Help! Oven mits ?

Do you use oven mits? What material are they made of? What do they look like? Would you recommend them to me?

Here’s the thing. I never used any and I’m being punished for it. My arms and hands and fingers are currently full of wounds, blisters and scars, because I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen a lot lately and keep on burning myself. Every time I think “It’s not that bad”, the day after it turns out to be quite worse than I thought. I was even told I should have gone to the emergency doc a few days ago, but hey, I was in the middle of cooking a few courses and I’ve got enough experience by now  to not let the wounds get infected.

Colorful stirfried fusion DLCS rice & leftovers

So. I’ve finally decided I need to buy myself some oven mits. Which kind should I get? (It’s probably wise if they reach until about or just under my elbows).

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Grey hairs.

When I discovered my first grey hair when I was beginning 20’s, I panicked and called my dad. He calmed me down by making me laugh with his unique sense of humour (Some of you might not get it, for that I apologise). I remember this moment clearly. I was in the bathroom at my job, looking in the mirror. I don’t remember what I was scared of. My dad then told me: “Don’t worry, when your pubic hairs start becoming grey, that’s when you are getting old.”.

Soon after this, he passed away. The only parent I had left. I trusted him, I told him everything. I was so close to him. After not being there for me when I was little, he made up to me when I was growing up, gave me a beautiful little sister and then he went. I’m grateful I’ve had those years with the better version of him while growing up, but I’ve been so angry and sad that she won’t grow up with him and his wisdom.

On other people I always find grey hairs charming. It took a while, but for this reason I learnt to accept the fact I was getting grey hairs too. Good, because I’m a dark haired person now closer to 40’s than 30’s (even though it doesn’t always feels this way) and from then on I got many more.

I’ve met a few men that dye their grey hairs and this to me shows their insecurity, makes them look weaker in my eyes. Is it a coincidence that these men always drive huge cars? Somehow I associate a man with grey hair as strong and wise, full of knowledge, not full of years. Those insecure guys that are afraid to show their grey hairs, do they not wish for more knowledge? Do they want to stay boys for ever?

This post started as an introduction on Conscious coloring with hair brownies from Instituut Haar en Gezondheid, but became a super personal post instead. On that note,

How do YOU feel about grey hairs? On yourself and on others?

Dyeing my grey hairs at Instituut Haar en Gezondheid (See my last post HERE). Curious about the result? Keep an eye on the blog! 

Conscious coloring with hair brownies from Instituut Haar en Gezondheid

Until meeting Dianne the Mebel of Instituut Haar en Gezondheid in 2011,  I’ve always dyed my hairs. Chemically. I did this to be different, to look different, because I wanted a change, not to cover up grey hairs (Started dyeing my hair when I was 10 or 11). As you’ve read HERE, Dianne introduced me to conscious coloring at her salon. This year I went back in search of Clean Shampoo  and Dianne introduced me to her henna hair brownies. She makes these by hand, so you can make your own unique colour compositions and naturally dye your hair at home. If you’re unsure of how to do this, you can also visit one of her workshops.

I was curious how red my very dark hairs could actually become with natural dye only, so I asked Dianne to prepare me the most colorful combination possible for my hair. She made me a unique combination of mahogany, auburn, apricot and golden blonde. Since I’ve got quite some grey hairs, the colour combination should give me highlights and I was really looking forward to how this would work out.

The henna brownies are really easy to use. Since they contain shea butter which melts at 32c, you simply hold it above a candle and grate it (It’s all natural, so yes, you can use your cheese grater). Then you mix it with warm water and this paste is your hair dye! It’s definitely easier and less messy than the powdered henna I once bought.

From the last time I knew that my darkest hairs would not become red from the henna paint, but the plants and spices in the henna brownies are so beneficial for the hair, that all my hair became healthier, shinier, curlier.  This time was no difference. My hair appears to be more full, even more thick and overall prettier. People around me did not see the colour difference unless I’d be in sunlight, but they did see I something changed in my haircut and they liked it, but couldn’t place their finger on it. I love it. My grey hairs are now golden red and the rest has a red shine.

