Anti-Aging Face Cream - Blast From The Past Saturdays

New Skin Firming Cream

Welcome to Blast From The Past Saturday.  Every Saturday I will be posting a previously published post, in order to take my weekends off.

Debi

===Originally posted on May 2, 2012===

Sunday was my day to make new moisturizers, shaving creams, face and hand wash, and shaving soap for my son. I love making all of these products.  I make everything with natural ingredients.

It seems like I am allergic to most face moisturizers, perfumes, and many makeups.  I was using a very expensive face cream called Creme De La Mer for a very long time, because it was the one cream that I was not allergic to.  Well because of the downturn in the economy  I did not feel I could spend money on this moisturizer any longer, and needed to try something else.  Again, I tried a new cream, which of course I was allergic to.  I had hives all over my face.  One night I had two friends over and one of them suggested that I make my own moisturizer, I must say I think I looked at her like she was nuts. I have made many things in my lifetime, but face products seemed out of my reach.  Anyway, I looked online for recipes and low and behold there were many recipes to choose from.  Then I bought several books, so that I would understand what different ingredients do, and since that time I have been experimenting with different recipes. 

Today I am going to share the recipe for my newest face cream.  I am loving this stuff.  I have used lots of ingredients that are great for nourishing you skin, and oils that will help these ingredients penetrate your skin to get great results from all of the vitamins and minerals.  The ingredient looks like a lot, but it is fairly easy to make, and they all keep for quite a while.

Skin Firming Cream Recipe

2 TBL rose hip oil

1 TBL sesame oil

1 TBL avocado oil

1 TBL macadamia nut oil

1 TBL almond oil

1 TBL evening primrose oil

2 TBL raw unfiltered honey

1 oz  or 2 TBL beeswax

2 TBL coconut oil

1 TBL cocoa butter

1 tsp lanolin

9 TBL distilled water

2 TBL vegetable glycerin

1/2 tsp borax

2 capsules Marine Greens Sea Algae formula ( opened up and poured out)

5 ml DMAE

2 capsules ubiquinol ( cut open and squeezed into oils ) (you can use COQ10 if you don't have ubiquinol)

1 tsp liquid vitamin C

4 droppers full of vitamin E

2 capsules niacin ( opened and pour out)

1 tsp lecithin

1 dropper liquid B12

8 drops carrot seed essential oil

12 drops jasmine fragrance oil

Put all of the oils, honey, beeswax, coconut oil, cocoa butter, and lanolin in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until everything is melted.  It is important to take the pan off of the heat once everything is melted, so that the potency is not removed from some of the ingredients.  Cool for a few minutes and then add DMAE, oil from ubiquinol, vitamin E, niacin, lecithin, B12, carrot seed essential oil, and jasmine fragrance oil with a whisk and stir well.  I then put ice in a large bowl and put my saucepan in the bowl and whisk all of the ingredients until they are thick, like a salve.  Then put all of these ingredients into a blender.

In another pan add water, glycerin, borax, and Marine Greens and heat on low and stir with a whisk until well blended and borax is dissolved. You can do this while you are melting the oils.  Let this cool off of the burner while you are whisking the ingredients in the other pan.

After you have put the oils in the blender, you will use the hole in the lid to add the liquid from the other pan.  Turn the blender on and slowly start adding the liquid.  You will see the cream begin to thicken immediately.  You will also have to stop and push the cream from the side of the blender, and stir a little.  You may have to make a hole in the middle of the cream so that the liquid can get to the bottom of the blender to mix with the oil.  Keep doing this until all of the liquid has been added. 

This makes a thick cream for your face and neck.  It feels absolutely wonderful. You only use about a pea sized amount two times a day.  It helps with your fine lines, crows feet, and sagging.  I will post pictures in a couple of weeks of the results.  I have already seen a difference.  I took pictures about 10 days ago, and will take more in another 2 weeks to show the  results in before and after shots.

This makes a lot of cream.  I ended up with about 3 four ounce containers of moisturizer. 

I will post the other recipes over the next few days for some of my other homemade items, but for today here is a link to the Homemade Shaving Cream from the blog Frugal Granola.  My whole family loves this stuff.  We use several different essential oils in it.  Either Jasmine for me, or Spearmint and Lavender for all of us, or bergamot and lemon for the guys.

I would love to hear what you have to think about the moisturizer, or any questions you may have.

Have fun creating.

