Wordless Wednesday

I am going to have to send my niece Kendra over to The Yellow Sandbox to get The Ultimate Hairstyle Handbook. It looks like just the ticket for her and her long hair! I love the braids.

Acne Advice

According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), acne is the most common skin disorders in the United States, affecting 40–50 million Americans at one time. Acne (acne vulgaris, common acne) is not just a problem for teenagers; it can affect people from ages 10 through 40. It is not unusual for women, in particular, to develop acne in their mid- to late-20s, even if they have not had breakouts in years (or ever). On the positive side, those few individuals who have acne into their 40s may well grow out of it.

Some common misconceptions:
*Acne can simply be washed away. Over-washing will further irritate the skin.

  *Food: Parents often tell teens to avoid pizza, greasy and fried foods, and junk food. While these foods may not be good for overall health, they don't cause acne or make it worse. Although some recent studies have implicated milk and dairy products in aggravating acne, these findings are far from established.  **see Dr. Mockros’ advice…

*Pimples should be squeezed. Picking and squeezing pustules will only make acne worse because picking can spread acne-causing bacteria and squeezing can result in pushing infected material deeper into the skin.

* Many people have read that Tea Tree is a beneficial essential oil for acne, so they rub it all over the face. This essentially burns the skin. It is okay to dab one drop with a Q-tip right onto a blackhead or a whitehead. Use very sparingly!

Help for acne:

*Washing once or twice a day with a mild cleansing bar or liquid will keep the skin clean and minimize sensitivity and irritation. Gathered From The Garden's Love My Face Wash is an all-natural wash that can be formulated for oily or problem skin. It does not contain sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate.
  * Use a gentle astringent/toner to wipe away oil. Gathered’s Facial Toner is very mild.

*Steaming and "deep-cleaning" pores is useful, both alone and in addition to medical treatment, especially for people with "whiteheads" or "blackheads." Gathered has a wonderful Facial Steam consisting of dried lavender, calendula and chamomile.

* Use warm compresses to help draw out the pustules, as well as to calm down the redness of pimples. When blackheads or whiteheads are picked or squeezed the skin can become red and irritated. To prepare a hot compress, fill the sink or a basin with warm water, then drop in a few drops of lavender essential oil. Swish the oil around in the water, then dip a clean washcloth into the water, and hold it on the face for a few minutes. Repeat several times. This can be done in the evening a few times a week. (using more than 2-3 drops in the water can end up burning the skin so less is better than more)

* Stress can make hormones flare up also. To help combat stress, you can take baths with calming oils added like Lavender. Adding 5-6 drops of an essential oil is enough. Swish it around in your bath water before entering the tub.

*Aromatherapy massage is also a wonderful stress reliever. Many adults have experienced the healing of massage. For teens it can be a very beneficial therapy on a lot of levels too. It helps them identify what a relaxed state actually feels like, so that they can try to recreate that state whenever stress is starting to build up. It increases their body awareness. Yoga is another beneficial therapy to try for combating stress.

* *Here is some good advice from Dr. Lacie Mockros (Minser Chiropractic Clinic): “When treating acne you need to look at two places, the skin itself--keeping the skin free of bacteria, and treating the gut. Most often we talk about diet and cleaning that up. We discuss avoiding certain triggers such as chocolate, refined grains, foods that can cause sensitivities (eggs, soy, peanut, milk and potato). To also work on cleaning up the gut we would recommend the good bacteria (lactobacillus acidophilus). Starting an Omega-3 FA is also very beneficial to help the skin heal and reduce inflammation. It is said in Eastern Medicine that the skin reflects the gut, if your insides are full of junk your skin will be too!” 

Thanks, Dr. Mockros!

Puffy Headband Braid

My niece Kendra has been wearing her hair in some really cute braids that look something like a headband. It looks so cute on her! I was thinking how cute it would look on my granddaughter but didn't have any idea how to make a headband braid. (Do you remember when we thought frenchbraiding was cool?)

So I was delighted to find a website called Girly Do Hairstyles that has adorable"girly" hairstyle pictures and tutorials.I can't wait to see if my granddaughter will let me try these on her hair. Just look at a couple of the cute styles. There is even a post on doll hair restoration.

                                                                                            Isn't she cute?

Good Finds in Colorado

We just got back from a fun trip to Colorado to visit our daughter and son-in-law. We always have the best time with them! They are wonderful hosts and do everything they can to make our stay enjoyable. We can’t wait to visit them again.

While we were in Colorado we drove to the town of Boulder. I love shopping  and dining on Pearl Street. One of our good finds was the store Patagonia that carries the GoLite brand. Jerry found two UV protection long sleeve shirts that are going to be perfect for his motorcycle trip to Sturgis. I found some running shorts, a great hat for running and what I am most excited about…a bag I can use for my camera and lenses.                                                             

I have been looking for something to carry my camera and lenses in. I have the big bulky black bag that came with my camera. I have never used it. I tried using a big old purse that I had but because of the weight the straps eventually broke. The GoLite bag that I found has great zipper pockets and pouches that work for my lenses. The straps are wide so they are comfortable on my shoulders. The really great news…all of this stuff was 50% off! (You can also get this deal if you go to their website)                                                                                                       Mine is blue.

