Homemade Body Scrubs

The winter weather seems to be unmerciful on my skin. One thing I have found that leaves my skin soft and removes dead cells wonderfully are scrubs. I have used some of the ones from bath shops and love they way my skin feels afterwards but I hate the way they leave my wallet.

We have a wonderful herb garden in our back yard and several herb shops near by so I thought I would try making some myself. There are several advantages to taking this approach.

1. you can save a lot of money
2. you control the ingredients
3. you control the intensity of the scent or if you even want it to be scented.

Here are some easy recipes that use ingredients that most of us already have around the house or are easily found at the grocery store:

Almond Exfoliating Body Scrub

1/4 cup coarse sea salt
1/4 cup baby oil or olive oil
1/2 tsp of almond, vanilla or other lightly scented perfume oil/extract

1. In a small bowl mix the salt and oil together until the oil is thoroughly incorporated into the salt. Add the extract and stir well.

2. Us in the shower after you are thoroughly wet. You can apply this with a body scrubber, your hard, or a wash cloth. Massage well and then rinse off.


Sugar Scrub ( great for dry skin) makes enough for 3-4 uses

1 cup of brown sugar, white sugar, or a mixture of the two
1/2 cup olive, grapeseed or other oil
2 drops or vanilla or almond extract (optional)

1. In a medium bowl combine the sugar and oil. Mix until you achieve a paste like mixture. Add the extract if desired and stir until mixed well.

2. Place in a clean airtight glass jar to slow the breakdown of the oil.

3. In the shower, massage mixture gently over damp skin. It will exfoliate and moisturize at the same time.

4. Store mixture in the refrigerator for 6 months to a year.


Cranberry Sugar Scrub


1/2 cup frozen cranberries
1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
1/4 cup sweet almond oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 drops orange essential oil
2 tablespoons (+ more if needed) oat powder

1. In the container of a food processor Combine cranberries, glycerin and almond oil for about 30 seconds, just long enough to blend the ingredients you do not want your berries too mushy. The mixture should be thick.


2. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the sugar. Stir in the essential oil. Add only enough of the oat powder to create a cohesive mixture that you can apply to your skin.


3. Use this in the bath or shower to refresh and revive dull skin.

With all of these you may notice a slight tingly feeling on your hands and skin, this is because the circulation is increased (stimulating blood circulation is beneficial for your immune system) by the course texture and rubbing.
Scrubs are very good for your skin but be sure not to overuse any body scrub, which can damage or irritate healthy layers of skin and avoid areas of your skin which may have preexisting irritations such as rashes, wounds, or other skin integrity issues.

Always avoid the eyes.

Latest Sewing Creations

Over the last few weeks I have not gotten much sewing done because of my back but I wanted to share what I have been working on. Some of these things will be making an aperance in my e-bay and etsy store.





This is a quilted pincushion I made for Sydney with some scrap fabric from an apron.












Little girls pinafore apron that ties slips over the head and ties on the sides.










Ladies Apron made from some cute fabric I picked up a few weeks ago for 50% off at Joann's. I love the contrasting fabric.









This is a fun and bubbly fabric, as soon as I saw it I had to get it. The back side of it is lined with solid black fabric.

Please excuse the brown skirt, I know it does not match but it is what my dress form has on right now.












Little girls corduroy jumper and a shirt made with some fabric I have had stashed for over a year. The shirt is about two sizes smaller than the jumper but the jumper looked bare without something under it. The shirt still needs the buttons put on but I have not found any I really like. I may just go with some plain ones.

It is Snowing

A few days ago it was in the mid to high 70's and today it is icy and just started snowing.


That's Texas for ya!

New Category

You may or may not have noticed I just added a new category, health and alternative medicine. It currently only has one post other than this one but I plan to change that slowly as my back heals enabling me to spend more time sitting at my PC.

I have wanted to share some things that would fit into this category but have avoided it for fear of what some may say or liability issues. However there are still many things to share and I know after working in the medical field for 7 years that only a few doctors are willing to share their knowledge in these areas or that they simply lack it. Please note I am not saying I have all the answers but I do want to share what I have found works for my family, share some articles, homemade recipes, herb info and give others a place to share what they have learned.

In no way will these post try to take the place of seeing a doctor, constitute medical advice or promise miracles, they will simply share ideas and hopefully prompt you into taking a more active roll in your health.

Ohhh My Aching Back

Well I started this post a few days ago and did not get very far because of my back. Right now I can sit for about 5-10 minutes then I have to move around, which is much improved from a few days ago when just sitting down was near impossible.

About 8 years ago the kids and I were in a wreck where the driver of a large dually pick-up ran a red light and totaled my Taurus. I was left with two prolapsed disk and a hip that often moves slightly out of socket. Fortunately the kids suffered minor injures only lasting for a few weeks.

For the first few months I could do very little without my back hurting then slowly but surely it strengthened and seemed fine, then out of the blue I moved the wrong way several years ago and because I had stopped exercising I was flat on my back again, literally.

Our former pastors wife suggested I go to her chiropractor. I was very leery but I was in enough pain I was willing to give it a try. I had several sessions but never finished all of the treatment because of my schedule at the time plus the pain stopped. It is hard for me to keep spending money when I am not hurting. Also he gave me some exercises to do so I figured all was fine, of course I stopped exercising again which I am finding out is a big no no, at least for me.

