Since Halloween is tomorrow, I'm not sure how much longer pumpkins have in the limelight before Christmas flavors take the center stage.  I love the flavors of Christmas, but not much compares to the skin-loving benefits of pumpkin. 

I wanted to make one more pumpkin scrub for my feet and body before we say goodbye to pumpkin for the year, so I made this pumpkin spice coffee scrub recipe with Epsom salts that The Epsom Salt Council recently sent me. 

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Scrub Recipe

Links in this post may be affiliate link, which means that I earn a small commission from sales.

Pumpkin is natural chemical exfoliant, so it's a great addition to a body scrub.  I really like to use pumpkin on my feet because it removes dead skin cells while the fruit enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids exfoliate.  

Pumpkin molecules are small enough to penetrate in to the skin.  The vitamins A and E soften the skin.  The coconut oil also nourishes the skin and softens it. 

For more exfoliating power, I used Epsom salts and ground coffee.  The coffee also add a wonderful aroma for the scrub.

Epsom salts work better than sugar scrubs on rough or dry skin.  That's why I really like this recipe as a foot scrub more than a body scrub, although it can be used on the body.  

Ingredients

• 1 cup Epsom salt
• 1 cup ground coffee
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup coconut oil

Directions

If your coconut oil is hard, you can soften it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before you make the scrub.  

Mix all ingredients together and stir well.  Gently scrub your hands, legs, arms, or feet in a circular motion.  Rinse well.

Do not use on the face.

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The Power of Positivity With Pamprin

This post has been sponsored by the PRIMP Network. All opinions are my own.

I strongly believe in the power of positive thinking.  I also believe that surrounding yourself with positive people and things leads to greater positivity in your life.  Since I've chosen to have positive messages strategically placed throughout my home and office, I've noticed that I feel better and I'm more productive.  Today, I'm going to share with you some of the ways I keep the positivity in my life so you can live a more positive life too.

The Power of Positivity

I'd be lost without my planner.  I have one planner for home, work, and the kids' schedules, and I purposely picked a pretty planner because it makes me happy.  It's full of positive quotes, so I am reminded several times a day when I look at it to stay positive.  I customized my planner by adding things to it,.  The first thing that I added was my favorite quote.

I also have a letter board in my dining room, which is the center of my home.  If you want to get to any room in the house, you have to walk through the dining room.  I put positive messages on there to inspire the kids and me.  

Pamprin also believes in the power of positive thinking.  They recently sent me a little card with daily positive affirmations to use for 21 days.  Why 21 days?  They say that it takes three weeks to develop a habit, so it has seven things that you can do to feel more positive.  You repeat the seven things three times for a total of 21 days.  I framed mine and put it on my desk. 

Since I started surrounding myself with positive things, I notice that feeling positive on the inside led to me doing great things on the outside.  My work is going well, I'm a better mom and friend, and I'm just so much happier than I was. 

That's not to say that I don't have my moments or days where I don't feel great.  On those days, I try to pamper myself or take a little break so I can get back on track. 

If I'm not feeling great because I'm on my period, then I use Pamprin.  I've been using it since I was a teenager, and it still works just as great.

Pamprin Multi-Symptom helps in three ways:

• A pain reliever for cramps
• A diuretic to fight bloating
• An antihistamine for irritability

Pamprin Multi-Symptom works better for your period than a pain reliever because it helps with water weight gain and irritability.  

Do you have any tips on how to stay positive?

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Peppermint Mocha Salt Scrub Recipe

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GiantEaglePerks #CollectiveBias

This year, I have quite a few extra people on my Christmas list.  These aren't people that I'm close to, but I want to acknowledge them and thank them for their volunteer work this year.  I'm making several different handmade gifts for them, giving one set to each group.  I have some ladies that have been wonderful volunteering their time with a children's group through a nonprofit that I'm involved with, so I wanted to make them this peppermint mocha salt scrub recipe and give them gift cards to get the real deal at a coffee shop.

Because I love saving money, I used the new Fuel Perks Plus program at Giant Eagle that launched on 9/28/17 to save money on my gifts.

Fuel Perks Plus Program at Giant Eagle

I've been a Giant Eagle shopper for years, and I love the new Fuel Perks Plus program.  Now I get discounts on my gas, and I also earn points on my gas purchase that I can redeem for up to 20 percent off my groceries (to to $10,000 in qualifying purchases) or up to a free tank of gas (up to 30 gallons of gas in one transaction for one vehicle).

Earning points is easy.  You can earn 50 points for each 5 prescriptions, plus you earn points on your out of pocket expenses at the pharmacy just you do with groceries.  You can use your perks to save $0.10 off per gallon of gas or 2 percent off of your groceries.

Learn more about the Perks Program, read the terms and FAQs,  and get 100 bonus points by clicking here.

