The Domestic Lioness’s Totally Kick-ass House Cleaning Workout, Pt. 2

Posted on October 23, 2011 by Charlotte

(Continued from part one.)

The Domestic Lioness’s Totally Kick-ass House Cleaning Workout

Let’s start with some disclaimers:

I am not a health professional and the exercises listed here are merely suggestions. Remember to always use good form! I’ve linked to videos that give a pretty good explanation of how to complete the moves safely and effectively. Calorie counts below are estimated and possibly wildly inaccurate. As always, you should consult a physician before starting any diet or exercise program. You should also floss daily.

OK, ready to clean that house and work that lioness bod? Let’s do it!

Warm up:

Any good workout begins with a warm up period that gets your heart pumping and literally heats up your muscles. Get yours by moving from room to room doing light, surface cleaning. Gather items that don’t belong in their current location into piles to be put away later. When you need to pick up things that are all the way on the floor, do a hamstring stretch as you bend down.

Time: 5 minutes
Calories burned: 30
Works your: heart, arms, legs

Tone:

Next, tone your arms and give your tile floors the detail cleaning they’ve been asking for! (What, you thought no one else could hear them talk?) Get down on your hands and knees and alternate scrubbing with each arm. Put your upper back into the motion and focus on flexing your biceps as you work.

Time: 15 minutes
Calories burned: 75
Works your: arms, back

Finish up those sparkling floors by skating on towels to dry and buff them. Make large, sweeping motions with your legs and pump your arms as you work to increase the cardio. Bonus points for lip singing into your dish brush as  you work!

Time: 5 minutes
Calories burned: 25
Works your: legs, butt


Next, continue your leg workout by going through the rest of the house, putting away those piles of miscellaneous items we made during the warm up. Do walking lunges down the halls and through rooms, and use a squat to reach items on lower shelves.

Time: 15 minutes
Calories burned: 100
Works your: legs, butt, core

Blast fat:

Time to vacuum like you’ve never vacuumed before, kittens! Be as active as possible while you do it; use your whole body to really *push* the vacuum forward and *pull* it back. To tone your legs and look like a sexy 60s housewife while you’re at it, wear heels!

Time: 30 minutes
Calories burned: 120
Works your: arms, upper back, core, legs


Cool down:

Well, the house is looking great and you are too! Time to cool down. Walk slowly through the house, stopping to straighten knick-knacks, put away any stragglers, and make kissy faces at yourself in the mirrors as you go. Finish up by doing some basic stretches on those beautiful clean floors.

Time: 5 minutes
Calories burned: 30
Works your: heart, arms, legs

OK, kittens, all through! In just over an hour you’ve cleaned the whole house and burned more than 300 calories (maybe)! Now go forth and remember to keep taking care of yourself and that wonderful, wild life of yours. Keep your body as healthy and happy as you keep your home, your pets and your family–you’re worth it.


Categories: [Beauty], [Productivity] | 6 Comments

The Domestic Lioness’s Totally Kick-ass House Cleaning Workout, Pt. 1

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Charlotte

Hello, kittens! As you’ve noticed, things have been rather quiet around here lately while traveling, taking care of myself and my family, and simply adoring being newlywed have taken center stage.

OK, other stuff too. I also taught my dog to jump through hoops!

Of the many blog ideas gathering dust on my shelf while all of this goodness goes on, this two-part post is going to address the one that’s been on my mind the most.

 

I said above that taking care of myself has been a big priority lately. In the past six months, two big things have changed, making that possible. The first was getting married. Not only is being together with the one you love most great for body and soul, it also means a full-time job off the proverbial plate: wedding planning! It’s nearly impossible to take care of yourself while you’re also hand-calligraphing invitations and bargain shopping for table cloths and haggling with vendors and assembling 200 paper pom-poms. The other thing that changed in my life was addressing my chronic knee pain through physical therapy, at the loving prod of my husband. Thanks to a LOT of leg exercises, my pain is now virtually nonexistant, and I can do simple things like climb stairs, ride a bike, and perform brain surgery again with no problem.

 

SO, with those factors at bay, I’ve been crowbarring cardio, weight lifting*, and training for a 5K into the already packed life of a modern domestic lioness.

