home sweet home sustainability

We are two months into this new year and I’m reflecting on my goals for this year and how well I’m doing with the idea of self-sufficiency. So, I wrote an entry last October talking about homesteading. Not even knowing we'd be in six months, I want to re-visit what I said. Hopefully I'll update with pictures, but then again it took me six weeks to write/finish this post.

A few months ago we moved into a new house. We have about an acre and a half now, most of it is wooded. We have a sweet little stream that runs through our property too. This place is heaven to us. It really, really is. I never thought I’d say those words about a house, but I feel like we have always belonged here. The spot of land that I want to turn into a garden is basically a raised bed that used to be a playground, it’s about 16ft by 30ft. From what I can tell, it does not get a lot of sun, it’s mostly shaded. But that’s the winter sun, so I’m still hopeful that this is going to turn out to be the largest, best garden I’ve ever had!

1. Grow our own food. Doing pretty good in the planning phase. January/February is the time of year I really do all my planning, so I’m hoping to do a separate post on this here soon. Having such a big garden is really daunting to me, but also exhilarating with all the possibilities that might happen. In the last post I said:

“My dream is to grow: peaches, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, okra, watermelon, tomatoes, mini tomatoes, squash, zucchini, pumpkins, peas, beans, and lettuce.”

I have already planted two blueberry bushes and a raspberry plant! I planted them in November, so I’m hoping they do well in the spring despite all the ice we've been getting. I’m not expecting any berries off of them, since it’ll be the first year. But it felt so good to plant them! I also have four strawberry plants from the old house that I plan on putting out there. It’s hard to pick where, with all of the shade. Hope we find a good spot! Right now they are hanging out in our dining room.

I am indeed planning on planting all of those other items, except for peaches. With such little sun, I know fruit trees aren’t right for us at this time. I’m hoping that over time we might clear a tree here or there and replace them with fruit trees. It’s hard to cut down healthy, beautiful, VERY tall trees. Also a little dangerous to try and just start cutting them. So that’ll come with time. The only thing I would want immediately is an apple tree or two. I have my eye on a spot.

2. Rain barrels. I think these are still an awesome idea, we just need to get the supplies. The garden is on a downhill slope, and since it is mostly shaded I’m not going to need as much water as in the past. The rain will not only come down on the garden, but also trickle through the ground. There’s always the stream, but I don’t picture myself walking up and down with a bucket. The stream does dry up here and there, it is pretty small. We also have a well.

3. Chickens! No, still don’t see it happening any time soon. Although I do think it'd be super cute to have our own little coop out back with three chickens! Out by the stream, under the motion detecting lights to keep away all the predators. Our neighbors a few acres away have goats, and have had chickens in the past. Good to know someone near me has some kind of experience.

4. Sustainability in basic needs:

a.      Well – got it!! It’d be really nice to get a hand pump, in case we ever lost power. My husband still thinks that's very "prepper" of me. 

b.      Solar panels – we are in a very shady spot, so I think the only place we could put the panels would be on the roof. That’s expensive, and I haven’t sold Mountain Man on that yet.

c.      Septic tank – got it! So thankful for it too. I’ve been really conscientious about what goes into it. No oil, very few scraps, not as much antibacterial soap and hopefully none soon, etc. It’s a very delicate ecosystem in there if you think about it. I want to keep it as healthy as possible.

d.      Hybrid cars – haha, no not anytime soon.

We have also started…

5. Composting! It’s really, really easy. See the post right before this one. 

6. Canning! Ok, well not the actual canning yet. My grandmother gifted us with a pressure canner and water bath canner. I bought a book, “You Can Can”  that makes the process seem less daunting. I’m really worried I’ll do something stupid and contaminate the food with botulism. The trick is to be as sterile as possible, and follow all the instructions. I’m good at cleaning, and can follow directions. Let’s hope our garden over produces!!

7. No more processed foods! Ok-we are almost done on this one. The things that MM eats are mostly bread and granola bars, the rest of what he eats is no or low processed foods. I don’t eat processed foods anymore, if I do it’s pretty rare. (And of course as I type that I remember I have leftover pizza from pizza night last night. Nice.) I know I said I have a bread recipe to share, but I want to find a simpler recipe. I have one earmarked, it’s a recipe where you make the dough in advance and keep it in the fridge for up to a week or so. That sounds more convenient! I also just need to try and make granola bars.

8. Getting rid of “stuff.” I mean ALL the stuff. All things that are not natural, that I have held onto for really sentimental reasons. Lotions, perfumes, hair products, things that I just don’t use.

Already sorted through: Old text books, furniture pieces we don’t use, old files we don’t need (check the irs website if you don’t know what you need to keep for taxes). We’ve gone through the box of our old childhood stuff that we each carry around with us. I have a few stuffed animals I’m holding onto for future kids, an old laptop I need to get rid of, and a ton of china dishes a friend gave away that I have just because they are pretty. But I don’t use them. And that just feels wrong! There’s lots of little stuff like that.  

Next: I’m going to go through jewelry and purses next. I don’t wear any jewelry, but of course knowing I want to get rid of it tricks me into wearing it again. I went through my clothes and shoes before we moved, but I think it’s time to do it again. Seen this article? http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2015/01/being-content-with-my-closet.html 40 items or less for a season, and I think that’s more than reasonable.

I also need to re-assess how many of each item I need. A few pairs of blue jeans sound reasonable, but I have four times as many pairs of sweatpants. That seems a little outrageous. And socks-I have so many! It’s time to pick out what needs to go, and not replace them this time. Socks make for excellent rags, Ha!

who, what, where of composting!

why compost? is it actually easy? aka why you should care about this!

1. Things in landfills do not degrade at an normal rate. According to bpiworld.org, "Landfill excavations have uncovered newspapers that are still readable after almost 40 years, ten year-old carrots that are brown on the outside and bright orange on the inside, and 20 year-old steaks with meat still on the bones." Ew.

2. North Carolina dirt isn't dirt. It's clay. And it's awful for trying to grow anything. You already paid for the ingredients, so use them.

