Homemade Deep Conditoner

Hey Loves!!!
Rissa here with another great tip!

With harsh Winter weather approaching it takes a toll on our beloved locks, hair that is! So I have just the thing to moisturize and liven up those strands! A deep conditioning treatment.
This is my favorite homemade deep conditioner, I have been using this for myself and Cori Rae for over a year now and it works great. Lets get right to it.

Items Needed:

• Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner (or any conditioner you like)
• Raw honey
• Coconut Oil
• Rosemary Essential Oil
• Bowl
• Spoon

Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Conditioner

Coconut Oil

Raw Honey

 Rosemary EO

So here is what you need to do. I don't have exact measurements, I mostly just eyeball it and mix it up according to what my hair needs and of course hair length is important too. The longer the hair the more product you will need.

Put desired amount of Coconut Oil and Honey in the bowl

Microwave for 10 seconds just to soften the oil and honey

This is what it looks like after microwaving

Add your conditioner

Add the Rosemary Essential oil

Mix it all together

Apply to the hair in sections for easier application. Then cover with a plastic cap.

Leave the conditioner on for 15-30 minutes then Rinse. Look at that face!

Style hair

She's so over getting her hair done now. Her and Mr. Ribbits needed a blankie break!

I use the Aubrey Organics conditioner because it is SOO moisturizing. The consistency of the product is super thick and creamy so a little goes a very long way and this also makes it a better conditioner for mixing with other ingredients.

Oh and here are few benefits from using the ingredients listed.
Honey- Adds shine and moisture and prevents breakage
Coconut Oil- Reduces protein loss
Rosemary Oil- Effective natural preservative and antioxidant. Also said to promote hair growth!

So there you have it. My fav homemade Deep Condish!

Do you make your own hair care products?
Share them in the comment section!

Not getting enough Zzzzzzz's?

Hey Loves!

If you are having trouble sleeping and have yet to find a remedy to this extremely annoying problem then I may have a tip that will help ya out!

Dr. Oz recently talked about sleep problems on his show and there are some interesting reasons why many of us may not be getting our best sleep. Check out what he has to say here.

One of the things that I took from it is the tip about not using Melatonin and using Magnolia Bark instead.  This was suggested because the average amount of Melatonin a body needs is 1mg and if you notice most Melatonin supplements are available in 3mg or higher causing us to wake up groggy and well...sleepy. Hmmmm defeats the purpose right? So I decided to give this Magnolia Bark a try. I ordered mine from Vitacost and I have been using it for about a week now and I must say I have experienced good results thus far!

I feel more rested in the mornings, if I wake in the middle of the night I have no problems falling back asleep. And the best part about the Magnolia Bark is that you can also take it any time of the day if you are feeling stressed and it helps you calm down. This is definitely a keeper for me! Now as far as the price at $21.59 for 60 capsules this may seem somewhat expensive BUT if you are in serious need of help with your sleep then this maybe worth the price tag. Give it a try.

What are some things you do to help with sleep? Have you tried Magnolia Bark? If you use Melatonin will you be changing to Magnolia Bark?

Organize those recipes.

Hey Loves!
Rissa here with another tip! This one is all about food! Yaaay!
I don't know about you guys but for me cooking for my family can sometimes be the most dreadful part of my day, simply due to the fact I don't know what in the world to cook! So I end up stuck in the kitchen fumbling around until I come up with something that either the Hubs and the babies don't like or I just end up microwaving something. It is very important to me that I make healthy and tasty meals for my family so in order to do so without all the stress I decided that maybe a recipe binder would be a helpful tool!
This binder not only houses all of our favorite recipes but it also keeps recipes we would like to try, grocery list printouts, food inventory, meal planning printouts (post on this later), freezer cooking printouts (post on this later), and much more. This binder has been such a big help here in the Cunningham house and dinner time is a breeze now! So if you are interested in putting together your own binder keep on reading and lets get right into it.

Items Needed:

• 3 ring binder
• Card-stock
• Glue
• Tab dividers (12)
• 3-hole punch
• Your recipes
• Page protectors

Now as far as how you put your binder together this is totally up to you. I have seen so many different versions of how people organize their recipes and I took things that I liked and applied them to my own.

Step 1.) Determine how you want to categorize your recipes. I categorized mine in this order:

•  Meal Planning  (this is where I put all of those printouts and food inventory)
• Beef
• Breakfast
• Chicken
• Crockpot
• Drinks
• Pork
• Seafood
• Sides, Breads, Butters
• Snacks
• Soups
• Sweets

Step 2.) Type those hand-written recipes and print them out. Glue them to card-stock to make them sturdy. Put them into the page protectors.

