diff --git a/client/src/App.tsx b/client/src/App.tsx
index 4be7ff4..2aa7037 100644
--- a/client/src/App.tsx
+++ b/client/src/App.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { BrowserRouter, Routes, Route } from 'react-router-dom';
-import { useContext } from 'react';
-import { AppContext } from './store/store';
+import { useReducer } from 'react';
+import { AppContext, initialState, reducer } from './store/store';
 
 import NavBar from './components/Navbar';
 import LandingPage from './components/LandingPage';
@@ -11,11 +11,11 @@ import Register from './components/User/Register';
 import './App.scss'
 
 function App() {
-  const context = useContext(AppContext);
+  const [state, dispatch] = useReducer(reducer, initialState);
 
   return (
     <BrowserRouter>
-      <AppContext.Provider value={context}>
+      <AppContext.Provider value={[state, dispatch]}>
           <NavBar/>
 
           <Routes>
diff --git a/client/src/components/Navbar.tsx b/client/src/components/Navbar.tsx
index 9bf0627..c58f564 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Navbar.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Navbar.tsx
@@ -1,29 +1,41 @@
-import { useReducer, useState } from "react";
-import { initialState, reducer } from "../store/store";
+import { useReducer, useState, useEffect, useContext } from "react";
+import { AppContext, initialState, reducer } from "../store/store";
 import { ActionType } from "../store/store_types";
 import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
 
 function NavBar() {
     const [loggedIn, setLoggedIn] = useState(false);
     const [userID, setUserID] = useState(null);
-    const [searchTerm, setSearchTerm] = useState('');
-    const [state, dispatch] = useReducer(reducer, initialState);
+    const [searchInput, setSearchInput] = useState('');
+
+    const [state, dispatch] = useContext(AppContext);
+    // const { searchTerm, user, cart } = useContext(AppContext);
 
     const navigate = useNavigate();
 
     const handleSearch = () => {
-        if (searchTerm === '') return;
+        if (searchInput === '') return;
 
-        dispatch({ type: ActionType.SEARCH, payload: searchTerm });
-        navigate(`/products?query=${searchTerm}`);
+        dispatch({ type: ActionType.SEARCH, payload: searchInput });
+        navigate(`/products?query=${searchInput}`);
     }
 
+    // const forceRender = () => {
+    //     console.log(searchTerm);
+    //     console.log(user);
+    // }
+
+    // useEffect(() => {
+    //     console.log('state updated!');
+    // }, [user])
+
     return (
         <nav>
             <a href="/">Logo</a>
             <div className="searchbar">
-                <input type="text" placeholder="Search products" onChange={(e) => setSearchTerm(e.target.value)}/>
+                <input type="text" placeholder="Search products" onChange={(e) => setSearchInput(e.target.value)}/>
                 <button onClick={handleSearch}>Search</button>
+                <button onClick={() => console.log(state)}>Render</button>
             </div>
             {loggedIn ? <a href={`/users/${userID}`}>Profile info</a> : <a href="/login">Log In</a>}
         </nav>
diff --git a/client/src/components/User/LoginForm.tsx b/client/src/components/User/LoginForm.tsx
index ac0f95f..d0abb77 100644
--- a/client/src/components/User/LoginForm.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/User/LoginForm.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-import { useState, useReducer } from "react";
-import { reducer, initialState } from "../../store/store";
-import { ActionType, undefinedUser } from "../../store/store_types";
-import { userInfo, LoginHeaders } from "../../types/main";
-import { handleLogin, getOneUser } from "../../util/apiUtils";
+import { useState, useEffect, useContext } from "react";
+import { AppContext } from "../../store/store";
+import { ActionType } from "../../store/store_types";
+import { userInfo } from "../../types/main";
+import { handleLogin } from "../../util/apiUtils";
 import Page from "../../util/Page";
 
 enum PassVisible {
@@ -11,11 +11,12 @@ enum PassVisible {
 }
 
 function LoginForm() {
-    const [state, dispatch] = useReducer(reducer, initialState);
+    const [state, dispatch] = useContext(AppContext);
 
     const [username, setUsername] = useState('');
     const [password, setPassword] = useState('');
     const [showPass, setShowPass] = useState(PassVisible.hide);
+    const [toDispatch, setToDispatch] = useState<userInfo>();
 
     const displaySession = async () => {
         if (username === '' || password === '') return;
@@ -33,10 +34,15 @@ function LoginForm() {
                 headers: json
             }
 
