scenes from the weekend

 

 

 

 

we got to fly a kite finally (a check on my life list). my husband brought home all sorts of kites a couple of years ago; a rocket, a fighter plane, an eagle.  we have been looking forward to see those fly but they are about 5-6 feet wide so it is difficult to find the place and good wind conditions to fly them.   this week a friend gifted sophia a smaller one, one with brobee on it, my daughter's favorite yogabba gabba character.  she couldn't wait for the weekend to go to the park to fly it.  saturday was hot and humid, and there was barely any wind but we managed to fly it successfully at the top of the hill at the tar pit. 

tabletop terrariums

i felt our tiny apartment needed something green to liven it up a bit so i bought these beautiful terrariums at the farmer's market last weekend. i purchased two, one for our dining table and one given as gift to a family member celebrating her birthday.  inspired by west elm i thought of making it myself but the vendor at the market were selling them at a good price, $15 for the bigger one and $12 for the smaller one.


the succulents will keep inside the glass for at least four months.  when they are taller they can be transferred to a bigger pot.  they are very low maintenance, mine needs only 7 sprays of water once a week. the smaller terrarium needs only 2 sprays once a week.  i'm pretty sure i will be able to keep them alive. 

homemade shampoo

some may call me nuts but in light of my efforts on simplifying my life, and minimizing my carbon footprint I decided to make my own homemade shampoo last weekend.  it was so easy to make and it turned out, the shampoo works better than i expected.  

i lost count on how many bottles of shampoos and conditioners i have tried over the years.  my hair is thick, coarse, wavy, dry, frizzy and some dandruff here and there.  it has a mind of it's own.  most days is a bad hair day for me.  i have tried so many products, and sorting through the vast selection of shampoos and conditioners out there is overwhelming.  while in the process of spring cleaning last week i tossed at least eight different kinds of hair products, barely used.  

my hair is a big fail. when i was about age 7 i remember it being straight, smooth and soft.  then i got ambitious and had it permed too as i was envious of my mom having a perm.  that's when my hair texture went South.  i'm not sure what happened to it.

source:  plumprettysugar via lovesweatandtears

anyhoo, this shampoo didn't reverse the quality of my hair but it's less dry and less frizzy now. and my scalp, it's not itchy anymore. it's worth a try and i will stick with it for while to see how it works in the long run.  besides it's a small investment of my time and money.

i followed this basic recipe i found on pinterest.  it is so simple to make. 

the cast of characters:

1/4 cup distilled water

1/4 cup dr. bronner's pure-castile soap (peppermint)

1/2 teaspoon jojoba oil.

- mix it all up in a spray bottle and kablammo! you have a shampoo.

my experience,

1) this mixture is very watery which is why i store it in a spray bottle so i don't pour too much on my head.

2) it lathers very well which makes me feel like it is doing it's thing - cleaning my hair.

3) the peppermint smell is invigorating and gives that cool tingly feel on the scalp.  it's perfect for the summertime.

4) i still need to use my conditioner to detangle and soften my hair, but it does a good job at cleaning my hair without the use of irritants  (i'm in the process of finding a good homemade conditioner.  any suggestion?)

5) no more itch on the scalp. and i have not seen dandruff since.
6) it's all natural! sulfate-free, and you can customize it to smell however you like, just add 1/8 teaspoon of the essential oil of your choice.
7) it's a money saver

post script : one of these days, i will tell you how jojoba oil changed my life.