How to Choose a Tie and Fold a Pocket Square

Ironing Shirts and Press Pants

Cold Solutions: Warm Compress & Steam Shower

Right now I have a summer cold. I hate colds, but summer colds always seem the worst. So I have a ton of pressure in my head and my chest is rattling.   I have 2 quick little tips: Homemade Warm Compress and Steam Shower Tip

Warm Compress
This first one can be done one of 2 ways...
1) I put water in a dish - a inch or 2, sometimes I add a couple drops of peppermint oil if I am needing to open up my nasal passages and clear my chest, add a hand towel and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.  (I microwave it until it is hot enough to handle with my hands as I will need to wring it out.)  Take and wring out and stick in ziplock and stick that in a pillow case.  Or if cool enough to handle then just use straight ziplock on face across nasal passages.

2) Wet a hand towel, add a few drops of peppermint oil if needing to open up nasal passages and clear chest congestion,  place hand towel into ziplock (do not zip it closed), place in microwave for 30 seconds to 1 min.  Again enough so that isn't too hot to handle.  If it is then use tongs, to take out of microwave and place in pillowcase and allow to cool slightly before laying it across your nasal passages.

DO NOT put anything too hot to handle on your body.  DO NOT keep in one position if it seems to be burning.  If just needing relief from pressure, you don't need to add the peppermint oil. Just the warm compress alone will help give some temporary relief.

Steam Shower Tip
Just add a one or two drops of peppermint oil to your shower. I just sprinkle it in one corner of the shower - where the hot water can hit.  I then turn on the water hot enough for me to be a comfortable temp shower.  Breath in.

How to Sew on a Button

Making the Most of Citrus Peels

Master enjoys oranges and lots of 'em when they're in season.  Several years ago, I started looking for ways to use those peels and get the biggest bang for His buck.  That citrus peel really is some versatile stuff.  Being as citrus season is in full swing, I thought I'd share some of my favorite ways to put all that zest to use:

• Candied Citrus Peel - I've used every type of citrus for this and they've all been wonderful - lemons, oranges, and clementines are favorites around here.
• Cut the pith from the zest, so you just have the colored part not the white part and cover with vodka.  Allow the zest to infuse with the vodka for two weeks to a month, strain and add a sugar syrup to taste to the strained liquid.  The resulting citrus liqueur is yummy in hot drinks and cold alike.
• Dry the zest and make a scouring powder.  Again, any old citrus peel would work, here.
• Put the peels in a jar and cover with vinegar.  Allow the zest to infuse in the vinegar for 2 weeks and strain.  Use the vinegar to clean as you would normally but it'll have a more pleasant citrus scent instead of regular vinegar.
• Combine the zest with sugar or salt to make a body scrub.
• Mix the zest with some sugar and let it sit for about a month.  The sugar will take on the flavor of the zest and is perfect for dusting cookies, adding to tea, etc.

Do tell us, please, what are your favorite ways to use up those citrus peels? 

2 Beauty and Body Care Book Reviews

Organic Body Care Recipes: 175 Homeade Herbal Formulas for Glowing Skin and  a Vibrant Self
by Stephanie Tourles

Although this book is put together nicely and has some good information, I wouldn't say it offered me anything I can't find online and some information in the book to me wasn't good for you.  This book has a nice introduction about eating healthy, drinking plenty of water, getting rest - but again all the stuff you can find online. It has a nice listing of how long things last, but not sure I would trust it though.  This book doesn't offer a lot vegan options either.  It has many animal based products in it with no alternative mentioned. The thing that really bothered me and I felt was bad information was that it uses things like borax and petroleum jelly in recipes. Borax while being a natural based product is still toxic and putting that on my skin doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Again the same thing with petroleum jelly - not something I really want to use as an ingredient on my skin when I am trying to move away from things like that. Of course there were plenty of recipes in there that actually were organic non-toxic and using things around your house such as honey or oatmeal. But over all I am not sure that a book that uses borax as something you use on your skin - is a book a trust with the rest of the recipes or information provided.

GREEN BEAUTY RECIPES: Easy Homemade Recipes to Make Your Own Organic and Natural Skincare, Hair Care and Body Care Products
 by Julie Gabriel

I liked this book better but again it has some problems. The editing on it isn't great. There are missing ingredients, words spelled wrong and I read the kindle edition is just a draft of the book and even worse.  It has the use of a product called Cetyl alcohol which is used in one of the first basic recipes of the book as emulsifier is actually an emollient. So the basic recipe in the book doesn't work from the start because of bad information. It also will mention an ingredient or how long it lasts in the description, but down in the recipe it either leaves out that ingredient or has different information all together.  So it can get confusing.

