17 Tips For Straightening Your Hair!

I'm a natural girl, so the thought of putting a flat-iron to my bouncy curls makes me tense up! However,  it's something I do a few times a year; for change, an occasion or when I'm longing to run my fingers through my hair :). Hair care is important to me throughout, so I was happy to find the article "17 Useful Tricks For Anyone Who Uses a Hair Straightener" by Buzzfeed, by way of Pinterest, of course.

Staff writer Augusta Falletta offered some great tips. I'll list some of them below, but be sure to check out the full article if you'd like to see infographics & the list in full. Some people love images with every tip :).

So here goes!

1. Determine which size flat-iron is best for you. In other words, for pixie-cuts and bangs, use a 1/2" mini flat-iron, 1" flat-iron for short, fine hair, 1 1/4" is recommended for shoulder-length, medium-thick hair, 1 1/2" for thick, coarse, curly hair - passed your shoulders,  & finally 2" flat-iron for thick, very long hair.

2. Know the difference between the different kinds of straighteners.

3. VERY important: "Before you do anything, use a heat protectant spray." - says Falletta

4. "Set the heat no higher than 365 degrees. Hair burns at the same temperature as paper: 451°F. The highest temperature that you should use your flat iron on is 365°F. For those with fine hair, the temperature should be between 300 and 325 degrees."

Intrigued? See the remaining tips here. Happy & safe straightening! Have any suggestions? Leave a comment! Sharing is caring!

xoxo The Find Queen!

Fall is Upon Us! Slow Cooker Season!

“Cuddle Season is upon Us”, as my immature friends would say :). Who wants to spend time slaving over the stove when it’s cold outside, and cozy inside? Although this single gal has no one to cozy up to, I still love to cozy up on the sofa with a heavy blanket and watch netflix. Netflix and chill? Anyone? I kid. OK, I came across this post on Buzzfeed, “21 Fall Dinners You Can Make in A Slow Cooker” and my eyes almost popped out of my head! SCORE!

I’ll tell you now that I’m a Pinterest addict, so I’ll post & share most of my ‘finds’ from there. My recipe folder is so fetch! Is that word still never gonna happen? My ‘Mean Girls’ fans know where I’m coming from with ‘fetch.'

Back to the subject at hand, I tend to ramble. So, Melissa Harrison curated this awesome article, which features 21 delicious looking dinners; including the ‘Beer Braised Chicken With Tomatoes and Chiles’. YUM! I’ll admit when I read ‘beer’ I immediately pictured an ice cold corona; but the recipe (below) actually calls for pumpkin beer, but you can sub it!

prep time: 5 Minutes cook time: 8 Hours total time: 8 Hours 5 minutes serving size: 4

Ingredients

    •    4 boneless skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs [or breasts]
    •    2 andouille sausage links, quartered
    •    1 onion, finely chopped
    •    2 red peppers, chopped
    •    1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
    •    1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
    •    2 tablespoons hot sauce
    •    1 tablespoon chili powder
    •    1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    •    2 teaspoons dried thyme
    •    1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    •    1/4 teaspoon salt
    •    1/4 teaspoon pepper
    •    1 (12 ounce) pumpkin beer (or whatever you have on hand or love!)
    •    1/4 cup water mixed with 2 tablespoons cornstarch
    •    cooked white or brown rice, for serving
    •    beer bread, for serving

Instructions

Scatter the onions in the bottom of the crockpot. Add the red peppers, andouille sausage, tomatoes, green chilies, hot sauce, chili powder, paprika, thyme, cayenne, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and beer. Submerge the chicken.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4 hours.

30 minutes before the chicken is done cooking, add the corn starch mixture and stir to combine. Cook on high for 20 to 30 minutes more or until the sauce thickens. If the sauce gets too thick, too fast you may add water or chicken broth to thin. If the sauce is not thickening enough, leave the lid off for 30 minutes.

Serve with rice, beer bread and garnish with fresh parsley.
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There more awesome meals, even some for you vegetarians (salute) in the article! I think I’ll try the slow cooker sweet potato chili, crock pot buffalo chicken tater tot casserole, vegetarian red lentil dal, slow cooker apple cider chicken sandwiches, and DEFINITELY the Bourbon-Maple slow-cooked baked beans!

Check out the article on Buzzfeed for the full recipes! Eat up, Cuddle up! And ummmm, wrap it up! Haha ;)

Enjoy!

xoxo The Find Queen!

Image: http://www.halfbakedharvest.com

UPDATE: Check out this quick & easy clean tip for your life saver here! xoxo