Using the oil cleanse method to wash my face has been awesome. I've only been doing it for 5 days, but it's been great so far. I 've done OCM at night and just used a warm wash cloth to 'wake-up' my face in the morning. I'm going to see if I can get Dustin to do this too.
The 'no-poo' is coming right along also. I'm messing with the ratio's to figure out what's going to work for me. My hair doesn't look fantastic, but it doesn't look as bad as if I skip a day of washing. I can see where this is going to be awesome in the long run. I took the boys to get their haircut yesterday and mentioned the no shampoo thing to our hairdresser. She said it makes sense. The baking soda cleans the hair and the apple cider vinegar closes the cuticle and acts like a conditioner. Now that I have a professionals opinion I feel even better about this. Good to know I'm not going to ruin my hair.
I'm starting to crack down on my birthday plans for the boys. Their party is next weekend and I need to make sure I've got everything in order. I'm starting all my lists now. It wouldn't be to big of a deal except we are having the party at the Welcome Center so I have to figure out how to get everything there and make sure we have everything we need. It will all turn out fine. It always does.
Dustin surprised us and walked in the door yesterday at 3:00. I wasn't expecting him home until tonight. We're glad to have him home. Karson woke up this morning wanting Dad so it's a good thing he was there.
Karson is sick again, running a temperature of 103*. Kamden is hacking and wheezing so we may need to make a trip to the doctor before the weekend.
I hope Karson feels better by this weekend. We are going to ride on Thomas with his buddy Braeden. Karson has been talking about it since his birthday, Braeden too. The parents are going and leaving the siblings at home with grandparents. It's sure to be a good time.
Now, if we can just make it to the weekend we'll be in business.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
just call me crunchy
I've become something I never in a million years thought I'd be. A hippie. Not really, but kind-of-sort-of.
I started cloth diapering both boys shortly after Kamden's arrival. I love it. I'm so glad I made the decision to just jump right in and do it. Once you get into the cloth diapering world your eyes are opened to so many different ways of thinking.
I already used reusable grocery bags, but now I can't stand plastic bags. I've ordered some different cutesy bags that fold up really small to put in the diaper bag and stash in the van. I plan to start using these bags at the mall and everywhere in between. I use my cloth diaper wetbags for soiled diapers and clothes, wet swimsuits, anything you might normally put in a plastic grocery bag.
I use very few paper towels. I am trying to go the un-paper towel route. Dustin cuts the sleeves off his t-shirts for work in the summer so I've been using the shirt sleeves as my paper towels. I use them to wipe off the counters, floors, and stove mostly. I even use cloth baby wipes. I just wash them with the diapers. I use them to wipe faces and hands, too. I love having less cost and waste!
I use the diva cup (if you don't know what it is look it up I'm not going into detail). Best decision ever! Freaking awesome. No more gross crap in the garbage. No more leakage. I empty it when I take my morning shower and again sometime in the evening. Easy-peasy. Less cost and waste again!
Now here is where I'm going to start heading into hippie territory. I am toying with the idea of 'no pooing'. Internet speak for no shampoo. You use 1 Tbsp of baking soda to 1 C of water. From what I've read people's hair has never looked better and they wash it less often. While I'm skeptical, I don't see what it would hurt. I've read a lot lately about how horrible shampoo is for your hair, so I'm going to give this a try. I guess there's a greasy detox period and I don't know how I'll handle that, but we'll see. I'm a shower-and-wash-your-hair-everyday kind of girl so we shall see. Oh, I almost forgot conditioner is 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinager to 1 C of water (up to 50/50 ratio).
The next hippie idea I'm going to try is the oil cleanse method to wash my face. I've also heard rave reviews on this. You use about 25% caster oil to 75% olive oil (or any number of oils). Oil attracts oil and it's suppose to do wonders for your face. The caster oil is suppose to pull all the gunk out of your pores. Supposedly all the products we use that are oil-free are counter productive since it rids our faces of oil, so our body produces even more oil to replace it. Which in turn starts a never ending cycle. Much like with shampoo.
