tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90440458151640714902024-02-21T01:12:24.056-05:00Let Me ExplainAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044045815164071490.post-42990271128308119792012-11-08T12:25:00.000-05:002012-11-08T12:25:18.992-05:00Projects!In an effort to get my name out there as a thoughtful and capable editor of words, I put up a post on a message board for writers asking if anyone had manuscripts they'd like edited for free in exchange for use of their piece as an example in my editing portfolio.<br />
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Holy avalanche, Batman! I was not ready for the kind of response I got. Short stories! Non-fiction books! Novels! There are tons of people writing, and every one of them needs someone else to put eyes on their work.<br />
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Though it's tougher than I expected to find the time/energy to dive into editing after my regular full-time job, I'm really enjoying the experiment. I decided to do this trial run of free editing for a few reasons:<br />
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<br />
<ol>
<li>To get an idea of how long it takes me to edit a piece (pages per hour). This will aid me in setting up a pricing structure later on.</li>
<li>To get feedback from real, live authors about my editing style and what I could do to improve (Bonus: with the author's permission, I can use their feedback on my website!).</li>
<li>To gain experience and create a word-of-mouth reputation about the quality of my work.</li>
</ol>
<div>
So far, I've edited a few short stories and about 1/10th of a full-length non-fiction book, and I have loved every second of it. It doesn't even feel like work for me, at times. I love moving words around and watching them fall into place. It's like a puzzle, and the correct solution means finding a direct path to the idea using the fewest possible words. And, the feedback I've gotten so far has been great.</div>
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I will keep pressing onward and upward!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044045815164071490.post-58672418654600179892012-10-11T22:44:00.000-04:002012-10-11T22:44:11.504-04:00Stranger thingsNormally, I shy away from conversation with strangers. It can be hard for an introvert like myself to navigate the crowds of people I encounter on my commute on a daily basis. But sometimes, talking to strangers yields unexpected rewards, and this Tuesday was one of those times.<br />
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A young man from South Africa struck up a conversation with me about the book I was reading. Then he told me he'd been travelling for three years, that he'd just completed a hike from Georgia to Harper's Ferry on the Appalachian Trail, and that he was planning on running in the Baltimore marathon... on a whim.<br />
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"Wow," I said. "That's quite a whim!"<br />
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"Yeah," he replied. "Most of my life is made up of spontaneous decisions."<br />
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Whaaat. I sometimes have a hard time deciding if I should start laundry or make coffee first. To live out of a backpack for years, complete a grueling hike and spontaneously decide to run a marathon... that's so far beyond me I can't even see it. (Of course, it doesn't help that the shape I'm in is "miscellaneous.")<br />
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I asked him what he does for a living, and he told me he's a motivational speaker.<br />
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"What do you speak about?" I asked.<br />
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His answer: "I haven't yet. I'll be giving my first speech in Connecticut in a few weeks."<br />
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One of my biggest difficulties in going after creative pursuits has been giving myself permission to view myself as an individual with worthwhile creative ideas. To call myself a "writer" or an "artist," or to consider it a remote possibility that one day I could possibly support myself with my creativity is something with which I struggle.<br />
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When he calls himself a motivational speaker, having given no speeches as of yet, I believe him. So why shouldn't I believe myself? To be creative, all I have to do is create. For some reason, this has been the most difficult lesson for me to learn, and he made it plain to me in a matter of seconds. Something tells me he's going to be great at motivating a crowd.<br />
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Sometimes, you have to break out of your comfort zone. You never know who you'll meet or what you'll discover.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044045815164071490.post-61011404084949291452012-10-03T12:21:00.000-04:002012-10-11T22:09:51.182-04:00How to Tell Truth from BullshitThe only tangible objects I inherited from my paternal grandfather when he passed away were a set of pajamas and a rubber stamp that said, simply, "BULLSHIT."<br />
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Though he didn't specifically bequeath me this item (rather, I picked it out of a pile of things my grandmother gave us to choose from), I like to think that in looking for ways to use the stamp, I developed a nascent tendency to determine if something has the ring of truth or the dull thud of a cow pie hitting the ground.<br />
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In college, I took a course on the afterlife in literature, and our class took a field trip to a few "haunted" places in the area, a local "ghost expert" in tow. I noticed some things about the expert's "professional assessment" that indicated she was possibly not on the up-and-up.<br />
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For instance, she told us to be careful to use the electromagnetic field (EMF) detector away from any electrically-powered devices to avoid possible interference, but then held one suspiciously close to an electric alarm clock, declaring at the same time that she was definitely picking up on something.<br />
