Ever since Caylen was born, she had a problem with her stomach. As a newborn/infant, it was called Colic, and as she got older, those around her referred to her as temperamental or fussy. I knew something was wrong in the beginning, but being a young mom, with my husband overseas, I felt a little isolated and clueless.
I nursed Caylen for 12 months + 3 weeks. I wanted to go longer, but she was absolutely ready, and therefore so was I. My breasts were not, but that is another story. So, we started her on cow's milk. Every time she drank cow's milk, she threw it up. I had, of course noticed this and informed her daddy, who was now at home with us, out of the military. We thought it might have been lactose intolerance, or just a phase she would outgrow so we used milk substitutes. She seemed to be okay with other dairy products like cheese, but we did know that she did still seem to have stomach viruses often, which produced vomiting, and that she pooped several times a day, but she was still technically a baby, so we didn't know. Also, her daddy has always had stomach issues too, and can throw up on command, so I figured she inherited some odd Burkhead gene.
Fast forward a year or so. In the throes of potty training, Caylen is taking herself to the potty when she needs to go, but is still having a hard time getting on the potty in time to not poop in her pants. I had heard this was a common problem, so no big deal, but she was still not progressing at the age of 3. She back on eating cheese and dairy, since the throwing up had since disappeared and her doctor could find no reasonable excuse not to eat it. I was also trying to get pregnant. Which was totally not working.
So, in the spring of 2012, Caylen was 3-- she was mostly potty trained, with quite regular, unexplained accidents, accompanied with pooping about 6 times a day. Was this normal at this age to still be pooping this much? I had no idea since she was my first child, but I wanted to try something. There was a diet I had heard about that was supposed to be great for people with stomach problems especially, and given the fact that 2 out of the 3 people in our household do have stomach problems, I was all for it. Also, it was great for those who wanted to lose weight, which I didn't necessarily need to, but I did want to get leaner, if you will. It was called the Paleo diet, and it was restrictive! No dairy, grains, legumes, or sugar. It was hard to think up meals at first, since it is so different from the American diet as we know it, but I felt great. Even better was the fact that within 3 days, Caylen was fully accident free, which was a total miracle! She went from having 6 poops a day to 1-2, and I was amazed. She seemed to feel a lot better, and I did too! I managed to lose about 3 pounds in the month before we went to Disney, and Caylen and her Daddy's stomach problems were becoming a distant memory. Little did I know what would happen next!
After a almost 2 years of trying (everything) to get pregnant, I missed my period and cursed the hormones that were obviously so messed up that I had apparently had an anovulatory cycle (meaning I didn't even pop out an egg that month). My doctor had scheduled for me to start Clomid, a fertility drug, but I decided against it, since the side effects are so notorious. Well, lo and behold, that cheapie, blue dye Equate test had a positive! I cursed the test for its false hope and figured it was wrong, since it was after all a blue dye test. This was the first positive home pregnancy test for me! I had 6 negatives with Caylen, with 1 positive blood test. Well, the test was correct! And, now I have a 6 month old bouncing baby boy to prove it! He is an absolute miracle, and I am sure that he was conceived due to our family changing to the Paleo diet.
As for Caylen, she is doing great still. Through trial and error, we have found her sensitivities definitely include dairy and gluten, with legumes bothering her still, but the least of all. She is not as sensitive to grains or dairy as she was, but she still cannot tolerate them. However, there are foods with hidden ingredients, so when we go out, she usually gets something that makes her somewhat sick. So, we are still working on it, and probably will continue for some time.
If you are curious about the Paleo diet, I highly recommend that you read The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf. It will change your life!
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Cloth Diapers, Zeke Edition
Long ago, back when my first was in diapers...... Wait, that wasn't that long ago-- she still wears a 'diaper' of sorts at night.... Anyway, back when I did cloth diapers with my almost 5 year old, I did a post on it. Yes, we started late with her, but she made it worth the effort and time spent, since she took longer to potty train due to her food sensitivities that took us 3 years to figure out (post on that later). I really wanted to do cloth diapers with Caylen from the beginning, but due to the fact my husband was in Iraq at the time and she was my first babe, I decided to wait. Until she was almost 2. Oh well! Better late than never, right? So, I knew with my next child, who took 2 years to conceive, we would do cloth diapers from the beginning. And, despite the common opinion that they are hard, stinky, time consuming, etc., which they really are not-- they are actually a lot of fun-- we love them! The ladies in the nursery at church, notsomuch. They are so cute and fun-- adding a variety and sparkle of interest to the all too monotonous task of infant care some days.
What kinds do we use? I like to use every kind that I can! I have used, for the newborn stage, fitteds (Kissaluvs, Sandy's, Imagine bamboo), all in ones (Grovia, Imagine, BumGenius), prefolds (Imagine, Indian unbleached), and gdiapers, just to round out the list. Currently, we use Grovia all in ones and all in two's, flour sack towel and/or receiving blanket flats with either a flip or Econobum cover, Best Bottoms with both organic and stay dry inserts, and we have 3 BumGenius: a 4.0 and 2 freetimes.
So what's my favorite? It depends on the day and the situation. For going out, an all in one or ai2 is a great option because it's easy. For staying around the house, I like to use flats, preferably flour sack towels, since they are just so simple. They wash out perfectly, and folding them is actually pretty fun, and yields a good fit. You can also go coverless at home to let the bum air out a little.
As far as prints go, I really do love Grovia since they are so doggone cute! I have a robots print, an airplanes print, and a cloud (grey) dipe. I get a lot of compliments on how cute these are, and they are of really great quality.
My wash routine is simple-- I store the dirty diapers in a pail, lined with a reusable wet bag-- I wash every other day, with Gain or Tide filled up to the 2nd line, with a little Calgon, which is water softener. I run a prewash, no soap, warm wash with cold rinse, spin on extra high to get them as dry as possible. Then, I put them in the dryer. All of them. Despite the myth that heat will ruin PUL, the waterproofing layer, it really doesn't. PUL is made to withstand the heat of an autoclave, which is really hot. Putting them in the dryer also makes the process quicker, obviously, so I definitely prefer it. My diapers stay stink free, and pretty much stain free as well!
I love them, but so does my little squish:
My Sweet Girl in her first cloth diaper-- a Fuzzibunz
What kinds do we use? I like to use every kind that I can! I have used, for the newborn stage, fitteds (Kissaluvs, Sandy's, Imagine bamboo), all in ones (Grovia, Imagine, BumGenius), prefolds (Imagine, Indian unbleached), and gdiapers, just to round out the list. Currently, we use Grovia all in ones and all in two's, flour sack towel and/or receiving blanket flats with either a flip or Econobum cover, Best Bottoms with both organic and stay dry inserts, and we have 3 BumGenius: a 4.0 and 2 freetimes.
