my bucket list

I think somewhere down deep in my soul there is a circus performer, which was officially confirmed this week when I signed up for my first flying trapeze lesson.  There is a school not far from my house and every time I drive by it, my inner Cirque du Soleil screams "Get on your stretchy pants and get up there!"

Jilly's daughter and I share birthdays in January, just five days apart, and i knew she would be the perfect companion for this death defying adventure.  So for our 18th and 38th birthdays, we did it!
 

The first time up the very long and very skinny ladder was TERRIFYING!  It was so freakishly high!  When I got to the top, there was a very small platform with an instructor on it.  I gripped that bar like I held onto my first thin mint, and the rest is history. 

Another instructor stood on the ground making the calls, and we were told to do exactly what he said.  I may or may have not paid attention to his liking:)  Although I thought I was the model student.

I honestly thought we'd barely be swinging on the bar with both hands by the END of our hour and a half session, but the very first time on the bar we were leaping off the platform, swinging by our legs with no hands, and doing a back flip dismount.  It was RIDICULOUSLY fun!!!!

Me and Jaci practicing our take off. Again.  Apparently our fellow colleague didn't need as much practice.   

Well I can officially check that off my bucket list! 

Speaking of bucket lists,

I've always wanted to make my own deodorant. 

I realize this is not the world's most glamorous topic but we're all friends, right?   

Here's the deal.  I have been looking over the last three years for a deodorant that really works and I've tried just about everything on the market. After being let down time and time again, I did some research and  made my own. 

And guess what?

It works so amazingly well and I'm so passionate about it, I HAD to tell you.

First of all, you know the chemicals they put in antiperspirants are simply not good for our bodies.  They contain aluminum, a heavy metal that can travel to your lymphatic system and cause things like cancer and Alzheimer's.  Boo. And aside from aluminum, most deodorants contain parabans which are toxins that can potentially disrupt hormones (maybe that's why I want to claw my husbands eye balls out once a month?) 

Aside from aluminum, most antiperspirants contain parabens, antimicrobial agents derived from toluene, a toxic petrochemical derivative. Some studies say that repeated exposure to toluene may cause hormone disruption. Plus, parabens act like the hormone estrogen in the body. - See more at: http://www.veria.com/healthy-home/green-living-qa-is-antiperspirant-and-deodorant-bad-for-you#sthash.KZqOb33Q.dpuf

Aside from aluminum, most antiperspirants contain parabens, antimicrobial agents derived from toluene, a toxic petrochemical derivative. Some studies say that repeated exposure to toluene may cause hormone disruption. Plus, parabens act like the hormone estrogen in the body. - See more at: http://www.veria.com/healthy-home/green-living-qa-is-antiperspirant-and-deodorant-bad-for-you#sthash.KZqOb33Q.dpuf

Deodorants without antiperspirant are better for you but also contain harmful ingredients like propylene glycol, talc, steareth, and triclosan.

Do not fret, hope is here. 

DIY deoderant requires three simple ingredients that you might even have lying around the house. 

Take 3/4 cup baking soda and pour in an 8 oz jar with a lid.

Mix the baking soda with 1/2 cup vegetable glycerin.  You can find it at any health food store like Sprouts, Whole Foods, etc.  Some Wal Marts and Walgreens sell it too. 

Add about ten drops of your favorite essential oil (I like peppermint) and mix it all together. 

It should be the consistency of thin paste.

It naturally will separate a little so you'll need to stir it up every so often.  Apply about a teaspoon with the palms of your hands to your underarms and congratulations, you're no longer going be smelly or die prematurely.

NOTE-

this is not an antiperspirant so if you have serious sweat issues, this may not be the answer. 
an 8 oz jar costs about $3.50 and will last approx 4 months.
keep the lid on while not in use. 

Oh, and PS, you can also use it as a tooth paste.  Wanna know why people always ask me how my teeth are so white?  B.I.N.G.O.

And that concludes my most random post to date. 

DIY sea spray

I had the pleasure of earning my nail technician's license 16 years ago and with that, I get wholesale beauty products.  Since then, I have spent hundreds of dollars on things from files and waxing products, to conditioning and curling.  Here's just the beginning of my current repertoire.

I've been looking at summer beach curls in all the magazines and decided I'd give it a whirl, so I headed off to the beauty supply for some sea spray.  I saw the $20 price on this 5 oz bottle by Paul Mitchell and almost choked.

But determined to get my beach curls on, I bagged it up and brought it home.  I washed my hair and woke up the next morning, misted my hair with a squirt bottle, sprayed in some Awapuhi, and scrunched.  Nothing.  So I sprayed about 1/4 of the bottle more and scrunched.  I let my hair completely dry and curled it with my 1.5" curling iron.  It wasn't exactly the look I was going for and was certainly lacking texture.  Then I realized every time I wanted beach curls, it was going to cost me $5.  Not smart in this economy.

Determined to look more like this,

I read the ingredients on the back of the bottle and decided, why not make my own?  I googled sea spray and realized people all over the country were making it too.  I got excited.  After doing a little research, I grabbed a few things I already had around the house and mixed up a concoction.  

DIY Sea Spray

8 oz warm water
3 Tbsp sea salt
1 Tbsp firm hold styling gel
1 Tbsp leave in conditioner

Mix the warm water and sea salt together until salt is dissolved.  Add the conditioner and gel, and mix until dissolved. 

8 oz of beach curls for ten cents.  That problem solved.

Next problem.  I've been curling my hair for the last few years with no heat protectant and my hair started breaking off, especially in the front.  Not smart, and not cute.  Now I'm really trying to be good about nursing my hair back to health, using as little heat as possible.  So I tried to see if I could pull off these beach curls with no heat. 