Debi

http://frugalgranola.com/2008/10/works-for-me-wednesday-homemade-shaving-cream

Your Green Resource Week 34 Link

Check out these great links at Frugally Sustainable:

Frugally Sustainable - Week 28

Sugar Free Raspberry Italian Soda for Friday's Happy Hour

Today we are having a Sugar Free Raspberry Italian Soda for Happy Hour.  I love Italian sodas, and this one is totally guilt free.  I use the Torani Italian syrups all of the time.  I get them from World Market, but I think you can get them at other stores also.  They come regular or sugar free, and they must have a million flavors (LOL), it only seems like that when you look at my coffee center in the kitchen.  But, no, they really do have a lot of different flavors.  I just saw a whole slew of new flavors, that they were selling next to their sno cone machines.  ie. watermelon, apple, cherry, blueberry, and lots more.

This is such a simple drink to make.  Have fun and experiment with different flavors.

Sugar Free Raspberry Italian Soda

Ingredients:

2 oz Torani Sugar Free Raspberry Syrup
8 oz club soda

Directions:

Pour sugar free syrup in a glass over ice and then add the club soda.

Serve

Makes 1 Italian soda

I hope that you like this Italian soda.  We have had the Italian Cream ones in the past.

I always love hearing from you.  Do you like Italian soda?  What is your favorite flavor?

Have a great week.
Debi

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August Big Course Sale at Craftsy

August Big Course Sale at Craftsy: Save 50%!

(sponsored post)

I love Craftsy and this is the perfect opportunity to try their classes and save money.  They are offering a 50% discount on all of their classes, which is an amazing deal.

They offer over 400 classes, so there is something for everyone.  They have sewing, knitting, cooking, knife sharpening, cake decorating, painting, wire wrapping and metal works classes.  I have learned so much from taking Craftsy's classes and they are always fun.

Don't miss Craftsy's Dog Days of Summer Sale happening now! Enjoy up to 50% off ALL online classes! Take advantage of big savings today. Hurry, offer expires August 11, 2014 at 11:59 PM MT. Shop now and save!

I have posted some links to specific classes below.
Have fun shopping.
Debi

A Cake for Every Season (w/ Erica O'Brien)

Sketching for Concept Art (w/ Donald Yatomi)

Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking (w/ Richard Coppedge, Jr.)

Almond Toffee Cookies

I found the inspiration for these Almond Toffee Cookies at Two Teens and Their Mom.  It is a super simple recipe and really delicious.  I changed the ingredients around a little bit, to use what I had at home already.  My friend Mary, who shares office space, is part of the Enstrom Chocolate Family, and they make the most amazing Almond Toffee around.  I decided to do a little take on their candy.  I didn't add chocolate to this batch, but I am going to make that next. 

These came out so good.  I can't even believe how easy they were to make.

Almond Toffee Cookies 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 sticks butter

1 cup sugar

Club Crackers

1 1/2 cups finely chopped almonds

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 12X15 cookie sheet with non stick foil.

Lay the club crackers in a single layer over the entire cookie sheet.

Next, melt the butter in a saucepan.  Once the butter is melted add the sugar and bring to a boil.  Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Then, pour the butter sugar mixture evenly over the crackers.  Use a pastry brush to make sure all of the crackers are covered with the butter mixture.

You will then sprinkle the chopped almonds over the butter mixture, making sure to cover all of the crackers evenly.

Bake in oven for 12 to 14 minutes.

Pull the pan out of the oven and let the cookies cool completely.  Once the cookies are cooled break them apart and serve.

This makes approximately 40 to 50 cookies.

I know that you are going to love these cookies.  Let me know what you think, and I can't wait to make them with chocolate.  They are going to be even more amazing.

Have a great week, and I always love hearing from you.

Debi
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Wednesday's Adorned From Above Link Party 92 and $500 Zulily Giveaway

I want to thank everyone who shared with Wednesday's Adorned From Above Link Party 91.  We love seeing all of your posts.

Today I have a special giveaway for all of you also.  The details are below.



Win $500 in zulily's Back To School Giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

There is nothing better than getting all of your back-to-school shopping done in one place…unless you can get it done AND paid for! Enter to win the zulily Back To School Giveway where both you and I can each win $500 in zulily credits! While you're back-to-school shopping on zulily.com from 8/4 - 8/11, pick out your favorite item (apparel, shoes, accessories, gear and more) and post a link to that item in the comments section below. zulily will announce their winner on 8/12, and if we win, I'll announce who my winner is on 8/13! Thanks zulily for making the task of back-to-school shopping fun! 





Now, for this weeks party.

Welcome to Wednesday's Adorned From Above Blog Hop 92.

I Want to thank all of you for coming back to this weeks party.

Here are the featured bloggers from Link Party 91.