So what's my favorite? It depends on the day and the situation. For going out, an all in one or ai2 is a great option because it's easy. For staying around the house, I like to use flats, preferably flour sack towels, since they are just so simple. They wash out perfectly, and folding them is actually pretty fun, and yields a good fit. You can also go coverless at home to let the bum air out a little.
As far as prints go, I really do love Grovia since they are so doggone cute! I have a robots print, an airplanes print, and a cloud (grey) dipe. I get a lot of compliments on how cute these are, and they are of really great quality.
My wash routine is simple-- I store the dirty diapers in a pail, lined with a reusable wet bag-- I wash every other day, with Gain or Tide filled up to the 2nd line, with a little Calgon, which is water softener. I run a prewash, no soap, warm wash with cold rinse, spin on extra high to get them as dry as possible. Then, I put them in the dryer. All of them. Despite the myth that heat will ruin PUL, the waterproofing layer, it really doesn't. PUL is made to withstand the heat of an autoclave, which is really hot. Putting them in the dryer also makes the process quicker, obviously, so I definitely prefer it. My diapers stay stink free, and pretty much stain free as well!
I love them, but so does my little squish:
BumGenius 4.0 in the Irwin print
If you are interested in cloth diapering, I would love to answer any questions you have. You can also find loads of information about it on the internet! I did most of my research on my own, by following cloth diaper 'threads' and researching different online diaper stores. Ones I recommend are:
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Sleep Training: Part Deux
Last night went pretty well! I was more upset at the thought of it than it was to Zeke, but it all turned out alright. We laid him down at 7:30 after our regular bedtime routine, cried for a bit, and then he woke up for the day at 7:30. He did wake up twice, 1:24 and 5:00, but at this age, 2 night wakings is fine. The kicker of it is, when he woke up in the middle of the night, I was able to put him back to sleep. His problem has always been waking up around 3-4 and not going back to sleep (for an hour or more) so I was glad to be able to get him right back down. He was so happy when I went to him this morning, after he awoke in his crib! I would say he had some restful sleep.
Since the book recommends naps and nighttime being done at the same time, I knew, and dreaded, the fact that we were going to have to fight the naptime battle as well. Zeke has always been better about his naps than his sissy (she slept easier at night, but took no naps) but his naps are so irregular and short at times, and some days I just fight him all day to take a single nap. For example, yesterday he took 4 naps total. Each one lasting between 20-45 minutes-- sometimes not having more than an hour between naps! This is the stuff that makes stay at home moms lose their minds. It just about made me lose mine, at least. So, I knew as painful as it might be, I would have to tackle naps today as well. Weissbluth says not to take any more than 3 hours for awake time for Zeke's age, so we were on nap watch from about 9:30- 10:30. He seemed ready for a nap around 10:15 so we read a book, nursed, and I placed him in his crib, asleep, to see what happened. He promptly awoke, obviously ticked that he was in his crib, and started to protest. I silently reminded myself that he needed sleep, just like any other basic need, and so this was necessary. Well, then something remarkable happened. He fell asleep. Within 5 minutes! I was amazed and relieved. Hopefully nap #2 will go as smoothly!
Since the book recommends naps and nighttime being done at the same time, I knew, and dreaded, the fact that we were going to have to fight the naptime battle as well. Zeke has always been better about his naps than his sissy (she slept easier at night, but took no naps) but his naps are so irregular and short at times, and some days I just fight him all day to take a single nap. For example, yesterday he took 4 naps total. Each one lasting between 20-45 minutes-- sometimes not having more than an hour between naps! This is the stuff that makes stay at home moms lose their minds. It just about made me lose mine, at least. So, I knew as painful as it might be, I would have to tackle naps today as well. Weissbluth says not to take any more than 3 hours for awake time for Zeke's age, so we were on nap watch from about 9:30- 10:30. He seemed ready for a nap around 10:15 so we read a book, nursed, and I placed him in his crib, asleep, to see what happened. He promptly awoke, obviously ticked that he was in his crib, and started to protest. I silently reminded myself that he needed sleep, just like any other basic need, and so this was necessary. Well, then something remarkable happened. He fell asleep. Within 5 minutes! I was amazed and relieved. Hopefully nap #2 will go as smoothly!
Monday, August 12, 2013
Sleep Training
Sleep training is a very sensitive subject. Some agree with it, some don't, and some just do it not because they like it, but as a means to an end. I am in the third group. Tonight, we are sleep training our newest member, and it has been just as dreaded as the first time we did it.
Our first, Caylen, had major sleep issues from the beginning, which resulted in major sleep deprivation by the time we did sleep training at 8 months. I swore then that instead of battling the frustrations and sleepless nights sleep deprivation brings, I would do sleep training earlier, if it truly needed to be done. Well, this time around, our boy has been a pretty good sleeper. Compared to his sister, at least. His biggest issues are that 1.) he refuses to sleep on any flat surface and 2.) he has a bad habit of waking up at 3-4 AM and not going back to sleep. Until 8AM. Which wouldn't be too bad if he was an only child and I stayed at home with him-- we could just go back to sleep together! But, that's not the case, is it? Not only do we have an older child, she is in school and I have to take her at 7:45 AM, which is about the time he wants to zonk back out. Which, of course, doesn't work-- this results in a fussy baby who is overtired and cranky pretty much all day. He is gradually getting worse and worse with his irregular napping patterns and cranky disposition around dinner time, 6 PM, which is just too early for him to go to bed! Not to mention, the rock n play that he sleeps in is much too small for him, and he has almost fallen out of it, so that is reason enough to move him to the crib. So, tonight is the first night. It is going much better than it did with Caylen, mostly since we are in a bigger house now that doesn't simply echo with the baby's cries. Hopefully he will surrender to slumber quickly so we can all breathe easier.....!
By the way, the book we are using is Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Weissbluth. With Caylen, we used Sleeping Through the Night, and honestly I recommend the HSHHC, since it is much more in depth about sleep patterns, the effects of sleep deprivation, and what to expect for babies of different ages.
I will give an update soon on our progress!
The sad face of sleep deprivation! I feel terrible every time I see this picture!
