Natural Homemade Hair Mask and Hair Conditioner Recipes

My Bleached & Dyed Hair, May 2010

I have long, fine and straight hair that gets super dry in the winter which, of course, leads to frizz. And it's not pretty. Unfortunately it's still in the growing out stage from me wreaking havoc on it just under two years ago when I decided to dye it dark brown - so that it looked black - and bleach out "highlights" that I dyed a bright magenta. At this point, I could hack it off to the point where my "healthy" hair has grown out, but that would mean hair no longer than my chin - again. With cold weather still lurking about, I'm not sure I'm ready to make change. So what that means is shampoos and conditioners for dry and damaged hair and the occasional deep moisturizing treatment to wrangle it back in line.

So what's a girl to do when even Aussie's 3-Minute Miracle and Anti-Frizz Cream aren't quite doing the trick anymore? Go old school and turn back to the basics for a deep conditioning hair treatment. Old school remedies from the kitchen really do work! Mayonnaise is great for moisture. Just apply and cover with a shower cap for about 8 minutes, then wash out. Or grab the olive oil from the pantry, heat a little in the microwave until warm, apply to hair and let sit for about 5 minutes, then wash out for a simple, yet effective hot oil treatment. Food not quite your gig? Raw butters and oils are great for your hair. Shea butter makes an excellent hair conditioners and oils like jojoba oil are great for moisture and shine! (You can buy quality, organic butters and oils from Mountain Rose Herbs.) There's no need to buy hair care products with lots of "extras" and chemicals. In fact, preparing your own hair masks, hot oil treatments, and conditioners will save you money in the long run! If simple is just not your style, then you can play around with a combination of ingredients for the perfect treatment.

Longhairloom.com has a great selection of natural hair care recipes from A to Z! Everything from an aloe & jojoba glossing gel to a vinegar rinse! My favorite recipes from Long Hair Loom are the Mediterranean Hair Mask - 2 egg yolks, 1 mug olive oil, 1 mug rum, 3 Tablespoons honey - and the All Natural Kitchen Deep Conditioner - 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon shea butter, 1.5 Tablespoons yogurt, 1 Tablespoon honey, 1 Tablespoon coffee, and 1 egg. For instructions on making these recipes and to find more recipes like these, visit Longhairloom.com.

You may also be interested in these hair recipes:

• Cucumber Hair Drench
• Rosemary Honey Hair Conditioner
• Natural Shampoo Recipes

What type of hair do you have and what's your favorite product to keep it looking it's best?

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Homemaking Tips and Shopping Trips

Printed Halter with Knit Back from The Limited

Feeling a bit insane this week. The hormones are a little wonky. Plus I had to buy new clothes for work as I seem to have gone up a size this winter. Not the way I wanted to go clothes shopping. I ended up at The Limited where I was able to catch some good deals on some quality clothing that was not made in China. Basically I scored four work outfits consisting of four tops and two pairs of pants in brown and gray for about $200 that work now for winter with a cardigan or jacket and into spring and summer without. (And they help hide the waistline!) Really disliking supporting clothing manufacturer's that import from China for the sole fact that they don't follow our trademark, copyright or patent laws and regularly rip off artists across the board in everything from clothing and accessories to film and art. Would love to see trade laws change on countries that aren't part of trademark and copyright treaties.

So anyway, as a result of possibly having to replace my entire wardrobe I asked for suggestions for getting some indoor cardio on my facebook page and ended up buying Start! Walking with Leslie Sansone 1 & 2 Mile Walk on DVD. (It came with a free 7-day Amazon on Demand Video rental of the video good for one month.) Really hoping this is something I'll be able to stick with. My friend on facebook - and yes! I know her in "real life," was able to drop from 200lbs. to 145lb. with her DVDs which I think is amazing.

