Ladies' Goodreads: March 2011

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Malcolm Gladwell

Malcom's Summary of this book:
"It's a book about rapid cognition, about the kind of thinking that happens in a blink of an eye. When you meet someone for the first time, or walk into a house you are thinking of buying, or read the first few sentences of a book, your mind takes about two seconds to jump to a series of conclusions. Well, "Blink" is a book about those two seconds, because I think those instant conclusions that we reach are really powerful and really important and, occasionally, really good.
"You could also say that it's a book about intuition, except that I don't like that word. In fact it never appears in "Blink." Intuition strikes me as a concept we use to describe emotional reactions, gut feelings--thoughts and impressions that don't seem entirely rational. But I think that what goes on in that first two seconds is perfectly rational. It's thinking--its just thinking that moves a little faster and operates a little more mysteriously than the kind of deliberate, conscious decision-making that we usually associate with "thinking." In "Blink" I'm trying to understand those two seconds. What is going on inside our heads when we engage in rapid cognition? When are snap judgments good and when are they not? What kinds of things can we do to make our powers of rapid cognition better?"

**I've read three of his books so far. They're definitely non-fiction--which I rather enjoy. So if you're nt into that, you may not care for it. But, it's pretty fascinating all the studies he shares across multiple industries and the patterns and connections he makes. I rather enjoyed his Tipping Point, Blink came in second, and then Outliers was ok. He's also written a fourth book, but I haven't got to reading that one yet. He's a national best-selling author of at least two of his books. Feel free to visit his website for further info and summaries: http://www.gladwell.com/. 

Let us know what you think....

Reusable Bag Toy Box?

Ok, so when we moved, we had a leftover box that was the perfect size to fit in our cheap and broken bookshelf (but that's another story). So, instead of wasting $15 on buying two of those cute little boxes for cubby shelves, I pulled out two reusable cloth grocery bags I had laying around and cut off one side of each and sewed them together.They happened to be the perfect fit. Then I cut off the handles from the top and sewed two little side handle things on the front. And voila! A simple and subtle toy box on our living room bottom shelf for Ethan to enjoy. Plus it's convenient to just pull off and wash. (I can't say the inside looks that pretty: A) I'm not a real sew-er, and B) I didn't really know what I was doing) But from the outside it looks just dandy, and that's all that really matters.
Classy creativity on a dime.

Patience--A Quality Worth the Wait

I decided that it's good to improve ourselves little by little and so why not pick a topic to work on and post about it.

This post is on PATIENCE (click the word for what inspired me to work on this).

After watching this, I thought about different times in my life that my patience has been tried....whether by small things like little kids being annoying or breaking my stuff, to major things like a big event I'd planned on (for what seemed like forever) not happening, or happening 180 degrees differently than what I expected.

That's the key to patience: Expectations.

I realize that we all have expectations about things. We can't help that. But, with trust in the Lord, we can turn our expectations over to Him--tell Him what we'd like and want. And then we know that, because He knows what's best for us, things will turn out the way they need to, but at least we've told Him our preference.

Whether or not this sounds silly, it is true and has helped me so many times in my life! I can't even begin to count all the times I've relied on His knowing what's best, but not until after I've had a good and long chat with Him. I also sometimes write in my journal how I'm feeling, so I slow down to understand my feelings and can then get them off my chest. These things help me feel more calm and peaceful (so that if things turn out differently, at least I'm aware of my feelings and am more prepared for it).

I know that as I do this, I get increased ability to trust in Him and His timing...which helps when then next time that I need patience is for something even bigger than waiting to get another marshmallow.

Patience in the small things can build a good pattern to living patiently with the large things.

What causes your impatience? What can you do now to help you better have patience for those?

Jane Austen Type Movies List

We all love them...we can't help it! JAne Austen type movies capture the charm and romance and chivalry we all love...if they're produced well. Yes, I know...the books are generally what make them. But...I wanted to post about these style of movies so we can comment on additional ones we like (or don't like), and therefore keep a running list.

