Yes, it’s potato on your skin! Do that if you want:

• a lighter skin tone
• a clearer complexion (reduces blemishes and other marks)
• to remove unwanted tan
• to lighten dark circles under eyes

Why potato?

Potato contained one of the highest bleaching agent; so actually, potato naturally bleached your skin (when you apply it externally; I’m not sure if consuming potato would have the same bleaching effect — but, to be honest, I doubt that it would)

A very dark skin tone CANNOT be bleached to a totally fair skin tone; however, there will be a noticeable change.

[FYI, there are many other natural goodness out there that contain bleaching properties. But, I only put "products" that I have tried myself and have seen the effects/results on my blog --- and that is POTATO! ^^]

How to naturally bleach your skin with potato?

It’s actually pretty simple!

1. Soak raw potato slices in cold water for 10 minutes. Rub these slices over face, neck and hands;
2. Extract potato juice and make a paste out of it;
3. Grate your potatoes and use it as face mask;

OR…

if you are too lazy to do all those things…

There you go!

Just slice the potatoes and put it on your face right away! (remember to WASH it)

That’s what I do

I always do this in the morning, so I’m too lazy to do all those preparations.

[But, to tell you the truth, those other three ways listed above would actually give BETTER results - I haven't tried any, but I'm pretty sure it would, because it is a more proper way.]

Let it stay for long; but no longer that 2 hours.

(some people use it overnight, but I haven’t tried it)

Then, remember to wash your face as well just like after you used other face masks.

Easy, don’t you think?

Some precaution and notes:

I do NOT guarantee that this will suit ALL skin types

so it will be safer if you don’t put it on your face for too long if it is your first time.

The potato juice will slightly hurt your eyes if it gets inside, so it will be better to put a potato with not-too-much juices for the area around your eyes.

If you want to see BETTER results, follow this with a healthy diet

That’s it then!

Have fun with it!

I personally see noticeable results in less that a week. (four or five days, if I’m not mistaken. But one thing for sure is that it is less than a week.)

I hope this GREAT natural skin bleach will work its magic on your skin as well!

P.S. This is just a BRIEF information about skin bleaching with potato; NOT an in-depth and detailed information. For further information, feel free to ask.

Ruth 4: 13-17: “So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. “May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.”

I found a wonderful summary of the life of Naomi, from the book of Ruth found here. I’ve copied the summary for you.

“The story contains four different episodes that together form a beautifully constructed novella:

1 Naomi and Ruth go to Bethlehem (Ruth 1) – the anguish of loss
Naomi and her family suffered great misfortune in a foreign land. Ruth, a girl from that foreign land, decided to migrate with Naomi to Bethlehem. They arrived in time for the barley harvest.
2 Ruth meets Boaz (Ruth 2) – the love story
Ruth, a young widow, met Naomi’s relative, a rich man called Boaz. It seems to have been love at first sight for him, and he ordered that Ruth be well treated when she worked in his fields. The older woman Naomi saw immediately what had happened, and encouraged Ruth to continue working in Boaz’s fields.
3 Ruth proposes marriage to Boaz (Ruth 3) – this chapter contains some ribald peasant humor. Ruth approached Boaz during the night, at the threshing floor, and the text obliquely suggests that there may have been some sexual hanky-panky. Subsequently, Ruth suggested that they marry, reminding Boaz of his obligation to her as her nearest male kin. Boaz promised to do all he could.
4 Ruth and Boaz marry (Ruth 4) – the happy ending
Boaz proved as good as his word, and he and Ruth were married. She had a son called Obed, and Naomi cared for the child, who would grow up to be the grandfather of King David.”

Dark Rapunzel locks are her trademark and thanks to a lucrative L’Oreal deal, her bread and butter too.

But Cheryl Cole has swapped those famous tumbling brunette curls for a bold suicide blonde wig in the new video for her upcoming single, 3 Words.

The look, which appears to be inspired by fashion forward pop star Lady GaGa, marks a rare case of experimentation for the X Factor judge, who has had the same hairstyle for a number of years.

She also swaps her bronzed tan for alabaster skin, smokey eyes and pale lipstick.

Cheryl teams up with Black Eyed Peas rapper Will.I.Am in the clip for her atmospheric love song, which is the title track from her chart-topping album.

Throughout, she shows off other ‘dos, including a blunt long bob.

Of course, it follows controversy over her national advertising campaign for Elvive Full Restore 5, a shampoo and conditioner range.

In the advertisement she credits the products with making her hair ‘full of life’ but makes little reference to her £1,000 hair extensions.

The 3 Words video itself tries – perhaps just that little bit too hard – to be edgy and features a split screen, unconventional camera angles and modern dance.

Although the song has already charted at No. 26 on downloads alone, the track will be officially released as a single on December 21 – meaning Cheryl could have the first number one of 2010.

3 Words tells the story of a couple who socialise separately and are both approached by members of the opposite sex.

The singers go on to declare each other is ‘the love of my life’ and ‘through the ups and the downs… never let go,’  which will no doubt be interpreted by fans as an insight into Cheryl’s marriage to footballer Ashley Cole.

Cheryl, 26, recorded five tracks with the Black Eyed Peas star in Los Angeles over the summer for the album, which reached number one in the UK charts when it was released last month.

The first single Fight For This Love, which was also released in October, also went straight to the top of the singles chart.

Source

Broad and Informative

Skin Care Made Simple: Tips for Wrinkles, Blemishes, and Redness -Elle

Leading Dermatologist Discusses Chemical Peels in a New Online Video -dBusinessNews New York

People Hear With Their Skin as Well as Their Ears -NY Times

How To Care For Your Nails Come Winter -Allure Magazine

A Death by Suntan at Age 26 -Cosmopolitan

For Those Who Want Some More Details…

Stem Cells Could Offer New Source for Skin Grafts -Scientific American

A Cancer Vaccine — That Works? -Scientist

Melanoma Staging and Classification System Revised -Modern Medicine

Discovery Leads to Effective Treatment of Painful Skin Condition -Science Daily

Very happy Sashimi added.

So yes, my long suffering fans… I have returned, perhaps 5 kilograms heavier than when I left, with an immeasurable desire for ostrich biltong, and a nice tan.

The holiday to South Africa rocked. We got to do some familial bonding time, and a fair amount of time got spent with the friends. Mr & Mrs B… many thanks for the awesome trip to Knysna and back… much obliged. Now come and visit us so we can return the favour. Wooz and SPF… it was great to be able to spend so much time with you guys… thanks for taking the leave and making it all possible. Chris and Lily and Megan… thanks for the accomodation and for letting us skank up your bathroom one week before your wedding.

