My Project 333

I'm finally partaking in a new endeavor. Project 333 is where you choose only 33 items from your wardrobe and accessories, and wear only those things for 3 months. Sounds fun right? Its a lesson of making beautiful outfits, and being grateful for what you have. I chose my 33 items, and am excited to start in April. Here is what i am including:

2 pairs of jeans, levi's slight curve skinny, and AE jegging jeans.
1 pair of shorts
1 scarf multicolored
2 pj bottoms, pants and shorts
5 cardigans, purple, grey, light blue, dark blue all long sleeve, and a grey short sleeve.
1 blue button down shirt
3 necklaces, amber, silver long, and multicolored
2 bags, small and large
9 tops
2 cami's, brown and pink
1 outdoor sweater
3 shoes, brown boots, brown toms, brown sandals
1 pair of sunglasses

Catching up

Well hello there. I havent been here in a while, pretty busy with life. Ive still been donating stuff every other week or so. Not sure where this stuff comes from, but i love tossing it out! Im going to get back into the swing of things by inventorying my stuff. Here we go! 3 Jeans: AE Denim Jeggings, Levi's curve id slight curve skinny jeans, old flare jeans 2 Chinos {gray and navy} 2 Pajama Pants- Pink and Grey 1 lounge yoga pants 2 house sweaters, brown and mauve 1 sweater {blue peace} 25 tops {7 cardigans, 14 shirts, 4 layering tops} 1 jacket 1 light hooded sweater Seasonal or non-everyday clothing 1 Snowboarding jacket 1 Snowboarding Pants 1 Snowboarding gloves 1 winter coat 1 bathing suit 1 Workout top 1 Workout pants 1 Bathrobe 1 winter hat 1 gloves My Things 1 snowboard 1 snowboarding boots 1 Bicycle 1 Longboard 1 blue flower thing 1 marriage pitcher thing 1 colorful cross 1 bible 1 nook ereader {+ accessories- case, nook light} 1 ipad2 {+ case, charger} 1 canon DSLR camera {+ accessories- camera strap cover, camera bag, zoom lens for surfing pics} 1 jewelry bowl 1 planner 1 gussy clutch 1 madebyhank clutch 1 madebyhank bag 1 O'neill purse {will be donating..} 1 brown purse 1 Large Bin for out of season clothing Beauty and Toiletries Yes To Carrots {Cleanser, PM moisturizer} 1 face scrub {st ives} 1 origins day serum 1 origins eye gin-zing cream Aveeno Nourish + Shine Shampoo and Conditioner 5 nail polishes {plum, pink, silver, coral, mauve} 1 flat iron Make up {eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, blush, concealer, Aveeno Tinted moisturizer, bare minerals foundation-if needed-} 5 body spray/perfumes {love spell, freesia, pink, clean, ralph lauren} 1 Toms deodorant **There is, of course, all of the household items, and the stuff my husband and son own.

Blogging for lazy people 101.

A. Age: 22, wont be 23 till december
B. Bed size: We all sleep in a queen. Me, jay, noah AND the dog. Its all good. Except, i could live without the dog at my feet.
C. Chore that you hate: Dishes. Hate hatehate. I have todothem by hand. Our dishwasher (the only oneive ever had!) crapped out after1 month of using it.
D. Dogs: One big ol dog: Sawyer.
E. Essential start to your day: waking up with noah next to me. So wonderful. Then coffee, immediately.
F. Favourite color: Dark purple, or teal.
G. Gold or Silver: Silver. But, my wedding ring/engagement ring are white gold.
H. Height: 5'6"
I. Instruments you play: used to play guitar and piano, now i dont remember a thing about them.
J. Job title: Mama.
K. Kids: noah! Just turned 2 last week.
L. Live: Long island
M. Mother's name: Lisa
N. Nicknames: Gumbea, babe, mama, moooommmmy, susti, sue.
O. Overnight hospital stays: giving birth to noah
P. Pet peeve: The sound of people crinkling plastic bags. Especially when im trying to sleep.
Q. Quote from a movie: "There is a fine line between coincidence and fate" -the mummy 2.
R. Right or left handed: Lefty!
S. Siblings: lil sister, 2.5 years younger than me.
T. Time you wake up: 7-730am
U. Underwear: thongs during the day, bikini type at night.
V. Vegetable you hate: Red onion 
W. What makes you run late:  my husband. He likes to take his time.
X. X-Rays you've had: None! Besides the regular dentist ones.
Y. Yummy food that you make: Roasted roots, eggplant parmesan. Soo good!
Z. Zoo animal: Elephants, pandas(?), tigers