-            dispatch({ type: ActionType.UPDATEONE, payload: thisUser });
+            setToDispatch(thisUser);
         }
     }
 
+    useEffect(() => {
+        console.log('thing?');
+        dispatch({ type: ActionType.USERLOGIN, payload: toDispatch });
+    }, [toDispatch]);
+
     return (
         <Page classes="login light-page">
             <h1>Welcome back to my store!</h1>
diff --git a/client/src/components/User/Register.tsx b/client/src/components/User/Register.tsx
index f479b5a..32a32fc 100644
--- a/client/src/components/User/Register.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/User/Register.tsx
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@ function Register() {
         let newInfo: userInfo = {
             name: name,
             email: email,
-            password: password
+            password: password,
+            headers: {}
         }
 
         setUserData(newInfo);
@@ -80,7 +81,8 @@ function Register() {
 
     // allows registration submission if warning text has correct value and userData is defined with all required values
     const handleRegistration = async () => {
-        warningText === "Conditions met!" && userData && await registerNewUser(userData);
+        if (!userData) return;
+        warningText === "Conditions met!" && await registerNewUser(userData);
 
         setName('');
         setEmail('');
diff --git a/client/src/store/store.ts b/client/src/store/store.ts
index f43964a..110d74f 100644
--- a/client/src/store/store.ts
+++ b/client/src/store/store.ts
@@ -19,11 +19,15 @@ export const reducer = (state: appState, action: userAction) => {
         case ActionType.UPDATEONE:
             return state;
         case ActionType.SEARCH:
+            console.log(payload);
+
             return {
                 ...state,
                 searchTerm: payload
             }
         case ActionType.USERLOGIN:
+            console.log(payload);
+
             return {
                 ...state,
                 user: payload
@@ -33,4 +37,4 @@ export const reducer = (state: appState, action: userAction) => {
     }
 }
 
-export const AppContext = createContext(initialState)
+export const AppContext = createContext<appState | any>(initialState)
diff --git a/client/src/store/store_types.ts b/client/src/store/store_types.ts
index 0bcab75..9e28d35 100644
--- a/client/src/store/store_types.ts
+++ b/client/src/store/store_types.ts
@@ -21,12 +21,23 @@ export interface appState {
     cart: Cart
 }
 
+export type SessionHeader = {
+    authenticated: boolean
+    cookie: {
+        expires: string
+        httpOnly: boolean
+        originalMaxAge: number
+        path: string
+        secure: boolean
+    }
+    user?: userInfo
+}
+
 // empty object templates for initial state
 export const undefinedUser: userInfo = {
     email: '',
     name: '',
     password: '',
-    headers: {}
 }
 
 export const emptyCart: Cart = {
@@ -34,4 +45,4 @@ export const emptyCart: Cart = {
     userInfo: undefinedUser,
     checkedOut: false,
     contents: []
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/client/src/types/main.d.ts b/client/src/types/main.d.ts
index 0e3eec5..40a49d7 100644
--- a/client/src/types/main.d.ts
+++ b/client/src/types/main.d.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
+import { SessionHeader } from "../store/store_types";
+
 // user details and metadata
 export type userInfo = {
     email: string;
     id?: number;
     name?: string;
     password: string;
-    headers: object
+    headers?: SessionHeader
 }
 
 export type LoginHeaders = {