While waiting for my colour to catch on, a new customer walked in, Valeriya. Dianne was very enthusiastic, because Valeriya was a hair-dye-virgin! She never chemically treated her hair, but wanted to cover her grey hairs and was recommended this salon by a colleague. Because her hair is quite a bit lighter than mine, I took some before and after photos with her permission, to show you what plant based hair colouring can do. Judge for yourself, what do you think?

Dianne made Valeriya a unique henna mix of nut brown, cinnamon, rust brown and golden.

 

Because of my bad photography skills you can’t really see how well the grey hairs are covered, but you can see that Valeriya’s hair now has a much warmer colour and is much healthier and curlier thanks to the henna and herbs. She was very pleased with Dianne’s work and pleasantly surprised by the effects on her hair.

So, whether you….
….would like to cover up your grey hairs,
….want to be more conscious about what you put in your hair,
….have decided to stop using chemicals,
….need to give your hair a boost,
….want to change your look,
….would like to have some highlights,
….are a blonde,
….have black hair,
….have chemically dyed your hair before,
….are a hair dye virgin…
The henna brownies from Instituut Haar en Gezondheid are for YOU!

Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll get Dianne to answer them for you.

You can find INSTITUUT HAAR EN GEZONDHEID’s WEBSHOP HERE and if you’re in Amsterdam, of course you can visit the salon: Amstel 186 (just behind Rembrandtplein and just across the Waterlooplein).

DLCS Management is now also on Instagram: www.instagram.com/dlcsmanagement
Keep an eye on the page, soon you can expect videos there of my last visit to Instituut Haar en Gezondheid.

 

Coffee

Coffee as it’s meant to be. One of the addictions I’m not ready to let go. Finally some rays of sun on my face again. I feel the vitamin D entering my body.

Turkish Coffee in sun by DLCS Management

I hope, dear reader, that you’ve had/are having happy holidays, surrounded by those you love.

For me this is a period of planning, reflecting and realisation. It hasn’t always felt this way, but I now know I’m blessed.

Best,

Dee.

Slovenia one of seven safest countries in the world

According to International SOS and Control Risks, Slovenia is one of the seven safest countries to travel to. 

Slovenia by DLCS Management

Slovenia is one of the safest places in the world, according to the 2019 Travel Risk Map issued by the International SOS and Control Risks. Only six other countries have seen their security risk classified as insignificant: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Luxembourg.

Security risks in the rest of Europe are deemed as low, and the same goes for the US, Canada and Australia, as well as China, Japan and several other countries across the globe. The risk map also provides assessments of medical risks and road safety. While Slovenia has received the best possible assessment as regards medical risk, it fares poorer in road safety.

  Quoted from the website of the government of Slovenia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes and probably not often enough, I realise how blessed I am for being born and raised in safe Europe. Happenings in the news I hear in the media occassionaly feels far away, but having many international acquaintances from all over the world, I hear stories about events that I could not imagine. Slovenia feels safe when being there. I’m looking forward to living there one day. 

Have you ever been to beautiful Slovenia? Is there a place you felt completely safe when you travelled there? 

My search for conscious & natural shampoo ended at “Instituut Haar en Gezondheid”

Consciousness

When I started this blog, the term “consciousness” wasn’t hip yet. Luckily, conscious living and consuming became a bit of a trend. For me this process of becoming more conscious of how much waste I produce, what kind of products I use and what I consume, this awareness that almost felt natural to me, happened when I felt I was finally growing up.

The search for natural shampoo

Due to my mixed roots, my thick, dark hair is naturally curly. I’ve mistreated my hair, dyed it in many colours chemically (until I met Dianne te Mebel of Instituut Haar & Gezondheid) and used random beauty products for my hair and body. A couple of years ago I started getting rashes after showering and searched and found natural alternatives for the industrially made shower gels I used until then. The years after this though, I struggled to find good alternatives for my hair shampoos. I tried many shampoos that were advertised to be organic and natural, from many different countries, bought in local “organic shops” (“Natuurwinkels”), as well as online. The problem I had with these shampoos was, that most of them would clean my hair, but they would flatten my curls, make my hair frizzy and take away its shine. From some of the shampoos I ordered online from companies that branded as being completely organic, biological and natural, I figured out they had some chemical ingredients anyway AFTER I got them delivered at home.

Do you know what you put in your hair?