We'll see how it goes. I probably will start Monday so I don't have gross hair or skin all weekend. I may chicken out, but I like the idea and the inexpensive/enviro-friendly aspect of it. I never thought I'd be so 'green', but I am just tired of all the waste. Anybody want to join me in my ventures???
***I just remembered another crunchy mama thing I do. Babywear. I still use our strollers frequently, but use my mei tai, too. I also keep my sling in the car incase I need to wear Kamden in a pinch.
I started cloth diapering both boys shortly after Kamden's arrival. I love it. I'm so glad I made the decision to just jump right in and do it. Once you get into the cloth diapering world your eyes are opened to so many different ways of thinking.
I already used reusable grocery bags, but now I can't stand plastic bags. I've ordered some different cutesy bags that fold up really small to put in the diaper bag and stash in the van. I plan to start using these bags at the mall and everywhere in between. I use my cloth diaper wetbags for soiled diapers and clothes, wet swimsuits, anything you might normally put in a plastic grocery bag.
I use very few paper towels. I am trying to go the un-paper towel route. Dustin cuts the sleeves off his t-shirts for work in the summer so I've been using the shirt sleeves as my paper towels. I use them to wipe off the counters, floors, and stove mostly. I even use cloth baby wipes. I just wash them with the diapers. I use them to wipe faces and hands, too. I love having less cost and waste!
I use the diva cup (if you don't know what it is look it up I'm not going into detail). Best decision ever! Freaking awesome. No more gross crap in the garbage. No more leakage. I empty it when I take my morning shower and again sometime in the evening. Easy-peasy. Less cost and waste again!
Now here is where I'm going to start heading into hippie territory. I am toying with the idea of 'no pooing'. Internet speak for no shampoo. You use 1 Tbsp of baking soda to 1 C of water. From what I've read people's hair has never looked better and they wash it less often. While I'm skeptical, I don't see what it would hurt. I've read a lot lately about how horrible shampoo is for your hair, so I'm going to give this a try. I guess there's a greasy detox period and I don't know how I'll handle that, but we'll see. I'm a shower-and-wash-your-hair-everyday kind of girl so we shall see. Oh, I almost forgot conditioner is 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinager to 1 C of water (up to 50/50 ratio).
The next hippie idea I'm going to try is the oil cleanse method to wash my face. I've also heard rave reviews on this. You use about 25% caster oil to 75% olive oil (or any number of oils). Oil attracts oil and it's suppose to do wonders for your face. The caster oil is suppose to pull all the gunk out of your pores. Supposedly all the products we use that are oil-free are counter productive since it rids our faces of oil, so our body produces even more oil to replace it. Which in turn starts a never ending cycle. Much like with shampoo.
We'll see how it goes. I probably will start Monday so I don't have gross hair or skin all weekend. I may chicken out, but I like the idea and the inexpensive/enviro-friendly aspect of it. I never thought I'd be so 'green', but I am just tired of all the waste. Anybody want to join me in my ventures???
***I just remembered another crunchy mama thing I do. Babywear. I still use our strollers frequently, but use my mei tai, too. I also keep my sling in the car incase I need to wear Kamden in a pinch.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Ho-Hum
It's been kind of a blah week around here. Dustin is gone all week working in Guttenburg. The kids and I have just been hanging out.
Saturday - We had Grandma Kidd's (not so) surprise 80th birthday party.
Sunday - Karson started Sunday School!!! He did so-so. Dustin and I went along for a graham cracker banquet. Next week he's on his own and I'm not sure how he'll do.
Monday - Good-bye Dustin. I had a lady stop over to talk to me about a grant we got approved for. They are going to do $25,000 worth of work on our house. We have to have an inspector come and rank what needs to be done. We are hoping for a new furnace/central air and windows (siding if there's enough money left). We are very excited and blessed to be receiving this.
Tuesday - Took Karson and Kamden for lunch in the park with Grandma and Grandpa and hit up the grocery store.
Wednesday thru Friday - Regular work days. Take the kids to daycare, go to work, come home, dinner, baths, bed. Repeat.
Friday Dustin comes home. Yippee! We may go to Waterloo to pick up our new deep freeze and Mom and Dads new fridge. We'll see how late he returns from Guttenburg.
