Love your blog (especially tips about hair colour, now that I’ve recently thrown myself into this strange new world!). Anyhow, being previously a wash-tie-up-and-go person, I never thought twice about hair dryers. I’m now using a hair dryer regularly (trying to preserve funky colour!), and recently came this thing called an “Ionic hair dryer”.

What is your opinion on these? Any good, or waste of money?

-Submitted by Raven.

Alright firstly, what supposedly does an Ionic blow dryer do differently than a regular blow dryer?

Here’s the claim..

Positive and negative ‘ions‘ exist in everything. The claim, is that wet hair is more ‘positively’ charged, and by using an ionic dryer, you’re adding back that negative charge.  What does this do? Well companies claim it does a lot of things, like:

• less heat damage
• quick dry time
• seals the cuticle
• less frizz
• keeps water ‘in’ the hair shaft, thus more hydrated

Now does this actually work? Is it worth your investment?

The short answer? No.

Here’s why..

It’s mainly another marketing gimmick. You know when a new beauty comes out with enriched ‘Hydroplasms’ or ‘Colloplast’? Yeah. That’s a word the company made up and patented. Not much is different with ionic hair dryers.

I had a hard time finding someone discussing the ‘ionic technology’ other than the companies themselves. The internet is full of strange claims about ‘water clusters‘ and ‘tormaline’. Each ionic hair dryer offers a little something something better than the previous. One stylist even mentioned something about it breaking down water molecules into 1/5th their size. huh?

I then went on a hunt for some scientific evidence, on what this ‘ionic’ technology is. This is all I could find:

David Akerman, research and development scientist at Clear Edge Filtration, debunks the notion that ionic hair dryers are better than any other blow-dryer. According to Akerman, water is already ionic; therefore, applying negative ions to damp hair will have no effect.

- ehow

There you have it. I’d listen to the scientist.

I would go ahead and buy a run-of-the-mill hair dryer instead of investing in product hype. Then, spend some of your saved $$$ and purchase a heat-safe styling serum/mist to protect your hair from heat damage and help to lock in color – no matter the dryer you end up choosing.

Good luck!

Do you own an ionic hair dryer? Let us know how it works for you and what you think on the KimmiKillZombie Facebook Page!

In Canada, there is an unspoken right of passage. I’ve called it the Kraft Dinner years. From about 12 years old (or whenever you parents trust you to use the stove unsupervised), at least once a day, typically after school – a box of Kraft Dinner is prepared and eaten. For about 5 years. I consumed so much Kraft Dinner as a kid, it’s practically a food group.

After going vegan, I longed for the cheesy 7-minute dinner of my youth. I tried several vegan recipes on the internet, claiming to have the cheesiest of macs, but to no avail.

So one night, in a fit of desperation, I headed to the kitchen to make an on-hand macaroni. I had no idea what I was doing, how much of this, how little of that. But the result- was pretty good.

We’ve made the recipe several times since then, and tweaked and added until we’ve reached a pretty perfect consistency and taste.

So here it is; a quick, creamy, cheesy macaroni that’s completely dairy free!

Ingredients

• 2 heaping tbs of vegan margarine.
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use Almond Fresh)
• 1 1/4 cups Daiya cheddar shreds
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• freshly cracked pepper
• 2 cups uncooked of your favorite noodles. (I recommend traditional macaroni, or rotini; pictured above)

Directions

1. Set up one large saucepan to cook your noodles, and a smaller one for your sauce. Fill the larger one halfway with water and bring to a rapid boil.
2. Submerge your pasta in the first pot. In your small saucepan, melt your margarine on low.
3. Stir all dry spices into the melted butter.  Slowly pour in your milk, stirring constantly, until fully combined.
4. Stir your pasta occasionally to keep it from gumming up. Add the Daiya cheese shreds to your sauce, increasing the heat slightly.
5. Whisk constantly until sauce is smooth, creamy and thickened, about 3-4 minutes until pasta is cooked.
6. Drain pasta and stir in sauce. Serve immediately.
7. Add pepper and salt to taste.

Serves 2, large full-meal bowls.

I caught a bug earlier this week and am spending most of the day without a voice, and in my pajamas. And as a surprise, both me and my boyfriend’s schedules worked out this week, so we both happen to have today off. Oh, and it’s also raining.

So what do nerds like us do on sick, rainy, days off like this?

BOARD GAME DAY!

Here is my list of the ultimate board games for every type of occasion; casual games, intense games, nostalgic games, group games, drinking games… So you too can have the ultimate Board Game Night!

PICK YOUR GAMES

NOSTALGIC

Nostalgic board games are great for those of us who aren’t too deep into the nerdy world of board games. It’s also great when you also want to play alongside a few movies as these games are really simple and don’t require a hefty amount of strategy. Great for groups of around 4 friends to allow the giggles and conversation to be the highlight of the party!

