Winter in the Midwest can feel like forever. And it takes a toll on your skin. It's always the backs of my hands and from my knees down that get it the worst. I should probably wear gloves more often and stop going to the gym every day in my workout capris because exposed skin during the winter months is a big no-no. 

A few years ago my youngest sister-in-law introduced me to a store at the mall that specialized in natural body care products. I fell in love with these products, especially their in-shower exfoliating lotion bar, but holy heck that stuff gets expensive. This year, I decided to make my own. 

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Wash your face before you go to bed at night. If there is one thing my mom drilled into my stubborn head when I was a kid (and actually stuck) it was making sure no matter how tired I was or even if I didn't wear makeup that day, washing your face before bed every night is a must. I've been doing this faithfully my entire adult life and here I am at 39 years old still shocking people when they find out my real age. I'm proud to say that aside from smile lines (I blame my husband for those), I have avoided crows feet, fine lines, and wrinkles. Being faithful to my skincare routine, which is simply washing my face and moisturizing day and night has been, in my opinion, the reason for my younger looking skin.

I started using cleansing pads after my daughter's dermatologist suggested them to her. I ended up really, really liking them because they are quite convenient and take eye makeup off easily without harsh scrubbing of having to use another product. The thing is, they can get a little costly. They range in price from $6 - $8 depending on where you shop. I like to get mine at Walmart for $6.78 and there is usually a $1 off coupon available. So for $5.78 I was getting a 28-day supply. 

 

After I started to use these cleansing pads I realized they were huge. I started to feel wasteful because after I was done with it, I was throwing away a cleansing pad that had lots more mileage left.

My quick and easy solution to this was to simply remove all of the cleansing pads from the container, cut them in half, and then put them right back into the original container. I made sure to use a clean scissor and put them on a clean plate. It's easiest to only cut 3 or 4 at a time also. Now I have a 56-day supply for under $6! This is one of my ways of saving where I can so I can splurge when I want! :)

Note: I only use these cleansing pads at night because I use a lighter face wash in the morning in the shower. These cleansing pads are perfect for removing dirt and makeup at the end of the day from your face. 

Leading a healthy lifestyle is a trend that’s not going to end anytime soon. Eating more fruits and vegetables isn’t the only change people are making these days, though. People are taking it to the next level with essential oils, homemade beauty products, nutrition bars, non-GMO products and ancient grains. Learn more about them here to see if they would be a good addition to your lifestyle.  

Essential Oils for Natural Healing

Some of the most popular ones are tea tree, lavender, oregano, chamomile, peppermint and frankincense. These essential oils, which are actually fatty acids, can help heal wounds, improve mood, help indigestion and much more. Health conscious individuals who are weary of medications are embracing essential oils because of their effectiveness. 

DIY Beauty Products

Along the same lines of natural health care, people are making their own beauty products. Most of the products are food-based using castor oil, coconut oil and shea butter. Because of their antioxidants and natural antibacterial properties, people trust them much more than the chemical-based products found in retail stores. These items can be used for facials, deodorant, face cream and even skin conditions such as warts, acne and boils. 

Nutrition Bars

You’ve probably seen these bars in the specialty section of your grocery store. The industry has grown significantly the past couple of years, and now there are so many health bars that they take up one side of a small grocery store aisle. The attraction to these bars is because of everyone being on the go. They are small enough to fit into a purse or a briefcase and they only takes a couple minutes to eat. 

Non-GMO Products

In an attempt to produce bigger, better and more nutritious foods, many companies have started altering the genetic makeup of foods. This has led to serious health concerns that people have become aware of, which is why there has been a push towards non-GMO – genetically modified organisms – products. There are now non-GMO certified products, and many people are turning to an organic-based diet to ensure they are getting all-natural foods.  

Ancient Grains

A couple of years ago, not many people knew about Quinoa, but now most people have heard of it and tried it at least once. This high-protein grain has attracted people who are trying to lose weight or bulk up without eating a ton of chicken a day. 

Millet is also popular right now, but teff is making its way to the forefront of the healthy grain trend. Whole Foods Market culinary content editor Molly Siegler says that teff will be the next new old grain. 