Here are the chart-toppers!
Pride & Prejudice (A&E; and the runner up 2005 version)
North & South (2004 British mini-series; not the Civil War movie)
Jane Eyre (2006)
Wives & Daughters
Emma (1996 Gweneth Paltrow version and the 2009 version)
Sense and Sensibility (1995, 2008)
Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
Persuasion (1995)

Other Good Ones
Pride & Prejudice (1940)
Lark Rise to Candleford (series)
Jane Eyre (2011)
Lost in Austen
Bleakhouse (1985 and 2009)
Little Women
The Importance of Being Earnest
Inheritance
Our Mutual Friend (1999)
Cranford
Return to Cranford
Emma (1972?)
Persuasion (2007--but don't like the main girl)
Horatio Hornblower (ok; not great)
Downtown Abbey

Just Ok--more just to pass time with, but not amazing
Jane Eyre (1996, 1983)
Bride & Prejudice (Bollywood: Modern Spoof with an American Darcy and Liz from India--a litttle cheesy and is a musical)
Pride and Prejudice (2003--Latter-day Saint Spoof)
Little Dorrit (2009, although the French guy is creepy)
MiddleMarch (2004 tv series)
Daniel Deronda (2002, although it's a little dark)
Mansfield Park (1983, 1997, 2007--the main character is awesome, but other characters seem over the top artsy)

On Trial (feel free to comment if you've seen them....this list will be updated as we see them)A Modern Pride & Prejudice (coming out 2011)
Wuthering Heights
Vanity Fair
As You Like ItMiss Potter
Camille


Here's a great list by year that's been produced!
http://www.janeausten.org/jane-austen-movies.asp

Two Homemade Dishwasher Soap Recipes

I've heard this works well in the dishwashing machine, but I haven't tried it yet, because we don't use ours often enough to use up our old stuff. When that's gone, then I'll try thins. Let me know what you think.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup liquid castile soap
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 drops tea tree oil
1/2 cup white vinegar

Method:
Stir all ingredients together until blended. Store in a squirt top bottle. Use 2 tablespoons per load of dishes, shake well before use.

*from www.greenlivingtips.com

---
or

1 cup borax
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup salt (I just use whatever I have on hand, it doesn't matter if it's coarse or just regular table salt)
10-20 drops lemon or tea tree essential oil

I use 1 Tablespoon for a normal load of dishes, a little more for heavy loads. 

I also use white vinegar in my dishwashers rinse aide compartment, it's super cheap and my dishes come out with no water spots when I use it. 

*From Trista (Chantel's friend)

Ladies' Goodreads- February

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Betty Smith

Goodreads Rating: 4.22 of 5

The beloved American classic about a young girl's coming-of-age at the turn of the century, Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a poignant and moving tale filled with compassion and cruelty, laughter and heartache, crowded with life and people and incident. The story of young, sensitive, and idealistic Francie Nolan and her bittersweet formative years in the slums of Williamsburg has enchanted and inspired millions of readers for more than sixty years. By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the daily experiences of the unforgettable Nolans are raw with honesty and tenderly threaded with family connectedness -- in a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as incredibly rich moments of universal experience.

Please Share your thoughts on the book by leaving a comment.

Laundry Tips: 5 Types of Stains

So, I admit...I know very little about effective stain removal. I always wonder what to do when a new mystery spot appears. So, I've been researching about stains and common household items I can use for them. Apparently there are five categories of stains. So, first let's figure out what category each stain fits into, then we can talk about what we have around the house for their removal. Well Sherlock, read on...

