Vinegar Friday and winter woes

TGIVF!

Every once in awhile, it's good to revive Vinegar Fridays, don't you think? I just wanted to remind you of some of my favorite winter tips in my book.

With the cold winter weather, a lot of us end up with dry skin. Here are two tips that may help, starting with your feet.

Add 1/2 cup of ACV (apple cider vinegar) to a foot bath filled with warm water. Soak for 5 minutes or so. The result is baby soft feet. *Of course, if you have extremely rough skin on the bottom of your feet, the results will not be the same. Up until a few months ago, the ACV foot soak was all I needed to keep my feet soft. And then it happened... maybe it's age; maybe it's my diabetes, but I need to be more proactive in the care of my feet these days.

Moving up a bit, or a whole lot, actually, here's a remedy for dry skin on your face. This one is divine... really. It's called Martha Washington's Vinegar Facial Mask and is found on page 25 of my book, VINEGAR FRIDAYS (you can buy it here).

Mix up the following ingredients:

1 egg
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Apply the mask to your face and relax for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. Better watch out, though -- people might look at your radiant complexion and start assuming you're pregnant!

Now let's talk cars -- I hate when I use my window washer fluid and the wipers are so dirty from winter grime that they just spread a mess across my line of vision. Wiping them down with a soft cloth soaked in undiluted DWV (distilled white vinegar) will help stay squeaky clean. You can keep a damp vinegar cloth in a wet bag in your car for on-the-road assistance.

If you're still trying to shed those extra holiday pounds, you might want to check out Chapter 9 in my book: The F-word. I gleaned some goodies from Dr. Ann Louise, otherwise known as the "First Lady of Nutrition." In this chapter, I discuss how ACV is effective at burning fat, whittling the waist, jump-starting your metabolism, shedding cellulite, and, as a bonus, it detoxifies as well! Grab a copy of the book and find out how!

Keeping it green, soft, clean, and healthy with vinegar,

Vinegar Friday -- Let's go for soft!

Martha Washington by Currier & Ives. 

TGIVF!! It's the first Vinegar Friday of 2017! For many of us who live in cold climates, we're experiencing the dry skin that accompanies winter weather. But there's hope and it's not in an expensive jar of moisturizer or facial creams.

It's the Martha Washington Vinegar (yes, vinegar) Facial Mask! Supposedly, her glowing skin is what won the heart of our first president, or at least it's what caught his eye.

All you need is

• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar (stick to the good stuff -- unfiltered and organic)

Mix it up, apply it to your face and relax for 20 minutes or so. Then rinse with warm water and pat dry. 

Now here's the thing -- you end up with lots of extra mask solution, so why not throw a party? Invite your friends for a Martha Washington facial party. Add some tea or wine or whatever and enjoy an afternoon or evening of pampering. While you're at it, fill some foot baths with warm water and 1/2 cup of ACV and soak your tootsies. The end results will be baby soft faces and feet. Take that, winter!

Enjoy!

Keeping it green and soft with vinegar,

Flashback VF -- A Vinegar Friday FAIL!

TGIVF!


I'm heading out of town and didn't have the time for a brand new VF post, so I thought I'd resurrect an old one from October of 2012. Enjoy!

  I don't often have a Vinegar Friday fail to share with you, but today is an exception. And it's a doozy! 

Recently, I've been a bit addicted to the Martha Washington mask that I talk about in Chapter 8 of my book, Vinegar Fridays. The mask is simple and is rumored to have caused such glowing skin on the former first lady, that it's somewhat responsible for the president being drawn to her in the first place.
In order to make the mask, you simply need 3 ingredients from your kitchen:  

• an egg
• 1 tsp. of honey
• 1/2 tsp. of apple cider vinegar

Mix it up and apply it to your face. Wait about 20 minutes and rinse off. Easy, right?

Well, after throwing away the mixture time and time again, I suddenly got the brilliant idea to use the leftover mask ingredients on my hair. 

Certain it would make my hair supple and shiny, I poured the egg mixture over my freshly washed (with baking soda) hair. I rubbed it in and then, standing in a steaming hot shower, rinsed it out.  Or so I thought.

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, I grabbed my white bath towel and dried off my hair. As I was combing it, I started noticing white specks in my hair. 

That's weird, I thought. I never had fuzzies from my towel before. 

