[Currently listening to: TV On The Radio station on Pandora.]
After making my shampoo, conditioner, and face wash, and shopping at the farmers market, I haven't had anything very eventful I felt the need to update about. SO. I'm going to do what I do best...
RAMBLE.
I will briefly update you on my beauty products. Still loving my hair routine, and still using up the gel products that I have before I try something more natural. My face has adjusted to the face wash, it feels fresh and clean right after I use it. I still notice at the end of a shift that my face is oilier than normal, so I need to try to exfoliate or something. I read on a site recently that putting a mixture of wheat flour and water on your face helps get rid of oils, so I might try that. I hope something that simple works well! Oh, and I'm going to bring my baking soda, vinegar mixture, and face wash with me to Indiana this weekend. Since this is still new to my body I want to keep up the routine and not throw anything off. My skin wouldn't appreciate it, I already know.
Shopping at the Farmers Market has been so much fun. It was easy getting up this Saturday morning because I was so excited to go again! I've been pretty good about not eating out, but I did cheat a couple times. Yesterday I got a gyro and an Arden's Garden smoothie on the way to work. Sunday I bought a bag of white Cheddar popcorn at the gas station. I went to Jack's last week for birthday pizza with Sydney. And I have bought two pastas and a burrata at work in the past two weeks. Really, that's not too bad. Compared to eating out almost every meal like I had been. Oh yeah, and Katie and I went to Bluepointe last week for dinner. I don't even feel guilty about that, it is always completely worth it. For lunch today I had asparagus, over-easy eggs, and berries. Delicious! And every thing tastes better when it's local :)
Next time I go to the market I'm going to get the names of all my favorite farmers/vendors so I can help spread the word!
Tomorrow Tatyana and I are going to see the Live X recording of Foster the People! I can't wait! I'm not a huge fan of the band or anything, but I love the single they have on the radio right now. I guess I should listen to the rest of the album before I see them, ha. But I will let you know all about it, I'm sure it will be a really cool experience!
I miss Tom. A lot. It's been 48 days since I've seen him, and I've got 79 more to go. I never could have imagined how hard this would be. We have both been good at being positive and just keeping ourselves busy, but sometimes I can't help but feel sorry for myself. Ugh. "Home is whenever I'm with you."
Indiana. My family and I are driving up Friday and coming back Tuesday. I love seeing my mom's side of the family, but the car ride definitely isn't something to look forward to. I wish I had a Kindle so I could read a bunch of books the whole trip. I have a couple sitting around that I've been meaning to read so I guess I'll bring those.
The end.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Loooong Weekend
[Still listening to: Imogen Heap radio on Pandora.]
The past few days have felt like a lifetime. A lot of work. A lot of driving around. I'm pretty tired, and so ready for a day off.
Friday morning I got up early to go spend some time with Kendra and Isla. I love our mornings together, I know Kendra thinks the day to day mom stuff may seem boring to me, but I love it! I love being around to see Isla, she is growing up so fast. And I'm glad Kendra and I have been hanging out more, she is a great friend! After spending time with them I had lunch with my dad in Roswell for Father's Day since I worked a double on Sunday. After lunch I literally had time to drive home, get dressed for work, and leave. Work was, work. I stayed in Friday night so I wouldn't be too tired to get up early for the Farmers Market in the morning.
The Farmers Market! I absolutely loved it. I got up at 8 am and drove to Roswell to meet Kendra and a few people there, and we spent about an hour picking out produce and checking everything out. The produce all looked great, and it is so cheap! I got so many different vegetables, a whole chicken, a dozen eggs, a couple sausages, some pimento cheese, chicken salad, and a nice wooden bowl all for about $70! The food will last me all week, I will save so much money not eating out. Plus, it is forcing me to eat healthy! Yay for loosing weight! If I had a nice camera I would take pictures of everything for you, but I don't :(
After the Farmers Market I went home and slept for a couple hours, and then back to work! I stayed in Saturday night too because I worked a double on Sunday. Tom and I talked on the phone, something is wrong with their Internet so we couldn't Skype. I love that we can talk every night and tell each other about our day. We thought that he would be at a different lodge without Internet or cell reception. I can't imagine not being able to hear his voice for four months. Especially since he is that person I want to tell everything. I would be talking to Roxy a lot! Anyways, I'm definitely not taking it for granted that we can talk every night. Such a blessing.
