My YouTube channel is up and running! I’m in the process of creating some DIY videos for you! I currently only have hoop practice videos posted. If you’d like to check me out, come by and show some love!
Gorgeous Hair Is The Best Revenge
Cleansing
• African Black Soap (Benefits: versatile, affordable, natural, strengthens hair, absorbs moisture from the air and deposits it into hair, softens, eliminates stubborn oil and dirt, increased UV protection, prevents and heals dandruff, creates shine)
• Baking Soda & Water
• Apple Cider Vinegar
Conditioning
• Apple Cider Vinegar (great for detangling)
• Avocado (calms frizz)
• Beer (adds body to limp hair)
• Egg (whites only to treat oily hair, yolk only to add moisture, both for conditioning)
• Yogurt (to treat dull hair)
• Honey (to treat dry or sun-damaged hair)
• Chamomile Tea (to add shine)
• Coconut Oil (deep conditioner)
To combat grease, sprinkle a small amount of cornstarch on roots and comb through.
To combat fly-always, rub a TINY amount of coconut or olive oil through hair.
To combat itch, massage scalp with fresh lemon juice and water. Leave on for 20 minutes then rinse and shampoo.
To darken, use henna or make a paste out of apple cider vinegar and cocoa powder (for brown hair) or beet root powder (for red hair). Saturate entire head with henna or paste before bed, throw a plastic cap on and go to sleep. Wake up and rinse well! Hold off on shampooing your hair for as long as you can stand it. Repeat as often as necessary to get desired color.
To lighten, mix together honey, baking soda, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and peroxide. Apply to areas you want lightened and leave on for at least 45 minutes, preferably while sitting in the sun. Rinse well and repeat every few days until you get your desired color.
To ombré, mix 1 part peroxide to 1 part water in a spray bottle. Spray ends of hair. Let sit for 40 minutes. Rinse well.
Got any tips you’d like to share? Any experience with the above mentioned? Share here!
Perfectly Pretty
In a world where women are taught they need to wear makeup and spend an obscene amount of money on their hair and nails in order to be loved, I took a stand to live my life differently by appreciating the way I look without all of the unnecessary bells and whistles.
It is quite amusing to see the expressions on the faces of those who find out I do not wear any makeup. I mean, they are flabbergasted! Why do you think that is? It is because the confidence I exude without makeup distracts people from the fact that I choose not to wear makeup. And I am more comfortable with the way I look than a lot of the women I know who do wear makeup.
Friends, I don’t wear makeup and I still think I’m beautiful. I don’t wear makeup and other people still think I’m beautiful. I don’t wear makeup and I’m still loved by those around me.
Today’s challenge: Leave the makeup on the shelf and tell yourself you’re much more beautiful without it. You may not know this but… you really are! If you can’t go a day without makeup, ask yourself why that is and then sit quietly for an honest answer. You may be surprised at what you discover.
Luxuries or Necessities?
Creamy Cauliflower Soup
What you need
• Cauliflower
• Coconut oil
• Homemade broth
• Raw cashews
• Onion, chopped
• Garlic, chopped
• Himalayan salt, to taste
• Freshly ground pepper
• Seasonings of choice (I sprinkled a little but of cumin, coriander, and cinnamon in mine)
What you do
Sautée cauliflower in coconut oil on medium heat in a pot. After about 2 minutes, throw in the garlic and onion. Sautée for another minute. Add broth and bring to a rolling boil. Transfer ingredients to your blender and add your seasonings, cashews, and more coconut oil. Blend until you get your desired consistency. Serve hot. (I garnish with a sprinkling of paprika and a sprig of parsley.)
How do you make cauliflower soup? Which seasonings did you use?
The Frugal Girl’s Guide To Vitamins & Minerals!
Supplements are expensive! If you’ve been following my blog for a while, or you know me in real life, you know how much I hate spending money if I don’t have to. As someone who takes great pleasure in supporting my body by giving it what it needs, I did some research on vitamins, minerals, and other things my body needs, and came up with a food plan to ensure I’m getting my daily intake of vitamins, minerals, etcetera through the food I eat, not through expensive pills that may or may not work. The following is a list of the foods I eat regularly for optimum health!
Vitamin A
- Kale
- Sweet potato
- Pumpkin
- Mango
- Butternut squash
- Eggs
Vitamin B6
- Bananas
- Hazelnuts
- Spinach
- Salmon
- Chicken
Vitamin B12
- Lamb
- Eggs
- Salmon
- Greek yogurt
- Tofu
Vitamin C
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Red peppers
- Broccoli
- Citrus fruits
- Cauliflower
- Cherries
- Cilantro
- Chives
- Basil
- Parsley
- Thyme
- Kale
- Spinach
Vitamin D
- Portabello mushrooms
- Salmon
- Cheese
- Tofu
- Eggs
- Sunshine (I know, I know, we don’t EAT sunshine.)
