7 Quick Takes Friday Vol 23

Welcome to 7 Quick Takes Friday hosted by Conversion Diary.

1.

Emily update: She's had a rough week this week so please keep the prayers coming. She is losing her voice and her hair now. Hopefully both will come back after the radiation/chemo is done. The good news is that most of the Doctor's patients are on feeding tubes by the time they get to this point. So far Emily has been able to eat enough so that she doesn't need the feeding tube! Always look for the positive, right?

2.

If there are any women who would like to have their husbands or other men in their life attend the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, there is an upcoming Men's retreat being hosted by the Miles Christi priests in Libertyville, IL May 29-31. I know they have room for more men, so if you are interested contact them ASAP. You certainly won't regret it!

3.

In my quest for ways to live simpler and treat my body better, I have found some really interesting stuff. Since this is quick takes, I thought I'd share a few of the things with you. I happened upon a blog post (I'm so sorry that I can't remember which one, so I will not be able to give credit where credit is due!) and found this great recipe for homemade, all-natural deodorant that actually works!!! I've tried it out and it is easy to make, easy to use and it is just as effective as the chemical laden stuff I was using. Here is the recipe:

1/4 cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1/4 baking soda

Mix those together. Then add about 5 or 6 tbls of coconut oil so that it becomes pasty. Put it in a covered container and spread it under your arms as needed. So far I'm really impressed. Oh, and it has such a nice tropical smell that it reminds me of that suntan lotion - and sitting on a beach in the Bahamas or something like that!

4.

I know that sometimes it takes me awhile to catch on to things, but why hasn't been anyone beating me over the head about how easy and nice it is to clean with baking soda and vinegar???? We tried it in the bathrooms and kitchen last weekend and I love it. No more strong chemical smells! We even used the lemon in the bathroom like I saw here and it adds a nice scent to the room. I've even noticed that the outside of the toilet still looks shiny and dust does not seem to be accumulating like it usually does. Oh well, I'm hooked now!!

5.

The one thing that I have been having a hard time finding a good substitute for is shampoo. I've read all kinds of recipes and ideas and thoughts on this subject and I can't seem to come to a consensus. It seems that just when I find something I think I might like, I read 10 more posts about why it didn't work. I have been hesitant to just jump in and try something so far, so if anyone has any suggestions, I would love to read them!

6.

The one thing we did try was using apple cider vinegar in some water as a "conditioner/rinse" after my daughter shampoos her hair. She has long blond hair that gets very tangly and so far she thinks it works better than the conditioner in keeping the tangles out of her wet hair. Just put 2 tbls of ACV in 2 cups of water and work it into your hair.

7.

In case you're wondering what got me started on all of this searching, it was this book. It is a great book - easy to read and it makes a lot of sense. I started reading it because I don't want to end up 10 years down the road either bleeding to death or facing a hysterectomy. Hopefully by changing things now, I won't have to worry about either.