The Modern Hippy

After almost a week unplanned hiatus, yours truly, the Modern Hippy, is back!
I have so many things planned. I was on vacation for about a week, before the website disappeared.
I’ll be sharing more eco-friendly camping ideas. Eco-friendly road trip ideas. Yes, I said that. It might not seem like an eco-friendly type of vacation, however, there are ways to lessen one’s impact. I’ll have another post for the Aunt Flow series. There has also been a recently, awesomely cool, development in my hair experiments. I’ll be sharing a little about a couple of awesome people we met while camping. She has a website about living more balanced. She also sells ebooks, two of which I bought and am about ready to read. Stay tuned for my onslot of crazy posting!

     I’ve been trying really hard to keep this blog up beat in the last two years. Mostly because life has often been a downer. Wonderful things have happened, especially since we moved to Bellingham. However, it does seem like just after I decompress, something else comes up and squashes my feelings of contentment.

     Since I feel like throwing in the towel at the moment(and using cliches left and right), I thought I’d have a chat about stress and stress management. I might end up talking typing my way into being more Zen.

     Stress does bad things to your body if you don’t know how to manage it. Long term stress, even if you do know how to manage it well, will do bad things also. Muscles tighten, digestion slows or speeds up, sleep gets longer, less, or interrupted in some way. (Hence why I’ve started this post at 6:30 a.m.) Depending on many different things, it can negatively impact relationships, or draw you and whomever closer together.

     So what the %@&*!!! does one do to better manage stress? Well, it doesn’t come easy and it takes some experimenting. Think about what you enjoy doing. This can be your starting point. I love reading, writing, art, gardening, nature, learning how to take better pictures with my gorgeous new camera, etc.

Managing stress part one

     One needs to be able to identify that there is a problem before a solution(or experiment) can be reached. What the hell is stressing you out? To use me as an example, I’ve always had trouble sleeping. So I’ve always been tired. The “older” I get, the worse, or more tired I get. The less ability I have to deal with bullshit. I had found a solution to the problem of my sleeping/nightmares in acupuncture. It works! It’s brilliant! Now I just have to build my energy back up by sleeping well for a longer period of time. Though I’ll never really be able to make up for all that poor sleeping for 25+ years, or so they say.
     Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much to wear me out. After a day with a horrible migraine, two nights of not sleeping more than 4.5 hours each night, I was unable to fully deal with a business challenge, along with working a ton, getting up early and not being able to nap, two extra-whiny-needy pets, and not having a lot of down time to recover, among other things. The last straw was a speeding ticket on my way to work. Within a few minutes, I started bawling. There was no way I could do any sort of body work that day. Luckily, the people I work with are very understanding. They know that sometimes you just can’t work.
     See, I identified a bunch of problems. Part one completed.

What I could have done differently.
     Really, the migraine should have tipped me off. But I thought it was just a fluke, nothing horrible, just a crazy thing happening by chance. I also should have paid closer attention to the stresses I was feeling due to the business stuff I was having to deal with for the last week or so. It was more intense that I was used to. Something that would have possibly helped was remembering to pull out my aromatherapy, talking about it more, doing some deep diaphragmatic breathing, taking a walk, etc.
     I tend to be one of those people whom holds everything inside, which isn’t healthy because it has to come out eventually. So talking, for me is a good thing, if I can start. Even if I end up talking about something that is different, but still bothers me, it can help relieve the “exploding” feeling I get sometimes.

     Blogging can also help, which is why I started this post very early this morning.(It’s no longer in the a.m. at the moment.) Unfortunately, I didn’t let myself cry then, which may have helped prevent a bawling session that cost me some work hours.

Managing stress part two

     Pick something you enjoy doing, or that you know helps you to decompress, or that you just read about. Start somewhere! Try breathing techniques. If you need an idea as to how to do that, read here. Try drinking a cup of tea. Go for a walk. We have all heard that moderate exercise increases endorphins, which make us happy and helps us to de-stress. Try something. If you don’t feel better, try something else. Remember that it can’t last forever, there has to be an end eventually.

     Of course you can argue that looking back I can say anything. You are right about that. I can’t change what happened, all I can do it try to learn from it and do better next time. No one should expect you to be perfect and “on” all the time. Mistakes happen, life happens, shit happens. Sometimes the thing to do, is to just cry it out, pick yourself back up and try again.

