Donate That Hair!

Can we just talk about how difficult it is to donate your hair? I just wanted to give my hair away so that someone who wasn't fortunate enough to grow their own could have a wig. I had to research all the way into the dark abyss of the second page on Google to find a place that would actually take my hair. 

Most places require at least 8 inches. No dead ends (for good reason). But the most difficult one? NO HAIR COLOR.

Girls in this day in age color their hair. A lot. I'm always impressed whenever I come across a girl who has never colored her hair. Like, "Congratulations! You've bucked the norm! You've saved yourself loads of money! Your hair must be so healthy!" What about those of us that have colored our hair and still want to donate it though? 

It is possible to donate your hair if it's colored. Yes, even if it's bleached. You might have to send it off to the UK and complete customs forms (this was the route I had to take), but it is a possibility. So if coloring your hair is holding you back, have no fear Little Princess Trust is here!

Being Lactose Intolerant in a World Hooked on Dairy

About a year and a half ago it was brought to my attention that I am unfortunately lactose intolerant. For about six months I tried to ignore that detrimental news and continued to consume dairy. At the expense of my belly and my sanity. As I've tried to cut dairy out of my diet, I've realized how prominent dairy is in the diets of the average person so finding yummy things at restaurants or even frozen meals at the grocery store is a little hard. Thankfully the trend of being vegan is making it to Oklahoma because that's made it a lot easier on me to find dairy free products when grocery shopping. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Califia Farms Almond Milk

This almond milk has become a staple for me. I cook with it. I put it in my coffee. I eat it with my cereal. And the best part about it: They make multiple flavors!

2. Aged Cheeses

Good news: aged cheeses like cheddar, swiss, parmesan, etc. have small enough amounts of lactose that most people who are lactose intolerant can eat them! Yay for not having to give up all cheese!

3. So Delicious Ice Cream

This ice cream has changed my life. It does have a coconut flavor, so if you don't like the way coconut tastes stay away from this ice cream. I love the added flavor that it gives simple flavors like chocolate.

Reminiscing on the Good Times

It's been a year since my first airplane ride. My first time out of the United States. My amazing trip to Thailand. I've been scrolling through pictures that I took while riding elephants and hiking a waterfall. So lucky you, here are some of my favorites.

My Newest Obsession

A few days ago I was making my daily scroll through the Us Weekly website (yes, that's my guilty pleasure, judge me) and I came across a headline Jennifer Nettles and her love for brussels sprouts (Click here for Jennifer's recipe!). All of my roommates will gladly tell you about my newest obsession with brussels sprouts so I decided to share my favorite of all of the recipes that I've tried so far.

Full disclosure, I don't really go by measurements when experimenting with cooking so just go with your instincts.

-Brussels sprouts

-Olive oil

-Salt

-Pepper

-Panko bread crumbs

-Garlic

Start by washing your brussels sprouts. Cut them in half and put them in to a bowl. Add olive oil, salt, pepper, Panko bread crumbs, and garlic. Mix it all until you feel like you've gotten your brussels sprouts covered to your liking. Spread it all out on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

The News that Rocked My World

I was recently talking to one of my professors about my father situation and it inspired me to talk about it because I know I'm not the only person who's been through it and I won't be the last. So here it is:

Growing up I always knew there were differences between my siblings and I. I'm extroverted. They're introverted. I'm always on the go or doing something. They like to stay at home and hang out. I'm tall and thin. They're shorter and don't disappear whenever they turn to the side. (Except my brother, he's pretty tall.) But I always thought it was because our genes just played out in different ways.

Whenever I was 17, my grandma dropped a bomb on me that I actually had a different biological dad than they did. Their dad had legally adopted me whenever I was 4, but had been a part of my life since before I was even a year old. (I'm also the oldest, so they never knew any better either.) So he was the only dad I had ever known. He still is the only dad I know.

But, it all rocked my world. (As I imagine it would to any teenage girl dealing with the awful stage of life that I was already in.) I lost the sense of who I was. I felt like I couldn't trust anyone around me. I mean my own family had kept something so big from me for so long, and all my life I had been taught that if you can't trust your own family, who can you trust? 

