odds 'n ends

So many thoughts; I have to get them out of my head.

No 'Poo

I've been transitioning to no more shampoo or conditioner on my hair.

First, a little background...I switched to no soap years ago and my complexion really cleared up. I've always battled acne and scrubbing my face with only a washcloth and water has made a HUGE difference. I only use meds on occasion now. Of course, as I've aged, I've changed my diet too, eating more healthy foods and cutting out high fructose corn syrup foods where I can. According to my dermatologist, HFCS alters hormones which affect acne. Even if I do binge on occasion, the effects aren't as disastrous as before I quit using harsh soaps.

As for my scalp, I always had itchy scalp and used Head and Shoulders in the blue bottle on my scalp and needed a good conditioner to restore the luster of my locks. I dreaded not washing my hair because of the itch and gunk I'd find if I skipped more than 24 hours.

But I finally got tired of my dry hair frizzing around my face after some time since I first accidentally learned of the 'no poo' method of washing hair and decided to give it a try. I was scared because of the dreaded scalp itch, but it didn't happen. I actually made a mistake the first few days, but it worked out--using apple cider vinegar/water mix on my scalp instead of the baking soda/water mix. I never had scalp itch or gunk. I did that for several days, risking oily hair but nothing bothering my scalp. By the fifth or sixth day (not sure when I started last week), I switched to scrubbing in the baking soda/water mix on my scalp, rinsing, and pouring the ACV/water on most of the length of my hair. The oiliness went away on my scalp. Unfortunately, I need a haircut to rid myself of the damaged lengths from all those years of harsh shampoo but most of my hair looks great.

It's only been a week, but I'm very happy with my decision, and I've noticed feeling better mentally too. Not sure if that's the reason, but less exposure to harsh, carcinogenic chemicals is always a good thing, right?

Perler Beads

My kids love these little things and all the patterns they can make. I quit buying them almost a year ago because hubby and I tired of always ironing them, but with other kids in the house, I bought a bunch more colors from koolstuff4kids.com (Perler bead central!). They're a great rainy day activity limited only by a child's or adult's creativity.

I first became aware of these from my mother-in-law, who got our girls doing them years ago when we'd visit. I'm not sure how long they've been around, but the kids love them.

Writing

From my Facebook page: "I'm making slow progress on the latest project, but I'm not sweating it any more. I've told myself that I'll finish each book when I finish it. No more trying to write fast like "successful" authors. I have my own pace, and I'm more comfortable sticking to that, although there are times when I need to push myself (just not all the time--it's wearying). My brain is clicking away in the background more when I'm away so that when I sit down for an hour or two, I'm more productive than if I try to write for any longer periods. In other words, I'm going back to being me instead of trying to imitate other authors' methods."

Writing for pleasure rather than business = what I've been preaching for years. I got too caught up in all the "you must write lots and lots to be successful" hype that I started hating writing. It's time to practice what I preach. I'll write at a pace that best suits ME. When I like what I'm doing, it will come through in the writing and be more entertaining to readers.

Back to work now!

ps--I already wrote about my equine troubles last night.