     After you make a huge change in your lifestyle, it can be a little challenging when you go to plan a vacation, whether it be camping, travel over seas, road tripping, or just a mini-break spent at your father and step-mother-in-laws on the Long Beach Peninsula. Do you change what you eat, or use or do normally to make it easier? (Is that even an options?) Or do you soldier on, sticking with your convictions?

     Rick and I went away for a few days recently. Over the last few years, as we have been students and changed careers many times, have not had a ton of money to spend on travel. Also, until recently, Rick couldn’t do much traveling anyway, his health complicated simple trips of more than a few minutes. At the moment at least, he’s doing well and we can plan to act like a “normal” couple, taking little trips here and there. We are just learning how to do the green, organic, gluten free “hippy” way of traveling. It’s scary, exciting and very fun so far!

     Before we left, we did searches looking for gluten free options (as this is the most important part of our life) anywhere near Ocean Park, where we were staying on the peninsula. I wanted to find anything. And we found THC Organic Market in Long Beach, the town. I was so excited! I was going to take pictures, shop and generally be a total hippy nerd.

     Not long after we left, I realized that I had forgotten our shampoo. Shoot! What was I going to do? I was agonizing over it while we drove. Because though I don’t wash my hair daily, there was going to be one “hair wash day” in the middle of the mini-break (UK version of mini vacation – I have friends from there and think “mini-break” sounds better). I don’t like using my plain castile soap on my hair, I had tried that once with very little luck. Although, to be fair, my hair was really long then, not short as it is now.

     The first full day that we were on the peninsula, Rick and I went on a mission. Rather, I was on a mission and Rick was along for the ride. We searched and searched, following google maps directions on his phone, to find THC Organic Market. Nothing, it wasn’t where it should have been – according to the map. I’ve discovered since living in Bellingham, that Google Maps don’t always do everything perfectly. Just as we were going to give up, we drove further into town, and stumbled upon the market! There it was, at the end of a long building, just across the street from the Neptune – the local movie theatre. I just about lost my self control I was so excited!

     There was a little “A” frame sign with the days soup special(if I remember correctly) out front. Inside we found a smallish store, packed seven or eight feet high, with all the stuff I could find at the Bellingham Community Co-op! I was in heaven! There were organic products everywhere! (I know the name has “organic” in the name, but you never know.)
After a few minutes of being completely ridiculous, I settled down and looked for stuff I might need. Tea. I had woken up with a sore throat that morning and didn’t have any of my soothing tea with me. I found a whole section of Yogi teas. Review on the tea itself will be coming soon!

     As I was browsing, resisting Rick’s urges to get going, I ran across my shampoo brand. Actually, found my exact shampoo, that doesn’t burn me or make me itch. (Also, should do a review on that as well.) My day was complete. I could wash my hair the following day without worry. Yes, I am a teeny, tiny bit neurotic and prefer my hair washed once it’s passed the three day mark. So far in my hair experiments that is as far as I have gotten. Anyway, getting side-tracked.

     We ended up getting some of our “normal” groceries at THC Organic Market. We were able to enjoy organic butter on our gluten free rolls(from our co-op), cups and cups of Throat Comfort Yogi Tea, and a good shampooing the next morning (okay, almost afternoon). It was so awesome we went back the next day to show Rick’s dad and step-mom, George and Judy – and get gluten free donut holes and buffalo jerkey.

     So if you ever find yourself on the Long Beach Peninsula in need of tea, shampoo, pet food, organic anything. Check out the THC Organic Market. Get their address, get the Neptune Twin Theatre’s address for reference. Or if you don’t mind talking on the phone(like I do), give them a call for good directions. Just don’t rely on Google Maps, (sorry Google,you are cool but the maps needs work). Mapquest?

     To read their story, check out their site closer, or for updates, click on the following links:
Website: THC Organic Market
Facebook page(updates): THC Organic Market Facebook Page

     Last year a friend of mine cut her super gorgeous long hair off and donated it to Locks of Love. I just had to steal her idea! Last summer I roasted alive in the heat. There were days in the 90’s in north western Washington. We aren’t built for that. Or at least I’m not anymore.

