Who Loves Ya Baby?

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That is what I picture in my mind this man saying as he handed me my newest house "gift".

Who doesn't love a little Telly Savalas every once in awhile? I know I do. And you'll see why in a second why I imagine this guy ^ being my Kojak for a moment.

So remember a few days ago I was doing the happy dance because I finally finished my dish soap? Well my Dude went out to the store for a late night water run and came home with a new dish soap for me. Yay!!!! And not just any soap but the soap I have been looking for these last few days.

Introducing...our upgrade.

So now I have my new soap and I will be taking it for a test drive today because there is never a shortage of dishes in this here house of mine. I will definitely be getting back to you with a review sometime this week letting you know how it goes with what I'm hoping will be my new best friend.

Before I go, here is another shot of the bubbly but in her true superhero glory...

Sheesh I hope this works out because I am putting alot of pressure on it to be great. Have any of you tried the Lemon scented version of Mrs. Meyers Clean Day? Should I believe all my hype?

My best,

Body by Ouch That Hurt

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Happy Monday everybody!

I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was just...meh...and that's because lastweekend this mama was playing outdoors with the fam and went for a superwoman move and tried to jump into a tire swing by way of a piece of long bark my husband installed as a kind of handle for the kids. Am I painting the picture well enough? Well let me break it down for you. I went to put one foot into the tire and simultaneously pull the rest of my body up by way of the "handle" so that I could just swing away to my hearts content. So imagine all that momentum behind me as I was flying upward when just as soon as I had grabbed that handle it snapped in half and henceforth I went hurtling backwards towards the earth from about 6 feet up in the air.

Eeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.......kersplat! Boom! Yep, if any of you felt the earth move beneath your feet around 3 p.m. last Saturday don't worry, it was just me making a crater in the ground with my body.

And then there I was just laid out in the grass under the tree with the wind knocked out of me and not being able to speak much other than "Don't. Touch. Can't. Talk. Wind. Out. Me." to my husband who had run over and I vaguely through a cloud of ringing in my ears remember hearing him say "Are you hurt? Are you hurt? What can I do?" Then I looked over to my poor babies (who were up in the tree) and saw how mortified they looked and managed to eek out a "I'm okay!" even when I clearly wasn't. I just didn't want them to freak out ya know?

Well I hemmed and hawed all week until Sunday when my husband finally forced me to go to the ER because he saw how much pain I was in. Thankfully I went because I was able to get clarification that I didn't break any ribs and that the small golf sized lump in my side wasn't cancer but probably just a massive knotted bruise under the surface.

Time and patience will help heal these wounds and I am all for that. So long as I get back to my old self and I'm not crouched over like Quasimoto anymore.

For now, I am just going to be taking many soaks with epsom salts, use my warm rice sock at night to ease the tension in my muscles, and take it easy. That last one is just a little joke I like to throw in because in this day and age what woman of any circumstance can really take it easy? If Martha and Oprah can't, then who can I ask ya, who can...

So how was your weekend? Any injuries or 3 hour hospital visits like me? I mean come on, should it really be called "Quick Care" if it takes 3 hours?!?

My best,

Song of the Week: I know you come here for a sunshine-y song every Monday, but sometimes I just have to showcase some beautiful raw vocals just for the sheer appreciation factor. Sorry if this one makes you cry because you aren't alone.....Adele's"Someone Like You"

Finito and Sayonara!

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Remember this little looker?

Well it's finally done and empty! Say it with me - ADIOS! I don't think that I can express it in any other language about how happy I am that this soap is finally finished. Why am I so down on it? Read my thoughts on the matter right here in an old post of mine.

But no matter, I am on an upward swing I feel like. This afternoon I am off to find a new bottle (preferably of the lemon scented variety) of the good stuff. Originally I bought it for $3 buckaroos at WalMart on clearance but little did I know that it was priced to sell because THEY WERE GETTING RID OF THE PRODUCT LINE ALTOGETHER! Now I'm kicking myself for not swiping the whole shelf of products into my cart and darting for the register.

So off I go to get my stuff. Hold down the fort while I'm gone, will ya?

My best,

*Photo from Mrs. Meyers website

Around the World In...1 Day...Kinda

This is an oldie but goodie post from back in October to enjoy. See you tomorrow!

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Did You Know...

...that women in France, before doing their own manicures, first soak their fingers in warm water with lemon juice? It erases the yellow tinge that red polish can leave behind. - womenshealthmag.com November 2009 Edition

I love traveling don't you? Especially before I got married and had kids I did it alot more. Whether it was a 5 hour road trip out of town or hopping on a plane for a 13 hour trip to some exotic land - I was bout it, bout it.

Now that I am on here trying to keep us all up to date and in the know about safe beauty practices for ourselves, it just seems fitting that I take this show on the road. And what better way (and most budget friendly) to share than by giving you some wonderful tips from women from all over the globe right here.

