HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE

Good late morning everyone! How are you today? I am really tired and late, so my apologies. I was up really early in the night and once I finally got back to sleep... well that's all she wrote LOL! So what do you have planned for today? Me... staying inside! Our local weather calls for isolated thunderstorms, so what better a day to stay inside and (TRY LOL) make yourself be productive LOL!

So today brings another installation of frugal tips to help make your life a little easier and cheaper LOL! Today we tackle the ever-daunting task of being beautiful! Now society puts alot of (what I think) unnecessary stress on "looking beautiful". They make you think you have to do all these high cost tasks and do all the latest fads to be one of "the beautiful people". I say that is rubbish! I think beauty is how you carry and conduct yourself. And if everyone thought that way, I believe that we would not have a current epidemic of young girls starving (and KILLING) themselves to be unhealthily (is that a word? LOL) skinny just because that is what society says is "beautiful"! I'm large and in charge baby! Love it or leave it! So you won't find miracle cures or diets here, but these tips will help with the more subtle ways to stay healthy and beautiful!

Health and Beauty Tips

1. To dry nail polish in a hurry, spray nails with PAM Oil Spray.

2. Remove Planter's Warts with banana peels. Before bedtime tape a banana peel inside to the skin, over the wart, and cover with a bandage. Within a couple of days the wart will be gone.

3. Olive oil can be added to bath water for a skin softener.

4. Save money on services you need by receiving them from students in training. Examples: Hairdresser, Dental, Massage.

5. Make your own flexible ice packs. Pour 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol into a zip-type plastic bag and close. Put zipped bag into another bag, seal, and freeze. You will have a slushy bag of ice whenever needed for sprains, headaches, or whatever.

6. Ask your doctor for free samples. Pharmaceutical companies flood doctors with samples of all kinds of expensive prescrip- tions. If your doctor doesn't offer, ask.

7. Always consider generic. Ask your doctor to prescribe the cheapest form of medicine.

8. Toner/Astringent -- Use witch hazel instead. No need to dilute -- use full strength. You can also rinse with a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar after cleansing -- it balances out the ph of your skin.

9. Cut back on the amount of shampoo you use. Do the same with toothpaste. The manufacturers want us to use more, so we buy more.

10. Keep your pantyhose in the freezer, and they will last longer.

11. For great lotion, mix one-part lotion with one-part vaseline. It works better than plain lotion, and, depending on the cost of your lotion, you can stretch its value.

12. Remove gum from hair with nail polish remover, then shampoo.

13. To prevent hair pins from falling out, bend one prong in a "V" about halfway up and insert in hair. It will stay.

14. To keep Cold Cream from spoiling and to maintain its freshness, keep it in the refrigerator. Plus it is so cool!

15. Old lipstick tubes, thoroughly cleaned, are great for purse-sized pill boxes or for pins.

16. Use a lazy susan at bedside to enable sick to reach more items.

17. Emergency Sinus Relief - swap white vinegar high up in the nostrils.

18. To cure a cigarette habit - Take before breakfast 1/2 teaspoon each of Rochelle Salts and Cream of Tartar, also chew Ginseng root and swallow the juice.

19. Use hydrogen peroxide as an inexpensive nail bleach.

20. Instead of purchasing a tube of Chap Stick for $1.49, pay the same price for a container of petroleum jelly, and divide it into small containers to carry with you to use for chapped lips.

21. Mix dry oatmeal and water into a paste and spread on face. Lie down and let it dry. Wash off with warm water. Excellent facial.

22. Visit your hairdresser during the week, as sometimes they offer haircuts cheaper than on busier Saturdays.

23. Know what your health insurance pays for.

24. Coupons for health and beauty products that say good on "One Any Size" can be used on trial sizes. If you have a 1.00 coupon off of your favorite shampoo, and the trial size is only .99 cents, you will get it free!

25. For the truly frugal - when you can no longer squeeze any more toothpaste out of the tube, cut the tube open, and scrape the remainder into a bowl. Add baking soda and some water, and you can double the amount of the toothpaste.

26. To stretch your shampoo pour half of bottle into empty bottle, and add water to fill both. You have twice as much now, and it will work just the same.

27. Free fingernail brush - When washing your hair, before you rinse off the shampoo run your fingernails through your hair a few times. Then rinse.

28. Bee Stings - Remove stinger if there is any and dampen area and put Meat Tenderizer on area. Just leave awhile.

29. Facial Moisturizer - Petroleum jelly makes a great moisturizer. Wash your face and while it is still wet apply a tiny amount of jelly. Continue rubbing in a circular motion adding very warm water until jelly is spread evenly. Your skin will be soft and non-greasy even in the winter.

30. Removing makeup - Use a damp washcloth rather than cotton balls to remove makeup. It works great and also saves natural resources.

31. Melted Lipstick - Don't throw away that expensive lipstick after leaving it in the car. Just place it in the freezer and it will be like new. Transfer to another container, if necessary.

32. Extend the Usage of Your Stick Deodorant - When you can no longer use the sticks because the deodorant is below the plastic line, set the container aside. When you have several near-empty containers, microwave them for about 10 seconds until the remaining deodorant liquifies. Pour the liquid deoderant into a plastic container and let harden.

33. Two-minute tummy tuck: Seated or standing anywhere, inhale allowing the abdominal muscles to relax gently outward. Think of your tummy as a balloon. Exhale, contracting the abdominal tightly inward as if you were trying to get every single bit or air out of the balloon. Hold a minute and inhale to repeat.

