Bloghop with juliannah

I am participating in the Follow Friday Bloghop this week.  If you are here from the Bloghop thank you for visiting and welcome to my little piece of the blogosphere. Please read my about page to get to know me. Feel free to comment here and tell me about yourself.

I have another blog that features my adventures as a Military Mom. Please visit Life is Like a Box of Chocolates if you like.

Once again thanks for stopping but and have a great Follow Friday!

You Capture – Spring

Since I live in the Desert Southwest, Spring is not exactly like one might imagine. We do have spring flowers in the desert, but in town, not so much.

The mesquite trees come back to life with new green leaves and the Palo Verde trees bloom yellow flowers, but it is still not like back east. These photos are of the flowers that are planted in my yard. I might update later with some tree shots. But for the moment this is it.

Don’t forget to stop by Beth’s for more You Capture!

Household Products and Food: Incredible Uses

This is part one in a series that I will do about amazing uses for household products and food. Not everyone is aware that some products you may have in your cupboard and even some foods will help clean your house, rid your yard of certain pests and even help clear pimples.

Follow me during this series and I am sure you will find something that may be useful to you. Not only that, but if you are interested in becoming more green, this series will help you do just that. In addition, this will save you some money too. Now, I think we all want to save money.

I will start with Food You Can Use.

Bananas

• Use mashed bananas and ¼ cup of yogurt to make a facial mask. Apply to the skin and rinse off after twenty minutes.
• Rub houseplants with leaves with the inside of a banana peel to remove dirt.
• Add a banana when cooking a roast and it will help tenderize the meat.
• When experiencing PMS eat a banana and the B6 will help regulate glucose level thus affecting your mood.
• Keep Aphids at bay buy burying cut up banana peels a few inches from roses.

Honey

• Honey can be used as an antiseptic it has a good amount of Hydrogen peroxide. Open to an open would to promote healing. It also lessens the appearance of scars.
• Mix honey with the juice of one lemon and drink to help alleviate coughs and sore throat.
• Mix honey with eggs and flour to make an effective skin moisturizer or facial mask.
• Add honey to vinegar and water to help ride the body of parasites.
• Honey can also be used to calm anxiety and nervousness. The honey’s nutrients have a calming effect.

Mayonnaise

• Rub on skin to relive sunburn
• Use mayonnaise to condition dry hair. Apply to hair and then put on a shower cap. After a few minutes shampoo out.
• Strengthen fingernails by dipping nails in a bowl of mayonnaise. Leave on five minutes and then rinse off.
• Use mayonnaise to remove crayon marks from wood furniture. Let it sit for a few minutes and then wipe clean.
• Remove old bumper stickers on the car by rubbing on mayonnaise. After a few minutes, wipe it off.

Milk

• Use milk to remove ink stains from clothes. Put the stained area in a bowl of milk and leave overnight. Wash as normal.
• Tarnished silverware can be removed by adding a little vinegar to fresh milk and soaking for a half and hour. Next rinse and buff with a soft cloth.
• Mix three tbls powdered milk with 1/3 cup of warm water to make a make-up remover. Put mixture on a facecloth; remove the makeup and then rinse.
• Clean patent leather with milk by gently dabbing on then let dry and buff with a soft cloth.
• Make corn on the cob taste sweeter by adding ¼ cup of powdered milk to the pot before cooking the corn.

Join me next Wednesday as I continue with Food You Can Use.

See How My Garden Grows – Part 2 Summer Series

So, I planted my garden in March. I wanted an early start since I live in the Desert Southwest and it usually gets hot here early in the spring. As it turned out, we are still experiencing cool weather. It is almost May, and normally, we would have 90 degree weather by now. But, no it is still cool and we even had snow in the mountains the other day! Do not get me wrong, I am loving this weather, although it is not normal for us. My main concern was my garden would not thrive, but as you will see with the pics, it is doing very well.

Also, my crate, that was at first ripped away from me, but then returned to me because of several awesome ladies at work, is already reaping my planting efforts. My corn is coming up and that makes me a very happy gardener!

