adventures in going natural

so recently i've been trying to switch my beauty products over to more

natural

organic

less chemical laden

products.

and originally i wasn't really going to blog about it, because, really, who cares - right?

buy whatever you want; we're mass marketed to - and pretty much mainstream media has made us believe that natural organic is the solution and everything else is the devil

and that's kind of true.  kinda.

so, this isn't like breaking news that i'm saying switch your sunscreen to one that doesn't contain oxybenzone!

but seriously - do that.  

About OXYBENZONE: Oxybenzone is a sunscreen ingredient associated with photoallergic reactions. This chemical absorbs through the skin in significant amounts. It contaminates the bodies of 97% of Americans according to Centers for Disease Control research.

there are several "studies" i would argue their claims - but when the Centers for Disease Control makes a claim, i usually consider that the WORD.

ok, so why am i going here

well because we are sheep that are lead to believe the claims on packages

and sometimes we're (i'm) too lazy to do my research - at least i WAS- on products 

and i ended up with a rash in my armpits.

let me backtrack.  that is, if you're willing to read about my armpits.

 

i decided to switch out my aluminum filled deodorant for something more natural

i had switched sometime ago to a "crystal" deodorant, but for whatever reason i went back to my "secret" brand.  probably because it made my pits smell like roses.  and the crystal deodorant left me smelling neutral.

how was i ever going to snag a husband with neutral smelling armpits?

anyways, i was pretty aware of the products out there

and i decided to purchase a stick of TOMS long lasting lavender scented deodorant

i liked that it was scented and that it was a stick - easy to apply

after about a week of use i realized i had incredibly smooth armpits!

awesome!

seriously - i've always suffered from dry peppered armpits.  i swear i could never get a close shave or maintain one 

leading me to keep my arms down at all times.

but now?

now i was going to raise my hands at any opportunity.

i was amazed and so happy that i switched to something "natural"

until about 3 days ago

i had got out of the shower and was admiring my armpits and putting on deodorant before bed.

when i realized my whole armpit area was red

i'll spare you any pictures - but like my whole pit area- an oval shaped red splotch was taking over

i kind of let it slide - i mean if that was the price i had to pay for smooth pits

until last night - i got out of the shower and was putting my deodorant on and i swear the red splotchiness was expanding - and looking more irritated.

it didn't hurt or itch, but my skin was inflamed.

i took to google.

and amazon - i love amazon - specifically their reviews.

i'll let you peruse those reviews - those are the one star reviews - there were several 4 and 5 star reviews too - but just as many 1 and 2 star reviews which is always a red flag to me when i DO check out products before purchasing.

so long story short - i wasn't the only one suffering from angry armpits!  i'm just glad mine aren't in the itchy phase.

and then i took to looking at the ingredients - namely

propylene glycol (anti freeze)

About PROPYLENE GLYCOL: Propylene glycol is a small organic alcohol commonly used as a skin conditioning agent. It has been associated with irritant and allergic contact dermatitis as well as contact urticaria in humans; these sensitization effects can be manifested at propylene glycol concentrations as low as 2%.

it's an irritant and allergic contact dermatitis - and at a low concentration...

ugh.

this product labeled "natural" is total bullshit.

i realize there's not any sort of regulation on products labeled "natural"

but i thought toms was a product i could trust

so i'm not wearing any deodorant right now

i ditched it cold turkey

not forever, just until i can get to the store on lunch and find something else

am i going back to my "secret"?

the short answer - no.

even though i never suffered from angry pits using their product

i can't feel the long term affects of highly refined chemicals being absorbed by my body 

and i'm still determined to use something ACTUALLY natural.

one resource i would encourage anyone to use who is interested in finding out what's actually in their beauty cabinet is EWG's cosmetic database

you can look up practically any beauty product - hair, skin, nails, etc

or, you can click on sub categories and browse products by rating

you're aiming for products in the 0-2 "green" range which are low hazard

you can see my toms deodorant score here

to my surprise it actually scores a 1 on the scale- which i guess skin irritant isn't on the same level as cancerous skin eating disease. 

and my secret deodorant is here which scores a 4 (moderate hazard)

natural to me are products that don't have chemically sounding names.

