Natural Cellulite Reducing Coffee Exfoliator

I enjoy a delicious cup of coffee during work to keep me in the right mood, but I feel bad throwing the coffee grounds away knowing that it can be recycled in many other ways. My favorite way to reuse my coffee grounds is to make them into an exfoliating scrub for the body. Plus coffee is a natural cellulite reducer, causing your skin not only to be softer for the exfoliation, but tighter as well.

Ingredients/Items Needed:

1/2 cup - 1 cup used coffee grounds

1 tbsp brown sugar

A couple drops of water

Bowl

Spoon

Directions:

1) Stir coffee, sugar, and water together

2) Get in your shower and rub mixture into skin for at least five minutes

3) Shower thoroughly

Dry off and enjoy your soft skin! Great for those days that you just need to take some time for yourself.

Other ways to reuse your coffee grounds include placing it in your garden for fertilizer or keeping it in smelly places as a deodorizer.

DIY: Refrigerator Sweet Pickled Beets

Hello everyone! At work, a few months ago, I tried sweet pickled beets for the first time and fell in love! Although I didn't want to pay the price at the store for pre-pickled beets when its MUCH cheaper to just make them yourself! Plus it feels more gratifying to eat them knowing you did all the work and the flavor tastes better since its specialized to what you like best.

Items Needed:
A pot to boil beets
A pot to make the brine
Cutting board & knife
1-2 Beets
1 Cup Vinegar
1/4 Cup sugar
1 Tbsp Cloves (ground)

Optional Items to add:
2-3 bay leaves
1-2 cloves of garlic
1/3 Cup of shallots
1 Tbsp cinnamon
Gloves (for when cutting the beet, beet juice will stain your hands)

NOTE: These measurements of ingredients are for 1-2 beets, if you are doing anymore than that please adjust the measurement accordingly

Directions:
1) Peel your beet and cut it (I cut mine into bite size bits, but you can go larger depending on the size of your jar)
2) Boil your beet until soft

3) Once beets are boiled toss them in your chosen jar until the brine is finished

4) Make the brine - combine vinegar, sugar, cloves, and other optional items that you think you would enjoy. Heat at a little lower than medium heat until the sugar is melted and the smell of vinegar is quite pungent. 

5) Pour brine over beets and seal jar

6) Let sit until cool enough to put in the refrigerator

7) Wait AT LEAST a week before enjoying your sweet pickled beets. Waiting longer does intensify the flavor. 

Note: If your using a canning jar, like the one shown above, the heat from the brine should cause the jar to seal once its been refrigerated.

Congratulations! With a little bit of a wait you can soon enjoy your sweet pickled beets! Theyre great to add to a salad or just to eat on their own! 

Five Ways to Get Ready Quicker

Like all girls, we need to wake up quite early before we need to leave so we can get ready. Since I enjoy staying in my nice warm bed for as long as possible, I've found a few ways to pack the most into a smaller amount of time. Here is a few strategies that may help you too -

1) Corkscrew Hair Pins For Buns-

I don't know how any woman lives without these magic hair holders! Whether your hair is thick or thin, one corkscrew hair pin has the hold of at least twenty bobby pins! Simply tie your hair into a bun as usual and where your hair ends, twist in the corkscrew pin. (When my hair was longer I used two corkscrew pins for a more secure hold, the second one I would screw in a few centimeters from the first pin - so if you could see through your hair the pins would look like they are making an "x").

I received my first corkscrew pin as a present from my mom, loved it, and wanted to buy more. I checked around at stores and found a good deal for some on Amazon. Stores like Target, Walgreen's, or hair care store etc. should carry them as well.

2) Take a tip from The Avengers actor "Hawkeye" and makeup artist, Jeremy Renner -

"“Brows, Lashes, Lips. Frame the face. It’s simple, it’s five minutes.”"

Focus on the major points. The best way I like to keep my brows on point, is to use a little bit of mousse so the hair lays perfectly all day. 

3) Prepare the night before - There is no easier way to be perfect looking, than to wake up looking that way. There are many different ways to style wet hair too, especially if your hair doesn't curl and stay by applying heat. Here are a few ways-

•  The Classic Braid to Beach Waves - For this style I often divide my hair, while wet, in two down the middle and french braid down the side following along the curve of my ear until all my hair is braided. You can do this with regular braids for a more lose look. 

• Curlers - Wearing them may make you feel like you're in the 1930's/1940's but its the best way to guarantee a perfect curl all day. While hair is wet, run some mousse through it before putting in curlers. To put in curlers section your hair into rows down, keeping your natural part where it usual is. Now take a top section of that row, place curler at bottom of hair and roll inward towards your head (Make sure you are not rolling outward or you hair will stick out when unrolled) Take another section below the section your just rolled on the same row and repeat. Repeat this along all rows until all your hair is rolled. Using long clips pin the bottom of the curlers so they stay in place while you sleep. (For a more secure hold, tie hair up Rosie the Riveter style using a handkerchief or scarf) 

       I purchased an assortment of sizes from Target for a fair price, but they can be found at any store        that would sell hair products. 