Health trends come and go. The information you learn about them will be useful to you now and well into the future. Try out some of the trends mentioned here because you may find that they provide you with what you’re seeking as part of your healthy, active lifestyle. 

BIO: Ali Lawrence blogs over at Homey Improvements about DIY projects and good ol’ fashion home advice. She has been using essential oils for over 3 years. Connect with Ali on Twitter @DIYfolks.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Colgate-Palmolive. All opinions are mine alone. #OpticSmiles #CollectiveBias.

About this time last year, I stopped smiling. It's not that I didn't have anything to smile about, I was just too embarrassed to smile. It got to the point that when I did smile or laugh, I would cover my mouth with my hand because I was mortified with my teeth - even in front of my husband. I've always had a small space between my two front teeth but but the space grew larger and larger over the years and it was the only thing I would see when I looked in the mirror. 

The reason the space grew larger is because I'm a tongue thruster. When I sleep at night, my tongue pushes against my front teeth (which is when most of the damage happens). When I swallow I do the same and even when I'm not talking and my mouth is resting, my tongue sits against my front teeth. 

At one of my routine dental visits the question was asked what would I change about my teeth if I could. Of course my answer was the space between my two front teeth. Thankfully my lovely dentist (Doctor Davies from the Hartford Dental Group) showed me that I had a few options for a diastema closure. I could get braces, porcelain veneers, or dental composites. Braces were out of the question since they are so expensive and my son will be needing them soon. Porcelain veneers were a good option but again, so expensive. Dental composites were actually affordable even though our dental insurance did not cover it. She was actually able to do a mock up of what it would look like right then and there. I was shocked when I looked in the mirror and saw how different my smile looked. I basically had to beg her to do the dental composites because she didn't like this option for a diastema closure. Most people end up looking like they have "Chicklet" teeth but because my two front teeth were narrow, there was hope that it would turn out really well. Two months later after some additional routine dental work, whitening to my top teeth, and hours and hours sitting in the dentist chair while she worked her magic, I had a new smile. 

I'm no longer afraid to smile and I'm going to make sure I do everything I can to take care of it. I've had my new smile for 5 months now and I've only forgotten to wear my nighttime retainer once. (If I don't wear the nighttime retainer, the space will eventually come back.)I bought myself a rechargeable toothbrush and to make sure my smile really sparkles, I use the new Colgate® Optic White® Express White™ Toothpaste from Walmart.

Unlike most whitening toothpastes, Colgate® Optic White® Express White™ Toothpaste contains the professionally recommended ingredient hydrogen peroxide to whiten faster. You can pick up Colgate Optic White Express White Toothpaste at Walmart for only $3.96 for the 3 oz tube. Better yet, for a limited time, use this $2/1 Colgate® Optic White® Express White™ Toothpaste (3.0 oz. or larger) coupon and pay just $1.96! 

If my teeth get stained from drinking too much coffee or tea (or wine if I'm hanging out with my girlfriends), I know that I can get that shine back in just 3 days brushing* with Colgate® Optic White® Express White™ Toothpaste because it has 2x more of the professionally recommended whitening ingredient vs Optic White Sparkling Mint toothpaste!

Now that I have a smile that I can be proud of with sparkly white teeth, I can wear the darker shades of lipstick that I've loved for so long. I never wore them in the past because darker shades of lipstick draw attention to your mouth and of course your teeth. 

Now I feel fully dressed because I'm wearing a smile. And it's a smile that I can be proud of thanks to my very talented dentist and Colgate® Optic White® Express White™ Toothpaste.

*For best results, use as directed for 4 weeks

If there was one thing you could change about your smile, what would it be?

This #MyPicknSave shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

Save where you can so you can splurge when you want....

That's my motto. Sure, there are lots of people in the world who are able to live 100% frugally at all times. I'm not one of those people. On occasion, I do like to splurge a little - as long as its within reason. And right now, with our approaching move to Minnesota, splurges are on hold until our home is sold in Wisconsin and we can start construction on our new house in Minnesota. This means more double coupon shopping at Pick 'n Save, fewer movie nights at the theater, and any vacation we wanted to take is put on hold until next year or the year after. 

