{More Drawer Party...}

uh, what's this?

For me, the next part of going all natural was with my deodorant. Deodorant is really personal, but this was the next step for me because of the potential link of aluminum based compounds to Alzheimer's and breast cancer. Although the American Cancer society has said there is no conclusive evidence that breast cancer is caused by antiperspirants. The claim that Alzheimer's is caused by antiperspirants has also not been proven true.

Either way, the idea aluminum blocking the armpit's natural ability to let go of toxins sounds wrong.
So, here is my experience. Since smelly armpits comes from bacteria mixing with natural sweat, the best solution is to just wash them. I am fine during a regular work day, since I don't do much physical activity. When I do work out, I do smell a little afterwards but I feel this is normal and acceptable. {I also usually workout by alone!} 

Since there are days where I am away from home for nearly 14 hours, I don't get the chance to just use some soap and water. My solution has been to either reapply, or use a small travel size of regular deodorant to avoid embarrassment. No one needs to feel like they are in middle school again.


On Tom's website, they state what the ingredients are, the purpose, and where the ingredient comes from! Fantastic! No more ridiculous modge podge research from me.

Other Ingredients

Name	Purpose	Source
Propylene glycol	Consistency	Natural gas from the earth
Water	Consistency	Maine aquifer
Sodium stearate	Consistency	Coconut (Cocos nucifera) and palm (Elaeis guineensis) oils
Cymbopogon flexuosus oil (Organic)	Deodorancy	Organic lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) plant
Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil (organic)	Consistency	Organic sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seeds
Aloe barbadensis leaf juice (Organic)	Soothing feel	Organic aloe (Aloe barbadensis) plant
Glyceryl laurate	Deodorancy	Vegetable oils
Humulus lupulus (hops) [CO2] extract	Deodorancy	Hops (Humulus lupulus) cones
Ascorbic acid	Antioxidant	Corn (Zea mays)

This was a great choice for me, and I hope that one day I'll be able to make my own deodorant that I am happy with! I didn't have much choice in deodorant smells, but I have heard that the apricot version smells great.

{Drawer Party cont.}

First item I wanted to share....toothpaste!! This was my first step in going all-natural.

Originally, I tried to make my own toothpaste with baking soda, peppermint, and water. I checked with my dentist's office to see if this was an ok option, and they said that it's ok! But it left a gritty feeling in my mouth and my breathe wasn't fresh enough. {As my sweetheart emphatically pointed out, and I can't blame him.}

So here's my first tip, try all natural toothpaste! I chose Tom's of Maine sensitive winter mint version, because my teeth are pretty sensitive. 

Here's what is in Tom's toothpaste:

Sorbitol: is a type of sugar alcohol, found in fiber filled fruits like apples, pears, peaches, and prunes. As such, it may have a laxative effect. So don't eat it, just brush your teeth silly!

 

Water: is self explanatory. 

 

Hydrated Silicas: is a form of silicon dioxide. It's also known as silicic acid, which is an Opal when found naturally. It's grainy texture helps clean the surface of your teeth, particularly dental plaque.

 

Zylitol: is a type of alcohol sweetener. It has been shown to reduce tooth decay.

 

Glycerin:  is an ingredient that decreases how thick the final paste is. Tom's uses vegetable based, not animal. 

Organic Aloe leaf juice: as shared here, Aloe Vera helps freshen breathe.

Natural Flavors: are all natural! Such as herbs, fruits or flowers.

 

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: is a type/derived from salt. It helps water and oil mix so they can be rinsed away. It works as a cleaning agent to clean bacteria and food off of teeth. However, it looks like cankers sores are more common with this ingredient.

 

Cocamidopropyl Betaine: is probably used for it's antiseptic properties. It is made from coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamin.  Dimethylaminopropylamin is used in most detergents and soaps, but that is all I know.

 

Xanthan gum: is purified version of a bacterial coat of plant diseases. Sound ridiculous, but is an ingredient that keeps all of the product mixed thoroughly.

 

Titanium Dioxide: {from what I have read} appears to be a natural mineral, used for it's white color probably.

 

Potassium nitrate: is the main desensitizing ingredient. The layer under the tooth, dentin, is usually the main cause of sensitivity and potassium nitrate helps calm the nerves and inhibits the activity of the nerve endings.

 

Also, I'm not using a fluoride toothpaste. Although fluoride is natural, it's found to be a toxin when ingested. I'd rather just avoid it. 

Hey, this isn't medical advice. Most of my information comes from LiveStrong.com and Tom of Maine's website, as well as other various sources. Maybe there is a better alternative, and I'd love to hear it!

{drawer party}

I mustache you a question...

What in the world is going on here?

Well, two things. I wanted to share a fun way to spice up your drawers and also a few other new items I've added to my drawer!

