How to Create a Karaoke File With PowerPoint

If you don’t have the money to invest in a karaoke machine and CD+G discs, you can use PowerPoint to create your own karaoke files that will play on your computer or television. Before you get started, however, make sure you have an MP3 version of your song track and prepare to spend a bit of time animating your text, if choose to do so.

Insert the Audio File

1. Rip a song from your favorite CD to your computer. Create a stereo MP3 file.

2. Remove the vocals from any CD rips. You can use the open-source Audacity, which works on Windows, Mac and Linux computers. Import the MP3. Click the drop-down arrow next to the file name and split the stereo track into a left and right channel. Select the entire right track, and then, from the Effects menu, choose Invert. Finally, set both tracks to Mono by clicking the drop-down arrow next the file name for each. Export to a new MP3 file.

3. Open PowerPoint and select the side where the music should begin. If your song has an instrumental introduction, you may want to start it on the title slide; if lyrics begin immediately, you may want to start on the first slide after the title slide.

4. Click Audio on the Insert tab. Select Audio on My PC. Navigate to your audio file and double-click it to select it. For now, we will insert the original audio file with vocals. This will make it easier to align our text animation with the song.

5. Click Play in Background on the Playback tab to make sure the song plays across all slides in your file.

Add Lyrics

1. Create a new slide and insert a text box. Set the font to about 42 points and use a crisp font that will be easy to read on the screen.

2. Paste the first word of the song in the text box. Create a new text box for each word of the first one or two lines of your song if you want to animate the text to change color along with the music. Otherwise, you can paste the first one or two lines of the song in a single text box. If you need help with your lyrics, check a popular online lyrics database such as AZLyrics, Song Lyrics or MetroLyrics.

3. Apply text animation to the first text box by clicking it and then selecting an effect such as Font Color from the Animations tab. Be sure to choose an animation that changes the color of the text in some way without distorting it. Make sure you set the transition on the Transition tab to On Mouse Click. Repeat for each word’s text box on the slide.

4. Repeat that process to create new one- or two-line lyric slides through the end of the song. To save time, you can duplicate your first lyric slide so that the transition and animation is already applied to the text boxes. Optionally add an ending slide, as well, if there is a long instrumental at the end of your song.

5. Click the title slide to select it. On the Slide Show tab, click Rehearse Timings. As soon as the lyrics begin, advance the slide. As each word is sung, click your mouse to animate the next text box, and advance slides through the end of the song. Close the timer, choosing to apply the rehearsed timings.

6. Click the title slide to select it. Change the slide transition time on the Transition tab to 3 or 4 seconds before the audio starts by subtracting it from the timing in the After text box.

7. Play the presentation to ensure your text animations synchronize with the music. Adjust where necessary by changing the timing in the After field on the Transition tab.

Insert the Instrumental Audio

1. Return to the title slide to select and delete the audio file. Since you want to sing along to the music, we need to insert the instrumental version instead.

2. Click Audio on the Insert tab. Select Audio on My PC. Navigate to and select your instrumental audio file.

3. Click Play in Background on the Playback tab to make sure the song plays across all slides in your file.

Convert to Video

1. Download and install the free RZ PowerPoint Converter to your computer. You can also choose other converters, including the Xilisoft PowerPoint converters (free and paid versions) and the imTOO PowerPoint to MP4 Converter. If using another converter, follow the instructions provided with your software.

2. Open RZ PowerPoint Converter and add your PowerPoint karaoke presentation to the queue. To add the file, click Add, locate it on your hard drive and double-click it.

3. Select the Convert to Video Files option and select the Target Format. MP4 files can store multimedia files, such as music and animated text, in a single container. Since it’s a reliable format that requires little bandwidth for playback, it’s a great option for your karaoke files. This option ensures your file will play on computers, DVD players and mobile devices.

4. Click Next to set Export settings. Select your Target Folder for the MP4 file, and then Start the conversion. You can burn your new MP4 to DVD to play on your TV or play it right on your computer.

Tips and Warnings

Align text boxes in PowerPoint by selecting all of the text boxes on a line to select them, and then clicking the Align button on the Format tab and choosing Align Top. You may use other alignment and arrangement selections as necessary.

These instructions use PowerPoint 2013. Steps may vary slightly for other versions. PowerPoint Online has many of the same features.