One thing I am looking for also that I can't seem to find a positive answer to is how long products last.  Some books say one thing, another says something different and then some books tell different time frames on the same products.  It just doesn't make much sense.

Out of these 2 books, I did like the recipes in Green Beauty better.  I am not sure I would buy either of these books, but checking them out from the library to take a look at isn't a bad idea. You might find some recipes or information that is helpful.

Friday Favorites

Mojito Cheesecake Bites - when I shared this earlier this week with someone she called me an evil temptress. I can think of worse things to be called. :) They looks so good how could I not share!

Mother Earth News Canning Guide - shares the science behind it, why we should can, lots of resources and recipes. 

How to Clean Stoneware - I think this sounds interesting. There are times I wish my stoneware was clean again. But I do like the baked on look it has - makes it easier to peel things off of it too. But do read the comments on this one too. I saw at least one comment talk about their stoneware broke in the high heat.

DIY Body Butter Recipes - I have been looking through a lot of body lotion recipes. I have been wanting to make my own for a long time as I break out from so many lotions on the store shelves because of added scents and no doubt other ingredients I don't understand on the list of ingredients. I was also gifted a block of beeswax not too long ago so put me on the path to looking into this sooner than later.  So hopefully I will have some photos and recipe posted here soon. But at least wanted to share this link for now. 

Coursera - they partner with top universities to offer FREE classes. Many don't deal with domestic arts but some might come in use in household management such as some of the nutritional classes or finance. 

Friday Favorites

Bead Board Ceiling
50 Grilling Recipe
16 Party Bar Ideas
Natural Body Moisturizer 
Sunset Sangria Recipe

Friday Favorites

How do I go Green? With Sustainable Baby Steps  -  a website devoted to going green - even have a free ebook

Baked Asparagus Fries with 3 Dipping Sauces  - I can't wait to try this and the dipping sauces!

Cut Your Spending by $400 a month - some budget cutting ideas - not that you can use all of them or all of them every month even but there are some ideas here that might help cut some spending

Messenger Bag Tutorial - I wish I could sew well enough to make this - love it and the fabrics used

Sunburn Solution - solution to sooth sunburned skin. It will keep for a few weeks in the fridge

Friday Favorites

Not Just an Egg Salad - this egg salad has eggs, walnuts, broccolini, grapes, apple, asparagus, and sprouts in it with a curry dressing. The whole blog is really good - vegetarian recipes.

Mango Citrus Body Butter - homemade - it is a review of a book on DIY natural beauty products and then a recipe for the body butter

Still Tasty - a shelf life guide

3 Budget DIY Countertops - shows examples of painting, concrete and butcher block and links to blogs that did these methods

10 Ways to Organize Your Fridge -  has a picture gallery of different ways to organize your fridge

Friday Favorites

 A Quicker Way to Clean House -  An article where 3 Pro's were asked about house cleaning solutions
Facial Moisturizer - Homemade facial moisturizer
Savory Sausage and White Bean Stew with Crispy Sage Topping - sounds delicious
Make Your Own Dinnerware - using a marker for dishes you write on the plates and then bake it to set it
Eating Near Poverty Line @ Whole Foods Market - this blog post I thought was interesting.  A family of 3 used the USDA "Thrifty Budget" for one month and it talks about the experience.

Friday Favorites

Homemade Vapor Rub  - Not a lot of ingredients and easy to make.
Homemade Wrinkle Release Spray  - I haven't ever bought the commercial brand stuff but my sister uses it all the time as she hates to iron so making it homemade would save money.  I can see where having some on hand would be nice for those moments when you realize that shirt you are wanting to wear right now has been buried in the bottom of a drawer.
Hungarian Beef Goulash - a warm stick to your bones kind of recipe
Keep Wrapping Paper Neat - this is one of those tips that I look and go - I wish I would have thought of that years ago
Painting Kitchen Cabinets  - I like the look of these cabinets and would love to do that with the kitchen cabinets

Guest Post: Pack like a Pro and Other OCD Tips

Is packing intimidating to you? Do you avoid it till the last minute because it is just too overwhelming? Do you find yourself repeatedly on vacation with no underwear and eight pairs of socks? Never again! Take my hand – we can get thru this together!

First off you need a spreadsheet. This is a NEED not a want. Just trust me. Don’t be afraid. You do not have to color code it or do anything fancy, that is for the advanced course. I use Google Docs because it is web based and can be shared with others. That way your owner can review it and add or delete. AND, you can copy it and adjust it for different trips.