*Yes, weight lifting is for girls, too. I don't have time in this post to explain all of the reasons why, so suffice to say that Marilyn did it; you should too.


 

The key to getting fit while maintaining your busy, productive lifestyle is one you already know well: the art of multitasking. You have to be flexible (ha! Get it?) with your workouts: willing to accept 30 minutes if you don’t have time for a full hour, your living room floor if you can’t get to the gym, and a Richard Simmons DVD if you can’t afford a personal trainer. Little sacrifices here and there are better than missing out entirely, and your body will thank you for the compromise!

 

One of my favorite ways to accomplish this type of multitasking is with a little something I call The Domestic Lioness’s Totally Kick-ass House Cleaning Workout. Tune in tomorrow to learn how you can burn fat and tone your muscles while you do what you do best: get that house sparkling!

 

 

Categories: [Beauty], [Productivity] | 1 Comment

How to get your husband/boyfriend/roommate to do the grocery shopping

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Charlotte

A big part of maintaining a happy, healthy home is knowing how to accept help from your partner–and knowing how to ask for it when you need it. After all, part of the fun of being a domestic lioness is also being a lion tamer! You might recall a previous post explaining how to get your husband/boyfriend/roommate to request salad for dinner. Well, today, we’re going to talk about how to get him to do the shopping as well–and to bring home only the healthiest bounty. The best part? He’ll enjoy it.

Behold, an actual e-mail transcript between an unidentified husband and wife submitted this very day–a date that shall forever be remembered with reverence.

 

Now, I won’t tell you who this is or why she needed two containers of potato salad (OK, fine, there was a neighborhood picnic and she didn’t have time to cook)–the point is, she knew how to ask for help. Like most things in life, the trick is to make it fun. Grocery shopping, household chores, and even getting healthy can all be a great chance to use your imagination and be playful. You’ll enjoy life more and your partner will appreciate–instead of dread–his chance to chip in.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the hubby did go a wee bit off course in his shopping, despite all that effort. He brought home these.

Good soldier!

Go rally those troops, kittens!

 

**Please note: This post is largely inspired by my favorite blog of late, Nerd Fitness. Check it out and get motivated!

 

Categories: [Productivity] | Tags: , , , , | 3 Comments

A routine examination

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Charlotte

I’ve been thinking lately about the importance of routine. I know my own life, at least, is made up of many little, seemingly inconsequential routines that together make up a happy, productive, (relatively) organized whole. There’s my morning routine, which we touched on in the last post, my gym routine, my after-work routine, my before bed routine, my shower routine, my underwater basket-weaving routine, my Swedish fly fishing routine, my preparing for space travel routine, etc. All of these little regimens are a great tool for productivity, and they carry the comfort our species seems to find in the familiar. (Then, of course, there’s the best thing about routines: breaking them. But that’s for another post…) Thanks to my recent fascination, I’ve begun collecting routines. Here are a few of interest, from life and literature. Let’s take a look, shall we?

Stephen King

“There are certain things I do if I sit down to write,” he said. “I have a glass of water or a cup of tea. There’s a certain time I sit down, from 8:00 to 8:30, somewhere within that half hour every morning,” he explained. “I have my vitamin pill and my music, sit in the same seat, and the papers are all arranged in the same places. The cumulative purpose of doing these things the same way every day seems to be a way of saying to the mind, you’re going to be dreaming soon. “It’s not any different than a bedtime routine,” he continued. “Do you go to bed a different way every night? Is there a certain side you sleep on? I mean I brush my teeth, I wash my hands. Why would anybody wash their hands before they go to bed? I don’t know. And the pillows are supposed to be pointed a certain way. The open side of the pillowcase is supposed to be pointed in toward the other side of the bed. I don’t know why.” (Source: Haunted Heart: The Life and Times of Stephen King, Thomas Dunne Books, 2009)

  • What King is doing right: Hydrating, taking a vitamin, working consistently.
  • What King is doing wrong: Being a bit compulsive, eh?