References:

Audacity WonderHowTo: How to Vocals from Any MP3 Using Audacity

Office: Play Music for the Duration of Your Slide Show

RZ: How to Convert PowerPoint to MP4 In 3 Steps By Using the RZ PowerPoint Converter

Digiarty WinXDVD: What Is MP4 Format

Microsoft PowerPoint 2013 Tutorials: Align Objects In PowerPoint 2013

How to Create and Print Punch Cards

Free Templates and Resources Available for Many Skill Levels

Punch cards are a great way to promote your business or get your kids to do their chores. When cardholders present these cards, they get a punch. You offer an incentive (i.e., free item, percent-off discount or tickets to the next boy-band concert) for a certain number of punches, creating a win-win for you and your customers.Since you want your cardholder to be able to carry the punch card wherever they go, consider making them wallet-sized. There are plenty of speciality papers you can use with free online templates to create and print quality punch cards.

Using Microsoft Products

1. Open Microsoft Word and search "punch card" on the start screen. Select the available 10-per-sheet template. Note the Avery specialty papers that work with the template.
2. Click [Company Name] to edit it and type your company name or a name for your promotional program. Do the same for the [Company tagline] and the Offer fields. This will update the field on every card.
3. Click each field again and reformat the text, as desired. You can change the font size and color or apply styles.
4. Click the table icon in the upper-left corner of the first punch card to select the table. On the Design tab, select one of the grid Table Styles so that you can see the edges of the card. You can remove or restyle them again later.
5. Click graphic elements to select and delete them. To delete all graphics, click the white background to select everything. Insert new graphics, as desired, from the Insert tab.
6. Click inside the first table cell and place the cursor below the text. From the Insert tab, you can optionally insert a table that is five columns wide and two rows to create 10 punch spaces. Select the table and set the row height to half the dimension of the column width (0.34 inches). Restyle the table border, as desired. You can also remove the borders and place shapes or other images inside the table cells.
7. Place the mouse on the left side of the punch card cell (not the punch spaces we just created) until the cursor turns into a black arrow. Click the mouse to select the cell, and then copy it. Press the Tab key and paste the cell contents. Repeat for all remaining punch card cells.
8. Insert the associated Avery paper product for this template into your printer. In Word, choose Print from the File menu. Select your printer and print your punch cards.

Using Avery Online Software

1. Access the Avery Print & Design online tool . You may sign in or create an account so that you can save your projects, however, you can also save your projects to your computer without creating an Avery account.
2. Click Design & Print Online from the Templates tab. Select the Business Cards category and choose the appropriate template for the Avery paper product you plan to use for your punch cards. Double-click the template to select it.
3. Select a design from the available categories. Designs have preset graphics and text to get you started. You can, however, change any of those elements when you edit your card. Double-click the blank or designed card to select it.
4. Click text boxes and graphics to edit them. Click Add Text Box to add new text boxes or one of the From buttons on the Images pane to add graphics.
5. Add punch spaces using Shapes from that pane or by uploading clipart images. Align your punch graphics using the options on the Arrange, Rotate and Align pane.
6. Click Preview & Print in the upper-right corner of the screen to review your card. If everything is as you want it, click Print .

Tips
You can use Avery templates with Microsoft Word, as well. If you're more comfortable working in Word, just download the template and edit as desired.

It is not necessary to use Avery paper products to print your punch cards. You can use other brands of speciality papers or plain cardstock (at least 60 lbs. for stability) with a paper cutter to cut out your printed cards.

References
Making the World Cuter: Punch Cards: Making Chores for Kids Fun

Office: Buy 10 Get 1 Free Punch Card (10 Per Page)

Avery Print & Design Online

 

How to Create Your Own Free Memorial Cards

Avery Print & Design Online

For Funerals, Graduations and Anniversaries

Remembering loved ones is important, and you may want your funeral or memorial cards to have a personal touch. You don't have to save them for funerals or memorial services; you can also create keepsake cards for birthday parties, graduations or anniversaries. Using free software or templates, you can design, create and print your own memorial cards at home.

