Downsizing to a 20 Foot Vintage Trailer

Last summer I found this beaut on Craigslist.

She was in pretty good shape with full functioning light fixtures and a relatively new AC unit. She's been around since 1974, so I knew right away we were going to practically gut her and start over, but I soon learned that wood rot and wasp infestation would make that an interesting journey.

The plan from the beginning was to find a camper to live in post graduation so I could get a handle on my student debt and nurture my gypsy soul. I grew up camping a ton with my family and I have never been a fan of leases and landlords, so it all just made sense. I'm a big fan of the tiny house movement and I am a believer that material possessions can take over a person's life... so my goal is to live simply and within my means.

Home ownership minus the mortgage? Sign me up!

Tea Tree Oil Zit Zapper

As great as coconut oil is for oh so many things, it's not perfect. For people with oil/acne prone skin, it can mean a nasty break out. After I used coconut oil to remove my eye makeup (and carelessly getting some on my cheek) I woke up to this bad boy:

Yikes! I used to be uber self-conscious about my enormous pores, but I don't even think about them anymore. I wouldn't mind finding a natural way to shrink them a bit... but that's another post for another day.

Forget the big pores. This angry zit is all I can see when I look in the mirror! So I applied a few drops of tea tree oil via Q-tip and this evil monster healed pretty quickly with no squeezing/picking/drying out/flaking. Day two was hard only because I REALLY wanted to pop this guy, but I refrained.

And today, day 3, I'm much more comfortable with this... and thrilled I didn't follow the same pattern of destroying my skin with drying agents and picking and squeezing.

Kinda just looks like one of my freckles! I can't believe how well tea tree oil worked to hasten the healing of this enormous zit!!

Coconut Oil Eye Makeup Remover

I'm  a total coconut oil junkie.

I just discovered how fantastic it works to remove eye makeup and I'm just that much more obsessed! I luuuuuurv makeup. Thick winged eyeliner, smokey eyes, fun colors... I dig the dramatic eye. That said, I'm always struggling to remove all the war paint without tugging and stretching the delicate skin around the eyes. I've tried dozens of makeup removers and so called gentle cleansers. Owwwww they make my eyelids sting! I swear I have it all off and the next morning I look like a raccoon. ugh.

But not anymore!! With a tiny dab of coconut oil I barely have to wipe my eyes and bam... the makeup is gone baby gone. Simple. Organic. Safe. Cruelty free. Cheap. Already had it in my cabinet.

This was 3 swipes with a cotton ball and some coconut oil:

YESSIIIIRRR

*** Just be careful if you have oily/acne prone skin. If I'm not careful to keep the coconut oil just around my eye area, I will break out in a gnarly under-the-skin zit.

There's Vodka in My Diffuser

It's true.

But don't worry... it wasn't the good stuff. It was just some cheap brand I've never heard of left over from who knows what.

I had a reed diffuser in my bathroom that smelled fantastic, but of course dried up in no time. My $8.99 impulse buy was a bust. No telling what kind of scary chemicals were in that stuff, anyway.

Rather than throw away the glass bottle and little wooden sticks, why not make my own yummy smelling concoction?

INGREDIENTS:

12 Drops of essential oils (I mixed lavender and tea tree this time around)
1/4 cup of a carrier oil (mineral, safflower, almond)
splash of vodka

Using Coconut Oil to Treat Pink Eye

OMG! Didn't you know that pink eye means you have poop in your eye?!

I've actually heard people say this. Adults. Sigh.

I've worn contact lenses since the 5th grade. I like to camp and swim in lakes and ponds and I ain't afraid to get dirty. I let my dogs & cat snuggle up on my bed. I love having my hands in the dirt whether it's to repot my houseplants or help my parents in their garden.

I also happen to be a neat freak in many ways. I wash my hands a zillion times a day, I wash my sheets twice a week, I groom my dogs weekly, I sweep daily, and I leave my shoes at the door. That said, I've still had the occasional conjuctivitis.

