Halloween Storytime: Ghost Caught on Camera?

This will be my first blog that will be accompanied with a video.  I'm pretty shy so putting myself out there was not easy, but here it is.

I may have caught a ghost on camera.  Many of you will think there is a logical explanation, and of course that's a possibility.  However, I have a very sharp memory so it's strange I don't remember this little girl being there.  Let me start from the beginning.

When I was about 14 my sister and I made a video with two of our neighbor friends who were moving.  Their house was empty so we thought it would be a cool setting.  The premise of this "movie" was that my sister and the friend who was around my age were FBI agents.  The villain was my friend's little sister.  I was filming a scene where the FBI agents are arresting the villain and right before I cut, in the bottom left hand corner, you can see a little girl looking creepily at the camera.  She really does look like a ghost.

I admit she could have really been there and I don't remember her.  I showed this to my sister and she doesn't remember the girl being there either.  But I'm going to contact our other friends and ask them if they know who this girl is and I will be honest and make an update.  Either way, the footage is very creepy.  I showed it to my family and they agree it looks strange. 

But go ahead and watch the clip below.  If you want to skip my explanation and watch the actual ghost part, it's at about 2:09.  Let me know what you think and Happy Halloween!

Could Hair Products be Causing your Breakouts?

Today I'd like to discuss the correlation between hair products and breakouts.  Before I get into my experience, I just want to say I understand not everyone will experience the same symptoms I did.  Everyone's body is different, but I want to get this out there because if you are having similar issues, this might help.

I have tried everything I can to maintain a clear complexion.  I changed my diet, skin care routine, and started taking supplements to help with the acne I'd been battling since I was 13.  One of the most recent changes I made was to give up hair products.  It was a hard decision because I did like the results, but it has significantly helped improve my skin.

My previous routine was to wash my hair twice a week and when I straightened it, I would put a heat protectant throughout the length of my hair.  I would sleep with the product in my hair for several nights and noticed I was breaking out on my cheeks.  I finally made the connection when the rest of my skin cleared up.  I believe the products I was applying to my hair were transferring to my pillow, making nights a breeding ground for acne.

I ditched the hair products and noticed a huge improvement in the skin on my cheeks.  Now, I soak my hair in coconut oil once a week to keep it soft and healthy.  If you've noticed this area breaking out, you might look to the products you're applying to your hair.  Even if you wash your hair every day, the products could transfer to your face from your hair brushing up against your cheeks.

Many hair products on the market are full of chemicals you really don't want on your body anyway, which is another reason to give them up.  We want to do everything we can to lighten the toxic burden on our bodies so they can be more efficient at creating vibrant beauty.  A little research on the ingredients in your hair products wouldn't hurt.  I hope this helps you on your journey to clear skin!

How to Save and Organize Pictures and Videos from Your Phone

We are now in a time when people use the camera on their phones and save pictures and videos on their computers.  Getting pictures printed is much more rare so most of your storage might be taken up by your photos.  But what happens if your phone is lost or stolen?  All those memories are gone.  Today I want to share with you an easy way to save and organize your pictures and videos.

Step 1: Download pictures and videos from your phone to your computer by plugging it in and selecting the items you want.  

Step 2:  Save them to a picture folder.  I've found the easiest way to organize things is by date.  Make a folder for the year.  Within that folder, make more for each month.  I name mine like this : 01 January 2016, 02 February 2016...  That way, they will all be in the correct order.  I also make a separate folder with years and dates for videos so they are in their own folder.

Year Folders.

Step 3: Once you've created all your folders, place the pictures into the month where they belong.  This can be tricky if you're organizing pictures from a while ago and can't remember the dates.  Sometimes if you hover over the picture, "date taken" will pop up.  You can also right click the picture and select "Properties" and the date might be displayed there, but sometimes, this isn't reliable.  You might have to guess on certain images.

Month Folders.

Step 4: If you want to get even more organized, you can make event folders within the month folders.  For example, if you attended a wedding in October, you would make a folder that says "Wedding" inside the October folder.

On the top left you can see a wedding event folder.

Step 5: Once you have all your pictures organized the way you like, you'll need to save them to an external hard drive.  You can price them here on Amazon, or visit Best Buy or other electronics stores.  This is definitely worth the investment because you'll be saving all your memories.  That way, if something happens to your computer, you have a back up.  I usually delete the previous year folders and only keep the current year on my computer to save space.  Then, when I want to look back on past years, I just plug in my external hard drive and can easily go to whatever time I want to see.  I have a Seagate Backup Plus Portable Drive for about $80.  It can store 1TB of information, which is a lot!

Step 6: Now that you've saved everything, it's time to delete the things you don't need off your phone.  You'll be making room for future pictures, videos, music, and apps.

This is a great way to ensure your precious memories are safe, make them convenient to access, and free up storage on your phone.  Once you get a system going, you can do this every few weeks and it won't take long at all.  Don't hesitate because you never know when something might happen to your devices!