President Obama

Although his presidency is barely a week old, some of Mr. Obama’s work habits are already becoming clear. He shows up at the Oval Office shortly before 9 in the morning, roughly two hours later than his early-to-bed, early-to-rise predecessor. Mr. Obama likes to have his workout — weights and cardio — first thing in the morning, at 6:45. (Mr. Bush slipped away to exercise midday.) He reads several papers, eats breakfast with his family and helps pack his daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, off to school before making the 30-second commute downstairs — a definite perk for a man trying to balance work and family life. He eats dinner with his family, then often returns to work; aides have seen him in the Oval Office as late as 10 p.m., reading briefing papers for the next day. (Source: White House Unbuttons Formal Dress Code, New York Times, Jan. 2009)

  • What Obama is doing right: Ask the democrats.
  • What Obama is doing wrong: Ask the republicans.

Alexander Dumas, writer of The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers, ate an apple every day at 7 a.m. under the Arc de Triomphe.

(Source: I dunno, I’ve just always heard that.)

  • What Dumas is doing right: Eating something nutritious in a beautiful setting.
  • What Dumas is doing wrong: Eating something nutritious in the same old beautiful setting. Let’s mix it up, shall we, Alex?

Then there’s Gatsby’s boyhood schedule:

(Source: The Great Gatsby, Scribners, 1925)

  • What Gatsby is doing right: Making himself a better man.
  • What Gatsby is doing wrong: Aparently, not eating or bathing.

And my personal favorite, Ben Franklin:

(Soure: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Dover, 1996)

  • What Franklin is doing right: Self-reflection, two-hour lunch break, “putting things in their places” (how cute is that?).
  • What Franklin is doing wrong: Only seven hours of sleep? Not enough, Benjie!

See, class, routines can be fun. But, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, my collection has one gaping hole…no women! What is up with that! Gimme your routines below, kittens, so we can rectify the situation–and stay tuned for more routine examinations coming soon.

Categories: [Productivity] | Tags: , | 3 Comments

Nighttime Tips for Waking Up Feeling Great

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Charlotte

I am decidedly not a morning person. If left to my own devices, I would sleep in until noon every time–and I’d do away with all other devices while I was at it, especially evil ones like cell phone alarms and nagging clock radios. Alas, I do not make the rules, and so I’ve adapted to society’s cruel morning ways. Sort of.

In an earlier post, I promised tips for making Monday mornings less manic. After a spoiler alert, I let on that a happy Monday morning has almost nothing to do with Monday, and everything to do with Sunday. Today, I want to talk about that idea more in-depth with:

The Domestic Lioness’ Nighttime Tips for Waking Up Feeling Great

1. Set the automatic timer on your coffee pot.

Photo courtesy of mr. tee hee.

If your current coffee pot doesn’t have this feature, it’s time to move on. He’s just not that into you. It’s a relatively cheap upgrade that will improve the quality of your mornings by approximately 356 percent.  Note that this step won’t necessarily save you that much time, but it will make everything better. Waking up to the smell of fresh coffee and the familiar gurgle of the percolater is just so much more pleasant than waking up with chores ahead of you.

2. Park in the direction you’re going.

Photo courtesy of metesmiedo.

If this sounds ridiculously simple, it’s because it is. Back into your driveway when you get home at night, park on the side of the street facing your work route, have your Vespa aimed at the garage door and ready to roll. Don’t leave the car on E after work, no matter how much you want to get home to that wine spritzer and bowl of Cheetos. Take the time to fill ‘er up now and make tomorrow morning go that much more smoothly. (Another pro tip: trade the spritzer for hot tea and ditch the Cheetos for yoga and the morning will improve exponentially.)

3. Lay out your clothes the night before.

Photo courtesy of samuraijohnny.

This can be an incredibly simple change. If you’re anything like me, your first move after coming home from work is to get out of the monkey suit (read: pencil skirt and heels) and into something more comfortable. (If we were in a 1960s movie I think that last line would mean I was trying to seduce you.) When you’re changing right after work, take that opportunity to choose tomorrow’s attire. You’re usually near the closet anyway, returning items that don’t have to be washed right away to their homes, so this is a great time to select tomorrow’s outfit. I guarantee you can make in thirty seconds tonight a decision that would take twenty minutes tomorrow morning.

4. Become a night-bather, streamline your makeup, and keep everything in its place.

Photo courtesy of kelp1966.