• Guess Who? A 2 player game in which you each choose a face from an audience of silly characters and try to deduce who the other player has selected by asking for descriptive clues, ‘Is he wearing a tie?’ More recent versions of the game offer even new more characters to choose from, like monsters, animals, and even kitchen appliances with faces!

• The Game of Life 2-6 players peg their gender’s color into a car and head down the road of life by spinning the wheel and ultimately getting careers, a house or two, and a family. The game proceeds as such until all players ‘retire’. Several versions of the game exist, including Spongebob, Simpsons and even Electronic for us lazy folk. The goal of Life? To have the most money at the end.

• SORRY! A simple game for 2-4 players. Each person takes turn drawing cards with move instructions on them, trying to get all four of they’re players into the safe zone. The first one to do this, wins the game. The quirk of the game? Several slide spots and tricky cards set you up to be bumped and switched and ending up back at start several times throughout the game. This one is a quickie, so expect a sore loser to want to play another round.

• Mousetrap! ‘It’s a zany something, a something something something, the fun is catching, it’s mousetrap!’ This game takes more time to set up than it does to play, but that’s half the fun I guess. Until you lose a piece. Then the fun is over.

CASUAL

Casual board games are much like Nostalgic board games. The only difference is that they require a little more attention andstrategising than the above board games, but they’re still simple enough that you can get through one in an hour or so. Great for groups of 2-6 who aren’t the type who get bored easily. If there’s anyone I hate, it’s the guy that won’t finish a game of monopoly he started.

• Clue. A game with a sweet, creepy premise that I actually find a little bit boring, but to each his own. (I grew up with a VHS version that I like much better, and still play occasionally) Armed with a clue sheet, players take turn changing variables, moving characters into rooms with different weapons- trying to figure out the WHODUNIT first.

• Monopoly. Monopoly is the game of bankrupting 1-3 of your friends and family through the use of railroads and hotels. The goal is to eliminate, bankrupt, the other players. Each player takes a turn at rolling the dice, buying and trading properties to create sets of each color group. A note: establish house rules before playing! Many a game has ended prematurely in war after an argument about the use of Free Parking and landing directly on GO.

• Battleship. A two-player game in which you try to hide your ships, and sink the ships of others. Much like the snacks you like in the cupboard. (Okay, that was a crappy joke.) Either way, you each take turns calling out coordinates and your playmate will either call out ‘HIT’ or ‘MISS’. There are newer versions out with weird board shapes and oddly shaped and sized ships. Don’t get them, they suck. There will also probably be a movie tie in soon. Don’t get it either. Rectangle ocean all the way!

• 13 Dead End Drive. This is a terribly amazing game where the goal is to get some rich old broad’s inheritance. That’s really it. It’s set up is tedious much like mousetrap but the pay-offs are much more fun. Concealing who you are, your goal is to kill off people in the will who are higher on it that you. Then, when your next in turn to get the moneys, you must make it out the front door before someone offs you! A game of murder and greed! Perfect for children!
  

SKILLED

Alright. The games I’ve listed don’t require too much skill, but I’ve put them in a category separate from ‘Casual’ because you really do need to be in a certain kind of creative or brainy mood to play them, and you have to play them with the right people. Most of these games require at least some level of concentration, a good knowledge of pop culture and of things in general – so playing these games with someone who isn’t so board game savvy or say, a horrible speller – notsuchagoodidea. Also– on an unrelated note, there are a lot of shitty photos using scrabble tiles on the internet.

•  Scrabble. A game for 2-4 players. Using up to 7 tiles randomly drawn from a bag, your goal is to create words worth the most points (using the scores on the bottom of each tile, combined with special spaces on the board) branching off from other words. The game ends when a person passes a pre-determined point mark, or a person uses the last of their tiles and there are no more in the pouch to draw from. They get a ‘bonus’ of 50 points (or whatever house rule you’ve overridden it with), and typically win by having the most points. Have a scrabble dictionary handy for not-a-real-word challenges, and be sure to have house rules in place about people ‘Just checking something‘ in it.

• Pictionary. Me and Jon no longer play Pictionary together anymore. We get in fights. Real bad ones. We’re both really competitive, and he’s both a horrible drawer and a horrible guesser. He obviously disagrees. We’re so bad, that for a period we kept all of our argument inducing drawings to show to friends to get them to guess and determine who was at fault for the word not being found. No lie. But if you aren’t so competitive, Pictionary is a great group game of laughs and teamwork. There is a newer version out called Pictionary Man, where you actually have to draw on a 3D guy and his props for people to guess. It’s actually a really fun take on the original.

• Cranium. This game has everything. Drawing, trivia, spelling, charades… It requires you to be a jack-of-all-trades. It’s also a game that can be played in teams, so it works for 4-16 players.