     Since last summer I grew my hair out further to make sure I had enough to cut off and enough to play around with(yes I ended a sentence with a preposition). It took forever! I got so sick of it. I reminisced about my high school days of short hair, even the short “do” I sported three years ago.

     Finally, two weeks ago I made an appointment. I had my hair chopped off last Thursday! I had 12 inches for Locks of Love and several more for experimentation, most of which ended up on the floor. If only my compost was ready! Though I’m not sure one should put hair, especially lots of hair in a compost. Have yet to run across that in an article.

     It’s done! I have very little hair left! What’s left is a fabulous bob that I love! Even a small amount of bangs, which I have not had in almost 14 years. Shoot, I need to be careful that my inner vanity doesn’t splatter all over this post. Hehe.

     Now, I have my hair in an envelope, under the bathroom sink, safe from Milo’s destructive path. Since my hair is so fine it’s really slippery and started to get all over the place and come out of the pony tail while I was at the salon. I’ve got to carefully place it back in order, which could prove to be a challenge. I want it to be useful for some little girl or boy whom has gone bald due to chemo. So, if you are planning to chop your locks in the near future, give this a thought. Locks of Love provides kids with cancer wigs of real hair. It’s a charity. And though it may not seem like making a wig is all that important. Could you imagine being a prepubescent or pubescent girl/boy already very insecure with their new feelings and on top of that an illness and subsequent treatments that completely reform their body? Plus, it’s way better than tossing the hair in the garbage. Win, win for me.

     I will say that there are other ways to “recycle” your hair cuttings. There is a company, Matter of Trust, that uses it to make something, a rug or whatever, to soak up oil. And since there is a huge spill in the Gulf Coast, now might be a good time to bring a baggie to the stylist, to bring back your hair that is too short for Locks of Love. I’ll be researching how I might be able to acquire hair from salons around here and send it to the company for all those poor marine creatures. Stay tuned!

Note: A friend of mine also chopped her locks this weekend for Locks of Love. As long as she doesn’t mind I’ll add a before and after picture of her hair.
For detailed information about how to donate your hair click, Locks of Love. For information about Matter of Trust, the company that makes the stuff to clean up spills, click here. I’m going to read more about them. It appears that they take pet hair and wool as well, which is nifty.

Missy the Modern Hippy

Low impact camping or camping the hippy way.

     A couple of weekends ago, Rick and I and long time friends, went camping at Larrabee State Park. We all love the outdoors, fresh air, rain, sun, trees. Not mosquitoes. Since we aren’t rolling in the dough and friend Erin couldn’t get away from work, we decided to do a quickie camping trip.
You’d think it wasn’t relaxing if all we did was pack, sleep to nights, repack and unpack. Actually, it was amazingly recharging. And since it’s still spring, it’s a better idea to do a shorter trip in case the weather is less than perfect. Which was the case.
     Since we went camping and it’s the beginning of camping season, I thought I’d do a post about how to camp low impact or camping the hippy way(my version, as there could be many).
     First, before I begin my list of nifty cool things and ideas, I have to say, I’m not a hardcore camper. I love camping, but I prefer access to showers(though I will try camping without, near a river), and toilets(also, willing to try without). I have never camped at a place I had to hike. Not yet. I’m willing, and if Erin has her wish, we’ll probably go this year. Possible Nooksack trip? Who knows. But I love the outdoors, until they try to steal our food of course. Raccoons! Cute, but nasty. Camping is something I’ve only recently become excited about and interested in. I’ve always loved my time outdoors, but at the end of the day I could go back for a shower. Everything I say about camping, or that I’ve tried, has been used at a site, in a campground, with a bathroom or port-a-potty (not recently emptied, bleh) not at a far away place where you pack in everything in one trip. I think I’ll try that someday, but not right now. Anyway, onto the camping recommendations.

Castile soap – One needs soap to clean hands, dishes etc. Castile soap is biodegradable as long as there isn’t anything else nasty added to it. I love Dr. Bronner’s tea tree liquid soap. I’ve used it for dishes, regular hand washing, showering etc.

Cast iron pan – This is something I use camping and at home! Though they are rather heavy. They can be used over a fire grate or on a propane stove of some sort. As long as you know how to cook with them, and they have been properly seasoned, they are relatively easy to clean and use the next time around.

