Raindrops on Roses

It's been awhile since I've blogged, but other than a nasty bout of probably bronchitis, there's not much going on here.  We're all muddling our way through the Terrible Two's, sleep training (yet again), and a wicked cold springtime.

Anyway, it's been an even longer while since I've shared a few of my favorite things.  This is by no means a comprehensive list, because there are a lot of things I like, but it does scratch the surface a bit.

First up is coconut oil.  Seriously, this is possibly the best thing I've ever found. Ever.  I use it for cooking. I use it for making my own beauty products. I use it for my hair. I use it for cleaning.  I even used it to condition the wood on my antique dining room table. This stuff is incredible.












Anyone who knows me knows that I don't particularly like scary movies/books/stories, and yet I couldn't put either of these down. These are modern day ghost stories set in the Great Lakes region. Not only were they ghost stories, but I loved the mystery aspect of it all.  Very creepy, very Gothic, and totally addicting.  Seriously, I stayed up late into the night multiple times in an attempt to finish them. 

Okay, time to get down and dirty, nitty gritty, and totally honest. I almost never wear makeup. Usually it's just to church on Sundays, unless there's some other sort of special occasion happening.  I just can't really be bothered to take the extra time to put makeup on.  Yeah, I'm lazy. I'm over it.  However, even though I rarely wear it, I LOVE it. Really, I do. I have a rather extensive collection of different brands, colors, types, etc. Until recently, I was never much of a lipstick wearer.  I had my red that came out on super special occasions. I had maybe one other berry-ish shade that I'd get out... sometimes. And then I discovered nude lipstick.  I'm in love. For whatever reason I love the look of a nude lip. My favorite is Sephora brand cream lipstick #3 Tenderness. I layer it over a nude lipliner and my lips look fantastic all day.  I still only wear it once a week but, dang, my lips look good!

With Baby Boy #2 (also affectionately known as Bean) due out late this summer, I have been on a frantic name search. I'm on the hunt for the perfect sib-set. It has to sound good with our last name. I'd love it if it had some sort of family meaning. My list of names I love grows longer everyday. Most of them, Greasemonkey doesn't agree with. Anyway, my new favorite website is Nameberry.  Incredible.  If you're trying to name a child (or even a pet) I highly recommend checking it out. Trust me on this one.

And there you have it. A small installment of a Few of my Favorite Things.

The Plunge

Well, after much research, a lot of thought, and some good old-fashioned bravery, I finally jumped head first (hee hee!) into a new way of "washing" my hair.

Yep, I've gone completely shampoo-free. I'd been kicking around the idea of going no 'poo for quite a long time. I'd read that it was really great for curly hair. Basically, real shampoo is made to strip oils from your hair. That's it's job, it's what the chemical combination is meant to do. Well, that's a problem for me. I have incredibly dry hair, naturally. It's a curse of curly hair. Anyway, I noticed that after using traditional shampoo I was having to condition the hell out of my hair to make it feel even a little bit normal. Add to that all of the product I was having to use and you have yourself a hot mess.

So back to my story: I was already only washing my hair once a week and using baking soda once a week. So I figured the time had come. I was taking the plunge into no 'poo.

Let me share with you a few observations and then I'll give you my recipes:

1. My hair has changed color. It's true, I haven't dyed my hair in several months, however in the last three weeks it's become a richer brown with quite a bit of red in it.

2. I did experience a weird phase about 2 weeks in where my roots were extra-oily and my ends were extra-dry. This only lasted about a week. Apparently, it's a normalizing phase where the scalp produces more oil for some reason. It goes away, I promise.

3. It styles much more easily. I don't know if it's healthier, or stronger, or what, but it's breaking less and takes to the flat iron much better.

4. It has lost some of it's body. I've never had to tease my hair before to give it volume, however when my hair is straight now it's s-t-r-a-i-g-h-t. I'll have to work on this for awhile.

And now, the recipes.

First, I use a 1:3 ratio of baking soda to water. I put this on my dry hair just at the roots. I massage it into my scalp and comb it through to the ends. I let it sit for about 2-3 minutes and then rinse it out.

Next, I use a 1:4 ratio of apple cider vinegar to water. I saturate the ends of my hair and leave the roots alone. I'll let this sit about a minute or so and then rinse it well. I promise, your hair won't smell like vinegar. Just watch your eyes. It stings like you wouldn't believe.

Anyway, if any of you out there give it a go let me know how it works for you. Personally, I love it.