Step 3.) Label your tab-dividers.

Step 4.) Arrange your recipes in the binder accordingly.

Step 5.) Cook one of those favorite recipes and pat yourself on the back because you are awesome! ;-)

My supplies and yes that would be a glass of Shiraz, I try not to do many projects in the Cunningham home with out it! ;-)

Recipe from a magazine

Tab divider labeled

Typed recipe

Binder is complete!

Now that your recipes are all together in one fabulous place, you are ready to start meal planning! This too has been extremely helpful for meal time here. My next post will be about how I plan my meals by freezer cooking and using a weekly menu so stay tuned!
Do you have a recipe binder?

Boots playing dominoes?

Hey loves!
     I know I've been M.I.A. but I'm back with a new tip! Now if you are a shoe fanatic like myself then your favorite thing about cold weather is.....BOOTS of course! Well for the longest I have had the hardest time finding a solution for keeping my tall boots standing in my closet. I know you gals have to feel me on this, you get your boots all nice and neat in the closet and then like dominoes they all start falling over Drives. Me. Crazy. Uggggh
  
     So here's what I came up with, are you ready for it?! This is so easy and inexpensive you won't believe it. Ok so all of those Parent Magazines or Vogue or Cosmopolitan or Good Housekeeping (you get the point) that you have piling up around the house, gather them up and head to your closet.
Roll one magazine for each boot, slide it in and Presto! Standing boots! So simple right?

I have been using this idea for a couple of months now and so far so good! How do you keep your boots standing?

Carter's Haul

Carter's Babies and Kids

Well my little monkeys seem to be growing like weeds over here! Their pants are too short, shirts are too tight, sock and shoes are too little...so I decided to head on over to the new Carter's store here at the Shops at Greenridge. I have heard from several moms about the great prices and deals so this was a better time than any to go. Most of the items I got were between $6-$8 and they are having an even better sale right now with 40% or more off all items in store!

Here are a few of the items I picked up:

Bow front shirt here with polka dot leggings here

Long sleeve Tee here with drawstring pants here

Vest with leopard print dress here & leggings here

Button up shirt here with twill pants here

Long sleeve shirts here, here & here

Long sleeve pajamas here

3-piece pajama with short sleeves, shorts and pants

Another 3-piece pajama with long sleeves, short sleeves and pants

1-piece footed pajamas here

My little monkeys in some of their new outfits!

This is just a few of the items that I purchased. Many were from the clearance rack so that's why there are no links to those items. Not only are the prices good but Carter's is a very trusted brand. I remember Carters from when I was a baby! So there you have it, I hope you all find some great deals as well. Oh and right now they are giving out $10 vouchers for every $50 you spend in the store, this is great for going back later to get even more! Happy shopping!
~Rissa

Time Management

I don't know about you guys but it seems like there just isn't enough time in a day to do all the things that we need to get done, not to mention those things that we just want to do, you know like hmmm...shave your legs or finally polish the toenails on your left foot. Haha I know I'm not the only one! o_O

Well being a SAHM (stay at home mom) it can be easy to get off schedule and just wing it, "what's so wrong with that" you ask? Nothing....if you are one of those "fly by the seat of your pants" type of gals. But if you're a planner like myself then time management or the lack there of can either make your day a success or a total disaster.  While I was in cosmetology school, being organized and managing my time well made things a lot easier for me, the Hubs and the babies. So I have put together a few steps and some tips that have helped me and I hope will help you also.

Step 1.     Determine your passions & gifts. What things are you passionate about in your life? What are your gifts do you have those things that you are naturally good at doing?

Step 2.     Determine what your priorities Are & Aren't. (Ex. when making schedules or task lists prioritize them by things that MUST get done and things that you would LIKE to get done.)

Step 3.     Create a "Time Budget"

1. Total up the hours in a day (or week).
2. List all activities to accomplish in that time. (Don't forget sleep!)
3. Determine the amount of time needed to complete each activity.
4. If there isn't enough time in the day/week:
• steal time from other activites
• streamline and take less time on activities
• get someone else to do it
• drop it completely

Step 4.     Create a daily/weekly schedule to have a "blueprint" of how your day/week should go. *Do not get discouraged if you don't follow it exactly.

So those are 4 steps to get you on your way to better time management. It is very important not to feel discouraged or unaccomplished if each day does not go as planned. Hey we are human right, and life throws us curve balls so just go with it! Your daily/weekly schedule is simply there to help you get things in order. I know there are MANY days that I am forced to deviate from my schedule in most cases just because I simply don't want to do something at that particular time. Such is life...Right? o_O

Along with those steps here are a few tips that may help you as well.