Living Simply Isn't Simple Sometimes

As you know, I kinda have a knack for donating things. I've donated probably 40% of my family's belongings within the 2 years. All of it being things we never used, given to us, passed down to us, or was just a compulsive purchase that we later regretted.
I've given my son's clothing away. Bags & Bags. To friends and strangers, anyone that needed some. Otherwise they would be just sitting in my attic right now.

Next week Lupus Foundation will be picking up 2 large bags of things. Some of it is mine, some is my sisters.
When they haul it away, my house feels lighter. Its hard to describe. Its a sense of everything having a place, and that place isnt stuffed in the back of a closet.

But, do you want to know something? I'm not sure if I'd call myself a minimalist anymore.

After buying this house, and painting it, and decorating it, I just cant seem to label myself something as extreme as "minimalist".
If you look around my house, you'll see couches, dvds galore, autumn decorations, lots of toys for my son, and more.

I think lately, you could say I'm just frugal, and realistic.

I know I don't need a closet and a dresser full of clothes. And I know I don't need several bath towels, lotions, hand soaps and perfumes.
I know some handmade soap, a good moisturizer, mascara and concealer is what it takes to make me feel pretty. I know a few rags, vinegar and Bon Ami is all I need to keep a clean house.

Maybe that's not what you would call normal, but that's who I am. And I'm still learning just who I am.

My all natural, simple, frugal hair and skin care methods.

If youre like me, you try to eat healthy and organic where it matters.
Meat, dairy, fruit.
But do you think about your beauty and haircare supplies?

A year ago I researched all natural, homemade ingredients that can be used for skin and hair care.
Thats when I found the 'Oil cleansing method' for your face, and the 'no 'poo' method for your hair.
While theres different variations of the two methods, they are both simple and easy to make.
You can find most of the ingredients in your kitchen!

And to be clear, this isnt some 'avocado and lime facemask' or 'mayo and eggwhites hair deep conditioner'.
This stuff actually replaces skin and hair care products, for good.

OCM face cleanser recipe:

First, you start with an empty bottle.
If you have:
Oily skin, fill it 1/4 of the way with extra virgin olive oil.
Normal skin, 1/2 with extra virgin olive oil.
Dry skin, 3/4 with extra virgin olive oil.
Next, fill the rest with castor oil.

You can tweak these amounts according to your skin type, and how it reacts with the mixture.

To 'wash' your face simply pour a quarter size amount into your palm and rub it onto your face using small circles. It may feel weird at first rubbing oil onto your face, but just wait, your skin will be glowing when youre finished.
Next, take a washcloth and wash it under hot water. Not scorching hot, but hot enough.
Wring it out and place it onto your face. This opens your pores and lets the oil do its job.
Wait 20 seconds, then wipe away the oil. You can wash the washcloth again and wipe some more if needed. Your face will look and BE more moisturized and cleansed immediately.

This works as an AMAZING makeup remover, for eyeliner, mascara... anything!

Do you remember in science class we learned like dissolves like?
The oils in the cleanser remove the excess oils on your face (and all dirt and impurities as well) without stripping your skin which most face washes do. Therefore you wont need to use moisturizer either! The olive oil is a natural moisturizer that is amazing for your skin.

Now, onto our next all natural beauty routine:

The 'no poo' method.

Have you heard about the chemicals in our shampoos, called sulfates, also known as SLS? These are known carcinogens, and used in detergents used to wash our clothes and dishes.
Why are we pouring these harmful chemicals onto our scalps?
There is an easy, natural way to avoid these chemicals, without spending big bucks on "organic" hair care products.

First, I'll start with the 'shampoo'.

Baking soda. Also known as Sodium bicarbonate, is an amazing powder with so many uses. In this case, were using it to clean our hair. (use one that is aluminum free!)