To use the Perks Program, you need to have a Giant Eagle Advantage Card.  If you already have an Advantage Card, you can apply for the Perk program by visiting the Customer Service desk or call 1-800-553-2324.  If you don't have an Advantage Card, sign up at Customer Service or call 1-866-620-0216.

You can view your Fuel Perks Plus on the new Giant Eagle mobile app on iOS or Android.  

I start on my Christmas gifts early, so I headed to Giant Eagle last week to fill up for the perks to redeem for the ingredients for my gifts.  

I also picked up some gift cards because I earn perks on those too.  Since I made a coffee scrub, I bought coffee gift cards for the girl to grab a cup.

Peppermint Mocha Salt Scrub Recipe

This recipe will make about two cups of salt scrub, which is two 8-ounce jars.  If you want to make more, double the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup ground coffee
• 1 cup Epsom salts
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 10 drops peppermint essential oil

If your coconut oil is hard, soften it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds.  If it melts, it's still fine to use.

Combine the salts, coffee grounds, cocoa powder, coconut oil, and peppermint essential oil.  Stir well.  Spoon into a jar.

Click here to learn more about Giant Eagle's Fuel Perks Plus Program and grab 100 bonus points!

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#Olay28Day Challenge Results

This is a sponsored conversation with Olay, but all opinions are my own

Growing up, I watched my mother and grandmother use Olay.  When my grandmother passed at the age of 84, her skin looked great for her age.  She'd been a loyal Olay user for decades.  I started using an Olay moisturizer when I was about 15-years-old, and I used it until I was in my late 20s.

As I aged, I thought I needed something more.  I saw these skin care lines with several products and steps and thought I had to have them to see results.  For whatever reason, I stopped using Olay for several years.  I recently took the Olay 28 Day Challenge, and I was blown away by the results.  For the Olay 28 Day Challenge, simply use Olay Regenerist or Olay Total Effects for 28 days.  If you don’t see visible results, you get your money back.  

I'm going to blame it on the crazy weather we're having this year, but my skin has been dry and tight.  The Epsom salt Council recently sent me some Epsom salts to use in a recipe, so I decided to try their pumpkin spice salt scrub recipe.  Normally, I use sugar in my body scrubs, but salt scrubs are more abrasive, so they exfoliate better.  I liked that this recipe also has pumpkin.  Pumpkin has many benefits for your skin and acts as a natural chemical exfoliant.

Pumpkin Spice Salt Scrub Recipe

Epsom salts serve as an exfoliant in this recipe because they slough off dead skin cells.  They also provide magnesium for your skin and body.  Most Americans are low in magnesium, but magnesium can be absorbed through the skin.

Pumpkin is a wonderful ingredient for skin care recipes because it has natural fruit enzymes and AHAs that act as a chemical exfoliant.  This helps smooth and brighten the skin while increasing cellular turnover.

High in vitamins A and C, pumpkin can also naturally soothe and soften the skin.  It can also boost collagen production.

Pumpkin molecules are small, so they can penetrate deeper in to the skin if you use them topically.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup Epsom salts
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Mix all ingredients together.  It will seem like you don't have enough pumpkin, but keep mixing.  You want it to be kind of thick.  

Apply to your body in a circular motion.  Do not apply to your face because the Epsom salts are too harsh for sensitive facial skin.

Rinse well.  Apply lotion if desired.

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If you like this post, then you'll love these:

Salt Scrub VS Sugar Scrub

15 Amazing Uses for Epsom Salts

Pumpkin Spice Latte Soap Recipe

Green Tea and Peppermint Bath Salt Recipe

A great way to relax after a stressful day is with a bath soak.  After today, I could definitely use this green tea and peppermint bath salt recipe!  Nothing bad happened, but a lot of little things happened, and I just need a small break.  

This bath soak recipe is easy to make.  You can make this right before you need it or make a few batches to keep on the shelf.  This also makes a great gift because who doesn't need to relax? 

That Time We Made A Free Library

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyLiteracyStory #DGMyStoryEntry #CollectiveBias

When people ask me what I do for a living, I say that I'm a wordsmith, so it's probably no surprise that I love to read.  My mom taught me to read when I was four-years-old, and I haven't stopped since.  I started reading to my oldest when I was pregnant with him.  We read several stories a night for the first six years of his life.  I did the same with my younger two children.  Having them sit on my lap while reading book after book are my fondest memories of when they were little.  Today, my kids are 10, 11, and 15, and they are all advanced readers.  I can't say for sure, but I think all of those hours of reading helped them develop their reading skills and a love of reading.  

We are the family who has to bring several bags to the library on our weekly trip because we can't carry all of our books by ourselves.  Now we live outside of a town with a population of about 1,400 people, which isn't big enough to support a library.

So we made one.  

11 Eyeshadow Hacks That You Need to Know

Eyeshadow is one of the most versatile products in your beauty arsenal.  Your eye area is a sensitive area of your body, so if a makeup is safe for the eye area, it's generally safe to use anywhere.  This means that you can safely use eyeshadow on your eyes, face, lips, or even your hair!  

