Your First Christmas Without a Loved One


Coping with a death at Christmas


It was early November 2011 that Mom took her last breath. All to quickly the holiday season crept through the front door that year. Though still feeling the numbness of her absence we began to pick up speed through all our usual festivities. School concerts, church gatherings, family, and more family began to add weight to our already heavy hearts. Christmas night was my breaking point. I slumped down on the couch fully aware of the ache in my stomach from eating a rich feast...more food than I had eaten in weeks. My chest heavy, I recognized the tidal wave of grief rolling in, and instantly felt suffocated by emotion. It was just.too.much. 

The first Christmas without our loved one is perhaps the most agonizing time of the year. A season usually filled with laughter, nearness of family, and joy loses its sparkle under the weight of grief. Even worse this year, are the restrictions placed on many of us amidst our current lockdowns and precautions. The comforts of the company of family will be absent and deeply missed for many of us here in Canada, leaving the deep throb of grief all the more raw. 

If I could go back in time I would give myself four pieces of advice, but since time travel is impossible I will share them with you instead in hopes of slightly easing the burden of the grief in your holiday season.


1. Allow yourself time to be sad.


Christmas is truly a season of joy as we remember the birth of our Redeemer, it is certainly a time to pause and celebrate! This year, let your gift to yourself be a gift of grace when the joy doesn't come as easily. Be patient, allowing yourself to be sad. Joy will return in small moments though maybe not through this holiday season, but one day. This also goes for the coming years, as grief is a rather odd emotion sneaking up when you least expect it. 

Be purposeful in taking moments to yourself or with someone you love (even if it needs to be through an internet video call) to be sad and remember the person who has passed. One day you will smile a genuine smile again. One day you will laugh again. One day you will make it through Christmas and enjoy it once more, but until then be gracious with your heart.


2. Expect fatigue

My body was beyond exhausted by the time we made it to Christmas. We had gone from death to funeral to Christmas and both my physical and mental health were deplete. Christmas day I found a quiet space at my grandparent's home, where we were visiting, and excused myself to rest for 30 minutes. Go easy on yourself this year. Slow down the pace and allow yourself to conserve your energy reserves. Allow me to give you permission to eat frozen pizza or a bowl of soup this year if that's all you can muster up in strength. There will be future years where turkeys and roast beef can have you place in the kitchen, but this year might not be it. That's ok. You will be tired as you work to process your emotions and down time will be essential. Give yourself scheduled breaks to be able to rest even if you don’t sleep.


3. Find a way to remember your loved one


On the top of our tree we place an angel that my mom had given to me just before she got sick. Every year our angel finds her place atop our tree and everyone in our home knows the angel is our precious reminder of Mom/ Grammy. You could put out a photo or ornament, light a candle, recite their favourite Bible passage, play their favourite song, or leave an extra place setting at your table. Whatever it is, do something to remember them and remind you of the cherished memories you still carry even though they are gone. It is in those sweet memories that you will find the healing balm for your wounded heart.


4. Know that how you feel won’t last forever


Christmas is no longer what it once was. Every now and then I still find myself grieving over what use to be, but we have found new ways to enjoy Christmas together. This is true whenever there are monumental changes in our lives be it a death, a move, divorce, a new baby, or anything that brings about newness good or bad. Our traditions have changed a little to adapt. Our new traditions are growing sweeter again as the holidays no longer sting like they once did. 

It is hard my sweet reader but the crushing pangs of grief will lift, don’t take my word for it, here’s what God has to say to you:

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance… (Ecclesiastes  3:1,4)

 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Take heart. Know that God is near you, comforting you, and strengthening you as you rest. 


Merry Christmas dear friend. 

All my love,





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Wisdom and Laugh Lines: Why This Phase of Life Rocks!


