Well it's here guys!  The final installment of my four part series on Work From Home Job Opportunities.  For a refresher, you can check out part one, two and three here.  In our last installment we will discuss my favorite way of earning a living from working at home...a POD (Print On Demand) business.

POD is a system whereby you can get t-shirts and other gift items printed by another company.  These companies  sell your design on tee shirts, tote bags, coffee mugs, journals, and much more plus they deal with all the logistics including packaging, shipping, payments and even customer complaints.

Most people don’t have the finances to set up their own t-shirt printing company so these Print On Demands have created a way for people to do so with little or no start-up costs:

1. ArtApart.com - use your own artwork, text or clipart and sell t-shirts; it's free.
2. Bountee - great way to showcase your original artwork and make some money;  it's free.
3. Cafepress - use your artwork, graphic designs or clipart on t-shirts, home and office supplies, greeting cards and much more for to sell; you can get a basic shop for free or Premium Shops cost $6.95 at the monthly rate, or as little as $4.99 per month at the yearly rate.
4. CustomDesignPrinted.com - use your own artwork, graphic designs and clipart on a variety of t-shirts and gift items, such as watches and cuff links; for a limited time they are offering free stores.  My understanding is it is more for creating your merchandise to sell yourself (like for online auctions - like Ebay or real life markets, etc.).
5. E-shirt.com - sign-up for your own FREE T-shirt store in seconds.  Upload designs and set your own profits (All FREE).
6. Printfection.com - same as all above.  You upload your designs on a variety of products, create your own store and sell them for a profit; it's free as well.
7. RedBubble - feature several different products (including t-shirts), but the emphasis is on artwork.  They feature framed and canvas prints so if you are a gifted artist you can sell your art on Redbubble for free and get commissions .  They also have a creative writing area where you can read and share poems and short stories.
8. Shirt Magic - design and upload your images onto products that you put in your own store and sell for a profit; also free.
9. Shirtcity - open your own shop with your own designs and sell your creations from your own site or blog; for free.
10. Skreened- open up a free account and add your designs to your shop and sell for a commission.  They only have t-shirts but all of them are American Apparel; made in the USA.
11. Spreadshirt - open a free shop to showcase your designs to be sold on a variety of t-shirt products.
12. Zazzle - add your design to many t-shirt products and gifts for sale for a commission.  They are free and instead of a shop you set up a gallery, to showcase your designs.

I personally have a shop at Cafepress where you can Create What's On Your Mind at CafePress and just started with Printfection and Zazzle.  That's the other great thing with these POD websites...you can have as many as you want.  In fact, the more shops you have with different Print On Demand companies the better chance your designs have to be seen.  Now don't get me wrong, selling your designs through a POD website isn't easy.  You have to create your designs upload them, which is the easy part; then you have to tag them and write descriptions.  It is very important to write good keyword rich content describing your designs for SEO ( search engine optimization ) this is how your designs will be found through the search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN.  You also have to get traffic to your shops.  Without traffic - no one sees your designs which equals no sales.

The other good thing about PODs is that you don't need your own website.  You open up your shop within the business you choose, like Cafepress.  So people will find your store by typing in www dot CafePress dot com/YourShopsName.  If you have your own website or want to have your own domain name you can sign up for web hosting at companies like Web Hosting - $6.95/mo! .  This way you can mirror your shop...so your POD shop on say Zazzle will look identical to your domain name.  This way you can add your tees from several Print on Demand shops all together on your own website,  as well as other affiliate programs or services. 

If you have artistic abilities...maybe you paint landscapes in watercolors or you have great computer graphics skills, or maybe you are like me and have creative ideas but no artistic abilities you can do text designs or use clipart.  Check out 1 Million Clip Art Images at Graphics Factory.  

