No Shampoo Method

The no shampoo method has done amazing things for my hair.

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In case you’ve never heard of it, I’ll explain the process.

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First of all, since it is the no shampoo method, you must stop using shampoo (duh).  You can stop cold turkey, or you can slowly wean yourself off of it.  I found that the latter worked better for me, because it allowed my scalp oils to adjust and normalize to the new routine.  Either way, it’s likely that you will face oily scalp for awhile.

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Second, you decide how many times you want to “clean” your hair.  Once a week is perfect for me.  The no shampoo method only requires two simple steps, the first of which is scrubbing your scalp with baking soda.  Do not scrub the rest of your hair, just your scalp.  The goal is not to dry out your hair, but to clean your greasy head.  :)

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After rinsing out the baking soda, fill a large mug with water, and add roughly 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar.  (I know you’re probably thinking, “I don’t want to stink of vinegar!”  Well, not to worry, the smell evaporates as your hair dries.)  Flip your hair upside down, and slowly pour the mixture over your head, making sure to saturate your roots, all the way down to the ends of your hair.

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No Shampoo Method (3 Months In)

Do not rinse the vinegar out of your hair.  Simply wrap your hair in a towel, put it in a clip, or keep it down and allow it to dry naturally.  (Of course, feel free to squeeze the excess moisture from your hair before getting out of the shower.)  You will be amazed at how soft your hair feels once it’s dry, and as long as you brushed it before washing, it shouldn’t be difficult to do so once it’s dry.

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I have been using the no shampoo method for about 4 months now, and I’m loving it.  My hair feels softer, and it doesn’t have that weighed down feeling it used to have (due to shampoo residue).  I’m not exposed to any artificial chemicals (I wasn’t before either, because I was using an organic shampoo, but still).  Also, a big plus for me is the money savings.  I was spending $25 dollars a month on shampoo at one point, and it just dawned on me one day that there must be a better/cheaper way.

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It seems that in 99% of cases, there truly is a cheaper way.  I’m just having a great time discovering exactly what those other ways are!  Shampoo just plain isn’t necessary.

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If you’re tight on funds, don’t like chemicals, or if you just want to be weird, try the no shampoo method.  It really does work, and I imagine it’s much healthier for your hair.  Have fun!

March 22, 2010 | 6 Comments »

Natural Parenting Fathers

Welcome to the February Carnival of Natural Parenting: Love and partners!

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This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month we’re writing about how a co-parent has or has not supported us in our dedication to natural parenting. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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Let me just start by saying that I have the most amazing husband in the world.  He has always been extremely supportive, especially so since Axel’s birth.  He’s been marching right beside me throughout breastfeeding, co-sleeping, EC’ing, cloth diapering, and all the rest of my “natural parenting” ideals.  I am 100% certain that I would have failed miserably at many of those things if he hadn’t been there to not only encourage me, but also to participate.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to put Axel’s undies on to wash, only to find that Patrick has already washed, dried, and put them away.  (That’s on top of him working 45+ hours a week!)  He is THE man.

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A lot of our parenting ideas actually originated with Patrick.  He wants to live naturally.  He wants me to stay home and raise Axel.  He wants to be a good example.  We have the same goals.  We have a unified focus.  I think that’s what marriage is all about.

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It’s not as if we never disagree.  That’s hardly the case.  We have differing opinions on many things, but we usually talk it over, and come to an agreement of some sort.  It just so happens that most of the time we end up with the same thinking on the issues we discuss.  (Although, I’ll admit, sometimes I am quick to throw out Patrick’s ideas, only to later decide that he was right.  I’m a stubborn woman.  Nobody is perfect. :) )

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Luckily, Patrick isn’t perfect either.  He has jumped quite a few hurtles along this natural parenting road.  Co-sleeping is a great example.  Logically, he understands the concept, and truly believes it’s the best possible sleeping situation for our son.  I know that he would have a hard time keeping Axel in a crib, especially in a separate room. 

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Despite all that, he misses me.  Of course, that’s very understandable.  He had me all to himself before our baby boy was born, but now it seems like all my time, love, and above all, both my breasts, are devoted to Axel.  We don’t get to cuddle as much.  We don’t get to talk to each other at night after Axel has gone to sleep due to fear of waking him.  Worst of all, we don’t get to get down and dirty in our own bed!  As Patrick says, he “just needs some lovin’!”

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None the less, he has been the ultimate trouper.  I don’t think I’ve heard him complain even once!  I can sense his annoyance, though.  I don’t think it’s gone as far as him being resentful, but it has caused him some grief, which I hate.  He has been an amazing, and understanding daddy.  I want him to be as happy as possible, which is why I’ve started to find other ways of pleasing him (i.e. – getting naked).  Unfortunately, at this point, there’s not much to work with.  I’m really debating having my sister in law watch Axel for an hour or two every once in awhile, so we can have some time for just us.

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So far, I’ve only left Axel once, for about 2 1/2 hours, and it wasn’t at all planned.  My friend went into labor, and Patrick was unable to get home from work immediately, so I had to leave Axel with his sister.  It was horrid.  I’ve never been that anxious in my life. 