30 something and loving it


We are about to embark upon a rather epic journey of converting our “everything space” in our basement, to a homeschool space where the kids can more easily spread out. Maybe you have an “everything space”. It’s the space in a home that occupies all the miscellaneous “stuffs” <—(yeah, I know that’s bad grammar, but “stuff” hardly felt like it covered the vast array of junk we have collected). Not sure if you a space like that, though I suspect we all have at least a “stuffs corner”. 


I was browsing Instagram accounts and Googling basement renos like a mad woman, you know, so I can later convince people I have some hidden gift of interior design (which I do not in case you’re curious, but let’s keep that between you and I). As I scrolled though pages on my phone I noticed two things, the first being that I needed to slow down the pace or else I was going to end up with a solid case of arthritis in my thumb. But, it was my second thought that surprised me the most. Image upon image of beautifully creative rooms with their curators all being young 20-something women revealing genuinely more skills and talent that I hold in my left pinkie. Not only that, but they look cute doing it! 


I mutter something out loud as I see a young lady with a perfectly poised “messy” ponytail, drill in her hand, ripped jeans (that I guarantee cost her more than my entire current jeans collection), and 5 sweet little coordinating children at her feet, presumably hers. 


“I do not look like that when I reno a room,” I snickered.


My daughter’s, having heard my snork, gathered around to see just what mom was looking at. They instantly start laughing, like way beyond my subtle snicker, which actually left me genuinely confused. I mean, I know I’m no beauty queen when I work, but was it really that bad?!


They began to reminisce between themselves of that time, earlier this summer, when I renovated our kitchen. 


“No, that’s not our mom at all!”


“Mom’s painting clothes are hilarious!”


Hold up. They are painting clothes children, what’s the problem?


“Well, let’s not forget your green crocs, “ says one.


“Or the pants that don’t do up!” squeals another, which instantly triggers tears of laughter rolling down their faces.


It’s true. They don’t. They are the last pair of jeans I bought pre-babies 15 years ago, hence why they are now work pants. Problem is, they genuinely don’t do up anymore, and it isn’t because the zipper is broken. Just an FYI, I bought them one month before I found out we were expecting and I felt it seemed a tad wasteful of hard earned money spent on my delightfully new Quicksilvers (best brand ever, am I right?!) to never wear them again. I vowed to make the most of them in whatever way I could, and I now feel like I have my money’s worth- almost.


Also, since we’re going for honesty here, I usually wear an old t-shirt that says “My mommy thinks I’m special”. My mom gave it to me as a gift many years ago, and oddly enough had the same tearful laughter my daughter’s were currently displaying when she gave it to me. I wore that shirt when my second was born, because…well…because it was already on when I went into labour and sorting out which pjs I wanted to wear while grunting out a child was fairly low priority. I still have it because it makes me smile when I see it, even though it now looks like I was in the spray zone while ax-murdering a can of paint. Too dark? Actually…just the right shade. Bad joke? I know. I didn’t dare tell them that I also have a pair of pink fuzzy socks that are a must when I adorn my painting duds, that’s because I’m all for encouraging them to learn, and they can sharpen their skills of observation to figure that one out on their own. You’re welcome, children.


All that to say this, I have come to one conclusion: I am in the early onset phase of “getting older”. 


Don’t laugh, I’ve just invented a new season of life. 


Granted, I can’t say for certain how long this phase lasts, as I’m only crossing into this new territory now. Perhaps a few decades, perhaps longer. All I know is this…


Something odd has been creeping in the last few years as I near my middle ages. It’s nothing overly intense, I mean, I need to pep-talk my uterus each month to convince her she needs to hang in there a little longer. Unlike my 20-something counterpart, the need to take photos from a higher vantage point is now a thing. Oh, and I get cranky when I overhear teenagers talk about how tired they are. “As if”… as my currently aging generation would say.


But, there are perks to being in this phase of life that no one tells you. For example, I can now enjoy embarrassing my children when I take them on a trip to the hardware store for more paint, just by wearing my painting pants (don’t worry, the “my mommy thinks I’m special” shirt is long enough to hide the fact that my top botton of my jeans is making no effort to find its way to the button hole several inches away.)


