Facts About Being a Lady: Party In My Pants!

I was reading a blog post a while ago about the company Party In My Pants. I can't seem to find the post now which bums me out. Basically its a company that makes these really pretty cloth pads. Now when I was first looking at the site I kept thinking-- oh yikes. I'm sure I've talked about cloth pads with my sisters before and we all kinda cringed a little bit. After reading the site though it seemed not so bad. So I got the free sample to test it out! That went very well so I took the plunge and tossed some money in and changed the way I was doing thing. Since doing so I've wanted to share my enlightenment with everyone so I figured I'd do a review post!

Here it goes!
Things that I liked:
- Lots of options! They have different sizes, patterns, shapes and materials. I've tried about one of everything and I love them all. Although I like the flannel material the best!
- Better for the environment! When you start thinking about how many pads you can use just in one year. Its crazy! I know its just a small change for a big problem, but you have to start somewhere right?
-Super comfy! I was afraid that with out the sticky-ness that disposable pads have that things would be moving and not so nice. BUT its not bad at all. There is a little bit of adjusting to be done but after a little bit you get use to it. The extra extender snaps help a ton! I highly recommend getting them!
- You always have them! No more running to the store. Also if you're starting to run out you can just wash them and you're good to go. Theres a bit of comfort just knowing that you don't have to worry about not having any supplies when you need them
-How easy it is to fold them up! I was real worried about what to do with the used ones. But once they are used they are easy to fold up and hides all the icky stuff until you can get a chance to wash them. Have a little wet bag really helps! Its really it all about getting a system that works for you!

Things I didn't like:
- Initial cost. Even though you save a lot of money in the long run, dropping all the money at the start kinda sucks.
-Change more often. I've found that with cloth pads I have to change more frequently then with the disposable ones. Which makes sense cause whatever those infinity Always pads are made of are a science miracle. They hold so much liquid!!

Phew so there you have it! What kinda products do you like to use? I'm always curious to hear what other women are using and how it works for them. I know there are a few other companies out there like this one. I'm looking forward to trying out some other ones. I think its safe to say that I'll be using cloth pads for a long time!

Facts About Being a Lady: Natural Beauty Products!

Lately I've been trying my best to change to all natural beauty products. It seems so weird that its taken me this long to realize the icky stuff that is in most beauty products. Also that there are other alternatives out there! It makes sense that to feel good you need to put good stuff on your body. It seems like we live in such a chemically world when we really don't have too. I'm also finding that buying all natural can help support independent companies. Indie companies care about there clients and want them to feel good and make good products! So here a few products and companies that I've tried or want to try!

ONE: Battys Bath! This one was recommended by a pen pal of mine. They some some unique products and a lot of information about skin and what makes healthy skin. I really feel like this lady knows what she's talking about. I started out with THIS kit for black heads. I get lots of funkiness around my nose and needed something that would get rid of it and prevent break outs from over exfoliating. This is prefect! I love the clean feel the soap has and the moisturizer is effective but not greasy. I also got THIS hydrating gel. It felt a little weird at first but after a week I felt a difference in the way my skin felt. I didn't get that weird tightness I usually got after washing my face. It seems a little pricy but definitely worth it! They have a ton of great products, so check them out!

TWO: Good 4 You! I bought the Sandalwood Blush Powder and I LOVE it!  I use it on top of my foundation. It matches my skin perfectly and gives my skin this amazing natural color and feel. Its light and fluffy, smells amazing and a little bit of it goes a long way. You definitely get your monies worth! I also got some Blemish Balm. I enjoy this product a lot. Its good for the little blemishes but probably wouldn't be too effective on a really big one. It is really good for prevention, especially if you have any dry patches on your face. When I use tea tree oil on some of my blemishes the surrounding skin gets dried out, this is perfect to get rid of that! Check out her shop! She's got a ton of make up, hair stuffs and some really unique products!

THREE: Queen Bee Trading Co! This is a newer one that I've tried. I bought some hair care products for my Hawaii vacation. She has some in cute little 2oz. bottles. Which is prefect for traveling. You can get her products in a MILLION different scents! I ended up with Coconut detangler, Awapuhi hair serum and Good Karma sea salt spray. They all smell amazing! The scent is surprisingly strong! I'm excited to use these! I'll have to let you know how it turns out!