4) Utilize scraps of paper or tape. What I find takes up most of my time in the morning is fixing my eye makeup with Q-tips. To save time fixing these mistakes, I hold a small piece of paper behind my lashes when applying mascara. On the rare occasion that I do use eyeliner, I use tape to make sharper edges, running the brush along the side for extremely sharp lines. Wait for the eyeliner to fully dry before removing the tape, or it will smear. (I always recommend liquid eyeliner over pencil) Such use of paper and tape can be used as guides to fill in your eyebrows as well.

5) Put your phone on the charger in another room. This makes sure it wont be dead for the rest of your day and you didn't waste most of your morning looking at Facebook. Set an alarm so you don't forget to take it with you and you know when you need to leave.

I hope these few simple tips help you to get as much precious sleep as you can! Good morning!

Hearty Harvest Soup

Hello everyone! With the leaves changing and the weather getting colder for fall I'm getting excited for squashes, tomatoes, and apple cider. A bit of a mixture of all, Hearty Harvest Soup is a simple vegetarian meal that is sure to please the stomach.

Ingredients/Items:

1 acorn squash (Or 1 butternut squash)

2 honey crisp apples

3 tomatoes

slow cooker

blender

1 can veggie or chicken stock

1/4 of a stick of non-salted butter 

microwave

This recipe serves 3-4

Directions:

1. Cut squash in half and gut out the inside goop, then microwave for six minutes in a bowl with 5 tbsp of water with the insides facing down

Tip: Keep the seeds to roast and eat as a snack

2. Peel the squash and apples, cut into approx 1 x 1 inch cubes, add to slow cooker. Remove stem from tomato (if any), cut into four slices and add to slow cooker. Add veggie or chicken stock and butter.

3. Slow cook for approx. 3 hours or until very mushy

4. Blend until creamy and serve

Tip: Goes great with grilled cheese sandwiches!

Simple ingredients for a flavor-fully delicious meal that you'll feel happy to eat

DIY: Computer Wrist Cushions

Hello computer users! Since I know you all are on some device right now. While computers are a great aid to society, many hand and wrist problems have begun to develop in users. My fiance is on his second year seeking a bachelors in computer science and often complains of his wrists getting tired. He asked me a few months ago to create him "some small pillows" to rest his wrists on while using the computer, and voila - computer wrist cushions!

Items Needed:
Sewing Machine & items associated (thread etc)
1/2 yard of fabric of your choice
Pillow stuffing
Thick ribbon (2, 3-6 inches pieces)
Two buttons

Directions:
1) Out of the fabric youve chosen cut four rectangles that are 4x8 inches (This sizing is for a medium  wrists, if you have small or large wrists please measure and make the necessary adjustment for optimal comfort. This can be done by increasing or decreasing an inch)
2) On the front of two of your rectangles, about 2 cms from the end sew your ribbon (folded, as to make a loop) to the end
3) Take two rectangles (one with the ribbon and one without) and place together so the two front sides face each other
4) Using a sewing machine, sew together three sides of the rectangle. On the last side only go halfway with your sewing
5) Turn cushion inside out through the small space you left
6) Fill cushion with pillow fluff (making it a little extra puffy is alright since the fluff will flatten some from the weight of the wrist)
7) Sew together the opening you had left
8) Repeat Steps 3-7 on the other two rectangle pieces
9) Lastly, on the opposite side of where the ribbon was sewn, the same distance from the end (about 2cms) sew a button onto each cushion

Congratulations! Now you have soft wrist cushions to finish that exam paper or write that long report you need to send you your boss! Feel comfort, use wrist cushions

DIY: How to Hem Pants

Recently my fiance was given a pair of barely worn Seven jeans from his older brother because he had outgrown them. While the waist was fine, the length was a little too long. Therefore the only solution was to hem them! Hemming a pair of pants is actually quite easy, here is how -

Necessary Items:
The pants
Scissors
Pins or safety pins
A highlighter or washable maker
A sewing machine (& necessary items associated with it)
An iron
Measuring tape

Instructions:
Step 1) Put pants on and measure how much length you want to take off (You should measure this with shoes on, or you may cut it too short) Pin and remove pants

Step 2) Turn pants inside out. Without removing pins, mark one inch from desired length using marker

Step 3) Cut along where you marked and roll pants up to where there is a fold at your desired length

Step 4) Use the iron to make the fold crisper (this makes it easier for sewing and an overall better look to the hem)
Step 5) Sew (If you a hemming jeans the seam is a bit hard to sew over, just take it slow)
Step 6) Try on pants and see how you like it!

I really enjoy the length that these came out. Without shoes there is barely a centimeter before it hits the floor and with shoes its the perfect length. Better than needing to roll up your pants!

"Green to Go" Spicy Mint Chutney

I know Ive been away for awhile, I recently moved and Ive been bouncing between school and work. But forgetting excuses, Spring is here! What better way to feel green and fresh than with spicy mint chutney! A hot vegetarian dish!

Ingredients:
1 habanero pepper for hot (1 green chile for mild chutney)
1 bushel of cilatro
7-8 stalks of mint
3-4 tablespoons of plain yogurt
A blender
A bowl

Instructions:
1) Prepare all ingredients in blender
2) Blend
3) Enjoy with bread, naans, or crackers

My fiance loves this chutney with naans when we eat curry, but its also great for an outdoor picnic or party on a hot day! Good luck!