Protein Based Stains (usually a brownish stain)
These stains include blood, dairy products, body soils, baby formula, mud, eggs,and baby food. Protein based stains will usually have some soiled areas that will need to be cleaned off with a spoon before attempting to treat them. Remember to avoid using hot water on these stains. Heat sets protein stains in fabric. Use cool water for washing and rinsing. Dried and old protein stains may need several rounds of treatment before they will be fully gone. To remove protein based stains, you'll need a detergent or stain remover with enzymes. Most liquid laundry detergents already contain enzymes. Oxygen colorsafe bleaches can be very effective on protein based stains as well. Be sure to avoid heat. Hot water, an iron, or a dryer will set protein stains, ruining any chance of saving the stained item. Make sure a stain has been completely removed before drying it.

Dye Based Stains
Dye based stains include some inks, fruit, grass, Koolaid, and mustard. The trouble with dye based stains is in their strength and how rapidly they stain. To remove them, you'll probably need to soak the stained area repeatedly if the stain has set. If you get to a dye stain quickly enough, it can be removed with water, if not you may need repeated treatments. Unlike protein based stains, dye stains are best removed with hot water.

Tannin Based Stains
Tannin based stains include tea, coffee, soft drinks, fruit juice, and wine. Tannin stains are actually one of the easiest fresh stains to remove. Simply running a stained area under cold water and then washing in a regular cycle with the hottest water safe for your fabric will remove most stains. Set in tannin based stains are not as easy to get rid of. These stains will frequently need more thorough treatment, but be sure to avoid bar soaps. Tannin stains will be enhanced and made permanent if a soap is used.

Oil-Based Stains (usually a grayish/off-white stain)
Oil based stains include margarine, butter, makeup, oil, mayonnaise, deodorant, gasoline, and ring around the collar and cuff stains. The problem with oil stains is that they tend to reappear just when you think you've seen the last of them. Oils grab onto the fibers in your clothing and they don't like to let go. Oil stains also darken over time. To remove oil stains the key is letting a detergent soak into the stained area, and washing in the hottest water safe for the fabric. Double check that the stain has been removed before you place clothing in the dryer, and treat it again if your in doubt.

Combination Based Stains
Combination based stains include, crayons, gum, lipstick, chocolate, gravy, tomato based stains, and bbq sauce. There are tons of combination based stains. These stains take the best of two other groups and mix them together to make it hard for you to treat them. Usually the combination is dye or color and oil. The first step is to treat the oily part of the stain followed by the color portion of the stain. Combination stains may need repeat treatments, and since a dryer will set the stains, be sure to fully remove the stain before drying.

HOME RESOURCES FOR STAINS
Vinegar- add this to cool water and it can act both as a light bleach/stain remover, or as a water softener when added to the rinse cycle. One cup vinegar to a small washload is good.

Lemon- Whitener and stain remover. You can rub some into a stain and set out in the sun, then wash.

Sun- I've been told setting cloth diaper inserts in the sun, after a breif wash (before drying) acts as a natural stain remover.

Liquid Dish Soap- as mentioned above, this is effective for certain stains (tannin stain pre-treatment).

Hydrogen Peroxide- This acts as a bleach. You can put equal parts peroxide in with dish soap and use that instead of bleach. Best for whites though.


LOOK UP YOUR STAIN FOR REMOVAL SUGGESTION http://housekeeping.about.com/od/stainremoval/a/stainsindex.htm


*stain category information from www.about.com

Ladies Goodreads: Christmas Jars

Jason F. Wright
Goodreads rating: 3.86 of 5
We decided to read this book for Christmas because it's fairly short and has a good focus for which to keep our thoughts during this Christmas season.

Sypnopsis of the Book
Where had it come from? Whose money was it? Was I to spend it? Save it? Pass it on to someone more needy? Above all else, why was I chosen? Certainly there were others, countless others, more needy than me...

Her reporter's intuition insisted that a remarkable story was on the verge of the front page.

Newspaper reporter Hope Jensen uncovers the remarkable secret behind the "Christmas Jars", glass jars filled with coins and bills anonymously left for people in need. But along the way, Hope discovers much more than the origin of the jars. When some unexpected news sets off a chain reaction of kindness, Hope's greatest Christmas Eve wish comes true.


