'No Poo Style'

While on pinterest sometime at the beginning of last week I came across an extremely interesting pin which led me to a blog that may have been the most useful thing I've learned from pinterest yet. The blog was about washing your hair 'no poo' style, meaning that you don't use shampoo. I at first was wondering if it was even possible but apparently it is. I mean it makes perfect sense, back in the frontier days they didn't have shampoo like we do now nor did they bathe as often yet they kept their hair 'clean' for much longer periods of time. I am not a fan of what's in our shampoos, even in my famously organic shampoo it has words in the ingredients that I can't pronounce, so I decided to give it a try.

It's only been a week and a half and all though my hair is still getting used to this new way of being washed my scalp definitely likes it. I was having such extreme issues of itchiness that I was in desperate need of something. I was doing all the correct things to do like using clear shampoos, not putting my conditioner on my scalp, not washing my hair every day and even using tea tree oil on my scalp. Grant it, those things helped, but I knew it was going to take something extreme to help my irritated scalp.

Here is the link to follow. It's extraordinarily detailed. I follow method 1...
http://www.coderedhat.com/no-poo/

What I am doing is I wash my hair using a mixture of only baking soda and water. I use more baking soda in my mixture because I have hard well water and I have much thicker hair than the average woman. Then since I have dry hair I rinse it with vinegar. The recipe says to just use half vinegar half water but that wasn't conditioning my hair enough. Yes my hair stinks like vinegar but all I need to do is get some essential oil to mix with water and/or tea and spray/rinse in my hair after the vinegar...I just haven't gotten to the store yet.

The one huge issue that I was having was static. The day after washing my hair it would look like I was struck by lightening from being so staticy. I had sprayed a leave in conditioner I made of coconut oil, olive oil and water but that didn't take care of the static and on top of that it made my hair look gross. So that idea was thrown out. Then a woman with the same problem suggested to me to take a dryer sheet (which smells good) and rub it through my hair. It certainly makes a big difference but I ended up buying a leave-in-conditioner to use for days that the static can't be tamed. Right now it is extremely dry out and has been under 10 degrees every day this week, so I am sure that is part of what's effecting it.

For a little while my hair started darkening, but now that my hair and scalp is starting to balance out it's getting it's shine and natural blonde streaks back.

It's even becoming not so weighed down and gaining volume.

And...

On top of that my scalp is turning pinkish! Which is very good.

I still have some itch, but I think it's taken care of the majority of the itch...my hair/scalp is still in the balancing out phase anyways.

I don't think every person on earth needs to do this because some women are blessed with amazingly healthy hair and scalps...however I am not. All though my hair has always been very thick and owns a decent amount of shine (which means health) I would get a lot of breakage (in my opinion), and itchiness. This I am banking on to help both those issues.

...........................

Right before I started this 'no poo' hair washing technique I did a conditioning mask on my hair which by the way did wonders...I melted coconut oil from it's usually white chunkiness to just oil and doused my hair in it. Then I left it in my hair with a shower cap over night and washed it out the next day. It worked wonders. I would definitely recommend doing this if you are in need of some serious conditioning.

Have a great weekend!

UPDATE: 1 YEAR LATER...

Firing Up The Kitchen...Literally

Within the past 2 1/2 years of being married I have almost burned our home down about 5 times...like I say in my 'about me' paragraph...I have a lot to learn. However, my biggest and latest lesson of starting fires had the potential of a massive catastrophe.

As most of you know, water is the last thing to use when putting out grease fires...

Well one day a few months ago I was trying to make meatloaf for the first time. I didn't have any sort of pan that allows the fat to drain out so I used my creative skills and punched holes in one of those cheap aluminum bread pans. I then strategically placed it on top of a dish for the fat to drain out onto. Well 3 hours later and the meat still was only half done, apparently that wasn't such a crafty idea. When it was time for my husband to leave for work he decided to try and help out his frustrated wife by taking out the dish the fat and grease was dripping onto and just letting it drip onto the oven floor because it was "needing cleaned anyways...". About ten minutes after he left the entire apartment starting reeking of smoke.
I ran out into the other room and grabbed the towel that was tossed on top of the oven thinking it was catching on fire...but no it was fine. At that same time I noticed tons of smoke coming out of every crevice of my oven. I turned it off and opened it only to see huge flames filling the boxed area. I hurried up and closed it and out of shear panic I grabbed the large bowl by the sink, filled it with water and tossed it in then slamming the oven door shut. Then I realized what I had just done and I let the oven door stay shut hoping the fire would just be suffocated. That worked. A couple minutes later and it was out. Needless to say I never got to eat my meatloaf and have never made it again...

