Dirty Hair, Day 4

This time around, I didn't dry shampoo my hair until day four (I usually do so on Day Three). Then, because it was Monday and I was feeling lazy, I pulled it into an easy side pony. 

I have tried countless dry shampoos and have narrowed them down to two favorites:

I love Batiste (I use the Original, which is pictured in the middle) because it is so light and doesn't have a strong scent. I always recommend it to first time dry-shampooers because it isn't quite as heavy as the other options out there. Once you spray it on and brush it out, you will barely notice it's there. 

Rockaholic by TIGI is my other favorite. I use it on days when I plan on curling my hair because it is a little thicker and acts as something of a texture spray (two birds with one stone, you know?). When I use this, my curls/waves hold so much better. I love it. 

There are a few things to remember with both kinds of dry shampoo:

1. Don't overuse it. A little bit goes a long way and if you use too much dry shampoo, your hair will feel icky and you'll want to wash it right away.

2. Focus on the roots (the rest of your hair won't need it anyway). I usually spray the roots on top of my head and around my ears/neck.

3. Let it sit for a few minutes (I usually do my makeup during this time) and then brush it out. When you first apply it, your roots may look grayish. That should go away once your dry shampoo has worked its magic. If it doesn't, you've probably used too much. When this happens to me, I spritz some body spray onto my roots to soak up the extra dry shampoo. 

4. When it comes to any new kind of product, I always recommend trying it at home first. Use lazy weekends or down days when you're just hanging around at home to try and perfect your dry shampooing technique. Like with dirty hair, it takes some getting used to. When you dry shampoo, your hair will be less greasy and will most likely smell better (if not, use your body spray) but it won't really feel like freshly washed hair. You just have to get comfortable with a different texture.

Any questions?

Weekend Instagram Recap

 

In summation,

~I've been getting Boutiful Baskets lately and I love them.

~I made a special drink for our BBQ last Saturday.

Let me just say that Corona, Vodka, and Pink Lemonade is a dangerous combination.

~Jalepeno Poppers, like nachos and cookies, are irresistable to me.

~Harper loves to be outside, especially when a pool is involved.

~I love having a place to wash my car by myself (car washes are expensive and inefficient).

~My mother-in-law let me adopt her porch swing. I love it. So does Harper.

~Harper looks just as cute in her exercise clothes as she does in her princess clothes.

~Colt's Father's Day present came yesterday and his truck has never looked better.

Dirty Hair, Day 3

Like Day Two, Day Three is a bit boring.

Sometimes, I dry shampoo on Day Three. This time around, I didn't need to. Day Three fell on a Sunday that we were spending at the pool so I just went with a sloppy (very, very sloppy) side bun (I always wear a side bun/pony to the pool because a back bun/pony is not comfortable to lay on!).

Another bad photo- sorry.

I didn't get my hair totally wet at the pool but it did get splashed a bit. Once we were home, I combed it out and just let it be for the rest of the day. 

One thing I wanted to mention today was that if your hair tends to be greasy, you may want to avoid "moisturizing" shampoo. Try a volumizing one instead. In order to help you get big hair, volumizing products pull the moisture out of it (because moisture weighs your hair down). My mom, who has thinner and greasier hair than I do, has used volumizing products for years (for me, volumizing shampoos are drying and make my hair all frizzy with fly-aways). If you are having a hard time keeping your hair non-greasy over the course of three to four days, go ahead and try a volume-boosting shampoo/conditioner (Pureology makes one!). 

Dirty Hair, Day 2

I'll admit, Day Two is a bit boring. My hair is still clean and fresh on Day Two and all I typically do is style it. I switch between curling iron curls and flat iron curls. This time around, I went for messy flat iron curls. The pic I'm offering you is terrible, I know. I'm sorry. We were hosting a BBQ that evening and I was busy cleaning, cooking, and making drinks. Then, I was too busy eating mangoes and drinking drinks to think about photos.

I get a lot of questions about these curls. They are very sloppily made with my flat iron and then brushed out (I'm considering a tutorial). Brushing/combing any curls/waves is a must for me because it gets rid of the over-styled, Shirley Templeish look. 

One thing I wanted to make clear is that I do shower everyday (hopefully you weren't thinking otherwise!). My hair can go days without a cleaning but my body can't. I have a shower cap but rarely use it. I normally just pull my hair up in a messy bun and hop in the shower. If it gets a little wet, I don't fuss because I know it will dry while I'm putting lotion on and getting dressed.

Dirty Hair, Day 1

Day One: half-up with soft curls

I usually like to wash my hair on a day when I will be at home. That way I have time to air dry if I want. Also, my hair never styles as well when it's freshly washed. I prefer dirty hair when I'm getting ready for something special because it takes and holds curls/waves like a champ. 