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Then, at a local inn, she surreptitiously moved a binder that was sitting on one of the beds before calling the attention of the group and proclaiming "Look at this indentation! There is probably definitely a ghost sitting <i>right here!</i>" I raised one eyebrow as high as it would go and it stayed that way until we got back to the classroom.<br />
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"So," asked our professor, "What did you guys think of the expert?" I raised my hand and explained what I had noticed. The professor then gave me the biggest compliment I've ever received: "Erin, you have a foolproof bullshit detector."<br />
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While this is my only formal bullshit-detecting qualification, I want to talk about some signs that are total giveaways when you're trying to evaluate the veracity of a particular source. Check it out after the jump.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">How to Tell if a Source is Full of Crap</span></b><br />
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For the sake of an example, we'll use <a href="http://www.crystalskulls.com/mayan-2012-predictions.html" target="_blank">this article</a>, which is about the Mayan "prediction" about the "end of the world."<br />
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<b>Sign 1 - Vagueness or pointed lack of specificity</b><br />
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There is a reason your teachers always told you to be specific and cite examples from the text. It's obvious that details and supporting examples make your argument more convincing. So if a source is intentionally vague, especially if they are making a controversial or sensational statement, it's because venturing into specificity would poke holes in the picture they're trying to paint.<br />
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Take a look at this sentence from the first paragraph of the example article:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
While there is much speculation and predictions regarding the events that will actually transpire, the impending end of the Mayan Calendar is building a momentum among the masses similar to the dreaded anticipation that we witnessed as the world approached the milestone year 2000 (remember Y2K?).</blockquote>
We'll talk more about their Y2K reference when we get to sign 3, but notice that this article provides absolutely no details on the "events" related to the end of the Mayan calendar. Instead, they point to the "speculation and predictions" surrounding these events as though that should convince us that something is definitely going to happen. If they had any actual information that something will "actually transpire," wouldn't they include it here? Since they do not, it's safe to assume they have no such information and are simply building hype.<br />
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<b>Sign 2 - "Rumor" language</b><br />
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"Some say," "rumors indicate," "many believe": these are all automatic red flags. If they actually got their info from a credible source, they would list the source. There would be no reason not to. The very first sentence of the example article contains one of these whoppers:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
December 21st marks the countdown to what ancient prophecies term "the end of time", which many interpret to mean the end of the world - or at least, the end of the world as we know it.</blockquote>
Yes, it's apparent that many have interpreted the Mayan calendar to indicate the end of the world, but this in no way lends credibility to the premise. Many also believe that Tupac and Elvis are doing the rumba together in Atlantis. The article goes on to name more suspiciously general sources in its second paragraph:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Some believe we will experience a polar shift, as has happened on Earth before. Others predict the impact of a great meteor or asteroid, which has also catastrophically occurred before.</blockquote>
Bad writing aside, "some" and "others" aren't sources for reliable information; they are catch-all terms anyone can use when their argument is completely made up.<br />
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<b>Sign 3 - Lists of unrelated phenomena</b><br />
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When someone is trying to pad an article to make it look like they've done research or have any credibility whatsoever, they might start listing other events, individuals or phenomena that capture a similar feeling to the one they are trying to evoke. The example article is chock full of this particular sign.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
...the impending end of the Mayan Calendar is building a momentum among the masses similar to the dreaded anticipation that we witnessed as the world approached the milestone year 2000 (remember Y2K?).</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The current economic chaos and global meltdown may be precursors to the transition leading up to December 21, 2012, the day that the 5,125 year-old Mayan calendar suddenly comes to an end, resetting to 0.0.0.0. But what will be the catalyst? Some believe we will experience a polar shift, as has happened on Earth before. Others predict the impact of a great meteor or asteroid, which has also catastrophically occurred before. Or could it be the result of increasing global warming, or the reduction of the earth's magnetic field (which has already begun), or the extinction of too many species, or could it be global Armageddon brought on by man's incessant greed triggering war and destruction?</blockquote>
