Oil Cleansing Method Revisited

 

I began using using the OCM on April 5 (as talked about in this blog) and did it every night for a month. I was pretty happy with the results and loved that I was using such cheap and natural ingredients to clean my skin. Then my concoction ran out and I was out of town for a week so I went almost 2 weeks without doing it and instead using an astringent that I used to use.

I immediately noticed a difference. My same problems were back--extra dry skin after cleaning, oily skin in the morning, oily skin throughout the day....so I finally mixed up some more and took pics to show you the ingredients!

 

Just 3 ingredients! Castor oil, EVOO, and Tea tree oil. I designated a nifty little travel container to hold it all. Here are the amounts:

 

I use 2/3 castor oil and 1/3 olive oil. I added more tea tree oil to this batch--about a teaspoon or two--compared to only a couple drops in my last batch. As you can see, my container is not even half full, yet I'm sure this will last me at least a month. It just takes a few drops to clean your face and eliminates your need for lotion! Be sure to gently shake each time to mix the oils up.

I can't really say if there is a visible difference in my complexion. Maybe less redness? It has only been a month so I will keep you posted on what I see and feel in the future. Here are some pics for you either way!

 

Things to Enjoy

It is a lovely rainy Friday, and I am off of work! I am sitting here this afternoon enjoying a quiet house while my little one sleeps. Tonight Nick and I are going on a fun date to see Jerry Seinfield live downtown! We both love the Seinfield show and he is a great comedian. It will be a great evening!

Today I'm just sharing some new things I have gotten recently! This was about a week ago, but my favorite coworker Viet gave me this bouquet from her garden They are peonies, sage, and rosemary. It smelled divine!

I branched out of my comfort zone of neutral-colored purses (white, black, grey or brown) and got an AQUA purse! It is my favorite color so I thought it was a good one to start with. I got a new wallet also with the same fake croc skin look but in black.

One thing my mother requested for Mother's Day was a hummingbird feeder. When I picked hers out I decided to get one for myself also! It is hanging in my back by the deck above my new birdbath....

Halfway thru the Month

I hope everyone who is blessed to be a mother had a wonderful Mother's Day! And as a courageous survivor of infertility, I urge you all to not forget those who are still trying, or have lost a pregnancy in their quest!

For mine, my darling husband got me some of my favorite snacks and some new sunglasses! He picked out a card from him, and a special card from our little one (who "signed" both). We all took my mother out for lunch then she came and hung out at my house for the afternoon.

This month has just flown by and now we are on the countdown till my birthday! Only 3 more weeks......then it's Brad's birthday and Nick's birthday....eek!

I tried a new nail polish style that I found here and I was very happy with how it turned out!

It is sort of an imitation--and much easier way--of the water marbling technique that has become popular. You can do any color, and try different swirl designs.

As we draw closer to August we are resigning ourselves to living here in Oklahoma for a few more years. As much as we would love to start fresh in a new exciting place, we can take a hint that the time is not right! There are several more houses in my neighborhood for sale now that summer is almost here so the competition is beefing up. Ours is still competitively priced for the area so we shall see!

I've enjoyed a couple days off after our getaway but tomorrow it is back to the grind at work. This weekend is the yearly Italian festival that we attend and we are all very excited about that excursion!  After that is Memorial Day, then June will already be here! We have lots of things to keep us busy this summer and our little man will be starting school in August so this will be our last few months with him here everyday with us. It will be very different with him gone, but I know he will love being around other kids and getting to learn new things everyday.

Our Denver Getaway!

We had a fun little vacay this week to Denver, Colorado! It was a spontaneous trip based on a super cheap flight! We all 3 went and had a fun time checking out the sights. It was not Bradley's first flight, but he was too small to remember the previous ones. I'm sure he'll remember this one! He was a big boy and sat in his own seat.

We got into Denver Tuesday afternoon and picked up our rental car. Our hotel was amazing--close to the airport, easy access, huge beds, and a to-die-for breakfast that included cereal, muffins, donuts, bagels, waffles, biscuits/gravy, eggs, bacon, french toast, coffee and juice! WOW.

We ate at a local restaurant for dinner, then Wednesday we went on some excursions. We wanted to go to the US Mint but there were no open reservations. Instead we toured the Hammond candy factory and got some free candy samples. I picked up several sweet souvenirs for family as well!

 After that we headed into Boulder, CO and went thru the Celestial Seasonings tea shop. We wanted to tour the factory but no children under 5 were allowed so we just browsed the shop and sampled several teas.

That afternoon we made it to the infamous Casa Bonita for a very entertaining lunch! The food was average but the ambience was so worth. Brad had a blast and we spent over an hour just checking things out and playing games.

 

After that the boys were tuckered out so we rested the remainder of the day.

 

On Thursday we spent the afternoon driving west of Denver to check out the little towns and see the mountains. We stopped at several lookout points and got some great views!

 

 

Our last day was Friday and we ate lunch at a little diner then hung out at the airport after dropping off our rental car. Our flight home was delayed an hour so we got home around 8pm. As soon as we got home Nick headed out to Guthrie to pick up a '57 Chevy--but I will save that for another post!

Product Review--Scrub Top!

For those who are nurses, we know it is important to have durable yet comfortable scrubs! They can really take a beating and they need to be able to hold up to a lot of washes and wear. I recently reviewed a nurse scrub top for Uniformed Scrubs and was very impressed with their quality! The top was soft and very comfortable to wear for a long shift at work. After a couple of washings it still has a vibrant color and nice shape to it. No ironing needed! My medium seemed a bit large and I could have fit into a small so keep that in mind with your sizing. I loved the 3 pockets on the front to put all of my gadgets in.