• Trivial Pursuit. In order to win trivial pursuit, you are going to have to win pieces in 6 different categories, including; Math & Science, Sports & Entertainment, Pop Culture, and more. This game generally takes a while and makes you feel a little inferior in categories where you have little knowledge or interest. This game is for 2-8 players. It’s great to bring out at family events because the questions are suitable for most-all adults.

DRINKING / GROUP

These games require people to be quick, silly, and sometimes inebriated. They don’t take a lot of skill, allow people to blurt things out, and if they don’t directly involve alcohol, the rules can be easily altered as such.

• Quelf. An outlandish party game with equally outlandish characters. Play as a pickle, a ninja monkey, or even an evil bat. Players take turns answering strange trivia, performing weird stunts and obeying odd rules. Expect to run around gathering last minute props like rolls of toilet paper, used socks, and paper and pencils for someone to write their required body odor sonnet.

• Scene It. There is a version of Scene It for every group of people; Harry Potter, Disney, Seinfeld… It’s a great game to put on in the background (no board necessary). There are several games including watching clips, guessing from stills, and shouting out answer to auto-filling crossword puzzles. Turn it into a drinking game by having the losers take a sip each round, or having the winner of each round force one person to chug. Simplicity itself.

• Scattergories. Intended for 2-6 players but in a party setting rounds can be played by different people, teams can be made, etc. The game begins by setting a timer and rolling a die to receive a letter. each person then has to fill out their category sheet with things starting with the chosen letter. The fun starts after the timer has rung and everyone must read out their answers. The group determines which answers earn a point, and which are too outlandish.

• Taboo. A word game where players take turns trying to get their partner to guess the ‘Password’ on their card. The catch? There are 5 words listed that they cannot use. They also just so happen to be the first words you can think of to describe the password.

INTENSE

The following board games are not for the casual gamer. If you think a full game of Monopoly is long, you won’t even get past the rule book. We’re going into painting the playing pieces territory here. So grab your geekiest friends, and clear off the dining room table- because you’re going to need it.

• Last Night On Earth. An extensive zombie board game for 2-6 players with several different scenarios and characters, with an ever-changing layout. You should probably play this one a few times before inviting your friends over, because the first few times will be spent constantly referencing the rule book until you learn the ropes. This game can take a few hours, so only start it if you’re really in the mood to play. You know it’s a good game when it offers several expansion packs and comes with it’s own soundtrack. And if zombies aren’t your thing- the company, Flying Frog Productions,  has come out with a few similar styled board games including one about Aliens Invading a Circus, and one about defeating Vampires, Monsters and Beastly Spectres!

• Risk. An intense, full-table game for 2-6 players. The goal? To slowly take over the world (or map depending on your version) with your army, eliminating the armies of friends your opponents. This game takes about two hours to complete, so crack open a soda and prepare for war!

• Mr. Jack. An intense 2 player game played much like a strategic game of chess. One player is Jack the Ripper, and the other is the detective. each take turns, jack trying to hide his identity and/or escape London, and the detective trying to eliminate suspects and catch Jack before the sun comes up and the game ends. This game isn’t relatively long, but it is definitely challenging and intense. Expect to play a few times alternative who plays as Jack. If you like this version, there’s an even more challenging sequel, called Mr. Jack in New York.

• Betrayal at House on the Hill. A 3-6 player game where you build the board as you go, exploring a creepy old mansion with your trustworthy buddies. But wait! One player has betrayed the rest of the group, unleashing a monster or dooming fate on the rest (unique to each different scenario). The goals, monsters and sinister hands at play change each scenario, so each game is different than the last.

PREP YOUR SPOT

•  Some of the more intense boardgames above (Last Night on Earth, Betrayal At House on the Hill) require a lot of space to play. I recommend clearing off a large table.

• More Nostalgic or Casual games are best played on the floor or around a coffee table with everyone cross-legged.

• For party games, have some odds and ends handy. Paper and pens, a deck of cards, and some odd props like a banana or a couple of dice.

• For longer games, put out some drinks and bowls of chips, or order a pizza to prevent people from getting up several times throughout game play.

• If everyone gets up for a 5 minute smoke/bathroom break, be sure to put a marker on who’s turn is next. Also, you should probably keep an eye on your pet. They love wrecking fun.

• If you are having drunk board game night, expect the games to fizzle out as the night progresses until everyone’s just drinking over an abandoned board. Play your most intense and challenging games first before people ‘lose interest’ and save the half-assed games for later when everyone’s well watered.

• Invite competitive friends, but not jerks. Jerks aren’t fun.

TUNE OUT THE WORLD!

