DIY: Organic Moisturizing Hair Mask

For 30 years I've dealt with the

humidity frizzy poof that was my head of hair.

Since moving out west I've come to quickly find a

whole new hair trouble….

Wintery Dry Hair.

Ends that are dry and fried beyond belief,

dry itchy scalp,

and fragile strands that want to give up and break.

After a quick trip to the pantry and then the medicine cabinet,

I present to you a very easy 

DIY Organic Moisturizing Hair Mask

Ingredients:

1.5 Tbsp Organic Coconut Oil

1.5 Tbsp Organic Raw Honey

5 drops Peppermint Oil

5 drops Vitamin E Oil

Step 1:

In a small sauce pan mix all four ingredients and stir together over low heat.

You may need to vary the amount of honey and coconut oil that you use.  

I have very thick shoulder length hair.

Step 2:

Transfer to a bowl.

Separate your hair into small easily workable sections.

Step 3:

With you bare hands apply the warm mixture to the sections of hair 

focusing on the ends. 

Warning: the mixture may be hot! 

Wrap your hair up onto your head and wait about 40 mins before washing out

Tips:

Why bare hands?  

Soak up some of that added moisture on those dry hands.

Why is this so messy?

Working with oil and honey can be a giant sticky mess! 

Make sure that you wrap a towel over your shoulders so that you don't ruin your clothes.

I also applied in the tub so that anything that dripped didn't make an even bigger mess.

Don't waste your left overs!

I had just enough left over oily goodness to apply to my face and neck.

Coconut oil and honey makes a great face mask.

The oil softens and smooths your skin, while the honey heals and evens skin tone.

I just smeared it on and let it sit the entire time the hair mask was on.

Joys of Parenting: Learning from our Kids

  Today after a fantastic story time at our local library, the boy and I headed to the children's section for a little bit of play time.  Our library is just the coolest.  The children's section is surrounding with hollow trees for forting, and filled with super modern fancy toys for playing.
  At this point most of the moms and kids from story time had migrated for a few extra minutes of play, and the boy had made friends with another little kid about his age.  They played great together and were really having a great time, when I saw it from across the room….  The little boy open his mouth in a great big belly laugh, and it was right there glaring at me, front and center and all alone.  This poor little boy had no front teeth except for one lonely gold tooth.  I was so distracted by it that I almost missed the look on Ashyr's face.  He as floored and completely excited!
  "Dude! Do you have a gold tooth?" he said to the boy.
  "Yes."
  Ash just stared at him in amazement.  I got a sinking feeling in my gut that he was going to say something that would totally embarrass me or him or the kid.  Instead he asked, "Are you a Pirate?"  The little boy just looked at him sideways and then continued to play.  They continued to make their pretend laser guns that shot flowers as I sat and watched while reading my Colorado Parenting Magazine.
  The boys were playing great.  Keeping themselves in control, following my rules of not pointing their pretend guns at anyone, and really just being good little boys.  And that's when I heard the ridicule coming from the two hefty, sweat pant wearing,  scrunchi clad moms.  Back and forth they said to each other that they were "never going to let their little boys (who each appeared to be about a year old) play with guns.  There is no reason to make believe with guns." and they went on to say things about how "I should be ashamed that these boys played like that and the only reason to use a gun was to kill an animal." I was completely in shock that I was hearing all of this.
  The entire time they were speaking to each other about me as if I were not sitting right there in ear shot of them.  I bit my tongue (and text mean things about them to my bff).  I couldn't believe that these two shulmpadinka's were questioning my parenting.  I must also interject here that while my overly intelligent son played very nicely with his new friend and his pretend flower producing laser gun, one of these ladies kids got almost half way out the library door before someone brought the one year old back to his mother, and the other child stood and watched on while chewing on a book.  But my point is that I couldn't stop thinking judgmental things in a defense for their negative words.
  Meanwhile, back to my awesome kid….
  I decided to focus my attention back on Ashyr's positive actions and behaviors with his new snaggle toothed buddy.  At this point they had shaken hands and decided that they were new best library friends.  Ashyr then politely introduced himself, "I'm Ashyr, what's your name?"
  The little boy replied, "I'm Robert Paul."
  Shock came over Ash's face and he said "Man, with a name like Robert Paul, and teeth like those, I bet you would make one great Pirate."
  I died.
  And Capitan Robert Paul laughed.
  Then I learned a really important lesson about judgement from an almost 5 year old.

I'm Not Homesick...

…or some other lie I kept telling myself.

Feeling "homesick" is not an emotion that I have had much

experience with.

I remember as a kid my sisters getting homesick on long stays

with extended family.

I remember the other kids at sleep away camp crying the selves to sleep because

they missed their mommies.

Even as an adult I have seen my peers plagued with the old homesickness.

But myself, nope, never experienced it.

Over the past few months I've been trying to convince myself that this was true.

I can't be depressed or homesick, 

I love my new life here way too much.

It just doesn't make sense.

It was absolutely not and option for me.

But as the days got closer and closer for 

my quick trip back to Lake Worth, FL,

it became very clear to me.

I was feeling it.  That void.

dun dun duhhh 

I was homesick...

and in denial.

(As if the moping around and unexplainable tears were not a dead giveaway.)

I missed the familiarity of all of it.

Knowing where the good thrift stores are, knowing where 

to eat a good dinner with perfect strangers, 

spending hours just laughing and talking

with women who know me and accept me.

Slumber parties with crafts and Neil Diamond.

Breathing in the salt air.

I missed it all.

The only solution was to be immersed in it for 

a few days.

Now I am back to feeling like myself again.

Back in my home.  With my boys.

In Colorado.

Right where I belong.

But it's as if someone hit my reset button.

Thank you so much to my amazing host,

Kelly you sure know how to make me feel better.

And a big thanks to everyone that took time out of their busy lives to 

come and cure my homesickness.

Dad, I can clearly see your nuts.

Well folks, after eight years of hinting around about how much I'd like to see it happen, I finally convinced the hubs that he'd really like a pair of boxer briefs.  Yup.  I've been dreaming about this day.

The hubs used to be a competitive diver. All of his stories about his high diving days usually end in him being ridiculed for the "Speedo".  Yet all along I've been imagining what that would all look like wrapped up in a sexy little package (every pun intended….except for the little part! I've got your back babe!).

So the other day, after a long hike, he finally came to me and said the magic words…. "I think I'd like some boxer briefs!" I had to stop myself from falling on the floor all "whoa is me" style.  My husband is hot, he doesn't need any help in that department, but I can't lie….I ran to the store!

These are them.  Hello hot stuff! 

Thanks to Target, my hubs had a brand spankin' new pair of men's size medium low rise sexy pants.  Like a giddy little girl I paced back and forth waiting for the shower to turn off so that I could get a preview of my mans new underpants.  He called me into our bedroom and I raced to the closed door, only to be beat out by a curious little 4 year old boy.

In one feel swoop the boy had crushed my wildest fantasies all with a giant bellowing laugh.  It was an uncontrollable, slightly uncomfortable laugh.  One that came up and out of him so hard and fast that he almost looked a bit embarrassed and shocked by it.  And then he said it, the words that from that point on will make me laugh until snot runs out of my face….. 

"Dad, It looks like you pooped your pants right where your nuts are!"

Just like that.  We laughed for a long time.  All of us.  I then eyeball raped my husband.  And then we all laughed some more.  Through out the rest of the evening we all laughed pretty hard about the nut comment, but I made sure to express to the hubs that I didn't think that the boxer brief wearing was a joke, and that I really loved it….but dear, we can all clearly see your nuts now!