a quickie....

been doing a lot of sewing...but I wanted to mention that I took a few photos of myself the other day, and was surprised to see that my face looks a lot slimmer!  The scales say I've lost another 2 pounds....it's still working!!

Update on the natural deordorant/antiperspirant

Hubby used my cornstarch/baking soda combo yesterday...then he went out and mowed our lawn in 100 degree plus weather, and came in to show me that his shirt was wet everywhere...except under his arms!  Then he went to mow another lawn (our high temp for the day was 106), and when he got home, he was a convert!  No stinky pits!

Refresh your towels!

As I was telling you before, if you have baking soda and vinegar, you can clean most anything!  (and I promise, the vinegar smell goes away)  I found this tip on how to "refresh" your towels...to remove all the detergent and softener buildup, and make them absorbent again.  By the way, in case you didn't know, you should never put fabric softener in your towels, because it makes them less absorbent.  If you think they need a little softness, put a half cup of vinegar in the rinse water.  Anyway, I digress....our towels had been suffering from stiffness, lack of absorbency, and a certain "stinkiness", a musty, sometimes sour smell that washing wasn't getting rid of.  Yesterday I washed a load in hot water with a cup of vinegar, then ran them again in hot water with a half cup of vinegar.  Hung them on the line.  Hubby came in as I was hanging them out, and could not believe I didn't use detergent, because they smelled so fresh!  This is just a refresher, normally we wash in cold water, so next time I wash them, I will try the new laundry detergent I have made...which I will share in a later post!!

Natural shampoo/conditioner

Let me just say that the recipes I have found are just not working for me.  I will continue to try to find something, because we spend a fortune on shampoos and conditioners!  The first couple of days, the baking soda shampoo worked very well, actually I think it is still working well, but the vinegar rinse is not working for me.  It makes my hair "hard"...but shiny.  I just don't like the stiff feel, so I will keep looking till I find something, and I'll post it here!  This is my hair, after the first natural wash and condition.  I blow dried the top, so I could tell if it was clean, but the back and underneath is still damp.  It looks really good, but feels weird to me.  It feels kinda like "2nd day hair".  It is clean, even the roots...no greasies!

On an interesting note, I noticed that the natural curl I used to have appears to be trying to come back after one use...here is the underneath layer which is still damp...

Chocolate/Zucchini cake

This is totally yummy!!!!  I made it this weekend when 2 of my daughters and my mom were visiting, and everyone loved it.  It is very moist and sinfully chocolately!!  and good for you.  :)

Dinner

This is one of my favs since I started the vegetarian diet....pizza!  It is so yummy.  I enjoy mixing up new drinks, so while I was preparing the pizza, I made a pineapple-pomegrante martini....now I am full AND mellow, LOL.  I wish the pic had captured how pretty the drink was...

Natural antiperspirant/deodorant

Okay.  So you might say, "no way can I take a chance on changing what I use to keep my pits fresh and lovely".  This probably won't cost you anything, since you most likely have these ingredients in your kitchen cabinet right now, so just give it a try for a few days.  The few people that I personally know who have tried it, including me, have been very pleasantly surprised!  Since I had a hysterectomy and started on hormones, I have been dealing with a problem I've never had in my life - stinky pits.  I have changed deodorants many times, but I still had the problem.  I don't sweat very much, never have, but I am very paranoid about any weird smells coming from my body.  :)  Anyway, I found this wonderful website http://1greengeneration.elementsintime.com/ ....as well as many others I found while researching this.  They all recommended a mixture of 4:1 cornstarch and baking soda.  That's it.  I used 4 TBs cornstarch to 1 TB baking soda, and put it in a small airtight container, with a powder puff.  Let me tell ya, you have never felt so silky smooth and dry under there before!!  There is no irritation at all, even when I applied it immediately after shaving.  (and I have very sensitive skin)  There is no scent, so if you're like me, I kinda miss that, but then again, having no smell is better than having BO/baby powder emanating from your pits.  The only alteration I have made is to add about another TB of baking soda, only because I am freaking paranoid (seriously, just ask hubby), so you may not need this.  I'd say you can adjust according to your needs.  I have read that pure baking soda (no antiperspirant protection here) may cause skin irritation.  What a cheap beauty product!  Try it - you'll LOVE it!  Next....I haven't shampoo'd my hair in 5 days!

Greenie

I am attempting to "green" up my home...hubby is willing to go along with this, as long as it doesn't interfere too much with his set routines, or hair products, ha ha!  I had already switched over to Seventh Generation dishwasher detergent, which is awesome, and Greenworks cleaning products.  I have since read that you basically only need baking soda and vinegar to clean anything in your home!  This includes your body parts!  I am going to be telling you about the different things I have tried, and how they worked, one per day, so as not to make this too long and tedious.  Tomorrow I will begin by telling you about my awesome new deodorant/anti-perspirant.

Saving my life...and the world...

Okay, okay, so being green and organic takes a lot of time!!  Just because I haven't blogged doesn't mean that I'm not still sticking to the program!!!  I have lost a total of 11 pounds, and 16 inches since I began this new way of life in March.  Best of all, I have had no migraines since then!  I have not had my prescription refilled since March!  I have not converted totally to veganism, I still eat lean meat on occasion, usually tuna, chicken, ground turkey, or sometimes a lean red meat.  I have tried organic beef patties, as well.  I try to buy organic when possible/affordable, and stick to veggies, whole grains, and fruits.  I do still have a glass of wine or mixed drink when I want it.  I have been really slack on the exercise, though, was doing an hour every day there for a couple of months, but haven't done it in a month or so....still feeling good, though!