Here's the list: Y2K (I find this mention hilarious since <i>nothing actually happened</i>), economic chaos, polar shifts, meteors/asteroids, global warming, changes in the magnetic field, species extinction, war and destruction. <i>None</i> of these things have demonstrable links to the Mayan calendar, but all of them are listed to bring forth feelings of fear, panic, and impending doom.<br />
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If the source you're evaluating uses the same trick, it's probable that they have no actual basis for their argument and so must resort to the time-honored bullshit tradition of emotional manipulation.<br />
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<b>Sign 4 - More questions than answers/lots of "what ifs"</b><br />
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An abundance of questions might be one of the easiest red flags to spot. This paragraph from the example article is, in fact, entirely composed of questions:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The ancient people had knowledge and wisdom that has been lost to us today, but what if they had some form of ancient computer in which they stored their secrets for others to unlock at some time in the future? Could that time be now? And could it be possible that crystal skulls might be the computers that the ancients used as receptacles for this wisdom and knowledge? Some may scoff at this idea, but if someone thousands of years from now found a laptop computer, would he know what it is or recognize the vast amount of information that it contains, and would he know how to access that information?</blockquote>
Because they have no basis for any of their assertions, they must rely on the trick of asking leading questions to push the reader to draw pre-designed conclusions. This is a really obvious sign that there is a dearth of credible information to back up the assertion, and should have your eyebrows raised as high as they'll go.<br />
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These are just some of the ways you can tell if a source is real or fake. Sometimes it comes down to a deeper instinctual sense that all is not as it seems. It's especially true today that you can't believe everything you read or see on TV, so it's crucial to start asking questions. What would this source have to gain by obfuscating the truth? What is their goal? What are they trying to sell?<br />
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Of course, most people realize by now that the Mayans did not predict the end of the world in 2012, so let's take a look at a different case. A great example of an unreliable source in current events is Republican Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan's recent interview with Chris Wallace. Ryan was asked to explain the details of their proposed tax structure.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Ryan</b>: We’re saying, limited deductions so you can lower tax rates for everybody. Start with people at the higher end…lowering tax rates by broadening the tax base works.<br />
<b>Wallace</b>: You haven’t given me the math.<br />
<b>Ryan</b>: (laughs) Well, I don’t have the time. It would take me too long to go through all the math. (Source: <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/09/30/pressed-to-explain-romneys-tax-plan-paul-ryan-ducks/" target="_blank">Washington Post</a>)</blockquote>
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Ryan's refusal to explain the math behind tax plan makes us suspicious that there are things about it he wishes us not to know, much like how the Wizard of Oz's instructions to "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain," tell us we <i>most definitely should</i> pay attention to the man behind the curtain.When questioned about his failure to go into the details, Ryan doubled down on his refusal:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"...I didn't want to get into all of the math on this because everyone would start changing the channel," he told Milwaukee talk radio host Charlie Sykes.<br />
"When you're offering very specific, bold solutions, confusion can be your enemy's best weapon," he said later. (Source: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/01/paul-ryan-tax-plan_n_1929142.html" target="_blank">Huffington Post</a>)</blockquote>
If your solutions are so specific and bold, seems like you would've just talked about them instead of passing on the question. Sounds a lot like the classic grade-school strategy of "I could do a double backflip if I felt like it, I just don't feel like it right now." Can you really do a double backflip, Paul? Something tells me your pants are on fire.<br />
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I understand that political examples might not be everyone's cup of tea, but election season is a great time to start honing your bullshit-detecting skills. <i>The Wizard of Oz</i> sums up nicely why it's important to be able to sift truth from crap:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Dorothy</b>: How do you talk if you don't have a brain?<br />
<b>Scarecrow</b>: Well, some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don't they?</blockquote>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044045815164071490.post-80198450183367253892012-09-24T20:18:00.000-04:002012-10-11T22:10:24.731-04:00Green Hair Care, Part 2: How to Dry and Style Your Fabulous CurlsOkay, so I know it's been quite a while since the first part of this series, but if you're still hanging on wondering what to do with your hair after you've <a href="http://erinexplainsabit.blogspot.com/2010/11/green-hair-care-part-1-cleansing-and.html">washed and conditioned</a> it, not only am I duly impressed by your dedication, your patience is about to pay off in a big way... it's time to dry and style!<br />
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I'm really sorry, but this guide only applies to curly-headed people as yet. If anyone requests it, I would be happy to do some research on what works best for other types of hair.<br />
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Here are the supplies I use:<br />
<ul>
<li>wide-toothed comb,</li>
<li>flour sack towels (<a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-5pk-Flour-Sack-Kitchen-Towel-White/14938258">these</a> are cheap and work perfectly) or a t-shirt,</li>