Yesterday's double was pretty much a nightmare. On my feet almost all day, waiting on people who don't know how to act in a restaurant, or tip. That's a holiday in the industry. But that day is over, and so is this one! I was on the patio at work tonight so I only had two tables before they let me leave at 8. Hopefully I'll make money tomorrow in the air conditioning!
A couple other things. I've still been enjoying my baking soda and apple cider vinegar routine. I haven't bought a different bottle for the vinegar yet, I obviously haven't had much time. I'm slowly getting used to the face wash. I would like to try one of the scrubs in the book this week. Maybe that will help with my face feeling a little oilier. I will update on that when I try it out.
Oh, and my sprouts. They were so much fun, it was so exciting seeing them sprout so fast! But I screwed it up. I used too many beans so after two days the jar was completely full. And then the heads started turning purple. So I took them out and rinsed them, and put them in the refrigerator. Literally a couple hours later they started to look like they were going bad so I threw them away. I've learned my lesson, less beans next time! I felt awful throwing them away, but they really didn't look good. Oh well, better luck next time.
Goodnight!
The past few days have felt like a lifetime. A lot of work. A lot of driving around. I'm pretty tired, and so ready for a day off.
Friday morning I got up early to go spend some time with Kendra and Isla. I love our mornings together, I know Kendra thinks the day to day mom stuff may seem boring to me, but I love it! I love being around to see Isla, she is growing up so fast. And I'm glad Kendra and I have been hanging out more, she is a great friend! After spending time with them I had lunch with my dad in Roswell for Father's Day since I worked a double on Sunday. After lunch I literally had time to drive home, get dressed for work, and leave. Work was, work. I stayed in Friday night so I wouldn't be too tired to get up early for the Farmers Market in the morning.
The Farmers Market! I absolutely loved it. I got up at 8 am and drove to Roswell to meet Kendra and a few people there, and we spent about an hour picking out produce and checking everything out. The produce all looked great, and it is so cheap! I got so many different vegetables, a whole chicken, a dozen eggs, a couple sausages, some pimento cheese, chicken salad, and a nice wooden bowl all for about $70! The food will last me all week, I will save so much money not eating out. Plus, it is forcing me to eat healthy! Yay for loosing weight! If I had a nice camera I would take pictures of everything for you, but I don't :(
After the Farmers Market I went home and slept for a couple hours, and then back to work! I stayed in Saturday night too because I worked a double on Sunday. Tom and I talked on the phone, something is wrong with their Internet so we couldn't Skype. I love that we can talk every night and tell each other about our day. We thought that he would be at a different lodge without Internet or cell reception. I can't imagine not being able to hear his voice for four months. Especially since he is that person I want to tell everything. I would be talking to Roxy a lot! Anyways, I'm definitely not taking it for granted that we can talk every night. Such a blessing.
Yesterday's double was pretty much a nightmare. On my feet almost all day, waiting on people who don't know how to act in a restaurant, or tip. That's a holiday in the industry. But that day is over, and so is this one! I was on the patio at work tonight so I only had two tables before they let me leave at 8. Hopefully I'll make money tomorrow in the air conditioning!
A couple other things. I've still been enjoying my baking soda and apple cider vinegar routine. I haven't bought a different bottle for the vinegar yet, I obviously haven't had much time. I'm slowly getting used to the face wash. I would like to try one of the scrubs in the book this week. Maybe that will help with my face feeling a little oilier. I will update on that when I try it out.
Oh, and my sprouts. They were so much fun, it was so exciting seeing them sprout so fast! But I screwed it up. I used too many beans so after two days the jar was completely full. And then the heads started turning purple. So I took them out and rinsed them, and put them in the refrigerator. Literally a couple hours later they started to look like they were going bad so I threw them away. I've learned my lesson, less beans next time! I felt awful throwing them away, but they really didn't look good. Oh well, better luck next time.
