I may be overly organized

So I've read a lot of blogs on ways to get organized for class and be a more proficient note taker. So here is what I've gathered and what seems to work for me.

Mini Binder 
I love my mini binder. It is my whole life. 

I have this divided into 5 tabbed sections with a pocket at the end of every section for misc. papers that go with that section. 
The first section is my "Life" section. It's a planner style paper that you can write the date. I write my work schedule down, things that need to be done that day, people's birthdays, appointments, events, etc. 
The second section is "School". I write down all my homework, all tests and papers when they are due. I have note paper after my schedule so I can write down my grades because I need to have all my grades on hand. 
Next, is notes. I write down things I find interesting as well as my bank account balance because I can never seem to always have one of those check book balance things on hand all the time. 
Fourth section is important dates, I write down all the birthdays I need to remember and anything else of importance. 
The last section is contacts. I have all my family and friends addresses written down there. 

Note Taking 
I really love my chromebook. It is so light and does just what it needs to do. However, I do not take it to class because I will sit on Facebook or pin more none sense on Pinterest. I take notes in a huge binder that's tabbed for every class. In class I take notes on the things presented in class as well as what the professor says and then after class I go back and hi-light the important things and re-read my notes. 

My Calendar 
My printer has this awesome function where I can print pre-made templates. So at the start of school, I print out the whole semester and go through all my syllabus' and write down EVERYTHING that is due and this sits in front of my desk so I have a visual reminder even if I do not open up my handy dandy mini binder. I hate realizing I have a test or quiz the night before so with the calendar I always see it and know what is coming up. 

Things I should start doing more often

1. Start breaking down all the meat we buy. I realized that with Ben on the healthy bandwagon he is not eating for 4 anymore (sorry babe) and I always eat small portions that we should start breaking our meat purchases down and freezing them in smaller portions. A pound of ground beef could be used for 2 meal days because we always have left overs and for some reason Ben and I are like opposed to left overs. We take things home, plastic container things, look at them, and then throw them out before we go food shopping. I don't know why!!! No matter how many times I write on our menu board (which is really a piece of lined paper that I write all the edible dinner like things we have in the house) to eat left overs one day, we just don't !!!! My grandparents would be so ashamed. Let's not tell them.

2. Stop playing with my hair and scalp so much. It's probably the reason my hair gets so greasy so quickly. I hate having greasy hair more than I hate having to wash my hair more than twice a week. As I say, hair dye ain't cheap! (Not that it matter because my fabulous uncle dyes it for me) But I would like it to last more than four weeks before I then start looking like, to quote my bff, a botanical garden my roots are so bad!

3. Drink more water! I am prone to yeast infections (eww gross I know) but guess what it happens. Drinking water would help to flush out my system more. This would also help to clear up my skin, make more feel more awake, and all the other fun health benefits that water gives you. More water Sam!!!

4. Start filing my nails square. I know this seems silly but, I love square nails. I don't really know why. I usually file my nails square and then paint them but as they grow out I do not keep squaring them. I usually just round them because they break and I am in a rush and hate walking around with gnarled looking fingers. Then when it is time for me to do a proper mani i have to trim them down a bit to get them square and I end up with short nails!!! My life...so tragic I know! =p

5. Exercise more. I know I should and I really want to. I want to be one of those girls that's like "I love working out! Running is great!!" But there are books to be read, naps to be taken, and snacks to be eaten and those take up most of my time. But I have been starting slow.

Reasons I always wanted a big brother

Being a nanny for families with multiple children has made a few things clear to me
1. I really missed out on having a big brother and really wished I had one
2. I want a big family
3. If possible I want to have a boy first.

I have worked for 2 families that have had big brothers and it is very clear that I was justified as a child for wanting a big brother. In my head a big brother would take care of me, he'd watch out for me at school, play with me at home, and when boys got involved he'd be there to kick their butts when they broke my heart. The families I have worked for absolutely were examples of this. Family D and family R both had 2 boys and their youngest was a girl. Both middle boys loved their little sister. Family D's called his sister princess and acted like a real Prince Charming anytime she would get upset, he even would dance with her in the living room if she wanted. Family R's middle son let his sister play Wii with him and would stop to look at everything she made with playdoh. I found this hilariously cute. I really saw what I was missing out on and I have to admit, I'm still really upset!

