How to get over a cold faster

I know winter is almost over, so I wanted to get this post out there before all the snow in the country has melted. Here is…

Auntie Neffie’s 4 Ways to End a Cold Faster

(note: I am not a doctor. Not even a little bit.)

Avoid Dairy

Some people say dairy is mucus(snot)-forming and some people say it isn’t. I’m not going to take my chances—I want my drippy nose gone! So I try to stay away from milk, limit my cheese-eating, don’t eat ice cream, etc.

Vitamin C

Everyone tells you this, right? Well, I take it massively to the next level. Instead of 3-5 servings per day or whatever it is the food pyramid tells us, I eat or drink about 10 things each day with Vitamin C in them. I’ll make a smoothie by blending at least 2 oranges, some orange juice, and a handful of fresh spinach (you can’t even taste it in a smoothie) with some Vitamin C powder dumped in. And that’s just one meal. And then I envision little orange things beating up virus-things inside my cells.

Doritoes/Spicy, Crispy Junk Food

You didn’t expect this one, did you? I’m absolutely serious about it, especially if your cold is accompanied by a sore throat. Why? Whatever is growing in the back of your throat won’t like the salt content. The crispiness of the chips feels so good going down your throat, as if it’s scooping the yuckiness right off it. And if you can handle the spiciness, eating spicy food is good because it clears up your sinuses.

Garlic

(I got this idea from galadarling.com. Thank you, Gala!) Garlic supposedly has anti-microbial properties. I ate a clove of raw garlic the last time I was sick and felt much better the next day. I won’t go into this much, since there are a million articles on the internet extolling the health values of garlic. Take it at night, though, not when you’re about to go in public. Garlic actually seeps through the pores, giving your whole body garlic breath. So just brushing is not going to help much, sorry.

There you go! Now you know my secret! Take heart–cold and flu season is almost over!

Yours,
Stephanie

How to maintain purple hair

The Upkeep of Purple Hair!

To my knowledge, there is no permanent purple hair dye. So I use the semi- or demi-permanent stuff, which fades with each wash. I’ve often felt that I have a choice between clean hair and faded hair, but there are a few things I’ve discovered to keep the fading to a miniumum.

First, if you’ve decided you like how the purple looks and you want to keep it that way, then go to the hair supply store and look for Clairol Shimmer Lights Shampoo or some equivalent. It’s marketed to tone down the brassiness of hair but it’s also perfect for purple hair, because it’s actually purple itself. There’s a conditioner like it, too.

Also, if you want to go a day or two without washing your hair at all to keep up the color, get a bottle of baby power and dump some on your head, scrub it around, and brush it out. This will help absorb some of the oils of your scalp. Or try dry shampoo.

Bleached hair holds color better than non-bleached hair. But bleaching is hard on your hair, so I’d avoid it if your hair is damaged.

Also… buy a bottle of semi-permanent purple hair dye (or do what I did and mix blue and red if you can’t find the perfect shade). Then mix some of the dye with ordinary conditioner and use this occasionally the way you would any other conditioner. Make sure none of it gets in your eyes, and when you’re dispensing it onto your head, make sure it has as little contact with your fingers as possible because it will tinge them purple.

Another thing you’ll want is dark-colored bath towels, since the dye will bleed onto your towels when you’re drying your hair.

Wash your hair in cold water! Then clip it up and you can still have a nice hot shower for the rest of yourself.

If the color on the top of your head fades more then the rest because of sun exposure, there is a simple way to touch it up. Get an old toothbrush or brush, dip the bristles in your semi-permanent dye and brush it through the top layer of your hair. Let it sit a few minutes or hours and rinse it out.

I had dark red hair for a year and used most of these tips on my red hair, so these tips work with any unusual color–except the tip about the purple shampoo. That one, obviously, only applied to purple-based colors.

I’ve also read that petroleum jelly applied around your hairline before you dye your hair keeps the dye from staining your skin, but I’ve never tried it. I have tried it with lotion, but I didn’t pay enough attention to tell if it worked.

Nail polish remover can sometimes help remove hair dye stains from bathroom surfaces. It you’re not sure how much of a mess you’ll make ( if it’s your first time coloring your hair) cover every conceivable surface with newspaper and keep a roll of paper towels handy. Better to be safe than sorry. The first time I did dark red hair the dorm bathroom looked like a bloody massacre happened; just kidding.

Lastly, make sure you comb the hair dye all the way through your hair, and if you have very long hair or very thick hair, get two bottles of the dye initially or mix it with conditioner to extend it (I did this and it didn’t hurt the effectiveness of the non-permanent dye by much at all).

In closing, have fun with your hair! Remember, hair can be an art form, so be proud to be expressing yourself! Your head is your own canvas!