Goodbye Drano - Hello Baking Soda and Vinegar

Hey everyone,

My mom was recently told by a contractor never to use Drano.  Why?  Because the harsh ingredients found in this product can actually cause pipe material to disintegrate and will eventually result in leakage.

The solution is a combo of products you will likely already have on around the house.... my favourites: baking soda and white vinegar.

If you notice that water is not draining very well, pour half a cup of baking soda down the drain and then follow with half a cup of white vinegar.  You should then put a drain cover over the drain so things don't get messy.  (Baking Soda and Vinegar react to expand which helps push things through the drain).  While waiting for approximately 20 minutes you should boil about 8 cups of water.  Then pour the water down the drain.

Repeat until you have unclogged your drain.

Simple, environmentally friendly and cost effective.

Free yourself!

Goodbye summer haze - Hello clean, sharp, focused living!

Hey everyone,

I haven't been posting much lately.  I haven't been doing really much productive lately.  You see - we got cable since moving to suburbia - at our old apartment downtown I had cancelled the cable a couple of years ago because I thought it was a waste of money and I felt like I was becoming lazy.  Well voila - that is what has happened for the last 3 weeks or month that I have had cable.  To be fair - my new position in a new government department is taking some adjustment.  I am also now busing to work while before I was biking... so obviously it is more than just the TV.  But to be honest - it just feels like everything.  My boyfriend was travelling for the last week and I went out with some friends but came home after and watched So you think you can dance for about 3 hours on tv and then watched past seasons on youtube for another 3 hours and then finally went to bed at like 2 or 3 a.m. woke up super late - went to work - looked like shit - felt like shit - ate like shit.... and then went home and did it all over again.

Whoooaaa.

I do not like this.  I keep happening to stumble upon articles about unhappy marriages and how it is all going to go to shit in the end.  Most of the articles seem to put the blame on the women - like if she hadn't "let herself go" the husband wouldn't have left blah blah blah.  Anyways - I know it is all bullshit - it's just depressing sometimes.  So I started thinking, omg,.... I'm letting myself go, I'm out of shape, I am going to be unhappy - I am going to be bitter - it is all going to shit.  Luckily my boyfriend came home and snapped me out of it.  It was kind of like a light switch.

Tonight was great - I ate well - I am on the road to going vegan again.  I am still drinking milk and I had some fish recently but no cheese, other meats etc...   I'll make some exceptions for summer weddings and stuff.  Why? For environmental reasons, health reasons - (the China Study - read it - explained how animal protein causes most cancers) and for general well being (when I don't feel bloated and tired, I feel much happier, surprise surprise).

I also went for a run with the boyfriend.  We went jogging and did an 800 m race around the track near our house (he won, boooo).  I then got home and did some stretching and drank water- probably the first glass of water in a few days.

Anyways- this is probably all sounding a little melodramatic.  You may be thinking: this is your crisis?  My family member has cancer. 

I agree - but if you are unhappy - then I think it is serious - nobody wants to be unhappy - especially since things can sometimes spiral downwards.

So - I think I am going to stop with the lists- I sort of make lists of things I need to do obsessively - a little OCD probably.  I also joined a running group to train for a full marathon.  I am going to exercise almost every day.  Go to bed on time.  And not watch TV.  Especially when the boyfriend is travelling.  I will only allow myself to read.  I have been going for walks at lunch but I'm thinking I might bring runners to work and like power walk at lunch, work it!

Finally - I think I am having a bit of a career crisis.  Sometimes it is hard working at a desk in the middle of summer.  You ask yourself, is this it?  I think the problem is I work in a unit of 1 - but there are great people around me.  So I need to become more social - and also keep with volunteering and other things that make me feel like I am doing something productive.

I don't think I can say free yourself since I am feeling a little weighted down by the sad state of this past week.  I will get back on my two feet and I hope that next week I will be able to say it with conviction - and get back to some concrete scientific evidence on living a longer, happier and freer existence.

Goodbye $1.00 in my bank account - Hello adventures, activities and lots of fun!

Hey everyone,

As you all know - if you have read some previous posts, I just moved into my first house with my boyfriend.  I am loving the house and the neighbourhood but not so much liking the very small amount of money in my bank account and the very large amount on my credit card.

This isn't so much a result of the down payment but rather a number of small purchases that have been made at walmart, etc for things like paper towels, and other small household purchases that just seem to have been adding up.  I also had a bit of a starbucks/ bridgehead/ amazing bakery on Bank street (Bread and sons) binge that has lasted just over 3 weeks.  This may be why I currently have a terrible cold.