3. For the two of us, we do not create enough trash to use a regular trash bag without having everything stink before it's half full. So we now compost and recycle almost everything, and have about two or three grocery bags of trash a week. So now we only roll the trash can out to the road every other week.

4. YOU CAN DO THIS ANYWHERE. It does not stink, when done right and I'll tell you how. So no pests to worry about. No, you don't have to buy worms to do this either. So yes, suburbia-you can do this too!! Minus the HOA.

how the heck do you start? the container

At the end of last year, I'd talked about composting enough to my husband that he finally sketched up a plan of how to build the container. We had some random wood pieces at the new house, and we just used what we had. I wish I had a tutorial or something to share, but honestly it was just the equivalent of throwing some boards in a kind of ordered fashion.

BUT: you can start with nothing. You can throw all your compost into a pile. You can dig a hole and use that. You don't need a container. If you have a rubbermaid bin, start with that. Cut out the bottom, so that it is open to the dirt. There are some insanely expensive containers, but honestly you would be wasting money. There are a few things your container/nothing needs to have:

• Slots/holes for air flow
• Open bottom so microorganisms and worms can enter
• Consider covering if you are concerned about critters (raccoons, etc.). They are smart animals, so slapping a board on top might not be the best top. You see our has inserts so it won't easily slide.
• If it is covered, consider having holes for water flow as you may need water to help decompose. 
• Location, location, location. Not too far to walk and dump your scraps each week/however often. Not too far from your garden. Not too far from a hose/water source if you need it. I put ours 20 feet from the garden, and kind of hid it on the other side of the garage so we don't have to stare at it. It's also close to the hose. 
• You will be rotating/mixing up this mixture. Don't make your container too big, or too hard to access. 
• Eventually, you will want two containers. One to add to, and one that's ready to use. 

These are awesome plans from Cornell: 

Wooden Box Bin, Wood and Wire Three-Bin Turning Unit, Cinder Block Bin, Cinder Block Turning Unit, Wire Mesh Bin, Snow Fence Bin, Garbage Can Composter, Worm Composting Bin, Compost Mound, Compost Pockets

now what goes into it? the 'ingredients'

This is the most intimidating part, I think. I spent forever trying to figure out how to do this. I would read about ratios, balancing different scenarios, testing....until I finally read: Kendra at a New Life on a Homestead's article. I had read it before, since I like to read blogs from first to last post, but it didn't really resonate the first time.
The second time, it was like I wrote the dang article myself.
So here I am going to describe the lasagna method of composting. For us, it is ideal.

FIRST
The bottom layer should be sticks. Not logs, but medium sized sticks to twigs and/or mulch. It will give the bottom of the pile air.

here's what we were collecting, but added more than what's pictured!

SECOND
Some soil.

THIRD
Add your greens, such as:

• Raw/uncooked fruit and veggies
• coffee grounds
• tea bags
• nut shells
• egg shells
• grass clippings
• dried, aged cow/horse/goat/chicken manure
• fireplace/wood ashes (not coal!)

the greens! 

FOURTH
Add your browns, such as:

• dirt/bark/mulch/top soil
• shredded paper/cardboard (not glossy paper)
• dead leaves
• hay or straw
• dryer lint
• wool rags or used leather (new leather will take ages)
• pet fur, human hair
• dead, non diseased houseplants
• untreated saw dust

dirt!

FIFTH

Continue on with the process: brown, soil, green, soil.

browns

TIPS (aka the sixth step)
Turn the pile once every so often (once a month to once every three) to help decompose. And it will depress any seeds growing from the ingredients.
Spray with water if it is too dry, but don't soak it. Water helps decomposition.
Do your best to change up your greens and browns.

NEVER COMPOST: 
Feces from animals that consume meat. (no dog or human feces) 

Meats/bones

Dairy products

Coal/charcoal

Anything with pesticides

Alcohol, oil, grease

A good rule: if you don't know, find out. It's better to hold onto something and research, than throw it in and hope for the best.

Any other tips or comments, let us know!

8 Month update!

This year I've been pretty focused on healthy eating and a diligent exercise regimen. So not too many updates, but at least here's a post that has really motivated me to stay positive about my hair progress!!

The new, undyed hair is now at 4 inches. It's hard to measure of course, but that's what my expert husband has been measuring. This is the growth from three, six, and eight months.

 I've also given myself a few trims since then, since my split ends felt out of control. You can see the length is about the same, but my hair seems to be way healthier.

I reached out to Emi, from http://longhairedatheart.blogspot.com/ recently. I felt so frustrated with how damaged my ends felt. My hair would easily get tangled about two inches up from the bottom, and felt like straw. She gave me the best advice:

 

The routine:
-Still using baking soda and apple cider vinegar, but much more diluted since I need to shower daily after working out.
-Combing my hair with my fingers more often than anything, and putting it up less often.
-Coconut on the ends of the hair daily.
-Eating very healthy, lots of water, and daily exercise! Part of the eating healthy is the digestion, like Emi pointed out above. I do drink Kombucha, and chose to drink meta-d/bombshell spell from the tone it up plan. Gotta keep things good and healthy inside!

Happy New Year - 7 month update!

Happy New Year!

Let's talk about hair!

Hope you guys are having a good January. It's already almost over. So if you made new year's resolutions, get back to them. 

You made them for a reason. Keep trying. Progress, not perfection. 

So here's one of mine-get that natural hair back!

Beginning of January, I had these pictures taken. I went for the usual stance, showing the top of my head so you could see the growth...and the photographer/husband said that you couldn't see the dye.

PROGRESS!!!!

He also keeps calling it gray. Guys, if I'm not mistaken...that's blonde. And he is blind.

 I feel like it's a lot harder to see the progress from the back. I really wish I could remember exactly the measurement of the new growth, I am quite certain that it is just under 3.5". So maybe stopping all that biotin actually did result in slower growth. But not eating anything soy related is making a huge difference-I really do feel so much better.

So what am I doing different? 