I called my husband in panic with my heart racing (for I very much fear fire) and he calmed me down. I didn't use the oven after that until I had it squeaky clean. The only logical conclusion that I could come up with for the cause of the fire was the grease dripping down onto the hot coils and thus causing a grease fire. I to this day feel so utterly lucky because throwing water onto a grease fire only intensifies it X's 3. I could have died. If you don't believe me go to the myth busters web site and look up when they tested this confirmed 'myth'. People have literally died because they tried to put out a grease fire with water! Oh my heart is racing just thinking back to this. 

So then how are we supposed to put out grease fires if we can't use water? 

The safest way would be to 'suffocate' the fire. Just place a lid onto the flame filled pan. 

Or... 

you can just pour tons of baking soda into the pan. But the best way is still to suffocate it. 

Do not ever use water or flour to put out the fire and never bat at it with a towel because then you will just spread the flames.

Do you have any crazy kitchen fire stories? If so write it in the comment section and I will pick out my favorite one and share it at a future time.

Happy cooking!

The Wonder Of Tea Tree Oil

Tea Tree Oil is something I learned about way back in high school at the herb and natural health shop I worked at. Tea Tree Oil was most always an answer to any question. If I accidentally cut myself on something my boss would suddenly be by my side with Tea Tree Oil on hand. The oil is something I have grown to really love and so I want to spread it to you...

Please be reminded, I am not a specialist of any kind. I have just been using the oil a lot for many years and have learned much about it as to it's useful traits and such...

What is Tea Tree Oil?
Tea Tree Oil is an essential oil extracted from the leaves of a tree in Australia. It is purifying and used as a great topical agent but is not to be ingested.

The uses I have personally found great from it:
Cuts and scrapes of most any kind. -using a qtip dab the oil on the cut. A little goes a long way.
Acne -using a qtip I rub the oil along the acne area. Again, a little goes a long way.
Scalp treatment -fill a baby dropper and squeeze the oil along the scalp. Use a pick and divide the hair inch by inch until the oil is on each section of the scalp. Or use it in your shampoo. There are tea tree oil shampoos you can find or just pour a tea spoon or table spoon into your shampoo bottle and shake.
Burns -using a qtip dab the oil along the burned area. If you want to put a pain relieving cream on the burn then do not mix it with the oil...I have no idea how the two would react.

Some folks have claimed that it has made their moles and/or worts disappear ..however I have not tried using it for those cases...partly because I do not get worts and partly because moles are very sensitive and I would be scared to irritate it.
I do however have a mole half the size of a pencil eraser on my face and since I put tea tree oil on my face often that particular mole does get exposed to it...but it has never changed.
There have also been claims that Tee Tree Oil is a great use for a bug repellent, however I have not found that to be the case for me. Maybe the type of bugs that I was around at the time of trying it were not repelled by it, I don't know, but in my case I have not found that to be true...but it may have some partial truth to it. There just needs to be more research and/or experiments for it.

Tea Tree Oil is a cleanser and purifier and even anti-fungal which is why it is a great replacement for peroxide or alcohol on cuts and things.

It is not a pain-relief nor an itch-relief but depending on the cause of the itch it may just simply take care of the problem.


In it's history it has been used as a cold, cough  and sore throat treatment through inhaling it. However I would never recommend this unless a real natural health specialist would. I have read that the oil is poisonous thus why it's not to be ingested and with that I presume there are strict rules as to how it is to be used as an inhalant.

http://www.essentialoils.co.za/essential-oils/tea-tree.htm
above is a website with great information...one of  the best I've found.


A cool thing that I have accidentally discovered about it is that it eats completely through styrophome....

These pictures below are what happened to a foam plate that I poured a tiny amount of the oil on. The section that is completely eaten through was where it had gathered the most when poured. The circle under the plate is just a cup I was using to place it on. But this shows you just how strong the oil really is...

When I had first discovered this I had poured it into a foam cup not realizing what would happen. In just a couple minutes the entire bottom of the cup was eaten through. This plate took longer to be destroyed but only because it's thicker and made differently.

You should be able to find Tea Tree Oil at your local super market in the vitamin section under 'T'. It should cost under ten dollars and last months depending on how frequently you need it...I use mine a lot and only have to buy a new bottle twice a year.

Have a great day!

The Attempt at Beauty #2

After skimming through my Pinterest home page the first 'category' I tend to click on before all others is the 'hair and beauty'. Most of the pins are absolutely ridiculous to me while a few of them are quite useful and others are interesting enough to store it in the back of my mind but not worthy of pinning.

Some of those interesting ones are things to do to help cure acne, acne scars, hair conditioning, quick lose weight tricks, make-up tips, etc. Most of them I wonder why on earth women will go through such lengths for such results when there are way simpler ways of achieving their goal...

Acne:
There is no need to make nasty combinations of ginger and honey and all this gross ooey-gooey stuff that costs a butt load to buy anyway... In my mind the more ingredients (and dollars put into it) then the less I want to use it.

1. Tea Tree Oil
    Yes that's a repeat I know but for the category I must list it. It's amazing stuff. Use a q-tip and dab it on the blemish after washing your face or rub it all over the area of your face that tends to breakout.