Steampunk Art Print Apocalyptic Twins Holding Bomb"Anticipation" by Harriet's Imagination

I also dreamed about a devil zombie apocalypse that slowly unfolded. Every time I woke up I'd just fall back asleep and dream about a worsening twist to the strange dream. Told my brother about it and he suggested I read the book One Second After by William R. Forstchen. Apparently it's a "this really could happen" apocalypse book about the United States being hit with bombs that knock out our communications with an EMP and send us back into what is essentially the Dark Ages. The west coast is then occupied by China purporting itself as humanitarian aid, but they never quite leave. Very unsettling. I may borrow it from my brother after I get over being freaked out by last night's dream. Hormone fluctuations always bring with it the most visual and imaginative dreams for me. Does that happen for anyone else?

But enough about me. I recently discovered some great tips and diy projects online that I want to share.

Dishwasher Hippo Print from TheLSDesign

If you don't already know, vinegar is terrific for just about everything that has anything to do with cleaning. (Grab some DIY Cleaner Recipes here.) But did you also know you can use it in your dishwasher as an eco-friendly rinse aid? Not only is it all natural, but it works! Whole New Mom suggests combining white vinegar with a little bit of food coloring and simply using it in place of your regular commercial brand rinse aid. The food color makes it easier to tell when it's time to refill than simply vinegar on its own. (Click here for an eco-friendly dishwasher detergent recipe!)

With spring creeping up, I have getting outdoors and gardening on the brain. Make pathways and gardens easy to spot at night by decorating the boundaries with glow in the dark rocks! Simply paint your favorite rocks with Rust-Oleum Glow-in-the-Dark Brush-on Paint or Krylon Glowz Aerosol Spray Paint. They'll soak up the sun during the day and then glow from the day's charge at night! Apply several coats for an especially bright glow.

Black Widow Spider Glow in the Dark Rock from Rock Artiste

If you want to be extra artistic and have a knack for painting, consider painting decorative designs on your glow in the dark rocks. A black widow - like the one pictured above from Rock Artiste - gives an even more creative touch to your garden. (For high weather areas, consider following with a polyurethane or oil base clear coat over your final project.)

Liquid Castille Soap from Mountain Rose Herbs

Save money by making your own homemade foaming soap! Just fill a re-usable foaming soap pump with liquid soap and water. I like Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castille Soap and the Unscented Organic Liquid Castille Soap from Mountain Rose Herbs - 16oz. is just $6 plus they have a great selection of organic essential oils you can scent your soap with! Alternately, you can recycle your old commercial brand soap pump once it's empty and refill the same way you would an "empty" foaming soap pump by filling it about 4/5 of the way full with water then topping off with your soap. Whole New Mom also suggests adding a squirt of glycerin - also available from Mountain Rose Herbs - for extra moisture and a few drops of your favorite essential oil for fragrance. For more frugal homemaking ideas, check out my blog article, Household Ideas for Pinching Pennies and Stretching Your Dime.

For more tips and DIY projects, be sure to check out my boards on Pinterest!

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New Handmade Soaps and a little Nom, Nom, Nom.

I have three new handmade soaps curing as of several days ago that I think all just smell fabulous! I have also ordered some lavender essential oil so I can make an all natural lavender soap for spring, and of course, I have my order in with my co-worker's daughter for some super awesome, tasty Girl Scout Cookies. Yes, I am a bonifide Girl Scout Cookie addict. My favorite Girl Scout Cookies are the Peanut Butter Sandwiches or what used to be called Do-Si-Dos. (Psst. Serious Eats has a knock off recipe for their tasty peanut butter sandwich cookies on their blog.)

But on to the soaps! You can look forward to these beauties being available for sale from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen in about three weeks.

Bella's Kiss Handmade Shea Butter Soap - A lovely, soft and feminine blend of Violet, Gardenia, Jasmine, Grapefruit, Vanilla, and White Woods. This scent is perfect for teens and young women! Though I'm late 30s and love it too!

Abalone & Sea Handmade Salt Bar Soap - A fresh, unisex scented sea salt bar soap with shea butter that combines the scents of Daylily, Sea Shell Abalone, Lime, Ozonic, Sea Spray Accord, Rose, Jasmine, Freesia, Lily, Beach Daisy, Woods, Musk, and Marine. I made this one for my boyfriend who was a huge fan of my Big Lick Salt Bar.

