Making Valentines Treats For Your Sweet

My favorite Valentines treat is chocolate covered Strawberries This Christmas a neighbor brought me a treat that I want to add to my holiday treats here's the recipe's.

Chocolate Covered Cookies ( The easiest addictive recipe)

things you'll need: Ritz crackers, peanut butter, melting chocolate. ( block, pieces or chips)
take 2 Ritz crackers, spread creamy peanut butter on the Ritz
next, take the crackers and dip into melted Chocolate.
They taste like girl scout cookies :)

Chocolate Covered Strawberries


things needed : white chocolate and milk chocolate
grab the stem of the strawberry and dip into the milk chocolate and let dry.
next, dip your spoon into the white melted chocolate and drizzle back and forth over the strawberry. A fun and inexpensive valentine treat!

2 keys to making your dishwasher and toilet last longer

Did you know that the detergent you are using could be ruining your dishwasher? The "Tabs" have a agent that hold the detergent together, and is also shorting the life of your dishwasher. My dad has worked for 40 years supervising a plumbing department of a company and gave me that sweet bit of information when my dishwasher started making a funny loud noises. The moment I stopped using the "tabs" my dishwasher stopped making loud sounds. He see's it all the time, and whether your dishwasher is making noises or not, it's simply not good on your dishwasher. Try the liquid or the power for detergent.

Your toilet can be ruined by cleaners too, the new bleach tablets are not good on your toilet. I was using a bleach tablet that sat in the tank of my toilet, self cleaning and it seemed to work great. The bleach breaks down the rubber gasket and makes your toilets have slow leaks over time. You will eventually have to replace the stopper or gasket that controls flushing. It also wastes water which will add up on your water bill.

If you have any smart tips please let me know. I am always looking to share smart bits of information.

Beauty tips for those used roses for valentines/ cold weather hydrator

1 c firmly packed rose petals
2 c boiling water

for every cup of rose petals use 2 cups boiling water. Rose water has astringent properties and is great for you face.
Cover until cool. Strain the liquid out of the roses. store in a sterilized jar.

Facial mask

yogurt
honey
aloe vera
avocado
cold cream

blend these in a blender. brush on face and let sit for 20 minutes. it will make your skin glow!

PMS Helps

PMS can interfere with our relationships. Here are some quick helps to help with the mood and anxiety of PMS.

• Raspberry leaf tea.
• Chase Tree Berry- popular in Europe
• Magnesium
• Calcium
• Evening Primrose oil
• Acupuncture
• Wild yam
• Ginko

Nature has the cure for all that ails us. I will start by using the raspberry tea :)

Dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Let's face  it , when you live in a snowy, cold climate it's impossible to get past feeling seasonal depression, unless you spend most of your day at the ski resort.
One or more member of my family suffer from this disorder. Believe it or not, there are things we can do to help the problem.
 1. St John's wart. be careful though and pay attention to any of these side effects.

• Dry mouth
• Dizziness
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Sensitivity to the sun (this may be lessened by regularly using sunscreen)
• Fatigue
• Insomnia (see St. John's Wort and Insomnia)
• Vivid dreams
• Headaches
• Sexual problems, such as a decreased sex drive.

 as well as

 2. Aromatherapy- jasmine oil especially 

3. boosting your amino acids have been known to help.

4. Increasing your sunlight exposure from 6 ma -8am. 

5. Decorating in color, especially yellow and orange. Fresh flowers in your main room can also help.

6. get yourself a light box

The article I read said to avoid alcohol and caffeine. Alcohol is a depressant as we all know, and caffeine is only temporary and has a opposite effect when it is out of your body.

The last suggestion is to move to a warmer climate. I like that idea!

Heloise Updated Recipe For Window Cleaner

Good smelling cleaners are a good way to keep your home smelling fresh through he winter months. Here is a recipe I will be trying.

12-16  oz of water
1/2 C white or apple cider vinegar
1/4 rubbing alcohol(70%)
1-2 drops blue/green food coloring, if desired
1-2 drops lavender, cinnamon, clove or orange oil. combine all ingredients put into a labeled spray bottle.

Everyday Acne Solutions

In the winter we need to add a few things to our regimen to help us avoid drying out our skin and causing acne. The following was recommended for better skin.

• Put a vaporizer in your room.
• Open the window for 10-15 minutes every morning.
• Drink lots of water to keep yourself hydrated.
• Change your skin cleanser in winter. Salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide will give added drying to your skin.
• Use a moisturizer.
• Make sure you sweat, that is a sure way to clean out the toxins in your body.

Acne is a sure sign that something is wrong on the inside. Your skin can be easily neglected and is an important organ to your body. Taking a multivitamin can assist with better skin health.

The following are some vitamins you may be missing if you are experiencing acne.

• Vitamin A
• Omega 3 acids
• Zinc
• Vitamin C & E