Design Your Card

1. Decide what information you want on your card. Typical funeral cards include name, date of birth, date of death, and a personal quote, poem or religious verse. A graduation memorial card may include name, graduation year, school name, courses of study, and favorite quote.
2. Gather images and other graphics. If images are not already in a digital format, scan the photographs. You can search online for clipart, backgrounds, borders and other graphic elements. AllFreeDownload offers a variety of vector graphics and you can find other free images at sites like Public Photo, Stock.xchng and Bigstock Photo.
3. Decide the size of your memorial cards. For this set of instructions, we'll use Avery 8869 non-perforated business card paper to create 2" x 3.5" cards. Other templates for larger card sizes are available.

Use Avery Design & Print Online

1. Open your Web browser and access the Avery Template & Software page. Click to access Avery Design & Print Online.
2. Enter your Avery paper product number or, if you're not using an Avery paper, "business card" in the Quick Search field. Click "Go."
3. Click the appropriate template row to select it, and then click "Next."
4. Browse design categories. Once you locate a design, click it to select it, and then click "Next."
5. Customize your text and graphics for both the front and back sides of the card using the tools on the left side of the screen. You can change font size, color and position, and add shapes and custom images.
6. Click "Save" to save your card (optional), and then click the "Preview & Print" button.
7. Load your paper, set your print options, and click "Print" to print your cards.

Tips
Need some design ideas? Search Google Images for "memorial cards."
Avery also offers a Microsoft Word add-on that allows you to search for and open Avery templates within Word and downloadable templates for Word.

 

How To Create Free Word Art Online

Free Online Tools for Creating Stylized Text Graphics

Graphic text, or word art, can make websites, videos, posters and other media more attractive and engaging. Free Web-based tools enable you to create 3D or other stylized text images you can download and insert wherever you need them. Other online tools allow you to create word clouds from multiple words relating to your topic. Word clouds can be in random arrangements or with your words filling in a specified shape.

3D and Stylized Text

1. Choose a free online tool that will stylize your word art as you desire. FreeTeacherFiles.com offers the free Xara 3D Maker (link in Resources). You can also try the free Graffiti Creator, Cool Text Graphics Generator, or other online tools available by searching the Internet. For this tutorial, we'll use the Cool Text Graphics Generator.
2. Select your style.
3. Enter the text you want to stylize in the available box, and then choose your formatting options, as desired. Depending upon the tool, you may be able to change the font face, size and color along with shadow, bevel, rotation or alignment.
4. Click the creation button (in Cool Text Graphics Generator, this is the "Create Logo" button) to create your word art. If you're not happy with your graphic, change settings and options as desired and regenerate.
5. Download your image, if applicable, by clicking the appropriate download button or by right-clicking the image and choosing to save it to your computer.

 
Word Clouds

1. Write down a list of words about your topic that you would like to include in your word cloud. You may also use a sentence or paragraph of text related to your topic. Some tools will browse your blog or website to develop your list of words.
2. Choose a free online tool. This tutorial uses Wordificator, whose link you can find along with other free word cloud tools in the Resources section. You can find other free online tools by searching the Internet. Wordificator creates word clouds in a specified shape.
3. Choose the shape of your text, if applicable. On Wordificator, click the "select" tab to view additional shape options or "upload" to add a custom shape image. For example, if you have a headshot of a person, you can upload that image and fill the person's silhouette with words that describe them. You can also fill in logo shapes.
4. Choose the text color and other formatting options, as desired.
5. Enter your words, sentence or paragraph in the box. Some online tools will give larger-text treatment to words entered in the box multiple times or at the top of the list. Other tools, use all words at random.
6. Click the creation button (in Wordification, this is the "Wordificate now" button) to create your word cloud. If you don't like the arrangement of the generated image, you may be able to click the button again for a new layout. You can also try adding additional instances of a word in your list box to change the layout.
7. Download your image, if applicable, by clicking the appropriate download button or by right-clicking the image and choosing to save it to your computer.

References:
Sugar Sugar House: Creating Free Personalized Word Art

Resources:

• TeacherFiles.com: Free Online Word Art Generator
  
• Cool Text Graphic Generator
  
• Graffiti Creator
  
• Wordificator
  
• Wordle
  
• Tagxedo
  
• WordItOut
  

 

16+ Places to Find Free Online Courses

Classes From Major Universities and Learning Organizations

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are becoming increasingly popular. High school seniors can sample college-level classes in their field of interest before committing to a major. Students can also supplement their learning with these online courses. Professional workers may use MOOCs to enhance their current skill sets in preparation for promotions or career changes. Some online programs even qualify for continuing education credits.