My only problem is Corvette thinks I did not plant enough! Ok, dude, the master plan is to plant in waves. We are just two people and since I need to learn about canning, we can only eat so much. You, Corvette, just take care of the weeds and me, juliannah will grow the veggies, thank you very much!

Anyway, here are some pics of my garden and flowers. On a side note, when we had this house built, the backyard came as is, no landscaping. Then with our hours cut at work, we were not able to financially do anything with the yard. So, I decided to let the yard evolve,  and it has. I would like to landscape it, but time will tell.

Enjoy the pics and I welcome any gardening advice. Plus, I need to learn about canning and any advice on that subject will be welcomed.

Please come back to see how my garden grows!

p.s. Grandma M, please tell me how to can the cucumbers!

Lucie, my big red dog, and the start of my garden

Starting to plant.

Me and Lucie, planting.

Garden in.

Ahh, Da Crate!

Corvette drilling holes for drainage.

Corn planted.

Garden thriving.

Scenes from my yard.

More scenes from my yard.

Love my pansies.

A rose for Genie. Our faithful Lab who lives in heaven.

Pretty daisies.

Skin Care: Something For Everyone

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dermajuv Skin Care Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

I find it interesting how skin care products have changed over time. When I was a kid, a bar of soap did the trick as far as washing my face went. Today I avoid bar soap altogether. I prefer facial cleanser and body wash.

Today there are so many products out there it can get confusing deciding what to use. If you are like me, you probably have a whole cupboard or drawer full of skin care products and makeup. I actually have a makeup case full of little powdered eye shadow pots. Hey, I am a girl.

At my age, I always stop and look at ads for a cream to help keep the wrinkles at bay. Honestly, I think my avid use of sunscreen since I was a teenager is the reason I am relatively wrinkle free. I like to use an alpha hydroxy acid every now and then to freshen up my face. I also use a good scrub, which helps bring back the glow.

My problem I have these days is puffy eyes. I heard about an ingredient called Eyeliss that is said to dramatically help reduce puffiness under the eyes. It also helps eye puffiness is caused by as fluid passing through the capillaries. Eyeliss stops the fluid from passing and stops the puffiness.

Whether you are young or old, good skincare is important. With so many products to choose from everyone can find great products for your skin. Remember do not forget the sunscreen!

You Capture – My First

I found a great blog, I Should Be Folding Laundry, that I have been visiting on a regular basis. I love reading about Beth and her family. She is mom to three, she recently had a baby. She loves photography and design. Of, course these appeal to me too since my degree is in design and I am just starting to explore photography.

She came up with the idea of You Capture. The goal is to post pictures that reflect a theme that changes each week. You Capture happens every Thursday. You post your pictures on your blog and then link your blog on her Mister McLinky.

I am happy to be participating in my first You Capture. I hope to improve my photography skills and photo editing experience. I am a real newbie people, so bear with me. I welcome any pointers and/or criticism. I really want to learn! I am using Photoshop Elements because I just can not put out the money for the full version at this time. My main focus is getting a DSLR camera.

This week’s theme is Sweet. I can not think of anything sweeter than my grandchildren, so here goes.

These are my twin grandsons, Fuzzy and Wuzzy.

The one on the left is my granddaughter, Butterfly. She and her friend are trying on my Marine son’s gear.

This is Butterfly with her brother, Lolly Pop Kid. Butterfly is a cancer survivor.

This is Lolly Pop Kid enjoying a marshmallow bunny. Lolly has been an angel in heaven since June 23rd, 2009. We miss him.

Sweet!

Busy Moms Need Relaxing Too!

It seems like there is no rest of the weary.  And, the weary person is usually mom.  Moms take care of family and home, but who takes care of her?  If you are a busy mom, learn to value yourself as a person and schedule personal time.

Personal time is a right of being a person.  Each of us has the capacity to nurture others but that type of care takes its toll.

A car is filled with gas to make it run.  Eventually the gas runs out and your car won’t move unless the car is replenished with fuel.  The same goes for you.  Emotional issues can develop when you don’t take the time to take care of your emotional well-being, not to mention the physical results of emotional neglect.