So. This Blog has been built up by three weeks absence, and is bound to be a little longer than normal. As usual, if you want to skip the personal stuff, jump ahead to the line of asterisks at the end of this piece.

South Africa. Well well. It was an absolutely awesome trip. One of my favourite things to do in the whole world is to get a car that I like driving and then to take a long road trip. And the wife and I got to do just that with her family. The four of us piled into their car and drove off on what worked out to be an insanely expensive, but very enjoyable experience. And my god did we shop. Everything from Chutney to Cuckoo Clocks went into that car.

Let’s see, first stop was the Willows in Port Elizabeth. This was a classic little caravan/chalet place, and we got a two-bedroomed chalet for the four of us. Very comfortable, very clean and so close to the sea that even my youngest students could throw a stone into the water from the living room. We were there for two nights… and used the time soaking up some much-needed shopping. And thus began my fixation with finding the perfect pie on the holiday. See… the wife and I recently stopped being vegetarian and started eating seafood. Well… poultry has been added to the pile of edibles now… meaning that Chicken was back on the menu. (For the record, we still don’t eat mammals…. which means that yes, TURKEY is back on the menu for Christmas.) With chicken scratching at the doormat, I started in on Chicken Pies.

Woolworths to the rescue. AWESOME chicken and mushroom pie. Try it. Very good.

An aside – If it feels as if all the wife and I did on this holiday was sleep and eat, well… we feel that way too. It was a great holiday.

After PE, we drove on to Sedgefield…. chosen because it was nice and close to Knysna, which was where our friends Stompie and Jax were getting married. Yes… we did it all on this trip, weddings included. The place in Sedgefield was fantastic, the view was simply unbeatable.

Stompie and Jax threw themselves a Euro-funded Afro-ethnic wedding. And it was really a great evening. Good to be able to catch up with them again, as we hadn’t seen them since leaving Ireland. The wedding itself was out-standing and if their friends are anything to go by, they’ll be blessed in the future.

After the wedding it was a case of doing some family time in and around Knysna and George. We took in the sights of Hoekwil and Wilderness, the former very rustic, the latter full of sea spray.
Much seafood was eaten. Much chicken was eaten.

One of the highlights for the wife and I of the Sedgefield trip was a visit to the Wild Oats Farmer’s market… where local farmers sold their wares. (Mainly foodstuffs, but some raw produce too.) We got to soak up a little culture…

It was here that I found the undisputed BEST chicken pie in South Africa. The Steam Whistle Stop Pie company, operating out of god-knows where, but with a stand at the market.

After Sedgefield, there remained only the trip back to East London, which took much longer than expected. This is because of a little known family problem. Fact: If you place two women with disposable income in the back seat of a car, they will hatch plans to visit as many farm stalls as possible on the way back home. This is in a misguided effort to fill the car with very fattening farm foodstuffs and home produce. Thus, some 600 kilometres, 23 pieces of fudge, a half-dozen bottles of chutney, three full wheels of cheese, and 39 farm stalls later….. the entire Western Cape was denuded of produce, the car was groaning on its springs and we got home. To a huge dinner cooked by my sister in law.

The rest of the trip was spent with friends and family. I got to get in a fair amount of roleplaying with Wooz and the bunch, and even GMed a demo session for Jebb and his bunch. An obnoxiously large amount of time was spent virtually supine on Wooz’ patio drinking coffee… which is the perfect way to conduct oneself on holiday. Besides, the view from there isn’t half bad either.

Three weeks flew by with absolutely no regard for how much it cost us to get there, or indeed just how long 14 hours in economy class feels. (Particularly when you are bloated on fudge and chicken pies.)
There were tears, there were hugs and then we were gone.

To everyone who made the effort, thanks a hell of a lot guys, it was a vastly enjoyable experience.

************

And let’s get on with the jokes and stuff shall we?

The Truth About College:

SOCIOLOGY: For sheer lack of intelligibility, sociology is far and
away the number one subject. I sat through hundreds of hours of
sociology courses, and read gobs of sociology writing, and I never
once heard or read a coherent statement. This is because sociologists
want to be considered scientists, so they spend most of their time
translating simple, obvious observations into scientific-sounding code.
If you plan to major in sociology, you’ll have to learn to do the same
thing. For example, suppose you have observed that children cry when they
fall down. You should write: “Methodological observation of the
sociometrical behavior tendencies of prematurated isolates indicates that
a causal relationship exists between groundward tropism and lachrimatory
behavior forms.” If you can keep this up for 50 or 60 pages, you will get
a large government grant.

This weeks musical talent comes to you from the talented Ms. Nina Simone. This one is called Strange Fruit. And if it is depressing, well, it is meant to be. Give yourself a search for the lyrics. Sometimes, I am sad to be a human.

And that is that.. .. if there appears to be a lack of linkage in this blog, sorry… but 3 weeks without internet means that I didn’t find as many interesting things. Next time. K?

Ciao
Yeti out.

The Daily Star has a helpful guide to how young Cheryl Cole fans can look like their favourite X Factor judge. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the Star estimates she has cost £250,000 transforming herself from ‘waitress to über-chic chick’, including £40,000 on make-up, £145,000 on clothes and ‘up to £3,000′ on fake tan. Presumably not on each visit.

Source

• J.P. Morgan: U.S. Dollar Carry Trade a ‘Half Truth’
• US shoppers wait for sales
• As Black Friday Looms, Will Consumers Show Up?
• Climategate: the final nail in the coffin of ‘Anthropogenic Global Warming’?
• Closed-end fund discounts explained
• Thai Capital Fund Announces Third Quarter Earnings
• Round-Up of Holiday Spending Surveys, Reports
• Most global banks are still unsafe, warns S&P
• Newspaper circulation may be worse than it looks
• Russian central bank cuts interest rates to record low
• Time to Prick the Ag Commodities Bubble
• Mayors Sound Alarm Over Drop in City Revenues
• Consumer Spending in U.S. Rises More Than Forecast
• Debunking carry-trade denial
• UK GDP revised…
• More bid rumours in the UK utility sector

Summer is about beach, tan & illuminating summer glow. We spent a lovely day in Cottesloe. Falling asleep under the clear blue sky, beside the deep blue ocean, enjoying the summer breeze. Still working on my summer tan, a long way to go. Playing my favorite tunes especially ’Lucky’ by Jason Mraz while lying on the warm sand & doing nothing … perfect.