No more shopping at that 4 letter word store...

A few months ago I was introduced to a boutique type store at the mall that hand makes soaps, scrubs, lotions, and various cosmetics. The first time I walked in the store I was hooked. I also walked out of the store with $70 worth of soaps and scrubs and lotions. 

Was I crazy?

Yes, as a matter of fact I was. After using it awhile I realized that even though the products were natural and made without chemicals or any of that yucky stuff I'm so desperately trying to stay away from, the stuff wasn't that great. At least not $70 great.......

But oh my goodness the minute winter hits the Midwest my skin is dry and it feels tight and I'm super uncomfortable. Not to mention, if I have to lotion up my legs and then put my jeans on right away after I shower, I get cranky. Who has time to wait around for lotion to dry 100% before getting dressed?! Not me.

Open a magazine, browse Pinterest, or walk down the aisles at any craft store and you will see that making homemade hand and body scrubs is actually do-able. Plus, it's very frugal. And if you are like me and don't exactly follow recipes from start to finish, you can still make your own hand and body scrubs because a lot of it is basically making it the way you want. I really don't think there is a right or wrong way in making homemade hand and body scrubs. It's all a matter of preference. 

There are tons of homemade body and hand scrubs out there for anyone to try and most of them require just a few ingredients. There are basically three parts to a body and hand scrub:

• An exfoliant like salt, sugar, ground coffee, and oatmeal.
• An oil like coconut oil, olive oil, grape seed oil and various other nut oils. 
• A fragrance like essential oils or citrus juices. 

If this were summertime, I would probably advise against using citrus juices or essential oils because your skin will be more sensitive to the sun. However, this is the middle of winter in the Midwest, we go days, sometimes a week without the sun shining and it's too cold anyways for our skin to be exposed. Citrus wakes me up. The scent revitalizes me. 

Pick 'n Save has a beautiful selection of citrus fruits right now. The lemons and limes were just perfect for a homemade citrus hand and body scrub. While I was at Pick 'n Save, I was also able to pick up organic olive oil, organic coconut oil, 100% natural cane sugar, sea salt, and epsom salt. I wanted to make three different scrubs; a hand scrub, a basic all over (except the face) body scrub, and a sore muscle scrub. 

For the hand scrub, I used 1 cup 100% Turbinado cane sugar, 5 tbsp olive oil, 5 tbsp coconut oil, and juice from both the lemon and lime. Simply mix it all together and store in a glass jar. I keep this hand scrub right by my kitchen sink and it has helped with my dry middle knuckle. I always seem to have one super dry middle knuckle this time of year. 

I've been working out with a personal trainer 3x a week for almost 2 months now and after leg day, I'm super sore. They say epsom salt helps with sore and achy muscles so I made a sore muscle body scrub with 3/4 cup epsom salt, 4 tbsp coconut oil, juice from a lemon (just a squeeze or two), and a little lemon zest so I would remember this was for sore muscles. 

The final one that I made is an all over body scrub (except for the face). The purpose of this one is to exfoliate the skin so I made it drier than the other two. Instead of sugar or epsom salt, I used sea salt. I wanted to have something really exfoliating and because sea salt is coarser than table salt, I figured it would do the trick. I learned years ago that it doesn't matter how much you moisturize if you have dry skin. To get rid of the dry skin, you need to exfoliate. Winter = dry skin for me. 

For this all over body scrub I mixed 1.5 cups sea salt, 4 tbsp coconut oil, and several squeezes from a lemon and lime. I used a wide mouth glass jar for this one because when I'm in the shower, it will be easiest to mix the scrub with my hand since the oil settles to the bottom after it sits awhile.

Now that I'm saving where I can....

I feel much better about taking care of my winter skin and feel no desire to walk into the 4 letter word store at the mall. Plus, the next time I'm in need of more ingredients for another batch of hand and body scrubs, I don't have to go out of my way because I can get everything I need while grocery shopping at Pick 'n Save. Double coupon shopping at Pick 'n Save of course!

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