Image 1 via iknowyouhatemeiloveyoutoo.tumblr.com Image 2 via wewerejustkidsinl0ve.tumblr.com, image 3 via marusya96.tumblr.com, image 4 via www.free-extras.com, Image 5 via http://www.onceoverlightly.com/2011/02/skytrex-steamboat-and-quelf.html, Image 6 via http://taobaofieldguide.com/cool-stuff-to-buy-on-taobao/zombie-board-game

You know the hair dye trend is getting big when supermodels everywhere are sporting pink locks and dip-dyes. One of the biggest trends in hair right now is muted color. Pastels. And because there are so many pastel shades, I’ll be splitting them into several INSPIRATION posts. This one is for baby blue.

Want to know how to get baby blue or seafoam hair? Read my dye recommendations and tips, below!

HOW TO GET IT

• Go white. In order to achieve a true pastel hue, you can’t have any muddy under-color. You must get your hair as close to white as you possibly can. Use a purple toner after bleaching to remove any yellowness, as it will really alter your pastel effect.

• Dilute your dye! Only a small amount of bright dye is needed when going pastel, so mix it with conditioner or toner. For a blue pastel hue, I recommend Directions Silver Toner, or Special Effects Purple Toner. A goal is to make the color in your mixing bowl look two shades darker than how you want it on your head. So- if you are aiming for light lavender, you are going to want to have a medium lavender mixture. Here’s a guide on how to dye your hair properly with pastel hair dye.

• Pick your color carefully.  When choosing a color to dilute, make sure it has no pink or red undertones. Used full strength it may be an amazing blue, but when lightened, might look pink or purple. Read the descriptions of all of the colors carefully, and search for pictures of people rockin’ that particular shade in action.
  

• Skip the dilute, and buy it! Alternative hair dye companies are starting to catch on to the pastel trend. Many are offering pastel colors that offer no fuss, and no diluting needed! For grab-and-go pastel blue, we recommend; Manic Panic’s Bad Boy Blue, or Directions Lilac.

Photos Via Cyan Hair.

As we near summer, stores everywhere are stocking up on itty bitty bikinis and swimsuits of all colors and sizes of the rainbow. When I was a kid, it was super easy to pick a swimsuit. I grabbed one out of my drawer.

Post puberty, I was blessed with ginormous hips to contrast an average sized bust. Whenever I went swimsuit shopping, I’d grab a M top, and an XL bottom. I’d immediately run for the fullest, most cover-all bottom to bury as much of my bottom half in it as possible. Then I’d get creative with the top. Maybe a balconett,or  a sweetheart perhaps. Then, come pool time, I would sit at the edge with the longest shirt I could find, and whip it off at the last possible moment before plunging in to hide in the aqua depths..

Sounds like a fun summer, doesn’t it?

Let’s be honest. Your swimsuit your second skin all summer long. If you’re not comfortable in it, your going to spend care those precious free days seriously lacking the ‘free‘. If you invest in a suit to hide in, you might as well just go swimming in your clothes. Self concious about your hips/butt/chest? Let’s balance you out! Time to pick a swimsuit perfect for your body type!

BUSTY

TRY:

• Wear a halter with a thick band. If will provide high coverage and the thick band will keep your girls secure!
• Avoid bold prints up top: opt-out of florals and zig-zags, they’ll only draw attention to your chest. If you need something other than a solid, try a bold color block!
• Avoid string ties. Flimsy strings aren’t meant to do the work of a bra. You won’t feel secure at all,and who wants to verify bows are intact in the middle of a water volleyball match?
• Hunt for a fully lined or underwire top. For ultimate coverage, grab a swimsuit with a full lining or wire. Tha little bit extra will hold you up and in.

A Bit o’ Belly

TRY:

• A tankini. You’ll feel comfortable with the extra coverage.
• A full, high waisted bottom. The higher rise will provide full coverage and prevent any muffin top effect.
• A cute skirt. Throw on a skirt out of the water to add extra comfort without the bulky layers.
• An embellished top. Ad a cool broach to a ruched top to add oomph away from your midsection.

Bigger Bottom

TRY:

• Boyshorts. Everyone will still be able see your awesome curves, but they’ll be safely contained.
• A Stylish one piece. Pick a one piece with a plunging neckline or a cool 1-sided cut-out. It’ll balance out your figure but keep you trendy.
• Mismatch. Black bottoms, yellow top. Keep it creative and wear two completely contrasting pieces, keeping the darker color on the bottom.
• Hipster. A lower rise will cheat your curves and slim out your behind.

Small Bust

TRY:

• Ruffles and Frills. Add some volume up top to add some volume up top.
• Rounded Top. Pick a sweetheart or rounded triangle top to give the illusion of a full bust.
• Fully Lined. Push ‘em up! A fully lined top will add a little extra and balance you out.
• Nautical Stripes. Add some chunky horizontal lines for a bolder touch.

Curvy

TRY:

• Go Retro! The classic 50′s one piece will turn any body into an hourglass. Ruching down the front, a full bottom, sweetheart neckline, the works!
• Bold prints. Bigger girls can rock bigger patterns. Go mod and stick to geometric patterns.
• Romantic Ruffles. Wear a pleated, skirted bikini with ruffles up tom and bottom. It’ll accentuate your hourglass shape even more.
• Solid. Hide nothing with a completely solid one piece in a true-to-you hue.

