What I got for free-Improvisation leads to creation

Today my fiance and I(we live in a tent in my parents backyard)woke up to the ring of Sam's(my fiance's)cell phone, it was his mom.
So; at 9:30 this morning we go into the house, Sam sits down at his computer, pops up the free section of Craigslist, and goes off to make breakfast and forgets about it. I walk over to his computer seeing CG's free section; and unable to contain my curiosity sit down and start to browse, the first thing I see is: ITS ALL FREE, FREE FREE, TAKE IT ALL!!!!
So I click, and its an estate sale of free stuff, I huge one that starts at 10:00am! So I get the address, google it, wake up my mom, and get my dad to drive, and my whole family gets in the van and drives there. We are ten minutes early!
Here's what we got:

A vintage model 401A Singer sewing machine, attached to a table:(I've wanted one FOREVER)



Black mink fur coat
Pair of dress shoes
Women's stockings
A tackle box of deep sea fishing equipment
A bunch of towels, wash cloths, and sheets
Hammer
Salt shaker & pepper grinder
A huge cardboard box of candles
Sealed glass food stuff jars
Candy thermometer & baking thermometer
Henna shampoo
2 tea makers
8 kitchen knives
A sithe
Gasmask
Whip cream dispenser
Acrylic paints
High quality artist paper(LOTS)
Mason jar lids
Vintage drapes(I use for clothing fabric)
Copper food display tray(My bro and dad are going to use this for a dice rolling device)
3 monkey wrenches
C-clamp
Hand-powered vintage drill, and bits
Long screw driver
Wood bleaching kit
Coffee maker
2 Vintage lamps:




Now I'm sure everyone reading this, thinks that my family is a bunch of pack-rats, but in absolute truth, we have real uses, for all of these things!

Adventure in the bathroom: Part VII

Tired of running out of shaving cream two weeks after you buy 3 cans? Or how about the fact all those aerosol cans end up in land fills, un-recyclable? Or the wonderful toxins it releases into the ozone later?! Oh the guilt of shaving...
But; there IS a solution!

$3 shave soap: herban cowboy(Or any other brand)
Buy a shave brush, and this stuff lasts far longer than the aerosol cans of shaving cream. Its smoothe on your legs, or your face(if your a man) A guilt-free shave is always best!

What are your favorite hair removal tips?

Adventure in the bathroom: Part VI

Bad breath? Clear spots or white lines on your teeth? Gum decay?
All symptoms of Flouride usage!

Follow this link for an educational blog on the dangers of Flouride, by ShadowMyth:
http://www.lockergnome.com/nexus/shadowmyth/2007/07/05/dont-drink-the-water

An awesome working alternative to flouride, that is ALSO dentist recommended is Xylitol. It is a great whitener, and a tooth decay preventative.

$6 Xyliwhite toothpaste:
You can buy this at your natural grocer, or in the natural section of your grocery store. Its my family's, and my favorite brand of toothpaste! It leaves your teeth squeaky clean and your breath fresh and minty.

A great tooth whitener?
Strawberries! Who knew having a sweet tooth could have some benefits? Freeze these babies for preservation(dethaw a peice before bedtime brushing) and you can rub them on your teeth nightly for long-term benefits.

What are your favorite tooth whitening tricks?

Adventure in the bathroom: Part V

You ever notice when your in a large crowd of people and you either smell extremely obnoxious body odor coming from next to you, or a lady wearing so much deodorant you can't breath?
Regular pharmacy deodorant: Poison. Now why is this the case? Because of one main ingredient: Aluminum. Now in marketing standards(we don't care about the people, just the money)its a quick fix for bad body odor because it shrinks the pores, not allowing any sweat or to odor pass through your glands. This is almost as disturbing, as the plastic surgical operation to have your arm pit pores permantly blocked off; so you no longer excrete sweat from those glands. Now I know this doesn't sound like a bad thing, but your arm pits are there for a reason! They let all the toxins out through your sweat. If its not coming out your pits, its either coming out your forehead, or its gestating in your pores and creating a world of bacteria! Aluminum is not only a bad thing because of that reason; it is also a poison to the human body. It is one of the main causes of Alzheimer's, foggy brain, slower reflexes, etc. When you switch from your aluminum brand of deodorant; you will notice an increase in clarity of thought!

The solution:

I have found the following brands of deodorant not carrying aluminum work great!

$3-5 Salt rock:
You can pick this up at your specialty health food store, or in the natural health care section of your regular grocer. The salt is anti-bacterial, and keeps your pores tight for minimal odor! My fiance uses this, he is a gardener/carpenter, he works in the sun all day and comes home w/out a bit of scent!(He reccomends to run it under water for a second to wet it, before applying for maximum effect)

$3-5 Jason Tea Tree oil deoderant:
Tea tree oil is a natural anti-bacterial, and deodorizer. My dad uses this brand because it is the only one he doesn't have an allergic reaction to.

$5 Herbal clear sport(No aluminum, dyes or alcohol!):
This is the brand I personally use. The scents are mild and slighty soapy, for men and women.
Works great, but depending on the person; I use it twice a day.