Feel free to comment on things about this book when you've read it, like...
What was your favorite Christmas Jar story?
Do you feel that good deeds come full circle?
What are your thoughts and feelings about this book?

Why exercise???

Having trouble wanting to go workout? Sometimes we need to be reminded what the benefits of exercise are:

1. Brain power Booster- exercise increases a hormone called Seritonin in the brain, which improves mental clarity. Sadly, forgetfulness is improved , but not cured:)

2. Reduced Stress- Mood levels are improved when you exercise away your stress, allowing for your body to fall deeper in relaxation. It is the perfect distraction. Scientists have claimed everyone needs at least 30 minutes of relaxation each day.

3. Multitasking with exercise- you can always incorporate exercise in your time schedule. Summer is easy, biking or walking with family to destinations, but as winter is here try finding the stairs, not elevators wherever you go. Get a good exercise video for Christmas, there is something for everyone. You can still park farther from stores to burn more calories. And for those ready to brave the outdoors, skating, "snow walking" (finding trails and walking in your winter boots is actually very tiring, but can still be very pretty) and x-country skiing are always very active things. FEEL FREE TO POST OTHER IDEAS OF WINTER ACTIVITIES!!

4. Energy Booster- Endorphins are released very quickly into the blood, those are the "happy hormones" that help make you feel good, the rest of the day.

5. Builds Relationships- Find someone to workout with. When you have that added social support, you feel more motivated and accountable to your routine, friend or spouse you will also feel closer to that individual.

6. Prevent Disease- I don't have to tell you that the heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, etc, are less likely for those who lead a more active life. Research states that workout should be AT LEAST 30 minutes for 3 days a week, but recommended as much as 5-6 days for 30 to 45 minutes of activity.

7. Exercise allows rule breaking- Muscle burns calories more than fat, so for those that want to eat that cookie or bowl of ice cream, go ahead. That means that even after all the calories you burned working out muscle will keep burning calories while you sit at home and enjoy that cookie. Fat won't be so generous.

The first step to starting an active lifestyle is making a goal, start simple, maybe the video I posted, and then add a little more. You will see the benefits over a couple weeks, and should see a change in mood, activity, and life. START TODAY!!!

Abds done at home in 20 minutes.

I know many of us are less motivated to go the gym or wanna try to find a good workout video to help with our abdominal muscles. Here I have found a good link to a 15 minute workout to start you off. Pace yourself and add more repetitions each time. If you are still not sweating, proceed to my favorite, the plank series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YI0cxuNcq8&feature=channel

For those able to advance to the prone or side plank I have made available this link to show you correct posture. These moves can be done to strengthen your obliques, after working on your "six pack" muscles. I even like to hold a correct pushup position - the prone plank, and hold that for upto one minute, the last exhauster before stretching. ENJOY.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFWxuHFsBbw&NR=1

An Example of a Homemade Detergent

Thanks Dorinda Turner for your simple homemade detergent recipe you use.

4 cup water
1 bar of your favorite soap (we use Irish Springs)
1 cup of Washing Soda (we use Baking Soda)
1/2 cup of Borax (you can find it in the laundry detergent aisle)

Grated the bar of soap and add to the 4 cups of water and stir until soap is melted. You can keep on low heat until soap is melted (about an hour or 2). While soap is melting put a large kettle on another burrner and pour about 4 gallons of water in. get this water hot while working on the soap mixture.

Take soapy mixture off burner and allow to cool slightly

Add Borax and Soda, put back on heat for a few more minuted until everything is melted.
Pour the the soap mixture into the hot water in kettle. Stir until well mixed.

You can either pour in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid or I fill up gallon juice jugs that I have saved and rinsed out. use about 1/4 cup for a regular load or 1/2 cup for a large. the mixture will gel up so i shake my container before using or if using the large bucket just stir real well.

