Lifestyle

Essential Beauty-Enhancing Products You Already Have at Home

May 5, 2015 by francis

The next time you want to try a new beauty product, you might want to start by browsing your kitchen cabinets instead of heading to the drugstore. Many common foods and oils can double as creams, scrubs, and skin treatments! Here are a few beneficial beauty products that you likely already own.

Tea bags. Instead of investing in a pricey eye cream to get rid of those dark circles after a night out, use some tea bags instead. Soak two green tea bags in warm water and lay them on your eyelids. The caffeine will shrink the appearance of blood vessels, while the antioxidants reduce inflammation.
Oatmeal. Make your own face treatment by using your favorite breakfast oats. Place a handful of whole oats inside of a washcloth and secure it closed with a rubber band. Soak the whole thing in a sink of warm water until the water turns cloudy, and then splash it onto your face. This will create a protective barrier on the skin that seals in moisture and provides anti-inflammatory properties.
Oranges. Use oranges to get rid of pesky dry patches on the skin. Squeeze half of an orange into a bowl and mix in 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Rub the other half of the orange on dry knees or elbows to loosen the dead cells, and then rub on your homemade scrub to slough them away.

Have A Spa Day…At Home! 10 DIY Beauty Treatments! [Seventeen]
Our Favorite All-Natural Home Beauty Treatments [Fitness]
Crazy Beauty Tricks That Really Work [Whole Living]
6 All-Natural Beauty Fixes [Woman’s Day]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/kankan

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: Beauty, DIY, Health, Wellness

Where to Shop for Designer Fabric Online

April 7, 2015 by francis

Some of the best bargains on unique, beautiful fabrics can be found online. Here are just three of the best online resources for designer fabrics for all of your craft projects.

Spoonflower
With an easy-to-navigate website that’s almost as beautiful as its large inventory of designer fabrics, it’s easy to see why Spoonflower is one of the most popular online fabric retailers. Designed by indie artists, fabrics are available in designs like tribal prints, geometric patterns, and minimalist flowers, as well as children’s prints perfect for the little ones.

Etsy
The go-to online hub of anything crafty and handmade, Etsy is also a great resource for designer fabrics. Because the site contains so many individual sellers, you’ll find something for just about any style or project.

Fabric.com
Fabric.com sells a wide selection of name brand designers like Liberty of London, Kaufman, and Minky, as well as quilting fabrics and unique textures that may be difficult to find anywhere else. Browse the site by brand name, type of fabric, or even pattern and color, and be sure to check out the impressive clearance section if you’re on a budget.

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr Janitors

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: Apartment Decoration, DIY, Home Decor, How-To

How to Keep Your Furniture Looking Like New

March 3, 2015 by francis

Purchasing furniture is one of the priciest investments that you make in your home, so you likely want to keep it looking as good as new. Follow these smart tips for preventing stains, rips, and other signs of wear and tear on your new furniture.

Invest in high-quality pieces. First and foremost, investing in good quality furniture is one of the very best ways to ensure that it keeps its original look for years to come.
Protect your fabrics and upholstery. When you first purchase a new rug or upholstered sofa, pay a bit extra to have a professional administer a protective coating to repel stains.
Flip sofa cushions. By flipping your sofa cushions monthly, you can distribute the weight from frequent use to multiple parts of the cushion.
Minimize eating in the living room. If you’re already trying to break this bad habit, just imagine a food stain on your brand new sofa for a bit of extra motivation.
Tackle stains immediately. Whether it’s on a rug or the sofa, the most important way to prevent permanent staining is by addressing it immediately so that it can’t sink into the fabric. Read the care instructions on your furniture or rugs when you purchase them so that you know exactly how to remove that red wine stain before it inflicts major damage.

How to Keep Your Furniture Looking Like New [WikiHow]
4 Steps to Keep Your Furniture Looking New [Apartment Therapy]
Keep Your Sofa Looking Like New in 3 Easy Steps! [Shofer’s]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/horiavarlan

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: Apartment Decoration, DIY, Home Decor, How-To

Make Rice Pudding Tonight With These Simple Recipes

February 3, 2015 by francis

Rice pudding brings to mind cozy winter days in front of the fireplace, enjoying its sweet and creamy taste with friends and family. The old-fashioned dessert favorite takes on new life through a few simple and unique recipes, and it's incredibly easy to make at home. Here are a few of the best rice pudding recipes from around the web.

Rice Pudding [Simply Recipes]
Unlike the heavy cream and other fattening ingredients in traditional rice pudding recipes, this one offers a lighter take on the dessert dish. Combine whole milk, white rice, one egg, and a few sweet spices to create this simple treat.

Baked Rice Pudding [Food Network]
While most rice pudding is boiled, Paula Deen's recipe bakes the rice mixture for a thicker consistency. The result is rich, fluffy, and lightly browned on top.

Gingered Crème Caramel Rice Pudding [Fine Cooking]
If you want to add a gourmet flair to your usual rice pudding, this is the recipe for you. It features a sticky caramel coating and fresh ginger to add an extra spicy kick.

Joy of Cooking Rice Pudding [Joy of Baking]
For the visual learner, this rice pudding recipe includes a video tutorial that will help you to perfect each technique involved.

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/opacity

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: Dessert, Food, Recipes, Rice Pudding

Join us tonight for our fitness class!

January 20, 2015 by francis

Join us tonight for our fitness class with a FREE personal trainer!

Filed Under: Lifestyle

Let us help you!!

January 14, 2015 by francis

Filed Under: Lifestyle

New Year, New You!

January 12, 2015 by francis

Filed Under: Lifestyle

How to Make Your Own Potato Chips

January 6, 2015 by francis

It’s no secret that kids love to snack on potato chips, but they certainly aren’t the healthiest food in the world. Making potato chips at home cuts down on a great deal of saturated fat and sodium, and it’s much easier than you might think. Here are three delicious homemade potato chip recipes that your kids (and you!) will love.

Sweet Potato Chips [preschoolers.about.com]
Add a bit of sweet flavor to the usual potato chips by using nutritious sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes. This recipe takes only three ingredients and 25 minutes to make, and you can season it however you prefer.

Oven-fried Potato Chips [simplyrecipes.com]
If your little ones love the crispy, fried flavor of store-bought potato chips, this recipe will help you to mimic that in a healthier manner. Use them as a side dish or pack them in their lunch boxes for a delicious, homemade surprise.

Oven Baked Potato Chips with Sour Cream and Onion Dip [pbs.org]
The classic combination of chips and dip gets a nutritious (and still kid-friendly) makeover in this simple recipe. By using reduced fat sour cream in the onion dip you get all of the flavor with half of the fat and calories.