Tonight, I set my hair with sock curls on the bottom and pin curls on the top. I tried sock curling once before and it turned out much nicer than I expected. I read that the reason curls set over night hold their shape better than curling iron curls because the hair follicle actually dries bent, making the hair a different shape than usual. Because I have bangs that I like to keep relatively short, it can be challenging to incorporate my utterly straight bangs into curly hairstyles. 
     I tried to blend them into a longer section of hair using a curling product/conditioner and water to make them stay inside the other hair. It's a similar method to hiding bangs in victory rolls. Hopefully, they will stay in there shape until morning and not be sticking in funny directions! I'll try to remember to take a picture tomorrow.
 
   I'm finding interesting information on grape seed oil and I'll make a new post soon to keep you informed!
 
   Olive oil can do wonderful things for your skin, hair and nails, not to mention it has other practical uses for around your home. When used in an oil sprayer it can be used as a substitute for WD-40 and it can also be used to polish wood furniture in small amounts. The uses for olive oil seem to be endless, so why not use it in DIY skin care recipes as a cheap alternative to expensive commercial products. 
   Unfortunately, skin care companies often make claims that their products will do 'this or that' for you, only to leave your skin the same, only slightly better, or sometimes worse than before. All products are not useless, but as consumers, we're left gambling our money on products that may or may not do what they say they will. Also, some products contain skin irritants like certain fragrances and preservatives that people with sensitive skin or allergies can't use (not to mention there are certain chemicals we're not positive don't cause cancer). So, adding olive and other oils to your hygienic routine could dramatically improve your skin/hair problems while reducing your budget. 
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   Using oils such as olive, tea tree, sesame, almond, sandalwood, chamomile, lavender, and sunflower oil can bring back the moisture balance for really dry spots on your body, soothe sunburns, strengthen damaged hair, treat acne, treat dandruff and more! Many types of oils have been used for centuries in countries all over the world. Perhaps you've heard of Cleopatra? 
   The Egyptian queen was famous for her beautiful complexion  and the regimen she used to maintain it. Honey, apple cider vinegar, milk, clay, aloe, various fruits and vegetables, and numerous oils were included in her beauty rituals. The Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and people of the East were just a few cultures that used these methods. Many of those same ingredients are used today in DIY recipes and even in commercial beauty products.
   Provided that your individual skin type responds well, plant based oils can be used as all over moisturizers using numerous methods. You can add them to a hot bath, rub them on your feet and wear socks for an overnight treatment, use them to soak your fingers to soften cuticles and strengthen nails, use them in place of shaving cream for soft and luxurious legs (really soft!), an (if you want to go natural all the way) use "The Oil Cleansing Method" for all over skin cleansing and moisturizing.  

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Olive Oil as Shaving Cream
   I recently started using olive oil for shaving cream and I've experience awesome results! You can rub plain olive oil on your legs by itself, or add other ingredients to suit your needs.   I want to note that, while I've experience slightly dry skin in the past year, I am prone to breakouts and oily spots on various areas of my body. I have breakouts on my legs, back, and arms most of the time no matter what I use on my skin or what I do to it. So, at first, I tried this with skepticism and curiosity.


    Much to my delight, the skin on my legs is actually less broken out and my skin looks healthier with no overly dry or oily spots! As long as you don't use too much as a moisturizer on dry skin, it actually does not make your skin greasy like you might think. 

   In addition to using olive oil as shaving cream, I recommend exfoliating with at least a shower poof when you wash your skin to remove any dead skin cells/residue and to improve your sins circulation. 

   The first test batch I made, has lasted me longer than I thought it would because you don't need a lot of oil at one time, so I've only made one recipe thus far. I made a hybrid recipe from a few recipes circulating around the internet using olive oil, sesame oil, and almond extract. I first used it to wash my face using the "Oil Cleansing Method", but it's harder (takes longer) to use the steam of your shower and a hot wash cloth to get the oil out of your pores than I thought it would be. Then I used the batch to moisturize my dry ankles overnight. Now I'm using it for shaving cream. Here's my hybrid recipe.
                                                     Ingredients:
                                                                  2 Tbs olive oil
                                                                  1 Tbs sesame oil
                                                                  3-5 drops almond extract
I put the ingredients in an extra small tupper-ware container, and shook it to mix the ingredients. Remember to shake the mixture before each use in order to make the ingredients evenly distributed.
Sesame Oil - Like many oils, it contains vitamin E, A, and B complex vitamins. These work together to moisturize and repair damaged cells, repairing dry skin and fine lines. It's easily absorbed.
Almond Extract - Softens skin, soothes and remedies flaky skin. Especially good for facial skin. The extract is great to add to other oil recipes, while almond oil can heal and soften skin on its own.

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  There are also lots of natural alternatives for darkening and lightening hair color, both natural and dyed. I'm going to try out a deep conditioning treatment with cinnamon, which surprisingly lightens hair. I'll update you on the results later.

   I hope you enjoyed this topic and I plan on sharing more information with you! Have fun pampering yourself naturally! 