This weekend Kamden will be 11 months old! Almost One! I am so excited to start weaning from the pump. Not pumping is going to give me an extra hour and a half every day! We have a whole lot of frozen milk I'm going to try to start using. I am so happy we made it with no formula to the one year mark. Go me!
***Karsonism - while doing shape/color flash cards with Grandma, he sees this card.
He exclaims - "The octagon is missing!!!"
***Karsonism - With Dustin gone, everything falls to my shoulders. Karson is a spitfire and gets told to stop doing something all the time. He squashes, hits, pushes, pulls, etc on Kamden all the time. I tell him to get off brother. He doesn't listen. He gets time-out. After time-out he tells me tearfully and with gusto, "I'm tellin' my daddy you bein' naughty at me." So I pick up the phone and call Dustin so Karson can get it all out.
Sunday - Karson started Sunday School!!! He did so-so. Dustin and I went along for a graham cracker banquet. Next week he's on his own and I'm not sure how he'll do.
Monday - Good-bye Dustin. I had a lady stop over to talk to me about a grant we got approved for. They are going to do $25,000 worth of work on our house. We have to have an inspector come and rank what needs to be done. We are hoping for a new furnace/central air and windows (siding if there's enough money left). We are very excited and blessed to be receiving this.
Tuesday - Took Karson and Kamden for lunch in the park with Grandma and Grandpa and hit up the grocery store.
Wednesday thru Friday - Regular work days. Take the kids to daycare, go to work, come home, dinner, baths, bed. Repeat.
Friday Dustin comes home. Yippee! We may go to Waterloo to pick up our new deep freeze and Mom and Dads new fridge. We'll see how late he returns from Guttenburg.
***Karsonism - while doing shape/color flash cards with Grandma, he sees this card.
***Karsonism - With Dustin gone, everything falls to my shoulders. Karson is a spitfire and gets told to stop doing something all the time. He squashes, hits, pushes, pulls, etc on Kamden all the time. I tell him to get off brother. He doesn't listen. He gets time-out. After time-out he tells me tearfully and with gusto, "I'm tellin' my daddy you bein' naughty at me." So I pick up the phone and call Dustin so Karson can get it all out.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
No Way! Karson is 3!!!
Karson tuned three this weekend! He had an awesome time. Saturday Karson had 4 friends over for cupcake decorating and a few games. We were going to swim and do the slip and slide, but it was way to cold for that! We wore jeans and sweatshirts!
Sunday we did our traditional IHOP meal. Karson's birth was an induction, so we stopped and ate at IHOP before we went to the hospital to start the process. We have taken Karson to IHOP every year on his birthday since. When I was again induced with Kamden, we ate at Village Inn so he could have his own tradition.
Grandma Beth, Grandpa Ya-ya, and Grandma and Grandpa Chyma met us at IHOP. Then, we went to the mall to shop and play. Karson rode the 'horses' twice and had way more gumballs than he needed, but he had a blast.
***Funny Karsonism - While playing with his friends at his birthday party, Karson yells from the swingset, "Jack said a naughty word!" I just ignored him. Then, he comes up to me and says, "Mom, Jack said a naughty word." I asked him what Jack said (knowing he doesn't know what naughty words are). Karson says, "Mmmmmmm, Blue." BAHAHAHAHAHA. I guess it's a four letter word.
***Another - Grandma Beth played Ring-Around-The-Rosie with the kids at Karson's party. Now Karson walks around the house saying, "Asses, asses" (ashes, ashes) LOL
Sunday we did our traditional IHOP meal. Karson's birth was an induction, so we stopped and ate at IHOP before we went to the hospital to start the process. We have taken Karson to IHOP every year on his birthday since. When I was again induced with Kamden, we ate at Village Inn so he could have his own tradition.
Grandma Beth, Grandpa Ya-ya, and Grandma and Grandpa Chyma met us at IHOP. Then, we went to the mall to shop and play. Karson rode the 'horses' twice and had way more gumballs than he needed, but he had a blast.
