tips Archives - Chrysalosity

Tips for Training Your New Puppy | Day 27 of #30DaysOfBlogging

October 5, 2019 · LIFESTYLE

Training a new puppy can make even the die-hard dog lovers lose their patience.

I love puppies just as much as the next person, and it was definitely my idea to get a dog. I was convinced that I had enough patience to deal with our new pup's insatiable curiosity. Then she showed me how loud she could cry at 3:00 am.

Puppy training isn't easy! I quickly learned that videos on YouTube with titles like "Potty Train Your Dog in a Week" or "How to Make Your Puppy Love Her Crate" are far from realistic. The real key to training a puppy is patience and consistency. Your dog probably won't understand the house rules right away, but with enough guidance and lots of love, she'll soon become your favorite little roommate.

We got our cockapoo, Sadie Belle, in August. I'm definitely not an expert at dog training, but since all of these training tips and puppy products are still fresh in my memory, I figured now is the best time to share what worked for us!

My sweet & sassy puppy!

The crate is your friend!

This is my number one tip for a reason. Your puppy's crate is the most important training tool you will use! My husband and I agreed to never let our dog sleep in our room (because boundaries!) so the only option was for her to sleep in her crate. I feel like it goes without saying, but you should not let your puppy roam the house unattended at night, unless you want to wake up to a half-eaten couch and *suprises* on the floor.

The first few nights of crate training are so hard, but you just have to stick it out. We kept Sadie's crate down in the basement with the lights dimmed and the radio on in the background. Meanwhile, we slept upstairs with a noise machine on blast and the door closed, and we still ended up waking up to her cries in the middle of the night!

I know it's hard, but the best thing to do is let your puppy cry until she settles down on her own. At the beginning, I'd hold her until she fell asleep, put her to bed in her crate, and sneak away quietly. I found that this made the separation a little easier for her. Over time, she was able to make it through the night without ever waking us up, which was when we finally moved her crate up to the living room. Since those very early days, we've never heard a peep out of her!

The crate is also a very helpful tool for potty training your puppy - more on that below. For now, repeat after me: the crate is my friend. It will take every ounce of patience you have to withstand those sad (and LOUD) puppy cries, but eventually she'll get used to it!

When it comes to potty training, be proactive.

Instead of reacting by punishing your puppy when she has an accident, be proactive by giving her a consistent potty schedule. For the first few weeks of owning our puppy, I made sure to take Sadie out to the same area every 2 or 3 hours. I mentally kept track of her #1's and #2's so that I knew what to look for throughout the day. If you take your puppy out consistently and watch for behaviors like sniffing around and wandering away, you might be able to catch her before she relieves herself on your floor!

At first, I even got up in the middle of the night to take her out to prevent accidents in the crate. Your puppy will try not to do her business where she sleeps, but again, puppies need to go about every 3 hours or so. For the first 2 or 3 weeks with Sadie, I'd drag myself out of bed at 3:00 am, then 3:30, then 4:00, then 4:30... until I no longer needed to take her out in the middle of the night. I know, I know... nobody wants to get up at 4:00 am for a dog. But being proactive will save you a messy clean-up process in the long run!

Another tip for potty training is to limit your puppy's living space and to use the crate. Again, I know it feels harsh, but I saw a huge difference in the number of accidents my puppy had when I crated her periodically during the day. Just be consistent in taking her outside right away when she gets out of the crate and make sure you give her lots of play time and attention while she's out. You can gradually decrease the amount of time she spends in her crate until she seems to get it, but until then, remember that the crate is your friend!

There are tons of products out there for dog training, and I'm sure they all have their proper use. But you don't need anything fancy to train your dog. Some people rely on treats for training, but I found that praise was a much easier and more effective tool. I didn't always have time to grab the treat bag before letting her out, but I made sure to use an encouraging tone and give her lots of pets and praise when she followed the house rules. The most helpful products I found were these door bells for Sadie to ring when she needs to go outside, and a good pet stain & odor remover for those inevitable accidents.

Tidbits of Wisdom

I sometimes had a hard time with training and disciplining our puppy because she's so darn cute! But the fact is, puppies don't know they're cute! If you let unwanted behaviors slide, especially in the first few weeks, she will assume that those behaviors are acceptable in your house. Don't be afraid to utilize the crate as a training tool just because you can't stand looking at those big, sad eyes. Eventually, she'll be able to coexist with you, but for now, she needs a limited amount of freedom in order to learn.

One last thing. Your puppy has a lot of energy, and it needs to be used in a constructive way - unless you like chewed-up shoes! Before your puppy comes home with you, make sure you have toys for her to chew with a variety of textures and sounds. Introduce her to the things she's allowed to chew and try to keep anything else out of her reach! I also try to take my puppy on a short walk every day to release some of her pent-up energy. It's good to train your puppy to be leashed early-on, and it's good exercise for both of you!

