I think I love running now...

As you know, I've been on a major health/fitness/weight loss kick since January of this year. My workout routine has had a lot of variation over the months to accommodate my hectic school and work schedule as well as my abilities, but I've basically been trying to work out for 30 mins to an hour a day, 3-5 days a week. My strength training routine hasn't changed much in 2 years, but I've been experimenting with different forms of cardio to keep things interesting and figure out what I like. I started off with some amateur hip hop workout videos on youtube, moved on to more intense aerobics/dance videos, got really excited about everything Deanne Berry did for a while, and now I'm on to running with the very popular Couch to 5k program- and through some miracle, running has become my favorite.

I have never, EVER been a runner. In middle school and high school I absolutely dreaded the days that we had to run the mile and would always "run the straights, walk the curves" because i knew there was no way I'd get through it otherwise. I would see the cross country team running after school and question why on earth anyone would put themselves through that willingly while secretly marveling at their ability to run for more than a few minutes. I did begin going to the gym in high school/throughout college and could run fairly successfully on the treadmill, but I openly detested running outside. It was so much harder than running in an air-conditioned gym with your own little tv screen, and you couldn't just step off and quit whenever you wanted- you'd have to walk back to where you started.

There was always a part of me, though, that wished I could be a real runner- one of those people that is not only able to run outside for long periods of time but actually enjoys it. I decided to try couch to 5k simply because a bunch of people I follow on tumblr were talking about it, and I think it was one of the best fitness-related decisions I ever made. I'm not all the way there yet, but I'm actually on my way to becoming a real runner! I look forward to every workout, my endurance and stamina has increased exponentially in just the 5 weeks I've been with the program, and I think/talk about running and how much I like it pretty much all the time.

If any small part of you has any desire whatsoever to get into running, I seriously cannot recommend this program (and the smart phone app which is incredibly useful and only a couple bucks) enough. At the risk of sounding like every single other person who used this program and wrote or talked about it online: if I could do it and end up LOVING running, anyone can have the same results.

I'm halfway through the 9 week program right now, so I still have a few more weeks left but here is what I can tell you about the program and the first few weeks:

From what I can gather, the program is divided into three 3-week segments. The first 3 weeks are designed to basically just get your body used to the act of running without concentrating very much on endurance. The running segments are very short, but if (like me) you aren't used to running at all, they are still difficult. Not difficult enough to be overwhelming, but definitely enough to feel like a valid and challenging workout. The second 3-week segment is designed to transition you from running short periods to being able to run for longer periods. While the first three weeks were focused on getting your body into running-mode, I feel like the second three weeks are much more focused on getting your mind into running mode. By week 4, you are already capable of running but it may still feel difficult and mentally exhausting to push yourself to keep going. I definitely had to spend entire jogging segments during the fourth week convincing myself that I could do it and that I shouldn't quit. Right now I am on the fifth week, which has also been called the hump week or the "oh shit" week. My next run will be a full 20 minute jog that for the first time will not be broken up with walking segments- many people have felt that this week/jog is the big mental challenge of the program and once you are able to complete it the final weeks will feel relatively easy. The final three weeks are designed to simply extend the amount of time you are running (without any walking) until you reach 30 minutes and ideally 3.1 miles.

I'm not going to lie, I did not love running right from the first workout. I enjoyed completing the workouts because I felt like I was making progress and got a huge boost of endorphins each time, but the running itself felt like hell for the first few weeks. To make it easier, I would try to mentally trick myself by thinking over and over, "I love this! This feels soo great, I'm so glad I'm doing this!" while feeling like I was going to throw up and die. Around the beginning of the fourth week, though, something shifted and I no longer felt exhausted a minute or two into each run. I started feeling as though I could keep going at the end of each section and was able to get into a 'zone' where I didn't even think about the fact that I was running, I just ran and let my mind wander. And that's when the real excitement set in- I was running, I wasn't hating it, and I was actually kind of good at it! SO- that is all to say: if you try this program and have trouble pushing through each workout in the beginning like I did, just keep pushing and trying your best and eventually you will experience the same mental switch and begin to feel exhilarated instead of exhausted!