-No longer using Shea moisture shampoo. I switched to baking soda and apple cider vinegar. I know I said last time it was awful. It isn't at all-the first time it felt a little sticky, but now it feels great!
-For about two weeks, I used water only. Yep, that's right! Nothing other than water. It's pretty hard, actually. You scritch and preen your hair, and then spend a looong time washing your hair as if there is soap in there...but no soap. Need to know more about scritch and preen: Almost Exactly Blog-as always! I did it so that my hair would get with it and stop producing so much oil. Because you use soap/water to get the oil to go down the hair (best moisturizer is your own natural oil), and the scritching and water removes any dirt/dust. So really, it's not like your hair needs antibacterial. I never thought about it before, but what exactly is so "dirty" about hair? Nothing...just dust and oil that
-No more dry shampoo. It really didn't work that great for me.
-No hot water while showering, although honestly it really stinks. We have a space heater that I use!
-I still don't use the bbb (boar bristle brush) very often anymore, I just use my comb once a day.
-Hallelujah, I have argan oil again. I still do a coconut oil mask here and there, but not as much as in the beginning when it was at least once a week.
-I am still eating healthy, doing my best to use food as medicine.
-I trim my own hair, just a few millimeters. I still do search & destroy for all the split ends. Another one of my favorite bloggers uploaded a diy hair trimming video here: Emi from longhairedatheart.blogspot.com.

{Six months - wow!}

I can't believe it has been six months, I am so glad! I think you can finally start to see the growth from the back, it is about 3" now.

Here's the crazy thing, I couldn't get  good photo! I know I told you about why I can't seem to ever get a photo outside during the hairspiration post. I didn't think that I wouldn't be able to see a difference with inside lights though.

Its a relief to see how difficult it is to see the hair growth with unnatural light. I always assumed it was so obvious. You can also see how long my hair is! I can definitely say my hair is the longest it has ever been.

So what am I doing different? 

• No longer taking biotin. I can't say that it made a difference, and I was absolutely shocked to find out that the pills included soy! That was pretty dumb, I'm allergic. Although small amounts...I guess I could do a whole other post on this!
• Stopped taking multi/pre-natal vitamins. I know that I eat healthy, and I don't necessarily agree that they "fill in the nutritional gaps" because they provide so much extra stuff, and some of it does have a toxicity level that you can reach if you eat healthy. My opinion though, I still take fish oil pills and I've switched to taking iron and folic acid pills to help with a future pregnancy. Not that it is anywhere in the near future!!!!
• I am still using shea moisture shampoo. But when I was down to about 1/3 bottle, I diluted it with another 1/3 water. It still works fine, and I still only shower every 4 days. It's often three days though, but I really strive for four. I make sure things don't smell though, but my hair doesn't need a true washing.
• Homemade dry shampoo, via the almost exactly blog (of course)! https://almostexactlyblog.wordpress.com/2013/04/19/homemade-dry-shampoo/ If you follow my instagram (holistic.tiu - follow along!), you'll know that it didn't really work on my greasiest day, so going forward I should start to use it the night of day 4 if I don't plan on showering on day 5. 
• No hot water while showering, although honestly it really stinks. We have a space heater that I use!
• I don't use the bbb (boar bristle brush) very often anymore, I just use my comb once a day. 
• I ran out of argan oil, so I've been substituting with a tiny bit of coconut oil. But argan oil is on my christmas wish list! 
• I am still eating healthy, doing my best to use food as medicine. :)
• I've decided to use no poo once this bottle of shampoo runs out, but it's hard to decide which one....but I know it won't include baking soda, acv, or castile soap! 

Six months is about 1/3 of the way to my 18 month goal. I originally said I wanted to donate my hair in the spring, but now I'm so tempted to wait until this time next year. We'll see what happens!!

Serenity is like a muscle.

Over the past few months or so, I've had a peace in life. I felt calm when I used to feel road rage, serene when usually frustrated, relaxed when usually anxious. I used to feel most anxious at night, giving me an awful nights sleep. But for several weeks now, I've been falling asleep early and blissfully, even as early as 7:45. It has been restorative, and healing.

A conversation occurred a few days ago that left me disappointed, angry and very negative about myself even though the conversation wasn’t about me at all. I'll leave the content of the conversation for some other time, maybe. It makes me feel that black rainbow of emotions all over again just thinking about it.

I realized this morning how much this conversation affected me:
You’re driving on a four lane road, a car pulls out in front of another and backs up traffic in the lane beside you. A minute passes, and you flick your blinker on to merge left to get away from the tractor trailer in front of you. You look back briefly as you start to merge, and see a white van. You don’t merge, you’ve hardly moved an inch and are still in your lane as the other driver honks at you. You honk back, holding the horn longer than necessary in any situation other than life or death. 

I felt instantly guilty once I’d stopped honking. That poor driver, and everyone around us. Why couldn't I deal with this how I wanted to? To wave an apology, suck in a deep breath, drive on and be grateful I arrived at work safe and sound. To avoid that situation all together even, and just be patient behind that truck and wish compassion on the other drivers rushing about. I called my husband now furious with myself. I tell him that I am angry at myself for not looking first, and angry at the situation all together. What's happened to me? I am appreciative that I can still take responsibility for how I really feel and not go on some crazy tangent about another old man/woman driving like a jerk and how they shouldn’t be on the road…but I’m not reacting how I want to at all! It hit me like a ton of bricks and I realize I feel like I absorbed everything bad and hurtful out of that one conversation and it's seeping out of me. Why?


When I was left feeling negatively about myself, my old anxiety started chewing away at all of my insecurities. I can be blunt about them, and I won’t even try to sit here and defend every single one of them. In fact, does it even matter if I state them? We all have them. Things we don’t love about ourselves that most likely annoy other people. Your old but loved flats stink, you don’t care to do your hair all pretty every day, you tap your foot listening to music most of the day, you talk too loud on the phone, say the wrong thing in situations, talk over other people, never give others the chance to talk, or have the same “uhm” or “yeah” that you say all the time, etc. I think you get the point.
In this situation, my anxiety latch on and started to infiltrate my every thought with these unloved traits. I'm still not sure why to be honest, but I think I know how to remedy the situation. I need to be alone.

