The Bees Knees If You Please!

Summers tend to be shorter in Manitoba - so we certainly make sure to enjoy them while we can. We have had some incredibly warm (and humid) weather here in the past while - and a booming thunderstorm always seems to be just on the horizon - and yet to hit us. I have no idea how tropical climate dwellers function.

While the weather is this great, the plants always thrive and the whole of nature reacts in magical ways. I ran headlong into some sort of magic the other morning.....

I was wandering through our garden, looking at the tomatoes, carrots and zuchhini plants when I spotted something I had never seen.

It was a bee on a row marker - but that wasn't the unusual part for me.

This bee was covered - COVERED - in pollen....and he may have been a little anxious to get it off.

My camera was handy! As I was filming, I noticed I was at the wrong end of the bee....and I had been filming 'the bees knees' - too funny.

I recorded the whole thing until I was spotted.......have a peek!

Your Time Can Be At Home Spa Time

It's Monday - we could go through all of the groaning and moaning about how the weekend isn't long enough, we never feel like we truly 'relax' and how the 'to do' list remains undone.

We'll all been there. No worries - new choices arise every single moment - so now, why not choose to spoil yourself like crazy after work or school or dinner with the kids later tonight? Set aside some time now - psych yourself up and alert the media (not literally, silly - but tell those who may decide that tonight is a great time to interrupt your plans) - it is all about you. Others will understand, and when you tell them - they may even be impressed. If you already have plans, you'll want to do this on another evening very soon.

The steps are simple - and you can decide to do whatever you like - make up your own steps.

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Find your favorite beverage.
Remember: Water is also a beverage.

Vamp it up with some fresh fruit infusion!

Tune out the world while tuning in to yourself.
If you'd like to hear some of your favorite music, do it! If you are more of a reflect in silence type of person, by all means leave the music off. Design your own time.

Relax, close your eyes and drift - you may choose to do this in a hot, bubbly tub of water or out on a hiking trail - heck, go for a hike and then enjoy the tub.

Whatever you choose to do for you - do it.

We can be those 'super folks' who do it all, never need a break and are always smiling with nothing wrong - but if you know any of these people, you can see beneath the very thin veil of stress they enamel themselves with and one day, this façade will crack and they will require some time. OK, a lot. If children are involved, then a relaxation break for parents is an absolute necessity.

So, the easiest, most cost effective way to take some time? At home, of course! I have included a few more at home spa treatments for your enjoyment! I especially liked the skin moisturizer. The egg yolk on my face - not so much.

I prefer Bentonite Hydrated Healing Clay for spa facials. I used to love putting on those peel off masks - I'd let them sit and peel them off in one big sheet if I could - then you'd always be left with incredible feeling skin - and a snake-like replica of your own face.

The fun never lasted long (try getting the peeled off face wet - done!) - and when I found out what was in some most of the products on the market today, I couldn't let one dry on my face without thinking about it.

There are so many incredible at home recipes we can create with ingredients we already have at home! Living in the country, it isn't always easy to get the things on your list right away, so anything made from the basics is always a good thing. I won't mention the money saving....ohhhh looks like I just did.

Here are some recipes you can test out at home;

Honey Mask: Clean your face with water. Now dip a napkin in warm water. Place it on your face for about 5 minutes. The warm napkin will help in opening of the pores. Apply honey on your face. Leave the honey on for about 10 minutes. Wash your face with warm water. Wait for a minute or two and then wash your face with cold water. Washing your face with cold water will close the opened pores. You can use this mask once a week to get beautiful skin.

Oatmeal Tomato Lemon Juice Mask: In a blender, make a smooth paste of two tablespoons of oatmeal, one small to medium size tomato and juice of one lemon. Apply this mask to your face, let it dry. It will take about 15-25 minutes to dry after which, wash your face with cold water and pat dry.

Cucumber Mask: Take 3 tablespoons of oatmeal and add some cucumber juice to it. For oily skin add yogurt and for dry skin add full cream milk to the mixture. Mix all the ingredients well. Apply this mask and leave it on for 20-25 minutes. Rinse it off with cold water.

Turmeric Mask cum Scrub: This is a traditional Indian homemade facial mask. It is usually used by brides-to-be, everyday for seven days before the wedding. You will need 3-4 tablespoons of gram flour, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, two teaspoons of sandalwood powder, two teaspoons of almond or olive oil. Make a paste of all the ingredients using water and apply it to your face. After the paste dries off, rub your face so that the mask is removed. Once the mask is removed wash your face with cold water.

