My college degree was in International Studies, which afforded me the opportunity to intern years ago at the US Embassy in Bogota, Colombia for a summer where my dad was working at the time. One of the little luxuries I enjoyed while there was a Colombian lady who would pay personal house visits to give you a manicure or pedicure, each for $5! Now, that’s a deal!
While I would stumble over my Spanish as we conversed, she would always begin the manicure with this little procedure, which is both frugal, and amazingly effective in giving you the softest hands and feet. I’ve adapted it a bit for supplies available in the US:
Supplies: Hand lotion (the more moisturizing, the better), white sugar, liquid hand soap, towel
Step 1: Squeeze a dab of lotion into the palm of one hand. With the other hand, add a teaspoonful of sugar to the lotion. Mix the two together and massage all over your hands (you can do this on your feet as well).
Step 2: Add a squeeze of liquid hand soap to your hands, and rub all over your hands or feet again.
Step 3: Rinse hands or feet thoroughly under running water, and dry with towel. Moisturize immediately with hand lotion.
I did this on my husband’s feet once, and despite the fact that he’s a through and through “sports/t-shirt&jeans” kind of guy, he loved this! It’s a great way to show yourself or someone else a little love. I would imagine that you could even make a cute little gift basket with instructions and trial-sized soaps and lotions (of which all frugal shoppers surely have a stockpile somewhere) and a baby jar of sugar. Maybe even throw in a bottle of nail polish that you’ve gotten for free somewhere . . . the possibilites are endless :).
great tip. And i LOVE that handsoap in the picture. They’ve had it recently at Grocery Outlet and I am all stocked up!!
Oh, wow, I didn’t know about the handsoap at the Grocery Outlet . . . I got it at Trader Joe’s awhile back and probably paid way too much for it, but I love the scent too! Rats, now I’m tempted to go buy some in the middle of my 31 days of nothing!!! ;)
This is GREAT! I am going to make up a gift basket for my SIL and my sister for Christmas! Hmmm….think I’ll link this up at CouponGeek’s Favorites tomorrow!! Yeah!
Great Ideas….I will do this with my girls…
Thanks
Cool, I like that you don’t make this up ahead of time and it then dries out.
Think I’ll try it tonight!
Sounds neat! It would be a neat addition to a gift basket.
Thinking of gifts I am hosting ” A homemade Christmas” over at my blog and would love to have you join me. It will be every Monday until Christmas and I will have a Mr. Linky set up so everyone can share their posts about homemade gifts, decorartions, food etc. for Christmas.