Cheap Beer, Oiling Up, and Other Steamy Stories...

You should be aware that our household contains beer snobs. I am the most gracious of the beer snobs, which include two, since I will drink Bud Lite and even order it on occasion if it's on tap cheap for Happy Hour.

Erik, on the other hand, will not drink bad beer--and Bud Lite is, in fact, bad beer. Someone had to tell the truth. We may have Dos Equis, Killians, Guinness, and many varieties of craft beers, but Coors or Miller--heavens no.

Some of you may feel the same way. You may throw little shindigs and invite folk, instructing them to "BYOB." And they do. They snarl and pickle up their noses at your bitter beer while you pity them in secret for drinking watery horse urine by the six pack.

And then they have the audacity to leave it at your house. Never.

That's why I'd like to advise all the ladies out there that their husbands no longer have to shoot the leftover cans of Natural Ice. There's a purpose for that cheap beer. A higher calling. Redemption, if you will.

The hops in beer apparently add smoothness and shine to hair. Did you know? Rinse with a can or bottle in the shower, wait 5 minutes, then rinse again (unless you want to go to work smelling like an alcoholic).

Since I've started my new workout routine, I have vowed to have a spa day at least once a week. That could include a pedicure, a facial, or using the hot stone massage set my friend Kristy gave me for Christmas.

I rarely actually go to a spa. I try to save money by using natural remedies and concoctions at home. For instance, sugar scrub is an amazing exfoliant and the olive oil will act as both a moisturizer and a protective sealant. I use it on my legs to prevent ingrown hairs and skip the hassle of putting lotion on every morning. When I use sugar scrub I don't have to use lotion.

All this preparation can also benefit from steaming your face, either over a vaporizer or pot of hot water (not too close) which will open the pores to cleansing and moisturizing.

Olive oil is a marvelous invention, lending itself to moisturizing masks as well. Olive oil is high in fat--in the same way that avocado is high in fat, which is great for the skin. One avocado and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, left on for 10 minutes, will leave your skin smooth. If you can resist the temptation to lick your own face, you're good to go.