No-poo: natural hair care

You're probably laughing and thinking "what the heck is no-poo?!" It is a method of taking care of your hair without using commercial shampoos and conditioners. Now you're probably thinking "gross, why would anyone not want to use shampoo?" I thought the same thing. But shampoos and conditioners are full of chemical ingredients that completely strip all of the natural oils out of our hair and throw off the pH balance, and they can also be dangerous to our health. Because all of the natural moisture and protection is washed away, our bodies overcompensate by producing excessive amounts of oils in an attempt to restore the moisture to the hair. This causes the vicious cycle of perpetually greasy hair that needs to be shampooed, conditioned and tamed with a concoction of different styling products on a daily basis. It would seem like not shampooing it would cause hair to become more greasy, but when you give your hair natural conditions, it will return to a normal, self-balancing state.

The no-poo method is great for restoring health to hair that has been stripped or damaged. It uses three common household items that are dirt cheap and easy to mix. Water, baking soda, and apple cider vinegar. The baking soda gently cleanses without removing all of the natural oils. It removes enough to leave your hair feeling clean and looking glossy. The apple cider vinegar has the same pH as our hair, and it seals the cuticle which leaves hair smoother and prevents breakage and split ends. When you first make the switch, your body will be a little bit confused and there will be a transition period when your hair feels a little bit too greasy and you might think it's not going to work. But after a few days or weeks your scalp will stop overcompensating for the previously dry hair and you'll notice a decrease in oil production. Your hair will maintain it's own proper balance of natural oils after it gets adjusted.

Things you'll need:

• water
• baking soda
• unfiltered apple cider vinegar (not apple cider flavored distilled vinegar.)
• 2 bottles (water bottles or old shampoo bottles)
• essential oil of your choice for adding fragrance (optional, I use vanilla in jojoba oil)

Step 1:

Find out how much liquid your containers hold. I use recycled 16.9oz water bottles. That's 2 cups. In the first bottle, put 1 tbsp of baking soda per cup of water that it will hold. Fill the bottle with water and shake it up until all the baking soda dissolves. Add 5-10 drops of essential oil if you are using any.

Step 2:

In the second bottle, put 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar per cup of water that it will hold. Fill it up with water and shake until all of the vinegar is mixed in. Add 5-10 drops essential oil if you want. Remember to shake each bottle briefly before each use to make sure everything is mixed well.

Step 3:

It might be helpful to label the bottles. The baking soda mixture is #1, vinegar is #2. In the shower, wet your hair with water. Squeeze out the excess. Pour a small amount of the baking soda water on the top of your head and let it soak down toward the ends of your hair. Using your hands, gently work the liquid through all of your hair. You should only need an ounce or so, depending on the length. You will not even come close to using 1/4 of the bottle. Without rinsing, repeat with the vinegar water. Work it through your hair. It should feel smooth, clean, and soft. Rinse thoroughly with water. That's it! Your hair will not smell like vinegar, it will just smell like... hair.

note: this is how much is left after I have used each of these twice. I don't need much at all, my hair ends just above my shoulders.

You might be totally skeptical and think this is absolutely nuts. But I dare you to try it for 2 weeks. I've always had a hard time with shampoo and conditioner. No matter how fancy it was, everything I tried left my hair dry, poofy and dull. I always had tons of random hairs sticking out in all directions and I never felt like I could just shower and be out the door with wet hair, because it would look stupid when it dried. It usually looked and felt the best after 2 days of not washing, for a little while, and then suddenly it was super greasy and nasty. Since I started using this method my hair feels healthy and smooth the first day. It still gets a little bit dry sometimes, but it has improved so much. It's definitely worth a shot. Let me know if you decide to try it and how it works for you!

Car seats part 1: most common errors

Car seats, everyone is familiar with them. Lots of people use them almost every day. We all know how to properly adjust them to fit our little ones. Or do we? It's kind of shocking how often I see improper car seat use. I'm sure people don't intentionally buckle their kids in the wrong way, but sadly it isn't pointed out much so people honestly just don't know they are doing it. Pediatricians don't really get into car seat talk, and most other influences in a new parent's sphere are probably also unaware. I was that way, until I got sucked into the black abyss that is BabyCenter and read about it only 5,692 times. I took some pictures to demonstrate a few of the most overlooked errors, and I must say that my model is pretty stinkin' adorable.

I see kids buckled in like this all the time. The straps are very loose, there is too much slack. The chest clip is too low on the belly and could cause internal injuries in an accident. A child may also be able to bring their arms up and out of the harness which could be extremely dangerous. I know, because one time we didn't quite have it high enough and he did exactly that.

If you can pinch the straps together, they are too loose. Too much slack in the straps allows too much movement in an accident and doesn't protect the child the way that it should.

This shows correct car seat use. The straps are very tight, unable to be pinched together. They are pulled snugly against the child's body and will properly hold them against the seat in an accident. The chest clip must be at armpit level at all times to effectively keep the straps on the child's shoulders.


It's surprising how much of a difference a change of clothes makes in the way the straps fit. I find that I have to readjust them each time I put him in the seat. I usually loosen the straps an inch or so to make it easier to slide the straps up over his arms, and then after it's buckled I make sure to pull it as snugly as I can and check to make sure that I can't pinch the straps together. Then I slide the chest clip up alllll the way to his armpits. A lot of people think I'm being a little bit crazy and paranoid and overprotective *cough cough, mother-in-law...*, but it's really, really important to make sure it's done correctly every single time. It only takes ten seconds longer than doing it the old way. You never know when you could get in an accident, and if you do, you definitely want your precious cargo to be fully protected.

First post!

Wow, my very first blog post! I created this blog because I am a young mother who doesn't want to just go with the flow, and I am swimming against the current to find my ideal way in life. I aspire to learn and grow along with my children and make the best decisions I possibly can for them and myself. In our culture we are so surrounded by dangers that we are blissfully unaware of. Many of us blindly follow the advice and recommendations of others who have good intentions, but may not be up to date with current information. I make it my daily goal to learn something new so that I can better protect my family's health and well being.

A little introduction on myself: I am 19 years old and happily married to Zach, my very best friend and companion. Together we have two toddlers and another bundle of joy on the way. Malakai is 28 months old (that's almost two and a half years, if you don't want to do the math) and he is a very spirited little ball of fire. This kid has more energy than I can believe. He takes after his dad, always wanting to run faster, climb higher, and play harder. Sleep is for the weak, right? Leila is 13 months old and full of attitude. She can be really sweet and cuddly when she wants to be, but she has a mean side. She practically came out of the womb giving dirty looks. Watch out, she's good with that eyebrow. She just started walking a few weeks ago and is already catching up to big brother. Pretty soon they'll both be doing all the crazy things Daddy does and I will never be able to relax again. Our third and last baby will be arriving sometime around January 30th 2013, and the gender will be a surprise. I am planning on having a natural, peaceful birth in the water at home. I am fascinated by pregnancy and birth, and I hope to be a midwife one day so that I can help other women achieve their own ideal births.

I started this blog so that as I grow I can also be a light to other young parents, as well as anyone else who might be searching for something more, and trying to make sense of all the information that is out there. I am learning about safe and inexpensive alternatives for common household items, healthier eating to avoid many of the common additives and pesticides that are responsible for a lot of the health issues that are running rampant in America, ways to better relate to my children with a gentle parenting style, and I am trying to be more eco-friendly as well as save money by using cloth diapers and reducing waste in our house. I will be sharing what I find on this blog, along with stories of my failures and triumphs, and of course all the amazing and hilarious things my kids do. Thanks for reading!