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Remember when having a dry, itchy scalp meant you were gross? I'm talking high school time where dandruff was your biggest fear.  Well, the truth is - MANY people have a dry scalp and it doesn't mean your dirty and gross.  It just means you need to take different card of your hair and scalp and today I'm giving you some tips and advice.  I myself have always suffered from a sensitive, dry, and itchy scalp.  It's a pain and there's a million and one suggestions for what to do but I've finally found stuff that works for me.  I hope it works for you too!

Water Temperature
I used to love steaming hot showers but I realized it was taking a toll on my skin.  My entire body had much drier skin that normal and my scalp was no exception.  I started gradually lowering the temperature and it's to the point now where I still have a nice warm shower.  At the end of my shower I actually blast cold water on my scalp and hair to help seal the cuticle.  It is actually very invigorating. 

 Tea Tree Shampoo
Lately, I've begun using Tea Tree Special Formula Shampoo from Maple Holistics.  Tea tree is a root shrub that's grown in Australia.  People are always raving about tea tree oil for dry skin or dry scalp and that's for good reason.  Tea tree works to clear dead skin cells from the hair follicles and helps fight dandruff.  It's even a natural solution for head lice! This shampoo also contains rosemary which works to stimulate the cell renewal of hair follicles as the tea tree gets to work.  Rosemary leaves hair smooth and refreshed. And of course lavender is anothe ringredient which helps clear away blemishes on the scalp and ease the pain of burns.  It has antiseptic and algesic properties and promotes rapid health. 
THIS is the second paragraph of text post. I just lather up with this shampoo and let it sit for maybe 3 minutes then give it a nice rinse with warm water.  It feels so good when I massage this in so it's a nice little pamper session for me.

My skin isn't so raw feeling after my showers now and actually I don't get an itchy scalp the second day either.  I used to use anti-dandruff brand products but seriously, I've gotten rid of those and I'm going the all natural way from here on out since I know it works for me!
Psst make sure you check out the Maple Holistics Free Sample Program which lets you try out their products at NO cost at all!

A Gentle Dry
Even though most of us are in a rush to get done with our hair after a shower, it's important to take your time even if that means a few extra minutes of drying time because you are losing less heat.  I actually use warm heat for the first few minutes then I switch to cool.  Especially when I'm working around the roots, it makes a huge difference in how my scalp feels afterwards. 

Washing Every Other Day
I try to go every other day without washing my hair. This doesn't always work for everyone but it's what works for me.  The first day I can wear my hair down but by the second day, it's starting to get a bit greasy so I usually wear it half up.  And if I go a third day, I have to wear my hair totally up.  People think that not washing your hair makes it oily, but the opposite is true for most hair types.  Washing your hair with shampoo can strip the natural oils.  So within a day your scalp starts over producing more oils.  Then you're extra greasy.  It does take some time to get used to washing less often and in the beginning your hair will be greasy, but your scalp will adjust and be very grateful eventually so be patient.  Also, dry shampoo works wonders!

Using Less Products
Hair products can actually cause a lot of buildup on the scalp. The only products I use are a sleep smooth serum that I put in ONLY the ends of my hair before I blowdry it, and a few spritzes of a heat protectant.  My hair gets gunky and greasy if I use too many products so I try to keep it at a minimum.  


What tips do you have for dealing with a dry scalp? Leave them below!

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How I Care for My Wood Floors

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 One of the most appealing things we noticed when we toured our potential new home (that we've now been in for over 2 years!) was the beautiful hardwood floors.  The owners had torn up the carpet only to discover the beautiful treasure underneath.  


Hardwood floors are great because as a pet owner, accidents do happen and it's much easier to clean them up right away from hardwood flooring than it is from carpet.   I also love that it's easy to vacuum them and fur and dust can't get embedded into carpet fibers.  And since we still like some carpeting, we just add simple area rugs, which can easily be replaced over the years.

Just look at how shiny and beautiful the floor was in our listing photos when we found the home!

But just because your house has hardwood floors doesn't mean you can just take it easy and never worry about them.  Hardwood floors need properly cared for so that they last a long time.  Spills need cleaned up right away and you can't use certain harsh chemicals on them.  Today I put together a few ways I take care of my hardwood floors so that you can do the same and enjoy a lifetime of luxury!

1. Be Mindful of Abrasive Items
Yes girl! Those stilettos are adorable but calm down because I've seen people dig and gouge their hardwood floors because they stomp around in party shoes.  Seriously though, if you have a pair of heels that's scratchy on the bottom because they are really worn in, it's not a good idea to wear those around the house.  Unless you want to replace or refinish the floors many times more than necessary, just wear gentle soft footwear or go barefoot.

