Ugh - so I saw it on Pinterest, and tried it

Ugh – an interjection exclaiming disgust, horror or the like.  – My version of a dictionary definition.  It also describes what I did while it rained on this Labor Day holiday.

Week #37 + 1 day - 49 Weeks ‘til I’m 50 – Ready, Set, it’s all about A FOCUSed plan to get there!  Only 12ish weeks left.

As females age, we start to notice personal things we wish we could reverse.  How about these two biggies – skin and teeth?  Just rub your hand on your arms or legs, are they soft and smooth or do you notice some rough patches or wish your skin was softer?   Take a close look at your teeth, unless you already whiten your teeth with chemicals, are they less white than you’d like?  There must be natural ways to deal with both of these things?  Enter in Pinterest. 

Gotta love this day and age – everything you ever wanted to know you can find on the web.  Or, if you’re like me, Pinterest has some interesting ideas/things that you can try.  Some things at first glance make me sigh, “Ugh!”    

One of my time wasting hobbies is pinning things from Pinterest.  Right, I know, UGH fits!  Unfortunately some days I can waste way more time than is definitely appropriate.  But, occasionally, I find something that might just be worth trying, and perhaps make the time spent no longer wasted. Or should I say, I wonder if people ever really try the things they see on Pinterest?  Especially the pictures you see that give you the desire to scream UGH!  When I saw these two things, I thought UGH at first, but then the more I thought about it, I wanted to test them out myself.  My ultimate excuse, (that which makes it okay to do today) it’s a rainy holiday...

What the heck…let’s be adventurous as a way to kick off the last twelve weeks of our adventure to 50.  Plus, if you happened to see these things on Pinterest and didn’t dare try, I can fill you in on what I discovered about the true facts, you know, a real life testimony.  

Pin #1 – Homemade exfoliating rub.

Must have’s to make this work: 

• Either a tripod (or an extremely willing spouse) to photo you trying this mixture on for proof you actually did the pin! 
• Coffee Grounds (about 2/3 cup) – since I couldn’t really tell on the pin if it was fresh coffee grounds or the grounds after you make coffee, I used a little of both, more of the after coffee mix since I didn’t want to waste good coffee if this didn’t really work.
• Brown sugar (about ¼ cup)
• Olive Oil (splash, give or take)

Mix all together to make a paste.  I made the concoction two days in a row.  First day I didn’t use the fresh coffee grounds, and I think I liked it better it’s more soupy instead of rough paste.  But, both versions do the trick.  If you can stand the mess in your tub, and the lingering coffee smell you carry with you the rest of the day, it is true you end up with very soft skin indeed!  I even used it on my face, not sure if I was supposed to but it worked.

I don't think you really have to measure,
I didn't either time, and both worked.

Ugh, am I really going to try this?

It's hard to get on your back, if the camera man
wasn't busy taking pictures, perhaps he
could have helped???

Yes, it is messy - that's the part they don't tell
you on the pins - the mess!  Oh well, it's natural
and washes away with soap and water.

Pin #2 – Activated Charcoal for a natural way to whiter teeth.  

The theory behind it is that the charcoal absorbs the tannins left behind on your teeth from coffee, tea and wine stains.  I told a friend about it and she said that she was told that your teeth will only whiten as much as the whites of your eyes.  Okay, not sure if that’s true, or not, but we’ll see.  I don’t care for the cost or the chemicals in the whitening strips, so if it's a natural way to whiten teeth, I’m game to see if this works!   After two days, I do notice a difference.  Don’t worry – your mouth doesn’t stay black, and it doesn’t stain anything, and if you accidentally swallow some it won’t hurt you.  

Must have’s to make this work:

• Activated charcoal capsule (1), break open capsule into bowl
• Glass bowl to catch the slurry
• Small spoon to stir up the slurry (you'll add just a little bit of water to the bowl and stir)
• A timer (you swish the slurry in your mouth for 5 minutes)
• A camera – to capture photos of you trying this.  If you don’t you won’t know if it really works or not.  I think the pin on Pinterest does a great job explaining everything.  I’ve only done this twice but I did notice a difference in whiteness immediately.  I would recommend not going dry red wine tasting after your first try at this, but that’s just a bit of unsolicited advice! 

Before shot - creepy!  

Oh, no, this IS creepy - see how the charcoal
attaches to the stains

Sure hope it comes off my lips, this isn't
my best color of lipstick!  

After 5 minutes, ready to rinse.

A perfect selfie opportunity...am I really this insane?

Does make the tongue black - just brush your
tongue and it goes away!

Ok...I see a difference, definitely no longer black!  I
think I'll try a few more times just to see if it
really does work!  Ugh...

Best pricing found was through Swanson's

Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy your UGH moments...they might just give you something new to try!  See you soon!!

PS – Photo lessons – doing these silly things from Pinterest is a great way to practice selfies and gives you plenty of things to randomly photograph.  Copper feels a little left out, here we are staring out at the rain.