Nighttime is the right time…to get your shower out of the way. Your hair will love air-drying and your skin will love thicker, more luxurious overnight products. Seal the deal by paring your morning makeup routine down to the simple, effective staples that make you look great. (Eight-fifteen on a Tuesday morning is not the time to attempt Kim Kardashian’s smoky eye–save it for Impromptu Spa Night or a big date.) And keep all your morning necessities in their rightful spots so you don’t spend twenty minutes looking for your eyelash curler wearing only your left shoe.

5. Guarantee a good morning.

Photo courtesy of masochismtango.

I don’t know what it is, but I know there is something that always makes you smile. Something that makes you happy, full of passion, and bursting with excitement. I want you to have this feeling every morning, and I bet you do too! Stop letting your mood in the mornings be blind luck and start making every day a good one. Maybe the one thing that brings you true joy is rubbing your kitten against your face. Maybe it’s that first cigarette out on your porch. Maybe it’s a trip to the gym. Whatever it is, embrace it. (OK, unless it’s the cigarette. Then you should quit.) Schedule in five minutes each morning to spend on that thing you love. Cuddle with the kitten during your last precious snooze. Chew some Nicotine and water your plants. Pack your gym bag and start looking forward to a post-work workout. Have breakfast with your husband and slip a sweet note into his pocket. Do something that makes you giddy and start looking forward to it the moment that alarm clock starts to buzz. Have you noticed the one thing that’s consistently true of all these amazing 100+ year-old Asian ladies you see on TV blowing out a birthday cake with a century’s worth of candles in a single breath? They all have a reason to wake up every, single morning. You should too, and you should love that reason!

Rise and shine, y’all!

 

Categories: [Beauty], [Productivity] | Tags: , , , , | 4 Comments

How to clean your white Apple keyboard with style, grace, and ease; A Choose Your Own Adventure

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Charlotte

I hesitated to post this blog for a couple reasons.

  1. While I am just as obsessed with it as I am the 1950s, housekeeping, and domesticity, technology is admittedly outside the purview of this blog.
  2. The keyboard in question, my work keyboard, is somewhat dated and I’m not sure how many of you will actually need to know how to clean such a thing.

But then I decided to go ahead and post it anyway, for a few reasons.

  1. All Apple products are inherently pretty, which makes them perfectly compatible with the form and purpose of this blog. Also, this isn’t a post about technology, it’s a post about how to clean technology. A fine distinction, I’m sure you’ll understand.
  2. Apple just released a brand new operating system that will likely change the face of human-computer interaction as we know it–and they named it after us, y’all. They gave us Apple OS X Lion–the least I could do is feature one of their outdated keyboards in a post.
  3. When actually cleaning said keyboard, hilarity ensued. And who am I to deny you that?
  4. I felt like it.


So, without further ado or pros/cons lists, allow me to present…


How to clean your white Apple keyboard with style, grace, and ease; A Choose Your Own Adventure


You inherit this keyboard with your desk at work and it’s downright funky. (No offense to former desk-dwellers, you’re sure it took a dozen of them working around the clock over the course of many years to produce this beaut.) Behold:

 

Icky.

Obviously, you can’t work like this. So you take the keyboard home for the weekend, waving it awkwardly at the security guard as you pass to assure him it will be back, and get to work. You’re no fool, so the first step is to document where all the keys go. You take pictures of the entire keyboard, noting the grime with horror as you go.


You next remove every single key from the keyboard, starting with the spacebar. You find they pry off easily with a little pressure from your fingertips, and you start to really enjoy the freeing ping! of each key’s escape from filth. You’re almost disappointed when you finally free the last one.

What lies beneath appalls you so greatly that you use your camera’s macro for the first time in an attempt to identify some of the matter stuck in the casing. (Exhibits A and B.) Alas, no identification can be made.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

 


You place all the liberated keys in a gallon Ziplock bag and fill it with warm (not too hot!) water and a few squirts of spontaneously combusting peach hand soap. You seal the bag tightly and begin to shake. Your husband is in the other room (not that he’d mind), so you really boogie, dancing the pants off your Ziplock bag.

The bag gets cloudy quickly, but you don't dare consider why.