Our first, Caylen, had major sleep issues from the beginning, which resulted in major sleep deprivation by the time we did sleep training at 8 months. I swore then that instead of battling the frustrations and sleepless nights sleep deprivation brings, I would do sleep training earlier, if it truly needed to be done. Well, this time around, our boy has been a pretty good sleeper. Compared to his sister, at least. His biggest issues are that 1.) he refuses to sleep on any flat surface and 2.) he has a bad habit of waking up at 3-4 AM and not going back to sleep. Until 8AM. Which wouldn't be too bad if he was an only child and I stayed at home with him-- we could just go back to sleep together! But, that's not the case, is it? Not only do we have an older child, she is in school and I have to take her at 7:45 AM, which is about the time he wants to zonk back out. Which, of course, doesn't work-- this results in a fussy baby who is overtired and cranky pretty much all day. He is gradually getting worse and worse with his irregular napping patterns and cranky disposition around dinner time, 6 PM, which is just too early for him to go to bed! Not to mention, the rock n play that he sleeps in is much too small for him, and he has almost fallen out of it, so that is reason enough to move him to the crib. So, tonight is the first night. It is going much better than it did with Caylen, mostly since we are in a bigger house now that doesn't simply echo with the baby's cries. Hopefully he will surrender to slumber quickly so we can all breathe easier.....!
After one of our long nights......
By the way, the book we are using is Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Weissbluth. With Caylen, we used Sleeping Through the Night, and honestly I recommend the HSHHC, since it is much more in depth about sleep patterns, the effects of sleep deprivation, and what to expect for babies of different ages.
I will give an update soon on our progress!
Friday, August 9, 2013
Our Meal Planning/Grocery Shopping Routine
Grocery shopping, and meal planning, are one of my most favorite things about being a stay at home mom. I love to try new recipes, and I love to grocery shop. Also, I love to organize. So, I thought I would share with you my wonderfully efficient way of meal planning and grocery shopping. Also, a little couponing. :)
I grocery shop on Thursday, which is pay day for us. On the day before, Wednesday, I look for coupons. I use the Ibotta Iphone app and coupons.com. Now, I do love coupons, but honestly I don't use that many because 1. we eat a Paleo diet, and 2. we live in a small town that only has a weekly paper. However, I do usually find at least one coupon a week for something that we need, thankfully. So, I gather my coupons, and my grocery list, and head out to Ingles to shop!
I keep my grocery list on my phone, on the Evernote app. I have a 4 week meal plan, which I update regularly, whether I am switching out recipes for better ones or updating recipes for summer, winter, etc. So, consequently, I have a grocery list for each week already planned out, according to the recipes that are assigned for that week. If I need extra items or additional things, I have a separate list, usually a very short one, in my notes that I can refer to. I love that I can just pull up the list already made up for that week, as soon as I get to the grocery store and do my shopping right away, instead of taking an hour plus per week to plan my meals and grocery list!
This week, since our oldest peanut has started pre-k, which is from 8-2:30 every weekday, I of course have to plan lunches for her as well. Since we eat a Paleo-style diet, it is not as simple as a PB&J with chips every day. Which of course, given the option, I would not choose for her anyway. I might choose it for myself, since I loooove PB&J, but I wouldn't make it for her.
Anyway....... her lunches are a bit complicated. We don't eat bread, chips, crackers, cookies, etc. All those wonderful portable things that so often find their way into lunchboxes, so I have to be crafty. This means I made up a Lunch Meal Plan for her way back in the summer, since I was up all night one night, worrying what I would possibly make for her lunch that would: a) be good, b) be portable, and c) not beg for other children to make fun of her 'weird lunch.' You know that kid in school who always had the odd, stinky food that everyone made fun of? Well, I thankfully wasn't that kid, but one of my friends was. She was a vegetarian, and she would always bring weird vegetarian food to school. Like tofurky. Or hummus-- before it was cool. Well, I didn't want my peanut to be that kid, not yet anyway. I mean, I need to get her off to a good start! She is only in pre-k for goodness sakes!
So, back to my original point....
The lunch meal plan. I thought I would come up with about 5 different choices for a lunch entree, then 5 veggie choices, then 5 fruit choices. At the beginning of each week, I ask peanut what she wants for lunch that week. She picks 2 from each list, and I buy those things, prepare them, pack them, and she gets a variety of good lunches for the week. This week it was apple chicken sausage, a gluten free waffle sandwich (I know, not Paleo, but she's a kid! She only had it one day this week anyway), mushrooms and frozen peas, and strawberries and blueberries. For next week, she picked cubed chicken and ham rollups with spinach and green pepper, tomatoes, and applesauce and frozen berries. Not so bad, eh? Peanut didn't think so either-- she apparently liked her lunches this week. That 's what she told me at least....
So, all in all, I guess I wanted to just jot down what things worked for us as far as meal planning and organization go, so if this helps anyone, or is just merely entertaining, than it has served its purpose. Well, actually its purpose was just for me to jot it down for memory's sake.....
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Long Time, No See!
Long time, no see! I haven't written in about 2 years I guess, so there's no time like the present, right? A lot has happened since the last time I wrote! We were attempting to adopt from Russia, which was exciting, but that all fell through, just the way it was meant to. We also looked into adopting domestically, but that didn't work out either. So, we just gave up on trying. I tried the Paleo diet to lose a few pounds......
and, then we got pregnant with this sweetie!
Ezekiel James, born Sunday, January 20th at 5:15 PM, at home.
Speaking of Zekey.....
Zeke has 2 teeth already, the bottom 2, and he is currently working on his top 2 teeth. This is all new to me, nursing a baby with teeth, since Caylen got her first 2 teeth just a couple of weeks before she turned 1. I weaned her about a month after her first birthday, so nursing her with teeth was a very brief period. He is sitting up like a champ, eating like nobody's business, and trying to become mobile, which he can wait just a little longer for that! :)
He still sleeps in the Rock n' Play, which is not something I am proud of, but apparently, (trust me we have tried) he won't sleep anywhere else for longer than a 2 hour stretch at a time. Even if he's with us in the bed. Oh well! If there is one thing I have learned in this journey of parenting, it is to ditch the guilt for the things you can't change! We tried to get him to sleep in the crib for quite a while, from the very beginning in fact, but 2 sleep deprived, irritable, annoyed, did I mention tired, parents decided that sleeping in the rock n' play wasn't so bad after all...... Choose your battles!
I am still a happy stay at home mom, which I love and I value, despite the loneliness and monotony. It definitely helps to have a parent staying at home, taking care of the kiddos while the other spouse works. a lot. at not only one job that takes more than 40 hours a week, but also being a part-time EMT. It's alright though! I get a gym membership out of it! I really do love staying at home though-- I find it has been the best fit for our family and it is a very hard job, but it's also a very important one.