I found this peace through aloneness, just spending time with me. I have been refraining from sharing my every thought with people around me. I have been trying to get to know myself, as cliche as that sounds. Researching and reading blogs about clean eating, yoga, allergies, holistic remedies, dog food recipes, etc. Forming my opinions on what I thought, and what I care about. Unknowingly, I’ve been forming opinions that are core to me, important opinions that I have always had but needed to consciously realize. I’ve been leaning on myself rather than discussing with someone else, and often feel moments of “ah ha!”. {I do still share these things with my husband, but not really with anyone else.} I’ve been content doing what I like to do, not thinking about what I should be doing. I should do lots of things, like clean, workout, meal plan, coupon clip, etc.

I’ve been focusing on soul-food things like resting, playing with the dog, attempting my own recipes, reading, and taking in each moment as if it is only a brief diamond in time. Moments that I will treasure forever, like looking at my husband’s profile, and wondering if his hair looks more like whipped batter or fluffy eggs, and if our future kids will have that hair. Watching the news and acknowledging that a particular story makes me feel empathy, and taking a moment to think through my feelings and the story further. It’s been good for my soul, like looking at my sweet puppy’s face and her beautiful brown and gold eyes as she looks at me and I know that I am such a big part of her world. My heart is light like I tied my anxiety and worries to a balloon and finally let go. I have been consciously focusing on positive feelings and ultimately positive thoughts, exploring a continuous train of my own thoughts and learning to listen to my own internal voice. I haven’t been sitting in a dark room meditating, but the result has been similar. I have done my best to not think negative thoughts of others’ actions or thoughts, just focusing on my own.

"...serenity is like a muscle, something that we have to flex and condition so that it can stay strong in the weakest of moments. "

I realize this all sounds selfish. But it’s something I felt a deep need to document, basically journal, for myself. Something about having this harmony with myself, a cease-fire between my heart and brain, is something I never want to lose. It’s something I think I felt once in a yoga class, and knew that this feeling was what I saw on experienced yogi’s faces when I peeked during meditation. I think that this serenity is like a muscle, something that we have to flex and condition so that it can stay strong in the weakest of moments. I think the ultimate way to feel victorious over this disruption in my peace is to view it as something positive. It’s a situation where I forgot to flex the muscle, and when I did, I was too weak. Just like when I severely tore my hamstring in dance, I needed to find out why it happened, how to prevent it from happening again, and slowly bring myself back to heal with an inside-out recovery process that took too long because I wasn’t acknowledging how I felt.

Maybe this is one of those self-discovery moments that people say your twenties are full of.

Hairspiration

Have you ever tried to google things like, “Hair growth journey,” “grow dyed hair,” etc?

Don’t google the first. Go for the last. The first showed me photos I want to remove from my mind for forever. Just, no. Google failed me.

There are some days where I just can’t stand the idea of waiting. And then there are other days when I realized that my natural hair by the hairline is halfway to making it into a ponytail! That’s what I call progress! 

{I realize I didn't give you guys a proper update two weeks ago, but I'm now at about 2.75 inches. Still keeping up with the .5" per month. It's so dark by the time I get home, I can't get good pictures. And our weekends have been insane! Thankfully not much has changed so I'm sure you guys don't mind too much!}

& then I realize I still have about 9 more inches until it hits my shoulders, and that equates to 18 months. Suddenly I’m just not so happy anymore. That seems like forever away. I mean for crying out loud in 18 months I will have had two birthdays, and so many other things....

The ends of my hair will be so bad, I am sure I will have to have a good trim in January at least. I'm not sure I'll achieve any additional length, making my dreams of donating again seem unrealistic. 

If you have days like this, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I try to stay sane, and most days I only think about hair growth in the morning when I actually bother to brush my hair (hahaha). 

Well, I think you should go ahead and surf pinterest, and even follow my board! It's tough to find good pins, but I've managed a few that talk about hair health, fun long hair styles (for while I still have it long!), and even ways to disguise your roots. 

You'll see, I've even considered dying the ends of my hair crazy colors....and why not if it's already too damaged? You can't donate bleached hair, but no one will want that crazy damaged stuff anyway! Next long vacation away from work, I might just have to give it a go!

Hairspiration!

{alas, gnocchi!}

For the past month of so, I've been flirting with the idea of veganism. Not for moral issues, although I was vegetarian for several years. I started eating meat again because I tore my hamstring, and found out I was allergic to the soy and nuts I'd been chowing down on. (Only an itchy throat and upset stomach, and then BAM-no, you can't have it.)

I realized we basically follow the plant based diet, eating vegetables/fruits/plants almost all the time and animal products about 20% of the time. I'd like to cut down the animal products, so I've tried hemp milk, almond milk, and rice milk. I wasn't crazy about all of them, except hemp milk would be good if it wasn't flavored. Veggie cheese is good! I use flax as a replacement for egg. So I'm slowly making the transition, while still serving Mr. Meat his daily meat with dinner. It's not easy.

When we were in Belize, I had the BEST gnocchi I've ever had! It was perfectly done on the outside, and soft on the inside. I got the recipe from the resort, but it wasn't specific enough for me. Lucky ducky us, I found an AWESOME recipe off of miles for thought!

Butternut Squash Gnocchi
1/2 medium butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
2+ cups of flour (regular or fluten-free)
12 tsp dried rosemary (or whatever herb you'd rather have)
1/2 tsp dried thyme (or whatever herb you'd rather have)
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425. Fill a glass pan with 1" of water, place squash cut side down. Bake 45 minutes {or less if needed, it took me 45}.

2. Remove, and set the drained squash aside. Let it cool completely. You can also do this part ahead of time, and put in the fridge for another time

3. Beat/whip the squash well. Add 1c flour and desired herbs and use hands to work in flour until combine. Add remaining flour slowly until the dough isn't sticky- I often don't need much more, I guess I have small squash. Don't over mix, although I haven't been able to over mix it yet.

