No "Poo" hair, day 1

I have been researching hair styles for my little darling for the past few weeks. My SIL is getting married in October, which prompted this. But I also enjoy new & cute hairstyles, and since I do have a girl, I might as well enjoy the hair aspect of it.

What does this have to do with "No Poo" you might ask. Well I stumbled across a few sites that referred to this saying & it made me wonder. After a bit of research, I found out this meant cleaning your hair with out using shampoo.

As someone who has super fine, straight hair that tends to get pretty oily, I was somewhat grossed out. I could never imagine not "washing" my hair. I won't even leave the house in the morning (unless I am dropping off my darling in the valet line @ school) unless I have showered & washed my hair. And normally by the evening, my hair feels greasy & very weighed down.

This morning, I decided to give this no poo thing a shot. There are a few different methods on how to do this. For today's trial run, I combined two of them.

First I mixed a tablespoon of Baking Soda w/some warm water. I slowly poured it to the roots & massaged it in starting from the forehead to the base of my neck. After making sure I had gotten my whole scalp, I rinsed it out.

Then I used my conditioner and did the same, making sure to run it through to the ends. I let that sit in my hair while I finished showering & shaving, then rinsed.

Reading the many blogs & articles out there on this, I was concerned on how my hair would turn out. It warned that it would take a few weeks to get your hair and scalp to acclimate to this & thoroughly cleanse out the "poo" build up. I was sure I would be pulling my hair back & borrowing the darlings headbands. But I must say I am quite happy. My hair is shiny & over five hours later & a nap thrown in, it is still clean & non-greasy.

I am sure I will experiment with the methods I have read about until I find the right way for me. But I have a feeling that the "No Poo" method will be one that I will continue using & most likely transition my darling to. This seems like the perfect hair cleansing way for her & her super sensitive skin.

Here are some pics of my shiny hair taken hours after the washing:

Friday the 13th

Today is Friday the 13th, a dreaded day in most peoples mind. On a site I belong to, the question was brought up on whether today was a lucky day for us or not. It got me to thinking & remembering an old blog post of mine on MySpace where I had done some research on this "doomed" day. And in honor of the day, I thought I would recycle that old blog post:


Well, today is Friday the 13th. I have always had pretty decent days in my past. But how many of you have?

Paraskevidekatriaphobics — people afflicted with a morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th

I thought in honor of today, I would do a little research to find out why so many people have this phobia.

The 6th day of the week and the # 13 both have foreboding reputations said to date from ancient times, and their inevitable combination from one to three times a year portends more misfortune than some unsuspecting minds can bear. Some sources say it may be the most widespread superstition in the United States.

Though no one can say for sure when & why people first associated the number 13 with adversity, the belief is assumed to be quite old, and there exist any number of theories — all of which have been called into question at one time or another.

It has been projected, for example, that fears surrounding the number 13 are as ancient as the act of counting. Primitive man had only his 10 fingers and two feet to represent units; this explanation goes, so he could count no higher than 12. What lay beyond that — 13 — was an unfathomable mystery to our prehistoric forebears, hence an object of superstition.

That's great & all, but did they not have toes to count?

Despite whatever terrors the numerical unknown held for their cave-man ancestors, ancient civilizations weren't unanimous in their dread of 13. The Chinese regarded the number as lucky, as did the Egyptians in the time of the pharaohs.

To the ancient Egyptians, these sources tell us, life was a quest for spiritual ascension which unfolded in stages — 12 in this life and a 13th beyond, thought to be the eternal afterlife. The number 13 therefore symbolized death — not in terms of dust and decay, but as a glorious and desirable transformation. Though Egyptian civilization perished, the symbolism conferred on the number 13 by its priesthood survived, only to be corrupted by subsequent cultures who came to associate 13 with a fear of death instead of a reverence for the afterlife.

Anathema
Other sources speculate that the number 13 may have been purposely vilified by the founders of patriarchal religions in the early days of western civilization because it represented femininity. (So, once again, in ancient times, anything to do w/the female having some type of power is evil or wrong)Thirteen had been revered in prehistoric goddess-worshiping cultures, we are told, because it corresponded to the number of lunar (menstrual) cycles in a year (13 x 28 = 364 days). The "Earth Mother of Laussel," for example — a 27,000-year-old carving found near the Lascaux caves in France often cited as an icon of matriarchal spirituality — depicts a female figure holding a crescent-shaped horn bearing 13 notches. As the solar calendar triumphed over the lunar with the rise of male-dominated civilization, it is surmised, so did the number 12 over the number 13, thereafter considered anathema.

