3 Great Uses for Shea Butter

If you know me well, you've probably seen me carry around a small container full of what looks like yellow gunk.  And if you know me really well, you know that I cannot go a full day without putting that gunk on my lips.

Shea butter is actually used in many lotions and body butters.  What I use is just the pure, raw stuff.  So here are some of my favorite uses of shea butter:

1. Lip Balm- I am constantly putting this on my lips.  But it's not like Carmex or any other lip products that sting and dry your lips out.  I'm constantly putting this on because of how hydrating it is on my lips.  I will admit the taste isn't the best, but after a while you really do get used to it.
2. Blemish corrector- As soon as I feel a blemish underneath my skin, I'll put on a thick layer of shea butter several times throughout the day, especially at night.  Most of the time, the blemish will go away before ever breaking through the skin
3. Deep hair conditioning treatment- I'll take about 1-2 tablespoons in a microwave safe container and melt the shea butter in the microwave until it's a liquid.  I'll flip my hair over and apply it to my ends first, then slowly work my way about halfway up to my scalp.  I'll then tie my hair up and let it sit for as long as I can stand it, but about 30 minutes will do the trick.  I'll have to wash my hair really well after, but it'll be super soft and shiny. *disclaimer: I recommend doing this on a weekend or on a day you don't have anything planned.  Be cautious if you have naturally oily hair to make sure you don't get the shea butter too close to your roots. 

The package of my specific brand of shea butter has a list of other uses such as pain relief, treatment of minor burns, and massages.  Let me know if you've tried any of these uses before!

Studying Methods that Got Me Better Grades in School

     To be completely honest, it has taken me until my junior year of college to really figure out the study methods that work best for me.  I am a verbal and a visual learner.  This means that I learn things better when I write and/or talk things out and draw pictures of what I'm studying.  Once you figure out what kind of a learner you are, you can better figure out methods of studying that can help you learn and understand material better (google "different ways of learning" and figure out which one you are!)
     So if you are a visual and/or verbal learner like me, and are wondering how and when to study, I'm going to give you some tips that have helped me focus in class better and have ultimately led to me earning better grades! 

• Figure out how your teacher runs a typical class session
• Does you teacher just strictly lecture?  Does he or she use powerpoint?  Do they send you the powerpoints before hand so you can follow along?  Do they give you a worksheet with an outline or sheets that have fill-in-the-blanks?  On the first day of class, figure out what a normal class day will be like and then adjust your studying methods accordingly.
• Figure out WHEN to study
• Some people learn better if they study a little bit each day before a quiz or test.  Some people, like me, do best studying at the "last minute".  I put last minute in quotations because I personally over think things and become anxious if I study too much every day until the test.  So I tend to wait until closer to the test to study.  This is a different form of procrastination because I KNOW how much time I need to study and how long it'll take me, so then I'll wait until that time comes.
• In some classes, I have too much information to wait until a few days before to start making notecards.  So as soon as I get the information, I'll begin making notecards and work at it every day until all of my test material is made into some form of a study guide.  At that point, I'll begin to actually study and learn the material.
• Make your own study guides
• I have finally begun to master the art of creating study guides.  Here are my methods for creating a study guide in my Kinesiology class.
• My teacher gives us the powerpoint slides online.  I print these off and bring them to class to make extra notes on if needed. (I have also done this form of studying in another class where my teacher strictly lectured with no powerpoint slides or anything and it worked out fine as long as I took good, detailed notes)
• As he is going over the material in class, I am looking at the slides and making questions out of them.  I write the questions down (with the answers) in my notebook and begin to make my very own test. 
• I will write these questions during class and at home, because sometimes he moves too quickly to keep up in the actual class.
• Once the "test" is made, I will get Taylor or someone else to ask me the questions and I try to answer them as best as I can.  This is extremely hard, because there is no multiple choice to try and jog your memory.  But it is an excellent form of learning, at least for me.  
• First, writing down the material is one form of studying.  There have been many studies about how writing down things instead of typing them makes you remember things better.  Second, having to be creative and think of questions from the material is another form of studying.  And lastly, going over the actual questions is a form of studying.
• Here are my methods for studying for Anatomy & Physiology 1
• My teacher send out the powerpoint for the chapters with blanks on them.  During class, we fill in the blanks.  This class has a lot more vocabulary and isn't as conceptual as Kinesiology, so I actually make my study guides on my iPad.
• The app I use is called "Flashcards+ by Chegg".  It's great because you can add pictures on the notecards.  I create a deck of notecards for each test.
• I use a similar way of making the notecards by making up questions and answers.  This method is an easier way to study on your own because it's in notecard form and it's on your device so you don't have to carry around the cards or worry about the hand cramps from writing so much.
• If it's a slow day at work or I'm just sitting in class waiting for my teacher to come in, I'll pull out my iPad and just go through the notecards.  This is a great method for when you're taking a class that requires memorization.  If you are taking a class where you need to understand concepts and procedures, consider using the make-up test method. 