<li>for fancy days:</li>
<ul>
<li>hair gel,</li>
<li>a blow dryer with a diffuser attachment.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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First, let's talk about each implement and its intended purpose. Then, we'll get into the actual steps. Check it out after the jump.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Tools and Supplies</span></b><br />
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The wide-toothed comb is used to detangle the hair and help it form into "clumps." This way, when it dries, the curls will have good form and structure, as opposed to being a bunch of wispy, uncommitted curls with no direction in life. We want our curls to stick together and form teams. There is no place for individualism in a head full of ringlets.<br />
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The flour sack towel is used to soak up the excess water from the hair, much like a regular towel. The difference is that flour sack cloth is "flat weave," which, unlike regular terrycloth towels, does not have little "loops" of fiber that can snag on your precious curly strands and pull them out of their clump formations, leading to frizz and you looking in the mirror saying "Aw, crap." T-shirts are also great for this purpose because they are also flat-weave (unless you're trying to start some kind of weird terrycloth-t-shirt trend) and let's face it, you probably have a million that you don't use and won't be missed from your wardrobe rotation.<br />
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I know the phrase "hair gel" conjures visions of swaggering wet-look bros sporting obnoxious gilded tees, but I promise, that's not the direction we're going with this product. We're going to use gel for hold and curl definition, and once you get the hang of it, your hair won't look remotely "wet" or "crunchy."<br />
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One important caveat with hair gel is you need to make sure it does not contain silicone; most clear gels will serve this purpose just fine. Watch out for products labelled "curl cream," "curl serum," or pretty much anything marketed by mainstream beauty products to curly-headed gals. If you read the back of the bottle and you don't see any ingredients ending in "-cone" or "-xone," it is probably fine to use. And, honestly, a day or two of use of a silicone product won't kill you, but prolonged use will weight down your curls with a layer of yuck, and who wants that? So let's stick to clear gels for now. It's even possible to make your own gel with flax seeds, and it is awesome, but that's a blog entry for another day.<br />
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A blow dryer with a diffuser attachment is not necessary, but it does help your hair dry faster and can help give it more volume and lift.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Okay! Let's start!</span></b><br />
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At the tail end of your shower, give your hair one, last, soaking rinse, and shut off the water once it's good and drenched. Then, take your wide-toothed comb, part your hair where you want to part it, and comb it until you notice that it's forming into the "clumps" we talked about earlier. If your hair is aggressively curly, you'll probably notice it's already curling up.<br />
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While your hair is still dripping wet, dispense a blob of gel into your hand. I realize that a "blob" is a very unspecific unit of measure, and I'm sorry for that. The amount of gel you need to use will depend on your hair type, its length, and your personal preference. It might take some practice before you find the right amount for you.<br />
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Once you have your blob, rub your hands together to distribute, then start "scrunching" it into your hair. I'm going to do my best to describe this motion to you, but there may be some YouTube videos available that can show you exactly what scrunching looks like. Tilt your head to the side so your hair is dangling down and start with your hand below the tips of your hair. Move your hand up toward your scalp, grasping a section of hair in your fist as you move your hand, and squeeze. This motion accomplishes three things: it encourages curl formation, it distributes the gel into your hair, and it squeezes out some of the extra water. Keep doing this all around your head, tilting your head to the other side at some point, or even flipping your head upside down if you're totally metal and just don't give a crud (in a good way).<br />
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After your hair is good and scrunched, you're going to scrunch it some more, but this time with a flour-sack towel in hand. Really try to get out as much of the extra water as you can. The reason we soaked the hair before applying the gel is that it helps the gel to be less crunchy when it dries, but now that the gel is applied and appropriately diluted, let's get as much of the water out as possible to reduce drying time. Getting the excess out also helps to reduce the amount of water weight pulling down on your curls, which can stretch them out and make them stringy and lifeless. We're going for lively and bouncy, so squeeze and scrunch with all your might! Well, maybe not all of it. I guess it depends on how much might you have.<br />
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Another optional step is to tie the flour-sack towel around your head such that it is holding the curls in a permanent "scrunch formation." If there's interest, I'll take a short video of how this is done.<br />
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If you're skipping the blowdrying step, you are now done! Let your curls air-dry, and remember, DO NOT F*@& WITH THEM. The more you touch or play with your curls, the less curl-like they will become. It can either cause them to become frizzy or lifeless, so let's avoid that whole deal by leaving them alone during drying time. After they are dry, you may find that there is some slight crunchiness from the gel, at which point you can "scrunch out the crunch" (SOTC, in curl-community slang). Just perform the same scrunching motion you did when you first applied the gel, and it will help reduce the crunchiness.<br />