I want to get my finances in order pronto so I can relax and start planning for a big trip, joining some activities like ballet or a sports league in the fall and buying some nice things for the house that will last a lifetime ie. art, good quality furniture and finally perhaps taking a university course.

Luckily I haven't been receiving my new salary yet although I started my job just over a month ago so I will also get a back paycheque which should take care of the remaining balance on my credit card.

Anyways - you don't care about the ins and outs of my financial status.  But what may interest you is a challenge I am going to embark on; something called spend no money.  I haven't run this by my boyfriend so we'll have to figure this out haha.  I don't want him just paying for my half of everything - since this will defeat the purpose and may put a dent in our "perfect suburban life".

Anyways - today is Monday - my challenge will be not to spend any money for 1 entire week.  This won't be impossible because the fridge is decently stocked right now, we even have some left over crown royal for this coming canada day and we have all we need to live comfortably.  Any spending I could do this week would likely be frivolous - but if I don't impose this challenge on myself, I know that tomorrow I will head to bridgehead in the morning for a coffee and then maybe bread in sons in the afternoon for a bun or brownie, then maybe I will decide I need something red for Canada Day, then I will decide to buy a membership to a gym although it is gorgeous out so I should just run outside.

I think the biggest challenge will be food, possibly commuting as well.

I definitely have some good tools to help me get through the week:  my bicycle, a gift certificate to a fancy restaurant, lots of canned beans, a decent sized wardrobe, low maintenance family and friends who aren't $$ crazy, Gatineau park with lots of nice hiking trails and beaches.

I'll check back in on Monday and let you know if the week was a success.

Free yourself!

Goodbye shoulder length hair - Hello armpit length hair!

Hey everyone,

Another post about hair.  This time I will discuss everything I know I can do to encourage my hair to get from shoulder length to armpit length.  This might sound a little funny to you but essentially arm pit length hair would be when your hair reaches the point where it touches your arm pit crease from behind  (see picture for proper explanation haha).


My ultimate goal is waist length - maybe hip length if it is really healthy at waist length.

Anyways - I wanted to share with you everything I know that you can do to speed up hair growth while maintaining beautiful hair.

1 - Vitamin B Supplement
2 - Fish oil supplement
3 - Eat seaweed
4 - Buy a silk or satin pillow case
5 - Use monistat, yes monistat, diluted with oil or water on your scalp
6 - Do not use shampoo
7 - Deep condition your hair weekly
8 - Apply an egg and honey mask to your hair (ensure to rinse with cool water or else you will cook the egg - gross)
9 - Eat a mostly raw food diet
10 - Eat Marmite - I can't find any in Ottawa. HELP ME!
11 - Wear your hair up as much as possible
12 - Do not eat processed food
13 - Take MSM Supplements
14 - Make sure you have enough iron in your diet
15 - Don't get frequent trims (sounds obvious but many of us have a habit of heading to the salon every 2 - 3 months)
16 - Do not colour your hair or use henna instead, or honey (see previous post).
17 - Do yoga
18 - Eat eggs
19 - Eat lots of nuts and seeds
20 - Avoid the bad stuff (alcohol, cigarettes, sugar)
21 - Stay positive
22 - Avoid using elastics - go for clips or scrunchies instead
23 - Braid your hair before bed
24 - Don't wear hair up until it is completely dry
25 - Get enough sleep
26 - Give yourself scalp massages
27 - Eat yogurt
28 - Eat beans
29 - Eat mangoes
30 - Eat bananas

That's all the hair wisdom I can come up with right now.  I know some people have fast hair growth despite not really trying that hard - but I think my hair grows quite slowly.  I am doing my best to follow all the the items listed above. 

I hope to be at arm pit length at some point in the fall.  I'll keep you posted.

Let me know if you have anything else you think I should try.

Free yourself!

Goodbye bleach - Hello honey!

Hey everyone,

Again - this is probably a post that will mostly interest women.  I have recently been absolutely obsessed with this website called the Long Hair Community.  I am doing my best to quickly grow out my hair - so I am just eating up all the information on this great site.

Because I had been hoping to grow my hair out I had completely given up on the thought of ever highlighting my hair again.  I have naturally dirty blond hair which I haven't coloured in over two years.

But... today I was intrigued by a link to a post on using honey to lighten your hair.  Apparently it works on blond, red and brown hair.  I am not sure if it works on black hair.  The results are significant for some of the women who have tried this method.  The results appear to be more effective for people who have naturally lighter hair.

