DIY Coconut Oil Deep Conditioner

Since I've started my 'no poo' adventure, I wanted to start making homemade hair products. Since I have naturally curly, frizzy, thick hair I wanted a rich deep conditioner to give my hair some much needed TLC.

Deep Conditioner:

-Coconut Oil

-Argan Oil

-Vitamin E Oil

-Almond or Olive Oil

-Rosemary

-Tea Tree

-Lavender

-Patchouli

Deep Conditioner Ingredients

I add all ingredients to a mason jar and when I want to use I apply to the ends of my hair working up about half way. The best time for me is at night, so while I'm sleeping my hair is getting a treatment. In the morning, I wash like normal (with baking soda and apple cider vinegar of course) and style like usual.

NOTE: This deep conditioner can get pretty greasy, since the main ingredient is coconut oil if you over apply you might have a hard time washing it all out. For those with thin hair, use sparingly.

I don't use Shampoo

I'm sure you read that title, and thought "Oh Celina stopped washing her hair, gross!". But no, I haven't stopped washing my hair. I've just stopped using shampoo. For the last week I've taken shampoo and conditioner out of my beauty routine. I've replaced them with other items that I have in my house.

It's called the 'No Poo Method'

Hair Cleanser

2 Tbsp Baking Soda

2 gtts Tea Tree Essential oil

add to a 500ml mason jar

fill with water

pour over head and rinse

Conditioning Rinse

2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

2 gtts Rosemary Essential Oil

add to a 500ml mason jar

fill with water

pour over head and rinse

So why am I trying this strange fad? The truth is over the last few years I've heard all the wonder stories about how the No Poo method transformed crazy, unruly, frizzy hair into hair that is manageable and even less frizzy. So of course I had to try it. Over the last year I tried the No Poo method a few times, but each time I get this itch to go back on the bottle. This time, I'm sticking to it.

In the last week I have noticed my hair is less frizzy, I actually haven't used frizz serum either. After the shower I put a little (Really a tiny bit) coconut oil on my hair, avoiding the roots, to give it some added moisture. I think this has really helped combat the frizz. My hair also smells wonderful, not a hint of vinegar in these tresses. The hardest part to get used to was my hair not being silky smooth when I got out of the shower. Thats because I got rid of the traditional conditioner, which coats your hair in silicone. Not really what I want all over my hair.

How does it work?

Baking soda absorbs the excess oil in our hair from daily life. The hair isn't stripped of its natural oils and as a result, it doesn't feel dry and frizzy after each wash. The apple cider vinegar conditions the hair shaft and balances the pH of the hair. It leaves the hair feeling silkier, smoother, and with far less frizz.

The beauty industry has made us think that we NEED shampoo, but really we don't. What do you think they did in the old days? They didn't have Paul Mitchell or Treseme. With the No Poo method hair is supposed to stay grease free for a longer amount of time, which means you don't need to wash it daily. Now for me, I only was my hair every 2-3 days (some do wash daily). The idea of not having to wash my hair that often was VERY appealing to me. I like to think my beauty routine is pretty low maintenance, so why not make it less low maintenance?!

So what do I have to lose? Nothing!

Stay tuned and I'll be sure to keep you updated on my 'No Poo' experience!

DISCLAIMER: I'm still showering daily, I just put my hair up in a bun if I'm not washing it.

Resources

Tree Hugger: 'No Poo Shampoo' Experiment

Tree Hugger: 'No Poo Shampoo' Six months later

Tree Hugger: 'No Poo Shampoo' I haven't used shampoo for 18 months

http://www.nopoomethod.com/Dandruff

http://www.nopoomethod.com/Baking-Soda

http://www.nopoomethod.com/Apple-Cider-Vinegar

Reminiscing

My best friend got married this past August. Today I went through the wedding photos. What a trip, we spent 10 days in Crescent Bar and it was amazing. The laughter, the jokes, the late night skinny dipping, the endless boat days, that hot summer sun, and the best friends a girl could ever ask for. I guess you don't realize how much you miss people until you don't get to see them everyday. When I moved to Massachusetts I didn't think about the people I was leaving behind. I just wanted to get out of Washington, and never look back. However, I find myself today looking back and dreaming of the day when I get to go back. I feel like a part of me is missing, as if I live two different lives. The one thats here, and the one that's there. 