As I started picked the 'fuzzies' out of my hair, I discovered they had a spongy consistency and smooshed between my fingers. Puzzled, I examined my hair closer in the mirror, and then... started to laugh. Loudly. Heartily. I had scrambled eggs in my hair!! The heat from the shower must have cooked the egg as I was trying to rinse it out!

Grabbing my bottle of ACV, I hopped back in the shower for a very long, and thorough, vinegar rinse.

So, there you have it folks. A Vinegar Friday fail. From now on, I'm saving my mask concoction in the fridge for future masks and keeping it as far away from my hair as possible!

Scrambling it up with a bit of vinegar,

Vinegar Friday FAIL!

TGIVF!

I don't often have a Vinegar Friday fail to share with you, but today is an exception. And it's a doozy! 

Recently, I've been a bit addicted to the Martha Washington mask that I talk about in Chapter 8 of my book, Vinegar Fridays. The mask is simple and is rumored to have caused such glowing skin on the former first lady, that it's somewhat responsible for the president being drawn to her in the first place.
In order to make the mask, you simply need 3 ingredients from your kitchen:  

• an egg
• 1 tsp. of honey
• 1/2 tsp. of apple cider vinegar

Mix it up and apply it to your face. Wait about 20 minutes and rinse off. Easy, right?

Well, after throwing away the mixture time and time again, I suddenly got the brilliant idea to use the leftover mask ingredients on my hair. 

Certain it would make my hair supple and shiny, I poured the egg mixture over my freshly washed (with baking soda) hair. I rubbed it in and then, standing in a steaming hot shower, rinsed it out.  Or so I thought.

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, I grabbed my white bath towel and dried off my hair. As I was combing it, I started noticing white specks in my hair. 

That's weird, I thought. I never had fuzzies from my towel before. 

As I started picked the 'fuzzies' out of my hair, I discovered they had a spongy consistency and smooshed between my fingers. Puzzled, I examined my hair closer in the mirror, and then... started to laugh. Loudly. Heartily. I had scrambled eggs in my hair!! The heat from the shower must have cooked the egg as I was trying to rinse it out!

Grabbing my bottle of ACV, I hopped back in the shower for a very long, and thorough, vinegar rinse.

So, there you have it folks. A Vinegar Friday fail. From now on, I'm saving my mask concoction in the fridge for future masks and keeping it as far away from my hair as possible!

Scrambling it up with a bit of vinegar,

Hana 

Vinegar Friday -- A wrinkle in time

TGIVF!

Hmm... what do raw eggs, vinegar and honey have to do with wrinkles?

So much of the time, I write posts/sponsor giveaways aimed at young parents. But the fact is, I'm not a young parent... oh, maybe the title of the blog gave that away! I am a grandma, after all. And, I know some of you are my age. That's why I thought I'd write a little bit about wrinkles. Do you love them or hate them? Me? I'm not a fan. Yes, I know they are supposed to be signs of a life well-lived, or whatever, but I could do without.

My main problem spots are under my eyes and under my arms. Yuck. There are so many commercials and magazine ads that promise amazing results with wrinkle treatments that are no doubt toxic. So what's a person to do? 

I have a few suggestions. First of all, look for natural anti-aging skin products that use safe ingredients. For instance, Frownies.com has an under eye cream that has the following ingredients: Cactus collagen, bear berry extract(Arbutin), vitamin C, E and hyaluronic acid. glycerin, aloe vera, vitamin B3, L-Lactic acid, Dimethicone, Xantham Gum. They're all safe. Since I haven't tried the product, I can't vouch for its effectiveness, but at least I know it's out there. 

Look for products that are free of

• parabens
• polysorbate
• fragrance
• phthalates
• lauryl sulfate
• sodium laureth
• disodium EDTA

And, of course, stay away from companies that are testing their products on animals.
 

Another suggestion is to try to find natural remedies. An example would be Martha Washington's Vinegar Facial Mask, featured in Chapter 8 of my book, Vinegar Fridays. Supposedly, Martha won the heart of our first president after he was drawn to her glowing skin. I can't guarantee this will ward off wrinkles, but it will nicely condition your skin, which is a good start.

Just whip up an egg with a teaspoon of honey and 1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Apply to your face and relax for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. I actually think I'm going to give this a try tonight.

Finally, and this one is directed at those of you who haven't discovered your first wrinkle yet -- stay out of the tanning beds!! A healthy dose of natural sunshine is healthy for you. Allowing it to absorb into your skin is a great way to load up on Vitamin D. However, tanning under unnatural lights is not only stupid, but it doesn't get much more unhealthy than that! Unless you actually want to be battling leathery, wrinkled skin by the time you're in your mid-40s,  you need to steer clear of the tanning booths. 