FOUR: Naturally Roberta! This is a new one that I stumbled upon. I was looking for a pressed compact powder. I just can't seem to get the powder stuff to get on my face efficiently enough. So I like pressed powder a lot more! I wanted to find one that was chemical free and that I could refill the compact to cut down on waste. This one fits all the requirements! I am a little nervous about what color to choose, so I've orders some samples. I'm really excited to try it out!

FIVE: DIY Sunscreen! I bought some sun screen the other day and I was just blown away by how many options there are! They all have this weird chemically smell to them. Don't get me wrong the sun screen smell reminds me of childhood summers and I adore it! BUT there has to be a better option, right? I really wanna try this one out! I love coconut and I love that I can add any scent I want to it. Do you have any sunscreen secrets that you want to share?

Phew! So many products so little time! I want to try them all. I wish I had more money! 

Facts About Being a Lady: Period Products!

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I should warn you this post is a little bit ranty but theres also some cool links so just stick with me! I've been thinking about periods and menstruation a lot lately. It seems like its been popping up on my social media feed which has been creating a lot of discussions. Which is really awesome! I think its something we should all feel ok talking about. There is this weird stigma about periods that just saddens me greatly. So hopefully the more we all write about it the more people will be comfortable thinking and talking about it! My one and only niece it just approaching that age and you can just see how awkward she feels about it. I totally understand where she's coming from cause I felt awkward talking about it at that age too! So I'm doing my best to talk about it comfortably. She probably thinks I'm a real werido! I just have this great hope that when I have kids and they are that age that its not an awkward thing to talk about. That we as a society have changed the idea of periods. I really do believe that we have that power! If we continue to write about it, talk about it and refuse to be ashamed about it!

Phew! Ok enough ranting! Some really awesome links I wanted to share with you!
1. THINKS! Period undies! This is such a great idea and they look so well made. I'd love to try some of these out. They are a bit out of my price range but I'm definitely saving my pennies!
2. CLUE PERIOD TRACKER. I've gone though quite a bit of period tracking apps. This one so far is my favorite. I just love the way it looks. Its easy to read. The mood and symptoms tracking is very simple. Most of the other apps I've used have way too many options its overwhelming! Tracking my period has been the best thing ever! I wish I would've started this when I was a teenager. Why did I ever think it should just be a surprise? An awful surprise at that!
3. LUNA PADS. This is a new site I've found. I haven't ordered anything but oh man they have quite the selection. I love how many products they offer and they have tons of alternatives! When you're young and start your period it seems like you've only got 2 options. When there are so many cool products out there, you just need to find what works for you! So I love site that this that offer lots of options!

So what do you think? Any cool sites that you've found, please share! I'm always on the search for new products to try out. I've recently changed to cloth pads, so that's been quite the adventure! Ha I'm sure I'll do a rant post/ review about it later!

Hair Plopping?

So a little bit ago I saw this link on Facebook about plopping. The post wasn't really all that clear on what it was, so decided to look it up! I guess I'm behind the times and a bit of old news, but I decided to give it ago. I wanted to share my results! Now as my hair gets longer the curl in it kinda loses its gusto. SO I thought this would be a good solution! HERE is this neat link and THIS video.

I think it turned out pretty well! Not crazy curly but pretty wavy and hella effortless! Way easier then my normal flat iron waves and doesn't make my hair as dry! Things I would suggest. 1) Using a long sleeve tee-shirt that way you can wrap the arms around and secure it tightly. 2) Put product in your hair before wrapping it up. I've been using THIS be curly stuff from Aveda. (Aveda is my favorite although it totally busts the bank!) 3) The longer the better! I noticed the closer my hair is to dry the better the curls. 4) If you have fringe leave it out of the plop! If you group your bangs in with the curly-ness they kinda get crazy, but I found if I comb them down first then they are more manageable. 

So what do you think? Have you tried plopping and have you had any sucess? Any tips to add to my list?

