VEGAN Red Lobster Biscuits

HERE is the original recipe. I've changed very little and I want to give credit where it's due.

These seriously taste just like regular Red Lobster biscuits. I like to make them with chili or potato soup.

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Biscuit Dough
2 1/2 cups Biquick
4 Tbsp veg butter
1 cup veg cheddar shreds
3/4 cup plant milk
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp oregano

Butter Topping
2 Tbsp veg butter
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp oregano

Mix the Bisquick and veg butter first. Then add in the other ingredients and mix with your hands, roll into loose balls and plop them on a baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Slather them with the butter topping mixture and devour.

I really mean devour, because they are just that good! I ate like way too many the last time I made these.

You can also freeze them if you just want a couple at a time. Just up the cooking time a couple minutes and keep your eye on them. You'll have to remake the butter mixture every time you make a couple though.

Thanks for reading (and requesting!)
Love,
Alaina

How I Henna My Hair : Light Mountain Red Natural Hair Dye on Medium Dark Brown Hair

Watch the video HERE.

I've been dying my hair with henna for several years now and this is what works for me to get the brightest red.

I've experimented with other colors and combinations of henna and indigo, but I keep coming back to the red, I find it so stunning, especially in the warmer months.

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Step 1:
Shower and shampoo. No conditioner. I usually do this a day in advance.

Step 2:
Mix your dye.
Add a few tablespoons of lemon juice for a brighter red.
Add hot water until the consistency is nice.
Let the mix sit for half an hour (or so) so the color can activate.

Step 3:
Prepare your work space.
Put a towel on the floor. Wear junky clothing, especially a top that you can get over your head very easily. Get plastic gloves for your hands. Get a mirror to view the back of your head. Maybe invest in a little hair dye brush for more precise application.

Step 4:
Apply the henna.
I like to start at the top and just form each section into a bun on top of my head. When my hair was shorter, I had to use clips to keep the hair up and out of the way. I've tried starting from the bottom and working up and starting from the top working down and I find starting at the top is a little easier for me personally. Then you also don't have to worry too much about running out of product toward the end, it's not a big deal if it's the underside of your hair.

Step 5:
Wrap hair in plastic wrap for a brighter red. Put a beanie on top for even more warmth and brightness. And wait. Try to keep it on for at least two hours. The longer, the better.

Step 6:
Time to rinse.
Use conditioner to rinse. I don't use shampoo for about 2 days after I henna. Rinse with conditioner many times. When you think you've rinsed for the last time, do it once more just in case. This time I rinsed three times with a cleansing conditioner.

Step 7:
Blow dry your hair so you can immediately see the results.
I have no patience. I need to see how things turned out immediately, so I almost always blow dry right afterwards. :)

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The color lasts amazingly well. It will stay bright until you're ready to do your roots again. There's no need to touch up the overall color, the only time I know it needs to be done is because my roots are getting out of hand. And when I am ready to do my roots, I will focus on them, but still drag the color through the rest of my hair too just for a little refresher.

I typically dye every 3 months, but this time around it's been a lot longer, about 6 months! Ever since the birth of my first son in May 2016, I've stretched the time between colorings more than I did before the kiddos.

I really hope this was helpful for you and you found some good tips. I've been dying my hair with henna for several years now and this is what works for me.

Love,
Alaina

Beginner Vegan : Should I Throw Out Non-Vegan and Cruelty Free Makeup?

Here is a random topic I have been contemplating since I completed my one week vegan challenge after Memorial Day weekend.

I've been transitioning my diet. We've been using up all the non-vegan food in our house and let me tell you, we're getting pretty close now. We finally used up some feta and mozzarella cheese in a lentil lasagna over the weekend and we've given away a LOT of random stuff. We had nearly two full packs of cheese snack sticks, two bottles of Parmesan, cream of chicken soup cans, tuna, and a bunch of other stuff. We also have some items that are going to take awhile to get through, such as the three jars of beef/chicken bouillon cubes in the cabinet! And I accidentally bought the wrong breadcrumbs a couple weeks ago and they totally have milk in them. It feels really wasteful to simply throw all this stuff out, so we've been using it up.

The thing what's occurred to me recently is, what am I supposed to do with all the non-vegan stuff I already own (that isn't food)? Like my makeup, hair products, shoes, etc.

I didn't think I owned any leather shoes, but it turns out my current favorite flats are leather. I just always thought leather was expensive and I don't buy expensive shoes, so I just assumed I didn't own any leather ones. Wrong. I just bought these while I was pregnant with Eren so they're pretty new and it feels like a waste to toss them out. Should I donate them and find a different pair? Should I just wear them until they're spent?

I do need to go through my shoe collection and donate stuff I don't wear anymore anyway. Since becoming a mother, I have come to appreciate functional footwear. I just don't have time for shoes in every color or any kind of heels or anything that isn't super comfy. I wear booties in the winter, sandals in the summer, and tennis shoes year round. I don't need much more than that.