That's about all for now, hopefully I will write again sooner than 2 years from now!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Upcoming Fundraisers!
I will be quick with this post, but I want to make 2 fundraiser events known. November 18th and 19th we will have an indoor yard sale at our house, with everything from Christmas decorations to baby clothes! It starts at 7 AM and we will be in our sunroom with heat!!
The second event, which coincides with the yard sale and continues on until February 1st, is a raffle. We are raffling a Joovy ScooterX2 double stroller in lime green. Raffle tickets are $5 a for 1 or or 3 for $12. This is a high end stroller, valued at over $230! Definitely don't miss the chance to win this awesome stroller!
Here are a few pics of what it actually looks like, color and all:
That is all for now-- I hope to hear from you all soon!
The second event, which coincides with the yard sale and continues on until February 1st, is a raffle. We are raffling a Joovy ScooterX2 double stroller in lime green. Raffle tickets are $5 a for 1 or or 3 for $12. This is a high end stroller, valued at over $230! Definitely don't miss the chance to win this awesome stroller!
Here are a few pics of what it actually looks like, color and all:
That is all for now-- I hope to hear from you all soon!
Friday, November 4, 2011
International or Domestic?
International or domestic adoption. For a while, my husband and I debated this subject. He was in favor of domestic, but I felt led towards international.
Personally, I believe either one is a great choice, but I do believe it is a personal choice, as to which one is better for your family. The 2 processes are alike, yet they are quite different. We looked into both options, so we are familiar with domestic adoption as well. As for the process of a domestic adoption, there are quite a few different ways of going about it. With international adoption, you can either go private or through an agency, but it is definitely recommended to go through an agency, due to the complicated requirements of the US and the adoptive country. We, of course, are going through a great agency, which is imperative with international adoption, especially in Russia. There are many things that can go wrong, so you always want to have an experienced, reliable agency to take care of things.
Unfortunately, there can be some tension between those who choose to adopt internationally and those who adopt domestically. To me, we are on the same team, but we just go about it differently. Also, as I said earlier, each family has to make that decision for themselves since they are both so unique. I am definitely not opposed to adopting domestically, it just didn't happen to be the route we felt we wanted to go. I know some people might say that we should adopt from our own country, to take care of our own orphans first. However, God created all of us equally and the orphans in the US are just as deserving as the orphans abroad-- whether it is in Russia, Ethiopia, China, wherever. When we started this process, we were open to adopt from wherever God led us-- we looked into domestic, we almost went with Ethiopia, but ultimately God led us back to Russia. Keeping with America World's view on adoption, adoption by design, adoption is not Plan B for us. It is God's Plan A for our life. God has designed for our child to be born in Russia, and that is where we will go!
"This is the Great Adventure!"
Personally, I believe either one is a great choice, but I do believe it is a personal choice, as to which one is better for your family. The 2 processes are alike, yet they are quite different. We looked into both options, so we are familiar with domestic adoption as well. As for the process of a domestic adoption, there are quite a few different ways of going about it. With international adoption, you can either go private or through an agency, but it is definitely recommended to go through an agency, due to the complicated requirements of the US and the adoptive country. We, of course, are going through a great agency, which is imperative with international adoption, especially in Russia. There are many things that can go wrong, so you always want to have an experienced, reliable agency to take care of things.
Unfortunately, there can be some tension between those who choose to adopt internationally and those who adopt domestically. To me, we are on the same team, but we just go about it differently. Also, as I said earlier, each family has to make that decision for themselves since they are both so unique. I am definitely not opposed to adopting domestically, it just didn't happen to be the route we felt we wanted to go. I know some people might say that we should adopt from our own country, to take care of our own orphans first. However, God created all of us equally and the orphans in the US are just as deserving as the orphans abroad-- whether it is in Russia, Ethiopia, China, wherever. When we started this process, we were open to adopt from wherever God led us-- we looked into domestic, we almost went with Ethiopia, but ultimately God led us back to Russia. Keeping with America World's view on adoption, adoption by design, adoption is not Plan B for us. It is God's Plan A for our life. God has designed for our child to be born in Russia, and that is where we will go!
"This is the Great Adventure!"
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Just a Little Discouraged!
Hello All! Today's post is not about any particular adoption details, but it is just something I have been struggling with lately. I don't know exactly what caused it to come about, but I have just felt so discouraged, which is terrible since we have only began our journey. Lately, I feel so discouraged that I just want to throw up my hands and just say, "I Quit!!" But, then I am reminded that we have been called to something much higher than that.
I work as an independent consultant to (hopefully) help foot some of the many expenses we are about to, and already have, encountered. It is merely an experiment, to see if it works. If God wants me to do this to help with the costs, then there is no stopping Him. However, if He has something else in mind, then I am okay with knowing that I will have to pick up and move on to whatever the next 'thing' is. I am unsure, especially this early in the game, of whether or not this is 'it,' but it has been a rough road, let me tell you. I haven't even been doing it for very long, either! It seems like all the 'friends' I had before I began seem to run for the hills when I mention the company, or doing a show. It is like they think I am perpetually trying to sell them something and can't see beyond the fact that I am a salesperson, to raise money for our adoption, no less. There is much more to me than this job, and I am just doing what I need to do so we can fulfill what God has called us to do! If people don't like what I sell (that is perfectly fine-- just don't be rude about it) then they can tastefully decline, for whatever reason, I understand. It just really hurts when people avoid me, for whatever reason! Believe me, I would prefer to have a job where I don't have to be the dreaded salesperson, but in this economy, and I know that is part of it (no sense in being rude, though, people!), there are really no jobs to be had. So, I am doing what I can to contribute to our adoption fund by being a consultant. I am willing to try anything in order for us to be able to go to Russia and bring our son home! So, believe me, if that means selling whatever it is, I am going to be doing it! And, hopefully, something that I sell will appeal to you! :)
I really do hate being negative, and this is part of why I wrote this post. I wanted to get out all the negativity and be able to put a perspective on things-- to be able to focus on the positive things that are happening and block out the negative. There have definitely been people who have showed an interest and have supported us in our venture, and I am so grateful to those people who are willing to stick by us and support us any way they can; whether it is by prayer, verbal support/encouragement, or donations. To those people who have showed their support, I have been so moved to their outpouring of love, and I am so grateful for that! I really do feel blessed to have those people in my life; I just pray I can learn to focus on the positive, encouraging ones and be able to keep moving forward, on our path God has laid out for us.
Please keep us in your prayers, as always, but in particular this week since we are all seeming to experience a high degree of discouragement and negativity. This is not the last of our discouraging times; there will be many more! We just need to keep our eyes on the prize.....
