My HAIR STYLING besties

 I use these guys pretty much on the daily.The first two go on damp hair,then you can dry it,and style with a blow dryer or curling Iron( I used a 1 1/2"Iron).Then use a pea sized drop of the texture taffy on the ends of you hair for separation,It will give you that beachy tousled look.

*You can find these products on www.amazon.com

Tuesday

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1fUFfI/www.highexistence.com/life-secrets-and-tips?sms_ss=stumbleupon&at_xt=4d42de3bc63a2878%2C0

"bonfires burning bright..pumpkin faces in the night"..

 

 AUTUMN EQUINOX: The word equinox comes from the Latin words for "equal night." The fall and spring equinoxes are the only days of the year in which the Sun crosses the celestial equator.

 

I love this time of year..I am so excited to plant some new fall flowers in my little garden.Took a few pics of my garden while I was cleaning up..and spotted my little Ninja on the porch,she makes the perfect little Halloween porch ornament.

 

 

 

 

 

try this yummy dinner recipe!

                                 Chicken Muenster

I got this recipe from a friend ,and I made it a few weeks ago.It's so yummy I had to add it to my menu at home.So here's what you'll need to make it...

Ingredients
4-6 Whole chicken breasts
1 cup of sliced white mushrooms
4-6 slices of muenster cheese
1 large can of campbell's cream of chicken soup
1 box of shake and bake 
1/2 cup of milk 
vegetable oil 
salt and pepper

Directions
Start off by washing and trimming the fat off your chicken,then set it aside.Pour your 1/2 cup of milk into a shallow bowl and empty both bags of shake and bake onto a large plate.In a large fry pan,pour about 1-2 tlbs of oil turn heat on med-low.Take your chicken and dip in milk first then onto the shake and bake,then brown the chicken in the pan.
preheat oven to 350degrees....
Once the chicken is browned on both sides place in a deep baking dish about 1"apart,and place a slice of muenster cheese on top of each breast.Heat cream of chicken soup in a separate pot and pour soup around the chicken,then sprinkle sliced mushrooms on top along with cracked pepper and a pinch of salt.
Place foil paper over the baking dish and put in the oven for 20-25 minutes,for the last 10 minutes remove foil to brown the cheese,and BAM!! You have a delicious main course to serve with your choice of sides....
I served mine with seasoned veggies,and CousCous

*I would love for you all to share how you liked this recipe and  any pictures *

 

The end of summer is two days away!

         Here's a few random pictures I took over the summer...

 

This summer was hot,but nice,we spent a lot of time with family and friends.We explored new things like gardening,and trying out new recipes.

These hot summer days are much needed to appreciate the cool fall air.

Two more days to go..I'm so excited for the change of seasons,for fall colors,and scents.I can't wait to wear leggings,and layered clothes,and HALLOWEEN!

READ THE INGREDIENTS!

So as you all know my goal for this year is to detox my personal care products.I am currently reading The Green Beauty Guide by Julie Gabriel.This book is awesome, it gives you everything you need to know about the products we use everyday.
Eliminating all the bad stuff from your home is really hard to do,and replacing them can be even harder.A lot of companies will put the words "natural" and or "organic" on their label to make you think they're better...but this only means that they contain some natural or organic ingredients,THIS DOESN'T MEAN THEY ARE 100% NATURAL,OR TOXIN FREE.This book also gives you a run down on all the chemicals you should avoid and why.So do your homework people just take a peek at the ingredient list on some of those shampoos,conditioners,and cleaners in your bathroom.See if you find any of these guys hiding in there...

Petrolatum: lung irritant upon inhalation; derived from petroleum; non-biodegradable environmental toxin.

Saccharin: suspected human carcinogen; causes liver, kidney, and bladder damage in animals, as well as reproductive damage and birth abnormalities.

BHT: endocrine disruptor, skin and lung toxicant at low doses; causes death, liver and stomach cancers, thrombosis, fibrosis and liver and brain damage in animals; strong skin and eye irritant.

Methylparaben: skin and eye irritant; endocrine disruptor linked to breast and ovarian cancer; environmental contaminant

Mineral Oil (liquid petrolatum): causes blood and skin cancer formations in animals; eye and skin irritant; derived from petroleum; non-biodegradable environmental toxin

Paraffin: petrochemical bleached with carcinogen acrolyn; releases carcinogens benzene and toluene upon heating; causes kidney or renal system tumor in animals; environmental toxin

Propylparaben: skin and eye irritant; endocrine disruptor linked to breast and ovarian cancer; environmental contaminant

Silica: linked to esophageal cancer, renal disease, pulmonary fibrosis, mesothelioma, sarcoma, rheumatoid arthritis, and bronchitis; strong nasal and lung irritant; wildlife toxicant; accumulates in the human body

Phthalates:(di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP, commonly found in nail polish) and di(2-ehtylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP, found in perfumes). Most often, they are hiding under word “fragrance” in the ingredient list.) disrupt hormone function, may contribute to the rising incidence of uterine problems in women, testicular cancer in men and infertility in both sexes. 

