Carefully begin to remove the dried glue. Most of the cactus spines should come up with the layer of glue.

To remove any remaining spines, either repeat the glue application or rub pantyhose in one direction along the needles.

My daughter started this art project by arranging crayons on a simple art canvas.  When she had things the way she liked, I helped her to attach the crayons with a glue gun.

Once the crayons were in place, we took the canvas outside and began to heat the crayons with a blow dryer.  When heated, the crayons will melt and drip down the canvas.  Be sure to supervise your child carefully during this project, as the wax tends to drip in unexpected places.

The crayons in the pictures above were inexpensive “no-name” crayons.  In the picture below we used Crayola Crayons, which provided us with thicker lines and much richer colors.  When purchasing your supplies for this crayon art, it is best to spend a few extra dollars for Crayola Brand crayons.

The finished product does not have to stand upright.  Sometimes crayon art looks even better flipped sideways or upside down.  Furthermore, children can use markers, paint or colored pencils to turn “drips” in to flowers, rain or other objects on the canvas!

I am a Lush junkie.  Unfortunately, I cannot afford more than a few bars of soap a year.  So you can imagine my excitement at receiving a $100 gift card for Lush this past Christmas.

It was with this money that I decided to try Lush’s Celestial Moisturizer.  The rave reviews intrigued me.  One wrote, “Formerly I used Olay products on my face but never again!”  I myself use Oil of Olay’s Regenerist.  I had been hesitant to order Celestial because of its $23.95 price tag.  However, I decided to give Celestial a try after hearing it might work even better than an Olay product.

I’m not one to gush when reviewing a product.  But with this face cream, I’m going to gush.  I’ve been using Celestial for a month.  During that time, I have seen a dramatic improvement in my face.  My wrinkles have become smoother while my skin now glows when it used to be dull.

As others have noted, a tiny bit of Celestial Moisturizer goes a long way.  All I use is a dab from the inside of the lid to cover my entire face and neck.  My $23.95 container will last me at least three months, if not more.

Lush tends to have products with very strong scents.  Some of their products are too perfumed for me.  Fortunately, Celestial has a mild vanilla scent.

This moisturizer is greasy, and should only be applied at night.  If I used it in the morning, I would not be able to use my Bare Minerals makeup.  When I apply Celestial at night, my face is smooth and free of oil in the morning.

Would I recommend Lush’s Celestial Moisturizer to my friends?  Absolutely.  This moisturizer works so well for me that I will never be without it.  Celestial is the best wrinkle cream I have ever used.

Does the Oil of Olay Pro X really work?  That is exactly what I wondered after finding the Olay rotating brush for a mere $22 on Amazon.  With free shipping, I would soon find out!

I have always wanted a rotating cleansing brush, but sadly the cost has prevented me from such an extravagant anti-aging product.  Fortunately  the low price of the Olay Pro X falls within most household budgets.

The Olay Pro X has a rotating brush and runs on two AA batteries that are included in the kit.  The Olay brush merely spins, while many costly facial cleansers rotate while utilizing sonic technology.  Olay’s product has both a high and low setting.  The Pro X is both lightweight and easy to hold.

After using the Olay Pro X for a month, I have to say I would not wash my face without it.  My skin is smoother and I have not had any breakouts since purchasing the Pro X.  NONE.

But does the Olay Pro X make my skin look younger?  Yes and no.  My kit came with the Exfoliating Renewal Cleanser.  Using this daily with the brush on a high setting indeed cleared up my skin, but also accentuated some of my deeper wrinkles.  To prevent this, I switched to the Micro Purifying Foaming Cleanser for daily use and exfoliate once every seven days.

After cleaning my skin with the Olay Pro X, I use a Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream for moisture and anti-wrinkle support.  Indeed, my skin is now softer with less defined wrinkles, thanks to the slight changes I made using the Olay Pro X.

