Brain Vacation

I am halfway through my Senior Seminar research project...tomorrow the first copy of my rough draft for my research paper is due. I have been stressing over this thing for WEEKS. And.... I handed it in today! Yay!

Ok...this doesn't mean I am even close to done, but I have granted myself a brain vacation. From now until Monday I will do NOTHING with this paper or anything school related. I am so very excited for my self-given vacation. 

And, earlier, after handing the paper in, I treated myself to a lovely mani/pedi combo and eavesdropped on salon gossip. It was fabulous. I also discovered a new pink favorite by OPI....

Strawberry Margarita 

 I am feeling springy today!

I would also like to take the time to mention a product that I LOVE. I have discussed my favorite shampoos before, and All Soft is definitely one of them. A few months ago I purchased some small bottles of Redken All Soft "Velvet Whip." 

 I found these samples in the bottom of a drawer the other day and decided to try it out. I am very impressed! I worked a quarter sized amount into the ends of my hair and about half way up (as a general rule I never put any leave in products above my ears...too greasy). Anyways, I am almost dumbfounded my how soft and smooth my hair has been in the past few days! I also love a thermal protector as well since my hair takes on  A LOT of heat. Anyways, I highly recommend this product. And, like the shampoo, it smells super good! 

Hope everyone has a fantastic upcoming weekend.... I know I will!

Personal Struggles: Greek Yogurt

If you keep up with anything health related, you know that Greek Yogurt is where it's at these days. It is the perfect snack...low in fat, high in protein. 

There is just one problem: I HATE IT. 

I can handle it in a smoothie, but alone, I simply cannot shake the fact that I am eating sour cream, or something similar, straight from the jar. 

Thus starts my periodical journey with trying to make myself like Greek yogurt. I have tried different brands, different flavors, etc. A while back, someone recommended trying Chobani brand, Honey flavor. I typically buy Chobani (when I am experimenting) and have had the most success with it. (By success I mean haven't thrown up.)

So, this week, I purchased 4 small cups (as pictured above) to keep at work for when I become famished. 

It went something like this...

Day 1: Remove lid. Smell yogurt. Become nauseated. Attempt to eat, gag 800 times before finishing yogurt. 

Day 2: Brilliantly mix cinnamon into my yogurt. Realize this barely did anything and proceed to gag 600 times to finish.

Day 3: Mix cinnamon, Truvia, and oats into my yogurt. Gag twice before finishing. 

Could it be that this yogurt is an acquired taste? My concern is that I am making it unhealthy by  using all of these add-ins that make it easier for me to swallow (literally). 

So, I have one more left, that I will try to eat tomorrow. Maybe I am missing something, or maybe I just need to completely derail this Greek Yogurt train. Any advice for other healthy snack options, add-ins, or  basically anything you want to say, is welcomed. 

Love, 

Coconut Oil Emergency

The Small Things blog is one of my favorite blogs to browse every week. Last week, she wrote a blog about using coconut oil as a hair moisturizer and to revive dry hair. (You can check it out here)

Anyways, I was super excited. I went to HyVee and bought this coconut oil....

Well, on the blog, she said that she washed her hair, put a tablespoon of the oil into her hair, then rinsed and conditioned as usual. 

I should know better than to try these kinds of things out before work. On this particular day,  I had a few other things I needed to do before I went to work, and I was functioning in a small time frame. I felt like my hair seemed like it had a little bit of residue left over after I got out of the shower, but I figured it would be fine once it was dried. Well, long story short....no. After drying my hair, it still appeared to be wet, which is the ultimate grease ball look. I had no time to rectify the situation, so I threw my hair into a pony tail and left. After several examinations in my rear view mirror, I decided there was no way I could go to work looking like that. Luckily, I had to drop my friend off at her house and with 20 minutes to spare, I quickly re-washed and dried my hair at her house. My hair was heavy/static-y for the rest of the day. What a disaster. 

But, I refuse to be defeated by these situations. Maybe if I use LESS oil, and make sure to wash it immediately after, it will work. I am trying again. NOT before work. 

And, the coconut oil is not a complete waste. I have been using it as a moisturizer on my face at night, and it makes my skin SO soft. I also put it on my legs after shaving (in the shower) and it worked miracles! So, if the hair thing doesn't pan out, there are other uses. 

Moral of the story: do not try home remedies before you need to be somewhere that other human beings will see you. 

Has anyone tried coconut oil or had any success? Let me know.. I obviously need help.


Happy End of the Weekend,