I use Pureology Color Care shampoo and conditioner because they are honestly the best products I've ever tried. I've been pretty faithful to the line for about six years now. Whenever I stray from Pureology, I regret it. It doesn't matter what you use, though, as long as your buying sulfate-free products (more about that here). 

When you don't wash your hair very often, you learn to become a very thorough shampooer. I usually shampoo twice, really focusing on my roots. I rarely, if ever, actually put shampoo on my ends. They are dry from so much processing and don't need the extra stress that shampooing would put on them. I normally just let whatever runs down from my roots clean them.

It's the opposite with conditioning. I think that one of the most important factors in shampooing less is not over-conditioning your roots. When I'm applying conditioner, I focus on the bottom half of my hair because that's where the dryness is. My roots are healthy and therefore, not in need of conditioner. I do a deep condition all over about once month. Otherwise, conditioner never touches my roots.

Once I'm throroughly (it's very important to get all of the conditioner out of your hair or else you'll be greasy by day two) rinsed and out of the shower, I use Pureology Shinemax serum. I love it because it's moisturizing but totally non-greasy. Then, I let my hair air-dry until it's about 3/4 done and finally, if I'm feeling ambitious, I get out my blow dryer.

This serum is one of my favorite products ever.

It's well worth the money because it helps keep my hair healthy.

Also, a bottle lasts me nearly a year because I use so very little each time.

Here is a little blow-drying hint for you: the cold shot button on your dryer is your friend. It doesn't matter if your straightening, round brushing, or just upside down drying like I do, you need to hit your hair with a cold shot before turning your dryer off (when I do round brush- which is seldom- I cold shot every single section as I go). It will help cement whatever it is your doing in place. It also helps keep your hair healthy because it removes the heat from your hair. I blow dry upside down with heat and don't flip right side up again until I've completely cooled my hair with the cold shot.

Depending on the day, I might just be done once my hair is dry. If I have plans, I usually throw in a few curls or something. 

Here are a couple of things to remember that will help you keep your hair looking and feeling clean:

1. Don't touch your hair a lot, especially the roots. Your hands have oils that will make your hair greasy. Just style it and let it be. (The same goes for the skin on your face, by the way. The less you touch it, the healthier it will be.)

2. Sleep on a satin pillowcase (more about that here) in order to keep the right oils in your hair and the wrong ones out of it. Cotton pillowcases suck the good oils (don't ask me what they are because I don't know... Remember that I told you I'm no expert) out and cause your hair to become greasy faster. They also cause your hair to break (boo to that). Additionally, a satin pillowcase will help you preserve whatever curls/waves you've got going on. This, in turn, keeps your hair healthy because it minimizes the amount of heat you have to put on your hair.

3. Stock up on dry shampoo (more about that will come your way on Day Four- I use three different kinds and will be going over each one) and body sprays. I use body splashes from Bath and Body Works to freshen up my hair throughout the five or six days of non-washing. While I prefer my hair on the dirty side, I like to to smell and feel clean. I typically have three or four different sprays around and like to keep one in my purse, too. 

4. Processed/damaged hair stays "cleaner" longer than its counterpart, especially when it has some sort of bleaching agent on it. If you don't want to color your hair, that's okay. Just have your stylist apply a clear gloss, which will give you at least a little bit of processing. 

Someone asked me about working out. I do work out but not to the point of heavy sweating. I do a lot of walking, toning, and yoga. I don't, however, go for a lot of intense cardio (probably because I'm lazy). Even if I did, I would not wash my hair. Sweat dries pretty quickly and easily. I was at the pool all day yesterday, in fact, and my scalp was pretty sweaty. Once I got in the air conditioning, it dried right up and didn't bother me a bit. I'm currently on Day Four and going strong. I actually think I'll make it to Day Six again, even after a sweaty day in the sun. 

I think the key to dirty hair is getting used to dirty hair, which can take a little bit of time. For me, at least, that was the biggest hurdle. Before I made the commitment to washing less, I wouldn't- and in my mind, couldn't- go even one day without shampooing. You have to be comfortable with the way it feels (not dirty at all, by the way... when my hair does actually feel dirty to me, I wash it) to go days without washing, and you have to let go of the notion that everyday life makes your hair dirty. 

Likewise, you hair has to adjust to less washing. It took me about two months to be fully okay with the process. Your body is an amazing thing and it will adapt to new situations if given enough time. I was really fascinated to see that my hair and scalp changed in order to allow me to go several days without a shampoo.

