December 15, 2013

Homemade Make-Up Remover, Shampoo, and Conditioner

12/15/2013

I tried some more homemade stuff tonight, even though I wasn't planning to until next weekend.  I guess I'm just a little bit excited about these thrifty, nifty, healthy new ways of doing things!  Probably because I never even knew this world existed.  I'm so glad my eyes have been opened!

Make-Up Remover: organic coconut oil.  Since I had only removed the remnants of my mascara with coconut oil a couple of days ago, I decided to try and remove all of it.  I slapped some coconut oil on a cotton ball and slathered it all over my eyes.  For the most part it worked (I had to work some of the oil into my lashes with my fingers, and pull gently with my nails to remove the mascara closest to my eyelid).  However, I believe I got some oil in my eyes because my vision has been slightly blurry ever since.  So I think I will continue to rinse off as much mascara as I can in the shower, and use the oil to remove whatever is left.  I've also heard that olive oil is a great make-up remover, so I think I'll try that eventually too.

Shampoo: water, pure baking soda, Young Living Essential Oils (I used Stress Away because I like the smell).  Mix 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of pure baking soda (I added an extra 1/2 tablespoon because the recipe I found mentioned adding more for thick/curly hair), and 2 drops of Young Living Essential Oils.  Stir together and pour into container.  Shake and you're ready to go.  This shampoo does not lather, so you basically get your hair wet, and squeeze small amounts all over your scalp.  Then rub into your scalp, and you can include the rest of your hair if you want, but it doesn't need to be saturated with the shampoo.  Leave in for a couple of minutes and rinse.  Easy!  I thought it would leave my hair dry and tangled after rinsing, but I think the coconut oil I already had in my hair for the anti-frizz cream helped keep it moist and manageable.  I could run my fingers through it right away.

Conditioner: water, apple cider vinegar.  Mix 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (when this stuff is gone I'm going to get some organic stuff).  Stir together and pour into container.  Shake and you're ready to go.  After using the shampoo above, apply conditioner the same way, dropping small amounts over your scalp.  Rub in and run fingers through hair to cover, especially at the ends if your hair is dry like mine.  Supposedly if you tend to have an oily scalp, you can only apply this to the ends of your hair.  Mine is super dry so I loaded it up (but still hardly used any!).  Leave in for a couple of minutes and rinse.  Again, easy!

Enjoy, and if anyone has any other recipes they love, please feel free to share!
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Homemade Facial Scrub and Hairspray

12/15/2013

I have to add a few recipes for homemade, healthy products!

Facial Scrub: coconut oil and pure baking soda.  Pour a small amount of baking soda in your hand (I'm guessing maybe 1/8 teaspoon, although I haven't measured it out yet) and add about 1/4 teaspoon of coconut oil.  Mix together in your hand, and apply to face.  Be aware that the baking soda is abrasive, so use less if needed.  I love that when I rinse, the coconut oil stays on, leaving my face nice and moisturized!  No need to apply coconut oil again as facial moisturizer after my shower!  I also may try substituting sugar for the baking soda, because I know sugar is good for your skin... more research to do soon...

Hairspray: this might be my new favorite product, and I love the anti-frizz cream (see previous post below) so that's saying a lot!
You will need:
  • 1 cup boiled water
  • 4 tablespoons white sugar (I've also seen syrup used but I haven't tried it)
  • 2 tablespoons rubbing alcohol (I've also seen vodka or other high proof alcohol like spiced rum used, but again, haven't tried it)
  • 2 drops Young Living essential oils if desired (I used Valor)
Boil water.  Remove from heat and stir in white sugar until disolved.  Let cool at least slightly, if not all the way to room temperature.  Add rubbing alcohol and essential oil.  Stir.  Add to spray bottle (or bottle with a fine mist sprayer) and shake.  Apply (you may need to let it dry slightly, and/or reapply after it dries.  It will harden as it dries.  Use more sugar in the mix for a stronger hold, and less sugar for a lighter hold).  Experience the excitement that it actually works, and love that you're using healthy alternatives for your hair! 
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December 14, 2013

Saving Money, Living Healthfully

12/14/2013

Part 1- Our Saving Money, Living Healthfully Story  
*Fast-forward to Part 2 for cost-effective, healthy ways to make your own personal products with coconut oil and baking soda (and to avoid a long story).

