The Great Blog Bio Contest
03 May 2011 Leave a Comment
Thanks to some very funny clients/friends I have decided that I shall run a contest to see who can come up with the best blog bio for this site as voted by YOU the readers! The winner gets their bio posted with credit AND a gift certificate for 25.00 worth of services at www.hairbymiranda.ca. This is not something that has to be taken seriously but should have truth to it.
Berry Plus: The Early Review
03 May 2011 Leave a Comment
I have been asked to try out Berry Plus Laundry Detergent on 20 loads of laundry. Having a large family and a salon at home makes me a good candidate to test a product like detergent because I have all sorts of stains to contend with from hair colour to food to dirt and pet stains. I have washed 6 loads of laundry in Berry Plus and am very pleased. The first load I washed was a load of blacks that I washed in cold water, line dried…great results. The clothing did not dry stiff like most clothing does on the line, it was softer and it was nice to only smell outside on the clothes. The second load I washed was my white hair salon towels, they were covered in various shades of the rainbow and could definitely not be considered white any longer. I washed this load in cold water, dried in the dryer. Almost every colour stain was gone, the towels were not dingy or grey and they had zero static. Colour me impressed. Since then I have washed more darks and blues which have both been line dried or dryer depending on our weather and have been pleased all around. I am collecting a load of white that have taken on some grey to see if I can get them brightened up with the Berry Plus because when using natural or eco-friendly detergents dingy whites are a huge problem. I look forward to writing a final review of Berry Plus, one thing is for certain, Berry Plus will be coming to the cottage with us this summer!
Testing, Testing
29 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
I have signed myself and my family up to be a guinea pig of sorts for green, eco-friendly products so, as I test out these innovative and new domestic toys I will be letting you know the true dirt on whether these things are worth spending your hard-earned money on or not.
First up is Berry Plus laundry detergent. www.berryplus.com . I first encountered these little gems and I do mean this literally based on the little purple microdose vials it comes in, at the Green Living Show earlier this month. I was intrigued, the packaging is space-aged and minimalist so I will keep you informed as to the potency and effectiveness of Berry Plus. They claim good things come in small packages, here’s hoping!!!
Sentimentality and Auditory Memory Jogs
29 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
When family passes away I am never thinking there is an inheritance to be had, I am thinking about those items no matter how ‘valuable’ that remind me specifically of good times spent with that person. When my Grandmother passed away last year there was very little by way of stuff I wanted from her home but one of the things that really connected me to her home, memories and time spent with her more recently was wind chimes. She kept them under her car port and whenever we would pull up or leave that was the first sound you heard and the last, to me it meant Grandma’s House. The last time I left Grandma’s house on December 25th 2010 just after 10:30 pm I asked my Aunt if I could take the wind chimes and she said yes. I hung them up the second we got home on the 26th under my front porch so that every time we or someone came and went that was the first and last sound they heard. Those wind chimes meant more to me than anything. A few days ago after dropping the children off at school I noticed that the normal chime sound that I said good morning to every single day was not there. My heart damned near shattered. It felt as if the wind had been knocked out of me and I cried. Someone had helped themselves to my grandmother’s wind chimes. I was angry, I was sad, I was devastated. My first instinct was to replace them immediately, so I went to Chinatown, bought 2 sets, put them up right away and wired them securely but the sound did not match. So, I continue to hunt for THAT sound, the sound that said “Grandma’s House”. In the meantime, whoever took those chimes I hope they are of real value to you because by taking them you broke my heart. By taking them you took something very important from me, the sound of my Grandmother’s house.
Blood Orange Loaf with Blood Orange Icing
25 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
Ingredients
1/2 cup (125 mL)organic raw coconut oil
1 cup (250 mL) organic raw cane sugar or agave or sweetener of choice…using less is ok too
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) organic stone ground bread flour
3 tbsp (45 mL) poppy seeds
1 tbsp (15 mL) organic blood orange rind
1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/2 cup (125 mL) coconut milk
Icing:
1/2 a cup of organic icing sugar
2 tbsp fresh squeezed blood orange juice
whisk together and drizzle on cooled loaf
Preparation:
In large bowl, beat coconut oil with sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
In separate bowl, whisk together flour, lemon rind, baking powder and salt ; stir into butter mixture alternately with milk, making 3 additions of flour mixture and 2 of milk. Spread in greased 8- x 4-inch (1.5 L) loaf pan.
