Monat Hair Observations for 04.29.2016...

OH MY GOODNESS! Words can't describe how lovely my hair feels today!!! And I can still lightly smell the soft, floral scent. Love that!

I forgot to mention last night, that there isn't the usual waxy build-up feeling in the back and underneath. It feels light and flowy and my fingers comb through easily without getting stuck... just the way I remember it feeling when I was (much) younger and my hair cooperated with me. 😆

And when I brushed it this morning I only pulled ONE (count that), ONE strand off my hair brush. That's a massive feat! My hair wasn't a snarly mess either.

Every time I woke up in the middle of the night, I had to touch how soft it was. I might become obsessed with soft hair. {Because I need something new/more to be obsessed about.}

Today I've opted to just wear a little clip to pull the front out of my face. Typically I look like I've had my head out the window after being outside. Not today! It's laying down nicely and even after being in the breeze.

I know a hair system isn't going to make me absolutely bonkers about my hair. There are far too many things about it that annoy me. But I can already feel after just one use that I like it a teensy bit more. 😀

And while I know I shouldn't complain about how thick my hair is... I miss out on tons of cute styles because most of them have thin-medium thickness. When you have tons of hair it's takes a ton of Bobbie pins and/or product. Double UGH! Not a fan of using either.

I've donated my hair a few times and I have this attitude about my mop: Someone else is going to LOVE the hair that makes me CRAZY! And that to me, is such a wonderful feeling!!!

The first two times were to Locks of Love. I read a few years ago that they sell a lot of the hair, and I was turned off. Additionally, they chard some for the wigs. It's not free for everyone that may qualify. I know that real hair wigs are expensive to make... But should these families really need to worry about coming up with that money too (even if it's a sliding scale)? I don't think so!

Here's a link to the article I found a few years on Forbes. Perhaps things have changed since 2013, but some things have a tendency to stick in my mind.

So I have my hair from the 3rd time. And some of my mom's hair from the 60's or 70's. BTW, it's dead, so it's not that creepy. Tehe. Once my hair is long enough again I will donate some to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths and some to Children With Hair Loss. 

Pantene's Beautiful Lengths wigs go to women suffering from cancer. I like that they are FREE! And the minimum hair length is 8". Not 12", like some.

And Children With Hair Loss supplies FREE wigs to children with a variety of conditions that have caused them to lose their hair. Not just cancer. Their minimum hair length to donate is also 8".

I've got plenty of time to contemplate these things.

Here are some pics of my hair donations from 03-09-2008. ☺️

Here are some pics of my hair donations from 10-18-2009. I still have this hair. 😀

I got so way off topic about Monat. But... You can see what my ultimate hair goal is. 😁

Have a wonderful day! 💐

Monat Balance Treatment System... Starting a new hair adventure...

A friend (who works at my old orthodontist's office) has been posting pictures of her hair since she started using Monat hair products. I was intrigued. Sometimes it helps to see the results of someone you know, who wouldn't fib to get sales.

Since then, I've been looking online and checking out blog posts. And... I continued to be intrigued. I haven't seen very many poor reviews. Additionally, they have an A- rating with the Better Business Bureau.

So last Friday I took the leap and joined as a VIP customer ($19.00) and purchased the Balance Treatment System ($99.00 MSRP, $84.00 VIP 15% discount). This is the most I've ever spent on hair care products! I suspect this is the case for many women. And if I like it, I'll probably join so I can get 30% off products.

Per Monat's site:

Our patent-pending age-prevention formula of ingredients seep hair with incredible moisture, reducing dry and brittle texture to deliver new life and hydration to every strand. MONAT features powerful active botanicals and bio-functional catalase that serve as UV protectors and prevent thinning, free radical neutralizers that keep hair looking and feeling naturally healthy, and an exclusive blend of vitamins and minerals to combat oxidative stress along with proactive amino acids that repair and replace essential nutrients. You’ll see and feel the difference in an instant, and with regular use, you’ll discover a brilliant, youthful glow to your hair, along with long-lasting conditioning results.

Some people have magnificent results in growing their hair quickly... Which is what I'm looking for. My goal is to donate it again. And it would be awesome to do that sooner, rather than later.

Some find that they have regrowth where it was once thin. 

And most find their hair becomes sleeker and smoother. Not to mention healthier. Not a bad thing, when you consider how much abuse our hair endures. Okay, so my hair doesn't get abused, cuz I don't invest much time in it.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Anyhoo, today I received my order of Renew Shampoo, Restore Leave-In Conditioner, and Replenish Masque. Let me tell you- it smells amazing! A very pretty floral scent.

I couldn't wait to wash my hair tonight! As someone who *hates* washing her hair, that is something new, different, and noteworthy.

To get ready for this new hair "adventure," I had my hair trimmed about 1.5". That way I can start with cleaner strands. After getting it cut, it is about 15" long from my center part to the ends.

Some things about my hair:

1. It's pretty thick, but has finer strands. Some are a little more coarse underneath (those are almost a kinky black-brown).
2. The center, back of my hair has a little bit of wave... Not sure why it can't be all over my head. LOL
3. It's predominately brownish-red with some blondish strands. Oh and some shiny silver ones interspersed. 😖
4. There's usually quite a few strands lost in the washing process.
5. Even after washing, it feels heavy and almost waxy. A build-up that only several washings can get rid of. But after a few days, it's back.
6. After towel drying, it stays wet for a pretty long time.
7. Once dry- it isn't super parched, but it isn't soft and supple looking either.

