Minty Facial Steam

I was looking for a refreshing recipe and felt in the mood for mint. So I went to my personal recipe box for food, beauty and fun. I made a yummy cool Mint Julep drink with fresh mint. I also prepared a fresh facial steam.

Mint Juleps … are so 🍃 refreshing!

I wanted to detox my pores a bit and give them a breather from makeup, pollution and more.

What you will need for this recipe:

1 bunch of fresh peppermint or spearmint leaves

1 gallon bottle of water poured into a pasta pot (pretend you’re making pasta)

1 glass Pyrex like bowl

Bring water to a boil and allow it to cool a bit. Pour this water into a bowl.

Crush up some great mint in your hands to let the aromatics come out.

Place the leaves on top of the water.

Place a tea towel over your head allowing your face to be uncovered.

Keeping a safe distance allow the steam 💦 to reach your face.

You’ll start to notice a bit of moisture to your facial skin and feel like you’ve been “working out”. That’s good!

Your pores are getting a workout,dead skin will slough off a bit and your your skin will love you for it all.

You can enjoy this facial steam once a week. I like to do it for at least 10 mins. until the water cools to lukewarm and your face is glows & dewy.

*

Do not put your pretty face in the steamy water. Just near it and allow the steam to rise and meet your face.

Have you ever tried a recipe like this?

Enjoy!

All the Feels of Fall

Spice It Up …Fall has arrived even though we don’t feel it in Florida. The temperatures in the 90’s this week! Wow. Today on TV I shared these with our TV viewers on a lifestyle morning show on River City Live… on WJXT-4.

But it is going to feel like the chill of fall before we know it. Let’s get in the mood and spice your life up with something new. Perhaps something or some place you never tried before! 

• A great way to do this is with a new sweater or better yet buy a pair of cozy socks! Say goodbye to boring black,white or blue and color your world too! I just discovered this awesome brand called JOHN’S CRAZY SOCKS! So many sock styles to choose from for guys, gals and kids too. The fun socks I purchased are so ME with luscious lips all over them.

Check out …
Browse: www.johnscrazysocks.com Feel even better about your purchase knowing you are supporting a small business owner who just happens to be born with Down Syndrome.  His company donates a portion of your purchase to  Special Olympics. The holidays are coming. Great gift idea too.   

Adding fall decorative touches in your home is nice. But how about adding some spice to your kitchen by trying out new and exotic spices like Vietnamese cinnamon and or French Lavender for your culinary adventures. I have had a party in my kitchen with these spices and herbs.

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•Love sipping coffee? Tea? Smoothies Or Hot Chocolate? Me too. 

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Bitty and Beau’s Coffee Shop is coming soon to San Marco in Jacksonville Fl. But you can also find this coffee shop around the country. The brainchild started by a mom Amy Wright who is co-owner and named the coffee shop after her two children Bitty & Beau who were born with Down Syndrome. Why not stop in when they open their doors here and enjoy a NEW place to sip your coffee and enjoy a delicious treat too. They employ amazing people with disabilities. Now that’s something to brag about! Guests love the vibe and coffee too!

Try a new autumn inspired self-care treat like Honey Heel glaze and or hand and body lotion like Honey Chai. Men love this scent and products too. Self care never smelled or felt so good!

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A new lipstick can change your life! Really. The trending hues for fashion and lipstick are cinnamon and metallic and earthy colors. But still think about PINK to brighten up your face to go with the new fall fashions.

Let’s celebrate the beauty of fall 🍂 and all it has to offer us.

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Day 16 of MY Beauty Secrets

I have super sensitive skin! So I often like to whip up my own potions for my skin. This is one of my go to’s especially when my skin is needs it.

What you will need is:

First wash your face…

1 Ripe 🥑 Avocado

1/4 cup of oatmeal (uncooked)

Avocado,honey & oat face and neck mask

2 tablespoons of raw organic honey 🍯

Mix well all of the above ingredients.