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If you decide to blow dry, attach your diffuser to the blowdryer and dry away. The diffuser's job is to "diffuse" the air flow (duh) so it's more of a cloud of warm air and less of a forceful stream. Using a blowdryer without the diffuser makes it considerably more difficult to avoid destroying the curl clumps you just worked so hard to achieve. The hot air cloud will help evaporate the remaining water in your hair; even if it still looks wet after a few minutes, it's well on its way to being dry, I promise. There are some more involved techniques for diffusing that can give you some extra volume on top, and I can go into those more deeply if there's interest.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Yay!</span></b><br />
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All done! This blog entry is crazy long, but the entire process takes less than 15 minutes from start to finish once you get into a groove. These techniques take my hair from lazy waves to full-on curls, and best of all, are far less damaging than regular flat-ironing would be: to embrace your natural curls is to embrace healthy hair. Best of luck!<br />
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<i>If you have any questions or would like further clarification on any point, don't hesitate to comment or contact me! I'd love to help you bring your curls out of their shell.</i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044045815164071490.post-81142943074578686562012-09-22T17:49:00.002-04:002012-09-22T17:49:47.743-04:00Successful Experiment: DIY Lime Popcorn!Guys! Remember <a href="http://erinexplainsabit.blogspot.com/2010/11/in-search-of-substitute-orville.html">this post</a>? About the lime popcorn? Of course you don't, but I do, and I figured out an alternative!<br />
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<a href="http://truecitrus.com/true-lime.html" target="_blank">True Lime</a> powder!<br />
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<a href="http://truecitrus.com/images/stories/products/lrg_true_lime_32ct.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://truecitrus.com/images/stories/products/lrg_true_lime_32ct.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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Here's the story. I was at Target, probably buying a bunch of stuff I don't need, when I happened upon <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-60120-Microwaver-Popcorn/dp/B00004W4UP" target="_blank">this microwave popcorn bowl</a>. It was on clearance, so of course it went straight in the cart, along with a package of loose-kernel popcorn. A bit further down the aisle, a box of True Lime caught my eye, and then something happened: a giant lightbulb went on over my head, the skies opened up, and angels sang. "DUH!" they cried out in their heavenly harmonies, "THIS IS THE OBVIOUS SOLUTION."<br />
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I put a little oil (sometimes coconut oil, sometimes a mysterious product called "popcorn oil" that will probably give me cancer of the eyeballs but at least I'm trying to avoid <span id="goog_1429717602"></span>"popcorn lung"<span id="goog_1429717603"></span> <a href="http://erinexplainsabit.blogspot.com/2010/11/in-search-of-substitute-orville.html" target="_blank">[see original lime popcorn post]</a>) in the popcorn bowl, add 1/3 cup kernels, and pop that bad boy in the microwave for about 3 minutes (sometimes takes less time; remove when there are 1-2 seconds in between pops). Be careful, the bowl will be hot! Also, make sure you use the lid; one time I forgot and had to clean Popcorn Armageddon out of my microwave.<br />
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After it's popped, sprinkle a packet or two of True Lime over the whole shebang, and a sprinkling of kosher salt if you like. It's just as good as, or perhaps better than, the store-bought lime popcorn. Now that it's accessible to me, I fiend for this stuff day and night. Give it a try and let me know what you think!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044045815164071490.post-25246455102545219732012-09-22T16:31:00.004-04:002012-12-04T15:21:11.265-05:00Prune Your MessageI think one of the reasons I so enjoy proofreading and editing is that I find endless reserves of joy in the process of fixing things that are broken, or bringing new life to what is seemingly unusable.<br />
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This is a recurring theme for me; there is nothing I love more than leaving the thrift store or a flea market with an armful of objects that just need a little TLC to become as good as or better than new. By the same token, reordering a wandering paragraph so its message can sing gives me immeasurable satisfaction. It didn't work, and now it does. It was broken, and now it is repaired.<br />
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It's the concept of beauty in simplicity: economy of words, economy of materials. The same principles apply; instead of shopping endlessly and watching your home fill with redundant clutter, allow necessity and the desire to use what you have to inspire creative ways to solve a problem. And in writing, rather than inundating your reader with excess language or endless repetitions of the same idea, using as few words as possible with precision lets your idea rise to the top without all the baggage. This is why good editors are so important: as an objective reader, I might see a faster route to your main idea than you can.<br />
