Sadly it's been a long dry spell without time for blogging. That's because it's been a very busy time in real life. For the most part, it's been a good busy. There has been some turmoil at the workplace, but other than that it's all been positive. And there's always going to be some kind of drama anywhere you work. At least that's my philosophy. I try to be very go-with-the-flow and avoid all the mess that I can. Life is an adventure, why make it a bad one right?!
We've taken a few trips, about to take one more, done some spring cleaning, visited with friends, explored new hobbies... fun stuff! It's just meant that I haven't had time at the end of the day to hop on the computer and write. All in all the computer is now a very tiny part of my life.
I've been vegetarian for about 10 months now and am so happy that I changed my eating habits. I love the flavors and variety that you can experience eating veggie, and I now have no problem requesting veggie options at restaurants. I used to be timid about it, afraid that I'd get eye rolls or spit in my food. Now I'm bold and eager to make requests. My favorite is when they check back to see if this or that ingredient is ok, basically to see if I want it vegan. Usually I very graciously thank them and request that because it means they're aware and I love that.
Another new development is that I'm now lactose intolerant. I had a couple weeks where I did not eat or drink any dairy. When my mother-in-law came into town, we ate out a lot and that led me to having dairy again. I woke up sick each morning from the previous night's dinner and had doubled-over tummy pains. I was relieved when she left and I could control my foods better. I started to track and pin down the issue, and it was definitely dairy. While I will occasionally have dairy foods and take a lactase enzyme pill, I am by-and-large one step closer to eating vegan as a result.
One of the most challenging things about eating differently is the questions and comments you get from people. I'm pretty sure my in-laws hate that their son's wife is a "granola hippy dippy fruit loop" who is encouraging them both to eat crazy things like vegetarian entrees. I frequently get comments that the person could never live without meat. I also get grilled about my protein sources. Usually from out of the blue and from people who have not reached any level of friendship with me. It's certainly a question that I can answer, but I kind of feel like asking them to name which foods they ate that day to reach their 5 fruits and veggies and 11 whole grains. I'd bet money that I could answer easier than them.
The most pleasing result has been some of the surprising people who are supportive. It just proves that you can't judge a book by its cover. One was a woman whose husband guts deer in their garage after he hunts. (Although realistically it should not surprise me since she regularly has to walk in on that gruesome scene.) Another was a big ol' redneck guy who would love to hunt one of every animal if it were feasible. He just asked if I'd be asking him not to eat meat. I said no, and he said we were cool. Que sera sera, let it be, amen!
Well I've rambled quite awhile now, so I better get going. I'm using our TEeeny computer so I can't do pics. Sorry! :( Hope everyone is doing well and I'll be trying to make the rounds as time allows! Lots of love!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Myth busting
Hi my long lost friends!
Yes I am still alive. Yes I still try to read as I get the chance. Yes life has completely gotten in the way of blogging.
So here's the short version: Life was getting a little out of control. I was trying to juggle too many things at once, and my health was suffering. Sleep deprivation, frustration, stress, quality time, it was all just getting messy.
I took some drastic measures that really shook things up for a little while. Forced myself to create some boundaries in work-life. Slept when I got too tired, even if that meant I fell asleep on the floor. (Let me just say that I think my back is now prepared to visit an ashram in India one day from the number of hours I crashed on our living room floor.) Didn't touch a home computer, blog, email, or anything personal that related to electronics for a week+ on end. When I did, I would pay bills, check quickly that I hadn't received dire emails of relatives falling ill, and sign right back out.
I had to put the life back in living.
I have to say that I love it!
I doubt I'll be a full-time blogger. I definitely want to post as I'm able. I have a long list scribbled on a piece of paper of things I've been wanting to post. I may not have many pictures. I may not be whipping up a ton of original recipes. I may have a few days between posts. It will come as it comes. It will be organic. It will fit into my life and not the other way around.
While I don't feel like blogging ever became a burden before (because I enjoyed it), I was pulling in too many directions. I have wrapped up several projects during this outage, which helps immensely. I have made changes in other areas of my life as well. I may have future periods of silence when new projects crowd out the few minutes I have available each night to be productive. Life always has those curve balls. The only way to plan for them is to plan to be flexible.
Coming down the pipeline one day soon will be my new domain name. It's been purchased already so I just have to seam the site and blogger together. Then from there may be further changes at some point. One thing at a time. Blog will be laid back, not type A!
So there you go. Question of the day is your turn. What do you want to ask me? Is there even anybody left??
Yes I am still alive. Yes I still try to read as I get the chance. Yes life has completely gotten in the way of blogging.
