50 Health & Beauty Products You Can Make at Home

Check out 50 Heath and Beauty Products You Can Make at Home which includes:

• Spray Conditioner
• Clarifying Treatment
• Yogurt Facial Cleanser
• Astringent
• Salt Skin Smoother
• Hand Sanitizer
• Sweet Eye Makeup Remover
• Body Spray

One of My Favorite Things: Google Reader

Google Reader is a program that checks all the blogs that you tell it to and lets you know which have new posts. It will show you updates to anything with an RSS feed. If, for instance, a blog is private, it doesn't have a feed, so you have to check those manually. Otherwise, Google Reader is awesome!

You simply log in to Google Reader and you come to a page with a listing of your blogs, with highlights on the blogs with new posts. You can either read them in Google Reader, or go to the blog itself to read it. (Sometimes authors only allow a snippet of the blog post on readers, and you have to go to the actual blog to read the post in its entirety.)

Google offers a tour of Reader HERE. From the Google Reader tour:

Stay up to date
Google Reader constantly checks your favorite news sites and blogs for new content. Whether a site updates daily or monthly, you can be sure that you won't miss a thing.

Simplify your reading experience
Google Reader shows you all of your favorite sites in one convenient place. It's like a personalized inbox for the entire web.

Discover new content
Millions of sites publish feeds with their latest updates, and our integrated feed search makes it easy to find new content that interests you.

A basic explanation of a feed reader (like Google Reader) from Life Hack:

One of the core technologies behind the Web 2.0 “revolution” is RSS (Really Simple Syndication). Most websites that are updated with any sort of regularity have feeds of at least their headlines, and usually of full articles. Some sites also have secondary feeds listing their comments, videos, links, and other updates as well.

Because RSS is so common these days, keeping up with the rush of information that shapes our lives has become pretty easy (”really simple”, even). Instead of jumping from one site to another, you can keep track of all the content of the sites you visit regularly in one central place.

Why Google Reader?

While there are desktop applications that collect your syndicated content, reading RSS feeds is one task that justifies the buzz around “Web 2.0″. For reading news, keeping up with blogs, even tracking packages, little can compare with Google Reader — its easy to add feeds, easy to read them, and easy to organize them.

Google Reader offers several advantages over stand-alone desktop feed readers. First of all, it integrates tightly with both Firefox and IE7, making it simple to use. Second, you can access your feeds from any computer, and keep your reading in sync between them. Finally, you don’t have to worry about upgrades or performance issue — bug fixes and new features are added “behind the scenes” with no action on your part. And it’s free.

If you already use any of Google’s other services — Gmail, Docs and Spreadsheets, Google Groups, or whatever — you are already signed up for Google Reader; just log in with your existing account information. Otherwise, go to Google Reader and create a new account.

Read the rest of the article HERE.

One of My Favorite Things: Double-Sided Dish Cloths

I've always disliked sponges. I never feel like I can keep them clean. I have always used dish rags because they're so easy to toss in the washer when they get yucky.

A few months ago I found dish rags that are FABULOUS! They are regular dish rags, except one side is covered in a nylon mesh. These rags can scrub dried-on egg off the countertop, get splatters of spaghetti sauce off of the stovetop, and clean walls with ease.

I found mine at Wal-Mart, but I'm sure you can find them just about anywhere.

They are one of my favorite things!

Reusable Homemade Dryer Sheets

Need:

Flannel pieces
4 TBS liquid softener
10 TBS water

Instructions:

* Cut fabric sheets from old flannel pajamas or leftover flannel fabric from sewing and cut into 3x5" strips (approximately)

* Stack flannel strips in a cleaned margarine tub (large size) or plastic container (cleaned baby wipes container works well too). Mix the liquid softener and water together, then pour evenly over top of stacked flannel strips.

* Seal container and shake well. You can use several dozen strips with this mixture.

* Leave sealed for 2 or 3 days, then use one flannel strip per load. Squeeze out excess if necessary (it should be just damp). Keep container sealed at all times. Wash strips after use, then use again to make another batch when needed.

Holiday Gift-Giving

I have a love and talent for baking. This year, I decided to put that love/talent to work making gifts for teachers, bus drivers, neighbors, friends, and family. The cost? Almost nothing (within my budget, for sure!). I made loaves of banana bread with a gorgeous holiday ribbon for Matt's boss and my in-laws. I made little bags with stacks of cookies (oatmeal and snickerdoodles) and mini candy canes for neighbors, friends, and teachers. I got the bags and ribbon from my MIL, who was cleaning out her Christmas boxes and had more stuff than she wanted to keep. The only thing I bought was the mini candy canes (and the flour, sugar, etc).

I'd tell you what I'm giving my brothers-in-law (who I got in the gift exchange) and my brother, but there's just the slightest chance they'll read this and I don't want to spoil their gift. It's bigger and better than banana bread - trust me! But it still comes from my oven... I'll add it to the bottom of this post after Christmas. :)

Do you have a talent you could share with others as a gift this holiday season?

Oprah's Meaningful & Inexpensive Gift Ideas

I am not a huge Oprah fan, but today I watched her show because it was "How to Have the Thriftiest Holiday Ever!" I'm not one to pass up thrifty holiday ideas!

For the next 48 hours, you can download a CD worth of holiday songs from artists like Josh Groban (a personal fave of mine), Aretha Franklin, and Harry Connick Jr (another favorite) for FREE from the Oprah website HERE. From the same page you can download a CD cover for it! Cool, huh?