Summer is about colors. I fall in love with peachy hues & a peach blusher will be an ideal addition to my orange shimmering highlights & peach nail polish. It’s about leaving winter blues, kicking off boots, welcoming sunshine & a big hug to warmth & pretty sandals.

Summer is about giving, especially with Christmas around the corner. I’m very thankful to have received so many Christmas presents last year & I hope to give more than I received this year. Summer is about going home, reuniting with my family & friends. I miss you all. ♥

Summer Loves

P.S. Seagulls are disturbing, they are angry birds, we saw them fighting & they even tried to ’steal’ our belongings. In my next blog, you’ll probably agree with me why seagulls can be frightening.

It’s getting cold and grey outside but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a sunkissed glow.

Confident Chic are proud to present you with the easiest instant sunless tanning range on the market right now. He-Shi is a range of self tanning products designed for both him and her for easy application at home. With a wide variety of products from as little as £3.99 you can’t go wrong.

Get the natural tan you deserve through easy, flawless application. The express nature of the system means that you can see straight away where has been covered, meaning you can cover up any patches. It dries within 5 minutes and doesn’t stain clothes.

Head over to confidentchic.co.uk to get a superstar tan ready for Christmas and New Year!

And, did I mention, show your outfit?

Jacket : RW & CO

Scarf : Store in Portugal

Jeans : Cherokee

Boots : Merrel

Knit : La Redoute

Second in my series of people photography!!  Now, I know I said that the Mexico series was done with, but, surprise!  More Puerto Morelos pics!  Were these strategically saved for this series or did I just forget to put them with the other series?  You’ll never know.  Anyhoo, its fun to photograph kids doing their kid-ly things.  They always seem so completely absorbed in what they are doing and bring such a fun, carefree-because-they-don’t-have-bills-to-pay  feeling to the photo.  I find that looking at pictures like this always makes me remember how much I liked to do (blank) when I was (blank) years old, long before medical school sort of owned my soul.   

So, this boy and girl were playing in the sand on the shore by the Puerto Morelos pier in Puerto Morelos, Mexico.  They are in front of the original lighthouse that was transformed into the Leaning Lighthouse of Puerto by Hurricane Wilma.  Since it’s more or less non-functional now, there is a new lighthouse a bit further back from the shore.  It is much taller and, personally, if I were a sailor, I’d be glad Wilma killed the old short lighthouse so that I could guide myself home with the more modern upgraded model.

The photo was taken with the Canon Powershot G7.  I used Adobe Photoshop CS3 to adjust the contrast a bit and to bring out the slightly sepia tones in the picture to help create a more nostalgic feel and to highlight the angle of the sun.

Huh, today is the final of China Super Series 2009, of course, will have myself at home in the afternoon to watch it live. There is now only left Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong in the final of men doubles. They are world ranked no. 1, up against the world no.2, Lee Young Dae and Jung Jae Sung from South Korea.

Real nice, exciting and interesting match. Breathtaking! First game, I can see that Malaysian pair did quite poor, shuttercock not over net, out of court, or can’t handle some smashes. Finally, they losed out to Korea (13 – 21). Second game came. Results seems that winning is by Korean side, Malaysians did not improve much in the beginning. As the game came to the middle and almost end, Malaysian pair fight back eventhough left far behind in the results. Finally, Malaysian pair won second game by 21 – 19, a very exciting game. Everyone in the stadium is cheering and applauding the performance.

Time for the third and deciding game, Malaysian pair lack some strength this time, can’t give hard smash to opponents. I really want to praise Lee Young Dae for his strength. He had spend over 1 hour in the earlier match of mixed doubles which he won, and now another match of over 1 hour. Totally, he had spend over 2 hours 30 minutes on court, and still had the strength to smash hard. Incredible. Malaysian pair is far behind in results again, but the atmosphere was still very exciting. Malaysian pair did some actions that stunt and trigger the laughter of the audiences;

1. taking new racquet quickly and throwing off the damaged racquet for several times.

2. handling a simple attack by reflecting the shuttercock back by using unique styles, like from the back.

3. sitting on the court ( Koo Kien Keat) and saved 4 fast attacks from the opponents.

4. the shuttercock is out of court and still play it to continue the excitement.

5. flying the shuttercock at quite an acute angle to make it super difficult for opponent. (but sometimes failed, and out of court)

6. no feeling of giving up eventhough lost far behind, until the results are getting close.

7. and many more…

Eventhough Koo and Tan lost in third game to Korean (21 – 18), but they are able to make it close, at least, and making the match the most exciting ones. Everyone is cheering for Koo and Tan eventhough they lost. Great sporting spirit by the players and even by the audiences. The coaches seems so happy, either win or lose, is not a matter anymore on that moment, it is the moment of beating opponent in a memorable way that matters. Congratz to Korean pair for winning it, full of effort, they had good skills in smashing, attacking and even defencing.

Eventhough no Malaysians came back with title from this tournament, but they leaved with memorable and unforgettable moments to the audiences of China, to show that Malaysian players can lose with proud, strong spirit and dignity. I wonder how come Lee Chong Wei (world no. 1) lost to Jade O Jorgensen from Denmark in early round, if not, he can give a good fight with Lin Dan in men single final.

The next badminton tournament will be the Master Super Series Final held in Malaysia in the beginning of December 2009. China Super Series 2009 is the last tournament of 12 super series in the whole year of 2009. Hopes that Malaysia can do better on that tournament, battling on the homeground.

Nombre: Fairy Tail フェアリーテイル
Tipo: Anime
Genero: Accion, Fantasia, Comedia, Aventura…. etc.
Capitulos: ??
Idioma: Japones
Subtitulos: Español
Fansub: Wing Zero Fansub
Formato: MP4
Calidad: Muy buena
Tamaño por archivo: 50-60 Mb
Subido a: Megaupload

Sinopsis:
Fairy Tail cuenta la historia de un joven mago llamado Natsu en la búsqueda de su maestro y padre adoptivo Igneel que resulta ser un dragón. Por ello se unió a Fairy Tail, un gremio de magos que es famoso por los destrozos y daños que provocan en diversas ciudades (lo cual no debería ser así). El mundo de Fairy Tail gira alrededor de los magos (los cuales poco tienen que ver con la idea general del mago común) que realizan encargos a cambio de dinero, similar a un cazarecompensas. Natsu conoce a Lucy, una guapa muchacha cuyo sueño era ingresar a un gremio de magos, específicamente, a Fairy Tail, lo cual consigue gracias a la ayuda de Natsu. De ahí en adelante, la historia sigue los movimientos de esta pareja de magos los cuales se ven envueltos en un sin número de aventuras antes de conseguir la meta final de encontrar a Igneel.