Goodnight!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Goodbye, Shampoo
[Currently listening to: Imogen Heap radio on Pandora]
Hello, baking soda.
I started my new routine last night. It slowed down my showering process a little bit, so there are definitely a couple things I will need to modify. But, overall I loved it!
I put some baking soda in a little plastic container with a lid, and set it next the shower. Some blogs say to mix the baking soda with water and work the mixture into your hair, but Make Your Place suggested just putting the baking soda straight onto your wet hair. So, that's what I did. I liked using it without watering it down, it felt like I was really scrubbing my scalp clean. I probably used a little over 2 T, I'm not sure how much is the "right" amount but it felt right on my head! I rinsed thoroughly and then grabbed my "conditioner." I had already put the apple cider mixture (recipe is in this post) into my old shampoo bottle. So I opened that up and pretty much poured some onto my head. I used enough to soak through my hair, probably around 1/3 cup. Again, that's just the amount that felt right for me. The vinegar smell actually wasn't bad. I don't know if it is because of the herbs or because it is apple cider vinegar (I'm using Field Day Organic), but I didn't mind it at all. I rinsed it until the smell was gone, though. And my hair felt so soft and smooth already! Next time I wash my hair I will probably wait to rinse the vinegar out until I've washed my body so it can sit on my head for a minute. The same thing I did with my old conditioner.
So my biggest worry was dry hair. I've always had a lot of hair, and it is pretty dry. I usually only wash my hair every other day, and I use a lot of conditioner. I've used shampoo without conditioner before, and I remember how course and dry my hair felt when I got out of the shower. Well, I can honestly say that my hair felt great! Not the same as using my normal load of conditioner, but still very... conditioned? Since I stayed home last night I decided to let it air dry without any product. Another part of having dry, curly hair is I need to use some kind of gel or product if I air dry so it doesn't dry frizzy. So my curls didn't have the same definition and didn't look as smooth as normal, but I wasn't a total frizzball. I rubbed a little olive oil in my hands this morning and ran that through my hair, and it actually looked good enough to go out. The olive oil was a tip from another blog. Warning, DON'T USE A LOT. With most frizz taming products, my hair soaks it up so quick that I can use a lot without looking greasy. But a little bit of the olive oil goes a long way. Seriously, just a couple drops rubbed in your hands is plenty.
Back to the things I need to modify. Basically, the containers I keep the product it. I need to figure out a way to keep the baking soda dry but also have easy and quick access so it's just as quick as squeezing shampoo out of a bottle. And for the conditioner, I need something that has a smaller opening. It is a liquid, and so when I tried to use the big shampoo spout(?) I know I missed my head and wasted a lot. I think the best thing for that will be a bottle like the old fashioned ones you put ketchup and mustard in. Or for my industry friends, the little squirt bottles a lot of bartenders use for simple syrup. So I'm going to look for some of those.
The results of the first night of this routine in a nutshell...
Hair felt clean and conditioned.
Hair looked clean and conditioned.
The vinegar left my hair odorless. Some of you may want perfumy hair, but I like the odorless, clean smell.
The end. I'm very happy so far and can't wait to see how my hair starts to change after keeping this up for a few weeks! I would love to eliminate putting product in my hair as well, so I want to try using aloe as gel this summer! I've heard it is a great substitute for styling curly hair like mine.
Oh, and please let me know if you are interested in trying this routine and have any questions!
Hello, baking soda.
I started my new routine last night. It slowed down my showering process a little bit, so there are definitely a couple things I will need to modify. But, overall I loved it!
