Cheaper Skin Hydration treatment for dry winter skin....

I can tell winter is HERE…even if the temperatures don’t always reflect that at the moment.  The DRY winter air is back with a vengeance.  My skin has turned SUPER DRY.  My daily lotion “treatments” after a shower are not enough.

Over the years, I have tried a myriad of lotions…starting with the cheap ones (that don’t work), moving through some more pricey ones.  Ultimately, none of them have provided relief from the dry winter air.

Last year, I stumbled across a homemade body scrub.  This EASY body scrub provides the same results of Mary Kay’s “Satin Hands” products….yet for pennies on the dollar.  It exfoliates your skin and leaves it feeling smooth and hydrated.  Anytime my sad-winter-skin needs a hydration pick-me-up, I just add this body scrub to my shower routine!!

Sweet & Spicy Sugar Scrub (from www.ourbestbites.com)

This picture of the sugar scrub is from www.ourbestbites.com

¼ c. brown sugar

¼ c. white sugar

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. ground cloves

Light olive oil

Directions:

·         Combine everything BUT the oil.

·         Add the oil slowly.  Stir until it is the consistency you want.

·         Store in a container with a lid.  (Keep in fridge while not in use.)

For Use:

1.       Wash body like usual—so you have clean skin when you use the body scrub.

2.       Stir the scrub and take out almost a quarter size amount.  Massage into skin using circular motions for several minutes.

a.       After rinsing, if your skin feels too oily, you can use a bit of soap to wash it off.  I personally leave it.  When I finish with my shower, it doesn’t feel oily anymore.

3.       The scrub will trap the moisture and make your skin so soft and smooth.  After you get out of the shower, slather on some lotion for the finishing touch.  No more dry itchy skin!!! J

Happy Stretching Pennies…

FAST and CHEAP Breakfasts...alternatives to expensive cereal!

Cereal is the sure fire way to BREAK your budget.  It is a BIG expense…though convenient.

The day after the election, I broke down and fed my children cereal for breakfast.  (They wanted to discuss all the results.)  They RARELY get cereal for breakfast.  This of course brought up the discussion of WHY we only eat cereal every so often.

Boxes/Bags of cereal are SO expensive….but if you look at the cost per serving (of what you actually eat) it looks even MORE expensive.  The cost goes through the roof!!  The “serving size” of the boxes in my cupboard say ½ c. to 1 c. of cereal is “breakfast meal” portion.  HA!  Not in my house!!  My children can easily go through one whole box (and possibly more IF I let them) in ONE breakfast.  The average cost of a box is $3-$5 at the grocery store…and $1-$2 on sale---only for three people???  You may not think that sounds too bad….but when you break down my food budget of $200 a month for 5 people, that’s nuts!  Divide that up and I’m spending $40 per person a month!  Typically a month has approximately 30 days with 3 meals a day—that divides out to be about 44¢ a meal per person all month long….and that does NOT include cost of all the snacks and desserts I make!

 SOOOO…what do you do for breakfast as a cheaper alternative to cereal?  

***(How do you keep the convenience without the expense?) ***
(the PURPLE is the link)

1)      Pancakes—I did a post on making your own inexpensive "JUST ADD WATER Pancake Mix".  Did you know you can freeze already made pancakes?  When its time to eat, just throw them in the microwave for 30 seconds and enjoy a FAST breakfast.  (If want them a little more “crisp” throw them in the toaster, after the microwave, for a cycle and then eat them.)

2)      Oatmeal—I did a post on making your own inexpensive: "JUST ADD WATER Oatmeal Packets."

3)      Rice with cinnamon/sugar sprinkled on it—

       Heat leftover rice in the microwave and this makes it a FAST one.  AND…If you already have a shaker prepared, your breakfast is done almost in the blink of an eye!

4)      Scrambled eggs (Did you know you can scramble them in the microwave for a faster breakfast in the morning?)  Here's a SHORT video from www.eggs.org about HOW to do it!  VIDEO of HOW to microwave scrambled eggs

5)      Muffins (Did you know you can freeze premade muffin batter in the muffin cups to have a breakfast cooking while you get ready for your day?  I will do a post on this later!)

6)      Waffles (Did you know you could make a BIG batch and freeze some for later…and thus make your own “Ego waffles”??  Just throw them in the microwave for 30 seconds and then a short cycle in the microwave and PRESTO a fresh “waffle-on-the-go”.)

7)      Puffy Pancakes—I did a post on these YUMMY delights!  Here's the Recipe

8)      Potato Patties

9)      Hash Browns

10)   Breakfast Burritos—Did you know that you can make a big batch of breakfast burritos and FREEZE them individually?  Wrap them in Saran Wrap and store them in the freezer (labeled with the date you prepared them) and take one out and warm it up in the microwave for a minute and you have breakfast-on-the-go!!

11)   Granola—

       Did you know making your own is easier that you think?  After initially mixing it together…you just bake it!  My favorite recipe is Peanut Butter Granola.  (It is from one of favorite websites of mine.  Scroll down to the bottom of this article for the recipe:  PB Granola Recipe).   It makes enough to fill 2 cookie sheets!  When I put it into a reusable container, it is FULL.  It can last through MANY breakfasts!  

12)   Yogurt Parfait—

       When you buy the BIG container of yogurt (which is more cost effective) you can use this to make an individual serving in a nice glass…layering the granola and yogurt for a tasty QUICK breakfast!!  (This one is my daughter’s favorite.  She even has a “special” see through glass JUST for this dish!)

Happy Stretching Pennies…

P.S. I finally added a picture of myself on my profile.... J