My skin and hair tricks

I by no means think that my hair and skin is the best hair there is out there, but I do get asked a lot about what I do to my hair and skin. There is no one thing that I do to my hair to make it look and feel great. And there is no one product that I use on my skin. But I will share some of what I do because some of these go hand in hand.

I take my vitamins every day. Right now I’m taking optimum nutrition Opti-Women vitamins. They are massive, but they have everything you need in them and make you feel great. If you want to grow your hair a little faster, you can take some biotin.

Let’s get onto the topic of shampoo. I posted a link in a previous post about a girl and her sister who let all their hair growing secrets. Shampoo has sulfates in it and sulfates are bad for your hair because they strip all the natural oils out of your hair. However, not all sulfates are bad. Sulfate free shampoos are a little weird to use at first. Sulfate free shampoo does not really lather up like regular shampoo because they do not have sulfate in them so at first I didn’t think that my hair was getting that clean but it feels so soft. Right now I am using Organix shampoo line. I am working my way through the line because each different one does something else. I used the awapuhi ginger, for repair. Coconut milk, for moisture in these winter months. I love the smell of the coconut. I also use the anti-breakage serum from the coconut line. And right now I am using the keratin oil shampoo for anti-breakage. I haven’t really disliked any of their products and they are really affordable. I buy mine from target ((because I’m addicted to target)).

The best thing to do for your hair is to not play with it, it makes it greasy. Also watch the heat! I straighten my hair about 5-6 times a month. I like to look up a few heat free styles. My favorites are the headband curl, French braids, and twists. You do all of these at night with damp hair and then in the morning you are ready to go!

Now for skin…. Dun dun dunnnnnn!!! I am slightly crazy about my skin. I DO NOT go outside with out my SPF15 moisturizer on. If I think about not putting my moisturizer on, I panic a little. Moisturizer is your friend! Even if you think you have oily skin, you still need something. SPF is your best friend! I don’t care if you love your tan. I love my tan too and I wear SPF50 every time I am in the sun. Wearing SPF will not stop you from getting a tan, it will slow it a bit, it will stop you from burning, it will help prevent wrinkles. What is not to love?!

I wash my face twice a day. Once in the morning with a Ginseng and vitamin C wash. It helps wake me up and feels really clean. And then again at night with an acne wash. Every Sunday and Wednesday I use an apricot scrub to exfoliate. I only use it twice a week because I do not want to dry out my skin, I just want to remove all the dead skin. That’s it. I keep my routine simple and easy. Every once in a while I will try something new because I do have some weird acne break outs, but I try not to use them a lot mainly because I do not like the idea of chemicals on my face and also because your body becomes immune to the medicines in the acne treatments and they stop working. 

DIY makeup remover

I have not bought makeup remover in probably 2 years. That's a long time now that I think about it. How have I survived?? It's a lot simpler than you think and way easy to make at home.

This is what my makeup remover looks like. I made this bottle about hmm...um...uh...maybe 3 months ago? Maybe. It lasts a while! And you only need a few drops to take EVERYTHING off. This is only a little 3oz travel bottle that I got from the dollar store. So here's the recipe. 

What you need:: 

some sort of container. 

water. 

baby oil. 

baby shampoo. 

Fill your bottle about 3/4 of the way with water. (That is where the #1 is). 

Fill almost the rest of the bottle up with baby oil. (#2) 

Add a few drops of baby shampoo. Literally a FEW. Like 4 max. 

Shake that shizz up! 

I give mine a good shake before I use it and just squirt a few drops onto a cotton round.
It has also been brought to my attention that if you put a few cotton rounds in a container and then add the mixture to it, just dampening them not soaking them, you would basically have those makeup remover pads they sell in stores. Which ever way you choose is up to you. This stuff works wonders!!!
Let me know how you like it! and Follow my page!!

The Help- Review

The Help is another book I read before it was about to be made into a movie. It is a very easy read. The chapters go between 3 characters; Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, Aibileen Clark, and Minny Jackson. Skeeter wants to be a writer and she decides, with the help of a New York publisher, to write about the help in the South. Skeeter is a white woman with a degree in English, she enlists the help of local maids  in secret. There is one way that they can't get caught and it happens to be in one of Minny's stories. 