I put some baking soda in a little plastic container with a lid, and set it next the shower. Some blogs say to mix the baking soda with water and work the mixture into your hair, but Make Your Place suggested just putting the baking soda straight onto your wet hair. So, that's what I did. I liked using it without watering it down, it felt like I was really scrubbing my scalp clean. I probably used a little over 2 T, I'm not sure how much is the "right" amount but it felt right on my head! I rinsed thoroughly and then grabbed my "conditioner." I had already put the apple cider mixture (recipe is in this post) into my old shampoo bottle. So I opened that up and pretty much poured some onto my head. I used enough to soak through my hair, probably around 1/3 cup. Again, that's just the amount that felt right for me. The vinegar smell actually wasn't bad. I don't know if it is because of the herbs or because it is apple cider vinegar (I'm using Field Day Organic), but I didn't mind it at all. I rinsed it until the smell was gone, though. And my hair felt so soft and smooth already! Next time I wash my hair I will probably wait to rinse the vinegar out until I've washed my body so it can sit on my head for a minute. The same thing I did with my old conditioner.
So my biggest worry was dry hair. I've always had a lot of hair, and it is pretty dry. I usually only wash my hair every other day, and I use a lot of conditioner. I've used shampoo without conditioner before, and I remember how course and dry my hair felt when I got out of the shower. Well, I can honestly say that my hair felt great! Not the same as using my normal load of conditioner, but still very... conditioned? Since I stayed home last night I decided to let it air dry without any product. Another part of having dry, curly hair is I need to use some kind of gel or product if I air dry so it doesn't dry frizzy. So my curls didn't have the same definition and didn't look as smooth as normal, but I wasn't a total frizzball. I rubbed a little olive oil in my hands this morning and ran that through my hair, and it actually looked good enough to go out. The olive oil was a tip from another blog. Warning, DON'T USE A LOT. With most frizz taming products, my hair soaks it up so quick that I can use a lot without looking greasy. But a little bit of the olive oil goes a long way. Seriously, just a couple drops rubbed in your hands is plenty.
Back to the things I need to modify. Basically, the containers I keep the product it. I need to figure out a way to keep the baking soda dry but also have easy and quick access so it's just as quick as squeezing shampoo out of a bottle. And for the conditioner, I need something that has a smaller opening. It is a liquid, and so when I tried to use the big shampoo spout(?) I know I missed my head and wasted a lot. I think the best thing for that will be a bottle like the old fashioned ones you put ketchup and mustard in. Or for my industry friends, the little squirt bottles a lot of bartenders use for simple syrup. So I'm going to look for some of those.
The results of the first night of this routine in a nutshell...
Hair felt clean and conditioned.
Hair looked clean and conditioned.
The vinegar left my hair odorless. Some of you may want perfumy hair, but I like the odorless, clean smell.
The end. I'm very happy so far and can't wait to see how my hair starts to change after keeping this up for a few weeks! I would love to eliminate putting product in my hair as well, so I want to try using aloe as gel this summer! I've heard it is a great substitute for styling curly hair like mine.
Oh, and please let me know if you are interested in trying this routine and have any questions!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
I Talk Too Much
I'm obsessed with writing already, and it's only been maybe a couple weeks since I started again. I've noticed that this actually helps my social life a little bit. I'm going to go ahead and warn you that this is about to be a very random topic. But here it goes.
I feel like I talk to much. I've entertained the idea that I talk so much now because I was so awkward in high school and kept quiet. But now that I think about it, when I was around my family or friends that I was close with I definitely still talked a lot. So I think that is just my personality. When I am excited or worked up about something, I want to talk about it. I know I drive Tom crazy sometimes because I will bring the same thing up several times or I will drag a story on forever. He is the person I want to tell everything, so he gets the worst of it. I'm not trying to be hard on myself or anything, I just want to say that I'm not oblivious. I can tell when I start to get... tiring. Back to the point. Writing/rambling online is the perfect remedy. Now when I get excited about something, or think I have something "interesting" to talk about, I can ramble on here and get it out of my system. Perfect :)
I feel like I talk to much. I've entertained the idea that I talk so much now because I was so awkward in high school and kept quiet. But now that I think about it, when I was around my family or friends that I was close with I definitely still talked a lot. So I think that is just my personality. When I am excited or worked up about something, I want to talk about it. I know I drive Tom crazy sometimes because I will bring the same thing up several times or I will drag a story on forever. He is the person I want to tell everything, so he gets the worst of it. I'm not trying to be hard on myself or anything, I just want to say that I'm not oblivious. I can tell when I start to get... tiring. Back to the point. Writing/rambling online is the perfect remedy. Now when I get excited about something, or think I have something "interesting" to talk about, I can ramble on here and get it out of my system. Perfect :)
I'm Sprouting!
