Flexi Clip Review

I have been very interested in Lilla Rose Flexi Clips ever since I heard of them.

They looked comfortable, easy to use and pretty.
After purchasing and using them they are all of the above.

My first experience was not very good. I looked at all the videos and size information and tried my best to find the size that would work. I got a medium and I was planning mostly to use it to style my hair in a french twist. When it arrived, it did not work. I couldn't do ANY of the styles that they suggested. My hair's fineness and length were just not the correct thickness for the size that I purchased. I suppose it was really my fault that it didn't work. It was just frustrating.

After carefully watching all of the videos and reading the size information once more, I tried purchasing a clip again. I took into account not only the length and thickness of my hair but also what style I wanted to use it for. I love to wear buns. A bun is not one of their listed hairstyles, but I thought it would work. So I pulled my hair into a bun and looked at the videos to see what size I thought would hold that amount of hair. I got an extra large.

The flexi clip came after twenty three days. (I had ordered during a sale and my order had some how gotten lost..)  But though it was a long wait, I tried it on and it worked just how I wanted it to.

The clip works very well in a bun style and it especially works best when my hair is a day to two days old from my last wash. I like this, because my greasy hair can look nice even when I need a shower.

My only complaint is that the clip can only do this one style. I'd have to get a different sized clip for every style that I want to do. That could end up being pricy, but I think this clip will outlast any hair clips out there. (Before I bought this clip, I bought a Walmart claw clip and it cracked in about two and a half weeks!)

So, I am overall very happy with my purchase. The key is getting the right size. Lilla Rose has many different designs to choose from and their products are well made.

The Making of a Health Nut

 It all started with the webinar we watched.(Which I would love to write a review on! If you can, you should definitely order it!) Then it was the nutrition book for school... and it went from there. I've been reading up on all sorts of healthy foods, cosmetics and exercises. I'm only at the beginning of my nuttiness, but I'm pretty much obsessed with health now.

So I've switched soaps, shampoos, exercises and I'm trying my best to eat healthy. After I discovered how many toxins, (I mean many, many toxins) and chemicals are in what we eat, drink and put on our faces and hair I was definitely more willing to try to be more healthy. I have pretty bad acne so I've cut out sugar, been drinking more water in hopes that it will improve. (Next is gluten!) It was hard at first. Trust me! I love sugar. After a while the cravings are not as strong though. There's a book I'd recommend reading called Green Beauty Guide. And this one with natural body care recipes. (Both I found at the library) I do not endorse or agree with everything in these books, but both are good resources.

I switched shampoos and soap. I've only been using baking soda for my shampoo and apple cider vinegar for my conditioner. (You can read about how to use it here..) My hair feels great!

I've been learning more about healthy food choices and how to create delicious meals with them.
Very slowly I am growing my knowledge. It's been a fun adventure and I hope I will continue learning on this brought subject of health. I hope to post more of my experiences, too.

I would encourage you to look into what your putting on and in your body. I thought I was pretty healthy, but there are so many toxins in the food and cosmetics that we use! Just remember although it might be overwhelming at first, start where you are and start small. Maybe just start by cutting out soda or switching soaps or shampoo.

In all that we do we must remember that healthy living should not be an idol. Healthful living should be inspired by the fact that our body's our God's temples and we should be good stewards of them and the resources He blesses us with.

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?  If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. 1 Corinthian 3:16-17

 Do you have any advice or good resources on how to be healthy? I'd love to hear them!

Sand, Sea, and Sky

 The week was one filled with so many jig saw pieces. Our family vacation to the beach lasted a solid week and came to a happy close. The unpacking and dusting off of sand began. The going through journal entries and photos was only at it's start. The countless pieces of evidence that we did go on vacation and that we were back home again. Each bit of our trip is coming together and making me more and more grateful of each large and small blessing.

What a trip! What a fun trip.We went to either the pool or the beach every day but the last. We rode bikes around town and on the beach. We ate junk food and sea food. (Far too much junk food.) I forced every one into a beach family photo session. (Minus being photo bombed by a strange waving man and almost having my camera run over by a beach surveillance car, it went beautifully. Pardon my drama...) We played cards and laughed ourselves silly through fond memories.  We ate our first of Gellato Italian ice cream. We even had time to stop at a farmer's market.

Vacations ensue exhausting car rides, that smell of sour milk, and sea food.
They bring the tastes of yummy food. They carry the aroma of new surroundings: new beds, new schedule, fresh memories. They bring back pictures of sunsets, ocean waves, sugary sand and sea gulls.

I love the home cooked meal my dear mom serves us the first day home. Although she cooks on vacation, the first meal after vacation is a real home cooked meal at our home sweet home.

A chest full of hopes

My sisters and I each got a hope chest for christmas. We were very excited. The dilemma was, they were unfinished unassembled hope chests. So until this summer they've been sitting in there boxes in the yard shed just waiting to be finished. We each got our finishing supplies, (our choice of color) our sand paper, our creativity, and went to work. They are now all sitting in our room just waiting to be filled with hopes. I used a stain called "weathered gray". I was going for a vintage-y look. It was a lot of fun to put together. (I got some first time experience putting a piece of furniture together, too.) I love that it's personalized and I'll be able to use in my own home some day.

Do you have a hope chest?

Journal writing

  I've found journaling to be a very satisfying pastime. I've kept journals for years. Many are filled with daily happenings, thoughts, study notes, a few song lyrics here and there, doodles and most recently added- to do lists.