and that's what i'm aiming for

when i look at the EWG's site at "top" antiperspirants/deodorants

it's pages of the crystal style deodorant

what i used to use

and since i already snagged me a husband

i'm going back to smelling neutral

(i've switched out a few other products recently - i may or may not explore my happiness/sadness with those as well...i mean - if you made it this far maybe you like reading about my armpits and other crevices)

comfort over style

i don't know if it's evident or not on here


but bill and i are rarely at home on the weekends

we chose to be out and about - even more so now that the weather has warmed up

and because the weather is warm, i'm almost always in a flip flop

clearly.

but you know what

flip flops are not comfortable to walk in very far

at least not for me

and this is where i start sounding like an old granny

the flip flops are too flat and not enough support

and my hips start hurting if we walk further than a couple of miles

which is easy to do when meandering through a festival

or walking from the parking lot to a store - don't even get me started on bill's neurosis which makes him park in the very back corner of any parking lot in hopes that no ones parks near him - nevermind that the edge has hail damage currently... 

and i refuse to wear running/tennis shoes unless i am actually running

so my wish list in a summer shoe summed up:

comfortable
good for walking
comfortable
neutral in color
and comfortable

(gone are the days where i was willing to suffer in 3" peep toed heel)


so basically i wanted a memaw shoe that was all about comfort



you know...a good pair of SAS shoes.

just kidding.

kind of. 

i mean, i like for my toes to be free in the summer!

do they make SAS sandals?

i don't want to know.

actually, i just googled them



not quite, what i was looking for

and if you wear SAS sandals, totally not hating

i have my own issues.

so i went in search of a comfortable sandal

and i came away with these

chacos.

they bring back fond memories of college.

in a small liberal arts college.

yay mountains

down with "the man"

lots of pot (NOT mine.  really.)

and it's not like my tan lines on my feet can get much worse

but perhaps a lot more interesting.

ok so enough pictures of feet.

until next weekend.


and i may or may not be in the market for a fanny pack

and blublockers



ok.

i'm out.

long weekend

i am completely sun soaked

many hours this weekend were spent like this

which meant this was well deserved

we logged several miles on the bikes this weekend - and really got out and explored on sunday

checking out the beatersville car show

cruising through the highlands

stopping at THE cutest lunch spot (ema lou's) - which was fantastically girly and tea-party esque - but bill didn't mind since they had benedictine sandwiches on the menu

they also had iced mint tea which is basically the best thing ever after riding several miles

we headed back to the waterfront - and i love seeing people rent these bike-mobiles - they look like so much fun

and soaked up probably too much sun

i've got lots of interesting tan lines now -including whale tails on my feet.

monday we woke up bright and early to participate in the mayor's hike, bike, and paddle

the crowd was huge - i've never seen so many bikes in one place!

i managed to miss a good picture of all the "elite" cyclists taking off

we decided to bike with the newbies and families - since we had a big group...and we weren't in any hurry to complete the 16.5 miles

the ride was nice and easy - but still long, so it felt amazing to be at the finish line

we packed a picnic and enjoyed in the shade

even after 16.5 miles, i couldn't resist wanting to ride some more - near the waterfront and up on the big four bridge before we left

but we had to leave eventually to make it to a cookout

where i got to nervously hold a baby

twin #1 - aka - lydianne - was totally cool though and just slept. 

which i came home and did the same thing.  i was in bed by 9 pm and i slept so hard!  sun+bike really took it out of me

long weekend agenda

the long weekend is here at last!

if you're going to be in or around louisville and looking for something to do this holiday weekend

here is a list of a few things going on that have peaked my interest - and besides, the lakes around here are going to be far too crowded, and the water temps are still in the 60's - brr!

louisville bats:

will be in town all weekend - cheap seats are $7, beers are reasonable, and the milder-ish (70's) temps will be perfect for sitting outside without sweating buckets

strawberry festival in starlight indiana:

saturday -

enjoy lots of berries as well as craft booths and a "run for the berries" 5k in the morning

or go straight for the berries - head over to huber's winery and farm, instead, and pick your own berries or buy pre-picked (the website says their u-pick is approx may 28th - so definitely call before driving out there if your heart is set on picking - i would assume they'd be ready with the festival taking place this weekend)

beatersville car and bike show:

taking place sunday at phoenix hill tavern

we went for the first time last year - and it's pretty awesome (oh my goodness...i forgot how long my hair was last year - it's all piled up in pig tail knots)

lots of old beaters and rat rods as well as old motorcycles - owners who prefer to keep their cars looking rusted and old, instead of shiny, show room floor style.