2. Coconut Oil Scrub
    I gotta admit, I was avoiding this stuff because it was becoming so popular and I hate joining bandwagons...but there is a reason why this stuff is getting so much attention...because it works! I finally got a jar of this stuff. I scooped some out into a small container and poured in a decent enough amount of Sea Salt to give it a scrubbing texture along with two drops of Tea Tree Oil for extra cleansing (even though salt is a natural cleanser). I have been using it as my face scrub in my morning shower and I must admit the stuff is amazing; it was the perfect solution for the kind of face wash/scrub I've been dreaming of.

3. Vitamin E Oil
    Yes I know this one is a  repeat too but I again, I had to put it on the list. Leaving this stuff on my face over night after using the coconut oil scrub made my skin so amazing times ten the next morning!
    The thing I love most about Vitamin E Oil is that it's one ingredient and yet does so much...but the thing I love most that it does is it diminishes scars. I always used it on my body to prevent scars and I never thought to use it on my face to reduce/prevent acne scars...but I am so glad that I did start using this one my face because I was immediately seeing a difference in my acne scars.

Following just these three things (plus of course not sleeping in your make-up or touching your face constantly) should help you with your acne issues...of any many kinds.

*UPDATE -click on to read about an even better natural face-wash I've discovered.

Detox Bath:
Don't take them!
So I followed the ingredients the best I could from a popular recipe found via pinterest for a detox bath. I do not know what exactly happened but I had to get out of the bath ten minutes after getting in. I had become dizzy and my butt and hips literally felt like they were burning. It started out as just a tingly feeling on my skin and it kept growing too intensely. I walked away from it and had to lay down because I felt so sick and drained from the bath. Like I said, I am not quite sure what happened but I would never recommend following detox things unless you have a skilled herbalist or doctor or such person to approve it.

But what you can do in the meantime, if you are for sure needing/wanting a detox, is the safest thing...drink tons of water and stay away from bad foods and harsh chemicals until then.

Make-up:

I saw this pin about using eye drops to keep your mascara from drying out that was one of those bonk-on-the-head things that made perfect sense. Eye drops are sterile and easy to get into hard places...like your mascara tube....and what do ya know! It did make a difference to my mascara just enough to keep it from clumping.

I have also seen pins about the 'best eye make-up removers' or make your own 'eye make-up remover'...but the thing is those aren't needed... Not a single one of them. There is one thing that I know every female already has in her home, especially since it's the winter season, and that's lotion. All you need to do is dab a q-tip in some good non-scented/non-sparkly lotion and rub it along and below the eyelids (make sure not to get any in your eye). I tend to get mascara under my eyes throughout the day and doing that little trick allows me to keep my mascara and make-up on without taking a ton of time or needing to rewash and make-up my face.

Teeth:

Another popular pin I've seen go around about fifty times is the one about using Peroxide to whiten your teeth. I tried it. I would swish peroxide in my mouth twice a day before brushing my teeth. After about 3 days my teeth became so dog-gone sensitive that I had to stop for a couple days and do a little research. Any sip of water I drank (even when room temperature) my entire mouth tingled...it really freaked me out. Since then I've only been swishing it in my mouth once a day and putting a little water in it first to give it to make it more diluted and that solved it. No more sensitivity and I still got the effects of a good mouth wash...however it has not given me the amazing whitening transformation that the pin so solemnly swears by.

Weight Loss:
Update -click on for update on my weight loss journey.

I myself have been wanting to lose about 12 lbs. Over the month of December I fasted from all sweets. I still ate sugar since that's in most food anyways, but I kept away from sweets (that wasn't to lose weight but to break a sweets addiction)...well I lost 4 lbs from that and I am already taking steps to lose all 12 to be back down to my favorite weight (108 lbs). I know what I need to do, and it's nothing like what we constantly find on pinterest.
There isn't some quick fix to losing weight because to successfully lose weight in my mind would be to do it in a healthy fashion and most of those are not. We are to eat a certain amount of calories each day and not getting enough does more harm to your body than good. We are also to have a certain amount of produce and I know for a fact that most of us do not get the recommended amount. We also are not to eat 4 hours before bed and we are to drink a lot of water...I drink about 6-7 glasses of water every day (teas included in that) and that is still not enough...we're supposed to drink at least 8.
Really, there isn't some magic drink that will burn off all your weight and keep it off the rest of your life. And while yes we need exercise there is a point of over-doing it. When I was a teen I was obsessed with exercise and while I wore my tennis shoes to gym I never wore them outside of school. Going barefoot or in flip-flops has torn my knees up in so much that I cannot do regular 'hard core' exercise. I have to do low impact exercise...and you know what...that is all we need anyways. Just a bit of movement each day to get our heart-rate up for about 30-60 minutes. Pilates are great for me however I have put together my own low impact workout that I am starting and I shall let you know of the results probably by Valentines Day.

Part #1.