Going Curly: Tips, Tricks, and Products

 This picture is about a year after I went back to curly, it was one of this first times I looked in the mirror and thought 

"hey, I like my curls"

You would not know it from my profile picture which was taken several years ago (to the right) that I have naturally curly hair. In high school I fought with my curly hair for years and by college I gave up an began straitening my hair, convinced that be attractive I needed sleek straight hair. Now this worked okay for a while as I lived in Utah which enjoys next to no humidity so straight hair was a possibility, after moving to DC I continued to straiten my hair for three years until June 29, 2012 when the region was hit by a derecho (aka - a very bad storm) and we lost power, leaving me without the ability to use my flat iron. Truth be told I was considering going back to curly before the storm but needed the push and low and behold with the right products and stylist I found that I could actually love my curly hair and I have not straighten it since the storm.

Going curly again was very scary for me, we all have that one thing about our physical appearance that we are very self-conscious about (if you claim you don't, your lying) and well for me that would be my hair! To say I hated my curly hair in high school would be a huge understatement and now I'm convinced that had I known what I know now and had good curly hair products existed back then my self-confidence with regard to my appearance would have been greatly improved in high school!

So with that said I wanted to share with you which curly hair products and tips/tricks have worked for me, ultimately allowing me to love my curly hair (well most days that is)! I do this because had someone else not shared there tips and tricks with me I would still be fighting with my hair to this day.

First, It is important to remember that all curly hair is different and if you have curly or wavy hair it is important to understand your curl pattern, amongst other factors and the Curly Girl Handbook and this website are a great place to start.

Curly Hair Tips that Work for Me:
1. Do not dry your hair with a towel - use an old t-shirt, pillow case, etc. Towels are to harsh on curly hair and case damage, breakage, and frizz - making this change alone made a huge improvement in my hair.
2. Find a stylist that knows how to cut curly hair, if they also have curly hair the better - if you walk in to an appointment and the person cutting your hair has natural stick straight hair I would be worried! I have found that with stylists you pay for what you get, and at this point I now have no problem shelling out $100 plus for a hair cut (yes I must save and budget for this) but I love my stylist, and you guessed it she has curly hair.
3. How do you find a stylist that is great with curly hair? You ask strangers with curly hair that you think have a great hair cut/style who their stylist is! I assure you this is not weird for curly girls I have been asked many times who cuts my hair, this is also how I found my current stylist.
4. Give it time! If you have been straightening your hair for years it may take some time for your hair to cooperate, I'm talking months! I also think it is important to not straighten your hair during this transition time, it gets confused.
5. You will still have bad hair days. There are days when I LOVE my hair, the curls all lay correctly there is no frizz, the hair stars have aligned! AND then there are days when my hair is out of control, it looks crazy and the best I can do it put it in a ponytail and get over it.
6. Find and use good products designed for curly hair, and yes they are worth the money. Furthermore, if a product does not work for you keep trying others, there are amazing products now for curly hair.
7. Do not brush or comb your hair, ever! Doing so causes damage and frizz 

Products I Use:
1. Deva Curl No-Poo This is a cream shampoo that does not lather at all, it takes some getting use to. After wetting down my hair in the shower I use a generous amount of the No-Poo focusing on my scalp and then using my fingers to comb through my hair and then I rise it out.
2. Deva Curl One Condition This is a creamy conditioner which is on the thicker side. I use about a palm full and work it into my hair while in the shower and then use my fingers to part my hair and scrunch to remind my curls what to do. I do not wash the conditioner out! This is because I have very dry hair so if your hair is on the oilier side you may want to rise out the conditioner and then apply a small amount when you get out of the shower.

**From there I get out of the shower and use a pillow case/t-shirt to remove water from my hair. I do this my flipping my head over and scrunching my hair with the pillow case for a few minutes. 
3. Deva Curl Angel Light Hold Defining Gel This is great gel but it is a light hold, Deva Curl makes several different gels so depending on your hair you might what something stronger. I scrunch the gel into my hair after I use the pillow case to scrunch out the water, using a large palm full.

**From here I either let my hair air dry (if its summer and my hair is on the shorter side) or I blow it dry using a diffuser.
4. Deva Curl Set it Free This is the best stuff ever!! After your hair is dry this great cream gets rid of that crunchy gel feel leaving your curls soft and hydrated. I spray it into my hand and then scrunch it into my hair.
5. L'Oreal Elnett Extra Strong Hold - Unscented  I use a little bit of this hair spray to set things at the end or when I put my hair up in a ponytail.

If you want to get Deva Curl products a try this set is a great place to start:  Deva Curl Trial Set
There is also a curly hair product line called Miss Jessie's that you can pick up at Target or Amazon - I have never tried these products so I can't speak to their quality or effectiveness.

Bump Nest Pillow Review

**I was NOT compensated for this review nor asked to write it, I purchased the pillow for full price from the website. I found it hard to find information about pregnancy pillows and wanted to provided a helpful unbiased review.

