Project 31 Days 8 and 9

Whew. Sorry I'm behind.
Yesterday was uber busy . . . The good news is that my cat has finally stopped puking and it's not a blockage. The bad news is that the vet has no idea why she started puking. Oh well. Pets, what can you do with them?

Whoever said that a pj day in first grade was a good idea . . . Don't listen to them. Unless you have a gallon of Red Bull available to outweigh the sugar you feed them. Ours was Thursday, and I'm still recovering. Tons of fun for the kids, but for me . . . wow . . . wipeout. You know what's funny about first graders? The more tired you become, the wilder they get . . . and louder . . . and the attention span gets shorter . . . until finally, you're collapsed at your desk, that gosh-awful children song stuck in your head, listening to the nonstop whir of the pencil sharpener because six-year-old pencils are always dull, and trying to remember what 10-7 is so you can teach the class. All you want is your warm bed and a good book, silence, peace. Still it has it's good sides--I'm never short of laughter.

Anywho, on with Days 8 and 9!

Day 8.  Have a beauty secret (e.g. hair tip, make up tip)?  Share, please!

Hm . . . Like I said before, I'm not a fashionista, and when it comes to hair and make-up, I'm kind of a minimalist, but I will pass on a hair tip my stylist told me:

In your final rinse, use cold water

Warm water opens up pores (which is why it's a good to rinse your face in warm water or hold a warm wash cloth over it before washing your face--it opens pores so they can be cleaned and flushed). Using cold water in a final rinse snaps those pores shut. When you rinse your face in cold water, it closes the pores, minimizes their appearance. When you use it on your hair, the pores close tightly around the hair follicles, helping reduce frizz and makes your hair shiny.

I also recommend any hair products by Aveda.

One of their cosmetology schools is just down the road from our apartment, and, since hair cuts are only $12 and nothing short of fabulous, I love going in. At first, I was wary of the styling products the stylists were trying to sell me, but I gave them a try, and they are awesome: really lightweight so your hair feels soft and looks natural but the style holds wonderfully. What I also love: they're relatively inexpensive for organic salon products. Not cheap, but they won't kill your wallet either. Plus, they're so totally worth it, and that's coming from a cheapskate.

Here are the ones I keep and use whenever I want to do more than throw my hair in a pony tail:

Smooth Infusion

When I'd rather my hair look smooth instead of choppy, I use this stuff. It's really light, and, if you don't use it directly on the roots, it calms any frizzles and brings out the shine without looking greasy.

Volumizing Tonic

This baby has pretty much become my best friend. On top of having really straight hair, mine is thick, heavy, and not big on the volume department. A couple spritz of this miracle, and I have all the bounce I need and then some. Just spray a little on the roots of damp hair and then blow dry upside down, and wow. Love.

Light Elements Shaping Wax

I was not into the idea of wax. I sort of anticipated that my hair would look like someone had sneezed in it, and boogers are just not my style. Then, my stylist introduced me to my new favorite. Hello Light Elements Shaping Wax. You and my hair . . . you're going to be buds for life. When I want my layers to stand out, look choppy and defined, I rub a little of this on my fingers and then short of "fluff" my hair, pinching/brushing the layers in my hair so the wax sticks. You really can't tell that I'm wearing wax. No snot-look for me :] Fabulous.

All righty then . . . on to Day 9 . . . 

Day 9.  What virtues do you value in yourself?

I had no idea that there were so many different virtues. I wanted to look them up to try to make sure I wasn't making anything up about myself . . . Golly. 

I know I thrive in helping people. I have a desire to make things better, to help make other people happy. Part of it is because I'm a people-pleaser (which has HUGE downsides--I get hugely stressed and upset if I can't make everyone I'm around happy), but the other part is I just like it. Youth group and school pegged me as a leader the person directing everyone in how to do things, where things go. I'm not. I'm the kid behind stage making sure everyone has water, that the costumes are pressed, that snacks are ready, and the props are where they should be, who ask what needs to be done so she can do it. When I went on mission trips, my favorites weren't the door to door evangelism or even playing with kids--it was helping out in a classroom, sorting and distributing food goods, and laying the foundation for a new church building in an impoverished Christian community.  I miss being able to do things like that. I love community service. I love helping my mom clean the kitchen after we've come over for dinner or take care of my siblings over the weekend. I love helping friends clean or set up for a party or a big move. As a little girl, I used to make my daddy lunch and keep his glass of gatorade full when he did weekend yard work. Those little things are my favorites. 

The virtue other people have told me they respect is that I stick to the things I believe in. In college, most of my friends had different beliefs than I did--little, small beliefs or big ones. I decided early on I wouldn't drink underage. It's not that I have an issue with alcohol or think it's sinful. I just didn't want to drink before I was 21. I decided I wouldn't date my freshman year of college.  I didn't think dating was a bad thing to do--I just knew I had a tendency to get too attached too quickly and dating, for me, wasn't going to be a light thing. I had a huge crush on a friend of mine freshman year, and several people told me to go out with him, kiss him--something, anything at all--to get him out of my system. I didn't, and that was for the best. My good girl pals that year each came back to me, at different times, saying, "I don't agree with your decisions, but I am so impressed that you didn't change your mind, and I respect your commitment."

So, yes, those are my virtues. I so look forward to reading about yours! :]