I think that's good for Day One. Any questions? If so, leave them in the comments section. If not, I'll see you tomorrow when we talk about Dirty Hair, Day Two!

Just So You Know

I haven't forgotten about the Dirty Hair series. I just wanted to start it tomorrow. I've been taking pics and making notes and will post Day 1 in the morning. I should have specified that on Friday but didn't. Sorry. I'm just not much of a blogger on the weekends... Usually because I'm having too much fun to even think about turning on a computer. I hope you are having fun, too, and can assure you that Harps is.

See you tomorrow, my friends.

P.S. I'm on day three and even after going to the pool today, I'm not even thinking about washing my hair. Leave any and all dirty hair questions in the comments section and I'll answer them throughout the week.

The Beauty Aisle: Dirty Hair Introduction

Before we begin this first post in my Dirty Hair series, we must take a moment to remember my Armani sunnies. Last night, these beauties died a sad, ugly death (it was a true accessory tragedy) and today I'm beyond bummed. I loved these glasses so much because they were super lightweight (hooray for no nose pad marks!) and unbeliveably comfortable (I could wear them for hours on end). RIP my little sunnies. You were the sunglass love of my life.

P.S. I've been trying for months to find another pair of these and it seems that they don't make them anymore. Boo to that.

Anyway, let's talk about dirty hair. I love dirty hair. It looks and feels better. It's better for your hair, the environment, and your pocketbook. Here is my hair, five days dirty (the pic at the first of this post... the one with my now deceased sunnies... well that was my hair with six days of dirty).

You already know that I hate washing my hair. I wash my hair about every five days. I haven't always been like this. I used to wash every single day (what was I thinking?) because I couldn't handle a little sweat or grease. Now that I'm used to dirty hair, I love it and will never go back to over washing.

A lot of people ask me how I manage to go five days without washing my hair so I thought it would be fun to do a little Dirty Hair Series. I'll be posting a hair pic everyday for the next five days and giving advice on keeping your dirty hair clean and cute.

Today is day six and I'm just getting ready to do an olive oil treatment (Misty: rub olive oil on your hair- all over or just on the ends- and then pull it back and put a shower cap on- only if you want to look super cool- and then let it sit for 20-30 minutes while you have a dance party or eat a cookie- or three- and then, wash it out... easy peasy lemon squeezy, right?). Once it's sat on my hair for a good half an hour, I'll shampoo and condition. Then, the Dirty Hair Series will officially begin.

For today, let's talk about why I love not washing my hair. There are a number of reasons...

1. It helps keep my hair healthy. Shampooing, along with all of the heat styling that usually follows it, is really drying for your hair, even if you are using a good product. My hair is already on the dry side because it's processed. The less I shampoo, blow-dry, and flat iron/curl my hair, the better.

2. It saves me money. Dry shampoo is much cheaper than Pureology and silk serums. My shampoo/conditioner/serum lasts me way longer because I only use it once or twice a week. I buy shampoo every 8-9 months. True story.

3. It saves me time. Instead of being stuck in my bathroom shampooing, conditioning, drying, and styling, I'm free to do other things and I promise you that a dance party with Harper or a chapter of a good book is way more fun than fixing my hair.

4. The less I wash it, the better my hair looks. Dirty hair styles better and holds curls/waves longer (using a satin pillowcase helps here, too). I always like my hair better on day five than on day one. Always.

So, let's get started. I'll wash my hair today and over the next five days, I'll offer you product, styling, and other dirty hair tips. Remember, I'm not a professional hair stylist and am in no way an expert in the world of hair. I've just learned a few things along the way and want to share them with you.

Sound good?

Some Days

I love my job everyday but some days are just too cool for school. Today was one of those days. Today, we had a pool party. It wasn't just a plain old pool party, either. We had two pools, a slide, a trampoline, and at least five Ariel dolls. It. Was. Awesome.

Pool Party Thursday is definitely going to be a weekly thing this summer.

Wanna join?

Harper Moments, Part 4

It's been a while since we had a Harper Moments post and goodness knows we are in need of one, especially since ridiculously adorable Harper Moments happen about 77 times a day right now.

Here are a few recent favorites...

Gummy Worms for Papa Doug
(Father's Day, 2012)
We talked to Harper quite a bit about Father's Day (I already told you about how much Harper loves Colt) and how we were supposed to celebrate grandpas as well as dads. When we told her that we needed to get Grandpa Doug (Colty's dad) a present, Harper looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "Oh. yeah. Papa yike gummy worms!"

We knew that was her way of suggesting the perfect present for Papa Doug (and it really was perfect because nobody loves gummies quite like my father-in-law) so we let her give him gummy worms (and you'd better believe she gave them with the expectation that he would share with her) and a special picture. She was so proud of herself and I was proud of her for remembering what her Papa Doug loves.