 


But then, mid-twirl around the kitchen, you notice the bag is beginning to drip.
Choose your own adventure: If you decide to go to the bathroom and stand in the shower to continue shaking the bag, scroll down to the triple asterisk. If you merely hold the bag over the kitchen sink while you finish shaking, continue reading.
After a few minutes of agitating the keys, you drain the bag. The spray nozzle on your sink makes for a handy tool, and you use it to spray them down after carefully plugging the sink. You’re seeing a wonderful improvement already, so you lay the keys out on a nice, fluffy towel to dry for 24 hours.

In the meantime, you get to work on that awful keyboard. A dampened paper towel works well for lifting the dust and hairs, and you use a can of air, clean makeup brush, and the crisp edge of a business card to make sure every nook and cranny is cleaned. It’s a feeling of satisfaction you haven’t had since cleaning out your purse after that Dave Matthews concert in 2004–remember your hippie friend spilled her entire pouch of rolling tobacco in there? At least, she said it was rolling tobacco. Hmm. Spend twenty minutes questioning the accuracy of this memory and turn to Facebook for further evidence. Sure enough, she lives in the woods of Georgia with a herd of tree people now. That wasn’t tobacco.
Anyway.
Once the keyboard is sufficiently white and the keys have dried, you begin the long, quiet task of replacing each key. To your delight, they settle back in place with a satisfying pop! even more pleasing than their earlier ping! You consult your photographs to make sure each key is returned to its rightful home, sidetracking only to spell out the initials of your favorite blog, and finish it off by polishing the whole shebang with Windex.

TDL!

You feel supremely rewarded for your efforts, and the security guard looks pleasantly surprised when you show up at work Monday, wielding an inexplicably brand new keyboard. (He won’t believe the Before and Afters–exhibits C,D,E,–when he reads your blog later.)

Exhibit C

Exhibit D

Exhibit E

***If you chose this adventure (as a certain domestic lioness may have): You lose.
You take the dripping Ziplock into the bathroom and stand, fully clothed, in the shower to continue your dance. Being a supremely capable woman, always prepared for the worst but hoping for the best, you consider the wide open drain of the tub and call to your husband, “Honey? Can you bring the sink stopper in here?” No sooner do you exhale the final syllable before WHOOSH! your Ziplock explodes (really, who didn’t see that coming) and seven of your precious keys go scooting right down the drain before you can do a thing about it. Your husband will appear a moment later, sink stopper uselessly in hand, to find you totally drenched and frantically picking up the remaining 102 keys–all of which are cartoon-slippery and suddenly full of jumping beans. You will now halt all progress on the project and wait one week for the replacement keys you order on eBay to arrive. At that point, return to your place above and continue, a valuable lesson learned.

Categories: [Clean], [Productivity] | Tags: , , , , , | 4 Comments

Saturday cleaning challenge: How to clean and organize your purse

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Charlotte

Time for a Saturday cleaning challenge, kittens! Ready for it? Good. Clean out your purse. Right now. Yes, right this red hot second!

Indulge in that moment of sheer joy when you turn the whole thing upside down and dump it all out. Now get rid of all the crumpled receipts, gum wrappers, and empty beer bottles you find. After all, you’ll need room for all the crumpled receipts, gum wrappers, and empties you generate this weekend!

You know you love this step. (Photo courtesy of Tanjila.)

Now, organize all of the remaining essential contents, grouping like things together. (Hint: It should start to look less like the above and more like the below.) This will determine in what order things go back in.

 

 

(Photo courtesy of Lady M.)

While you’re at it, check out The Domestic Lioness’ Epic Tips for Keeping your Purse Clean, Making it Look Good, and Giving it Magic Power. (I just came up with that. Go with it.)

