Adventures Part 1: Ideas

There are exciting ideas coming to life as the winter begins to thaw. Goals and plans and new opportunities are starting to take shape. I imagine this spring will be an amazing one. My little babe is growing and really becoming curious about the world around him. I love to have the woods here in our backyard, but I crave to experience more. I want the grand ideas that seem like leaps from possibility to be only stepping stones for my son. 

Before the year is over my little babe and I will try our hand at WWOOFing. It is definitely time for an adventure.

21 Great Baking Soda Uses

Here are some great ideas on what to do with your baking soda!

1. Exfoliate
2. Replace your shampoo and no 'poo
3. Put out grease and electrical fires
4. Sprinkle a bit into shoes and slippers to keep them fresh
5. Make a foot or bath soak
6. Pat on under arms and feet to keep dry
7. Use instead of toothpaste
8. Sprinkle on carpet before vacuuming
   
9. Run your coffee pot with some and water to clean
10. Mix with water in a bowl and cook in microwave to soften stuck on foods
    
11. Put a small box or bowl in your fridge for freshness and to soak up moisture
    
12. Make a paste to soothe cold sores, bug bites, sunburns, and rashes
13. Use as an ant deterrent
14. Sprinkle into cat litter to help control odor
    
15. With water, use as mouth wash
    
16. Clean your drains
17. Polish silverware
    
18. Use in ashtrays
    
19. Add to your laundry for tough stains
20. Clean your dishwasher by running it through a wash
21. In fact, use baking soda to clean everywhere and everything like

• Pots and pans
• Bathrooms
• Kitchens

Make sure to spot test when using on surfaces and fabrics. Always use food grade quality when using on your body or ingesting.
Please feel free to contribute your ideas!

How To No 'Poo: Day 2

So today is my second day of no 'poo-ing. Don't worry, this isn't a matter of fiber, but actually the decision to cut out shampoo! I will chronicle my journey of my no 'poo adventure, but thought maybe some of you would like some more info in case you are:

1. Curious
2. Grossed out and wondering WHY?
   
3. Interested in trying it yourself

First I will give you some reasons why one might consider the no 'poo route.

1. Dry hair
2. Oily hair
3. Frizzy hair
4. Less Plastic
   
5. A general hair rebellion
6. To try something different
   
7. All the gross shampoo ingredients
   
8. So you can say, "I don't 'poo," and see people's reactions
9. Shampoo strips away hairs natural oil sebum which can result in dry hair or an overproduction of Sebum resulting in oily hair

Supposedly, if you cut out 'poo-ing all together then after a while your scalp with figure out how much sebum it should be producing. This should result in your hair being coated in just the right amount equalling awesome hair days from there on out. The catch? Appearently there is a rough patch for some people, but if you can push on through then amazing, low maintenance hair is promised in your horizon.

Getting Started:
First, you can start weaning yourself from 'poo or you can just skip right to the baking soda and apple cider vinegar. Also, in order to encourage the sebum to travel down your hair shaft a wash cloth (to smooth from scalp to root) or natural bristle brush is recommended.

I started weaning myself from 'poo maybe a month or so ago. I started only using it about once or twice a week. Then, yesterday I finally broke out the baking soda and apple cider vinegar. To begin you mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with water to create a paste. You massage this paste gently into your scalp and roots then let it be for about a minute. After rinsing well do a rinse of apple cider vinegar. I mixed 2 tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar with some water and poured it into the ends of my hair, letting that sit for a minute as well before rinsing it all out with water. I plan on only using the baking soda and apple cider vinegar bit again when my hair seems to really need it. Also, I think it is important to note that my hair does not smell one bit like vinegar like I thought it might!

Well day 2 of no 'poo has begun and so far so good! Stay tuned for more of my no 'poo adventure!