I lift things up and put them down. Oh and we camp with corn fritters!

The beginning of a lifting journey.

Okay I do strange things. I use homemade soap and don't wash my hair. I make my own deodorant and wash clothes with homemade laundry soap. The dishes in the dishwasher are washed with homemade dish soap and I make most of the cleaners used in the house. 

I have run in road races: 5k, 10k, 15k, 13.1 miles and even a full 26.2 miles. I have even done sprint triathlons. I have done rides to raise money for diabetes research twice one 40 mile ride and one 100k metric century ride (62.5 miles). To look at me most people would never in a million years think that I am capable of doing these things. Why do I do these? Maybe to prove to myself that I can. Maybe to prove to others that I can. And sometimes just because I CAN.

Maybe these things aren't so strange.

Now one of my coworkers has convinced me to start lifting. I am really only focusing on two variations right now...bench press and squats.

I kind of like it. I am actually kinda strong. To date my highest squat is 140lbs, which I will match this week before going for 150lbs next week. I gotta say it is kinda fun out lifting the boys in the box beside me. :) Who knows where this will go. I like to try and put things in writing. I want to be accountable. Sometimes it works...sometimes not so much.

Next weekend is Winefest at Watkins Glen. Or as Mark has taken to calling it...The Liver Olympics. So this weekend we are trying to figure out what safe place we have put all our camping gear and getting a menu put together. This is definitely a camping trip where creativity should not be attempted. Today I made Arepas which are a Hispanic corn fritter. We usually have burritos of some nature while we are there and these are a tasty side for them. I am going to freeze them and then just warm them on the grill.
They were super easy to make:
1 can corn (drained)
1 can creamed corn
1 egg
1 tsp adobo (next time I think I will use more)
1/4 cup milk (next time I will use almond milk)
mix together
add enough Masa Harina to make it thick - kind of like a stiff cookie dough

Scoop out a handful and flatten between your hands and cook in a small amount of oil until browned on both sides. I let them cool on a paper towel lined cooling rack.
They are good and filling and mostly healthy-ish.
When our peppers ripen you could definitely chop up some jalapenos or habaneros and add them for some zing or even add a tablespoon of sugar/agave/honey for  a sweeter version or live dangerously and do both! Either way they are yummy.  

Getting the junk out. Soaps and shampoos and deodorants oh my!

I have seen a few posts float by on social media lately about suspicious chemicals in everyday products like deodorant and hair products. I have mentioned a few times about trying to get rid of the unneeded junk and use more natural products in cleaning the house, as well as, cleaning myself.
A few years back now I suppose we started being more aware and informed consumers and started educating ourselves on what goes into the products we use and where those products come from and some of them are quite scary. Even if science contradicts itself on whether these ingredients cause harm or not...why would I want to slather myself (and those I love) in parabins and aluminum and sulfates and a million things I can't pronounce that clearly are not naturally occurring in this universe.

At least a year ago I started experimenting with natural deodorants. You can buy some in the store, but most are no longer independently owned nor as healthy or socially/environmentally aware as they started out. So out come the internets and looking up some homemade recipes and have tried several with varying degrees of success.
A few that have been tried:
-Plain coconut oil
-Limes
-cornstarch and coconut oil
My go to now is bentonite clay, coconut oil, cornstarch and tea tree oil. It really works well. I haven't felt the need to refresh or try something new in quite a while. No on tells me I am stink and I don't notice any funk so I would say it is a success. It takes longer to get the ingredients together than it does to make.

I also ditched shampoo. And conditioner. And everything else too. Okay I still color my hair and I still use alcohol free gel, but I haven't washed my hair in probably 8 months. I shared this with one of my coworkers the other day and they asked, "how do you get your hair clean?" to which I replied' "does my hair look dirty?" Nope. Nor stinky. Nor greasy. Nor anything but awesome. I think I may try to ditch the gel too and just use a little bit of coconut oil.
On occasion I will use some baking soda or borax to get any buildup off and may add a drop or two of the conditioner that comes with hair color to my gel but other than that I just run water through it in the shower and we are good to go.
Not one person has a clue that I don't wash my hair unless I tell them.

I know. I am a total hippie chick...but I must say I am way happier and much healthier for it.