If you are wondering if you can really make money from PODs, I'll tell you... YES you can.  I am pleased to say I opened Be Shirt Happy up ten months ago and am doing very well.  My goal is to make the equivalent of a full-time income from my shop by the first of next year.  See anyone can create designs and sell them on merchandise.  And each of these PODs are very user friendly.  If I can do it, anyone can do it!

If I left off any PODs let me know and I'll add them.  Also if you have any questions concerning PODs let me know and I'll do my best to answer it.  I hope to hear from you!  Enjoy life!!!

We can all use better time management skills!  Whether you are a WAHM (or dad), finding ways to fit it all in is a dilemma faced by most everyone these days.   Many people assume that work at home moms have it easy; however, if any of those people have ever lived a day as a WAHM they would know it isn't as easy as it appears. We have children to take care of, a house to clean, laundry to do, a dog to walk, groceries to buy, dinner to cook and dishes to wash, to name a few. Oh, and then there's that business to work! 

We can all use better time management and organizational skills and how to tips on better managing our time effectively. So here are a few time management strategies or time saving tips you can start trying today:

• Get to know dawn - early morning that is.  Get up before everyone else in your house.  I know getting up early for most people is a challenge, but getting up before the kids wake up can be the difference between a stressed out, psychotic mother and a sane one!  If your children tend to wake up between 6 and 7am, set your own alarm for one to two hours earlier.  Use this time to have a quiet cup of coffee, check your email, exercise, read the paper or prepare for your workday. Do not spend this time doing housework, etc.  Make this time "you" time.
• Plan your meals in advance - If you plan your meals for the week and go to the grocery store once, you will save lots of time during the week by not taking those daily quick trips to the market, as well as save money.
• Prepare the night before - just about every time management or get organized article you read suggests laying out your things the night before.  There is a good reason for this...it is much easier and the mornings will go much smoother if you have your clothes and supplies laid out the night before.  This way you don't have to rush around in the mornings.   Make lunches the nights before. Pack backpacks with homework and library books at night.  When you get ready to leave in the morning, you will be less likely to forget something important.  You can avoid morning chaos by using good organizational skills.  Select a place near the door where you can keep your keys, briefcase, purse, school supplies, important papers and letters to be mailed. Keep a petty cash fund handy for all those times that a quarter, 50 cents or $1.00 is needed for school or a parking meter, work, etc.  This is one of the best time saving tips I can give you, prepare the night before!
• Don't Spend so much time cleaning - What I mean is don't try to do it all in one day.  If you do a few things each day, you'll never have to spend an entire day cleaning the house from top to bottom. Get your children to help you- children as young as two can be taught to do simple chores.  A good tip for a family with children is to do a load of laundry every day, from start to finish. Don't take it out of the dryer and let it sit in the laundry basket, either!  Wash, dry, fold and put away- one load each day.  This will avoid the dreaded laundry day- when you spend hours and have to fold seven baskets of clothes.  It keeps laundry under control and you never have to be without clean clothes.   Also, save any chores that require your undivided attention for nap time or after bedtime. Don't  frustrate yourself by trying to do these things while your young child needs your attention, company or play companionship. Whatever chore that may need to be done, can wait.

Most importantly, do not feel as if you have to do it all by yourself. You are not a super hero. If you have a spouse or significant other, ask them to chip in on household chores. Children love to help out, and depending on their ages, there are multiple things they can do. In addition, when all is said and done, remember, don't forget to take out some time for yourself.  Everyone needs a break especially work at home moms!

If you have a time management tips or getting organized tips, please share them with us.  Hope to hear from you!  Enjoy life!!!

On June 23rd, we discussed getting paid for taking surveys, promos, trying out products and more with CashCrate and on June 30th, we talked about Pay Per Post blogging.  It is now time for part three of our four part series - ‘Work From Home Job Opportunities’.