There's a difference between friends and family. Family has no choice but to love you, and for that I am eternally grateful. But friends, now they have a choice. And boy am I glad for that continued love. This summer really reminded me that Washington will always be my home. I'm counting down the days until I'm back in that rainy, evergreen state. There are far more memories waiting to be made.

So here's a shoutout - to friends that never leave your side and family that can never leave your side

Oils in your Beauty Products?

In August I went to a make-and-take party at my friend Kiara's, she is a seller of YL and uses essential oils in her everyday life. We made toothpaste, shaving cream, body butter, and leave-in-conditioner. It was a fun time, and the stuff we made was awesome! I actually use all of it. 

Some of the goodies from Augusts make-and-take

It really got me thinking about continuing the theme and trying to gradually switch to all natural. So, over the last few weeks I have transitioned into a natural approach to my beauty regimen. My main ingredient is coconut oil, it literally has an amazing use for everything!

Coconut oil can be used as a face wash, a face moisturizer, a deep conditioning hair treatment, frizz fighter, makeup remover, and so much more. 

Plus adding other oils  (Carrier Oils) can aid in the benefits. Argan oil helps to nourish dry hair, due to its richness in vitamin E and fatty acids. It also won't clog pores and has anti aging properties making it great for the skin. Avocado oil is thick and is good for dry, brittle, damaged hair. Plus has m multiple different vitamins that are necessary for proper skin health. Jojoba oil is similar to our skins natural sebum and is excellent for the skin, it also has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. Sweet almond oil has many different uses. It is full of vitamins so it is nourishing to the skin. It protects against UV rays, prevents wrinkles, fine lines, and fades scars. For the hair it helps to treat split ends, fights frizz, and nourishes dry hair. It also has pain relieving properties and increases blood circulation, so it is a great carrier oil for muscle rubs. Macadamia oil is also to the skins natural oils, so its nourishing to drying skin. It is full of antioxidants and fatty acids. It promotes soft, youthful skin, prevents wrinkles, and has healing properties, while also treating acne and eczema. It can be used to heal and reduce scar and sun burns. It is also used to treat split ends and dandruff. Hempseed oil is non greasy and helps to eliminate acne. It is high in vitamins and has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant properties. It can also be used to soothe sore joints and muscles. Hazelnut oil can help stimulate cell regeneration, it tones and tightens the skin while treating acne, wrinkles, and age spots. It is full of vitamin E and other anti-oxidants. 

Resources

Tree Hugger: 12 uses for coconut oil

Tree Hugger: 7 ways to use oil in your natural beauty routine

My favorite Banana Bread

One of my favorite things to in the kitchen is bake banana bread. I have toyed around with many recipes over the years, but found this one to be one of the best.

{In this recipe, I've substituted butter for greek yogurt and sugar for applesauce.}

2 1/4 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
2 Eggs
1 Cup sweetened applesauce (replaces sugar)
1/2 Cup greek yogurt (replaces butter and oil)
3-4 Mashed Ripened Bananas
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Grease/ flour 9x5 loaf pan
3. In a stand mixer- mix bananas, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla extract.
4. In a separate bowl- add flour, white sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
5. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture.
6. Fold in walnuts
7. Bake for 60 minutes


Calories per loaf= 2386
About 8 servings (298 Calories per serving)

Note: If you omit the walnuts it saves you 800 Calories, which makes the total 1586, 198 calories per serving. 

