July 4 birthdays for Joyce and David... Kids brought quads..
Annabelle loved it.. she told me that at home she isn't allowed to operated the quad herself.. but here we have a lot less trees and pretty open space.

 David assured me he had a wonderful birthday.. especially when quad #2 showed up.. just his size. 

 Joyce got a cruising bicycle.. a beauty for sure

 Here comes Daniel on the quad.. he needs a helmet.

 Water battles ensued... it was sooooooo warm that day!  The water was cold and felt good as it splashed around me .. and , oh yes, the "accident" John had with the hose.. Really, John, it felt great. :)

 Joyce made her own cake from scratch this year.  It had excellent flavor and the texture was that of a scratch cake.. really excellent!

 David's cake.. super duper chocolate.. oh, yum!

 Okay, now time for flying the planes...

All in all, it was a great day.. wonderful food and the fellowship among our family was the best... lets do it again...

Yet another round of really good ideas from my friend at Tipnut.  If you haven't visited her site, it is soooooo  worth your time.  Lots of ideas, recipes, and DIY stuff for home and garden.

Dry & Chapped Hands, Elbows & Heels

In Home Spa,Wellness

Here’s an assortment of recipes and tips you can try for treating dry and chapped hands, feet, elbows (including remedies for getting rid of dark patches), and other trouble spots you may have.
Homemade Balm:
1 cup Cocoa Butter
1 cup Shea Butter
1/2 cup Jojoba Oil
1/4 cup Beeswax

• If you have a large enough Pyrex measuring cup, place ingredients in that or just use a deep casserole dish of some kind. Loosely cover the top with foil (for steam and moisture to escape).
• Heat in oven at 180°F for two hours or until all ingredients are melted.
• Stir very well then pour into heat proof jars with mouths large enough for your hand to get in. Once cool, cover with lids and let set fully.
• Use as needed on trouble spots (it doesn’t take much).

Alternative Tips:
If commercial creams and balms are too harsh for your sensitive skin (due to perfumes, additives, etc.), a couple quick & easy home remedies you could try (just rub these into skin):

• Crisco Shortening (Plain)
• Mineral Oil (Baby Oil)
• Olive Oil
• Vaseline – Coat hands then cover in cotton gloves (at bedtime)

Dark patches on elbows can be caused by heavy use (such as leaning on them all the time) and neglect if you don’t moisturize them regularly.
Here are a few treatments I’ve collected to help clean those up. If you have a painful case (cracked, sore), check with a doctor since you might have a condition that can easily be cleared up with a prescription.
Sugar Scrub:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup olive oil

• Mix ingredients in a bowl. Massage the scrub into any trouble spots (including knees, elbows, ankles, etc). Wash off after 30 minutes.

Crisco (or any other lard):

• Before bed rub Crisco into patches then slide on a pair of clean cut socks (to use as protectors). Do this every night until problem clears.

Lemon Salt Scrub:

• Squeeze the juice out of two quarter wedges of a lemon, add salt then scrub into skin gently, trying to slough away the dead skin. Then take the lemon wedges and lean your elbows on them (one on each). Rest like this for 10 minutes. Do this daily until the darkness disappears.

Lemon Soft Scrub:

• Mix fresh lemon juice and baking soda to make a thick paste, apply to trouble spots. Gently rub in to exfoliate and leave to sit for about 15 minutes. Wash off and apply a moisturizer or Vaseline.

Rehydrating Soak:

• Exfoliate with a favorite scrub or loofah, then soak elbows in warm water for 10 minutes. Apply Vaseline. If you apply Vaseline right after a hot bath or shower, this will have the same effect.

Basic Maintenance: Exfoliate or scrub rough spots daily then apply honey, Vaseline or a rich moisturizer to trouble spots. If using honey, leave on for 30 minutes before washing off.
Tip: Use a clean sock, cut off to have two open ends, and slide on over your elbows when applying moisturizers to try to protect any from rubbing off (especially good for overnight treatments). You could also wrap them in plastic wrap.
If patches are thick and quite dark, this will take several regular applications to clear up.
Summertime means strappy sandals and barefeet since it’s more comfortable for our feet to breathe in hot weather than to keep them bundled up in socks and shoes. For some this leads to problem dry patches that can progress to the point that it starts cracking and can get painful (especially around the heels).
Here’s a home treatment that can help soothe, moisturize and repair that damage:

• Soak in a warm foot bath for about 15 minutes. See this page for soak recipes ^[1].
• Pat with a towel to remove moisture then gently scrub with a pumice stone.
• Apply a rich moisturizing skin cream, Crisco lard or Vaseline all over.
• Put on a pair of socks to protect the layer of moisturizer so that the skin has a chance to absorb it. Wash off in the morning when you shower.
• Do this each night until problem is solved.

If you don’t see any improvement after a couple weeks the problem may not be as simple as dry skin, it could be a fungus that you’re dealing with. Spray area with apple cider vinegar and let it sit for about a half hour before soaking in the bath. You could also try one of these ^[2] to treat.
Scrub: For rough areas on feet, try this simple recipe that you can pamper yourself with while giving your tootsies some TLC.
3 TBS used coffee grounds (fine)
1 TBS flour
1 TBS heavy cream (whipping)
1 tsp cornmeal
1 to 2 tsp olive oil (extra-virgin)
2 drops lavender essential oil
2 drops tea tree oil

• In a small glass bowl, mix the coffee grounds, cornmeal and olive oil.
• Next add the cream and flour to make a thin paste. Add the essential oils and blend well.
• Gently scrub on your feet, making sure to focus on problem areas. Rinse off completely, pat with a towel then apply your favorite moisturizer.

Also rubbing a layer of olive oil into your skin is helpful.

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Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com
URL to article: http://tipnut.com/dry-chapped-hands-remedies/
URLs in this post:

[1] soak recipes: http://tipnut.com/5-homemade-foot-soak-recipes/

[2] one of these: http://tipnut.com/athletes-foot-home-remedy/

Copyright © 2008 TipNut.com. All rights reserved.

 

Hooray for the Cucumber !!

Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need .Every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

 

Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B vitamins and carbohydrates that can provide that quick pickme-up that can last for hours.

 

Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

 

Are grubs and Slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

 

Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool?

Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes,

the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten,

firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite.

Works great on wrinkles, too!

 

Want to avoid a hangover or a terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices

before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

 

Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge?

Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers,

traders and explorers for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

 

Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe,

its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks

great but also repels water.

 

Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a Cucumber slice and rub it along

the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

 

Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa?

Cut up an entire Cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water,

The chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be

released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce

stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

 

Just finished a Business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints?

Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath. the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your

mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

 

Using a Pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the Cucumber and

slowly use it to erase the pen writing. Also works great on crayons and markers that

the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

 

 

 

 

Do not lose your soul

If I thought there was no such place as hell I would not write as I do. If I thought that as a matter of course all people would go to heaven at last, I would be quiet and leave them alone. But I dare not do so. I see danger ahead, and I would sincerely warn every man to flee from the wrath to come. I see peril of shipwreck, and I would light a beacon and entreat every man to seek the harbor of safety. Do not despise my warning. Examine your own heart—find out whether you are in a way to be lost or saved. Search and see how matters stand between yourself and God—do not commit the enormous folly of losing your own soul. We live in an age of great temptation. The devil is going about and is very busy. The night is far spent. The time is short. Do not lose your own soul!

~ J.C. Ryle