For the little girl with the eye patch.

Dear little girl at Chik-fil-a with the pink, leopard eye patch,

First of all, you totally rocked it. I watched you playing with your grandma and that patch didn't seem to faze you at all. I wish I could have said the same for myself at your age when I had to wear one of those things. My patch was black and in the 80s, being a pirate wasn't quite as cool as it is now.

Actually, my grandma would let me sneak and not wear my patch when I was at her house, especially when we were playing Barbies.

I'm not sure why you have to wear a patch over your eye. The reason I had to wear one was my eye was lazy, which also caused one lens of my glasses to be much thicker than the other. The problem with telling a kindergartner that she has a lazy eye is she doesn't have the wisdom or wherewithal to understand that it isn't some kind of pronouncement about you as a person. Having a lazy eye doesn't make the rest of a person lazy.

I have spent the past 30 years trying to prove that. Why they couldn't have called it a butterfly eye or a mermaid eye or something without such a negative connotation is beyond me.

Maybe soon you won't have to wear the patch anymore. Perhaps you'll have identical twin pairs of plastic glasses, one pink and the other purple, just like mine were. I hope a boy in the 2nd grade doesn't call you "big eyes" because the magnification is so strong.

If your glasses slide down, go ahead and push them right back up, whether with your finger or by wiggling your nose. This is how I've coped for years, causing my family to coin a term for my nose-wiggle-glasses-pushing maneuver..."the snurl."

Sadly, you'll probably never get to know Molly, a bespectacled, but now discontinued member of the American Girl doll family. She might not have had frizzy hair like me, but her fate of having to wear glasses all the while planting a victory garden and staying positive in the face of World War 2 made me feel like I, too, could overcome hard things.

Contacts can be a good option, maybe in the 5th grade when your parents think you are mature enough to care for them properly.

But maybe you'll move to another town for college, a place where the air quality is terrible and your allergies act up and you can't wear contacts anymore.

You just might find that glasses aren't such a bad option after all, what with all the new styles available.

I hope you find someone to love, who loves you and doesn't care that your eyes are sometimes hidden behind thick lenses. And maybe one evening, you'll absentmindedly leave your glasses at home, and your sweetheart will keep looking at your over and over saying, "what is different?" And finally he or she will realize that you look different because for once, you aren't wearing your glasses.

"I kind of like that you aren't wearing your glasses because it lets me see your pretty eyes," he will say. "But I like it when you wear your glasses too." 

It won't be an issue. But clearly, it already isn't because you seem to be doing just fine. And so am I.

How to Host a DIY Spa Party At Home

Winter brings dreary days and cold weather. I don't know about you, but it can get downright depressing. There's a combination of let-down and relief after the holidays come to an end. But the stretch of time from January to March can really usher in the blahs. 

So, what better way to chase away the blahs than with some pampering? Fancy spa treatments can be expensive, but there's no reason you can't have a DIY spa party in the comfort of your home. 

Here are three simple spa treatment recipes to truly pamper and nourish your face, skin and hair this winter. Enjoy! 

1) Java Joy 

This simple body scrub is made with one of my favorite things: coffee. Did you know that the caffeine in coffee can combat cellulite and other skin imperfections? Give your skin a thorough pampering with this scrub. 

To make it, all you need is: 

- Coconut oil 

- Castor oil

- Coffee (finely ground)

- Sugar

- Vanilla 

Mix 1/2 cup finely ground coffee with 1/2 cup sugar. Add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix. Then slowly add in the oils (2 Tablespoons of each) and incorporate together with a fork. When the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, transfer to an air-tight container. 

Use this scrub on your body, paying special attention to problem areas such as thighs, backs of arms, elbows and knees. It leaves skin oh so soft and smells like a frappuccino without all the calories. 

2) Luscious Locks Honey Hair Mask 

Our hair can definitely take a beating this time of year, with all the cold dampness outside and the dry heat inside. This simple mask treatment can be done as preparation for a special event or just incorporated as part of your regular beauty routine. 

To make it, gather the following ingredients/tools: 

- Coconut oil 

- Raw Honey 

- Small cooking pan 

- Bowl 

- Spoon

- Shower cap

- Towel 

Mix equal parts coconut oil and honey (more or less depending on the length and thickness of your hair). Heat the mixture on low in the cooking pan until it is warm, but not hot. This will help it to penetrate your hair follicles. Apply the mixture to wet hair until fully coated. 