Puppy training is a lot of work, but if you stay firm, patient, and consistent, you'll break through to a lovable, sweet, furry friend.

Healthy Hair Habits: 5 Tips for Growing Strong Locks

June 19, 2019 · LIFESTYLE

Blow dryers, curling irons, & straighteners, oh my!

All these hot tools that make our hair look good for a while can cause serious stress and damage. Trust me, I know - I've put my poor, fine locks through more trauma than they could handle! I've tried all kinds of products to mend split ends and prevent heat damage, but do you want to know the secret to really preventing all that breakage? Be nice to it!

High school me would have been so annoyed with that tip. I used to wash my bleach-blonde hair every day, blow dry it on high heat, and then either straighten or curl it afterward. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. And then I'd scour the aisles of Wal-Mart looking for a split-end mender, as if that would undo all the damage. Dang, high school me was REALLY unreasonable.

A few years ago, I finally realized that treating my hair like denim when it's really more like silk was probably the reason I was having trouble with limp, dull, damaged hair. Since then, I've been able to maintain steady hair growth and control the inevitable split ends that happen over time with fine hair. And today, I'm sharing my tips on how I've been able to grow and maintain longer, healthier locks.

TIP #1: START WITH A CLEAN SLATE.

Let's get this out of the way first: get rid of your dead, split ends. I know, this is no one's favorite part. I'm seriously so protective over my hair that I've awaken at night in a cold sweat thinking about cutting off all my hair. (Okay, maybe I'm dramatic.)

Those split ends will keep splitting up the hair shaft if you allow them to continue, so cut them off. Then move on to step two.

TIP #2: COOL IT WITH HOT TOOLS.

The second and probably most important step I could in taking back my hair health was scaling WAY back on blow drying, straightening, or curling my hair. I'm not gonna lie - it was a huge adjustment to make! I wasn't lying when I said I'd wash, blow dry, and straighten or curl it every morning. I had to let go of the idea that my hair would look perfect every day and embrace its natural texture. (Some days it turned out looking natural & carefree; other days, it looked like a complete dumpster fire. That's what hats and scrunchies are for!) But that's just it - in cutting back on my use of hot tools to manipulate my hair to look a certain way, I actually did begin to embrace the texture I have and love the way it looks naturally.

There will, of course, be some instances when you'll feel the need to use hot tools, and it's fine once in a while. Just don't be surprised like high school Rachel when you've got crazy split ends after annihilating it with a blow dryer and straightener every day.

TIP #3: SPACE OUT YOUR WASHES.

Aside from cutting my hair, this was probably the hardest step for me. My hair is naturally blonde and fine, and it shows grease so quickly. In the beginning, even if I skipped one day of washing, my roots would turn dark and I felt like everyone was looking at my greasy hair. If you start spacing out your washes, you might experience this same thing, at least at first! This is due to an overproduction of sebum, the natural oil your skin produces.

If you wash your hair daily, you're stripping these natural conditioning oils from your scalp, which signals the scalp to produce more sebum. But the good news is that by leaving a day in between washes, you can actually re-train your hair to produce sebum at a normal rate. So even though you may feel like a complete grease-ball at first, eventually your hair will adapt and produce a healthy amount of naturally conditioning oils that strengthen each strand. Say it with me: HATS ARE MY FRIEND.

TIP #4: AVOID BREAKAGE BLUNDERS.

You are damaging your hair while you sleep. Yikes! If you sleep with your hair down on a cotton pillowcase, that friction alone may be causing breakage, especially if you have fine, delicate hair like me. I've ditched my standard pillowcase for a satin one and have seen a huge difference. Since it's a smoother material than cotton or linen, your hair and skin experience less friction when sleeping on a satin or silk pillowcase. It's a cheap swap to make for huge results!

Another breakage blunder might include parting your hair the same way for a long time. I've noticed that near my side-part, the hairs along my hairline just won't grow past a certain point. It took me way too long to realize that my side-part needs a break after over a decade of styling it this way! Try moving your part to give that area some time to grow.

Last, be cautious not to consistently tie up your hair in the same place with elastic hair ties. Because elastic is tight and grippy, it can cause pretty significant breakage, especially if you're using these hair ties in the same ponytail placement consistently. These days, there are tons of alternatives to elastic that are much gentler on your hair (I use these) so again, this is an easy swap to make.

And last, but not least...

TIP #5: CHOOSE PRODUCTS WISELY.

Let me give it to you straight: the hair products that are worth having are usually more expensive than you'd like them to be. But investing in good products could afford you fewer trips to the salon for damage-control if you're properly maintaining the hair you have. Plus, if you're spacing out your washes embracing your natural hair, you're probably using very little product at a time, making that one-time purchase last for months.