Capturas:

This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 1032×550.

Descargas:

Capitulo 1: ¡La cola del hada!
Version Impel Down Fansub Version Wing Zero Fansub
Capitulo 2: Dragón de Fuego, Mono y Toro
Capitulo 3: ¡Infiltracion en la mansion Everlue!
Version Akatsuki Reborn Fansub Version Wing Zero Fansub
Capitulo 4: ¡Querido Kaby!
Version Warlords Fansub Version Wing Zero Fansub
Capitulo 5: ¡El mago con armadura!
Version Skyline No Fansub
Capitulo 6: Hadas en el viento
Version Skyline No Fansub

So right after October OPEX, I am continuiing my quest to sell premiums.

October OPEX we had 4 option postisions expiring worthless. So I continue to sell options on these positions immediately on Monday following October OPEX

Net, I am colleting $157 in premiums.

So, here is it: October Options expiration!

All four of our sold calls are expiring worthless, I get to keep $209.91 in premiums

I will turn around on Monday and sell more covered calls!

Does anyone recognize these dogs?

They were recently found together near Hwy 121 just north of Gainesville.

They are very sweet and seem newly lost.  If you recognize them or have heard of any lost dogs fitting their descriptions, please either respond to this post, email at earthpets@aol.com,  or call 352-375-6779.

THANK YOU~ Joy

by SHAUN MILNE

CHERYL Cole may be blushing at her chart success as she readies for a crack at the US market under the watchful eye of hip-hop star Jay-Z.

But it seems fellow X-Factor judge Dannii Minogue is the winner in the fashion stakes as far as Scots fans of the show are concerned at least, as they flock to stylists desperate to copy the Australian beauty’s look instead.

JUST THE BOB: Sadie Jean Sloss

Cheryl has been the one grabbing all the headlines after her album ‘3 Words’ smashed into the charts at number one helped by her own performances on the hit show.

BOUTIQUE

Yet according to the fashion experts, it’s Dannii’s 1920’s style bob haircut which is keeping the nation’s crimpers busier than usual.

Former celebrity make-up artist Sadie Jean Sloss, who is based in Edinburgh, said Dannii has sparked the busiest period at her DollyLeo boutique since she first launched her business more than a year ago.

And she says it’s all about Dannii as staff are left to work double time to cope with demand.

She said: “When the X Factor live shows hit television screens in October I noticed women started to come in asking to look like Dannii Minogue.

“At first I was surprised, because I thought Cheryl Cole’s look would be the more popular.

DOUBLE

“But as the show progressed it quickly became obvious that Danni’s look is a bit more chic and sophisticated.

“Most women prefer it to Cheryl’s more Barbie doll look.”

Sadie says the biggest change to Dannii’s apearance has been her funky 1920s Flappers-inspired bob with a severe fringe.

But they are also trying to emulate the singer’s understated make-up look too described by Sadie as a “dewy complexion” with it’s light tan base.

Sadie added: “Dannii also admitted to ditching her overly Botoxed look and let it slip that she now used make-up miracle product – Becca’s Line and Pore Corrector.

“It had literally been flying out the door.

“In fact I’ve had to increase double my working week to cope with the demand to look like Dannii.”

But it’s not all doom and swoon for Dannii’s younger X-Factor rival.

Cheryl was recently snapped up as the new face of L’Oreal in a one year deal, making her the first British woman since Kate Moss in 1998 to star for the Paris label.

She has also just registered her own company at Cheryl Cole Limited ahead of signing an anticipated £5 million book deal with publishers Harper Collins.

Her debut solo single Fight For This Love was also the fastest selling song of the year so far as it raced to number one.

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

Though my first paper is in 3 days times, I still don’t have the motivation to study. Probably the 20 plus worth of readings with almost 20-30 pages each (okay some are 10 over pages but still they are enough to put me to sleep and I would trade kafka’s book or any world lit books for this) are not appealing enough for me to read them.

However, the consolation is that I know the skeleton of the module which involves with cultural goods and its industry and how digitalization has affected its flow of cultural prospect and of course, the adorno’s theory.

Now,  I need to cram like the examples and clear all the doubts I have throughout the whole course but I am just procrastinating. Ugh. Anyway, I uploaded some of my pictures from my blackberry and I am too bored to study so I decided to put them on here.

vincent and his pawn shop!

V was sitting besides me and we were like looking through some photos on facebook and suddenly he commented, ‘omg, she looks like she works in the pawn shop.’

I turned and stared at him. ‘What? Her? Porn shop? Seriously?’

He went (with his eyes wide opened) and went on scribbling something on his econs paper and said ‘NO! I mean like p-a-w-n shop and pawn and porn shop are TWO different things.’

And I can’t help but laughed at his incredulous face and we went on with our usual business of ‘omg-ing and eww-ing’ about the photos.  Now you see why he’s like one of my good friends I made in camp.

overflowing sink?

This is what I saw when I went into one of my school’s toilet. The water was like practically leaking from the sink top and onto the floor. I mean seriously how much water is wasted due to someone’s negligence? I know I have issue with this tap, once you press it, it will go on forever but all you need is just a little tug of the tap and it will stop.

Tsk.

milo truck!

Oh yes, the milo truck! You know the glee on everyone’s face who holds a bright green milo cup walking around campus is priceless. I mean, who doesn’t like free milo? I have to say the milo from the milo truck tasted wayyyy better than the milo sold in school. I wouldn’t mind paying for the milo from the milo truck. It is that GOOD.

Anyway, this little cup of wholesomely liquid is worth walking down to Central when you’re at AS 7. For those who doesn’t know NUS, AS 7 and the Central Library is from one end to the other and it takes like approximately 5-8 minutes for a person to walk at a normal speed to reach the location. And NUS is not people friendly with all the crazy amount of stairs and basically stairs.

union city: fashion show

We have a fashion show at Central Forum like a couple of months ago and boy, I just saw there as an audience because I had time to spare back then. And free swensen ice cream were given out that day too. NUSSU is definitely doing a good job for sponsers, I guess. Anyway, I was not very impressed by the fashion show, probably I watched too much Project Runway and my standard for such genre of competition is higher than expected? Anyway, Project Runway Finale tonight! Tonight! And oh you know why there were so many people behind, they were queuing for the ice cream, hence explained for the massive number of people around the forum.

storm's rolling in.

