How To Wash Your Hair Once A Week

I washed my hair every single day for a very long time. That was the normal thing to do and I never thought twice about it. In college a friend of mine went to hair design school and told me about this stuff called dry shampoo. Um, what? Why would I spray powder in my hair? Weird. She explained that washing your hair every day actually isn't the best way to keep it healthy. I wasn't convinced. And honestly this was way back during a time when I frequented smoky bars and occasionally ended up with beer in my hair. Yup, former party girl right here. I'm not sure dry shampoo would have been my best option. 

Fast forward a few years. I got an office job, found a guy who didn't care if I wore heels or slippers and traded in nights out for take out on the couch. And really started to invest in self care. I washed my hair every other night for a while before lessening to 2-3 times a week by the time I had Fallon. I quickly found myself only washing my hair once a week and have never looked back. So if that sounds like your kind of thing, here are my best tips for rocking dirty hair without looking homeless (mostly).

Start Slow 

If you wash your hair religiously every single day, do what I did and slowly lessen washes to weekly. You could do this over a few weeks. 

Use Dry Shampoo

I've tried several over the past few years and for the price, you can't beat this one. It works for all hair types/colors and doesn't leave a powdery residue. Bonus points for adding volume. Brush your hair first! Lift 1-2 inch sections of hair and spray it onto roots. Gently massage into your scalp and let it absorb while you do your makeup, wash your face, catch up on Hawaii Five 0, ect. If your hair seems greasy as washing day nears go ahead and sleep with the dry shampoo in. Repeat in the morning. Or just be lazy like me and wear a hat.

Stop Touching Your Hair. 

Oils and dirt from your fingers transfer to your hair causing it to become greasy so much faster than if you just leave it alone. I find this easiest to do if I've fixed my hair. But I'm a busy mama so I do not have the time to do it daily, sometimes only once a week. I make it a point to have time on the day I wash my hair to blow dry and fix it. A great thing about "dirty" hair is that it tends to hold a style better than squeaky clean hair so your do should start to last longer. If I am able I'll recurl later in the week but I'm a big fan of just throwing on a hat or twisting up a messy topknot.

That's it! Only having to worry about washing my hair once a week is so freeing. I'm about to have even less time on my hands for luxuries like long showers and getting myself ready so you can bet I may even try to sneak in another day of dirty hair without anyone noticing. Wink wink. I've linked my fave hair products below!

Jogger Round Up

I've reached the point in this pregnancy where I just want to be as comfortable as possible. And luckily my job allows for that. If I'm not in actual pajamas I'm in clothes that are basically pajamas acceptable for wearing in public. The whole loungewear/athleisure trend is really freaking awesome. Stylish + comfy pjs for the win! When I get dressed I alternate between leggings or joggers. And I forsee this pattern continuing for the next several months. I love that they can be paired with anything from sweatshirts to long sleeved tees with vests/cardis to t-shirts and henleys or nursing tanks postpartum. So I thought I'd link up all my current favorite joggers and few things I love to wear with them. 

10 Things I Hate About Being Pregnant

I was totally excited to find out I was pregnant with Fallon, but I really thought I'd be the person that just loathed the experience. I'm not exactly sure why, but that was my expectation. Turned out, I mostly loved it. The very end, not so much, but overall it was a pretty enjoyable time. I am not singing the same tune on round 2. While I'm never ungrateful for the priviledge of carrying my child, I am honestly so over being pregnant and I have been for awhile now. Here's why:

1. The Exhaustion - Holy crap I've never been this kind of tired in my whole life. It comes nowhere close to the way I felt with Fallon. This is a brand new level of tired that makes toddler tantrums even harder to handle. And I hate it.

2. The Bathroom Trips - I drink a lot of water, always have. I'm used to averaging more potty breaks than most of the crowd. But sweet baby Jesus this is out of control. I'm getting sick to death of looking at the walls of my own bathroom. And I hate it.

3. The Shortness of Breath - Okay so there's a bowling ball strapped around my waist, squishing my internal organs. Makes sense that taking the stairs with a laundry basket or a toddler on my hip has me a little winded. But struggling to carry on a conversation without sounding like I'm running a marathon even though I'm just sitting on the couch....just absurd. And I hate it.

4. The Food Aversions - I try, and typically succeed, to eat a mostly healthy diet. I do believe in moderation aka giving into cravings with zero nutritional value here and there. But why the hell must so many healthful foods makes my stomach churn? I'm having to shove them down instead of going for what I constantly want....all the sweets with empty calories. And I hate it.

5. The Rib Pain - This is just flat out ridiculous. If a woman's body is supposedly made to grow life, that life shouldn't have to separate her own body parts internally. And cause searing, unrelenting pain. And I hate it.

6. The Waddling - As if walking around with a giant mass in the center of my body wasn't odd enough, let's add a waddle. And to add insult, make certain it's nowhere near as cute as those black and white birds everyone coos over. And I hate it.