I hope you all have your passports in order because heeeere weeee goooooo!!!!!

photo from womenshealthmag.com

Info. from the Nov. 2009 Women's Health Magazine article called Passport to Pretty

• Singapore...humidity levels can be at 90% year-round in this country so women coat the ends of their hair with a few drops of coconut oil before bed and leave it on overnight to keep their tresses frizz-free.
• Philipines...the women use aloe to make their hair glossy by breaking a piece of aloe leaf in half and massage the juice into your scalp, then rinse.
• Italy...since the sun can be so strong there dried out hair is common. To prevent damage and boost shine, Italian women make their own egg-white mask. Whip two into a frothy mousse, apply it to wet hair for 10 minutes, shampoo and rinse with lukewarm water. NOTE: Make sure you use tepid water and not hot unless you want to end up with a cooked omelette up there.
• Costa Rica...to temporarily shrink pores, mix equal parts orange juice and water and swab the mixture across your face (avoid the eyes) with a cotton ball. Leave it on for a few minutes and then rinse.
• Turkey...to smooth out rough heels, women sprinkle coarse salt (i.e. sea salt) into a palmful of lotion and use it as a scrub. Genius!

Okay I just thought of something just now. You know what would be awesome? If I turned these International methods into a 5 post series where I try every single one and show you my results. Maybe via video vlog or just straight up pictures. Sounds great right? I guess this old brain of mine still has some spark in it. Haha!

Well it shall be done as it has been said...starting next week. I have other things I want to share with you this week that have been backlogged on here for weeks already.

Which one of these tips was your favorite? Have you done any of these yourself and had great results?

My best,

You Know It's Cold When...

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Yes I do live in the South.

No it doesn't stay warm all year round.

Especially at night sometimes.

This is how I can tell when the weather has changed to officially cool/cold fall seasonage...

You know it's cold outside when your coconut oil solidifies overnight-while still being in your bedroom!

How about you guys? When do you know the season has officially changed in your neck of the woods? Do your beauty products tell you or is it the animals that alert you to what's happening in the wild outdoors?

My best,

Song of the Week: I know it's a bit on the melancholy side, but it's still a pretty good song. Death Cab for Cutie "Summer Skin"...enjoy here or a video in the sidebar.

And Boom Goes the Dynamite!

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Yes I did go through all this...and yet I still ended up with this....

Okay show of hands of how many of you thought to yourself or shouted out loud at your computer "Pshhh...yeah that'll last a week. She better kiss that puppy goodbye because that nail glue won't do diddly. And why doesn't she cut her cuticles? I wonder if she home schools? I bet she smells like vanilla..." Okay maybe not all those things passed through your mind, but a few no?

Nonetheless, back to the drawing board I go. And now I hope that it grows, grows, grows.

My best,

Song of the Week: "Go On, Say It" by Blind Pilot. Because I'm convinced there are a few "I knew it's" out there.

I Needed An Intervention

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I knew that my skin was breaking out like crazy. I wasn't delusional or ignorant to the fact that I was stressed out to the max because my kids were both starting school in August so my carefree wake up with the sun days were soon coming to an abrupt end. I knew that I wanted my house to look spic and span before the school year started just so we could all start fresh and on a new page. I knew that I was starting down a new dietary path of cutting out all red meats and becoming someone who only eats seafood pretty much and that it would probably do some adverse things to my body during the detox process.

I knew all this. And my body knew it too. And it was rebelling against me. It was waging psychological and physical warfare against itself and it didn't know what else to do other than behave like a pubescent teenager and develop a bad case of acne.

Which is news to me. I thought I was out of those woods. Past that hump. Free and clear until menopause, whenever that jewel may come. But my body said "Nope ya dope. We've got other plans."

And here's where we all are going to get a little closer. And I will let the camera now do the talking...

This is me this morning...my face on any given day.

Now here is the nitty gritty of what I am dealing with...

So see what I'm talking about? Now yesterday I told you about my new book on the block which from here on out I declare to be named "T-PENH" (let's keep the H silent, because otherwise it would just sound weird and a wee bit asthmatic.

Anyway, T-PENH says that acne expert Albert Kligman, M.D., Ph.D, of the University of Pennsylvania Medical School treats his patients successfully with severe acne anywhere from 300,000 to 1,000,000 I.U. (international unit) of vitamin A daily. Now that's a whole lotta Vitamin A right? I think so.

Now since I didn't feel like what I am dealing with is a severe case of acne I decided that one capsule of 8,000 I.U. of the vite would help out.

So I took a softgel capsule and poked a hole in it with a clean needle.

Applied a dab to my finger.

Applied it liberally all over each affected sides of my face.

Since I only used about half the capsule and the daily recommended amount is 1 capsule daily with food, I swallowed the rest and then ate a banana.

And now we all wait and see what happens next. I will be doing this on a daily basis until I either start seeing results or I come to the realization that it's not working.

How about any of you folks? Ever been on a vitamin A kick to combat the adult acne? Has anything else helped you out with this similar problem? I'm desperate here, the kids are starting to stare...

