Inspiration hits

I haven't been feeling very inspired lately, hence the lack of posts. I guess if I knew I had a million readers, I would post more often. :-) You can always post comments to let me know you like what I write. hint, hint

OK - I am always on the computer, so I thought to myself "Self, why don't you post funny or interesting things that you read?"

This is a girl after my own heart and she had some really good ideas. I guess she was on Rachael Ray's show, but I don't watch it, so I don't know. I was reading a review of her new book Spinster Sisters and saw this link to a video she had done.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-145064158046710576&q=stacey+ballis&hl=en

My new favorite item

I have always liked the Burts Bees lip shimmer (my favorites are Nutmeg and Rhubarb). I have a thing for all things lip gloss (up to 18 so far), but I like that these are in stick form. It is much easier to stick in my pocket versus a liquid.

Costco had a set of Burts products for $19.99, that included 2 Lip shimmers (Champagne & Rhubard), one Lip Balm, Peppermint Shower Soap, Coconut Foot Creme, Hand salve and Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme. The cuticle creme smells divine, but the best of the bunch has to be the Coconut Foot Creme. It smells absolutely amazing, seriously, I have to resist the temptation to eat it. I love the smell of coconut (makes me think of summer) and this smells so delicious that I love to use it at night.

You can buy the foot creme by itself at SuperTarget. In fact, they had a really nice selection of products. I see online at Burt's however, they have a set of 4 Lip Shimmers for $10. Hmm, much cheaper than $3.99 each at some stores, but I need to see what colors they offer. Now you can see why I have such an addiction to lip gloss, it is cheap and fun!

Bath Salts almost perfected

OK, here is my recipe. I used the 6 lb. bag of epsom salts from Costco (around $3), so I had to increase my recipe below to adjust. I ended up using 40 drops lavender oil and 15 drops rosemary oil for 5 lbs. of salt (I had used some from the bag before). Even with all that, I still have tons left in my essential oil bottles - about $15 for the oils.

I was going to omit sea salt, but then found it at Sprouts (health food store) in the bulk section for $.29 lb. It was so cheap that I bought a couple of pounds.

1 cup epsom salt
1/4 cup sea salt
3 Tbsp baking soda (12 lb. bag $4)
2-3 drops essential oil

It smells heavenly in the bag, I think if you use a quarter cup per bath, it should be fine. The fragrance is not as strong, but is still nice and relaxing. I may tweak it some more and grind up oatmeal to add in as it softens skin. Glycerin is supposed to be good, but I don't have any of that.

My next batch perhaps will be scented with rose oil! I love the smell of roses. Lately, I have been wearing Stella (by Stella McCartney) fragrance. It is roses and amber and I think smells heavenly. http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P50714&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=5689
She has a fragrance called Rose Absolute, but I don't smell the rose as much as I smell amber. I need to wear it and see how it dries down as I think Stella fades quickly.

I am also toying with Rose Essentielle from Bvlgari. It may be too sweet, but once again, wearing should tell. I have been searching for a signature fragrance for a while, one that had longevity and that I can wear for years.
http://www.sephora.com/browse/brand_hierarchy.jhtml?brandId=3595&contentId=C15139

Suds away

No antibacterial soap for me! Studies have shown that not only does it destroy good bacteria, but washing your hands correctly is more important. I think it is a way for manufacturers to charge more.

Interesting article from ABC news about washing hands.
http://tinyurl.com/y2bnrg

My beloved Costco only carries antibacterial soap, so I don't buy soap from them. I did find some Ivory liquid soap, which was half the price per ounce of other soaps. Interestingly, it was on the top shelf of the Kroger. You know you find the best prices either on the top or bottom shelves of grocery stores. They put the more expensive brands in the middle. I will find the info and post it.
http://www.ivory.com/YourIvoryProducts_LiquidHandCleanser.htm

While this smells good and does the job, my hands get super dry in the winter. I bought some Dr. Bronner's almond liquid soap and used 3 capfuls in some foaming pumps I had. The 16 oz. cost me around $7.50 and should last quite a while. Disregard the interesting packaging and it is a great product.

I may add some olive oil to the foaming soap and see how that works.

Making bath salts

Don't ask me why, but not working has allowed me to tap into all the creative sides of me. Right now I am making my own bath salts. My feeling is - how hard can it be? I am trying to do it with dried rosemary (from my garden) and dried lavendar, but am not sure how strong the fragrance will be. I may need to buy some essential oils to add as the herbs may not cut it.

Costco has a huge bag of Epsom salts for around $3. That rocks as it will be cheap for me to make. If you know me, don't be surprised if you get some from me for Christmas once I perfect my recipe. I will keep you all posted on my success or failure.

What price for great skin?

This from a NYTimes article about expensive night creams:

"But dermatologists say that many night creams do not offer much value, especially given the substantial investment required for so many of them. Is glopping something onto your face really any better than allowing your skin to breathe while you rest?"

Here is a link to the full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/21/fashion/21skin.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

I have been using the eye cream from KS by Borghese (Costco private brand) and really like it. Plus, it is $19.99 for 2 jars! I may invest in the rest of the line and tell you what I think. I used to work in the cosmetic industry for years, so I do know a little about this kind of product.

Here is the link to the Costco page online:
http://tinyurl.com/fvm38