My No Poo Method

A lot of people have heard of the no-poo method. For those of you who don't know what it is it's essentially not using shampoo. There are a number of different methods for this that can include only using water, only using conditioner, and baking soda/vinegar (which is what I use for now), among a number of other variations. I hope to make the switch to a more pH balanced formula this summer but am working myself up to do it because it inevitably give me a couple weeks of really sketchy looking hair while my scalp adjusts to the change.

I've been shampoo-less (fore the most part ... I've had 1 or 2 'slips') for about 9 months now. It was a bit of trial and error to find the method that worked best for me. I feel like that baking soda method isn't too terrible for my hair because I actually only 'wash' my hair every 5-6 days, which is not nearly as gross as it may sound (I will rinse if needed when I'm having a shower).

So for my method?

I use about 1 or 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a kids tupperware juice jug (maybe 2 cups?) filled with water and give it a little stir to make sure it's dissolved (it likes to settle at the bottom so do this just before you use it). I read lots of methods before and all of them, in my opinion, used too much baking soda and made my scalp and back (wherever the water ran) feel super itchy so I scaled back. I have hair just past my shoulders. I don't know if maybe

I pour the jug over my scalp starting at my forehead down my part and then the rest along my hairline, then massage it into your scalp. This is not NEARLY as satisfying as the sudsing shampoo feeling but you get over that.

And then I rinse. Your hair will feel kind of slippery after.

For conditioner I use apple cider vinegar. I pour a small amount in the same tupperware container and add some water. Then I dip the ends of my hair in the jug for a minute before I dump the container over my head and promptly rinse with water.

It took a few weeks of pretty gross looking hair (be prepared to wear a hat and lots of pony tails) to adjust to not using conventional shampoo but my hair is so much less out of control now. And like I said, I only actually have to wash it every 5-6 days now because it isn't greasy looking within 24 hours so that's a huge bonus.

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!

Time Flies and Unsolicited Spud.ca Review (just because I am that happy of a customer!)

It's been over a week!

See, I'm really bad at this keeping up with my writing. I do think about it but it's usually while I have a nursing toddler doing gymnastics on my lap (anyone who has one will know this isn't an exaggeration) or at about midnight when I'm laying in bed wondering if I locked the doors when I came up to bed.

Not much changes here week to week. I am excited about the end of the school year. Even though I only have one in full time school (and he's only with me half the time) it's still busy. #3 is in school two days a week and it's a 20 minute drive. And although she's graduating from K and I am already misty eyed about it, I will be relieved when that's over. End of school also signals the end of the dance season, the end of Scouts, the end of t-ball,  and the end of music lessons. As everybody has grown so has our schedule. And even though I try really hard not to do too much 'stuff' I still feel we're too busy. We are also a one vehicle family so that makes everything all that much more difficult when it comes to activities.

So all that was to say that I will be happy when this month comes to a close. I am looking forward to rest.

AND NOW ... If you are in Vancouver, BC or the surrounding area and haven't tried Spud.ca you should. Seriously.

I used to love grocery shopping. But I don't anymore. I think that's because I can never go alone unless it's late at night ... and then I'm too tired.

So when I heard about Spud I had to try it. It is a wide range of organic and/or local foods and other grocery products. And they deliver. FOR FREE! (with a $70 order which isn't hard when you have a bigger family) We are on a budget so I mostly shopped sales which were very comparable to prices in local stores. And since it's fairly early in our growing season there isn't much selection at the farmer's market yet so this is a perfect option for me.

I put in my order but then forgot to check out and was sent a code for $25 off my first purchase. Then after I had made that purchase I immediately got another $25 credit added to my account (not sure what that one is for but hey, I'll take it!)

And if you sign up through my link you get $40 credited to your account (and so do I ;) ):

http://www.spud.ca/refer?j=f&r=CRVAN-BECJAD

I will admit I ordered smaller the first time just to make sure I wasn't wasting money on something I wasn't satisfied with.

I had clicked the little 'if I'm not home leave it at my door' button upon checkout so when I returned home from swimming lessons and school pick up I was pleasantly surprised to find these blue bins stacked outside my door. When my next order comes I will leave these out for them to pick up. No deposit needed.

My cold groceries were kept cold via dry ice and the frozen by ice packs (which I will also return).

All my produce was fresh and intact. You can tell that the items were packed and transported with care.

There were some things on the site that may be more than I'd like to pay (because feeding a family of 6 + 2 fur babies healthy food on a single income is tricky sometimes) but their sales are pretty good. For instance this bread was $2.99 the other week and normally would be over $5 at the grocery store closest to me.

My receipt had all sorts of little facts about the average distance your food traveled to get to you and how much fuel you saved by not driving to the grocery store. I don't know how relevant it all was to me particularly but definitely cute.

Lastly, you can make a standing order that is delivered every week, every 2 weeks, once a month and add the stuff you need however often and it automatically adds it to your next order. I customized a fruit and veggie box for my family and it will come every week with my order. The next one has been submitted and will be delivered Friday afternoon and is twice as big! All sorts of goodies in there! And best of all? I don't have to leave my house to do it.


NOTE: I was not given anything in exchange for this post. I honestly believe in supporting local business and feel that everybody should have a chance to eat healthy and local (if possible) without breaking the bank. I love that Spud promotes fresh, local food and does so at a fair price.