Bake in centre of 325°F (160°C) oven for 1 hour or until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Place pan on rack.
My fabulous, cheap and hard-working recipe for cleanliness in your home
25 Apr 2011 1 Comment
There are so many products on the market today that claim to clean your home but truthfully they off-gas far more than they actually clean, they are expensive and quite frankly your health should be more important than that fabulous fresh scent. The trick to home cleaning lies in simplicity! My recipe for cleaning up after 5 stinky, dirty, germ laden people (and I am not talking about me here, this is all boys baby) is VINEGAR!
Vinegar can be used in your wash to remove stains, deodorize, fabric soften and remove pet stains/odours that most cleaning products won’t do for a whole lot less. If you have a stubborn stain or odour like cat pee you can pour the vinegar directly on the area first before putting it in the wash and then add 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup of vinegar to the wash load. You can clean counter tops, sinks, bath tubs, showers and toilets and not worry about harsh fumes or wearing gloves, unless of course you have a papercut and then y’ouch! You can clean your oven with vinegar. There is nothing this magic little acidic wonder can’t do!
Most people complain that they dislike the smell of vinegar and quite frankly so do I BUT I have come up with solution to that small problem, essential oils. I mix 1/4 to 1/3 vinegar with the remaining water and about 15-30 drops of essential oils in a spray bottle and you have a delicious all-purpose spray cleaner. My essential oil preferences are lemon and lime oil but I usually add a drop or two of tea tree as well. Just about any essential oil will do but some are more beneficial to cleaning than others. Also, some essential oils like jasmine, frankincense and rose are far too pricey to put in a spray bottle as a household cleaner.
For cleaning that requires scrubbing like baked on food, frying pans with stuck on food or bathtubs with soap scum I rely on baking soda and castile soap with just a hint of water and a scrub brush. You can get out anything with a little elbow grease and this paste.
Your wallet will thank you for choosing these cheap alternatives and so will your air and the planet!
What I Learned at The Green Living Show
17 Apr 2011 2 Comments
April is the time of year where my expo fancy gets tickled! I rarely attend hair expos because my philosophy is so very different from that industry but I do attend The Green Living Show every single year!
This year was very much like the last but I learned something very new which directly pertains to my business as a salon owner, it also directly pertains to you as the client. I met a man who represented a company that recycles hair, hair foils, colour tubes and what have you. For years I have been lamenting about what to do with this excess waste and it has weighed heavily on me every time I chuck a pan of hair or colour tube in the garbage. Every single piece of foil causes me distress when I have to toss it in the garbage bin. Having the resources to have this stuff recycled is HUGE to me! Once the proverbial dust settles from the expo I will be meeting with a rep from this company to talk about the hows and how much with the company and will be taking yet another step in keeping my business one of the greenest in the city, in the country and maybe even in THE WORLD!!! Muahahahaha!
New Ways To Save at Hair By Miranda
17 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
Over the last several months I have been approached by many “group discount” sites asking me to come up with a group deal to offer new and existing clients. Due to the nature and size of my business it is just not possible for me to accommodate that many people or cover the costs associated with it. After much consideration I have decided to offer coupons on my own website. Thanks to the hard work of my web designer (and trust me I know it wasn’t easy for her) we have come up with my own version of group discounts. Our first attempt at it comes by way of a 50% off deal on your haircut when you get a colour service. We are still ironing out the kinks but hopefully we will become old pros at this coupon thing and you, the clients will benefit.
Happy Savings! Now is the time to get that Spring hair tune up!!!
How To TRULY Benefit from Body Blitz
24 Mar 2011 1 Comment
First off I need to write a disclaimer of sorts reminding you that although I am pretty smart, I am not a health practitioner I am merely a hairstylist. I am also an avid “Blitzer” and after watching women rush through their spa time I felt it necessary to share my experience at “Blitzing”.
1. Always go prepared! Bring your handy dandy water bottle and keep it filled….hydration is key!
2. Along with water I also bring Coconut Water which is better than Gatorade, has essential vitamins and minerals and boosts your hydration levels naturally
3. Bathing suit optional
4. Have enough time to do the circuit properly allowing time to rest/relax between pools or rooms, this is not the place to be rushing.