Ok, so are you watching it? I mean really watching?? Only 5 more days left! I am still curious how many of you are going to join me LOL. Anyway, today I am bringing you a craft recycling and utilizing a current craft fad... Plarn. Plarn is yarn made from plastic- be it bags or whatnot. Now being the bag lady (as my mom calls me LOL) I found a site that crochets a cute little plarn purse. Ya know me... I am loving recycling and of course, I love purses! LOL.



Craft Idea of the Day: Recycled Plastic Bag Purse

Crocheted using recycled plastic bags this Granny Square Bag is a quick and fun project!

With center color (White shown) Ch 4, Sl St to form ring.

Rnd 1 Using White bag yarn, Ch 2, (counts as 1 Hdc) in ring work 2 Hdc, Ch 1, 3 Hdc, Ch 1, 3 Hdc, Ch1, 3 Hdc Ch 1, Sl St to top of Ch 2. (4 corners & 4 shells made) Fasten off and weave ends under on back side of Motif.

Rnd 2 With next color (Grey) attach in any Ch 1 corner space. Ch 2, 2 Hdc, Ch1, 3 Hdc, all in the same ch 1 corner space. *Sk next 3 Hdc, 3 Hdc, Ch 1, 3 Hdc, all in the next Ch 1 corner space.* Repeat between * 2 more times, Sl St to top of the beginning Ch 2.

Rnd 3 Sl St across remaining Hdc's to corner. Ch 2 (counts as 1 Hdc) 2 Hdc, Ch 1, 3 Hdc, all in the corner space. *Sk 3 Hdc, make 3 Hdc in between shells, Sk next shell, make 3 Hdc, Ch 1, 3 Hdc in corner.* Repeat 2 more times then Sl St to top of first Hdc. Fasten off and weave ends under on back side of Motif.

Rnd 4-8 Using White bag yarn, attach in any Ch 1 corner space. Ch 2 (counts as 1 Hdc) 2 Hdc, Ch 1, 3 Hdc, all in the corner space. Continue working in established pattern of Sk 3 Hdc (shell), 3 Hdc in between each of the shells, Sk next shell, until you reach the corner again and then make 3 Hdc, Ch 1, 3 Hdc in each corner.

At the completion of each rnd, Sl St to top of the beginning Ch 2 and Sl St over to corner space. Then begin again with Ch 2 (counts as 1 Hdc) 2 Hdc, Ch 1, 3 Hdc, all in the corner space and so on. Complete 8 rnds.

Fasten off and weave ends under on back side of Motif.

Tip: (On second Motif, don't fasten off. Just leave your yarn attached at corner to begin weaving the two Motifs together.)

Make two Motifs.

This bag is shown using White and Grey plastic bag yarn but any colors can be used as desired.

With wrong sides together and weave them together by attaching white yarn (or using tip above) at corner and work 1 rnd of Sc around 3 sides of the bag. (The right sides of the bag should be facing out when you Sc around 3 sides of bag.) Don't fasten off. Leave yarn attached to make strap handle.

Add strap handle:

Chain 40 and attach your yarn to opposite opening edge. (I use a Sl St to attach and then another Sl St into another stitch at opening edge to provide added strength for your handle.) Turn and work back up the chain by working a Sc around the chain until you get back to opposite end of strap handle. Adjust your Sc stitches around chain as needed to provide a smooth strap for your bag. The Sc's slide a bit and this allows for you to adjust your stitches as needed.

Attach your yarn into opening edge once you have your strap handle completed. Fasten off and weave ends under on inside of the bag.

Ch - Chain Hdc - Half Double Crochet
Sc - Single Crochet
Sl St - Slip Stitch
Sk - Skip
Rnd - Round

This pattern is copyrighted by Cindy from My Recycled Bags and may only be used for private individual use. No commercial sales or use is permitted. Links to this pattern are acceptable. (C)2007



Now its time to gaze upon the stars! Its Elvis time! Now it's "hump" day as they call it, so we are gonna talk about Elvis and his wild side LOL! As mom told you, and if you didn't already know, Elvis had a nickname of "Elvis the Pelvis". He earned this nickname because of the gyrating he did while performing on stage. The standards for indecency have slipped precipitously since the 1950s. What was considered unforgivably salacious then would barely merit an eyebrow raise these days. Take Elvis Presley's second appearance on the Milton Berle Show in June of 1956. Presley had already made minor TV appearances, but his performance of "Hound Dog" on Milton's show scandalized a nation. Playing most of the song at a standard up-beat tempo, the studio audience was electrified by the King's wild energy. But the real action came in the song's last bar, where Elvis slowed down the beat to a sensual blues tempo and suggestively gyrated his hips in time. The next day, he would be dubbed "Elvis the Pelvis" and moral crusaders the world over would be campaigning to keep him off the air. In a later appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show he was even filmed from the waist up to keep any crotch moves from reaching innocent eyes.

Now its time to munch of some Presley yummies! Another one of Elvis' favorite food was a good old fashion meatloaf! I know... simple right? Most of his favorites were simple, and sometimes- to me at leaast- simple is best! Not to mention that simple normally leaves the most room for experimentation. Meatloaf is definitely no exception. You can add, substitute, or delete certain ingredients and transform your meal into something truly stunning. Today's super spruced up favorite is a sweet surprise for your family any night of the week!



Brown Sugar Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup milk
1 eggs
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs
2 slices of bread

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan.

Place the 2 slices of bread in the bottom. (The bread is meant to absorb any excess grease... do not eat it! YUCK LOL)

Mix the brown sugar and ketchup together. Add the Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf. Place the ketchup/sugar mix on the top as the glaze.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until juices are clear.

Well kids, that's it for me today. Gotta get myself moving so I can get some things done today. I hope you enjoyed your visit today and will come back tomorrow for more great food and hip shakin' fun! Until tomorrow... HUGS!