Mom time refuels the tank so that you can give to your family as well as yourself in equal measure.  Don’t be ashamed to sit for fifteen minutes doing nothing.  In the springtime, relaxing in a hammock under a tree is the perfect getaway from the pressures of the day.  Reading a book for 30 minutes can also seem like heaven to many moms.

Here are a few tips to help you fit in much needed “mom” time:

1. Get up early if you have to.  When you have kids, the day begins at a hurried pace.  Once you hit the ground running, there is no stopping you.  Waking 30 minutes to an hour ahead of time means quiet solitude to drink your coffee, read a book, meditate or listen to music.

2. Turn ordinary experiences into major events.  When you take a bath, add candles, bubble bath, quiet music and/or an inflatable bath pillow.  Your regular bath has now become a spa level experience.  If you watch a movie, turn out the lights, pop a bag of microwave popcorn and curl up on the couch.

3. Ask your significant other for help.  Kids love their mothers but time spent with dad is important too.  Let them bond with dad while you go shopping for a new outfit or root around in the garden.  Since the time is yours, do whatever you like.

4. Use the Boy Scout motto.  Always be prepared and you can spend more time in a relaxed mode.  Fix lunches the night before.  Iron clothes for the next day and place backpacks by the front door so kids can grab them on their way out.  The fewer things you have to do throughout the day, the calmer you will be with your family and not experience burnout.

5. Take exercise breaks.  When you get a few minutes the last thing you want to do is exercise but getting a little physical activity in your day has far-reaching implications.  Exercise helps you to think clearly and stretches the muscles.  Also, stress will drain away as powerful endorphins are released into your system.  Do jumping jacks during a television commercial or jog to the bus stop to pick up the kids.

6. Laugh at regular intervals.  Keep a funny calendar cube on your desk or subscribe to a daily joke site.  Laughing releases stress and can lift your spirits significantly.  It also keeps the abs tight.

Moms, take care of you.  Your family would miss you if you were not around to love and care for them.  You owe it to yourself and you deserve a break from the daily hustle and bustle.

Vacation Time: Try St. Augustine.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of St Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches, Florida. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you been on any vacations trips yet? I just came back from my Marine son’s homecoming. Even though I was there for homecoming, I did get to do a few other fun things like go the beach, eat at restaurant on the pier and visit a few shops.

I love to visit beach communities because I used to live in So. California and the beaches are about the only thing I miss there. I have never been to Florida , but I have heard much about how beautiful it is.

St. Augustine, Ponte Verda and The Beaches would be places I would like to visit. There are several bed and breakfasts, such as The Carriage Way Bed & Breakfast, a Victorian style inn located in St. Augustine . There are also great hotels and resorts like the St. Augustine Historic Bayfront.

There are many attractions and things to do. If I went, I would like to visit the Colonial Spanish Quarter and learn more of the history of this area. I would of course visit the beaches, probably more than once. I would also visit the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve to enjoy the wildlife and foliage.

The design person in me would have to visit a few museums and art galleries. Like the Energy Lab Art Gallery, which boasts jewelry, glass, wood and watercolors. I would also visit the P.A.St.A Fine Arts Gallery to check out paintings from sixteen different artists.

So if you want to have a nice vacation then St. Augustine is for you. I will definitely put this on my list of places to visit. For more information visit www.romanceliveshere.com.

Deployment Over!

Cpl Honda returned from a seven month deployment last Wednesday. He was deployed on a Navy ship and got to see a bit of the world. Some of it he liked,  some he did not.

I am posting about the whole homecoming experience on my other blog, Life is Like a Box of Chocolates and posting pictures on my Shutterfly page. Scroll all the way down for the pictures. I also blogged the whole deployment there.

Please go read about my adventure. Trust me it was quite a trip!

Safeway and Betty Crocker Giveaway! Winner

Congratulations! The winner is Mari! Please email your info and the Safeway gift card and Betty Crocker bake set will be on the way.

Just to let you know. Your name was drawn by the newly returning Cpl Honda. He just returned from deployment a few days ago. Happy Marine Mom!

This giveaway was made possible by Safeway and Betty Crocker through BlogSpark.