Bye Bye Shampoo!

Gosh it's been forever since I've been on here.  I had big plans when I started this blog, and didn't follow through with any of it.  Sheesh.  Some blogger I am!

I'm inspired again to try and pick this back up, by friends and honestly out of selfish reasons for just having stuff to say.  I like having a place I can house my thoughts.

So I'll just jump right in, with randomness - which totally fits my life anyway.

I've been on a journey for the past year or two to get back to nature so to speak.  Back to where I feel God wanted us in the first place, a place of trusting Him and not something man made.  At this point in time, that area for me is the food we eat and the man made products we use.

I finally made the jump and became shampoo free ('poo free as you'll find online, but I have a hard time actually saying for obvious reasons....yuck!).  It started out of the desperation of running out of shampoo and ended with enjoying how my hair looked and felt afterwards.  I have always had an issue with my hair being really dry, and I hated how my hair would look if I didn't take a shower on any given day.  And after I got my hair wet at the pool?  Forget it.  Hot mess.  I have been pleasantly surprised with how my hair looks the day of a shower, the day after a shower, and even after it dries if I've been at the pool.  This is all new and very shocking for me, so I'm sure you can understand why I've decided to stick with this routine!

Day after my shower! 

Aside from that, there's the financial aspect of it all.  Because of all of the junk - chemicals, parabins, dyes and God knows what else in traditional shampoos and conditioners, I moved initially to making my own shampoo with Dr. Bronner's soap, coconut milk and olive oil.  I liked it, but it's pricey.  Then add all natural conditioner on top of it - ouch.  It doesn't last long either between the girls and I.  It would eat up a portion of my grocery budget that quite frankly I'm a bit too greedy to give up.  I like my fresh produce, ok?  By going shampoo free I've really cut down on the amount of money I'm spending in this area.

So what exactly does one need to go shampoo free?  Stuff you probably already have in your pantry.  Baking soda.  Apple cider vinegar.  Coconut oil.  That last one isn't necessary, but because I have dry hair I like it as an extra.  I buy my baking soda and ACV in bulk, saving me tons of money.  The coconut oil is pricey, but a little goes a really long way and I use it for so many things it's worth it.  Aside from in my hair I use it as lotion and to cook with too.  Don't worry, I have separate jars :)

Last night I decided to test it all out on the girls' hair, because that's where the real financial gain is going to come in.  Admittedly, I had to deal with a lot of "OWWW MOM!" and "EWWW, IT SMELLS", but I love the results.  Their hair is more manageable now than it has been in the past, and it's really soft.  I even tested out the oil in their hair, just to see who would benefit from it.

Following in their crunchy mama's footsteps :)

I know that not everyone is going to be as thrilled about this idea as I am.  That's ok.  But if you've ever been concerned with the amount of chemicals going in to your body, you need to stop and consider what's in your cosmetics, shampoos, lotions, deodorants, sun screens, toothpaste....the list is long and daunting.  Pick one.  Play with it.  Try new things.  You just never know what you'll end up enjoying.  You may be surprised how much you like your new hair if you choose to go shampoo free.  And I promise you'll like the extra $$ you save doing it!  :) 

**Disclaimer - if you do decide to try going shampoo free, you will need to give your hair about two weeks to get used to it before you make a decision.  Your hair may have some spastic moments trying to rid itself of the bad before you can actually see the good.  Don't give up, just keep at it!

Major Changes Do That to You

It's been forever since I've blogged here. The biggest reason was because I had made the decision to homeschool my girls, but I wasn't ready to announce that yet to anyone. With that really being what was consuming the majority of my time, I didn't have much else to talk about. Once I made it public, I then didn't have time as we were adjusting to our new life. I still don't have time, but I figure it's now or never.

I decided to homeschool as an answer to a calling by God. It's been a major roller coaster emotionally for me. While most of the responses I've had were positive, there were also well meaning friends or family that made remarks of their "concern" for my children. Which is really ridiculous if you ask me.....you've never been concerned about my kids' well being up until this point, and I've been a mother for 10 years.

Right now we're struggling to find our rhythm. We've got our daily routine down, and that's great. But figuring out how to teach in a way that all 3 love learning has been a challenge. And the even bigger challenge for me is that because there are endless possibilities on how to homeschool your child, there hasn't really been one person that fully understands me and how I'm choosing to go about this. I'm struggling to remember that everyone does this journey differently, so I don't have to hold stock in anyone's opinion on the matter.

I love having my girls home. Nothing beats that. Looking back I really should have known this was the direction I would end up taking, based on my reaction every new school year. I missed my girls terribly while they were at school. It just didn't sit fully with me. I love knowing that it doesn't have to.

With all that being said, it's obviously not all flowers and rainbows and puppies. We have struggles. Daily, at this point. It's a learning process for all of us. But I have noticed positive changes in all 3 of their personalities. There are still things I struggle with in terms of doubts and feeling inadequate, but I also know that is a part of being a mother.

So through my babbling, here is my main point. There are going to be times that I am down, times that I'm going to be stressed over what we're doing. Please, please - I beg you - please don't try and "fix" my problems. I know there are many people that are solution-minded, but unless I ask you for advice that is the absolute last thing I need. In your attempts at trying to help me, I end up feeling even more alienated, alone and frustrated. All I need from you is an ear for listening, a shoulder for crying, and encouragement that says "I love you. You are doing the best thing for your kids. You are answering God's call, and He will not let you fall." I need to feel stronger and in a mindset of feeling ready to tackle my issues before I can accept all of your well intentioned words of advice, links, resources and thoughts on the matter. If you're not sure, you can always ask me. I won't hesitate to let you know.