This is my third Wonderful Web Weekend post! Check out one and two here!

So today is Saturday. duh. And I’m being a grump. Me and the boy had big plans for the day to head to the local-ish amusement park and ride the new coaster Leviathan, “..the tallest and fastest roller coaster in Canada and the seventh tallest and eighth fastest coaster in the world.” -Wikipedia.

BUT NOPE.

At around 9:30 the boy got a call from work asking where he was. Turns out the schedule was changed and he’s working today! [sarcastic confetti is thrown]. So now, I’m grumpilly sitting at the computer waiting for him to finish so we can race to complete our amusement park plans. Luckilly it’s open until 10pm tonight, so even if there is a 3 hour line IM RIDING ME SOME COASTERS.

Anyways, Here’s the latest WEB WEEKEND!

WHAT I’M TUMBLING

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO

• Architecture in Hellsinki – ‘Heart It Races’ – Youtube
• Skip the Use – ‘Ghost’ -Youtube
• Neutral Milk Hotel – ‘Aeroplane Over The Sea’ – Youtube
• Lana Del Ray – ‘Blue Jeans’ (Fuxwitit Remix) – Youtube

Find more on my Trntble

WHAT I’M READING

ONLINE:

• Mara Wilson (of all of your favorite films as a childhood) has an awesome blog.

Imagine that when you were a child, you liked to finger-paint. It was a fun pastime, but it came easily to you, so you never took much pride in it. Regardless, you got a reputation for your finger-painting. Now imagine that, fifteen to twenty years later, people are coming up to you and telling you that they have your finger-paintings up on their walls and that your finger-paints changed your life. It’s flattering, but you haven’t finger-painted in years, and it seems like something you did a long, long time ago. You’ve realized you don’t particularly enjoy getting your hands dirty and that there are other outlets for your creative urges. But people are adamant: are you going to finger-paint again? When? Wait, you’re not? Why not?

- “Are You Still Acting?!” from Mara Wilson Writes Stuff

• The Humane Society has a petition to Urge Tyson Foods To Treat Pigs Better.
• This Article about the Sunk Cost Fallacy, and why we’re addicted to all of those silly Facebook games.

NONLINE:

• “Let’s Spend The Night Together: Backstage Secrets of Rock Muses and Supergroupies” by Pamela DesBarres

From the Publisher:

A groupie is to a rock band as Mary Magdalene was to Jesus, asserts L.A. rock author Des Barres (I’m with the Band) in this eager, self-congratulatory attempt to rehabilitate the term groupie through two dozen fun and well-documented examples of rock muses since the 1960s. Des Barres steers her interviewees to underscore their important role in making their rock star boyfriends look good and play well, such as Tura Satana, given the dubious title Miss Japan Beautiful, who met awkward young Elvis Presley on the burlesque circuit in the mid-’50s and taught him his shimmying moves. Des Barres recalls her groupie rivals back in the day, including Patti D’Arbanville, Bebe Buell, Lori Lightning and Catherine James. Cynthia Plaster Caster, the Rodin of Rock, shares her descriptions of her plaster replicas of rock stars’ penises (including that of Jimmy Hendrix), while Dee Dee Keel spills tales of her oral exploits for British rockers with deplorable bathing habits, and male groupie Pleather relays Courtney Love’s shaky self-esteem. In the end, it’s all about the music, or as Pleasant Gehman sums it up blithely in this breathlessly gossipy scrapbook: Being a groupie is like worshipping at the church of rock and roll—and you are the high priestess.

RECIPES I’M DROOLING OVER

• Quick and easy Quinoa Salad – Pickles and Honey
• Blackberry Lime Pie – Family Kitchen
• Gluten Free Chocolate Chunk Cookies – The Vegan Housewives
• Fennel, White Bean, and Chard Wrap – Keepin’ It Kind

WHAT I’M WATCHING

• The TV Shows ‘The Reaper’ (starring the guy that played Jimbo in Breaker High) and ‘The Nanny’ (starring Fran Drescher) have been added to Netflix recently, so I’ve been spending every lazy hour sitcom-style.
• The Documentary ‘Small Homes, Tiny Flats, & Wee Shelters’, spotlighting some of the smallest living quarters!
• I saw ‘Cabin in the Woods’ and ‘Pirates!’ at the theatre not too long ago. My verdict? Skip Pirates, See Cabin.

When I said ‘Cheap Date’, you probably conjured up the image of some shlub noticing they forgot their wallet conveniently when the cheque arrives. Well, yeah that’s definitely cheap… But being a cheap date doesn’t always have to be bad! Some of us have bills to pay and student debt to think about. So instead of adding that same $60+ restaurant bill to your rising credit card debt every couple of weeks, why not try these suggestions for original, fun dates that cost little to no money?

