22 days since I last Poo (ed)

Okay so this has gone on for a little longer then 14 days.. but whatever. The face wash, worked okay for little while but I think I have had this issue with my nose for so long, it's going to take a lot more then 14 days to reverse. That being said I have noticed a difference. I also tried several different ways of doing things. I used straight castor oil for one, and that seemed to work the best for me. I WOULD NOT recommend this if you have dry skin. I only washed my face with this in the "T" zone where my face gets really oily. I also have deep pores and I felt this was the only way to clean them. Unfortunately this only works for a few days, then my face started breaking out around the edges... why?? No idea... maybe someone else can give me some insight. I just started with JoJoba oil, I bought a 4oz bottle and added about 10 drops of tea tree oil to it. It cleared my face up almost immediately... nice!

Deodorant still works pretty well.. at least no one has told me I smell yet...

THE HAIR:

Well it's been 22 days since I last poo(ed)?? I have tried every way, a little baking soda, a lot of baking soda, a little Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV), a lot of ACV... I still don't have this down pat.. but I am not giving up yet. These were day 3-4. Notice how dark my purple streak was in my hair

Check this out these were taken today ( day 22) the dye was a permanent color, goes to show if you don't live a color you can use ACV to take it out in a matter of weeks:

It's not unbearably greasy anymore, but I still have not been able to give up washing it (with the BS/ ACV) everyday, which is my ultimate goal. I would like to just wash my hair every 2-3 days... we'll see..

Day 1 & 2 of 14 day expirement

So on Monday Jan 30th I started The Oil Cleansing Method, the Natural Deodorant, and the "no poo" shampoo, the first day I tried it this way and last night I tried it this way. Neither one of them seem to really get the oil out of my hair, so for now I am just grateful that I work in an office with almost all men and none of them care if my hair looks greasy or not. Note: I tried this specifically in a time frame when I know I don't really have to be seen in public much... no birthday parties or weddings or anything like that to go to.

Okay, oil face wash. This is gross to share, but blackheads on my nose have always been my #1 nemesis. I have tried every "scrub" under the sun and I always end up feeling like I took sand paper to my face, just for them all to be back the next day... Before I go on I have to tell you I have an EXTREMELY oily face and pretty decent size pours so I was really hesitant to try this. I bit my tongue and I did it, after the very first wash I noticed a difference. My face felt moisturized but not oily. However I wasn't convinced because, like I said #1 nemesis not fixed. To be fair this was only the first day so I gave it another shot last night. To my surprise I noticed a difference. Now before you judge this is only after two uses. Sorry I didn't take a before picture, you didn't want to see it anyway, take my word for it, it was bad. I will keep posting pics of the progress.

Here is the recipe I am using:

• Oily Skin: Try a blend of 30% Castor Oil to 70% Olive Oil (you can also use Sunflower Seed Oil) MINE
• Balanced Skin: Try a blend of 20% Castor Oil to 80% Sunflower Seed/ Olive Oil.
• Dry Skin: Try a blend of 10% Castor Oil to 90% Sunflower Seed/ Olive Oil.

