My Battle with "Being Green"

It is not emotional, spiritual, or even financial (and that is usually the issue for me). So what is the issue...it's immunological. That's right, my own freakin body is fighting my quest to be green.

A little backstory: Sometime in my early 20's I started developing food allergies. I don't know why or what happened, but there they were. It started with bananas, i think. But in that list of food allergies are sunflower seed/oil/etc. and almond nut/oil/etc.

So what does food allergies have to do with being green? Well, sunflower oil and/or almond oil are in probably 90% of organic products for your hair and skin. Why? Because they are so great.

Benefits of sunflower oil: It is very high in essential fatty acids; helps moisturize, regenerate, and condition skin. Good for sensitive skin (just not mine).

Benefits of almond oil: It is a great emollient for softening and conditioning skin; rich in essential fatty acids.

Therefore, it is used for lots of stuff; lotions, lip balm, soap, conditioners, etc.

That means I have to read the ingredients of everything. It can be very annoying. So I finally found chapstick that does not contain either of these oils from Dr. Bronner's. This is great because I can buy it at target. And soap Shea Moisture (also can be bought at Target). Conditioner: Giovanni (also at Target). Does anyone else see how much I love Target. And yes as I am writing this I am pronouncing it Tar-jay because it is where I get all my fancy products, so its better. Duh.

But other items are not so easy. It took me months to find a facial moisturizer with SPF that was "green" and did not contain sunflower and/or almond oil. But, with persistence I finally found it. The issue is I have to buy if off the internet and I don't really know how great it will work. But I am optimistic. Keys Solar Rx Moisturizing Sunblock SPF 30 was voted the number 1 Moisturizing Sunscreen by the Environmental Working Group for 2009. That means it is the best green product in the category. AND it does not have sunflower or almond oil. So I am off to order this product.

Review to follow.

Recipe of the Week - Fail

So this week I tried something new. Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto that I got from here. I have never had or made risotto before so I was not sure how it would taste, but it looked good and I was willing to try it. All I knew was that it was similar to rice and they made it on every episode of Hell's Kitchen this year.

Now I think I cooked it the appropriate amount of time, but it was a little firm. I cooked it longer, but it was still firm. That is what is in the directions (tender, but firm), but the Hubs said it tasted like it was not done. To me it was the same texture and firmness as rice you get at Chinese restaurants.

As you can see from the title, it was a fail. I personally did not think it was bad (believe me I have no issue saying something I made was nasty). On the other hand, the Hubs did not even give it a try. Well ok, he took a bite out of what was in the pan and decided he was going to eat something else for dinner.

I will admit, I was a little pissed. It is fine with me if he does not like something, but he did not even try it. He has never had risotto either, so I told him it was similar to rice, but I guess he wanted it to taste like rice. Whatever. So from now on I will stick to ingredients he has had before because obviously he is not into experimenting. Guess there is no point in me trying quinoa or bulgur. Guess I will stick to making pasta dishes.

Recipe of the Week- FAIL. Better luck next week.

Winter Hair Routine

I have been developing a routine for my hair. Trying to make the amount of time I spend on it shorter and more efficient. I am also trying to protect my delicate strands from the harsh winter weather.

Weekly

Co-Wash with Giovanni 50:50 Balanced Conditioner (this can be bought a Target)

Detangle with the same conditioner - To do this I divide my hair into 4 sections. Put a good amount of conditioner one the section. Comb the conditioner through with my fingers. Then detangle with a large tooth comb under the shower stream. The twist the section. Repeat for all sections.

Then I completely rinse the conditioner out of my hair with lukewarm water while still in the twists.

Once out of the shower I use Curls Coconut Sublime Moisturizing Conditioner as my leave-in and then sytle my hair. My hairstyle of choice for this winter is 2-strand twists. I do this on wet hair and style with my homeade shea butter concoction.

Bi-Weekly

I clarify my hair with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of lemon juice mixed with conditioner. I have been using Aussie Moist Conditioner (this can be bought at any grocery store). It is pretty cheap and doesn't have bad products for my hair. Then I follow my weekly routine from above.
Note: I am clarifying my hair so frequently because I work out a lot. Therefore, I get a lot of sweat build-up and I need to clarify.

I am hoping that by doing this routine I can keep my hair from breaking and improve growth during the winter months.

I know I need to add some deep conditioning treatments in the mix. Maybe I will try to do them on the weeks I do not clarify. And while my hair seems to be sensitive to proteins, I think it might benefit from a protein treatment every once in a while. I am going to try it out and see what the results are.