[Currently listening to: Florence and the Machine]
I MIGHT be writing to put off going for a run. It is perfect weather though, it is just now hitting 80, for the past few weeks it has been at least 90 by noon. I won't miss this summer weather, that's for sure. Roxy needs the run just as bad as I do, she has been telling me how bored she is the past couple of days. No, seriously. She will come up and just start barking and growling at me, or nibbling my clothes. Such a character. Poor thing has fleas right now. I'm going to the vet today to pick up the pill that kills them in 24 hours, and then I'll give her a really good bath and put on some Frontline. I would love to try all natural flea prevention, but she is so itchy and miserable right now that I just want to go with what works.
So I finished the face wash last night. After my herbal infusion was finished, I heated it back up to add it to the soap so it would mix well. This is where I need glass containers. I put it in a plastic quart container, and my old plastic face wash pump. I'm paranoid now that the plastic melted since the liquid was hot. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, but I definitely can't wait to get glass containers for all of this stuff. I washed my face with it, and it is very gentle. Maybe too gentle. I felt like my face was oily afterwards. I'm using Thayer's Witch Hazel Toner after I wash my face, so that always makes it feel clean. But I might add a little more castile soap to the face wash so it suds a little better. It smells great, though!
I wanted to briefly mention how much I love Thayer's Witch Hazel. A makeup artist at MAC recommended it to me forever ago, I think I was a freshman in high school. I've been using it off and on since then (it is pretty pricey), and every time I buy it again I remember how much I love it. It's great to use on your face to remove any makeup or soap residue, but it can be used for other things like a substitute for aftershave for men. It's very soothing. Point is, I RECOMMEND IT.
I just put my "conditioner" in a container and I'll let you know how I like it when I shower later. If I ever go running.
I also wanted to mention that I'm sprouting! I bought a sprout jar and some mung beans at Sevananda last night, and they soaked overnight. This post inspired me, I had no idea sprouting was so easy! I love mung bean sprouts too, so I'm sure this will be a frequent thing for me. I will have to try some different kinds of sprouts, but for now I can't wait to eat my mungs! Kendra's post describes the process step by step if you want to try yourself, it's really is so simple!
Aaaand now I'm going to run.
I MIGHT be writing to put off going for a run. It is perfect weather though, it is just now hitting 80, for the past few weeks it has been at least 90 by noon. I won't miss this summer weather, that's for sure. Roxy needs the run just as bad as I do, she has been telling me how bored she is the past couple of days. No, seriously. She will come up and just start barking and growling at me, or nibbling my clothes. Such a character. Poor thing has fleas right now. I'm going to the vet today to pick up the pill that kills them in 24 hours, and then I'll give her a really good bath and put on some Frontline. I would love to try all natural flea prevention, but she is so itchy and miserable right now that I just want to go with what works.
So I finished the face wash last night. After my herbal infusion was finished, I heated it back up to add it to the soap so it would mix well. This is where I need glass containers. I put it in a plastic quart container, and my old plastic face wash pump. I'm paranoid now that the plastic melted since the liquid was hot. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, but I definitely can't wait to get glass containers for all of this stuff. I washed my face with it, and it is very gentle. Maybe too gentle. I felt like my face was oily afterwards. I'm using Thayer's Witch Hazel Toner after I wash my face, so that always makes it feel clean. But I might add a little more castile soap to the face wash so it suds a little better. It smells great, though!
I wanted to briefly mention how much I love Thayer's Witch Hazel. A makeup artist at MAC recommended it to me forever ago, I think I was a freshman in high school. I've been using it off and on since then (it is pretty pricey), and every time I buy it again I remember how much I love it. It's great to use on your face to remove any makeup or soap residue, but it can be used for other things like a substitute for aftershave for men. It's very soothing. Point is, I RECOMMEND IT.