2. Use Gentle Products
One of the downsides to using cleaning formulas on hardwood floors is the potential harm the chemicals can do to your pets.  So I always like choosing a plant based cleaner.  Better Life Floor Cleaner is amazing and has plant based ingredients so it's safer for kids and pets.  It uses grapefruit, peppermint, and bergamot extracts to clean and restore the natural shine of your floors without any harsh fumes.  It works on hardwood, tile, marble, bamboo, vinyl, laminate, and other sealed floors.  No streaks, no haze, and no rinsing necessary!  I love the smell it leaves behind too, much better than harsh chemical cleaner smells that I'm used to.

3. Vacuum Regularly
You want to keep dirt and grit from rubbing into the hardwood flooring over time so make sure you vacuum on a regular basis. And when you do, don't use the roller brush function!  I think the only pain with hardwood floors is that it's easier to see dog fur and hair, which is technically a good thing, because it means it's not getting embedded into your floor like it would if you had carpet.  But the only thing with that is that you see what I like to call tumbleweeds of dog fur. Stella has tumbleweeds that roll around the house.  They like to hide under furniture so make sure when you vacuum, you use the wand attachment to get into all of those hard to reach places.

4. Mind the Humidity
If you live in a climate where it gets very humid in summer, make sure you have a dehumidifier or that you are regularly running your AC.  Humidity can shrink flooring.  Most of us don't need to worry about this unless maybe you have hardwood flooring in the basement where it can get damp, or where water can get in from time to time when it rains really hard.   A dry floor is a happy floor!

5. Use Furniture Pads
If you keep furniture directly on the hardwood floors and the furniture has legs that come to a point and apply pressue, use funriture pads. They are great because they also prevent your furniture from slipping around.  And when moving furniture, use sliders underneath instead of dragging it along the hardwood.


If you take care of your wood floors, you will be especially glad in the longrun when they look beautiful year after year!


How do you take extra special care of your hardwood floors?

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Outfit of the Day: Side Slits

This maxi dress is just so comfortable but best of all it has side slits on it so even on the hottest of days, a nice breeze let's me keep cool when I'm in the sun.

I paired this with a navy blue top from The Mogan and honestly, I love the colors together.  It's a nice classy look.

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Sensible Styling with Cleo Madison

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I have a new brand of clothing I'm in love with. Today's post is about sensible styling because let's be honest - most of us have jobs where we can't dress the way the floor models in the malls are dressed. Crop tops and open backs? Uhhh, no. 

So Cleo Madison is a line of modest clothing like dresses, shirts, skirts, and even swimwear that is both work appropriate AND stylish.  Bonus - you get 10% off your first order for joining their newsletter AND every order in the US gets free shipping!   

The thing I love most about Cleo Madison is that their styles can be worn at work, but also casually at home or running errands.

This dress is the Molly Striped Pocket Dress. That's right it has pockets!   And it is SO comfortable and lightweight!   It's also made in the USA which made me super excited.

The waistband is very flattering especially on someone like me that has a thick midsection.

The pockets honestly make this dress that much more enjoyable! The most important part though is the price! Everything at Cleo Madison is SO reasonably priced! This dress is just $32! And when their items are on sale it's even better!

I know there are a lot of brands out there today that have casual and conservative clothing but you honestly can't beat the prices with Cleo Madison. 

Make sure you check them out and consider adding a few pieces to your wardrobe!

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Pixie & Grace's Birthday Celebration!

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 Oh be still my heart, my babies are growing up! Pixie is now 12, Grace is now 10, Stella will be 8 in November, and Rocky is 13.  AHHHHHHH! I can't believe how old they are getting. Age is just a number though, because they are all spunkier than ever. As long as they are healthy and happy it doesn't matter how old they are!

As I usually do, they got a little celebration cake (Pixie's birthday is the 31st and Grace's is the 24th so we always do joint celebrations) and some new toys!

They also got introduced to new food in the beginning of the month and all 4 pups are doing great on it!

I got Nutro Wild Frontier from Chewy and the dogs are loving the chicken flavor! The Wild Frontier Open Valley Recipe Line offers a grain-free high protein diet that works great with your dog's natural instincts.  Protein helps fill them up and no grain means you don't have to worry about allergies or sensitivities that A LOT of dogs deal with. 

The size of the kibble is perfect.  The dogs love the flavor and I love that it contains ingredients that help build muscle and work with a dog's metabolism to keep it healthy. So no corn, gluten, grains, soy, etc. and since my dogs are getting older it's nice that this type of food provides fuel for their energy levels. Maybe that's why they definitely act younger than they are.  And of course there are no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.   This food is great and it's priced very fairly!