Clothing aside, there is one giant perk to this new season of late 30-something/ early 40-something season of life. If this last decade has taught me anything at all it is simply the wisdom to trust God’s gentle unfolding of life. There is a letting go of perfection in this season, and rather a treasuring of each passing moment for what it is. Whether it’s good or bad, our life experience, by this phase of life, has taught us that both possess equally valuable lessons. There has been a quiet confidence arising in this season as a result. It’s the confidence that stems from the wisdom to know that we all struggle in our days, no one is exempt, no one has figured out perfection. As if waking up for the first time, I realize this journey is one worth savouring rather than trying to race through. With God at the helm, we can loosen the grip and stop striving for the approval of man, but rather relish in the goodness of God’s providence as we ride on.


I know that that sweet young mama, God-bless her, has struggles like the rest of us. I know she likely had ketchup spattered children that she wiped down before the photo was taken. I know that these rooms of beauty only look so good because the paint is still fresh, the lightbulbs were just replaced, and the toys and clutter have been cleared just beyond the edge of the frame. It’s ok to share in the beautiful things of life, but this past season has taught me the broken and ragged both hold just as much beauty, and I have come to treasure both.


Sure, my body is doing weird things, but hey, at least it’s new and somewhat interesting. But my mind and mental sanity have settled into this season with enough wisdom to offer myself grace to leave behind perfection, and just enjoy the sweetness of these moments. Our eldest daughter, a teenager, is contemplating her future career path, our middle is becoming a most magnificent baker, and our youngest, our son, is so full of wonder I can’t help but to slow down and enjoy his curiosity with him. Such an extravagant season is wrapped up in the ordinary, I must say, I am finally seeing it.


So, me and my lime green crocs will enjoy the journey with the slow stability of this season, a season that appreciates the ability to just be without needing to fill it, without needing to prove you can accomplish greatness. This is a season where we put into action the lessons of triumph and failure from our past and sing praises for the magnificent depth of character we now see in our faithful Father.


Our job now is to simply trust the Driver, and enjoy the new-found wisdom of this phase of life. 


All My Love,






PS- Upon proofreading this post, my husband has kindly asked to buy me a new pair of painting pants. For the sake of our marriage, I'm going to take one for the team and let him win this one (but I'm keeping the Crocs- don't tell him I said that!).
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Homemade Laundry Detergent


Homemade laundry detergent

After having our third child I realized almost immediately that we would need to change our laundry habits. We were going through a ton of laundry and washing our clothing too often. The most obvious course of action was to downsize our clothing and linens. I paired down our closets, went down to the minimum amount of linens we could get away with, and gave everyone a laundry basket to keep things organized. If I didn't have time to fold in those early baby days, you could at least find your clean clothing in your labelled basket on the shelves my father-in-law graciously built in our laundry room. 

Once we had paired down, the next step was management of the water. Five people means a lot of water gets used in a day. Figuring out showers/baths, dishwasher, and laundry felt like a bit of a task to conquer. I designated shower days/times and laundry days to help us out. The dishwasher needed to run every night so we needed to work around it. Still today, we all have our laundry days, and you need to get in and get out in your allotted time. In case you were curious, two out of three of my kids (ages 11 and 14) now do their own laundry, and my five year old is in training to do his own as well. 

Next up came the frugal factor of the cost of laundry soap, not to mention I'm not a fan of the chemicals in store bought soap. After doing a little digging I came across a homemade laundry soap on the Duggar's blog. I figured if it worked for their giant family, why not give it a shot. I have since adapted it slightly to our hard water. It is this recipe that I wish to share with you today. 

Ingredients:


- 1 - 1/12 bars of laundry soap (Sunlight is easy enough to find, but if you want something more natural try your local health food store for bars of laundry soap. This time I tried the laundry bar from Rocky Mountain Soap, and so far I really like it!)