Several months ago, I saw an old acquaintance who is about my age (mid-50s). I didn't recognize her and couldn't believe it was actually her. Had I not known her, I would have guessed her age to be mid-70s to 80. Seriously. Every inch of her face, after years of tanning, was covered in wrinkles. It was hideous. 

Now, when I see younger acquaintances with dark brown skin (in the middle of winter, no less), I wish I had a picture of this woman to show them. If vanity draws you to the tanning bed at 30, what will happen when you look in the mirror at 50 and see an old woman? Vanity won't change, but your skin certainly will.

Keeping it green, and smooth, with vinegar,

Hana

Soon to be released!

Vinegar Fridays (the book) will be released before Thanksgiving! So I thought you might enjoy a glimpse into the book today and Thursday.

Here are some snippets to get you started on your way to Vinegar Everyday!

***

Our first first lady, Martha Washington, supposedly won the president’s heart after he was drawn to her glowing skin. Her secret? Vinegar, of course!

You can whip up Martha Washington’s Vinegar Facial Mask by combining the following ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Apply the mask to your face and relax for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. Better watch out, though – people might look at your radiant complexion and start assuming you are pregnant!

***

In my 40s, I thought it to be quite an injustice that I had to battle acne as I was developing wrinkles. Wrinkles and acne do not belong on the same face. Period. At least that’s my opinion. In actuality, over 17 million adult American women suffer from acne – in their 20s, 30s and 40s. And, unfortunately, it is genetic (sorry, kids!). But if you mix 2 teaspoons of ACV in a cup of water and apply it to the breakouts after you wash your face morning and evening, you will watch them vanish … without spending a fortune on infomercial remedies!

***

Odors can be subtle. Or, perhaps you wish they were so.

Bathroom odors are something we all have to deal with. That’s why it is a good idea to keep a spray bottle in every bathroom and powder room so your family and guests all have easy access to a natural odor eliminator. Mix a teaspoon of baking soda, a tablespoon of vinegar and a cup of water in a clean spray bottle. Spritz the air whenever the need arises.

Will your home smell like a meadow or spring rain or a pine forest? Nope. But it will smell fresh and the air will be safe to breathe!

Odors can be spicy … or oniony … or just plain unpleasant. Odors in the kitchen are common, and most arise from cooking. Cabbage is one culprit. Cut out the foul odor by boiling the cabbage in water with a splash of vinegar added.

To minimize a fishy odor, just apply some of the DWV to the fish and rub it in.

Hands smelling oniony or garlicky? Wash them in some distilled white vinegar. Problem solved.

There you go ... some tips from the book. I hope they whet your appetite enough to want to buy the book!

Keeping it green with vinegar,

Hana

Vinegar Fridays

TGIVF!

Ready for some vinegar-related beauty tips? Here goes:

Part One: Skin problems

For those of you struggling with oily skin, a natural remedy is like an answered prayer. Here's what you'll need:

• a dark glass jar with a tight-fitting lid
• 1 cup lavender petals
• 1 cup lemon rind
• 1 cup rose petals
• 1 cup sage
• 1 pint apple cider vinegar

Combine the ingredients in the jar and place it on a sunny window sill. You'll want to mix the solution every day for 3 weeks by shaking it before opening and straining the liquid. Apply this natural astringent daily.

If you have the opposite problem and are constantly battling dry skin, you'll want to do the same thing, but change up the recipe a bit:

• 1 cup chamomile
• 1 cup mint
• 1 cup parsley
• 1 cup primrose petals
• 1 pint apple cider vinegar

Another astringent for your skin, which will not only dry up acne, but will also help to heal minor cuts and scrapes can be made by combining 1 cup chopped marigolds with 1 pint of any type of vinegar.

First first lady, Martha Washington, supposedly won the president's heart after he was drawn to her glowing skin. Her secret? Vinegar, of course!

Martha Washington's Vinegar Facial Mask can be whipped up by combining the following ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Apply the mask to your face and relax for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. Better watch out, though -- people might look at your radiant complexion and start assuming you're pregnant!

Here's another recipe guaranteed to give your skin that rosy glow: simply apply ACV directly to your face. It is a natural exfoliant. Some people swear by it, although I must admit I've not tried it yet...maybe tonight I will.

Check back next week for Part Two: From head to toe

Keeping you beautiful with vinegar,

Hana