If you have any great brands of aluminum free deodorant, I'd love to know about them!

Adventure in the bathroom: Part IV

In this next blog, I’m going to talk about my favorite masks and facials!

Most masks and facials on the market contain Alcohol, paraben waxes, and dyes. They will also add “token” ingredients; small portions of recognizable well-known healthful ingredients to make you BELIEVE they are natural. For example, a lot of skin products claim they contain aloe vera, avocado, or fruit extracts. Just because they contain natural ingredients, does not mean they are worth the price jump, or the effects they have on your skin. They include very small overly processed amounts of natural ingredients. Because of all the added chemicals, this pretty much destroys and cancels out any properties these ingredients may have. The best thing to do, is to buy your own from the grocery store, and make them yourself!

What will you need in your cupboard, ready and handy for an emergency skin care?

$10-20lb Bentonite Clay:
This is a MUST for a major skin detoxer! This is grayish white clay; it is not too harsh on the skin, like red and brown clays. You can pick this up at your natural health food store; you only need a few ounces, and it lasts months. Take a small amount(about ¼ tsp)and mix w/ a few drops of water. Spread onto face, and let dry, then wash off. You may notice a bit of redness for up to an hour if you have never used it before. Do not be alarmed, your face will return to its natural color, and your pores will be clean and small! Use once a week, if needed. I recommend moisturizing w/ Jojoba oil after the redness fades.

Egg whites:
Use one raw egg white, spread onto face and let dry, then wash off. You will notice your skin feels an increase in breathing, softness, and pore shrinkage!

$3.00 lb Raw honey mask:
You can pick up raw honey from your local grocer, or specialty health food store. Spread onto face thinly, let sit for 15-30 minutes, and wash off. Your skin will be cleansed and hydrated! It’s an awesome moisturizer!

$3-7 Aloe Vera:
You can buy a fresh piece of aloe, from your grocer or specialty store! It is awesome for scars, calming blemishes, and moisturizing. Slice off a small piece, rub onto face, let dry and rinse.

What are your favorite natural masks?

Adventure in the bathroom: Part III

Get your minds out of the gutter, and into the shower!

In this blog I will give you some great ideas for blemish treatments; and some of them are right out of your kitchen cupboard!

What are the main problems w/ the over-the-counter acne medicine?

Well I’m sure most of you have found it starts to work, and then after a month your problem gets worse and you have to switch to the next best acne cure.

Alcohol and acetone:
While a lot of acne treatment information will tell you that these chemicals work in treating acne; the truth is that it kills off all of your natural bacteria that helps to FIGHT off the acne. It doesn’t just dry out your skin, it destroys the natural PH balance of your skin. Alcohol is a petroleum product(derived from plastics)it is toxic to the skin, and in the long run you will end up having enlarged pores and thirsty skin.

Sulfur:
My mother and I have personally tried sulfur, and at first our skin looked amazing, but a few weeks down the line, it started to change the texture of our skin. Our skin was very dry and our pores were enlarged. I do not recommend using it as an all over treatment for acne because it kills beneficial bacteria as well as the bacteria causing the acne. I do however recommend it as a spot treatment.

Salicylic Acid:
I recommend using products with 5% Salicylic acid, to treat acne, 2% is too low of a percentage, and the pharmaceutical companies get away w/ a low percentage because consumers see that it contains this active ingredient, and assume it must work.

$7 Tea Tree Oil:
Try using Tea Tree oil as a spot treatment, you can buy this at just about any grocery store that has a natural and organic section, you can also buy it at your local health food store, or specialty herbal store. Make sure it is pure undiluted tea tree oil! It lasts forever so don’t be jaded by the price.

$10-12 Neem Oil:
Neem oil is good as a spot treatment, and an all over skin refresher when left on overnight. If you buy it like I did in bulk, where it is used as a bug repellent on plants, it has a very strong smell. I would buy Neem oil that is specifically for your skin, unless you want to spend the next morning steaming your face to get rid of the smell. Besides that I don’t think I’ve found a better miracle cure than this stuff.

Garlic Cloves:
Another awesome spot treatment I only use when I’m desperate; slice in half a clove of garlic and rub it on your zit. The garlic is an anti-bacterial, and it is also a fast healer of cuts and razor-burn.

$5 Dessert Essence Thoroughly Clean Face Wash: W/ organic Tea Tree Oil and Awapuhi:
My favorite face wash, it keeps my skin soft w/out over-drying, and it’s awesome at keeping mild acne at bay.

Now those are just my favorite cures, and treatments! Hope these help; what are your favorite cures?

An adventure in the bathroom: Part II

In this next blog you will learn how to make your own exfoliators and scrubs, and which products are safe to buy.

Now why are the body washes/face washes w/ exfoliating beads so bad for your skin?
Well first off, most of them contain petroleum based wax, as the exfoliating "beads." What this does, is polish your skin with the wax, giving it the appearance that you have just exfoliated and now your skin is "smooth and soft". In actuality these waxes spread bacteria and trap it under the skin, causing blackheads, or ingrown hairs. This is because the pores are filled w/ wax and can't breath. Ladies, if you've just exfoliated, your skin is going to be bright red, as much as this sucks, it doesn't last long, and your skin stays soft much longer!
Once again these products generally contain Mineral oil(effects described in An adventure in the bathroom PT I)

The solution:

Loofahs! You can buy them at your local health-food store, spa, or online for about $5-15 dollars depending on size. They are great exfoliators and all natural.