I just put my "conditioner" in a container and I'll let you know how I like it when I shower later. If I ever go running.
I also wanted to mention that I'm sprouting! I bought a sprout jar and some mung beans at Sevananda last night, and they soaked overnight. This post inspired me, I had no idea sprouting was so easy! I love mung bean sprouts too, so I'm sure this will be a frequent thing for me. I will have to try some different kinds of sprouts, but for now I can't wait to eat my mungs! Kendra's post describes the process step by step if you want to try yourself, it's really is so simple!
Aaaand now I'm going to run.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Herbal... Stuff
[Currently listening to: Explosions in the Sky.]
My herbs are steeping! I'm so excited to finally get started with these recipes. I refuse to waste the beauty and cleaning products that I have, so I can't make these recipes until I run out of something.
Well I'm out of shampoo and conditioner so that is my first project. I bought castile soap from Whole Foods last week. Dr. Bronner's was the only brand they have there, so I got the Rose one. (Oh and I went to Sevananda today and notcied that they sell the same big bottles of liquid castile soap for $2 less. Damn, Whole Foods.) The book Make Your Place that I'm using said to get unscented, but I couldn't find one and I figured natural rose fragarance couldn't hurt.
Anyways, castile soap is made with all vegetable/plant oils so it is very gentle (no Sodium Laureth Sulfate), and can be used on your hair/body, your pets, or as an all-purpose cleaner around the house. So obviously I figured that was a great place to start. So I put a little in an old hand soap bottle with a few drops of lavender oil, and I've been using that to wash my body and my hair. No conditioner. Since castile soap doesn't contain detergent it doesn't strip your hair like normal shampoo so my hair hasn't even been dry. I LOVE the way the soap makes my skin feel. I have pretty sensitive skin so I'm used to soap making my skin feel itchy or dry. Not with castile soap! It leaves my skin soft and moisterized, no itching. I don't want to keep using it on my hair though, I want to use baking soda.
This blog post was given to me by StumbleUpon a while ago, and it's been in the back of my mind for months. And then this book I'm reading says the same thing! So I'm going to wash with baking soda tomorrow, and use the book's recipe for conditioner. Instead of just apple cider vinegar and water you steep 2 T each of dried nettles, chamomile flowers, and rosemary with it. So my hot water, vinegar, herb concotion is sitting overnight, and I'll strain the herbs and use it tomorrow. I can't wait to let you know how it goes! I'm going to use this routine for at least three weeks to see if my hair reacts well.
My other current project is facial cleanser. I ran out of that this week too (thank God because it also contains SLS) so I've used the castile soap the past couple of days. That works fine because it is so gentle, but I wanted to try one of the recipes in the book. It actually uses castile soap, but you mix it with an herbal infusion that works for your skin tone. Lemon verbena and rosemary are both good for oily skin so that is the infusion I have steeping now. An infusion is just like making tea, you put the herbs in really hot water and let it sit until the water cools. The only thing I'm missing is mason jars, I'm just using pots and pans right now. I might actually be able to use that tonight, I can't wait to try it!
I need to learn how to make these posts shorter, I don't know why anyone would try to read this whole thing! I hope someone is interested, or has the time.
One more thing. Food. Unfortunately Friday was a VERY late and... eventful night. So I didn't make it to the Farmers Market with Kendra :( I'm so upset with myself, I really wanted to get up and go this time. Oh well, I'm not going out or getting drunk this Friday so I won't have an excuse! Meanwhile I've eaten out the past couple of days. Like I said, tonight I went to Sevananda. I've never been before, I love it! It is like a smaller Whole Foods, but even more... natural. They have a whole wall full of every dried herb imaginable. Which is why I went there. But I also grabbed some food since I have two more days until I can go to the Farmer's Market. I got local eggs (awesome!), almond crackers, almond butter, a couple onions, zucchine, and cheese. Kendra turned me on to the nut and rice crackers with almond butter, such a yummy snack!