If you are looking for a durable yet stylish new pair of medical scrubs then you need to check out Uniformed Scrubs on their Facebook, blog, Twitter, or Pinterest!

BONUS------------>You can use coupon code "trueblue" before July 31, 2013 for 15% off of your purchase!!

Helpful Natural Remedies

Life has run off with me and it has been 2 weeks since my last post! It is already April 20 and I have only posted one time this month.

If you recall from early December of last year I wrote this blog about my solution to dandruff...well recently it seems to have come back partly (not near as bad as it was) and the Tea Tree Oil was not helping quite like it did before. Plus I ran out, so I was open to different remedies to try.

I have done a lot of reading on natural scalp and hair treatments since I have dandruff and am trying to grow my hair out. Apple cider vinegar (referred to ACV from here on) is one that kept popping up as very beneficial to both your hair and scalp. It naturally cleanses the build up on your hair and works to condition and soften your hair. The acidity helps neutralize the ph of your scalp and helps unclog pores that can prevent natural oils from moisturizing your skin thus causing flaking.

I tried a little experiment and here is what I did: I poured pure ACV on my scalp (enough to wet it but not dripping) and massaged it in--especially my problem areas. Then I let it sit for 15-20 minutes and shampooed/conditioned in the shower like normal. I did this every other day and after about 5 times I have noticed a significant improvement in not only my scalp, but also my hair! My scalp has much less flaking and no itching. My hair is soft and very shiny. Sure, I smell like a pickle right after I wash my hair but after it dries there is no trace of vinegar smell. It was harder to pour the ACV directly out of the bottle so I got a little squirt bottle to help control the flow better.

ACV is definitely cheaper than Tea Tree Oil so I would recommend those who are not having success with other remedies should try this!

If you read my last blog post you remember that I started cleaning my face with oil. Yes I am still doing it and I like it! I haven't noticed much improvement per say in my tone or discolorations, but I love that I do not need moisturizer any more. I love that it does not burn if it gets in my eye or when I am taking off eye makeup. I can also say that any blemishes I do get are quickly gone in a day or two instead of hanging around for over a week.

 

In short, I am sold on the oil-cleansing method. If for nothing else but for the cost! It is just pennies to make a small amount that lasts forever. It takes very little oil to get the job done and it has to be better for your skin if it's chemical-free and all natural pure ingredients! I do think for my next batch I am going to get some jojoba oil to throw in there for more blemish fighting properties.

On a different note, Nick and I met some friends for dinner by the lake and here is a pic of us at sunset :)

Experimentation = Oil Cleansing!

What am I cleaning you ask? My face! With oil? Yes! Before you call me crazy, feel free to read this very informative article that sums it up perfectly. My skin is kind of weird and I have battled with it for years. I'm not going to be dramatic and say I "struggle" with acne because I don't. I do however have annoying blemishes, dry spots, and a very oily T-zone that an almost-30-year-old should not have.

For a long time I used astringent to clean my face at night but was still getting occasional break outs and dry/oily skin. Nick got me a different kind of face cleaner for Christmas and it seemed to help a bit but still had the same old problems. It just ran out yesterday so I decided to take the plunge and try out the oil cleansing method!

I started out simple with a mixture of 2/3 castor oil and 1/3 EVOO. I also added a few drops of Tea Tree oil (Nick calls it my marinade). It took just a pinch to cover my face and I rubbed it around for about a minute, then gently cleaned it off with a hot wet washcloth. These pictures are after the cleaning (and will be my "before" pics if it turns out well):

 

It doesn't look too bad in the pics, but I do have some discolorations, small blemishes, blackheads, and old scarring (pay no attention to the red spot under my left eye--it is dilated capillaries that I've had for many years). I have read several accounts of people who have used this method and it has reversed much of the old scarring and marks on their face.

I usually have super dry skin after a shower, but this time I did not. I didn't use any lotion or spot treatment before bed. In the morning my face did not seem oily at all, and I did not notice any new bumps. In fact it almost seemed more clear than the day before! I also noticed during my day at work that my face did not get oily in the afternoon like it normally would. Yay!

I am going to do this each night as my face cleansing method for at least one month. I will take pics again after one month and tell you about pros/cons at the end.

PS My son got a spot in our local primary school! We officially enrolled him and got the afternoon class that we wanted. Now we are all set and will meet his teacher in August.

Easter Fun

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter holiday! We had a great time with food, family, and friends.

Here were my holiday nails :) Eggshell and baby chick

Last Wednesday I took Brad to an egg hunt at a local museum. He had a fun time and got some treats!

I have been on call this whole holiday weekend but thankfully only had to go in for a couple hours this afternoon! The big dinner was my mom's house at 4pm so were all able to attend and enjoy ourselves. In attendance were us 3, my inlaws, SIL, niece Zoe, my brother Shane and his 3 kids, my stepdad's friend Charles, and his two boys. There was tons of food and we had perfect weather to go with it!

The older kids hid the eggs outside, then the 4 younger ones had a blast finding them all! Each kid got 21 eggs. They were mostly filled with candy but a few had money in them!

Brad was a very good boy who ate all of his dinner, plus cake/cupcakes/fruit salad. He had a great time playing with the other kids and running around in the yard all afternoon.

Tomorrow is the first of April and a fourth of the year is already behind us! We decided to drop the price on our house as of tomorrow so hopefully that will stir up some action. I had thought that it was the halfway point in it being for sale, but it has actually only been 2 months. We probably will not drop the price again because we want to at least break even and not owe at closing (if we ever get an offer, that is).

We also find out tomorrow if Brad got into our local Primary school so be sure to check back soon!