Updated LINK: Missing my Hippie Happy...can you help me get it back?

My real hippie happy was and is had always been writing. I started this blog was to help get my brain back after my epilepsy meds wiped my mind. I want to write books and I haven't done that in a year, maybe two. I told my grandma before she died about one of my WIP (work in progress) that was about very personal. It was about generations of women understanding and misunderstanding the women who came before them. She was so excited to hear about my "art", she herself was a painter and a true artist. When she died I promised myself I would see that particular trilogy of novellas would be published even if it was just for her. And there they sit in a an abandoned folder on my computer.

So I am trying to do a few things to motivate myself. I started a PATREON page to help get funding for my WIPs to be published. Even self publishing has some costs involved-- cover art, editing, and some other shizz I never remember until I go to publish I then I realize how broke I am and even twenty bucks is enough to detour me from publishing my books. I have to stop having excuses.

Here is the link to my Patreon Page:

http://patreon.com/danyel

Medical Alert ID Bracelets and Contest

For years, I didn't consider myself an epileptic like other who had epilepsy. I had only had maybe ten grande mal seizures in my childhood and once I was put on medications as a teen I never had another grand mal (full body convulsions). But then my seizures switched to a absence type where my eyes would "roll" up or back in my head and I would maybe lose a second or two of time. With this change of type I didn't really see myself as the same someone who had full body seizures every day.

Then in the last few years I have had to deal with my epilepsy in a more realistic and head on ways. I started seeing a neurologist and not just letting my PCP deal whether or not to take meds. And I am on my second neurologist trying to find someone who can help with not only meds but helping me understand my condition a little better.

Mediband offers a line of bracelets that are not the heavy metal bracelets of yester year but made of the same material lightweight material you may see support and cause bracelets.


I like that The MEDIBAND isn't too obvious but if I was in a medical emergency an EMT would see that I was an epileptic. I love the color, mine is purple and I love the resources that came with the bracelet. This made me #hippiehappy. I was telling a fellow epileptic, S.P. about these when I was wearing it and he was the winner of my contest for being the first to ask me about my bracelet and win one for yourself.

I received this product in return for my honest #hippiehappy or #nothippiehappy review.

I thought Danyel wanted to write Novels? Why do I see these weird blog thingys?

I wanted to clarify to anyone who may actually take to read this blog to understand why I took a break from writing and editing on my novels. In October 2013, I was off work and unable to drive for 3 months due to my epilepsy. I was put through battery of tests and on a couple meds, off a med then up-ed and up-ed the dosages until I was drugged up enough for them to feel that I was safe to not have seizures. Then I had to take the meds long enough to not be a walking zombie in order to get the okay to get my driving privileges back.


Needless to say my brain stopped working properly, during my time off I struggled to help with my then 3rd grade son's homework as the meds were in me it got a little better. It took me over six months before I could read a book and even longer before I was writing again. I started reviewing products for two reasons-- one I LOVE FREE STUFF, especially nice free stuff like 75 dollar face cream; and finally it kept me writing even if it was a few hundred words here and there. Its wasn't novels but it was words and something was better than nothing.

A moon or two ago I realized my seizures did not seem to be under control the way I wanted them to be. Each month the I seem to be adding another bad day, I was not eating gluten, I could not figure it out. Long story short, New neurologist, titrated off Lyrica and every day in the weening process has been another day closer to a clear head. Today is day 3 with no Lyrica. Maybe I will return to my real love-- my books. I can say my muse has been whispering in my ear in the shower and when I am driving. That is where I started writing this blog.

Well today's review is for Smooth Viking Beard Conditioner. Hubby started growing a beard last summer and the only part of his transformation that I did not love was that facial hair is not very soft. Smooth Viking beard conditioner does make the facial hair softer so it does what its name suggests. Their ingredients are 100% Natural: Shea Butter, Mango Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Argan Oil, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Jojoba, Beeswax, Pure Essential Oil. The product was high quality balm and came in teeny manly burlap sack. There is only one thing I didn't care for. The scent was not appealing enough for my hubby enjoy the softness of the conditioning that close to his nose though, just personal preference of scent not product.

Defining my blog: Not perfect organic living but healthier every day.

I read an article that suggested that a good blog have a purpose a narrows down its direction. And truly I know what types of products I want to try out for my audience of currently ten people (and I love every one of you!!!) in order to grow my audience and become a better writer. Well I want to write about and test products that really have to do with what my family and I would want to infuse into our lives not just ways to get free shit. I have a shit ton of hair on my head, it is past the middle of my back, its thick and I have a lot. When winter and Fall come I love to have my hair done, one to keep me warmer like a natural scarf and two to give a little props to God for giving me nice hair. Most people hate their hair for one reason or another and I love my hair so I feel like hiding it in a bun or a ponytail all the time is a slight against God who gave me this as one of my gifts. Getting back to my wandering point, I want my hair to look its best with as little chemicals as possible. So I tried what someone on the internet offered-- no shampoo and that left me too greasy.

Then I tried a sample of Organix

and it cleaned real well and left my hair light and I plan to buy both the shampoo and conditioner of this product. Here is the pictures of this result:

The next product I am trying is L'Oreal Ever Curl, sulfate free shampoo,

Pictures to come soon. So we are all a work in progress. Trying to live better. That's the McDaniel way, better every day.

How one suggestion can change your life...

One Monday weeks before Christmas, my husband and I were thrift shopping (with $20 in my pocket) and we ran into my aunt. My Aunt is a licensed massage therapist and lives a very holistic lifestyle. She has been very aware of my struggles to find medications to control my seizures and asked about how I was doing. She had done some research and found a Gluten free diet was working wonders for people with Epilepsy some eventually went off medication all together.

I did a little Bing search myself and found quite a bit of research saying the same things. After years of yo-yo dieting for my weight, I thought why not try something that could help me control my seizures and if it doesn't work. What would I be out?

So two weeks before Christmas, I went Gluten free and did not notice any major changes but my meds were pretty stable. The only times my meds seem to fail me are during stress times of the month (sleep deprived, food deprived, menstruation) and but when Christmas Day came I thought I would do a little scientific experimentation of my own. I ate a few crackers, cookies and just random things you can only eat on Christmas and the next two days I had break through seizure activity. I immediately went back on gluten free and have been on it ever since and unless I accidentally eat gluten-- you would be shocked where it hides. I have been seizure free since Christmas.

Obviously this is not scientific proof that going Gluten free will cure your epilepsy. Don't stop your meds and go Gluten free. I am not a doctor, but if you wanna try something in conjunction with your meds whats the worst that can happen?

All I know is my brain is back and I can read and write again. From October till Christmas, I was unable to read, edit or write and it was torture.