I'm a mom of two little boys, full-time administrative assistant, a Certified Natural Henna Artist, and a jewelry designer, specializing in wirework. Oh, and a former chef (stopped doing that professionally, when I discovered that admin work pays better!), though I still share those skills with those that I love. I'm also deeply fond of saving a buck, and am currently *trying* to get my family into a "greener" mindset. Thank you to everyone who shares their tips on here- found some real gems on this site!
Oh, it sounds like you're doing a great job! Cornelia, you really are doing everything right- and just like a human child, this little guy is going to have to take time to heal. DH and I have several former shelter and rescue cats, and some of them were pretty obviously abused, when they came to us- all that you can really do is continually offer love, and the time will come when the switch will go on in their heads. Your little guy may be skittish for the rest of his life, wouldn't you be? But he'll come around, and will get better. Nekocat's right- cats reason, as people do, but just like people, fur-folks take time to develop trust again, once it's been broken. Don't give up. Blessings on all of you who have chosen to take on the 'challenging' cases- they need us! :o) ... View related article.
Quote from Deeli: "Please to not be frightened that you could die from regular hair color on your scalp! There's just as much of a possibility of that happening as using Henna! Henna might be a natural product but people can be allergic to it too!"
I beg to differ. Allergies to natural henna are extremely rare. Most people who have reported reactions to henna have actually been using or exposed to what is called "black henna", which is made of (are you ready for this?) Black hair dye. The ingredient which causes these horrible burns, allergic reactions, lifelong health problems, and yes, DEATHS, is called PPD, which is the main dyeing ingredient in all commercial hair dyes, other than the purely herbal ones, such as Light Mountain. PPD's are derivatives of coal tar, and will cause heightened reactions with each use, once the user has exhibited a reaction to the product- this is why there are so many warnings both on the boxes, and in the directions- the producers of these dyes do so to avoid litigation! When buying henna, be sure to read the packaging- make sure that the product that you're buying is 100% natural- if it contains anything else (other than herbs, we're talking chemical components here!), do not buy it. That's where the danger lies.
For those of you who have had strange colors, as a result of henna- try mixing your coloring paste using a 50/50 mixture of lemon or orange juice (even pure cranberry juice will work- not the cocktail kind!) and water- whisk in enough henna powder to make it a yogurt-like consistency, and then seal away from air. (Easiest way to accomplish this is to mix it up in a rubbermaid or tupperware bowl, then put a lid on it.) Allow it to rest somewhere warmish, like the top of your refrigerator, for 12-24 hours, to allow the dye to release from the henna- you'll be able to tell, by scooping a bit off of the top of the paste- if the outside layer is brownish, but the paste underneath is green, it's ready. Apply the paste to your hair, and let it sit for at least 1 hour, or however long you would like (some folks leave theirs on for 8 or more hours- they sleep with the stuff on! I don't- 1 to 1.5 hours gives me a dark, lovely red, and I'm a natural ash blonde!) Then, rinse out as much as you can in the shower- once that 's been done, put conditioner in your hair, leave that on for a minute or two, and then rinse it all out. That should remove all of the henna paste. The initial color, in the first couple of hours, is NOT the color you will wind up with- it will darken and generally tone down a bit in the next 12 hours, so don't panic if it's too bright, at first! Then, do not wash your hair for a day, to maximize the henna's effects. While it may sound like a lot of work, with a few tweaks to your technique (example: I mix the paste in tupperware, and then decant the finished paste into a dollar-store ketchup bottle, to apply- and then freeze the leftover for the next time, right in the bottle! You can also add things like coffee or teas to your mixture, to alter the color), I think you will find that henna beats the heck out of the commercial stuff, hands-down- it doesn't burn, stink, or wreck your hair like the other stuff, and it's so much safer. I even do my eyebrows with it, and can do so with no fears of being hurt, maimed, or blinded- I'd like to see ANY of the other dye-makers out there make the same claim! ;o)
Below is a picture of me, with my henna'd hair- my natural color is light ash-blonde, with bits of grey in it. This is what pure, natural henna can, and does, do for me. As you can see, I'm a pale critter, and I have sensitive skin. Thanks to having developed an allergy to commercial hair dye, I was forced to learn about henna- and I will never look back! Good luck to you, and please, have a look at the Henna for Hair site- they might just save your life! :o) ... View related article.
Have you tried cider vinegar, topically? I've used it to stop a yeast infection / fungal infection in my elderly cat's ear- and it worked within about 3 days! Your pup may smell like pickles for a bit, but maybe she'll get better quick. Vinegar works for this because of the high acidity- same as yogurt does, but because it's more acidic, it really kills the infection off, quick! Good luck to you and your doggie. :o) ... View related article.
Yes, you're going to want to use henna- Do not try to use the Garnier Nutrisse- it has the same chemicals in it that the others do, and if you're already having allergic reactions, be assured, it will only escalate from here. The scary part is, there's no way of knowing if the next time will be the one that literally kills you! (The ingredients in the dye are the kinds of toxins that humans have a worse reaction to, each time they're exposed to them, kind of like how a bee sting reaction can be suddenly fatal, the third time someone gets stung.)