I let my hair dry about 90%.  Then I took 1" sections of  hair and misted them with sea spray.  I loosely twisted them away from my face, wrapped them around my fingers, and pinned them into place.  Please excuse my morning face.

Make these little pin curls all over your head.  Let them dry for an hour or so or blow dry with light heat if you're in a hurry, and here's what you get. 

You can do this before you go to bed and sleep in them as well.

A couple of pointers.  It's important to leave about 2" of the ends out of the pin for that beachy look.  Also, if you take out the curls and they're too tight, lightly mist them with sea spray and pull them with your fingers to loosen them.  Big, loose curls is what we're going for ladies. 

Here's another secret.  The salt absorbs any oils my hair might collect so I go about 4 days with this look without my {shampoo in a can}.  Before I go to bed, I wrap the crown of my head in loose pin curls to maintain some body and sleep on them.

One bummer....salt isn't the best for our hair.  It's drying and not the greatest on color so I use a leave in conditioner on my hair right out of the shower, before the sea spray.  I also use coconut oil conditioning treatments regularly to help my hair from drying. 

Coconut oil conditioning treatment
Heat approx 2 T coconut oil.  On damp hair, evenly distribute the oil from your scalp and massage into the ends of your hair.  Wrap hair up in a hot towel and let it sit for about 45 minutes.  You can put it in a shower cap and sleep on it too.  I LOVE coconut oil!

Send us your ideas for summer hair.  We love 'em!

i just can't live without

From every shade of Wet n' Wild lipstick, to insert-able foam shoulder pads, and water bras, there's not a beauty product out there my three sisters and I haven't tried.  We fell for the electric blue mascara, mile high bangs, and bad perms.  My hair still hasn't recovered.  Who remembers the "Mane and Tail" craze or the gallons of Rave 4 we went through?

We do.

Contempo portraits, Epilady, Girbaud jeans, Paul Mitchell, Units (remember those crazy knit clothes with the hole in the armpit?), 2000 calorie mascara, Madonna, Reebok's, Aqua Net, and banana clips.  The 80's were unkind and just like our mothers told us we would, we regret it.   

It's 20 years later and my sisters and I are still trying new stuff and sharing all our secrets.  One of them passed on this first beauty tip during a camping trip years ago and I still say a silent thank you in my prayers each night.

#1.  Dry Shampoo.  I featured it in a {Friday's Find} last year, but it's definitely worth mentioning again.
For those of us who don't have time (or shall I say make time) to wash our hair every day, there's a simple solution.  Shake the can, spray dry shampoo in your hair, tousle, and brush.  Done.  As I mentioned before, don't waste your money on expensive brands.  This one works the best.  End of conversation.

#2.  Sunless tanning lotion.  Some girls are born with brown skin, some can lay in the sun and get brown skin, and some of us have never had, nor will ever have brown skin.  Don't worry, I've spent hours in the sun trying to get it anyway, and will pay for it later in life in the form of wrinkles and skin cancer. 

Since I haven't lathered up in baby oil and climbed up on my best friend's roof in over 20 years, thank goodness for this.

Buy the dark shade, even if you're ghostly white.  Trust me, it works the best.  My cousin used to work at a spa that charged upwards of $100 for a one time application.  If you need a little color on your skin, this product is worth every penny.  I also mix in a dab with my daily moisturizer for some color on my face.  My sisters and I buy the 32oz bottle at Amazon.com and it lasts well over a year.

#3.  Shimmer brick.  One winter morning I was watching Good Morning America when Bobbi Brown was talking about make up tips.  Not the "Don't be Cruel" Bobby Brown, he's good for a tip if you want to get high.  I'm talking about Oprah's famous make-up artist. 

I heard about this product and literally went out and got it that day.  It's a bit pricey at $40, but it lasts FOREVER.  I'm only on my 2nd compact in 5 years.  Applied with a large powder brush, dust it everywhere the sun might kiss your face, ie. cheek bones, forehead, nose, chin.  It gives you a nice dewy glow and makes your skin look healthy and alive.  I use the color bronze. 

#4.  AmLactin.  I was out with the girls one night and my friend, Amanda, professed her undying love for this lotion.  She picked it up at Costco for $18 and claimed it worked miracles on her rough, calloused heels.  She said her feet were now as soft as butter, and her cuticles were every bit as tender as a new born babes.  Although it was not in the most appealing packaging, nor did it smell like something off the shelf at Bath and Body Works, she was obsessed with it.  The next time I went to Costco, I picked up a bottle.

The other day I found an on-line article called {The 13 things your podiatrist wants you to know}, "If you have dry, cracked feet, try AmLactin.  Apply it every night before bed and say good bye to great-grandma Imo's feet.

#5. DIY manicure.  In between throwing up and eating jalapeno flavored Cheetos (pregnant), I learned a thing or two in beauty school.  Here are a few tips.  Always file natural nails from the outside in.  Don't saw them back and forth, it weakens the nails and makes them prone to chipping and breaking.

Before you polish, push back your cuticles with an orange wood stick and lightly buff your nails to remove any oils on the surface.  Use a good bonding base coat, two coats of polish, and a top coat.  Your polish will stay looking picture perfect for twice as long.  I love the entire {OPI nail care} line.

Here's another tip. I wear rubber gloves when I do the dishes and scrub toilets and my polish doesn't chip for several days. 

I'm dying to know your best beauty secrets. I'll send my new favorite OPI color to the one I like the most!