It can be hard when you start seeing someone new. You don’t really know them all that well, so your not yet in the hangout stages (read; the free date on the couch stage). You keep having to think up places to meet up, but it’s hard to get to know someone during a blaring action movie in the back of a theatre, and if you go out to another Italian restaurant you’re going to gain 10 pounds. But you’re also on a budget, so it’s har. I hear you.

It can also suck when you’ve been with someone so long that you’ve lost the date aspect entirely. Maybe you’re living together, sharing household bills. You both know you can’t afford to go out to fancy dinners, so all of your life together is in the hangout stages. You’re sick of watching TV on the couch every night. Saturday grocery shopping seems to be the only time you go out together as a couple. Enough is enough! It’s time to revive the romance! You deserve to go out on a date that doesn’t break the bank.

The Used Bookstore Date

Use the handy-dandy internet to find a used bookstore near you. If you don’t have one, Goodwill and Salvation Army both have book sections, which aren’t as expansive, but will do in a pinch. Head in with a budget of $5.00. You both then go hunting for a book, think Goosebumps Scary Campfire Stories, or two small books for each of you. Then, head to a nice shady park and commandeer a picnic bench under a tree. Pack some snacks and drinks, and you can have a whole afternoon reading each other spooky short stories!!

The Toys and Games Date

Pack some or all of the following toys and head to a park or large backyard on a sunny day:

• badminton rackets
• a kite
• A Velcro throw-and-catch game
• Big plastic bowling set
• Croquet
• mini-foam airplanes
• sidewalk chalk
• silly string
• water balloons

If you riffle through the garage at your parents’ house, you’re likely to find most of the things on the list. If you were boring child, or your parents through out all of your junk, head to the local dollar store and pick some up!

The Country Farm Date

You’re likely to have a country farm open to the public only a few miles outside of your city. We have 3 or 4. Head out on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and take a visit! You can shop for jellies, jams and pies, take a wagon ride, get lost in a corn maze, or head to the apple orchard and pick a bucket of apples! There are tons of things to do at a farm, and most of them only cost a few dollars!

The Local Newspaper Date

Make plans one Saturday to spend the entire afternoon together. Meet up at around lunchtime and bring along the day’s copy of your local paper. Check out the EVENT section. Pick something! There might be a free bowling event, musicians in the park, a small festival, maybe even a parade! It may be super boring and/or lame, but who cares! You’ll have lots to talk about!

The Coffee House Date

This one is pretty much a given. It’s perfect for first dates as it isn’t too intimate, it’s very casual, and gulp down one tea and you can escape a set-up gone sour! It’s also great because it’s cheap. Meet up, grab a tea, take a seat in one of those comfy over-sized chairs, and have a chat! You can’t beat a date that costs around $2.50!

The Country Fair Date

Around here we have two big country fairs, 1 in the late spring, and one in the early fall. We also have a bunch of mini-fairs and festivals throughout the summer season that pop up all over the place. Find one near you by visiting your town’s website or perusing your local paper,and make a date! Most have a small or no entrance fee, and there are tons of things to see and do without spending $50 on rides. Check out the farmer competitions and look at some ginormous pumpkins, get your faces painted, have corn on the cob from a stand, drink fresh lemonade, feed some goats and try your hand at whack-a-mole!

The Farmers Market Date

(What’s with all these farm dates?) Farmer’s markets pop-up almost everywhere in late spring when the weather gets warm. Some are only one day a week, and some go all weekend long, so find one near you that works for your date. Then, with 20 dollars or less, plan a meal to make together using only ingredients found at the market! You’ll be surprised at the variety of stands. Some sell family spice blends and sauce, some sell hand pressed oils, you can even find fresh, handmade pastas! Once you’ve found all of your ingredients, head home and cook up a feast!

The Thrifty Date

If the weather is nice, meet up one Saturday morning and check out all of the local garage sales! You may not find your cup of tea, but it’s a cool free excursion that offers up a lot of conversation. You may even find a gem! If the weather isn’t so nice, head to the local flea market and check out the wares. The one near us has a vegan strudel stand. Did you hear that? VEGAN STRUDEL.

The Beach Date

Okay so this one is kind of lame and way romantic in that cliche kind of way, but some people are into that, so it’s on the list. Pack a blanket and some seal-able drinks (thus sand-free) and head to the beach! You can walk by the water in your bare feets like couples in ads everywhere seem to enjoy so much, or watch the sunset from your private blanket for two. I would bring a couple of books and a frisbee along in-case there’s a lull in the conversation, but that might take away from all the wuv.

The Matinee Date

This is a fun date, but doesn’t offer much in the way of conversation. Combine it with the Coffee House Date for maximum datiness. Most movie theatres offer super cheap matinees of classic family movies during Summer break. Check out a classic movie that both of you love, like Muppet Treasure Island, or The Goonies, and try not to let the obnoxious childrens spoil your nostalgia+romance.