On the other hand, one of the earliest concrete taboos associated with the number 13 — a taboo still observed by some superstitious folks today, evidently — is said to have originated in the East with the Hindus, who believed that it is always unlucky for 13 people to gather in one place — say, at dinner. Interestingly enough, precisely the same superstition has been attributed to the ancient Vikings. The story has been laid down as follows:

Loki, the Evil One
Twelve gods were invited to a banquet at Valhalla. Loki, the Evil One, god of mischief, had been left off the guest list but crashed the party, bringing the total number of attendees to 13. True to character, Loki raised hell by inciting Hod, the blind god of winter, to attack Balder the Good, who was a favorite of the gods. Hod took a spear of mistletoe offered by Loki and obediently hurled it at Balder, killing him instantly. All Valhalla grieved. And although one might take the moral of this story to be "Beware of uninvited guests bearing mistletoe," the Norse themselves apparently concluded that 13 people at a dinner party is just plain bad luck.

As if to prove the point, the Bible tells us there were exactly 13 present at the Last Supper. One of the dinner guests — er, disciples — betrayed Jesus Christ, setting the stage for the Crucifixion.
Did I mention the Crucifixion took place on a Friday?

It is said: Never change your bed on Friday; it will bring bad dreams. Don't start a trip on Friday or you will have misfortune. If you cut your nails on Friday, you cut them for sorrow. Ships that set sail on a Friday will have bad luck – as in the tale of H.M.S. Friday ... One hundred years ago, the British government sought to quell once and for all the widespread superstition among seamen that setting sail on Fridays was unlucky. A special ship was commissioned, named "H.M.S. Friday." They laid her keel on a Friday, launched her on a Friday, selected her crew on a Friday and hired a man named Jim Friday to be her captain. To top it off, H.M.S. Friday embarked on her maiden voyage on a Friday, and was never seen or heard from again.

Some say Friday's bad reputation goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden.
It was on a Friday, supposedly, that Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit. Adam bit, as we all learned in Sunday School, and they were both ejected from Paradise. Tradition also holds that the Great Flood began on a Friday; God tongue-tied the builders of the Tower of Babel on a Friday; the Temple of Solomon was destroyed on a Friday; and, of course, Friday was the day of the week on which Christ was crucified. It is therefore a day of penance for Christians.
In pagan Rome, Friday was execution day (later Hangman's Day in Britain), but in other pre-Christian cultures it was the Sabbath, a day of worship, so those who indulged in secular or self-interested activities on that day could not expect to receive blessings from the gods — which may explain the lingering taboo on embarking on journeys or starting important projects on Fridays.

To complicate matters, these pagan associations were not lost on the early Church, which went to great lengths to suppress them. If Friday was a holy day for heathens, the Church fathers felt, it must not be so for Christians — thus it became known in the Middle Ages as the "Witches' Sabbath," and thereby hangs another tale.

The Witch-Goddess
The name "Friday" was derived from a Norse deity worshipped on the sixth day, known either as Frigg (goddess of marriage and fertility), or Freya (goddess of sex and fertility), or both, the two figures having become intertwined in the handing-down of myths over time (the etymology of "Friday" has been given both ways). Frigg/Freya corresponded to Venus, the goddess of love of the Romans, who named the sixth day of the week in her honor "dies Veneris."
Friday was actually considered quite lucky by pre-Christian Teutonic peoples, we are told — especially as a day to get married — because of its traditional association with love and fertility. All that changed when Christianity came along. The goddess of the sixth day — most likely Freya in this context, given that the cat was her sacred animal — was recast in post-pagan folklore as a witch, and her day became associated with evil doings.

Various legends developed in that vein, but one is of particular interest: As the story goes, the witches of the north used to observe their Sabbath by gathering in a cemetery in the dark of the moon. On one such occasion the Friday goddess, Freya herself, came down from her sanctuary in the mountaintops and appeared before the group, who numbered only 12 at the time, and gave them one of her cats, after which the witches' coven — and, by tradition, every properly-formed coven since — comprised exactly 13.

So far there are many different events to mark Friday as unlucky or 13 as unlucky, but Friday the 13th? Are we just combing two unlucky happenstances together — to mark Friday the 13th as the unluckiest day of all?

There's a very simple reason for that — nobody really knows, though various explanations have been proposed.

The Knights Templar
One theory, recently offered up as historical fact in the novel The Da Vinci Code, holds that it came about not as the result of a convergence, but a catastrophe, a single historical event that happened nearly 700 years ago.

The catastrophe was the decimation of the Knights Templar, the legendary order of "warrior monks" formed during the Christian Crusades to combat Islam. Renowned as a fighting force for 200 years, by the 1300s the order had grown so pervasive and powerful it was perceived as a political threat by kings and popes alike and brought down by a church-state conspiracy, as recounted by Katharine Kurtz in Tales of the Knights Templar (Warner Books: 1995):
"On October 13, 1307, a day so infamous that Friday the 13th would become a synonym for ill fortune, officers of King Philip IV of France carried out mass arrests in a well-coordinated dawn raid that left several thousand Templar's — knights, sergeants, priests, and serving brethren — in chains, charged with heresy, blasphemy, various obscenities, and homosexual practices. None of these charges was ever proven, even in France — and the Order was found innocent elsewhere — but in the seven years following the arrests, hundreds of Templar's suffered excruciating tortures intended to force 'confessions,' and more than a hundred died under torture or were executed by burning at the stake."

