Things I Love Thursday

Hello and happy almost-Friday! If you had a short week, you’re probably feeling a bit time-crunched today. I understand and therefore will jump right in with some favorite tips, tricks, and eye candy. Enjoy!

1. Apartment Therapy: Five Tricks for Dealing with a Hairy Home

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicsuzor/2554668884/Kittens!

Dust with a dryer sheet? Fantastic idea!

I’d also add using an air purifier. We have one in each major room and I swear it makes a huge difference in quality, as measured by sniffles and sneezes (2 humans + 2 cats!).

2. Outer Planet shoes by Prada

… for the Spacegirl in you Now, if only those rockets actually worked…

3. Chuck Wendig with more tough-love wisdom: 25 Things Writers Should Start Doing

A follow-up to his list of things writers should stop doing. In short, no one is going to make you a writer, much less a famous, successful, or solvent one. That’s up to YOU, dear friends. YOU need to put in the work and YOU need to believe in yourself and your writing! Value yourself, value your writing, make yourself and your success a priority!

Here’s what Chuck has to say about “Start Discovering What You Know”:

Ah, that old chestnut. “Write what you know.” Note the lack of the word only in there… We’ve seen things, done things, learned things. Extract those from your life. Bleed them into your work. Don’t run from who you are. Bolt madly toward yourself. Then grab all that comprises who you are and body-slam it down on the page.

4. From Naturally Healthy & Gorgeous: excellent information on jojoba oil.

One of my all-time fave skin treats, I use jojoba oil every night. It’s lightweight for my skin type, yet makes it super-soft and smooth.

5. Gabriela from Une Vie Saine shared her Flourless Orange and Sea Salt Chocolate Cake.

Click through to drool. Amazingly delicious-looking, no? I want to bake this today! SUPER YUM. I also want to try making a sugarless one. If that goes well, I’ll post the recipe here!

6. Marin Mama Cooks gave us her Kale, Cranberry, Apple, and Toasted Almond Salad with Lemon Dressing.

Delish AND packed with superfood nutrients and vitamins to get you through the winter with strength and vitality! I like the idea of using tahini in place of tofu in the dressing, too.

7. GeekMom reminded us why Yoga is Good for the Geek Soul.

Ah, yoga and geeks, geeks and yoga. A nice explanation of why yoga is good for geeks (nerds and dorks, too!).

BTW, have you checked out my Yoga Geek store??? If you’re a yoga geek and proud of it, why not let the world know?

8. The Healthy Diva showed us how to Build a Better Breakfast.

Protein is KEY. If you want a breakfast that will take you to lunch and beyond with energy and a good mood, try adding more protein!

9. From Brooke at Inchmark: Matchbook Valentines

Re-posted by CRAFT and viral! These matchbook valentines are adorable and the possibilities for filling them are sweet.

10. And, finally, writerly wisdom from NYT-bestselling author Allison Winn Scott:

Want to write a book? WRITE IT.

Ah-ha! It’s tough love but she tells it good:

Writing is HARD. It is meant to be hard because not everyone can do it, not everyone has the stomach for the rejection or the discipline to sit down each day and craft something from nothing. It is totally, totally, TOTALLY fine if this is not for you. But don’t pretend otherwise. Because the thing is, you don’t have a book in you if you don’t write it. It’s that simple. What you have is an idea.

Click through the link above to read more.

And on that note, I’m off to enjoy the rest of Thursday! Have a great end of the week!

A Year of Natural Health & Beauty Tip #2: Make Your Own Face Scrub

It's easy and cheap to make your own face scrubs!

The thing I like best about making my own face scrubs is… well, everything!

For one thing, it’s a lot cheaper than buying one. There is no reason to spend $5 or $35 on a face scrub, when most of what you’re paying for is advertising, packaging, and chemicals. It takes me about three minutes to gather a couple of ingredients and mix up a new scrub every couple of weeks.

Another benefit to making your own is customization. Don’t have jojoba oil? Use olive oil instead! Don’t like lavender? Omit it!

The following is my standard scrub for normal skin not prone to breakouts. If your skin is drier, you might try coconut oil; if it’s oilier, try almond oil.

Simple homemade face scrub

And, as always, remember that natural health and beauty need a solid foundation of wellness and self-care.

Here’s a quick review of  The Basics:

1. Get plenty of sleep
2. Exercise regularly
3. Eat right
4. Drink plenty of water
5. Use sunscreen daily
6. Brush AND floss twice a day
7. Exfoliate all over
8. Smile

Stuff to Know:

• Spot test any products or ingredients before using any homemade products on your face, head, or body, especially if you have sensitive skin or are prone to irritation and/or allergies.
• In general, each of the homemade products should be stored in a cool, dark, dry spot for 3-4 weeks.

For a container, I used a small plastic jar from my craft box. A used jam jar, plastic yogurt cup, or something similar would work just as well!

Simple Homemade Face Scrub

Ingredients

• 1/8 cup very fine sea salt*
• 2 tsp. jojoba oil**
• 8 drops lavender essential oil (optional)

Steps

1. In a medium-size bowl, mix together all ingredients.
2. Transfer to your container.

To use:

• Remove all makeup first.
• Remove a small amount, the size of a couple of quarters, and spread between your hands.
• Apply in small, circular movements to your forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin for one minute. Avoid the delicate eye area.
• Rinse well with temperate water.
• Pat your face dry. Do not rub. The jojoba oil will help to maintain and protect your skin!

* If you don’t have fine sea salt, you can use baking soda!

** If you don’t have jojoba oil, which can be found for $2 or so at health food markets, you can use any pure, organic vegetable oil, such as olive oil or coconut oil.

Do you make your own beauty products?

If you were to create the “perfect” beauty product, what would it be?