I started to spiral out of control. (Keep in mind I had a lot of other junk going down in my life at the same time that I'll save for another post.) I looked for affirmation from males. I sought happiness in drunkenness. I developed anxiety. I had gone from the girl who was confident, smart, and had everything together to the girl who didn't even recognize herself whenever she looked in the mirror no matter how hard I looked.

Because my dad and I had our ups and downs while I was growing up (let's be honest I wasn't the easiest teenager and he has his faults as well), I started to try to make a connection with my biological dad. It's been impossible. He is a ranch hand. He doesn't like to be in cities. He ropes on the weekends for fun. He goes to chicken fights for entertainment. He sounds like Larry the Cable Guy. All things that I can't relate to in any way. I still talk to him occasionally, but let's be real, we're basically strangers.

The news all took a real hit on my relationship with my parents and my siblings. I was extremely bitter with my parents. We fought constantly. I felt like there was such a wall between us that I couldn't talk to them about anything. They wouldn't let me talk to my siblings about what was going on. My siblings just thought I was being a brat about moving because around the same time we moved from Texas to Oklahoma. None of them understood what I was processing through or experiencing. And they were my only communication outlets because they were the only people I knew near me.

Not having people to talk to really took a toll on me. Extroverts get their energy from interacting with other people and I was just sitting in my room alone trying to avoid my family. Which spurred on my anxiety. I was left alone with my thoughts. My confusion on what was going on. The pull from all sides to just "hear them out". Why they chose to keep it from me. Why they were hurt by the situation. And worst, why they were never there in the first place.

But, a little over five years later my relationship with my parents and my siblings is stronger than it ever has been. Through a lot of personal reflection, I've been able to forgive everyone in the situation and I've been able to see their side a little more clearly. We now sit around during the holidays laughing until we're crying about all of the things we did as kids. We go shopping together. We just hang out on the couch at my parents' house and talk. And I'm convinced that our relationship wouldn't be what it is now if it wouldn't have been through such a trial.

Cue the Basic White Girls Belting Oceans

There's nothing that makes me feel at peace, joyful, and in awe quite like the view of the ocean. A lot of times I'll just sit and stare out at the vastness without an inkling of how to even describe what I'm viewing. (Which is amazing because it takes a lot to leave me speechless.) It's mysterious and magnificent. 

There's great depth filled with unknown, yet it's so clear that I can see my feet touching the sand on the ocean floor. Seeing it easily reminds me of God and His existence. How could you not look at it and see the handiwork of a great Creator?

My perception of the ocean is much like my perception of God and a relationship with Him. It's mysterious. There's so much I don't know about His Word and there's so much I'll never totally grasp about Him. I'll never be able to wrap my mind around why someone actually loved me so much that they paid the ultimate sacrifice on a Roman torture device in order to have a relationship with me. A relationship with a human being that had no desire to even know Him. Yet, He sought me out. And time after time showed me His love for me. 

But it's magnificent because I can sit in class or in the car or anywhere at all and have a conversation with the Creator of my soul. MY SOUL. We're not talking about the creator of a song, or a theory, or even an amazing work of art. This is the Creator of everything in the universe, from the tiniest creature in the ocean to the largest planet in orbit. And I can have a conversation with Him like He's my best friend. It's magnificent because I can rest in knowing that He has a plan for my life. That He cares more about me and what's going on in the world than I could ever muster up. 




(A little heavy? Maybe. But, I came across this in my old pictures and couldn't stop looking at it in awe so I had to jot down some of my thoughts.)

Time for a Change Up

So I've decided that I'm already sick of blogging solely about my travels and because of that my blog is about to gain a new voice. (I mean obviously it'll still be my voice, just over a different topic.)

In order to continue to enjoy blogging I'm going to start to treat this as a journal of sorts. Just writing about my experiences, specifically those that occur while I enjoy my life just goin with the flow...or as some might say just goin with the Chlo. (Can I say that about my own blog? Too bad, just did.)

Get ready for a view inside my mind (it's weird) and a front row seat to the things going on around me.