Why I choose Essential Oils

For those that are around me on a daily basis, you know how "crazy" I have gotten. I actually agree, I am a bit crazy. But really I'm crazy about Essential Oils, as you've noticed :)



This past March I went to Florida for a Bachelorette weekend getaway. I ended up enjoying the beach so much that I had a terrible sunburn on my lower legs and feet. My wonderful cousin, April, was there and told me that I needed to put Lavender oil on the places I had a sunburn. I think I gave her a strange look. The other girls also gave a strange look. I had heard of essential oils before, I had actually used them at random times (tea tree spray to disinfect my yoga mat, and in my shampoo for dandruff). But to think this oil was going to get rid of my sunburn, and on top of that stop it from hurting like heck? That was insane. BUT, I had forgotten my lidocaine aloe gel (seriously that stuff is a life saver). So I decided to lather my feet and calves with Lavender essential oil. I went to bed and to my surprise when I woke up, my sunburn was by far much less red and it didn't hurt! I guess you could say that I was sold at that moment. When I got back to Worcester I wanted to continue using oils and find other uses for them. Mainly I wanted to find something that would help my chronic migraines. That same great cousin sent me a little care package with a few of the must needed oils. So then I started to research on my own, I knew about the big brands like Young Living and Doterra, but with a tight budget I decided to continue looking. After countless hours glued to my computer I stumbled across Edens Garden. They are not a wholesale so their prices are lower. Now I didn't want to settle for cheaper oils and get crappy oils as a trade off. I really looked into this company. I found some websites where real consumers (like you and I) compared EG, YL, and Doterra. The biggest find was that some of the YL and Doterra oils were stronger than the EG oils. BUT, all in all they found that the oils were very comparable in quality. I was able to do my own comparison and compared the EG and YL lavender and peppermint. I did like the YL better in terms of smelling strength, they were also a little thicker which made using them much cleaner. The EG oils weren't bad though, in fact I thought they were up there with the YL oils. Being on a budget I decided to try a small sample of the EG oils. I ordered a package that had oils I chose, from synergy blends to single oils. I have since purchased more oils from EG and have been very pleased.

They help me with my headaches, cramps, nausea, uplifting my mood, easing my anxiety, and they make my house smell amazing when I diffuse them! I'm excited to continue learning about oils and finding new uses for them in my life. Stay tuned to my Essential Oil experience!

Twenty-Five

Last Saturday I celebrated my Twenty-Fifth Birthday. It was a great day with wine, friends, and of course dancing. It's crazy to think about the last 25 years. I'm a little taller, a lot smarter, probably not as funny, maybe more sarcastic, but definitely a bigger pain in the butt.

I remember the day each of my sisters was born, they each got a little better with time. I remember birthdays, themed ones of course. I remember Thanksgiving day Fantasy Lights outings. I remember Easter Egg hunts. I remember farm animals in the backyard. I remember swimming for days on end each summer, okay maybe I was laying out. I remember watching my grandpa and uncles play in their baseball league. I remember making popcorn balls every winter. I remember the day I got my play house. I remember getting in trouble for drinking and driving, in my defense THAT time I actually didn't do it. I remember getting new pets. I remember getting my first hospital job. I remember jumping on my water bed, while jamming to Terri Clark (look her up). I remember begging my parents to let me wear mascara. I remember getting my first car, and buying the second one all by myself. I remember trying out for sports teams. I remember going to Dairy Queen for special treats. I remember cutting my hair before AWANA. I remember bike riding with my dad. I remember rebelling against everything my parents said. I remember play dates at Spanaway Park. I remember being homeschooled, then going back to public school. I remember moving across the state, then moving across the country. I remember sneaking out of the house. I remember vacation bible school. I remember not knowing what sex was. I remember being embarrassed when my mom came to my school wearing buck teeth. I remember laughing at my great great grandmother who had Alzheimers. I remember road trips to California and Iowa. I remember that halloween when my parents told me I had a different Dad than my sisters. I remember my first time on a plane. I remember that spelling bee where I couldn't spell laundry or was it vacuum? I remember my first time at Disneyland and then Disneyworld. I remember fights with my parents. I remember moving to Iowa, and I remember moving back to Washington. I remember my first time flying alone, I was 9. I remember dancing with my Uncle at his first wedding. I remember blushing every time he called me "babe", now he just calls me bean. I remember wanting my baby sister to be 'put on the ground, so I could play with her'. I remember that time at Denny's when I met my biological dad. I remember when my cat died, both of them. I remember moving to a new house. I remember my first day of middle school. I remember all the different 'best' friends I had. I remember my first kiss, my first boyfriend, and my first heartbreak. I remember asking Jesus to live inside my heart forever. I remember the day my other Uncle died. I remember the day my sister called me needing my help. I remember popped collars. I remember getting put to sleep for a dental cleaning. I remember getting my first 40 hour a week job. I remember the first time my grandpa yelled at me. I remember calling my grandpa to come 'save me'. I remember graduating high school, and then college. I remember moving into my dorm room. I remember getting my rejection letter to nursing school, and then years later getting my acceptance letter to graduate nursing school. I remember bombing tests, and acing some. I remember skipping school. I remember starting my period, yikes. I remember getting fired from my first job. I remember my grandpa teaching me how to drive, and my uncle teaching me how to speed. I remember being jealous because I couldn't go hunting. I remember my first funeral. I remember picking up my very own dog. I remember buying my first legal drink. I remember drinking my first not so legal drink. 
I remember the last 25 years. So cheers to the next 25~