Quality programs cover the topic completely with an engaging and interactive presentation. You shouldn't feel tortured while you sit through videos, participate in message forums, and complete homework assignments. They are also backed by credible sources and organizations such as universities so that you can be confident you're learning what you need to know.

Academic Earth
Academic Earth offers a directory of courses by universities around the world, including Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, MIT, Standford University, University of California, University of Cambridge, University of Notre Dame and Yale University. It links out to more than 750 courses in categories like design, business, computer science, engineering, humanities, health care, science and social science. Some classes require online and live classroom participation for completion. Follow the class links to visit the provider's website for more information. Academic Earth also provides single-video lessons in its Video Electives directory that cover topics like "Psychology of an Internet Troll" and "The Economic Cost of Obesity." You can watch these short 2- to 5-minute videos right on the Academic Earth site.

Alison
While Alison offers more than 600 free courses, they are text-based. That means that people who learn through reading can benefit from its business, finance, health, personal development, information technology and language courses. Those who need those audio-visual cues to reinforce learning will probably want to try a different learning site. You can, however, view short video introductions of classes on Alison's YouTube Channel . Classes are standards-based and certified, according to its website. Many of the courses offered on the Alison site provide a diploma or certificate for a nominal fee. You may also want to look into its paid subscription to remove the timed advertising that displays throughout courses with the free access option.

Connexions
Connexions , another text-based course site, offers collaborative course development. Anyone can author and contribute, but all content is reviewed and verified by trusted and knowledgeable contributors. Additionally, universities, museums and other institutions develop courses on the Connexions site. You can take advantage of more than 17,000 modules in just about any topic. You will even find learning geared to school-age children. Modules provide information about related textbooks, similar courses and a reference list for further study. Study via the Internet or download materials for offline learning in PDF or EPUB formats.

Coursera
Coursera offers multi-week asynchronous programs that appeal to auditory/visual learners as well as readers. Its multimedia content includes links to additional resources, quizzes, and other tools to assist in learning reinforcement and retention. Each course offers a week-by-week schedule of video and reading; sometimes quizzes and discussion forum participation. If you hope to gain a certificate from the program, you'll have to meet all deadlines, however you can view the content at your own pace to learn without credit. Materials are also available for some time after the course completes.

Providers include major universities such as Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Amsterdam, Princeton University, and The University of British Columbia. Contributors also include American Museum of Natural History, Commonwealth Education Trust, and New Teacher Center among other organizations. Courses are offered in about 12 languages and cover many different topic areas. Interact with the instructor and other students through the course wiki and forums and, sometimes, local meetups.

edX
edX also offers courses from big university names such as MIT, Harvard University, University of California, IIT Bombay, The University of Queensland and Caltech. Like Coursera, you can obtain certificates by completing courses by deadlines. Some certificates are free, but there is a fee for certificates issued with identification verification, which may be required for credit by some schools or employers. Some schools also offer XSeries certificates for successful completion of a series of courses. Courses include multimedia presentations, homework assignments, interactive exercises and quizzes, and discussion forums. Subjects range from communications to mathematics, computer science, history and literature.

GCF Learn Free
Learn all about blogging or developing your personal financial budget at GCF Learn Free . Goodwill Community Foundation runs this free learning site where you can use more than 1,000 learning tools covering more than 90 topics. If you prefer to learn on the go, GCF Learn Free offers free mobile apps for Apple and Android devices including Microsoft Publisher, Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint. As you may guess by the free app offering, GCF Learn Free offers classes for the Microsoft Office Suite in addition to computer basics, career planning and development, everyday life, social media and personal money management. Some classes are text-based and others are video or interactive content. You can often take advantage of linked tools and resources to supplement your learning.

iversity
Although a company based in Berlin, Germany, runs iversity , this site offers quality courses in both German and English. Multimedia courses are organized into week-by-week sets of videos and resources created by qualified professors and universities. Subjects include science, design, philosophy, social studies and engineering. Each video engages learners with with real people, fun graphics and music in just the right places. Discussion boards, quizzes, assignments, linked references and attachments, supplemental videos and other components help reinforce learning and enhance understanding.

Khan Academy
Khan Academy caters to students in grades kindergarten through 12, but can be a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning mathematics, science, history, economics, computer programming and other topics. This resource provides guided learning through "missions" for testing mathematics and other skills right from its engaging Dashboard. Students can also browse lessons by topic and grade level.