The movie was pretty good, all of the details were there. I did not really see Emma Stone as Skeeter, I had imagined someone a bit taller. There were a few scenes that were left out but the movie was definitely hilarious but could make you cry. 

Water for Elephants- Review

I read this book a few years ago before it had been made into a movie. And I must say, it was a tear jerker. It is narrated by an elderly man in a nursing home and he is telling his circus stories. You really feel all the emotions that he feels. By the end of the book you will cry because it is very heartfelt.

It is a phenomenal book and was a great movie. I love a great book that gets made into a good movie. Watching characters come to life and scenes that you had only imagined being right there.  It is amazing. I can't even be mad that Robert Pattinson is the main character in the movie, that's how good it was.

ABC's of Me!!!

Age: 23.

Bedsize: Full. I like to SNUGGLE!

Chore you hate: Washing dishes. So tedious

Dogs: Lumpy, the dumbest bull dog in history.

Essential start to your day: Caffeine. ALL OF IT

Favorite Colour: Pink

Gold or Silver: Silver if white gold is not an option

Height: 5'4 &3/4’’

Instruments I play (or have played): clarinet….in 4^th grade.

Job Title: Nanny.

Kids: hopefully I’ll have 4 boys.

Live: South Jersey. Yes, there is a difference.

Mom's name: Patricia Marie

Nickname: Sami, Sam, Sami Tyler, Samisaurus

Overnight Hospital stays: Never.

Pet Peeve: bad grammar

Quote from a movie: Here are a few of my favorites ::

“I may not be smart, but I know what love is”- Forest Gump

“You’re killing me smalls!” – The Sand Lot

“Dented can, 10 cents off!”- Big Daddy

Right or Left handed: Right!

Siblings: Sister 8 years younger. Brother 14 years younger.

Time you wake up: Work days 6:30 am. Any other day…when my body makes me wake up. Love sleep!

Underwear: VS! (Victoria’s Secret for the ones that have no idea what I mean)

Vegetables you dislike: Peas, Lima beans. That’s all.

What makes you run late: Benjamin

X-Rays you've had done: Teeth, Legs

Yummy food you make: Quesadillas, anything baked goods, Lasagna, Pancakes, Granola, Pizza,

Zoo animal: Giraffe. Obvi.

I'll call you a Shell Bun

So perusing Pinterst as I usually do, I found this bun that someone said was the easiest hairstyle and only takes a few minutes. Me being the lazy girl that I am loves the idea of being able to do my hair in less than 10 minutes when I have to go to work at 7:30 a.m. So I clicked on the picture and I was blown away by how easy it really was. Here is the page I used as my reference. She has really good instructions and I hope mine are helpful as well. I had Benjamin take the pictures so there will be plenty to look at. Also feel free to ever ask specifics or for me to post a video of something if I am not making sense, which I may do from time to time. Spending your day with toddlers does make you a bit loopy.

1. Pull your hair into a high pony and put the elastic about an inch or so up from your scalp. 

2. From the back side of the pony tail try and find the middle of your hair and make a little opening 

3. Fold the tail of your pony tail down towards the opening in the front where your fingers are 

4. See how it's starting to looking like a shell. Now flip the ends inside of the opening so they are behind your head. You do not need to pull much of the hair through. 

5. Now pull the ends and the base of your pony so it is tight and the ends that you pulled through have no where to go. 

Hey there's my bathroom helper Andre the Ocicat. Weirdo. 

Now time for a few bobby pins. 

6. Just put them in the ends of the bun to help them stay down against your head so it doesn't look so messy. 

And you're done. 