     Don't be afraid to mix and match studying methods, try methods from other people, or make up your own way of studying!  Find what works for you.

     What kind of learner are you?  Try these tips out and let me know if they have helped, or not!  Or leave me some of your own studying methods and maybe they could help me!

Getting Back into Running...

     I know I've mentioned this before, but I hate running.  I hate the way my back aches after about a quarter of a mile and I hate that I get so bored.  I'm constantly trying to think of new ways to make myself run more, because I know it's good for me.  I try to do strength exercises more than cardio, but I also want to increase my endurance.
     A new style of running that I've been doing the past few days has been my own version of interval running.  One form of interval running could be to walk for a distance, jog for a distance, and sprint for a distance.  My own version is to run a quarter of a mile, perform a strength exercise, and run another quarter of a mile.  This gives my legs and lungs a slight break, but I'm not wasting any energy by walking or stopping all together.  This is how I do it:

• Run 0.25 miles, do 15 squats.
• Run 0.25 miles, do 15 pushups
• Run 0.25 miles, 30 sec mountain climbers
• Run 0.25 miles 15 tricep dips (perfect on a park bench)

     What I love about this workout is that it doesn't feel like you're running far, and by the time you're done, you will have run a mile.  Repeat it once and what do you know, you've run TWO miles!  Mixing up your regular running routine by adding in some strength exercises is not only interesting, but it keeps your body moving in ways other than just a constant run.

     If you're looking for a good running app, I use the Nike running app.  I can set a distance goal, and it'll let me know how much farther I have to run.  It also gives you an approximation on how many calories you burned during your run.  I never go on a run (unless I'm on a treadmill) without using this app.

Why My Relationship is NOT Goals

   As cliche as it sounds, everyone wants to find that "special someone".  While we're patiently or not so patiently waiting for that person to appear in our lives, we see other relationships that we want.  We see our friend's boyfriend buy her flowers and makeup, and they always have the cutest Instagram pictures of perfectly decorated Bibles and a cup of coffee showing that they had a devotional together.  We so desperately want a relationship like that and we appoint that image as our one true relationship goal.  Along with receiving nice things, many of us also want a "godly relationship".  While this is a great and important thing to desire, many of us don't understand what an actual godly relationship looks like.  It is a God-like relationship.  Since we are not God, we cannot live out a true godly relationship.  But we are to strive for one with our heavenly Father.
     People assume that a godly relationship is just one between two people who go to church and read their Bible together.  If you do that with your boyfriend or girlfriend, then you have what everyone wants, and you're doing just fine.  A true godly relationship isn't two righteous individuals without any problems.  It's simply two unrighteous, broken sinners who aren't afraid to accept their desperate need of a Savior and His grace.  People don't talk about that enough.  People don't realize or want that enough.  All we see are the cute pictures and the public displays of affection and think to ourselves, "I really want that."  Or we see the cuddly couples at church and wish we could find someone like that.  But deep down, what our heart really needs isn't that.  Our hearts need Jesus.  Our "relationship goals" should be of one with Jesus Christ.  Once we realize that, and start pursuing a strong relationship with Jesus, the relationships that God has planned for us will start falling into place.
     Taylor and I's relationship doesn't always have the attributes of a godly one, and therefore shouldn't be your "relationship goals".  No one can truly have a godly relationship, because we are not God, and we are not perfect.  We're just people.  We have our own sins we have to work through and ones that we have to work with together.  Taylor and I desperately need God, not a so-called godly relationship with each other.  When we have a close bond with Christ, our bond with one another becomes stronger, therefore strengthening our ability to live out the godly relationship we strive for.
     Pursue God first.  Get your heart right with Jesus first.  He won't break your heart or leave you feeling unloved.  Make a strong relationship with Him your #goals.  Cute pictures aren't goals.  Getting gifts from your significant other isn't goals.  Taylor and I are not goals.  Jesus is goals.  Make Him your first priority.  Make your relationship goals one with Him, because He won't let you down.

