Hair Growth Month 2

    Like I promised, I am going to report on my hair growth journey. Not much in my process has changed- I'm still using Mane n' Tail and coconut oil once a week. I shower at night so my hair can air dry and I can skip the blow-dryer. I avoid straightening when possible and other heat tools. I also have only been washing my hair 2-3 times a week. Gross? At first, yes. But as my hair adjusted I noticed a big difference in my hair. The biggest difference I have noticed is the texture of my hair. It is no longer limp, really dry, or stringy. Instead, it has more volume, its lush, and my yucky dry ends are finally healing up. Also, did you know coconut oil is a natural remedy for dry and damaged scalp? My scalp is so much healthier and we all know that healthy hair comes from a healthy foundation. Scalp health is important in our efforts to grow long and luscious locks.

     Many of you have asked how to apply coconut oil to your hair. First things first- don't warm it up! Its super messy if you try to apply liquid oil to your hair. Heating it wont harm the oil and can actually speed up many of the enzymes and nutrients that help your hair. However, I have found that its best to just scoop some of the solid oil out and just rub in onto dry hair. The heat of your body and the rubbing with heat it up enough to liquefy and spread evenly throughout your hair.  You can even use a blow dryer on low heat to heat up the oil on your hair after if is applied. Your hair should be so oily that it looks wet, like in the picture to the right. I usually sleep in the oil and just wrap my hair in plastic wrap or an old towel or shirt. You don't need to sleep in it, just be sure to keep it in for at least 2 hours to reap all the lovely benefits of coconut oil. Also, be sure to use organic and virgin coconut oil as it does contain the highest amount of nutrients and will help your hair the most.

So the results?
2 inches of hair growth when measure from a middle part down to the longest end. I measured barley under 19 inches- like 18.9. Compared to last months 17 inches, this is almost two full inches of new hair growth!

This is huge for me. I have been trying so hard to grow my hair out so a 2 inch growth in one month is huge! I can't say if it is more of the Mane n' Tail or coconut oil but both are helping tons! I also think that less heat and fewer washes is helping the health of my hair.

Simple Beauties

     Anyone who knows me knows how much I adore Zooey Deschanel. (She's gorgeous, lovely, funny, brilliant, and talented- What's not to love?) I found this quote about a year ago and it really touched my heart. It seemed so absolutely applicable and even now this quote fits into and inspires my life. Its simply amazing.

 
     I can't say enough how amazing my life is, and how breath-taking the world we live in is. Recently my life has been changing faster than I can think. The life I used to be apart of has moved on and I have taken on a much better and more beautiful life. Its no surprise that one of the biggest changes coming my way is my upcoming marriage to my incredible fiancé. Its easy to be overwhelmed and stressed about everything (especially because I have such an anxious and high-stress personality), but I am trying to take in every little detail and second and enjoy. When you realize that you will never get to experience this part of your life again, you realize that you should take in every single tiny thing that you can. Life will suddenly become less mundane and you will realize how beautiful your life is; you will realize how wonderfully blessed you really are.
     This last weekend I was lucky enough to go wedding dress shopping. It may be silly of cliché, but I have dreamed about that day since I was little. I always pictured a gorgeous dress to wear on my perfect wedding day. With the first dress I tried one, I became a bit overwhelmed with emotions and got a bit teary eyed. I was embarrassed, but I was just so excited. Seeing myself in a wedding dress made me so excited for my wedding and was exciting because I had always dreamed of that day. I felt so beautiful and so blessed. It was a lovely day. (p.s. we found a beautiful dress. I can't wait to wear it (: )
     I bring this up because I feel it correlates directly with this quote. Why do we as people dismiss emotions for nothing or much less than they are? To some it may seem weak to weep over a wedding dress, but as a true expression why should it be suppressed? This is not only true for women, but of men too. I truly believe that true strength comes through vulnerability. Vulnerability happens when we let down our walls and let go of "social norms" to express or act in the ways that are true and personal to us. It is hard to do this, but I honestly believe that by doing so, we become stronger and more in tune with ourselves and others. Not only that, but we are blessed beyond measure with a stunning world and opportunities. We should never take it for granted. So go ahead, gawk at the pretty beach or cry when you hear a beautiful poem. This world is ours, and your life is what you make it. When we are surrounded with such beauty and experience bliss, why shouldn't we enjoy it fully? Wait don't answer, its a trick question. The answer is that we should.
     For my fiction class, we are required to keep a writers notebook. In this, we write images, experiences, or anything else that moves us or makes us think in any way. Now, you don't have to carry it around like I do, but I would encourage you to try keeping a journal specifically for images and experiences that touch your soul or inspire you. We have so many beautiful sights and memories, so we might as well let them touch us to our bones and experience them with the fullness our abilities with the joyfulness intended for us.
     I love my simply beautiful life.