As for my low-maintenance hair routine:

1. I only wash my hair 2-3 times a week. And most of those showers are spent with me rinsing shampoo and conditioner out.
2. My shampoo and conditioner is called FAST by Nisim. It is for maximum hair growth. I used this back in 2003 and was able to grow my hair 3" in 3 months.
3. Since I wash my hair at night, it air dries. I very infrequently use a hair dryer.
4. It only gets curled *maybe* 5 times a year.
5. Just like getting curled, that's about as often as it gets styling products.
6. I'm a ponytail (scrunchy), giant hair clip kind of girl.

Here are my observations after my first washing.

Renew Shampoo:

1. Not sure on the bottle. Hard to close when you have shampoo in your palm. I rested it on the side and some shampoo came out. I'll figure it out.
2. Feels creamy and lathers up nicely.
3. It feels silky and my hair instantly felt soft and smooth.
4. It rinses out better than I had hoped. I didn't spend the whole time rinsing.
5. It towel-dried relatively quickly after washing.

Replenish Masque:

1. Easy to apply and felt wonderful.
2. I was able to comb through easily with minimal strand loss.
3. Rinses out easily. (I left it on for about 10 minutes)

Restore Leave-In Conditioner:

1. It only took about 4 squirts to work through my hair from root to tip.
2. Easy to comb through.

Overall first impressions:

1. I washed my hair almost 3.5 hours ago and it is about 90% dry and STILL smells amazing! Usually after a short time, I can no longer smell my shampoo/conditioner.
2. My hair feels amazing! It's soft, silky and it might just be dry before I go to sleep.
3. The words "silky, smooth" and Zohan come to mind. 😜

I look forward to seeing how my hair looks after being slept on. And how it combs out after a night of tossing and turning (the back is usually pretty snarly by the AM).

Here are my before pictures:

Pre-Monat hair clump from 04-27-16 hair washing.

The front of my hair. You can see on the top that it doesn't lay down too well.

Right temple. You can see that I could stand to have a bit more fullness.

Left temple. Same story as the right temple.

And a few after pictures:

After first washing with Monat Renew Shampoo. Impressive!!! Hardly any clumps this time.

Front of my hair looks a tad smoother. And feels great!

Back of my hair looks pretty good. We will see how it looks tomorrow morning.

Stay tuned for more pictures... And have a great day! 🌺

Sara's Monat site is: http://sarajc.mymonat.com

Oh My Goodness - Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding!

Yesterday I decided that I needed to try Chia Seed Pudding. So glad I did - it was delish!

I used Silk Vanilla Coconut Milk and about 10 drops of regular liquid Stevia. It ended up pretty thick, since I left in the fridge for a few hours. The recipe does state that you can add more liquid to it.

---

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

(Recipe from Love Veggies andYoga)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp chia seeds

½ cup unsweetened almond milk (or your favorite alternative)

2 tbsp agave, brown rice syrup, maple syrup or stevia to taste

1 tbsp cocoa powder

½ tsp vanilla

Instructions:

Mix all the ingredients together.  It may take a little time to incorporate the cocoa, but eventually it will.  I used about a tablespoon of brown rice syrup because I like the flavor and then 10-15 drops vanilla stevia to make up the difference, but use whatever you have on hand and like to use.  After everything is mixed, cover and leave on your counter for 20 minutes before enjoying.  Or you can leave it in the fridge overnight and enjoy the next day.  The chia seeds continue to absorb the liquid they are in so you may need to water your pudding down with some more almond milk if you leave it till the next day.  You can top your pudding with fresh fruit or just eat it plain :)

Read more: http://fooddoodles.com/2011/03/15/chocolate-chia-seed-pudding/#ixzz30IVCN549

Original Link: Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Greek Yogurt Biscuits!

Lately I've been on a search for "healthified" items for Andy and I to try. A few weeks ago I found this recipe on Pinterest. So glad I tried it! I've made it twice now using Fage Non-Fat Greek Yogurt (Costco has 48 oz containers for like $5.79... Amazing!)

The second time I added a little bit of sugar and I enjoyed them both warm and cold.

If you try them out, let me know what you think.

---

Greek Yogurt Biscuits

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups self-rising flour (plus more for flouring surface)

1 tsp salt

1 ¼ cups plain Greek yogurt

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 450°F.

2.  Whisk flour and salt together in a large bowl. Make a hollow in the center. Pour yogurt into center, and stir with a fork or spoon pulling flour into yogurt. Mix until dry ingredients are moistened and the dough forms.

3.  Sprinkle a clean surface with flour. Turn dough out, sprinkle with flour and fold in half. Pat dough until 1/2-inch thick. Flour again if necessary and fold dough in half a second time. Pat dough into a 1/2-inch thick round.

4.  Dip a 2-inch biscuit cutter into flour and cut out biscuits without twisting. 5. Place biscuits close together on a baking sheet.  Bake 10 to 14 minutes, until light golden brown.  Serve hot.

Original link: Greek Yogurt Biscuits

Chapter 1: And so it begins...

I'm A Free Woman... from work, that is!

This is my first foray into blogging. I meant to get this started after I left my job a few weeks ago. For 9 years, 10 months and 18 days I was an Office Manager. For a few of the years, I enjoyed it. Then, you know, things happen and things change. Oh... And most importantly, I changed! That's the biggest and most important thing.

While my office felt much like a roller-coaster (a lot of the time), I'm beyond thankful for that small group of people that I was blessed to spend my time with. Without them, I would not have made it out with what sanity I have left. :-)

Anyhoo, I was thinking I'd start blogging so that I could get my many thoughts (and words) out. And who knows, maybe someone will find my musings interesting.

So, if you will stick with me, I'll share what I'm up to as I start my new chapter in life. Whether that be testing out things I find on Pinterest (cooking/baking, crafting and/or learning to live a healthier life). My goal is to learn new things and become a better person.

Last scattered thought... I LOVE PINTEREST!!!

~B