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Like removing brambles from a path, pruning unnecessary words teaches you to do more with less, but it's not always easy. Writers know, getting too attached to a word or phrase can stand between you and clarity. Instead, focus on the words as means to an end, and commit yourself to your idea rather than the way you've written it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044045815164071490.post-25928962897247166872012-09-21T22:29:00.003-04:002012-09-21T22:30:27.801-04:00Top 5 Reasons Good Communication Matters<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Without it, you're selling yourself short.</span></b><br />
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You are a unique individual with unique things to offer. You bring something to the table that no one else can ever duplicate or replace: your authentic voice. By cultivating your voice (or hiring someone to help you bring out what makes you wonderful), you not only help other people get to know you, you can get up close and personal with what makes your strengths and talents so very valuable to the world. And since no one can tell your story better than you can, bringing your personal and professional communication up to scratch is your best bet for making sure your audience gets the complete picture of what an unmitigated badass you are.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Getting it wrong can be disastrous.</span></b><br />
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Most conflicts are, at the core, matters of miscommunication. Saying the wrong thing, at the wrong time, can have results more far-reaching than you could ever imagine. It's the difference between making an enemy and making a new friend. It's the difference between sending someone back to Google to find a new source for what they need, or a new customer who knows they've come to the right place. An on-point message is your strongest weapon in the cacophony that is the Internet: it's a voice that comes through loud and clear when the rest is just noise.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Who doesn't like to save time?</span></b>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
Wrong directions are a bummer. Getting it right saves time on both ends: your audience understands exactly what you mean, and you don't have to re-explain or correct mistaken impressions.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Good communication is inviting.</span></b><br />
<br />
I'm going to describe to you two shop windows, and you tell me which shop you'd like to visit. One display has dirty, fogged glass that makes it difficult to see, dusty and broken merchandise, and an overall feeling of neglect and negligence. The second has crystal clear glass with brightly-lit, perfectly arranged products set against a colorful backdrop.<br />
<br />
It's obvious to you, the observer, that the first business doesn't care much for its image, and that gives you a pretty clear idea of the care and attention (or lack thereof) they'll give their customers. At best, you might think they're well-intentioned business owners who let the busy nature of daily life get ahead of them. At worst, you'll assume the shop is closed for good, and you won't even try to open the door.<br />
<br />
Glass doesn't stay clear unless someone cleans it. And those products didn't find themselves laid out just-so by accident. The effort the second shop has put into their display, the first "messaging" their customer receives before they even step in the door, is quite plain. These business owners have worked hard to send you a message: we're open for business, we're ready for you to come on inside, and we know exactly how to serve you.<br />
<br />
The first shop is the image you create when your grammar is off, your word choices aren't quite right, your information is out of date, or chunks of it are missing altogether. It turns people off or makes them assume nobody's home. After all, if you can't even take the time to make sure your sentences are properly constructed, how much of an expert can you actually be?<br />
<br />
The second image, clearly the more successful business of the two, projects professionalism. These are business owners who put time and passion into the work they do, because they've taken care to show you they know how to attend to every last detail. Proper spelling, grammar and accurate, current communications project (loudly!) the message that <i>you've got it together.</i><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Ain't nobody a mind reader.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
People won't know what you mean unless you tell them. They won't know what you're selling unless you show them. They won't know what you're trying to say unless you say it clearly. Clear communications are a huge sign of respect for your audience: you're showing them that you know their time is too important to waste any of it on a piece of writing or messaging that makes no sense. And respect begets repeat customers.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">And there you have it.</span></b><br />
If you want people to get the message loud and clear, you have to craft it carefully, or delegate that task to a wordsmith with a vision. <i>Never underestimate the power of good communication</i> -- it will make you or break you, and if you're like me, you'd rather have it made.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044045815164071490.post-60663114842076413832012-09-05T22:23:00.000-04:002012-09-05T22:25:16.302-04:00Clear!Let's bring this mother back to life!<br />
<br />
I've spent months and months figuring out to do with myself as an adult human person. The expectations of childhood are that adulthood will bring with it a sense of certainty and purpose; you'll know what you're doing because you're a grown-up, of course. Adults solve problems. Adults know what's up.<br />
<br />
As you have perhaps realized in the course of your own introspection, this expectation is farther off-base than Rush Limbaugh talking about women. Mere weeks from my 27th birthday, I now understand what escaped me for years: <i>nobody knows what they are doing, and everybody is winging it.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