• Avoid distractions like the T.V., computer, phone, etc. while tackling those priority tasks.
• Avoid multitasking. Well this one is easier said than done, but if at all possible, try it.
• Create cleaning schedule(s) for daily/weekly cleaning (blog post coming soon).
• Prep for the next day the night before ex. lunches, clothes, etc.
• Utilize meal plans such as planning a weekly menu or freezer cooking (blog post coming soon, by the way this saved me when I was in school)
• Try to do at least 1 load of laundry per day to eliminate laundry pile ups
• Do not hesitate to delegate. We always feel like we have to do it ALL. Well nobody is perfect and if you know someone that does "do it all" she/he is probably superhuman, Just sayin! 

So there you have it! I hope that this will be helpful to you all. How do you guys manage your time? Share any suggestions in the comment section!
~Rissa~

Planning is key!

Soooo...I had every intention on going to the gym yesterday but naptime struck with a mean vengeance before I could get us all dressed, fed and ready to go #stayathomemomproblems
Anywho, that didn't change the fact that I still needed to workout. What I decided to do was a circuit of exercise routines right here in my own living room and I have to say by the time I got to the second set I was really feeling it! Here's what I did:

talesofadomesticmama.blogspot.com/2012/04/mini-morning-workout.html

Now that being said, although my babies slept until after 10:00am today I still failed to make it to the gym before the kids room closed and went shopping for the Jackster instead!!! He really needed some things. So the moral of this story, "Planning Is Key"!!! If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. :-((
I guess a blog post about time management should be happening soon! LOL
Tell me what you think about this routine in the comment section below.
Happy working out and I'll catch you guys later!
Next post: Carter's Haul....then Time Management LOL
♥Rissa

Vanilla & Lavender Body Scrub

Now that Autumn has arrived I thought it would be a good time to share with y'all this great homemade body scrub! This scrub is really easy to make AND it's not expensive at all! Double Yay!

I adapted this recipe from a fellow blogger Savvy Brown. She had a great blog by the way, so be sure to check it out!

So lets get started with the recipe!

Ingredients:

• Raw brown sugar
• White sugar
• 1/2 Cup Grapeseed oil
• 1/2 Cup Sweet Almond Oil or EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
• Vanilla EO (Essential Oil) or Extract
• Lavender EO
• Eucalyptus EO
• Jason Calming Lavender Body Wash (optional-this makes it a cleansing body scrub)
• Glass or plastic jar with a lid

Directions:

1. Fill the jar 1/2 way with brown sugar
2. Fill the jar almost to the top with white sugar
3. Make a pit in the sugars to add your oils
4. Stir in the oils
5. Add more sugars if necessary
6. If you plan to make a cleansing body scrub, add your body wash now
7. Add 10 drops of Eucalyptus EO, 20 drops Vanilla EO and/or a capful of Vanilla Extract, 20 drops Lavender EO
8. Blend ingredients well

How to Use:
Use after cleansing your body
Rub onto skin in a circular motion
Rinse away the sugar
*if using the cleansing body scrub skip step one*

This body scrub will leave you feeling moisturized and your skin will be so soft! This is also great to use as a scrub for manicures and pedicures!
Oh and if you have your own body scrub please share them in the comment box below! I love new recipes!

♥ Enjoy! ♥

Ponytail A poem for Gabby Douglas

My Aunt sent me an email today with this video and I just had to share this with you all! Enjoy!

Workout With Me!

Ok so today was tough because I am sick with a cold! Ugggh I hate being sick! But never the less I got in the gym today and did what I had to do!

Today I decided to do legs again, I am determined to tighten up these glutes, hamstrings, and calf muscles! I did my normal leg work out but I also added 15 minutes on the elliptical  alternating sprint for 5 minutes and jog for 5 minutes.
Here is a rundown of my leg workout:

The following leg exercises I did 3 sets of 10-20reps:

• squats with 115lbs
• front squats with 60lbs
• hack squats with 60lbs
• lunges with 50lbs
• leg curls with 50lbs
• leg press with 90lbs
• leg extensions with 70lbs
• calf raises with 45lbs

Now moving onto abs:

• 200 decline crunches
• 30 side crunches (each side)
• 3 sets of 30 leg lifts

Remember that YouTube has plenty of good vids for the proper way to perform these exercises.

Happy exercising! Feel free to comment below with your workout!

Workout With Me!

