No Poo - One of my Experiments

So I was exploring pinterest because I was bored. I saw a recipe for no poo here and I decided to give it a try it. Basically what "No poo" is, is washing your hair without shampoo. She talks about how shampoo is too strong and it forces your hair to overcompensate by producing too many natural oils (the one it was missing) after you wash it. So what I've started doing (as recommended) is mixing 1 TB baking soda with 1 C water and massaging it into my head, then following it up with 1 TB apple cider vinegar and 1 C water, leaving them both in for one minute afterward. I mixed them both over the same bowl, and when I saw the reaction between the baking soda and vinegar in the bowl when I started measuring the vinegar, I thought - WOW! What am I doing?!? (OK I also thought that when I read the word vinegar, smell much?)

So on Sunday I finally did it. You only need to do that once a week, so I'm saving like a billion dollars on shampoo and conditioner, and even on baking soda and vinegar (I bought the big containers and now I'm kind of rethinking that). It's Wednesday, three days after my first no poo and my hair doesn't seem greasy, so I'm pretty content. I have also begun doing the Insanity workout (oh my goodness it's crazy!), so I took a shower on Monday and got my hair wet. When I did that I smelled the vinegar, but the smell went away when my hair dried. I don't know if that means anything. I sit there and sniff my hair practically all day, but I really honestly don't smell the vinegar. The blog I read says something about vinegar only being active when wet so I'm not too worried. I'm just wondering that if I get a good workout and my head gets sweaty, will I smell like vinegar then? I'll probably have to no poo after that, because that's gross to not wash, but yeah, just wondering. All in all, only three days in, I'm happy with no poo and  I'm glad I found it right as I ran out of shampoo.

Ramblings of Life

It's been a pretty long and fairly frustrating week. So I had some, but not as much as I'd like, time to look for a new job in California. The people I've called back on (multiple times) have not called me back. I haven't even gotten so far as to talk on the phone about potentially having an interview. That market is brutal!

So I got about 17 referrals from our interns of people to call. So my schedule has exploded with things to do. And one of my boss's new years resolutions was to delve deeper into the investment side of his business, which makes my life consist of form after form after form. So between calling and schedule interviews, conducting them, and doing assistant work for my boss my work life has gotten extremely busy. I like it better than I liked before, but I also miss the days when I could go online and look for a way into something I'll actually love.

So I went to the mall yesterday, looking for something for work, but I also ended up browsing a bit. I'm so glad I didn't go in the middle of Victoria's Secret's semi-annual sale: the secret to saving money is to go at the very end. That's when they mark things down like crazy. I got a $70 item for about $17 (STEAL!) and a $100 item for about $20 (rockin it!). I love love love their semi-annual sale! I don't know how they make any money other times of the year (ok I do, they have really high quality stuff that is just worth buying, and all bridal showers and bachelorette parties probably aren't in July or January). I went home and collapsed, made a quesadilla and talked to Joey on the telephone. It was nice and he made the day a lot better. I fell asleep almost instantly at I'm not sure what time, it was either nine or ten. I really needed it and I felt pretty good when I woke up this morning.

I've learned to tune out the TV at work. I don'nt have to hear Hillary Clinton's obnoxious voice all day, even though it's always playing. I also could care less about the football star who got duped by an online faker. So now, I shall return home and make another quesadilla (or eat leftovers).

Reporting In

Life has been really crazy this past week. I miss Joey like crazy, of course. I spent the past week chasing down the Home Depot because I thought they'd hire me for a job in CA at a decent wage...it was truly an adventure. I spent hours on the phone with them and their stupid automated sysem simply trying to get my application to show up in the stores I wanted to apply to. Then they finally did, and it turns out it simply isn't enough hours or money for me to consider, anyway. So I'm still a secretary at Northwestern Mutua, making only semi-decent pay and dreaming of the moment when I can stop working outside my home forever...alas, that day is not today.
It's also been absolutely frigid here in Idaho. I mean sickeningly cold, I mean like every morning -15 let's hope my car starts! On Sunday it kept beeping at me and freaked the heck out of me. It ended up being okay, though, I think.I hate it, I want to go to California so so badly. I want to be with my sweetheart, I want to be in the warm weather, and I just want out.
So on the bright side, I got a raise for my awesome articles on the wedding blog I write for. That's been really fun, even though I feel like a hypocrite for writing cocktail recipes, especially for countries that really don't drink cocktails. It's great experience, and I love doing the research, though.

Forward Motion

OK So I love reading other people's blogs, I really do. I look on everyone's facebook profiles to see if they have a blog I can read, nerdy, yes? It's because I like to know what's going on in people's lives, and I love hearing it through reading. I'm a visual person and when I read what you have to say I can see it in my head. I enjoy hearing about your kids, your little adventures, and those things that make life great. The blogs I read are always so positive and they make me feel so positive and excited for life. So I figured I'd start writing in my blog, not just the professional blog, but about my life. I've attempted this several times, but honestly, I find myself boring so I haven't kept it up. And I'm a freaking awesome person, so you will find my blog interesting. OK maybe just me, but I want to be a professional writer, and what better way to experiment with writing than in your own blog?
So here's what's up with Rachel:
1. I love Joey! I AM that girl who is obsessed with her boyfriend and I have no apologies for it. If you knew Joey you'd love him just as much, too, but back off, he's mine!
2. I'm trying to start my freelance writing career. This is probably one of the absolute most difficult things I've ever tried to do.
3. I work at Northwestern Mutual and I'm a secretary. It's a great job don't get me wrong, but I find it incredibly boring. I don't like to be doing the same thing every day, I like variety and spice in life. You can't find that in filing, organizing, or even recruiting (which I do get to do, that part's really fun).
4. I'm getting ready to move to California. I'm way way way excited to do it. I'm going to go crazy and make the move whether I find a job there before I move or not. I'm going to live close to my sweetheart and end the winter off in the sunshine. Plus, this is where I'm getting married, I'll get to plan it there (hooray for wedding prep blog entries!).
5. I'm dirt poor and in being so I have learned some really creative (and fun!) ways to make money. It's becoming an obsessive hobby that I love.
6. I'm addicted to the TV show "Once Upon a Time," I fell in love the first season. It was the villain, I just love a villain I can hate! I was so mad this season when the writer made her more relateable, but then they brought in a more viscious, hateable villain so I am again satisfied.
7. I majored in history at BYU-Idaho and I LOVED it! Don't ask me if I'm going to teach, though, I tire of the judging eyes when I say instead of teaching I'm going to be a poor, starving freelance writer.
8. I'm passionate about traveling the world, and get more passionate with every passing day. By the end of this year I will leave this continent for the first time!
So now that you're up to date I'll try to write weekly and update you on my move to California and my passionate love affair (Mormon style :P) with the most wonderful man in the world (that's right world, he's mine!).