For More Ideas

Check out this list of Things You Must Do This Spring and this list of 75 Fun Things You Must Do This Summer!

Image Via najihsza

Aiming for blonde and got green? Went to black and can’t get back? Looking for rouge and didn’t get the hue? Okay, enough already– you get my point.

We’ve all been there. You have grand ideas from your box-o-color only to find it has fallen flat; it’s too dark or to brassy, and doesn’t suit your skin tone at all. This is the ultimate guide to fixing, hiding and removing all of your dye job mistakes!

1. BREATHE

Alright. This step is important. Firstly, you need to chill out. You may have landed on this page in a tornado of worry, hair still dripping wet, and wrapped up in a towel.. a fury of a storm in-front of your laptop trying to magically undo what you just unleashed on your locks. Well unfortunately, there is no magic incantation, I’m sorry. But – it is just hair. It will be fixed. You will be fine.

If you actually are reading this straight out of a hair dye fiasco– towel and all, I 100% recommend that you pull out the blow dryer and dry your hair fully. It’s hard to determine how dark or how light a color is when it is still wet. You may find you don’t hate it all once it’s dry. It’s also better for the second step of this guide if you go in with a clear head, and a true representation of what your hair looks like.

2. Assess

To complete the assessment, give your hair scores out of ten for each question. Use the descriptions of the # ranges below each question to help you choose where yours fits. EXAMPLE: You wanted ash blonde, but you got a blonde too yellow and it clashes with your skin. You’d be fine to go to work if you styled it, but you just don’t like the color. For the question ‘How Bad Is It?’ you would get a score of 1 or 2.

3. Fix

Total up your two scores out of ten. Your total will be between 1-20. Find your number in the list below and read the instructions for your level of dye-ruin.

Scored 1-5 Points

You’re alright. It’s not that bad, you’re just not happy with it.

• If the color is too dark, try fading it with this tutorial for a bleach bath, or a few home remedies to remove hair dye.
• If you are only a few shades off from you’re natural color and you haven’t lightened your color , shampoo your hair like crazy the next couple of days with an astringent, like Head and Shoulders.
• If you lightened your color and it’s too yellow, head to the beauty supply and pick up a lavender shampoo or ash blonde toner.
• If you lightened you color and it doesn’t suit you, head to the beauty supply and buy a box close to your natural color. Pretend this little fiasco never even happened.

Scored 6-10 Points

It’s not so bad. You’ve either frazzled your hair a little bit, or you don’t have a lot of time to fix it.

• If your hair is dried out, fix this first! In towel dry hair, apply a heaping amount of conditioner and allow to sit in a shower cap for at least 30 minutes before rinsing out. Pick up a leave-in conditioner next time you are at the store.
• If your hair is patchy but you like the color, head to the beauty supply and pick up another box of the same color you just used. You should probably use two boxes when dying your hair from now on, or invest in the help of a skilled friend.
• If your hair is patchy and you do not like the color, head to the beauty supply and pick up two boxes of your natural color. If you have time, I would try stripping your hair first and fading out as much color as possible before dying again. You should probably use two boxes when dying your hair from now on, or invest in the help of a skilled friend.
• If you don’t like the color at all and it doesn’t suit you, you still may be able to try this tutorial for a bleach bath, or a few home remedies to remove hair dye if the color isn’t too far off from where you’d like it. But, if you are in a bit of a rush or is way off base from your natural color, pick up a hair stripping kit from a beauty supply, or visit a salon.

Scored 11-15 Points

Alright. It’s okay, we can fix this. You may have a multi-colored or semi-green hue that needs a little TLC, but we can take it.

• If your hair is dried out, fix this first! In towel dry hair, apply a heaping amount of conditioner and allow to sit in a shower cap for at least 30 minutes before rinsing out. Pick up a leave-in conditioner and a few hot oil treatments next time you are at the store.
• If your hair is really dried out and you haven’t a lot of time to fix it, you may have to give your hair a break and leave the house with your hair in this not-so-flattering state for a few days. Master how to tie a hairscarf, or a bandana.
• If you don’t like the color at all and it doesn’t suit you, pick up a hair stripping kit from a beauty supply, or visit a salon.
• If your hair isn’t fried and you don’t mind staying up all night, shampoo your hair like crazy with a mix of crushed vitamin C tablets and Head and Shoulders shampoo. Allow to sit in a shower cap for 30 minutes before rinsing. Try to remove as much color this way as possible, and then go over your entire head with 1 or 2 boxes of a color close to your natural shade.

Scored 15-18 Points

Okay, so your hair is pretty wrecked. You may or may not be crying a bit right now. Please re-read step 1 entitled ‘Breathe’.