For those of you who are interested in a less damaging way of highlighting your hair for the summer - I would suggest you give this a try.

You will need to buy some honey - preferably dark honey - they recommend jarrah honey.
You will need distilled water.
And you will need to ground cardamom as well as extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil.

Mix 2 tablespoons of honey with 3/4 cup of distilled water.  The ladies on the forum also recommend adding some extra virgin olive oil and cardamom.  You need to let the mix sit at room temperature (do not heat) for 1 hour.  This will allow the honey to produce peroxide through a chemical reaction.

You then soak your head with water.  You have to make sure your hair is very wet when you apply the honey mixture. Then you should apply the mix to your head using a brush or bottle.  After applying you need to wrap your head using saran (because you want your hair to stay very wet) and then put a swim cap on top of the saran.  The mixture will be less effective and may dry out your hair if your hair doesn't stay moist for the hour of application.

You should not go in the sun or get too warm while the mixture is on your hair for the next hour since heat breaks down peroxide.

It is not clear how you would remove the honey after the hour.  I think I will try to rinse it out using conditioner.  FYI - I bought this Olive Oil conditioner so I can do deep conditioning treatments once a week.  I bought it in the section of the store with relaxers and other products for black hair.  I am very interested in using some products that black women use since my hair is also delicate and prone to breakage.

Most women who have seen dramatic results have used this treatment a few times to get their impressive results.

I have a bad habit of posting on things I haven't tried out.

I just get so excited and want to tell you all about it.

I will definitely do the honey treatment in the next month and report back.

I personally think highlighting your hair is overrated - I just thought naturally highlighting my hair would be a fun change for the summer given that I will not be cutting it.  I really can't believe how much women spend on highlights.  I haven't been to the salon for a full do recently, but a couple years ago the cost was about $180 for a cut, highlights, wash and blow dry.  Luckily my hair was growing at a snails place and my hair is naturally light so I didn't really get it done more than once a year.

I would also like to say that I really think people with dark brown or black hair look best with dark brown or black hair.  It is the people who have the sort of darkish blond hair who sometimes need a little pizazz.  My hair is starting to fall into this category.

The most important reason to just let your hair be or consider a honey treatment is because of the harmful effects of conventional hair dyes.  The International Agency for Research on Cancer found that hair dressers were more likely to get bladder cancer because of their daily exposure to the harmful, toxic ingredients found in hair dye.

It is time we all started thinking about alternatives to things we always suspected were a little toxic.  I think anyone who has smelt hair dye must realize it is going to do bad things to your body.

Until next time, Free yourself!

Goodbye sanitary pads - Hello Mooncup!

Hey everyone,

If you are male you will probably want to skip today's post.

Ok - for the ladies:

I was planning some summer vacations tonight with my boyfriend and we are thinking of going on a multiple day kayak and backpacking trip.  Of course my period would fall at the end of when we are planning our trip.  I feel like this always happens.

I am going to try and get another week off work but I thought it might be worth doing some research into products/ tricks I could use while camping. 

I did a search and it looks like many people recommend using a menstrual cup.  There are several brands out there.  I am hearing good things about the Mooncup.  The Mooncup is the newer silicone version of the original menstrual cup called the Keeper made of latex.  You should purchase a size A if you have given birth or size B if you have not or had a C-section.

I am thinking of purchasing one of these (I am thinking the Mooncup).  I definitely have some questions and concerns - I'm a little concerned that it will be too big and make my vagina bigger or not big enough and then there will be some leakage.  Yikes!

  This is a photo of the Mooncup.

READERS: I am hoping that those of you who may have experimented with menstrual cups can post (anonymously if you wish) your reviews.

This is definitely something that is very intriguing - it's like a tampon in that it is completed inserted inside you so you can use it for the beach etc.  Apparently if it is inserted properly you won't feel it.  Amazing!

And - there is no risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome since it is not made of absorptive material like tampons.

It looks like it will cost with tax about $45 and will only need to be replaced every 10 years.  Amazing!

I think this past cycle I spent almost $15 on pads.  Ridiculous!

Also - the cup only needs to be emptied every 8 to 12 hours.  Amazing!

Ok - I will definitely purchase one of these cups before my next period and test it out.  In the meantime I will conduct some more research to find out which type is best for me.  I'll let you know the results after my next cycle.

I think one of the major major benefits of using a menstrual cup is the amount of waste produced by other forms of protection.

This is something that I think you may want to consider for your own comfort and for mother earth.

Free yourself!

Goodbye all or nothing mentality - Hello moderation!