Now think. What kind of trip is this? Camping? Conference? Vacation? Work? Will you have electricity (will you need a voltage converter)? Do you have to prepare meals? Will there be special clothing needs (formal, costume, sports)? What will the weather be like? How long is the trip? If this seems overwhelming don’t worry we will take it one day at a time. No, I mean it. Really . . .

Are you as excited as I am? Of course you are! Let’s get started.

On the first page I like to include a section for Transportation, Accommodations and other information like contact numbers of those I am traveling with and their travel and accommodations.

Under Transportation you might include:

• flight confirmation numbers
• flight numbers and times
• rental car confirmation numbers
• numbers for local taxi
• phone number of accommodations if they provide free transfers
• address of your destinations (through the trip)

Under Accommodations you might want to include:

• hotel confirmations numbers
• address and phone of hotel
• address of place near by you may need like; grocery, drug store, liquor store, beauty shop.

OK now you are there safe and sound! What to wear? Start a new page and make a column or list for each day of your trip.

Will the weather be warmer or colder where you are heading? Think about what you will be doing. Tonight you might be going to a formal dinner. Picture yourself getting ready . . .(dream sequence)

You are wearing your little black dress, definitely need the super tummy holding in panties for this or, will someone be seeing those panties later? Better to go with the sexy ones then. Eeks - bra straps - toss that one to the side and get the strapless. Nylons . . . no thigh highs – need a garter belt, grrr a run - good thing you brought an extra pair! Add your heels - think ahead a little - can you choose a pair that will go with another outfit? Now that you look beautiful grab your little evening bag and wrap as you head out the door. And when you get back from your awesome evening, will you visit the hot tub or just slip into jammies? So your day one clothing list might look like this:

AM:

• comfy travel pants
• t-shirt
• comfy bra and panties
• sweater
• socks (remember you have to take your shoes off in security if you are flying)
• comfy shoes
• travel bag (spreadsheet with travel info, tickets, ID/passport, purse, snacks, reading material, travel pillow/blanket, etc.)

PM

• black dress
• strapless bra
• black lace panties
• 2 pair thigh highs
• garter belt
• heels
• evening bag
• wrap or sweater

• swim suit
• cover up
• slippers or flip flops

• PJs
• Robe

Go through this process again for hair and make up. Do you need something special for your hair? Will you do false eyelashes? Chip a nail? Headache or catch a cold on the trip? Once you have this list you can use it for every trip and refine and add things as you learn you need them. No worries if you forget something in the beginning, you have the address of a nearby drug store remember?

Use this same method when packing for someone else. Picture their process getting ready and all the little things that might go wrong. It is so satisfying to have that one thing they did not know they would need.

The process also works for food, camping supplies, any trip you can think of. There are also many packing lists online you can compare with yours. Packing this way is so much fun and every time you have something you need in a pinch, you get to do a tush wiggling happy dance!

BIO: My name is Lacey. I am is a service submissive from the Baltimore Maryland area. I have been in service to the same Master for four years and am constantly striving to find new fun ways to please Him.  I have presented classes on Service Submission, Mental Orgasm, Rope Bottoming and others at Atlanta Bound IV 2011, Duck Stock Lite 2009, 2010 Duck Stock 2010, 2011 and Frolicon 2011. I love to share my passion for service! You are welcome to contact me any time on Fetlife or email. 

Friday Favorites

Declutter Calendar 2012 - I could just link to the calendar. I have signed up for it and got the link but this person wants you to sign up so real easy - email and name. And if you haven't already create an email for things like that you sign up for that you don't necessarily want to spam your regular email account.  I have an account that I give whenever a store or restaurant wants an email address to get coupons.  I use it for these kind of things too. Anyway - the calendar is great each day it just has one thing like January 10th is "Clear off the top of a nightstand",  April 13th is declutter cookbooks and each day has tasks like those.

52 Weeks to an Organized Home - another of the same vain as above.  You can sign up to have it delivered to your email but if you scroll beyond that there is the link to the post for each week. 

31 Days to a Better Grocery Budget - just as the title says. Posts help you to a better grocery budget.

Creating the Perfect Plans by TinyBuddha -  Just a good life lesson on things not always working out and being perfect.

Granola Bars - looks like a good recipe for Granola Bars

Tuesday Tips: New Year's Edition

In lieu of the regular Tuesday Tips post, I wanted to change it up a bit and make it more personal. I came across an article that seemed to fit in with the theme of the New Year when people are prone to making resolutions. This isn't a list of things to do-it's a list of things to stop doing.

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself by Marc 

Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth. And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.

Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on. No, it won’t be easy. There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them. We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems. That’s not how we’re made. In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall. Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time. This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.

Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself. Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves.

Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too. Yes, help others; but help yourself too. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.

Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else. Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you. Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.

Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.

Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing. Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success. You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.

Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us. We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future. Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.

Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive. But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.

Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either. You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else.

Stop being idle. – Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place. Evaluate situations and take decisive action. You cannot change what you refuse to confront. Making progress involves risk. Period! You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.

Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.

Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. – Relationships must be chosen wisely. It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company. There’s no need to rush. If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.

Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. – In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet. Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you. But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.

Stop trying to compete against everyone else. – Don’t worry about what others doing better than you. Concentrate on beating your own records every day. Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.

Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own. Ask yourself this: “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”

Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you. You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough. But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past. You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation. So smile! Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.

Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart. You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate. Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.” It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.” Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself! And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too. If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.

Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.

Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway. Just do what you know in your heart is right.

Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break. – The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.

Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things. The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.

Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done.

Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile. Don’t take the easy way out. Do something extraordinary.

Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while. You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well. You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears. The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.

Stop blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can achieve your dreams depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life. When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.

Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Doing so is impossible, and trying will only burn you out. But making one person smile CAN change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. So narrow your focus.

Stop worrying so much. – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy. One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time? Three years? Five years?” If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.

Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen. Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.

Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life. Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs. Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

Shared from Marc and Angel Hack Life.

Happy New Year!

Friday Favorites

Cookie Dough Fudge - someone in this house is obsessed with cookie dough so I thought of him when I saw this recipe. I suppose I should try to make it :)
Basil Banana Pepper Jelly & Banana, Walnut, Carrot Muffins - both of these recipes look so good. But I can't stop thinking about this jelly. I think it would make a great gift too.
Homemade Lotion Bars - I think these not only would be just great to have around the house but great gifts
100 Days of Homemade Christmas Gifts - there are some handmade gifts for kids on this link as well as adults
Kraft Food and Family Holiday Magazine - this is the digital version of the paid paper subscription
12 Days of Christmas Printables - Free Christmas Printables
20 Easy Christmas Decorating Ideas - Babble gather links to some DIY decorating ideas

Little Handmade Gifts

These are some gifts that have been posted on Domestic Servitude that you can make to give during the holidays.

1. Bath Cookie - I made these in Lavendar and Lemongrass scents.  Make sure to mark them for bath only not eatable.

2. Bath Fizzes - I got the Citric Acid for these at natural/health food grocer.  It is something used often when canning but I didn't find it in regular grocery stores near canning supplies unfortunately.

3. Sweet & Spicy Bath Salts - all the ingredients in this recipe by katie, you most likely have on hand!  It would be good idea for all those little empty bottles of herbs/spices that I save wondering how can I reuse these.

4.  Clothes Pin Magnets - very inexpensive - 36 pack of clothes pins at Dollar Tree, 50 cent acrylic paints at  Michael's and then just cheap little stamps I have picked up at Michael and Dollar Tree. Make a great stocking stuffer.

Friday Favorites

10 Dressed Up Jello Shots - these don't even look like jello shots they look like desserts

DIY Wire Baskets - Ballards and Pottery Barn inspired wire baskets. I see so many places these baskets could be used to organize.

Dealing with Conflict: Knowing when the Battle is Internal - a TinyBuddha.com post that although doesn't pertain Domestic Servitude directly - I feel this is still a good one to share

Canning Homemade - a blog devoted to canning that I feel has lots of interesting and useful advice

Free Printable Storage Labels - all sorts of printable labels

Friday Favorites

How to Pack Smart for a Trip - many tips I already do but good reminders anyway

A Beginners Guide to Keeping Chickens Part 1 and Part 2 - I am not going to be keeping chickens but have friends that want to and thought these blog entries were good

10 Quick Clutter Busters - again many tips I already do but good reminders and always good to cut clutter

Cheddar, Parmesan and Cracked Pepper Scones - If we didn't have a loaf of roasted garlic Italian to go with the chili I have in the crockpot I would be making these for sure! These look amazing. I have to make them soon.

DIY Bench Project - nice way to recycle some pieces off other pieces to make something new and useful.

Friday Favorites

Good Guide - I haven't had a lot of time to explore this but I did a bit tonight. I checked out a few products we use and some are above average to average. Basically it provides information about the health, environmental and social performance of products and companies. It also has an iphone app.

Organic: It's Worth It - It has some good articles and recipes on it.

Bread Pudding Pancakes - I made French Toast for dinner on Wednesday night and I should have made these instead.

Recipe Matcher - scroll down a bit to the quick search and you can type ingredients and then it will give you recipes to match those ingredients

Winter Sunflower and Oat Soak/Scrub - It is suppose to be good for dry itchy skin