7. The Heartburn - I guess this one may actually be the most fitting of the bunch. Half the time I morph into a kind of mythical dragon my husband couldn't even conjure up in his nightmares. So I may as well make it legit and breath fire. And I hate it.

8. The Mood Swings - Last pregnancy I told off a whisk, then left it there on the floor where it had flung itself to think about what it had done. This time I cried because I thought I lost a sock. A brand new sock. A really cute brand new sock. And I hate it.

9. The Maternity Jeans - I love distressed jeans. My temporarily abnormally shaped body doesn't allow me to wear my favorite pairs past a certain point of pregnancy. At least not comfortably. And maternity jeans suck. Like I need the extra hassle of having to keep pulling them up, especially when there aren't any belt loops to make it easier. And I hate it.

10. The Sleep Deprivation - I saved the best for last. This one just really pisses me off. My body is literally growing another human life. It's extra tired and needs extra sleep. Yet with all the organ squishing, pain, fire breathing and bathroom trips, even resting is hard. I mean come on. 

And I hate it.

Just in case you didn't notice, this was written in a sarcastic tone. I am fortunate and appreciative to be pregnant. And there are many aspects about it that I absolutely love. But it's okay to hate other parts of it. It really is. 

32 Week Bumpdate

Single digit weekly countdown. Say, what?! It came so much faster this time. In my last update I said I wanted to start doing them every 2 weeks but since I can't seem to post as often as I'd like, here we are. Honestly, I've been feeling pretty crappy. I am a kind of tired I've never been at any point in my life. Third trimester + toddler tantrums have my energy levels at an all time low. And the position this baby favors is, well, unfavorable at best for mama. I'm often breathless trying to hold a conversation while sitting down. Imagine what I sound like carrying a 23 pound toddler up the stairs. I'm guessing some sort of large wild animal. Like a rhino. Oh and then there's the pressure on my left side that often has me doing the ol' pregnancy waddle. Chris thinks it's cute. Just kidding, he laughs his ass off.  I don't blame him. But he rubs my back all the time so it's okay. 

I'm still having cinnamon cravings, have I mentioned that? I can't remember. It's a common problem these days. On the positive side I can blame it on both pregnancy brain and mom brain. They're both real, ask any mom. We've definitely reached the point where baby movement can be seen through my shirt. I wish I could have caught the face of the poor guy at Home Depot on camera when he saw a glimpse of the ripples under my pink sweatshirt. Fallon is still very sweet about pulling up my shirt and kissing my belly while saying "baby". Crossing all my fingers and toes she has the same feelings when her little sibling is on the outside. 

The nursery is now painted, new fan and furniture moving in next. I'm waiting on a rug and possibly adding another print and a plant but we are actually ahead of the game this time in that department. I can't say the same for baby names. Well, girl names. We have a short list but cannot agree on top picks. I've also purchased zero of the things from my own baby #2 must haves list. Win some, lose some. The name will come to us and those little drawers will be ready with supplies in no time. At least that's what I'm telling myself. 

Until next time, diffusing all the oils to help my totally uncomfortable self sleep!

Mom Truth Monday

I will be the first one to admit that I don't have it all together. Not even close. I'm the person who gets ready to checkout at the grocery store then realizes the one thing I forgot and really need is on the other side of the store. I pay all my bills on time but can't remember to buy new toothbrushes. If I'm showered and my kid and I are dressed it's either because my husband is home or my house is a dirty mess. So although you won't see the evidence in my life in pictures, I'll just go ahead and tell you a few secrets.

I wash my hair once a week

I started washing it less in an effort to keep it healthier. Then I had a baby and quit my office job and it became a necessity. I have no special tricks, just lots of dry shampoo, top knots and hats. 

On average I sleep in my "clothes" 4-5 days a week. 

So basically I wear pajamas that pass for outfits most days, thank you fashion gods for making athleisure a thing. I would blame it on being pregnant but I really just love comfy clothes. 

I don't cook dinner.

5 nights a week it's just Fallon and me for dinner since Chris is sleeping before work. I'm exhausted by the time I would need to cook and Fallon screams + hangs on my legs nearly every time I try. I don't even like cooking so I don't bother picking this battle. Fallon eats whatever combination of decently healthy foods I can throw together quickly and I eat when she's in bed. 

I'm the anti-germaphobe.

I care very much about my family's health + wellness and am responsible during flu season, but in general germs don't concern me. Fallon has eaten questionable things off the floors, licked the table at a restaurant and put her dirty mall play place fingers in her mouth before I think to wipe them #becuaseteething. None of it raises my blood pressure in the slightest. 

I bribe my kid.