Lovely Things: Lovely Lady Links!

I was going through some of the links that I've been holding onto. I found a few of them to be on quite the strong women theme. So I wanted to share a few of them with you! Now don't worry I'm going ram it down your throat why we should all be feminist and why feminism is so important. I just wanted to share some really cool things to read!

First off! The lovely lady blogger over at Sincerely, Isabella is starting a new monthly feature called Art Collective. Mostly featuring female artists and independent unknowns. You can find it HERE. I love this idea! I love art and i've a soft spot for strong female artists. Its a lovely way to be inspired by people and discover new artists to admire! So check it out!

Second. One of my favorite blogs Too Much Light Burns the Negative, did THIS post a few days ago. I just love the way she writes so much. I love how honest and ranty this post is. It's incredibly relatable. I'm sure we've all been in that spot before when you read something and you just can't believe that people in this day and age are so narrow minded. I just love this post and wanted to share it!

Third. I found THIS ah-mazing post about female electronic musicians that changed the industry! I love this article because they have videos that go along with it! Its awesome! My knowledge about electronic music is very minimal, so I felt like I learned a lot. Plus I adore anything that highlights a strong female!

Last but not least, you didn't think I could do a post and NOT include at least one extremely feminist link?! One of my favorite new findings is a site called Who Needs Feminism? It basically challenges people to asks themselves that question and ask yourself why you need feminism? I believe that everyone needs it! I always tell people that feminism isn't radical, or man-hating club, or not shaving your legs, or not wanting a guy to open a door for you. It is recognizing gender inequality and having willingness to do something about it. I read THIS awesome article that debunks a lot of feminist misconceptions. I am always encouraging people to read about feminism and decide what it means to you. Don't just go off of what other people "think" it is. Define it for yourself.

Phew! Ok I'm done ranting. I hope theres is at least one link in here that'll spark something inside you and make you think a little bit!

Skinny Mint Tea Tox!

A wee bit ago the lovely Zoei came across this thing called Skinny Mint. When she was first saying it was a weight loss thing that was a huge turn off for me. I hate anything that wants me to be "skinny". Healthy and good for you is one thing but "skinny" errr..bothers me. BUT after reading about it my idea changed a bit. It seemed like an all natural thing to promote a healthy body. I suppose they just use the "skinny" as an advertising technique. Any who long story short Zoei and I decided to give it a go! We're only 2 weeks into it but I just wanted to share with all of you my thoughts so far. 

List of thoughts about the teatox: 

1- Tastes great! But then after the first week and a half you get kinda sick of it. 

2- Helps to remind me to eat breakfast. We NEVER ate breakfast before but I noticed that if I had the tea on a empty stomach it made my tummy upset the whole day. But I like eating early it helps me feel better all day. 

3- Night time tea is yummy. It seemed to affect Zoei more then me. I don't like that if I drink it just before bed then I'm up in the middle of the night using the bathroom. So I just need to remind myself to drink it right after dinner. 

4- Gave me energy for the first little bit but not so much after the second week. Zoei still seems to get a lot of energy from it, but her metabolism is also way faster then mine. Caffeine has also effected her more than me. 

5- The price is a bit steep for tea. BUT I'm not at the end of the 28 days yet so I can't say for sure if the money is worth it or not. After 2 weeks I'm feeling doubtful, but who knows. I've also spent a LOT of money on fancy teas before and so I can't help but compare the 2. When in reality thats not very fair. I guess I'll have a definitive answer at the end of the 28 days! 

Phew! Go read about it HERE! Let me know what you think or if you'd tried something like this before. I alway love stories and opinions! 

Tina Belcher and My Bangs

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I was trimming my bangs the other day and kept thinking to myself, "I know I'm not suppose to trim my own bangs, but yet here we are." Its true. Everyone says not to do it yourself but I always do. I think its just one of the few ways that I'm rebellious, because I'm a bit of a stickler for the rules. EXCEPT when it comes to my hair. I'm going to do what I want to do! I suppose its just one of those weird things. Overall I'd say I'm pretty good at giving myself a trim. Luckily for me I have really thick bangs and it grow like a chia pet! So crookedness and mistakes only last a week or so. I did find THIS post that I found to be very helpful!