Also on her show she talked about an idea I simply LOVE. From her website: "Oprah has received many gifts over the years, but she says the gift that means the most to her is one that cost the least. 'A few years ago at my 50th Happy Birthday luncheon, my friends wrote me heartfelt notes that they then placed inside this silver box,' Oprah says. 'The words from your heart mean more to people than anything you can buy.' The tradition was carried on at Oprah's Legends Ball, when some of the younger women—like Alicia Keys, Debbie Allen and Halle Berry—wrote letters to Oprah. The letters were turned into a book, a keepsake that became the inspiration behind this thrifty idea: gratitude boxes." For more information on Gratitude Boxes and ideas on ways to use them, go to the Oprah website HERE. You can even download notecards with the sayings: "What I Love About You...", "Thank you for..." and "My Holiday Wish For You..." What a clever and thoughtful idea!!

And don't forget, you only have 48 hours to download your FREE HOLIDAY MUSIC CD!!

Stuffing Christmas Packages

Save all the scraps from your wrapping paper and put them through your shredder. Use this as cushioning/filler for packages you send out to loved ones through the mail. :)

Gifts for the Savior

We have started a new family tradition.

Christmas is severely commercialized. I don't know anyone who would argue to the contrary. We decided to try a new Christmas tradition to refocus our thoughts to the true meaning of Christmas this year -- and every year after.

For Family Home Evening tonight, we talked about things that the Savior would like to receive for Christmas. What would make Him happy? We came up with a list of things including being kind to others, keeping the Sabbath day holy, reading our scriptures & saying our prayers every day, sharing the gospel with others, and being worthy to attend the temple. Our list was actually most of a page after only a few minutes. Then I challenged each of us to choose one item from the list that they would like to give to the Savior this year for Christmas. We each chose one item that we could improve on, wrote it on a piece of paper, and signed it. We shared with each other what our goals were, then placed those papers in a decorative wood box. We tied a pretty gold ribbon around the box and placed it under our tree.

Next year, on the Monday before Christmas, we will untie that ribbon and review how we've done over the past year on the gifts we chose to give the Savior. We will then choose new gifts, and repeat the process.

Merry Christmas!!

p.s. We are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For more information, please visit www.mormon.org.

One of My Favorite Things: Sinus Irrigation

Okay, so I hope I don't gross anyone out here, but I just HAVE to share my latest find with you.

First, a little background... I have suffered from hayfever and chronic sinus infections since I was a kid. My allergies bother me probably 7-9 months a year, and I seem to have at least 4 or 5 sinus infections a year. And the few months that I don't have allergies, I seem to get sinus infections from the colds I get in the winter. I am ALWAYS stuffy. Needless to say, I should probably buy stock in Sudafed and Kleenex.

Recently I was diagnosed with a sinus infection after suffering with a nasty cold for about two weeks. I took the antibiotics for ten days as prescribed, and felt better about 48 hours in. About 3-4 days after taking the last of the antibiotics, I either got another cold, or the sinus infection was back. Either way I was MISERABLE. I had read about sinus irrigation on a friend's blog and decided (since nothing else was working) to give it a try. I went out to my drugstore and purchased the NeilMed Sinus Rinse Nasal Wash starter kit. I followed the directions and within 48 hours I felt back to 100%. I went from being almost sure I had another sinus infection to feeling just fine! All without any drugs or antibiotics. I was convinced this was a miracle device, and I had to share it!

What it is (for those still reading...) is a little bottle with a cap that has a straw attached to a hole in the top. You fill the bottle with warm, distilled water and add a little packet of "pH balanced sodium chloride & sodium bicarbonate mixture" that comes with the kit. You gently shake it to mix it. Then you lean over your sink and put the hole in the cap against one nostril. You gently squeeze the bottle and the warm solution goes up one nostril and out the other. You use about half the bottle, then blow your nose gently and do the other side. You experience a split second of unpleasantness at the start, then it's not a big deal. It feels much like when you get water up your nose, but it only lasts for a second. It doesn't burn or hurt at all. It is WONDERFUL to get all the mucus, allergens, pollutants, bacteria, etc OUT of your nasal passages. And even Doctors applaud its usefulness.

The website says it helps with:
• Nasal Allergies & Dryness
• Sinusitis, Rhinitis
• Allergic Asthma
• Post Nasal Drip
• Sinus Pressure & Nasal Stuffiness
• Nasal Symptoms from Flu & Cold
• Nasal Irritation from Occupational Dust, Fumes, Animal Dander, Grass, Pollen, Smoke, & House Dust
• Nasal Congestion

No, this is not a paid endorsement. But I do "endorse" this product fully!

Lately I've been using my Nasal Wash every couple of days and I still love it. It helped me get through my last cold taking a LOT less medication. This one of my favorite things! Crazy, huh?

Have I grossed you out yet? :)

18 Uses for Petroleum Jelly

Yes, another link to more fabulous info on another blog! I've been sick lately with a super-nasty cold so sharing things is easier than writing my own stuff... You forgive me, right?

I subscribe to many blogs in my Google Reader and I LOVE it! If you aren't familiar with a Reader, you're missing out! (Maybe that's a post for another day.)

Anyway, one of the blogs I subscribe to is Life Hackery which is totally up my alley because the subtitle is: "Useful, Unusual, and (Sometimes) Ironic Tips and Tricks to Hack Your Life into Shape." I found their most recent post to be a great thing to link to here on Clever Homemaking, as it tells of 18 uses for that old staple, Petroleum Jelly. Among the list are a few you wouldn't expect:

• Shoe Shine Solution
• Nail Polish Canvas
• Prevention of Car Battery Corrosion

To read more, go to 18 of Petroleum Jelly's Wondrous Uses.

Which is your favorite or which surprised you the most?