The first pool you will enjoy is the Sea Salt and Warm Water pool. Not hot but comfortable and very relaxing. This is the place to soak away your anxiety or stress before heading to the Steam and Eucalyptus Essential Oil room. Take time to enjoy one of the amazing smoothie or drink options Body Blitz offers, sit back, relax and de-stress. The Salt Pool gets your body and mind ready for the next step.
I choose to shower before entering the Steam room to rinse off the sea salt water and generally get my skin ready for the steam detox. Once you have found your spot in the Steam room remember to breathe slowly and inhale the eucalyptus essential oil and steam combo, it opens up your sinuses and lungs, and gets those pores open and ready to let all the toxins out. 5 to 10 minutes of steam will have you feeling like jello and ready for the next step. Make sure to shower after to rinse away any toxins that will now be present on your skin from your steam detox. The Steam Room can relieve muscle soreness, relief from stiff joints, it enhances your immune system, lymph detoxification, helps improve blood circulation and gives sinus congestion relief!
The Cold Plunge! Now this is not something that is enjoyable to all but trust me it is necessary! Don’t skip this very important step! I like to get in immediately and submerge fully getting my head under for the first five seconds. Then sit up to the chin making sure your neck/thyroid is fully submerged for at least a minute. As hard as this may seem at first in the end you will be glad you did it. It brings the body temperature back down to normal from the heat of the steam room, it helps jumpstart the thyroid and immune system and closes up the pores after the detox.
After the Cold Plunge (brrrrrr) I like to pull up a comfy, red lounger making sure to sit on a towel. I sit on my small towel and cover myself with the large and have a rest for at least 10 minutes although, I have been known to catch a catnap or two. I sip water/coconut water and generally rehydrate before the next step. Once rested you are ready to resume the circuit.
I again shower before entering the Infrared Sauna to rinse off any residue from my cold plunge. I find sitting in the Infrared Sauna for at least ten minutes is extremely beneficial but you must do what is comfortable and safe for you. Below I am listing the health benefits of an Infrared Sauna in case you had any questions as to why this step is so important…. the high temperature helps lower blood pressure and increase blood circulation. It gets your heart to beat faster and it burns calories. It raises your metabolism a little bit and also when you sweat, you sweat out toxins through the skin. It helps to purify the skin, boosting blood circulation helps to get rid of cellulite. Infrared saunas combine heat along with better blood circulation which increases the oxygen level in the blood to provide relief for various kinds of pain including arthritis! Need I say more?
Once you have done your time in the Infrared Sauna head back to the shower to rinse of the toxins you have just perspired. It is time once again to do the Cold Plunge….don’t look at me like that just DO IT!!!
Rest! Sit back again, sip water, relish the time you have spent helping your body feel and look better. Take the proper time to enjoy this very valuable part of the experience and to rehydrate. Your body has sweat out a lot of water and toxins, hydration is necessary and will help to allow further toxins to come out. In case you have never had a headache from dehydration I will tell you this is not comfortable or fun to have …kinda like a hangover headache! Both result from being dehydrated so keep the fluid coming!
You are now ready to soak in the Green Tea Pool. This pool is quite warm, very relaxing and will help ease any pain and discomfort you may have. Green tea is high in antioxidants and this pool helps stimulate the immune system.
Back to the Cold Plunge! By now you should be an expert at taking a dip in this pool and you should already feel the benefits of taking that Cold Plunge! C’mon! You know you want to thank me for making you take this chilly step!
Now go rest again, let your body recover and recuperate from the waters, the heat and the cold. Keep up with the hydration while resting and ready yourself to step back into reality. perhaps you can take this time to think about your next visit because I can guarantee once you have been you WILL be hooked!!!
Greenwashing at it’s Finest
24 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
It would seem that everyone is aiming to be greener, leaner and kinder to our planet and while I applaud that effort and wholly support being green, green products aren’t always what they claim to be. CBC’s Marketplace and Ecoholic author Adria Vasil took a look at just some of these products and their claims at being green, organic and safe. Please do check it out and learn what it means to be an avid label reader!
http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2011/lousylabels/
Recent Comments