 *please remember the goal behind this is to not be paranoid or scared of all chemicals,because not all of them are "bad",but just to become more knowledgeable of the ones we should avoid. 

mrs.meyers clean day

Alright people I know its seems hard to drop the other cleaning products because we know they work and we love the way the smell....BUT.....here is another option that is non toxic and eco-friendly...

I use all 3 of these products and they work great,they're inexpensive and they fill my house with the most amazing scent :) for all mrs.meyers cleaning products check them out at target or on they're site here...http://www.mrsmeyers.com/Products/Gift_Ideas/Lemon_Verbena_Kitchen_Basics_Set

Summer Hair tips

Okay ladies,with all the soaking up the sun,and swimming you've been doing..

Here's a few tips to keep your hair looking and feeling great.

• Use a clarifying shampoo at least once a week to remove any chlorine or other impurities that may build up from other shampoos or even hard shower water.
• Get a trim! I know your trying to grow out your hair....and your scared to sacrifice an inch or two,but the good news is that it will grow back,and its not doing you any good splitting and breaking off.
• Make yourself a quick fix hair mask use:1 avocado,2 tbsp of mayonnaise,1tbsp of olive oil put in a bowl and blend,apply to damp hair leave on for 10 minutes or longer,and wash out.This is an easy natural and effective method for restoring moisture to dry,damaged hair.
• change out your shower head to a filtered one like the t3 source shower head,it helps to filter out 95% of chlorine from water.It will reduce frizz,enhance shine and is great for your skin too!

• Use a sulfate free shampoo,especially for color treated hair,it will make your color last longer.A good one that I'm using right now is Dermorganic,it lathers like no other sulfate free shampoo I've tried,and moisturizes as well.

Juice beauty blemish clearing system

So I've pretty much have had acne all my life,and after trying so many different treatments that would dry out my skin,didn't stop the breakouts,and of course loaded with harsh chemicals,I decided to give juice beauty blemish clearing system a try.At first I'm going to be honest I was a little nervous that It might not work as well... because the ingredients seemed really gentle,things like lemon juice,aloe leaf juice,and Dandelion Leaf Extract.But after trying this stuff I was kinda blown away honestly my skin has been so much better.It removes all make up,without drying your skin and the best part about it....NO MORE BREAKOUTS! :) just hydrated,healed skin without the harsh chemical stripping.
    So If you have acne,or combo skin,give this stuff a try,you have nothing to loose,its 98% organic and has awesome results.

                 For more info on prices,ingredients and reviews..

http://www.juicebeauty.com/store/collections/blemish-clearing.html 

Why i decided to make the switch & the reason for this blog..

My son Noah is one of the main reasons that inspired me to "go green".While I'm learning it,I can teach him,and hopefully this will be something that he will carry on to his family,and peers. My husband and I have watched a few documentaries and done a little research that have also influenced our decision.
Which basically made us realize we're using these products regularly, essentially creating a stockpile of some chemicals in our bodies (stored in fat cells) that may only cause harm after years of use,to us and of course to our surroundings.
If we cant eat it,we shouldn't be putting it on our bodies.

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/natural-beauty-cosmetics/natural-beauty-tips#ixzz24E3QmCul

This documentary was also a very big eye opener for us,so please if you are thinking about making the switch for you and your family watch this documentary.It has a list of ways to start going green,because remember its okay to take this in steps,this is a complete lifestyle change.

My story....

The reason behind this blog,is to help everyone make better choices on the products we consume.I'm on the hunt for products that are good for us,and work well too!and because I work at Ulta Beauty ( a retail beauty supply and salon),and I'm a hairstylist/make up artist I am always trying out lots of different products,so I will be giving you my reviews on all the different products I use,and that is how I plan to help you.But also I'd love your input on this journey as well.So you are more than welcome to share the different products and your experiences with me,I would love for you all to be a part of this!My hopes are to build a knowledgeable community of mothers,women,and men of all ages who make better choices for ourselves,the environment and for our children(or future children).


SO GO ON.....

                        FROM ALL THOSE HARSH CHEMICALS!!