Are You a "Dirt Diva?"

This newsletter is for all of you Dirt Divas (I like this name for girl gardeners!) and those of you who don’t garden but know some Dirt Divas to pass it along to.   Now if Spring would only cooperate!

A gardener can stay safe and healthy by following these good gardening guidelines:

Warm up. Treat gardening like a workout and warm up first. Stroll through your garden doing gentle stretches or take a walk. Gardening can challenge your joints, so choose a few stretches to loosen and warm your knees, elbows, wrists, and shoulders.

Be nice to your knees. To get closer to the earth, gardeners often find themselves on their knees. Reduce the strain to your knees and to your back by working with only one knee on the ground at a time. Your back should be straight as you kneel, and kneepads provide additional cushion on rough or rocky terrain. 

Take turns. Weed or dig for too long, and the repetition can cause strain. Alternate your gardening tasks to avoid repetitive strain injuries. Mix it up: pull weeds for 5 minutes, and then follow it up with a task that's a bit gentler on your hands. Switch again to digging, and then back to another task. This way, you don't overstrain any one part of your body! Take breaks between tasks to rest or do some light stretches. Sit in the shade for awhile and sip some water.

Handle with care. As a gardener, you use a lot of tools, but your hands are among your most precious. Shield them from harm with sturdy, well-fitted gardening gloves. Bare hands risk cuts, scrapes, blisters, as well as exposure to chemicals, pests, and potential allergens or irritants. Even with gloves, your hands will need a thorough washing-up once you've finished your tasks. The gloves I like best are the combo rubber and cloth gloves found at Wal-Mart.  They keep your hands dry as well as clean.

No tooling around. Tools should make a gardener's life easier, not more painful or dangerous. Gardening tools come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of sharpness, so always use them with care and caution. Choose the right tool for the job, and read and follow all the instructions included with the tool before using it. With stand-up tools - rakes, hoes, or shovels, for instance - select one that allows you to keep your back straight as you work


Gardening is an act of kindness. Yet a gardener's hands are often quite abused. Lavish them with a little well-earned therapy. Shouldn't a gardener's hands be as well cared for as a gardener's garden? 

Hand Soap. Gardening is tough on your hands. So get them some special hand soap made especially for gardeners. It will soften their hands and it will help get all of the dirt out from under their nails and from their hands.  

Heavy Duty Hand Lotion. Any gardener will be sure to appreciate some really good hand lotion. Gardening can be tough on your hands with pruning, weeding and planting. 

Great products to put in an Easter basket or as a Mother's Day Gift! 

How Best To Apply Your Foundation

Here’s a tip that I wasn’t aware of:  if you want liquid foundation to remain usable throughout its lifetime, always shake it well before application.

Then the trick is to pick the right foundation color. For a natural look your foundation should match your skin tone. Test foundations along your jawline. Blend the foundation into your skin to see if the color is right. If it's too light, then test the next shade darker. If it's too dark, then go down a shade until the color matches. You will know the best color because it will disappear into your skin. The goal of foundation application is not to change the tone /color of your skin.

For flawless application start with a clean, moisturized face. A clean face will allow the makeup to smooth and blend easier. Apply moisturizer  and let it soak in at least 3 minutes before applying foundation. (Dry skin will soak up the foundation if not given that base.)

Apply foundation by dabbing a small amount on your face. Start by applying the foundation in little dots on your forehead, down your nose and on your chin and cheeks. Blend the foundation with a brush, sponge or your fingertips. Blend it off on the jaw line and hair line. Make sure it's blended completely to create a natural, flawless look. Using your fingertips will give the heaviest application, a sponge a thinner application. Be careful in the area around your eyes where the skin is super thin. Don't forget to apply foundation on your eyelids and lips. (I’ve never done that!)

To avoid a foundation line around the jaw apply foundation as usual then use a little moisturizer in your hand and blend it down your neck.

On the under-eye area, apply makeup with a finger or with a small synthetic brush or applicator. Pat with your fingertips to blend, using your ring finger or pinkie to minimize the pressure. 

To finish, and for retouching during the day, use loose or pressed powder that is light-textured and contains no oil. Setting foundation with a powder is a must for oily skin; however, if your skin is dry or if you use solid foundation, your foundation will stay in place without powder.  

Liquid foundation should never be applied over your makeup for retouching purposes, because it is impossible to blend well on top of powder, dust, or sebum. 

The smoother your skin, the more natural the foundation will look. So do exfoliate twice a week to get rid of dead skin.

Here We Go Again

Just when we thought Spring might be on the way...

Wordless Wednesday

Reaching...reaching...I've almost got it!

Anti-Aging Tactics

Do you want your life story to be a long and joyous one, without having every line written on your face? Of course, we all do! 

Here are some ideas you can use to look and feel younger on a daily basis. 
(1) Check your attitude!How do you feel about life? Is your life going the way you want it to? Do you take responsibility for what you have created, good or bad? How about accepting who you are? Be grateful for what you have, family, friends, a job etc. Then do an assessment of the things you want to change, if any.

(2) Know your nutritional needs!
What you eat has a huge impact on how you look and feel. The foods you eat help make and maintain soft, smooth, glowing skin.Eat fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks, instead of over-processed manufactured "fast foods". Drink lots of water to keep skin hydrated. Cut back on sugar and cut out sodas.

(3) Take time outs!
When was the last time you had some fun? A good laugh? If you cannot remember, it's been too long!
What about pampering? Have you done anything special for yourself lately? A facial, manicure or pedicure? It’s easy to do these at home. It's the time you spend just focusing on yourself that will make you feel special and cared for.
(4) Grooming is ageless!

When did you last update your looks? A new hairstyle, wardrobe or eyeglasses is a very effective anti-aging tactic. Subtle changes in hair coloring can make you look years younger. Find skin care that's right for your skin type. Take care of your nails and teeth. Beautiful well cared for hands are a must if you want to appear younger!**Meaningful beauty is not just smooth skin (which is nice), but it is also an outlook on life, your life. Treat yourself and others with respect. Balance your physical, emotional and spiritual life.  Get rest when you need it, and play when you have the opportunity. These are the best anti-aging tactics!!

Wordless Wednesday

No place I'd rather be right now...

Using Toners on Your Skin

Today is all about toners. Many people consider toners to be an unnecessary step in skin care. Toners are an important step in your daily skin care routine for two important reasons.

1. A natural facial toner will improve your skin tone by tightening your pores and helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It will increase circulation, giving your face a healthy glow, hydrate your skin and restore your skin's natural PH balance. A toner will enhance the overall cleanliness of the skin by removing dead skin cells, dirt, oil, and any residue from cleansers. 

2. A facial toner acts to soothe and rebalance skin after cleansing and prepares it for moisturizing.

     There are two types of toners on the market, one called toner and the other 'astringent'.  An astringent is basically the same as a toner but with alcohol added. Alcohol is extremely drying to skin, which can actually increase oil production

So, who should use a toner?
     Everybody!  Toner is beneficial to all skin types.  Toners can help control the sebum balance of oily skin by helping to remove excess oil, assist dry skin by giving added moisture and help soothe sensitive skin.

     Toner is not only for cleansing!  During the day you can use your toner as a refreshing spray mist for your face.  This is ideal for hot weather or days spent indoors in air conditioning and heating - both extremely drying to skin.

Make your own toner.
In an 8 oz. bottle mix 1/4 cup witch hazel, 1 tsp. glycerin, 6-8 drops of your favorite essential oil. (I like to use lavender or lemon.) Then fill the bottle with distilled water. Apply with a cotton ball.