Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Wishing you and yours a very safe holiday season. New posts will start again after New Years.  Until then Enjoy and Be SAFE.

My Favorite Tea Even For Winter Parties

I just love fruit tea, such a great change to a typical tea recipe and really is perfect for parties.

Fruit Tea

By CaramelPie on April 07, 2006

3 Reviews

• 
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 10 mins
• Serves: 8-12, Yield: 1.0 gallon

Ingredients

• 6 -8 cups water
• 3 large tea bags
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 ounces frozen lemonade concentrate
• 12 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate
• 46 ounces pineapple juice

Directions

1. Boil water, pour over tea bags, and steep for 5 minutes.
2. Add other ingredients plus enough water to make 1 gallon.
3. Stir and serve.

http://www.food.com/recipe/fruit-tea-163369

Homemade Relaxation ...Bath Fizzies

Tools and Materials

• Baking soda
• Cornstarch
• Citric acid
• Spritzer bottles
• Food coloring
• Glass bowl
• Essential oil
• Baking molds

Bath Fizzies How-To1. Sift 1 3/4 cup baking soda, 1 cup citric acid, and 2 cups cornstarch through a sieve to remove chunks. To make different tints, fill small spritzer bottles with water and add about 6 drops of food coloring to each. 

2. Pour 1 cup of powdered mixture into a glass bowl. Lightly spritz, stirring after each spritz, until powder is desired color. Add water slowly, so mixture does not fizz. If mixing two tints, alternate colors as you spritz. Check the consistency of powder with your fingers; when it can be tightly packed or shaped, stop spritzing (this may take a little while).
3. Select an essential oil. Add 5 drops if it's one of the stronger scents (peppermint, lavender), 6 if it's a weaker one (lemon, grapefruit). Mix well. Firmly pack mixture into small baking molds. We used 1/4 cup for each fizzy, which is good for one bath. Allow mixture to set for 2 hours, then pop out carefully. Repeat with different tints for remaining powder.


http://www.marthastewart.com/280275/how-to-make-bath-fizzies?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/bath-and-spa-gifts

Like Candles, Need Candles, Gifts? Check this out!

No mess candle making in a crock pot, extremely easy!

http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/2009/12/homemade-holidays-crock-pot-candles/

Need A Cheap Lunch Date Option? BOGO Whopper At Burger King This Weekend Only!

Go to a participating BK and BOGO Whopper! Cheap date!

https://www.facebook.com/burgerking?sk=app_300220516667903

Do You Buy Diapers?

If you buy Huggies and don't mind a Santa theme on the diapers...go check this deal out. $5!!!! I just bought ten total...steal of a deal if you go pick them up.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freebieshark.com%2F2011%2F12%2Ftoysrus-com-huggies-santa-diapers-only-5-00.html&h=6AQHOqMPRAQE-Ylq5EwhvS5NSCqwDmsu-F1fEOwOYg5XoCA

DIY Shavecream

I saw this on Pinterest and thought it was definitely worth sharing. I would say modify the ingredients depending on skin type ( ex. sensitive ) if you need to.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup conditioner
• 1 cup shampoo
• 5 tablespoons baby oil
• 5 tablespoons hand cream

Directions:

• Use a large bottle or some other large storage container to store the shave cream. Pour in conditioner first, then shampoo.
• Add baby oil; then hand cream.
• Secure the container and shake. Let mixture sit for about an hour.

This mixture supposedly lasts for a month, but I can tell you that I made mine a few months ago, and it is still good. The book advises that if the mixture separates, re- shake.

credit:  http://jandjnewleaf.blogspot.com/2011/08/homemade-beauty-shave-cream.html

Another Baby Item On A Budget

Did you know that baby powder is basically just corn starch (pure)? Well, it is.... a couple varieties add some aloe and a vitamin to it. So, if you have an empty baby powder bottle fill it up with some pure corn starch. If you don't have a empty one use a salt/pepper shaker to get it on your child's delicate "B-Hind." If you do opt to use a salt/pepper shaker, please make sure it is washed out completely to avoid any irritants.

Enjoy!

North Pole Letters From Santa To Your Children

Want a letter from Santa to your little one? Check this out but the deadline is Dec 10th.

http://about.usps.com/news/state-releases/ak/2011/ak_2011_1108.htm

$5 O'Charleys Burger Day, Today Only

Ocharleys has a coupon good for today only, it is a coupon that was given on their FB page. Go here to print:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=10600435#!/photo.php?fbid=283653325005944&set=a.179294848775126.30670.157524280952183&type=1&theater

or

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=10600435#!/ocharleysfans

If You Are A Parent, This Is A Recipe You Can't Afford To Skip!

When my 6 year old was spending most of her first year at Vanderbilt Hospital, we had a diaper rash occur while there and WOW did the nurses give us a recipe that should never be lost! Well, we lost it, and it took my sweet niece being here for a visit to find the recipe again courtesy of our pediatrician. YAY! Even if you are not a parent, I am sure you know someone who is that could use this. I have in the past made a recipe card and bought all the ingredients for a new mom for a shower gift. Now, I have a word of CAUTION!, there are recipes out there that claim to be this recipe, but they are not. Some of the ingredients that were given to us (and stressed to be the exact ones) are not the ones that are being published by other blogs or posts. Please make sure to follow exactly, it is very important the right ingredients get used.

As always, it is important to ask your doctor if it is ok to use any product or medicine on a child.......

So here it is!!!!

HAPPY HINEY DIAPER RASH CREAM!

mix all ingredients thoroughly in equal parts in an airtight container

1 Tbsp. of Aquaphor or Butt Paste (generic is fine just make sure the same ingredients)
1 Tbsp. of Monistat (generic is fine)
1 Tbsp. of 1% Hydrocortisone ointment (not cream)
1 Tbsp. of original (not mint) Maalox

Use with each diaper change until diaper rash is gone. Important message from me, Do Not dip your finger in the container each swipe you put  on your child....you are contaminating the jar. My advice is to use a sterile popsicle stick or something similar to put to your hand and then your hand to your child's skin.

I hope that this helps each mother when the dreaded diaper rash appears.

No BPA Items

So, I was at the Dr. doing the usual maternity check-up and a new warning from my Dr came up (even though it was not a new topic to me). She told me that I and my family needed to throw out and steer clear of any items that were not BPA free. She informed me that it was linked to several things in small children (adults not mentioned) and should be avoided completely.

With this said....I figured I would help you to purchase items for your child that are BPA free.
Baby Bottles and more:  http://www.newbornfree.com/
For your toddler eating:  http://www.greentoys.com/greeneats/index.html
Food Storage:  http://www.glad.com/faqs/
General search website:  http://www.vitacost.com/bpa-free?csrc=PPCYB-bpa%20free%20products&mtp=eXCtRnVha|pcrid|837480609|mt|e

Buy USA Made!

This is so important in this day and time. Having a problem finding items made in the USA? Well, hopefully this will help through these websites:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/MadeInAmerica/made-america-gift-ideas/story?id=15041794

This is a great website to search by product type   http://americansworking.com/

http://madeinusaforever.com/


Here is TAP website:

http://tapamerica.org/get-involved/become-a-member/?gclid=CLnmt8TO46wCFdKR7QodZj7XIw