"So what are you doing with your hair these days?"...part 1

...a diary about my foray into an alternative method of hair washing using baking soda and apple cider vinegar

Day -2 

Washed my hair using my usual natural/organic shampoo followed with conditioner.  Post-shower, patted with a towel, applied an organic no-frizz oil to the ends, and did a short blow-dry of my bangs.  Typical morning routine.

Day -1 

I didn't shower today and thusly didn't wash my hair.  In a word: Yuck.  It equated to greasy, stringy, good-for-nothing hair.  Thought, this is for the birds.  Wore a beanie all day to hide the hideousness.  Decided, tomorrow I'm going to try that baking soda/apple cider vinegar thing I've read about.  Coincidentally, a lot of people in the blogosphere are giving it a go lately and calling it the "no poo" method.  Note:  My husband abhors the term, and therefore I'm not allowed to repeat it ever again.  No really, he got all worked up over it.  I also can't say, "I'm not using shampoo anymore."  Because to him that implies lax grooming habits.  I'm instead using an "alternative method of washing my hair," or something to that affect.  Sheesh.
    

Day 1  

First attempt at alternative hair washing with baking soda and apple-cider vinegar.  Pre-shower, prepared the stuffs:  in separate containers, dissolved 1 tbsp.baking soda in 1 cup warm water, mixed 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar in 1 cup warm water.  In the shower I wet my hair thoroughly, poured the baking soda mixture slowly over my whole head and sort-of rubbed it around my scalp.  Then rinsed with water.  Thought, my hair has that squeaky clean feeling. That's not normal.  And I wasn't too sure I liked that.  Then I poured the vinegar mixture over my whole head, rubbed a bit, and rinsed with water.  The hair felt less squeaky.  Better.  Finished the rest of my usual body cleansing routine.  For any interested parties - you know, if anyone just wants to be more like me, which I warmly welcome and condone - I like to lather/wash with Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap, the Unscented Baby Mild formula, that I've added some essential oils to.  Favorite oils include: Lavender, Bergamot, or Sweet Orange.  Erm, anyhow... post-shower, I patted dry with a towel, didn't blow-dry my bangs or any hairs, and applied a little no-frizz oil to the ends.  A couple hours later, after my hair air-dried, I noticed it felt pleasantly soft.  So nice.  

[Wait, hold  up a minute...why are you doing this, you ask?  In brief, I say, check out Babyslime's Info: Shampoo Free.  There's good stuff there.]

Self-Proclaimed, A Granola-Eatin' Peacenik

Good for the belly and good for the soul - Homemade granola is quickly becoming one of this health-conscious housewife's household staples because it's a perfect breakfast for those mornings when we're short on time and don't want to prepare a meal, it's filling enough to give us energy and keep us satisfied for most of the morning, and it's cheaper than store-bought granola or other cereals. Making granola at home also means that I can add whatever ingredients I choose, based on what I have on hand or what's on sale, and I can control how much sweetener is added (personally, I like a less sweet, more savoury granola). Thus, it's extremely versatile. Even more awesome is that I don't have to follow a complicated recipe to make it, because once you've made granola you know how to make granola. Think oats, nuts, seeds, and fruit. Throw in a little bit of this, a little bit of that, add some oil and sweet stuff, and get it all toasty - it's just that easy. Here's an example of a delicious granola recipe you can try:

Mix in a large bowl:

3 Cups Old Fashioned Oats

1/2 Cup Dried Coconut (Grated)

1/4 Cup Sunflower Seed Kernels

1/4 Cup Pumpkin Seeds

1/2 Cup Pistachios

1/4 Cup Almonds

1 TBSP Sesame Seeds

1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil (of your choosing)

1/8 Cup - 1/4 Cup Brown Rice Syrup (or sweetener of your choice, like agave, honey or maple syrup)

Pour the mixture into a non greased baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes on 350 degrees, stirring every 10 minutes. When oats are toasted a light brown and smell oh so yummy, remove from heat, and stir in:

1/4 Cup Dried Apple Chunks

1/4 Cup Raisins

1/4 Cup Dried Date Chunks

Let it come to room temperature, then scoop the granola goodness into an airtight jar or tin and store in a cool, dry place until it's devoured. Then make some more!

Oats, nuts, seeds, and fruit. Oats, nuts, seeds, and fruit. Oats, nuts, seeds, and fruit.