NO POO: Hair cleaning, Degreasing, Deodorizing.

Vinegar

Baking Soda

Hair Care

Gross.(not really though)

I have been washing my hair for that last 2 years give or take a few months, with Baking Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar.

I have tried this method off and on a few times, with long hair and short hair. Works better for me with short hair, as it fried my long hair but that could have been the way I was doing it.

The first few times I kept a container of dry baking soda in the shower just dumped a little in my hand and added enough water to make a paste. Then tried to evenly distribute it through my long locks. That fried my hair, I gave up after a few try's.

Then I cut my hair and donated my pony tail to Locks of Love for wigs for children, it made my heart feel good.

Well then I tried it again with short hair same process, made a mess of my hair again. Gave up again! F-this noise I tells ya.

So I did some more research, and I can't remember if I followed someone elses idea or plans or if I just made them up myself, in this case pffff, I made them up myself, "those who dout me........" add your own profanities, expletives this is family friendly... Well I try. It's a quote from the HBO show Deadwood, you get my drift, It has a lot of swearing in it, and crude comments, it is fantastic.

So we found some glass jars with cork style lids at a yard sale or thrift store or someplace like that.

The tools and ingredients - water

 For the baking soda I take a little more than a handful of baking soda load that into jar then add water to fill the jar put the lid on shake it up.

Then for the Apple Cider Vinegar, I fill up the jar 1/3 up then top off with water, put the lid on, shake.

The How To, NoPoo

This method has been working very well for me the last two years. Now your supposed to be able to ween yourself off of this stuff, when your hair starts "naturally" cleaning itself, I have never gotten to that point my hair gets pretty gross if I don't wash it for more then two days. I thinks its all a load of what? you may ask your self, BULL, ya maybe if you don't do to much with your day and sit around in an extremely Air conditioned building then you might be able to get away with weening your self off. Me? no I'm in the heat and humidity too much, just doesn't seem plausible.

Final product with its relatives

Now these two containers last me about 3 showers a piece, I don't use the Vinegar wash every time, just like you don't use conditioner every time, unless you do then go for it. 

Pass the honey, Honey. Pass the sugar, Sugar. Pass the tea, Bag?

"We're putting it on Wax,(it's the new style)"

Yep, that is a quote.

Well we decided to try something new, we like honey, we use a lot of honey, and it smells awesome. So what have we got planned? Bees wax candles, Why? Cause we need to make a mess somehow. but at least it is a mess that smells good.

raw, pre-cut, dirty, smells awesome

I purchased some raw bees wax from a local apiary, where I go to get the liquid gold. On this trip I asked if I could purchase 5lbs of wax also; show up and there it is, chipped off the old block with a chisel and marteau. Fill up a few jars of honey and we're off. So then after about a day of the block sitting on the computer desk and smelling terrific, I decide to start chipping it into smaller pieces to ease the melting process. This is a little bit of a task, so I make up a double boiler with an old mason jar, old pot, and a coiled up piece of copper wire. Filled the mason jar with water and placed my chisel and putty knife into the mason jar to heat up. I then push the chisel and putty knife into the wax till it starts breaking apart and repeat this process till I am left with pieces in the 2"-3" with a ton of little chips and flakes everywhere. They look like good sizes for quicker melting, so I start melting them down in the double boiler system.  While that is happening I start creating a makeshift filtering system, now that's the secret part can't let that one out. Filter is made, wax still melting. after about 30mins wax has fully melted. Pour wax through filtering media, onto baking pan... old baking pan, lined with parchment paper.

All chopped up.

She's always there happy to help, dangerous or safe

Getting wax off stuff is a pain in the ass,and anything used quickly becomes something old and something you don't care about. Kind of like how North Americans treat our elderly in old age homes.... ouch that's a sore spot. So was that wax that just dripped on my hand. Use caution and PPE.

All the crud left in the filter media

found this little fella, in the filter too. 

After filtering the wax and letting it harden it takes on a lighter colour since dirt and debris have been removed. Yes, if it is previously unfiltered it is going to have dirt, propolis, pollen, bees and bee parts, and who knows what else.

The whole process makes your house smell nice and sweet like honey.

Life: Our Adventure

It has been warm again the last few weeks. Everything in the garden has really been happy with that. We have gotten a ton of new Tomatoes forming, which means maybe some canning might happen. I have already made and froze four 2 cup containers of marinara. Had some more Tomatoes diced up in the fridge and now we have eight 250ml jars of salsa as of yesterday, everything but the Jalapenos and cumin seed came from our gardens so that's fun. Peppers have been washed, sliced and frozen on a tray then put into bags for storage.  Also been trying out our dehydrator. I have dehydrated Patchouli, Calendula Flowers, Basil, Blue Berries, Cilantro, and some Jalapeno peppers. I am going to try a few more things and add to our jars of dehydrated things. I need to make some Pesto to freeze for a little bit of summer taste in the colder months.

