Use Up That Leftover Pumpkin: My Favorite Homemade Face Mask

Friends, Romans, Countrymen! Lend me your ears... er... faces!

I have a wonderful, easy recipe to share with you for a fantabulous face mask. If you are anything like me, you have accumulated a dozen cans of pumpkin that are now taking up space in your pantry. The solution?

Pumpkin Pineapple Face Mask!

Did you know that pumpkin is FABULOUS for your skin? Pumpkin and pineapple both are full of enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids. When applied to the skin, they literally eat away all the dead skin cells on your face, leaving you with more radiant, smooth, youthful-looking skin!

There are a LOT of expensive masks out there that claim to be full of alpha hydroxy acid, but most of those products are diluted and ineffective after all the processing they've been though. This mask is full of pure, effective ingredients that cost a fraction of the price of one of those store-bought masks and have better results!!!

Here's how you make it:

You'll need:

• oats


• honey


• 1/4 c. canned pumpkin


• 1/4 c. chopped pineapple (I use the frozen from Trader Joe's)


• heavy whipping cream, milk or water

In a blender or food processor (I used my magic bullet!) combine a handful of oats, a big spoonful of honey, pumpkin, pineapple and a small bit of your liquid. I use heavy cream or milk because they are full of anti-oxidants that are so great for your skin. But you can also use a little filtered water. You don't want much, just enough liquid so the mixture is blend-able.

That's it. Blend it all together and you're ready to use it.

To use, generously apply the mixture to your clean face. Leave the mask on for at least 20 minutes, so those little Alpha Hydroxies have time to work! You may feel some tingling, and this is good... it's a sign that the mask is working.

Refrigerate the unused portion of your mask and use within 10 days. I use this mask 2 times a week.

Enjoy!

Au' Natural: A Few of My Favorite Home-Remedies

I haven't posted on my blog for weeks, and the main reason is that we've been hit hard by the cold and flu bug in the last month.

So, I thought I'd take a minute to share a few of our favorite natural remedies at our house. I am by NO MEANS an expert on all things au' natural, but I am becoming more interested in doing things as natural as possible for my kiddos. There are a lot of scary chemicals in our everyday household medicines and products, and I'm just definitely more conscious of what I'm putting into my kids' bodies. So of course I give my kids Tylenol or antibiotics if they really need them, but I'm also trying to use natural products first to see if we can bring about healing via God's creation!

So here are a few of my favorites that I've stocked up on for cold and flu season this year.

*Hylands Cough Syrup for Kids (I take it too!) - I'm scared to death of over-the-counter cough syrup, so I LOVE this natural one from Hylands! And Bennett loves it too... it tastes amazing!

*Black Elderberry Syrup - We are loving this awesome immune -system booster. Read about it here and learn how to save money by making it yourself.

*Essential Oils - Lately I have been learning more and more about essential oils and their miraculous ability to heal everything from respiratory problems to digestive problems. I am coveting this amazing essential oil diffuser. Basically it creates a fine mist of your essential oil into your home. You can vary the oil you are diffusing depending on the issues you are dealing with. For instance, if you diffuse an essential oil like "Theives" into your home during cold and flu season, it will boost your immune system and make you less susceptible to sickness, all the while cleansing your home from impurities and making your house smell amazing!

Another awesome way to promote healing from a cold/flu is to add 5 drops of eucalyptus essential oil and 5 drops of tea tree oil to a bowl of boiling water, cover the bowl with a bath towel and stick your head under the towel, breathing in the steam for as long as possible. These oils are anti-bacterial and anti-viral, and the steam will help loosen up your nasal passages. Do this twice a week until symptoms subside.

Also, I can attest to the amazing power of essential oils when it comes to skin problems. Last month I was having some real skin issues. After trying everything I could get my hands on from the drugstore, things just kept getting worse. Then I simply started treating it with rose and lavender essential oil and BOOM... problem solved! Basically my favorite method for treating any kind of breakouts or skin issues is to first steam your face with 5 drops each of lavender and rose absolute (expensive, but worth it) essential oils. Steam using the same method described above with these oils instead. Then you can apply these oils topically to your skin as well by adding one drop each to a palmful of grape seed or sweet almond oil and massaging into your face. Keep this up until your problems are gone.

Make sure you buy good quality essential oils that are undiluted. Also make sure that you research the oils you are using before you start so that you are using them safely. You can learn more about different essential oils and how to use them safely here.

*Dr. Singha's Mustard Bath - I was recently given a sample of this all natural, old school remedy for colds and flu, and after using it, I'm a believer. Soaking in this blend of ground mustard seeds and detoxifying essential oils draws impurities out of your body and promotes healing. And it smells delicious and herbal, not at all condiment-esque like the name suggests. Learn more and order it here.

Now don't worry, folks. I haven't become a crazy, Birkenstock-wearing hippie. I still shave my legs. I still wear makeup. I still eat Cheetos.

I'm just making an effort to use more natural, God-made remedies when possible to save money, stay healthy and make our home a more natural one.

If anyone has any other home remedies they swear by, I'm all ears. Please share!!!

Coconut Oil: I'm a Believer!

Recently I've been reading up on the amazing health benefits of coconut oil. I'm really excited about implementing coconut oil into our family's diet, so I thought I'd share a little about it.

First off, coconut oil is extremely nutritious and can be substituted for butter in any recipe. But unlike butter, coconut oil has AMAZING health benefits, including weight loss, stress-relief, anti-aging, lowering cholesterol, boosting immunity, aiding in digestion, skincare, hair care and MANY MORE. To read more about the benefits of coconut oil, click here.

Another benefit of coconut oil is that it is delicious! This makes it easy to incorporate into your diet. You should add up to 3 tablespoons of coconut oil into your diet each day.

Today I made two new recipes using coconut oil, and they were both delish!

First, I made some "Pina Colada" smoothies! I just added a tablespoon of coconut oil to my Magic Bullet with some pineapple juice and half a container of yogurt. I added ice and blended it up. McPreachy and I both LOVED it! It tasted just like a fruity umbrella drink you'd get in Hawaii!

Then I made some healthy coconut almond chocolate chip cookies using coconut oil and whole wheat flour. They were really good too!

I am also planning on making this "Make Your Own Lara Bar" recipe this week (this was the reason I bought the coconut oil in the first place).

More info on coconut oil and recipes:

Passionate Homemaking

Tropical Traditions

I'll keep you apprised of my progress!!!