*Keep in mind that this uses Borax, which still is under debate on whether it's eco-friendly or not. (While borax is naturally occuring, it is toxic in large amounts and kills insects. Children should not ingest it. You'll need to figure out for yourself if you want to add this to your green-cleaning list. It sure can be economical though. Judge for yourself.

Celebrating Christmas Advent

I think most religions are misunderstood by those who aren't members of that religion....that's just the way it goes. But why remain ignorant of basic beliefs, especially if you know someone in a religion you don't know or understand?

There is good all around us, and it is important to be tolerant of all that goodness God have given us. Talk to someone you know about their religion. Find out about a tradition or holiday they celebrate. Rejoice in your commonalities and learn to understand one another.

Paul and I have decided to celebrate Advent each Christmas. It's based in Roman Catholic and German Lutheran roots, and as Christians is an excellent way to focus on the Savior during this Christmas Season.

You can read about it on wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent), but basically Advent focuses on Jesus Christ being our Savior and Judge, by remembering both his birth (life, death and ressurection) as well as his second coming (yet to be). A candle is lit each of the four Sundays prior to Christmas, and normally includes scripture readings and a song.

Hence you may recall Advent Calendars to celebrate each day before Christmas. However many of those calendars seem less centered on the Savior.

Here are some helpful resources for celebrating Advent well:
A Description of the Advent Season
An LDS Observance of Advent
Printable Advent Calendar
Advent Calendar: small daily December activities

Find out more...
Official sites of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
http://www.mormon.org/
http://www.lds.org/

Mormon Beliefs 101
http://lds.about.com/od/basicsgospelprinciples/a/ldschurch101.htm

Take a Quick 10-Question Quiz on Mormon Beliefs
http://lds.about.com/library/bl/quiz/mormon/bl_mormon_easy_quiz.htm

Basic Body Care Info & Recipes

If any one is interested in a good website or book for understanding some of these basic natural ingredients you can use in face washes, lotions, lip balms, hair care stuff, you can check out http://www.hmbeautyrecipes.homestead.com/ or read Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles. They're pretty interesting and have made me want to start pampering myself with a few things I already have around the house.

A List of some ingredients and oils purposes: (esp for use in hair conditioners)
Bananas: Softens skin (emollient)
Oats: calm skin aggravated by environmental influences, support cell rejuvenation, restore moisture balance, and help prevent further UV-related damage
Almonds: an emollient and for bleaching
Strawberries: Have a bleaching effect (great for teeth)
Jojoba oil is similar to sebum, which is secreted by human sebaceous glands to lubricate and protect skin and hair. Jojoba oil conditions hair and prevents it from becoming brittle and dull.
Avocado oil Softens skin, helps skin and hair retain moisture and fights the aging process
Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing them a shinny complexion. Coconut oil prevents dandruff, lice, and lice eggs, even if your scalp is dry. It is an excellent conditioner and helps in the re-growth of damaged air and provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair.
Honey is high in vitamins and minerals, and has wonderful benefits for the skin and hair. Honey is a good humectant and emollient, serving as a good moisturizer and conditioner. (also flavor and color)
Basil: Oily hair. Promotes hair growth, eczema, psoriasis
Bay: relieves scalp conditions and to act as a hair tonic
Yogurt: contains healthy probiotic bacteria and is wonderful for cleansing and moisurizing the skin.
Chamomile: Fine to normal hair. Gives golden highlights. Long known for it's calming and sedating effects as well as having anti-inflammatory effects for sensitive skin.
Grapefruit oil: Promotes hair growth, astringent for balancing oily skin and hair
Lavender: Normal to oily hair. Scalp treatment for itchiness, dandruff, and even lice! Controls oil production, reduces itchy/flaky scalp. Also, it is a relaxant, anti-spasmodic. tonic for the nervous system, antibacteral, analsgetic and antiseptic. It's a mood lifter.
Lemon: Oily hair. Gives golden highlights; treatment for dry scalp, dandruff, lice, and underactive sebaceous glands. Provides a cooling, refreshing and uplifting feeling as having bleaching, exfoliating and anti-viral properties.
Myrrh: Dry hair. Treatment for dry scalp, dandruff, lice, and underactive sebaceous glands
Orange Oil: Oily Hair. regulates the production of sebum, the hair’s natural oil
Peppermint: Dry hair. Promotes hair growth. reduces itching and irritation
Roses: antidepressant, astringent, cleansing, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, as well as aphrodisiac.