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We've been watching a lot of Bobs Burgers at our house lately. Zoei and I were talking about how we should all go as the Belcher family for halloween. Of course I'd have to be Tina because of the glasses and bangs. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I don't want my costume to just look like Remi wearing weird clothes! But then I realized that Tina is really awesome so maybe that not a terrible thing! At least its better then being called Ugly Betty! You'd be amazed how many people have told me I look like her! Worse things could happen I suppose. Anyways I have a few months to find my inner Tina!

Phew! So this was a random rambly post. I had a few other ideas of what I could write but when I sat down I found I didn't want to write any of those. Does that ever happen to you? On the bright side its Wednesday! You've made it half way though the week! Good job!

Frankenstien Bra!

A tragic thing happened the other day. I was sitting there minding my own business when my bra started to attack me. The underwire poked out and stabbed me in the chest! I was quite surprised to have such a problem with my favorite bra. It has been so good to me up until now, being that it is my favorite! I was in denial about the rebellion of my bestest undergarment, so I kept wearing it and continued to get poked...and poked. SO I came to the conclusion that I needed to do something. Thus bringing us to frankenstein bra! My quick fix to solve my poking problems. Now, I know this won't last forever, but I'm not ready to let go of it yet AND I haven't had the time to go bra shopping. Bra shopping is kinda the worst! So obviously I have to put it off. I think I have until I need to wash this bra. I'm not sure how it would hold up in the wash, but I've a feeling that its going to have an unfortunate outcome! 

Sigh, oh the trials of having boobs! Anyone have any good sites to buy bras from? Maybe online is the way to go! 

Facts about being a lady: Over the Shoulder Boulder Holders

Photo byPrinka Saraswati

It's not secret that most women wear bras. It's just one of those girly things. I've been impartial to if I like wearing a bra or not. I've been lucky enough to be blessed with a small chest so this hasn't been a battle for me at all. Although I do find it a bit uncomfortable somedays. So I was wondering, why do we wear braziers? So after poking around the interweb for a little bit I found out that it's really just a fashion thing. Society placed it as a trendy fashionable thing and it stuck. Although I was under the impression that it helps your boobies from being saggy and it is nice to just strap the suckers down so you're not flopping everywhere. But after reading THIS, it doesn't seem like the benefits are all that great, if any at all. That is just one thing I've found among my google search. 

I guess the real question is, do you wear a bra and why? I do (mostly) especially when I leave the house. Mostly because its just out of habit. If I didn't wear one then I'd feel so weird and exposed because I always wear one. I wonder if I didn't if anyone would say anything. I don't think I can tell if a girl is wearing a bra or not, but maybe I'm not paying enough attention. I might get weird looks if I start to look at other girls chests too intently. 

I also feel like one boobie is bigger then the other. Which I felt kinda weird about and a bra helps hide the lopsidedness of it. But I read THIS and it made me feel a lot more normal about myself. But is still a reason why I wear a bra when I go out. Plus I think it helps me fill out me clothes a little bit especially something low cut. 

If you are an avid bra wearer do you think it'd be weird to just not one day?

Facts about being a lady: Body Hair

Photo by Mariam Sitchinava

I've started doing these posts that are all about lady problems or maybe just things that pertain to females. I had planned on doing a post about body hair and waxing vs. shaving. I was doing a little bit of research and realized that this is a topic that gets talked about more then I thought. (Like HERE) On top of that, people have some strong opinions about it. But it is an interesting topic isn't it? It seems like you have people who are extremely grossed out by ANY kind of body hair and others that embrace the naturalness of it (and are somewhat feminist).

So here is my opinion of the subject. Everyone just needs to do what they feel comfortable with! I'm a fairly hairy person (for a girl) and struggled, and still do struggle with it. Mostly I try to manage my hair because the comments I would get otherwise would make me uncomfortable. I'm not saying that I go to great lengths to fit other ideals, but enough to not draw attention to myself. In the end if I want to grow my mustache out then I will! Just because you think its gross and unfeminine then that's your issue and not mine. After all body hair is natural and grows differently for everyone.