The third way to make money working from home is…affiliate marketing.  Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular and lucrative Internet business models in the world. Simply put, affiliate marketing is a system of advertising where a merchant website will share revenue with webmasters in exchange for exposure, advertising, or other marketing efforts on the website.   Affiliate programs are extremely popular due to their simplicity and effectiveness. You can join an affiliate program, set up links and begin earning money in a matter of minutes. 

In some cases, you can join a network of affiliates that allows access to numerous merchants and a multitude of sales items. Joining one of these associate programs is a great way to build a long-term relationship with a number of affiliates.  I want to point out that affiliate marketing is a lot of hard work.  To be a successful affiliate marketer you need to…

1.  Choose a niche market

2.  Choose the best affiliate programs

3.  Create great content

4.  Track your progress

We will go into these four tips on being a successful affiliate marketer in more depth later this week.

Affiliate marketing is a win-win situation.  You make a commission for selling a merchants product or service, so the merchant is happy, because he may not have made that sale otherwise.  You are happy because you made money by having a link on your site for a particular product or service and the customer or visitor to your web site or blog is happy because they got what they needed. 

I know that if I am in the market to buy a particular item and I find it on a website that is affiliated, I will purchase it through the affiliate link because I realize that he/she will be earning a commission.  My whole way of buying online has changed since I learned that I could help other work at home moms (or anyone trying to make a living from working at home) stay wahms by making my purchases through affiliate links.

Here is how I look at it…if I’m looking for a kitchen gadget, for example, I could go to a particular stores web site and purchase it straight out, or I could go to a work at home moms website or blog (who has tried out this kitchen gadget and reviewed it) and purchase it through her affiliate link.  See the price will be the same…the difference will be that the work from home mom will get a cut of the money.  Therefore, I feel good knowing I am getting a kitchen gadget that has a good review and at the same time helping someone to continue to work from home.

Well there you have it… three ways to monetize your blog or website so you can become a work at home entrepreneur.  Next Monday we will discuss the fourth way of making money by working from home.

Did you try out the work at home opportunity of taking surveys and trying out companies promotions?  If you didn’t get a chance to explore this opportunity, you can read about it in Part One of this four part series. 

This week we will discuss pay per posting.  The one we will talk about is the most popular and that is PayPerPost.  What is pay per posting?  It is a way for bloggers to make money blogging about products, companies, reviews and more.  Advertisers get buzz generated about their products, etc. and if your post is approved you get paid. 

You have to have a blog up and running for at least 30 days.  This keeps the fly-by-night bloggers away.  You must have a blog, no websites, forums, etc.  You must let your readers know that the particular post is a sponsored post (paid by an advertiser).  Check out their TOS to get a better understanding of what you can or cannot do.  You will be looking at the blogger specific terms.   

It is free to sign up for PPP and you can make money by writing a review about a particular advertiser’s product or service.  You choose what you want to blog about and if approved, after 30 days you are paid.  Usually it is $5 - $15 per post.  If you love to write, why not get paid for it.  Just remember it is up to you to make sure you do not turn your blog into a press release. 

My advice is to write about what you want to blog about and scatter your paid post out among them.  As a rule of thumb, sponsored posts should be less than 5-10% of your blog posts. If you write 10 posts per month (about 2.5 per week), then a maximum of one sponsored post per month probably won't kill your readership.  On the other hand, if you write several posts a day you can get away with three or more paid posts a week.  In my research, I discovered bloggers that make hundreds of dollars a month, but I think it is more realistic to say that the average blogger could make $10 - $30 a month.  You cannot have more than three paid posts in a 24-hour period and there must be at least one interim post between the paid posts.  So it is possible to make approximately $45 a day.  If you love to write and have the time to make several posts a day, you could make a good living from getting paid to posts on your blog.

Give your readers good honest content.  Only do paid posts for advertisers that you honestly believe in.  This way it is a win-win situation.  To get loyal readers to your blog put them first.  Many sponsored post opportunities are for reviewing a product or service.  I recommend that you make sure you actually use the product or service before reviewing it for cash.  Don’t recommend a product or service that you know nothing about. 

