Two Tips Tuesday

I am launching "TwoTips Tuesday." I will lay out my very detailed plan...I will provide two tips every Tuesday. Genius, right?

I think it is funny that I assume I have good tips! (I really think I will, though) And I have bought into the quippy title trend for a weekly post. What a blog conformist I have become. But I think this will be fun since maybe my tips can be useful, utterly girly, or even parenting tips (not an expert here but offering up what has worked for me) or just things I have learned from many magazines and other fluffy research. Seriously, I do read a lot and I love learning anything that will make my life a bit simpler, a bit lovelier, and a bit more fun. Here goes...

Tip #1 Pamper Yourself: Make Your Own Homemade Scrub

2 Tablespoons of brown sugar
2 Tablespoons of honey
Juice of 1 lemon

Mix together and use as a scrub on a clean face.

This smells absolutely heavenly and it tastes good too! Just slosh it on to you face and have a lick. You will want to after you smell it. Really.

I actually love everything about home microdermabrasion kits. I like having smoother skin and a brown spot smack dab in the middle of my forehead has faded too! I have never tried the spa packages. I can't justify shelling out my already limited funds to have some girl with perfect, porcelain skin point out signs of aging and damage to my face and then proceed to sandpaper a layer of skin until its all angry & red. I mean is this not a masochistic method in our quest for beauty? My solution? Be a slave to vanity in the comfort of your own home.

I use it in the shower because it gets kinda messy. But I love how the honey softens the face and the brown sugar exfoliates. The lemon juice lightens red spots. I have sensitive skin but have not had an issue. Don't try it if you think it could be problem. But it is a great scrub for hands and feet too! A fabulous way for women to take 5 minutes and just do a little something extra for themselves.
Let me know if you try it and like it!

Tip #2 Values Chart for Kids



Now I must tell you that this chart irks me in that it is not pretty. I would love to make my own but function matters more here. Though I am ashamed to even include this photo I felt a visual was necessary to convey my "TIP" effectively.

This has been such a wonderful tool to help instill positive values in Cati. Ella is still young but I will do it for her soon! It has taught Cati social and communication skills while giving her something to be proud of.

I bought this dollar tree (love that place) chores chart and put it on the closet door where Cati can see it. With a dry erase marker, I listed "values" we wanted Cati to work on. I used upbeat wording (yes, positive reinforcement but I so don't want to sound like a poser child psychologist) for value topics like:

• Sharing
• Be Respectful
• Tell the Truth
• Have a Happy Heart
• First Time Listening
• Please & Thank You

Cati needs to earn 5 smiley faces for each category and if she does, she receives a "blessing." I call it that because I was afraid if I called it a reward, the behavior would be a means to an end rather then a heart issue for her. I did not want a toy or candy to be what she worked for. So the blessing could still be something tangible like a a dollar toy or a fun activity like going to the beach or spray park. I also call them values rather then goals because it helps me to maintain perspective that the value is more important then her filling up the chart with smileys. It is enabled her to have some of these values become second nature which is so rewarding for my heart. I am not saying this is exactly how these things should be taught but perhaps it will inspire some of you in ways that will work for your children.

Hope you like the very first 2 Tips Tuesday! I would love tips too! You could even be a guest blogger one Tuesday! Ooh ooh. The ideas just keep coming! See? I am now sucked into the vortex of blog marketing where I use fun little tools to see who actually reads my blog. So help me out and leave a comment. I confess they delight me more then they should so make me happy!