It's not all bad. Facing a million different paths without a map is daunting, terrifying, but also liberating. I can be anything, do anything! But... how do I do that?<br />
<br />
By starting, of course.<br />
<br />
Since my last writing, I got a job in the "big city," moved out of my parents' house, and moved apartments twice. Yes, that's three, count 'em, three moves in the last year. Yes, I hate moving. No, I never want to move again.<br />
<br />
Having carted enough boxes to last me a lifetime, I moved on to the considerably more arduous process of making a <i>mental</i> move. What do I want to do? Who do I want to be? How many self-help books can I add to my wish list on Amazon before they say "enough"?<br />
<br />
And so, I set about combing the Craigslist of the mind to see what kind of gig I'd like to end up with. I bit the bullet and bought one of said self-help books to find out if it would advance my quest, or leave me with more questions. The book is <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Could-Anything-Only-Knew-What/dp/0440505003" target="_blank">I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It</a>,</i> by Barbara Sher and Barbara Smith.<br />
<br />
After pondering sufficiently if they each refer to their writing partner as "The Other Barbara," I actually read the book. On vacation, no less. Nothing like a little soul-searching while one's off-brand sunscreen fails spectacularly, giving one the look and feel of a splotchy, painful tomato. ("Painful Tomato" would be a bitchin' band name.)<br />
<br />
Having already given the matter considerable thought, some of the conclusions I drew upon finishing the book were not entirely surprising. I'm not happy where I am in my career. Fact. Obvious fact. I need to do something different. Again, obvious. But what is it?<br />
<br />
Despite the title's claim, this was still not immediately clear by book's end. This isn't likely the fault of the text. I've always been a bit of a hobby-go-round. Formal education excepted (my passion for the English language knows no bounds), I tend to learn the gist of something: just enough to be able to understand it or obtain basic skills, and then I move on to uncharted waters.<br />
<br />
But you can't specialize in everything, and not all hobbies can be successfully translated to full-time occupation, so it's necessary for me to be a bit more selective. I'll have to keep noodling away at it until the heat from the friction of my brain-gears grinding is enough to boil this idea soup down to its essential parts.<br />
<br />
I'm proud of that metaphor, and I'm sticking to it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044045815164071490.post-8075198528740027812011-01-02T15:43:00.000-05:002011-01-02T15:43:10.098-05:00Wow! I tripped and fell into a time machine.I have no idea what happened to December, or how it's possible that it's 2011, but I do know that it's going to be hard for me to take down my 2010 YEAR IN KITTENS calendar. I mean, I'm going to pull through, but it won't be easy.<br />
<br />
What's that? You want to know what I've been up to? Let me explain! (I feel so good about myself that I was finally able to work my blog title into an entry.)<br />
<br />
First, I made some mineral makeup. I ordered a kit from <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Mineral-Makeup-Foundation-Kit-1-kit-P3643.aspx">Brambleberry</a>, and it was a bit confusing, to be honest with you. The instruction manual was just a generic one that they send out with all their products, not specific to the actual kit itself, so I had some screwups before I got it right. This is what it ended up looking like:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZEZd4YBUxUq5yaJO5Y3_VnU362D5CmLa9mKBlOJKNAUjoFe7ybaHFbCK-lc2hVe5HCBxBZJnO5uPS5HirQFrgjElaCzwMxaw1L2k7ct3b5d7LrGnBe4yftm7mpLvt00OvqT4981MSP8A/s1600/11022010+Droid+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZEZd4YBUxUq5yaJO5Y3_VnU362D5CmLa9mKBlOJKNAUjoFe7ybaHFbCK-lc2hVe5HCBxBZJnO5uPS5HirQFrgjElaCzwMxaw1L2k7ct3b5d7LrGnBe4yftm7mpLvt00OvqT4981MSP8A/s320/11022010+Droid+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It works pretty well, and it came with a nice kabuki brush, so that was pretty cool. It's a little bit dark for my skin tone, but it's not too noticeable and maybe it'll be a better match in the summer months.</div><br />
Something else that happened is that it got cold outside. So I've been spending a lot of time in the basement tending/staying warm by the woodstove.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVPOhFqSn_ESBiCvmEM-cj0buH4L8CEIv81d4con6EW3CHbZHHfZFfoZgqxLmUrM_2G7Qevs4fv_9HnhnHvSFeVRjM3XQNYfxxZk0OzY1r7t27Mwjnt7dhvSpcTZhjlIEg6LwxHhHSfU/s1600/11022010+Droid+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVPOhFqSn_ESBiCvmEM-cj0buH4L8CEIv81d4con6EW3CHbZHHfZFfoZgqxLmUrM_2G7Qevs4fv_9HnhnHvSFeVRjM3XQNYfxxZk0OzY1r7t27Mwjnt7dhvSpcTZhjlIEg6LwxHhHSfU/s320/11022010+Droid+023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
And by staying warm, I mean sweating like I have never sweated before because it gets ridiculously hot in that room. It was the middle of December and I was sprawled out in a tank top and gym shorts, spritzing myself with water while watching Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. The nice thing about it is that it gives me a chance to catch up on shows that are available on Netflix streaming, and to work on crafts!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7enGlwmg8SYRa0tOHtMkajNCfKZUdCWPvhLVlSEUTpKmDYwdKwNgZFxIcn71FIFjWWBUPKkebkNHRBlNAIzVMD_Sl9JO6nlvsyNYT9DRDDU4OACX54XgBHbetFWLq1h6A0bUi-O0zmaY/s1600/11022010+Droid+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7enGlwmg8SYRa0tOHtMkajNCfKZUdCWPvhLVlSEUTpKmDYwdKwNgZFxIcn71FIFjWWBUPKkebkNHRBlNAIzVMD_Sl9JO6nlvsyNYT9DRDDU4OACX54XgBHbetFWLq1h6A0bUi-O0zmaY/s320/11022010+Droid+042.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have no idea what I'm doing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>While all this was going on, some electricians came and changed out the light fixtures in my bathroom. It would've been a DIY project except for apparently the people who built our house were heavy drinkers, and the wiring was a hot mess. But the lights look much better now!