No Poo

Sample conversation:

"Hello"

"Hello"

"Do you like my hat?"

"I do not like your hat."

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

--Sorry, got sidetracked by Go, Dog, Go...

To the real sample conversation:

Random person: "Your hair looks great. What shampoo do you use?"

Me: "I don't use shampoo or conditioner."

Random person: "You don't use shampoo? Seriously? Eww."

That is the reaction I normally get from people when they find out I use the no poo method. No poo means "no shampoo." It's not that I don't shower or clean myself up, I am a very clean person. No poo is a natural hair cleansing method. And I must say, it works wonders too!

The science behind it: Modern shampoo strips hair of its natural oils. The more you strip your hair, the more oil it will produce to compensate. Hence, oily hair. You'd think that not shampooing your hair would leave you with an oil slick, but that is not the case. No poo uses natural products to cleanse, but maintain your hairs natural pH balance. The end result is naturally beautiful hair.

My no poo method:

(Remember this is what I do; if it doesn't work for you, please do not yell at me)

It is a basic 1 Tbs. to 1 Cup recipe

What you'll need: (The picture to the right is my actual bathroom counter and what I use.)

1 Tbs. Baking Soda

1 Tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar

Water

2 Cups, bottles, or other liquid containing devices

Put 1 Tbs. baking soda in your liquid containing device and fill the rest of the cup (1 cup) with water.

Put 1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar in your liquid containing device and fill the rest of the cup (1 cup) with water.

Pour the baking soda mix over your hair (this is done in the shower) and work it into your scalp and the rest of your hair. I concentrate on the center of my part and the front part because that is where I get the oiliest.

Let it sit for a minute and then rinse thoroughly.

Pour the ACV mix over your hair and let it sit for a minute.

Rinse thoroughly.

That is it. Simple huh?

I brush my hair when I get out of the shower and let it air-dry. If you play with your hair, it will get dirty quicker from the oils and gunk on your hands.

I usually do this routine once or twice a week. You can just rinse with water during your in-between showers, but I keep mine dry pretty often too.

Here is why more people don't do it: There is a detox period. Your hair has to rebalance to get back to its natural state. Mine was only about 2 weeks, but some people have a 6 week period. Honestly, I barely even noticed during my detox period. Grizzly didn't even notice I was doing something different at that point. The easiest way to deal with the detox is just replace your shampoo routine with the BS and ACV routine. Then go an extra day between, then 2 extra days, etc.

There are a lot of ways to personalize your no poo routine too. You can add extra BS for oily hair, extra ACV for dry hair, honey for dry hair, all sorts of essential oils, etc. I have several recipes I'll be trying in the coming weeks, so check back to see how they turn out. Overall the basic version works really well for me!

*Note: Grizzly LOVES it because it is CHEAP my hair appears to grow stronger, thus longer quicker.

**Extra note: I do have a liter of Biolage shampoo and a liter of Biolage conditioner in my bathtub right now that I used prior to switching and kept "in case of hair emergency," but have not needed it at all.

Supervillians Are Among Us!

Our economy is terrible, that is no secret. The environment is in major trouble. The world is pretty much falling apart, and we can't stop it. I do believe we can slow it down though. My mom and I have talked about this many times. We both agree that many people have developed a sense of entitlement. "I deserve that new car," "I earned that giant house," "I need that vacation in the Bahamas," etc.

Honestly in the world today, I am happy that I have a roof over my head and food on the table. I am fine with the fact that I had to shop the sales for that food and cook it from scratch. It is better for us anyway!

I am not trying to convert the masses, I just want to make sure everyone who wants to be is educated about the options. I don't hide that I prefer to do things in a more natural way. Yes I am the weird hippie mom! I am THAT mom who packs organic granola and flaxseed cookies for snacks, and tries to make everything before considering buying it (tries is the operative word here). Luckily many of those natural ways are also much cheaper. Cheaper + better for me + better for the environment = All winners!

A couple of examples here: OCM, no poo, natural homemade cleansers, cloth diapers, mama cloth, glass, family cloth, gardening, and so many more! I realize that not all of these are for everyone, and I was skeptical about a lot of the natural alternatives, but they are definitely worth looking into.

I am convinced that I could take a normal person, teach them a few natural alternatives, and cut a huge chunk out of their budget! Grizzly and I are probably saving $200-$300 a month by using our "hippie" methods.

Do people just not realize there are other options?

Do they not want to stray from the norm?

Are they secretly living as supervillians who want to throw away money and destroy the planet?

(That last one is a joke, well, mostly)

(Hehehe, supervillian --->)

The point is, there are natural alternatives to almost everything we do or use. I think it's worthwhile to consider them.