Similarly give your sponsors (the paying advertisers) what they are paying for.  Write good, honest and interesting posts and you will continue to get advertisers wanting you to write for them.  This is more money for you.

In closing, I think it is up to you how much money you can make working from home.  How much time you can put into it and what you are willing to do.  As of now, we have discussed CashCrate and PPP and next week we will continue with part three of the series Work From Home Job Opportunities.

If you have any comments about Pay Per Post, we would love to hear them!  Hope to hear from you.  Enjoy Life!!!

So I was thinking of things to do for the continuing Stacation Survival Guide - Part One series, that would be fun, economical (cheap or free) and the whole family could do together, and was quite surprised myself in just how many things there are to do.  So whether you call it a stacation - drop the v in vacation and add a st, or staycation - since you won’t be going too far from home, as in “stay” at home vacation, you can create memories that your children will never forget.  You know that kids (especially younger ones) really don’t care where you go or what you do, as long as you are giving them attention so make a staycation that will last a lifetime!

Here are some ideas that will bring the family together, be tons of fun, save on your pocketbook or wallet, and just possibly make this summer the best vacation or stacation ever!

1. Set up a tent in the back yard and ‘rough it at home’ - this is a great idea for dad and son(s) and mom can take out eats and drinks, or join right in.
2. Go to a local park or your own backyard - and play Frisbee, baseball, volleyball or more - you will be doing things as a family and getting exercise in the process.
3. Go out at dusk and catch fireflies - young children will love taking jars out and capturing lightning bugs.
4. Visit the local police station, fire department, post office or dairy farm  - (make sure to call ahead to set up an appointment).
5. Go to the library - check out books for some summer reading.  Many libraries have summer programs going on and a great time to take advantage of them.
6. Have a weenie or marshmallow roast - adult supervised, of course.  You can take a cheap charcoal grill placed in the backyard and pretend you’re sitting around the campfire roasting weenies and marshmallows and tell ghost stories.
7. Scavenger hunt - one great way to do this is to make a list of things to find on Friday and then Saturday morning go for your scavenger hunt to yard and garage sales and flea markets.  You might also find some great treasures. 
8. If you live near a museum - spend the day touring the museum, which can be fun and educational.
9. Go for a hike or walk - I happen to live near the Smokey Mountains but if you don’t live near good hiking trails, just walk through your neighborhood, together as a family.
10. Have a rummage sale - let the kids go through their things and get rid of things they have outgrown and have a yard sale.  You are de-cluttering your home and making a little extra cash.  You can tell the kids that they get to keep the money their items make and spend it on something new.
11. Tie Dye - teach the kids how to tie dye and each member does a shirt.  Then you can all wear them to show off, maybe even have a contest to see who has the best tie-died T-shirt.
12. Build sand castles - if you live near a beach, you can go and have a sand castle competition.  You can do it in the backyard if you have a sandbox.
13. Go rollerblading, roller-skating, bike riding, and bowling - just something that can be done as a family and keeps everyone active in the process.
14. Have a family talent show - encourage every family member to participate and show off their talent, however big or small.
15. Keep a summer scrapbook or journal - this will help you to capture all the great memories of your stacation for years to come.

I know there are many more great things you and your family can do on your staycation this year.  Just use your imagination and I’m sure you can come up with more.  If you have any suggestions for stacation ideas please share them with us.  Have fun as a family and make some great memories together.  Hope to hear from you!  Enjoy Life!!!

If you are like me, it is important that you and your family are eating healthy.  At the same time, we want to save money on our grocery bills.  I have some tips that will combine the best of both worlds!  You can eat healthy while saving money.  We have become a nation of waste!  I have taken notice as to how much food we waste in our home and quite honestly, I am embarrassed. 

If you are a college student living on a tight budget, a single mother trying to make ends meet or a family that is tired of wasting and throwing away money, I have come up with some tips that work.  Last time I posted about Grocery Shopping The Frugal Way, so you can check that out to refresh your memory. 

