Pantry Beauty Cures

Over the past year I've been researching and learning more about natural remedies to common ailments and just how common items we have in our pantry help with overall heath in general.

As an acne sufferer, I finally quit all the Rx prescribed by the doctor that over the long term weren't good for me. I also learned that some of the OTC acne treatments may help with acne, but have really harsh ingredients for your skin overall, so I gave that up too. I'll chronicle my experience with some of these things at a later date. Right now, I want to share my holy grail items that i adore for their wonderful benefits for the body that have worked for me.

Ginger
I was a bit slow in getting on this bandwagon. I received a Go Ginger moisturizer sample during a giveaway they had and my skin looked awesome...no breakouts...nothing. I ran out and didn't replenish and a few

months later my skin started to erupt. Now, I'm not saying this product was keeping the acne at bay entirely but what I have come to realize is the power and goodness of ginger.

Why is so great: Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties among other things. So it can be used to treat inflammation from a myriad of sources. Ginger aids in digestion and helps accelerate the removal of toxins from the body. It's super high in Vitamin C and helps soften the skin and lessen signs of aging.  It is also thought that ginger can help with ovarian cancer, the prevention and the treatment.

How I use it: Ginger Tea. Twice a day I make ginger tea which I steep peeled and chopped ginger pieces in hot water. I may add lemon and/or honey depending on my mood. Ginger can also be applied directly to acne to help lessen inflammation.

Side Note: I need to get some more of that Go Ginger moisturizer! It's really good stuff.

Lemon
Lemon has been a mainstay of mine for quite sometime. Its a great sweeter and can be used in face and hair the power of the lemon, check it out!

masks. It boosts the immune system, cleanses the liver and helps fight infection. Here's a great article on

How I use it: In water every morning. I use it in my ginger tea often. I use it in my honey facial mask. I use it alone to help clear up dark spots on my skin from acne scarring. Yes, lemon juice can lighten marks, but please don't let your skin be exposed to the sun. I use it a lot during winter and when I'm in the house. If you expose your skin to sun after using lemon on it, there could be more harm done that good.  Be aware. I use only real lemons, not juice out of the bottle. If you can swing it (and you find a sale) opt for organic.


Honey
Yassss honey! Honey is EVERYTHANG! Yes, "thang"!  No, not the honey out of the little honey bottle that you can get for a buck. That stuff isn't raw 100 percent honey. Here you want to spend a bit more for raw honey that you can find at your local grocery or health food store.  I've heard the benefits of Manuka honey praised to the heavens, and at the price I haven't coughed up the funds to purchase it. I will give it a shot just to see if its worth the hype.  I recommend grabbing the raw honey it may cost anywhere from $5-$15, but its worth it. Honey helps prevent cancer and heart disease. It is also anti-bacterial and anti-fungal which is great for the fight against acne. There are many varieties of honey that have their own benefits. Honey is great for hair and skin as well. Honey helps retain moisture and softens and smooths hair. Same for skin, plus since its
anti bacterial it can attack the crap that helps to cause acne!

How I use it: I use a honey and lemon mask on my skin 1x a day right now after washing. Fresh lemon and raw honey and let it set sometimes up to 30 minutes, no less than 15 and rinse off with cold water. My skin loves it and though it hasn't cleared up my acne totally, there has been a great improvement to which I contribute this concoction.  I'm a hair mask junkie and I use honey in my deep conditioning hair mask that I make.  I also use honey in my green smoothies, in my tea and sometimes I'll just take a big spoonful and swallow just for the health benefits.  Honey is my liquid gold!


I'd highly recommend these good for you and good to you items to add to your beauty regime and in your dietary intake. I have a feeling I'll be posting more about these items quite often.  Next time, I'll be talking about more pantry beauty cures including Apple Cider Vinegar and Coconut Oil.

She Said It...

