**QUICKIE** Glycerin

Glycerin is fairly cheap. I get the 16oz bottles. This is how I use mine:

• Add some to bad or semi-decent hair moisturizing creams. I add and shake well or turn upside down for a few days. In most cases, adding the glycerin keeps me from tossing a product that didn't originally work well for me.
• Add some to lotions and body creams. Same as above. Glycerin boosts the moisturizing properties. However, I do not use glycerin on my face because it seems to clog my pores or just sit too heavy.
• Add to essential oils that I wear as personal fragrances. I basically use the glycerin as protection from the oil.
• As a hair and skin treatment. I mix the glycerin into some hair conditioner, apply to my hair and sit under a dryer or with a plastic cap for 10 or 15 minutes before rinsing, drying, and styling. For my feet, I apply the glycerin heavily, wrap my feet in extremely warm, wet towels and cover those with plastic shopping bags. To prolong the warmth, I will rest my feet on a heating pad. After 15-30 minutes, rinse and apply lotion.
• Glycerin is also good for removing stickers from glass and other non-porous items. To clean the glycerin residue, wipe with alcohol or vinegar. 

I was going to add how to make soap with glycerin (because I used to know this). I am too tired tonight to look up the recipe for you, but I did run across this page. It had some interesting tips. I did not know about making a cleaning paste with glycerin.

Peace

--Free

**QUICK POST** Empty Gloss Tubes (for work or travel)

This is for anyone who likes keeping beauty products on hand - in your purse or car or carryon luggage - without carrying around the whole container.

Try these inexpensive empty tubes:

They are super cheap and you can use them to hold so many products. I personally just like having a little bit of my facial moisturizer and foundation in my purse. I happen to use sunscreen and 3 different products on my face. You know us ladies with our moisturizers and serums. And don't get me started on my DIY cosmetics again.

One of the vials I've been carrying around in my purse for weeks now has some of the Manuka honey I use to treat cuts, cold sores, scrapes, etc. I think I told you guys that I have not bought a tube of Abreva since I discovered how fast Manuka works on cold sores even before they break all the way out.

The next time I travel (if that ever happens), I plan to tote along a bunch of these in my carryon baggage. I love having different lotions, creams, and sunscreens with me to use even if I can't get into my bagged luggage.

By the way, I got these in a bag of 30 pieces for around 10 bucks. There are other types - push-up cylindrical tubes, powder jars, and compacts - that you can find with a quick search. With these squeeze-type tubes, I can even use them for liquidized coconut oil and such without leaks. Just be careful to hold them upright when you open them.

Making Cosmetics has items similar to these tubes and various other types of empties for spraying, aerosols, etc. Amazon has tubes that are smaller (and cheaper). Making Cosmetics empty containers tend to be higher priced than what is on Amazon though and I didn't think the plain ones were any better quality. However, I would get any aerosol or special kind of dispensing tubes from Making Cosmetics.

Anyway, now you know.

Peace
--Free

**QUICKIE POST** If You Miss Pixlr Desktop

Once upon a time, I loved using the Pixlr desktop for prettying up the photos I use for the reviews here on the blog. And then Desktop Pixlr went away. This was way back in 2017. But I had the old download and it still worked. About 3 months ago, Windows ate the downloaded exe.

still have this un-usable thing on my PC

I still use the Pixlr phone app (until that goes away, maybe).

right next to some other phone faves

I do not like anything about the online version of Pixlr. Not one thing. What I loved about the old Pixlr for desktop was that it had so many easy to use tools for my simple mind. I don't need to do anything fancy for my photos. I don't want to do extensive image manipulations or deal with too many graphics choices. All I need is to be able to easily rotate, crop, add text, and make some minor adjustments to contrast, sharpen, etc.

I looked for alternatives but they were all either too limited or too complicated. I ended up using MS Paint for a while but it is kind of limited - plus, I heard it might be going away and I don't at all like that silly MS Paint 3D. I can't even figure out how to use it.

Anyway, I tried a bunch of different apps from the Windows Store and then I tried finding Pixlr alternatives. I went here and here for that. I tried GIMP (too much going on with the toolbars there) and Adobe (more than I need), and on and on. Every now and then, I would run across something that was almost as good as Pixlr, then I would notice something the program couldn't do - or didn't do as well. Finally, I lucked up on this in the Windows Store (of all places!):

Goodbye Pixlr.  Hello PhotoScape X!

Cue the heavenly choir. This is not only as good as Pixlr, it's so much better. SO much better.

One of the things I loved so much about Pixlr was the layout of the tools and how easily I could do basic things: add text, change text, choose colors, sharpen images, etc.

PhotoScape kicks Pixlr's butt. It does everything that Pixlr did and more. My favorite thing is being able to compare the Before and After photos that I am working with. Even better - the free version of PhotoScape X is better than anything Pixlr ever had.

I like this app so much that I want to support it. I am going to buy the paid version at some point even though I don't need it for most of what I do. I'm just so freaking happy to have something this good.

So, if you, like me, have been looking for a good photo editor... you're welcome.

Peace
--Free

Because I have always thought Joe Elliot was so hot. Tall too. Mercy.

Quickie Post: Multiple Uses for Ordinary Items

Hmmph! Some people on my list for lifehack mailouts* are such grumps. Fine, I will list my latest list of hacks I wanted to pass on here. For you. The gracious bunch of you.

Multi Uses for:

• Flour (My fave is the "Cloud Dough" and I don't have kids!)
• Rice
• Salt
• Sugar
• Vinegar
• Baking Soda
• Beer
• 
  

Other Goodies:

• Ways to tie a scarf
• 10 Full Body Exercises
• Left Brain/Right Brain (I'm a rightie)
• Pomodoro Method of time management
• 16 Benefits of Lemon
• 8 resources for making an online video
• 10 sites for calm & productivity

*I get most of my "hacks" from here. You can subscribe to a feed. Let me know of other good places for hacks.

Peace

--Free

**QUICK POST** Food Fitness Tip #1

If you are trying to get into shape, shape up the way you shop. (Cute saying, ain't it?)

We usually shop by product: just buying items we like. That's fine, unless you are trying to change your eating habits. When I was writing out my grocery list the other day, I realized that I am preparing my meals differently, so I should be shopping differently. Usually, I list out things I like to eat. This time, I put together items they way I need to be eating them. For example, I've been eating a lot of Tilapia (sauteed with olive oil & garlic). I checked and saw that I am low on the oil & garlic, not to mention I need different sides to go with the fish.

Because I eat so dang much fish now, I checked out various simple recipes while I made out my list. I ended up with things that I am actually going to be using up. That sounds so common sense, but I can't tell you how often I leave the store with a mish-mash of ingredients for recipes I haven't thought out.

Benefits:

• This is going to save me some money
• Keeps me on track with my better eating habits
• Helps me resist "snack shopping."
• Forces me to plan out meals in advance, and...
• ... even if I don't, I'm not going too far out of my fitness plan

The downside to this is that it works mostly for singles or couples without kids - unless the whole family is on the same fitness plan. It's also inconvenient if you lack basic willpower and end up making return trips to the store because you get weak for something out of your "plan."

This is the first time I am structuring my shopping this way. I will be back to let you know how it works out for me in my "real" life!

Peace

--Free