Wash-off Lotion

This is what I like to call "skin conditioner." You put it on in the shower, wait a couple of minutes, then rinse it off, just like you would do for your hair.

Recipe: 1 tbsp coconut oil (melted) + 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + 4 tbsp shea butter (melted)

Now, when I say "melted" in relation to shea butter, I mean heat it up for about 10 seconds then mash it into a thick paste with the back of a spoon. Don't melt it until it's completely an oil, or this won't work.

Take all the ingredients, mix them together until you have smooth paste, then stick it in the freezer for an hour. When you take it out, you'll have a solid, but it will be like lip balm...so you can just run your finger over it to pick some up.

All these ingredients are great for your skin, especially if you take a long shower. I use it on my hands on hair washing days, just because I'm in the shower for a long time and am using a lot of soap/shampoo, so it keeps my hands from drying out.

#alexfromtarget

A couple days ago, #alexfromtarget went trending worldwide. Within hours, Alex (@acl163) gained 200k followers. As of today, he has 527k followers, and he started with 1k. Fandoms were stared, fanfictions were written, memes were created, fan accounts were started, etc.

The picture that started it all...

Basically, Alex gained worldwide fame...but for what? He doesn't sing, he doesn't dance, he doesn't act, and for all we know, he could be a complete asshole. But, yet, everyone who has a twitter knows him, simply because he's hot.

Yes, you heard me. The Alex fandom, which consists of teenage girls, hasn't even tried to deny that the only reason that this boy is so famous is that he's hot. In fact, they've very vocally expressed that this boy is famous because he is hot.

This shows just how superficial our world is today. You don't need to have talent, or even be a nice person, to be famous anymore. For all we know, Alex could be an arrogant, rude, asshole...but that doesn't stop us from making him famous.

The reason that Alex is famous is because of adolescent girls. It's almost the same reason that Justin Bieber and One Direction are famous, but their famous is enhanced, not created by appearance.

Other twitter users, such as @molsen7961 (her name's Melissa, but it's not my twitter), agree with me. @molsen7961 said, "#alexfromtarget proves that being hot makes you successful...so take that college! I'm gonna drop out and hit the gym tomorrow. " 

What's even weirder than Alex's odd rise to fame is that some teenage girl secretly took this photo of Alex. What if a man had taken a photo like this of a women? He would immediately be charged with sexual harassment and a slew of other things. If a man had tried to make a woman famous based on her looks, feminists would be outraged that a woman had been objectified in such a way.

Even worse is the fact that who ever did this is proud of their creepiness. In an on going twitter war, two people are fighting over who actually "created" Alex. @auscalum (whose page is now been privated) has been officially credited by this Yahoo article, but @GOLDILOCKS has argued that she/he posted the picture first.

Retweets from @GOLDILOCK's twitter page

The tweet that started it all, according to @GOLDILOCKS

Why does it matter who made Alex famous? These girls should be ashamed of being so superficial about men, and whoever originally took the photo should be made aware of how creepy and stalker-ish it is to do that.

The point is, it's completely pathetic that the world has stooped to a point where appearance determines success rather than effort, intelligence, or talent.

Shea Butter For Skin

Holy crap, this stuff is MAGICAL.

I have the worst skin. It's acne-ridden and constantly peeling. I have have to have lotion on 24/7 (literally, I need to put it on the second I get out of the shower or wash my hands), or it will start peeling. My hands, cheeks, and eyelids (I know, gross...) are the worst.

But, with the help of shea butter, this has stopped within THREE DAYS!!!

You need to get pure, unrefined, all-natural shea butter, which comes in a brick. It's very hard, so you need to break a bit off and melt it before using. Generally, I just run it under hot water, and that does the trick.

Ways to use shea:

1. Rub it underneath your eyes to get rid of dark circles within hours.
2. Rub it on your eyelids to get softer, smoother, (and in my case, non-peeling) skin.
3. Use an eyelash comb, clean mascara wand, or q-tip to apply to eyelashes before bed...this will promote eyelash growth.
4. Apply as a clear lip gloss for plumper, softer lips.
5. Apply as a lotion before going to bed (but note that it will probably make you greasy).
6. Rub on skin before getting out of the shower and rinse off as a "skin conditioner."
7. Apply to underarms and discolored skin to even out your skin tone.