This picture was taken when I went fishing with my dad and mom with the intention of wanting to get a real tan. And this was what I get. When I saw the dark clouds rolling in and lightning lighting up the sky, I thought to myself ‘there goes my tan’ but to my horror, I did not know that I would be drenched even under shelter. Thanks to the howling winds and pelting rain. I ended up wet and cold rather than toasty and tan. Oh well.

with my dearest boyfriend!

This was taken with boyfriend on the way to Tampines Mall for a dinner with his family. Yes, Tampines Mall. I thought I won’t venture to the East or rather Pasir Ris because it’s really far. Like 24 stations from where I live. Anyway, I swear we look like some secondary school couple here. Like seriously.

Anyway, that’s about it and I am off to hit the lecture notes. D:

Colored Pens & Watercolor on Watercolor Paper.

Cost Estimate: $2.00 each

Our Cards & Pockets do-it-yourself invitation this week is just in time for the Winter. We welcome the frosty cold with this Pine-Cone PocketFold Invitation. With a Coffee-Bean, Honey-Graham & Forest color scheme, this do-it-yourself wedding invitation brings the woodsy feel to your wedding, and the motif is carried throughout the set.

Do-It-Yourself PineCone PocketFold Invitation

The Breakdown

Invitation Base: Retangolo PocketFold, Coffee-Bean

Invitation Mat: 4.75 x 6.75, Honey-Graham

2nd Invitation Mat: Custom Cut,  4.625 x 6.625, Forest

Invitation: 4.5 x 6.5, Custom Printed by Cards & Pockets

Directions Enclosure: 3.5 x 6.75 White, Custom Printed by Cards & Pockets

RSVP Postcard: 3.5 x 5 White, Custom Printed by Cards & Pockets

Monogram: 2×2 Basic #2 Monogram printed on White

Monogram Backing #1: 2.25  Non-Adhesive Square, Forest

Monogram Backing #2: Custom Cut, 2.5×2.5, Honey-Graham

Mailing Envelope: A7, Honey-Graham

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Kemewahan itu ibarat Cos 90 = 0, yang artinya tidak bernilai

Kehidupan itu ibarat Sin 90 =  1, yang artinya hidup cuma satu kali

Tapi bisa mengenal mu itu ibarat Tan90 = ~, yang artinya tak terhingga nilainya

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~

Yes fake tan! Now, I know what I said at the beginning, that (I quote)  “I have always been fascinated with beauty, but it has to be NATURAL.”, so, ok it may not be a natural, but I strongly feel there are huge benefits to fake tan which I have listed below:
You won’t get skin damage
It makes you look younger & healthier
It’s sliming
You can where less make-up

It is true that if you have any problem areas to your skin a tan will hide them. BUT! if you have any outer skin ailments don’t just hide them away, get to the underlining problem to find out what is causing your particular concerns. (please read ‘You are what you eat’ post).

Be wise when choosing the right fake tan! some can have too much iodine in them and this can cause you to turn orange.

Disaster Story
The funniest fake tan story I have ever heard, was in actual fact my Nan! When tan first arrived in London (around the 1950’s), my Nan was on it. I those days if you had a tan it showed wealth, which meant you could afford to go abroad for a holiday. Anyway she put it on just before bed (this is a big NO NO people, it will stain your bed sheets, or just put old bed sheets on) anyway she woke up next morning and with orange bed sheets, think that was the worst of what happened, until she went to the mirror and  to her horror she was completely orange from head to toe. My Nan had two weeks off work before it wore off. ALERT! THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN TO YOU! tanning products these days have come a long way and most come with a tan corrector or remover if you go wrong! alternatively you can read ‘Opps! How do I fix that?’ post, for a more natural remedy.

Step by Step to applying fake tan
1.Exfoliate: Buy a good exfoliator or body brush and concentrate on joints and
dry areas. I usually do this while in the shower or the bath.

2. Moisturize: Buy a light body lotion and like before concentrate on joints and dry areas.

3. Tan Time: Now…before I apply my tan I always put some latex gloves on this will stop you from getting orange hands, (don’t bother buying the tan mits they are no better, they are just more expensive). Apply in a downward motion and only keep brushing one way. Wait until dry before putting on your clothes, too!

Some of my top tanners
St Tropez Bronzing moose
Lorea’l
Zen Tan
Some are expensive, but if you only want to use it for your face these are a good investment and you will get more of a natural, streak free tan. I only use St. Tropez on my face, which lasts me ages!

If you do use it on your face, just dust a little bronzer across the face a little mascara and blusher and your good to go!

I want to know your on tanning…take the poll or leave a comment!

I’ll tell ya straight up, this is a long post.

Make up, beauty tips, cleaning and the cheap ways that work!

Maybe I’m just plain old cheap. Maybe I’m frugal. Who knows… I just think my money is better off in my pocket than some big business somewhere. I say screw them! You’d be surprised what you can pull off with inexpensive items you already likely have around the house or can get for relatively cheap for beauty and cleaning. I will share with you things that I do and have done that I found great success with using items such as:

Ink pens, Cool aid without the sugar, chapstick, shampoo and conditioner, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, vinegar, laundry bleach, dish soap, fabric softener, spray bottles, baby talcum powder, hand towels, hair brushes, flat irons. Iodine, although most people don’t have it, it’s available at most pharmacies and pretty cheap. You can save LOADS with it too!For most of these things, I get them at Big Lots. Big Lots is an amazing place to get inexpensive discontinued, off brand items and products that work and they’re cheap! It works the same. Bleach, not all are created equal however, for the purposes that I use it, it works well and I dilute it anyway so it doesn’t really matter. On that here we go.This is a VERY lengthy blog so if you don’t have a lot of time to spend reading, just skim the bold points and look for things you might be interested in. I typed this up in Microsoft Word first and it 7 pages.