If you are allergic to any ingredients do not use them all.

Apply the mixture to your face. I also like to include my neck too.

It may be a bit messy but so worth it!

Allow it to rest on your face for at least 15 minutes.

Wash off your face with a lukewarm washcloth drenched with water.

The honey and avocado moisturize your skin. The oatmeal calms and soothes.

Great to do this once or twice a month.

I hope enjoy this creamy hydrating treat for your skin.

Enjoy!

Day 6 of MY Beauty Secrets

Nails get dry & dehydrated too!

Nourish the cuticles and nails with a nail oil nightly. I even use it on my toes before I go to sleep at night. If you don’t have a store bought one go to your kitchen. I have used sunflower oil, olive oil and even coconut oil.

Rub it in and all around your nails too.

I keep a squeeze bottle of it at my bedside.

Your hands and toes will be instantly refreshed and glowing.

Got extra oil on your hands?

Run the remains in your hair and comb with your fingers and hydrate it a bit too.

Interesting Cookie Recipe

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You know by now I love to cook or bake. My husband will tell you I kiss better!

But he eats ALL my meals and cleans his plate so go figure!

Here is a recipe from a cookbook someone gifted me.The book is called No Bake Cookies,Bars & Pies. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this cookbook.  Since it is a long holiday weekend I thought I’d make these cookies for 4th of July. Wish me luck!

This recipe is quite appropriate for the 4th of July.

It is former President Jimmy Carter’s cookie recipe.

What you will need:

2/3 C. of sugar

2/3  C corn syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 C. chunky peanut butter

3 C. corn flakes cereal

In a large saucepan over medium heat,combine sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and add vanilla and peanut butter. Stir until well mixed. Gently mix in corn flakes. Drop the tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper. Cookies will harden as they cool.

Hope you like them!

Happy 4th for those of you who celebrate!

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Feed Your Face from the Inside Out!

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I’m really trying to enjoy being more green, clean and eco friendly…with my food and lifestyle.

And in my skincare too!

Skin is so in…Especially when it is healthy looking. If your skin is not looking the way you would like it to… Perhaps its time to try something fresh and new! Looking good takes a little effort girls and so worth it. If you do not have a skin care regime now is the time to start. Also if you have been wearing sweat pants and not taking care of your skin think about taking time for YOU and get your skin in shape too.

They say “You are what you eat” and it is so true. Eating right … with a little bit of a naughty is really best. All in balance and moderation darlings! I’ve been on a kick of making SMOOTHIE BOWLS and making them is so much fun too. Your whole family will enjoy.

I love to get glowing, use beauty from my kitchen, a local farmer’s market, and make a few D.I.Y. beauty recipes and beauty potions on my own.

I will share some of the them on my new podcast to come too! But here are a few for you to enjoy this Memorial day too.

Take care of your skin and your skin will always take care of you!

Recipe for pretty skin starts from within. Not only are these good to eat they are good to use as skincare. Especially when many of us are on stay at home orders.

Yogurt (plain Greek yogurt) makes a GREAT cheap and chic face mask. Apply to a clan face and leave on at least 15 minutes. Genty exfoliates dead skin cells too.

Avocados are a great for hydrating your face and neck. Add honey to a mashed avocado and leave on at least 15 minutes. Your skin will LOVE it.

Bananas work wonders on dry elbows and knees. If your bananas are beyond ripe and you don’t feel like making banana bread…give your skin a moisturizing natural treat.

In addition, when the weather is hot and you want to chill down and make your skin feel amazing. Take a plain ice cube and rub gently on your skin. Not your eye area but try on the face. It will tighten your pores and make your makeup glide on beautifully. I also like to use an ice cube on my chest and neck. So cool and refreshing.

Have a BEAUTY filled deligthful day!

Easy Marvelous Mojito

I love to entertain my clients in my business and guests in my home. I even wrote a book on it “Entertaining in Your Salon or SPA. A combination of food,drink and marketing fun!

