For Thrifty Thursday, I thought I would share a few ways that will keep you from spending a fortune on beauty products at the store.  In fact, all of the ingredients you’ll need are right in your kitchen or pantry cabinet.

Here are three ways in which you can create natural beauty remedies at home in a flash…

Olive Oil: You cook and bake with it; but did you know that you can use it in a variety of other ways? Because olive oil is chemical free, it can be used on your skin; as a bath oil, moisturizer, massage oil, and conditioner.

For example: You can apply a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice to your skin before bedtime to moisturize your skin. To strengthen your nails, soak them in warm extra virgin olive oil for five minutes. Massage your sore muscles with a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and rosemary. Apply olive oil to dry hair as an overall conditioner. It will leave your hair smooth and shiny.

Oatmeal: Wouldn’t you love a facial? Get out the box of oatmeal from your cabinet and begin. This oatmeal facial will not only exfoliate, but moisturize your skin as well…

Oatmeal Facial Recipe:

1 package of instant oatmeal
1/2 cup water
2 TB yogurt
2 TB honey
1 egg white

Mix the water and oatmeal, then add the additional ingredients. Apply a thin layer to your face. Leave it on for about 15 minutes or until you feel tightness; then rinse your face with warm water.

Dry Skin Brushing: Here is a technique that will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Before taking a shower in the morning, use a brush or sponge and begin the dry skin brushing process to exfoliate dead skin cells, and improve your blood circulation.

Here’s how to do it: While standing the shower with the water off, start at your feet and begin brushing in small circles toward the upper part of your body. Then work your way down the back of your body to complete the process. Do not scrub hard, but apply even and light pressure. After you have completed this procedure, take a shower.

For extra exfoliating try these homemade sugar scrubs…

Sugar Scrub Recipes:

Lemon Sugar Scrub:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 TB grated lemon zest

Green Tea Sugar Scrub:

2 cups white sugar
1 cup honey
3 TB of green tea
5 drops vanilla

*Please  feel free to share some of your own homemade beauty recipes with our readers.

Here’s a couple of graphics you can use for facebook (right click to save to your computer)

Valentine’s Day Free Printables:

*Printable Valentine’s Day Cards

*More Free Printable Valentines

*Valentines Printables (stationery, invitations, bookmarks, grocery lists and more.)

* Valentine’s Especially for kids

Proverbs 31:13 says, “She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.”

One way we can save more money at home is by expanding our knowledge and abilities.

With 3 boys and 1 husband, I knew the cost  of haircuts would really add up over a year’s time.  With much practice, I have learned how to cut hair decently enough to pass as a fair haircut.  Perhaps there’s something that you can take time to learn to do that would save money for your household.  There is a wealth of information and numerous step-by-step videos online for almost any project you would like to conquer.

Save money by challenging yourself to “do it yourself”.

Sometimes, we already have the knowledge and ability to do more things than we do.  We  just need to roll up our sleeves and do a little extra W-O-R-K.

I faced this challenge this week.  My husband likes something for breakfast that he can grab and go.   We usually picked up a box of muffins each week at the grocery store so that he could toss them in with his lunch stuff in the mornings.  Because we’re also trying to eat healthier, he discovered that the ingredients in the muffins were not that good for him.

I decided to rise to the challenge to find a healthy version of oatmeal muffins that I could make for him and my boys.  The fact is, I had already been thinking on conquering this issue as a weekly project to save money on muffins.  So one evening, I rolled up my sleeves and set out to make some muffins.  I doubled the recipe and then stored them in the refrigerator for the week.  Surprisingly, it really didn’t take me that long to do…I just hadn’t taken the time to do it.  Now we have healthier muffins for breakfast and we’re saving money too!

Take the Thrifty Challenge!

I want to challenge you ladies to find just ONE extra thing to do this week that can save you some money.  Make it a goal…and please do share a comment with us below.  (Making your goals public can help you commit to accomplishing them!)

I’ve been “decluttering” my home this summer.  It’s quite a task since things have gone astray during the past school year.  But, with a determined stride I’ve taken on the tasks.

Three words to keep in mind when you decide to declutter your home…

Storage, storage and storage.

1. Make sure you assign a place for everything.

There’s one motto my dorm mom had when I was in college,  “A place for everything and everything in it’s place,” she often quoted.

Decluttering simply comes down to finding a place for everything and making sure everything is in its proper place.

And I know this next tip is going to hurt…

2.  Get rid of what you no longer need.

Some people determine what to get rid of by identifying what they haven’t used in over a year.

I try to decide if I really need it or if I can live without it?   Do I want it bad enough that I’m willing to pay for storage space?  After all, if you keep everything, you will indeed someday have to move to a bigger house or pay for some storage building.

3.  Make a plan of attack.

Don’t fret!  It won’t happen over night, but it definitely will happen if you take small steps.

First, get each bedroom area organized…

Take a day and sort through clothes and toys in your kids’ rooms.  Either sell, give away or throw away what isn’t needed anymore. Get age appropriate storage units, label things and help teach the kids to put their own things away.

Next, get a laundry basket for each family member and start with the least cluttered room of the house, so you’ll see success quicker and stay motivated.

Put everything in the baskets that doesn’t belong in that room. Then assign everyone  a deadline to find a home for everything in the basket, or you will (even if it’s file thirteen).

Keep a big trash bag nearby for stuff you know needs to be gotten rid of immediately (like junk mail). Do this for each room of the house.

Once everything is in the correct room…

Evaluate each room and decide what kind of storage is needed to keep things organized. If there is very little clutter left in the room once the personal belongings are gone, then you’ve got less work to do. If the room still looks chaotic, decide if the items really need to be in that room or relocated, stored or sold/given away.

Tip: Upkeep can cut down on future work.  If you use the basket trick daily, going from room to room, it should be easy to stay on top of things.

Different rooms will have different storage needs…

What works in the family room won’t necessarily work in the kitchen. Take your time and research the options out there and find a system that works best to help your family declutter your home.

Grab some cabbage and get ready to make your own homemade sauerkraut.  If you watch this video you’ll discover that it’s really not that hard at all…but may take some patience as  you’ll have to wait a while before you get to feast on it.

Note for those saying “yewww!”…Even if you don’t like the stuff, it can be interesting to watch how it’s made.

Men can make this too!

Here’s a man in Alaska making his own homemade sauerkraut.  I think he’s really going to work up an appetite just fixing it! lol

*Credit goes to Ruth at www.butfirstwehavecoffee.com who found these helpful videos at YouTube.  Visit her Christian blog for some more enjoyment.

What to do with a medicine ball?  Exercise, use it to build strength and coordination.  You can find lots of videos online on how to use these balls.  Here’s one you can do in the privacy of your own home….