Why You Should Start Doing Coconut Oil Hair Masks

I have been on a quest over the last few years to find healthy alternatives to commercial products.  The more I research health and beauty, the more shocked I am that there are so many items we use that are filled with chemicals.  I used to love going to the store and finding a new beauty product to try, only to be disappointed when I'd wasted my money on something that yielded just an okay result.

Thankfully, there are many products you can replace with inexpensive, chemical-free alternatives.  That's where coconut oil comes in.  Years ago I would use popular brands of deep hair conditioners that didn't have ideal ingredients and were not very effective.  I looked for a better option and found it in soaking my hair in coconut oil once a week.  It's easy, smells amazing, and best of all, it's healthy.  My hair is always super silky and soft after this routine and I'll never go back.

Here are the simple steps for your weekly coconut oil hair mask:

1. Brush your hair out.

2. Place coconut oil in a small dish.  You'll have to play with the amount depending on how much hair you have.

3. Over the sink, scoop out the coconut oil with your hand and run it all through your hair.  You want to get it completely saturated, but not too much because it will drip.  I start at the roots and make my way down the length of my hair.  Then I dip the ends in the oil to make sure they really get covered.

4. Twist and wrap your hair into a large hair clip.  You can also cover it with a shower cap if you want.

5. Leave on as long as you can.  I would do a minimum of an hour, but the longer the better.  It would be ideal if you could do this on a day you're not going anywhere.  I let mine soak all day while I do my house work.

6. Wash your hair twice with shampoo and then use conditioner.  You want to make sure you get all the oil out or it will be greasy when it dries.
 
Please try this out and let me know how you like it.  Hopefully, you can make this part of a healthy hair care routine!

What You Need to Know About Apple Cider Vinegar Toner

I first heard about using Apple Cider Vinegar on your face from a friend when I asked her why she had some in her bathroom.  She said she used it as a toner and loved it.  Since I'm always looking for healthy alternatives to traditional products, this idea intrigued me.
  
I did a little research and decided to try ACV, first as a face mask.  I dipped a cotton pad into some ACV, but I didn't dilute it much because I figured I needed it to be strong.  Big mistake!  I left it on for about ten minutes, then rinsed it off during a hot shower.  When I got out, my face felt like it was on fire and I looked like I had a severe sun burn where I had applied the ACV!

Thankfully, the burn didn't last more than an hour, but it freaked me out enough that I decided this beauty secret wasn't for me.  That was about a year ago.

About a month ago, I gave ACV another try since I ran out of the toner I had previously been using.  This time, I was careful with the proportions of ACV and water.  I mixed 3/4 cup of filtered water with 1/4 cup of ACV and placed it into a clean mason jar, making a toner.  I tested it on a small part of my face before using it all over and had no negative reaction.  For about a week, I used the toner twice a day.  I monitored the condition of my skin and began to realize it was becoming more dry than usual.  I did more research and discovered many people only use the toner a few times a week to prevent drying out the skin.

This made sense to me, so now, I only use it in the morning 3-4 days a week.  The vinegar smell is noticeable for a few seconds after application, but once it's dry the smell fades.  My new routine is to wash my face with Sally B's Skin Yummies Tamanu Luxury Facial Cleanser and then apply the ACV toner when needed.  I've only been doing this for about a month, but I'm really enjoying the results of smoother, clearer skin.

You can easily incorporate this practice into your weekly routine.  After washing your face, gently shake the toner so it mixes together.  Dip a cotton pad into the toner.  A little goes a long way.  Apply the toner all over your face a let it dry before you apply moisturizer and makeup.  That's it!

If you've been considering giving ACV a try, just remember to always dilute it!  Test a small amount on your skin to see how it reacts and you can also play around with the ratio of ACV to water to find the right amount for you.

Sometimes it's scary to try something new because you're afraid of how your body will react and you're familiar and comfortable with the products you're used to.  That's why it took me so long to change my routine, but I'm so glad I did.  Experimenting with new things is exciting, fun, and often beneficial.  I'd encourage you to give ACV toner a try.  You'll be balancing the pH of your skin, preventing breakouts, and reducing redness!

Amazing Physical Results of the Beauty Detox Lifestyle

If you follow this blog, you know I'm a huge promoter of the Beauty Detox Lifestyle.  I've been following Kimberly Snyder, C.N. since 2014 when I discovered her books.  I share this information as much as I can because it has had such profound and dramatic results in my body.  Today I'd like to share with you the specific benefits and results I've experienced from living this way.

No More Chicken Skin

I got married in 2012 and I remember seeing an ad in a bridal magazine about a cream you could apply if you had red bumps on your arms.  I considered looking into this product because I'd had these annoying tiny bumps on the back of my arms for as long as I could remember.  But things got crazy and I soon forgot about it.  In 2015, I gradually gave up dairy, and guess what happened?  Those red bumps disappeared!  I truly believe they were being caused from my poor diet, so when I cleaned it up, the bumps went away.

