ahoy, discoveries! vol. 6

The dollar store has great glassware. I've known this for a while, but the happy fact was borne in upon me once more when I went in search of new tumblers. Our old ones from Target were turning out to be too small and fragile; to replace them, I found twelve Libbey Imperial drinking glasses that I love. They are heavy, beautiful, sturdy, and of course only a dollar each.

Something to scrub the toilet bowl. Hahaha . . . only very special people (read: geeks about housework) will get excited about this. But if you qualify, listen up! Pumice stones. They're great.

A maxi dress. At 5'3", I'm a hobbit. I therefore had given up on maxi dresses; alas, when one lacks statuesque proportions, a billowing length of fabric is probably not doing wonders for the figure. Tailored shirtdresses are more my style. However. I grabbed one on a whim at Old Navy, and miraculously, it is not  too long. It has enough shape to flatter less-than-willowy limbs and-- even more importantly-- prevent that "maternity look." :) I couldn't find it online, but this one is fairly close. Mine is olive green and a bit simpler.

And below: how to make my skin stop screaming at me. On Monday I just wanted to peel my whole face off, an impractical plan at best. Then I figured I would try mixing up a facial mask instead. It worked wonders. If you have dry and irrititated skin on your face, as I often do, try this. Yogurt is moisturizing, pumpkin is soothing, turmeric is anti-inflammatory, and nutmeg provides a bit of exfoliation.

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Pumpkin Yogurt Facial

2 tablespoons pureed pumpkin
2 tablespoons plain whole milk yogurt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Whisk it all together and slap in on your face. Leave it alone for 15-20 minutes, then wash off with a cloth you don't mind staining-- turmeric will leave a determined yellow mark on any towel it touches. Make sure you do not get this on your clothing! (This will be enough for several uses, as you only need a thin layer.)