So here's the short version: Life was getting a little out of control. I was trying to juggle too many things at once, and my health was suffering. Sleep deprivation, frustration, stress, quality time, it was all just getting messy.
I took some drastic measures that really shook things up for a little while. Forced myself to create some boundaries in work-life. Slept when I got too tired, even if that meant I fell asleep on the floor. (Let me just say that I think my back is now prepared to visit an ashram in India one day from the number of hours I crashed on our living room floor.) Didn't touch a home computer, blog, email, or anything personal that related to electronics for a week+ on end. When I did, I would pay bills, check quickly that I hadn't received dire emails of relatives falling ill, and sign right back out.
I had to put the life back in living.
I have to say that I love it!
I doubt I'll be a full-time blogger. I definitely want to post as I'm able. I have a long list scribbled on a piece of paper of things I've been wanting to post. I may not have many pictures. I may not be whipping up a ton of original recipes. I may have a few days between posts. It will come as it comes. It will be organic. It will fit into my life and not the other way around.
While I don't feel like blogging ever became a burden before (because I enjoyed it), I was pulling in too many directions. I have wrapped up several projects during this outage, which helps immensely. I have made changes in other areas of my life as well. I may have future periods of silence when new projects crowd out the few minutes I have available each night to be productive. Life always has those curve balls. The only way to plan for them is to plan to be flexible.
Coming down the pipeline one day soon will be my new domain name. It's been purchased already so I just have to seam the site and blogger together. Then from there may be further changes at some point. One thing at a time. Blog will be laid back, not type A!
So there you go. Question of the day is your turn. What do you want to ask me? Is there even anybody left??
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Yoga and Expectations
I went to yoga again tonight. I'm really enjoying it and one of the best parts is rearranging my work schedule to try to ensure that I can break free in time. Kind of makes me want to line up classes every night! Of course the logical thing would be to realign my day anyway and practice when I get home each day.
I just try to be happy with what I can do each day and not set specific expectations onto myself. When I do, the success is shortlived and it creates disappointment. I strive to be the best version of myself every single day and that is the best goal of all. You can still live with goals, just not set yourself up for a fall. When I was in the dating world, there were guys who tried to put me up on a pedestal. I never liked that for two reasons. One, they were worshiping a glorified version of my true self. Two, what goes up must come down, and the taller the pedestal, the harder the fall. Creating unobtainable expectations or goals for yourself is the same thing. But this time, you hold both the disappointment of being let down and the pain of the fall.
Of course, you have to hold yourself to standards and set some goals. This isn't a get out of jail free philosophy. I actually think it frees you up to live with more passion. Speaking of passion, it's time for bed and I don't think I need to spell out anything more than that!!!
What is your relationship with goals and expectations? How passionately do you live your life?
P.S. As class ended tonight, I found the sweetest level of relaxation that I probably have ever had in the relaxation pose. Looooooved it!
I just try to be happy with what I can do each day and not set specific expectations onto myself. When I do, the success is shortlived and it creates disappointment. I strive to be the best version of myself every single day and that is the best goal of all. You can still live with goals, just not set yourself up for a fall. When I was in the dating world, there were guys who tried to put me up on a pedestal. I never liked that for two reasons. One, they were worshiping a glorified version of my true self. Two, what goes up must come down, and the taller the pedestal, the harder the fall. Creating unobtainable expectations or goals for yourself is the same thing. But this time, you hold both the disappointment of being let down and the pain of the fall.
Of course, you have to hold yourself to standards and set some goals. This isn't a get out of jail free philosophy. I actually think it frees you up to live with more passion. Speaking of passion, it's time for bed and I don't think I need to spell out anything more than that!!!
What is your relationship with goals and expectations? How passionately do you live your life?
P.S. As class ended tonight, I found the sweetest level of relaxation that I probably have ever had in the relaxation pose. Looooooved it!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Praise for the path
I pondered an interesting revelation the other morning on my way into work. I can remember about a year ago when I first heard of green monsters and Kris Carr. I totally understood why she took the path she did, ate the foods she did, and really loved and adored her outlook and vibrancy. I couldn't in my wildest dreams imagine how she sacrificed all the "good" foods to force herself to eat only healthy food day in and day out. I thought it must get miserable. I also assumed it had to be a full time job to prepare all the healthy specialized foods.
It really made me laugh to reflect back on that. I wake up every morning with a grumbly tummy that craves my daily green monster brekkie. My favorite desk lunch on earth is a whole grain pita with hummus, kale, broccoli, and carrots. I know have ZERO desire to eat meat, fast food, donuts, and many other unhealthy foods. I have even been craving less chocolate lately!!!!!!! I NEVER knew that was possible!