Harper's coloring skills have really improved.

As she colored this, she told me:

"Look, Mama. Parper stay in the lines."

P.S. Harmon's has the best gummy worms in the world.

Just try them and you'll see that I'm right.

And She Knows It

(June 19, 2012)

Harper's aunts have taught her to sing the line "I'm sexy and I know it" from that super annoying LMFAO song. When she sings it, she does a little dance that just kills me with its cuteness. It's like a little wiggly bum shake and it's adorable. Harper knows I love this because I always ask her to do it (if I can, I'll get you guys a video).

Last night, I was getting after Harper because she kept letting our neighbor's dog in the backyard. Normally, we love to have Max over but he recently had surgery and isn't altogether healed yet and therefore, he can't play with Tucker. Heaven knows that we don't want to be responsible for an emergency trip to the vet to have an incision re-stitched.

Anyway, Harper is one smart cookie. In order to stop my boring lecture about not letting Max in until he's better right in its tracks, Harper looked me straight in the eye, smiled, and sang her little, "I sessy and I know it" line, wiggly bum shake included. Then that little stinker grinned at me and laughed because she knew she was being irresistible and she was right. That little song and dance got me and I laughed, too. Harper's plan worked and my lecture was over. 

I know I'm a total sucker but I can't help it. Harper cuteness gets me every time. 

A Little Phoneographer 

(June 19, 2012)

Last night at the zoo, Harper had her princess phone (she can't leave the house without it, like she's going to miss an important call or something). She used it to "take pitchurs" of all the animals. Here she is snapping a shot of the tigers.

Obviously, princess phoneography is serious business.

Special Delivery

(June 20, 2012)

These little hands kill me.

I can't hold/kiss/tickle them enough.

Earlier today, Harper received a package in the mail. It was from my parents. Harper is really into mail (both sending and receiving, but mostly receiving) right now and so they wanted to send her just a little treat. When the little envelope (which contained a package of Starburst) arrived, Harper was so excited. She said, "My Ariel is here! My Ariel is here!" over and over. Apparently, any and every present Harper receives is supposed to contain an Ariel (not really though... we have nearly 20 Ariels- big, small, singing, swimming, soft, hard- in this house right now, so I'd say we are good for a while). 

A Dirty Word

(June 20, 2012)

This evening, I was catching up on my friend Misty's blog. It's been a while since I was a good blog reader and my goal this week is to catch up on all of my favorites. Anyway, I took a break to grab Harper a snack. While I was at the counter making her favorite mix (Goldfish Crackers, chocolate chips, and raisins in a blue- it has to be blue or she won't have it- bowl), Harper looked at my computer. When she saw a picture of Misty's twin boys, Aaron and AJ, Harper said, "Look, Mommy! My boyfriends! My boyfriends!" 

It was adorable but seriously, how did Harper learn that word? Doesn't she know that "boyfriend" is a dirty word until she's at least 25 and a college graduate?

Book Friends at the Zoo

We took Harper to Hogle Zoo last night for a special member's only evening. I absolutely love Hogle Zoo and maintain that our yearly pass is one of the best purchases we make each spring. Harper and Colt love it, too. Our favorite time to go is on Sunday morning. If we get there right as they open, it's not too busy (everyone is always coming right as we are leaving) and we can see all of the animals eat breakfast. They are much more active in the morning. Even the wolves (Colt's favorite) are out at that time.

A walk around the zoo, two carousel rides, and a train ride is the perfect way to spend a morning with family and friends (our pass allows us to take two guests for free each visit). I would probably go every week if our schedule allowed it.

The new Rocky Shores exhibit is amazing. We love watching Rizzo the Polar Bear swim and play. Harper loves the otters, too, and the grizzly bears are adorable.

Last night, the seals were resting together on a rock. It was so fun to get a nice, long, close up look at them. Harper thought they were "so tute" and when carousel time came around, she insisted upon riding a seal.

What I love most about visiting the zoo is that I get to be reminded of some of my favorite book characters (yes, I'm a nerd... tell me something I don't know). I tend to become very attached to fictional characters, wise/brave/mysterious animal ones included. The heros/heroines from my favorite books have been a big part of my life and I consider them to be something like old friends. When we are at the zoo, the tigers remind me of Rickard Parker, the elephants of Rosie, the owl of Hedwig, and of course, the new polar bear makes me think of Iorek Byrnison (next to Aslan, Iorek is my favorite fictional animal, because he is so brave). 