Vitamin E
- Olive oil
- Raw almonds
- Avocados
- Raw hazelnuts
Vitamin K
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Parsley
- Spinach
- Brussel sprouts
Calcium
- Plain greek yogurt
- Tofu
- Spinach
Choline
- Eggs
- Broccoli
- Brussel sprouts
- Salmon
- Chicken
Chromium
- Broccoli
- Romaine lettuce
- Green beans
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Potatoes
Copper
- Cashews
- Mushrooms
- Kale
- Garbanzo beans
- Avocado
Flouride
- Chicken
- Green tea
- Potatoes
- Citrus fruits
- Eggs
- Tomatoes
- Carrots
- Onions
- Avocado
- Strawberries
- Bananas
- Cherries
Folic acid
- Asparagus
- Spinach
- Lentils
- Broccoli
- Brussel sprouts
- Avocado
- Garbanzo beans
- Almonds
- Cauliflower
- Carrots
- Butternut squash
Gelatin
- Bone broth
Iodine
- Greek yogurt
- Salmon
- Eggs
- Potatoes
Iron
- Tofu
- Lentils
- Spinach
- Chicken
- Cashews
- Potatoes
Magnesium
- Almonds
- Spinach
- Bananas
- Salmon
- Avocado
- Dark chocolate
Manganese
- Pineapple
- Green tea
- Oats
- Spinach
- Kale
- Tofu
Molybdenum
- Lentils
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Greek yogurt
- Tofu
Niacin
- Avocado
- Chicken
- Mushrooms
- Sunflower seeds
- Salmon
Pantothenic Acid
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Sweet potatoes
- Mushrooms
- Avocado
- Greek yogurt
Phosphorus
- Cheese
- Salmon
- Chicken
- Greek yogurt
Potassium
- Potatoes
- Artichokes
- Bananas
- Greek yogurt
- Mushrooms
Probiotics
- Raw sauerkraut
- Kimchi
- Kombucha
- Greek yogurt
- Kefir
- Miso paste
Riboflavin
- Eggs
- Almonds
- Cheese
- Lamb
Selenium
- Salmon
- Brazil nuts
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Chia seeds
Sodium Chloride
- Himalayan salt
- Sea salt
Thiamin
- Lentils
- Pecans
- Sunflower seeds
- Asparagus
Zinc
- Cashews
- Lamb
- Spinach
- Pumpkin seeds
How do you get your daily vitamin intake?
Rainy Day Haiku!
The Rain pours down hard
I am covered in her tears
My umbrella failed
-An original poem by Amber Atevalu (Me)
I hope that made you smile today.
Do you have a rainy day haiku you’d like to share?
Beans, Beans, Good For Your Heart! The More You Eat, The More You…
I love eating meat, so much so that my body is telling me to slow the hell down! My vegan friends shared with me some ways they get the protein they need without eating meat and I made a commitment to try all of their suggestions! I never make anything without sharing how I did it with you, and today is no different. This morning I made a very tasty semi-vegetarian breakfast I’m proud of. I still don’t know what to name it so, for now, we’ll just call it “Beans With An Attitude”.
The first thing I did was make turkey broth out of the turkey scraps left over from Thanksgiving. No, I didn’t do this today, I made broth right after dinner on Thanksgiving Thursday and have it stored in my fridge.
This is how I made the broth: I placed the turkey scraps (carcass included), chopped onion, smashed garlic, all of the vegetable and herb scraps left over from preparing dinner (celery, carrot, butternut squash, rosemary, thyme, sage), olive oil, himalayan salt, black pepper, apple cider vinegar, and water in my crock pot and set the heat to low. I slow-cooked the broth overnight and strained it into a large mason jar the next day. After the broth cooled completely, I stored the broth in my fridge.
Last night before bed, I rinsed a cup of uncooked (no cans in my home) garbanzo beans and put them in my crock pot. I added 3 cups of my homemade broth, set the heat to low, and slow-cooked overnight. This morning my beans were cooked to perfection! I took about a 1/2 cup of the beans out and rinsed them, the other half I let cool before storing them in a container in my fridge. With the beans I took out to eat, I added sundried tomatoes, goat cheese, thinly sliced red onion, himalayan salt, and freshly ground black pepper. My, my, these beans are delicious!
(If you can’t eat bone broth, use your saved vegetable scraps and make a vegetable broth. I wasn’t attempting to make a vegetarian dish, just a meal where I did not have to chew and digest actual pieces of flesh.)
On a side note: I had such a yummy time eating this this morning that I forgot to take a picture for you. I promise to add a picture the next time I make this delectable little dish.
How do you substitute meat in your diet? How do you prepare garbanzo beans?
Silly Sunday!
A friend of mine recently wrote a post on Facebook making fun of women who take selfies. In response, I decided to take a selfie while lying in bed reading a book and post it in his comment box. Prior to my friend’s selfie post, I had never taken a selfie. Now, I think they’re so fun, I take at least one a week!
Today’s challenge: Take a selfie without trying to look good and post it in the comments or on your Facebook page. Don’t take yourself too seriously, nobody else does.
Sharing Is Caring!
My dear blog followers and visitors,
I would love to know more about you! What is the name of your blog? What is it about? Do you have a vlog? Where are you from? What type of articles are you most interested in? Is there an article you’re proud of that you’d like to share with me? Who are your favorite writers? What book are you reading right now?
Also, here’s a little reminder to email me your mailing address if you’d like to receive a little holiday package from me.
Happy holidays, everybody!
Love,
Me
amberatevalu@gmail.com
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