What are the drawbacks of the Olay Pro X?  As I noted before, the product only uses a spinning brush, as opposed to those that have sonic technology.  Furthermore, it is difficult to open the battery container, particularly for those with weakened hands.

What are the pro’s of the Olay Pro X?  The cost is hard to beat, especially compared to other facial cleansing brushes.  The batteries last a long time, it is portable and has two speeds.  After using the Pro X, my skin is smoother and completely free of blemishes.

I give my Olay Pro X two thumbs up!

To make crock pot beef stroganoff, place one to two large cans of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup in the bottom of a crock pot.  Add an inexpensive slice of beef that will break down with slow cooking.  Push the meat down to the middle of the soup.  Cover and place on low for about six hours.

Take out the beef and shred it, placing it back in to the soup.  Boil egg noodles until they are al dente and add them to the mix.  And that’s it!

This crock pot recipe is easy, inexpensive and will fill up any hungry family member on a cold winter day!

I hate to admit it, but my chocolate chip pancakes are simply a box pancake mix that I throw chocolate chips in to.  I recommend Aunt Jemima Light and Fluffy pancake mix.

The chocolate pancakes were a mistake, and a wonderful one at that.  Not realizing someone had just used the hot water, I poured two cups of it in to the mix.  Then I threw in tollhouse chocolate chips and stirred.  To my surprise, the mix began to turn a rich brown.

By adding hot water instead of cold, the pancakes changed from chocolate chip to a rich chocolate flavor instead.  Furthermore, some of the chocolate chips remained intact, allowing for the best of both worlds that morning.  It was a nice change, and the children actually thought I had used a new and complicated recipe for the morning’s pancakes.

Sometimes mistakes in the kitchen can become the family’s favorite dishes.  Have you made mistakes in the kitchen that actually turned in to delicious meals or treats?

Begin your yogurt on a day when you have at least 5 ½ hours remaining before you go to bed.

Purchase a half gallon of whole milk, preferably organic.  Pour it in a crock pot, put on the lid and cook it on low for 2 ½ hours.  Unplug the crock pot and leave it covered for an additional 3 hours.

Now, add ½ cup of store bought yogurt to the milk and stir it thoroughly.  The yogurt you add must have live cultures in it or this recipe won’t work.

Wrap the crock pot with a towel and let it sit overnight.  I put mine in a cool oven for the evening.

In the morning you will have a crock pot full of regular yogurt.  You can leave it like this or add flavoring such as vanilla or jam.

To make homemade Greek yogurt, line a colander with cheese cloth or paper towels and place the colander over a large bowl.  Add the yogurt to the colander and place it in the refrigerator for several hours.

Liquid from your yogurt will drain through the cloth, leaving you with the creamiest yogurt you have ever had.  The liquid is called Ghee and can be used in other recipes.

This homemade crock pot yogurt is inexpensive, easy and delicious!

When my daughter saw the advertisement for the PackIt on TV, she immediately wanted it for school.  As September came closer she continued to ask for this “As Seen On TV” product.  Knowing the beginning of a school year can be hard, I decided to order her one to start fourth grade off right.  Does the PackIt really keep things cold all day?

First, let’s talk about the cost of this product.  The PackIt website states that you can get one for 19.95 and receive another one for free.  Was ordering online easy?  Only if you enjoy having to go through eight different screens, all asking if you would like to order yet another type of product, and another, and another!  Enough already, I just want the PackIt!

When the ordering was finally complete, the cost was far from $19.95.  The text in bold is from my actual order:

Right here, right now!

Add another Packit to your current order and we’ll give you an extra one for free. Here’s how it works.

First, choose your extra Packit for $19.95, plus $7.95 s&h:

Next, choose your FREE Packit and pay only the $7.95 for s&h:

ORDER TOTAL: $32.85

Much to my daughter’s delight, the PackIts arrives shortly after I ordered them.  We put them in the freezer the day before school started and packed up her lunch the next morning.  How did it work?  My daughter said her lunch was indeed cold by 11:30 and gave it a thumbs up.  I have since used the second Packit to transport food to work and find the food to be cold when I arrive.  However, if you leave a water bottle in the car in a PackIt, it is completely warm by the end of the day.  A fair test?  Probably not!