Things I've learned in my 25 years of life:

- You will mess up, but don't give yourself a hard time about it
- Never allow another person to determine your mood
- Dogs are a girls best friend
- The older you get, the less bullshit you want to put up with
- Not everyone in your life is on your 'team'
- Laughing really is the cure for a bad day, plus a little wine :)
- There are a lot of people who want to see you fail ... BUT there are even more who want to see you succeed
- Dancing is better in cowgirl boots
- There will be a lot of days when you want to give up, don't
- Friendships are better when quality > quantity - I can name all my best friends on one hand
- Family is #1
- It's okay to cry, but clean up your black eyes after
- Not everyone that asks "How are you", really cares what the answer is
- Nice guys (that I would consider dating) do exist
- Jesus loves you, forever, despite ALL of your flaws
- Growing up is inevitable, embrace it
- Never stop learning ~

Five Years

Five years ago today, I was sitting in Psychology class at Washington State University. I got a phone call from my mom, I couldn't talk so I rejected the call. I sent her a quick text saying "I'm in class", figuring she would know that I would call her back when class got over. It was a Thursday so class was a little under and hour and a half. She calls again, did she not see my text? Then she texted me, I don't remember what the text said but I knew immediately to call her. I got up from my seat and walked out the back doors of the packed lecture hall. I called my mom back and when she answered I knew something was wrong. She wasn't crying, I don't even think she said anything right away. The ominous silence told me everything I needed to know.

Lets back track, I was kind of expecting to get this sort of call. The day prior I was on my way to class and my mom had called me requesting that I pray for my Aunt and Uncle. It's not my story to tell so I won't go into details. But there had been some issues and our whole family was on alert.

The silence coming from the other end of the phone only lasted for a few seconds, although it seemed like hours. I'm sure she finally said something similar to "There's been an accident". My first thought was something had happened to my Aunt. I started to hyperventilate and my imagination started running wild. She brought me back to reality and told me that my Uncle was in the hospital after a suicide attempt. "Wait, what? How?". I learned that my Uncle had hung himself in the garage. He had been deprived of oxygen for about 7 seconds, which is a significant length of time in this situation. I am not sure the specific sequence of events but I know he was taken to the nearest hospital where they had to restart his heart multiple times. He was then transferred to a different hospital where they would better be able to handle his critical condition. He was put into a medically induced coma and his body was cooled in order to conserve as much oxygen as possible. The police didn't think he had actually meant to cause harm to himself, their thoughts were he was trying to get peoples attention. But his body weight made him pass out and hence, he was starving for oxygen. His organs already weren't in the best health and he was really in bad shape.

