Experiment Time!

I just listened to a "Stuff Mom Never Told You" Podcast entitled "How often should I wash my hair?" and I've been inspired. They talked about the "no 'poo" movement where, basically, you just stop shampooing your hair. The argument here is that when we wash our hair, we are stripping it of all of the oils that our scalp naturally produces to clean our hair, so we in turn force it to produce even more than it needs to. So essentially we are making our hair oilier than it needs to be, just by washing it. Also, of course, shampoo and conditioner are expensive and use unnecessary chemicals and plastic bottles that aren't good for the environment. When I just think about our little mini tower of shampoo bottles in the corner of the family shower, it is pretty guilt-inducing. We're only three ladies! Why do we need that much?!

So all of this sounds good to me, and really - it just makes sense. I find that usually our bodies are way better at taking care of themselves then we give them credit for. Usually it seems like we just get in the way more than anything. So I am all for this "no 'poo" movement and am going to embark on it full force.


Don't you all worry though - I recognize that my hair will take a while to get used to not being shampooed. In the interim, so as to not join the greasy haired ranks of the likes of Professor Snape above, I will use a baking soda and water mixture to wash my hair, and apple cider vinegar to condition it. Yeah, I know - it sounds pretty...... weird. But seriously - listen to the podcast for yourself, or if you don't want to do that, take a looksee at this interesting article.

So while the "No 'Poo" movement may not be for everyone, it seriously intrigues me. I will give periodic updates on my progress so you all can benefit from the knowledge without having to do it yourself. Thus, having washed my hair immediately before listening to this life changing podcast, I head out with a metaphoric clean slate, on my venture to ne'er shampoo again.

* Disturbing side note: in my search for a picture to accompany this post, I googled "Hair" and they suggested that I would be interested in searching for "Kate Gosselein (sp?) hair". Apparently people are trying to emulate her hairstyle. Truly frightening. And saddening. And now you may return to your normal, daily lives. Read More......

An Age Old Experiment

Do blondes have more fun? Or do brunettes? what about red heads? Well, it's time to find out for sure. And who will be my unsuspecting subject for this experiment? Myself of course. Over the course of however long it takes for me to complete this, I will attempt to answer this age old query. I have, in fact, already begun. For most of my life I have been a brunette. The shade has varied but the identification with the other brunette babes of the world remained the same. Now, however, all that has changed. I have, in my opinion, segued out of the brunette world and now hover in strawberry blonde land. My intention is to spend some time here and then move lighter into solidly blonde domain. Now, if the saying is true, I should experience increased levels of funness. This being a fairly objective measurement, you'll just have to trust me. I promise to report any spikes in fun levels truthfully and as objectively as possible. If at the end I determine that indeed, blondes do have more fun then I will remain as such. If they do not in fact have more fun than I will switch back to my old faithful- brunette. Only time can tell.

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Waxing: An Inside Scoop

Hello, dear readers. I am here to avail you of another experience I underwent so you would not have to. There have been many questions about waxing- and I'm not talking about waxing a surfboard, heh heh. Okay. No more of those types of jokes. There have been many questions asked about waxing over time, and I've heard a lot of them from fellow females in the teen to twenties age. I've heard some opinions on waxing from some males and read a fair share of articles about the act, the different types and styles, and all the brouhaha associated. We as buyers are pummeled with adds for waxing or hair removal constantly and it seems our society is one that believes in less hair. Less hair, I think, almost being associated with a certain level of cleanliness and hygiene- even though this isn't necessarily the case. We see ads for Nads (which claims to be painless and natural...I'm doubtful), Nair(painless and less natural...the smell is otherworldly), and myriad of examples which escape me at the moment. Below the cut you will find...my story....



I have entertained the idea of getting my legs and bikini area (and such) waxed for quite some time. I just never had the money or the willpower to allow the hair to grow out. I like not having hairy legs so that was honestly one of my largest dilemmas. Plus, the pain factor. Now if you are like me you have seen movies and television shows which depict the pain of waxing. It seems to be absolutely excruciating. There are horror stories I've read of people who did at-home hot wax and burned themselves terribly. Waxing was a big, scary unknown. How painful was it going to be? Am I going to break out in a rash? Will it even work? These were all questions I had on a loop in my mind. On top of, how embarrassing is this going to be? And what different styles of bikini wax are there?



Here are the answers to some of these ever-important questions.
Was it painful?
Waxing was not that painful, and I got some fairly intimate areas waxed. I did take two tylenol with pain relievers in them prior to going- I anticipated the pain and wasn't going to stand for it. I've seen this recommended before. Go ahead and take preventative measures, just like you would if you were anticipating cramps.