The most amazing thing about the program is the way it is designed really, really works. Many weeks I was so doubtful looking ahead to the next workouts, unsure I would be able to complete them. The first two weeks only have you running 60-90 seconds which sounds like nothing but actually feel exhausting in the beginning! I was terrified of week three, when I would be running 3 minute segments, and even more terrified for week 4 when I would be running 5 minutes at a time. Miraculously, though, the program really does prepare you in advance for each level of difficulty and yesterday I ran two 8 minute segments and barely felt winded! That's a far cry from week three, when I had to seriously struggle to get past the two minute mark.

SO now that I've rambled on for several hundred words about this amazing program, I want to finish by saying that out of all the benefits that running offers- weight loss, muscle tone, stamina, energy, a healthy heart and lungs- the most valuable thing I have received through running and in particular couch to 5k is an amazing amount of confidence. I never thought I would be able to run for 3 minutes at a time without stopping, let alone 20-30 minutes and yet this program helped me prove to myself that I can and that it will be fun, too. It has made me feel physically energized and toned and mentally motivated and strong-willed. If you don't want to run for the physical benefits, the mental benefits are more than enough reason to get started!

Ok, so there's my massive endorsement of the couch to 5k program. If you are at all intrigued by the idea of running, you should absolutely start out with this! Maybe in the next couple weeks I'll do a post about my favorite running/fitness clothes/gear which have made running that much more comfortable and fun :)

<3 Em

Spinach and Mushroom Enchiladas

The picture might not look like much but this is one of my FAVORITE healthy meals to make! I've made it twice in the past week, if that gives you an idea. Onion, spinach, and mushrooms are sauteed with just a smidge of butter, some garlic, and some spices, rolled into corn tortillas, smothered in a smooth, tangy, roasted poblano pepper cream sauce, topped with montery jack cheese and baked until bubbly and golden. The end result is a very un-photogenic heaping pile of deliciousness on your plate that tastes like the zillion calorie restaurant version but is actually only 764 calories for the whole recipe, which can be two or three servings depending on how hungry you are.

I really enjoy cooking at home and finding ways of reducing the calories in my favorite meals. I order spinach enchiladas (which are usually doused in a sour cream/cheese white sauce) almost every time I go to a Mexican restaurant. The spinach makes me feel like I'm being healthy but the sauce reminds me that I most certainly am not! This super easy homemade version tastes the same but cuts out all the unnecessary calories that restaurant meals like to tack on.

|A word about the photos for this recipe- this was the first time I attempted to photograph/blog about a recipe in the house I'm currently living in. It was night (since I was making dinner), but the lighting in my house is rather dark and mediocre in general. And my walls are yellow so that makes everything else photograph a bit yellow. To counteract this I grabbed my clamp-on work light which lights my light tent and tried to use it as a lighting source. It kind of worked... and kind of not. 

Exhibit A..

..and Exhibit B

For one thing I had to keep moving it between different outlets as I moved from cutting board to stove and back. There was no good spot to clamp the light in either location so I had to hold it in my left hand while photographing with my right. It was pretty amusing, you should have seen it. A lot of the pictures still look like something with a very bright light being focused on it in an otherwise very dark room, but it was ok for a first attempt! I'm going to work on setting up a more consistent lighting arrangement for future posts.|

Note: The calorie counts in my recipes are deduced from the information on thecaloriecounter.com as well as certain brands of products (as products vary), which I will try to specify. Substitutions and variations may work but are not recommended for those watching their calories as they will alter the calorie total of the recipe.