Hey everyone,

Sorry I haven't posted in a little while.  I started a new job, ran a half marathon today and am moving into a new house in just a couple of weeks so life has been busy.  I think all of these new developments in my life have definitely resulted in me failing a few challenges or commitments I had made in previous posts (i.e.; the coffee and chocolate situation - who didn't see that coming?).  Is this a big deal?  Sort of - the main reason I was adopting a lot of these things was for health reasons - so I definitely want to do my best to follow the advice I have been dishing out.  But sometimes I found these little challenges a little stressful - and stress is also a killer.  So.... moderation is key.  My mom is somebody who has always been good with moderation.  She eats really well - but indulges in a small dessert after dinner most nights, she is very careful with her money - but occasionally buys expensive clothing or paintings, she wears make-up and uses skin products - but only high end products that are less likely to contain harmful chemicals. 

I wanted to come clean and provide you with an update on where I stand in each of my commitments:

Goodbye shampoo? Yes - still no shampoo.  My dandruff has suddenly reappeared in the last week but I think this is a result of stress associated with starting a new job.  If I switch up my no shampoo routine you will be the first to know.

Goodbye nail polish?  I am wearing nail polish right now.  It's sandal season.  Not sure how I feel about this.

Goodbye deodorant?  This one is sooooo easy.  My boyfriend has also ditched the stick.  He is someone who is always hot- and he smells fantastic.

  Goodbye diabetes?  Well I don't have diabetes, but I think I could definitely cut back on the sugar.

Goodbye car? I have been riding my bike alot.

Goodbye cineplex?  I went to the World Exchange theatre downtown - which feels less corporate and didn't purchase any snacks so.... success.

Goodbye blind trust? Yeah  - I guess I have been doing more research before trying homemade recipes and tricks.

Goodbye sweet tooth? ( this post was on toothpaste).  I have been using toothpaste mostly rather than salt or baking soda.  I have been eating a lot of chocolate lately so I felt I really needed to use toothpaste for the fluoride in order to protect my teeth from cavities.

Goodbye mask?  I haven't been wearing makeup to work however I have been wearing some good quality mascara (Marcelle) and eye shadow out on the weekends.  I have been using coconut oil for lip gloss.

Goodbye stale air?  Well it's finally summer in Ottawa so I have been outside quite a bit but I still haven't started going for walks at lunch time.  Maybe this week!  This is really important - I just read a NY times article on how sitting for long periods of time everyday will kill you. AND...Working out after a day in the cubicle doesn't cut it (Yikes!).  I think I'm going to start standing at work while I read my e-mails.

Goodbye sleeping pills?  This was never really an issue however I had a lot of trouble sleeping last week - I think nerves associated with the new job.  I realized my advice about getting up and getting stuff done if you can't sleep was kind of useless.  I still felt too tired to accomplish things and didn't want to wake up my roomates. 

Goodbye oblivion?  Yep - I've got people from all across Canada, the United States and even far places like India and Malta reading my blog.  Hello!!!

Goodbye hot hot showers?  Sort of.  I've been trying to end my showers off as cold as I can handle.  Some days I can make the shower ice cold and hang out for a few minutes - other days - especially late at night, I don't do this at all.

Goodbye calorie restriction?  No - I have been really hungry all of the time - I think from training for the half marathon.  Hopefully my crazy hunger will subside now that I am taking a little break from the running.

Goodbye cravings? Yeah, no.

 Goodbye race? I think I have been doing better about just enjoying life.  I was really nervous about my job but I tried to just embrace it.

Goodbye Mona Lisa smile?  Haha - hmmm I think my teeth have been whitter but I am not sure why. 

Goodbye scented?  This one is easy - I just don't wear any perfume.

Goodbye impulsive hair chopping?  So far so good.  I told my roomate I wouldn't get a trim until November.  I am convinced my hair grows at a snails pace but she thinks I just get too many trims.  I am also taking some MSM and biotin supplements.  I have to do more research on these supplements.  I have a feeling they might have some questionable ingredients or not be very effective but I'd like to give it a shot.  My friend from Taiwan suggested eating seaweed to speed up hair growth.  I will purchase this next time I head to Herb and Spice.  I have also started sleeping with my hair in a scrunchie at night to protect it from all my tossing and turning and my friend also suggested brushing my hair with my head upside down in the morning so I will do this too!

Goodbye sunscreen?  So far so good - although it rained all week.

Goodbye chocolate and coffee? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

I look forward to hearing how you are all doing on freeing yourself from big pharma!!

I think it's important to maintain a positive attitude and experiment with different things!  Until next time... Free yourself!