About 5 weeks ago I gave in decided I needed a pregnancy/body pillow (I'm 29 weeks pregnant FYI). After shopping around and looking at pillows at various retailers and online sites I decided to buy a Bump Nest pregnancy pillow. Before pregnancy I was a back or stomach sleeper, obviously neither is an option anymore, and that is where the Bump Nest pillow has been a life saver. I needed something that would support my back as well as my belly and keep me on my side. I can't tell how many times before I purchased my pillow I woke up in a panic realizing I was on my back and when I did manage to stay on my side I was waking up with terrible hip and lower back pain. It was difficult at first getting use to sleeping with a body pillow, however now I would be lost without it. It has enabled me to sleep in one position longer and wake up less throughout the night. In all I am a big fan of the Bump Nest and so is my Boston Terrier Midas.

However, with that said there are always pros and cons to every product so below are my likes and dislikes about the Bump Nest Pillow.

Likes/Pros:
-The WHOLE pillow is machine washable: both the case which was suprisingly easy to take on and off and the pillow its self.
-I don't need to flip or turn the pillow when I change sleeping sides throughout the night as it works both ways.
-The wrap around design works great for supporting the back, I'm serious when I say this think has saved my life.
-Shipping was free and very fast: this is important when you are pregnant and you realize you need a body pillow ASAP or you may never sleep again.
-The stuffing in the pillow can be distributed as you need to make some areas fuller then others. 
-The pillow cases come in pretty colors!

Dislikes/Cons:
-Takes up a lot of space, however that is to be expected with all body pillows.
-Holds in heat:so you have to adjust the amount of bedding you need.
-I wish it was a bit longer of each side, especially the shorter of the sides: I'm only 5'3'' so this may be a concern for taller ladies.
-The section of the pillow where you rest your head goes flat (from use obviously) so I have to re-fluff every night or put a regular pillow under it.

So there you have it - Overall I'm a big fan of the Bump Nest Pillow. While I have not tried other pregnancy pillows I am glad I went with the Bump Nest and I think it is worth the money I spent on it.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Years ago my mother gave me a bottle of homemade vanilla extract that I think she made at church (Relief Society Activity) it was amazing and so much better then the store bought stuff. I have always wanted to try making my own and thought it would make a great gift for neighbors during the holidays. Since completing gradschool and having the nesting bug set it I finally got my act together and gave it a try.

 If you are interested in making your own bottle or bottles of vanilla here is what I did/used.

What you need:
- Glass Bottle or bottles: for my gift bottles I used 8 oz Wheaton Boston Round Bottles  that I bought on Amazon. If you only want to make a single bottle for yourself I would find a larger bottle (16oz) since the longer the vanilla sits the better the flavor.
-Vanilla Beans: I bought a 1/2 pound of Grade B Madagascar Vanilla Beans on Amazon which gave me enough beans to make 12, 8oz bottles of extract replenish my own 16oz bottle that just ran out. I put 6 beans in each of my 8oz bottles which is more then most vanilla recipes call for but I wanted a strong vanilla flavor.
- Vodka: I bought regular Smirnoff which from what I understand is a good middle of the road vodka, it was about $20 for the largest bottle and I used 1.5 bottles. After reading several other vanilla recipes I was never able to find an answer as to if it was okay to use the cheap vodka but I did not want to risk it and have my gifts come out poorly. For those that don't drink (like me) save your extra vodka so that you can top off your vanilla once only a 1/3 is left, the vodka will not go bad.
-Funnel : I picked one up from World Market for $2 that barely fit in my bottles, I would buy something like these if I had it to do over again.

Directions:
-Wash bottles in dishwasher and make sure they are completely dry
- Take beans and starting about 1/4 of inch from the top split beans down middle with a paring knife (to get the beans in my 8oz bottles I also had to cut them in half).
- Put beans in bottles: I chose to use 6 beans per bottle
- Top beans with vodka but don't over fill and put on lids
- Shake up the bottles and let sit for at least 3 months shaking at least once a week
- Store in a cool dark area

Labels: I bought the Avery 22830 Labels and used an online template to create my own. This was the most difficult and frustrating part of the project (I wasted 5 sheets!!) so if you would like a PDF of my labels send me and email and I will pass them along.

I am really proud of the way these turned out, even though it cost more then I thought it was going to. However, after looking at how much a good 8 oz bottle of real vanilla extract cost I was suddenly okay with the expense!!

Good luck and let me know if you have questions!!!

Freezer Crock-Pot Meals

At our house we have a very bad habit of eating out a lot, and I mean A LOT! I work in the evenings three days a week and my husband works long hours as well, so no one was cooking. On blogs and Pinterest I came across the concept of crock-pot freezer meals and thought that it was an idea that may work for us. I intended to make the meals months ago, however it was not until recently that I realized just how much we were spending each month on eating out and how much we could save it I got my act in gear (plus we bought a new car, are having a baby, and signed a lease for a bigger but more expensive apartment – REALITY CHECK!).