Spinach and Mushroom Enchiladas
Serves 2-3

Ingredients
1 clove garlic
1/4 yellow onion
10 mushrooms (about 2/3 small box of mushrooms)
6 cups (1 large bag) spinach
1 tbsp butter, divided
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne (omit or reduce if you do not like spicy food)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2-1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tbsp flour
2/3 cup vegetable broth (I use Safeway O organics brand)
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt (I prefer Fage)
1 oz monterey jack cheese
1/2 roasted pasilla (poblano) pepper (instructions below)
6 white corn tortillas (Mission brand)

To roast a pepper:
Preheat oven to 450. Rinse pepper well and dry. Place on center rack (no need to use cookie sheet, right on the rack is fine) and bake for about 5 minutes. Check for charring and blistering on the skin of the pepper and rotate to ensure even cooking. Cook for a few more minutes. When pepper is about 70% charred/blistered, remove from oven and place in a plastic bag. This will kind of steam the pepper as it cools and make it easier to remove the skin. When cool enough to handle, slice open pepper, remove seeds, and peel off outer skin, rinsing if necessary. Tada, roasted poblano pepper!

Preheat oven to 400. In a skillet, melt 1/2 tbsp butter. Roughly dice up the (1/4) onion and add it to the skillet, tossing to coat.

Mince the garlic and add it to the skillet. Cook the onion and garlic for 3-5 minutes, until slightly browned and translucent.

Meanwhile, wash and dry your mushrooms. Yes, I wash my mushrooms. With water. If you don't want to you don't have to but I'm going to, cool?

Slice them up (about 1/4 inch per slice)...

...and add them to the pan. Stir them around to mix with the onions and coat with butter. The pan will probably seem a bit dry but don't add any more butter or liquid! Soon the mushrooms will relinquish all their moisture and everything will be just fine ;)

See? Let them cook until browned and tender.

When most of the liquid has evaporated, add in allll the spinach. It will be a lot in the pan (especially my tiny pan) but the steam from the mushrooms should rise up and help it wilt fairly evenly.

While the spinach is heating, get your spices together.

And once it's almost completely wilted add them to the pan. Stir it around, let it cook a bit more to git rid of excess moisture, taste and adjust seasonings, and the filling is done!

If you want, you can measure this and divide it into 6 equal portions. I just move it around the pan with my spoon into 6 kind of equal piles.

Now for the sauce. Grab a small (not teflon, not scratched up and horrible looking) sauce pan and throw in 1 tbsp flour and the remaining 1/2 tbsp butter. Heat over low heat to form a roux, whisking constantly. This will be a very dry rue, since there is twice as much flour as there is butter. This makes it twice as easy to accidentally make butter-flour dumplings and have to start over! The key is to keep the heat low, add liquid verrrry slowly, and whisk super well while you add the liquid in to break up clumps. Don't worry about getting a very dark roux, just cook the flour and butter until combined and a light golden color.

You can combine the veg broth and milk before adding to the roux or do the veg broth first. At first just drizzle in a tbsp or so at a time, whisking to combine, and then add larger portions (like 1/4 cup). Once all liquid has been added, let cook a couple minutes to thicken up slightly. It will still be pretty thin.

Dice up your poblano pepper and add it to the sauce. Remove the sauce from the heat.

Measure 1/2 cup of cool, creamy, greek yogurt. Let the sauce sit and cool for a minute or two- this is very important whenever you make a dairy based sauce, like for mac and cheese! If you add your dairy product (like the cheese in mac and cheese or the yogurt here) when the bechamel is boiling, the product is likely to break down, curdle, and get grainy. blegh. Especially if it's low fat. So make sure your sauce isn't too hot!

Urgh. Looks disgusting in this picture but is delicious, I promise! Add the greek yogurt and stir well to combine. The sauce will become much thicker and creamier.

not the best angle for my hand

Now for putting the enchiladas together. Pour about 1/4 cup of sauce in the bottom of a small rectangular glass pan (like a loaf pan) and spread it around. Wrap 6 tortillas in a couple layers of paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds. Take a hot tortilla, fill it with 1/6 of the filling, and roll it up tight. Place in the pan, seam side down.

continue with all six tortillas

Grate up 1 oz of cheese (I cut my cheese into even 1 oz cubes when I buy it so I always know how much I'm actually grating/eating. It helps!)

