Friday, February 4, 2011

Find Out Friday: Shampoo

I hear all the time about how "something" is going to kill us. Why am I so drastically trying to change our life-style? Why am I going against the every day American way?

Let me clear it up for you... Why am I so wrapped up in trying to better my family's health and well-being?

I know something is going to take us home to our Father. I know that changing our life-style to natural and healthy isn't going to save us or make us immortal. God's plan is set in motion. However, I do feel a mandate from our Heavenly Father to take the best care of my and my family's "temple" the best that I can. I am doing what I feel is best for my family and in all this research along the way, I just know some things are bad for us. I am not doing this because it's becoming a "fad" or trendy, I am doing this because I cannot just look the other way. I cannot live knowing something I am putting into my child could harm them. I just cannot and could not live with that - I am doing what I feel is best.

With that being said, I am turning back to our regularly scheduled post...

I tried the "no poo" thing. It did not work for me. I could not get past the "dirty" feeling I felt. I felt like I could not totally get clean without using shampoo and having clean hair.

Let's get some background on why I feel shampoo is dangerous for myself and my family...

First of all.. The skin is the largest organ of the body. Our skin absorbs every chemical we put on it and the chemical goes straight into our bloodstream.

Second of all.. There are many dangerous chemicals found in your every day shampoo:
  • Ammonium laureth sulphate - a chemical found in most shampoo which is known to be highly toxic and cancer causing.
  • Sodium Lauryl Sulfate - a chemical that is used in car degreasers and floor cleaners. It is known to cause blindness. It causes skin irritations including dermatitis and allergic reactions.
  • Lauramide DEA - used to create more foaming. Known to cause cancer.
  • Polyquaternium - used in conditioner. It causes skin problems and possibly anaphylactic shock.
  • Propylene Glycol - used in anti-freeze.
These are just a few of the chemicals found in shampoos and conditioners.

With that being said.... Does anyone have a good yet affordable natural shampoo/conditioner idea to offer? I just cannot handle the "no poo" method!


Have you tried the "no poo" method and it worked for you? Did you know there was all that unhealthy yucky stuff in shampoo/conditioner? Please share!

    Thursday, February 3, 2011

    What I Have Learned About Using Debit Cards


    This year we have dubbed the year to "make the rubber hit the road" when it comes to our finances. We have prayed, sought guidance, found accountability partners and came up with a realistic budget.

    With all those wonderful steps being taken, I have made one mistake - using my debit card as cash.

    Need some groceries? Whip out the debit card. Gas? Swipe the debit card. There have got to be funds in there. I will write the balance in the checkbook later. Not to worry!

    "Honey, can you stop by the store for a few things on the way home? Just use the debit card." Need a receipt? No way! I'll just look it up later!

    At the end of the month (thank God nothing ever bounced!) I would wonder why we seemed over budget or why there wasn't more money or where all the money went. I then got the brilliant, not so brilliant idea to get online and total up our "budget" grocery purchases. We were way over in the food category!

    While there were no lasting scars, I did learn a valuable lesson about myself: Debit cards are just as addicting and dangerous and innocent as credit cards.

    When you have a certain amount of cash in your hands, you know just how much you have to spend. When it's gone, it's gone...

    The month of January we decided to live on a totally cash only basis (with the exception of gasoline so we don't have to get the kids out in the cold). It's been trying! I have had to wait for Andy to get home to hand him grocery money. I have walked the stores with my little handy dandy calculator (I'm not going to be at the cash register without the proper amount of money!). To be honest, it was a little embarrassing when I felt people watching me or getting impatient with me for taking so long in front of the juice but in the end I felt free. I felt like I had done the best I could with what we had and I was happy with myself.

    I just knew I would feel restricted and unfulfilled living on a budget. How wrong I was! It's amazing how free it feels to live on a budget and stick to it. There are no feelings of lacking whatsoever. What replaced those feelings of restriction were feelings of blessings. I feel blessed to have the grocery money we have and I love that I am trying my best to steward it the best way I can!

    How about you? Do you have problems with temptation and using debit cards?

    *This post is linked to Frugal Friday.*

    Wednesday, February 2, 2011

    Oldies but Goodies

    My mom and dad recently gave Andy and me their old computer. They have had it for a long time (but kept much nicer with no littles "helping"). When I say long time, I mean they got it when I was in high school.

    A couple of days, I was looking through my user page and found some pictures. They are truly "oldies but goodies". Hope y'all get a good laugh when you look through them! :)


    Hope you enjoyed this stroll down memory lane with me and maybe had a few good laughs! Maybe next time, I will break out the ones of Andy in the folder entitled "blackmail" but then again, maybe not... I'm sure he has some good ones of me through the years! :)
     


    Tuesday, February 1, 2011

    The Ultimate Valentine's Day Gift

    I always try and make a big deal for Valentine's Day around our house. I know some claim the holiday to be one of  Hallmark's publicity schemes but even so, it's a day where I can show every member in our family just how much I treasure them. It's not as if I don't show them every day but I like to go over the top on February 14th.

    Here are a couple of ideas in which I've tried to make tradition:

    I write things I love about each person and put them up the night before so when they wake up on Valentine's Day, they wake up reading them...


    I make heart foods such as pancakes, pizzas, etc.

    The ONE breakfast a year where my children are allowed to eat their "love" candy.

    We dressed up in "lovey dovey" shirts and get our picture taken (this tradition is on it's way out I believe but it was fun for a time..Maybe I'll bring it back around when the boys start high school? I'm sure they'd love it!).
    Doesn't Andy look excited as well? ;) 

    This year, I want to be more intentional about Valentine's Day. We had a lot of fun and did a lot of silly things, most of which we will continue, but I really want to share the Ultimate Love with my family - God's unyielding, unwavering love. This year, we will discuss the sacrifice Jesus gave for sinners like us.

    All this thinking came around when I was listening to JJ Heller's song "What Love Really Is..."

    When I heard this song, I had to pull off to the side of the road. It shocked me. I knew that God loved me but I never knew that He loved me... That no matter how much I love my husband and my boys, I could never understand the depth or the perfect love that the Lord feels for them and myself. My mission this year is to drive home just how much Jesus loves them. He is the Ultimate Gift for Valentine's Day or any other. He loves us for us...




    This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday!

    Easy Pot Pie

    Easy Pot Pie

    1 pie crust - not baked (homemade or pre-made)
    1 can Veg-All
    1 can cream of potato soup
    1 - 2 cups of chicken
    1 cup milk
    salt

    Grease pie dish. Sprinkle salt on plate. Lay crust on plate. Drain Veg-All. Mix Veg-All, cream of potato soup, chicken and milk. Spoon mixture into crust. Place top portion of crust and press edges. Make an "x" on top to vent steam. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

    *This recipe can be made as healthy or as easy as possible. Examples: homemade wheat crust, chopped/steamed unsprayed veggies, homemade cream of potato soup, free-range chicken and raw milk.*
     
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