My sisters and I like to look back on what I've written and giggle at my countless grammatical and spelling errors from years ago. It's so fun to look back and remember daily events and fond memories. I like to write down small blessings that give me joy. A conversation with my little brother, something new that my baby sister has learned to do, a funny event of the day, even what's made me thankful that day. Looking back reminds me of what I've learned and am learning. If God is teaching me something writing it down helps me internalize what He is revealing to me.

The thing I find the hardest is to make it a habit. It's hard to keep up with a journal and finish it. It's hard especially if you don't like to write. It's not my number one priority, but it does keep me organized and productive in my daily plans and my mind's thoughts. 

Do you journal? If so, what do you like to fill yours' with? 

That's what little girls are made of...

Last week we had a baby shower our Aunt Jaime. She is having a little baby girl in a few months. We are very excited! My mommy is a very creative women. My sisters, my mom and I put our heads together and had a lot of fun making the shower as frilly, girly, and creative as possible.
Here are a few photos of the party...

We had a few baby shower games, food, and gift opening.

Theme: Pink and Yellow

The door decoration.

We made at least one hundred pinwheels that we hung and taped all around.

We bought little vases and carnations for party favors. (My mom's idea.)

So...What have you been up to?

Y'all ready for this?

I'd say that I'm a southerner.
I live in the south, always have. But, I don't talk like one. Although "y'all" is a common term for southerners, I don't say it. I can't say it. It always comes out "you all". It just doesn't sound right with my accent. Anyway...
...To cut to the chase, I do love bluegrass. Love it. I hope some day my sisters and I will be able to play bluegrass together. Maybe in the future we'll have a band and tour the country. But for now I listen and dream. (I can dream, can't I?) Here are a few music videos to give you a taste.


The Quebe Sisters


The Peasall Sisters

Silver Lining

"Bang..crash...phooosh...whirl, zooooom...rrrrrr...chug--- screech....." That was my week.
Sometimes life just seems to go non-stop. Crazy-stressful days outnumber the normal days.

 But those busy days and weeks make me thankful for the quiet peaceful order of boring old home days. Wacky days make me relish the simple, ordinary things. Sometimes I get caught up with all the zooming and crammed schedules.

 Those hard days remind me of stormy cloud-filled days. The gloomy clouds. The thunder clouds. But hidden under all the stuffy car rides and stuffy weeks, the sun shines. When ever our schedules lighten up and the rain stops there's the gleaming sun. Always reminding. Never failing to show us there's hope and joy in sight. And when we see that sunshine we can be assured of the important necessities of life. The silver linings of each day and each week. Music lessons, school work, tennis lessons are keeping our schedule busy. But I am still enjoying simple silver linings. Bluegrass, chocolate chip cookies, photography, writing, fellowship with family, friends, neighbors and of course the first day of spring!

Perspective

It was dark outside. My family and I had just finished family worship.
There were deadly tornado reports in many states and tornado warnings near us. We turned on the television and watched the weather radar. The storm was headed our way. The red blobs on the screen were ominously close.

We heard the tornado siren warnings outside.
But it was also very quiet. No thunder, lightning, or wind.
Silence.
I was prepared for the worst. Waiting for all the of that weather to fall down upon us.
I prayed. We waited.
We kept looking out the windows, watching the weather channel,... waiting.

But the storms around us and near us seemed to be missing us. It was peaceful outside. Nothing stirred. Nothing happened. Through the night we had sparse amounts of rain and thunder.
We were safe, protected, and alive. While some of the country around us was hurt, we were safe.

God's grace is always there. His hand is holding us steady. He's stronger than any storm, more powerful than any weather forecast. His mercy is mighty. His love is everlasting. And every day is a blessing. Even if that includes the grumpy, bad days, when milk spills, legos scatter about the floor, toddlers screech, cars break down, library books become over-due, muddy foot prints mark the carpet.
 No matter the panic, the worry, the chaos. No matter the perspective. God's grace can and will be sufficient.

Ode to photo shoots

Don't you just love photo shoots? Have you ever taken photos and they all just turn out exactly how you hoped they would? Yeah. Me neither. All the photo shoots I've tried have turned out to be adventures. Especially if they involve my sisters.

      Here we are. An inviting wood pile. Me, Abby and Maggie. I am wearing the dress I made last year. Abby and Maggie's dresses are very late Christmas gifts from me. They picked out their own fabric. They're more like early Easter dresses.

                   Oops. Well, there's my brother, overalls and all.  Always in action.

        I tried two different photo shoots.We decked out in sweaters and boots the first time.                 My sisters bared the cold for me.

                                     B&W

                                              Trusty camera gear.

                           The second photo shoot was much warmer, although windy.
                         We're holding dandelions if you can't tell.
                         The ants seemed very happy to reside in every dandelion we tried to pick up.

                                                     

                       "Run!"

 Awkward. We're in the middle of scurrying inside before the school bus comes by. We don't care to be seen by the outsiders. Not that we're scared or anything. Not very... ;-)

                                                            An inviting and exciting bench.

                                  We decided to take a little break on our loverly bench.

                                   And here we are with our turtle-y friend.

              

         And... a dog.
 Just how you should end a photo shoot don't you think?
I hope to have more of my sewing projects up soon. But I don't want to bore you, so that's all for now!  
Do you like photo shoots? Or are you the one forced into them?