Baking soda has a high PH level, which opens the hair shaft to help clean away dirt and excess oils.
It does not strip the hair of its natural and healthy oils, unlike shampoo.
See, shampoo strips your hair of its healthy oils, thus your hair makes even MORE oil to replace what was taken. Conditioner is then used to coat the hair shaft with superficial oils to replace what the shampoo took. This causes hair to be oily, limp and weighed down, needing styling products to keep it looking nice.

With this new method, your hair will have a balance of how much oil to make, therefore making your scalp and locks very happy and beautiful.

I use about a tablespoon worth (i have short chin length hair, so use a bit more if your hair is longer)of baking soda. I make it into a paste in my hand and rub it directly onto my roots, and above my ears, where the sebum (oil) tends to be most. Scrub your scalp for a minute then thoroughly rinse.
You will notice it didnt suds up like shampoo, and thats OKAY. Dont fret, your hair is clean.


Now for the second part, the 'conditioner'.

Theres a few things you can use. I recommend either apple cider vinegar, lemon juice or green tea. These all have low PH levels which close the hair shaft.
Apple cider vinegar smells like, well, vinegar, but once you rinse it out of your hair, it doesnt smell anymore. This is probably the most popular one used.
Lemon juice is recommended mainly for blondes.
And green tea is my new favorite. It is known to help with hair growth, prevent hair loss, and it smells yummy.

The recipes:

Apple cider vinegar and lemon juice: 1 tbsp per 1 cup water.

Green tea: steep 1 tea bag in 2 cups of water. Make sure you let it cool!

You can pre make these solutions and store them in empty shampoo bottles to make things easier.
And you can also tweak these solutions to suit your hair type. Some people use very little ACV/lemon juice/green tea in the water.
It just takes some experimenting, and youll find what works best for your hair.

If you were using harsh shampoos and heavy conditioners previously, your hair make have whats called a 'transition period'. This can last froma few days to a few months. The more 'green' your haircare routine was, the less of a transition it will be for you.

This is a very frugal and natural way to take care of your skin and hair. Have fun!

If you have any questions, or if youre doing one of these methods, please leave a comment. I love feedback!

Preparation for a Hurricane

Hurricane irene is crawling up the coast, claws digging away unmercilessly at homes and lives. Our town called for a mandatory evacuation 8am this morning. I packed diapers, wipes, favorite momentos; just in case our home gets blown to bits. We're bunkered down in Jay's father's basement. Beef jerkey, chips and pretzels in tow. Ive always preferred underground dwelling during big storms. Something about the muffled sounds of wind and rain; being hidden from the chaos happening out in the world. Predictions say this one is going to be a doozy; a first for the northeast. Hopefully our little home can brave the worst irene's got.
But us; weve got eachother, some dry clothes and a safe place to temporarily call home. Which really, are the things that matter most.

Good luck & stay safe.


Jackie

Random Ramblings

My computer was falling apart so we made the big decision {after weeks of contemplation} to get an ipad 2. This thing is awesome. It completely replaces my laptop, and is so gorgeous!
Ive been thinking about what id like to do once my sister moves out of the 3rd bedroom. Were planning on making it an office-type space, where we can go on our laptop/ipad and where jay can play his xbox games. Im planning on just getting a big comfy chair to sit in, drink my tea and read. I was previously thinking about getting or building a little desk, but i figured that wouldnt be very comfortable and a chair would be better.
I also want to make a little fort in noahs room in the corner. I found some cute ideas on pinterest and cant wait to build it.
Im still trying to exercise more and eat better. Coffee is now just an occasional drink i have maybe twice a week, so that will help. Ive started making pancakes in the morming with fruit or yogurt mixed it for noah and i. Keeps me feeling fuller longer.
Noah finally loves the sprinkler. He was afraid of it at first, but now he runs through it and even picks it up and soaks jay and i, haha. His favorite thing is the water. Whether its the pool, a bucket of water, washing his hands or bath time.
Im also still trying to wean him from nursing so much. Ive definitely cut down on the morning sessions, but late afternoon is hard. Thats when im getting worn out and noah is pretty inconsolable if he wants something he cant have.

Well thats it i think. Its almost 11pm and i cant sleep so i figured id just blab on here and update everyone on the random things going on in my life haha. Have a great week!