So I spent several days pouring though websites looking for recipes that were healthy(ish), had limited ingredients, and could be served with rice or a veggie as the side. I did not start off making all the meals at once but rather made a recipe for dinner and doubled it, freezing the other half. Then I wised up and just spent about 3 hours last weekend making the rest of the meals which was much easier.

Lastly, when it came to chicken for the recipes I decided to only use 3 chicken breasts per recipe and cut the largest in half for myself as I can never finish a full one, this ultimately saved me money. Also, with the Hawaiian Chicken and Salsa Chicken recipes I could have gotten away with only using two large chicken breasts as I shredded the meat after cooking and there was more than enough for 4 meals.    

Below are the 6 recipes I made, which came to 12 meals total—enough for every night I work during the month and lunch for the next day (24 servings).

**Please note these are not my recipes and the sources are listed as a link. The links do contain other recipes that you may like as well so check them out.

  

Recipes

Dijon chicken

(4-5 servings)

2 pounds chicken breasts
1 cup chicken broth (or 1 cup water & 1 Tablespoon bouillon)
1 onion, chopped
2 T dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
½ – 1 tsp thyme (depending on how much you like thyme)

Instructions

Can be cooked on the stove-top for 15 minutes if the sauce is drained after thawing, or can be baked in the oven for 35-40 minutes in the sauce. Also, can be cooked in the crock-pot for 6-8 hours on low.

***EDIT: The Dijon Chicken was not my favorite, I have another in the freezer but I don't think I will make it again. 
 

Italian Chicken (serves 4-5)

2 pounds of boneless/skinless chicken breasts
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
½ cup water*
1 cup Italian dressing (Don’t put in the freezer bag)

Instructions
Place all the ingredients in the freezer bag – except the Italian dressing.*If you use pre-frozen chicken there is a layer of ice, so you do not need to add the water. Can be cooked on the stove-top for 15 minutes if the sauce is drained after thawing, or can be baked in the oven for 35-40 minutes in the sauce. Also, can be cooked in the crock-pot for 6-8 hours on low.

Salsa Chicken

4 Chicken breast

1 15 oz. can of black beans

1 pound bag frozen corn

1 can diced tomatoes with chilies (like Rotel)

1 jar salsa

1 packet of taco seasoning

Instructions

 Place all ingredients in bag and freeze. Thaw, then cook on low 8 hours. Serve with rice or on tortillas along with shredded cheddar and sour cream. We stacked corn tortillas, then chicken, then cheese, and repeat. Put a little guacamole on the very top.

**We have had the Salsa Chicken for diner once and I really liked it. I served it with cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips. Also before I served it I took out the chicken and shredded it which made it seem like there was a lot more food left over.

Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken
(4-5 servings)

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ cup white sugar
½ cup vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
½ cup of pineapple juice (use what’s in the can)
½ can of large pineapple chunks

Instructions

Add all the ingredients to the bag. Cook 4-5 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low. Serve it over rice and enjoy. While I am cooking the rice I like to shred the chicken and put it back in the juice before I serve it.

**I have made this once and liked it. Next time I would made more sauce/marinade, maybe a half a recipe more and put a whole can of pineapple chunks in instead of half. I also shredded the chicken and served it over rice.

 
Source for above recipes: http://fun-with-sharps.blogspot.com/2012/10/well-you-cant-say-i-never-cook.html 

Hearty Beef Stew

(4-5 severings)

1 pound beef stew cubes
4 carrots, sliced
4 red potatoes, cut into large cubes
1 package dry onion soup mix
2 cans 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (10 oz) package frozen green peas

Instructions
Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. Mix together and zip bag closed. When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on LOW for 7-10 hours (or HIGH for 5-6 hours).

**This recipe was good but not gourmet. I put in a whole 16oz bag of peas by mistake and I wish I had only done half, also I should have cut up beef stew cubes smaller and used 1.5 pounds. I did not add the potatoes to the freezer bag as I worried about them going brown/black during cooking and just put them in about an hour after I started the meal in the crock pot, I also added bay leaf, salt, and pepper at the time of cooking.

 
Source: http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/09/slow-cooker-freezer-meals-make-8-meals.html

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

12 new potatoes and cut into ¼ inch round slices or a large bag of frozen potatoes

2 cans of cream of your choice—I used potato

2 cans of water

2 ham steaks, cubed--we used turkey ham

8 oz cheddar cheese

4 cups of broccoli

salt and pepper

Instructions

Divide everything evenly into two containers.  Cook on low for 8 hours.
*EDIT* People have mentioned the potatoes turning black if frozen.  Mine didn't do that, but just to be safe, either use frozen potatoes or add potatoes the day of cooking.

**I have NOT made this yet but I decided not to add the cream soup to the freezer bag nor the potatoes. I also used turkey ham as I found it to me much cheaper than regular.

***EDIT: This recipe was okay, my husband liked it - next time I will use cream of mushroom soup instead of potato.

Source: http://www.six-cents.com/2012/06/crockpot-freezer-cooking-101.html