there is also somewhat of a beauty pageant thing going on - women dressed as 50's styled pin-ups, but with lots of tattoos walking around collecting money - the woman with the most money, i believe, wins.

it's good people watching if cars aren't your thing, and because the streets are marked off, you can buy drinks and walk around while you see the sights.  there are also some booths.  and aside from some loud revving of engines, the event is family friendly

if you can't tell - i think it's one of the more interesting events that comes to louisville - so check it out for a few hours sunday if you get a chance

i've already mentioned this before, but monday is

the mayor's hike, bike, and paddle

it starts early monday morning with some free yoga, tai chi, and zumba as well as booths

all taking place or starting at the waterfront

it's a good way to kick off the morning if you've got cookout plans later in the day

while you're down there, pack a lunch to eat on the lawn - last time we walked around the waterfront we discovered instead of benches along the path, they have added swings!  lots of swings to sit and enjoy the weather - swings > benches any day of the week.

what plans are you looking forward to this weekend?  anything i may have forgot that's worth checking out?

have a great memorial day weekend, and we'll catch up on tuesday

throwback thursday: bike edition

ah yeah

it's throwback thursday

i kind of want to get some old pictures of bill and i scanned in and take it wayyy back

but for now, since i've been obnoxiously obsessing over my bike

two years ago i convinced bill he needed an electra too

and we officially became a couple with semi matching bikes

sickening, huh? :)

i still can't believe it's taken us 2 years to buy a rack for transporting them

and helmets

and a lock

and that last weekend was the first time we really took them somewhere other than the biker bar down the road

vroom vroom.  (also, that's the same purse i carried last weekend.  it's now officially my bike bag).

my townie

guys

right now i'm completely obsessed with my bike

my basket came in yesterday - and bill and i managed to mount it

i even ordered a really cute liner that has a pocket for my keys, chapstick, and sunblock

when i get really excited about something, i get obnoxious about it

and right now, i'm trying to talk myself down from ordering



...a kroozie

seriously - how cute and perfect is that?

i showed bill, and he instantly decided he needed one too.

and amazon prime is staring me in my face...and i'm flexing some willpower

but we all know how this showdown is going to end...


besides trying to pimp my ride

i've been looking forward to being off monday for memorial day

i can't really remember being off on memorial day due to our accounting schedule - it's usually month end

but this year the debit gods have allowed me to take memorial day off - which means i get to participate in the mayor's hike, bike, and paddle




and apparently my obnoxiousness is rubbing off - our friends jeff and sarah have gone out and got bikes while kim and nick are trying to find one more bike - so we will all have bikes to do the bike portion together (among, hopefully other future rides) which is about 15 miles

ok, so maybe they were all looking for bikes before i became really annoying with how much fun bill and i are having riding, but i'm so glad that we'll all be able to ride on monday together.

and because i have that runner's mentality - to already have the next race on the calendar before even completing the one in front of me

i'm hoping to be able to get out on the weekends and continue to ride 15-25 miles at once to break my butt in

because i'm signing bill and i up for the preservation pedal



it's not a race, but a tour of frankfort and franklin county- there's a 5 mile downtown tour, a 24/30 mile ride that passes woodford reserve, a 50 mile and a 100 mile tour too

the 24 or 30 mile ride is what i have in mind for bill and i.  i'm guessing it would take us 3-3.5 hours to complete based on our rides, however, i'm sure there will be more hills - we should probably incorporate more into our rides

i believe the 24 mile covers part of the 30 mile, but with a turn around point.

the web page specifically said there wasn't such a thing as too slow or too fast of a rider - so i'm hoping, even though the ride will be on the open road, it will be a nice ride that's not too demanding.

anyone have any tips for a casual rider?

has anyone done one of the preservation tours before?

anyone want to join us monday?  :)

weekend update

it's monday morning and i'm not only tired

but i'm a bit burnt and sore

all signs of a good weekend.

saturday bill and i got up for the waggin' trail 5k

and since it was a race to benefit the humane society, woodford came along too

he was sufficiently worn out by the time we got home...

we spent the evening celebrating our friends' birthdays and sitting around a bonfire.

i stayed out much too late, but was up at 8 sunday morning to finally test out our bike rack

we attached the rack to the hitch, did a couple of test drives, and drove the few miles to the trail head

this was my first time getting out on the open portion of the louisville loop

and i was pleasantly surprised. 

