Happy Birthday to me - My anti-aging secret

Today is my birthday and I am 29 (again)!!  While we can't turn back the hands of time, we can take simple steps to reverse the aging process.  Those that know me know that I do not wear make-up, so what you see is what you get.  I am often asked "What do you use on your face?"  The answer is quite simple, just soap and water.  When it is time to exfoliate, I simply whip up a batch of my secret ingredients and create a facial scrub.  Then, I use the remaining product (with a slight modification) for a body scrub.  I do not recommend making a large batch and saving, use the product the same day you make it.

Here is the recipe, you may have everything on hand already.  I would love for you to try it and provide your feedback.

KK's Facial Scrub

1 Green Tea Bag
Boiling water
Sugar
Honey (I use the honey packets from fast food places)

1. Place the teabag into a mug, fill with boiling water, and let it steep.
2. Add a few tablespoons of sugar into a plastic bowl, add the tea, and stir until it makes a paste.
3. Add the packet of honey to the paste.
4. Once the mixture has cooled, apply to your face, scrubbing lightly in circular motion.
5. Pay special attention to the areas that have blemished and are prone to breakouts.
6. Splash your face with cold water and then pat your face with a towel to dry.

Any product remaining in the bowl can be combined with the rest of the tea and used as a body scrub.  I generally add more sugar to create a paste.  Then, I add my shower gel and some olive oil to the mix as well.  I use this on my daughter that has eczema (sans the shower gel) and it really cools and softens her skin.  The body scrub works wonders on dry and rough areas.  Try it on your knees, elbows, hands, and feet and see if you don't notice a difference right away.

This is my birthday gift to you, Enjoy!

As always, thanks for KeepinUpWKaren.  Until next time!

~K

Champ Goes to Middle School

May 2011 marked the end of an era.  My youngest completed 5th grade -- no more Elementary School for us.  As the Summer went on, I noticed that Champ was growing and changing in so many ways.  I had no choice but to prepare to let him go off to Middle School.

Champ is my sidekick, we are attached at the hip.  I am not sure if it was the attachment parenting classes that I took or what, but I wanted to hold on to his childhood forever.  When he was born, my oldest was 14 and the middle child was 12.  They had already become self-sufficient.  I really needed this baby in my life!  We [purposely] built a house with his Elementary School in our back yard.  This made it easy for me to go over during the day and check in on things, volunteer, have lunch, the list goes on.

Well now my baby is no more. He is a young man and he makes me proud of him each day.  I know that he will do great in Middle School, I am just trying to come to terms with the fact that mom's should not have lunch with their Middle Schooler's.  Yes, this is truly and end to an era.

Good luck Champ and mommy is here should you need me!

Thanks for KeepinUpWKaren, until next time.
~K

Keepsake Kanz - Harley Davidson

I helped my dear friend on this Harley Davidson Keepsake Kanz.  I was able to help out by using Sure Cuts a Lot 2 (SCAL2) and my baby bug to create the Harley Davidson logo.  Be sure to like her Keepsake Kanz page on FaceBook and check her selection often as she is hoping to have a few college logo and seasonal kanz available soon.

Thanks for KeepinUpWKaren, until next time.
~K

Texas Caviar

My husband introduced me to Texas Caviar last year when someone at school made it and he brought it home to share.  It was so good that I decided to make it for a few recent events.

Texas Caviar is more like a salsa than a dip. It goes great with the Blue Corn Tortilla Chips.  The combination of beans, fresh vegetables, and spices are indescribable.  You will have to make it and see for yourself.

A few people asked for the recipe I used.  Enjoy!

Texas Caviar

Ingredients:1 yellow bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
2 jalapeno peppers
1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (11 ounce) can white shoepeg corn
1 (16 ounce) bottle Italian dressing
4 roma tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro

Directions:1 Remove membranes and seeds from peppers. 2 Dice peppers and place in a large plastic bowl (jalapenos should be finely chopped). 3 Drain and rinse the black beans, blackeye peas, and shoepeg corn and add to peppers. 4 Add italian dressing and stir well. 5 Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 8 hours. 6 Drain. 7 Dice roma tomatoes and cilantro and stir into mixture. Serve with tortilla chips.

I modified it a bit by adding the following:
dash of ground cumin
dash of chili powder
dash of hot sauce
dash of sugar (to taste)
splash of apple cider vinegar
I also threw in some diced green pepper
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl; cover and refrigerate 2 hours or up to 2 days. Before serving, adjust seasonings to taste, adding extra vinegar and sugar. Transfer to a serving bowl using a slotted spoon.

Karen's Courvoisier® Rose Summer Soiree House Party™

I was so excited to be selected to host my own Courvoisier® Rosé Summer Soiree House Party™.  House Party made the event so easy by sending me party favors (how awesome were the tote bags with the Courvoisier® Rosé logo???), conversation cards (they were so much fun!), and recipes for their signature cocktails.  All I had to do was invite a few dear friends, prepare food, and the event unfolded [perfectly] on it's own. It was so exciting being able to sample the Courvoisier® Rosé before it is released to the general public.

You should look into hosting your own House Party! I cannot wait to do it again!!!

What is houseparty.com?

houseparty.com connects people through parties. Use the helpful tools to plan your party, create invites, join sponsored events, share pictures and video and explore thousands of parties being held in homes around the country.

Thanks for KeepinUpWKaren, until next time...

~K

CNN Question of the Day 21-JUL-11 (Video)

CNN Question of the day

This morning when I logged onto Twitter (keeping abreast of the daughters' overnight activities), I came across a Tweet from CNN. Today's Question of the Day was to share your funny hotel story. It was early and without thinking, I adjusted the iPad for better lighting, tapped the link, and submitted my story. I was surprised to see that it actually made the segment, even more surprise that my brief synopsis was un-edited and read verbatim. I am such a CNN junkie, this made my day!

As soon as I can figure out how to do it, I will upload the actual video.

Thanks for KeepinUpWKaren, until next time.
~K