Featured Bloggers from Link Party 91

From Top left, Row 1: Dad's Famous Pancakes, Loaded Bacon Cheeseburger Rollups, DIY Outdoor Kitchen,
Row 2: Site Marked As Spam on Pinterest, Make Your Own Brown Sugar, Cakes for Charity Barbie Cupcakes
Row 3: Fold Out Craft Desk, Two Empty Hands

1.  Cakes for Charity - Barbie Cupcakes from Running Away? I'll Help You Pack

2.  Site Marked As Spam On Pinterest!?!? from With A Blast

3.  Dad's Famous Pancakes from Keep It Simple, Sweetie

4. Make Your Own Brown Sugar from The (mis)Adventures of a "Born Again" Farm Girl

5.  Fold Out Craft Desk from Mellywood's Mansion

6.  Two Empty Hands from Doorkeeper

7.  Loaded Bacon Cheeseburger Rollups from Jo and Sue

8.  DIY Outdoor Kitchen from Simply Vintageous ....by Suzan  (we all loved this one, especially Gwen (5), because of the Snow White video and the sink)

We are happy to have you at this week's party.  We always love hearing from you, so leave your comments.

Have a great week.

Debi

An InLinkz Link-up

Tour of London: Sightseeing, Food, and Hotel

Today, I am taking you on a tour of London.  We went on vacation after Danny's wedding in June, and London was our first stop.  After London we went on a cruise on the Celebrity Infinity.  This is the second time we have been on the Infinity, the first time was when we went to the Antarctic a few years ago.  I can't wait to take you along on our vacation.  On this trip we will be going to the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Shetland Islands in Scotland, and Gerainger and Bergen Norway.  Our first stop is London and I hope you love it as much as we did.

London was such a fun city to visit, and I'm sorry, for all those people who say it's rainy in London, there wasn't a rain drop in sight, it was in the mid to high seventy's everyday that we were there.  It was hot and beautiful and London is amazing.

I do want to make a few recommendations for a hotel and some restaurants.  We stayed at the Mercure London Bloomsbury on Southampton Row.  It has recently been remodeled, and it is beautiful It offers unlimited internet, breakfast is not included in the price, but there is a super cute coffee shop, called Tutti's.  It's about 3 blocks away on Lambs Conduit Street.  They have great food and amazing lattes.  I was a happy camper.  Our cousin Emmanuel lives on the same street as Tutti's, so he recommended it and he was right on the mark.  We also had great pub food at Friend at Hand on Herbrand Street, amazing Indian Salaam Namaste on Millman Street, delicious Italian Ciao Bella on Lambs Conduit Street, and hummus at Hummus Bros on Southampton Row.  All of these restaurants are within walking distance, 3 to 4 blocks of the hotel.  We also ate at the Museum Tavern across the British Museum and we had a delicious Sunday Prime Rib and Yorkshire pudding for lunch.

Now for our Tour of London.  We took Big Bus Tours in London and they were great.  You can get on and off the bus where you want, and visit all of the sights in the areas.  I would also recommend taking the tours that have the live tour guides.  These guys are great and give so much information, and the personalities of each guide is different, but ours had us laughing.

We stayed across the street from Russell Park, so that was one of the first places we walked to in London.  It's such a cute little park, and they have this great fountain that this dog had a great time walking through.  David was laughing as he watched the dog.

I also had to get a picture of the London phone booths.  They are so fun.  I have always seen them in pictures and movies, but seeing them in person was really fun.

Vince had wanted me to look for the Tardis.  He is a big Dr. Who fan, but alas I couldn't find it.  I actually looked online to see if there was one around.  Instead, we got him a Dr. Who t-shirt.

Next, we got on the Big Bus tours and it was so fun.  Our first stop took us over the London bridge, and to Borough Market. (this was last Tuesday's post)

This is all of the foot and car traffic on London Bridge crossing the Thames.

This is a beautiful bridge that you see from London Bridge.  It's just so pretty.

This is the church next to Borough Market, called Southwark Cathedral.  It is so pretty and is located next to one of the entrances to Borough Market.

We took London Bridge to the south side of the Thames.  Then we took the bridge in the picture above back over the Thames to The Tower of London.  There is also a building called the Needle, but I could not get a picture of it.  I took this picture of the Tower of London.  It's really interesting.  I loved the catapult, the tents, and the soldiers.  We did not go inside the Tower of London, we didn't have time, but it was a great stop.  If you are going to be in London for 4 to 5 days, this is a tour that I would go on.

Above is one more picture of the Tower of London.

Next on the tour was Big Ben, Parliament, and The Eye.  I had always heard of the Eye, but I had no idea what it was.  It is a huge Ferris wheel on the Thames, and it is beautiful.  It is totally lit up at night.