SIMPLE RECIPES:
Basic Foot Scrub: 1/4 c cornmeal, 1/4 c. ground oatmeal, 1 T sea salt, water, few drops of essential oil (if desired: peppermint or lemon)

Strawberry Tooth Brightener: just mash (without green tops) and apply on teeth using toothbrush (as if you were brushing with toothpaste)

Soda and salt toothpaste (similar to the one I use): 1/2 t. baking soda, 1/2 t. salt (finely ground), 1 drop peppermint essential oil (for fresh flavor), few drops water. Mix all to a paste and dip tooth brush in; brush as normal.

Uplifting Cold and Flu Bath: 3 t jojoba oil, 3 drops of peppermint, eucalyptus, chamomile (And a bunch of others I don't have, so I just use these). Add all these at once to hot bath water while it is running.

Basic Lip Balm: 4-5 T almond or jojoba oil (or castor oil if you want extra shiny), 1 T beeswax, 2 t honey (unless you think you'll lick your lips a lot because of this), 10-20 drops essential oil of choice (opt. for flavoring), and 1/4 tube of your own natural lipstick (opt. for coloring). In a double boiler mix honey, oil and beeswax. Remove from heat and add essential oil and lipstick if desired. Place in shallow ise bath and whisk for 30-60 seconds until honey is incorporated and it all looks like frosting consistency. Then spoon into covered storage container and let cool for 2 hours before use. USe within one year (no need to refrigerate).

Oatmeal/Almond/banana Exfoliant, Cleanser and Mask: 1 T finely ground oatmeal (or 2 t ground almonds, or 1 2 inch chunk of banana), water/milk/cream. Combine oats and liquid to make a paste. Apply and let sit one minute (5 minutes if you use banana), then rinse. (Use water if you have oily skin, milk (or milk powder with water) for normal to slightly dry, and cream for really dry skin (or if you use the banana). If you want, you can keep a container of ground oatmeal with powdered milk in it, in your bathroom....then all you have to do is add water!

Cornmeal and Honey Scrub: 1 1/2 t cornmeal, 1 t honey, 1/2 t water. Combine all, allowing cornmeal to dissolve, and then apply on face. Let sit 15 minutes, then rinse with warm water. (Be sure to wear a shower cap, because this is sticky and can get in your hair...yuck). Do not try and store this mixture. And don't use this if you have acne or facial irritations.

Go ahead and try one and let us know what you think.... I haven't tried them all

No 'Poo Experiment

So...I've been slowly trying approaches to homemde hygiene--the latest being no shampoo. Well, I use baking soda with a vinegar rinse.

Why? You may ask.... Because there's a lot of stuff in shampoo nowadays that I'm not sure of and many contain harmful ingredients. The big hype is SLS being in shampoo. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is an inexpensive cleansing agent used in many skincare and home cleaning products for the removal of oil, dirt and residues--and is responsible for the suds and bubbles you see in cleaning products. Because SLS is a charged particle that attracts dirt, removing it from the pores and the surface of the skin, it causes irritation. So, for this reason, SLS is now being avoided in many professional skincare products. Whenever we use shampoo, we need to remember that what we are using gets rubbed onto and into our scalp, and therefore into our body.

I like to think of myself as not being a high-maintenance girl, but we live in a high-maintenance society...when it comes to commercialization and need for all these unecessary ingredients.