***Funny Karsonism - While playing with his friends at his birthday party, Karson yells from the swingset, "Jack said a naughty word!" I just ignored him. Then, he comes up to me and says, "Mom, Jack said a naughty word." I asked him what Jack said (knowing he doesn't know what naughty words are). Karson says, "Mmmmmmm, Blue." BAHAHAHAHAHA. I guess it's a four letter word.
***Another - Grandma Beth played Ring-Around-The-Rosie with the kids at Karson's party. Now Karson walks around the house saying, "Asses, asses" (ashes, ashes) LOL
Thursday, September 2, 2010
We're all sick
Great. Now I'm sick. Lovely thing about kids is, they share everything, but toys. Illness included. Good thing my husband has left me to fend for myself.
Dustin has been gone for work all week and it seems as if this may be a weekly occurrence. Dietz Construction is building a big ol' house in Guttenburg, so that is where Dustin will be spending his weeks. The crew has an apartment, so I consider this Dustin's vacation. He gets a full nights sleep and every week night he gets to relax, drink a beer, and watch TV. No kids, no wives, just his friends. Must be nice. I know he misses us and we miss him, but still...
Kamden has been so funny lately. He will go in the toy room and play by himself all day long. He looks at books and climbs up the slide. I will go check on him and he'll push himself back down the slide and look at me like 'I wasn't doing anything'. I have learned to put pants on him when I'm not right there to catch him. He can't get up to the top of the slide with pants on. Oh, and he's a dancer! This little boy will shake his booty every time he hears music. At home, in a restaurant, in the car. I think he may need a little piano or something for his birthday. Kamden also loves blankets and stuffed animals. He will crawl over and bury his face in his nest (boppy with blankets all around it) and giggle. Same thing with stuffed animals.
Karson is just Karson. We are working on getting him to listen. He likes to ignore my requests. Like, get off your brother, use your inside voice, stop being a whiner, eat your supper, stop asking for popsicles, just to name a few. This kid has an angry streak that I hate to say probably came from me. He stomps his foot, drops to the floor, growls, and hits. We are also working on this. LOL Karson thinks he is the boss of Kamden and likes to try to tell him what to do. Frustrating. He is a pretty good helper when he wants to be. The other exciting thing is he has been waking up in the night to go potty! Yay!
Tonight, I'm going to make supper, clean up, and then lay on the couch until Dustin gets home. Then, I'm going to continue laying on the couch and let him watch the kids.
Dustin has been gone for work all week and it seems as if this may be a weekly occurrence. Dietz Construction is building a big ol' house in Guttenburg, so that is where Dustin will be spending his weeks. The crew has an apartment, so I consider this Dustin's vacation. He gets a full nights sleep and every week night he gets to relax, drink a beer, and watch TV. No kids, no wives, just his friends. Must be nice. I know he misses us and we miss him, but still...
Kamden has been so funny lately. He will go in the toy room and play by himself all day long. He looks at books and climbs up the slide. I will go check on him and he'll push himself back down the slide and look at me like 'I wasn't doing anything'. I have learned to put pants on him when I'm not right there to catch him. He can't get up to the top of the slide with pants on. Oh, and he's a dancer! This little boy will shake his booty every time he hears music. At home, in a restaurant, in the car. I think he may need a little piano or something for his birthday. Kamden also loves blankets and stuffed animals. He will crawl over and bury his face in his nest (boppy with blankets all around it) and giggle. Same thing with stuffed animals.
Karson is just Karson. We are working on getting him to listen. He likes to ignore my requests. Like, get off your brother, use your inside voice, stop being a whiner, eat your supper, stop asking for popsicles, just to name a few. This kid has an angry streak that I hate to say probably came from me. He stomps his foot, drops to the floor, growls, and hits. We are also working on this. LOL Karson thinks he is the boss of Kamden and likes to try to tell him what to do. Frustrating. He is a pretty good helper when he wants to be. The other exciting thing is he has been waking up in the night to go potty! Yay!
Tonight, I'm going to make supper, clean up, and then lay on the couch until Dustin gets home. Then, I'm going to continue laying on the couch and let him watch the kids.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