4. Form four dough balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a thin log and cut off small pieces. That's the gnocchi! If you want to be picky, you can roll them down a fork to get the grooved look. I can't be bothered.

5. Place on a single layer of parchment paper and freeze for later or drop into slightly boiled water. Stir lightly, don't let them stick to the bottom. After 10 minutes, or when they float to the top, they are done!

6. Drain & add your own sauce. They say this makes 5 servings, but I would say maybe 3! We love it!

the cleansing pharmacy - getting rid of medicine

{I have regular discussions with my doctor concerning the material below. If this strikes a chord with you about any of your medications, please discuss it with your doctor. Be your own advocate, and if you do not understand/agree with them then I encourage you to continue seeking medical advice that you MOST IMPORTANTLY UNDERSTAND and also agree with. }

I’m on a silent quest to get rid of all medications. My dear MM does not use them, I don’t want have to use them either! I have been quiet about this for about this process for over a month. One was easy to get rid of, it wasn’t entirely “necessary” to regulate my body once I ate and exercised regularly. As of right now…I’m not ready to talk about that one. However, I have also not questioned my antihistamine “need” for ten years.

Oh, did you catch that? A decade, anyone? Yes. I didn’t question it.

I have taken Allegra and another prescription allergy relief medicine for seven years together. That’s a lot. I always thought I just had really bad allergies. I’ve been using immunotherapy (shots) for five years. I have had significant improvement (allergic to all grass, trees, mold, dust, dog dander, pollen, etc. and have decreased from 5’s to 3’s and 2’s on a 1-5 scale for immunotherapy). So why am I still taking the same medicine?

I blame myself for not being my own advocate and not paying attention to my needs. I was scared about what could happen of course, and my doctor wasn’t going to push me to make a change I wasn’t comfortable with. Finally, I realized that it didn’t make sense.  I didn’t feel any different when I unknowingly and accidentally skipped taking my Allegra medicine for two days. Oddly convenient, but I decided to flow with it. So I called my doctor’s office, and a nurse said it was OK. She said something that I will never forget:

“Only you know how you feel. If you feel you need to take the medicine, then please do. If not, then just be aware of how you feel.”

Wow. She’s right! No one else knows how I feel after a decade of medicine and half a decade of shots.

Not knowing that there was a relationship, I noticed I was had been itchy lately. Maybe I really needed the medicine? What a bummer! I googled it, just to see if Allegra actually “treated” itchy skin. It can be, as a sign of hay fever, etc. Something caught my eye: antihistamine withdrawal. I am not an addict, that’s ridiculous…what the heck does that mean? Curiosity killed the cat, or in this case saved me from more oblong pink pills.

It’s a real thing, and some of the testimonies online are intimidating. I read one story where a person laid in ice to relieve the itching! I didn’t find medical support of the claim, but surmised that maybe that’s what I was experiencing. Maybe I just needed lotion, but I decided to wait it out and be very aware of how I felt. I mentioned it to a nurse, and he didn’t seem over concerned either.

So, I have not had my Allegra in three weeks.*I stopped itching after 10 or so days. I have one more medicine that I am questioning, but I am being respectful and trying to give myself some time to regulate to such a big change. I don’t want to rush things too much, and not be able to discern any negative reactions to one cause or the other.

After two weeks, I feel fine. I’m considering using a neti pot for my occasional nasal congestion but it looks pretty uncomfortable! I have had some chest congestion. {I was using Allegra D, so perhaps my body’s response to a consistent decongestant was to produce more mucus?} I don’t feel unwell, but mentioned it to a nurse again, and still no signs of concern. I’m treating the congestion with:

• Gargling salt water nightly {helps remove any irritants from my throat to prevent my body from reacting to it}
• Sleeping with air purifier
• Washing the dog/bedding regularly {washing the dog too much can dry out their skin, irritating your allergies worse!}
• Drinking tea/warm liquids with a mix of: local** and organic honey, lemon, ginger, lime
• Inhaling steam {not showering in overly warm water-don’t boil your hair! I inhale the steam when using the OCM method}
• Heart openers during yoga {maybe it’s all in my mind, but some positions make me feel better}
• Eating plenty of garlic & onion {garlic is a natural antibiotic, anti-fungal, and antibacterial, onion is to absorb toxins…and I love them both!}
• Wipe off outside particulates {from myself and the dog with a wet washcloth before going to sleep, I don't do this as often as I could.}
• Rest {this is a big change! A lot is happening in your body that you can’t see, so give it a dang break.}

 I hope that I’m able to continue to not use this medicine except for maybe spring allergies, but only time will tell. And I will be sure to treat my symptoms as naturally as I can before resorting to modern medicine again!

Moral of the story is to pay attention to what your body needs. I do not always question my doctors, but think that it’s my responsibility to be an informed patient. I have the right to my own opinion, and I am capable of scholarly research just as much as the next person!

*I continue to follow my Doctor’s orders and take one pill the night before an allergy shot, and 1 hour prior to the shot. I’ll continue to take shots until we don’t see any improvement, the allergy shot process commonly takes between 5-8 years.

**Local honey is often recommended to treat seasonal allergies. I think of it as a form of internal, low dose immunology. It did not help me significantly in the past, before I experience improvement from the allergy shots.

{the pits}

Eureka. 

It works - so this is worth reading! 

I know it is long, please bear with me! 

I have tested it through an hour and a half of hot yoga, picking apples through a hot orchard in a sweater, hours of hot wedding dancing, and I am so happy to say I have found the answer {for me}!

Over the past six weeks, I’ve been experimenting on myself. {because I've never shared something with you guys that I haven't tried on myself!} I found a recipe for homemade coconut deo. As we all know, I’ve tried the all-natural way before. I then confessed that I fell off the bandwagon. I was really tempted to just leave it at that. Because of my first journey down this road before, I KNOW how bad store bought deo can be for you. But I have to confess that I am offended when I am around someone who does not use any kind of deodorant. 

Stomach churning offended. Gross.