Again all seamed fine up until late last year, now it seems as though every few weeks I am aching. This past Saturday I coughed really hard and I must have been in the wrong position because the pain was bad enough I wanted to cry and was unable to go to church Sunday.

I started praying about what to do. Scott and I have seen a surgeon and he wanted to do a surgery that would leave me unable to move for about 6 weeks. That and the dangers of the surgery make it unacceptable at this time. I have seen my regular doctor and her answer is Flexaril and Naproxen; both of those only put a band aid on the problem and when I take the Flexaril I am out cold for hours. I do not feel like that is what God would have for my body. Well as I prayed a yoga video I once had done kept coming to mind. It is by a doctor who specializes in preventive and corrective Osteopathic medicine. I had used her tape about 10 years ago because I had wanted to try yoga. I enjoyed the tape and even used it for a short time after the accident; up until I lent it to a friend and never received it back. I called her office and found out she still sold the series (now on DVD) and it was only $19.99. Well the chiropractor is double that each visit and since I find it hard to work three appointments in each week I figured I had nothing to loose.

Well, I did the tape Monday and Tuesday and I feel better. I am not doing jumping jacks and sitting or standing for long still causes pain but it is improving. I am also using an ice pack on my low back a couple times a day and soaking in Epsom salt twice a week. I started the soaks Sunday and it seem to offer immediate but not lasting relief. I am also using Arnicare, a homeopathic cream for achy muscles. Oh and Advil every 4-6 hours when I have to. All in all it is getting better but I am now resolved that I have to have some sort of daily exercising and for now it will just be the yoga video but I hope to add a brief daily walk in this week-end and see how that goes. The other thing I need to do is lose about 10 pounds, prior to the wreck I weighed 105-108 I now weigh 115-120. I know that does not seem like a lot but I am 5'2" so it is a lot especially with a weak back.


If you have any tips for weight loss or ways to ease back pain I would love to hear them.

Menu Plan Monday

Menu Plan Monday

Monday Lunch Grilled Cheese sandwiches and baked fries
Dinner Chicken and Rice, rolls and salad

Tuesday Lunch Soup
Dinner Black Bean Soup, warm tortillas and Spanish rice

Wednesday Lunch Quesadilla
Dinner Spaghetti, French bread and salad

Thursday Lunch Turkey hot dogs and baked beans
Dinner Ladies Fellowship

Friday Lunch Pitas and fresh fruit
Dinner Chicken nuggets, baked tater wedges and green beans

Saturday Lunch left overs
Dinner Pizza and salad

Sunday Lunch Pulled Pork on Kaiser rolls
Dinner Vegetable Soup and rolls


Pulled Pork in Crockpot

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle of coke
1 (18 ounce) bottle your favorite barbecue sauce
8 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted

DIRECTIONS
Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the coke over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours. Note: the actual length of time may vary according to individual slow cooker. Drain well. Stir in barbecue sauce. Serve over hamburger buns.


For more of this week’s meal planning ideas and recipes visit I’m an Org Junkie.

Showers Of Blessings

Have you ever gotten discouraged? Well if you have been alive any amount of time I am sure you have. I have to admit that from time to time I do, then it seems like things just get worse and worse. That attitude of discouragement can make even the simplest problem so much bigger.

When I get discouraged I try to pray but it often takes days for me to pull out of it. I started thinking about what seems to pull me through/out of it the fastest and that is remembering that God is with me, what ever problem I am facing He has a reason for it and most of all I think of how many blessings I have in my life, all gifts from the Lord.

Well one night a few months back Scott and I were reflecting on the past year, discussing all the wonderful things God has done for us. We realized that we often loose sight of them or forget them after time, something neither of us want to do. So with that in mind this year for Christmas every family member received a blessings journal and pen. I was not sure how the idea would go over with the kids, having to write and all but they liked it. We explained that the journals were private and we just wanted to give them a place where they could go and look back all the many things the Lord does for each of us.


Far too often we can get caught up in self pity and before we know it we have convinced ourselves that nothing good has or ever will happen to us. I pray that these journals will give us a way to look back and remember all the blessings God has showered us with! We truly do sereve a loving God!

Free Pattern

McCall's has a new free pattern! You can find it here

I have been looking for a spring wreath for the front door but I think I am going to make this instead.

You can find many other free crafty patterns here

Christmas Break is Over

Well Christmas break is over for the kids and we started school back yesterday. I am not sure who it was harder for, me or them. It took us most of the day to get into a grove and we still did not get everything done.

Today was much better but with library and choir it was pretty late before everything was caught up and cleaned up.

The boys did seem to enjoy going back to Sonlight for their history and literature and Ray asked if he could also do the spelling work. There was no way I was going to say no to that!

Sydney seems to be moving at a pretty steady pace in order to ensure she has everything done early to graduate in May. Our goal is to be done by mid to late April but I am not going to push it. I want her to enjoy and treasure this last year of high school. We plan to go and visit some area colleges this month so please be prayer for us in that area.

Well I have several post I plan to share later this week but for now, I am off to clean up some things.

I can update!!

For the last week I have been unable to update my blog; I am so glad what ever was wrong is fixed now.