You may have noticed there is no shampoo in this routine. That is because I follow the No-Poo Method. Find out more about it here. I personally believe it is the best method for curly hair whether you are black, white, or somewhere in between. If you have curly hair I would definitely recommend you try it.

Paulina Rubio Hair, Fashion, Makeup Style

Paulina Rubio Hair, Fashion, Makeup Style

Hollywood, California is home to the Hollywood Palladium. The 9th Annual Padre’s Contra El Cancer’s “El Sueno De Esperanza” Gala was held at the Palladium. Latin singer Paulina Rubio was one of many in attendance.
Paulina Rubio

Paulina looked wonderful from head to toe. Her makeup was flattering and simple. She wore pink lipstick, blush, and mascara. She lined her eyes in a way that was unique and highlighted them; she wore black eyeliner on top and a silvery blue one on the bottom. Her hair was parted on the side and her bangs were swept over her forehead. The rest of her hair was left loose and fell around her head and shoulders naturally. Her hair had large, loose curls in it and was very flattering and lovely.
Paulina has a lot of style and great color sense. She wore a teal blue, wraparound dress that went to her knees. The dress accented her nice figure and had small, tasteful slits around the knees for ease of walking. She wore shiny black heels and a short, black leather jacket with the dress. The color combination was perfect and she looked very stylish. For jewelry, she wore a wraparound necklace that ended in a swirled pendant, lots of bracelets that ranged from charms to semi-precious stones, and a silver armband. Everything that she wore tied together perfectly. Paulina was hands down one of the very best dressed stars there. Some of the other celebrities could stand to take a few fashion lessons from Paulina.
Photos/PR PHOTOS

Patricia Arquette Hair, Fashion, Makeup Style

Patricia Arquette Hair, Fashion, Makeup Style

The star of the hit show “Medium” recently attended a party held at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, California. The party was called “Paleyfest: Fall TV Preview Party for CBS.” Patricia looked beautiful as usual.
Patricia Arquette

Patricia’s hair and makeup made her look sweet and sassy. Her makeup was done perfectly. She wore blush, dark pink lipstick, mascara, and line her eyes in black. Her hair was a short style that had layers and was shaped around her ears and close to her hair. The longer layers were in large, loose curls on top of her head in a flattering style. The eyeliner and the hairstyle really put emphasis on Patricia’s beautiful face and brought out her eyes.
Patricia wore a pantsuit instead of a dress to the party. She looked great in it. Her long-sleeved shirt was a V-neck with a high collar in the back. Ruffles were along the lower part of the V right above her chest. Patricia can get away with ruffles, unlike some stars who don’t know when too many is just too many. Her pants were very loose and flowing around her legs; they went all the way to the floor and covered her shoes completely, but the style didn’t make her seem sloppy. The outfit is a great one to emulate if anyone wants to flatter any imperfections in their figure and look more slender at the same time. She wore a black belt and small gold hoop earrings. She added two long necklaces that were very pretty. One was gold and large frosted purple diamonds. The other had small, round, frosted purple beads and semi-precious stones.
Photos/PR PHOTOS

Recipe of the Week

Well this week I did not make anything special, but I wanted to make sure that I cooked something this week. So I made some baked salmon, baked potatoes, and asparagus. Yes, I know not exciting in any way. Not as good as what I made last week in any way. But I am going to find something good for next week. Then we will see if the Hubs like it.

Rocktober Challenge - Week 3

Three weeks down of the Rocktober Challenge. This is such a mental and physical challenge, but it is so rewarding. I know I cannot keep this up forever, but from doing this challenge I know that I can work out 5-6 days a week with no problem. OK, probably 5 days. It is very hard for me to work out on my days off. And I have realized this even more doing this challenge. When I am off, I like to be OFF. But I digress, here is what I did this week. I did miss a day, so bad. It was because of work and not planning well. My body did enjoy the day off and unlike how I would have done in the past, I jumped right back into my workout the next day.

10/15 - P90X Yoga
10/16 - 30 min Boot Camp Cardio
10/17 - NOTHING! so bad
10/18 - W6D3 of C25K
10/19 - elliptical and strength training
10/20 - W7D1 of C25K
10/21 - elliptical and strength training

I also realized something yesterday. I need a smaller pair of jeans. I was able to take off my jeans while they were still buttoned and zipped. This is a huge deal for me. Since I am not weighing myself this month, and because I am my own worst critic, I have not really noticed if I have lost any weight. I know that I am stronger and have greater endurance and I have started to change my mental outlook on working out, but I have not really been able to tell if I have lost weight. Well, I guess I have since I need new jeans. But I will be waiting a while before I do that. Good to know though.