Homemade @ MindSay

Dry hair can drive you crazy at times. Learn a few simple ways to tame those tresses and look gorgeous always.

Everyone has a bad hair day occasionally. However, when you have dry hair you seem to have bad hair days more often than people with other types of hair. This is because dry hair brings with it a host of problems. These include frizziness, split ends, dandruff, etc. Here are some measures you can use to make it more manageable and keep it looking great.

Drink lots of water

In most cases, people have dry hair because their bodies are simply not getting the required daily fluid intake. Seventy-five percent of the human body is made up of water. When your body loses some of its water content, it starts drawing in the water from those parts of the body that need it less. This is to supply water to the essential organs like the heart, lungs, liver, etc. Consequently, your skin and hair are the first to suffer from the lack of water in your body.

To combat this effect, make sure that you drink adequate amounts of water each day. You should aim to consume at least 8-10 glasses of water every day. Avoid substituting water with other liquids such as juices, colas, coffee, etc. Colas and coffee usually have caffeine in them that acts as a diuretic. This will speed up the loss of water from your body. In the case of juices, the sugar content in them is very high which could again lead to health problems like diabetes. There is just no substitute for plain water.

Oil your hair

Along with being properly hydrated, your hair also needs to be enriched with natural oils. This will soften your hair and provide it with the nourishment it requires. Olive oil is considered the best oil to achieve healthy hair. Try and cook your food in olive oil and see the difference it makes to your hair. For a quick fix just before you go out, apply a little olive oil to your hair to make it easier to comb and style. If olive oil is too expensive an option, you could use a cheaper alternative like coconut oil.

Shampoo less often

The problem with dry hair is that it is already running low on nutrients. Hence, you cannot afford to lose these nutrients from your hair, as they will take a long time to be replenished. The chief cause of this loss of nutrients from hair is excessive shampooing. Most shampoos are full of chemicals like acids and detergents. While they do a great job of ridding your hair of dirt and grime, they also tend to strip away the natural protective layer of oil that covers your hair. For people with normal or oily hair, this is not really a problem as the lost oil layer is replaced soon. However, people with dry hair cannot replace the oil layer so quickly, which leaves the hair dry and frizzy.

Avoid shampooing your hair too often if it is prone to dryness. Shampooing your hair twice a week is enough to keep it clean. At the same time, it will prevent the excess loss of oil from your hair. Also, keep an eye on the brand of shampoo you are using. Opt for a mild shampoo that contains only small amounts of chemicals in it. This will be less harsh on your hair. If possible, choose a shampoo made out of natural ingredients like Aloe Vera.

Condition your hair

Merely shampooing your hair is not enough. It needs to be supplemented with further treatments to protect your hair. Hair conditioners provide the most important after-shower care. A conditioner forms a kind of protective layer over the hair and seals in its moisture. This goes a long way towards preventing your hair from breaking or developing split ends. Again, preferably choose a conditioner with natural ingredients. It need not be an expensive brand name. Many local beauty stores have their own brands, which are cheaper and perform the same function.

You could also keep a bottle of leave-in conditioner on hand. A leave-in conditioner is a conditioning product that can be used on hair when it is either damp or dry. If your hair feels a bit frizzy during the day, just apply a small amount to your hair to smoothen out the frizz.

Dry hair is no excuse not to look good. With so many products available in the market, you can easily manage your unruly locks and look like you stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine.

I've got a bunch of "recipes" for kid's activities I used while I was teaching that I would be glad to share with any and everyone who is interested.  I just don't know if people want 'em.  Here's a partial list of what I have, let me know if you're interested and I'll post...

Play dough: cooked, uncooked, chocolate, peanut butter, cinnamon, jello, kool aid, peppermint

Apple Butter

Ornament Clay

Goop

Glurch

Oobleck (or Slime)

Pretzel Dough

Rainbow Squishies

"Homemade" Crayons

Salt Painting

Homemade Fingerpaints

Homemade Soap Crayons

Anytime Bubbles

Potter's Clay

Iridescent Soap Bubbles

Corn Syrup Paint

It was Randy's turn to make dinner.  Usually he takes us out to dinner until it gets to icy or snowy out to drive to the city for the hell of it!  Then he makes up various casorales.  I banned him from making Steak and he gets sick of grilling, broiling or baking chicken and pork. 

Well we get tired of having the same ol same ol everynight so the kids suggested homemade canadian bacon pizza!  I have had the makings in the cupboard and freezer for a month now!  I gave Randy an option.  A:  Make the pizza or B:  Clean up and lets go over to Welsh's for Pizza.  He decieded he wanted to get back outside to finish trimming some of the trees beside the driveway so he choose A!

Who would have thought his mother taught him how to cook regular meals but never taught him to make pizza, hot pockets, runzas or even pot pies!  I had to stay in the kitchen to help him out and if you notice he did have some minor problems!  I figured might as well caputre some pictures of him actually cooking and document the fact he did cook this past week instead of taking us out! 

I had to take over putting the dough on to the pan because he couldn't get it spread out with out tearing huge holes in the dough!  So I did that and showed him how to do it for next go around.  And after he put the sauce on I showed him how to even the sauce out a bit more.  Thankfully he picked up on how to evenly put the meat and cheese on!