Thanks for your support
I work as an independent consultant to (hopefully) help foot some of the many expenses we are about to, and already have, encountered. It is merely an experiment, to see if it works. If God wants me to do this to help with the costs, then there is no stopping Him. However, if He has something else in mind, then I am okay with knowing that I will have to pick up and move on to whatever the next 'thing' is. I am unsure, especially this early in the game, of whether or not this is 'it,' but it has been a rough road, let me tell you. I haven't even been doing it for very long, either! It seems like all the 'friends' I had before I began seem to run for the hills when I mention the company, or doing a show. It is like they think I am perpetually trying to sell them something and can't see beyond the fact that I am a salesperson, to raise money for our adoption, no less. There is much more to me than this job, and I am just doing what I need to do so we can fulfill what God has called us to do! If people don't like what I sell (that is perfectly fine-- just don't be rude about it) then they can tastefully decline, for whatever reason, I understand. It just really hurts when people avoid me, for whatever reason! Believe me, I would prefer to have a job where I don't have to be the dreaded salesperson, but in this economy, and I know that is part of it (no sense in being rude, though, people!), there are really no jobs to be had. So, I am doing what I can to contribute to our adoption fund by being a consultant. I am willing to try anything in order for us to be able to go to Russia and bring our son home! So, believe me, if that means selling whatever it is, I am going to be doing it! And, hopefully, something that I sell will appeal to you! :)
I really do hate being negative, and this is part of why I wrote this post. I wanted to get out all the negativity and be able to put a perspective on things-- to be able to focus on the positive things that are happening and block out the negative. There have definitely been people who have showed an interest and have supported us in our venture, and I am so grateful to those people who are willing to stick by us and support us any way they can; whether it is by prayer, verbal support/encouragement, or donations. To those people who have showed their support, I have been so moved to their outpouring of love, and I am so grateful for that! I really do feel blessed to have those people in my life; I just pray I can learn to focus on the positive, encouraging ones and be able to keep moving forward, on our path God has laid out for us.
Please keep us in your prayers, as always, but in particular this week since we are all seeming to experience a high degree of discouragement and negativity. This is not the last of our discouraging times; there will be many more! We just need to keep our eyes on the prize.....
Thanks for your support
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Details!
So, since last post was just a brief overview, I figured I would throw in some details now that Cay-Cay is asleep. And I can actually think. 3's are so much fun, but definitely mentally exhausting!
Anywho-- details. Of our adoption.
We have picked an agency, of course, and that is basically what we did back in April. We put in a deposit and application to America World Adoption Agency, or AWAA, and their website is here. You can find all kinds of great things there-- I know, I am there everyday! They have a blog as well, which tells about their different happenings for all of their programs. You can also look at all the different countries and programs they offer. They also have great resources for different cultures, financing adoption, and adoption stories. So, if you are thinking about adoption yourself, visit this site! It is truly great.
As for the details of our process, we are of course waiting to pay the program fee to get this going. After that is our homestudy and an approximate wait time of 4 months to a referral! This is very fast, and hopefully it will go quickly for us as well. After we get a referral, we will make our first trip to Russia to meet our little one and accept the referral. Then, about a few months later, we will go back to bring him home! Once again, this is just a basic outline of what happens-- trust me there are many more complicated details....! We hope to be able to start our home study by January, the Lord willing, so with this time line, hopefully we can bring our little boy home by next Christmas! We are taking every single step in prayer, and if you are reading this, I request that you would keep us in your prayers as well. We need lots of support from friends, family, and church, so there is no such thing as having too much help! If you are interested in helping with our adoption, whether with fundraising, prayer, or in any other way, let me know! I would love to hear from you.
My email is allisonburkhead@gmail.com.
Thanks Everyone!
Anywho-- details. Of our adoption.
We have picked an agency, of course, and that is basically what we did back in April. We put in a deposit and application to America World Adoption Agency, or AWAA, and their website is here. You can find all kinds of great things there-- I know, I am there everyday! They have a blog as well, which tells about their different happenings for all of their programs. You can also look at all the different countries and programs they offer. They also have great resources for different cultures, financing adoption, and adoption stories. So, if you are thinking about adoption yourself, visit this site! It is truly great.
As for the details of our process, we are of course waiting to pay the program fee to get this going. After that is our homestudy and an approximate wait time of 4 months to a referral! This is very fast, and hopefully it will go quickly for us as well. After we get a referral, we will make our first trip to Russia to meet our little one and accept the referral. Then, about a few months later, we will go back to bring him home! Once again, this is just a basic outline of what happens-- trust me there are many more complicated details....! We hope to be able to start our home study by January, the Lord willing, so with this time line, hopefully we can bring our little boy home by next Christmas! We are taking every single step in prayer, and if you are reading this, I request that you would keep us in your prayers as well. We need lots of support from friends, family, and church, so there is no such thing as having too much help! If you are interested in helping with our adoption, whether with fundraising, prayer, or in any other way, let me know! I would love to hear from you.
My email is allisonburkhead@gmail.com.
Thanks Everyone!
Our Russian Adoption Journey: The Beginning
Well, after a long blog silence and a question as to whether I would even return to blogging or not, I am back.
This past year has been quite a rough one, to say the least. I have preferred to keep our troubles under wraps, but now we have been moved in a different direction. To start at the beginning, in August 2010, we began trying for our second child. With Caylen, our first and only, we fell pregnant on the first month. It would be true to say that we had our hopes high that we would become pregnant quickly again. That obviously didn't happen! To make a long story short, there have been some suspected problems, but even before there was a suspected problem, I felt my heart being tugged toward international adoption. I had no idea what country really, and we knew that it was expensive, but felt that if God wanted us to adopt, then He would find a way.
Fast forward to April 2011-- we decided that we would move forward with the process, and see how it goes. We put our application in for Ethiopia and paid the first fee (of many). Right away, doors began closing left and right. Ethiopia actually looked like they might close, or almost close, their international adoption process. So, we decided to wait. I decided to close the whole door myself-- why adopt when you still might be able to have a child of your own? I decided to try my way again. God, all the time, was showing me that he had something more planned for my life than what I could ever come up with.
