The Long and Short Of It

I love my love hair. I really, really do. But, all of a sudden, I feel the need to change my hair. I've always been jealous of girls who can rock the angled bob, my hair isn't sleek enough, unfortunately. But then I think, I've always said when I cut my hair in the (far off, I thought) future I'd go for an asymmetrical bob. I know what you are thinking, and no it wouldn't be as vulgar as that may sound. Taking a cue from fellow redheads I'm thinking something more like...





Pros:

• A hairstyle like this may classify as "edgy" which would be a refreshing contrast from my borderline twee clothing (let's not kid ourselves here, folks, I may swear like a sailor and drink like one too, but I dress like a cupcake)
• I am in my mid-20s and I don't know how much longer I can rock an "edgy" hairstyle without looking super weird
• Change is the essence of life, n'est pas?
• Short hair is (questionably) easier to take care of
• Would round out my somewhat angular facial features
• I can show off my neckline better (and make my neck look longer? Is this true?)

Cons:

• I won't have long, romantic hair anymore
• Limited hair style options
• Would have to get it cut more often to maintain shape
• Would potentially look awful
• Might have to surrender the Bettie Bangs if they clash with the angled hair.

Friday Links for 03.26.10

• They are reissuing The Babysitters Club books And this is a really interesting editorial stating why it's important that they do get reissued.

• Spring Cleaning: Detox Your Space There's a million articles about cleaning out your closet, but this one had me at "What fashion enthusiast wouldn't lust over a closet that could pass as a little boutique?"

• Spool No. 72 I am lusting after all these delicate Spring items, especially the tops, even though I can't afford them. Story of my life, though. Swoon.

• "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story" Worth it just to see Patton Oswalt as Dr Demento.

• DYI Tutorial: Make Your Own Kraft Packages A must read for anyone who likes sending post that's anything but ordinary!

• Do You Alter Vintage? Jennine at The Coveted asks, and defends, her answer to this question. I, too, am torn and can see both sides. I hem a lot of garments, sometimes take them in, but have yet to do a "dramatic" rehaul. I'm really curious of everyone's opinions on this. Please share!

Written During The Menstrual Period

"That time of the month," while a delightful euphemism, is not always a delightful experience. I, in a weird way, enjoy my period more than more girls I know. It's a relief from the agony of the PMS I experience I usually have, especially since I got off birth control about 2 years ago. Being on my period helps me connect with my body, something I've enjoyed about it since I was in high school, and I take better care to minimize salt and caffeine intake and drink more water (something I should do all the time?).

Yet, like most of us, I really hated the discomfort of disposable pads. They were itchy, I felt like I couldn't breathe, and they felt really bunchy. I decided a few months ago as soon as my disposable pad supply ran out I was going to buy some cloth menstrual pads.



My god, the comfort! I could feel the difference immediately. They were so soft and cozy (not sure if this will be annoying in the warmer months but this winter they've been so nice). They didn't irritate me in anyway. The next day I just rinsed them under cold water and they were pretty much good as new in case I needed to reuse before a proper wash.



I mostly only use pads when I sleep, and liners during the day either on a lighter day or with a tampon, but I really noticed the decrease of waste I produced, too. And it's really nice to not need to buy a bunch of pads every other month. I don't think I will be able to go as far as using the Diva Cup or the Sponge (I get the feeling that with my being "small" and ability to shift oddly these may end up hurting me somehow) but I think that we all use pads, at least when we sleep, so these are a wise investment.

All of the pads in this post, as well as the ones I use for myself, came from Tamarack on Etsy, has some of these same points and more in her shop polices:

Why Cloth?

Cloth is more cost effective. Upfront cost of about $100 for a sizable stash of cloth pads that will last five years vs. $60-75 per year for disposables—more if you have heavy flow or short, more frequent cycles.

Cloth is more responsible. Your cloth pads will be used over and over again—no more adding to the landfills every month.

Cloth is more healthful. Disposable pads and tampons are bleached, and the by-product of bleaching, dioxin, is very unhealthful

Cloth is way more comfortable! Paper and plastic are no match for the cozy comfort of cloth.

Cloth is more pleasant. A breathable pad virtually eliminates the sweaty, smelly aspect of your period, not to mention that all that putrid garbage that needs to be dealt with.

Cloth is more fun! Why wear plain white paper pads when you can wear colorful, unique pads that make you smile.

Her shop is great because she has a variety of patterns and sizes, and has pads with holders so you can just switch them out. I got some for the minipads, and while they bunch a bit more than I like during the day as a liner (since it's twice the cloth) I still wear them at night and these would also be great if you wore thicker pads during the day and could switch them out that way. There are also a lot more shops on Etsy that sell cloth pads, so take a look around!