I will get down off my soapbox now. Carry on...

Operation: Princess

Operation: Princess made some progress this week. Not as much as I'd like, for health reasons, but progress none the less.

My mom and I wandered up to one of our favorite craft stores and found plenty of treasures! I was looking at fabric, as usual, while she made some fabulous paper finds. Remember the princess fabric? She found the matching paper! It is perfect! I had no idea that there was matching paper. I have so many ideas for this pack. Most of them involve my moms cricut machine. If you don't know what that is, it is awesome! It cuts out shapes for you. I realize that doesn't sound overly exciting, but there are some really cute shapes. They look clean and detailed too. She happens to have a princess cartridge for it. I am envisioning a sign that reads "Faerie Tale Theatre." Maybe some decoupage in there too!

She also found some adorable stamps: a castle and a crown. I don't know what to do with these yet, but the ideas will come. I am sure these will get plenty of use over the years.

I mistakenly did not get enough fabric to do a large wetbag out of my first batch, so I corrected that mistake.

Hopefully I am feeling up to working on it tomorrow. I would love to do more painting, but we'll have to wait and see.

Cloth Diapers: $100 Challenge

I am so excited! My husband doesn't understand how I can be jumping-out-of-my-skin-excited about diapers. Let alone diapers that I am not even going to use! Let me explain...

Some time ago, I was looking at cloth diapers. I was checking prices on prefolds, because you can never have enough. Seriously, they have so many uses. More about that later. I was looking at different options, when the thought that started all of this occurred to me, "I wonder how cheap I could cloth diaper a child?" It is nice to have a variety, but what if someone needed the most inexpensive option?

Then I thought, "I bet I could diaper a child for $100, birth to potty training." I took this as a challenge. The search was on. I started finding more and more options, and I started realizing that I could realistically do it. There are tons of options for making diapers out of old clothes, towels, sheets, etc. But so many people in my generation do not know how to sew or don't have access to a sewing machine, so I stuck with commercially available items that anyone could buy.

I am so excited about this because I truly believe it can help people. Whether you use cloth for financial, health, or environmental reasons, it is a great thing! We have so many low income families in my community, all over the country really. If people knew they could save thousands of dollars, I have to think they would do it. Added bonus: it is so much better for the baby and the environment!

Onto the challenge. I searched every store, every resource I knew. And. I. Did. It...

Here is how...

Note: I used mostly prefolds because they are cheap, easy to use, and last through many sizes. I have also used each of the other diapers listed (with the exception of Econobums covers, which will be here this week).

In the cart cart above, there are:

24 one size prefolds

7 one size covers

1 wetbag

Total: $96.75

This is enough to wash every other day, and should last from birth to potty training. This option even includes a wetbag. You could easily get by with this option and nothing else. Some will argue that "one size" won't fit newborns, but you can make them work if needed. Many One Size diapers fit my daughter at about 8 lbs.

Next option...

In this cart are:

2 one size pocket diapers

9 infant prefolds

12 premium prefolds

4 small covers

4 size 2 covers

Total: $128.50

Some of these are gently used, but I have had great luck with this company. This option would actually be done better if you purchased the small diapers, then sold those to buy the larger diapers. You do not need them all at once.

Next...

12 One Size Pocket Diapers

Total: $24.00

As you can see, this is a receipt not a cart. This one is elusive, so I used an example that I personally purchased. It is only available a couple times a year, but is well worth it. 12 One Size diapers for $24.00. You are reading that correctly. Pocket diapers are very easy too, similar to disposables. You can see I purchased 6 refresher kits with them, but I didn't even need them. These do not come with inserts, but you can stuff them with old towels if you need to (it works!).

Next...

24 Pocket Diapers

Total: $108.00

This is, again, enough diapers to wash every other day. These are also very easy to use. They use snaps, but go on like a disposables.

You can of course mix and match these options. Sunbaby has a $60.00 option for 12 diapers, and you could get 4 of the Econobum sets (12 prefolds and 4 covers) all for $107.80

If you use cloth wipes, that will save even more. Baby washcloths are an easy option. You can also cut up flannel ($2.49 per yard at Joann's right now), even old shirts. If you use these wipe options, you can easily cloth diaper a child for $100... Total, not a month!

I am taking brochures about this experiment to my local help center, baby closet, etc. Like I said, I genuinely believe this can help people. If this helps even one person, the time and energy I spend on this is well worth it...

*All items were found at Cottonbabies, Jillian's Drawers, and Sunbaby. There are many SWAP boards out there with inexpensive choices too; Diaperswappers and BBC CD SWAP are two that I have had great experiences with.

