I) we came up with "centers" for our guests to stop at. As they entered the party they were given a "passport".

They had to stop at each center and complete a task. When that was completed they stamped their passport. The centers included birthday pics of Jerry through the years, (They had to guess his age.) a chance to add to Jerry's Bucket list and a short quiz of questions about Jerry. (There were 5 centers in all.) Once the passport was stamped, they got a "ticket for fun". (lottery ticket) We also put out a bunch of photo props, a background and a digital camera. We got some pretty funny pics!

As you can see from the above collage everyone pitched in to create a delicious spread of foods from "around the world"(kept the travel theme going). My daughter Lacie and son Jon are great in the kitchen so we used their expertise! The little girls had fun making tortellin skewers.

We don't have our family all together very often so it was a real treat. (We did miss our son-in-law Cody who wasn't able to join us.)Jerry was pretty overwhelmed by everyone's thoughtfulness and generosity. It was a sweet tribute to him that so many people would come and help him celebrate. I just thoroughly enjoyed everyone's company.

I'm younger than Jerry so I won't be having a milestone birthday this year. I would like to retire next fall though. I'm not keen on the idea of a big party for me (even though Jerry's was fun). My dream celebration would be to have all of my family go somewhere to vacation together. (hint, hint) That would be a great way to start my "Permanent Vacation"!

Wordless Wednesday

                                                                      "Naughty Irish Girl" (the drink...oh, you knew that!)

Help For Damaged Hair

I'm hoping that since March is coming in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb. Winter has been hard on my hair so I found some  home recipes for hair that are perfect for damaged and dry hair  that I'd like to share.

Homemade Hair Treatments For Damaged Hair

1. Avocado Deep Conditioner Hair Mask- Using 1 small jar of mayonnaise and 1/2 avocado. Mix all ingredients, smooth into head being careful to work it to the ends, Use shower cap or plastic wrap to seal body heat in and leave on for 20 minutes.

2. Mayonnaise Your Hair - Apply 1/2 cup of mayonnaise to your dry hair, work in really well, cover your head with a plastic wrap, and let it set for about 15 minutes.

3. Olive Oil Hair Mask - Combine 2 tablespoon honey and 3 tablespoon olive oil together. Apply thoroughly and then cover with plastic wrap and set for 15 minutes.

4. Honey Mask Combine 1 tsp. of honey with an egg yolk and 2 tbps. of olive oil. Spread the mixture evenly through damp hair, wrap with a warm damp towel and let sit for 30 minutes. Wash the mask away with a gentle shampoo, followed by your regular conditioner.

These treatments are great on any type of hair and safe enough for those with sensitive scalps as well.

Homemade Shampoo

1.Baking Soda Hair Mud Mix 1 heaping Tbsp. of Baking Soda and 3-5 drops of essential oils of your choice (lavender, patchouli, rosemary, sweet orange are some of mine:not necessarily all together) with enough water to make a paste. Mix this in the shower. It might take a little getting used to, with there being no suds.

2.Natural Shampoo– Use these three ingredients and use as a natural DIY shampoo, ¼ cup distilled water, ¼ cup liquid castile soap ( I use unscented ), and ½ teaspoon jojoba, grapeseed or other light vegetable oil.

3. Chamomile Fields Shampoo - You'll need: 4 bags of Chamomile tea (or 1 handful of fresh Chamomile flowers) 4 tablespoons pure soap flakes 1 1/2 tablespoons glycerin. Let the tea bags steep in 1 1/2 cups of boiled water for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and with the remaining liquid add soap flakes. Let stand until the soap softens. Stir in glycerin until mixture is well blended. Pour into a bottle. Keep in a dark, cool place.

I've got spring fever (or is it cabin fever?) and it's only the beginning of March. Anyone else ready for spring?