Lipstick, Lipgloss: I buy el cheapo chapstick and unscrew wind it up so it all comes out and I scrape it all into a small measuring cup. I get a 2 or 3 of them and do it. Soften it up in the microwave a little bit. From here, if you want lipstick, add some of that really thick concealer that is for under eye use. I have a couple that were the wrong color but they’re perfect for this. I scrape a hunk off and mix that in. Cool aid I add for various colors. NOT the stuff with sugar. Use different colors and mix it. Test it out on your lips until you’re happy. It can be done, but it is hard to get earth tones out of it but you can get some good pink and nude shades. If you want the more earth tones, get some concealer for dark skin. Some that really is dark, typically, if it’s made for African American skin. It’s great stuff! Once you have it right, melt it in the microwave but do not boil it. Get a paper plate, the cheapest variety. You know, the ones that get all soggy and only work for sandwiches and stuff. Cut it and roll it so it makes a funnel. Stick the tip down into the chapstick tube so it doesn’t fall over and pour the melted lipstick or gloss back into the container. Let it firm up with the lid off and voila. New lipgloss or lipstick for a LOT cheaper than you can buy in department stores. Also, the cool aid stains so keep it off other things. Oh and if you just want gloss, don’t add concealer. You can also add some shimmer if you get the shimmer power from the drug store.

Chapstick, other uses: Other uses for chapstick or cheap wannabe chapstick type products. I use a plain, non-shiny type on my cuticles for my fingernails when my cuticles are dry, peely and look it. It covers it up, makes them look nicer and helps to moisturize the dryness out. It’s cheaper than cuticle oil and less messy. I also used it when I used to “fake a bake” at the tanning salon or got sunburned at the beach. It’s a great way to cover up the fact that your face might be a bit peely or scaley. Rub a little lightly onto the scaley areas and it disappears. If you have the $ tho, Burts Bees pure beeswax cakes work perfect for this and can even have make up applied over it or under it. Anywhere you have overly dry, scaley skin, chapstick works great. Knuckles, knees, elbows, etc. I even put it on the backs of my hands and it gives my hands a much softer look and feel. I don’t want my hands to look all old, dry and crinkly and lotions are either greasy or just don’t work well. Chapstick works (not recommended for palms). Chapstick also works MUCH better around your hairline if you dye your hair and don’t want to dye your skin. Directions often say to use Vaseline or something like that, but that’s messy. Chapstick isn’t and it works great. Use a lot, it isn’t messy, even though the dye often is. You can also use it to “write” on cloths that you are going to dye and the dye won’t penetrate as much into those areas. It will, but not as much. It can add an interesting element to any tie dying or any other clothing modifications like that. I’m a BIG fan of chapstick!

Hair smoothing serum or leave in conditioner: Now I wouldn’t recommend this to those who have thin or fine hair. Mine is super thick and has a lot of damage since I highlighted it and that took a lot of bleaching. This works great to tame frizzies and you can save a TON on NOT buying smoothing products of which will also make your hair greasy just like mine will, if you use to much. I buy a bottle of Neutrogena light sesame oil. Now it is kinda pricey but for what I use it for, it saves me loads. I get about 20 or more bottles of leave in conditioner/smoother/ frizzy getter ridder of for my hair out of it. It actually saves me loads. About 8 ounces of water and maybe a tablespoon or a little more of the light sesame oil. Over time, you’ll figure out what works best for your hair. See, the light sesame oil will emulsify in water. It just makes the water look foggy or milky. If the water looks white or “like milk” you’ve added to much and should dilute with more water. I spray my hair with that before I brush it out after I get out of the shower. Be careful though because as with any smoothing product, to much will make your hair greasy and need to be washed again. Keep it away from your roots.You can also spray more later if needed. I use it and then as I’m blow drying my hair, I can see if I have enough and if I get frizzy parts, I just add another spray and work it through and continue drying. It also works like a champ to use “lightly” on dry hair before flat ironing it. It really smoothes it out nice. This is a HELL of a lot cheaper than buying smoothing serums and sprays that cost loads because you’re paying for the label and they often make a mess of your hands and get all over your stuff. If you do end up getting to much and don’t have time to rewash your hair there is a quick fix, whether you’ve used my method or some other serum or spray. Take a hand towel and sprinkle baby power on it and then fluff the towel a little in your hand. Take the greasy parts of the hair shaft and gently rub the towel on and in it. Not unlike you would if you were towel drying wet hair. Do this very lightly and then brush it out. If you get to much, then it will revert to frizzy so do it very lightly and repeat if you need. Moderation is key, to much of anything will simply need to be washed out. Do not sprinkle powder directly into your hair. It leaves foggy, whitish areas and looks horrible and wont brush out.

Greasy hair remedy: We’ve all been there. Wake up, late for work or a date and haven’t got time to do our hair. We take a quick shower and wash up the critical’s but doing our hair is going to add some time that we don’t have. Like I mentioned above, baby powder can work miracles. If you’re in the situation where you don’t have time to wash and style your hair from scratch and it’s oily because you haven’t washed it,  that typically happens at the root. You can take a hand towel or even a wash cloth and sprinkle baby powder on it. Fluff it a little in your hands and gently rub it on areas that are oily. Then brush it out. If you get to much and looks grayish/whitish, take a clean dry cloth with NO powder and rub it over those areas. Done, that’s it and it works like a champ. When I was in beauty school years ago we had these sweet little old ladies who would come in for their weekly “wash and style”. They didn’t wash their hair for a week. It got oily and this is what I showed them to do. Some of them ladies…. Troopers. They would get an extra week out of it sometimes! Not that I would but some were older and had a hard time dealing with that sort of thing due to disabilities, arthritis in shoulders and neck or other reasons.  

Other types of make up: This I add with a big disclaimer over the ink pen usage. Seriously if you use ink pens on your face or on your eyes you can get hurt. I would not recommend it, do so at your own risk. I just add it here because some have done and it worked for them. I won’t spend a whole lot of time writing about this because frankly, some of it can be bad for you. Many, many years ago I worked in a jail. The women are not allowed make up. They can however and did come up with some rather creative ways to get themselves made up. They made it. Beats and other colored berries if they could get their hands on it from the meals that were served were often smashed up and used as blush, lipstain, etc. In certain jail modules where they were non-violent, they could have use of pens and pencils. They would steal the pens and markers and use them for eyeliner and lip liner or lipstain, brown markers for eye shadow and an array of different things. They were coloring their faces with whatever they could get their hands on. Now, of course I will not recommend using a sharpie on your face but they did it and didn’t appear to suffer any ill effects. Like I said, do so at your own risk. I suppose if you were in a pinch and didn’t have any and were desperate for some eye liner, you could use a pen. For the cheap price of eye liner, just go to Walgreens and pick some up. You can get some cheap Wet-n-Wild for 99 cents and that might be a really cheapy brand but it’s better than a marker!