Eat More Veggies:

Meat can be one of the most expensive items on our grocery list, especially if you serve meat every day (more so if you fix it with every meal).  I suggest that you cut out some of the meat.  You really don't need to have meat with every meal.  Not only will this save you money, it is much healthier for you.  We need to eat less meat and more fruits, vegetables and nuts, etc.  Just remember that frugal or simple living is all about living a healthier lifestyle. 

If you have a garden, you are way ahead of the game!  You can grow many vegetables that your family eats on a regular basis.  This can save you so much money.  Even if you think you don't have the space for a garden, you can have a tomato plant or two in pots on your patio.  Tomatoes are so expensive and with the current scare over tainted tomatoes, you will know yours are safe.  Or perhaps you have a spot for a little raised garden bed. 

Even if you don't have a garden, you can shop for your veggies and fruits smarter.  Always buy them when they are in season.  This way you will be buying locally from local growers and produce in season is cheaper.

Keep It Fresh:

Frugal food is all about wasting less.  Keep in mind that when we throw away food we are throwing away money.  We've become accustomed to throwing away food that is slightly stale or doesn't look its freshest.  My parents and especially my grandparents didn't waste food.  And I'm getting myself into this mindset of 'waste not, want not' mentality. 

• Bread - when I find bread on sale, I'll buy an extra loaf or two to freeze. 
• Fruit - you can slice up some fruits, like apples, and place them in a little water and lemon juice, put them in the fridge and they will last longer. Speaking of apples, you can store them in a loose bag in the fridge, take a few out and place in your fruit bowl an hour before eating them.  Unless you like the taste of a cold apple, eat straight out of the fridge.
• Cheese - wrap cheese tightly and keep in the fridge. If mold does appear it will normally only be the edges, which can be easily sliced off. You can store a  block of cheese in the freezer and use it grated in your recipes (it does not need to be thawed).  It is cheaper to buy blocks or chunks of cheese and grate it yourself.  Another good tip is to buy stronger cheeses (instead of mild cheddar buy sharp cheddar).  This way you won't need to add as much cheese, thereby, the cheese will last longer and as an added bonus, you won't be eating as much calories.
• Containers - invest in a few screw top bottles to store your homemade condiments, dressings, etc. in.  It is much cheaper to make your own and you know its all fresh ingredients without all the preservatives added.
• Pasta and rice - first off pasta and rice isn't expensive so you can fix a multitude of recipes using them to make great frugal, simple and easy meals.  To keep your pasta and rice fresher longer and insect free, store them in glass containers with a lid and add a bay leaf. 
• Lettuce - never use a metal knife to cut lettuce...it will turn the lettuce brown.  It is best to tear it with your hands.
• Leftovers - get in the habit of not throwing away leftovers.  Most leftovers can be used to make another completely different meal or frozen to use later.

Some leftover tips:

• Vegetables - use today's leftover veggies in tomorrow's stews and soups.  You can also go through your fridge and take the veggies that are starting to get soft or wimpy (like bendy carrots) and make a soup or stew.  And if the cost of veggies is just too high right now buy frozen.  Studies have shown that they are just as healthy for you.  Buy in bulk and just use what you need for your meals.
• Stale bread - bread pudding or use bread that is a little stale by toasting it and using as croutons for soups and salads.
• Meat and fish - leftover meats and fish can be added to stews, soups, fried rice and used for sandwiches for lunch the next day.

Finally, you can find frugal foods at your grocery if you buy store brands instead of the name brands and look in your stores reduced prices sections.  Usually the only reason they are reduced is the packaging has been dented or the sale by date is for that day.  Remember you can prepare meals ahead of time, so if you find a great deal on say beef cubes, for example, you can go ahead and make beef stew or soup and it that day and freeze the leftovers.