These are all ways that I have personally used shea successfully. There's a whole heap load of success stories out there with a million other ways to use it...some people apply it on their eyelids for a more defined color when using make up, others find it useful to use it on their hair, etc.

Let me know in the comments below if you choose to use shea and tell me how it worked out for you. I look forward to your responses. :)

Products I use:
http://www.amazon.com/100-Unrefined-Organic-Shea-Butter/dp/B00D9NV2D4/ref=pd_ys_sf_s_rp_a1_6_p?ie=UTF8&refRID=0SF8R77EBBJMAFWE7MSV
***Note that there ARE cheaper versions out there. I chose this one because it comes in a brick, and not as a paste, so I know for a fact that it is not altered in any way.

Why I Hate Fame

Hollywood (or celeb status, in general) transforms fun loving, bright, talented people into shadows of themselves. They end up doing drugs 90% of the time, with bags under their eyes and not even half the energy or passion that they had at the start of their career.

Take One Direction, for example. Now, I’m no fan of theirs, but I have done my research, and they're a prime example of this.  

A friend sent me a video of them from last year (2013), and you can see them having fun on stage. During their Take Me Home tour, the members of the band were seen laughing on stage, joking around, dancing, changing their lyrics, and generally having fun. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP1fmaI8r0k

Fastforward to this year, during their iHeartRadio festival performance. They band members look worn out, lacked energy, and looked like they wanted to be anywhere else. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOxUBVWVaus

Of course, this could have been a result of them doing this performance at the end of their Where We Are tour, or the fact that they have grown a little, but it’s only been a year and there is a clear distinction between the energetic performers they once were and the tired performers they now are. 

Okay, point made: artists get worn out overtime. So what? That’s all? 

No. There’s more. 

Most celebrities, including One Direction, have management to give them a cookie cutter image. Apparently, earlier in the year, One Direction was caught in a drug scandal (we’ll get to that later). Soon after, Liam Payne posted a nude picture on Instagram with his junk pixelated. 

Management then decided that in the next movie that the boys released, there would be absolutely nothing that was short of squeaky-clean. Much of the personal, fun side of the movie would be cutout. 

Personally, I believe that this is a huge mistake. This overwhelming control that management has over the boys' lives just make them act out more. This is what I believe caused the drug scandal in the first place.

A brief summary, for those who don’t know: Louis filmed a video of him and Zayn smoking marijuana in the back of a car while in Peru. The other members of the band where not in the same car. This video was leaked, causing a major controversy.

I don’t agree with the drug use, despite the fact that it was “just” marijuana (call me prudish, whatever). However, that’s not the point of this post.

My point is that management is like overprotective parents that never let you have any freedom -- you're more likely to act out when you're not allowed to do anything. That, in combination with the overwhelming pressure to keep fans happy and a clean image (partially because of management), results in scandals such as this. 

Celebrities are there for entertainment, not as role models. Stop putting these people up on pedestals, because they’re probably less perfect that you are. I think management should chill out. Let people think what they want about celebrities. Truth be told, people would be a lot more likely to like someone if they were 100% real, with nothing hidden or covered up for the sake of their image. This would prevent these entertainers' passion from being crushed over time, and would reduce some of the drug use. 

Aloe Vera Gel for Frizz Free Curls/Waves!!

I'm a firm believer in using only natural products, because I know all those chemical filled leave in conditioners, gels, hairsprays, etc. just coat your hair to make it look good, while in actuality, it's damaging the hair underneath.

Now, I've been on a mission with hair management for nearly five years now. Leave in conditioners have been the bane of my existence, because I know I need something to make my hair slightly manageable, but refuse to use anything with chemicals.

I tried the whole oil thing...I even used a leave in conditioner made up of coconut oil and water for a long time. That ended when I accidentally used a little too much and ended up with a stringy, greasy mess.

So, I continued on to find this magical recipe: 1/3 cup 100% aloe vera gel + 2/3 cup water.