the trail is completely paved with signage and mile markers throughout

the section we did was mostly flat which made for a very easy and comfortable ride, despite the heat

the trail also offered directions and bathroom facilities

my only real complaint was the lack of water fountains.  we passed one early on and mentioned how nice that was, but after a few miles we decided to stop at a park for some water and were disappointed to find out the fountains weren't working/turned on?

bill thought they turned them off in the winter, but i would think my mid-may they would have them back on

so a heads up - if you're heading out to run or bike the trail to come prepared

we biked about 8.5 miles out before decided to turn around (we were thirsty...and hungry)

i had saw a convenient store back a couple of miles

where bill ran in to grab a couple of waters

after a short break we headed towards our motivation

mike linnigs restaurant to enjoy some fish

and multiple ice waters (it was 90+ degrees out)

after lunch, we were shortly back to our car - about 17 miles round trip

not too shabby for our first bike trip outside of the neighborhood!

the ride felt effortless during, but by the time we got home we realized how sore we were...

and despite applying lots of sunscreen, i managed to miss the tops of my hands?

so after a day out riding, and being sun soaked

we both practically crashed on the couch - and eventually got in bed around 9...

i was out like a light.

and still feel like i'm trying to recover this morning

lottery

does anyone else play the lottery?

i typically only play when the pot is HUGE

i just get caught up in the excitement and the "what-ifs" that i feel suckered into buying at least one ticket.

i then spend the next few hours day dreaming.

and because i'm an accountant i like spreadsheets



clearly i've thought this out.

i based this on the jackpot being 600 million and the cash payout being half

family were defined as those i see and talk to the most often. 

friends are those that i stay in touch with on a weekly basis.

i've left a little wiggle room for "gifts" for family and friends i see less often.

and i would definitely give money to the humane society and my alma mater

i can't even imagine ever having that much money - so distributing the amounts just seems unreal

i always said that if i won the lottery i wouldn't buy a huge house - but i think i would have a small farm here in kentucky to be near family

even though funds would be unlimited, any new car that i would actually want to drive would probably still be under 40,000 (of course, bill would want a fully restored 70's trans am...which still, costs like 30,000???) so so weird thinking of such a huge sum of money

after the larger purchases were made i'm pretty sure bill and i would still live a normal life.

i would want a small farm, i would want to foster some abandoned dogs as well as spend most of my days volunteering at the humane society.

bill and i would probably spend a few months out of the year traveling - and hopefully one big family vacation a year

we would go to every buffalo bill's football game - although, i would really like for them to have a winning season, or else that could get really depressing.

i gave us a yearly allowance of $100,000 - which with no mortgage i can't even imagine spending that much a year.

i think it would be important to put a yearly spending limit - just to stay grounded as much as possible.

there's still close to 200 million left in my speadsheet, but i would want that to be my legacy - for future generations - nieces, nephews, my own children - and their future children.


so if you don't hear from me monday, i won :)  and am busy making travel plans

what would you do with 600 million $s??

friday

oh yeah!

it's friday!

let's celebrate!

the top 5 things i'm excited about this week!

1.

this guy (ahhnahhld) is put together and i've actually been using it...and sweating profusely while watching the housewives.  it's been fun.

2.

no need to worry about bill and i biking unsafely anymore - both of our helmets came in this week!

(bill said mine reminded him of a storm trooper...)

3. piggybacking on #2 - our bike rack came in this week!

I spent a good amount of my evening trying to figure it out :(  but it's assembled and ready to be attached to the hitch.  and of course - the forecast is calling for rain tonight and all weekend.  we WILL find a way to bike outside of the neighborhood this weekend!

4.  i guess this one is kind of sad, but i loved last night's finale of the office.
 

i laughed


















i laughed some more



and i also cried.  oh my goodness i cried.

and i swear if it does rain all weekend i'm going to pop some popcorn and sit and watch hours and hours of previous seasons of the office on hulu.

5.  i'm not going to let the potential for rain ruin my evening

i'm surfing over on king arthur flour trying to decide on a pizza crust for tonight's dinner

my favorite pizza toppings are easily onion and peppers - but maybe i'll get creative with some chicken and switch up the red sauce?

try and stay dry this weekend!  and we'll catch up on monday :)