Also, if you follow me on social media you may have noticed I've been letting the dogs wander around in the yard with me a bit more often than usual.   Well, mostly Grace... but with that comes the fear of something happening to her.  Generally she stays right by my side and she has her collar and leash on but if she ever gets into a fearful panic, trust me she can find a way to escape.

That's where PABY comes in. PABY is a Real Tiem Tracking for your pet that uses both GPS and Wi-Fi.  You attach it to their collar and you can not only see them in the app if they get away but there's even a way to sound an alarm and activate an LED light. How useful would that be at night? VERY!  

The PABY kit comes with a tool to help you change the SIM and also change the elastic band. I personally think the size of the PABY unit is perfect even for a dog of Grace's size (10 lbs).  The PABY kit comes with a collapsible bowl as packaging which is super useful.  There's also a charging cable so remember to use it so your pet can ALWAYS be tracked!   I really like how lightweight PABY is and the fact that it's water resistant. 

They come in a few different designs so obviously if you have a male dog you don't have to panic that you HAVE to use a pink PABY! And in case you are wondering, I didn't have any issues with it falling off of Grace's collar!

The PABY app is really cool.   You first have to setup a profile for your pet, which means choosing their breed and entering their basic info like weight and age.

Now these screen shots were taken in the beginning of August on my old phone, which went downhill quickly.  So I had no choice but to get a new one, and when I did, I just redownloaded the PABY app and all of the info was in there still, which was very nice! That's why I like apps for something as important as this. 



After I set Grace's PABY unit up the next screen that pops up is really cool because it shows stats like how active your dog is and how much exercise it has based on the recommended amount. 

As the device was connecting I could already see a map of where we were standing while on our walk and I have to say it was pretty darn cool! For years I've said "Wouldn't it be cool to have a GPS tracking device on dogs so that if they run off you can see where they are in real time, instead of hoping someone finds them and takes them to the vet to scan their chip?" Yea, this is real now! This is also really cool for a dog owner that has a HUGE property and has a dog that sometimes runs off to a secluded area to do whatever it is they do.   If you have a dog that runs off on a regular basis in your neighborhood, BOOM - this device is for you!

 

Another great feature are the Custom Safety Zones. You can actually set safe zones using a virtual fence feature.  This means if your dog goes out of the safety zone you'll get a notification and another one when they enter it. And if you have several dogs you can manage them all from the same PABY app!
 

Oh and I know I'm talking about using PABY for dogs but you can definitely use it for cats and that's HUGE because cats LOVE to roam the neighborhood. 

 

Obviously with any technology there will be things people like and don't like but overall I think PABY is brilliant!  It's a must have for every dog owner even if your dog doesn't go outside much (3 of my 4 just use potty pads so they only see the outdoors if I take them for a walk) because in that one instance where they run away you want to be as prepared as possible.  So yes people, there's finally a GPS tracking device for pets!!!!

Overall, the girls had a great birthday.  Do you celebrate doggy birthdays in your household?

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5 Steps To Protecting Your Home While You’re Away

It’s hard to come to terms with, but summer will be coming to an end soon. The time has come for families to take their last summer getaways and start getting ready for school again. Before you head out on your last trip to Disney World, it’s so important to make sure that your home and belongings are protected from burglars. Follow these 5 steps to ensure that you have peace of mind while you’re away.

1. Ask a neighbor to keep an eye on things.

Try the “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” method. If you promise to watch out for suspicious activity around your neighbors’ homes, they will likely be happy to do the same for you. Leave your number with them so they can call you and/or the police if they notice anyone snooping around your house.

2. Keep your yard trimmed and tidy.

One obvious way for burglars to find out if a home is empty is for the lawn to be overgrown. Ask a trusted friend to come over once a week if you’re gone for an extended amount of time. They can trim your lawn and take out the garbage so it’s clear that someone has been around caring for the home.

3. Set up some timed lights.

One of the easiest ways to make it appear as if someone is home is by using timed lights. You can find great ones that are inexpensive and they’re so easy to set up! Simply pick a time you’d like them to turn on and you’re all set. From the outside, it looks like someone is inside, making a burglar much less likely to pursue your home.

4. Get security devices.

From security cameras to motion sensors, there are so many devices you can get to protect your home. The wonderful thing about these new technologies is that you can often control them from anywhere in the world via an app! Even just having a sign warning of a security system in your front yard is proven to deter burglars. There have been some awesome deals on home security systems lately, like the DIY system called SimpliSafe at Best Buy.

5. Avoid oversharing on social media.

Although it can be tempting to share your fabulous trip on social media to all your friends, it’s a good idea to hold off until you arrive back home. You never know for sure who’s following you, so you wouldn’t want to make anyone with bad intentions aware that you won’t be home. Be sure to check your privacy settings and see if what you post has geotagging as well. The best time to show off your wonderful photos of the beach is when you’re back home reminiscing!

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