As I continue to learn more about nutrition and what food works best with my body, the changes continue. I am a dairy junkie no more and have learned that "not all money is good money" also refers to free food. Not all free food is good food... some of the cheap unhealthy junk just needs to be left on the counter.
I'll continue to enjoy my green monster every morning and the inexplicably happy feeling my tummy feels after getting filled with all those nutrients. I'll continue to munch my pita while my coworkers pack on the BBQ. I can really truly honestly testify to anyone that you CAN love eating healthy. You have to give it a little time, but it really is true.
Oh and I can promise you that it is nothing close to a full time job. I have a full time+ job and a million other things on my plate. I still manage the veggie path every day and I have my morning monster down to a science. It is totally do-able. Plus think about how much faster and easier it is to eat raw... no cook time at all!
Did you have any beliefs that you personally disproved as you continued your path in life? What foods can you happily eat day in and day out? What cravings fell by the wayside as you ate better?
It really made me laugh to reflect back on that. I wake up every morning with a grumbly tummy that craves my daily green monster brekkie. My favorite desk lunch on earth is a whole grain pita with hummus, kale, broccoli, and carrots. I know have ZERO desire to eat meat, fast food, donuts, and many other unhealthy foods. I have even been craving less chocolate lately!!!!!!! I NEVER knew that was possible!
As I continue to learn more about nutrition and what food works best with my body, the changes continue. I am a dairy junkie no more and have learned that "not all money is good money" also refers to free food. Not all free food is good food... some of the cheap unhealthy junk just needs to be left on the counter.
I'll continue to enjoy my green monster every morning and the inexplicably happy feeling my tummy feels after getting filled with all those nutrients. I'll continue to munch my pita while my coworkers pack on the BBQ. I can really truly honestly testify to anyone that you CAN love eating healthy. You have to give it a little time, but it really is true.
Oh and I can promise you that it is nothing close to a full time job. I have a full time+ job and a million other things on my plate. I still manage the veggie path every day and I have my morning monster down to a science. It is totally do-able. Plus think about how much faster and easier it is to eat raw... no cook time at all!
Did you have any beliefs that you personally disproved as you continued your path in life? What foods can you happily eat day in and day out? What cravings fell by the wayside as you ate better?
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Yogalicious
I got my OM on tonight! I saw a bulletin listing for a yoga class nearby and decided to take the plunge. I've done yoga on and off for most of my entire life. When I was a wee little lass, my mom did yoga. I used to find it sooo hilarious that my mom would have to struggle to get the poses because it was so easy for me to contort my little body into the positions. My favorite (very modified) yoga move was to run at a breakneck speed down the hall that ended in my parents' room and launch myself into a headstand on their bed. I considered it gymnastic yoga, my special hybrid.
Over the years, I forgot about yoga. I would return to it from time to time, but had never actually taken a class. I had an old yoga book from the '70s and DVDs up until tonight. I have to say I really liked taking the class. It was a small class and everyone was older than me. I could do some poses better than others and some worse. The teacher wasn't too handsy, but did offer correction and detailed directions on how to do things correctly.
The hour flew by and I felt strong and accomplished at the end. I loved NOT being in control of what poses are done, not knowing what we're doing next, and not being sure if I'd ever tried the pose before or not. I can be kind of a control freak and was very nervous walking in not knowing what to expect. While I found a parking spot I told myself that I was just going to surrender to the experience. If everyone was more advanced than me, if I had to get corrected on every pose, if they seemed unwelcoming, or anything else negative, that was ok. I was there to let everything go and to learn. It was oddly empowering to be out of control. I definitely plan to go back!
Let's see, things have been pretty good lately. I'm taking better care of myself and getting closer to the healthy amount of sleep each night. I am on bottle #2 of toxin free castile soap for my hair. That saga continues but I'm very optimistic that this shampoo gets along better with my hair. I'm whittling down my real life to-do list. I'm eating delicious vegetarian foods.
What have you been up to lately? Are you taking good care of yourself? What has been your best outcome from stepping out of your comfort zone? Do you like challenging yourself like that or do you like staying in your safe cocoon?
Over the years, I forgot about yoga. I would return to it from time to time, but had never actually taken a class. I had an old yoga book from the '70s and DVDs up until tonight. I have to say I really liked taking the class. It was a small class and everyone was older than me. I could do some poses better than others and some worse. The teacher wasn't too handsy, but did offer correction and detailed directions on how to do things correctly.