A Thoroughly Modern Phenomenon
There are drawbacks to the "day so infamous" thesis, not the least of which is that it attributes enormous cultural significance to a relatively obscure historical event. Even more problematic, for this or any other theory positing premodern origins for Friday the 13th superstitions, is the fact that no one has been able to document the existence of such beliefs prior to the 19th century. If people who lived before the late 1800s perceived Friday the 13th as a day of special misfortune, no evidence has been found to prove it. As a result, some scholars are now convinced the stigma is a thoroughly modern phenomenon exacerbated by 20th-century media hype.
Going back a hundred years, Friday the 13th doesn't even merit a mention in E. Cobham Brewer's voluminous 1898 edition of the Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, though one does find entries for "Friday, an Unlucky Day" and "Thirteen Unlucky." When the date of ill fate finally does make an appearance in later editions of the text, it is without extravagant claims as to the superstition's historicity or longevity. The very brevity of the entry is instructive: "A particularly unlucky Friday. See Thirteen" — implying that the extra dollop of misfortune attributed to Friday the 13th can be accounted for in terms of an accrual, so to speak, of bad omens:

Unlucky Friday + Unlucky 13 = Unluckier Friday.

If that's the case, we are guilty of perpetuating a misnomer by labeling Friday the 13th "the unluckiest day of all," a designation perhaps better reserved for, say, a Friday the 13th on which one breaks a mirror, walks under a ladder, spills the salt, and spies a black cat crossing one's path — a day, if there ever was one, best spent in the safety of one's own home with doors locked, shutters closed and fingers crossed.

(source http://urbanlegends.about.com/cs/historical/a/friday_the_13th.htm)

Kohl's $500,000 Giveaway to local schools...

Please help & vote for my daughters school, Meadows.Our funds are low (as are most schools) & this would go a long way in securing our schools Gym programs & as well as many other great resources for our students.
http://bit.ly/afj0wi

Help Me Support a great cause

Those of you who know me, know that I help out a Non-Profit Organization called The Mommies Network.

First I joined my local site, SCValleyMommies.com. Eventually I was volunteering on its committees & was even their Promotions Manager. When the site founder moved away, I applied to be our SA (Site Administrator).

During that time, my commitment to our parent organization, TMN, grew even more.

The Mommies Network (or TMN) is a 501c (3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping moms find support and friendship in their local community. They were founded April, 2005 and have over 100 communities in 32 states, and over 25,000 active members.

Right now Chase bank is having a little competition. Chase Community Giving is back to give away another $5 million, and you help decide which 200 local charities receive donations. It’s a new Way Forward for giving. On July they will announce 200 winning charities

* One charity will receive $250k
* 4 runners-up will receive $100k
* 195 others will receive $20k

TMN is not just a "moms group", but a community of mothers who are dedicated to giving back to their community as well.

You can help TMN by voting for them today, as well as to spread the word. This money will help not only the existing communities, but future sites as well.


Vote here (you need to have a FaceBook account in order to vote)

A Day in the Life

A fun thing that has been going around one of the forums I am on is to document your day in photos.

Here is my day this previous Tuesday:

Sorry no pics were taken when I first woke up. Hubby was still sleeping & the flash would have disturbed him

While I was in the shower, Keely got herself ready for school:

Now its time for breakfast (donut holes)

And getting Keely's snack ready for school:

Check my e-mails on my phone before we leave for school:

Running a little early, so while I dry my hair, Keely watches a little TV:

Off to school:

Sorry, no pictures were taken during this three hour block. I had a PTSA E-Board Meeting, then I was volunteering in Keelys class

Ok, 11:15 and finally done at Keely's school just in time to get caught in the rain:

And checking my e-mails again on my phone since I don't have time to go home before Keely gets out of school:

Quick stop @ Whole Foods to get cookie mix & some scones for Keely:

Back @ Keely's school in the pick up line:

A little early so I do some paper work for the PTSA while waiting:

Didn't have my camera when I went in Keely's school, but we bought some Valentine candy grams for her friends, then off we go

At MoviesByKids (a really cool place out here) to finalize the after school enrichment program they are doing for Keely's school:

Quick stop @ the Alta Dena drive through to buy a Mega Millions (can't win if you don't play)

Home finally & time for lunch (a huge muffin bought @ Sams):

And my first chance to get on-line & check SCValleyMommies.com, The Mommies Network & FaceBook:

Time to start making cookies for Keely's class Valentine party that was today (grandma is helping us get the area ready):

TADA!! Heart shaped cookies ready to go in the oven:

A little piano practice while they are baking:

The cookies are cooling while I clean the kitchen:

I am wiped out, time for a nap:

While Keely plays her new Barbie cut out thing:

Nap time is over, and time to check on-line again:

While I was on-line Keely grabbed a snack, and we had a mishap. Grandma chased after her & slipped on the kitchen floor & cracker her head open. So I am sure you all understand why I didn't take any pictures of me cleaning all the blood up

While grandpa takes grandma to the ER, we have dinner (Thank you Amy's for your great frozen foods):

Cleaning up:

Time to relax & watch TV (NCIS):

Then storytime, 1st Keely read to me & then I read to her, (at this point I was too exhausted to remember to take pictures) & off to bed.

Hope this post will inspire some of you to do the same. And if you do, please share :)

Living a Tech Life

Ask my daughter what I do, and she will tell you that I am always on the computer or texting. Which is pretty much true.

A few months ago, I upgraded my cell phone to a Palm Pre, and now I can check e-mails and get on-line anytime I want. If the computer is turned off, and I get a sudden urge to look up something, I can. No more putting it off & forgetting about it. (hence my daughters thinking that I am texting since I am on the phone).

If you would have told me 15 years ago that I would be so vested in computers, I would have laughed in your face. My friends from High School can back up this sentiment as well. When I had a report due that needed to be typed up, I would get one of them to do it for me. I was your classic "two finger typist", and didn't think that I would ever be comfortable on the computer.

I still remember my first PC in '96. I was living with my boyfriend of the time, and we bought it, mainly for him. It was Packard Bell, and the BF thought he was computer literate, and was always messing with the stupid thing trying to re-format it and compressing it for more space. needless to say, it was always crashing. And being a guy, wouldn't let me touch it to try & figure it out. No, we would have to wait until one of our actual "tech savy" friends could make it over and fix it. At this point though, I had learned to like the stupid computer. I am not sure if "computer withdrawals" were common then, but I had them. And being the impatient person I am, waiting was not an option. When he was out, I started tinkering and guessing on what to do to fix his mess.

Now I own a PC & Laptop. Both of which are about three years old. The laptop is hooding up well, but the PC is shared with my husband & daughter, and needs some more RAM to keep up with things. In the last year, it has really become my daughters computer. In fact she is on it right now. Did I mention my daughter is only six? She can barley read, but put her in front of a computer and she is good to go. Most of the time, she doesn't even need me to read instructions.

The things I do on a computer have changed too. Back then it was Solitare and a typing tutor program. I thought we were pretty high tech because we used it as our answering machine, w/seperate voice mail boxes; one for me, one for him & one for the alligator. Eventually I was introduced to AOL, instant messaging & "Warcraft: Orcs & Humans". When I finally broke it off with him, the one thing I made sure to take with me right away was the computer, didn't feel like I could live without it.

Today, I still feel like I can't live without my computer, and some things are similar. AOL is out, Google is in; now "WoW" is the game of choice; instant messaging is here, the location though is Google or FaceBook; and now I am productive by creating Web Pages, promoting businesses and organizations on-line and volunteering for a web-based non-profit.

Earlier I mentioned my new cell phone. Seven years ago, my cell phone didn't even have a color screen, let alone a camera. I was soo upset when I had to upgrade my phone because I didn't need all the extras. Now I don't know how I managed for soo long with such a plain phone. Two years ago, I wouldn't have dreamed of texting. Ask me if I could live without it now!

My poor husband is not as adaptive as I am, but was forced to learn texting for work. What an ordeal that was! He is some what of an odd ball in our family. Not only am I & our daughter pretty tech savy, but so is his dad. I have been trying to get him to open a FaceBook account, but unless he has to for a professional reason, I can't see it happening.

It is amazing how technology has come, and how we have all evolved with it. I am aware that I ahve become quite dependent on it, but I am fine with this. And I can't wait to see what the future has in store.

2010 Relay For Life

My Reason to Relay

Relay For Life is my personal opportunity to fight back against cancer by raising funds and awareness. I fight so one day no one has to ever face cancer.

It's amazing to think that millions of people will be diagnosed with cancer this year. But, by taking part in Relay, I am helping the American Cancer Society save lives by:

• 
  Helping people stay well by helping them take steps to prevent cancer or detect it early, when it’s most treatable
• Helping people get well by being in their corner around the clock to guide them through every step of their cancer experience
• Finding cures by funding groundbreaking research that helps us understand cancer’s causes, determine how best to prevent it and discover new ways to cure it
• Fighting back by working with lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and rallying communities worldwide to join the fight

Please support my efforts by making a donation or by joining my Relay For Life team. Together, we have the power to make a difference!