Aloe vera gel is great for smoothing down frizz and holds curl really well if you want to scrunch your hair. It's a great substitute for mousse or hair gel if you use it plain (meaning without diluting it with water). Or, you could just use it as a leave in, like I do.

It doesn't weigh your hair down, and feels like you didn't put anything on at all. You rarely end up with crunchy hair, but if you do, it's easy to scrunch the crunch out.

What I do:

After I get out of the shower, I squeeze the excess water out of my hair, detangle, then proceed to generously spray my hair with this mixture. Then, I scrunch for a good 5-10 minutes until my hair has a decent amount of curl, and let it dry. If you're looking for a more defined curl, use the gel without any water. Note that this increases chances of crunch hair.

Note: This was included as an update in my hair care routine post, but I thought it deserved a post of it's own. :)

Links:

What I currently use: http://www.gnc.com/GNC-Aloe-Vera-Skin-Gel/product.jsp?productId=4468905
***This is 99% aloe vera. There is no purely 100% aloe vera, although many brands advertise their product in that manner. I had this lying around in my house, which is why I decided to use it. It works fine, but I prefer a more pure form of aloe.
What I just ordered: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KRJPE00/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
***This has a much higher concentration of aloe (99.75%), which is why I bought it. While I find that this is a bit more watery than typical aloe vera gels, and doesn't hold the curl as well, it DOES tame frizz. Even if my hair ends up a little straighter than normal, it's frizz-free and pretty. This aloe makes my hair a lot softer and healthier-feeling than the other gel.

Caution: This is NOT 100% aloe vera gel. This is just aloe vera gel that is 100% gel (whatever that means...).

All Natural, Organic, DIY Hair Routine for Frizzy, Dry, Damaged Hair

NOW UPDATED: http://thingsthatshouldbeontheinternet.blogspot.com/2015/07/all-natural-organic-hair-routine-for.html

Trust me when I say that I have bad hair.

When I was little, it would take me at least 30 minutes to put it into a pony tail - it was THAT frizzy. So, I turned to products and a flat iron. BIG MISTAKE! That was in sixth grade. By the beginning of seventh grade, I was balding and had a few gray hairs.

We all know that heat is bad for our hair. But here's the thing about those "frizz reducing" or "smoothing" products: they don't work. They're made from a lot of cheap, damaging products that are easy to apply to your hair, giving you the illusion that they are being absorbed. In reality, they just sit on top of your hair and provide a quick fix, all the while damaging your natural hair underneath. So in the long run, your hair just ends up more frizzy, dry, and damaged.

I stopped using products and heat at the beginning of seventh grade, and my hair slowly began to grow healthy again. Those gray hairs even started producing melanin again, and returned to their natural color. But the frizz was back.

So from the beginning of seventh grade to now, in my adult life, I've been doing an incredible amount of research on different natural products, their benefits, and how to take care of hair with a minimal amount of chemicals. And I've compiled a basic routine that has given me manageable, soft, healthy hair.

This routine has 5 parts: a hair mask, shampoo, a rinse with apple cider vinegar, conditioner, and a leave in conditioner.

Remember how I said that products made me lose my hair? That means that this routine involves NO products, with the exception of shampoo and conditioner.

So, let's just get into it.

1. Hair mask

Now, hair masks are under rated. These things can make the difference between dry, damaged hair, and healthy, nourished hair.

When you wash your hair, the shampoo strips it of it's natural oils. The hair mask builds up those oils beforehand, therefore leaving you with an ample amount of moisture after your shower. The hair mask not only moisturizes, but provides a ton of nutrients to your hair.

Hair masks can differ depending on your preferences. It's all trial and error. Possible ingredients include: avocado, honey, coconut/olive oil, coconut milk, shea butter, yogurt, eggs, mayonnaise, and banana. Note that the avocado and oil are most helpful for frizz.

Currently, I just use plain coconut oil.

I used to use 2 avocados, 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, and 2 tablespoons of honey, but it didn't tame the frizz as much as plain coconut oil does.

Whatever mask you end up using, apply it to your hair from the roots to the tips, making sure all your hair is saturated. Put your hair in a shower cap and let it sit for at least two hours, but no longer than one night, before washing.