The hour flew by and I felt strong and accomplished at the end. I loved NOT being in control of what poses are done, not knowing what we're doing next, and not being sure if I'd ever tried the pose before or not. I can be kind of a control freak and was very nervous walking in not knowing what to expect. While I found a parking spot I told myself that I was just going to surrender to the experience. If everyone was more advanced than me, if I had to get corrected on every pose, if they seemed unwelcoming, or anything else negative, that was ok. I was there to let everything go and to learn. It was oddly empowering to be out of control. I definitely plan to go back!
Let's see, things have been pretty good lately. I'm taking better care of myself and getting closer to the healthy amount of sleep each night. I am on bottle #2 of toxin free castile soap for my hair. That saga continues but I'm very optimistic that this shampoo gets along better with my hair. I'm whittling down my real life to-do list. I'm eating delicious vegetarian foods.
What have you been up to lately? Are you taking good care of yourself? What has been your best outcome from stepping out of your comfort zone? Do you like challenging yourself like that or do you like staying in your safe cocoon?
Friday, May 7, 2010
Checking in
Just a super quick update.
Still working on my hair. Still working out. Still eating healthy. A little website change is in the works. More to come on that as the changes become apparent.
Life is still good!
Just finished some healthy online shopping for protein powder and more toxin-free shampoo. Also looked up more home remedy hair treatments. I know this is mainly about food and not hair, but they still use pantry items so I think it kind of works with a little stretch of the imagination. I will report back on them as I get the chance to try them.
I still love you guys and haven't forgotten you for a second. I had to pull back and do a little TLC, though. Adequate sleep kept giving way to blogging so I hit a wall where I had to recuperate. Other than work purposes, I think it's been a couple weeks since I've even been on the computer. I really kind of took a technology detox for awhile. I have to say that even though I missed you and wondered what I was missing for your sites, I really enjoyed using the computer and phone WAY less than usual.
I'll elaborate more later, but it's late and I have some hair to wash. xoxo!
Still working on my hair. Still working out. Still eating healthy. A little website change is in the works. More to come on that as the changes become apparent.
Life is still good!
Just finished some healthy online shopping for protein powder and more toxin-free shampoo. Also looked up more home remedy hair treatments. I know this is mainly about food and not hair, but they still use pantry items so I think it kind of works with a little stretch of the imagination. I will report back on them as I get the chance to try them.
I still love you guys and haven't forgotten you for a second. I had to pull back and do a little TLC, though. Adequate sleep kept giving way to blogging so I hit a wall where I had to recuperate. Other than work purposes, I think it's been a couple weeks since I've even been on the computer. I really kind of took a technology detox for awhile. I have to say that even though I missed you and wondered what I was missing for your sites, I really enjoyed using the computer and phone WAY less than usual.
I'll elaborate more later, but it's late and I have some hair to wash. xoxo!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Hair progress
I gotta say... I'm not sure that if I hadn't started the process of transitioning my hair onto toxin-free shampoo I could do it again.
In case you haven't heard the hype, the chemicals and surfactants in regular shampoos are supposed to be bad for you. For the past couple years, I have dealt with frustrating scalp issues. I tried to note the circumstances that lead up to a rash on my hairline. I tried different shampoos and ultimately concluded that it was my body's reaction to stress. I certainly felt stressed when I had these painful little rash spots along the hairline just above my temples. I didn't necessarily notice the stress beforehand, but I definitely did once they appeared.
Several months ago, I learned about the potential issues (including allergies and rashes) that can occur with standard shampoos. I still hadn't learned everything I needed to know to make an educated decision, so I did the best I could. At that point I knew that the sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates were bad news. I went to the beauty supply store and combed the aisles for my best option. I ended up selecting a tea lauryl sulfate with tea tree oils. I love tea tree oil because it feels so good on the scalp, so this sounded like the best choice to me. It worked well for awhile, then I got another breakout. Since I thought it was stress, I figured it wasn't the shampoo and bought another few bottles.
Then I learned more and found EWG's Skindeep website. I learned about castile soap and that the best shampoos don't act like the typical ones-- they don't suds and bubble. They also don't do it all the first time, so you truly lather, rinse, repeat.
I researched shampoos and hair treatments; finally I selected a gentle, scalp-calming shampoo. I found information on the Healing-Scents website for a treatment that can speed the adjustment period. I'm using that combo religiously, but I'm STILL not through this yet!
If anybody else is bracing to go through a similar transition, here is the process that gives me the most normal hair days. If I can never get back to good hair days, I won't continue all this drama long term. I'll keep you posted to let you know if there's ever light at the end of the tunnel.
Hair Transition Formula, a.k.a. Hair Shots
I adapted "The volcano" method slightly from Healing-Scents to make it possible to do on my own. I've had to use it every time I shampoo for a few weeks now.