$11.99 Trillium Organics body polish
This brand guarantees they do not use parabens.
It contains a blend of salt and sunflower oil, as well as sage essential oil.

Now if your a DIY'er like me, you'll love my personal home recipe for soothing body polish, great for using right before you shave!

Sky's Body scrub
1 cup of redmond sea salt/or course salt(you can usually get scented salt in spa supply stores in bulk)
1/4 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
4 drops lavender essential oil(if your salt is unscented)

Grind salt in coffee grinder, until medium grind, not too big, not too fine. Pour in olive oil, and essential oil, stir until it is a fine paste, add more olive oil if it is too dry.
Then take a washcloth and spread your mixture on, gently scrub, and voila! Keep stored in your fridge so that the olive oil doesn't go rancid. I don't reccommend using it on your face, as it is too rough.

Face exfoliators:

I love sugar:
Try mixing about a tablespoon of sugar, and half a teaspoon of olive oil into a paste, spread over your face, and gently rotate your fingers in tight circles. Wash your face w/ a light soap to remove excess olive oil. The sugar acts as a mild acid to eat away the dead skin, and the olive oil lubricates it off of your face, while moisturizing.

Foot scrub:
Dip your feet in warm olive oil for a few minutes, then buff your feet w/ course salt, rinse afterwards.

Dry lips?
Take an old soft toothbrush, apply a small amount of olive oil to the bristles, brush lips gently to slew off any dead skin.
You can also rub olive oil on them before you go to sleep, and wake up w/ soft lips!

In my next blog I will talk about awesome blemish remedies, and face washes!
Stay tuned ladies, cause you won't want to miss this next one :)

An Adventure in the Bathroom: Part I

Get your minds out of the gutter ladies!
If your a typical woman, like me; your bathroom is probably filled w/ varying brands of shampoos and conditioners, lotions, face masks, cleansers, exfoliators, detoxers, scrubs, moisturizers, and different deoderant scents...I think you get the point! All of these products you probably rotate through, finding that as soon as you find a product that actually WORKS it starts doing the opposite a month later, and you find yourself staring at dead ends and an overused flat-iron. Or; tired dry skin, wondering WHEN your going to give it a break and let it breath.
I used to have a bathroom filled w/ "Wonder Products". Things like Clearisil Icy foaming cleanser, Got2b In Your Face masks and scrubs, Oil of Olay moisturizers and make-up removers, Pantene Pro-V, etc. There's always the "Exfoliating" body washes like Tone, and Caress.
I'm here to tell you that these amazing wonder cures that stop working, or cause an increase of your problem, are actually the root of all evil, BUT not your last source of salvation. In the following series of blogs, I'm going to teach you how to eliminate the majority of your bathroom space stealing products; so get ready to clean your shelves!

About a year ago, I started to go "Au Natural"(No not giving up on shaving my legs and washing my hair EW!) I slowly threw away all my bathroom products, until I was left w/ an almost barren shelf(I had more bathroom products then my whole family combined) I replaced all of my products w/ natural home remedies and natural products.

Now why are the Pharmacy brands of body care products so bad for you?

Moisturizers:
Most of the moisturizers on the market, contain Mineral Oil.
Mineral oil:(a petroleum product) is basically an illusory quick fix for dry skin, but over time your skin can no longer produce its natural oil, and relies on the mineral oil. After awhile your skin becomes immune to the oil and dries out. So; you end up buying WAY more lotion, and switching brands to fight off this over-dried skin problem.

The other main ingredient of lotion, is Alchohol; no matter what name they put in front of it, its still a petroleum product. They add this nifty little ingredient to DRY OUT the skin, so that you don't break out from all the skin irritating chemicals they add.
(If your really curious about all those big words on the back of your products, you can always get this book from your local library: A consumers dictionary of cosmetic ingredients By Ruth Winter)

The solution: Try Organic Jojoba oil, $7-9 dollars a bottle; it mimics the skin's natural oil, great for acne prone skin! It soaks in quickly w/out that icky oily feeling, and you only need a few drops. One bottle lasts months, and it doesn't go rancid! Jojoba oil is also a carrier oil, so you can even buy a little bottle of your favorite essential oil for about $3 bucks at Whole Foods, and add about 5 drops to your bottle of jojoba oil, and have a scented moisturizer.
Where can you buy it? Whole foods, Trader Joes, or the Natural section of your regular grocery store. Don't be discouraged by the price, your skin will love you!

You can also try Raw Cold Pressed coconut oil, about $12 bucks a jar at Whole Foods, or online. It will get rid of stretch marks, smells awesome, GREAT for tanning; it is practically indestructible to heat, so its an awesome skin protector.

Next time I'll give you some great tips on exfoliators and scrubs!