I am a self-proclaimed Tight Wad.  I (try to) keep track of every penny we spend as a family, organizing our expenses by categories in a color-coded spreadsheet, totaling, averaging, and usually stressing about how much we spend each month (I'm also Type A if you haven't gathered that yet).  I hate, hate, hate waste.  However, I'm more than willing to pay more for something if it's worth it.  So maybe "frugal" is a better word.

I've recently made it my quest to rid our home of chemicals and toxins in order to strive for the best health possible; physically, mentally, and emotionally.  Not because it might make us live longer, but because it makes us healthier and feel better while we're here.

I didn't always have this goal.  Honestly, I rebelled against the "trends" of buying/eating organic, making your own cleaning products, making your own personal hygiene products and beauty products, and being Suzy Homemaker.  I naturally go against the flow just because I want to; I don't like following the crowd just because everyone else is, and I guess that's what I thought I'd be doing if I joined in.  

And I've also been incredibly busy the past few years working and raising my babies on no sleep with no extra time or energy or motivation to research and become informed... phew! Staying alive and sane has been much more of a priority.  So if you're reading this right now and don't give a rat's hindquarters about the topics I'm going to discuss, I salute you and 100% understand.  But maybe you will someday, and if you do, I hope this post will help you get started on your quest.

First a little background on our journey so far: 

In March, I had a spurt of dedication to get our family healthy (I believe it was God telling me to get it in gear.  I also believe He was showing me that there is a definite link between what we put in/on our bodies and how we feel.  We were sick in many ways, and needed to get healthy physically and mentally).  At the time, my goals included making smoothies every morning and working out.  I'm happy to say that I've been pretty consistent with these goals, especially the smoothies!  

In May came researching about cleaning products that didn't include harmful chemicals.  I use vinegar, tea tree oil and baking soda now for most things (if you want those recipes, I'd be more than happy to get them to you).  

Closely following that discovery, I began researching organic foods (finally).  I didn't know that dairy products and meats were two of the most harmful food groups to buy conventionally because of the hormones, pesticides, GMOs, etc... I just didn't know.  Being a tight wad (or frugal, whichever way you look at it), I was nervous about how much it was going to cost to buy all organic food.  Thankfully I discovered Azure Standard (buy organic products in bulk online, they're delivered to a location in our city with free shipping ($50 minimum charge), prices are great when you buy in bulk!) and Fred Meyer's organic section.  Hallelujah!  Buying organic is more expensive than buying non-organic, but we've stopped buying a lot of unhealthy foods and waste is very minimal now, so it probably evens out.  But even if it doesn't, we feel so much better (and our food lasts so much longer and tastes so much better), that it's worth the extra expense for our family.

In November, I discovered Young Living Essential Oils.  I am so thankful for these miracle "drugs."  I could go on and on about how they've helped us the last few weeks.  Yes, only weeks.  It only took me a couple of days to realize that these oils are worth investing in.  They have helped cure our family of sickness including colds and bronchitis (after two rounds of antibiotics that did NOTHING), healed burns, reduced the effects of eczema, gotten rid of headaches and stomachaches, purified our house of dog smells, made pimples evaporate, etc.  It's so nice to know that we don't have to take over the counter meds on a regular basis anymore.  I am a distributor of Young Living oils, so if you're interested in purchasing products or want more information, please let me know.

While reading my Essential Oils pocket reference, I discovered a list of harmful chemicals and toxins that most personal hygiene and beauty products contain.  I'd been avoiding the subject of personal products because I knew I would get obsessed, and I wasn't sure if I cared yet.  So I did what any semi-crazy person would do: I got out all of our lotions, make-up, shampoo, conditioner, soap, shaving cream, face wash, moisturizers, anti-frizz creams, hairsprays, toothpaste, deodorant, etc.  And I checked those labels, and sure enough... harmful chemicals and toxins.  I researched some of the ingredients a little bit more, found more lists of harmful chemicals online, stressed a little bit about the time it would take me to research the effects of all of these chemicals I couldn't pronounce, and then decided that I didn't have time for that.  Instead, I was going to buy products that contained ingredients that I recognized.  This research led me to believe I might have to sell my right arm or drain our savings to afford them (and a lot of those products still contain ingredients that I don't recognize, and don't have time to research!), and then I discovered a few blogs discussing how to make your own stuff.  I definitely wasn't interested until I saw how easy it looked, and how inexpensive the ingredients are, especially when you consider how far they go, how versatile they are, and the cost of the products you'll be replacing!