Am I going to break out in a rash?
This is different for each person. Slight red bumps and skin irritation can occur but normally fades after a few hours or at the most a day after waxing occurs. Hair bumps can also happen when the hair is growing back in--similar to when you get an ingrown hair. I didn't break out at all and there was no redness.

Will it work? And for how long?
My waxing experience definitely worked. I had my upper legs and bikini area waxed on August 4th and the hair only just began growing back this past week. So, I got a good month of hair-free upper-legs and such. It was completely worth the money and I would repeat the experience in a heartbeat. The hair grows back softer, lighter, and more sparsely than it does when you shave.

How embarrassing is it to be pants-less in front of a stranger?
Now, this depends on the level of comfort you have with yourself. I went to a spa/salon. It was very nice, very calming. I spoke with Jennifer- the waxer- before she proceeded to wax. She left me in the room to disrobe- pants and undies off (depending on what you're getting waxed- if you're only getting your legs waxed, this isn't going to be procedure for you). I disrobed- kept on my top and got under a towel on a table. She came in and we discussed exactly what I wanted done- she explained the differences. She was more than willing to work with me, saying that if I felt the pain was too extreme we could stop. So, for me, this wasn't too embarrassing besides the whole being naked and at times in strange positions in front of another person who I'm not having sex with...I'm just saying. One of the positions was very down-dog-esque, again this won't be used for all wax sessions. Basically, Jennifer was a complete professional and nothing shocked her and there was no aghast reaction or comments like "wow, you are hairy!" So it felt very natural and normal. Plus, we kept conversation going the whole time- this really helped.

What are the different styles and types of waxings?
As you may know, there are many different styles of waxing (and different types of waxes used).
It seems that practically any body part can be waxed- arms, armpits, legs, eyebrows, unwanted facial hair, upper-lip, vagina, and chest...apparently some men even get their pleasure area waxed. So, the whole body is pretty much fair game. I believe most types are self-explanatory, most questions arise from the different styles of waxing used in the va-jay-jay area.

American or Classic Bikini Wax- This wax refers to the removal of the hair of the top of the thighs and the hair below the naval area. Classical V shape is the end result.

French Wax or Partial Brazillian- leaves a vertical strip of hair the width of two or three fingers on the vulva. Hair of the labia and peri-anal area can also be waxed in this style, but are not necessarily.

Brazillian Wax, Hollywood Wax, Sphinx- Almost all pubic hair is removed with the exception of a thin strip of hair on the pubis. The anus, perineum, and vulva are all waxed in this process.


For me, waxing wasn't a bad experience at all. I went to a salon, it was entirely professional. I found it funny that it was always portrayed as being entirely painful, but it just wasn't that excruciating. I've also really enjoyed the results and the fact that I haven't had to shave for almost a month. I would highly recommend waxing instead of shaving or creams anyday.

I give waxing a 10/10 for being an effective product and good experience.
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Trial & Error: Tonsillectomy

As many of you know last Friday, August 29, 2008 was a day to be marked in the calendars. I, Glynnis Holt, your ever giving and caring Trial and Error aficionado had my tonsils removed. All for your sake- so you, kind reader, could know what this seemingly deemed "easy" surgery is really like. I went behind the scenes and under the knife for you.


So, how does the possibility of this surgery even occur? If one has a constant sore throat- and an apparent inability to scour the infection from the body, combined with swollen lymph glands and swollen tonsils this surgery will be an option. There are other types of tonsil infections that happen, I've been told that many get their tonsils removed after one too many strep infections. The main point is- tonsillectomies are a constant and current surgery. They are performed often- considered a common surgery. As my doctor said though, tonsillectomies are "easy for the surgeon, hard for the patient." Now, this goes against the general perception of the public that you get your tonsils out and it's all the ice cream you can eat for a few days and then you feel hunky dory and life returns back to its normal hectic pace. No, in my preparation for surgery I learned that there can be many painful side-affects, including but not limited to bleeding, sore throat (duh), voice change, ear ache, and weight loss.

I thought, this doesn't sound too too shabby. Weight loss I can cope with. Limited intake of foods and a soft diet, no big deal. Lots of liquids, well- I thought, I like drinking water all the time anyway. Ear aches, oh well...I mean, that makes sense. The bleeding idea frightened me especially paired with the words "scabs"...ew. Scabs should never be INSIDE your body, at least that's my viewpoint. I didn't think the recovery would be too bad though, honestly. Yet, for me, it has been a nightmare. Let me share my events with you, reader.