Now times are a bit different and we are in a new frontier as we are in the midst of social distancing. But we still need to stay hydrated and connected with our family at home too. I am sipping one or two with my husband today.

Here is a thirst quenching recipe to enjoy this holiday weekend!

Marvelous Mojito Lemonade

2 quarts of lemonade,6 large fresh mint sprigs crushed and place in the lemonade.

Refrigerate prepared lemonade for a few hours or overnight. Crush fresh mint sprigs. Place the mint into the bottom of the pitcher or each glass.

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To serve the lemonade pour into tall glasses and top with club soda. A lime wedge and a sprig of fresh mint. Want to rum it up? AND add some rum. Go ahead.

Everyday is a reason to celebrate. Celebrate the beauty and meaning of Memorial day and why we enjoy and celebrate this beautiful long weekend.

Cooties!

Germs 🦠 are all around us and our precious little ones are at risk now even more.

So, where do cooties come from? Where does that word come from?

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I once read an article the word cootie comes from the Malaysian word ‘kutu”meaning lice. The word was first recorded when an American general in wartime used the word cooties as an all -encompassing word in a letter referring to the different bugs and lice he encountered in the trenches of battle. No one is quite sure how the word cootie has  made its way to schools and the playground.

The other day I was on a Zoom call with a relative and noticed how her children played in the background with such wonder and passion. Trying to discover the next thing they could on the floor. I also noticed MANY things going into their mouths!!! All to happy to explore. I then thought on how much the unit I told you about called SterileLight Illumicide disinfecting case that I use in my beauty business to clean my makeup and skincare,disinfect my makeup brushes and more can be used with babies and in children’s rooms and things. I knew it was great for baby bottles and teething rings but looking around even more at these nine month old babies and another 2 year old what a necessity it could be.

The COVID-19 pandemic is making us think  beyond  just washing our hands to the entire tune of Happy Birthday to keep our hands clean. Children and our homes and home offices need to be protected and so do all our belongings and things.

 

Here’s a list of a few things I thought you can disinfect too and in just a few minutes:

Baby bottles

Sippy cups

Kitchen utensils

Food Bowls and plates

Teething rings

Hair brushes and combs

Nail clippers etc.

Baby Toys

Children’s toys

Story books both made of paper and plastic

Small baby blankets

Small plush toys

Clothing

And I am sure you can dream up and think of a whole lot of more things you’d like to disinfect. As I mentioned before when you discover something that you love and you know others would too. YOU simply have to share. So one day do yourself and your family a favor and learn what SterileLight can do for you,your entire family and your entire home too. I don’t work for the company I am simply thrilled about this new technology and what it does. It disinfects and sanitizes using a germicidal and bacteria killing light.

http://www.sterilelight.com 

Keeping ourselves and our family healthy and out of harms way…is our priority.

 

 

 

Panera Bread Mac & Cheese — In Dianes Kitchen

Can’t wait to try this recipe this weekend. In Dianes Kitchen never disappoints!

 

What a delicious copycat recipe of Panera Bread Mac & Cheese that is full of white cheddar and white American cheese. This is easy to make and it is made completely on top of the stove. This was very, very good and it takes less than 30 minutes to make. Source: Six Sisters’ Stuff Copycat […]

via Panera Bread Mac & Cheese — In Dianes Kitchen

Energy!

Looking for a natural boost from plants 🌱 that you can enjoy after a long day of of holiday shopping 🛍 , or at your home 🏡 or your office?

The holiday season can be a very stressful and hectic time.

But Mother Nature to the rescue!

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Plant or grow a potted plant at your desk or in a sunny 🌞 window. Basil and peppermint work wonders!

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When you need an aromatic energizing lift!  All you do is take a piece of the plant and rub the leaves between your fingers to release their scent! Smell your fingers and the plants. Breathe in deeply and ENJOY!

 

So aromatic and uplifting.