I think most of us will admit to this one but I may do it too often. And always with food. Cake pops to sit nicely in the cart at Target. Candy for cute photos. Cinnamon bread so I can just freaking fold a load of laundry without 500 interruptions. Goldfish in the grocery check out so you won't start screaming? Sure! Fruit snacks over karate kicks during a diaper change? You bet. And of course you can have MORE teddy grahams in exchange for silence in the car. 

I'm nowhere near perfect and won't ever claim to be. But those dang pictures sure do hit the highlights, don't they? So just remember, you probably aren't doing at least one of these things so you're already one upping me!

Organizational Favorites

Maybe it's the New Year, maybe it's nesting, maybe it's just me and my weird obsession with baskets. Whatever the case may be I have been on an organizational rampage, tearing through every room in my house trying to clear the clutter and corral the crap. It's been fun to figure out the spaces where organization is needed then find appropriate items to get things in order. I've been getting rid of so much that we don't need, simplifying in general and loving how even the smallest changes can make such a big impact. When everything has a place and everything is in it's place there's such a sense of peace in the house. I mean it lasts 2 minutes when the toddler is around but at least when I go to put something away I know that doesn't mean tossing it in a drawer or a closet then having to search for it later. I rounded up all my new and old favorites if you're on the organizational train too!

Baby #2 Mom Guilt: Part I

This is such a difficult topic for me to write about. I've gone back and forth for a long time now wondering if I should even share my experience, afraid I'll inadvertently offend someone or be judged for my feelings. But after a lot of thought I've decided that now is the time to put it all out there. And maybe anyone else who has found herself in this situation can take comfort in knowing that she isn't alone. 

When I found out I was pregnant with Fallon there was nothing but positive emotions. I was so excited, overjoyed, just completely thrilled to know that I was going to have a baby. Although she was a bit of a surprise, it was simply because it happened sooner than expected. We were as ready as any couple can be to start a family. Chris and I had discussed having another child, if possible, close in age to our first. But after Fallon was born my feelings started to change. She wasn't a sleep all the time kind of baby. We struggled with breastfeeding in the beginning then she ended up ditching the bottle when everything clicked in that department. So we were attached 24/7 whether I needed a break or not. She cried so much we worried it wasn't normal, though we could never find a reason for it other than her fiery personality. I had postpartum anxiety that peaked when Fallon was about 9 months old and I had a fleeting moment when I thought maybe she would be an only child. As she neared the one year milestone though I realized I definitely wanted to give her a sibling, just maybe in a few years. But there was another plan for us. 

My doctor said it was normal for a woman's body to remain infertile through the duration of exclusive breastfeeding. This was true for me until Fallon was about 11 months old. I wrote down that date because I had an annual checkup scheduled the following month and ladies, we all know that's the famous question. But so many people told me things don't always go back to the way they were before so I wasn't entirely sure it even counted. None the less, there are things you do when you want to have a baby and things you do when you don't. We were in the latter camp. Fallon turned one in early July and we had the best time celebrating our baby girl. My anxiety was waning significantly and life was starting to feel less overwhelming and more fun. A few weeks later Fallon and I were strolling the aisles of Target and she knocked something off a shelf. As I reached down to pick it up I had a moment like something you see in a movie. Cue the music and/or slow motion, one of those things that lets you know this scene is something of huge significance. It was a pregnancy test. 

I held it in my hand as I was looking to see that date in June I had written down. And a little tingle down the back of my spine urged me to buy that test. But all the way home I felt a horribly unwelcome sense of dread. I was afraid it was going to be positive. And that feeling was immediately followed by guilt. So much guilt. Here I am, a young healthy woman with the means to carry and support another new life, hoping for the opposite. How dare I feel this way when I personally know people who would probably give a kidney to see a positive pregnancy test? And how awful of a mother am I for having all these negative feelings about another baby when there was nothing but happiness over his or her sibling? What a terrible way to begin a pregnancy. I was so internally conflicted I didn't even want to take the test. And I didn't breath a word to anyone. That afternoon I couldn't take it anymore and took one of the 2 tests in the box. And it came up negative. 

I stood there waiting for the relief to wash over me, followed by the guilt for that feeling. It never came. Instead, I shocked myself by simply feeling.....dissapointed. Huh?! That's right, I was actually kind of sad. I had been in our first floor bathroom as Fallon was in the living room. I was in such a state of confusion I tossed the test into the metal garbage can, that should have a bag in it but never does. I went through the next few hours in a fog, running on autopilot. Another trip to the bathroom caused me to pick the test back up to throw away in the kitchen garbage can where my toddler wouldn't get to it (ew). And when it hit the light my eyes went wide. There was a second line. I swore I could see it, albeit faint, I saw it. It was far past the recommended time frame to read a result but there was a line. I didn't sleep that night. First thing in the morning I took the other test and watched it like a hawk. Sure enough, that second line came up. And all those familiar feelings that hit me when I learned I was growing my first baby came flooding back immediately. It was the most insane emotional roller coaster in less than 24 hours.