Simple Ideas by Maggie

A Simple Tip for Healthy Winter Skin

maggieferry1 — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 02:34:17 +0000

Winter is officially here and has brought with it rough dry skin. Since my spa weekend with the girls isn’t for another couple of weeks (I can’t wait ladies!) I did a quick online search and found a super simple (and cheap) solution—-SUGAR. I couldn’t believe it…plain white sugar. Could it really work? Well, here are some instructions to try it for yourself. I found it did wonders for my ailing winter skin. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Thumbs up or Thumbs down?

1. Mix together 2 tsp olive oil and 2 tsp sugar
2. Wet skin and gently rub to exfoliate.
3. Remove with a warm wet washcloth
4. Apply your normal moisturizer

Simple ideas for re-using wine corks

maggieferry1 — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:52:32 +0000

These tips are for all the wine drinkers (like me). Next time you finish a bottle think about re-using the cork instead of throwing it away. Here are some great ideas. Thanks Real Simple magazine!

•Make a compact sewing kit with a cork: Just stick in needles and pings and wrap it with a few lengths of thread.

• Pamper your floors with cork: Slice a cork into disks and glue one to each foot of heavy or often moved furniture.

• Marry pairs of earrings by sticking the posts into a cork to keep them together.

• Cap an X-acto knife before tossing it into a drawer.

• Get a blaze crackling faster: Keep corks in rubbing alcohol in sealed jar (store away from the fireplace). Just before lighting the fire, toss a few in under the kindling.

Any other ideas from all you crafty people out there? Please post and share.

A Simple Trick to Shiny Happy Hair

maggieferry1 — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 02:50:42 +0000

What woman hasn’t wanted to be one of the models in the Pantene commercials with the shiny gorgeous and glistening hair?

Well, I have several tips to help get your hair naturally looking better but… I’ll just share one secret for now and keep you reading my blog for the others. This is a great thing to do if your hair is feeling weighed down by hair products and is pretty much going through a lifeless phase.

1. Do your normal shampoo and conditioning process.

2. Rinse with apple cider vinegar.

3. Do not rinse out with water. (The smell quicky airs out, I promise)

4. Comb out tangles and let air dry.

5. Enjoy your shiny healthy hair for the day!

6. Come back to my blog and post your thoughts about how this worked (or didn’t work for you).

Blog repost…Because summer is not over yet. A Simple and Delicious Iced Coffee

maggieferry1 — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:06:17 +0000

Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts are not going to like this blog post of mine. You see I was addicted to their iced coffee until I found the secret to making my own that was just as smooth and delicious (and of course costs less). Its a great timesaver since one batch makes several servings. You can even double or triple the recipe if you are really lazy like me. The eco-friendly girl in me likes that there is no waste since you use every drop of coffee. The flavor is so smooth since this brewing method produces coffee that is less acidic.

And…here is the recipe (from your favorite blogging barista):

In a jar, stir together 1/3 cup ground coffee
(Medium-coarse grind is best) with 1 1/2 cups water.
Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight or
for 12 hours.
Strain twice through a coffee filter, a fine mesh
sleeve or a cheesecloth. Pour into a tall glass
filled with ice, mix equal parts coffee mixture and
water. If desired add milk.

A useful idea for jewelery gift pouches

maggieferry1 — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:51:49 +0000

If you are a woman and have ever received jewelry as a gift, it may have come in a pretty fabric drawstring pouch. They are usually so pretty that it is a shame to throw them out. Well, at a wedding I attended last weekend I saw a woman carried her digital camera in one of those. How chic it looked and the perfect size! I was also thinking they would make pretty cellphone or ipod carriers.

Now…Your turn…Any ideas on reusing ring-sized gift boxes?

maggieferry1 — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 03:00:54 +0000

ZGWYK4UHQ83G

A simple way to keep your grill clean

maggieferry1 — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 17:20:28 +0000

Who likes scraping and cleaning the grill after a great barbecue season? Not I, so I have a great tip for you. Thanks to Luicio, our darling teacher at the Chopping Block cooking school. Its so simple, I love it! No toxic heavy duty grill cleaning solutions needed. Just multi-purpose olive oil, a pantry staple.

Dedicate a clean rag to being your grill rag. Oil it with olive oil. (does not need to be the fancy extra virgin kind). Before and after grilling, rub the grates with the oiled rag. Store it in an airtight container near your grill for the next use. No need to wash the rag after each use, just once a season.

This additionally keeps the grates lubricated so that your food doesn’t stick to them.

Ahhhh…Enjoy your summer everyone!

Make your smile sparkle the natural way

maggieferry1 — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:56:30 +0000

With an impending dentist appt today, I thought it was only fitting to share a recipe for whitening your teeth the natural way. Who really wants to spend the time or money to have it done in the dentists’ office anyway? I try to spend as little time there as possible. So…try this recipe and then SMILE away!

Step 1: Make the paste
In a small bowl, mix 2 teaspoons each of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Stir until it is the consistency of regular toothpaste. You may need to add a bit more peroxide.
Tip
Add a drop or two of sugar-free mint flavoring.
Step 2: Brush your teeth
Apply the whitener to a toothbrush and use as if it was regular toothpaste. Leave the whitener on your teeth for at least two minutes.
Step 3: Rinse
Rinse thoroughly. Do not swallow the whitener solution.
Tip
Try rinsing with cranberry juice to get rid of the whitener’s taste; it also kills bacteria.
Step 4: Put away the extra whitener
Cover the bowl with the plastic wrap and set the extra whitener aside for another use.
Step 5: Repeat
Brush with the peroxide paste no more than once a week. Hydrogen peroxide can cause tissue damage if used too often.

A Simpler All Purpose Household Cleaner

maggieferry1 — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 03:50:15 +0000

One day I was cleaning and forgot to put my rubber gloves on. Without the gloves I noticed how gross my hands felt afterwards, like a chemical residue had been left on them. YUCK. That day inspired me to explore more natural household cleaners.

And here are some other benefits that may inspire you:

They cost less, they are gentler on your household surfaces, they won’t ruin your clothes or your skin, and you are exposing your family to less chemicals.

With that said, here is a recipe for a general all purpose cleaner that can replace many different store bought cleaners in your cabinet. (Less clutter is always good). I took this from the Dr. Bronners magic soap blog. Try it and let me know what you think.

Fill a 16 oz. spray bottle nearly to the top with water. Add 3 Tablespoons of your favorite Dr. Bronner’s castile soap and 20-30 drops of tea tree oil. Shake it well and spray it on bathroom or kitchen surfaces, floors, even dirty little hands if they’re nearby. Wipe off with a damp cloth.

A simple way to clean your BLING

maggieferry1 — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 18:54:14 +0000

Every girls’ gotta have a little bling and this girl is no exception. When I recently ran out of my usual silver cleaner and polish I decided to try something a little simpler…Toothpaste! Sounded like a crazy idea to me until I tried it and saw it work before my very own eyes. To try it yourself:
Grab a toothbrush (eco tip: this is a great way to use an old toothbrush instead of throwing it away).
Put some toothpaste on it (make sure its plain paste and not gel or some fancy flavor).
Brush your jewlery.
Rinse and repeat.
Wipe it with a clean dry cloth.

Final step:
Go out and show off your newly clean and sparkly bling.