I spent some time as a SPED teaching assistant, or parapro, at the local high school where my son had begun attending, but I really always felt drawn to younger children, so when an opportunity to work in a preschool classroom at a local daycare opened up, I went for it. I have been at Smarty Pants Learning Center for just over a year now. Although I spent over 6 months as a teacher in the pre-k 4's and 5's, I recently opted to return to being an aide in the 2's and 3's to give me more free time to do my homework ( I also went back to college online through Western Governor's University where I am finishing my ECE degree).
When I graduate I'll be able to teach in a public or private school or preschool/Headstart, or open my own childcare or preschool. I am hoping and praying that it works out for me to start a small in-home preschool program.
You can read more about my preschool adventures on my other blog, www.Iteach16kids.blogspot.com
I also would like to find time to resume my crafting one day. I enjoyed making and teaching hand-made crafts such as bottlecap and glass jewelry, and homemade soaps and other beauty products. I miss my two Etsy stores! I hope to continue to post ideas on beauty blog at www.SugarSweetBathShoppe.blogspot.com
While this blog will no longer be about homeschooling, it will still feature ideas of interest to those who believe that faith and family come first in life. I hope to add ideas for things to do to make life easier for working moms, fun ideas to spruce up the home for less, and ideas and tips I run across.
Today's tip (which really might be more appropriate over at my beauty blog) is taken from a mixture of wonderful homemade facial recipes I found online and at www.Pinterest.com.
"Honey, is that MUD on your face?" Honey-Mud Facial
(I keep my facial "base" in a pint canning jar, labeled DO NOT EAT. I have not tested the shelf life of this homemade product and make no claims; use it at your own risk. I picked ingredients that are fairly easy to find and good for your body).3/4-1 full box baking soda
1 TBS. vanilla extract (optional, but smells so yummy!)
2 TBS. ground oatmeal
15 crushed aspirin
1 small honey bear bottle, all of it
2-3 crushed vitamin E caps (optional) or 1/2 tsp. olive oil or coconut oil (optional)
Mix these ingredients in a large bowl. It should come out like wet, loose cookie dough. You can add more oatmeal or baking soda to thicken, or a little more oil or honey to loosen the base. Keep this base stored in airtight container.
To use, mix a TBS. of base in a bowl with 1 tsp. of sour cream or yogurt and 1/2 tsp. lemon juice. Smooth over cleansed face and let sit for 20-30 minutes. Rinse off with lukewarm water and pat face dry.
My skin feels really smooth after I use this. It can be used 2-3 times a week. I have normal skin with an oily zone with large pores that clog easily, so the aspirin and honey and yogurt are all excellent for these types of problems. Feel free to experiment and see what kind of facials/scrubs your pantry will yield. The only problem I have when using this mask is it makes me crave oatmeal cookies. :)
***BONUS TIPS***
Another tip I saw recently online (can't recall where) is to put a thin layer of mint toothpaste over clogged pores/blackheads and let dry for about 5-10 minutes. Then simply rinse off. I tried this this morning during my shower and let me say, it did tingle considerably. I wouldn't try this if my skin were sensitive. But it sure did seem to feel as if it were cleaning my pores and they looked a little smaller afterwards.
Mole removal- I have always been prone to moles; unfortunately I have a few on my face that are very unflattering. I have been looking into using Dermatend and Wart & Mole Vanish but the price keeps me from ordering. I was looking for safe remedies online and it seems many people have great success with using Tea Tree Oil to remove moles. I happen to keep a bottle of the stuff in my medicine cabinet for fever blisters and minor cuts and scrapes. I also add a bit to my shampoo bottles to keep lice away ( another teacher pal shared this tip with me). I get mine at Walmart for about $7 a bottle and it lasts. The smell can be offensive to some but I have gotten to where I actually kind of like it. According to various websites, you simply apply tea tree oil twice a day to the offensive mole and with a few weeks and patience, the mole is supposed to just sort of fall off. I'll post again if I see progress with this. The mole I have is about the size of a pencil eraser and I can't wait to be rid of it, one way or another.
Blessings,
Lynn
