Sweet Love and Ginger

Jessica

No-poo Day 1

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Today marks the beginning of a new hair journey for me guys. I’m going to get on board this crazy no hair washing train that’s going around. A couple of my best friends are already doing it (and one for over a year) with some pretty amazing results, and it’s supposed to make my curly hair beautiful so why not?

 

I’m already half way there since I only really wash my hair once a week or so, more often if I have a particularly sweaty workout. I’m not really one to do much styling on a daily basis, and up until this past Wednesday I hadn’t had a hair cut since my birthday in February (yes that’s six months ago). I didn’t need one because my hair had been pretty healthy, but I thought that six months should be a good maximum for length between haircuts. You can read more about how I got my hair to be this long and this healthy here. It’s pretty simple really.
So this is my plan: I’m going to start off by washing my hair with baking soda and rinsing with apple cider vinegar when necessary (hopefully my current 1-2 times weekly). As for styling if it is actually required I’m going to use coconut oil, because you know it’s used for everything these days. I have been using this for the last few weeks instead of my usual products and I really like the results. It helps the curls stay silky without making them crunchy. I can run my fingers through the curls and they bounce right back like nothing happened. It’s great!Some things I am afraid of: I have A LOT of problems with dry skin (Gingers are meant to live in rainy places). I switched last year to an all organic soap (it is made in HI, however they started in VT and still have a small shop there so it’s local, double bonus) and so many of my problems just disappeared. I still have issues with the skin right around my hair line, you know forehead, behind my ears, and the base of my neck. It’s super embarrassing and I have been using head and shoulders to combat it, but it doesn’t always work. I am really hoping that switching to something more organic will fix this as well. But I suppose time will tell.

At the absolute minimum I am going to shoot for a month, but ideally I would like to give this change a solid 6 months before I decide if it’s a keeper.

Wish me luck!

I will let you know how this experiment goes in a few weeks. Any thoughts, comments, or info is greatly appreciated.

Recently No. 2

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Here is a list of stuff I have been up to, and things that have been on my mind recently:

Happy Labor Day!

There were lots of bachelorette, and bachelor parties this month that culminated in my future Sister and Brother in law’s wedding on Saturday. Congratulations all around!

Did you know you can remineralize your teeth? (link 1, Link 2)Holy wow! My mind was pretty blown from the info on potatoes in the last post. Now we need to talk about teeth, and dentistry. This information is literally jaw dropping (see what I did there).

A few reasons we should all be grateful.

I cannot say enough about this podcast. I have been obsessed lately. Even if you aren’t a business owner or a blogger, it’s just so cool to learn more about how other people and artists actually make money, live their lives, and spend their time. Seriously inspiring.

Do you know how many fruits and veggies you should eat in a day? This collage spells it out beautifully.

Date night.

I have been loving tomato recipes this month. I already made Mimi’s tomato Tart, Joy’s Tomato Cobbler with blue cheese biscuits, panzanella, fresh tomato sauce, and Herb Roasted Tomatoes & Chicken and tomato season isnt even half over yet!

I FINALLY finished The Paris Wife. It was so hard! Hadley is such a frustrating character. I’m not sure Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald would be much better considering all that is said about her but it’s on my to read list as well, someday.

I also FINALLY finished Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander Book 2). This series is amazing and I need to get my hands on the third book.


Also I am currently 1/2 way through The Queen of the Tearling. So far so good.

. . . Maybe I shouldn’t have given up on my monthly book reviews quite so soon?

There is a lot going on in the middle east right now, and it all breaks my heart. Samaritan’s Purse is doing what it can for displaced families over there, and I’m sure they would appreciate all the help they can get.

Just YES!

We finally got to the woods for a little local hike, as well as camping for Chuck’s birthday. I even got to spend a weekend up at my parents camp. I feel whole again. I had been missing the woods so bad!

I started out as a contributor for The Charming Blog this month. I am super stoked about the opportunity to work with some amazing ladies. You can catch my first post here and I’ll try to keep you updated on all my future posts.

I love this.

Backpack Tuna Mac

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This might very well be one of the best things to bring on a hike
ever. I love that they make tuna in a pouch with flavoring already! I mean does
it get easier than that?
You could basically just spoon it out of the package with crackers
and call it a meal, but I decided to up it a notch by cooking pasta for it. I
also chopped up some cucumbers, and carrots, but those are totally optional.
For this recipe I used the classic deli style tuna, but Ranch is
also a great option.
If you have a fireplace with a grate just
cook the pasta in a pan over the open fire. If you just have a fire pit without
a good grate it may be a bit more complicated. In order to cook the pasta you need
to get a pretty big fire going and then let it burn down to coals. You can
place the pot right on the coals, depending on your equipment or you can place
it on a rock in the middle (you may want to get that in place ahead of time).

The water may not actually boil like it would on the stove, but it
will get hot, and cook the pasta. Be sure to stir the pasta often and test it
to see when it’s done. Cooking times will vary based on the temperature of the
fire, but it should take anywhere from 10-25 minutes. If it is taking a while
feel free to build up the fire around the pot using small sticks, just make
sure you can still access the handles, and that they are not in danger of
melting. Note: It’s important to have the right gear for cooking over a fire. I
am working on a camping gear page now, but in the mean time, this pot is a
great example of the type that we use. 
Once the pasta is done, just drain it and stir in the tuna, and
any other ingredients. I mean how easy is that?
Another note: If you are backpacking water is a precious commodity,
I suggests saving the drained water for other uses. You could use it with
bisquick in the morning for pancakes, or stir simply in hot cocoa.

Part Time Vegetarian – 6 Weeks In

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It’s been about 6 weeks and I think this whole being a part time vegetarian thing is around to stay. It’s been so easy  and I feel so much better that there seems to be no reason not to keep doing it. There were a few times like vacation and camping where it got hard, and I gave in a little, but it’s flexible and that works.

Things that are different since the change:1) I can’t get enough rice, especially wild rice. It’s almost taken over my pasta addiction, almost.

2) I eat some really weird combinations of food. Oh we have some leftover cobbler? Sweet, there’s rice pilaf, and a cucumber left perfect, now let’s toss some dried mango in there and call it lunch.

3) I’m getting 10 x the variety of veggies that I was getting before.

4) Chuck has even decided that it’s ok to eat vegetarian more often, and he doesn’t really complain about it (gasp).

5)Hummus is a new house staple.

6) I have random cravings for chicken nuggets, that’s never happened before, and I’m thinking it might just be a mental reaction to the reduction in processed food in my life, I’m dealing with it.

7) I really like these burgers. I never thought I would go for something like that, but having them in the freezer at work is a lifesaver on days I don’t have lunch made.

8) Our grocery bill has gone down by a few bucks. It’s not a whole ton, but it’s a little, and I will take it because every little bit helps.

When I started this whole Part-Time Vegetarian thing I was already trying to cut back on processed food and grains, so adding in vegetarianism was another step toward finding the diet that best suits me and my life.

I think I my diet is something that will be ever evolving as my life changes and the needs of my body with it. Right now this feels right. It feels good both politically, physically, and emotionally. I’m going to stick with it.