Favorite Things!

Last night I had a quiet evening at home, enjoying a few of my favorite things. A glass of white wine, chocolate mints, watching 500 Days of Summer, and crafting! One thing I love about that movie is that you don't even have to be fully absorbed in watching it to enjoy it. The soundtrack alone makes it worth throwing on. The Smiths, Regina Spektor, The Temper Trap... So good! I think most people will either relate to Tom or Summer when they watch it. I'm a Tom, through and through. I feel for the guy. Hopeless romantic (emphasis on hopeless), open-hearted, and a little misguided. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, if you're reading this, I'd be happy to recreate the IKEA shopping scene with you any time.

And what did I create in between drooling over JGL and munching on chocolate? Well, I got out my jewelry supplies and fixed a couple of broken necklaces, and made 2 new ones as well! Using chain and pendants from my local craft store, as well as some charms salvaged off a pair of earrings I don't wear, I created 2 funky, sort of bohemian necklaces. Here's the final result:

Coffee Body Scrub

Today I'm going to share another natural beauty product recipe with you! As you know, I like to experiment with making products myself using ingredients found in my kitchen. It's economical, environmentally friendly and really helps to cut out a lot of the dangerous chemical ingredients found in store-bought products. A product I've been making myself for a long time is body scrub. Scrubs are so easy and cheap to make, and the varieties are endless! My current pick is an all-natural coffee scrub. I especially like being able to re-purpose those used coffee grinds from my pot of morning java. If you don't compost (which, of course, I do), this is a great way to avoid putting them in the trash. Why coffee grinds? Well, the big trend in beauty products right now is using caffeine to combat cellulite. We all know that you can't get rid of the bumpy stuff completely, but you can temporarily reduce the appearance of cellulite. The theory is that caffeine, applied topically, increases micro-circulation to the area, which increases fat metabolism and reduces fluid retention (swelling). This makes the skin look firmer and smoother. So, I thought I'd make a scrub that does double duty - exfoliates and moisturizes the skin while (potentially) smoothing out those trouble spots. I don't know for sure if it reduces the look of cellulite, but at the very least coffee grinds make a good exfoliant. Here's the recipe I've been using. As usual, I'm not giving exact measurements. Measuring is for suckers! The idea is to adjust the ratio of the ingredients until you get the consistency you like. I like my scrub to be a little crumbly, with enough oil to spread well, but not be soupy.

Used Coffee Grinds

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or any oil you have on hand)

Coarse Sea Salt

Mix the ingredients into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Adjust the ratio until you like the consistency. Test it on your hands over the kitchen sink. When you're done, put the jar in your shower and scrub away a few times a week to get soft, smooth and moisturized skin. I find it's best to pat dry in order to keep the oil on your skin. Enjoy!