If any of you have the cheap plastic take home drink shakers from a restaurant (like this), it's a great way to get this process done on your own. Plus it's super classy to take your drink shaker into the shower with you.
Here are a few pics of my hair from Easter weekend. I had blowdried and straightened my hair, and this was the best it got.
Sorry the pic is a little fuzzy. I wore out my arms trying to get a clear mirror pic and this was the best I had. It reminds me of stringy teenager hair. :(
The scalp doesn't look too bad. My hair feels like it's coated in wax.
My hair looks a little better now, and is more manageable (aka, clean looking) as well. It still feels like it's coated in wax, though. If I used styling products, this might be fantastic since it provides its own adhesion. I just want to have it move naturally, though!
So there ya go. All the details.
What do you think? Am I nuts for trying to get my hair and scalp off the suds?! Would you ever consider going toxin-free for your hair products? If you've done this already, do you EVER get past this waxy hair point?!??
In case you haven't heard the hype, the chemicals and surfactants in regular shampoos are supposed to be bad for you. For the past couple years, I have dealt with frustrating scalp issues. I tried to note the circumstances that lead up to a rash on my hairline. I tried different shampoos and ultimately concluded that it was my body's reaction to stress. I certainly felt stressed when I had these painful little rash spots along the hairline just above my temples. I didn't necessarily notice the stress beforehand, but I definitely did once they appeared.
Several months ago, I learned about the potential issues (including allergies and rashes) that can occur with standard shampoos. I still hadn't learned everything I needed to know to make an educated decision, so I did the best I could. At that point I knew that the sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates were bad news. I went to the beauty supply store and combed the aisles for my best option. I ended up selecting a tea lauryl sulfate with tea tree oils. I love tea tree oil because it feels so good on the scalp, so this sounded like the best choice to me. It worked well for awhile, then I got another breakout. Since I thought it was stress, I figured it wasn't the shampoo and bought another few bottles.
Then I learned more and found EWG's Skindeep website. I learned about castile soap and that the best shampoos don't act like the typical ones-- they don't suds and bubble. They also don't do it all the first time, so you truly lather, rinse, repeat.
I researched shampoos and hair treatments; finally I selected a gentle, scalp-calming shampoo. I found information on the Healing-Scents website for a treatment that can speed the adjustment period. I'm using that combo religiously, but I'm STILL not through this yet!
If anybody else is bracing to go through a similar transition, here is the process that gives me the most normal hair days. If I can never get back to good hair days, I won't continue all this drama long term. I'll keep you posted to let you know if there's ever light at the end of the tunnel.
Hair Transition Formula, a.k.a. Hair Shots
I adapted "The volcano" method slightly from Healing-Scents to make it possible to do on my own. I've had to use it every time I shampoo for a few weeks now.
If any of you have the cheap plastic take home drink shakers from a restaurant (like this), it's a great way to get this process done on your own. Plus it's super classy to take your drink shaker into the shower with you.
- Put 2 shots of apple cider vinegar and 2 shots of water into the cup. Swish them together and put the strainer piece over it.
- Shake baking soda into the shot glass and fill with enough water to stir it into a liquid solution (about even to the level of the baking soda). I would say 1/3 full is right.
- If you don't have such a classy container for your concoction, feel free to improvise freely with your glass and barware until you figure out what works best for you. Use 1/2 cup ACV with 1/2 cup water.
- Wet hair. Shake the baking soda into your hair. Use a little at a time to work it all around your scalp.
- Tilt head WAY back and slowly pour the ACV mixture onto your hair. It will fizz and bubble, so don't let it head south into your eyes!
- Once it's all worked through, rinse it all out.
- Do your lather, rinse, repeat routine with the castile or toxin-free shampoo.
- Afterward, you can use nothing, a toxin-free conditioner, or another ACV/water rinse.
- Rinse out whatever you used and pray that your hair is manageable enough to get through your day!
Here are a few pics of my hair from Easter weekend. I had blowdried and straightened my hair, and this was the best it got.
Sorry the pic is a little fuzzy. I wore out my arms trying to get a clear mirror pic and this was the best I had. It reminds me of stringy teenager hair. :(
The scalp doesn't look too bad. My hair feels like it's coated in wax.
My hair looks a little better now, and is more manageable (aka, clean looking) as well. It still feels like it's coated in wax, though. If I used styling products, this might be fantastic since it provides its own adhesion. I just want to have it move naturally, though!
So there ya go. All the details.
What do you think? Am I nuts for trying to get my hair and scalp off the suds?! Would you ever consider going toxin-free for your hair products? If you've done this already, do you EVER get past this waxy hair point?!??
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