I went in on Friday August 29 at 6:30 am for my surgery. It was to be performed at 7:30 am. They prepped me with papers and put in an IV...I won't go into details, only that the phrase "she's a bleeder" was used. Actually, this phrase has been repeated many a time during the process. I almost passed out. I don't enjoy...anything needle-y. Anyway, that was done and they took me into the operating room- I was wearing a delightful hospital gown- and I assume they put something directly into the IV because one minute I was lying on the bed in the operating room and the next they were telling me it was over and waking me up. This is when I tried to talk and noticed that- oh, ouch...that's uncomfortable. This is also when I started feeling queasy and the first signs of the nausea that would become my common company started rearing their head. After a bit, I was awake enough to know I wanted to go home-so, we went to the car and Mom drove home. I got really sick feeling in the car on the way home...the motion did not agree with me. We made it home and I took my first dose of liquid pain medicine and antibiotics. I also attempted to eat something- I don't remember- because it was forced on me. Gross.

That day is a haze of pain medicine, nausea medicine and movies. I didn't feel too bad, and I didn't have any events happen. I actually thought- if this is how this is going to feel the whole time, it won't be that bad.

Sadly, that first day I still had anesthesia in my system which was definitely limiting the pain. On Saturday, around 3 or so I go really nauseous. We thought it was because of the foods I had tried to eat- yogurt, yoohoo, water...sugary stuff, so we assumed that was it. But I started throwing up and couldn't stop- won't go into details there- we ended up in the ER and I felt the worst I've ever felt in my whole life. They couldn't get the nausea to stop, they couldn't get me to stop dry heaving. I was throwing up stomach bile and the sensation had me crying but I couldn't even talk or think straight- all I knew was I felt absolutely terrible. They set up an IV and did two bags of fluid because I was so dehydrated. They also tried several different anti-nausea medicines including one which is normally used on Chemo patients and they didn't work. At I started having a reaction to one of them that made me get flush all over...truly terrible. Finally, they found a medicine that worked- and calmed me down- apparently, it normally puts you to sleep, but it didn't do that. I was just relieved to not feel so sick. They sent me home, which both my doctor and my mother have expressed concerns about- both believe I should've been kept overnight and watched. Oh well. That's in the past.

The rest of the days past in a constant source of nausea/dry heaving at times. I could barely eat- can barely eat still, and we're 11 days after now-but I could drink water. And every now and then I would eat applesauce or something like that. On day 7, I did have the terrible bleeding occur. Apparently one of the scabs came off early- that was extremely gross and a totally unenjoyable sensation, but we got it stopped with ice cold water and ice packs applied directly to the throat. Luckily, I didn't end up in the hospital again. I'm thankful about that.

I'm on day 11 of recovery now and I feel much better- the throat feels awkward. I can't eat really. Food doesn't taste right, mostly. Things that I normally like taste bland and gross. I can only eat a few bites of most things and I've found that food seems to get caught in the back of my throat- or at least, there's the sensation that it's there- and that' s not pleasant. So I'm sticking to mainly soft foods still. But, I'm on the mend. I'm starting to get some of my energy back. The nausea is mostly gone, so that's been great. And I'm not popping tylenol every three hours. All in all, things are looking up.
So, my rating on tonsillectomy- if it's ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY get it. Otherwise, NO NO NOOOOOO.

I give tonsillectomies a 3/10 for experiences. The 3 is only because I assume when all this is done I'll feel much better- but all the pain and stuff was not worth making it more.
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Teeth Whitening: Update

As you may know, I had embarked on a quest toward whiter teeth a week ago or so. I wanted to give an update on the situation- the results have been delayed due to illness. I have been unable to use my teeth whitening strips because of pain in my lower tooth- they did seem to be working, and I personally think my teeth look quite nice.

I will continue the treatment after I have may a full recovery from being ill- and THEN I will update. I only hope I haven't ruined the validity of the experiment by not completing it all at once- although, I feel I have. Read More......

Trial Period: Teeth Whiteners

I, Glynnis M. Holt, have decided to try out a new product for the better good of all masses. So that you, humble reader, do not have to use this product if it doesn't actually work--the product is this: Target Advanced Whitening Wraps, the 7 Day Dental Whitening System...now, I will admit my curiousity in whitening strips has been heightened lately, it's not that I feel my teeth are particularly stained, but! But I watched the commercial with a giant tooth that gets stained from just wear and tear of time and thought to myself- perhaps my teeth are not at their full pearly-white goodness. So, for the next seven days, I will document- or at least, I'll comment now and at the very end...

The product is simple enough to use. Peel the strips and place them on your teeth- craftily labeled as both "UPPER TEETH" and "LOWER TEETH". The directions say you must use the product twice a day for 30 minutes each time. That's an hour a day- which, is a bit extreme, yet I'm willing to do it in the pursuit of beauty.

My only complaint thus far is that I felt like a dork wearing it and there was an excess of saliva produced- the taste of the strips was remininscent of a dentist office (go figure). Yet, after using it just once so far I already feel there's a visible difference. Sure, I may be imagining this, but whatever. We shall see how this trial goes!

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