Been spending some time re-arranging our house. We picked up two used items of furniture for a good price on Kijiji, we couldn't really pass them up. First was a vintage solid wood teachers desk or pedestal desk what ever you wanna call it, its beat up in all the right places I like it. Then we also picked up a couch which cost more in our own labour to get it out of the condo and into our house than it did to buy.  I would say it took a good 3.5 hrs X 2 bodies to move it, including travel time. Small condos and old houses just don't fit big furniture at all.

We weren't planning on buying furniture but we had talked about it lots. We didn't like our desk, but we got it from our house mate when he was done school.  It didn't have drawers so we had baskets under it holding the printer paper and extra USB cords and other cords, just looked like a mess. We had the couch for 5 years I think, with a lot of ass traffic. They have both served their purpose and have been well used, we just needed a change. So we browsed Kijiji just for fun, found the desk, wow good price for something we actually really like: big, wood, old and storage. When we got it home, cleaned it up and found a sale sign in one of the drawers asking $350. We got a lot better deal than that so I can not complain there. It was an easy move, it already had the screws taken out and separated in 4 parts, fit in the truck easily. When looking at a piece of furniture in a garage, then putting it into an old small house, there is a little bit of distortion in eye balling the size of it. To fix that we no longer have a dining room table and now no longer have a dining room, it is a multipurpose room.

Then we looked at couches on Kijiji and saw this one dark couch, looks new and not gaudy. So we booked a time for picking up the couch; also take into consideration we have not gotten rid of any of the other furniture yet. The day after we get the desk home we head on out to get the couch. We got the measurements, yep seems like it will fit in the truck alright. Head down, look at the couch, realize there is no bargaining for this thing its in brand new condition. So now to get it out of the ladies condo 5' long and 3.5' wide hallway, 7'x3'x3' couch, and a 34" door way into another hall. Turn it this way, no turn it this way, well they got it in here. I don't remember what they did to get it in here. Lets try it this way, we're going to scratch the wall, no now its up against the mirror, ok try it this way, Alright we are in the hall, pick it up walk down the longest Apartment building hallway ever. In the elevator (that was the easiest part in the elevator). Down to the moving room, ?No moving room? really? We have to take it through the underground parking? Alright in the basement down another really long hallway, wait? There are 4 doorways in this hall, with the hinges on opposite sides of the frames, for no other reason than to annoy us.  They also seem to get smaller and smaller, turn it this way, no that way.  Wont work the door is on the other side, oh the doors will not stay open, okay we're through to another hallway. Oh look the moving room yes, no, it just leads into the underground parking, remember that part, right okay. Through the underground to the doors, run around to the front of the building, grab the truck bring it around. The door for the cap is 33" high, wow that's no good. Well we just have to get it over that hump of the couch then it gets lower in the middle, okay that's not soo bad.  I will just lift it up on this end and tilt it in nope, okay tilt and turn, no the legs are hitting the side box of the cap okay.... we'll flip it on its back okay lets try that, no right its as high as it is deep, flip it back over lets lift and just force it the padding will squish, alright we're in. Oh well that was fun, great Thickson Rd. has an accident and they are diverting all the traffic, sweet traffic jam. Oh I will just head north, 'F' the 401 I says to my little lady friend we can go north, "Hey remember that little pastry I brought home from the Portuguese bakery, well its just around the corner from here.", "Lets go."

Get home a few hours later, "alright lets get it into the house, the other couch came in easy, maybe this one will." No, no it wont, its shaped completely different. Get everything out of the way get it out of the truck, wow that was really easy how come it came out so easy? Gremlins I tells ya little Gremlins. Alright into the front porch, into the hallway, oh our hallway is a little bigger that will help. No it won't there is a staircase in it as well. Turn it this way, no turn it this way, lets try it this way, we're going to scratch the wall no now its up against the mirror, okay try it this way. "Well what if we turn it around" says the pretty little blonde girl on the other side of the couch, "No, I don't think it going to work that way" says me. Lets try it, tilt it up, slide it into the bigger area at the bottom of the stair, spin it around slide it back bring it back down, pick it up, walk 1/3 up the stairs over the railing, "turn it this way" says the voice hidden behind the couch.
"I can't see anything you gotta let me know what to do"
"okay I got a leg and the arm through"
well I am stuck on the stairs holding this thing and can't go anywhere, well figure it out, its in, it is in the living room with the other couch, wow! We should have gotten rid of this stuff first. House in shambles.

Laundry time

REvisions

Ran out of laundry soap.... gotta go make some I guess. There are a lot of posts about making your own cleaners and detergents, So I am going to add another to the list the more the merrier. We have read a few recipes.... but I don't like that cause I'm not going to eat it. lets call them directions and measurements.

