DIY Jewelry Cleaner
Never buy jewelry cleaner again! You can make it yourself for a fraction of the price with this recipe. The below jewelry cleaner works well for gold-filled, brass, German (nickel) silver, sterling silver, freshwater pearls, shell cameos and mother of pearl.
What You’ll Need:
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon dish detergent
- 1 cup water
- 1 piece aluminum foil
Directions:
- Heat water in the microwave for 1 or 2 minutes.
- Cut a piece of aluminum foil that roughly covers the bottom of a small bowl (like a cereal bowl).
- Pour hot water into bowl. Place salt, soda, and dish-washing liquid into bowl. Place jewelry on top of foil and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. If it has dirt or debris in the little crevices of your jewelry, use a very soft toothbrush to reach in and clean.
- Rinse jewelry in cool water and dry jewelry completely with soft cloth. Discard solution after use and make a new batch next time.
Recipe: Nutella No Bake Bites
A take on the favorite recipe of peanut butter and chocolate no bake cookies, this recipe adds the addicting and amazing NUTELLA spread, too! These cookies can be made gluten-free if you make sure the oats are certified GF and not cross-contaminated. YUM!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup oats
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup nutella
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/2 cup flax
- 1/3 cup coconut
- 1/3 cup cranberries or raisins
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
Directions:
- In a large bowl, add all ingredients. Mix ingredients together well.
- Once fully mixed, spoon out the mix onto a tray. It’s totally up to you how large you want the bites to be.
- Refrigerate and serve!
Recipe: Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos
This recipe is an almost exact copycat of the Cheesecake Factory Skinnylicious Mediterranean Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos – Only 250 calories in 3 “tacos” and so delicious! You can add or take out ingredients you don’t care for to make it your own!
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 4-in long, 1-in thick strips
- 2 teaspoons Mediterranean Spice
- 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 4 romaine lettuce leaves, shredded
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced red onion
- 1/4 cup Red-Wine Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup Tzatziki
- 12 butter lettuce leaves
- 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1 1/2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 12 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Directions:
- Preheat a grill pan over high heat. Season chicken with 1 teaspoon Mediterranean spice and place on grill. Cook, basting with balsamic vinaigrette and turning once, until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.
- Season chicken with remaining teaspoon Mediterranean spice and remove from grill; set aside.
- Place shredded romaine lettuce and red onions in a medium bowl; drizzle with red-wine vinaigrette and toss to combine.
- Divide mixture evenly among butter lettuce leaves and drizzle each with 1 teaspoon tzatziki.
- Top each taco with 1 piece of chicken and garnish with chopped tomatoes, feta cheese, and olives. Season with parsley, basil, and oregano; serve.
Recipe: No-Bake GF Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Dip
I’m warning you: If you make this, hide it from the kids and your husband. Hide in the bathroom and eat it. I’m only warning you because it’s so good, and you won’t want to share it. If you are the giving type, this Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Dip recipe is perfect for a family get-together or work potluck. Oh, and it’s gluten-free!
Thanks to New to Veggie World for sharing the recipe. Check her website out for more addicting recipes!
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup miniature chocolate chips
- Graham cracker sticks or teddy grahams (if you are GF, choose a GF variety)
Directions:
- In a small bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add sugars and vanilla.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Refrigerate until ready to eat. Serve with graham cracker sticks or teddy grahams.
DIY Sea Salt Beachy Hair Spray & How-To Style Tutorial
I love the look of beach waves, but to buy a bottle of sea salt beach hair spray can cost upwards of $12. This tutorial will cost you only a couple of dollars, works just as well, and will smell even better!
What You’ll Need:
- Plastic spray bottle (you can grab these at the dollar store)
- 1 tsp sea salt (NOT table salt!)
- 8 oz water
- 1/2 tsp coconut oil, olive oil or light conditioner (coconut oil is the best and smells most beachy!)
- 3 drops essential oil of your choice
- Lemon juice (optional)
Directions:
- Remove the top from the spray bottle. Pour water into the plastic spray bottle.
- Add sea salt to the bottle. The more salt you add, the more “crunchy,” textured and beachy your hair will feel, but dryer as well.
- Add moisturizer to combat the drying factor of the salt. Use coconut oil, olive oil or light conditioner. Avoid adding more than a teaspoon because it can weigh down your hair instead of adding wavy volume.
- Add essential oil for fragrance and additional benefits of your choice. For example, rose essential oil aids hydration and peppermint helps with headaches. Choose your favorite oil based on scent and healing properties.
- Close the top of the bottle tightly and shake the bottle’s ingredients vigorously for ingredients to mix. If you don’t shake the bottle VERY HARD, the oil will remain on the surface and the salt on the bottom.
- Spray all over hair until it becomes very damp. Scrunch your damp locks with your fingers to accentuate its natural wave. Let your hair air dry. Note: If your hair is naturally straight, twist your locks to achieve better results. Twist locks of your hair into buns. Pin them on your head with hair pins. When your hair is almost dry, unwrap your locks and let them out of the buns gently. Let air dry fully.
- Style as you’d like or leave as is. Spray with a layer of hairspray for extra support.
- Store the spray bottle and mixture in the fridge when not in use. Shake very hard before each use.