I most certainly do NOT get poop in my eyes. Pink eye is just inflammation of the membrane that coves the whites of your eyes and your eyelids.... which can happen because you slept in your makeup, you have an allergy, you got dust in your eye, or you have a virus.... just to name a few reasons. Anyhoo ...I got sidetracked defending my hygiene.

I didn't want to run to the Pharmacy and get antibiotics every time my eyes got irritated, but I didn't want to wait to see if it was indeed a bacterial infection with all the crusty glory and photosensitivity to treat it. I wanted to address the issue as soon as I noticed my eye was a little irritated.

And guess what? One of my crunchy cure-alls came to the rescue. Whether my eye gets a little pink or I wake up with full blown yuck, I just create a cool compress with a dab of my trusty coconut oil (after removing and cleaning my contacts). I apply this 3x a day, wear my glasses, and skip the eye makeup. Not only is it soothing, my eyes clear up within a day or two. No more crusty eyelashes and no more expensive/poisonous eye drops. YAY!

According to nutritionist and trans fat researcher Mary G. Enig, PhD:

The lauric acid in coconut oil is used by the body to make the same disease-fighting fatty acid derivative monolaurin that babies make from the lauric acid they get from their mother's milk. The monoglyceride monolaurin is the substance that keeps infants from getting viral or bacterial or protozoal infections. Until just recently, this important benefit has been largely overlooked by the medical and nutrition community. 

Coconut Oil Hair Mask

You can't log onto Pinterest without seeing the gazillion amazing uses for coconut oil. Weeeellll... I'm a total CO junkie, so I kinda buy into it all. Like the Dad from My Big Fat Greek Wedding & his Windex.

Total cure-all.

My mask is simple: Coconut oil, Lavender, and Tea Tree Oils

If you don't do your research, you can end up with a mess. Here are some tips that I think a lot of the DIY hair mask posts are missing:

1. Use organic (duh)
2. Don't nuke it! Your body heat will be enough to melt it, so just use your hands.
3. Apply to dry hair (refer to oil vs water)
4. Cover your head to trap some heat. This will open your hair shaft and your hair will drink up the goodness!
5. To rinse out, DON'T GET YOUR HAIR WET before applying your cleansing conditioner (or shampoo if you aren't on the bandwagon yet). 
6. Also, don't use cool water because the coconut oil will become solid in a hurry.
7. Use warm water and cleanse, hydrate, and style as usual.
8. I do this weekly, but just experiment & see what works for you!

Grapeseed Oil for Your Face

I have oily skin.

Like, super oily. When I worked at a spa the estheticians used to gather around and inspect my skin under a magnifyer ooooing and aaaahing over how "tough" and oily my face was. I knew better than to get offended, because, they assured me this meant wrinkles weren't going to be a problem for me any time soon.

Luckily acne hasn't been an issue since my teenage years, but blackheads on my nose and a shiny face are my deal. This was all under control when I worked at the spa and got discounted high end skincare, but these days I don't have that luxury.

Soooo I'm still working on the whole blackhead issue, but my shiny face is just as matte as I want it!

The trick is my moisturizer. It's an oil, and some people bake with it. You guessed it...Grapeseed Oil!

I originally bought it for my hair but only use it for an occasional deep conditioning treatment. I kept reading about how great it was for skin and so I decided to test it out. Very few moisturizers have ever worked well for me.... Lord help me I was using leftover Oil of Olay I grabbed from the guest bathroom at my parents' house (times are tough)!

So I trashed that poison ... it literally stung my eyelids when I put it on... uhhh.. that can't be good.

So the past few days I've tried Grapeseed Oil and I loooooooove it! Two thumbs up. Not greasy. Not runny. No breakouts, no clogged pores. Simple, one ingredient moisturizer. I think I paid around $7 for 16 fl oz.

Who Cut the Cheese? DIY Car Freshener

Super EASY way to make a stinky car smell fantastic.