It may take a few tries to get this down nice and tight. I did mine the other day twice before I was happy. I wore it to work and it held up the 

Hunger Games- Review

  

I finally broke down and read The Hunger Games. After hearing so many mixed reviews about the book I really was not that interested in it, but on Sunday my brother told me that some of the kids he plays XBox online with recreate scenes from the movie in Minecraft. So we decided to watch the movie and he lost interest pretty quickly. I think this might have happened because the main character, Katniss, is a girl and he is not really into all the glamour that the movie portrayed in the Capitol. He's still a bit too young for that. So I half-heartedly watched the movie and thought it was okay but there was definitely some stuff missing. So I read the book on my kindle the next day. OMG. Finished it in2 days and I am anticipating reading the next one. There is so much detail in the book that they left out in the movie. Like how Gale and Katniss met and became friends. Peeta's actually feelings for Katniss. The movie focused more on the portrayal of characters than the book actually did. There is not much detail in the book about what everyone in the Capitol is wearing like the book made it seem. Even the story behind the mockingjay is different. Which I found bizarre after reading the book. So the movie gets a D. It is entertaining but a lot missing. I might have to re-watch it and pay attention. The book definitely gets an A because I literally could not put it down. 

I put horse placenta in my hair

Oh yea I did! Best thing I ever did for my hair too! Now it's not what you think, it's actually a product you can buy at any CVS .

A friend of mine, who has beautiful Rapunzel-esque hair down to her butt, told me she uses this about every week as a conditioning treatment. It was not until the other day when I friend braided her hair that I noticed her hair is really soft and silky. That sealed the deal for me. I had to but it. And at $2.57 a piece I bought 2. One pouch is more than enough to cover my whole head. Now, I know it says henna and some of you may think "is this going to change my hair color?" No it will not. The product its self is the same color of conditioner, an almost milky white. It smells like almonds a little, definitely not a bad smell. Benjamin enjoyed it. HAHA. 

I use this basically the same way I use the coconut oil. However, I put this on my roots. I followed the directions on the pouch. Massaged it all into my hair and put a shower cap on. I hit it with the hair dryer for about 5 minutes. It says to only leave it on for 10 minutes and then rise. I was ASTONISHED when I used to wide tooth comb that I use after showers and there were virtually no knots! My hair feels soft as silk. I may not stop touching it. 

Coconut oil moisture treatment

So obviously I spend a lot of time on Pinterest and coconut oil was popping up all over the place. So I saw this one post about using coconut oil on your hair and it looked really promising. Who does not love soft hair. Especially soft hair that smells like coconuts. However, I did not fully read the post and totally missed the part about shampooing twice because you just put oil in your hair. So after my hair dried I was like OMG this is great, my hair is so soft. Next morning...OMG why is my hair so greasy.

Here is the coconut oil that I use on my hair.

It smells like toasted coconut works great. Coconut is a solid oil until you start to move it around it becomes liquidy (that's totally a word). I slather a handfull of this on my hair, put a shower cap on and wait about 30 minutes and then wash as normal. I do not put the oil on my roots so I only wash my hair once (I learned my lesson the first time). If you choose to put the oil from root to end, then definitely wash twice. You may also heat your hair with a blow dryer for about 15 minutes and then wash, if you're in a rush.

Here is the blog I used as instructions.Coconut oil moisture treatment Let me know how it worked for you! How does your hair feel before and after?! 

Hi, I'm Sami Tyler and I only wash my hair twice a week.

Yes, you read that correctly. I, Samantha Tyler, only wash my hair twice a week. Three times if it is really a bad week. Why? One because of the fact that my uncle professionally dyes my hair roughly every 6-8 weeks and I try to make my color last. No one likes roots! Also because it really does your hair good to hold on to those natural oils your hair produces. So in fact I only wash my hair about 2 times a week. I always wash my hair at night because I am not a morning person and nor do I have time in the morning. On the day I wash my hair I usually use a dry shampoo just to look a bit less greasy.

 

This is my dry shampoo of choice. I have tried many other dry shampoos but this is by far the best. This is a powder dry shampoo, so I just shake the bottle over my head and brush it through after a few minutes. It also smells like limes and I love that! 

As for shampoo I am currently using Organix coconut milk shampoo and conditioner. I try and use sulphate free shampoo because it is not as harsh on your hair and does not strip out all the essential oils. If you are going to try and start washing your hair less, my recommendation is start off slow. If you wash your hair every day, try and skip a day in between washes. Going from everyday to twice a week will make your hair look greasy because it is not used to that. 

I found this blog helpful and she lists what are bad sulphates for your hair and other good tips. Long hair

Reasons to Breathe- Review

Overall: 6

Why?: A friend recommended this book series to me and while I thought they were good and I read them quickly it is a typical teen book. It is written for a teen audience so it is not too complicated. It is the first book I read with actual home violence and a main character that literally has the worst life imaginable. The third book is due to come out in June and I am obviously going to read it because I can't leave loose ends.