I own a leather jacket that I literally wear once every other year. But I have this attachment to it. I really wanted it when I was in middle school and my parents got it for me for Christmas and it surprised the crap out of me because I know they spent a lot of money on it and they never got us big, expensive stuff like that. It just reminds me of that Christmas. And although I will probably never wear it again, I feel very conflicted about letting it go.

I have unused bottles of body wash and shampoo that are not cruelty free. I have so many hair products (that I really don't even use). I have a lot of makeup. (this blog used to center around makeup, so I own a lot of stuff) But isn't it wasteful to throw it all out? And what is it that bugs me, do I oppose the waste itself or the fact that I'm wasting money by throwing it away?

I wanted to get some new shorts recently. Instead of going to Ross or Target or whatever, we stopped by the Goodwill. And while yes, there are internal issues with the Goodwill corporation itself, at least I wasn't directly fueling the fast fashion world we live in. I bought two pairs of shorts for like $5 and I felt really happy.

My trusty, standard black Old Navy flip flops broke on the first day I put them on this year. They were probably five years old. So I "need" a new pair of black flip flops. I've been looking into vegan and more ethically made options. It's crappy though. Me, being a cheap skate, never spending over $30 on a pair of shoes. I look at this $2 pair of Old Navy flip flops, then I look online at $40 sandals and I'm like holy crap, is it really worth it?!

But I try to remind myself that it's all supply and demand. Every dollar you spend is a vote for a better world. If I apply that to my food choices, shouldn't I be applying it to my clothes and the rest of my life as well? I should be concerned about the working conditions of humans all over the world just as much as I am concerned for the animals who are enslaved to feed us.

Diet was pretty easy. But all of this other stuff is hard.

- Alaina

The Transition from 1 to 2 Kids

Was it easier or harder than expected?
I think it has been about as hard as expected but perhaps in different ways than I thought. For example, I thought having to sit down and nurse Eren while trying to make sure Cal wasn't doing something he shouldn't be was going to be hard, but that's actually not bad. Cal is very independent and he seems to understand that I can't really help him a whole lot with a baby attached to my chest. He understands he has to wait for me to get him a snack or fill up his cup and he's been really great in that aspect. However, the hard part has been when they both cry. Eren was colicky for the first 2+ months. When Eren cried, Calvin would cry, and vice versa. They just feed off each other's sadness. I was not expecting that. Listening to two crying kiddos, not being able to figure out what's up is really hard. It makes you want to just walk out the door and leave them to fend for themselves some days...
And the extreme exhaustion was unexpected. Chasing a toddler is hard. Caring for a newborn all hours of the day is hard. But both of those things together? That sucks.

Do you love them both equally?
I have to be honest. When Eren was a colicky little newborn, I did not feel an ultimate, bonding connection with him. I talk about that more in my "love at first sight" video HERE. But once we overcame his super fussiness at 2.5 months old, I can honestly say yes, I have a ridiculous amount of love for them both and it's incredible. I can honestly say now that yes, I do love them both equally.

Did Calvin understand? How did he react?
I definitely underestimated that little dude. He was almost 22 months old when Eren came. I think he's had a much bigger understanding of this whole thing than I knew a little boy could. I truly feel like he understood the pregnancy more than I thought. He's never patted my belly and said "brother" since Eren was born. He knows brother is on the outside now. And he's never been mean to Eren. He's never acted like he was mad at him. He's never acted like Eren needs to leave or he doesn't belong. He's never seemed overwhelmed by the fact that sometimes I just can't get to his needs as promptly when Eren needs something. Overall, I know he really gets it. He just knows Eren's part of the family now.

How do they interact together?
It's more amazing than I expected. Seeing Calvin give Eren kisses is literally the best thing ever in the world! It's perhaps my favorite part of being a mommy right now.
Calvin loves his brother. He is always asking about him. If I'm laying around with just Calvin and my husband is off with Eren, Calvin asks about him. He says things like "baby brother sad, hungry?" It's just too cute to see his concern for Eren.
And Eren is finally starting to notice Calvin more too, here at four months old. He will watch him as he walks around the room. He gets so happy if he lays by him on the floor. He cries when he leaves him. He actually cries when anyone leaves him.

Laundry? Diapers?!
I knew there would be a lot of laundry. I knew there would be a lot of diaper laundry. And diaper laundry every two days is perfectly fine, it works out great. But now that I'm back to work, in the middle of the week, I can get a day behind. Three days of diaper laundry sucks. Two days; I can deal with. I even completed the Flats & Handwashing Challenge on maternity leave, which was pretty fulfilling, actually.

So overall, things have definitely been different than I expected, but not all in negative ways.
I hope you enjoyed this little post.
Love,
Alaina