I Washed My Face with Coconut Oil for a Week

     I'm guilty of scrolling through Pinterest for long periods of time, mostly looking at things I can't afford and ridiculous beauty hacks that I chuckle at.  However, whenever there are beauty hacks that involve natural or household ingredients, I'm intrigued.  I'm particularly interested in natural skin care.  I've read various posts that coconut oil is a great makeup remover, plus there are several other health benefits.  I saw a jar in TJ Maxx for about 6 dollars so I decided to pick it up.
     I don't always wear makeup, but when I do, I'm dying to take it off.  Coconut oil was PERFECT for me.  All I have to do is take a small amount and rub it all over my face and the makeup literally melts off.  Foundation, eyeliner, mascara, everything.  Rinse the oil off and I'm good to go.  In the past, I would use the oil to remove my makeup, and continue to wash the oil off my face with a harsh (exfoliating) face wash, and end with a light moisturizer.  Recently, I've wondered if that's the best for my skin.  So I did some research to find out if coconut oil was a good face wash, even for acne prone skin.  The majority of the results I found were positive.
     Now I know all of my oily skinned friends will be hesitant to put oil on their face, but from the research I've done, it could help you (if you have oily skin and you're constantly washing your face because it's "too oily", you're forcing your skin to produce more natural oils because you're stripping them away every time you wash your face).  I'll tell you a little bit about my skin in a moment so you'll be able to compare my results to your own skin.
     For the past several days I've been washing my face with this organic coconut oil and recording my results through "diary entries" and photos.

     I have dry/combination skin.  Combination skin just means that I’m mostly dry on my cheeks and forehead, but oily around my nose and chin.  My skin is extremely sensitive to the foods I eat and if I’m stressed.  However, I don’t get wimpy breakouts all over my face.  I’ll have big, painful blemishes one at a time (and in very noticeable areas might I add).  It’s very annoying and uncomfortable, so I try to eat as healthy as I can and treat the spots before they get too out of hand.

     So I washed my face every night for seven days with this coconut oil.  I would wash my face in the shower with the oil, and leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing it off.  When you rinse, it won't feel like you've gotten everything off, but it's okay.  The excess oil will absorb into your skin overnight.  *So to my oily-skinned friends, don't be afraid to try this experiment at night.  If your face is still too shiny in the morning, just wash your face with a light cleanser and you should be good to go.*

Day 1

I washed my face in the shower after a long day of working out and coaching volleyball.  Since I had sweat a lot today, I put a little bit of baking soda in my hand with the coconut oil for a little bit of exfoliation.  My first thoughts? “Wow, my skin is SOFT.”  When I got out of the shower, my skin was glowing and there was no need for a moisturizer.  

The washes in between day 1 and day 7 weren't much different from the first, so I'll leave those "entries" out.

Conclusion

The only real thing the coconut oil helped me with was dryness.  I loved the feeling my skin had once I got out of the shower.  I’m considering putting the oil on my legs in the shower after I shave or even over my whole body.  However, for daily washing, I don’t see it hurting or helping my skin.  I do believe this would be an excellent alternative to a gel face wash for people with dry skin.  For people with oily skin, I would recommend using this only at night without a moisturizer afterwards.

Day 1-right side

Day 1-left side

Day 7-right side

Day 7-left side

As you can see, there wasn't much of a difference in the way my skin looked.  But it felt great.  I would be interested to hear how this experiment would go for someone with extremely oily or extremely dry skin.  I hope you'll check it out and let me know your results.  Also, leave comment with any of your favorite coconut oil uses and I'lll be sure to try some out!