September 2011: After so many failed and frustrated attempts at having another biological child, I began to feel that strong tug again-- the pull to international adoption; much like I had felt before, but even stronger. My desire to add another child to our family had become stronger than ever-- so strong that I felt like I would go to the ends of the Earth for another child. I was ready to do whatever I needed to do to bring our child home--wherever he or she is. After much deliberation, we prayerfully decided on adopting from Russia-- Moscow to be specific. The children in this group are all Eurasian boys from 10 months to 2 years, and I am so excited and looking forward to bringing our little boy home! The only obstacle? Money. It takes a lot of money to adopt, especially from an Eastern European country. How would we ever be able to come up with the money to bring our little boy home? Well, we (mostly meaning I,haha) did much research on fundraising, grants, and finding other creative ways to bring in money. To start off, and since this process will be long and expensive, there will be many other fundraisers along the way; we are going to have an indoor yard sale on November 18th and 19th. I have also became a Pampered Chef Consultant to help contribute to our adoption fund. We will be planning on many others, such as selling t-shirts and such, to help cover the many costs and fees for this adoption. Our first fundraising goal is to be able to pay our first program fee for Russia, which is $2700. At the moment, we have been able to raise a little over $1000, so we are on our way. I will be keeping a fundraising thermometer on my page to keep track of our progress.Thank you for visiting our page-- I hope you keep up to date with our exciting Russian adoption adventure!
This past year has been quite a rough one, to say the least. I have preferred to keep our troubles under wraps, but now we have been moved in a different direction. To start at the beginning, in August 2010, we began trying for our second child. With Caylen, our first and only, we fell pregnant on the first month. It would be true to say that we had our hopes high that we would become pregnant quickly again. That obviously didn't happen! To make a long story short, there have been some suspected problems, but even before there was a suspected problem, I felt my heart being tugged toward international adoption. I had no idea what country really, and we knew that it was expensive, but felt that if God wanted us to adopt, then He would find a way.
Fast forward to April 2011-- we decided that we would move forward with the process, and see how it goes. We put our application in for Ethiopia and paid the first fee (of many). Right away, doors began closing left and right. Ethiopia actually looked like they might close, or almost close, their international adoption process. So, we decided to wait. I decided to close the whole door myself-- why adopt when you still might be able to have a child of your own? I decided to try my way again. God, all the time, was showing me that he had something more planned for my life than what I could ever come up with.
September 2011: After so many failed and frustrated attempts at having another biological child, I began to feel that strong tug again-- the pull to international adoption; much like I had felt before, but even stronger. My desire to add another child to our family had become stronger than ever-- so strong that I felt like I would go to the ends of the Earth for another child. I was ready to do whatever I needed to do to bring our child home--wherever he or she is. After much deliberation, we prayerfully decided on adopting from Russia-- Moscow to be specific. The children in this group are all Eurasian boys from 10 months to 2 years, and I am so excited and looking forward to bringing our little boy home! The only obstacle? Money. It takes a lot of money to adopt, especially from an Eastern European country. How would we ever be able to come up with the money to bring our little boy home? Well, we (mostly meaning I,haha) did much research on fundraising, grants, and finding other creative ways to bring in money. To start off, and since this process will be long and expensive, there will be many other fundraisers along the way; we are going to have an indoor yard sale on November 18th and 19th. I have also became a Pampered Chef Consultant to help contribute to our adoption fund. We will be planning on many others, such as selling t-shirts and such, to help cover the many costs and fees for this adoption. Our first fundraising goal is to be able to pay our first program fee for Russia, which is $2700. At the moment, we have been able to raise a little over $1000, so we are on our way. I will be keeping a fundraising thermometer on my page to keep track of our progress.Thank you for visiting our page-- I hope you keep up to date with our exciting Russian adoption adventure!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Another Hobby?
I, once again, have found yet another hobby to take on! First it was cooking and canning, then knitting, now sewing!
Now, I am not in any way new to sewing. I took it up as a hobby in high school, making a few things here and there, mostly just for fun. However, I have never used a sewing machine! So, my wonderful, handsome, sweet husband got me a sewing machine for Christmas! It was one of the Black Friday cyber deals. We got it in last week, and I got it out of the box. I have to admit that it was intimidating. Thankfully, my mother in law was visiting this weekend and showed me how to wind the bobbin and thread the machine. It was very easy, once I got the hang of it. My first project? 5 minutes after I learned how to use the machine.....Hemming the blackout drapes in the nursery. It was so easy and quick! My next project? Hemming those cute Gap trousers.....!
Now, I am not in any way new to sewing. I took it up as a hobby in high school, making a few things here and there, mostly just for fun. However, I have never used a sewing machine! So, my wonderful, handsome, sweet husband got me a sewing machine for Christmas! It was one of the Black Friday cyber deals. We got it in last week, and I got it out of the box. I have to admit that it was intimidating. Thankfully, my mother in law was visiting this weekend and showed me how to wind the bobbin and thread the machine. It was very easy, once I got the hang of it. My first project? 5 minutes after I learned how to use the machine.....Hemming the blackout drapes in the nursery. It was so easy and quick! My next project? Hemming those cute Gap trousers.....!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
True Baby Designs Diaper
Remember the post I had about the adorable Etsy handmade diapers from True Baby designs? Well, I won one of them! I just got it in the mail yesterday, and I have to say I am even more impressed now that I see it in person! I received the argyle diaper-- it was so cute! These diapers are flannel pockets, one size, and I was anxious to see if it would indeed fit my 2 year old, who is small for her size. And, it did fit! It is a small diaper, and I could see it fitting a newborn, so it fits a wide range of ages. Unfortunately it won't fit for much longer, but hopefully she'll be out of diapers *soon.*
This diaper is extremely soft, and in the pocket there is a handmade, I do believe, prefold. Very absorbent, I might add. I had a diaper pin laying around, luckily, since we use mostly aio's (all in ones) and I pinned it on her. It fit well, and it was, like I said, sooo soft! Since this is a fitted, I would need a cover to make it waterproof, so luckily I had just finished my knitted wool soaker I made specifically for this diaper! The diaper was so cute I hated to cover it up!
Caylen had this diaper on for a couple hours at least, and when her Daddy took it off to put her in the tub, it had retained plenty of liquid, believe me! So not only is this diaper cute, soft, and fits well, it is also very absorbent!
To anyone who is thinking about trying cloth diapers, I highly recommend it. It is so easy, and it is also fun! I also recommend you visit True Baby Designs at Etsy and look around!
This diaper is extremely soft, and in the pocket there is a handmade, I do believe, prefold. Very absorbent, I might add. I had a diaper pin laying around, luckily, since we use mostly aio's (all in ones) and I pinned it on her. It fit well, and it was, like I said, sooo soft! Since this is a fitted, I would need a cover to make it waterproof, so luckily I had just finished my knitted wool soaker I made specifically for this diaper! The diaper was so cute I hated to cover it up!