  • For finnicky zippers, rub a piece of natural beeswax (found in health food stores) over the open teeth. Ta-da! No more snags.
  • If your purse is woefully lacking in pockets, don’t despair! Small pouches, coin purses, and makeup or even Ziplock bags are great for gathering and organizing all of the little things that drift to the bottom of your purse–never to be seen again.
  • Make copies of your important identification and credit cards if you haven’t already. And don’t, like a poor friend of mine who later had it stolen, then leave the copy in your wallet! Keep it somewhere safe at home in case your purse is ever lost, snatched, or eaten by a wild rabbit.
  • Once your purse is clean–keep it that way! It only takes a second to put your things back in their rightful homes (and, yes, everything in your purse should have a designated “home”) after a purchase. And if the ogre in line behind you can’t handle the wait then he or she needs a moment to relax, anyway. (Unless the person behind you is literally an ogre. In that case, step aside and replace everything once you’ve reached a safe distance.)
  • Keep your purse happy by keeping it off the floor. Buying a purse hook, like these from Target, is a great way to create a hanger where there is none, protect your bag, and even save on floor space.
  • If you’re looking for a way to lighten your load but can’t bear to part with anything in your purse, try this: Right now, put a stick-it note on any lesser used items (read: not your cell phone and wallet, but that tube of lipstick that isn’t quite your color and the novel you can’t seem to get into) and write the date on it. Next time you use one of these items, write the date on it again, and so on. Check back in a month–anything that hasn’t been used in the past two weeks (and certainly anything that hasn’t been used since today!) can go, and your back and shoulder health can stay.

Happy purse cleaning, kittens!

Categories: [Clean], [Productivity] | Tags: , , , | 2 Comments

Top five drink recipes for the modern woman

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Charlotte

OK, kittens, there’s been some unrest amongst the pride–and I can’t blame you! All work and no play makes Jane a dull lioness. So, lest you think there’s been too much [Cook] and [Clean] lately, it’s time to [Carouse]. Allow me to introduce, great for entertaining, perfect after a long day, and able to be described with the same adjectives as a domestic lioness…

The top five drink recipes for the modern woman

Photo courtesy of Gin Snob.

1. Bacardi mojito – light and refreshing

Bacardi makes these wonderful frozen mojito mixes that are just divine. You’ll find them in the freezer section right next to the concentrated juice. (So it must be good for you, right?) Simply add rum, club soda, and fresh mint. You don’t even need a blender!

2. The sidecar – delightfully vintage

Shake 3 ounces bourbon, 1.5 ounces Cointreau, and half an ounce fresh-squeezed lemon juice over ice. Serve chilled.

3. Prosecco and peach – crisp and bubbly

I had this at a dinner party recently and it was just lovely and terribly glamorous. Simply pour a flute of Prosecco and top with a splash of peach schnapps.

4. Creeper – pretty and pink

My sister-in-law introduced me to these and I love them! Pour vodka, Fresca, and cranberry juice over ice. How much of each is up to you, but beware! They aren’t called “creepers” for nothin’.

5. The Vesper – sultry and sexy

Be your man’s very own Bond girl by welcoming him home with this famous martini. I’ll give you the recipe from Ian Fleming himself in the first Bond novel, Casino Royale:

Bond insisted on ordering Leither’s Haig-and-Haig ‘on the rocks’ and then he looked carefully at the barman.

‘A dry martini,’ he said. ‘One. In a deep champagne goblet.’

‘Oui, monsieur.’

‘Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?’

‘Certainly, monsieur.’ The barman seemed pleasant with the idea.

‘Gosh that’s certainly a drink,’ said Leiter.

Bond laughed. ‘When I’m … er … concentrating,’ he explained, ‘I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold and very well-made.’

Cheers!

 

Categories: [Carouse] | 1 Comment

Perfect at-home summer foot care in five easy steps

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Charlotte

Well, I think we all know what it’s been too long since you indulged in. That’s right–Impromptu Spa Night!

Start the week by pampering yourself. Not only will you feel better and more refreshed, you’ll have more energy for tackling the things that are really important to you.

I’ve written before about the glory that is the at-home facial, and today I’ve got tips and insight for that holiest of summer holies: at-home footcare. For all the cute flip-flops, swimming and outdoor activities we enjoy this time of year, our feet pay the price. But dry, cracked skin and calluses are just as remediable as they are common, so let’s do something about ‘em! Here are five tips to get your feet in amazing shape and to help bring your relaxation during impromptu spa night to new levels:

1. Soak
Any at-home footcare needs to begin with this vital step. If a hot bubble bath is already part of your Impromptu Spa Night lineup, then so be it. But don’t try to cheat yourself by counting a quick shower or jumping in a puddle (though you should absolutely do that) as good enough. Your feet are tired! They need to soak! Fill a small tub with piping hot water, remove any nail polish and jewelry, and settle in with a magazine. To mix it up, drop half a cup of Epsom salt into the water or add a couple of chamomile tea bags or some essential oil. You can also place smooth stones at the bottom of the tub and rub your feet over them for relaxation and a quick massage.