So...I decided I wanted something simple and effective for my shampoo, so I spent a few days googling and reading all sorts of blogs and posts, etc. about what others have done in their quest for no 'poo hair (there's even a wiki page under "no 'poo." (I didn't make that phrase up).

So far... It's been three weeks. There was a slight transition time for my hair to adjust, but it wasn't very bad. Basically you want to use 1 cup water with 1 T baking powder and scrub it into your hair. Followed by a 1 T apple cider vinegar in 1-2 cups of water as a rinse afterwards. With the goal being to only wash your hair about 2/wk.

I use a plastic cup and keep a jar of baking soda on my counter and a bottle of vinegar in the shower. That way I can put a T of soda in the cup right before I hop in. I add the water during the shower and mix and apply and then rinse. Then after the wash, I can pour some vinegar into the cup and add water; apply then rinse with cold water (this help close your pores and blanace out the pH levels of your hair).

However, if you do this, you just have to realize that your hair needs to adjust and will feel and possibly look slightly different. No one has noticed or said anything to me, but mine just feels a little different and it actually styles a little easier I think. I admit that sometimes it seems a little greasy, but I think that's when I don't do the vinegar rinse.

-----------
ADDED NOTE (since Megan's Comment):
here are some of my dilemnas I forgot to mention:
1. When I only used baking soda wash my hair was a little greasy and clumpy/heavy and there was either dandruff or soda residue like powder. I wasn't sure.
2. When I used too much vinegar, there was also greasy hair, though it was a more shiny and light grease than the baking soda.
3. Then I tried putting a little sugar in the soda wash to add a mild srubbing effect that wasn't too harsh (unlike salt) to help with the white stuff. Right now I'm trying to decide if that's what's helped the grease calm down, or if it's just because I reduced the amount of vinegar.

I've also read a lot about other things you can use in your hair, so that is what I'm currently experimenting with.I'll keep you updated...but here's a glimpse of some of the things: coconut oil, banana or honey ingredients in a conditioner..plus some other interesting ones I can't recall right now. Or lemon instead of vinegar in the post-shampoo rinse.

**updated 12/10/2010
So far I've done this for 2 months and I just stopped. So, like I said in my post, if you do this, you have to realize that your hair will have a different feel and consistency than when you used typical commercial shampoo. This is because your hairs natural oils aren't being stripped away anymore. Due to this, my hair always felt a little greasy underneath. You couldn't always see it, but I could tell. And, since I recently cut myself some bangs, I noticed you could tell more with those. So it won't work for me right now. For now, I'm still experimenting, but no firm conclusions. I tried Dr. Bronner's soap for two days, but that didn't work. That may require another adjustment period...I'm not sure. I also spent a month or two trying redmond clay, but it dried out my scalp (during winter). But, I'd be up for hearing anyone else's experiences. I also tried coconut oil for conditioner, but it was was too oily and I couldn't get it out very easily.

So alas...back to square one. One day I've love to figure this out!

Weight-Loss Tip

It was about 2 1/2 years ago that I tried this and lost 20 pounds and have kept it off...because I actually changed my lifestyle forever. Don't give up though. Find a buddy to help do it with you and even when you feel like it's too hard, wait until your sweet day and you'll find yourself not wanting as many sweet treats at all! I had a withdrawal a couple times, but persevered and am glad I did...

So, this is what you do. Try eating healthy fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, and NOTHING with added REFINED SUGAR Monday-Friday... only Saturdays and Sundays are your sweet/junk food days! A salad a day is what I did to cut back a little on the breads and it will help you to achieve your goal weight. If you do get cravings (which you will if you are like me), substitute a fruit like a banana to satisfy your craving. When you shop, go AROUND the store, not through all the aisles... and cook from SCRATCH, simple meals!

NO DIET will be 100% guaranteed, but I know that if you change your lifestyle one step at a time...you will succeed. Try this helpful tip and you won't be sorry you did!
I GUARANTEE!!!

*written by Charise