**New update here.

Storage Solutions

Do you have any storage solutions? Because I surely don't. Not totally true, but I definitely need more! I really don't know if it is possible to have enough storage. When you think about it, there is always something else that needs to find a place. I love my house. It is just a basic ranch style house, but I have a huge living room, 2 bathrooms, 3 nice size bedrooms, and a laundry room on the main floor (only floor, but my last house had a basement and I was so sick of stairs!). The biggest problem besides my small kitchen and close neighbors (topic for a later day) is that I have no storage!

My kitchen cupboards are definitely to capacity, my hall closet is a joke, we need the bedroom closets for bedroom things, and there is not another closet in the house. I desperately need closets!

<---I wish!

I have a small cupboard in the living room that I am now keeping fabric in. It is too small. I need a large wardrobe. Better yet, I think Grizzly should build cabinets along one wall of my living room. I think it is a great idea! I have a really big (huge) window that would look great with a built in window seat with cupboards in the bottom. Plus shelves/cabinets/something on the sides of the window, floor to ceiling!

Sadly, this would probably only fix my fabric storage solution. It would be a great start though! In the meantime, because Grizzly has a long to do list, I have scavenged the house looking for more options. I have the small cupboard, and I am cleaning a rubbermaid plastic drawer set to add to it. It isn't a lot of space, but it will help get the boxes out of my living room.

I am also scouring craigslist looking for something that I could refinish to be moderately attractive, yet functionally hold my crafts supplies. Hopefully I find something!

Co-ops

Have you ever taken part in a co-op? They can be fantastic, or they can make you want to beat your head against a wall. There is no denying that the prices are great, but the waiting is what kills me. Realistically, I have not had to wait very long, but I want it! I am currently a part of a dozen couple of co-ops. I am still fairly new to them, and would not consider taking on the responsibility of running one, but this is what I have learned so far:

1. A very patient and industrious person decides to contact a company and start a co-op for a particular item. We'll say fabric for examples sake.

2. This person then finds others to join the co-op, enticing them with a great price on the fabric.

3. People hem and haw over making a purchase, which drags out the ordering process for everyone.

4. Waiting...

5. They eventually decide to join in.

6. The co-op will now rapidly fill up, because the people who joined in the beginning are getting antsy for their stuff. The ultimatum end date is given.

7. The order is finally placed.

8. Waiting...

9. More waiting...

10. Tracking number!

11. Waiting...

12. The co-op runner person (totally official term) finally gets the fabric and we all do a happy dance.

13. Now their work begins, and it's time to cut and ship the fabric to all of us hungry fabric junkies.

14. Waiting again...

15. Painful waiting...

16. Serious torture here!

17. It's here!

Can you understand my frustration here? In the end it is definitely worth it for the deal. It is just torture to get it!

GCDC Set-backs & Progress

I have made great strides in getting things together for the Great Cloth Diaper Change today. I am, however, seriously annoyed that our location won't count in the total unless we have 25 participants. Pout. The race is on to convert as many people as I can and dig out anyone who already uses cloth. One of the big reasons I decided to host was that there was a giant hole on the map. The closest location was 120+ miles away. Too far for me. Now there is a location in Traverse City and one in Saginaw. Pout again. Of course, an hour is still really far for one diaper change. Hopefully at least one person is glad we have a Grayling location, that would make it worthwhile (mostly).

My mom was gracious enough to offer her flyer-making skills (Thanks mom!). The downloadable flyer from the organization was BORING! not quite what I envisioned. I am really hoping we can draw some people in simply for education purposes. We will have a bunch of different types of cloth diapers there so people can actually see them. I don't think people know how much they have evolved. I truly believe that cloth could help people.

My mom also had the awesome idea to do a giveaway. Yay for giveaways! I'll be making a diaper and matching wipe set for a prize. Added bonus: if participants pre-register, they get an extra chance to win. I love freebies, so I may find some extra door prizes too. If I find the time, I'll attempt to have some wetbags ready.

Mom was also super helpful in spending my money figuring out what I would need to make all the extra diapers. Yes, that means material shopping! I legitimately do not have any gender neutral or boy prints, so I had to order some. I also didn't have large enough pieces of material to make wetbags. I just love when I am forced to order cute prints and squishy bamboo. I do have a big order of fabric coming from a co-op, but I just can't wait. Besides, it will not go to waste. After figuring out everything I needed to make, I will still need more.

My goal is to have a diaper for every participant to borrow if they need one. I am hoping for 25 participants (so we can be counted), so I have a lot of work to do!