Then drizzle the rest of the sauce all over the enchiladas. Top with the grated cheese. You should have a LOT of sauce so it should fill all the nooks and crannys of the enchiladas.

Bake for about 5 minutes to heat through, then crank up the broiler and cook for a few minutes to brown the top and crisp up the cheese.

Serve with hot sauce (I like Sriracha. I know it's weird to put sriracha on mexican food but it's delicious. meh.) and beans and rice if you please. I usually just eat 3 enchiladas with no sides and it's a TON of food- and a very filling and satisfying dinner!

I imagine you could freeze this after you put it all together and pull it out for an easy weeknight dinner down the road as well :)

Calories
total: 764
serving (half recipe/3 enchiladas): 382
per enchilada: 127

<3

Weight Loss Update/Progress Pics

Hello Lovelies! I'm having a pretty relaxing day today... School, a bit of homework, a lot of internets, and later today I'll be rewatching a few 1970s films to study for my midterm tomorrow. Colton is headed off to Phoenix with a bunch of boys as soon as he gets out of work today for our friend Roland's bachelor party which means Clementine and I will be having the apartment to ourselves for the next 24 hours or so.

I wanted to pop in and write a quick blog about my weight loss progress! It might not be very interesting to you but health, nutrition, and fitness have become such a huge part of my life and thoughts over the past few months! This may sound odd but I really LOVE being aware of my calories, working out, and observing my weight as it changes because it all comes down to science... and I love that I can use science to help myself look and feel as good as can be!

I chose today to write because I'm just beginning a new cycle in my self designed workout schedule and so I snapped a couple pictures this morning to document my progress. When losing weight I've found it's so easy to not really notice the changes that are occurring because they happen so slowly. Having pictures to compare side by side really make the differences obvious...and they are a huge motivational boost to keep going!

Unfortunately I did not take any starting pictures in January when I first adjusted my diet, quit drinking, and started working out. All I have are some pictures from last September, when I briefly tried (and then forgot about) getting healthy. I'm actually 10-15 lbs lighter in the September pictures than I was in January, and only about 10 lbs lighter in the "during" pictures I took today than I was in September! So the pics don't really show my overall progress. I can still see a huge difference though, especially in the muscle tone of my belly.

Overall I've lost about 23 pounds in 9 weeks and I'm feeling great! I honestly think I look better now than I sometimes did at lower weights when I wasn't strength training. I definitely feel more confident :)

Sorry about the poor quality phone/underwear pics! Usually I would NEVER post pictures of myself like this because I have always been so self-conscious about the way I look... and scantily clad fat pictures? Um, NO. But now I look at the before pictures and just see the progress I have made, not the chubby bits I wish would disappear. Besides I've worn and definitely seen swimsuits that are more revealing. Although... I still feel pretty ballsy.

Have a healthy happy humpday!

A Daily/Weekly Beauty Regimen

Like most girls, I have at least a mild interest in keeping my skin clear and soft, my hair clean and shiny, and my hands and feet free of cracks and maybe even my nails painted. For a long time though, I didn't really care about any of that stuff. I think that feeling sad and generally unhappy with my body led me to just say to hell with all of it and do the bare minimum when it came to beauty routines. Now though, with my life going in a direction I'm really pleased with and the weight starting to melt off, I'm finally feeling happy and comfortable in my own skin again. It's wonderful. I think the very BEST part is looking in the mirror and, despite still having quite a few pounds to lose, being happy with the way I look right now and not wishing certain parts of me would change or disappear. That's a perspective I rarely had even at my lowest weight in high school and it feels like such a blessing to have it now... but more on that later.