Our story leads me to the ACTUAL point of this blog, which is the pure excitement I've felt the past few days while researching the cost-effective, healthful changes we are in the process of making, and how they actually WORK (so far my experience pretty much includes organic coconut oil and pure baking soda)!  My husband told me I was glowing this morning... not from the coconut oil I used on my face as moisturizer, but because I feel like I've discovered gold and can help others who are ready to make the changes themselves (and honestly, who doesn't want to save $$$?).

Part 2- Cost-effective, healthy ways to make your own personal products with coconut oil and baking soda.

For now, I will discuss only the products I've used so far (in the last couple of days), even though I have plans to try many others.  I only want to share what I know has worked for us.  I understand that the chemistry of each person's body is different, so what has worked for us may not work for you.  But if you ask me, it's worth a try!
  • Lip balm- organic coconut oil (very light, very shiny, doesn't stay on very long, has healed my cracked/dry lips)
  • Facial moisturizer- organic coconut oil (my face is SO soft, and my make-up goes on very easily after applying.  With my previous product, my face was still dry after I put it on, leaving dry spots even through my make-up).
  • Make-up remover- organic coconut oil (noticing a trend?  I had some mascara under my eyes after my shower, and it was gone immediately.  I still haven't tried removing a full face of make-up, but I can't wait to try since it worked so great already).
  • Anti-frizz cream- organic coconut oil (by far my favorite discovery up to this point.  I have extremely dry/frizzy hair, and I've spent my whole life looking for products that help.  I've recently found some creams, but again... chemicals.  I rubbed coconut oil in my hair while it was still damp, again probably 30 minutes later, and again another 30 minutes after that.  It had the "wet" look, but it wasn't crunchy.  It got a little frizzy later in the day, so I considered putting some more oil in.  Instead I brushed my fingers through my hair to see what would happen... totally breaking the cardinal rule for frizzy hair!  But guess what?  My frizzies went right back down.  So next time I'll try using a little less oil and just brushing my fingers through it.  I did finish off with a little bit of hairspray earlier in the day, but I might not need it next time, and I plan to make my own hairspray soon using sugar and alcohol!  And honestly, I'm okay with having a little bit crazier hair if it means my body is better off because of it).
  • Deodorant- organic coconut oil (just rub some in your hands and apply!  I don't have a huge problem with sweat, but I plan to add a little bit of pure baking soda if needed).
  • Toothpaste- organic coconut oil and pure baking soda (I wet my toothbrush, sprinkled some pure baking soda on it, added a dab of coconut oil, and brushed... and almost gagged.  It tasted like salty blood, so be careful.  But I'm used to it now after only three times of brushing.  I kid you not, I noticed a difference right away.  I have some staining on my teeth that I've had since I was a kid, and it was visibly reduced.  My teeth feel so much cleaner.  Our plan is to use the rest of our fluoride toothpaste once a day for cavity protection, and use this new concoction once a day until the fluoride stuff is gone.  Then we'll do some more research on fluoride and go from there). 
  • Gum sensitivity- organic coconut oil (Matt brushed with a new toothbrush, probably a little bit too hard.  He applied some coconut oil straight to his gums afterwards and it helped alleviate the pain.  Awesomness!)
  • Shaving cream- organic coconut oil (this was probably my second-favorite discovery.  The oil is thicker than shaving cream, so it's a little bit harder to clean out of my razor, but totally worth it.  Can you say "soft and moisturizing"?  Can you say "so soft and moisturizing that Shaun didn't have to put lotion on after her shower, even though she planned to use coconut oil as lotion"?  Seriously... try it!).
  • Lotion- see shaving cream above.
Azure Standard has the least expensive extra virgin organic coconut oil and pure baking soda I can find online, especially when you buy in bulk (plus I trust them!).  Check it out.

I have a few recipes for shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, and make-up, which I'm excited to try.

I also make many of my own cleaning products, although I haven't covered every area of my home yet (ask for recipes if you want them, and share yours if you have them!).  I'm curious to learn more about simple, cost-effective, healthy ways to make dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent, body soap, and hand soap.  I'm also interested in looking into making my own make-up (or buying fruit-tinted natural stuff), buying "healthier" vitamins, paper products, and feminine hygiene products (I'm not shy).