- 1 1/2 C washing soda (This will vary depending on your water softness. Use less for soft water as this amount is set for those of us with hard water)

- 1/2 C borax

*you will also need a 5 gallon bucket with a lid.


Directions:


1. Grate the full bar of soap (plus half from another if you know your clothing will need an extra boost).

2.  Fill a pot of water with 4 C of water and add your grated soap.

3.  On medium heat, continually stir the soap until it melts into the water

4.  Fill a 5 gallon bucket with hot tap water then add your soap mixture to the bucket.

5. Add in your borax and washing soda and mix until it's all dissolved (be sure to scrape the bottom of the bucket).

6. Fill your bucket to the top.

7. Allow to cool over night.

8. The next morning give your laundry soap a big stir (depending on what type of soap you used it may gel, that's perfectly fine, just stir it extra good).

9. You can now add essential oils if you wish, but we usually left ours fragrance free. Make sure you give it a good mix if you're doing this so you avoid staining your clothing.

To use:


Before I use ours I just give it a quick stir to mix up any separation that has occurred.

Use the same amount of this laundry soap as you would the store-bought.

One final note, it has been really important to me that our laundry always gets an extra rinse, as it helps to wash away any residual soap that may irritate the skin. 

And there you have it! Your own homemade laundry soap!

Know any other good laundry recipes? Drop me a link or share below.

All my love,


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Creating a Home of Comfort In an Unusual Holiday Season


creating a home of comfort


I stood on the wintery step waiting in anticipation for the moment about to unfold before me. Suddenly the door was opened and the familiar smells of the holidays filled my nose: turkey, apple cider, a roaring fire. My grandmother appeared with cherry pink cheeks hot from her labour of love in the kitchen. Year after year, I looked forward to these familiar sights, sounds, and smells as comforts of the holiday season.

This year, an odd and unexpected one, has me pondering the season that is about unfold. There is an uncomfortable newness and uncertainty in the unfolding of 2020. Like the opening of Grandma’s front door, what comfort of the season awaits on the other side?
Sweet Mary knows though...
In the midst of the chaos of the bustling town of Bethlehem, hidden away in a dusty barn, on an anything but silent night, God incarnate chose to make his first appearance. He didn’t come in the comfort of a celebration, nor in the presence of glitter and decor. He didn’t even come in the comfort of an abundance of family and friends, or holiday cheer.
The arrival of a King, though the ambience lacked in splendour, certainly didn’t lack comfort, but not the comfort we are familiar with during the season, rather Mary’s comfort. Mary didn’t find her comfort in anything other than a deep, unwavering trust in her Lord.
As the door to the holiday season begins to open, I suspect the chaos of this year (perhaps more closely resembling the noise and unrest of the night of Jesus birth) has potential to catch us off-guard. Or, like Mary, we can choose to find comfort in nothing but a quiet hope and trust for our gracious Lord and his ability to lead us through the unfamiliar.
Just as my grandmother opened her door to welcome us into the comfort of her home, so also we can open our doors and welcome in the comfort of the hope we have in our Lord in spite of our circumstance. Let us make the comfort that Mary knew well the heart of our home this season.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

All my love,


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Homemade Diaper Rash Remedy


Homemade diaper rash remedy

This week I took a trip down memory lane with old photos of our growing family. Can I just say, I miss the days of little pudgy fingers, chubby cheekies, and gooey chins?! *sigh* But I digress...

What transpired from my little reflective trip was remembering all the efforts it takes to create a healthy space for babies. With our last child, I finally got brave enough to use cloth diapers (read: I finally didn't feel like I was drowning in the newness of motherhood enough to handle another new thing in my world). Since cloth diapers work a little differently than the gel packed store-bought diapers, "bottom dampness" was a real battlefield. 

