Tips for Tuesday or any day for that matter......

I have a bunch of little things to share.  Things that I've tried or used and I'm always thinking..."I need to share this with my blogging friends" but then I forget. Sooooooooo......I thought I would make a weekly Tuesday Tip post where I share little pieces of helpful information or products I like or areas where I am trying to be more frugal.  So here goes for this week's Tuesday Tips!

TIP #1

When Grace came to live with us (our new cat) she came with a very small litter box which I realized was NOT going to work as much of what she deposited ended up on the OTHER side of the litter box...if you get my drift.  So, I went to Wal-Mart and although they had one that was deeper it wasn't really much bigger.  I had a nice one for Patches when she was alive but when she passed I gave all her things to the Friends of Animals organization here in our town.  So, I looked on the internet and found all kinds which ranged in price but none were FREE and there was shipping and handling on top of that.  I've been trying to use what I have and not buy things and to think "outside the box" or in this case "inside the box" so at first I looked for an old plastic tub that I  might have but although it was deep it wasn't very big but then I spied a plastic bin that I had used for paperwork when I moved.  Perfect!  It was deeper but not too deep and gave her plenty of room to turn around.  It WAS free too!  As you can see, she spent no time at all "getting down to business" in her new "bathroom".  LOL!

Yes, it's in the shower area as I don't take showers....I'm a bath person.  I'm going to put up a little curtain to give her some privacy.  I also put a drain plug over the drain so no litter can get into the drain. 

TIP #2 - I'm looking for more natural and organic products to use in my home, to ingest and also to use on my body.  I've used up all my face creams and eye creams and was just about to buy some over the internet when I heard a dermatologist on GMA say that one of the purest things you can use to moisturize is olive oil!  Well PTL!  I had 2 jugs of the stuff! 

I decanted some into a small glass jar I had saved from some previous face cream and I've been using it for about 2 weeks now.  I love it!  I no longer need 2 creams; one for my face and one for my eyes.  I also like the fact I don't have to be so careful not to get it in my eyes.  It is also warmer to place on my face than creams which tend to be cold.  It is MUCH less expensive on a cost per use basis too.  After I apply it I let it soak in a bit and then blot it off with a clean towel. 

No wonder those Mediterranean women have such beautiful complexions.  I wonder if it's too late for me? LOL!
I also have olive oil in a little spray bottle in the kitchen that I decanted from the big jug and I use it for spraying pans/dishes when a recipe calls for that type of spray.  It is much cheaper than buying those cooking sprays and again no chemicals or funny aftertaste.

TIP #3
I love liquid soap and have been a fan for years as I was so tired of the mess in soap dishes and on sinks.  But I was also looking for a pure face and body wash and even the ones that stated they were natural and ph balanced etc. had lists of unpronounceable ingredients on their packaging.  There are many organic options too but again many are very pricey but I found that Dr. Bonner's castile soap was about as pure as I was going to get in an affordable soap for my face and body. 

I hated to think of all the mess again with bars of soap and they run $3-$4 per bar I think.  I got 2 bars, tea tree oil for my face and lavender for the bath and body.  Again, on a cost per use basis this is so inexpensive!  They smell wonderful as they use pure essential oils and tea tree is not only anti-microbial but has a scent that is so refreshing in the morning...I love it!  Almost like Rosemary.  As for the soap mess, there just isn't any because these soaps are so pure and I can tell they are going to last a long time so well worth the money up front.  Here's a picture of the face soap in my soap dish after 2 weeks.....no mess in the bottom of the dish!  I also stick the wrappers in my drawers for their scent.

So, there you go.....my Tuesday Tips.  Please let me know if you like this post and want to see more of them.  BTW....we have snow warnings out!  Yippee!!!!  I've got a full larder and plenty of fire wood so I'm looking forward to it.  But I do keep praying for all those who have met with tragedy and destruction from other storms.  I'm a weather geek....watching the Weather Channel like some people watch soap operas.  I guess I'm just fascinated by Mother Nature but I never want anyone to get hurt or suffer loss of any kind.  Have a great Tuesday!