I love animals so much and really appreciate books with strong animal characters. I actually just finished rereading The Life of Pi (which was just as good the second time around... it is honestly in my top five favorites) and am looking for something new to enjoy. Any suggestions?

Needing Some Input

My friends. I need your input. While this blog is mine and I usually write about whatever suits me, I'd like to know what you guys would like to read about. What do you like about Diligent Joy? What annoys you about Diligent Joy? What would you like to see more/less of.

I feel like I need a little push in the right direction as I have been lacking inspiration lately.

Also, if you have any beauty/hair related questions, please ask them. If I can't answer them, I'll find someone that can. Beauty Aisle posts are my favorite but I'm often not very good at thinking of topics.

By the way, NONE- not one- of these questions is rhetorical. Lay it on me, my sweets.

Much love,
Abby

Father's Day, 2012

I was really sad that I didn't get to spend yesterday with my dad. I wish he didn't live so far away from me because I miss him (all the time, actually... not just on Father's Day).

It was great to spend the day with Harper and Colt, however. Harper was so cute when she gave Colt his present (some shirts, some treats, and a certificate to get his truck detailed) and she melted my heart every time she wished someone a "Happy Father's Time!"

A couple of weeks ago, I was telling Harper about Father's Day. I told her we would have to get Colty a present and that she'd have to tell him how much she loved him. I asked her how much she loved her daddy and she said, "8 1." I have no idea what this means but I do know that Harper loves Colt and am guessing that "8 1" is, in her mind, a really big amount.

Yesterday, we had brunch with Colt's family and then headed to the driving range (my suggestion) in honor of my dad. Colt and I have been together a long time but he's never seen me hit a golf ball. I don't think he had any idea I even could. Ha. I showed him. He said he was really impressed and equally surprised, although I don't know why. My dad was a professional golfer, after all. I, on the other hand, am never surprised by Colt. The guy is good at everything he does, golf included. He can drive a ball ridiculously far.

We spent yesterday afternoon visiting Colt's grandpas. It was a busy day and I was exhausted by the time we got home. It was a good day, though, and I couldn't be more thankful for the dads (my dad, Colt, and Colt's dad) in my life.

Harper is also good at everything, especially cuteness.

Nobody does cute like Harper Jane.

My Father

Out of the four parents that I've had in my life, my dad is the only one that I'm not actually related to. Ironically, he is the only one out of the four that I want to be anything like. 

He is kind, loving, successful, smart, funny, cool, talented, dedicated, humble, open-minded, wise, well-read, inspiring, and the most giving man I know. He is my hero and I love him (so does Harper). There are no words for how glad I am that he came into my life and became my father. 

My dad with Harper in July of 2010.

An Item of Business

I have an opening in my daycare (located in Sandy, just off of 7th east and 8000 south). If you or anyone you know is interested, e-mail me (missabbya@gmail.com). I have a ton of toys, a fenced yard, a big swing set/playhouse, and a ton of crafting/learning supplies. I only take a few children at once so that all of the little ones I work with can have lot of love and attention.

I've written about my daycare on occasion. You may read those posts here.

I offer a $25 referral fee to anyone who sends a new family my way.

Here is a link to my ad on KSL.

Cuteness

And... cute.

It Was Perfect!

Calli's wedding could not have been more perfect. Seriously, the flowers and food were amazing. Red Butte Gardens was gorgeous. Harper was beyond cute and Calli was so beautiful that I couldn't look at her without nearly crying. I can't wait to see the photos (Calli's photographer was Kate from Elizabeth Kate Photography and she was AMAZING).

We had been a little worried about Harper because she kept telling us that she wasn't going to walk down the aisle with Kenzie. She kept saying that, "Parper walk with mommy." A few gummy bears in Kenzie's pocket took care of that, however, and Harper walked down the aisle like a champ (a ridiculously adorable champ). She then spent the rest of the evening dancing her sparkly little Toms right off. She danced for hours and was, for the most part, the center of attention (it's a good thing we've been practicing in my bedroom for so long... Harper owes her repertoire of moves to our spontaneous dance parties).

Can you guess what was in Harper's little purse (there were 2 things)?

If you weren't a wedding guest and you can figure it out, I'll give you $20.

I'm not kidding.

Hint: it wasn't any type of Ariel (shocking, I know).

 Just look at those tippy toes! She is such a little ballerina.

Anyway, what's going on this week? I've got several fun things planned, including the Miss Utah Show Me Your Shoes Parade (it's tonight... check the Miss Nebo blog for details), Harper's first ride on Trax, and the Farmer's Market. I also need to find a solid photography class/workshop (suggestions are welcome and appreciated).

Much love, everyone!