Sunday, April 17, 2011

Frugal Fixes for Frizzy, Frazzled, Funky Looking Hair!

Aguacate / AvocadoImage via Wikipedia
We all love beautiful hair, and feel great about how we look when it is healthy.
Who doesn’t love strong, shiny, bouncy hair with great color!
However, salon perfect hair is just not affordable for most of us working girls, right?
Wrong! For just pennies per treatment, you can fix almost any hair problem with common ingredients you keep in your kitchen.
Is your hair, dry, damaged and brittle? Use avocado to restore your hair and make it smooth and silky. Simply remove the pit from an avocado, scoop out the flesh and mash it.  Before you shampoo, mist you hair to
make it damp, and work the avocado through. Wrap your hair in plastic and wait half an hour for the essential fatty acids and vitamin E to work their magic. Remove the plastic, rinse out the avocado and shampoo as usual.
Do you want to revitalize your hair color and make it last longer before your next dye job? Try tea! Simply take two or three teabags and steep them for ten minutes in boiling water. Allow the tea to cool and pour it over dry hair, so it will absorb most of the pigment in the tea. Comb it through evenly and wait about 20 minutes, before shampooing as usual. If you are a brunette, use black tea, a redhead use hibiscus, and chamomile tea if you are a blond.
Is your hair dry and frizzy? Tame and moisturize it with yogurt. Lactic acid found in milk will coat and nourish each strand. If you also want to add shine, stir in some olive oil, or add an egg for extra protein to strengthen your hair.
Here is an easy recipe you can try at home:
Whisk one egg until frothy. Add ½ cup of plain yogurt and two tablespoons of olive oil. Apply to damp hair and scalp in small sections and work it in completely. Leave the mixture on your hair for at least 15 minutes, then wash and condition as usual.
Are you plagued by dandruff? Banish it with apple cider vinegar and mint. The vinegar will clean the scalp thoroughly and add shine to your hair, and the mint will invigorate the scalp, leaving it feeling fresh and tingly.
Simply add ½ cup apple cider vinegar, 2 cups of water and 3-4 sprigs of fresh mint to a saucepan, and warm it up. Allow the mixture to cool. After you wash and condition your hair as usual, simply pour the vinegar rinse through and allow it to sit for about ten minutes. Rinse thoroughly with cool water. Don’t worry, if you do a good job of rinsing, there will be no vinegar smell left on your hair.
 


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making. Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com
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Sunday, April 10, 2011

Super Saver Seasoning Salts

A salt mill for sea salt.Image via WikipediaSeasoning can make or break a recipe. It can dazzle the taste buds and delight the palate, or fall flat and be dull and boring.

Stores sell gourmet blends of herbs and spices to make cooking easier. But boy can they be pricey--up to $12 a bottle!

How would you like to make the same thing for about $1.25 a bottle? Here are some suggestions:

Citrus salt (for fish, chicken or vegetables)-Stir in to 1/2 cup of kosher or sea salt 1 tsp gated lemon zest, 1 tsp grated lime zest, and 1/2 tsp grated orange zest.

Hot and spicy salt (good on grilled meats, potatoes and corn on the cob)-Add 1 tsp of chipotle chili powder and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes to 1/2 cup of kosher or sea salt.

Asian salt (for pork, chicken or vegetables)-Add1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/8 tsp ginger powder and 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds to 1/2 cup kosher or sea salt.

Italian salt-(for pasta, roasted vegetables, lamb or fish)-Add 1tsp of onion powder, 1 tsp of garlic powder and 1 tbsp of finely chopped sun dried tomato (not in oil) to 1/2 cup of kosher or sea salt.

These salts, placed in beautiful decorative jars with nicely lettered, handmade labels would make an inexpensive but delightful gift for a friend. You could also give a cookbook, or recipe cards that would complement the spice blends.


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making. Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com
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Saturday, April 2, 2011

Six Uses for Left Over Hair Conditioner

Nivea Hair CareImage via WikipediaDo you have a little conditioner left in the bottom of the bottle? Don't throw it out!

Fill the rest of the bottle with warm water and shake. Then transfer the mixture to a spray bottle. Spritz it on your hair for a leave-in conditioner!

You can also use a little dab of conditioner to shave your legs when you run out of shaving cream. Just a dime sized dollop will help the razor glide over you skin.

Do you have a squeaky hinge? Rub a little conditioner on it with a soft cloth.

Do you want to make your bathroom fixtures shine? Polish them with conditioner, buff off the excess and see them sparkle!

Finally, don't wast money on pricey laundry soaps for delicate fabrics. Use a little conditioner in warm water instead.

Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making. Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com
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Frugal Uses for Stale Bread

Slices of French BreadImage via WikipediaDon't throw out your stale bread, put it to good use!

Did your little ones leave fingerprints on your wallpaper? Erase them with stale bread. Just ball up the bread and rub the marks away.

Has your brown sugar become hard as a rock? Add a piece of stale bread to the package, and wait a couple of days. The next time you open it, the sugar will be nice and soft!

Need to thicken your soup? Add some chunks of stale bread to the broth. It will soak up the excess liquid if you leave the bread in the simmering pot until it becomes soft.

Want a handy spoon rest while cooking? Try stale bread. Your counter top will stay clean. When you are done cooking give the gravy soaked bread to your puppy for a treat.

Tired of crying when you cut onions? Wrap stale bread around the handle of your knife. It will absorb the odor before it will sting your eyes.


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making. Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com
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About Me

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I am a freelance writer, Reiki master, and educator, with diplomas in teacher's aide and child psychology, and numerous writing courses. I home schooled my son, who was born 10 weeks early and was expected to have developmental and learning lags. In 6th grade, he took an 8th grade standardized achievement test, and scored as a college sophomore in math and English. It inspired me to write a book, which I have given away for free! It is called Make your Kid a Genius, and can be downloaded at my website http://www.irenehelenzundel.com I am passionate about alternative healing methods; especially Reiki, aromatherapy, acupressure, therapeutic massage and music and sound therapy.