Java log – This is a recent discovery. I’ve felt a little strange about burning wood. I feel badly, like it’s wasteful. How is one supposed to be sure the wood you are burning was chopped down ethically? Where does firewood at stores even come from? I’ve been lucky enough to have access to wood at my parents house. Each year a tree or part of a tree there falls down in a wind storm. They don’t have a wood stove so it piles up, ready for whomever goes camping. However, the last several times I’ve “borrowed” wood, it’s burned super fast, leaving us without. This time camping, Erin decided to buy a Java log. They are supposed to burn for 2-3 hours. They are made out of coffee grounds and vegetable waxes which burns cleaner than wood, and much hotter. And since I think camping should include a fire(not a very hippy view I know) a java log might just be the answer to your problems. My experience, though it was only one night, was a good one. I’ll be doing more “testing” on my own, in order to come up with a more complete review of this. For now, it’s worth a try!

Enamel or other type of reusable cookware – I hate, and I mean HATE, paper and Styrofoam plates and plastic cutlery. It’s soooo wasteful. It doesn’t get reused, creates waste that might even fly away at your campsite, not to mention the stuff that makes it to the landfill. I’m fully in support of reusable cookware/dinnerware. We bought blue enamel plates, cups, and bowls. Though they aren’t super light, like you might want if you plan to hike a ways to a site, for the type of camping we tend to do, they are just wonderful. And on top of being non-wasteful, they are super easy to wash. Food doesn’t seem to stick at all. Just a little bit of soap and water and it all slides off to leave a clean plate behind. Just remember, if it chips that means that tiny little chips might end up in your food, which is not very a good thing, even if it is “safe”. Be nice to your plates, cups and bowls and they should last for a long, long time!

Tea pot – Yup. Simple huh? It seems the camping coffee peculator shines brighter than the little old tea pot. But really, tea is something that almost everyone can drink. It’s usually better for you. And you can use it to boil water for dishes so your fingers don’t freeze. Or just in case something goes wrong with your water supply, boil the water for drinking.

Linen bag for granola or trail mix – Our friends used a couple of linen bags for the granola and trail mix they brought to the August camping trip last year. I have yet to make my own linen bags to use for camping or everyday stuff. I refuse to pay $5 for a bag I or Rick could make for a $1 or so.

Biodegradable toilet paper – Because you just never know.

Towels – instead of paper towels for obvious wasteful reasons.

     The list could go on and on. The limit is only your imagination. If you have ideas let me know. I’ll add them to the list. For now, I’ll leave you with these basic ideas to ponder, and hopefully use on your next camping trip!

     Yesterday, after I left Vendor’s Row(was hanging out with Christy, The Coffee Lady) on Western’s campus, I walked by this building. I’m completely enamored with it. Bellingham seems to have a large quantity of awesome stucco buildings, mostly houses. In this case, a small apartment building, which probably was a house. This one is nestled in amongst old craftsman and Victorian type homes overlooking downtown and the bay. What struck me yesterday was the lighting was finally decent and the drapes in a room on the top floor were green, very green. Perhaps the most common color you will find in nature on this side of the mountains, this shade is rarely found hanging in a window in the form of a curtain. Perfect. That’s what I think. Bellingham is awesome.

     Yup, you guessed it. Sorry guys, though I think you should still be informed about the female body, you certainly don’t have to read this as it will contain girly subjects.

     Several months ago when I started to experiment with different, more natural feminine products, I had no idea where I would end up. I definitely had no idea I would end up using cloth. When I started doing research my thought was, “What did women use when there wasn’t disposable cotton/rayon/whatever feminine products?” The only clue I had was a fiction book I read, one of the Outlander Series books. The main character was having her period while they were at a Scottish gathering and mentioned tearing part of her petticoats and using that. Beyond that I had no idea.
     After doing a lot of research I discovered that you can find some nice, even dare I say – cute, cloth feminine pads. Besides being healthier for ones nether regions, it’s a much better idea for the environment. Way less waste. In fact, with proper care, your pads can last for years! Imagine all the pads you don’t have to throw away! And the money you will save!