OK, that being said- I use henna, and have for a couple of years now, and I would never use anything else! For excellent information on how to use henna (and other herbs, for variations in color), copy and paste this URL: http://www.hennaforhair.com/ . This is the best site on the web to learn about henna as a hair color, period.
As to where to get henna, you can get OK-quality henna products in pre-boxed form (kits) at health food stores- many carry Light Mountain Henna products, though there are a few others out there. Look for FRESH boxes, if you can. The other option: although you had said that you don't want to shop for henna and the like online, there is ONE place that I would recommend, and that is From Nature With Love ( their URL is http://www.fromnaturewithlove.com/ ), and they have, hands-down, the best price for bulk henna and other dyeing herbs, anywhere.
I am an INCHA Certified Natural Henna Artist- so you can trust me on this one! You'll find that mixing your own hair dye is not only safer, it's cheaper, and it will condition your hair beyond anything you will have thought possible. Really. Good luck, and if you have any questions about henna use, either for your hair, or for mehndi (temporary tatooing), feel free to contact me thru the site. :o) ... View related article.
* Giggle * I'm in high desert country, in southwestern Idaho, and this is what our family has found to work- either get a robotic vacuum (iRobot works well, but has to be cleaned out, of hair, daily), or get a V floor sweeper. Both of those do the trick- but the iRobot is the easier of the two. Good luck! :o) ... View related article.
Are you wanting to say yes, or no, to them? Since it's a Sadie Hawkins, and your name is Meg, I'm guessing that you're a girl- and since it is a Sadie's, I can see how that might be uncomfortable for you. Lorelei seems to have a good handle on what to do- if you're really uncomfortable with this person having asked you, however, you're not out of line to set them straight.
Good manners are never out of line- but if you're not gay, and the "asker" is a gal and you are, too, and you'd rather ask a guy to this dance, it's OK. But you should never feel like you have to dance with anyone that you don't want to, whether it's male or a female. If you're a guy, and the gal who asked you out is not aware that this invitation is making you uncomfortable, you might be taking a risk in making it clear to her (SLC is what it is) where you're at, but she may become your lifelong friend, once it's clear.
It's OK to have boundaries- whether you're dealing with a person of the opposite sex, or not. Don't worry about what two rejections would amount to- maybe that's the kindest way to deal with the invitation, if that's not who you are! And if "yes" is your inner answer, then go, and have fun. Good luck, and have a ball! :o) ... View related article.
Ok, sorry to be flippant, but get a dog. A large, mean dog, preferably one that someone's getting rid of because it liked to raid their chicken coop. Or, you could club them and eat 'em. They're great stewed, and you can sell the feathers to crafters! ;o)
Seriously, though, I would try low-level fencing- it wouldn't need to be very high, because generally, they're very spatially conscious, and don't fly that well, and it's cheap (use the plastic "hardware fabric" type- inexpensive, by the roll, and available at home centers) and easy to install. I'd suggest hanging CD's around, but I suspect that they'd either like 'em, or they'd be too darned smart to be scared by something that silly. The other option that I can see, right off the bat- get geese, and fight fire with fire, if you're rural enough.
There is nothing meaner or more territorial than geese! And if they bond with you (having had geese, I can honestly say that that's an iffy proposition, at best), they will cheerfully murder anything, including peacocks, that ventures into your yard. Including the UPS man. (Well, ok, possibly you, just when you're getting out of the car/truck, with both arms full of bags of groceries. This has happened to me. The geese always hated me. They liked my ex-husband.) Good luck. I mean it. ... View related article.
From experience, I can honestly say that foxglove is great, interplanted with anything, although the biggest gains (for no reason that I can explain!) were with garlic- we grow a really cool "walking" garlic (the seed bulb sets on top), and it really seems to give the garlic a boost. This was in Northwestern Washington State- I don't know if you're growing things up north, or where, but it's a big help in the garden in the damp, cooler northern climate. Good luck- you're making a great investment for your family's health! :o) ... View related article.
My current favorite use for them is to use them as cord catchers- appliances such as the air popper, the waffle iron, and the hand mixer, all have TP rolls holding the cords! For shorter cords, I cut the rolls in half, because they don't require quite as much length. Just fold up your cords in about 4-7" lengths, and stuff the whole thing into a roller- the nice thing about the TP rolls is, even the plug will usually fit through. They also come off more quickly and easily than twist-ties. I've also found that they work great for all of our extension cords (small household ones, NOT the big ones out in the shop!)- if you wrap up all of your cords this way, you'd be surprised how well it tidies up the counter, cupboards, and "junk" drawer! ;o) ... View related article.
Hi, Steph! That's what's known as 'swimmer's ear'- and here's the cure: mix white, or preferably cider vinegar, 50/50 with rubbing alcohol. Once or twice a week, pour some of this mixture into each ear, and then drain- put a part of a cotton ball in your outer ear, to catch the excess. This will stop the problem. The alcohol dries out any excess water that may be trapped in your ear canal; the vinegar will restore the PH balance that may be thrown off by any soap products, which allows bacteria to live in your ear, and cause the itching and tickling, as well as the sores.
I used to get swimmer's ear, and had to use the ear drops that the doctor prescribed- until I ran across an article that suggested the 50/50 method. It works, it's cheap, and you don't have to come up with a co-pay to get it! Good luck! :o) -Heather ... View related article.