My best,

The New Kid On The Block

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And I'm not talking about Donnie, Danny, Joey, Jordan, Jonathan and Mark (oh yeah, he was in the band for a minute, yes he was) of the modern day NKOTB.

I'm talking about my new best hardcover friend.

The Practical Encyclopedia of Natural Healing

New, Revised Edition

by Mark Bricklin - former Executive Editor of PREVENTION ® Magazine

I thank you MollyMae for giving this 574 page gift to me. It is worth it's weight in gold. And since you see how many people are hawking gold these days and making a real mint off it, you see how much I really value this book. It's virtually priceless.

Don't get me wrong, I have other natural health books that I absolutely love still, but this is just me in my new book honeymoon phase. You know that stage when you can't stop smelling it because it still has that new book from the library smell? Ahhhh j'adore.

The books Contents are in alphabetical order so you don't have to waste your time guessing where on earth would heel spurs be sectioned under. It takes you all the way from Acne to Yoga Therapy. Not quite up to Z illnesses (sorry Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome) but it was printed in 1983 which I'm guessing means there were less illnesses back then? And since it's from my era I feel as close to it as a sibling. We basically grew up together. Me being the older sister by 1 year.

Just by randomly flipping through it, here are some tidbits of info. that will translate into future posts I'm sure:

• Pg. 33, the artificial food coloring agent tartrazine, or Yellow No. 5, has also been reported to trigger asthma attacks in susceptible youngsters.
• Pg. 197, recent (1983) research is showing clearly that cigarette smoking can damage your hearing, possibly because it encourages the formation of generalized atherosclerosis. This narrowing of the arteries in turn reduces the supply of blood to the cochlea.

WHAT?!?

I know right...now you're in love too. So now that we are all introduced. Book, people. People, book - let's all just take it from here shall we?

Tomorrow I will actually be starting at the first topic in the book - Acne. Enter screams and the mwaaaahaahaaa-ing now. Yep, I've got the Acs. And something must be done. And my new best friend has all the answers. Until tomorrow y'all.

My best,

A Nail of a Time

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So remember way back a few weeks ago when I nearly died because of splitting my nail almost in half? If not, here is the gory post to catch you up to speed. (It's not really that gory, probably more whiny than anything.)

I know right? How did I deal? The pain was beyond bearable and of course it would catch on everything in sight. And of course my kids banged into it every chance they got. Why wouldn't they? I really think that kids have this sixth sense that lets them know where mamas pains are just so they can exploit them and try to get in there and finish the job off.

I haven't really had the time to sit down and address this situation like I should have. There has been alot of grimacing and bearing it in the meantime. But contrary to what Alicia Keys has told me, I am no Superwoman, so this here nail had to get fixed. And here is how I did just that.

Step 1: Washed nail thoroughly in warm, soapy water to get rid of any debris that might have gotten lodged under the nail.

Step 2: Applied the nail glue (nailene ULTRA Quick Nail Glue) to the affected broken area. Fair warning: be careful because this is essentially the same as Crazy Glue and it bonds quickly - to WHATEVER it comes in contact with.

Hence....another ouch.

yeah...see that little indent? That's where my skin should be. Do yourself a favor and don't try to be a hero and peel off any excess glue. Just give it a few washes over the course of a few days and it should come off.

Step 3: After the glue dried, I used my emery board to file the glue down to the nail to make a nice and smooth surface and to prep the area for the nail polish.

Step 4: Since I knew that I had to cut the broken nail down to a more manageable length, that meant that the rest of the gals had to get a hacking as well. Oh how I will miss thee...

Step 5: Now. All cut. Same length. Bring on that clear topcoat shine.

Step 6: Voila! A seamless nail job where you can barely notice that anything was ever wrong with it in the first place, right? Eh? Eh? Not too shabby?

Now I can move on with life. I didn't realize how much I was coddling this here nail until I started typing this post. I find myself still favoring my finger - but for no good reason anymore. I guess I have avoided using the computer pretty much since this happened. It hurt something fierce to type and put any pressure on it. But now I have my finger back, and I can now resume my nerdy online ways again. Tippity tappity, yippity yappity...

Now I know that this had no kind of natural or organic solution to my problem, but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. Hopefully, this tutorial on how to fix a broken nail will help one of you, my lovely readers, if ever you are in need of this here knowledge.

Have you ever had a use for this? Ever broken your nail - hand or foot - hard, like mine? Also, I am currently looking for a natural nail polish. Anyone found a good one out there? Anyone sell all natural nail polish? I would love to feature you. Drop me a line.

My best,

Song of the Week: After getting this done and out of the way, I feel like I have a new lease on life. And I feel like it is now appropriate for Alicia to lead the way in the charge for all us - wait for it - Superwomen. Ahhhhh yeeeeeaaaaahhh! Hands up in the air! Alicia Keys "Superwoman" must now be danced to.