Nothing makes a woman more beautiful than the belief that she is beautiful - Sofia Loren

Juicalicious

2014 starts my 30 day juice cleanse...on Jan 2 to be exact.  I've started juicing now to make the transition a bit easier.  I don't think we realize how much crap we put into our bodies...even if we don't mean to. I also think a lot of ailments are diet related.  Personally, I am on a quest for acne-free skin and I believe I have an allergy to dairy as well as hormones in foods like beef and chicken that cause me to break out. Issue is, I LOVE diary, especially cheese.  This cleanse period will allow my body to detox of all the yucky and leave me feeling better and free of acne.

This will spark my healthier much cleaner lifestyle. Last time I juiced it was for 2 weeks, I felt great and my skin glowed...ya' hear me? GLOWED! All I was missing was a halo!

Pictured above is what I picked up from the store with a budget of $12 and 2 juice drinks for 3 days for 2 people. I'm trying to bunk the misconception that eating healthy is prohibitively expensive.  So hopefully my body and my wallet will be happy with my healthier choices.

Good luck to me! Do you juice? Share your favorite recipes below.

Take A Second, Think About It...

I couldn't imagine living my life to impress someone else. That has to be torture. If you have to constantly impress someone for their like or love, then you don't need them! 

From Drab to Fab in One Simple Step

This image has absolutely nothing to do with this post,
I just thought it looked quite yummy! :-)

I must admit there have been plenty of days that just going outside was a feat in and of itself. Taking the time to do my hair and makeup to the gawds was just not happening. My naturally curly hair is beautiful but a challenge at times and rumbling through my unorganized makeup collection was tiring before I even tried. So out the door in my favorite leggings and any top I went feeling totally unfab!

Well, all that has changed.

No, I don't have a hour to spend beating my face and hair into submission worthy of the cover of Vogue magazine but I realized the little things that I can do that make me feel wonderful that are quick and easy. That feeling of "oh my God, what if I run into someone I know" doesn't phase me because I know I'm looking darn pretty cute.  And I know this resonates with a lot of you because sometimes life takes everything out of you leaving you with no time left for yourself. Now, I can't give you another 4 hours in your day but here is one simple tips to help you look and feel fabulous.

Give 'Em Face Honey!

While I lack the time and know-how to perfectly contour my nose, I realized I didn't need that anyway. What makes me feel pretty is just mascara, some poppin' gloss or lipstick and earrings. If I'm on the go and need to rush to drop off something at my son's school. Mascara (currently, Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam is my crush) and a coat of my favorite lipstick (or gloss) will do the job just fine. Simple, right? Takes less than 5 minutes, why didn't I figure this out before?!!  Once I figured this out, I was happily waiving at folks I knew that I'd encounter while out and about instead of ducking and hoping they didn't see me because I was less than put together that day. Your one step is to figure out what makes you feel fabulous. Going from drab to fab doesn't have to be a labor intensive process. Just figure out what effortlessly chic items make you feel amazing and go with it!

On any given day you'll catch me in some shade of a red, purple or pink lip.  I'd be remiss not share the mascara and lippies I so adore these days, both can be found at pretty much any drugstore. Total non-budget busters!

Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Red Label $5.49

Rimmel Scandaleyes $6

She's Arrived!

I find it interesting when people refer to themselves in the third person but for some reason I couldn't think of another "opener" for my blog and "welcome" is just totally overused.  So...she's (as in me!) has arrived to my new space on the 'net.

Who is "she"? Okay, I'm ceasing with the 3rd person talk now! I'm Tammy, I am a mom, soon to be wife, entrepreneur, wine lover, chocolate aficionado and world-traveler (most of my travels are done in my head, but that's soon to change). Anywho, this little blog is simply about living everyday to the fullest.  If you're like me, sometimes we do a lot of reserving the best for tomorrow, when really the best should be lived right now. And maybe the right now is not your ideal, but it should be fabulous nonetheless. Life is too short to live for tomorrow only, enjoy today.  And that's what everyday fabulous is all about. So if you're waiting on something, anything to start living your life to the fullest...STOP IT! One day you'll look back on the lost time and opportunities and wish you hadn't of squandered time because you can't get that back.

Life is mean't to not just merely exist but to LIVE!  This is what Everyday Fabulous is all about. It's a mix of everything namely beauty, travel, food, fashion, fun finds and business and money savvy to help you live everyday fabulously!

Enjoy the journey!

Tammy