Three Products That are as Stinky as They are Useful

1. Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree Oil has been a regular fixture in my medicine cabinet for over ten years now, and it took some time for me to start to appreciate the smell of it. It is an essential oil with antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral qualities. I use it on every bug bite because of it's antiseptic and analgesic qualities. Nothing takes the itch out of a mosquito bite like Tea Tree Oil! A few drops of Tea Tree Oil in an essential oil burner and a steamy shower make for very clear nasal passages. A drop rubbed on your gums can kill bacteria and soothe tooth pain. I even add it to my laundry soap which really leaves our clothes smelling fresh, but does not leave a lingering scent like store-bought detergents.

2. Witch Hazel

Witch Hazel is stinky.....really stinky, but equally awesome. I use it as an astringent, and it is the best product I have ever used on my face. I have very oily skin, and products to 'control' oil contain salicylic acid. Salicylic acid does nothing but dry my skin initially, and then force it to create more oil to protect itself. Witch Hazel, on the other hand, leaves my skin feeling cool, refreshed, and decidedly oil-free! After using it for a year now, I like the smell. :) Here are some more uses for Witch Hazel.


3. Hemp Lotion

I have been using hemp lotion for a long time as well. This too has an odoriferous quality that is difficult to ignore. To me, it smells like musky dirt. This is the best lotion for healing tattoos, it works well on dry skin too ;). If you have never had a tattoo, you may not know how dry, itchy, and peely they are to heal. I have used just about every 'tried and true' recommended lotion, and found the hemp lotion by accident because The Body Shop was changing the packaging and I get a tube for like three bucks. I started out using it on my hands and elbows, then decided to try it on my next tattoo. It is like magic, it keeps the tattoo very moist, but not too moist, and really helps them heal beautifully. Now, you will smell like musky dirt while you heal, but it's a small sacrifice for a speedy healing process. I have been doing research about hemp oil, and am going to try it on my face to get rid of the oil and blemishes, apparently it is awesome. I'll keep ya posted!!

Birthday Party for Fifty Bucks!

Wednesday was Christopher's first friend party to celebrate his 5th birthday. Now, we have been invited to lots of Birthday Parties, most of them seeming very, very, very expensive. I am a newly single Mom, with a low budget.....what to do? Let me check my resources:

Yard......check

Front porch with enough chairs for the grown-ups.....check

Slip n Slide.......check

Sprinkler........check

Bouncy House.......check (thanks to over-the-top Pop Pop)

An embarrassing overabundance of toys inside.....check(3 sets of Grandparents)

Ability to make delicious appetizers......check

Desire to make awesome cupcakes.....check

Now, who to invite? Like I said, we have been to lots of parties, but don't have the space to invite everyone who has hosted us in the last year. Honestly, I remember only having one friend Birthday Party as a kid and it was at a craft store. Since my birthday falls close to Halloween, we made silver spider webs. I had that little web for the longest time, I wonder what happened to it? Hmm..... Oh well, I have a picture of it! Back to the original conundrum, I did what any rational person would do, I asked Christopher. He rattled of a few friends, and then we looked at Meetup, so he could scroll through the pics of his friends' Mamas to make sure he didn't forget anyone. He did make a last minute addition to the guest list, and I mean last minute. With only 48 hours notice, Jennifer came through and brought Samantha to the party.

Since I was not as organized as I would have liked to be, we used E-vite for the invitations, which was really awesome! It was nice to have all of the info and guest tally right at my fingertips. Everyone we invited RSVP'd yes, so suddenly the realization hits that I will be having 7 adults and 11 kids over! I figure, since it is a party, that the kids probably won't be eating much. Drinking and eating cupcakes, sure, but not too much in the way of food. So, I decided to concentrate on inexpensive, delicious food with a few selections for the kiddos.

Menu:

Cool and Creamy Spinach Dip: Served with veggies, beet chips, and potato chips

Pizza Pinwheels: I omit the sauce and peppers, and prepared some without pepperoni for my vegetarian friends. Oh, and add oregano, that's what makes them taste like pizza. ;)

Taco Pinwheels: Mix one 8oz package of softened cream cheese with a 1/4c taco seasoning, 1/2c salsa. Spread on fajita size tortillas (I like the habanero tortillas at Trader Joe's). Roll up, and refrigerate until set. Slice and serve!

Marble Cupcakes: Recipe from "Trusty", my Betty Crocker cookbook. I decorated them like the Despicable Me Minions with marshmallow fluff fondant on yellow buttercream.

In the cooler: Bottles of juice, water, and some cans of soda.

The food was inexpensive, so how about the paper goods? The Birthday Theme, or lack there of, was Birthdays Past. We had some Lightning McQueen decorations and plates, some orange and teal utensils from the Nemo party, and some small blue Solo cups I got for free with a super-double coupon. (woot!)

The day before the party was spent in the kitchen, preparing the food and cupcakes. The morning of, I set up the slip n' slide, bouncy house, water pistols (intended to be party favors that I forgot to send home with the kids), a bowl of bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and some other outdoor toys. Everyone began arriving the minute I was done setting up. The kids had a great time, some outside, and some in. The grown-ups enjoyed the snacks, and it went off without a hitch! Altogether, the party cost me around $50 (including the thank-you cards and postage I hope to get out in a timely manner). Now, I have a few yummy leftovers and my pocket is happy too!

One extra word of advice, don't forget your friends love you and want to help you. If it weren't for Laura, I'd have no idea who gave Christopher what! If it weren't for my Mom, I would have had to start on Monday! I should have assigned a photographer, I didn't get very many photos. Thanks to Laura again for getting a picture of the cupcake madness!!

Frozen Bananas 101

Slice the bananas.

Hold the chopstick over the banana, to plot your angle of attack.

Impail the banana, but not in an executioner way, more gently so you don't split the poor banana.

Slice the skin a little so it is easy to peel.

Naked banana!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Place in a zipper bag, or Tupperware, but who has enough room in their freezer for a container!? Freeze them on a middle shelf. In my freezer, the top shelf is too cold, and freezes them together.