Lime + Salt

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A great natural disenfectant for your cutting boards and counter tops is lime & salt. The acid in the lime helps to kill the bacteria while the salt creates a gritty texture to work as a scrub. 

To use:  Sprinkle salt through out surface of cutting board.  Slice lime in half (slice the lime almost half way then twist the top off of the lime) and then squeeze a little bit of juice over the area.  Take the lime and use the open side face down to rub over the salt through out the surface of the cutting board.  Just as you would with a soap and sponge.  I always wash my cutting board afterwards too, but this is just an extra step in helping to kill bacteria, especially after cutting meat.

**Lime is also great for taking the smell off of your hands after preparing fish, or eating it.  Learned that out here in Panama.  I have yet to see a person not douse their hands with fresh lime after preparing fish.

Try it.

ALC

The perfect CAMOUFLAGE.

  I don't know if many of you battle some bags under your eyes, or fight with some circles hanging around those pretty brights but, as of 11 days ago, I have been.  Thank God I feel pretty good, and have a good amount of energy despite the sleep I am not getting (my little guy is SO worth it though), but the circles under my eyes would have others believing differently.  However, there is a GREAT quick fix to this problem, and I thankful for the little solution....so is my husband.  Being that blue and orange are on the opposite side of the color wheel, using a concealer or cover-up with an orange tint to it will automatically take away any darkness luring under you eyes.  Use this cover-up after you apply your concealer....circles no more.  

I have also found that dusting under my eyes (slightly) with my bronzer (again, make sure there is some orange tint to it) at the end of my make-up routine has given my eyes a little more boost of color too.  Definitely brightens me up.....which in turn, boosts my mood up.  Funny how that works, isn't it?

Let me know how it works for you, or please share any other secrets you might have in blending in under eye circles.

Que pase una buena dia....

ALC

What A blessing children are.  As of March 10,2012 my husband and I were blessed with our third little blessing...Alex Joseph Correa.  He is such a perfect addition and completion to our family.  Thank you Lord for our newest blessing along with our two other amazing blessings.  I am truly blessed with the favor of the Lord. 

Now on to healing and weight loss.  I'll be posting my progress along with some tips, remedies and workouts that I'll be doing to get back into the grind.....and shape!

Blessings....

ALC

Swipe.

Besides applying this to your feet, if they are dry or cracked (and then putting some socks on), there two other ways that I use this product and have not switched to anything else for years now. 

1. This stuff is AWESOME for removing your eye make-up.  It seriously ALL comes right off.  And so gently too.  I usually apply a little right under my eyes and then dip my cotton pad in to the jar to get a small amount (less is more), and then just swipe over your eye like you would with any other eye make up remover. All make-up comes right off! 
2. I apply under my eyes as my 'eye cream' nightly.  I do sometimes switch up every couple days with my 'all about eyes' cream by Clinique, but other wise I use Vaseline as a nightly product. Oh, and I usually take the extra grease on my fingers to run it over my lips before bed too. 

*Bonus: You will spend roughly $3-$5 (depending on the size of the jar)  vs. $12-$35 (even more depending on the brand) on an eye cream, or remover AND the jar of Vaseline will out last any little eye cream or remover by months....think about it....TRY IT!


Happy Weekend!!  Let's hope my little guy wants to make his way in to this world this weekend!!!


Cuidate~

ALC

Customize those lips.

Many of you might already do this or have tried this.  I have tried this before, but have recently just fallen in love with it again.  I just crossed paths with a beauty section that recommend to mix your lip gloss with your blush or eye shadow.  I have been bored with my lip stick colors, am on a budget, being that we are about to have our third child and therefore, am not running out to Felix (our version of Dillard's or Macy's) to buy a new color.  What a great way this is to change your lip color up and really play with different tones.  I LOVE IT, and recommend that you play around with it too.  You can always apply a lip liner first (remember to always smudge the corners and hard line with your pinkie to blend), or a lip stick color and then go over it with your customized mixed gloss from your blush, or shadow.  I am seriously diggin' this and wanted to pass this little beauty tip on to more of you lovelies....

Let me know how you like it....

LOS PROVERBIOS 3:5

ALC


**photo obtained here http://eshopdemo.tramin.artio.cz/english/bare-escentuals-bareminerals-blush.html

Heal it with something sweet.

Has your child just bit their lip, cut it from falling down, or some how ended up with a small cut to their tongue or lip?  A great way to almost instantly stop the bleeding (and the crying) is to apply straight white sugar to the cut.  Stops the bleeding, almost immediately too.  Plus, it tastes good so they will usually open their mouth to let you apply it, and it usually solves what could be a 10 minute crying session in about 2.  This works for any adult as well;) 

As always, use good discernment.  If it is a severe cut, go to your nearest doctor, as sugar will obviously not mend a deep wound inside of the mouth.

Let me know how it works, drop me a line or e-mail.  I always like feed back.

Dios te bendiga.

ALC



*photo from: liftbigeatbig.com

Sábila

Sábila, or in English aloe vera, has recently become one of my best friends.  My daughter occasionally gets eczema from the chemicals in pools on her face, shoulders and back.  They always seem to be too drying for her sensitive skin.  It never seems to fail that whenever we first go to the pool, a day later she has the rash, itchiness, red bumps, and then peeling.  Once it peels, she has some discoloration and then with a tan, it makes the discoloration that much more noticeable.  Not so fun when it is on your face.  I have always applied small amounts of 1% hydro-cortizone to the affected areas, along with giving her some Benydrol or Cloro-Trimeton before hitting the pool up.  Well, thank God one of my good friends out here ( big shout out to Caroline)  recommend that I start using pure aloe vera.  She told me how well it worked on her son, who also use to get eczema, and that it would help with the itching and scratching, along with restoring the smooth texture back to the skin....she was right.  While the cortizone always helps, it is a form of a steroid so you have to be careful with too much application.  I now have an alternative, natural at that, and it works wonders.  I highly recommend this for one's skin.  It smooths, moisturizes, restores and calms.  Here is a list of other things that you can use this natural plant product for:

• Through out your face, i.e. under your eyes, dry skin, t-zone balance....
• For cuts and burns
• Apply to the ends of your hair for regenerative treatments 
• To shave with
• Apply for moisture and smoothness after shaving
• Apply to sunburns
• Diaper rash burns
• Apply to your tan to prolong it
• Remove make-up
• Replace your lotion with in humid climates (lotion makes you sweat more in humidity!)

I have also been using this for my belly during this pregnancy to help with the itching (from growing these last couple weeks that I have left) and to help with stretch marks.  I feel like it has done me well. 

Obviously most of us are not going to go and grow our own aloe vera plant, so I recommend this pure form of it that you can buy at most drug stores.

Bioland- organically grown Aloe Vera Gel


**I would love to hear feed back on how this product works for you, or if you have any other recommendations for use of this plant.  So, drop me a quick comment (especially if you wish to pass some more info. on to other readers) or e-mail me. 


Dios te bendiga

ALC



-note: this is for external use only, always consult a doctor first and read the back of the bottle for any warning signs.