The Pro’s of the PackIt? 

• I absolutely love taking it out of the freezer, filling it up and sending it off to school without worrying about adding freezer packs.  I went through lots of freezer blocks last year, simply because they were accidentally thrown away.  With the PackIt, you always have the freezer packs intact in your bag.
• The PackIt is easy to clean.
• There is plenty of room for food and containers in the PackIt, and water bottles fit perfectly.  Regular school lunch boxes never seem to have enough room, while the PackIt is a perfect size.
• Food stays cold in the PackIt through lunchtime for my daughter, making lunch more enjoyable.
• The PackIt is made of a sturdy material that has held up very well to constant transport.

The Con’s of the Packit?

• The PackIt is very large and does not fit in my daughter’s backpack.  Furthermore, there is no way to clip it to a backpack unless you buy something to hook on the handle.
• The Packit is extremely heavy due to the internal icepacks.  When you add food and a drink this makes it even more difficult to carry for a smaller child.
• Although the PackIt folds up nicely in the freezer, it still takes up a lot of space.
• The online ordering process for the PackIt is tedious and the cost is well over $19.95 for two.
• The commercial states that you can put food back in the refrigerator after having been in the PackIt all day.  In my opinion, our PackIt’s are not cold enough several hours afterwards to re-store food in the refrigerator safely.

Would I purchase a PackIt again?  Absolutely, simply because I don’t have to deal with separate freezer packs when making school lunches.  The PackIt keeps food cold for several hours and is both durable and attractive.

But would I purchase it online again?  NO.  I felt nearly harassed by all of the pop-ups I had to go through when ordering the product.  Wait until you can purchase the PackIt in a nearby store so you can avoid the unfriendly website and shipping and handling fees.  If you can get the PackIt for under $20 in a store, it is absolutely worth it.

]]> http://agoosa.com/?feed=rss2&p=2050 2 http://agoosa.com/?p=2041 http://agoosa.com/?p=2041#comments Fri, 05 Aug 2011 01:04:24 +0000 Katherine http://agoosa.com/?p=2041 Funky newspaper nails aren’t just for girls anymore.  Indeed, women of all ages are having fun transferring words and pictures to their fingernails.

To create a newspaper nails manicure, first polish your fingernails with any light color of your choice.  Allow your nails to dry completely.

Cut out words or pictures from the newspaper, leaving enough edge for you to grasp when the transfer is complete.

Quickly dip your nail in rubbing alcohol and gently place the newspaper on the nail.

Allow the newspaper to dry just enough to transfer the ink without drying on the nail.  It is very important the newspaper does not get too dry on the nail.

Now, carefully peel off the newspaper and allow your newspaper manicure to dry!

The lighter the nail polish, the better the look.  Get ready for people to ask you how you created your one of a kind fingernails!

You should choose your foods wisely and eat in moderation, right?  Sadly, many Americans have a problem with moderation, particularly when it comes to meat.  A new report generated by the Environmental Working Group shows a need for caution when consuming red meat.  After all, Americans eat sixty percent more meat than Europeans alone.  That’s a lot of meat!

Studies have shown that eating significant amounts of red or processed meat can increase your chances of dying from a heart attack by 27 percent.  Furthermore, you can increase your risk of dying from cancer by 20 percent compared to those who eat very little read meat.

So how much red meat can you eat to remain safe while still benefiting from the protein and vitamins found in it?  Some say to cut your red and processed meat intake by half.  Others encourage eating grains and vegetables during the meal before you eat your serving of meat.

The American Institute of Cancer Research recommends that people eat 18 ounces or less of red meat a week.  To put this in to perspective, it would mean eating only one meat patty from a kid’s meal daily.

How much red meat to you eat each day or week?