I am not experienced in the whole making your own cleaning products still a little green, my roots are showing but were going to try different things. Right now this is working for us with our city water, I don't know if it will be different with well water or hard water. It took me this long to make our laundry detergent, Trampled by Turtles - Rebellion (lies) (Arcade Fire cover), and a while longer to write this post.

What you will need!
Pure Castile Soap (I used Dr. Bronners Magic Soap)
Borax (Sodium Borate)
Washing Soda (Sodium Carbonate)

So what to do? Well grate the soap with a fine grater make it small flecks, more soluble in water that way you don't have to use hot water cool or warm will work.

After you do that add two cups each of the Borax and Washing soda.

Mix it all up either stir or put in container and shake what ever you prefer.

Use 2 tablespoons We now use 3 - 4 tbls per load of laundry, I use 3 4 - 5 tablespoons when washing work clothes(I am a Diesel Generator Technician I tend to get smelly) put more or less in find what works for you. If you want more Smell from the soap grate another bar and add another cup each of the sodas add some essential oils, though we found that didn't really work.

While writing this I stumbled upon this gem Death (Detroit, Rock and Roll '75) how? I don't know but its great.
 That link no longer works here try this one Death - Politicians in my eyes!
Peace, I'm Out

Spring, what?

Spring, Spring is almost here, nothing has been happening all that much.

We made a purchase of a vehicle, we needed one that was more reliable (starts every time you want it too), doesn't leak(we had little seedlings sprouting on the drivers side floor in the summer, ice rink in the winter, with any warm sun rays getting to the vehicle it would create a nice sauna in there, conveniently sticking to the windows, just to freeze up over night so you have ice on the inside and outside of the windows), and windows that go back up(not stuck down on the 401) 2007 Tucson it has a lot more room than our grand am, its nice to have more space for the pups.

There has been more snow than we have had in a few years which is kinda nice, to actually have winter and not just teased with miserable weather. Whats the point of winter with out any snow? I had to get my snow blower started one day, cleared the lane about 3 times in a day, a few Fridays ago. Dogs have been appreciating the snow too, we have enjoyed it too! it wears them out a lot faster, cats not so much appreciation.

Doing her best kangaroo impression.

Funnin in the backyard

The Snow

Well it's official there is snow on the ground snow on the kale which is looking defeated going to have to gather up the last of it and see what we can do, the salad greens and chard under our home made greenhouse/frost protectors, are still looking well. little flakes of snow are still floating down onto the ground, our new cat is still unsure of the snow she was attacking it on the deck earlier which was pretty comical. We made Sweet Potato Biscuits yesterday, they were delicious, forgot to take pictures though so if we make them again I will be all over that.

Kids in the Street.

I remember growing up in the east side of Toronto, East York, to be exact Sammon Ave, and Woodbine Ave. My brother and our friends on the street or a few blocks down, running in the street skateboarding, rollerblading, playing catch, climbing the sides of our house, putting speakers on the outside on the roof from our bedroom playing records and tapes maybe CDs and pretending we had a radio show, microphone and all the whole block probably heard it through my dads stereo system. Running around outside was not foreign, playing Cops and Robbers with my parents Black Pontiac, Parisienne (the bat mobile) it would be the Cop car and getaway car depending on who was in the drivers seat, now we didn't have the keys and the thing didn't move but we would jump around in and out of it slamming the doors, probably yelling and carrying on like boys would do. Playing Basketball, road hockey and baseball in the alley between the houses were in our repertoire, I was young but I am pretty sure there were no complaints to our parents about this racket.
Then "Game On!" we move to Napanee near Kingston, and in Kingston there are people complaining about street Hockey and wanting it banned, the main complaint, was that someone had to wait a moment while they cleared the equipment or just the players to get out of the way. That opens up another issue with the mentality people have of they need to get where they want to go, as fast as possible. Now they didn't ban street hockey and most people say they did but the put restrictions on it, they just pointed out the obvious. Clear the way when vehicles approach, don't break neighbours lawn or things, keep noise down(F-that one right there) you can't play between 8pm - 9am Street Hockey in Kingston, By-Law.
Then again "from downtown" we, my partner and I move to The City of Kawartha Lakes, and a friend from Toronto who used to partake in the noise in the streets with my brother and I, well he posted a link about a woman in Peterborough complaining about a kid playing basketball in his parents driveway, and getting the Ministry of Environment involved. Are people that out of touch with their younger selves? Do they not remember they were annoying loud bastards also? Its what kids are, That is why we ourselves don't want any yet, we enjoy quietly walking the dogs and sleeping in.
Kids need to be outside playing, making noise, breaking things, getting hurt, adventuring, doing things that might get them in trouble, from the greatest movie ever made, The Sandlot Mothers plea for son to go outside.