Photo Credits 
Italian Olive Oil And Bowl Set by Shari Weinsheimer
Almonds by Peter Griffin
Photo of Ingredients by Elizabeth McCallum
 
  I've been reading a lot about alternative uses for edible items such as olive oil, cocoa powder, eggs, chamomile tea, fruit and honey. For example, olive oil is a wonderful moisturizer for dry feet and elbows and you can even use it as a shaving cream. Eggs work wonders for skin and hair. And honey can actually be used as a lightening agent for hair.
  Below is an article on 13 different healing powers/uses for lemons. Check it out.
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  The other day, Brennan started talking to me about people making and breaking habits. I happened to know some research about the topic and we had a great conversation. Though, we were including all types of habits surrounding different facets of one's lifestyle, most of the examples I came up with had to do with weight loss, diet and exercise. Another, example that came to mind was flossing and brushing your teeth.
  This conversation brought my mind back to how I started successfully losing weight in the first place by acquiring good daily habits and maintaining my state of mind surrounding them. But I also thought about the amount of time it took me to pick off my good habits one by one last year, until my daily habits are almost unrecognizable. There were some habits that lasted longer than others (like eating oatmeal and an apple most mornings for breakfast) and others that just fizzled out within a week of me falling off the wagon (like during a summer vacation).
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Below is a link to one kind of habit tracking chart I found on Google. I'm going to print some out for Brennan and I and I'll let you know which habits we each choose to track. I know one of mine will be exercising. http://www.sparkpeople.com/system/habit_forming_chart.asp

  One thing I know, is that becoming a healthier person doesn't happen over night, but instead occurs when you add information and tactics to your lifestyle little by little. I did this by reading information and watching shows like "The Biggest Loser" and "Dr. Oz" and health documentaries like "Chow Down." (Chow Down is a great documentary about heart disease and plant based diets. It can be found on Hulu!)
  Also, watching certain shows to scare you into good habits isn't a bad idea either! Haha
  Everyone is different, so the articles that may help one person, may not help information click for you or inspire you. So below are a few different places to start. Most of the information is similar but its laid out differently and includes different points. Use the ones that will help you.

Tips for Breaking Bad Habits & Developing New Ones
The Catch-22 of Forming Habits
Creating a Pleasant Morning Routine
How to Maintain Not-Quite-Daily Habits
   Livestrong
How to Form Healthy Habits
What Are Healthy Habits?
Healthy Daily Habits
Why is it Important to Exercise & Have Healthy Eating Habits?
  Ask Men Magazine
Top 10 Habits That Improve Your Appearance
Top 10 Habits That Ruin Your Appearance
Top 10 Habits That Make You More Productive
   Fitness Magazine
Exercise for Life - 9 Habits
7 Habits of Highly Effective Exercisers
9 Motivation Rut Busters
Breakfast Recipes for Every Morning
 
   I'm out of commission right now due to a back injury. I'm not positive what it is yet, but it's probably a herniated disk.
   I'll continue on Turbo Fire updates when I'm able to workout again.
 
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   My cousin's wedding was the first week of December and I'm really glad I've been doing Turbo Fire. I felt great and I thought I'd share part of my beautiful family.

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   On Saturday night, Brennan and I went to an IWW social night and met some new people in Gainesville. We had fun and here's how I look currently.
   I still have approximately 3 to 35 pounds to go before I reach my healthy goal weight.

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   I haven't made any update videos on youtube recently, but stay tuned. Now that finals, are almost over, I'll have more time.

 
   In order to lose weight and maintain it for the rest of your life, an inner transformation has to take place as well as an outer transformation. True success includes more than reaching your goal weight. It requires you to hanging the way you look at yourself, your life, and your relationship with food.
   I wanted to bring this up because so many of us forget this, making it so much easier for us to continue yo-yo dieting and unconsciously setting ourselves up for failure. I've heard this from so many different sources like Youtubers who've succeeded in changing their life, shows like the Biggest Loser and Dr. Oz, and online articles. 
   I've known this for a while but I'm still a work in progress. But being a work in progress is a good thing because your trying to improve yourself, which really should be a life-long journey since no one is or should be perfect.
   These inner transformations can be difficult for many different reasons: environment, friends, family, self-esteem, and your overall motivation or lack-there-of to change. You have to want change bad enough and for many that just isn't so. Finding motivating resources like books, online communities and articles about health can push you towards change and sometimes even scare you (in a good way) into it! 
   For example, you may read about how exercise and a plant based diet drastically reduces risks for heart disease and the shocking statistics to go along with it. You also may experience a health scare like a near heart attack or maybe you've developed pre-diabetes or full-blown diabetes. Maybe breast cancer runs in your family and you want to cut down your risk. And maybe you have relatives around you dealing with obesity related illnesses and you want to help them as well as preventing a similar fate.
    Unfortunately, you can't want it badly enough for someone else, but you can try to motivate them in addition to transforming your own life. Sometimes seeing someone in their/your life transforming their body and health can give them the courage and motivation to change themselves/yourself.
    Emotional change takes time and effort but think of the wonderful benefits you'll have in your life! We have to remember to change our thinking as well as our bodies. And don't try to be perfect, but instead try to imagine what you really want for yourself and take small steps as well as making long term goals.
 
   Eatingwell.com is a great resource for healthy, low calorie meal ideas and recipes. There are so many good websites out there, but I just ran across Eatingwell.com recently. Here's an entire collection devoted to 500 calorie dinners! http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/diet_meal_plans/eatingwell_s_500_calorie_dinners 
 
    I ran across a recipe for healthier No-Bake Mac N' Cheese. I haven't tried it yet, but I thought I'd share it. It's supposed to be low calorie and you can substitute or omit the vegetable choice. They use broccoli and I'm sure some people in my family would want to use peas. (Though, I would never use peas! I can't stand peas in casseroles.)
   Let me know if any of you try it and what you and/or your family thought of it. http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/no_bake_macaroni_cheese.html