Speaking of Kendra. I am so happy I have a close friend who can be my role model for all of this. Ever since she got pregnant she has been so focused on making good choices for her and her family's health. From making good choices for the environment, to the food she eats, what she buys, what she cleans with, everything! I look to her as an example for so much, and it is helping me to stay motivated to change my lifestyle. Isla is so lucky to have such a great mother, I only hope I can pull it off so well. So Kendra, I hope you are flattered by all the things I am going to "copy" from you, you are the best role model I could ask for!
Aaaaand, one last thing. I cut all of my hair off! I absolutely love it, I'm so glad I finally got sick of it being long and wanted to do something different.
I hope this wasn't too long and boring, I'll try to condense the next post better :)
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
This Summer
There are so many things that I am “interested in” right now. I’m not sure where to start. Unfortunately, some of those things involve money. For example, Tatyana brought up that she wants me to kayak with her this summer. I love that idea! We would take a class first to get the technique down (which would cost money) and then I guess rent kayaks from a place on the Hooch (also requiring money). I definitely think that is worth the money, and I will do some research on where to take a class.
I have also had a desire to take a pottery class since I took ceramics in high school. Drawing and painting was never a natural talent for me, but I LOVED ceramics, and according to my teacher I was actually pretty good at it. Check out this picture of me from high school, that's a mask I was working on in ceramics and it wasn't finished yet, but the picture is funny!
I loved working with clay, it’s so relaxing and fun to create with it. That would also cost money, but I think that would be worth it to me as well. I want to find a place where I could take a class and also just come in to use their tools. Again, I need to do some research to see if there is a place like that in Atlanta. All I know is kilns are expensive, so there is no way I will be working with clay at home.
After I get back into ceramics/pottery I think I would eventually like to learn how to work with metal as well. Welding has always been so interesting to me, I would love to be able to make my own jewelry. I don’t know if I would be any good at it, but I want to try.
Making cleaning solutions and beauty and health products at home is something I'm going to do this summer. I just bought Make Your Place (recommended by Kendra) which has tons of different recipes. I just need to go buy my materials and get started.
I would like to grow my own herbs to use for some of the recipes but I don’t think my place gets enough sun. That is something I need to do TOMORROW. I’ve been meaning to time how much sun different spots around the house get. I’ve been putting it off because I don’t feel like staring at the porch until it’s in the shade. Any suggestions on how to time it without having to sit and watch? If I can’t grow any here I’ve been told to look into different community gardens. I might be too lazy for that. If I can’t have my own garden at home then I will just try to buy those things locally. I just found a spot on the back porch that might work, the sun hasn’t hit it yet so I might be able to time it today. It is pretty small but I would at least be able to grow a couple herbs. I’ll have to wait to grow tomatoes till next year I guess :( .
Anyways, back to making things. I want to start with shampoo and body wash. This summer is the perfect time to experiment with this since Tom won’t be here to smell me in case they don’t work so well, HA. This book has a simple recipe for both, just castile soap and essential oils. I’m hoping that since I will use some essential oils that I will smell even better than with my nasty SLS containing shampoo that I’m using now. (I was going to link you to a page about SLS but I would rather recommend that you do your own research because there is so much information on the internet). Detergent to scrub my hair and body, no thank you! I have pretty sensitive skin so I’m excited to see how much better I’ll feel when I get rid of my harsh soaps! There are a couple shampoo recipes besides the basic one that I’ll try if I don’t like using just castile soap. There are also some recipes for a few facial cleansers that I want to try, and an apple cider vinegar conditioner. I don’t have any essential oils yet, and I’m going to have to start small since they can be a little pricey. I definitely need lavender and tea tree first. I’ll stop rambling about this. I’ll let you know how the first couple of recipes work! I have a bunch of “green” cleaning products right now so I’ll wait until I’m almost out of those before I start making cleaning solutions.
If I enjoy making these things and see good results I would like to look into making bar soap. There are so many shops on Etsy that sell awesome handmade bars of soap and I think I would have so much fun with that!
