Wonderling

Update!

I thought I would do an update on all of the new stuff I've been trying since it's been a few weeks. 

1. Free Online Samples: I posted a while ago about seeing if getting online samples really worked and if it was really worth it. A few weeks ago I started getting the samples in the mail (it works!), but they were only sample size....which really isn't that great. I also have started to get these magazines like Lillian Vernon and Handsome Rewards; mags for retirees. Most people would be irritated, but I've always liked looking at all the crazy stuff people will buy. 

2. Baking Soda everything! 2 weeks ago I decided to stop using store bought shampoo, conditioner and deodorant and replace them with baking soda and vinegar mixtures. 

For the first week the baking soda deodorant worked great, but once I started riding my bike to work it wasn't enough. I'm going to try this recipe and see if it keeps me "fresh" on biking days. At the very least I can bring it to work and reapply. 

The baking soda shampoo is wonderful. It doesn't strip my hair like regular shampoo, but it still gets it clean. With regular shampoo my hair would be totally limp (it's naturally fine and pretty straight), but it feels like the baking soda shampoo keeps some of the natural oils on my hair, so it's not all lifeless and dry. For the first time in years I can have a "good hair day" without using a pound of product. 

I haven't really used the vinegar rinse. I used it once, but I haven't had a problem with the baking soda drying my hair out yet. 

3. Biking to work. This one is really new. I have only ridden to work twice this week, but I already feel so much better. The first day was really hard. I realized how horribly out of shape I am when I almost didn't make it home without getting off my bike and walking. The great thing about biking though is that you don't really get sore muscles. I thought my legs were going to be too sore to walk the next day, but they were fine! I didn't go to work on wednesday and my neighbor was driving up here this morning for some pre-volunteer stuff so I hitched a ride with him today. 

I'm really looking forward to getting better at biking. Once I have better balance (how do people ride with both hands off the handlebars!?) I think my confidence riding in traffic will be much higher. For now I try to stick to non-trafficy areas. 

Baking Soda Love

I've always known that baking soda was magical. When I was little my mom treated bee stings with a baking soda/water paste. A few years ago I started to brush my teeth with a baking soda/hydrogen peroxide mix (which actually whitened my teeth!). Now I've been seeing all sorts of baking soda products that can be easily made at home. So when I decided that it was time to remove the moldy, old grip strips from the shower floor (they were there when I moved in) I knew I would end up scouring the entire shower. I decided to see what baking soda and vinegar would do. But why stop there? After cleaning the shower I made some lavender/baking soda deodorant, baking soda shampoo and vinegar rinse.

cleaning the shower was still a pain. I still had to really scrub to get it clean (but this may be because I don't clean the shower until there is a visible layer of soap scum to remind me to clean it!). The deodorant seems to be working well. I put some on this morning and after a day at work I am smell free! I have used all kinds of natural deodorants and none of them worked the entire day. The crystal worked the best, but I still had a hind of BO at the end of the day. I have not yet tried the shampoo and rinse, but I plan on doing that tonight.

Here are the recipes:

Deodorant
equal parts baking soda and corn starch
add whatever scent you want..I chose ground up lavender, but you could use any kind of essential oil as well

Shampoo
1-2 tablespoons of baking soda for every cup of water
use warm water and shake to mix when done

Rinse
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar for every cup of water

so easy!Now I just have to get used to being aroma free. It's a bit strange to not smell like anything.