A new-found interest in maintaining my health and appearance along with my desperate search to remedy my awful snow sunburn from last week has led me to really look into what I should be doing to look and feel my best at all times. I've been rubbing vitamin e oil into my face a few times a day to help relieve/speed the healing process of my burn and I was excited to find out that it can actually be used as a toner and moisturizer AND it prevents wrinkles and fine lines. I'm definitely going to add it to my daily routine even after the burn is gone.

This morning, while deciding there had to be a way to remedy my dry, limp hair, pondering the validity of Tyra Banks' sworn approval of Vaseline, and feeling particularly productive, I typed up a full breakdown of my ideal daily/weekly beauty routine. I'm not the kind of girl who wants to spend her whole Saturday clipping, buffing and filing nails while simultaneously slathering her skin and hair with masks and scrubs and moisturizers and I'm definitely not the kind of girl who will pay someone else a bunch of money to do it for me. Salons make me uncomfortable. That's why I didn't get my hair cut for a year and a half. SO.. I'm hoping maybe I can tackle one or two of the 'weekly' categories  a day, excluding days I have lots of school or work. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm hopeful that that way it will be fairly easy to maintain and I won't feel overwhelmed with my beauty routine.

If you are interested in looking over and/or trying some of the things I'm going to try, here are a few things you should know about my beauty routine that may be different from what you are used to:

• I try to minimize my use of store bought products. When I was younger I thought the more product the better, but now it worries me that most lotions, cleansers, etc are full of lots of chemicals and ingredients that I don't recognize or understand. I'd rather use natural, wholesome ingredients so that I know what is getting absorbed into my skin. A lot of my scrubs, masks, etc are homemade.
• I have no problem putting oil and vaseline directly on my face and I do it daily. This weirds some people out, put it doesn't make me break out and it makes my skin feel soft and smooth.
• I don't wash my face, at least not with facewash. I use only a neutrogena makeup removing/cleansing wipe at night (which I will often rinse off afterwards), and merely splash my face with water in the morning. I have a pimple maybe once every 6 months and my skin has been consistent (not oily or dry in any spots)
• I only wash my hair once a week. I used to do the no-poo thing, which I still recommend if it works for you! It worked for me for a while, but with the dryness this winter and Tucson's hard water, my stylist recommended I stop and instead use an all natural, biodegradable moisturizing shampoo. Since I don't use a lot of product, once a week is plenty to remove buildup and cleanse my hair. 

Beauty routine

Hands

Daily

·         Rub hands with Vitamin E oil at morning and night

Weekly

·         Clip and/or file nails

·         Remove nail polish with acetone free remover

·         Buff surface of nails

·         Soak in warm water with a drop of soap. Scrub under nails if necessary

·         Exfoliate hands with a scrub made of sea salt or sugar and natural oil (such as olive). Mash in a strawberry if desired

·         Apply cuticle cream and gently push back cuticles

·         Use a q tip swabbed with nail polish remover to remove oil from nails

·         Apply a base coat to nails

·         Apply 1-2 coats of polish, waiting 15 minutes between each coat

·         Apply designs if desired

·         Apply clear top coat

Feet

Daily

·         Rinse feet, rub with Vaseline or olive oil, and put on socks immediately before bed

Weekly

·         Clip and/or file nails

·         Remove nail polish with acetone free remover

·         Soak feet in a basin of water with ¼ cup lemon peppermint foot soak

·         Dry feet and use pumice stone or ped egg to remove callouses and dead skin

·         Exfoliate feet with a scrub made of sea salt or sugar and natural oil (such as olive). Mash in a strawberry if desired

·         Rinse feet. Use orange stick to gently push back cuticles and remove dead skin if necessary

·         Using Vaseline, olive oil, or vitamin E oil, massage each foot for 5 minutes