I’ve considered making my own shampoo and did some research, but you know, it’s one of those things that’s still on my To Do List for one day when I will make the time for it. For years I’ve continued my search to the perfect, natural shampoo and I occasionally tried some of the regular shampoos again as well. These actually sometimes make my curls pretty for a while, but contained chemicals and/or stuff like: Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), Parabens, Sodium Chloride, Polyethylene Glycols (PEG), Diethanolamine (DEA), Triethanolamine (TEA), Dimethicone, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Triclosan, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Synthetic Fragrances, Formaldehyde and Alcohol. WHAT? You don’t know what these are, apart from one, or maybe two?? EXACTLY! That’s my point! Then why would you put them in your hair?

What if I would have remembered her sooner?

I’d never been in touch with Dianne te Mebel again since writing those blogs, when all of a sudden I remembered she KNOWS how to treat hair. She treats hair consciously and has been doing so before this became hip in Amsterdam. I decided to ask her advice about shampoos. I contacted her and she told me to pass by, so she could introduce me to her self-made natural shampoos and other natural hair products.

Instituut Haar en Gezondheid

Dianne’s salon is very centrally located next to the Amstel river that Amsterdam has been named after and it’s warm, welcoming and cozy. I don’t think she advertises much, because for sure people always come back after having visited her the first time. When I entered, I felt like all of the clients present were regulars that have been coming there for years. Dianne’s salon Instituut Haar en Gezondheid (Institute of Hair and Health) specialises in dying your hair naturally with henna (CLICK).

Instituut Haar en Gezondheid at Amstel 186, Amsterdam. Photo by DLCS Management

Natural hair products!

As soon as I entered, I was pleasantly surprised. I saw beautiful shampoo bars that looked like a piece of art, natural argan oils that Dianne brought from Morocco herself, natural apple cider vinegars that will give your hair a boost, henna brownies, hair masks that look super tasty but are for your hair, rosewater to condition your hairs and many more natural products without packaging that instantly made me happy; I knew I found what I’d been looking for.

 

Edible looking natural meringue hair masks at Instituut Haar en Gezondheid. Photo by DLCS Management

 

The shampoo bars smell like spices and weigh about 120 grams each. They’re being wrapped in some paper (with a cute ribbon) to safely take home (I’ve already reused these for a present), but other than that there is no packaging = no waste. They’re easy to take with you (Even in your hand luggage when flying!) and will last you about 50 washings. Oh and they’re vegan and only tested on humans!

 

A selection of the natural shampoo bars at Instituut Haar en Gezondheid. Photo by DLCS Management

 

Heavenly hair washing

To make my morning even better, Dianne announced that she’d be washing my hair for me, to demonstrate the shampoo bar. I love having my hair washed and she was explaining what the shampoo bar was made of and where she gets the ingredients, so this was heavenly.

Eden natural shampoo bar by Instituut Haar en Gezondheid

The Eden henna shampoo bars come in a few different “flavors” and Dianne chose me the “Henna Color shampoo Eden Red/Auburn”. Besides henna, my shampoo bar contains jojoba, rosemary, juniper and grapefruit, also cocoa butter and shea butter. Since my hair hasn’t been dyed for some time and is about black, we don’t expect that the henna will actually color my hair (apart from maybe the grey ones), but last time Dianne dyed my hair, it was revitalised and conditioned and super healthy again thanks to the henna (Read about this HERE) and this lasted for months.

 DLCS Management

Already after a minute I loved the smell. My hair felt clean. After washing my hairs twice, she also conditioned it with her “Sweet Rose Conditioner bar” enriched with sweet orange oil, shea butter and avocado oil and then sprayed in some of her apple cider vinegar (includes plants, blue malva and lemon), which made my hair shine and made the skin on my head feel fresh. Of course I had to test her rosewater and argan oil as well and this stuff smells and feels so amazing!

(I don’t like posting pictures of myself on this blog, but I just had to show you how happy Dianne’s hands & products made me)  

Conclusion?