I always made comments to my male and female friends that I would love to have a nakee man in my kitchen cooking or cleaning!  I got my wish on the cooking part!  Now if I can snatch some pictures of Randy first thing in the morning with just his undies on making coffee and loading the dishwasher! 

Your skin is not a part of your body that you can forget about (like an appendix or a kidney), assuming that it will look after itself. It is a high-maintenance part of your body, which is sensitive to the slightest changes in your health, emotions and environment. You binge on chocolates and your face becomes a mass of pimples; you don't get a good night's sleep and dark circles appear under your eyes; you're out in the sun a lot and you get burnt or develop freckles. The list is endless. So let's take a look at skin care regimes for different kinds of skin.

Dry skin

Use a rich cream cleanser instead of soap and water. Avoid astringents, as they will further dry your skin. Instead, use a mild skin toner after cleansing your skin. Apply a good moisturizing lotion in the day, before sleeping, before applying make-up and after removing make-up.

Once a week, wash your face with the juice of a melon. You can give yourself a weekly facial by mixing a yolk of an egg with two tablespoons of milk and half a tablespoon of honey. Apply this on your face and leave it on for about fifteen minutes. Then wash with lukewarm water. If you're out in the sun a lot, milk mixed with melted butter helps soften the dry skin.

Lanolin, apple juice, peach juice, sour cream and crushed almonds are also helpful for dry skin.

Oily skin

You may not believe it, but oily skin actually has some advantages. As a result of excess lubrication, wrinkles do not form prematurely and skin is not much affected by wind and sunlight. However, oily skin is a magnet for dirt and grime and thus a good and regular cleansing regime is a must. If oily skin is not cleaned thoroughly and regularly, the dirt will clog the pores in the skin and blackheads will appear.

People with oily skin should wash their faces with medicated soap and water. The use of astringents is advised as they have a tightening and drying effect on the skin. Buttermilk or beaten egg whites also have a drying and tightening effect. Parsley juice mixed with honey and a few drops of lemon or ginger is good for an oily skin. This mixture controls the secretion of oil.

Fuller's earth (Multani mitti), oatmeal, almond paste, or lime juice or vinegar mixed with water are excellent cleansers. Steaming opens up the clogged pores and you can push out blackheads and whiteheads and prevent pimples.

Avoid rich fried foods and load up on green vegetables instead. Take two tablespoons of lecithin granules (a by-product of soyabeans) daily.

After washing your face, soak a towel in hot water and press it to your face. Repeat this process two or three times. Next wet the towel in ice-cold water and repeat the process two or three times to close enlarged pores.

Cucumber, parsley, cabbage, tomato, yoghurt and lemon are natural aids for an oily skin.

Combination skin

If you have an oily nose and forehead, but dry cheeks and chin, you will have to treat each area of your face separately depending on whether it is dry or oily.

Does your hair fall often Arm yourself with these tools to combat hair fall.

Wide-toothed comb

• Get yourself a wide-toothed comb. This is probably one of the most important yet underutilized of all hair tools. A wide-toothed comb helps you distribute conditioner evenly all over your hair while shampooing and conditioning. In addition, it also helps get rid of knots smoothly.
• The best time to get rid of knots is during conditioning. Apply conditioner and run a wide toothed comb gently through your hair.
• While untangling dry hair, do so in sections. Take one section at a time, and first, untangle the ends of your hair. Do so slowly, and don’t pull unless you want your hair to fall out in clumps or break.
• Don’t wait for the last minute before detangling your hair. Every night, while sitting in front of the television, run a wide toothed comb gently through your hair, until you have untangled it completely. Do this every night, and you will notice that your hair remains free from tangles.

Leave-in conditioner
Dry hair tends to tangle easily, and, needless to say, causes it to break. Make sure your hair is never devoid of moisture by always keeping a bottle of leave-in conditioner handy. The next time you feel your hair is dry and rough to the touch, simply rub a dollop of leave-in conditioner between your palms, and apply it to your hair. Comb through with your wide toothed comb. Your hair will be instantly rejuvenated and moisturized. Gradually, the texture will also improve. This is a must if you blow dry your hair regularly, or if it is chemically treated. Such hair constantly craves moisture, so get yourself a bottle of leave-in conditioner.

Oil
Olive, almond and coconut oils are all excellent for the hair. While you could apply oil as an alternative to leave-in conditioner, oil tends to make your hair sticky, and you cannot style your hair well after applying oil. Your only alternative would then be to tie up your hair. For better results with oil, apply just a few drops immediately after washing your hair, when your hair is still dripping wet. Oil doesn’t penetrate the strands as easily as leave-in conditioner does though. Nothing beats a hot oil massage followed by a steam treatment, as the steam helps the oil penetrate the hair strands, strengthening them and curtailing hair fall.

Egg
Egg is great for the hair there are no two ways about it! True, it causes a tremendous stink in the bathroom, and your hair may let off an eggy smell, but the results are instantaneous and worth it! Egg strengthens your hair almost immediately, and the egg yolk leaves your hair shining. Whip an egg with two tablespoons of olive oil and apply it to your hair. Wash off after half an hour. Make sure you wash off with cold water though, or the egg will start cooking in your hair, and would be harder to take off! Use a scented shampoo to counter the smell of egg in your hair, and follow up with a leave-in conditioner. Do this for a month, and you will be amazed by the change in your hair texture and the reduction in hair fall.