The House on Hurley Pond Road- Review

First let me say, I bought this book from the author at the NJ Zombie Walk in Asbury Park, NJ in 2012. Darren Fitzgerald was super nice and signed the book for me and I honestly thought I probably would not read it. Boy was I wrong. 

Overall: 10 

Why?: This is a true account book from the author about the house his family lived in while he was growing up in none other than the creepy state of mine, New Jersey. I loved the fact that he gave back history on the house and the events that had happened there via interviews with the other families and having them write down what had happened to them while living there. I nearly crapped myself while reading this a few times. It is in chronological order which is a blessing when someone is throwing this many facts at you. I read the book in about 2 days and I have thought about re-reading it ever since I finished because it is that intense. Do I think this house he talks about is really haunted? I cannot say for sure because I have never been there but it sure sounds like something is there and it is not nice. 

50 Shades- Review

Yes.... I read them.... all of them....in a week!

Overall: 6

Why? : It was a quick and easy read, it does draw you in, but the whole time I thought "x-rated twilight".  This may be because the book got started as a blog post on a twilight fan website where fans were making spin-off type stories. The characters resemble Edward and Bella a lot down to similar cars. I do not think that is very written that well but it was enjoyable and I do not get too picky about how things are written unless I cannot follow them. I probably would not re-read them.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Review

Overall book rating: 9
Why: This was a really captivating book and I flew threw the last half of the book because it was so good, but the beginning is very stiff. It's a little bit jumpy and its some back story. The book is based in Sweden and the author is from there so the names are a little hard to figure out and they call things by different names, but that does not make it a hard read. It is a bit graphic with the rape scene, but it adds a lot to the character of Lisbeth. I love that girl.

Now, I usually HATE when books are made into movies because I feel like they move too fast and that they leave out a lot of details. When I heard they were making this into a movie my first thoughts were :: OMG NO! Wow Rooney Mara looks exactly like I thought she would. OMG the rape scene! It's going to be three hours long...yeah I'll see it. 

It is a GREAT movie. It follows the book very well and really makes the book come alive. Yes the rape scene is sick and intense and I usually close my eyes after about 10 seconds but it makes you fell for Lisbeth and want her to come out swinging...and that she does. 

A sockbun??

So if you've been on Pinterest or Stumble Upon lately you have probably seen a sock bun. Well I was intrigued when I saw this and I obviously had to try it. I whipped out an old tube sock that was missing his mate and cut the toe off and rolled it up and to my avail....it looked like a water fountain. Why? Because I have layered hair. I have always had layered hair because my hair is so thick if I leave it one length it is in a permanent state of "rats nest" as my mother would call it. My layers are something I do not think about since they have been there since the 8th grade. Well the traditional sock bun does not work well for girls with layered hair, unless you want to put a ton of product in your hair. I do not like product in my hair mainly because I only wash my hair about 2-3 times a week and product means more washing.

But fear not ladies with layered hair, or medium length hair for that matter. I have the answer to doing the super fun sock bun. =]

here is my hair. see kinda long, but layered. 

1. put your hair in a high pony, or as high as you'd like it. 

2. put your sock or one of these little guys in, just pull your pony through the middle like a giant hair tie. this particular one is from  urban outfitters that was a total spur of the moment buy. you can find them at any beauty supply store though. they do feel funny, like something you would scrub your sink with. 

3. okay now shake your hair around so it's covering your sock and put an elastic around the sock. 

bonus side view! now it looks like a sun burst

4. wrap the ends around, you might need to play with it a bit. pin the ends in place. 

wahhhbamm! done. 

Total time: about 5 minutes. 

Why do I like the sock bun and why was i so determined to do it!? Because I am lazy and I like to wear my hair in a bun, but a regular bun is usually small, unpolished looking, and it hurts. You have to wrap your hair so tight that by the end of the day 9/10 your hair/ head hurts. Well with the sock in there it kind of cushions your scalp and takes some pressure off and it looks super cute and makes you look like you have a ton more hair than you really do! 

I hope this helps my ladies out there with layered hair. What do you think? How did it work out for you?