Celebrities, schwag and living the life

I see it's been a while since I posted. Perhaps this is why:

I now write. A lot. I write for Examiner.com and Bleep Magazine. I have also written for 25a Magazine and The Place to B blog. I interview celebrities, try out new gadgets, sample the latest fare and see where the best spot for a pedicure might be. I find Undiscovered talent and attend media events too!

I've collected it all on my website: mollynews.com

In addition to all of that, I'm now life coaching: loveyourawesome.com

I'm doing photography: Photography

and somewhere in there I sleep and go to church :)

In fact, I attribute all of my abilities, successes and energy to the fact that I begin each day with time alone with God. Reading the Bible on my way to work and praying through my day before it starts helps everything fall into place. Events I didn't want to attend get cancelled, people I wanted to meet email me, and things I need but can't really afford somehow end up given to me. It's pretty amazing.

Anywho, just thought I'd catch y'all up!

Shooting in Connecticut

Shock and grief sit heavy on me today as I learned of the Connecticut shooting just moments before I boarded a plane. We sat for 6 hours watching the news unfold, hardly able to focus on anything else during the flight. Men and women were wiping away tears as the truth sank in that kindergartners were murdered.

As I reflect on this fact, and think of the sweet children recently stabbed to death by their once loving nanny, I am left with a feeling of unease. I look around and wonder what is happening in our world. Are these people truly this evil, or is evil coming and taking over people to act out these awful killings? Is nothing sacred anymore? When babies can't go to school without being killed, what does this mean for the future of mankind?

The news has covered the unrest in Israel, the political debacle in the Middle East and the rising issues with North Korea. While these are all terrifying and potentially WWIII starting events, what are we saving when our safety at home is so volatile? Why are we destroying ourselves from within?

Locking and Unlocking Cells in Excel When Protecting a Spreadsheet

In my day-to-day life I'm known as the "Excel Queen."  I love it, and am often heard saying it could save the world.  While I am extremely creative, I am also equally type-A and a total geek.  To this end, today I needed to unlock some cells in excel before protecting a spreadsheet.  I Googled, I asked around, and it seems no one anywhere could explain HOW to do this.  Weird, right?

Here goes:

You're in excel.  You highlight the cells you want people to BE ABLE TO edit (if the cells don't touch, hold the CTRL button as you select various cells)

Once they're highlighted, go to the HOME tab (you should already be on it), then look all the way to the right at the FORMAT option.  Seen below:

Click the drop-down arrow and DESELECT Lock Cell

Then go back to FORMAT drop-down and select Protect Sheet

Enter a password if you'd like (when prompted) and click OK

VOILA!  The cells you selected will be editable and the others will be blocked.  This can protect formulas, data, or anything necessary from little hands, coworkers, or anyone that simply doesn't know enough about Excel to leave important portions alone.

Enjoy :)

Officially converted to being anti-shampoo and conditioner

Ages ago, I blogged about trying out a routine of washing my hair using only baking soda, apple cider vinegar, jojoba oil and water.  I knew right away that I liked it, my hair was softer and more manageable, it smelled good for longer and my scalp stopped itching after 2 days without a wash.  The real test of anything is in reverting back to old habits to see if they're preferable.  Last month I was traveling and therefore didn't use my normal routine.  I had to use regular (though organic and natural) shampoo and conditioner.

The results?

My hair went back to being frizzy and annoying.  I wanted to wash it more often, it smelled funny and I was itchy.

Last night, I was back in my own home and able to use my baking soda/apple cider vinegar recipes.

YAY!  My hair is pretty again :)  If you aren't yet on the natural movement...hop on board, it smells good here.

Baking Soda as Shampoo update

Several months ago I stopped using shampoo and conditioner.  That's right, no more.  No more purchasing it, no more using it, no more needing it.  How???

I decided to use my own combination of baking soda, jojoba oil and water as shampoo; then apple cider vinegar, jojoba oil and water as conditioner.  I mix them up beforehand in bulk so that the littler bottles are easier to fill.  See my previous posts for details.

I LOVE it.  I wash my hair about once a week.  Basically whenever it starts to feel dirty.  It takes a long time for that to happen and I cannot express how amazing it feels.  My scalp is happy and my hair is managed without any chemicals or products.  See for yourself:

In addition, a glorious coworker turned me onto using this comb:

for whenever I straighten my hair.  As you can see above, my hair is super duper straight!  The comb was like 3 bucks.  Awesome investment :)

Enjoy!

Poconos!

I finally got to share in the weekend getaway with my friends in NYC to the Poconos (a mountain region in North Eastern PA).  Gorgeous!!

Baking Soda as Shampoo and LUSH Cosmetics

In my quest to use organic, natural products I have now come across a company with a similar vision.  LUSH Cosmetics, a Canadian company, hand makes their products from various essential oils and organic products from all over the world.  My favorite thus far being the Olive Branch shower gel and the Honey Trap lip balm.  All of their products make my skin happy and I look forward to trying out every product eventually.

This has not changed my shampoo or conditioning regiment as yet.  They do have fabulous hand made products for both purposes, but at the moment I am loving the almost zero cost way of things.  My head has adjusted to the new regiment and feels different.  No longer do I get that panic-like itchy feeling if I haven't washed my hair in the last couple of days, nor does my hair need a whole lot of handling.  The waves are better managed than before, and straightening is great. 

See for yourself the natural, healthy shine I've got!