Hair Toner: I bleach my hair. It turns really brassy and looks like orange and doesn’t look right. Grape cool aid powder (no sugar) added to shampoo and conditioner works wonderful as a toner. I add it to my shampoo and I also add it to my conditioner. Best to use for this purpose is Finesse. Yes, Finesse. It’s inexpensive and it smells nice. I let the shampoo sit on my hair while I’m shaving my legs and stuff and then rinse. I let the conditioner sit on my hair while I’m finishing up with shaving my legs and whatnot, face washing, etc. I try to keep it on about 5 minutes and then rinse. Purple shades are the opposite of brassy, yellowy, orangy shades and make a great, inexpensive toner. I do it as needed. If it’s to much, just wash it again without the coolaid. It does wash out and it’s not permanent but start adding it in small amounts and test it out, some hair types might be excessively damaged and will really soak it up. Some might need a lot. I ended up using an entire package of grape coolaid with no sugar of course, into a bottle of conditioner. The reasin I use the cheap ole’ Finesse is that once hair is damaged, it isn’t coming back. Damaged hair will not heal. It’s dead. I went to cosmetology and I know this. No matter what your salon tells you or how much of the expensive products they want you to buy, it will not restore your hair. Finesse has paraffin and other wax products in it. What Finesse does, is just covers up the fact that your hair is damaged. It coats the hair shaft and smoothes out the rough, open and crackly cuticle that makes damaged hair feel like hay. Plus, its self adjusting because if you have hair like mine that is highlighted more than a full bleach, my undamaged hair doesn’t have as much for the wax to stick to and is therefore coated with less. The damaged hair with the rough cuticle grabs up a lot. It works really well. Plus, it aids in the toner effects of the grape cool aid by allowing more of it to stick essentially on the parts that need it most. Also, if you use those spray on, leave in conditioners, you can add a pinch or so to that. That works equally as well. Be careful of your hands because it can turn your bare, unpolished fingernails sort of gray. I recommend polishing the tops and even the undersides with some clear polish to avoid this.

Scene hair: Many of you, if you don’t have teens that are into it or are older than say, 15, you may not know what this is. Google it. Now, I do not use those crazy colors on my hair so I have not personally tested this. I read that it works and it stands to reason with the staining properties of cool aid that it would. They said they mixed it with shampoo or conditioner. Cool aid packages, as in a couple or more, with a cup or so of conditioner or some shampoo, applied it just like a hair dye to clean, dry bleached hair and let it sit. I would think your hair would fare better if done with conditioner, but they said with shampoo it worked better. Probably because shampoo can have the tendency to open up the cuticle and allow for better penetration of the staining cool aid. But either way, since it isn’t using harsh chemicals, some said they let it sit overnight and protected the pillows and stuff by wrapping their head in plastic wrap and a towels and stuff. I am not going to try this because I don’t need blue, green, purple or bright red hair, but hey, if it works and somebody wants to try it and let us know, that would be great. My own personal input, don’t forget to use the chapstick all around your hairline and ears if you don’t want those stained too! If you’re a brave lassie and have tried it and it works, post a comment and tell us how you did it!

Skin and body glow/shimmer: This is quite possibly one of the easiest things to do that most people just don’t think about. We all have seen in the stores the lotions and creams and even sprays used to add that glittery shimmer to our skin. The heck with that. Why pay extra? I mentioned above that you can buy the powdered shimmer in containers and that a little bit really goes a long way. Just add some to your favorite body lotion. Shake it up real well. I don’t recommend adding it to body sprays that are intended for after the bath or what not because the shimmer powder will eventually clog up the sprayer. I tried it and it only works for a little while and then it won’t come out.

Tanning: Many people spend LOADS of money on tanning products. Fake tanning lotions, creams and sprays that frankly stink. They make you smell nasty. 30 years ago, Coppertone made one. My sister of course piled it on and for some reason our fire/smoke detector went off. Now, she was right near it. We can’t confirm whether it was the fumes from that or not, but since then, I just don’t really care for it but still have used it in my quest to look a little bit tan. I have tried NUMEROUS tanning products. Some work really well. Neutrogena has its “Micromist” which works wonderful. It really does and it doesn’t make you stink to bad or turn orange. However, even with that, it’s expensive and takes hours before you can see the effects of it. With bronzers, they just wash off in the shower. My Mom used to work in a lab and had a lot of access to iodine. Iodine is used as a topical antiseptic. It’s what they rub all over sites that are about to have surgery. It works very well. It also stains like the dickens and that brownish staining lasts for days. You know where I’m going with this….. You can buy iodine at Walgreens and most other pharmacies. Walgreens carries one called Providone Iodine. It’s about 13 dollars but has enough to make about 20 or more bottles of self tanner so the cost is negligible by comparison. So, not only is it useful as an antiseptic, it makes a wonderful additive to products used to bronze your skin and NOT have it wash off in the shower or take hours to see. Typically it’s harmless but you may want to spot test to make sure you don’t have any reactions. Do it someplace inconspicuous so it’s not a bit spot on you somewhere. As with any tanning product, you want to use gloves and use it sparingly so you don’t look orange and keep out of eyes and off your cloths since it stains. The nice thing about it is the effect is immediate. You will not wait hours to see the effects. Add some to your favorite body lotion or facial moisturizer and save your skin from the damaging effects of tanning beds and the sun. You could also add it to a spray bottle and dilute with water. Just remember, it stains anything it gets on so you want to do it in a way that overspray isn’t getting on things you don’t want tanned! It can save you a LOT of money.

No time to iron: This actually requires ownership of a flat iron for your hair. I use mine often because I just hate ironing but still need to have that freshly pressed look from time to time. I use my flat iron to put creases in my slacks and in the sleeves of my dress work tops. Just lay them on the bed or wherever. (I’ve even done it while I’m wearing them but be careful to not burn yourself!!). Lay them out, line up your seams and flat iron in your creases. I also use it on my collar too to make sure that it’s laying right. I use it to iron in the cuff on my shorts too. They have a cuff where they’ve been rolled up one time. When they come out of the dryer, the cuff is all messed up. I use my flat iron to quickly set it right! Quick and painless and takes a hell of a lot less time than getting out the iron, etc.

Okay, now lets move on to household cleaning products. Most of us fall for some fancy packaging at some point and some of us just want to go green with our cleaning products.

White Vinegar: This has more purposes that one could imagine and its dirt cheap.  Here are some of its many uses. I have tested them and they most definitely DO work and often work better than the standard products that you buy for the specific use. Vinegar also does not leave residue. It just isn’t really suitable for use where you need to kill germs such as cleaning after dealing with raw chicken or the like. The ONLY downside of vinegar is that and that it smells.

