Monkeying Around

I have been having so much fun with my new Canon macro lens. I originally bought it to use when we went to visit my brand new grandson. I wanted to get close up pictures of his little toes, ears, fingers, etc. Now that I'm back home I've been using it to snap pics of flowers in my gardens and a beautiful public garden in our city called Clemens Garden. So here are a few of the pictures that I took that have been enhanced using Picmonkey. ( I actually have a free trial of Photoshop Elements 10 right now but I'm finding it to be  rather complicated.)

Have you tried Picmonkey or have you found another photo editing tool?

Six Recipes for National S'mores Day!

Another reason to celebrate with s'mores! There is actually a special day for them and today's the day! So here are some awesome recipes for many kinds of s'mores....

 From Woman's Day---Frozen S'mores.

From Endless Simmer---S'mores Bars

From Tastebook ---S'mores Dip

From Boboli--S'mores Pizza

From My Baking Addiction---S'mores Whoopie Pies

And my favorite...From  Cooking Classy--S'mores Bites  

What's your favorite way to eat a S'more?

Healthy, not Hungry

We have an friend who is always looking for the perfect diet. I think she has tried every one! But I think her biggest downfall is that she is still hungry so in the end she tends to binge a little and the weight comes back. Is it possible to cut calories and not feel hungry?

Here are some easy ways to eat healthier and trim the calories:

* Fill your plate with produce. Actually half your plate should be produce. You can pretty much eat as many veggies as you want (well,not potatoes or corn)but the more colorful ones like beans, carrots, broccoli and peppers.

*Eat smaller portions. Most restaurant portions are way more than we need to eat at one sitting. I usually take half of my meal home. (great left-overs)Reading nutrition labels will help you figure out portion sizes too.

*Watch the sugar. (my downfall!) I have pretty much given up soda except for the rare occasion when I am out and might have a drink. (malibu and coke with a lime--just one!) Sports drinks, sodas and energy drinks don't fill you up and are loaded with sugar. A study done at John Hopkins University found that people actually lost more weight by eliminating calories from their beverages than their food.

*Start your meal with a salad or soup. However, you can't load your salad up with a high calorie dressing. Also stay away from creamy soups usually made with cream or butter. Eating salad or soup will help fill you up before your main course arrives.

*Eat more protein. This will help you feel full longer. Healthy sources of protein are chicken, tuna, soybeans,legumes and very lean meat. Keep your portion size to about 3 oz.

*Make your own snacks. Easy and cheaper than buying snack packs. Fill up baggies with a trail mix of nuts, dried fruit (look for the sugar content--some are very high) and dark chocolate chips. If you make your own granola you can cut the sugar way back by using honey. Cut-up veggies are always a great snack too.

Healthy eating alone won't shed those pounds but it's a great start. Add in some exercise and you can maintain a healthy body weight.

Wordless Wednesday

I am going to have to send my niece Kendra over to The Yellow Sandbox to get The Ultimate Hairstyle Handbook. It looks like just the ticket for her and her long hair! I love the braids.

Acne Advice

According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), acne is the most common skin disorders in the United States, affecting 40–50 million Americans at one time. Acne (acne vulgaris, common acne) is not just a problem for teenagers; it can affect people from ages 10 through 40. It is not unusual for women, in particular, to develop acne in their mid- to late-20s, even if they have not had breakouts in years (or ever). On the positive side, those few individuals who have acne into their 40s may well grow out of it.

Some common misconceptions:
*Acne can simply be washed away. Over-washing will further irritate the skin.

  *Food: Parents often tell teens to avoid pizza, greasy and fried foods, and junk food. While these foods may not be good for overall health, they don't cause acne or make it worse. Although some recent studies have implicated milk and dairy products in aggravating acne, these findings are far from established.  **see Dr. Mockros’ advice…

*Pimples should be squeezed. Picking and squeezing pustules will only make acne worse because picking can spread acne-causing bacteria and squeezing can result in pushing infected material deeper into the skin.

* Many people have read that Tea Tree is a beneficial essential oil for acne, so they rub it all over the face. This essentially burns the skin. It is okay to dab one drop with a Q-tip right onto a blackhead or a whitehead. Use very sparingly!

Help for acne:

*Washing once or twice a day with a mild cleansing bar or liquid will keep the skin clean and minimize sensitivity and irritation. Gathered From The Garden's Love My Face Wash is an all-natural wash that can be formulated for oily or problem skin. It does not contain sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate.
  * Use a gentle astringent/toner to wipe away oil. Gathered’s Facial Toner is very mild.

*Steaming and "deep-cleaning" pores is useful, both alone and in addition to medical treatment, especially for people with "whiteheads" or "blackheads." Gathered has a wonderful Facial Steam consisting of dried lavender, calendula and chamomile.

* Use warm compresses to help draw out the pustules, as well as to calm down the redness of pimples. When blackheads or whiteheads are picked or squeezed the skin can become red and irritated. To prepare a hot compress, fill the sink or a basin with warm water, then drop in a few drops of lavender essential oil. Swish the oil around in the water, then dip a clean washcloth into the water, and hold it on the face for a few minutes. Repeat several times. This can be done in the evening a few times a week. (using more than 2-3 drops in the water can end up burning the skin so less is better than more)

* Stress can make hormones flare up also. To help combat stress, you can take baths with calming oils added like Lavender. Adding 5-6 drops of an essential oil is enough. Swish it around in your bath water before entering the tub.

*Aromatherapy massage is also a wonderful stress reliever. Many adults have experienced the healing of massage. For teens it can be a very beneficial therapy on a lot of levels too. It helps them identify what a relaxed state actually feels like, so that they can try to recreate that state whenever stress is starting to build up. It increases their body awareness. Yoga is another beneficial therapy to try for combating stress.

* *Here is some good advice from Dr. Lacie Mockros (Minser Chiropractic Clinic): “When treating acne you need to look at two places, the skin itself--keeping the skin free of bacteria, and treating the gut. Most often we talk about diet and cleaning that up. We discuss avoiding certain triggers such as chocolate, refined grains, foods that can cause sensitivities (eggs, soy, peanut, milk and potato). To also work on cleaning up the gut we would recommend the good bacteria (lactobacillus acidophilus). Starting an Omega-3 FA is also very beneficial to help the skin heal and reduce inflammation. It is said in Eastern Medicine that the skin reflects the gut, if your insides are full of junk your skin will be too!” 

Thanks, Dr. Mockros!

Puffy Headband Braid

My niece Kendra has been wearing her hair in some really cute braids that look something like a headband. It looks so cute on her! I was thinking how cute it would look on my granddaughter but didn't have any idea how to make a headband braid. (Do you remember when we thought frenchbraiding was cool?)

So I was delighted to find a website called Girly Do Hairstyles that has adorable"girly" hairstyle pictures and tutorials.I can't wait to see if my granddaughter will let me try these on her hair. Just look at a couple of the cute styles. There is even a post on doll hair restoration.

                                                                                            Isn't she cute?