Pomegranate Cream Handmade Shea Butter Soap - I've had this one before it just looks a little different this go 'round. This soap boasts a fabulous scent combo of exotic, spicy pomegranate, wild bergamot, dewberry, iris, and jasmine followed by spicy notes of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, with base notes of precious woods and cedar. Currently you can buy a goat's milk lotion from Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen in this scent here!

And just in case Peanut Butter Sandwiches are not your favorite cookie, I won't tease you by just giving you just one recipe for making Girl Scout Cookies. There are also recipes for making Caramel DeLites or Samoas at Yum Sugar, Tagalongs at Baking Bites, Thin Mints at Baking Bites, and Trefoils or Shortbread Cookies at CDKitchen. What's your favorite Girl Scout Cookie to buy?

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Artisan Loose Leaf Teas from The Cozy Leaf

I am a huge fan of loose leaf teas, but my favorite teas are loose leaf artisan teas. I love sampling new teas blended up by handmade artisans and have been on the look out for even more great teas since my favorite tea artist closed up her shop. Recently I discovered a new shop with hand blended loose leaf artisan teas located in Wichita, Kansas called The Cozy Leaf. 

Sample Pack of 6 Artisan Loose Leaf Tea Blends from The Cozy Leaf

I purchased Abby's - of The Cozy Leaf - Sample Pack of 6 Artisan Loose Leaf Tea Blends and received my purchase on Friday. I've been sipping ever since! According to the February 2012 issue of Reader's Digest Magazine - my mom is a devout subscriber - black tea, dark chocolate and fish can help to reduce stress, depression, and anxiety. So I've really decided to up my daytime consumption of a quality black loose leaf tea to at least once a day. (I believe the article recommended four cups a week.) Besides, there's just something about a cup of fresh brewed, hot tea that relaxes you despite the caffeine. My favorites thus far from The Cozy Leaf are the Organic Fit and Active Loose Leaf Tea - this is an Oolong tea blend - and the Organic Peaceful Dreams Loose Leaf Herbal Tea. I always love a nice cup of herbal tea before bed! Abby also has an organic Cream Earl Grey Tea in the works which is my very favorite tea of all time! I'm super excited for it to become available so I can try it out!

I like a hefty, strong cup of tea so rather than the recommended 1 teaspoon per 4oz. cup I generally opt of a rounded Tablespoon of tea per 6-8oz. of water. Herbal teas I steep for a good 10-15 minutes to reap the benefits of the herbs in the blend. I also really like the Traditional Medicinals herbal tea blends. While not an artisan tea, they are organic and their Organic Cold Care PM has been fabulous with this last cold I caught! Plus there's a coupon for $1 off in February's Reader's Digest. (I buy mine at Kroger.) I'm also a big fan of the artisan, flavored black loose leaf teas at Tea for All Reasons.

If you're a fan of tea, but not the caffeine, and your favorite artisan teas aren't available in decaf, you can decaf the teas yourself. Simply bring your cold water to a boil, brew your tea for about 30 seconds, then immediately remove the tea, drain your tea leaves and re-brew with a fresh dose of boiling water for the recommended 3-5 minutes. This method removes most of the caffeine from any of your teas - just as much as a commercial decaffeinated tea - but won't result in a loss of flavor for oolong, green or white teas. Black teas on the other hand can lose some flavor and may need to be steeped longer. Also, keep in mind decaffeinating your tea can cause a loss in the health benefits of your tea. I brew all of my loose leaf teas in T-Sac Tea Filters as I find them easy to use for whatever amount I choose.

Loose Leaf Tea? Make Your Own Tea Bags! via A Beautiful Mess

You can also make your own tea bags from coffee filters. A Beautiful Mess Blog has a simple DIY tutorial for doing so with a decorative touch that would make them great for gifting or as favors. Love tea as much as I do? Check out my Everything Tea Board on Pinterest for more tea related projects, products and ideas.