• If your hair is dried out, fix this first! In towel dry hair, apply a heaping amount of conditioner and allow to sit in a shower cap for at least 30 minutes before rinsing out. Pick up a leave-in conditioner and a few hot oil treatments next time you are at the store.
• If your hair is really dried out and you haven’t any time to fix it, you may have to give your hair a break and leave the house with your hair in this not-so-flattering state for a few days. Master how to tie a hairscarf, or a bandana.
• If your hair is breaking off at the ends, make an appointment at the salon to get a hair cut. The stylist can best advise you how much should be trimmed off. In the meantime, avoid shampoo, don’t dye your hair for a while, and try some of the conditioning methods listed above. Become proficient in the art of wearing hats until you can fix your color fiasco.
• If your hair isn’t too fried and you don’t mind staying up all night, buy a hair stripping kit from a beauty supply -OR- shampoo your hair like crazy with a mix of crushed vitamin C tablets and Head and Shoulders shampoo. Try to remove as much color this way as possible, and then go over your entire head with 1 or 2 boxes of a color close to your natural shade.
• If your hair isn’t too fried and you have somewhere really important to be in the next few hours, beg a stylist to help you. It may be expensive, but you have to do it. After you are back to a 1toned hue that works with your skin, step away from the hair dye aisle!

Scored 19-20 Points

I’m sorry that your hair looks so bad on your wedding day. You probably shouldn’t of spent the night of your bachelorette with both a bottle of vino, and a bottle of bleach. If you can find a stylist who can fix your mess in time to walk down the aisle, you should probably have them written into your Will. If no one will help you, either head to a wig shop or call off the wedding for just a wee bit.

4. Future Advice So This Never Happens Again

• If you have really thick or long hair, always buy more dye then you think you’ll need; 2 boxes, 3 boxes even- if you have a lot of hair. It’s better to have dye left over then to wash your hair out and find you have patches of hair untouched.

• Enlist the help of skilled friend who is very thorough and meticulous. Feed them pizza and beer if you have to. Ensuring that every inch of hair is covered can turn a bad dye job into a good one. Even if the color doesn’t work out, it’s MUCH easier to fix a solid hue than a patchy, uneven one.

• When bleaching you hair,always anticipate a yellow result. Always. Have purple shampoo on hand. Buy toner if you plan on staying platinum.

• When Lightening your hair, be absolutely positive that it’s what you want. Any dye that lifts color is damaging, and it’s harder to revert back quickly if you aren’t happy with the result. The DIY dye fades won’t work on lifted hair, so your only option is to keep dying until your happy– and that can get costly; to both your locks and your wallet.

• If your a serial dye-experimenter, keep an emergency kit under your sink. Leave-in Conditioner, Hot oil treatments, and a couple of boxes of dye that match your natural color.

Bad Hair Day Image Via IsraBlog.

Check out this amazing Accidentally Vegan Ice Cream recipe from Sarah Becan of Sauceome! I can’t think of a more perfect summer treat! I’m going to try this out this summer and make a mock-banana split and add strawberries and chocolate sauce for a neopolitan effect. YUM!

I’ve been meaning to share this recipe for a while. It’s a favorite of mine!

I adapted this Hungry Girl Recipe almost immediately after taking the vegan plunge. I am a huge fan of BBQs, so I needed to have an arsenal of a few favorite dishes handy. This recipe is not only healthy, but creamy and delicious! Don’t be surprised if you drop in with this dish at an omni party and hear a few of these halfway through the night, “Your Potato salad was amazing! What did you–wait.. aren’t you vegan??!!”

Don’t be surprised if no one can tell that it’s mostly made with CAULIFLOWER!

Ingredients

• 1 large head of cauliflower
• 2 cups mini-red potatoes, washed and quartered
• 1/2 cup Veganaise
• 1/2 cup Italian Vinaigrette Dressing
• 1 tbs Dijon Mustard
• 1 tbs Lemon Juice
• Pepper and Salt To Taste
• 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika (Optional: extra for garnish)
• 2 tbsp parsley
• 3 tbsp dill
• 1 clove garlic

Add Veggies to Your Liking:

• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 4 medium radishes, in half-moon slivers
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced

Directions

1. In a soup pot, boil cauliflower until soft, aprox. 20 minutes. In a saucepan, boil potatoes until soft, aprox. 20-30 minutes. Strain and allow to cool to room temperature, aprox. 1 hour.

2. In a blender, combine cauliflower with spices, veganaise and italian dressing. Blend briefly on a low setting so mixture remains chunky. If mixture is too runny, add a few of your red potatoes and blend to thicken. If too thick, add additional 1/8 cup veganaise.

3. Spoon mixture into a large serving bowl. Stir in your chopped veggies, and you room temperature red potatoes.

4. Chill for several hours.

5. Serve chilled, sprinkled with paprika and freshly cracked pepper.