After this visit I really stretched the time I waited until washing my hair again, just to observe the effect of Dianne’s products on my hair. After a week, my hair still felt and smelt clean. I just really couldn’t wait to try the shampoo bar myself, so I decided it was time. I figured out that you only need to make the bar a little moist to get enough shampoo on your hands and then hair. It foams a lot very easily! There is no way I’ll squirt shampoo in the shower instead of in my hands again and it’s just a tiny little bit that I need for every washing. I’m sure this bar will last for quite some time! It’s been a couple of weeks now and I’m still happy.

Institute Hair and Health, Amsterdam. Photo by DLCS Management

 

So. My conclusion? Until one day I’ll get to my To Do List and will make my own shampoo, I will never use anything else again.

 

My Eden natural shampoo bar by Dianne te Mebel . Photo DLCS Management

 

Exciting!

Oh wait, I almost forgot. I’ve got some exciting news as well.
1.:  Soon Dianne will dye my hair with her natural henna products at Instituut Haar en Gezondheid again and I’m very much looking forward to this.
2. : There’s a webshop! See:  www.hennabrownies.com . For now most of the website is only in Dutch, but Google Translate is your friend and of course you can leave me a message if you have a question. The Henna brownies come in 25 colors and there’s a step-by-step manual on the site (If you’re not confident enough to color at home with the manual AND you’re located in The Netherlands, FYI, every once in a while there are workshops in the salon where you can learn to color your own hair, how to best treat your hair and receive more tips while enjoying a healthy lunch).

 

Natural shampoo bars Eden at Instituut Haar & Gezondheid. Photo DLCS Management

Natural shampoo bars Eden at Instituut Haar & Gezondheid. Photo DLCS Management

Natural shampoo bars Eden at Instituut Haar & Gezondheid. Photo DLCS Management

 

www.instituuthaarengezondheid.nl
www.hennabrownies.com
Instituut Haar & Gezondheid
Amstel 186
1017 AG Amsterdam
(The Netherlands)

 

 

Which natural products do YOU use for your hair?

Are you as conscious about what you put in your hair as about what you put in your belly?

 

DLCS Management logo

 

Dominique is born, my sourdough starter

“Until the introduction of commercial yeast about 200 years ago, people had baked with sourdough for thousands of years. The slow fermentation of a true sourdough makes grains more digestible, boosts nutrition and produces delicious real bread. But you’ll need to make a starter before you can make the bread.”

 

An excerpt from the Zero Waste Chef, my inspiration for making my own sourdough starter baby. Thank you!

 

Dominique, DLCS sourdough starter inspired by the Zero Waste Chef – the making of

 

Have a look at the Zero waste chef’s detailed instructions on starting a starter HERE.

 

Dominique, DLCS sourdough starter inspired by the Zero Waste Chef

Dominique. Born 13-10-2018. 

 

Fingers crossed! It will take about 5-7 days to find out if she’s viable.

Am I ready to have this baby?

So.

I’m getting a day older, time has flown by and I have been mentally preparing for this big step in my life for months. I’ve been looking forward to this, but have also been putting it off, due to busy lifestyle, travels, work and being nervous for such a serious responsibility.

I’m attempting to live more conscious and healthy in any way and feel like such a different person when I read back old posts on this blog (okay, I did grow up a bit).

So.

Maybe it’s time.

I’m a big fan of The Zero Waste Chef . She’s a huge inspiration. I’d like to do a lot of things her way; from zero waste, to recycling, to shopping, to cooking, to fermenting and to having a sourdough baby. She already got me to carrying my breakfast and lunch in mason jars and she thought me it’s possible to freeze food in (glas) mason jars too (I only broke the first one, but with being more conscious and healthy comes patience, which I’m practicing since breaking that first jar)! I haven’t managed to get rid of all the old Tupperware yet, as I will not throw them, but I am slowly eliminating them in the household. Oh and did you know best way to peel ginger is with a spoon? 

I’ve been doing fine in taking care of my cat https://dlcsmanagement.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/my-1st-buzzbox/ for the last 9 years, but I feel like that’s different. The cat wakes me up for food EVERY morning. She cries when she feels sick. She tells me if her toilet is not clean enough, or if there are hairs stuck in her throat. A sourdough baby has to be taken care of a few times a day as well and keeps quiet. It has to be fed, stirred, taken care of and loved.

 

 

I think I might be ready to have this baby, but am very excited. Will I manage?