·         Use a q tip swabbed with nail polish remover to remove oil from nails

·         Apply a base coat to nails

·         Apply 1-2 coats of polish, waiting 15 minutes between each coat

·         Apply designs if desired

·         Apply top coat

Hair

Daily

·         Brush hair at morning and at night

·         Style hair as desired, applying minimal product as necessary. Minimize heat use

Weekly

·         Heat olive oil in small dish and massage into scalp for 10 minutes

·         Moisten hair with spray bottle. Apply hair mask to entirety of hair, adjusting ingredients for desired effect

·         Put hair in bun, wrap in plastic wrap, and then wrap in a heated towel. Let sit 30 minutes, changing towel as necessary

·         Wash hair, focusing on the scalp and massaging in circular motions to lift build-up. Rinse and repeat, if necessary

·         Condition hair

·         Towel dry hair gently and comb with wide tooth comb

·         Spray with lavender rosemary rinse and let air dry

Face and teeth

Daily

·         Morning

o   Brush teeth well

o   Floss

o   Rinse with a mixture of antiseptic mouthwash and hydrogen peroxide for 30 seconds

o   Splash face with warm water

o   Rub Vitamin E oil into face and neck

o   Use q tip or tissue to wipe any remaining eye makeup off face

o   After oil has been completely absorbed, splash face with cold water, pat dry

o   Apply a light facial sunscreen

o   Apply makeup

·         Night

o   Remove makeup with cleansing wipe. Rinse with warm water if necessary

o   Brush teeth

o   Floss

o   Rinse with a mixture of antiseptic mouthwash and hydrogen peroxide for 30 seconds

o   Rub Vitamin E oil into face and neck

o   Apply Vaseline or coconut oil to eyes and lips

Weekly

·         Remove makeup and dirt from face using cleansing wipe and/or water

·         Exfoliate face with a gentle scrub (such as greek yogurt and oatmeal or baking soda and water)

·         Steam face over a bowl of scalding hot water. Add essential oils or citrus slices if desired

·         Apply face mask with varying ingredients for desired results. Leave on for 10-20 minutes Use cucumber slices or wet black tea bags over eyes

·         Rinse face well

·         Rub Vitamin E oil into face and neck. Let absorb completely

·         Splash face with cold water. Dry gently

·         Apply light facial sunscreen. Continue with typical daily routine

Skin

Daily

·         Dry brush skin at morning and night, starting at feet and brushing towards the heart

·         Moisturize skin with Vaseline and/or coconut oil and/or stretch mark removing cream at morning and night

·         In the morning, apply SPF 30 sunscreen to any skin that will be visible

Weekly

·         Dry brush skin, starting and feet and brushing towards the heart

·         Take a shower

o   Cleanse skin completely with a gentle body wash or soap.

o   Shave armpits and legs

o   Exfoliate entire body (concentrating on knees, elbows, and areas with stretch marks) with a scrub, such as one made with sugar, lemon juice, and olive oil

o   Shave legs again

o   Rinse well

·         Pat body dry with a clean towel

·         If necessary, apply Vaseline and/or coconut oil to moisturize, concentrating on knees and elbows

·         Apply sunscreen to skin that will be visible

 

Shampoo? Toothpaste? Face wash? Who needs 'em!

I am all about the semi-recent movement from fancy, expensive store-brought products to healthy, cheap alternatives. It turns out most of the things we are raised to believe are absolutely essential to personal hygiene are actually doing the opposite of what we want them to! One by one I've ditched my once-beloved products and moved on to things that not only feel better, save the environment and save me a whole lot of money.

1. The first things to go were shampoo and conditioner. I stopped washing my hair with them about a year ago and I haven't looked back. I wash my hair maybe once every two weeks with baking soda and vinegar, and other than that I just rinse it well when I shower. Shampoo is designed to strip our hair of it's natural oils, which is not only irritating to the skin but is completely counterproductive. These natural oils are responsible for shiny (not greasy), healthy, protected hair. When they are stripped away, our scalps overcompensate and create too many oils, leading to greasy hair that needs to be washed more often. Conditioner is just there to replace the oils that Shampoo takes out... so really it's entirely unnecessary if you leave the oils alone in the first place.

