Kiss Dry Skin Goodbye!

The first few years of your child's life are probably the only ones he'll hug and kiss you with reckless abandon. The first time my son wrapped those chubby arms around my neck and engulfed my cheek with his mouth, I just melted. And I'm not even speaking of the effects of his drool!

But that brought some concerns to mind (see "The Hum"!). What face lotion had I used that morning? Did I really want him eating it? I'd long been concerned with the ingredients for my own health, but now my chunky monkey was chewing on them.

I've always believed there's a natural solution to all our physical needs. I can't imagine God thinking, "Too bad they have dry skin. I guess they'll have to wait for someone to invent Oil of Olay." Instead, we have countless plants, herbs, and oils to experiment with and learn from. In many cases, the simplest, purest solution is the best solution. Take, for instance, my favorite lotion.

I used to fork over copious amounts of money to purchase "natural" face lotions, tonics, and other general magic in a bottle. The prices were steep, but I loved the results and I felt I was doing the most for my skin. Then I started learning about parabens, preservatives, and other icky additives. But when I became pregnant, I knew I wanted to keep things natural. Somewhere in the back recesses of my brain, I had stored the fact that women use coconut oil to prevent stretch marks. I don't know where I heard it originally, but no matter. I purchased some. (It took some looking to find coconut oil without added stuff, believe it or not. I learned it's best found with the cooking oils, and not in the health and beauty departments. Look for organic.)

It wasn't long before I was using coconut oil for things other than my increasing stomach. I found it works wonders on freshly shaved legs. After those wonderful baby kisses started, I discovered using a small amount of coconut oil on the face absorbs quickly, leaving no oil, and improving skin over time. The best part? It's moisturizer for your whole body for about $7 a 14-ouce jar! (What department store sells their lotion for 50 cents an ounce???) I also experiment with melting smaller amounts and adding a drop or two of an essential oil for a natural fragrance. It makes a nice scented body lotion, and when I run out, I whip up another "flavor".

Now my little darling can munch his mommy's cheeks until he reaches the age it's just not cool to like your mom so much. I sure hope that's a long, long way off - but whatever that age, this mommy will have great skin and a youthful, dewy glow!

Tricks from a Tightwad

Alright, everyone! Time to dig in and dole out a few quick money-saving tips. It's all that little stuff, after all, that adds up to the big bucks. These are just a few things I do on a regular basis. Add your tips and tricks to the comments at the end of this entry.

1. For kitchen garbage bags, reuse all those plastic bags you get from the grocery store. They perfectly fit the under-the-sink garbage pails.

2. Shake things up! Are you one of those people who squish their 2-liter pop bottle before tightening the lid? That's not really saving as much fizz as if you gave it a couple shakes instead. Repressurize the bottle by tightening the lid and then shaking it once or twice. (Don't shake it too much or you'll give the next person a bath.)

3. Make your own baby food. Not only is it healthier, it's so much cheaper. See the Whole Baby Foods link on this page for recipes.

4. Buy bulk. If you're a tea drinker, try getting loose leaf tea. It's much cheaper, and you get a whole lot more for the money. Asian food stores often carry good ones at a fraction of the cost of the grocery store. Dried beans or rice in bulk quantities are also cheaper. They make for inexpensive meals, and they keep for a long time.

5. Buy meat on sale and freeze it. 'Nuff said!

6. Soap. It used to come in big bottles. You know, big squirt bottles of dish soap. Then they decided to be "environmentally friendly" and they shrunk the bottles to save the world from plastic, took out the water, and called it "ULTRA". You were supposed to buy the little bottles, put some in your old big bottle, and add water. But no one did. They still sell the soap in smaller bottles for higher prices than the originals because now it's concentrated. Brilliant marketing scheme. Water it down and you'll rarely have to buy dish soap, or other liquid soaps for that matter. Okay, I'll get off my soap box now.

These are six things you can do to save some green. I've got plenty more where that came from, and I know you do, too. So click on the Comments button and type away! Together, maybe we can pinch enough pennies to start that college fund...