{spa-licious saturday}

You can't go wrong with chocolate right?

Chocolate Facial Mask
This creamy mask is an excellent moisturizer, leaving your skin baby soft. Recommended for normal skin.

1/3 cup cocoa powder
3 tbsp. heavy cream
2 tsp. cottage cheese
¼ cup honey
3 tsp. oatmeal

Mix all ingredients together (a bullet blender is ideal) and smooth onto face. Relax for ten 10 minutes, then wash off with warm water.

In case you're wondering like I was if chocolate was good for my skin...

It's true! Antioxidant compounds in cocoa, called flavanols, improve artery health by boosting blood flow, and that boost may be good for your skin, too.

Researchers discovered this chocolate benefit in a study of women who consumed half a cup of cocoa (containing 329 milligrams of flavanols per serving, the amount in a 3-½ ounce serving of dark chocolate) daily for 12 weeks. At the end of the study, the women experienced less skin dryness, scaling, and roughness compared to the beginning of the study. Also, their skin was thicker, exhibited improved blood flow, and was even more resistant to sun damage. Pretty Delightful if you ask me!

Frugal But Still Delightful

I'm always curious about home remedies and claim that some just plain don't work but here's some new ones to try! 

• Castor Oil works well on insect bites as well as headaches and upset stomachs.
• Apply warm salt water on a burn and it will help reduce pain as well as prevent infection.
• Honey helps relieve chest congestion…you can also heat it with a touch of whiskey and apple cider vinegar to help heal cold and flu symptoms.
• You can create your own homemade cough syrup with a mixture of sugar and whiskey…heat till thickened.
• To relieve colic, dissolve a tablespoon of baking soda in water; do not give to children under 12.
• Salt and warm water applied into ear with a dropper dissolves wax buildup and reduces ear pain.
• To reduce Garlic breath or bad breath for that matter, chew on some fresh parsley or fresh celery. There are also teas you can drink to help reduce bad mouth odors.
• A tablespoon of peanut butter may very well cure hiccups.
• One old time remedy for asthma was to breathe in salty water up your nose several times a day; also good for relieving nasal congestion and avoiding sinus infections if snorted with a touch of baking soda.
• A mixture of warm honey, whiskey, and apple cider vinegar is an old time remedy for arthritic bones.
• For extreme body odor, pour a cup of pure tomato juice in your bath water and soak half hour. This procedure works on pets as well.
• To relieve itching on scalp or body, apply apple cider vinegar. Rinse off after application.
• A warm castor oil pack applied on soar muscles will relieve pain. For better penetration use a heating pad over applied oil
• Castor oil mixed with baking soda is an excellent treatment for ingrown toenails as well as warts. Simply mix equal amounts, leave on half hour and rinse clean.

Showing Our Pooch Some Love

Here's some cheap-alicious doggy recipes for their dry itchy skin and ear mites. 

Dry Skin Shampoo
Several people have reported using this with great success on dogs with dry, scratchy skin and for other skin problems that required frequent baths.
1/3 Cup Glycerin
1 Cup Lemon Liquid Joy
1 Cup White Vinegar
1 Quart of Water
Mix in a