I’ve been following a crunchy blogger alex raye and her thoughts on almostexactlyblog.wordpress.com and either 1) she rights in a way that is inspiring, and I wish I could do that! or 2) I realized that I was being ridiculous since all the ingredients I needed were in my cabinets!

Sorry, what? A project that I don’t have to spend ANYTHING on? Done-I am so in!

On a Sunday I whipped up the following!

1. 5 tablespoons organic coconut oil. {the creamy base, also has antibiotic properties. I originally used refined, but have chosen to go to unrefined from now on since it is entirely non processed}

2. 1/4 cup cornstarch {for sweating}
3. 1/4 cup baking soda {for smell}
4. 5 drops of tea tree oil for the natural antibiotic properties

Sensitive to baking soda, or need a different alternative? Check her index here: http://almostexactlyblog.wordpress.com/index/.

What else can you use these ingredients for? Because why buy things you don’t need:

Coconut oil has been a good replacement for any oil, even in this recipe for meatballs.

Cornstarch is a great thickener, and I attempted to make orange chicken with it once but you can use it to thicken soups.

Baking soda is an incredibly multifunctional powder, that can do anything from freshening your carpet to cleaning your jewelry.

Tea tree oil, it’s antibiotic and you can dilute and use as needed!

OKAY, so how did this go?

Day 1 – Good, no smell! I was nervously smelling myself all day. Super attractive.

Day 2 – Okay…a little smell…but I used to always have to wash my underarms after using Tom’s Natural of Maine, so that was nothing new. But I was a bit disappointed. But then I remembered, there is a transition period when we ditch chemicals and go all natural. As a friend put it, it’s like your body saying..what, I have to do work now?

Day 3 and on – occasional smell, but nothing more than a musky scent that wasn’t noticeable unless you stuck your nose too close. I realize the smell only happens when I get really nervous, such as a presentation at work or really excited/anxious. And still, it’s nothing that I can’t prepare myself ahead of time and keep a small jar in my desk or simply wash my pits. 

Why even bother with all of this?

We know that aluminum base compounds are not good for our bodies, and that putting them so close to our lymph nodes aren’t the best idea. Lymph nodes are filters, but don’t deal with toxicity like your liver. We also know that it is OKAY for your body to sweat! It is your body’s smart way of getting rid of toxins! You need to sweat people, even if it isn’t always pretty. It’s  your body’s way of dealing with what we do every day. I am over being vain about something that my body was created to do, and is doing with a purpose!

I have noticed...

• My feet sweat less, how weird is that? Not really, sometimes sweat is going to happen no matter where it comes from, it's your body's way of regulating temperature too. How much depends on your number of sweat glands.
• Softer arm pits-that coco deo really knows how to treat your skin.
• No oil residue on my clothes that I have noticed.
• It is all natural, I KNOW what is in it and I can make it and modify it myself.
• What I eat affects how I smell. If I eat a ton of garlic {yum}, then I am more likely to have a scent. Not always, but more likely. Another incentive to eat all natural, organic, avoid pesticides, and use food as fuel and medicine rather than just what tastes good.
• CUSTOMIZE – I think lavender or some other scents would be wonderful! You can make this your own scent!

I have another friend who just embarked on using coconut oil only, and it’s working for her! I am a bit envious, since I do feel like I need this concoction. At least under my most dominate arm (I’m right handed), since if there is any smell then it’s under my right arm. Kind of interesting, I wonder if ambidextrous people have an even smell? HA!

Test it out on your next lazy day at home, the worst thing that can happen is that you have a smell and you can just wash your pits. Don't forget there is a transition period! Come share your experience!

{Meatballs & orzo}

Check out this DELICIOUS recipe I found!! The difference is that I don't mess with bay leaves. I don't have any, and feel like they leave a musty taste, lol. I also don't recommend using anything except for ground chicken. I think the best part is that:
I've never made meatballs
I've never worked with ground chicken
It's a soup that my MM actually likes!

& this is just in time for cooler weather! It's a different style of noodle, and still hearty like chicken noodle soup.

ingredients.
credit where credit is due
meatballs
    1/2 ground chicken
    1/2 c bread crumbs
    1 egg
    1 garlic clove {or really more like 2, I love garlic!}
    salt & pepper to taste

soup
    2 tbs olive oil/coconut oil/vegetable oil
    1/2c lg yellow onion, diced
    2 med carrots, shredded. {I usually just use a peeler}
    1 garlic clove {again....I use more like 2!}
    2 tbs olive oil/coconut oil/vegetable oil
    meatballs!
    4c chicen stock {don't forget, chicken stock is different from chicken broth! but you can use either}
    seasoning to taste (basil, parsley, dill weed, etc.)

I. 

Meatballs: combine meat, garlic, bread crumbs, egg, any seasoning. Mix until even, divide into small (1-2 tsp) meatballs. Leave on trey while you...

II.

Preheat 2 tbs oil in a soup pot over medium heat, add the onion and carrots. Raise the heat to saute until they caramelize. You'll need to stir often, and you know they are caramelized when the onions are clear/slightly yellow because of the carrots. This is key-this gives a lot of flavor!

III.

Lower the heat and add some the delicious garlic. Saute until fragrant..which should only take a few minutes. Set aside on a different plate. 

IV.
Preheat 2 tbs oil in the same soup pot over medium heat, add the other 2 tbs and the meatballs, cook until they are mostly done. You'll need to turn them so that it's even. 


V.
Once the meatballs are almost cooked (but please be safe!) add the veggies back in, and the veggie stock/broth. 


VI.
Add salt and pepper and orzo. Cook until orzo is almost done, usually about 10 minutes. Check the box of the noodle and do a taste check.

{Four months!}

This transition into growing my hair to be healthy has not been easy, guys. It seems like this last month took so much longer than the first three! The other day I caught my dear MM staring at my hair.

He said he was just looking at it.

I wasn’t happy about that….but I should be glad that the hair colors (my triple ombre as a friend called it!) are now noticeable. It means I am doing something right. It’s growing! And thanks to this coco, your hair, it is growing very quickly. I am starting to see the difference in my hair’s health too, the top is soft and silky and the rest….