• You'll need a soft washcloth, your oil blend, and hot, running water.
• Pour a generous puddle of oil into the palm of your hand. Roughly, the size of a quarter, but more is acceptable. Rub your hands together to warm the oil and smooth over your face.
• Begin massaging the oil into your face. This will remove makeup, dirt, and other impurities, so there is no need to use a makeup remover or wash your face prior to the massage. I've found that this removes even my stubborn waterproof mascara and concealor.
• Using slow, firm motions across the skin, massage the oil deeply into your pores. Take your time and focus on your problem areas. You want the oil to work into your pores so that blackheads and the like can be dissolved and steamed away.
• Once you're satisfied that your pores are saturated. Pick up your washcloth and soak it in clean, steamy water. We want the water to be warm enough to open your pores and remove the oil. Cool water will not open your pores, nor will it remove the oil efficiently. We're not scalding our skin, we're steaming to coax our pores to release the oil carrying the impurities. We're essentially steaming our skin as an esthetician would, but without the luxury of a steam machine.
• Hold the washcloth to cover your face. Allow it to stay until it cools. You will feel your pores releasing the impurities. Wipe the oil gently away and rinse the washcloth well in hot, running water. Hold the washcloth to your face again, allowing it to cool. Wipe gently, rinse well, and repeat two or three more times. Avoid any temptation to scrub, as you'll find it's completely unnecessary and your skin will be soft, smooth, and free of flakes without the additional manual exfoliation and irritation that will result. Impurities, dead skin cells, and bacteria will be gently swept away.
• Have no fear of the oil, as the steamy washcloth will remove it. The Castor Oil, though it is an oil, will help with the removal of the other oils, as well. It is our main cleansing oil and is easily removed with warm water.
• If your skin feels tight, take a tiny drop of your oil blend, rub it between your clean, damp palms and pat it onto your damp skin. Gently massage any oil residue into your skin so there is no film of oil left sitting on the surface. Your skin should now glow!

This is all on THIS WEBSITE. Not taking credit for this I am just trying to narrow down the steps for anyone interested

Natural Deodorant, works fine for me. This is probably the only thing I will write about it. I am not a very sweaty or odorous person, so I can get away with just about anything. During winter months ( ha that's a laugh in So Cal ) I could probably get away with not wearing any deodorant at all. I will give you an update on a hot day. I will say this much it smells yummy ( coconut oil) :)

Don't worry I won't show you any pictures of my armpit...

Recipe for this one:

Natural Deodorant

2-3 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1/8 Cup Baking Soda
1/8 Cup Arrowroot Powder or Cornstarch ( I used Cornstarch )

I doubled it all and it made enough to fill an old deodorant container with a little left over.

Another Recipe not trying to take credit for I got it off THIS WEBSITE

The No Poo. This one is tricky, because on EVERY website I read about this, everyone said there is a transition period. That my hair will be oily, and Oh Boy are they right...ewww! The first night I mixed 1TBS of Baking Soda to 1 cup of water and it was really hard to wash my hair with that because it was basically like trying to wash your hair with just water, it felt like I wasn't washing enough.. I dont know. Last night I tried the second method which was adding just enough water to the baking soda to make it into a paste. This made it easier to tell what parts of my hair were actually "washed". At this point I will tell you I was able to get away with this because, like my face, my hair is EXTREMELY oily. I can not go more then 24 hours without washing ( with shampoo) my hair, as a matter of fact at about 18 hours after I wash my hair it already looks like I haven't washed it in a week... gross I know. Silver lining... I don't really have any split ends :) Baking Soda is very drying, so I was told. Since my hair is as oily as it is I didn't mind trying the paste method. If your hair is dry to begin with I wouldn't try this. I want to try this one next: Lemon and cucumber shampoothie but this looks like a little more work... not sure if I willing to go there, just yet.

After I washed my hair I rinsed out all the baking soda mixture, and then I did the Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) rinse also. Now there is mixed things about this some people say to use it as a conditioner but only once a week... isn't a conditioner supposed to be used after every shampoo?I'll have to play with this a little bit more. Per another site, I rinsed my hair with cold water after the ACV

Recipe: ( and you can find this on any "no poo" site)

Shampoo ( no poo)

1tbs baking soda - 1 cup of water, but you really have to play with this to see what works for you

Conditioner ( ?)

1tbs apple cider vinegar - 1 cup of water

Picture after Day 1 & Day 2:

I put my hair right back up after I took this picture. I hope I can withstand another 1.5 months of this... From what I have read it takes your body 6 weeks to realize you are no longer trying to strip it of its natural oils, so it quits over producing oils.

Why Does It Still Amaze Me?