Happy National Coming Out Day!

National Coming Out Day (NCOD) Logo created and donated by Keith Haring to the Human Rights Campaign. DLCS

National Coming Out Day (NCOD) is an annual LGBTQIA+ awareness day observed on October 11 and 12 in some parts of the world. Founded in the United States in 1988, the initial idea was grounded in the feminist and gay liberation spirit of the personal being political, and the emphasis on the most basic form of activism being coming out to family, friends and colleagues, and living life as an openly lesbian or gay person. They believe the foundational belief is that homophobia thrives in an atmosphere of silence and ignorance, and that once people know that they have loved ones who are lesbian or gay, they are far less likely to maintain homophobic or oppressive views.

In more recent years, the idea of the “lesbian and gay community” has been largely subsumed into the idea of the LGBT community, and the idea of “coming out” expanded to not only include the voluntary self-disclosure of a lesbian, gay, or bisexual sexual orientation, but also transgender, genderqueer, or other non-mainstream gender identity.

Coming-Out Day has (also) been held in The Netherlands since 2009. Even in a country like The Netherlands, that is incredibly safe and very tolerant and open compared to many other countries, it is necessary to pay attention to creating more awareness for this topic. 

Unlike the Gay Pride and Roze Zaterdag in The Netherlands and The Belgian Pride in Belgium, there is no big central celebration on Coming-Out Day, but in several places smaller activities are organized by local gay and youth organizations, whether or not in cooperation with heterosexual sympathizers. Some information about activities in  The Netherlands today: http://www.coc.nl/comingoutdag2018

I wish you a Happy and safe (inter-) national coming out day, because I believe it is very important that YOU can be yourself. I hope agression and ignorance will one day be minimised.

#ComingOutdag2018
#ComingOutDay2018

And.. ThX Wikipedia.

10 REASONS WHY FOODTREX LONDON IS WORTH YOUR TIME

“Food tourism is the act of traveling for a taste of place in order to get a sense of place.”
– World Food Travel Association

DLCS Management Food Travel fig fire

At FoodTreX London, the Food Travel Innovation Summit, we  look at the customer journey, how food and drink can serve as the cornerstone of a destination’s brand, and of course how the rapid evolution of technology is changing literally everything we do. We look at all these topics and much, much more at FoodTreX London, the Food Travel Innovation Summit.

If you’re a professional that needs new information and ideas to get or stay ahead in food tourism, or you simply are interested in food tourism,  we recommend you to visit FoodTreX London, the Food Travel Innovation Summit on November 4, 2018.

Have you seen THIS previous post about the 2018 FoodTreX London, the Food Travel Innovation Summit?

If you’re still not convinced why this summit is for you, please read the 10 reasons below:

1. NEW INFORMATION.
   The content is about innovation in food tourism, and NOT a repeat of what you’ve seen or heard elsewhere.
2. NEW IDEAS.
   New information helps you to think of new ideas to help you get or stay ahead. You need new ideas to grow your business.
3. QUALITY NETWORKING.
   Meet leading food travel industry influencers. Introduce yourself, present your business, create new partnerships.
4. INTIMATE SETTING.
   Our goal is quality not quantity. Ticket sales are limited. And in an intimate group, it’s easier to meet the people you want.
5. CONVENIENCE.
   Piggybacked with World Travel Market. No need to spend extra money or time on another trip.
6. FOOD TRAVEL MATTERS.
   93% of visitors engage in some kind of unique or memorable food/drink experience other than eating out. Don’t be left out.
7. FOOD TRAVEL IS CHANGING.
   You can’t just put a list of restaurants on your website or organize a food event. You need to know who to reach out to, and how to do it in order to be as effective as possible and capture more customers or visitors.
8. AFFORDABLE.
   Other single day London conferences are in the £695-795 range. We don’t think quality education and networking should have to cost that much. FoodTrex registration is only £395 (plus VAT).
9. WON’T BE RECORDED.
   If you want access to this great information, you’ll have to attend in person. We won’t be recording the sessions.
10. LOCATION.
    Centrally located in London at the Grange St. Paul hotel, accessible easily and quickly by a variety of transport options.

MORE INFO HERE

So, will I see you there?
DLCS DEE