Caylen had this diaper on for a couple hours at least, and when her Daddy took it off to put her in the tub, it had retained plenty of liquid, believe me! So not only is this diaper cute, soft, and fits well, it is also very absorbent!
To anyone who is thinking about trying cloth diapers, I highly recommend it. It is so easy, and it is also fun! I also recommend you visit True Baby Designs at Etsy and look around!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Fitted Cloth Diapers!
I am a follower of True femininity, as well as a fan of cloth diapers, so I wanted to let everyone see her supercute site! It is an Etsy shop that sells fitted flannel diapers, with pockets for easy drying! I suggest you check it out, they are really cute. Perhaps it might ignite an inspiration, as it did with me, or perhaps give you an idea for a baby gift for a friend! Cloth diapers couldn't be easier, more cost effective, or cuter than this!
New Deodorant!
So I finally ran out of my Tom's deodorant. Needless to say, especially since my Tom's had not been working so well lately... Anyhow, I followed my earlier posted recipe, using only cornstarch and no arrowroot powder (just to see the cheapest version) and I love it! I scented it for the holidays with peppermint oil and cloves. It is scented very lightly, but just enough to catch that whiff of perky peppermint! And, no whiff of BO, definite plus!
The only downside to it, compared to the commercial brand is that it must be dabbed on instead of rubbed on because it is of a softer consistency. However, I did take the recipe and place it in the mold of my old deo container, and I can roll it up and down for use! I really don't mind at all having to dab it on, especially if it works, so this is a definite keeper for me!
After 12+ hours of wearing this, I had not even a hint of sweat smell! My underarms felt dry and powdery, from the cornstarch and baking soda, and were soft, from the coconut oil. Both the baking soda and coconut oil will help keep bacteria at bay as well, so I am very pleased with the product!
One more thing to add is this: my Tom's deo smelled great and had all natural ingredients, but it did make my underarms peel for some reason. I am definitely hoping that this doesn't turn out the same way, but if it does, I will definitely put that out there! I just have sensitive skin so sometimes things react when they really 'shouldn't!'
The only downside to it, compared to the commercial brand is that it must be dabbed on instead of rubbed on because it is of a softer consistency. However, I did take the recipe and place it in the mold of my old deo container, and I can roll it up and down for use! I really don't mind at all having to dab it on, especially if it works, so this is a definite keeper for me!
After 12+ hours of wearing this, I had not even a hint of sweat smell! My underarms felt dry and powdery, from the cornstarch and baking soda, and were soft, from the coconut oil. Both the baking soda and coconut oil will help keep bacteria at bay as well, so I am very pleased with the product!
One more thing to add is this: my Tom's deo smelled great and had all natural ingredients, but it did make my underarms peel for some reason. I am definitely hoping that this doesn't turn out the same way, but if it does, I will definitely put that out there! I just have sensitive skin so sometimes things react when they really 'shouldn't!'
Thursday, November 18, 2010
My New Obsession....
Once upon a time, about 3 years ago, I wanted to learn how to knit. I bought some bamboo needles, a book, and some cotton yarn. After about 3 hours and one large knot, I broke my needles and shredded my book (this was obviously before I had children, seeing how my patience was rarely tested, but when it was, I got mad, or as I like to refer to it, frustrated). Anyway, looking back, I see that I did 3 things wrong:
1.) I tried to learn knitting from a book. Have you ever learned how to swim from reading a book? Or maybe how to ride a bike? Yeah, you would be frustrated too.
2.) I bought bamboo needles, and small ones at that. The yarn doesn't slide so well on them, so in my opinion, they are not the best for a beginner, as the metal ones are.
3.) I bought cotton yarn. Cotton doesn't give, it doesn't stretch. Wool is best to learn on, I have found-- it stretches, it is forgiving, and it doesn't separate like cotton does.
So, I swore off knitting. I thought it was the worst hobby anyone could have. It was a time consuming, arduous task that was clearly impossible to learn!
Then..... I got a lesson from a person. Brandon has been encouraging me to pick it back up ever since, and so he set me up with a lady from church. She came over and taught me how to cast on, the knit stitch, and how to cast off. I caught on pretty quick, if I may say so myself.... haha... I guess I already 'knew' the basics! I could sit there and tell you all about knitting, like reading it from a book, but I didn't know how to actually do it.
Now, I do. And, I love it! I have already made a washcloth, a diaper insert, I am working on a pot holder and I have knitted almost a whole skein of yarn's worth in the shape of um, well, I don't know. It was just 'practice.' I have since unraveled all that I could and have 'recycled' it.
This has come at a really great time-- our life is just not going the way we had planned it, not bad, just not what we were planning. So, this helps keep my mind off of how I wanted things to be.
Next stop, sewing and serging!
1.) I tried to learn knitting from a book. Have you ever learned how to swim from reading a book? Or maybe how to ride a bike? Yeah, you would be frustrated too.
2.) I bought bamboo needles, and small ones at that. The yarn doesn't slide so well on them, so in my opinion, they are not the best for a beginner, as the metal ones are.
3.) I bought cotton yarn. Cotton doesn't give, it doesn't stretch. Wool is best to learn on, I have found-- it stretches, it is forgiving, and it doesn't separate like cotton does.
So, I swore off knitting. I thought it was the worst hobby anyone could have. It was a time consuming, arduous task that was clearly impossible to learn!
Then..... I got a lesson from a person. Brandon has been encouraging me to pick it back up ever since, and so he set me up with a lady from church. She came over and taught me how to cast on, the knit stitch, and how to cast off. I caught on pretty quick, if I may say so myself.... haha... I guess I already 'knew' the basics! I could sit there and tell you all about knitting, like reading it from a book, but I didn't know how to actually do it.
Now, I do. And, I love it! I have already made a washcloth, a diaper insert, I am working on a pot holder and I have knitted almost a whole skein of yarn's worth in the shape of um, well, I don't know. It was just 'practice.' I have since unraveled all that I could and have 'recycled' it.
This has come at a really great time-- our life is just not going the way we had planned it, not bad, just not what we were planning. So, this helps keep my mind off of how I wanted things to be.
Next stop, sewing and serging!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
My Dream Came True (Well, One of Them)!
Yep, a dream of mine came true this past weekend. It may not seem like a big deal, but it has always been something I wanted to do. I had a yoga class at my house! Ok, so it may have just been 3 lovely ladies, mom, Laura, and myself, but it was a start! Hopefully more and more ladies can start to come.
