Update and a frugal hair product recipe

First of all I want to update you on my progress.  I am doing quite well as the medication I am on has finally gotten into my system and I feel really good.  Not over the top, but my normal, happy self.

I have lost weight over the last few months - total of around 19 lbs. and I am working hard on keeping it off. I have energy and I take a lot of walks with our dog and I am hoping to start running this week.  I am working on projects (most of it sewing) and other things around the house.

My husband has taken this week off for vacation so he could put up a cedar privacy fence for our backyard but we are in the midst of a rainy spell here.  It is ridiculous.  If we would have known that putting up a fence was all it would take to make it rain for several days, we would have done it last year when we were in the midst of a drought.

The purchase of the cedar privacy fence along with our son taking summer college courses has put us on a tight budget.  I use a detangler for my hair as it is now several inches below my shoulder.  Yes, I could go and use a coupon and get my usual Pantene Detangler, but even with a coupon it will cost $2.50.  So I did some research and I have made my own.  I put 1 tablespoon of conditioner into the 8.5 oz. bottle the Pantene Detangler came in and I filled it with warm water and shook it up.  I spritzed it on my hair and it worked quite well.  Just shake it up before each use and that is it.  

I completed the beginner's Dog Obedience training with my dog Molly last Tuesday and decided to invest in the Intermediate Dog training class which began the next day.  Classes are not frugal, but a life long well balanced dog is well worth it.  Also, I have discovered that I really enjoy working with her.  I have seen her progress from an anxious, unsure dog to a happy, more balanced dog.  I can walk her and she will sit when I stop and anyone can pet her.  When we walked past a yard where there were two dogs barking at me, she looked at me when I told her to watch me and we kept moving.  Teaching a dog to watch you when they are anxious shows them that you are their leader and they can depend on you.  Also people can come over and she will greet them and then I tell her to down and she stays down until I tell her okay.  

She has changed so much since January and it is due to the training.  Also, I have gained so much confidence and my anxiety has been reduced.  When I walk Molly, I walk with my head high and I create an atmosphere of leadership.  She trusts me because I am her leader.

So, I won't delay posting any longer.  I just didn't want to post a whole lot until I was back to 100%.  Hope everyone is enjoying their Memorial Day weekend.  For us, we may not be able to get the fence up this week, but I am catching up on sewing and my husband is enjoying a much earned break.  If he can't put up the fence, he can always enjoy watching baseball on t.v.  After all - it is his time off, no matter if it is raining and we can't put up the fence or if the weather clears up and we are able to put it up.  One way or the other, the fence will be up sooner or later -  it will happen.

Caring for my Hair and the Cost

Recently a reader of my blog e-mailed me about any frugal ways of caring for my highlighted blonde hair. Haircare, makeup and skincare products can eat up a budget if you aren’t savvy.

Here is what I know about my hair: I am blonde by birth but as I have aged my hair color has obviously gone darker and greyer. If I don’t get it highlighted, my hair will be a dark blonde or dishwater blonde as some people refer to it. My hair is thin but does have a little wave to it when it gets wet. On a humid day my hair will not stay perfectly straight, the wave comes through and as it grows out I have a little bit of curl at the ends.

I have my hair highlighted by my stylist every three months during the warm months and about every four months during the winter months. It turns out beautiful and lightens my hair with what appears to look like natural highlights.

In the winter months I am able to get by with my hair being darker so I go four months between highlighting. The cost for getting foil highlights (in three shades of blonde) is $60. Yep – It is probably the most unfrugal thing I do. Highlights make a big difference in my appearance and I feel it is worth it. However, in saying that, if I could not afford professional highlights I would find a way to get my hair highlighted perhaps by a friend whom I trusted. I am not confident in highlighting my own hair. I have had numerous discussions with my stylist about stories of hair coloring/highlighting gone bad and the cost of fixing those mistakes.  Also when it comes to putting chemicals on my head, I would rather leave it to the experts.

The first year I was home full time, I didn’t get my hair highlighted at all as our budget was beyond tight. I had the choice of grocery money or hair money and frankly, we needed to eat. As we paid off bills I was able to free up some money for getting professional highlights in my hair.

For me to pay someone to do the job right, is worth it, but it is up to me to keep it looking good. How do I do it? I don’t shampoo my hair every day. I shampoo every other day. Think of your highlighted/colored hair like clothing. The more you wash your clothes, the more they fade. The same is true of highlights. I also use Suave Color Protection Shampoo and I only lather once. Yes, I use Suave or Pantene when I can get it on sale such as I did yesterday with a great coupon deal. I don’t buy shampoo at the salon. It is just not worth it. Also, I use conditioner every time I shampoo. While I towel dry my hair I apply a liquid volumizer that I have diluted so that I get the volume but I extend the bottle so it lasts me a year.

I blow dry my hair alternating between the high (hot) and low (cool) settings. In other words when my hair feels warm I switch to cool to cool off the hair strands and I use the cool air to blow the hair around. By alternating from high to low I don’t wreak too much heat damage to my hair.

As my hair has grown, I have found that I don’t need to flat iron it every day. Some days I blow it dry and apply a balm to it to help the small amount of natural curl that I have. I scrunch it and it ends up looking pretty good, especially if I use a little barrette on the side, and I leave it at that. If I am going to be home all day, my hair does not need to be picture perfect. In fact I find that as the day goes on and I get a little a natural oil in it, it tends to look better. The next day I skip the shampoo and I may pull my hair back into a pony tail or I pull it back and leave the sides down. I use a flat iron to straighten the sides and back into a flip. Some days after shampooing and drying I flat iron my hair and let it be straight for the day.

By not using a flat iron every day and by being careful with the heat settings on my hair dryer, my hair does not get the damage that it used to get when I was shampooing, drying and ironing or curling every morning. Therefore because my hair does not get the damage that it used to get, I am able to grow my hair out and not get the ends trimmed as often. I am now at about 7 weeks for a trim when I used to go in every 4 or 5 weeks. 

If you have a shorter hairstyle, it takes frequent trims to keep the appearance looking good. I have found that as I have let my hair grow to shoulder length (and the goal is to get it 2 inches longer than that), I have the option of going longer between trims with my hair still looking great. If my hair starts to bother me and I have another week to go before a trim, I simply pull it back.

To sum up: I never use a curling iron or flat iron two days in a row. I blow dry my hair alternating cool and high to prevent further damage. Because my hair is getting longer, I have options of pulling my hair back with a clip, putting it into a pony tail or using a barrette to pull one side back. I only shampoo every other day and I only lather once and I always use conditioner.

Although I have never tried it, I have read that chamomile tea sprayed on your hair while you are out in the sun will help your natural highlights show up. I have never tried this as when I am outside in the sun I tend to wear sunscreen and a hat. I have read that lemon juice will do the same thing but lemon juice dries out your scalp.  Also, I am not in favor of putting acid on your hair.

Back to the cost of highlighting, at $60 for every 3 to 4 months, I have to save $5 a week to find the money to pay for this. I can afford $5 a week.


Next post:  makeup on a frugal budget.