My advice from experience:

• Before you buy, during your next period see how often you wear pads and what thickness you tend to need more of. This helps you to buy enough of the ones you use the most and keeps you from overbuying ones you might not wear more than one or two times.
• Rinse immediately with cold water and squeeze it through thoroughly. This gets the stains off before they set, and they dry faster this way. I used to try handwashing in warm water with soap and everything before doing this and the stains would set and take much, much longer to dry. If you are squeamish about reusing after just a rinse you could hand wash after the cold rinse. Otherwise you can just toss them in the wash/dry with your towels (no fabric softener!).
• For wear-during-the-day pads, I would recommend lighter colours since you never know when you'd be wearing them, unless you tend to only wear jeans/dark bottoms on your period. Then again, I don't know how many of you would wear a white skirt on your flow!

Good luck, readers! I hope you all try this comfortable, eco-friendly alternative and it works out for you as well as it has for me. Happy menstruating!

Do What I Say: Hair Edition

image from weheartit.com

I'm starting a new feature here at Tzipporit Industries, "Do What I Say." It is comprised of lists of tips of a relating theme from good ideas and tried-and-true methods I've gathered from a variety of sources that help me in my everyday life that hopefully will do the same for you!

Lately I've had a few friends who have asked for advice relating to haircare and I found myself repeating a few things. It also got me thinking about all the tips and tricks I've gathered over the years. I have done everything to my hair but bleach it, get dreadlocks, or shave it. I've had it from waist-length to pixie cut and I've been dying it for years. Lately, having long, dyed hair forces me to take good care of it, which is why I have all this to share. I'm sure some of these things you have heard before but I figured I'd just share...

• If you trim your own bangs do it not just when they are dry but also when they have been recently cleaned. That way they will be at their highest, keeping you from cutting too much.
• When you wash your hair, use shampoo at the roots to about midlength, skimming down from midlength to roots with just a light amount, and condition mid-length to roots to keep your roots from getting greasy.
• My hair is about six inches past my shoulders and I shampoo and condition every other day. I shampoo but not condition my bangs every day. When I don't wash it I wear a shower cap to keep the rest from getting wet in the shower.
• When my hair was shorter than shoulder length and I wore it curly I would shampoo my hair every other day and condition and rinse every day. That kept my hair from being over clean but the conditioner kept the curls moisturized and restructure what curls had grown limp after the first day.
• Why spend a lot of money on dry shampoo? The active ingredient in most is corn starch, and a giant container of it is 5% of the price of fancy stuff and absorbs a lot of grease (so use sparingly!). Baby powder is a less-absorbent alternative for hair that is just starting to get oily. Rub it into the scalp and work out lightly, just like when you shampoo. Brush your hair as needed, especially if you need to distribute it further.
• If your hair is dyed, the main thing that fades hair colour is not rampant shampooing, but UV rays! Make sure you use a UV protector spray, like L'Oreal EverPure UV Protect Spray from their new sulfate-free, vegan, not tested on animals line. It smells amazing, too.
• When I dye my hair red the box always suggests I leave it in for 25 minutes. I always leave it in for at least 40 minutes. It's a darker red for the first week, and then fades into the colour on the box! It doesn't over-process my hair, especially if I make sure to condition thoroughly when rinsing out the dye.
• I blow dry my hair every day so I absolutely have to use a protecting product aside from my styling lotion- and you should, too! I use Tresemme's Heat Tamer Protective Spray. It's cheap and isn't tested on animals!
• Another way to prevent split ends is to put my hair up every time I leave the house. I rarely do my hair in an updo, but I pull my hair into a low chignon before I leave the house (and if it's cold, top it off with a cozy beret). When I get to work or wherever I just undo my hair and viola- no tangles, my hair hasn't poofed up if it's humid, and my hair is nice and soft.
• I also pull my hair back when I sleep into a loose plait. It keeps the hair from getting tangled in my sleep and from my hair's oils irritating my face. I also pin back my bangs for the latter reason.
• When I rinse out my hair in the shower, no matter how painful, I always do a very very cold rinse. It keeps my hair from getting frizzy and ups the shine. It also blocks my follicles from getting nastified by whatever products I put in it- think of it as primer for your locks.
• If you end up getting too much gunk in your hair and it feels limp and gross, do an apple cider vinegar rinse in lieu of your regular shampoo. I dilute 1/2 cup vinegar with 1 1/2 cups filtered warm water and follow by conditioning/cold rinsing as usual. I've never had a problem with it affecting my hair colour, either.

Phew! I hope this list proved helpful. Does anyone have any tricks they would add to my list?