Lesson gamification makes learning fun and provides badges for completing sections and challenges. Learning can also be interactive through the online community, coaching and programs. Teachers, tutors and mentors can become coaches for their students to assist and monitor progress. Graphic reporting can provide valuable information about where you need to focus your learning.

My Course Room
My Course Room offers professional and personal learning topics including relationship management, project management, leadership development, childcare training, stress management, work-life balance, aging gracefully and coping with loss. Course lengths vary from 5 to 25 hours, and some offer accreditations and certifications. Train at your pace on your own time. There are no scheduled start or end dates. My Course Room also provides a subscription-based transcript that outlines your completed courses with links to any certifications you earn. This site presents courses in text and multimedia formats with some quizzes and other interactions.

NovoEd
NovoEd offers both free and paid courses in professional topics for developing business and leadership skills. Providers include Standford University, +Acumen, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Kauffman Fellows Academy, and Strategic Decisions Group. These courses are scheduled, however, and, in some cases, you must begin the course within two weeks of its start date or wait until its next offering. Content is provided in multimedia presentations with captioning and a viewable transcript. Audit the course at your own pace or complete all course requirements for a certificate of accomplishment.

Open2Study
Open2Study offers free courses in education, science and technology, marketing, business, finance, health and humanities. You won't be able to start most courses until the scheduled start date, but some courses are always open for self-paced learning. Content is video based, with links to additional reading and study materials. They even provide video responses to quiz questions, which makes Open2Study classes a great resource for visual learners. For others, the transcript enables you to read along or skip to specific content in the video. Courses include a searchable classroom forum and you earn badges for completing tasks. Open2Study also provides free certificates of achievement for completing courses.

Udacity
Udacity offers classes in categories such as business, computer science, design, mathematics and science. Browse courses by beginner, intermediate and advanced skill level. You can begin courses at any time for self-paced learning. Classes are always available. Udacity presents content in short videos that automatically roll from one to the next with a timeline that allows you to skip to specific topics. There may be interactive quizzes and exercises throughout program that require participation before you can move forward. Course wikis and forums offer community and social learning opportunities.

Open Education Database
The Open Education Database allows you to browse courses by subject, including Arts, Business, Education, Liberal Arts and Science. The database includes more than 10,000 free online classes from providers that include Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Michigan, Kaplan University, and Johns Hopkins University. It also catalogs courses from some of these other sites, as well, such as Alison and Khan Academy. You can find free courses related to degrees and certificates, along with information about accredited online degrees. Courses are links to provider websites, therefore content formats vary by provider.

Some Additional Databases and Lists

• MOOC List provides one-stop shopping for courses available on most of our referenced MOOC sites above, including edX, Open2Study, Coursera, NovoEd and iversity. Additional providers include Canvas.net, uneOpen, and individual universities and organizations from around the globe. Search its database or browse by category, provider, country, instructor, language or certificate type.
  

• Open Culture offers a listings of certificate courses by availability date, free online classes from top universities by category and topic, free textbooks available for download, and other lists such as movies, ebooks, language lessons, business courses, kids education, science videos and intelligent video sites.
  
• Class Central is similar to MOOC List as it provides links to courses offered by many providers mentioned in this article including Coursera, edX, etc. These lists display in table format, allowing you to sort columns by Course Name, Instructor(s), Subject, Start Date, Length or Initiative (provider). You can also search the database.
  
• CourseTalk can filter courses by subject, tags, university, start date, workload, start type (starting soon, just started, in session, future); top rated, popular and upcoming tabs. It also provides learner reviews of courses.
  

 

Best Facial Cleanser and Lotion ... And It's Homemade

The Need
I, a 36-year-old woman, have never grown out of the acne-prone skin I developed in high school. It's not as bad as it was back then, but I still have monthly breakouts that sometimes include very painful pimples across all layers of my skin. During the past two decades, I have experimented with every acne product in the drugstore: the cleansers, the scrubs, the lotions, the creams, the vitamins, the sponges, the soaps and the masks. I have tried multiple brands of each of these products, as well. In college, I even tried that expensive monthly club that charged $40 a month for a little bottle of cleanser and astringent that I could barely stretch over the 30 days. It didn't help, anyway.