Since I started cutting out chemical fragrance, I find that now my nose is OFFENDED by the stench of faux ocean breezes and the like. Blegh. Anyone else experience this?

I am now an olfactory snob.

So my trusty Xterra is a mutt cab. There is no way around it. It's perpetually hairy because my fluffy dogs shed like mad and so do I. Not much I can do about that except vacuum it like a madwoman, so I just accept that it's always going to be at least a little furry.

However, I do not accept it constantly smelling like dog farts. I'm amazed at how long I can smell remaining dog funk after a road trip with the windows down! What's a dog loving mutt cab driver to do?

Ahhh, essential oils.

I found some leftover felt and cut/ glued it into a happy flower. You can get creative with this and make all kinds of felt art, but this happened to be something I've made before with my nieces so I just went with it. Next I tied some twine to the masterpiece and dropped a 12 drop combo of lavender and tea tree oil & voila! My car smells great!

Zoya, Non Toxic Nail Polish: A Review

I did it. I dumped all my nail polish.

I figured it would take entirely too long to transition slowly, and I can only paint my toes anyway (thanks to nursing school). So I ditched every last bottle. It was liberating, actually. Like tossing junk food without the regret.

I had never used non toxic nail polish and was skeptical it even existed. I've never been a fake nail kinda girl and it honestly boggles my mind that young girls get manicures and acrylic nails these days. I also work with tons of brides via Stella Clare and I always secretly cringe when they stick these ultra awkward looking faux nails on their fingers. Also, the dead giveaway that a girl knew her man was about to propose? French manicured fake nails in her obligatory engagement ring facebook photo upload! hahahaha! How is that even a thing? (<--- I ask that question way too often)

The fact that nail salons are in Wal Mart is reason enough to steer clear. Am I the only one that thinks these poor salon workers are in danger? The flimsy little masks should be our first clue that this stuff is not safe. I also see long fake nails and automatically think bacteria-fest. You know those girls aren't scrubbing under those talons every time they use the potty. Ew.

Anyway no offense to anyone that finds acrylic nail art attractive. I certainly love a good manicure. I don't find it in my meager budget to get pampered like that, either. I have never had a manicure I thought was worth THAT much money. A massage? Yes. A facial? Of course.

Manicures? I think I'll just keep it DIY. So Zoya is what appealed to me as far as color selection and the fact that it is a legit non toxic polish. Apparently there are some liars out there that market safe polish but aren't. Shocker.

No formaldahyde. No toluene. No DBP. <-- That's what they call the "toxic trio." Also, no camphor. So when I have a mani pedi party with my precious nieces, I don't have to worry about toxins. When my crazy cat licks my fingernails, I don't have to worry she's melting her brain cells. I also don't have to worry that I'm applying scary chemicals directly onto my body.

The color I chose was charisma. LOVE! It smells different than regular polish.. still strong, but not nearly as awful as the other stuff. It also just feels very different. Fast drying & a bit matte, which I like. Color was exactly the color of the bottle, which never seems to happen with the other stuff. Price was $7, which isn't cheap but many of the other non toxic brands I looked into were like $20!

However, I highly recommend using a top coat. 12 hours and one shower after the above photo was taken, this is what my nails looked like:

Catching Fire- the Natural Deodorant Saga Continues...

Advice (I wish someone had shared with me) for anyone looking to make the switch to natural deodorant:

Do it in the winter- unless you are extremely lucky, this will be a trial and error undertaking.
Don't cake on gobs of the stuff- (esp if you use one with baking soda) I don't know if it was out of skepticism or habit, but I realized I was really loading up.
Buy before you DIY- self explanatory. I recommend etsy over commercially produced stuff like Tom's. You get to sample something made by someone with experience... before you make a huge mess in your kitchen.
For Pete's sake don't forget to wait at least an hour after shaving to apply- I'm so guilty of this, but it's terrible for your skin no matter how natural the product.


Here's my story:


My armpits are on fire!

I couldn't imagine this transition in the sweltering summer.