Maybe you couldn't care less about this stuff, maybe you're just getting started (like me), or maybe you're much more experienced than I am.  I'd love to hear your thoughts and stories so I can learn more.  Please share and ask questions, and thanks for reading!
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February 22, 2013

Gramps, I can't wait to meet you...

2/22/2013
My grandpa, Larry Neal Willard, was born on January 23, 1937 and died on February 12, 2013.

It's only hearsay, but apparently he was in a real gang in southern California as a teenager.  Someday I'm going to have to pry for some of these stories...

My grandma and grandpa got married in May 1957 when she was 17 and he was 20.  Apparently, my grandma would tell my grandpa if a guy looked at her funny, and he would go beat him up.  Ha!

My grandpa had cancer, so we knew that he was going to go.  I hated to think that he was suffering a slow death, but I'm very thankful that we had time to spend with him and that we were able to soak up the last few months.  He fought hard until the end and kept his sense of humor the whole way through, although he was kind of a bossy patient.

His burial and memorial service were great for me.  I heard so many stories from friends and family about his childhood and youth.  My grandpa's younger brother loved model airplanes, and after my grandpa shot all of them down with his BB gun, he paid him back so he could get more.  He paid his younger siblings to run around in the backyard so he could shoot them with his BB gun (he promised not to aim for their heads).  He played pretty much every sport imaginable and taught many, many people to play tennis.  He coached.  He was involved in starting the church that we went to as kids, and knew his Bible inside and out.  He built houses for his friends and made upgrades for free.  He loved his family very much.

It was great to hear all of these stories about my grandpa because I don't have very many memories of my own.  I have a few though:
  • I remember him taking me to the grocery store and letting me push around the child-sized cart... it was pretty much the coolest thing in the world.  I even got to put stuff in it and take it back to their house to eat.  I'm sure it was cookies or ice cream or something.
  • I remember going over to Grandma's and Grandpa's house to spend the night.  Grandma had already gone to bed and my sister and I were kicked back on the couch watching TV.  It was probably 10:00, which was late for us.  My Grandpa would go to bed and tell us not to stay up past 2 am.  We were so excited that we could stay up all night, but of course we were passed out about ten minutes later.
  • Almost every Sunday after church, we would head up to my grandpa's and grandma's for lunch.  He always made some wonderful concoction of comfort food (I make many of his recipes because they're SO yummo): pot roast, Spanish noodles,  twice-baked potatoes, the BEST deviled eggs, and many, many more.  He loved it when we would all come over and spend time together as a family.
  • I've always been proud that I'm the only one (out of his kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids) who has his blue eyes.


I've been told that my grandpa used to come pick my sister and I up to spend time with us and go do fun Grandpa/Grandkid stuff.  One day (I must have been about five years old) my mom smelled alcohol on his breath when he came to get us.  She told my dad when he got home.  From what I hear, my dad was obviously (and rightly) pretty upset and told my grandpa not to come back if he was drinking.  

He never came back.

During the next 20 years, my grandpa struggled with alcoholism.  He was at every family event, but he wasn't always "there."  And it was normal for us.  I never really questioned it, but when I got older, I realized that he had a problem and understood why he was distant.  Even through all of this, there have never been any hard feelings; I have always appreciated my grandpa's presence.  And looking back on it, his being at birthday parties, holiday celebrations, and weddings means a lot knowing what he was fighting each and every day.

These last few months, I have begun to realize what I've missed out on.  I've felt sad of course that he would be gone from this earth soon, but I've also felt discouraged because we never really got to have the relationship I would have loved.  I hate that we weren't as close as I would have liked, but after hearing all of the stories about the man my grandpa truly was, my heart is happy.  My heart also longs to know the man that my aunts and uncles knew.  But praise God that he is with Jesus, and he is not tempted by alcohol any longer!

As I listened to the stories about my grandpa, I couldn't believe how much my dad resembles his dad; in personality, behavior, you name it.  Then I realized how thankful I am that my girls will get to have a solid relationship with their grandpa... that he will be present and in their lives.  I am so happy for my girls.  And I can't wait to get to Heaven to meet the grandpa I never fully knew.  

I hope he teaches me to play tennis.



I love you Gramps.  I will see you soon.  Until then...
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January 6, 2013

Catching Up: A Story About Grace

1/06/2013
The last time I blogged was six and a half months ago.
2012 was a crazy, busy year for the Dittys.
Honestly, I'm glad it's over, and that we can start fresh in 2013.  
The first few months will be extra crazy, now that the Royalettes are getting ready for State and practicing on Saturdays (woohoo!), but in a couple of months it will slow down, and I'm really looking forward to that.