In the meantime, I was stuck in Pullman, because I had class. My friend was going to be driving to the West side the next day, so I asked if I could tag along. I didn't think It was best for me to drive myself home considering the circumstances. We left for Seattle on Friday morning and I took the light rail to Harborview Medical Center. I was greeted by my Dad and a family friend. It hadn't really hit me what was happening. I walked into the hospital, it was quiet but still very busy. Our family had pretty much taken over the waiting room. I found my Aunt and we hugged, then she brought me back to his room. Now before this I for some reason thought that he was going to be awake. I knew what it meant to be in a coma, but I had pushed the thought out of my mind and didn't correlate that he was actually in a coma.

The next 24 hours were pretty hectic. His chances of waking up were getting slimmer and slimmer. My cousins 5th birthday was that Sunday, I remember asking him what he wanted for his birthday. He responded with "Well if my dad wakes up then I'll just get him." My Uncle came off life support that Saturday evening, I was allowed to be in the room during the procedure and the scene will forever be burned in my memory. A quilt was made for my Aunt and cousins with his hand prints. We celebrated my cousins birthday the next day. It was one of the worst birthday celebrations I had ever been to.

Its a strange time of year, this anniversary. Throughout the years my Uncle wasn't the nicest guy. Now again, that's not my story to tell. But near the end of his life he wasn't a big family favorite. I however, never knew the man that was described to me. I didn't truly learn the whole story until a few years after he had passed. Even after hearing what kind of man he was behind closed doors, my opinion of him never changed. He is still the Uncle who would wake up in the middle of the day (he worked graveyard so his day sleep was crucial) to come get me because my car broke down. He is still the Uncle who could turn my crappy teenager attitude into a laugh or smile. He is still the Uncle who would tiptoe around the house in the early morning so I wouldn't wake up when I was sleeping on the couch (He never knew, but I was always awake). He is still the Uncle who reminded me that I was going to achieve greatness one day. He is still the Uncle who told me I was too good for all the guys I dated. He is still the Uncle who could make anything into a joke, and chances were I thought it was hilarious. This time of year is truly a hard one, because I don't have bad memories of him. I think he purposely sheltered me from most of it. Why? I will never know.

I never really got to say goodbye that summer. I was supposed to stop by my Aunt and Uncles house the night before I went back to school. But my car was already loaded down and it was getting late. My Aunt and one of my cousins came over instead. My Uncle stayed home because I think he wasn't allowed at my house. I knew I would be home within the month so it wasn't too big of a deal, I would see them when I came back. It's funny how we think we have time. We assume that tomorrow is guaranteed.

That Friday night before he passed, I was in the hospital room with my Aunt and cousin. Just the four of us. A song came on the radio and it was the first time I had heard it, it had a nice tune. The three of us looked at each other and kind of smiled. It was almost as though he had picked that song to come on, like he was dedicating it to us. I heard it again racing down I-5 to get back to the hospital the next day. And five years later that same song still makes me cry like a baby. 

God Gave Me You- Dave Barnes

I've been a walking heartache. I've made a mess of me. The person that I've Been lately. Ain't who I wanna be. But you stay here right beside me. Watch as the storm goes through. And I need you. 

God gave me you for the ups and downs. God gave me you for the days of doubt. For when you think I've lost my way. There are no words here left to say, it's true. God gave me you.

As I write this there are a lot of 'what ifs' that cross my mind. My heart aches for my 4 handsome cousins who have learned to grow up without their dad. They have been blessed with a loving mother and other male role models in their life, but nothing will ever fill that void where their dad should be. Boys, if you are reading this, I am so sorry for all your pain.  

~~

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, PLEASE seek help. The decision to take your own life affects everyone around you. Taking your own life is NOT the answer. You are loved by so many.

Did you know?

Suicide is the 4th leading cause of death for adults between 15-64 years of age. In the United States, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death. Every day about 112 Americans take their life every day. There are 4 male suicides for every 1 female suicide, but women are 3x more likely to attempt suicide. And across the United States, 25 million Americans suffer from depression each year.

If you would like to learn more or to donate to the Suicide prevention cause visit 
http://theovernight.donordrive.com

~~

So Uncle Jim, today while your'e in Heaven enjoying unlimited Coke,

I'm on earth wearing my 5th grade pants in memory of your life.

I hope you found the peace that you were looking for.

rip.