I think of things and just like that they come true but only when I think of things and envision myself talking to God. I am still fairly new to walking with the Lord, but lately I think of things and something inside me tells me what the outcome will be... even if it's not what I want it to be.

I get prayer requests all the time, and I don't mean me personally, but via Facebook someone puts out a prayer request or I read a blog and there is a request for a prayer and I instantly pray... in my head. Just as fast as I pray I get an overwhelming feeling of the "answer". Sometimes it's good sometimes it's not so good. I prayed this morning for a friend's friend and instantly I got the feeling that this was one of those not so good outcomes... it made me want to cry. So now all I can pray for is peace and strength.

Yesterday on my way home from work I couldn't help but go into "pity me" mode. I thought of all the things I do for my family and how my husband gets to go to work, come home and not really worry about anything else. I started to cry... I think I was just overly tired... so I prayed just for peace... nothing else. I got home, and most of the laundry was done, my husband had made a spare key for the babysitter...etc. things were just 'taken care' of. So I shot up a big Thank you!! I don't know why it still amazes me, He comes through for me ALL the time. Sometimes it requires me humbling myself because my prayers are selfish, but mostly when I am really down in the dumps He picks me up :)

An Answered Prayer

Yesterday while attending a friend's church, a woman stood up and filled in the congregation about a baby they have been praying for... a baby that is not even born yet.

At 13 weeks the baby was diagnosed with a condition, Gastroschisis (I think) where ALL his/her major organs were developing outside his/her body, even his/her heart. If this wasn't enough they also found fluid on the brain. The doctor's gave the baby 0%... let me repeat 0% chance of survival. The church prayed for the family.

Sometime later the mom went back for an ultrasound, and miraculously (meaning no medical explanation as to how this happened) the baby's heart was back inside his/her body, and the fluid on the brain was gone... again the church prayed.

The woman, at my friend's church, received an e-mail from the baby's mom the day before yesterday; most of the babies organs are now INSIDE his/her body, the organs that remain on the outside are FULLY operable, and the baby should be able to lead a normal healthy life without any permanent birth defects...

From 0% chance of survival to not even having any kind of permanent birth defect... If that's not the power of prayer then I don't know what is....

Halloween: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dustyandemese/5118327246/

Sports

We decided to be brave and take on two sports with one kid. We have done one sport each kid, but never two "demanding" sports at one time. Not quite sure how this is going to work out yet. Practices just started and I am already ready to pull my hair out. Jake is in spring baseball and he decided he also wanted to run track also, so he can be faster for football and baseball. Schedule for now:

Monday baseball 3:45 - 5:30,

Tuesday track 5-6,

Wednesday baseball 4-5:30,

Thursday track 5-6

Friday baseball 4:30-5:30 AND track 5-6 ( he hasn't been to a track practice yet on Friday).

I may complain, but secretly I enjoy the chaos...shhh don't tell anyone. I am just worried it may be too much on Jake and that Kayti may be feeling left out.

The decision was made

About 10 years ago, we (Dusty and I) decided we wanted two kids, first a boy and then a girl. We have been EXTREMELY blessed, we have Jake now 8 and Kayti just turned 6. When Kayti was 2 we decided that Dusty would "get fixed", I had to endure pregnancy and labor, it was HIS turn. So June of 2007, it finally happened...Dusty "got fixed". After about a month, he was to go back and get checked...make sure there are no swimmers left in there. He never went back, we just assumed everything was 'fine'. Back in 1998 I had a ectopic pregnancy, and lost my left fallopian tube, so it took me some time to conceive both my kids. This all being said, I missed my favorite time of the month in September. I took a test 2 weeks ago and it came out negative...

I secretly wish that he still has swimmers in there and despite all odds, I would love to have another baby. Financially not quite sure how we would manage, but I would welcome him/her with open arms! When I told Dusty (2 weeks ago) that there is a minuscule chance that I might be pregnant, I think he couldn't help but feel the same way...lets just say the look on his face was not disappointment.