I hope you find these tips useful and helping you to become a more frugal consumer, less wasteful and healthier eaters.  If you have some tips please share them with us!  Hope to hear from you.  Enjoy life!!!

Do you want a soft, smooth face?  Are you looking for a facial scrub that is all natural?  If you answered yes, you are not alone!  I am  tired of spending lots of money on department store exfoliates and facial scrubs with ingredients I can’t pronounce.  So I’m on a mission to find easy, cheap and effective homemade facial scrub ingredients.

I want to use fresh and natural ingredients…and you cannot get much fresher than ingredients straight from your fridge and pantry.  Exfoliating your face is one-step in your skin care routine that can easily be replaced with all natural ingredients. A homemade facial scrub will work as well, and most likely better, than a store bought product.

Facial scrubs are used to remove dead skin cells and stimulate circulation. This allows your skin to better absorb the goodness in your mask and moisturizer.  To refresh your memory you can check out the earlier posts in this series, The 5 Step facial.

A facial scrub contains some type of grain, seed or granule so you can use whatever you have in any of these recipes, just be gentle on your skin.  If you rub harshly, you could cause skin irritation or broken capillaries.  So make sure that whatever you use is finely ground.

How often you use a homemade facial scrub will depend upon your skin type. From once a month for very sensitive skin to 2 – 3 times weekly for very oily skin.  Try these homemade facial scrubs out and see which one will be your favorite:

• Strawberry Facial Scrub - mix 1 tsp. of brown sugar with 2 to 3 mashed strawberries.  The brown sugar will exfoliate and remove dead skin cells and the strawberries will make your skin soft.
• Honey Cleansing Scrub - mix 1 Tbs. of honey and 1 tsp. lemon juice with 2 tsp. of ground almonds together.  Apply gently and rinse with warm water.
• Sea Salt and Olive Oil Scrub - mix 1 tsp. of olive oil (cold-pressed) with ½ tsp. of sea salt.  Apply gently to a wet face.  This scrub will remove dead skin cells and leave your skin soft and smooth.
• Cornmeal Facial Scrub - two tablespoons of cornmeal mixed with enough water to make a thick paste makes a great inexpensive facial mask. Gently apply to face and wash off.
• Baking soda scrub - to loosen blackheads, combine equal parts baking soda and water in your hand and rub gently on your skin for 2 to 3 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

Give these homemade exfoliates a try and see which your favorite is.  They are simple, easy and safe homemade scrub recipes.  You can feel good knowing you are not applying harsh chemicals to your face with these all-natural homemade facial scrubs.  As well as saving money!

If you have a homemade exfoliate recipe, we would love to hear it!  Hope to hear from you.  Enjoy life!!!

Today we are going to talk about how to make our own face cleansers, do an herbal facial steam, make homemade astringents (toners) and moisturizers.  You will find that you can develop a skin care regimen that is natural, thereby safer and healthier for your skin, as well as cheaper.  Facials are excellent for stimulating circulation to the skin. It brings fresh blood to the skin. Facials promote deep pore cleansing and help heal blemishes and acne.  Facials also help tone and firm the skin.  This is a five step facial that will leave your face looking and feeling beautiful, as well as making you feel relaxed and pampered.  So what are we waiting for?  Let's get started.

Step One

Cleanse your face with a mild cleanser - such as Cetaphil; it's perfect for all skin types, even sensitive skin.  It is best to use a mild liquid cleanser for your face rather than a bar cleanser.  You can also make a facial wash with just lemon juice and hot water.  Just mix lemon juice and hot water in equal amounts, let cool slightly and wash your face with it.  Good cleansing removes the impurities, bacteria and dead cells that accumulate on the surface of the skin as well as any residue from makeup, while leaving as much of the lubricating natural oil as possible.  A cleanser should therefore be gentle and natural. Use a non-lathering cleansing. Massage in circular movements over the face and neck. Leave on for 1-2 minutes to dissolve grime and old make-up.  Rinse off with warm water.