We went past Big Ben and Parliament and then back over the Thames.  This is when I got this picture of the Eye.  I have more, but this was so close up, that it was pretty dramatic.  It must be so amazing to be on at night.

Next we go back over the Thames on another bridge and I got a great picture of Parliament and Big Ben from the river.  Beautiful! (We were kind of back and forth over the Thames the whole day it seemed.  There are lots of bridges in London.

Our next stop is Buckingham Palace.  It is beautiful.  It was fun getting the picture of the Queens Guard in front of the palace.  We also went past the Royal Mews.  I had no idea the Mews were stables.  In the Bloomsbury neighborhood that we stayed in all of the homes have mews, which have now been turned into very expensive flats.

Our next stop was Piccadilly Circus.  I didn't take any pictures here, but it is a really fun area.  We went into lots of stores and looked around.  There is a theatre district and Chinatown also.  

Next stop is back to the hotel.  We spent about 8 hours sightseeing.  What a day. 

We went to Salaam Namaste for cocktails and dinner and then to bed.

Sunday we went to The British Museum which has an amazing Egyptian Exhibit and a library that is out of this world.  We also had lunch at the Museum Tavern.  I would suggest a traditional roast beef lunch on Sundays.

 I hope you liked our tour of London.  We really enjoyed it.  I always love hearing from you.

Have a great day

Debi

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15 % Off All Orders on Birthday Express

$10 Off Orders Over $60 on Birthday Express

$20 off Orders over $100 on Birthday Express

Partying at:

Fluster Buster's Creative Muster

Dear God Note 1

I am starting to write some Dear God Notes.  Sometimes, if I put things in writing, it helps me to clarify what I am thinking, and how I need to pray.

Last week, I saw a post on Facebook that said "Dear God, Your Will Your Way".  I believe that, but if you follow me you know that we have had a pretty busy year.  Some of it has been extremely difficult, Charly lost her baby and my father passed away.  Some has been great, Danny got engaged and married.  The future is definitely changing,  my sweet husband is starting to retire, and we will be selling our home and moving to a Florida.  So a lot of things have happened and more things are changing.  

I was speaking to a friend last week, and when I repeated the saying, she added, but can you be gentle God.  Which, is what I had been thinking, because sometimes I feel overwhelmed with everything that happens in life.  I know God doesn't give us more then we can handle, but please God be gentle.

So I decided that I was going to start a new series on Mondays.  They will be Dear God Notes.  I am going to write a new note to God every week.

I hope that you like them.  I really just want to start putting some of my prayers in writing.

Have a blessed week.

Debi

Find Us At These Great Parties

Partying at:

Fluster Buster's Creative Muster

Hello Kitty Party of the Month at Birthday Express

Pretty in Pink with Hello Kitty party supplies from Birthday Express
**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links



What little girl doesn't love the sweetly iconic look of Hello Kitty? Create a purrrfect party setting with the Hello Kitty Balloon Dreams Party Pack from Birthday Express.

Throwing a Hello Kitty party doesn't take much more than pulling together some key elements, adding touches of glimmer and gloss, and coating everything in a pastel palette. Here are some ideas on how...

Food & Drink Ideas - Tiny muffins and tea sandwiches wrapped in polka dot cupcake wrappers to keep the cute quotient up and the sugar levels low. Serve them with strawberry (think pink!) and/or plain milk in small, old fashioned milk bottles which work perfectly withpink striped straws. 



Party Activities - Everyone loves a piñata, and the Hello Kitty Pinata (featured below) is filled with all sorts of treats, including candy and little toys. However, if you're looking for something with a little less mess, putting together a make-your-own favor box table is an easy way to let kids build their own Hello Kitty super souvenir! Simply set out bowls of Hello Kitty treats, such as: stickers, rings, Hello Kitty PEZ dispensers, colorful bracelets and a party favor box or bag to put all the goodies in. 

Hello Kitty Pinata Kit

Hello Kitty Party Favor Box

Hello Kitty Party Game

Party Decor - On your palette of pastel, add in accent pieces that bring the theme to life, such as Hello Kitty confetti or use the Hello Kitty rings (featured below) as napkin holders. Finally, let the birthday girl be the star of the party and dress her up as Hello Kitty! 

Hello Kitty Balloon Dreams Party Pack

Hello Kitty Rings

Hello Kitty Toddler Costume

For a full selection of Hello Kitty party supplies, visit Birthday Express - where you can plan the perfect party from start to finish every time!

Have a great week.

Debi 

15 % Off All Orders on Birthday Express

$10 Off Orders Over $60 on Birthday Express

$20 off Orders over $100 on Birthday Express