     I bought a sample pack from epicerma, an etsy shop that makes what she calls Moon Pads. There are plenty of other shops on Etsy that have similar items. Being a thorough person, I did research, read through a million etsy shop profiles and policies. Annie Rose, the owner, had all the things I considered important, organic cotton grown in the US, milled by union workers, dyed by her with gentle dye, not horribly expensive, and cute! I hated the idea of having white or cream colored pads that might end up looking dingy after a few months.
     After a few months of using the sample pack I bought, I’m still singing her praises! I love them! In fact, I just ordered more, which should give me enough to last an entire period without worry about running out and using disposables – though I do still use organic cotton disposables. I’m excited. Though they won’t get here in time for my current period, I’m happy they’ll be there for the next one!

     So if you aren’t happy with your current type of feminine products consider cloth, either paired with tampons (which I do sometimes) or all alone. They are, in my humble opinion(haha), a better option than the Moon Cup (though I haven’t tried it, something about it bothers me. Aunt Flow shouldn’t be held back so severly), tampons(though for the heavy days when I work, I use them – organic of course), and anything non-organic.

     Before I go I want to say a little about non-organic tampons, pads, and toilet paper. Often times, especially if they are cheap, tampons and pads aren’t entirely cotton. They can contain rayon or nylon which are less safe for your lady parts. They are treated with bleach. If you read the label of a bleach bottle, it will warn you to not get on your skin, in any body opening such as eyes, mouth, or a cut, so why in the world is it being used on items that go where the sun don’t shine? Up against such delicate and permeable skin? How is that safe? Your body will absorb the toxin. Bleach, or specifically chlorine, is a poison, a disinfectant that kills just about everything. Your lady parts deserve something less toxic. They definitely don’t need to be disinfected. There are options that use organic cotton, not treated with chlorine. Just google it and you’ll see, or check out your local health food store. On that note, most toilet paper is treated with bleach to give it that nice fresh clean white color. This tissue paper, is used daily by almost everyone in the developed world – even men (unless they have chosen to use cloth there as well), on some of the most delicate skin in the human body. Seems like a bad idea to douse it with chlorine.
     Rick and I switched to recycled toilet paper that isn’t treated with chlorine. There are a few options out there for this as well. The most well known is Seventh Generation recycled toilet paper, which in our area runs about $10 for 12 or so roles. It is surprisingly soft. Nothing like the cheap-paper-towel-rough stuff you find in public bathrooms across the US. Rick and I use Trader Joes toilet paper, which is about $4 for 12 rolls, much less expensive, and just as soft.
     Really, is it too much to ask to be gentle to your bum and your lady parts? They are after all, supposed to last a life time. Make it easier for them to live healthy.

     For more of my research and humble opinions(haha right) about periods and the necessary accessories check out my other posts.
Accessories for Aunt Flow
Moon Time Again – Taking back control of your period and your life
Aunt Flow Part 2 – Feminine Products
Raspberry Leaf Tea – A Woman’s Tonic
Raspberry Leaf Tea Made in My New Tea Pot!
Aunt Flow Part 1

     This will be our first spring in Bellingham. And since I have my trusty new Memoir phone, 8 pixel camera and all. I’ll be taking pictures like crazy!

     This one, of a blooming cherry tree a couple of blocks from Western, though far from perfect, shows just a small part of Bellingham. The charm of the chosen street side trees, looking vibrant, even on a foggy, overcast spring day. I LOVE Bellingham!

     The day I got my Bellingham office in September, I fell in love with this crazy old grate sitting on the floor. The house is ancient, so it only makes sense to have a nifty grate like this in a room. I feel lucky that it was in mine.
     Yesterday I put a pretty candle holder, candle lit of course, in front of the grate for some added interest. With my trusty new camera first phone, the Memoir, I shot it. Little tweeking with photoshop (pays to be married to a computer guy) and I cleaned it up a little more. I like it. Nice divergence from the snot and neti pots posts(And videos! Let’s not forget those!).

I can hardly wait until I can get myself an awesome DSLR!

     I will be singing the neti pot’s praises for a long time! I used it again this morning in and out of the shower. Let me say, I was very nervous, being a bit of a chicken when it comes to nose/sinus stuff. Yeah, so I had done it once before, but I was still nervous. Maybe it was because I had been in so much pain last night. Not from the neti pot experiment, but just from feeling like poop, forgetting to take my fish oil pills, sitting in a chair all day, not being able to nap properly, having a monstrous sinus and tension headache AT THE SAME TIME! It was so pathetic and bad that I cried four times, over silly things like dropping the chicken sausages on the floor and not being able to see where one rolled. Yup, that’s how ridiculous I am when I’m sick. But that’s not the point. The point is, today I feel much better. And today, I was able to get the water to come out the OTHER nostril! And I got to see it happen!