Thankfully, I have well-seasoned, earth mama friends who tipped me off on a secret I am about to share with you. Ready for it?

Browned flour.

Pretty exciting, hey?! We used every cream on the market (including a few prescriptions once or twice), but at the end of the day, it was browned flour that finally helped us win at the game of diaper rashes. Not only did it work, but it's cheap too! (Remember, I'm a pinching tight wad, see former post for a refresher on that.).

But Sarah, what is browned flour?

Browned flour, not to be confused with whole wheat flour, is simply white flour that has been cooked in a frying pan. Here's how you make it:

1. Find yourself plain white, unbleached flour (if possible the non-enriched kind, although that is a detail I learned after the fact, and it didn't seem to bother our baby's skin).

2. Toss the desired amount into a frying pan or pot (I usually used about a cup at a time since I only made enough to use quickly to avoid it going stale).

3. Turn your heat to medium and begin to move the flour around your pot (do not put anything other than your flour in the pan). 

4. It will seem like it's taking forever, and then suddenly the flour will begin to darken quite quickly (and it will smell pretty awful too!)

5. Once the flour is brown, set it in a container and leave to cool before using on your baby. 

You do not need to add anything to the browned flour, simply use it as it is. I used a little of mine every time I did a diaper change, and a good dusting after bath time (let your baby air dry a bit before strapping on a diaper and "dusting", it will make a huge difference!)

If your baby us really struggling, take them to the doctor as they may need a prescription strength cream to knock it back. Once it's under control, switch to browned-flour as a preventative measure to keep that pesky rash from returning. 

There you have it! An all-natural remedy to diaper rash! Enjoy.

All my love,


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Reclaiming the Sabbath


Reclaiming the Sabbath



“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8)


Scanning the house one last time, we checked for missed items before our departure. The trailer was packed. Suitcases, cooler, lawn chairs all meticulously laying in their neatly engineered spaces, every inch accounted for. I pulled the door shut and locked up behind us, we were finally leaving for a much needed holiday.


As the miles between our home and our vehicle grew, our hearts and minds began to settle in to vacation mode. It was a time of joyous rest and celebration of the summer heat! A time away from the ordinary and somewhat draining routine, to step into the extraordinary and refresh our minds and souls once again. Upon return our rhythm would be reset to one of slow simplicity, and filled with wonder from all that we had explored. 


It seems as though, at least in our home, we wait with bated breath for the calendar months to flip to the beauteous months of summer before we feel we are deserving of a time out. We bustle and rush, and finally the days are long and hot, and we clamour for an excuse to depart from routine.


Oh, but the beauty of God’s rhythm…


For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Ex 20:11)


Rest.


No, not rest as we see it.  The Hebrew word “shabbat” is not one indicative of a weary work-worn individual, but rather, and perhaps more simply, it is the cessation of work. 


God stopped. 


For six days he worked, and “it was good", He was satisfied with His creation. On the seventh day He stopped working because there was nothing left to add. It was perfect and complete, lacking nothing. As such, it was, and is, to be set apart (holy) as a day to be celebrated. 


God gave a routine and rhythm for us to abide by so our deep longing to escape the weary days of ordinary would be interrupted with a day of extraordinary each and every week. A day where we intentionally pause from our busyness to celebrate His goodness, His perfection, His provisions, His redemption. We don’t stop out of a rigid, legalistic need to stop, but rather we stop to come together and rejoice in all that He is, and all He has given. It is a shift from our busyness, to a deep contentedness of joyous worship and understanding that it is God alone who carries the weight of our weeks and weakness. 


Here we find a holy rhythm that flows from our adoration of The Lord's providence. Let us lap from His living waters and refresh our souls in the stillness of the Sabbath. 


All my love,


Like Grandma Did author




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DIY 3D Paper Star with Printable Template


3D paper star craft

As we inch closer to the festive season, I love the idea of a home decorated in homemade handcrafts. It creates a space of cozy invitation to linger and admire that many hands that make a home work. Not to mention I'm cheap (like penny-pinching tight-wad cheap), and DIYs can usually save you a few dollars, while still looking pretty. 