Another thing I want to focus on this summer is changing my eating habits. Notice how I didn’t use the word “diet?” I’m not interested in getting rid of carbs or chugging protein shakes, I just want to know where my food is from and how it was made and what makes it good for me. My eating habits aren’t “bad” now, I actually try really hard to buy organic products when I go grocery shopping and I stay away from sugar and processed foods. But I want to go further than that and try to buy mostly local produce and other products. Unfortunately that requires getting up early on a Saturday morning to make it to a local farmer’s market before all the produce sells out. My schedule is a little weird this summer and waking up that early is hard. Tom and I Skype at some point between 1:00 and 4:00 am every night. That is when he gets off work (in Alaska) and it is obviously important enough to me to stay up so we can talk. So getting up at 8:00 am is pretty hard if I’ve only gotten four hours of sleep. I guess I just need to make myself get up and then I can take a small nap before work. I need to make it a priority, we are talking about the food I’m putting into my body every day! No excuses!
Now that I’ve wrote a REALLY long post about things that I want to do this summer, the challenge is doing them. I will keep you updated, and wish me luck!
Friday, June 3, 2011
School
I've been struggling with something lately. I've always had a hard time with school. I did well all the way through till I graduated high school but ever since school become an option for me, and not a requirement, I've had a very hard time staying focused. You're probably thinking, everyone has this struggle, why are you different? Well I started college at Valdosta State University in the fall of 2007. Why Valdosta? Because it was far away from Marietta. I made some great friends, and enjoyed my new freedom.
A little too much.
So after that first semester, I had to come home and live with my parents again. After a year I took a couple classes at Chattahoochee Technical College. Let me also mention that at both of these schools, I did well in some classes, and failed some classes. So overall, I didn't do great. I only stayed at Chatt Tech for a quarter. Then I moved downtown and started working in Buckhead. After another year I started at Kennesaw State University. I started with a new motivation, everyone I knew was on the track to graduate and I was falling behind. I was living on my own, working full time to pay my bills. But working as a server in a restaurant is not considered... success. (If you love waiting tables I see absolutely no problem with that, do what you love. It's just that we all know most people frown upon career servers, that's all I'm saying.)
I did well in my classes for the first month probably and then I started to lose focus again. I told myself my grades would be better in the Spring, no more excuses. Graduating college is what you do. You graduate high school, you go to college for four years, you graduate college. Getting a business degree would present me with all kinds of job opportunities. Corporate America, here I come! But wait, who said I want a job in corporate America? Since when does business interest me, when did I decide I'm that person?
I didn't.
You did. I'm not saying school isn't a great thing. It is. I know people who were MEANT for school. But it isn't right for everyone. Not every intelligent man or woman graduated college. Not every SUCCESSFUL man or woman graduated college. Everyone knows this, but there is still SO MUCH PRESSURE to graduate college! In your defense, it usually happens on accident. When someone is 18-22 years old you ask them if they are in school. Because in privileged America, the majority of those people are in school. I understand that. The problem is that because it is just EXPECTED of us, a lot of students are spending money on an education for the wrong reason. Because they think that is their only option. Fortunately for a lot of students, they are studying the subject that they are passionate about. They grew up knowing they wanted to be just like their favorite teacher, they discovered in high school science that they were fascinated with the human body, or they idea of success in corporate America is thrilling. That's not me. The things that I am passionate about, or are exciting to me, don't have to include school.
I didn't mean to ramble on so much about this, but I'm just really frustrated about how much pressure this has been on me, and I'm really excited to finally reach this decision.
For now, I'm not going to take any classes. I don't want to continue forcing myself to do something I hate while paying an absurd amount of money to do so. I need to figure out what I want. I am creative, I have an entrepreneurial spirit, I am a leader, and I love the idea of a SMALL business. I'm not sure what this means yet for my career or my future, but I need to figure that out.
So I dropped my classes for the summer. I am going to try to blog all summer to help me focus, since I will have that extra time that would be spent on school. I want to start exploring the things that I enjoy, working with people who have the same interests, and hopefully figuring out a path that is right for me. I wrote this so that some of you can hopefully see where I am coming from, and support me in my decision. I know that I am a smart, talented, creative woman with so many opportunities. And I'm ready to start finding them.
Oh, and who wants to help me open an Etsy jewelry shop? :)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)