Getting started

   "If you know me, you know I'm not one for resolutions, but this year I've decided my resolution is- make a difference! Not sure what this will entail, or what it will look like but I WILL make a difference, in my home, my family, my church, my community, my world!!!!"

   I posted this on my facebook page 12 hours ago. It's something I've been thinking about a lot lately. Today, I thought I'd start with my home. More specifically, my bathroom. Over the past 2 years, I've dabbled in homemade recipes for things from toothpaste to shampoo to deodorant, but I always end up going back to the store bought crap. Why?! Good question! Not really sure I've got a good answer. But here's the truth...

1. I missed smelling 'girly'. Which is funny, because I'm so sensitive to fragrance that it takes me forever to pick out shampoo, body wash, lotion, deodorant, etc.
2. Sometimes, it was just easier to grab something that was already ready. Store bought stuff is also much more preferred by the kids. I can't tell you how much they hate the smell of vinegar!!!! And with 4 kids, who always have a reason why one of their siblings should go first in the shower, easier is always better, ALWAYS!
3. I have curly hair. It's frizzy, dry, and has a mind of it's own. The "no 'poo" method only made it drier. So, I started putting natural oils in it, IE coconut, shea butter, olive oil, which of course made it look, well oily, duh! I keep my cosmetologist license current, so I know that soft, beautiful curls are only a trip to the beauty supply away. Very tempting friends.

   I thought I would succeed in keeping to my 'hippie' ways last year, because a very close friend of mine was also interested in it and willing to try it. We were soooooo excited!!! She told me about this site called Crunchy Betty. We were in heaven...until summer. Our hair was gross, our armpits were funky, it was too hot to be melting, mixing and concocting so we gave up. Sure, our hair was shiny and our armpits smelled like flowers, but is it worth it?

   I lost my best friend in March of last year to brain cancer. And you know what? She was beautiful even when her hair was gone. Also, I'm thinking there's a darn good reason why her doctors had her using organic, 'hippie' shampoo and body wash. Why should I wait until I'm sick to make a change? Why not now?!

  So, back to the bathroom. I started by emptying the shower, then the basket of hair products I keep on the back of my toilet, the medicine cabinet, and finally under the sink. I didn't realize just how much stuff I had in there. There were over 60 chemical filled bottles in one bathroom!!! I was astonished, and frankly embarrassed. But you know what they say? Today is a new day! And in this hippie household it's a chemical free day!

(wanna see just what i had in my bathroom? check this out!)