Let’s say my hair is 24” long, and grows .5” every month. If you dye your roots/hair every three or so months with no trim, then the ends of my hair have been dyed 12 times. TWELVE TIMES. That’s so much damage!! So honestly I can say that the rest of my hair feels like the individual hairs are thick, like the difference between silk strings and straw. Except my hair doesn’t feel like straw. Except the ends-they were bad.

I finally got a trim the other day, and it was a horrible experience. She ripped my hair out with a brush (brushing top down, didn’t even detangle!), cut off twice as much as I wanted (SHE CUT AN INCH), and then insulted me by saying I needed to use a deep conditioner. I was SO upset! But I do think my ends look so much better. I’m still somewhat upset over the experience. Maybe I can teach MM how to trim my hair?

I’ve also switched to low-poo shampoo. Low-poo just means you are using fewer harsh chemicals in your hair, but not none. I’ve mentioned before that I tried no-poo, and it didn’t go well at all. I think switching to low-poo was a good idea to ease my hair into no-poo in a few months. I haven’t decided quite when! I have been using shea moisture shampoo, like the one here over at amazon. It was on sale at ulta a month ago, and I just couldn’t resist making the switch. And to be honest, that is why my hair photos haven’t been looking that great lately. Also my photos seem to be after a deep conditioning or being in a bun…so hopefully this time I am taking GOOD photos from now on. I can finally say that my hair has started to go back to normal, it isn’t too greasy or too dry.

My routine:

• Wash with luke warm water, not hot! Any kind of heat damages your hair, so I don’t want to boil my hair.
• Wash with shea moisture, rinse thoroughly.
• No towel dry-let it drip dry or wrap in an old tshirt/material that isn’t as damaging to your hair.
• Apply argan oil to the ends, just a few drops.
• After it air drys, use a wide tooth comb to get the tangles out. Start at the bottom, and go up.

I can go about four days without washing my hair, and my hair still looks good and isn’t oily. If it is feeling oily, then I’ll use a boar bristle brush to help the oils move from the scalp down. Taking small chunks of my hair and brushing it thoroughly.

Another month down, and I’m really looking forward to the next month. When I started this, I thought I would wait until my hair was 8” and then cut my hair and donate it. I don’t know if I can do that! And to think that 8” of hair is at your chin, which is 16 months of growing. Thank goodness I am already 25% there! By this time next year, I will have the option of cutting my hair…just not sure I will do it!


and then there are always the halfway distracted photos.....

{Coco, your hair}

Get it?
Coco, your hair!
or Coco your hair

Ok, what I'm getting at here is my new favorite moisturizing hair mask: coconut! I know my hair doesn't look the greatest in these photos, and I should probably wait to take better photos, but there's no editing on this blog! This was the day after a mask, and I clearly didn't wash my hair too well. :-)

longest my hair has ever been!

As you can see in the photo, the ends of my hair are looking very straw-like. Even though my hair is naturally wavy, and you gotta love that I didn't get all the coconut oil out! A trim is inevitable, the last inch is getting tangled easily and feels pretty crunchy. Looking at the ends, you can definitely see the the splits, and they are just growing. I've probably already waited too long, but it's frustrating since this is the longest my hair has ever been!

I think it's important to realize that commercial products that "bind" your split ends contain chemicals that end up not being very good for your hairs health overall. I know I can't explain it any better than the blog link below, I'm really liking her blog and I find myself re-reading it a lot. I think every time I re-read it, I learn something else!!

I've been using Coconut oil on the weekends, when I am just cleaning or doing chores around the house. I....have even gone to the grocery store with it in my hair! I'm sure someone has though, "That's some greasy hair." They're right, very oily indeed...but it's so nice afterwards! In the future I probably won't have to use the mask as often, it just depends on how my hair feels. & you might not need this very often or more often! On the weekends I put coconut all over my hair, tip to end. If needed during the week, I'll put a little coconut oil on the ends or to tame fly aways.

Most blogs recommend leaving the coconut mask in for at least two hours, but best if done overnight. I haven't slept in it overnight, but I would recommend covering your pillow.

So the point is, it helps my hair! & I even think it's helping it grow. Mostly because my new coco deo has been helping hair grow, but that's totally besides the point. Ladies don't discuss such things.

my new favorite blog!!!! almostexactlyblog.wordpress.com

Homestead in suburbia?

I can't believe I published the last post without seeing that it was the 14th!!! Happy Three Month Anniversary honey!! It's weird to be counting our relationship by months again, after being together for over four years. It feels like the beginning all over again, except better.

So here are just some thoughts that have been sloshing through my mind lately....

What is homesteading? It’s the ability to live on your own, ultimately completely sustained. That was never my original intent. I just simply wanted to grow a garden that would cut down our bill, and provide fresh food that I could be proud of. What’s so hard about putting a seed in the ground and growing it?

You've seen our garden, but I haven’t really divulged my eventual dreams that involve homesteading. I don’t think I’m ready to try and keep cows, goats or pigs. I’m definitely not ready to slaughter them! I used to be vegetarian, before I found out I am allergic to soy and most tree nuts. Yep, definitely feeling like the pale nerdy kid with glasses. 

Based on what I've read, we have managed to start phase 1: grow your own food. It’s a small garden, and this year we grew tomatoes, mini tomatoes, okra, watermelon, cucumbers, onions, and strawberries. My dream is to grow: peaches, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, okra, watermelon, tomatoes, mini tomatoes, squash, zucchini, pumpkins, peas, beans, and lettuce. All the good stuff that we really enjoy eating! 

Last year:  Raised Garden Pt 1 Raised Garden Pt 2 Raised Garden
Two years ago: Apartment Jungle Update

On our current cute little less than ¼ acre, that just isn't going to happen, this isn't our dream home and I think the next home owner will appreciate that I'm not going to convert our backyard into one big garden.