2. Shampoo

As I mentioned before, shampooing will strip your hair of it's natural oils, leaving you with dry, frizzy hair. I currently use Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo, which contains a lot of natural ingredients, and isn't too abrasive.

Because shampooing is harmful for the hair, I only wash my hair once a week. That one time a week, I shampoo 2-3 times to make sure that the mask, along with all the dirt and sweat build up from the week, is fully removed from my hair.

Do NOT wash your hair more than twice a week. You'll end up with extremely dry, damaged hair.

Focus on the scalp when you're washing your hair. You really want to get all the dirt and sweat out from underneath the hair, where it accumulates. Your actual hair isn't very dirty, so unless you have a mask in, there's no need to wash from root to tip. When you rinse your hair, the shampoo will come down and wash the rest of it. If you do have a mask in, only wash from root to tip ONCE, preferably during your last wash.

For better access to your scalp, flip your hair upside down and scrub. Flip your hair right side up to rinse, or you'll end up with shampoo in your eyes.

You shouldn't have to worry about dandruff because this is an extremely moisturizing and nourishing hair routine. However, different people have different skin and hair, and if you do start to get dandruff, switch to Jason's Normalizing Tea Tree Treatment Shampoo. It's one of the more organic, less abrasive dandruff shampoos.

3. Apple Cider Vinegar

I swear by apple cider vinegar. You don't understand...the first time I used this stuff, my hair was so soft and had so much less frizz that I thought I was dreaming.

Mix equal parts apple cider vinegar and water. The amount you need depends on the amount of hair you have. I usually only need 1 cup of each (2 cups total).

After you finish rinsing your shampoo out of your hair (and make sure it's completely gone), rinse your hair with this. Make sure it completely coats your hair, from your roots to your tips, and be careful not to get it in your eyes (it BURNS!!). Let it sit for 3-5 minutes before rinsing it out.

4. Conditioner

No matter what anyone says about your roots not needing conditioner, don't listen. When you shampoo, you focus on your scalp. So even though most of your natural oils build up at the scalp during the week, it's also the most deprived of natural oils at the end of your shower.

Spread your conditioner from root to tip and wait 3-5 minutes before washing it off with the coldest water your can stand. This will seal your cuticle, giving you more shine, less frizz, and less hair loss.

I use Organix Coconut Milk Conditioner. If you are using a dandruff shampoo, continue to use this conditioner, because dandruff related products are much harsher than more organic products, and you need a lot of moisture to make up for the abrasive shampoo.

5. Leave In Conditioner

There are many DIY leave in conditioners, and you can google for more. I'm going to give you the recipe for a moisturizing and frizz-easing leave in.

Mix 1 tablespoon of coconut oil with 1 cup of water. Whisk together and shake before every use.

Use only 3-5 sprays and comb through, or your hair will get greasy. You can detangle at the same time that you spray this on. Then, spray a small amount of your hands and scrunch as much as you can. Obviously, it won't hold very well, but it's better than nothing.

***UPDATE:

After using a little too much leave in last week, I was left with incredibly greasy, stringy hair. I had it up in a bun the entire week. I didn't want to take the chance of having that happen again, so I found a new recipe for a leave in conditioner.

Find a spray bottle. Fill it up a third of the way with 99% aloe vera gel, then fill the rest of the bottle with water. Shake it up well, then add 1-2 drops of an essential oil of your choice, and reshake.

I personally didn't add any oil, just because I ran out, and it still worked great. There was a little frizz in the back, but that's just because I didn't scrunch much in the back. This will also hold scrunch a lot better than the coconut oil leave in.

Combing your hair: DON'T!

Seriously, all that shiny, smooth hair that you just worked so hard for is going to disappear as soon as you comb your hair. Straight hair will get frizzier and bushier, but it won't be too bad. But if you're like me, and have slightly wavy-curly hair, then combing through your curls will give you frizzy, bushy, straight hair.