Phew! Enough ranting! These past couple weeks I've been doing little tests with what kinda hair removal works best for me. I really like what THIS girl had to say about it and I agree with her on a lot of things. (Although I've never tried laser hair removal before.)

First: Waxing. This is a new adventure for me. I bought THIS kit online because it was recommend on a couple sites. What I found out about waxing is that it hurts really bad for the first day. Then after that the puffiness is gone and its just a little sensitive. The regrowth so far has been nice. Its not as poky as shaving and seems to be slightly slower then shaving. I also have THIS kit. I haven't fully used it yet, but I like that its natural and has reusable strips.

TIPS! Don't wax the same spot twice. (although there might be hairs left over, just leave'um or tweeze'um) Use antibacterial soap on newly waxed skin to prevent infection. Wear loose clothing the next day. ( Because rubbing is HORRIBLE.) Don't hesitate! (It makes it so much worse!) Use unscented moisturizer/lotions.

Second: Shaving. This one is kinda a given because I think every girl has shaved her legs before. So I don't have much to say about this one. But I do have a few tips that help me and my course hair.

TIPS! Invest in the good razors. Exfoliate your skin to prevent bumps. (I exfoliate my legs even on days when I don't shave.) Let your hair grow out if its getting irritated. Moisturize after shaving. I bought THIS lotion thats supposed to make your hair grow less. I have noticed it is lighter, but not by much.

Third: Tweezing. Tweezing is good for face and that's about it. Nobody in there right mind has the time to tweeze large parts of there body. (If you do, you should probably reevaluate yourself.) I've read about threading, but still can't wrap my head around it.

Fourth: Depilatory creams. Never really had luck with these. My hair is too thick to do anything. Plus they smell and make your skin really dry.

That's all I've really tried so far. This post turned into a monster of a page and I could have found more to ramble on about. In conclusion I wish I felt more sexy being hairy so that I didn't have to go through the hair removal crap. Hopefully one day I can be and not be embarrassed about my naturalness. My confidence is slowly improving for a little wallflower like myself, but one day I'm not going to give a damn about hairy pits or my mustache!

Facts about being a lady: Undies!

I'm a bit worried that I've ran out things to blog about when I'm blogging about undies. The truth is it's a topic that come ups with me and Zoei probably way too much. Because lets face it the panties that you choose can make or break your day. Nothing makes work horrible like being uncomfortable.

Panties have always been one of those things that are topic of conversation. Or I guess I should say the lack of undies becomes conversation. I was reading THIS post over on Indie Chicks and it made me chuckle. Mostly because I don't think the thought of NOT wearing undies has ever crossed my mind. But I mean to each his...er her own. I suppose that undies aren't necessarily a must have. I take comfort in the fact that no matter what if I lose my skirt or pants then not all is revealed. Silly I know, but I guess its just a comfort thing. On that note I don't care for the fancy panties either. I'm a simple polka dot cotton bikini cut kinda girl. I wonder what that says about me? So I'm not sexy, at least I'm comfy!

But cheers to all you girls that are brave enough to go without!

Facts about being a lady: The period store

What is it about your period that is so awkward to talk about. I personally like to blame society making it a awkward topic. As I'm getting older though it seems like its not that much of an issue to talk about, maybe it's just one of those things that comes along with being a "adult". (Whatever that means?) I thought for a while that it's just because I don't have to many girl friends that I'm really that close with. But I hardly even like to talk about it with Zoei and we share EVERYTHING. So why is it so uncomfortable to talk about?!

Illustration by Laura George

Anyways, long ramble short I'm in love with the idea of THE PERIOD STORE. Basically you get a box once a month with lovely lady products and feel good items for that wretched time of the month. Which is an awesome idea if you want to try new products and get products that you might not have known about. In the end I love that its a place where people are comfortable talking about their periods. Which is how it should be. It's nothing to be embarrassed about or ashamed of. I like that there are companies out there that help women feel more at ease with awkward things.