Less Body Odor

In another blog post, The Best Chemical Free Deodorant that Actually Works, I talked about when I was 8 years old and my mother asked the doctor why I had such a strong body odor.  He said it was simply a sign of puberty and I just had to live with it.  I didn't grow out of it and continued to smell, even when I used deodorant and antiperspirant (Which you should never use!  See that blog post for a healthy alternative!).  Since cutting out dairy and animal protein I have noticed the smell is no where near as bad as it used to be.

Reduced Oil on My Scalp and Face

From the time I was 13 and on, I would always wake up with an extremely oily face.  My scalp would also build up grease quite fast when I was washing it daily.  Now, I only wash it twice a week, so the oils have balanced out.  I also believe the Beauty Detox diet has decreased the amount of oil my body feels the need to produce.

Improved Complexion

This is the main reason I started Beauty Detox in the first place.  I was looking for a solution to my long time battle with acne.  My skin has drastically improved since I started this journey in January of 2015.  It is less ruddy, much smoother, and clearer.  A friend who I hadn't seen in a while even noticed my face looked brighter.  They said I used to have a gray undertone, but now my skin is glowing.  I would have never thought that was possible before.

Faster Healing

Something discussed in Kimberly's second book, The Beauty Detox Foods, is how our bodies will be able to heal faster if we're eating a clean and balanced diet.  I've noticed when I do get a blemish from stress, they heal practically overnight.  It used to take days for healing to occur, so I truly see this as a physical benefit.

Increased Energy

One of the main focuses of this lifestyle is eating foods in the right combinations for optimal digestion.  When you eat heavy foods like dairy and animal protein, and especially when you combine them with starch, your body has to put all it's energy into your gut in order to digest it.  That's why you often feel tired after eating.  But I feel good and energized after eating a properly combined Beauty Detox meal.  Yoga is promoted in this lifestyle as well and I've noticed I feel so much more energized when I'm practicing regularly.

Improved Digestion & Cleansing

This lifestyle promotes whole foods that continually clean out your system so you are always detoxing.  This leads to regular bowl movements and therefore all the other benefits I've listed.  After all, the gut is referred to as the second brain because it affects all other aspects of the body.  If your digestive system is clean, it can function at it's peak and promote your overall health and beauty!

These are the real results I've felt in my own body since switching my diet.  There are many other people with different issues that have been solved as well.  I personally do not struggle with weight, but so many of the people who follow this lifestyle have lost weight and kept it off.  You can check out testimonials on Kimberly's website for more examples this.  Give it a try and see how good you can feel!

Lights' Little Machines Album Review

Lights is one of those artists who has had a steady rise to fame and I admire her for always staying genuine and never selling out.  She's got to be my favorite female musician.  I believe she should be a role model to all girls, rather than the typical pop stars of Hollywood.

I've been a fan of hers since 2009, but I really fell in love with her 2014 release, Little Machines.  I remember when I got the album in the fall of that year, I instantly connected with it.  It has a certain depth I hadn't heard in her music before.

No matter what time of the year it is, when I listen to this record I always feel that magical hint of autumn.  Lights has a unique singing voice that is hauntingly beautiful.

My absolute favorite song from this album is "Muscle Memory".  I remember when I first heard the lyrics I instantly related to them because she's talking about being home alone and imagining seeing her husband who is away on tour.  The song unfolds like a movie and I can picture what her surroundings are as she's seeing an apparition-like version of her husband and feeling like she's not alone.  I would listen to it when I was home alone because my husband goes on hunting trips and it was a story I put myself into.  That kind of story telling takes real talent and it's so refreshing in this age of generic pop.

"Speeding" is another song I never get tired of.  I get such a feeling of empowerment and freedom when I listen to it.  Lights has said she wrote the song "Running with the Boys" about being young and feeling nostalgic and I feel like that's the whole vibe of this album.  Every song is a high quality creation, and some of my other favorites include, "Same Sea", "Oil and Water", "Don't Go Home Without Me", "Child (Bonus Track)", "Lucky Ones (Bonus Track)", and "From All Sides (Bonus Track).

I bought the album on iTunes and those three bonus tracks came with it.  I'm thankful I was able to get them because they're an awesome addition to the album.  I also got the vinyl and unfortunately, those tracks are not included.

Vinyl insert page.

Little Machines may be in the "pop" category, but it's nothing like what they're playing on the radio.  The lyrics have real meaning and you can tell they come from Lights' heart.  The songs do have an electronic sound, but they're quite different than any electropop I've ever heard.  I absolutely love this album and even though it's been out for a couple years, I still listen to it on a regular basis.  It's fall right now so it's the perfect time to discover it if you've not yet experienced the gorgeous complexity that unfolds in the many layers and depths of this masterpiece.