Upcycling

upcycling ~ by definition is the process of converting old or discarded materials into something useful and often beautiful.

      There is a wonderful HGTV show called ‘Flea Market Flip’ airing Fridays at 9:00 pm. The host Lara Spencer, who has written a book “I Brake for Yard Sales” gives her experienced input to two teams competing for $5,000. Their task is to spend under $500 on three items & upcycle them according to guidelines. For instance, a glass, lighting or seating project. In the end, the teams of 2 need to resell their items at a flea market the next day. Whichever team flips their always creative items for the most net profit, wins the cash. This is a wonderful show to watch for clever ideas, outside the box inspiration & insight into great bargaining techniques for their initial purchases. The link for the site is below. On the website www.hipcycle.com you will find upcycled items for sale & is also full of excellent ideas for your own projects. With upcycling in mind, view your garage sale & flea market excursions this weekend with a creative eye. Pictured at left is my daughter’s recent project. The entire wicker set was free (at the curb down the street from my home). As you see from the before & after pics, all it needed was a little spray paint tlc & some new (already discounted!) cushions. It’s perfect for the covered patio of her college house! Whatever you choose try to your hand at, it will give you a satisfied, proud feeling. These items could otherwise end up in a landfill, not because they were no longer useful, but because no one had the vision or cared enough to try! It is green way to try your chops at something creative without spending a lot of money! Look around your own basement, attic, shed or garage first ~ then venture out to your flea markets & garage sales this weekend. You are bound to find something that could use a facelift and a good home! Happy upcycling!!

http://www.hgtv.com/topics/upcycling/index.html

Ocean Potion Ever Glow Self-Tanner

    So, you know I rarely feature a single beauty item in a blog unless it is marypause50 blog-worthy! Well I found a product recently with the help of the Teenage Tester. Ocean Potion Suncare/Skincare is a line of body products to moisturize post sun/shower, a line of sunscreens & as we discovered, an amazing self-tanner. My Teenage Tester was looking for the Aloe Lotion in this product line specifically. We happily found it (finally) at Walmart, $3.97 for a 20.5 oz. pump bottle! Right beside it was their Ever Glow daily moisturizer with gentle skin darkener. My problem with self tanners has been the expense & often a not so great smell. Well, this did not smell anything like the ocean, but with a light bubble gum/cotton candy fragrance you could close your eyes & pretend you are on the boardwalk! So, who better to test a self tanner than on the girl who returns from Scotland as pale as can be! She happily agreed to apply the Ever Glow once a day to her left leg but not the right. The bottle indicates after 7 days that you will really see a difference, and a bit after 2-4. Well, after 4 days she was ready to stop so she could start the other leg! It is wonderful. It is not the type of self-tanner where you have to wash your hands (orange palms) afterwards or exfoliate ‘til the cows come home beforehand. You just use it as you would your moisturizer and see the natural results! (Says it works best on light to medium skin tones). I started to use this at the same time and thought it worked even quicker on me & is a wonderful moisturizer too. Not sticky, but leaves your skin feeling very soft all day long! At this price point (which is wonderful squared since now I have to buy my own bottles!) & ease of use, I give it an A+ rating. Both moisturizers are chock full of antioxidants A, C and E, aloe & other natural skin emollients. The Aloe lotion contains vitamin D3, tee tree oil & herbal extracts. This also has a light fragrance that reminds me a bit of orange citrus. We also purchased a SPF 30 spray on sunscreen but have not had the opportunity to use just yet. I have faith in this entire product line & would try any of their products. Protection is the main focus this summer again & if you can get your tan on without sun, I say go for it! Who doesn’t want to their skin to look young when they’re 70!

Check out their link below!

http://www.oceanpotion.com/

Powerful Perennials

    My love of gardening truly began with a packet of mixed flowering plant seeds & an open space. Now known as my triangle cottage garden, I had no idea back in the day that the packet of seeds would begin my passion for powerful perennials! That year I saw annual blue cornflowers & tiny California poppies. But hiding in that packet, waiting to emerge en force the following summer were black-eyed susans, white yarrow & purple coneflowers. I still have the daughter (or original – who knows!) plants of the yarrow & coneflowers 20 years later. Too cool. That is how powerful a perennial garden can be. I remember what grocery store I purchased my bee balm plant (that is now many & many given to others). Each plant has a story. Some have come & gone. My heart goes out to the ones that are long-lived, strong & always beautiful. They compete for space now in my triangle, many getting inches taller than they ever intended. There is barely room for mulch anymore, but I tuck some in here & there. It expands by edging inches around it every year, but that just encourages the buggers to keep growing! My successes have been but are not limited to (in order of bloom time): columbine, blue false indigo, salvia, sundrops, coral bells, coreopsis ‘moonbeam’ & ‘zagreb’, bellflower, yarrow, campion, bee balm, phlox piniculata, purple coneflower, black-eyed susan, purple loosestrife, obedient plant, asters & sedum. So my suggestion is to just keep on trying with powerful perennials & be rewarded! They are easy to grow & have personalities all their own. Enjoy!!

Up Your Energy ~ Instantly

   So now is the time of year when we have lots to do, places to go, people to see. We are entertaining & we need energy to accomplish all the work & fun that summertime has to offer. Here are a few tips from Family Circle Mag & a few of my own.

~ Get centered. Two to three minutes of mindful breathing focusing of deep inhales & exhales will release tension, reduce stress, raise your alertness. So if you don’t have time for a nap (see below)... breath!

~ Eat a balanced between meal snack. This includes a low-glycemic carb, healthy fat & protein. Try hummus & veggies, apples & peanut butter, Clif bar or similar energy/protein bar. Right now I am hooked on Clif’s coconut & chocolate chip flavor... yum.

~ Make a change. Like a new lip color. Try L’Oreal’s Colour Caresse Lip ‘Gloss’ in Rose On And On or one of the other 11 inexpensive but awesome shades. A+ from this tester!

~ Power nap time! If you drink 6-oz. of iced coffee then take a 25 minute nap, you will wake up ready to go. Not too late in the day for this one or the caffeine effects may linger... Perfect before a night out.

~ Take a D3 Vitamin supplement, 1,000 IU daily. Being deficient can make you sluggish. Have your levels checked at your next checkup. You may need more.

~ I must include consistent exercise on this list. Five minutes a day to start perhaps. A few extra steps here & there. Thirty minutes of yoga ... You will feel the energy.

~ Most of all, have fun. Activities that make you laugh will boost your mood-enhancing hormones & give you more energy.