 

There are more recipes to be found over here: How to Make Facial Recipes at Home

 

When we let the world drift away, even briefly - we have time to think......thinking is good for us.

We can't always be thinking about to do lists and reasons why our kid bites (mine doesn't, I'm not outing her) or how to get hot lunches to school stuffed in thermoses or when book orders are due or when the bill for the.......

 

Ohhhh dear. It must be spa time.

 

Looking for more?

Check out my archived post with more recipes for a great spa day at home.

 

Rock your day!

 

No Bake Energy Bites

NO-BAKE ENERGY BITES

INGREDIENTS

1 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ
1/2 cup carob chips
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla

METHOD

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed.

 

Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.

 

Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.)

 

Store in an airtight containerand keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Tip:

 Substitution ideas can abound for just about any of these ingredients! Feel free to substitute in your favorite nut butter (almond butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.) for the peanut butter. And you could also add in some wheat germ in place of some or all of the flaxseed. I would caution, though, against substituting agave nectar for the honey, as the honey’s thickness helps hold things together.

Some other fun additions could include:

**chopped dried fruit (apricots, dates, raisins, etc.)
**dried berries (cranberries, cherries, etc.)
**chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts, or sunflower seeds
 

Recipe from Happy Eating on Facebook. :)
 

The Lemon & Honey Cure

There are so many things online to read about, learn and absorb – one has to wonder what the percentage of truths there are compared to the fibs others are telling. Either can run rampant as a trend – it doesn’t even have to hold water at first, someone will run with it.

Example: The ‘put a cut onion by your bed at night when you are sick to eliminate germs in the room and wake refreshed, alert and virus or bacteria free – they are all trapped in the onion.

B…….S.

In my book, The Fat Girl Now 50% Lighter, I talk about the time I tried this night time myth. As I stood in my kitchen hacking an onion in half at bedtime, I thought to myself, 'I'm smarter than this.' At that moment, no one would have thought so, but if the DIY germ sucking onion had actually worked, this would be a whole different blog.

It didn’t work for me….the onion.....either times I tried it. This means that when I woke up the day after cutting an onion and putting it next to me in a room, hoping to awaken to a germ filled onion and self-cure and it didn’t happen, I did it again just to be sure.

This theory has been tested and I can tell you that two out of two attempts failed miserable – and yes, I have considered that I may have been using the wrong type of onion *wink wink*. I maintain what I say in that it doesn’t work, but if someone can send me a photo of a blackened onion due to germs, I’d love to see it!

 

I did find this on Snopes.com

 

So, now that you have a cure that I've found doesn't work, let me share one that I have tested and know that it does work…..

I call it the amazing lemon and honey facial cure. I saw it online somewhere, perhaps Pinterest – but I sliced up a lemon and added the required 5-6drops of unpasteurized honey to it.

After realizing that it may sting like a bee, I gritted my teeth and massaged the lemon into my face. The honey gets all soaked into the lemon juice, but it feels really nice! I recommend doing this in the tub – you wait 5 minutes while this lemon and honey cure soaks into your face, cleansing and bringing brighter skin.

Y’see, the honey and lemon combo are full of incredible goodies that make our skin free of the yuck that causes  blackheads, acne, dryness, oiliness…..all of it.

Honey is a natural healer – it also never goes bad (it was found in Egyptian tombs, still edible today). Couple that healing power with the astringent and healing properties of lemon and you have a duo nothing can fight.

After 5 minutes, I rinse my face and pat it dry with a towel. What is left is a terrific feeling! It heals acne too – the next day skin feels clear and clean! It even helps to lighten those dark areas.

If I were to offer any suggestions, one would be not to get the juice in your eye. It seems so common sense, but don’t squeeze too hard on that lemon slice! Also, I did notice a lemon seed on my forehead once, so watch where they land. My daughter thought it was hilarious so there was the whole entertainment aspect of the experience. I’m always happy to oblige.

The lemon and honey face mask is a great way to see immediate results. A brighter face happens right before your eyes! Skin issues disappear in a couple of days when using this treatment. Hubby even decided to test it out after he saw it too!

So, the onion in your bedroom is out….but the lemon and honey cure? It’s fabulous!