Window Cleaner. Dilute as needed. I person ally don’t dilute it at all. A little smelly but the smell goes away. Use it anywhere you’d use windex. Windex smells a little better and has fragrance but that doesn’t get your surfaces any cleaner, it just costs more.

Windshield wiper fluid. I do not dilute for this use either. It does smell, but again, it works like a champ. You can also use unsweetened tea. Unsweetened tea cuts grease and grime just as well as vinegar but tea isn’t useful for interior because it can leave a residue.

Floor Cleaner. Dilute half and half and add it to your mop bucket.

 All purpose surface cleaner. Vinegar is safe, non toxic to people and animals.

 In place of JetDry in the dishwasher. I’ve tried it and although I don’t have a full size dishwasher right now, it does work. Not quite as well but it does.

Pest Control: I don’t know about you but I do NOT like the idea of chemical pesticides in and around things I eat off of and my food. The cheapest, most effective by far is simply baby powder. Surprisingly critters won’t walk through it. Ants particularly don’t like it. I found this out when I had a tree trimmed off the side of the house and disturbed a very large ant colony. They were pouring in through outlets, etc. It was like a horror movie. At anyrate, the pest control guy started sprinkling baby powder around the outlets, etc. I ended up sprinkling a layer in my silverware drawer underneath the organizer caddy they’re in. In and on the shelves in my pantry, stuff like that. I don’t mind baby powder, I DO mind toxic chemicals. I don’t want that crap in my house. It will not kill pests, it’s mainly to keep them out and can be sprinkled anywhere. Non toxic, smells nice. Just be careful on any floors without carpet. It will make it slippery as heck if you’re wearing socks and you’ll fall on your dookus. Those lil’ walking critters… maybe they fall on their little dookus’ too and maybe that’s why they don’t like it, I don’t know. I only know it works. I live in Florida, the bug capital of the world probably second only to Brazil or other South American places. We got bugs here, lots of em’ and baby powder keeps them out of my kitchen and bathroom drawers and cabinets, etc. Some are so big, they don’t bother wiggling under doors or coming in through cracks. They just open the door and walk on in. LOL Flying bugs… you’re probably still going to have to spray em’ with a can of whoop ass.

Alcohol: This has NUMEROUS purposes and uses. It also works really well for cleaning glass. It evaporates very quickly, disinfects and leaves no odor or residue. Because of its evaporative properties, I’ve never tried it as washer fluid but who knows. It can also be used as a bleach substitute for cleaning up after raw meat handling but bleach if often just easier. I use alcohol to clean my TV screen, computer monitor, and anywhere else that needs cleaning and can’t get wet. Certain alloys in metals will also turn brown if exposed to bleach so alcohol is good in those instances as well. Silver will turn brown if exposed to bleach but it won’t with alcohol. I’ve had my sterling rings get ruined from bleach. I don’t care for yellow gold so mostly all I have is silver and white gold. White gold fares fine.

Clorox Cleanup substitute: This is probably one of the more expensive cleaners. Although typically it isn’t “green” sometimes there just isn’t a truly suitable green option for cleaning in the kitchen and bathroom. I just use about a eighth to a quarter cup of bleach, a good squirt of dish soap (not dishwasher detergent) and water. I use a big spray bottle too. Be careful though because bleach will booger up the metal spring mechanisms on the spray bottle and it will stop spraying good over time if the bleach is to strong. That’s it. The soap is what cuts through greasy surfaces and also allows the bleach to spread across the surface evenly without any type of beading. If you test it out without soap, you’ll see what I mean. Bleach should NOT be mixed with any other chemicals. It is also a corrosive and should not be used full strength or in any way NOT consistent with the labeling. Read the label! It is safe to mix with soap and water because that’s what we do in the laundry. Just don’t mix it with anything else or you could wind up with toxic fumes. If you, like me, enjoy breathing, do not try to add anything else or any fragrances. I quite like breathing and adding anything else will likely ruin it for ya.

Febreeze dewrinkle spray:  This is so simple and I can’t believe people spend so much money on this product. Sure, it works but it isn’t needed. I use a spray bottle, fill it with water and then top it off with liquid fabric softener. That’s it. Just don’t use it on anything that needs to be dry cleaned. It not only will get rid of your wrinkles but will also soften and make the garment or item smell nice! It also works perfect if you hang new window coverings that come out of the package full of fold wrinkles. I have some tab top window curtains that I hung from by back slider door and they came out of the package totally wrinkled and looked awful. Of course the wrinkles will fall out over time and become unwrinkled but I wanted the wrinkles gone now and didn’t want to throw them in the dryer. Why waste electricity! I just sprayed them, while they were hanging, with my water and fabric softener mix and they came out great and it made my dining area smell nice. Same with my sofas. They weren’t wrinkled, but I wanted them to smell nice and it works.

Oxyclean substitute:  This really is a great product and does have more uses than my substitute but I use my substitute a lot more often. Plain old 3% hydrogen peroxide. Not diluted. I bought a large bottle at Big Lots for fifty cents. What I use this for, aside from owies and scrapes, is to get rid of any biological stain. Now this might sound gross, but we’ve all experienced the surprise arrival of “Aunt Flow” (Our period) and it ruins our undies and sometimes our cloths. It may not be able to get rid of any embarrassment, but it can get rid of the stain. Remove said garment, rinse with cold water and then pour hydrogen peroxide on it and watch it go to work. First it turns brownish but it works quite well. If it gets deep into a seam, sometimes that’s hard to get out. It also won’t work if the item has been through the dryer. Blood has iron which is where it gets the “copperiness” from. Once through the wash and dryer, there is no getting it out. Anyway once in the sink it just needs to soak with the peroxide. You might have to keep pouring a little more into the area for awhile but it does work and it works better than any laundry combination of products that I’ve ever used. If it stops being bubbly and the stain is still there, add more. Our kids also have numerous cuts and scrapes that result in blood getting on their cloths. It works for that too. It also works well if you have pets that may have had a potty accident. Pee or poop or even barf. It happens when you have pets. I pour hydrogen peroxide right on it. You of course want to remove any poop if it’s there beforehand. The thing is, it won’t do anything to colors that are synthetic. My carpet is not natural fiber or natural color. You may want to check or test a spot in an inconspicuous area beforehand to make sure it won’t bleach out any natural color from said items. It works and it also gets rid of the lingering smell.If you know of any other cleaning or beauty tips that I haven’t mentioned, please let me know and share by posting a comment! Beauty and safe, effective cleaning doesn’t have to take us to the cleaners!