Homemade Sugar Scrub

Have you ever been stopped by the ladies in the mall trying to sell super expensive sea salt to heal the dryness in your hands? I am always amazed at how much better my hands feel after they have scrubbed my hands and right now my hands are intolerably dry. In a last ditch effort to stop the cracking and bleeding I decided to try making my own sugar scrub…

My hands are still dry constantly, but the severity has lessened each time I use this sugar scrub because it scrubs all of the dead skin off and helps to prevent cracking. I use it twice a week at most and my hands feel amazing right after!

All you need is olive oil, granulated sugar, and essential oils of your choice (I used peppermint). Mix 3 cups of sugar with about 1 cup of olive oil and add several drops of essential oil which helps cover up the olive oil smell and adds a soothing touch to the scrub. Once it’s all mixed spoon it into containers that you can close tightly.

When you want to use it, just scoop out a tablespoon or two and rub it all over your hands. Rinse well after and feel the difference :). If you want to give this away as a gift you can put it in a mason jar and add pretty ribbons or labels.

Thank you Maybe Matilda, Stephanie Lynn, and Petit Elefant for your great sugar scrub recipes and recommendations!

Back Pocket Pot Holder

I LOVE creative ways to reuse jeans. When I came across Creating My Way to Success, I had to make my own back pocket pot holder that day! It was super simple to make and I had everything on hand :).

All you need is:

• A back pocket from a pair of jeans (I used men’s jeans so the pocket was bigger). Make sure to leave as much denim around the pocket as possible.
• A piece of fleece the same size as your back pocket piece. This acts as the insulator to prevent you from getting burned. I have used this potholder several times and have never been burned so I know the fleece works fine.
• A piece of fun fabric the same size
• Bias tape of your choice in color
• A sewing machine

NMEDA

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of NMEDA for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

NMEDA is a non-profit association that works with people with disabilities to increase their opportunities to drive and/or be transported in vehicles modified with mobility equipment.

As a teenager, I had a neighbor that was caring for a young woman who was paralyzed. For a while they used a regular van and there was quite a strain in transporting this young woman. When they did get a van equipped to transport her in her wheelchair, which could later be converted for her to drive, everyone's lives were drastically improved. The van gave her the potential for independence as well as relieving a lot of strain for her caregiver.

Each vehicle should meet the need of each individual with a disability. A NMEDA dealer can assess the needs of each individual to make sure their vehicle is best equipped to meet their needs. Their Quality Assurance Program (QAP) seeks to satisfy customers consistently by having a systematic and documented approach to quality.

If you or someone you love could benefit from NMEDA and their services, visit their homepage and search in the dealers locator to see if there is a qualified dealer near you. I know of a dealership within 20 miles of my home...do you have one near you?

Embroidered Cards

I thought it would be nice to send my dad a unique, embroidered card for his birthday and I truly hope he likes it because it took a lot longer than the usual cards I send and I was pretty pleased with how it turned out…

I just printed out the image I wanted, traced it onto cardstock and used a needle and embroidery thread to carefully embroider the image onto the cardstock. If you know how to embroider or want more practice this is a fun, unique, personal way to show someone you care!

I’ll be linking up to Works For Me Wednesday, Penny Pinching Party, Show and Tell, Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice, Creative Share Blog Hop,

Involuntary De-Cluttering

Children require a lot of things from beds to clothes to toys and it can all add up. At one point our apartment was packed from top to bottom with junk because I thought that anything I had I might need one day. I kept everything!

Over time, as my first son became mobile and inevitably started getting into things, things would break. Instead of getting upset, I learned to see it as a blessing in disguise. No matter what I would still love my son, but the things he broke were only things.

My mindset changed and I began to see the broken things left behind by my toddler were merely involuntary de-cluttering! I started to let go of junk and my home is so much easier to maintain. I have also found that the things I have let go of, I usually don’t even miss them when they’re gone. 

I’m linking up to Works for Me Wednesday,