So, here I am, with acne that isn't quite that bad, but skin that still breaks out and, worse, has pitted scars to remind me of the skin that plagued me in my teens and early 20s. My adequate drug-store skin regimen included a Buff Puff sponge with Noxema to exfoliate, wash with antibacterial Dial soap, and then moisturize with Cetaphil lotion. But I still wasn't happy with my skin.

The Recipes
I use two 2-ounce baby food jars: one for my face cleanser and the other for my homemade moisturizer. The cleanser lasts me about two weeks washing morning and night, and the lotion lasts for weeks. There is at least one night per week, however, that skip my cleanser and go straight for a pure baking soda scrub for a microdermabrasion effect. A regimen of one microdermabrasion a week is helping reduce the appearance of my pitted acne scars. After two months, people have started to notice that my skin is smoother and more even without any prodding from me whatsoever.

Face Cleanser
3 Tbsp ground oatmeal (not instant)
3 Tbsp baking soda
3 Tbsp of honey
3 Tbsp of water

1. Ground up your oatmeal in a blender. I have another container I use to store the unused portion so that, when it's time to make a new batch, my oatmeal is ready to go.
   
2. Add the oatmeal and the baking soda to the baby food jar.
   
3. Next, add the water. Put the lid on the jar and shake it vigorously. This helps shrink the mixture down and thin it out enough to mix it with the honey.
   
4. Add the honey to the jar and shake again. Really shake it so that all of the ingredients mix together well. The solution will likely be thin at first, but will thicken overnight as the oatmeal absorbs the water and honey.
   
5. When it's time to use the cleanser, you may need to reshake the jar or stir it with your finger first. The thinner the mixture is, the more the ingredients will separate with the heavier baking soda settling on the bottom.
   

Understanding that this recipe is the one that has been working wonders on my skin, you may require a slight adjustment. For example, one of the recipes I tried included a tablespoon of unrefined coconut oil. This reduced the abrasion of the baking soda and thickened the solution into a paste-like texture. If you find that my recipe is too harsh for your skin, consider reducing the baking soda to 2 tablespoons and add a tablespoon of unrefined coconut oil.

Moisturizing Lotion
2 Tbsp unrefined coconut oil
.5 Tbsp of honey
.5 Tbsp of water

Put everything in a jar and, if your coconut oil is soft enough, just shake the jar until everything is mixed; if not, use your finger to mix it together. It should be creamy when you're done, with a slight brown tint. For your morning moisturizing, use a small amount on the tip of your finger. A little bit of this lotion goes a long way. If you do a pure baking soda scrub at night, use a bit more and really coat your skin to protect it.

Since this lotion is oil-based, be aware that its texture is dependent upon the temperature in the room. If it gets too warm, it will liquify; if it gets too cold, it will be harder. Additionally, keep the lotion in an air-tight jar. The honey in it will crystallize if you leave the lid off. If this happens, simply put some on your finger, run it under water and rub your hands together to smooth it back out.

Pure Baking Soda Scrub
If you have scars that you want to treat, one or two nights per week, wet your face, add about half a tablespoon of baking soda to a damp washcloth, and massage it over your face for about a minute. Thoroughly rinse and put a generous amount of coconut oil over your skin to protect it overnight.

The Research
How did I come to these recipes? Well, first I spent some time researching homemade facial scrubs. I came across a lot of recipes online. Some mixed different combinations of these ingredients with oils, vinegar toners, citrus juices, and other household and food products. As I researched those products, I found that the four ingredients in this recipe had all the properties I needed in a skin-care regimen.

After selecting my ingredients, I experimented with different combinations until I found a texture that gave me that clean-skin feeling without being too abrasive, and there were a few days where I scrubbed off a bit too much skin. It's hard not to get a little zealous about a new scrub, but do start slow or you can do more harm than good, even with these all-natural, homemade recipes.

Let me share a summary of this research with you, including some cautions about using baking soda recipes on your skin as it can affect the pH of your skin.

• Oatmeal is not only a gentle exfoliant, it helps reduce swelling, dryness and itching in skin. Its starches, beta-glucan, saponins and phenols have been shown to not only help problem skin heal, but actually buffer and clean skin.
  
• Honey is both antiseptic and provides a layer of protection for wounds. It is also a natural preservative for your homemade recipes. It's also a great way to lighten scars, moisturize skin and treat eczema.
  