     I tried it in the shower, still made the back of my eyes feel cool and tear. And I coughed a lot. Today though, I was brave and curious enough to try it in the sink – while watching myself in the mirror. Sorry, no photos, I still have some self respect, or is it self consciousness?

     Per request of a friend and occasional reader, Yosh (hope you don’t mind the mention), of the modern hippy, I will be giving instructions and other information about using the neti pot.

     First, what you’ll need is a neti pot. Funny I know. Can you tell I’m feeling better? Please wash your neti pot out and thoroughly rinse. You don’t want soap behind your delicate eyeballs – imagine that headache! Then decide where you are going to do it. Over the sink? In the shower? I suppose you could do it outside if you’d like. Where ever it won’t matter if you splatter. (Hahaha, rhyming too!) Measure out 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt. Unrefined is okay, I used it. I wouldn’t recommend any of the colored sea salt. No need to dye your sinuses, plus that might cause problems I don’t know about. I DO NOT recommend using iodized table salt, as brands like Morton’s actually contain dextrose, an artificial sweetener. Artificial sweeteners are not meant for sinuses! Let alone eating, but once again I digress.
Fill the neti pot with warm water. I used warm tap water, though when I get a filter I’ll probably use that. Mix until the salt is completely dissolved.

     Now comes the fun or scary part. Remember, you will be breathing through your mouth through this, your nose will be busy. Lean forward, tip your head to about a 45 degree angle. If you aren’t leaning forward enough the gunk will flow down the back of your throat and make you sputter and probably gross you out a little. Stick the spout of the neti pot in one nostril. Make sure there is a good seal and the water won’t sneak out. Steady your hand if you are shaking. Very slowly tip the pot. Can you feel the water enter the bottom of your nose? Good. Keep pouring slowly and wait unti for a funny feeling behind your eyes. It’s almost out! Try to remember to breathe, but breath holding is acceptable if you don’t hold it too long. It’s a very strange sensation to be breathing while water is running through part of your breathing apparatus.

     Something to remember is that you are in control of how much water flow there is. The more you tip the pot, the faster the water will flow. I’m a fan of slow flowing.
Also, the more you do it the better you will get, the easier everything will be.
Rinse through both nostrils. I didn’t use the whole saline solution that time. I was still getting used to it. I think I used about a third of it. Do what is comfortable for you, and what gets you the best results. I’ve read that some people use a whole pot for each side of the nose.
When you stop rinsing exhale gently through your nose to help the gunk out. Use a tissue or do this over the sink. I’ll say this again: Do blow gently to avoid hurting yourself. Also, don’t plug either side of your nostrils. Allow things to come out on their own, without the closing of one side.
Then wash your neti pot!

After you are done see how you feel. Can you breath better? I could. It felt strange, but good.

Some considerations:

     I read that if you can’t blow your nose (though I’m not sure if this means “don’t have the ability” or “it hurts too much”) consult a health care professional first. If you are sensitive like me, go slowly, don’t rush it. Children should be closely supervised! Don’t share!

Where to get a neti pot?

     I got mine from our local co-op. If you don’t have a natural food store, or supplement store, try a pharmacy. You can of course check online! Etsy has some cute stuff, if you’d like something handmade and unique! If I hadn’t been so desperate, and hadn’t put buying one off until the last minute I would have gotten one there.

One last note.
Why use a neti pot?

     It’s a great way to clean out your sinuses. If you are like me and have sinus trouble, use it. If you have allergies, use it. If you live in a polluted area, use it. If you live in a dusty area, use it. If you have a cold, use it. If you have pets, live in an old house, or live in a small place, or work in a poorly ventilated place, smoke, go camping, have kids, use it. “Have kids?”, you ask? Why not? You could win the gross out competition and show them that there are natural ways to deal with your sinuses. Just don’t let them play with it unsupervised. Maybe wait until they are older to show them, just in case.