Step Two

Give yourself an herbal facial steam - one very simple way to deep clean the skin is to steam your face for a few minutes.  Steaming removes dirt and pollution very efficiently from the skin, but it removes important natural oils as well.  Steaming is best suited for those of us with oily skin or anyone suffering from acne, most other skin types must bear in mind that in the long term it has a drying effect.  Steaming should therefore be used occasionally on dry or aging skin (once  a month is the maximum) and never for more than 2-3 minutes. On oily skin, it can be done once a week, and for 5-8 minutes. For combination skin, 2-3 minutes once a week is recommended maximum. Normal skin will benefit form an occasional steaming (every two weeks) as long as the exposure to steam is not prolonged (5 minutes maximum). It is not recommended for extremely sensitive skins.  Select an herbal steam that is right for your skin type:

• Dry/Sensitive/Mature skin types:  comfrey, chamomile, lavender, echinacea and jasmine.
• Oily/Acne:  comfrey, lemongrass, rosemary,echinacea, peppermint and  neem leaf.
• Normal/Combination:  elderflower, lavender, lemonbalm and calendula.

Bring the dry herbs (lavender, chamomile, lemon grass, rosemary, etc.) to a boil in a large pot of water.  Remove from heat and place onto a trivet or potholder on the counter, and with a large towel placed over your head and the pot of herbal water, place your face 6 to 10 inches away from the pot.  Remove from heat source; steam for 5 minutes. A facial steam is the best possible way for deep pore cleansing, and each of the herbs used are rich in nutrients that nourish and tone the skin. Immediately after your facial steam, rinse your face with cold water.

Step Three

Facials - are excellent for stimulating circulation to the skin. It brings fresh blood to the skin. They promote deep pore cleansing and help heal blemishes and acne. Facials also help tone and firm the skin.  There are several kinds of facials available. This step was covered in a previous article Tips And Recipes For Homemade Facial Masks.

Step Four

Toners - when the facial is completely dry, rinse off with warm water. Be gentle to your skin while rinsing of the facial material.  Use soft, circular motions. Massage your skin; do not scrub it. Immediately after rinsing the facial, apply an astringent preparation to tone and close the pores.  Two of the best toners are simply to pat on cider vinegar or rose water.  A toner or astringent is used to close up your pores.  I highly recommend you stay away from a toner that has alcohol as an ingredient, even if you have oily skin.

Step Five

The fifth and final step is to moisturize -   dot the skin with moisturizer and gently massage it in smooth circular movements. Try to do this slowly as it allows you to massage the skin and relax yourself.  Olive oil, honey, vitamin E and plain yogurt, all make great moisturizers.  As for olive oil, make sure to use extra virgin olive oil and just a little dab will do you when it comes to this wonderful oil. I also recommend that if you use vitamin E or olive oil, use them at night before going to bed.  Especially if you have normal to dry skin.  Honey is a natural humectant, which is to say that it draws water to the skin, and helps it stay there. It also has an anti-irritant quality to it so it should be suitable for even the most sensitive of skin types.  As for yogurt, just spoon, spread and relax. Then rinse with cool water.

Well there you have it.  A complete facial that is all natural and cheap!  You can pamper yourself with a spa like facial in the comfort of your own home.  If you have any tips or recipes for facials we would love to hear them!  Hope to hear from you.  Enjoy Life!!!

What is the purpose of a facial mask? A facial mask removes dead skin cells from the surface of your skin and help to tighten pores and make the skin appear smoother. When you are ready to use a facemask, choose a time when you are less likely to be interrupted. You want to pamper yourself, so find a time when you will be able to relax.