When you get out of the shower, find your part, detangle, scrunch with the leave in conditioner, and leave your hair alone. Let it dry, and with this routine, you'll be able to wear it down. If you really need to tie it into a ponytail or braid, go for a messier one, where the top of your head isn't 100% smooth. Trust me, it's better to go with a messy ponytail or braid than to go with a bushy, frizzy ponytail or braid. At the very most, finger comb to detangle.

Styling: 

A lot of people thing it's a good idea to tie your wet hair into a bun or braid for curls. Don't fall into this trap! Tying your hair up in any manner while it's wet, when your hair is most vulnerable to stretching and breakage, will just break and damage your hair.

Like I said before, the most you should do is scrunch your hair with the leave in conditioner. Other than that, styling will just damage your hair more.

***Update: If scrunching with the updated leave in will work a lot better than the coconut oil leave in. If you want even more hold, try taking a drop of pure 99% aloe vera gel, rubbing it between your hands, and scrunching with that. It will hold even better than the aloe vera leave in, but can weigh your hair down if you use too much.

Greasy hair:

Around day 3-4 of not washing your hair, it will start to get greasy. The annoying thing is, all that grease will accumulate at your scalp, but the rest of your hair will still be as frizzy and bushy as it was before.

If you have straight or natural hair, you can use a boar bristle brush on your hair, and comb from your roots to your tips. This will spread the natural oils from your scalp all over your hair. Not only will you have shinier, stronger, and less greasy hair, but it will also be less frizzy.

I, like I mentioned before, have curly-wavy hair, and this does NOT work for me. You have to use a boar bristle brush when your hair is dry, or it will break it. So when I comb through my curly dry hair, my hair turns straight, frizzy and bushy. For people with straight or natural hair, the shape of their hair isn't changed, so the frizz isn't too bad (especially with the added natural oils from the scalp).

Time: 

How long will it take to do this all? I know it sounds like a lot of steps, but it usually only takes me two hours. I make the hair mask (10 minutes), apply it (10 minutes), wait for at least two hours, which I don't count because I can do other things, then shower. The shower takes about 30 minutes to shampoo because I do so 2-3 times, then 5 minutes for the apple cider vinegar, and another 10 minutes for the conditioner. Add in about 10 minutes to wash my body, and there's about 55 minutes in the shower. I need another 5 minutes to detangle and scrunch, and then I'm done. This is a total of 1 hour and 20 minutes, but I only do this once a week, so it's really not too bad.

And that's it! Congratulations if you had the patience to sit through that long post. :) Comment below if any/all of this helped you, if your hair is improving, and if you have any of your own suggestions to add.

School Organizer

I'm an organizer. Everything, from my showers to my classes, needs to put on a calendar, or I'll end up panicking and getting nothing done. And as someone who has always found school agendas (sold at local Targets or online) lacking, I went looking for the next best thing: an internet template. Well, imagine my horror when NOT A SINGLE THING specially made for school popped up.

So I made my own. I'm making this available for all to use, as I would hate for anyone to spend hours making their own when there's already one available.

Simply download this as an excel file and it will work.

Features:

1. Monthly calendar

2. 7 day 24 hour weekly schedule

3. Notes area

4. Capability to keep track of homework, studying, projects, and tests taking place on each day

Things to keep in mind when using this:

1. To change the year:

Select the JANUARY tab.

Change the year in the upper right corner.

You will have to go through and change the date written under the first Monday of each month, but the rest of the dates will change automatically.

I did not design the calendar in the upper left corner (that component was taken from another template that I found online). So, I'm can't guarantee that the dates will be correct for every year, but the dates are correct for the 2014-2015 school year.

2. Navigating:

Click the weeks to jump to that part of the calendar.

Click anywhere on the "assignments" bar to jump back to the calendar in the upper right corner.

Use the arrows to jump from month to month.

OR click on the a month to jump to it quickly. 

3. To change the courses (which are currently random):

Find replace under the "edit" menu.

Enter each course under "find what" individually, then replace each one with a unique number. Make sure all the settings are exactly as depicted in the picture above.

Replace each number with the desired course. Make sure all the settings are exactly as depicted in the picture above.

I hope this is helpful for everyone needing a organizer specially made for school.

Please feel free to comment below if you need any help with anything. :)