Using coffee grounds in a scrub and mayo in your hair?

(image from Wikipedia)

When I was in high school I remember reading about how mayonnaise makes an excellent conditioner and I did try it once. The smell was not the greatest but I do remember that it made my hair look healthy and shiny. I just came across an article called Alternative Beauty: Make a Condiment into a Conditioner in which the Glamour Beauty author does the same thing and is very pleased with the results. Apparently they now even sell beauty products like Silk Elements Hair Mayonnaise Treatment (at Sally Beauty.) Obviously the plain old mayo straight out of the jar is a much cheaper alternative.

(image from Vision Magazine)

On that same note, Fiorella Valesolo, of Glamour Beauty, gives us a great recipe for a scrub using coffee grounds. When she was all out of her favorite coffee scented scrub she did a search online and came up with this one: room temperature coffee grounds, a pinch of sea salt, and a tablespoon of olive oil. She says that "worked wonders on my dry, scaly elbows and knees." What a great use for leftover coffee grounds!

Sam's Club Trade In and Recycle Program

For Sam's Club members, there is a Trade In and Recycle Program where you can send your electronics and they give you a trade-in amount in Sam's Club gift cards. You can check online for the value of your items and it is a very simple process. If they value it at nothing you are still able to recycle it with them for free anyway. They even will pay the shipping to them (for a limited time). I know around here to get rid of computers and other items we have to pay $10.00 for a computer tower and $15.00 for a monitor.

Here is the info that they list on their site better explaining the program:

"The Sam's Club Trade-In and Recycle Program is available only to members of Sam's Club who elect to trade in or recycle any qualifying consumer electronic product currently offered by the program. The list of qualifying products is displayed on the trade-in platform home page. Based on the configuration and condition of your item, Sam's Club will offer to purchase your item at the value displayed by the trade-in value estimator. All trade-in valuations are subject to final evaluation by our technical staff. If your item does not qualify for any trade-in value, you will be offered the opportunity to recycle your item for free. Our recycling program employs a zero tolerance landfill policy meaning all of the material that is subject to recycling is disassembled by hand, carefully separated and eventually utilized as feedstock for various raw material extraction processes (including smelting and refining). Shipping for both trade-in and recycle items is free."

Late Night Snacks

There is an interesting article on Yahoo Food called Late Night Snacks to Cure Every Distress. In the article they basically list certain foods to eat to deal with specific late night issues.

"If you're stressed to the max
Rich, sugary comfort foods actually do short-circuit stress, but they also contribute to belly fat. So try to resist the chocolate chip cookies and grab a handful of unsalted almonds instead. The satisfying crunch will help you work off your anxiety, while the B vitamins and magnesium help your brain make relaxing serotonin. And at only 160 calories for about 22 almonds, you won't add weight worries to your woes.

If you're just tossing and turning
Starchy carbs may help you nod off. Why? Foods that quickly raise your blood sugar also raise blood levels of the amino acid tryptophan, which the brain converts to mind-soothing serotonin. So unless you're a diabetic, microwave a potato, warm up some instant rice, pop an English muffin in the toaster, and wait for the Zs to happen.

If you're burning the midnight oil
You could mainline coffee to get your Powerpoint project done overnight, but that'll just leave you with a world-class case of jitters the next morning when it's time to run it by the boss. A better bet, believe it or not: a salad of dark greens and chopped veggies. Not only will the complex carbs in the veggies give you energy, they're full of folic acid, which new research suggests helps your brain work faster.

If you're on a diet or just plain hungry
Give that rumbling tummy a little bit of protein, like a low-fat cheese stick, some lean turkey, or even an egg-white omelet. Eating about a third of your daily calories in lean protein keeps you feeling full, and a there's new evidence that it may also help you burn a few extra calories while you sleep.

If you're pregnant
Forget the pickles, but have the ice cream. Extra calcium is excellent when you're eating for two.

Baby-and-Me Smoothie
½ cup fat-free vanilla ice cream (or 8 oz nonfat vanilla yogurt)
1 banana
1 cup frozen, unsweetened strawberries
1 Tbs. frozen orange juice concentrate.

Puree everything in a blender until creamy. Then put your feet up and enjoy every sip, knowing that you're getting about 340 mg of bone-building calcium -- more than 20% of your recommended daily value -- plus a bunch of vitamins and minerals, so the 373 calories are anything but empty. Even better: The milk protein and banana contain a bit of sleep-inducing tryptophan."


There are a lot of nights where I toss and turn. If I wake up at all in the middle of the night it is a good hour before I fall asleep again. I think next time I will pop an English muffin or a bagel in the toaster and see if it helps! I also thought that the part about eating a salad when having to stay up late was interesting!

TEASTA™ Free Samples

TEASTA™ is offering two free samples of their teas- I just ordered the Papaya Ginger White Tea Sample and the Wild Blueberry Green Tea Sample - I can't wait to try these, they sound delicious!! They have so many great varieties to choose from. Thanks to Money Saving Mom where I originally saw this posted.


"If you want to taste one of our available premium teas before purchasing, simply add a maximum of two different sample blends to your cart. Then, use the coupon code below and we will deliver it to you FREE of cost. We will deliver the free tea samples anywhere in the U.S. Expected delivery time would be 7 to 14 business days, sometimes earlier. This offer is for a limited time only, while supplies last! Limit one (1) order per household. Due to the high volume of requests for samples, we reserve the right to hold or cancel any order. However, we will try to accommodate all orders placed. Thank you for your interest in TEASTA&trade Tea."


Put in Coupon Code: TRYME at checkout and the order is completely free! You do not have to put in any payment info at all. Hurry! This probably will not last long!

UPDATE: On other sites some are reporting that it is asking them for CC # when checking out, it DID NOT ask me for CC# and I had a $0.00 balance at check out.

Autumn Cookie Wreath

Browsing through Shine on Yahoo I just came across this cute wreath originally posted on Country Living-




"STEP 1: Make enough dough for 48 three-inch cookies. Divide into four batches and tint each with food coloring. Create a multicolored patchwork by pressing pieces from each batch together on lightly floured parchment paper. Smooth with rolling pin. Chill for 15 minutes, then cut out cookies.

STEP 2: Create leaf veins with a toothpick, then sprinkle with sanding sugar, (available at candylandcrafts.com). And make extra cookies to snack on, in order to prevent "sampling" from the wreath while it's still on display.

STEP 3: Cut two wreath forms from sturdy cardboard and glue them together. Tie hanging wire around wreath, then "glue" on cookies with dollops of colored royal icing. Pour into zippered food bag; snip a corner to dispense. Let dry for several hours before hanging."

For more detailed photo instuctions click on one of the links above.

I think this wreath is SO cute, I just don't think it would last long as a decoration in this house unless I made it when the boys weren't home and they didn't know that it was made out of cookies :)

Philadelphia Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

In the Kraft Food & Family newsletter that I just received there was a delicious looking recipe that I am definitely going to have to try! It has excellent reviews :)

PHILADELPHIA Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

Prep Time:
15 min

Total Time:
5 hr Makes:

16 servings

What You Need:

50 NILLA Wafers, crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans, divided
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
3 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

Make It:

HEAT oven to 325°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends extending over sides. Mix crumbs, 1/2 cup nuts and butter; press onto bottom of pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.

BEAT cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add sour cream, flour and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.

BAKE 45 min. or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 4 hours. Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan. Drizzle with topping; top with remaining nuts. Let stand until topping is set.

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