I was admiring a series of three dimension paper stars hanging in a store one day, when my mom's great words wisdom crossed my mind, "I think I can make that!" So I decided to put my geometric loving left-brain to work and created a template. You can download the template for yourself at the bottom of this post, but be sure to follow along so you can see where to fold and glue your masterpiece. 

Old-fashioned crafts


1. Start by printing yourself 6 pages of the template on 8x10 sheets of paper. My printer was able to handle printing on heavy cardstock, but go with what your printer is capable of. You could also use 8x10 patterned scrapbook sheets, or glitter paper (printed on the back of course). 

2. Next, cut out your shapes from the paper. Keep in mind that the side of the page you can see the template on will be the back of your star. 

Now for the fun part...

3. Flip your start over so you cannot see the template, but before you do so, look for the straight and centered line running down the middle of your star (the line of symmetry for you math lovers!) . See it? Once you do, flip your star over and fold your shape in half on that line. 

4. Flip your template back over to see the lines again. Fold every other remaining line (all but the middle line you just folded) template-side in. 

Paper star craft template
5. Repeat until all 6 templates are folded and then get ready for gluing.

6. Grab your glue-stick and start to combine your templates by gluing the tiny two edge flaps together (one from each template). The glue will go the non-template side. Where the two templates join will be the peak of the stars "arms". 

7. Once you have all 6 templates held together on the edges, flip your star over and begin to fold the larger flaps over each other (you can see the back of the star in the above images). You will need to pull them tight to help create the 3D effect of your star. Repeat until you have completed all 6 points for your star.

8. (optional) If you wish to create a star that has two sides, print 6 more templates and repeat the process. You can then glue the two side together using the larger flaps to secure them to each other.

9. If you have used either a one-sided, or two-sided star, allow it to dry completely then punch a hole through the top and run a string, yarn, or piece of jute through the hole and your star is now ready to hang. 


From here you can add glitter, or leave plain...it's completely up to you!

Download your template here, or click the image below and right click for a download if the link doesn't work for you. 

Happy crafting!

Love,

Like Grandma Did

paper star template




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For the Weary Homeschool Mom


Exhausted Homeschool Mom


No, sweet friend, you are not failing, you are learning.

You thought all the teaching would be for your children, but here you are, in a place of confusion and frustration, wondering how to proceed. Like your child, with pencil in hand, frustrated by the curve of the “S”, you have furrowed your brow and longed to abandoned the lesson.

“Just calm down,” “Try to focus,” “Don’t get upset.” The words roll off your tongue as your child grows all the more agitated by the unfolding of the events.

But these words...

They don’t acknowledge the challenges of learning, not for them, not for you.

Learning is hard work, and, like the growth of elongating bones and muscles, often brings about pain as we are reshaped. They are the growing pains needed to mature our bodies, our minds, our spirits. Pains long since forgotten as our growth into adulthood slows.

And yet, here you are, on the common ground of unfamiliarity with your child, seeing life anew in your current circumstance.

It’s ok to not know what to do next. It’s ok that it isn’t working today, or tomorrow. It’s ok to walk away and breath awhile. It’s ok to feel what you feel, but don’t linger in the discouragement.

You too are learning. You are learning how to speak in a way that make sense to younger, inexperienced ears. You are learning to find rhythm and routine. You are learning a balancing act between pushing boundaries to grow, and keeping the peace inside your precious relationships.

Your journey will be different than others, as it should be. Those growing pains remind us that we are being shaped into the unique character God desires not just for our children, but for ourselves. These stumbling blocks and days of frustration are simply the pangs of moving from what you used to know and be, to where God needs you to grow in character.

Treasure your relationships above algebra. Stay teachable. And above all, rest in the process, seek His will and wisdom. He will answer.

