To Bra or Not To Bra: D+ Reviews

After reading all the wonderful reviews on my first two posts (To Bra or Not To Bra Part 1 and To Bra or Not To Bra Part 2), I realized I had a huge gap in information related to wireless bras for those with a larger bust. However, I am very lucky to have a few girls that are willing to fill in this gap and share their reviews on this blog. This post will include supplemental reviews of wireless bras with cup sizes larger than a D. **If you are interested in cup sizes D and less, please check out the reviews in this post: To Bra or Not To Bra Part 2.

To Bra or Not To Bra - Part 2

My first post on this topic explored the idea that there may be a connection between bras and cancer due to constraint on the lymphatic system, which in turn causes toxins to build up faster than they can be eliminated. Please follow this link to read this post, which discusses the book Dressed to Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras by Sidney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer.

One of the best parts about this post is all the wonderful comments so I hope you will check it out and be sure to take the time to read the comments too.

Part 2 presents reasons to stop wearing your underwire bra or stop wearing a bra altogether in a fun (but informative) Top Ten List format. There are also a few bra reviews following the Top Ten Lists. Enjoy!

So, without further ado, here's ten reasons to ditch the bra altogether.

To Bra or Not To Bra

I'm pretty "old school" in this regard, and when I say old school, I am not talking about the 1960s "bra burning era". You see, I come from the time period where bras with underwire were the way to go - I guess my generation has Madonna and Victoria's Secret to thank for that (sigh). 

And so here I am, and all my life I've been bound up in this incredibly uncomfortable contraption with an actual metal wire in it. I mean who the heck thought this was a good idea? Sure, let's pinch off the circulation in my chest under my heart and near my lymph nodes with a wire and wear this thing up against one of the softest parts of my anatomy as often as possible to make sure that when I'm 90 years old I won't have saggy boobs (sigh).

So, was that really the motivation....? Like I'm going to really care when I'm 90....

Body Series - Oils - Part 3: Grapeseed, Kukui Nut, and Olive Oil

My first post on this topic (Part 1) covered three oils (Almond, Avocado, and Coconut) and my follow-up post (Part 2) covered Meadow Foam Seed Oil, Jojoba, and Hemp Seed Oil, including two favorites (Meadow Foam and Hemp).

Starting top, clockwise: Grapeseed, Kukui Nut, Olive

In this post (Part 3), I discuss below my experiences with Grapeseed Oil, Kukui Nut Oil, and Olive Oil. Keep in mind, this is a casual experiment and based on my experiences with these oils over the course of several weeks. But, I think you'll find the results meaningful and useful.

Body Series - Test Lab: Lip Balm, Bath Fizzies, & Body Scrubs

I have a close friend that I have known since I was 15 years old and we have found ourselves living somewhat close to each other after all these years and are lucky enough to see each other a few times a year. Last year around the holidays, she gave me a gift of homemade cookies and treats. My family and I enjoyed that gift so very much--the thought (and love) that was behind it as well as the enjoyment of the baked goods and thinking of her and her family as we snacked on the cookies and candies she made.

So, in that spirit, this year we decided to collaborate and craft homemade items as gifts for other friends and family. First, we canned pears and strawberries and recently, we made homemade bath fizzies, lip balm, and body scrub. We researched many different recipes and decided to try these three, which turned out really nicely. In fact, we were incredibly impressed with how easy they were to do and how pretty they looked (to the point of high-fiving each other all day, I mean, they turned out that well)!    :)

They are awesome projects for beginners, which I definitely am, and they make beautiful, wonderful gifts.

Body Series - Oils - Part 2: Meadow Foam Seed, Jojoba Oil, and Hemp Seed Oil

My first post on this topic covered three oils (Almond, Avocado, and Coconut) and compared them based on various characteristics. I discussed how using oils (vegetable, nut, and/or seed oils) to moisturize and care for our skin is a great idea for numerous reasons including quality, cost, availability, effectiveness, flexibility, etc. So, onward search to find the right oil or oils to use....

In this post, I have included Meadow Foam Seed Oil, Jojoba Oil, and Hemp Seed Oil. Keep in mind, this is a casual experiment and based on my experiences with these oils over the course of several weeks. But, I think you'll find the results meaningful and useful.

Body Series - Oils - Part 1: Almond, Coconut, & Avocado

Have you ever noticed all those bizarre-sounding ingredients in your face and body lotions? How about the fact that there's so many ingredients in these products and you don't understand half of them? Have you ever found yourself wondering about your skin care company's "green" policies, kindness policies, and overall corporate/ company policies?

Well, these are the kinds of questions I have been asking myself for years about the products I used and I was often disappointed when I found the answers. So, after much personal research, I started using pure oils (vegetable, nut, and/or seed oils) to moisturize and care for my skin after hearing about the possibility online and in various books. The great part about this is that vegetable, nut, and seed oils contain only one ingredient (hooray!) and can easily be purchased, for the most part, from a source that is green/ globally responsible/ kind to animals/ kind to other people (hooray hooray!). The other really great part is that, compared to my incredibly expensive former anti-aging regimen, using oils for skin care is a really frugal choice. Your pocketbook will thank you!

So, since most of you probably don't have the time or money or patience to research and try every oil out there, I thought it might be helpful to try to experiment a little on my own and record my results. First up, Almond Oil and Coconut Oil because they are relatively inexpensive and fairly easy to obtain and also fairly commonly known. I also included Avocado Oil this week because I've been wanting to try this oil ever since I read it helps reduce age spots, heal sun damage, and scars and may increase collagen in skin. WOW. Keep in mind, this is a casual experiment and based on my experiences with these oils over the course of several weeks. But, I think you'll find the results useful.

Toothpaste & Mouthwash

"She laughs at everything you say. Why? Because she has fine teeth." --Benjamin Franklin

I know that homemade toothpastes and tooth powders are trending a lot online now, which is great, because I've been looking for a while for something to use myself and have just been unable to make a decision until recently. However, I finally decided to give something a try, described below, that I think uses the best of what I've seen and also is a flexible option in that you can use one or more of the ingredients below based on your preference. I have also included a few mouthwash formulas, the first being really more of an after brushing rinse and the others more of a traditional mouthwash intended to freshen breath.

Toothpaste:
2 parts coconut oil and/or
1 part clay and/or
1 part baking soda and/or
1/4 parts sea salt and/or
Lemon essential oil and/or
Peppermint essential oil and/or