Twist hair into a bun (if long) and put on the shower cap. If you have a hood hair dryer, you might want to sit under it for 20 minutes of so. Otherwise, let the mask soak in for 30 minutes. Rinse it out in the shower and wash your hair as normal. 

3) Best Face Forward Oil Cleansing Regimen 

When I first heard about the oil cleansing method (OCM) for washing one's face, I thought it sounded crazy. Why would you ever put oil on your face? But then I tried it and haven't looked back. In fact, I've become something of a pusher when it comes to OCM. I spread the oily gospel wherever I go (if given the chance). 

This is something I suggest practicing every day, but if you're wary, just try it once and see what you think. 

Here's what you need: 

- Jojoba oil 

- Castor oil 

- Tea tree oil 

There's really no perfect recipe...it varies depending on your skin type. Jojoba is a moisturizing oil, castor is more drying. And tea tree is antimicrobial to fight blemishes. My usual combo is about 1:1 jojoba:castor with maybe 1/8 part tea tree oil. If you need more tea tree you can always add it. And if you have sensitive skin, maybe use less. 

The method is simple. Mix your oils in a small bottle and shake well. With very clean hands, pour out a quarter sized amount of oil in your palm and start rubbing your hands together to warm up the oil. Now apply liberally to your face. You don't even have to take your makeup off first, this will remove it for you. 

Spend at least 3 minutes rubbing the oil all over your face. Maybe five if you have time. I like to make sure and get it into all areas, especially problem spots. 

Now, I also keep a jar of baking soda next to my bathroom sink for various things. It's great for exfoliation in conjunction with OCM. 

Add a little baking soda to your hands and rub that only your face as well. Be careful around the delicate eye areas, but spend some time exfoliating to remove flaky skin. 

The clean oil works against the natural oils on your face, dissolving the bad stuff but keeping the moisture. Have you ever felt that tight feeling from using a drugstore facewash or astringent? The problem is that once you strip your face of its natural oils, it goes into overdrive producing more, thus keeping the oily cycle going. After doing OCM for a few years, my skin hardly produces much excess oil. 

After you've exfoliated, take a washcloth and wet it with hot water (as hot as you can stand). Use this to wipe your face completely, removing all the oil and baking soda. My face is usually a little bit pink from all the rubbing, but it feels so clean and fresh. 

These are just three ways you can pamper yourself at home. For your DIY spa party, why not invite a few friends over and let them do the treatments too. Provide the ingredients and let them mix their own scents and flavors. 

A few things you might for a DIY at-home spa party include: 

- various small containers (jars, bottles, plastic bags)

- essential oils (for fragrance)

- extra towels

- bowls of water for rinsing 

- spray bottles of water

- salt/sugar/epsom salt for scrubs 

- lemons/honey/avocado for masks

Winter won't last forever! Spend some time pampering yourself and enjoying the little things that each day brings. Before you know it, spring will be just around the corner. 

About Face: The Oil Cleansing Method

Since my mom bought me my first tub of Noxzema, I’ve been a skincare product junkie…trying just about every new-fangled item on the market that promised to clean, clear and smooth my skin.

For the last couple of months, I’ve been following a new skincare regimen and wanted to share and see if anyone else has tried it (or been curious about trying it.) Dubbed the oil cleansing method (OCM) and explained in detail here, it involves using different oils to clean the skin on your face. After experimenting with the formula, I’ve decided that an equal mixture of castor and jojoba oil works best for me, with a few drops of tea tree oil mixed in.

So far, I’m really happy with the results. The oil cleansing method takes a little more effort than conventional face washing, but it’s worth it to me because my skin feels so much better. I’ve read some different bloggers’ experiences with the OCM, some great and some not so great. As with anything else, you (or your dermatologist) have to determine what works for you. I just know it’s been a really good change for my skin.

Some things I recommend if you do decide to try it:

-Buy good quality 100% oils. My first bottle of tea tree oil (from the Dollar General) was full of random ingredients, but I found better options at the Vitamin Shoppe.

-Make sure your hands are clean before you begin & make sure you remove all the oil from your skin afterward.

-You don’t need nearly as much oil as you think you do. (I estimate in the palm of my hand).

So, has anyone tried the oil cleansing method? If so, did you like it/did it work for you? If you hated it, I’d love to hear that too.