Helpful Tips from Pink Julep!

There are a few tips and home remedies that I've discovered over the years and use regularly in my everyday life so I thought I would share them with some of you. One or two of these may have been published here before, but many of these are new! I hope you find them as useful as I do!

1. Zit Zapper - A long time ago when I first started having breakouts my sister told me to put toothpaste on my zits to dry them out and make them go away! I thought she was crazy, but it worked! More recently, I was out walking around with my husband and had one of those pesky, painful zits that hurt when I smiled. Hubby suggested that I rub some Carmex on it, you know the medicated stuff for chapped lips! It not only stopped hurting, but it was gone by the end of the day! MAGIC!!!

2. Flaky Dry Skin Spot - I have had this weird spot of dry skin on my neck since winter started right under my throat where my collar bone is and it would not go away no matter how much I moisturized! I got sick a few weeks ago and started using Vicks Vapo Rub religiously and it went away!!! I'm now using Vicks Vapo Rub occasionally on dry spots on my feet and elbows as well. I'm no doctor and don't know if there are any adverse reactions to doing this, I'm simply sharing my discovery.

3. Lost Earring Back - I lost an earring back once when I was about 10 years old and freaked out. My mother very calmly tore the eraser off a pencil and fastened it to the back of my earring. Problem solved!

4. Chapped Lips - I used to date a trombone player in college. His lips would get very red, irritated and swollen after long days of blowing his horn. He would treat them by opening Vitamin E capsules and smearing the goo inside on his lips. It stinks and tastes horrible, but it works.

5. Red Wine on the Carpet - I spilled red wine on our carpet recently and my husband ran to the rescue with a bag of salt. It soaked up the red wine from the surface and we swept it away. I then used white wine, which I had heard takes away a red wine stain and it neutralized it a bit, then simply wiped away the remaining stain with a carpet cleaner wipe. Problem solved!

6. Unruly Eyebrows - Instead of the wimpy eyebrow brushes sold by cosmetic stores, take a tip from my mother and use a toothbrush if your brows are thick and unruly. Totally works!

7. Costume Jewelry Turning Green - Whenever I buy costume jewelry, I paint it with clear nail polish before wearing it so neither the jewelry or my skin turns green! I reapply a coat every 6 weeks or so to keep it in check. This usually lengthens the life of costume jewelry for me, especially the super cheap stuff. I do not do this with earrings. I have no idea if it would be healthy to paint earring posts and I wouldn't recommend doing so.

8. Garlic Breath - I used to eat at Fazzoli's, an Italian fast food joint back in Kentucky. They serve these lemon ice drinks and offered lemon slices for free at the condiments stations. One time I decided to ask someone why... it just seemed odd. I was told that lemon neutralizes the garlic on your breath, making the stinky breath go away! I don't know how scientifically true this is, but I usually have a little lemon after garlic to get rid of the bad breath and it seems to work!

If you have any tips you'd like to share, please leave a comment! I'm always looking for new solutions to old problems!