• First, wash your face and neck with a gentle cleanser. Use gentle circular motions to remove dirt and makeup. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry. Also, if you have sensitive skin you might want to test for allergic reactions first. The best way to do this is to apply whatever ingredients you are using behind your ear (leave on 15 to 30 minutes), rinse and wait 24 hours. Here are a few tips regarding facial masks:
• Make sure to wash or rinse your ingredients (when applicable) before applying them to your face (i.e. fruits).
• Steam your face - steam your face gently (2-5 minutes over a bowl of hot water). This technique opens the pores so that mask can penetrate deeply and cleanse your pores.
• Apply the facial masks - with clean fingertips or a soft fresh cotton ball. Fruit or egg mask often have a liquid consistency. It may be easier to apply a second layer after a few minutes, once the first layer has dried a little.
• Don't talk, laugh or even move any facial muscles until it is time to gently remove the mask. Do the best you can here.
• Facial masks should be left on for 15-20 minutes so they can dry.
• When removing masks remember to remove slowly and carefully. Work from the forehead downwards, making sure that none of the material removed comes into contact with eyes, and avoid dragging the skin. Light fruit masks can be removed simply with cotton balls. With clay masks, you need to rinse your face with warm water, and then with cold water.
• And remember, don't apply facial masks more than twice a week.

Now you are ready for some homemade facial mask recipes. It is best to use masks that ingredients are appropriate for your skin type. Check out the first post in this series to find out what skin type you are here.  I have a recipe for each skin type below:

• Oily skin - plain milk of magnesia. Yep, that is what I said, plain milk of magnesia. Rub it on and let it dry. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry. It absorbs oil. On the other hand, try pureeing flesh of a tomato and mix with some potato flour to make a paste; let dry. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.
• Normal or combination skin - blend one egg a 1/2 cup cooked instant oatmeal and a teaspoon of olive oil until smooth. Spread on face and let dry. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry.
• Dry skin - one egg yolk, 1-teaspoon honey, a teaspoon of olive oil and some vitamin E oil if you have it (if you have vitamin E capsules you can open them up). Smooth on your face and neck for 15 minutes, rinse with warm water, and pat dry.

As you can see, there is no point in spending lots of money on department store facial masks when you can do them right in your own home with all natural products you may already have in your kitchen. I hope this post have been helpful and will continue this series with more tips and homemade recipes for skin and beauty care.

If you have any tips, suggestions or ideas let us know and I will include them in the next issue. Hope to hear from you! Enjoy Life!!!

Did you know that you more than likely have all the ingredients for a great facial in your refrigerator and/or pantry?  In fact, you probably have many beauty products and you just don't know it.  This is a continuing series on great skin care recipes and tips that are 'all natural' and won't cost much money ( you may already have what you need in your kitchen right now ).  The key here is 'all natural' ... if you cannot pronounce the ingredients in your skin care or beauty products you might not want to be putting it on your skin. 

Before we talk about beauty products or skin care products we need to do a skin test.  So today's post will cover the skin tissue test.  How to identify your skin type. 

The Tissue Test:

• Wash your face with a neutral (a soap not made for any particular skin type) soap or cleanser.  Rinse with water. Pat dry with a towel just enough to absorb moisture do not rub.  Wait one hour, and then blot your entire face with ply (or layer) of a large facial tissue.  Press lightly all over your face for about one minute.  Then remove the tissue carefully and examine it near a window or light.

What do you see?

• If you see oil throughout the tissue... you most likely have oily skin.
• If you see oil mainly in the T-zone (across forehead, down nose and chin)...  you most likely have combination skin.
• If you see very little oil on the tissue...  you most likely have normal skin.
• If you see no sign of oil at all...  you most likely have dry skin.
• If your skin feels irritated or slightly itchy... you most likely have sensitive skin.

You'll need to perform this test several times throughout the year... during spring, summer and winter - because your skin changes with the seasons.

Next time we'll talk about tips and recipes for homemade facial masks.  So come back and check them out or subscribe to our RSS feed and get the updates when I make them.  Until next time...  Enjoy Life!!!