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Maybe I’m the only one who feels this way, but leaving my baby while he’s this young really feels unnatural to me.  I think he’s supposed to be with me right now, all the time.  I realize doing that isn’t even possible for most people, but for me it is, and I think I should take advantage of that privilege.

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I know Patrick gets that.  He trusts my judgement, even when it means he loses out on a little extra attention.  I am so blessed.  I know there are people out there who wish that their spouse was as understanding as mine, so I really need to step up and treat him well.  I want to be as good a wife as he is a husband, even if that means silently doing the deed in our 4 by 4 foot closet at 6am.  He deserves it.

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Carnival of Natural Parenting -- Hobo Mama and Code Name: MamaVisit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

(This list will be updated Feb. 9 with all the carnival links, and all links should be active by noon EST. Go to Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama for the most recently updated list.)

February 9, 2010 | Tags: | 11 Comments »

Do Women Have To Shave?

Sometimes we feel like we do, but the fact of the matter is, we don’t have to do anything!  We also don’t have to cook, clean, babysit, or do secretarial work.  :)   That doesn’t mean that those things are somehow less important than other jobs, but the point is that we are no longer limited to only a few “womanly” duties.  We are free.  Which means, if I don’t want to shave my legs, I’m not gonna!

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This hairy legs thing is working out pretty nicely for me.  I’m enjoying it, and Patrick is ecstatic, which is a wonderful bonus.  I decided to take a couple pictures of this fuzzy madness.  Here goes.

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Yes, that is a tattoo of the year I was born. I wish I'd have come up with something more clever. Lol.

 

It could be worse.

 

The hair above my knees is blonde, and it's hardly even noticeable!

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It looks like we might have a winner.  The real test now is when spring rolls around, because I’m going to want to wear shorts.  Will I perservere, or crack under pressure?  We shall see.

January 18, 2010 | Tags: | 9 Comments »

Grapefruit Is In Season In Texas!

Alright people, its grapefruit time in Texas, and as many of you know, when something is in season it’s usually good and its almost always cheap.

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Wal-Mart and other regular grocery stores have mostly the smaller size fruits.  Whole Foods, however (who usually have fairly high prices), have an 18 pound bag of the big size fruits for $8.99 (that’s 50 cents a pound!), and they are fantastic!  It is hard to find good fruit that cheap, so hurry and get some.   We are about to get into our fourth 18 pound bag in the past month.

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Sarah and I eat only fruit for breakfast, and when citrus fruits are in season and picked at the right time (silly farmers), they are awesome.  I would highly recommend anyone who has access to these cheap, in season grapefruit, to give them a try for breakfast as well.  You don’t have to give up your normal breakfast to give this a try, the grapefruit will be long gone from your stomach if you wait about 30 to 45 munites before eating something else.

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Try it instead of coffee.  I used to drink coffee every day to focus in the morning, and I was never as focused and energized as when I eat good, perfectly ripened fruit first thing in the morning.

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My favorite way to eat it is by cutting it in half, and digging it out with a spoon.  The skin around the meat is tougher than other citrus fruits, and this method allows you to get around eating it.  It is a bit messy, especially if it is really good.  Eat it over the sink and you should be fine.  (^;

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By the way, this is Sarah’s dear husband, Patrick.  I will be posting every now and again.  If anyone in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex knows of any good deals on good fruits or vegetables we would appreciate the info, especially if they are organic.

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We look forward to hearing from you!

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January 17, 2010 | Tags: , | No Comments »

Detoxing Refined Sugar

I’m.  So.  Sick.

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Sadly, it’s my own fault.

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Since the new year, we have been on this elimination diet, and have therefore not been eating the wheat flour brownies that we had previously been consuming on an almost daily basis.  So, we figured that we deserved a reward for that.  Makes sense, right?

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I cooked up some cookies using oat flour, and they actually turned out really good, which surprised us. 

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Too bad they didn’t make me feel good! 

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As soon as I started eating them, my throat began to hurt.  I knew I should have stopped myself, and I honestly could have easily done so, but I continued anyway.  I ate 5-6 average sized cookies. 

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This morning I woke up feeling like I had the flu.  My body was aching all over, and all my muscels were sore.  My throat was sore, and it even hurt to drink water.  I was a mess. 

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I knew my body was detoxing all the sugar and oil crap.  It’s like my body has to focus all of it’s energy on getting the toxic load out, and it can’t defend the rest of my body’s health, thus making me feel lousy. 

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I had adjusted to “not” having refined sugar in my diet, and my body didn’t like being reintroduced to it.

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Since I felt so terrible, I had fresh carrot/celery/apple juice for breakfast.  That always helps.  (Patrick loves it too, as it gives him TONS of energy for work.)  As for lunch, I had more of the same – brown rice and broccoli.  Crazy thing is, I’m actually starting to really love this stuff!  It’s simple and delicious, which gets two thumbs up from me.

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I’m a lot less achey now, but I’m still not my old self yet.  I should be fine by tomorrow.

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The moral of this story?  Refined sugar is bad for you.  Helll-ooo, Sarah.  (<—sarcasm directed toward self)  Somebody please slap me.

January 13, 2010 | Tags: | 3 Comments »
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