The class, like I said, was a lot of fun, but if I could have got the TV to work, it would have been better... It was definitely fun though! And, it gave me a reason to make the sunroom sparkle! We also found out that our fireplace/gas heater works great in there, and it gets nice and toasty in 5 minutes flat! Back to yoga. The class was on Saturday at 4, and we did a Rodney Yee video-- I know, real yoga classes have live instructors... I instruct my own yoga, but I am not ready to lead a class-- yet. The video was a simple, 30 minute video and everyone enjoyed it, and we will work up to some more difficult poses and series, then perhaps I can lead on my own. :)
Speaking of which, I really need to do yoga tonight..... This class was the last time I exercised...!
The class, like I said, was a lot of fun, but if I could have got the TV to work, it would have been better... It was definitely fun though! And, it gave me a reason to make the sunroom sparkle! We also found out that our fireplace/gas heater works great in there, and it gets nice and toasty in 5 minutes flat! Back to yoga. The class was on Saturday at 4, and we did a Rodney Yee video-- I know, real yoga classes have live instructors... I instruct my own yoga, but I am not ready to lead a class-- yet. The video was a simple, 30 minute video and everyone enjoyed it, and we will work up to some more difficult poses and series, then perhaps I can lead on my own. :)
Speaking of which, I really need to do yoga tonight..... This class was the last time I exercised...!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Apple Sauce, Apple Jelly!
So while I am waiting on my jars to finish processing, I figured I would write a little post on what I am making. I mean, I am always making something, but this time I have a little down time to write. So. I took the cores and peels of 15 apples, cut them up, simmered them, strained them, processed in a blender. Oh, Vitamix, how I covet thee.... Anyway, I boiled the applesauce, and now I am boiling the jars. Sterilizing them, of course. And, the lids. I have about 4 more minutes so I will try to make this short. Next of course I will fill said sanitized jars with applesauce then process in my pressure canner.
It's definitely not like me to waste, so what I did with the cores and peels is this: I will boil them down, then strain, add sugar and pectin, boil again, then put in jelly jars. So, my end products are some applesauce and apple jelly! If you read this, you might expect to get a jar or two, along with some other homemade goodies for Christmas--If you're lucky-- haha!
Gotta go get those jars!
It's definitely not like me to waste, so what I did with the cores and peels is this: I will boil them down, then strain, add sugar and pectin, boil again, then put in jelly jars. So, my end products are some applesauce and apple jelly! If you read this, you might expect to get a jar or two, along with some other homemade goodies for Christmas--If you're lucky-- haha!
Gotta go get those jars!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
A Productive Day!
I haven't written in a while, but I thought I would break the silence with a small post.
It's been a pretty perfect Saturday, if you ask me. I got up at about 7 with Caylen, fed her breakfast, made pancakes and tea, ate them with Brandon, we got showered and ready, then Caylen and I went to Walmart, with our freshly peeled apple in tow for her shopping snack. She was very well behaved and sweet on this trip, which is unusual. We leave there, go to Ken's Herbs, I get a few items, and she asks to go potty there, as she likes to check out the potty everywhere she goes. She was, I won't lie, quite trying at Ken's, but we found what we wanted and left.
We get home and eat lunch: leftover homemade vegetable noodle soup and crackers. Caylen eats great, for the second meal in a row, hey we're on a roll! I get to work soaking peas for split pea soup, make shampoo and toothpaste, yogurt, and some rye bread. I candy some apples. Then Caylen, after a little hesitation, goes down for a nap. And here we are.
Ahhhh! If only every Saturday could be this great!
It's been a pretty perfect Saturday, if you ask me. I got up at about 7 with Caylen, fed her breakfast, made pancakes and tea, ate them with Brandon, we got showered and ready, then Caylen and I went to Walmart, with our freshly peeled apple in tow for her shopping snack. She was very well behaved and sweet on this trip, which is unusual. We leave there, go to Ken's Herbs, I get a few items, and she asks to go potty there, as she likes to check out the potty everywhere she goes. She was, I won't lie, quite trying at Ken's, but we found what we wanted and left.
We get home and eat lunch: leftover homemade vegetable noodle soup and crackers. Caylen eats great, for the second meal in a row, hey we're on a roll! I get to work soaking peas for split pea soup, make shampoo and toothpaste, yogurt, and some rye bread. I candy some apples. Then Caylen, after a little hesitation, goes down for a nap. And here we are.
Ahhhh! If only every Saturday could be this great!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Shampoo Free!
As you may have already guessed, I have officially gone shampoo free! This has been the most challenging of all my homemade overhauls, but I think I have found something that works. Pretty good, anyway. First, I tried Caylen's method of 1 tsp. baking soda in 1 cup water. I did this for a couple of days, found that my hair was not much different than not washing it, then proceeded to the baby powder trick. I have been living with this one for a few days now-- you know, the thing you do when your hair is a little stringy and you put baby powder in it to soak up the oil? yeah, I had to resort to that one quite a few times. Just once a day though did the trick.
Some of you may think this is gross, going shampoo free, but really, I am getting the dirt and most of the oil out of my hair, it is just that my scalp is still producing oil like it is being stripped daily. However, I wanted to find a more efficient, and easier way to get my hair clean. I tried the diluted baking soda, then I went to a baking soda paste, but both were just time consuming and hard to get good coverage since I have longer hair. So, I found a recipe for a foamy shampoo and tweaked it some and went with it. This is what I am currently using now:
Overall, I am very pleased with the shampoo free routine, although I am not a fan of stringy hair or trying to adjust to below -par lathering. However, the condition of my hair has been much more satisfactory! I have more body and volume, which is hard for my superfine hair. I would recommend trying this for people who have problems with dryness, but if you have hair on the oily side like mine, you might be better off with store bought items, unless you are doing it to forgo chemicals like I am.
Some of you may think this is gross, going shampoo free, but really, I am getting the dirt and most of the oil out of my hair, it is just that my scalp is still producing oil like it is being stripped daily. However, I wanted to find a more efficient, and easier way to get my hair clean. I tried the diluted baking soda, then I went to a baking soda paste, but both were just time consuming and hard to get good coverage since I have longer hair. So, I found a recipe for a foamy shampoo and tweaked it some and went with it. This is what I am currently using now:
- 1/2 cup grated homemade soap flakes
- 1 cup water boiled down for 30 minutes with your choice of herbs.
Overall, I am very pleased with the shampoo free routine, although I am not a fan of stringy hair or trying to adjust to below -par lathering. However, the condition of my hair has been much more satisfactory! I have more body and volume, which is hard for my superfine hair. I would recommend trying this for people who have problems with dryness, but if you have hair on the oily side like mine, you might be better off with store bought items, unless you are doing it to forgo chemicals like I am.
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