• Baking soda is an abrasive that exfoliates the skin. In addition to whitening teeth, baking soda can provide various levels of skin cleansing from light exfoliation to a microdermabrasion-like treatment.
  
• Unrefined coconut oil is a great natural moisturizer for hair and skin. Various studies suggest that coconut oil is effective at treating some skin conditions and conditioning hair. Remember, a little bit goes a long way.
  

Balancing the pH
In my research, I encountered some who caution against using baking soda on your skin. After all, some use this chemical to scrub their sinks and toilets. The main objection is that our skin has a natural acidic top layer, or an acid mantel, that protects us from bacteria. Scrubbing this layer away can cause worse breakouts, and do that is especially easy with baking soda, which is a base. The above recipes and skin care regimen works to keep your skin's pH at the right level and maintain a protective layer at all times.

If you find that you're breaking out too much, reduce how vigorously you scrub. I noticed, in the first couple weeks, that I was breaking out after doing my microdermabrasion treatments with baking soda. Of course, I was doing it two consecutive nights. When I cut that down to one night a week, I stopped breaking out. Your skin is unique so you'll need to use a little trial and error to find the right regimen for you, but err on the side of caution.

• Oatmeal pH is about 5.5 (weak acid) - about the same as black coffee or urine
  
• Honey has an average pH of about 3.9 (moderate acid) - about the same as tomato juice and acid rain
  
• Baking soda has a pH of about 9 (weak alkaline)
  
• Water is neutral
  

Using only the oatmeal and baking soda with water would create a slightly acidic, but close to neutral solution. Adding a bit of honey tips the scale toward the acidic side, which helps fend off bacteria and match the natural pH of your skin, which is about 4.5 to 5.

Practical Gifts for Grownups

No need to go overboard during the holidays or when birthdays, new apartments and babies come along. Your family and friends will appreciate practical gifts that fill a need and lift a financial load from their shoulders. Get creative with otherwise simple items to create unique and easy gifts anyone can appreciate.




Housewarming Bucket
Forget houseplants. Give the gift of cleanliness by purchasing a bucket and filling it with household cleaners, rubber gloves, sponges, paintbrushes, magnets, nails and duct tape among other new home must-haves. They will love your personalized coupons for help painting a room, planting a garden, or rearranging the furniture.

Best Baby Blanket Bindle
Diapers are great gifts, but, if you're not talented enough to string together your own diaper cake, you can still be creatively practical. Use a baby blanket or cloth diaper to create a bindle on the end of a long-reach gripper (because you know a new mom can't climb on counters to reach those top shelves while holding a newborn). Stuff the bindle with baby-safe cotton swabs, Aquaphor cream, socks, a breastfeeding reminder bracelet, a good book, and some customized babysitting coupons. You can sweeten the bundle with a certificate to a local photographer for newborn photos.

Up and Away Bouquets
For a birthday, create a balloon bouquet with a balloon for every year. Inside each balloon, stuff coupons, memories from the last year, or inspirations for the new year. You could even stuff some balloons with cash or certificates to local restaurants or stores. Stuff some with subway tokens, quarters for the laundromat, or condoms.

Gifting Service
Birthdays, anniversaries, and retirements are a great time to gift services like landscaping, snow plowing, gutter cleaning, and housekeeping. You can pay someone else to detail the car, or your can pitch in one of your Saturdays to do it. Maybe you are a particularly talented organizer and could donate some time to help clean out the attic, basement or garage. Or, perhaps you can volunteer to digitize their photo albums and create a DVD photo slideshow.

Send Them Packing
Send your recent graduate off to college with a backpack or milk crate of gifts including bed sheets, towels, sanitizing wipes, cotton swabs, soap, potato chips, granola bars, and instant coffee. Some extra pocket cash stashed in a new pair of warm socks will fill two voids in one, pleasant surprise. If your recent grad is kicking off a brand new career, put your gifts in a briefcase or laptop bag. Get pens: one quality set for client engagements and many spare ballpoints. Consider adding a certificate for a resume service and a personalized job-hunting guide full of advice from family and friends.

Survival Kits
Fill up a 5- to 10-gallon bucket with a bag of rice, beans, bottled water, blankets, canned goods, a compass, a pocket knife, can opener, candles and waterproof matches. These emergency preparedness kits will come in handy during severe weather conditions or other disasters. Additional add-ins might be area maps, crank radio, a pup tent, rope and tarp.