Natural Hair Lighteners; highlights without bleaching?

We all know bleaching has its downsides.  As beautiful as blonde is.  As much fun the light color 

has with impacting our look, the effects our damaging.  Myself, for example, had never bleached my hair,  i always hated my natural reddish brown "auburn" waves.  The color reminded me of puke.  I hated having curly hair.  When I decided to bleach my hair, it didn't come out right.  I went through two process treatments in 72 hours.  My long healthy soft and wavy hair turned to a mess of fried frizz.  But it was blonde. I kept it this way for awhile.  Trying different products to see if anything could tame the frizz, perfect my curls again.  My hair had never been this thin or fallen out this much in my whole life.  Finally I decided nothing was working.  4 months later I went to a hair dresser to blend in my roots balayage style to start growing back my natural color but blend in my roots.  She said how much should I cut?"  "The dead,"  I responded.  When she told me 5 inches I internally died.  "Ok do it" came out of my mouth instead.  Now my hair is shorter then its ever been.  As much as I love being blonde, love the way it feels, love the way the color looks, loves the sexiness it portrays.. I love having long healthy hair more.  And I miss my naturally beautiful wave.  NO  MORE BLEACHING FOR ME!!  BUT.. I would like to know... has anybody tried natural highlighters?  Theres a million out there on the internet.  Lemon juice..baking soda.. peroxide.  I know the sun eventually lightens the hair, but these additives are suppose to help.  Feedback?

From a 90's Baby

My friends always used to tell me "you always look good."  Not that I always really did look good, but I always loved to put my outfits together.  When I was younger, it was sneakers.  I had a whole collection of sneakers, mainly jordans and nikes, with a few Converse, G-unit, Adidas, and Guess thrown in there.  A pair in every color,  to match every outfit.  This was also when bell bottoms, or as we called then "flares" and "bootcuts" were in style.  Hip hugger waistlines.  When you sat down your ass crack would probably show.  Skinny jeans and waistlines that went above the hip bone or anywhere close to the bellybutton is something only our mothers and grandmothers would think about wearing.  How the times have changed.  Recently I went threw my mothers attic.  When I moved I kept 80% of my belongings here, and only took with me what would fit in my trunk at the time.  I laughed at what I found.  Neon colored sneakers. Sneakers with fur inside.  Timberland style high heels.  Extremely chunky wedges. Shorts so short my ass was hanging out from the bottom, and pants so low the crack would hang out the top."Baby doll tops" aka the shirts that make you look pregnant and belly shirts, that even girls with a little extra felt comfortable flaunting .  I would never wear any of these now.  Last year, I took a pair of my mothers high wasted jeans, and cut and sewed them into a cute pair of shorts.  i think she went into shock that i would ever wear something of hers.  Chunky wedges are now replaced with classier and much more delicate strappy and pointy toed stilletos and pumps.  Although I will admit the wedges and chunky heels were much more comfortable.  There is not a single day that I can wear a pointy toed stilletto and not come home with blisters and feet that ache for 2 days.  I can't remember the last time I wore a jean that didn't tightly fit around my ankle.  Now when I pick out shorts, if I shop at the stylish "junior" stores, it always a question of "don't they make anything longer then this?"  "What.. does everyone want their ass to show?"  "Can you see my cellulite?"  I will always prefer sneakers, however the older I get the less I feel like they can go with everyday wear.  If I wear my favorite pair of Jordans with a pair of skinny jeans, I feel like I look like I'm 17 again.  As much as i hate sandals, they look better.  Unfortunately, the climate I currently live in rarely allows boots, besides about 1 month out of the year.  Otherwise this would be my go to shoe.  Fashion is confusing, but interesting.  Everything comes and goes in rotation.  I guarantee in another 10 years, if I save everything from my mothers attic, I'll be the hippest mother on the block.  But more on that later.