A week or so ago, my sweetheart noticed how much makeup residue and overall wear my makeup drawer was accumulating. Well, since we rent, that's a really bad combination. So, I decided I was going to put in a few drawer liners.
Only one problem: I don't have any drawer liners.

But I do have scrap book paper! So I took a few sheets from my college thesis {woops} and cut them down to size. Some people use modge podge to permanently fix the paper into the drawer. I didn't want something permanent, so I used double sided tape.

I also use a lot of bobby pins. {we often find them in the vacuum cleaner..} So in order to keep them all together, I took a free magnet that the bobby pins would stick to and used double sided tape to stick it to the side of my drawer. Plus, I want to keep the drawer clean so I can see the sparkly teal liner.

Two easy fixes, and one great result!

Now, to buy more pretty scrapbook paper or re-use my college thesis?

{Happy Turkey Day!}

I hope all of you get to spend time with the ones you love, and get to relax today! We'll be watching football, eating lots of food, and hanging out with friends and family. We couldn't ask for anything more!

So from our family to yours, 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

xx

{Flying to Texas}

{sweetheart's birthday flowers}

I love this time of year. Everyone talks about what they're grateful for. I'm glad that my list of things to be thankful for is pretty long. Most importantly I have my health, family, true love, career, and desire for knowledge.

Today, my sweetheart & I are flying to Texas today to visit my Mom & Dad. The four of us have only spent a few hours together during undergrad Graduation a year and a half ago. Needless to say, we've all been looking forward to this trip to hang out and eat some delicious food. 

My Mom has been cooking for days, my Dad has built a fire pit in their back yard, and we packed days ago! There's been a lot of excitement for the trip, but I think we're all looking forward to focusing on what really matters. Not school, not work, and nothing stressful. 

If every week was like Thanksgiving week, the world would be a much better place. 

{indoor apartment garden}

fresh celery!

That's right! I have found a way to keep a garden going, even during the winter. Gardening is one of my favorite stress relievers. Plucking Tom Mater {the 7 foot tall infamous tomato plant} and my two cucumber plants out of their pots this past weekend was so sad. I even left them there for a week or so {or two} after the frost had come, hoping that maybe they would spring back to life.

Believe it or not, Tom Mater had a giant 1/2-3/4 inch root that snuck through the drain holes my sweetheart and I had drilled. The root went deep into the ground, and I struggled to pull it out! It's incredible how resourceful plants can be. & sometimes I feel like I have to sit there and breathe one them just to get them to sprout. I can't wait until next spring!

In the meantime, I'm growing my own celery. It's really easy! Cut the celery so that an inch or so is left at the bottom of your celery stalk, and place it in water with the cut side up. Be sure to not cut the celery too short; you should be able to see some leaves in the middle. After a few days, leaves will start to sprout up. Like in the picture, except placed in water.

After the leaves have sprouted, place the whole thing in the dirt. Cover up the cut pieces, so that only the leaves show. {The picture was taken before I covered up the cut pieces. Also, the dirt was recycled, so there is a leaf in there. Woops!} The celery should grow, and I've read that I should be able to repeat the process with the same plant!

Inside apartment garden, here I come!!

{catch up & natural decorating}

candle light leaf display

I can't believe I haven't even been here since October. Time is just flying. School projects are wrapping up, a chill is in the air, and it's time for the holidays.
& best of all, happy birthday to my sweetheart! We celebrated quietly. We had a typical dinner of grilled chicken salad, I made some cupcakes, and we watched a movie {during which he fell asleep}. Perfecto.

I realized the other day that soon enough, all of the leaves will be brow instead of their gorgeous fall colors. Just like with the pine cones, I wandered around the nature trails at work during lunch and started to gather leaves. The trees were brilliant, so my pockets were pretty full. My intention? To create a gorgeous candle holder!

To press my leaves, I used an old accounting book. {thank you education!} I added some scraps of paper to place the leaves on to absorb any leaf moisture, so I wouldn't ruin our book. I left them for about a day, and they were ready to use.

drying after the glue

ingredients.
mason jar, or another glass jar
pressed leaves {light color leaves let light shine through, darker leaves are good for contrast}
modge podge {the liquid glue}
paint brush, or sponge brush
modge podge {the acrylic sealer, probably optional}

I

Coat the cleaned outside of the jar with the liquid glue. A thin layer. 

II

Press the leaves on, and start to coat with glue. This was the tricky part of me. The leaves have to get a little moist, so it takes a little time for them to really start to stick. Once they were mostly on, I just moved on and came back to re-visit a few times.

III

Let the jars start to dry. Re-visit the edges of the leaves, pushing them down as the glue dries and is still sticky. I took my sponge brush and just dabbed all over the glass to give it a more frosted look, and added glitter to a few of the leaves for a little glam.

IV

After the jars have fully dried, spray them with the acrylic sealer and let them dry again. 

V

Add a candle, and enjoy!

perfect evening ambiance!