I was having a hard time deciding what to write about.  I decided to stick with my original idea, and write whatever I feel like writing about.  I want to be able to look back and see what was going on in my life on a random day.  So there's no rhyme or reason to my blog; it's just a place for me to get my thoughts down.  And hey, if I'm entertaining enough, maybe I'll even become a famous blogger! ;)

Today I want to share a story about grace.  My hubby encouraged me to share this story because, well, it's a pretty cool story (I apologize in advance for how long it is.  I don't know how to tell a short story...).

Some of you may remember the crazy time we had when we backed out of a property we were trying to buy last January.  There was a title issue and there had been a problem with the foreclosure.  We waited for the problem to be resolved until May; that's when we found our current home (God really does know what He's doing!).  When we backed out of the deal, we asked for the money back that we had spent on an inspection and appraisal since the property should never have been listed for sale.  The Seller's agent was very offended that our side accused him of knowing about the title issue and trying to sell it anyway (there was an extreme lack of communication, so we never had details, and we had a lot of seemingly false promises), so he basically wouldn't have any contact with us.  It was a VERY frustrating and stressful process.

We ended up filing a small claim in July and filing a grievance with the State for the amount we paid towards the inspection and appraisal, after trying repeatedly to make contact with the Seller's agent directly.  Because of the way the process works in our area, we had to go to mediation before we went to court.  The first time mediation was scheduled, the Seller's agent didn't even show up.  The court ruled in our favor until a few days later when the agent wrote the court and asked for another chance because his calendar didn't save the mediation date correctly.  Really?  We were LIVID.  So mediation was rescheduled for about six weeks later in November.  

More stress.

We went to mediation again on November 16th, wondering if he would even show up.  He did.  We started to sweat a little.  He came with a stack of papers that was bigger than ours.

As we began discussing the facts about what happened almost a year before, it became very clear to us that we had really pissed this guy off.  I even asked him at one point if he would have paid us our money if we hadn't made him so mad.  He said he probably would have.  It was actually great to hear his side of the story.  We got to hear information that we had REALLY wanted to hear while everything was actually happening.  After talking to Matt privately, we decided to drop the charges; we realized that because of certain contracts we had signed, we weren't sure if we could win in court.  Even though I wanted that money badly and tend to have a hard time backing down (especially when I feel that I've been wronged), I agreed to give a little bit of grace and just move on.

We walked back into the mediation room and told him that we were dropping the charges and that we were very thankful that he had finally explained his side of the situation.  He asked me if I would tell the State that he hadn't done anything illegal (our grievance was being reviewed by the State already).  I wasn't sure at first... maybe the State would find something illegal and we could still get our money back!  But we agreed that we would tell the State that after hearing his side of the story, we no longer believed that he had done anything illegal.

He looked at me and said seven words that caught me completely off guard:
"Then I will write you a check."

I think I said, "You will?"

What?!  Did I just hear that right?

I don't know why, and it's still kind of embarrassing, but I immediately started crying.  I just couldn't believe it.  People were trying to find me tissues.  All of these months of being stressed out and honestly thinking we would never, ever see that money again... I think I was in shock and relieved.

And here we were thinking we had been so gracious to him by dropping the charges and even thanking him for his time.

I asked him if I could give him a hug.  He said yes.  I think I would have wished I hugged him if I hadn't.  The State did not look into the investigation further, and here we are with our money back in our bank account.  Pretty amazing.  

The mediator didn't even know what to do with our case as far as paperwork goes.  He said it's very, very rare to see a complete dismissal in mediation.  I'm sure people crying and hugging because they're happy with the outcome doesn't happen very often either.

We definitely learned that we need to get every side of the story before we make any judgement calls.  I think he learned that communication is a good thing.  Sometimes, even when you think you're the one offering grace, God has a crazy plan that's even cooler than you could ever imagine.  And I think He shows us HIS grace; sometimes through the most unlikely of situations and people.

Thankfully, we can now officially move on with a lot of gratitude and a new outlook.  I no longer scowl when I see his name on a For Sale sign.  I would like to think we could have moved on with the same attitude had we not received our money back.  But I'm not going to complain about it!  So we end up with a cool story, restored relationships, and a pretty great house!

God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good.
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