Bonus points: Have a glass of wine.

Not a spa-night calibre foot soak. But fun! [Photo courtesy of Sara Nel.

2. Exfoliate

The key to beautiful feet is sloughing off all those dead skin cells. Pumice is one great tool for this and, if you’re especially prone to tough skin, you can keep a stone in your shower and give your soles a quick swipe as often as needed. For Impromptu Spa Night, you can’t go wrong with a homemade scrub of olive oil, sea salt, and a few drops lemon juice. After soaking, massage your feet liberally with the scrub for several minutes focusing on tough skin and calluses, and rinse.

Bonus points: Exfoliate your hands while you’re at it.

Photo courtesy of Beccapie.

3. Nail care
I don’t recommend going for the full-nail-polish-monty the same night you do your at-home footcare. There’s just too much oily, scrubby goodness going on for your nails to properly accept the polish. What I do recommend, though, is buffing and filing your nails. Buffing will get them nice and smooth and remove any stains, and filing them straight across will keep them tidy looking and healthy.

Bonus points: Use an orangewood stick to push back those cuticles.

Photo courtesy of Thomas Wanhoff.

4. Massage
Now’s a good time to get a foot rub from the honey. Massages are great for blood circulation (always a challenge in the feet) and total-body relaxation, so plop your pretty toes in his lap and let the magic happen. After all, we’re domestic lionesses! We don’t just pamper ourselves, we get pampered. If this isn’t an option, fret not. Rubbing your feet over golf balls will relieve a lot of tension, and you can always massage your own soles, focusing on the heel, the ball of the foot, and the base of the big toe.

Bonus points: Take a moment to tell yourself how gorgeous you look!

“]

If you don't have any golf balls on hand, a bunny will also do. [Photo courtesy of Myxi.

5. Moisturize
Take this opportunity to slather your feet in the richest stuff you can find. There are plenty of expensive foot creams for this purpose, and anything including shea or cocoa butter will do you proud. But what I recommend is plain old petroleum jelly. It’s cheap, it’s admittedly weird, and it’s amazing for the tough, dry skin of your feet. Slather it all over and follow immediately with white cotton socks. Leave those babies on until tomorrow morning and you will be rewarded with the softest feet you’ve ever felt.

 

Bonus points: Get killer soft lips while you’re at it by covering with petroleum jelly and then brushing them gently with a toothbrush.

Go pamper those paws, kittens!

Categories: [Beauty], [The Spa Night Files] | Tags: , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Exactly the summer dessert you’ve been looking for

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Charlotte

This is another one I didn’t plan to blog about until hubby grabbed the camera, so I apologize for the lack of process photos. Luckily, this pie is incredibly easy to make–and even easier to eat!

Exactly the crisp, cool, refreshing, light summer dessert you’ve been looking for

 

You and this pie are a match made in heaven.

 

 

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

  • 18 ounces nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons honey, plus some to drizzle on top
  • 2 tablespoons crushed walnuts or granola
  • 2 cups-ish of a berry mixture of your choosing (I used blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
  • confectioner’s sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine. Pour in melted butter and mix until thoroughly moistened. Press into the bottom and sides of a 9″ pie plate nice and evenly. (This should make enough that you’ll have a nice, thick crust–yum!) Bake for about 7 minutes until crisped and golden. Cool completely.

(This means go have a glass of wine, a long walk, or a bubble bath. Just don’t do all three at once.)

When the crust is cooled, it’s time to fill this baby up. In a medium bowl, mix yogurt, honey, and either walnuts or granola. Both will add a nice crunch and flavor to the filling, which one you go with is entirely up to you. Spread about half of the mixture on the crust and then place about a third of the berries in a single layer. Cover with the rest of the yogurt and then the rest of the berries. Place in refrigerator to chill before serving–at least an hour.

Finally, drizzle with honey, top with confectioner’s sugar, marvel at how cute it is, and serve!

Categories: [Cook] | Tags: , , , , , , , | 7 Comments