So I found a natural deodorant that I absolutely adore. You can find it & a bunch of other fantastic products at Hippie Chick Herbal Harmony on Etsy. This stuff smells amazing and I really am very happy with it.

Then, about two weeks in (which, for the record is the longest I've ever stuck with any natural deodorant) I started to notice that my armpits felt a little sore. I didn't see any redness, so I figured I was just going through an adjustment. Then I did a bonehead thing and applied the deodorant without waiting {at least an hour} after I shaved. Redness, bumps, pain.. eek.

I've never had heat rash, razor burn, or any other irritation on my pits. Lucky? No. I get it elsewhere. Ugh. So since this is new territory, I decided to stop shaving and stop the deodorant and do some research.

Turns out that I have a pH problem. Baking soda is incredibly alkaline, and that means irritation. So how do I get my pH back to normal? Distilled water and good ol' Apple Cider Vinegar (1 Tbsp to 1 Cup) twice a day.

And LET ME TELL YOU there ain't nothing in my life that has made me feel so crunchy. Smelling my vinegar-y musky pits these past few days has made me oh-so-grateful that I am on spring break. My, how different spring break for me for degree #2. Ten years ago I was partying in Hawaii.

Back to arm pits! I chose to take the full week off from any deodorant and just do the ACV routine. I'm also not shaving. So I smell ultra funky and I'm rockin the Chewbacca look.... needless to say I have no dates lined up this week.

At night I'm putting a bit of coconut oil on the irritated skin and it seems to be clearing up really well. Two more days and I'll get back to my beloved Perfect Pits in Lavender.

DIY Natural Soothing Dog Shampoo

My stinky furbabies have been super itchy as of late. They are indoor pups but we love to play outside, go on road trips, visit our fur cousins, and occasionally trek through the woods and get dirty and smelly.

I recently decided to stop using traditional flea and tick prevention because I'm just not comfortable with a monthly dose of poison nor am I thrilled about the price tag of said poison. Now, my veterinarian brother doesn't know about this yet & I'm not sure what his reaction will be, but I'm hoping he will agree that I carefully weighed the benefits and risks. Do I want my young nieces exposed to pesticides by snuggling up with my pooches?

As of now, we don't have a flea/tick problem. However, we just returned from a road trip where we visited my sister in her new apartment (no telling what kind of chemicals the landlord applied to the carpet prior to her moving in) and my parents' house in SC (where the mosquitoes are already biting).

In the old days I would have gone straight to PetSmart and grabbed an assortment of shampoos, but because my crunchy heart told me to figure out how to treat the itch naturally, I did just that.

Turns out I had all the things I needed already. SCORE!

*This recipe makes enough for two Medium-Largish really fluffy dogs 
(one is a shepherd/chow mix and the other a great pyrenees)

Road Trippin... on the way home, obviously.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups oatmeal- soothes skin
2 cups baking soda- cleanser
1 Tbsp honey- antibacterial
10 drops tea tree oil -antibacterial and stink-fighter
10 drops lavendar oil -antibacterial and stink-fighter
2 1/2 cups water

DIRECTIONS:

1- Grind up that oatmeal. I just threw mine in my cheap blender.
2- Add the water, blend again.
3- Add baking soda, honey, & oils
4- Pour into a mason jar (I used an old tomato sauce jar)
5- Store leftovers in fridge

My dogs HATE baths, so it's like WWE SmackDown when I have to get them in the tub. For this reason I don't use glass when it's time to do the deed... but for storage, definitely use glass.

Anyway the shampoo came out a bit watery but for us that was necessary- too thick and the stuff would have been like paste in their fluffiness. There were little flecks of oatmeal that I couldn't really rinse completely out, but I figured I'd much rather deal with that than the toxic suds I usually can't rinse all the way out. After they were dry I just gave them a good brush and woooooow do they smell great! Also, it's only been a few hours, but there's been no itching!

Success!

Rocko thinks he smells quite nice.

Bear doesn't know what just happened.