 When I wash my hair, I use a combination of a couple tablespoons of baking soda (because I have verrry long hair) and hot water, poured over my head in the shower and lightly massaged in. This gets rid of the dirt and grime without irritating my scalp or stripping away too many oils. I follow this with a mixture of a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and hot water, which acts as a natural conditioner/softener and leaves my hair shiny, soft, and voluminous.
To read more about washing your hair without shampoo and condition, you can look here.

2. I just ditched toothpaste about a week ago. That might sound absolutely appalling, but toothpaste is actually a pretty modern invention. One of those ways corporations trick us into paying money year after year when we don't really have to, you know? Instead of toothpaste, which is full of all kinds of fancy chemicals that I can't even begin to try to pronounce, I use a combination of baking soda and sea salt. Baking soda. It's just so useful, isn't it? Not just for the back corner of the fridge anymore. I made a mixture that was probably about 75% baking soda and 25% sea salt and I store it in a quarter pint sized mason jar in my bathroom. The mason jar helps keep the mixture air tight and moisture-free. I just wet my toothbrush, shake out the excess water, then dip the tip into the powder. 

When I first tried it I was pretty worried about the baking soda flavor- I am not a fan of the whole baking soda/warm water heart burn relief method- but I pretty much just tasted the salt. This was no problem for me because lately I've tended to prefer savory over sweet anyways. The baking soda cleans and whitens teeth (my teeth are whiter than they're ever been with "whitening" toothpastes), and the salt gently scrubs and promotes the production of saliva which keeps gums healthy.

Honestly I didn't research this nearly as much as I first researched using BS and ACV on my hair, but I felt pretty confident today when I went to the Co-op grocery store on 4th ave today (a haven of all things super healthy... and overpriced) and found a small bottle selling for 5 bucks called "tooth powder". The ingredients? baking soda, salt, and a small amount of peppermint to give a minty flavor. If the co-op is selling it and touting its health benefits, I feel pretty good about doing it for cents in my own home. For more info, you can look here.

3. I haven't officially tried this one, but it's getting hype all over the blogosphere. The idea is to ditch your fancy shmancy 8$ face wash (or 30$ if you use proactiv, like I did when I was a teenager) and wash your face with oil. Yes, oil. It's the same idea as the shampoo thing. Face wash basically strips your face of oil, which contrary to popular belief is NOT the cause of acne. Acne is caused by changing hormone levels and dirt and bacteria that clog the pores. Face wash gets rid of the grime, but also the naturally created oils that keep our skin radiant and soft. Thus, our skin over-produces oil, making our faces greasy and more likely to get clogged. Washing your face with oil dissolves the grease and grime and replaces it with clean, healthy oils. Also, it's apparently a great makeup remover.

When I stopped by the co-op today, I picked up a bottle of castor oil. I already had a bottle of grapeseed oil from some beauty products I made my mom and sister for christmas, however, I've heard extra virgin olive oil, sunflower oil, and several other types work well also. When I got home I mixed the two in a bottle I used for icing cookies last year (75% grapeseed, 25% castor). I plan on using it tonight for the first time. Here's what you do: put a small amount of oil in your hand. massage it onto your DRY face for about a minute. Get your tap water as hot as you can, and wet a washcloth with it. Put the washcloth over your face and just wait until the cloth reaches room temperature. Doesn't that sound like a great way to start/finish the day? Like a mini spa. Anyways, then rinse the washcloth and wipe the oil off your face. And that's it! Soft, smooth, radiant skin. Or so I hear. I'm super stoked to try this. Supposedly you only need to do it once a day (tops) for results. For more information, look here. 

Do you guys have any diy beauty products that you swear by? I'm pretty sure the next thing to go is going to be my deodorant, and then probably my volumizing mousse and hairspray. Let me know if you have any other suggestions!