Are you a tea drinker? What's your favorite tea to drink and when is your favorite time to drink it?

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Scott's Simple Homemade Chili Recipe

During the cold winter months there's nothing like a huge bowl of chili to warm you up! So I thought I'd share my boyfriend, Scott's, homemade chili recipe. It's easy to make and tastes delicious even leftover the next day!

Scott's Homemade Chili - Simmering in the Pot

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 2-3 16oz. cans stewed or diced tomatoes
• 1 16oz. can tomato paste
• 4-5 16oz. cans of dark red kidney beans (Alternately you can mix light red and dark red kidney beans or use black beans as a healthier alternative.)
• 1-2 medium to large onions (white or yellow), diced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and diced finely
• 1 or 2 sweet bell peppers - yellow, orange, or red, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 package regular chili seasoning - Scott uses Kroger or McCormick brand but says you can use almost any brand as long as you choose one with the fewest ingredients which means less fillers and preservatives
• 1/2 bottle of good beer - Scott chose to Star Hill Brewery's Northern Lights Indian Pale Ale for this batch (optional, but always recommended)

Directions:

1. Cook the ground beef until brown and cooked through. Drain.
2. Combine cooked beef in a large pot with other ingredients, only draining two of the three cans of stewed/diced tomatoes.
3. Cook over med-high heat uncovered until the chili reaches a semi-boil.
4. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring frequently for 2-3 hours
5. For extra heat, add more jalapenos, habanero chili peppers or ground cayenne pepper to suit.
6. To serve, top with your choice of garnish such as chives, salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, or whatever you like best on your chili! 

Bowl of Chili Ready to Eat and Topped with Shredded Cheese

Like this recipe? Then be sure to try Scott's recipe for Seared Sashami Tuna and Sauteed Shrimp in an Orange-Soy-Ginger Reduction Sauce with a side of Asparagus. It also includes the addition of tasty beer and a bit of wine in the recipe - though optional, of course.

My son and Scott with Pepper Stickers on their noses.

Using your own produce from your vegetable garden for your homemade chili? Then save the seeds for next year's planting! Simply keep the seeds you remove from your peppers and dry on a paper towel. Then store them in my Printable Seed Packets! You'll find printable seeds packets for cucumber/squash, tomato, parsley/herbs, red pepper, and a radish. But you can put anything you like inside as there's a spot on each packet to write what's inside! Plus there are five different sticker designs - including the fun pepper stickers on Cody and Scott's noses - and red pepper gift wrap for gardening related gifts!

What are your favorite toppings or ingredients you like to include in your homemade chili?

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Printable Garden Seed Packets for Saving, Gifting, or Favors

With spring right around the corner you may be thinking about your upcoming gardening project or even easy party or wedding favor ideas for a spring wedding. So I've created some fun printable seed packets with matching labels and even red pepper gift wrap to make saving your seeds for the following year, creating seed packets as favors or including seed packets in spring gifts that much easier! (Check out a fun gardening gift idea here.)

Just download the pdf file with the printable garden seed packets, red pepper wrapping paper, and matching garden stickers labels. Cut out the seed packets along the outer edges, fold the flaps down and glue the packets together.

Then fill your packets with seeds and seal shut by gluing down the top flap or sealing the flap with a sticker label.

There are five different printable seed packet designs to choose from: cucumber/squash, tomato, parsley/herbs, red pepper, and a radish. But you can put anything you like inside as there's a spot on each packet to write what's inside!

You can use the stickers as seals for your seed packets or print out a sheet for the kids to play with! Just print on sticker label sheets and cut along the outer edges. Alternatively, you can print the labels onto cardstock and use as gift tags, punching a hole into the tag with a hole punch and tying on with ribbon or string.

Download my printable garden seed packets and labels here. These printables are free for personal, non-commercial use. 

Do you save seeds from your garden for the following year? What are your favorite seeds to save? (For more fun gardening ideas, visit my Gardening Board on Pinterest.)

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