Give instruction to a wise person and he will become still wiser; Teach a righteous person and he will increase his insight. (Prov. 9:9)

All my love,

Sarah Slanzi



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Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse


Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse


This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. By making purchases from the links in this post, I may earn a small portion of the sale at no additional cost to you. You will not be charged simply by clicking on a link. 



I am a huge fan of apple cider vinegar, or ACV as it’s known in its shortened form. This summer I tried my hand at making my own ACV and had great success (but more on that in a different post). Originally, I made the switch to ACV for my food because of its fermented properties that give it a probiotic kick (assuming you are ingesting some of the “mother”). I am all about healing my gut right now, so I take any help I can get!


Aside from being good for your gut, ACV is also great for your skin! I am allergic to just about every single shampoo and conditioner on the market right now since most have fillers that upset my system be it in or on my body. I’ve had to get crafty with homemade tinctures and creams to keep me clean and healthy! Enter ACV…


About once a week I use an ACV rinse in my hair (a little less in winter when the air is already dry)! My kids think I smell like a salad on vinegar wash days, but my hair looks fantastic! It’s shiny, the frizz is under control, and in general looks and feels healthy. The other bonus is that I can usually get away with not needing to use shampoo for about 2 days after since it works to balance your pH. 


So why ACV for your hair? Here are a few reasons:


1. It helps to balance your skin's pH, which is great for us oily people!


2. It contains probiotic which can help with the flora on your skin (yes, even your scalp contains tiny micro-organisms working to keep you healthy.) 


3. It strips the products from your hair that build up over time on the hair shaft and at the scalp.


4. In light of reason #3, it is much cheaper than clarifying shampoos!


5. It doesn’t contain harmful ingredients that are often found in store-bought hair products like (phthalates and parabens to name a few).


It’s important to note that ACV is an acid, so as many benefits as it has, it still needs to be used in moderation. "Less is more" definitely works in this case. If you are looking for an ACV shampoo and conditioner than can be used for more daily usage, check out the ones I use here. 



    Here’s how I use my rinse so you can make your own too. If you aren’t making your own vinegar, then head to the store and grab yourself an ACV that contains the “mother”. The mother is the bacteria and yeast that grow during the fermentation process and contains what we need to give our own flora a boost. At present, Costco sells giant jugs of it that do in fact have the “mother”, or you can use Bragg Live Food Organic Apple Cider Vinegar.


Step 1: Give your bottle a shake to stir up the mother that is probably sitting at the bottom of the bottle.


Step 2: Pour 1-2 Tbsp into a glass or mason jar. (Use the lesser if you aren’t an oily person, and more if you are).


Step 3: Fill the remainder of your container with warm water.


Step 4: Wash your hair as you ordinarily would. 


Step 5: Slowly pour your vinegar rinse over hair making sure you get your scalp all the way to the ends of your hair. (pro tip: careful you don’t accidentally pour it in your eyes…voice of experience speaking here!)


Step 6: Work the rinse into your hair and scalp like you would with your shampoo (I say like shampoo rather than conditioner because I tend to only put conditioner on the ends of my hair since it’s too greasy to put at the root. This is not the case with ACV rinse, you actually want it right down to the root.)


Step 7: Leave the rinse in your hair while you finish your shower.


Step 8: Rinse out the ACV and towel dry/ style as you normally would.


On ACV wash days, I give my hair a break from the blowdryer we well, and just let my hair and scalp have a day to breath.


That’s it! It’s that simple! Let me know what you think in the comments. What are you using ACV for? Share your ideas below!!


All my love,


Like Grandma Did


Like Grandma Did
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[name=Sarah Slanzi] [description=Old-fashioned homemaking steeped in God's grace] (facebook=https://www.facebook.com/hiddenmotherhood) (instagram=https://www.instagram.com/sarah.slanzi) (pinterest=https://www.pinterest.ca/hiddenmotherhood/)