Then I fell into the idea of homesteading while looking for a bread recipe. My mom used to make fresh baked bread in a bread maker when we were kids, and there is nothing on this earth better than fresh bread. Except maybe warm, fresh bread with fresh butter. Pure.heaven.

Finally! I can make my own bread! I have tried so many times, and each time it was very depressing. I have made focaccia before, but I’m debating taking the recipe down since I haven’t made it again since. I will share with you the recipe that I can make though, soon enough....once I try it one more time to make sure it wasn't a fluke. 

Now I think homesteading just makes sense. I don’t think the world will end tomorrow. I don’t think I need to get off my dependency from the government, mostly because I want my darn social security one day. (haha that isn't likely to happen.) I’m not sure what I’m aiming for here, just a way to make our lives simpler and easier on the earth. I’d like to give back more than we take, which isn't happening right now.

Ideas to take it further….

2. Rain barrels. It takes a lot to keep a garden green in the south, and it only makes sense. If the gutters are doing the work already…right? I lived in Australia for six months during college and collecting rain is a normal practice in Australia. For obvious reasons, but it seemed to follow the idea that its sort of wasteful to not collect the water.

3. Chickens! My Mountain Man (MM) says no, but I think it’ll be fun. At least Coco, our darling bird-dog of a lab, would enjoy it. I can see the fur and feathers flying furiously. Alliteration anyone?

4. Sustainability in basic needs.  This is a big one, and one that we wouldn't be able to tackle for a while, if ever. That includes well water, solar panels, septic tank, and maybe even hybrid cars. Minimal or no impact, and investments that end up costing nothing or even giving back a return.

Is this even realistic? Not really. But let’s think of what our needs are, and find a way to do them cheaper, easier, and just more thoughtfully. Water-get a well. Food-get a garden, plant some trees, and raise some animals. Energy-solar, wind, essentially use something other than coal.

Easier said than done. I’m on the hunt to find someone else who does this near us, so I can learn from them. You can’t believe everything on the internet, after all. This is a long journey, not a post with a simple conclusion, so if you've already done this or have a place for me to get more info, please please please share!!

my favorite garden blog: http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/

my favorite self-sufficiency blog (not updated much anymore): http://newlifeonahomestead.com/ 

{first foster pup}

I share a lot of dog rescue statuses on Facebook, and I often find myself annoyed by other people who do it too. Ooh the irony.

I’d like to think the difference now, is that we’ve done something to help the rescue effort. Someone fostered our dog before we adopted her dog from Halfway There Rescue, and enjoyed working with them so much that now we’ve fostered with them.

Our Ground Rules:

 We must both agree. No pressure. 

Short term commitment.

Our dog is ALWAYS our priority. This put us in a few tough situations, but we stuck to it.

No expectations, we cannot compare our foster to other dogs, or have expectation of what he will/won't need or how he will/won't act. 

Meet the mystery dog mentioned in a previous post: Rock. We liked to call him Rock-man, Rock-head, Rockefeller, Rocky, and sweet boy.

He was marked to be euthanized July 31^st, at 8am at a shelter. I saw the facebook post, and asked my sweetheart if we could foster, and he decided that this was the one to foster. The description on Facebook said that he was under a year but didn't know much else.

He spent the night with the vet, and got a clean bill of health. Hooray!!

We knew our sweet Coco-bear was a real handful. She had TOO much energy as a puppy, and would often not sleep because she had so much energy after a day of playing. We were told he “wide-open,” but we still had an open mind.

So, here’s what we learned with our first foster:

• Sweet Rock-head is finishing getting his last molars I think and likes to chew. Of course, we’ve got that covered. Either that, or pittie teeth are totally different from lab teeth. yep, I had no clue.
• He wasn’t learning too quickly when it came to potty training. This was frustrating, but we bought more carpet cleaner. At the end, he had been accident free for ten days. Hooray!
• He definitely pooped in my husband's new car, on our one hour journey back home. I always thought this was funny, but he only sometimes thinks is is slightly comical. HA.
• He can now sit on command, but needs to learn to not jump. The method that was working was just turning away from him and saying “No” and only petting when he sits. Do what I ask = get what you want.
• Crate training isn’t fun, but he finally walked in on his own  “kennel” after 3 1/2 weeks!! But no messes in the crate, which is glorious compared to Coco who had some digestive issues. We kept him in a kennel to protect our biggest investment-our home. This also limited any frustration we may have felt if there was any damage or messes. 
• I think one of his favorite things must be sleep, because he didn’t like to wake up in the morning. He was so precious, he just sneezed his head off.
• Learning other things like “back-up” and “lay down” are not working. Oh well.
• He’s not crazy about being left in our fenced in backyard with Coco, but he followed her lead on play time, and when it’s time to come inside (aka, bark at me).
• Watching him learn how to go up stairs was HILARIOUS. Bless his heart, he looked like he couldn’t control his legs! I wish I'd gotten a video!
• Our first walk on the leash was interesting, he clearly didn’t know what was going on. He was a little confused, but continued to follow Coco’s lead and didn't get overwhelmed.
• He was food aggressive, and we didn't work on this with him. My dog is MY priority, I chose not to put her in that situation. We fed him in his kennel, also to help with kennel familiarity.

In the end, we realized that he is really too sweet for what he had been through, which I won't share. He only wanted to be loved and be good.

Every foster dog is different. We are glad we were able to do this, and I’m glad we were able to keep an open mind. We did get frustrated, but we made a commitment and we stuck to it. There were times where I thought I would have to call the rescue and say that we couldn't do it anymore, I can admit it. 

But to know that in a month or so, he will be a well-trained dog that will make someone’s heart burst with joy...it was worth it. My heart bursts with joy when I see my sweet Coco-puff, Coco-nut, Coco-bear…and I just know one day he’ll know the same love. We gave him foster love, but he deserved more. 

kissed by a pit & I liked it!

Even if this is the only time we are able to foster, because fostering is hard, I am so grateful it was this sweet boy! He is onto the next leg of his journey, but he has a special place in our hearts. & I'm onto finding another way to contribute to the continuous, often thankless efforts of animal rescue.