I found 11 eyeshadow hacks that give you new uses for your eyeshadow plus a few ways to hack it for your eyes.  Think you know everything there is to know about eyeshadow?

Pumpkin Spice Latte Lip Balm Recipe

How many pumpkin spice lattes have you had this year?  Be honest; I won't tell anyone.  What if you could get all the taste of a PSL without adding extra calories or spending much money?  With this pumpkin spice latte lip balm recipe, you get all the smell and taste of a PSL at any time without running to the coffee shop or drinking extra calories.  

How to Protect Little Lungs from RSV

This post was sponsored as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Ten years ago, David was four-years-old and Caleb was a newborn.  I wanted David to get back into his routine, so he went back to preschool the week after Caleb was born.  Three weeks later, David came home from school with the sniffles.  Kids get the sniffles all the time, so I didn't expect this time to be much different.  David was his usual self, playing, eating, and sleeping normally.  Even with a one month old baby, I didn't think this cold would be a big deal.  I couldn't have been more wrong.

The next day, Caleb's nose started running and he had a little bit of a cough.  The cough concerned me, so I called the pediatrician to make an appointment.  Caleb didn't sleep unless I was holding him, so I sat up all night with him so I could keep him upright, which helped his runny nose and cough.  

When we walked into the pediatrician's office, the receptionist sent us right back to a room where the doctor came in about 30 seconds later with a nebulizer for Caleb.  She then sent us straight to the hospital and told me not to go home to pack clothes first. 

Caleb had RSV.  The first night we were in the hospital, I woke up an alarm and a rush of people entering our small room.  Caleb had stopped breathing for more than 20 seconds.  He had had an apnea.  I am convinced that if we had been home and not in the hospital that this story would have a very different ending.

After three days in the hospital, Caleb came home with an apnea monitor.  He had more apnea episodes at home, so we had the monitor for several months.  

The next year, Caleb was just over a year old.  David came home from kindergarten with the sniffles.  This time, I knew what to look for, so I took him to the doctor as soon as I saw RSV symptoms.  He only had to spend two days in the hospital this time.

What is RSV?

I'm sharing Caleb's RSV story because October is RSV Awareness Month.  Respiratory syncytial virus, RSV, is a highly contagious virus.  Nearly 100 percent of all babies are affected by RSV before the age of two, and it's most common between November and March. 

RSV Symptoms

In most babies, RSV presents as a mild respiratory illness and looks like a cold.  But some babies, especially those born before 35 weeks, it can develop into a severe infection.

They might have:

• coughing
• wheezing
• fast or labored breathing
• gasping for breath
• blue around the mouth or nails
• lethargy
• fever

RSV Prevention

Since RSV is a virus, there's no known treatment.  As a parent, there are things that you can do to protect your baby.

• Ask everyone to wash their hands when entering your home and before they handle the baby.
• Wash toys and surfaces frequently.  
• Keep young children away from those who may be sick.
• Avoid taking the baby into a large crowd.
• Ask your child's pediatrician if he or she may be at higher risk for severe RSV.

Watching my four week old infant struggle for every breath completely changed me as a person and as a parent.  It's been 10 years now, and the image of his tiny body lying in that hospital crib is forever etched in my mind.

If you suspect that your baby has RSV, get medical help immediately.  Caleb wasn't at high risk for RSV, but he was hospitalized with it twice before he was two-years-old.

Learn more about RSV and how to protect your baby at the Little Lungs Website.

Warm Vanilla Sugar Scrub Recipe

Fall is coming, so I'm changing the scents for my bath products.  In the summer, I like fruity scents, but in the fall, I switch to baking scents.  Pumpkin spice is always popular, but this warm vanilla sugar scrub recipe just screams hoodies and falling leaves. Notice that I never said boots or tennis shoes.  I will wear a hoodie or jeans, but I am not giving up my flip flops until the snow starts flying!

DIY Treat Puzzle Toy For Dogs

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and The J.M. Smucker Company, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #miloskitchen http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

I joke that if we get any more critters that I'm putting a booth at the end of the driveway and start charging admission to the petting zoo.  We have two dogs, two cats, goats, chickens, and homing pigeons.  With four animals, the dogs and cats, in the house, it can get a little crazy.  But we all love them so much, and they are very much a part of our family.  My son Caleb is 11-years-old and has autism.  He relates to animals better than he does to people.  If he has to read a story, he can't give me a summary, but he can sit beside the dog and tell him all about what he read.  He loves his cats, but our rottweiler/German shepherd mix, Dolph, is his best bud.

I love our dogs, and I love to see the bond between the kids and the dogs.  Our dogs are like members of the family.  Just like I feed my family high-quality food, I also feed my animals high-quality food.  The dogs are big fans of Milo’s Kitchen home-style dog treats because of the taste.  I'm a big fan because they made in the USA with 100 percent real ingredients.