This is going to be a post about my workout from Friday, we were out of town for the weekend so I wasn't able to post until today. So here goes!
I finally got to work out with the Hubs on Friday! Yaaaaay!!! I miss him in the gym. His school schedule has changed his workout schedule :-( so most days I work out by myself.
So to take advantage of having each other there for a spotter, we decided to do chest and arms. Here is a rundown of our workout:

Bench Press-

• 1 set of 12 reps with 65lbs
• 1 set of 10 reps with 75lbs
• 1 set of  8 reps with 85lbs
• 1 set of  6 reps with 95lbs

                     
Incline Bench Press- 3 sets of 10 reps with 75lbs
Decline Bench Press-  3 sets of 10 reps with 80lbs
Bench Press with Dumbbells- 3 sets of 10 reps with 25lbs each
Preacher curls- 3 sets of 10 with 65lbs
Standing curls- 3 sets of 10 with 40lbs
Dumbbell curls- 3 sets of 10 with 20lbs each

Abs-
200 decline crunches
90 leg lifts
30 side crunches
Remember that YouTube has plenty of good vids for the proper way to perform these exercises.

Happy exercising! Feel free to comment below with your workout!

Absolute Fuel High Energy Fat Burner!

As many of you know I have been using this awesome new product Absolute Fuel. I recently entered the Absolute Fuel Fitness Modeling contest on Facebook and won a trip to Miami for a photo shoot with a world renowned photographer, a 1 year supply of the product, proceeds from calendar sales and a chance to win $4,000 sponsorship in fitness contest! Needless to say, I am SOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!
Now you guys are probably wondering what is this stuff??? Well, Absolute Fuel is a High Energy Fat Burner. I personally don't want to lose weight but I enjoy the energy that the product gives me and so far I have to say that this stuff is awesome!!! My workouts our AMAZING it gives me that extra boost to keep going and to do a little more when I would normally be ready to throw in the towel. I don't feel jittery or over energetic, it's more like the natural energy you need to get through the day. Sometimes I have to remind myself to eat because it does indeed curb your appetite which is good for those who are trying to shed some pounds. The price point is fair also, you get 120 capsules for $59.99 so if you take the recommended dosage that should last you at least 30 days!
Buuut now that I am officially an Absolute Fuel Girl I can offer you guys a great deal!!! That's right ya'll, if you are curious about this all natural high energy fat burner then wait no more. Go to www.absfuel.com and enter the code mc499 at check out and you can save $10 on your order!!!! The product ships same day or next day at the latest so that you can get started with better workouts and/or shedding the unwanted pounds!
Now whatta ya waiting for?!?!?!? Go to the website to get more info and details on this great product and even order a free sample!

Workout With Me!

So I had to practically drag myself out of bed this morning! Me and J'Baby had the sweetest little cuddle session while watching Super Why in bed! I just love those moments. Well anywhoo once I finally rolled outta bed I had my 1st dose of Magnesium (a bowl of raisin bran) while the babies enjoyed their Multi Grain Cheerios and we were off to the gym!
Today I decided to focus on back and shoulders, I also threw in some legs and of course I hit the abs! So here is a breakdown of today's workout:

• 3 sets of 10 pull ups Example
• 3 sets of 10 lower back extensions with 25lbs Example
• 3 sets of 10 dead lifts with 60lbs Example
• 3 sets of 10 machine low row with 60lbs Example
• 3 sets of 10 lat pull downs with 60lbs Example
• 3 sets of 10 dips Example
• 3 sets of 10 shoulder shrugs with 25lb dumbbells Example
• 3 sets of 10 shoulder press with 30lb dumbbells Example
• 3 sets of 10 front shoulder raises with 35lbs Example

After all of that I decided to throw in a bit of legs. I did 3 sets of 10 high steps and then proceeded to my ab workout.

• 200 crunches
• 3 sets of 30 leg lifts
• 60 side crunches

Happy exercising! Feel free to comment below with your workout!

Do you feel irritable, weak and exhausted all the time? Yeah me too...

I don't know about anyone else but I feel drained it seems like all of the time!!! Well it seems like it was perfect timing for Tuesday's episode of  The Dr. Oz show explaining why many women have trouble with their energy levels. So what did he have to say? We need more MAGNESIUM!!! He made a list of magnesium packed foods for us and suggest that we have at least 5 servings per day.
Here are a couple of links for the magnesium diet:
Daily Dose of Magnesium
Magnesium Grocery List

I've started my magnesium regimen and so far here's what I am doing:
 

A bowl of Raisin Bran for breakfast

     A Green Monster Spinach Smoothie for snack

Recipe

 

A sandwich on whole wheat bread for lunch

Two bananas for afternoon snack

 

A bowl of oatmeal after dinner

 

Hope this helps! Cheers to more energy!!!! I know I need it LOL C'Baby and J'Baby have enough for us all!