Investing in products with high-quality ingredients is not only going to help you maintain and grow your hair, it's an all-around safer option. Some products contain harmful chemicals that stunt your hair's growth and cause dry, irritated skin and prevent your hair from maintaining its natural conditioning process. Plus, higher-end products are more concentrated than cheap dollar store products, so you only need to use a small amount at a time.

The bottom line: you can cut costs in so many other ways, but it's important to invest in high quality products that actually nourish your hair. Pro tip: look for annual sales at stores like Beauty Brands to stock up on your favorite salon products for a huge discount! I buy only one liter each of shampoo and conditioner to last me an ENTIRE YEAR at their annual liter sale (happening soon!).

What are your favorite healthy hair tips? I'd love to know! Leave a comment below with your favorite habits for healthy hair!

xoxo,

Rachel

How to Recharge During the Winter Months

February 13, 2019 · LIFESTYLE

This winter in Kansas City has been absolutely CRAZY. The school where I teach has officially used all our snow days, and at this rate, we'll be going to school in June. *sigh*

The days have been colder and darker than usual, and getting back into the swing of things both at school with my students and keeping a consistent routine at home after the holiday break hasn't been easy. Let's face it: winter is just plain difficult! It's hard to feel engaged in anything when all you want to do is stay at home and sleep under a blanket.

Unfortunately, life doesn't give us any breaks, so we're left to tough it out through the winter until spring shows its beautiful face again. Still, it's normal to feel the winter blues, and it can be hard to stick it out throughout the cold months. If you're feeling isolated, worn-out, or unmotivated, here are some ways to recharge and renew your inspiration during the winter months.

Pursue Opportunities for Inspiration

Does the cold weather have you feeling lethargic about nearly everything? Seek out opportunities that will make you feel inspired and excited about your passions. If you feel like you're losing motivation professionally, it may be a good time to seek out a class, networking opportunity, or workshop that has you practicing your craft and learning new insights from other professionals in your field. For all my educators out there, this might be the perfect time for you to take that professional day and head to a workshop for some fresh ideas and perspectives on how to teach your subject. It may also be the perfect time for team-building activities that inspire employees to collaborate and bounce ideas off of each other. One of those most effective and simple ways to pursue inspiration is to spend time reading in personal devotions and books on personal development.

Mix Up Your Exercise Routine

For those of you with a regular exercise routine, this might be a great time of year to mix it up and try something new, as the new year has just recently begun. If you feel like your current routine has you stuck in monotony, try a group fitness class or another form of exercise that might renew your interest. If you haven't yet established a routine, exercise might be a great way to warm up and feel energized again. Plus, the post-workout endorphins that kick in will make you feel proud and confident of the progress you're making - a sure way to kick the winter blues!

Fill Your Cup

No, not with more coffee! (Well, maybe...) Make a list of things that make you feel joy, and schedule time to actually do those things. Yes, life is crazy busy, but your mental clarity and emotional stability is just as important as your schedule. For me, the things that fill my cup are creative activities like music-making and writing, and I try to take a few moments each day for these cathartic outlets. Maybe you're just exhausted, and some alone/relaxation time is what you need to re-group. Often I feel overwhelmed by the pressures of building a platform on social media, and other times I get so flooded at work that when I get home, all I want to do to decompress is binge-watch Netflix until bedtime. And while these things are okay in moderation, they can also eclipse your passions and stunt your personal growth. Pinpoint the things that make you feel most authentically you and nurture them.

Aromatherapy

One way I've tried to lift my spirits this winter is incorporating natural scents that are proven to improve mood. My favorite essential oils for aromatherapy are lemon, eucalyptus, and peppermint. These scents are shown to evoke joy, relieve stress, awaken the senses, and boost energy. Some body lotions contain these natural scents, but you can also diffuse them in an essential oil diffuser to spread the scent throughout the room. You'll be amazed at how effectively this holistic method of healing can boost your mood and productivity.

Confide in Someone

Social gatherings almost seem like a burden at this time of year, because no one really wants to leave the house. I am the ultimate homebody and an introvert, so this is an area where I really struggle. That said, if you're feeling down, unmotivated, or isolated, social interactions with people that you can confide in can be the best medicine for your winter blues. You might be surprised that you're not alone in these feelings, and that others may be experiencing the same struggles you are. There is strength in relating to others, and together, you can lift each other up and motivate each other to persevere through the challenges.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Know the Difference

It's important to note that while most of us have experienced some form of tiredness and worsening mood during the winter, Seasonal Affective Disorder is more serious and can be debilitating for those who suffer from SAD. If your "winter blues" are preventing you from moving forward with normal, daily tasks, you should see a health care professional for additional insight.