We also visited the wine-tasting room for Bookcliffe Winery.  For a reasonable price we got to taste 5 wines. My favorite is their Ensemble which is a blend of red wines. My son-in-law liked their Lucky Twenty which is a blend of white wines. Very refreshing on a summer evening!  We also took a little tour of their back room and got a quick lesson on their wine production operation.

Another day took us to the town of Longmont. We stopped at the Farmers’ Market and got some wonderful bread, cheese, granola, cherries and a sundried tomato spread. (We had a delicious supper that night!) It was pretty hot so we stopped at a fun Brewhouse to sample some beer and quench our thirst. Stopping at the Lefthand Brewing Company for a mere $4.00 we got to sample four beers. (Does this sound like we just drank on our vaca?  We didn’t!) My favorite was their Black Jack. It’s a dark, dark beer. Now I’m not usually a beer drinker and never liked dark beer but this was good!! I think it’s the addition of dark chocolate that does it!

After all this beer we decided we needed to get some food. My son-in-law suggested we try the Pump House. It's an old firestation that has been converted into a restaurant and brewery. We found a table on the patio (complete with misters which felt oh, so good!) that faced the street. We had fun people-watching as we ate. The food was delicious! I can’t wait to go back there and try a different menu item.                    

                                                           

The last good find I’m going to tell you about is in Fort Collins. The city has a fun garden kind of hidden off the beaten path. The Gardens on Spring Creek is the community’s botanic garden. My daughter and I found it and had fun walking around even though it was VERY hot! We saw some artists leaving with their canvases and paints. (I’m sure it is a great place to paint when it isn’t so hot.) My favorite part of the garden was the children’s garden. They had the biggest sunflower flowers I have ever seen. There was a huge metal watering can and lots of pint-sized watering cans for the kids to use. Lots of themed gardens for the little ones to explore.

We had so much fun! Colorado is a beautiful state with lots to explore. I am thinking I'll have
 to write another post on the nature side. Have you ever been to Colorado? Do you have any good finds to share?




(All of the opinions shared above are my own. I was not compensated for anything I wrote.)

Wordless Wednesday (on Friday?)

I used to refer to my feet as "old lady feet" because my arches are flat and most of the time I am wearing sensible shoes with orthodics. However, this summer I decided I wanted a more "youthful" look so I started wearing flip flops. (As I look around it seems like almost everyone is wearing some sort of flip flop.)

I bought a few pairs. Two of them have rubber soles that are a little thicker than the cheaper flip flops. One pair is a Doctor Sholes and one pair is . It doesn't seem to matter which pair I wear but if I wear them too long it causes my knee to hurt. Needless to say I've been rethinking my need to have youthful looking feet.

Although our feet were designed to walk barefoot on natural surfaces (grass, sand or gravel), they are not meant to endure concrete, asphalt or hard surfaces that many of us walk on today. These surfaces are hard on our feet. Flip Flops are not designed (because of their thin sole) to absorb the shock of walking on these hard surfaces.

Flip Flop's lack of arch support can cause another common foot injury: plantar fasciitis. This occurs when the thick band of tissue on the bottom of the foot is overstretched. People with flatter arches are more prone to such overuse injuries because they need more support for their muscles and ligaments. (this is me!)

Other injuries can result from flip flop's lack of protection. This means toes can be badly injured if someone steps on them, or drops something on your foot. Blisters can occur between your toes where you grip the flip flop strap. And now, some doctors are warning of a new danger - skin cancer, as the sun suddenly hits an area that's usually well-covered. People often forget to put sunscreen on their feet. Skin cancer on the feet can be really dangerous because the spots are easier to miss, especially if they're between the toes.

Diabetics, who often have poor circulation and feeling in their feet, should be especially careful if they are wearing flip flops. If they get blisters they are more prone to infections and non-healing sores. Those with balance issues may find it hard to feel secure when wearing rubbery flip-flops. For those people that are heavy or obese, wearing those flip flops can add strain to feet that are already stressed with carrying extra weight.

Now there is a little upside to wearing flip flops I think. Don't they just make you feel good and put you in a good mood? They remind us of happy summer days and being carefree. It's hard to be in a bad mood when you're wearing flip-flops.

So I say listen to your feet! If they hurt, or if your knees or hips hurt, pay attention. Buy a high quality pair and keep them for days on the beach or wearing for short periods of time. They're not for every day wear if you value the health of your feet.  

(How long do you wear your flip flops? Could you ever give them up?)