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwZRTdMzNt-tXvv8hM8-05hPtGIapLBVtbIMeO2DANHxlGas43lghyphenhyphenxJDTnhbEhfRm2B6M3y868O2wnjfYJaxSc8NCzf21ZHKP-bYHqxD0JfKqvdNW1Hvaqtr8Kr7MdP4CsxTcqNUhwo/s1600/pumpkins%252C+bathroom%252C+secret+santa+089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwZRTdMzNt-tXvv8hM8-05hPtGIapLBVtbIMeO2DANHxlGas43lghyphenhyphenxJDTnhbEhfRm2B6M3y868O2wnjfYJaxSc8NCzf21ZHKP-bYHqxD0JfKqvdNW1Hvaqtr8Kr7MdP4CsxTcqNUhwo/s320/pumpkins%252C+bathroom%252C+secret+santa+089.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before. You can kind of see the old lights and where one of them was ripped out.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-13ouyY2wBWu5ILfgbRSBqqahamcQa36aJGBuQ44F85HTvYHHyPx3bLezo5x4DuaWl99Ht2JlVv-jJTX_3ixeKd1pim0dO8YWujRxSEDy8L8oAV49ghxbqSvnvC4rqJTUr5ZhIVcH_Q/s1600/11022010+Droid+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-13ouyY2wBWu5ILfgbRSBqqahamcQa36aJGBuQ44F85HTvYHHyPx3bLezo5x4DuaWl99Ht2JlVv-jJTX_3ixeKd1pim0dO8YWujRxSEDy8L8oAV49ghxbqSvnvC4rqJTUr5ZhIVcH_Q/s320/11022010+Droid+024.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After. Ignore all the crappy holes and marks on the walls.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We also ripped out the wall in the middle of the bathroom, and my dad and I installed a new floor, which was a project beset with many, many challenges. It should've taken two days, max, but it took us a week. Here is an awful cameraphone picture of what the new floor looks like.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTmN27yHAjvYzM-rec_yE4BioerUv3IyD0aFchmgqd7HUmX3wmoz6kXNMy4nnuWCgcMxoosKG3UTGdzDTNdld2mZ0XY_TApRnhQFvugH9dSpID85P_SWlfYeetl07zUmD-53HJIv877FQ/s1600/11022010+Droid+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTmN27yHAjvYzM-rec_yE4BioerUv3IyD0aFchmgqd7HUmX3wmoz6kXNMy4nnuWCgcMxoosKG3UTGdzDTNdld2mZ0XY_TApRnhQFvugH9dSpID85P_SWlfYeetl07zUmD-53HJIv877FQ/s320/11022010+Droid+040.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The bathroom project is in no way complete, but we're getting closer. This is probably the single biggest reason I haven't been posting very much (a.k.a. have not been posting at all).<br />
<br />
In fun project news, I decided I wanted to build something, so my dad and I (so much father-daughter togetherness this past month) built some storage cubes from a plan I found on <a href="http://ana-white.com/2010/09/stacking-cubes.html">Ana-white.com</a>. Of course, since my dad is an amateur woodworker and I am a total newbie, they probably aren't very good. There are lots of splinters and nails sticking out and unevenly-cut boards. But who cares? It was fun, and they'll be useful (if I ever get off my butt to prime and paint them).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBpPI5qMcR9IQxWRselzD_VQBIU4-MoeS0F7MEA8T_gfrFKf8bzfE88Rjt_Pbn3ztILk4IzVfpWxI3EyWNUkhmgC17WKoNXl2gUoJi_P_p1iu1w1g5I6vTeP-WbbxfAHDenvVVsVm5FM/s1600/11022010+Droid+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBpPI5qMcR9IQxWRselzD_VQBIU4-MoeS0F7MEA8T_gfrFKf8bzfE88Rjt_Pbn3ztILk4IzVfpWxI3EyWNUkhmgC17WKoNXl2gUoJi_P_p1iu1w1g5I6vTeP-WbbxfAHDenvVVsVm5FM/s320/11022010+Droid+029.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Without doors.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaamhxaWyMUBNRaLDBAtgdjI5G7h1ZKM-y1ifaJAmbcgVhpfobICuT7T3qreHCofeadlv7vd-h6ZsVG84gxYikXDYsbB-BOSc2gDcXIsq_Bj-9QSggvmub7eFnq99fG6zlK1Yvt1KB8c8/s1600/11022010+Droid+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaamhxaWyMUBNRaLDBAtgdjI5G7h1ZKM-y1ifaJAmbcgVhpfobICuT7T3qreHCofeadlv7vd-h6ZsVG84gxYikXDYsbB-BOSc2gDcXIsq_Bj-9QSggvmub7eFnq99fG6zlK1Yvt1KB8c8/s320/11022010+Droid+030.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With doors.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I also made lotion! I found the instructions <a href="http://asonomagarden.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/how-to-make-handmade-handlotion-w-label-download/">here</a>. I already had a bunch of stuff so the only thing I had to order was the emulsifying wax. Here's what it looked like when I was done:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1S6I2_nL-BarCeHoj_XfNupBRW4lpc16yK4iZ4u6FKKciOGBHrCnOKRDTk4zCyhNlwoVsv7y-e1lDo4fDfXey0tU3wHPwqlZULEMQKpBVS5z8ciA0eHuYi7fUP_N5UgaUMqEw_F8cZAs/s1600/11022010+Droid+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1S6I2_nL-BarCeHoj_XfNupBRW4lpc16yK4iZ4u6FKKciOGBHrCnOKRDTk4zCyhNlwoVsv7y-e1lDo4fDfXey0tU3wHPwqlZULEMQKpBVS5z8ciA0eHuYi7fUP_N5UgaUMqEw_F8cZAs/s320/11022010+Droid+028.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
One day I drew a bunch of stuff with giant teeth.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4TLNkIhjelCcMphfD3iv4XFtE9ARHSj4C5M26HEzyNPmWuTMaOU-P35hf1fRagLXNVfACLhirp4jM4G_Ie_qPOfODuNtQ900M0uJudRHIjXi5_n8mdPjVh04M76bhQVKovDpHw1_3rBw/s1600/11022010+Droid+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4TLNkIhjelCcMphfD3iv4XFtE9ARHSj4C5M26HEzyNPmWuTMaOU-P35hf1fRagLXNVfACLhirp4jM4G_Ie_qPOfODuNtQ900M0uJudRHIjXi5_n8mdPjVh04M76bhQVKovDpHw1_3rBw/s320/11022010+Droid+037.jpg" width="179" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYZuRIHmPIeHMYQBbSsuJW5jnrzTwTwhaIJy6XE2QF-sWN4y0qhJtwLR5-EH-axeXAe8jPvnIdDUi0TBPNL3D5NFmZpAkebI137HJKEW6gl3s1CQMLbkxDakn4_GQoer7kBQ_CC9-KVU/s1600/11022010+Droid+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYZuRIHmPIeHMYQBbSsuJW5jnrzTwTwhaIJy6XE2QF-sWN4y0qhJtwLR5-EH-axeXAe8jPvnIdDUi0TBPNL3D5NFmZpAkebI137HJKEW6gl3s1CQMLbkxDakn4_GQoer7kBQ_CC9-KVU/s320/11022010+Droid+036.jpg" width="179" /></a></div><br />
That's basically it I guess. Hopefully I'll be back with more regularly scheduled content for the 0 people who read this. Bye!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044045815164071490.post-5229825137207014052010-11-30T22:17:00.002-05:002010-11-30T22:22:26.707-05:00Green Hair Care, Part 1: Cleansing and Conditioning ("No-poo")Here's what happens when you use conventional shampoo: you completely strip all of your scalp's oils from your scalp and your hair, leaving them dry, then try to replicate their effects using conditioner. Most conditioners contain silicones, which make your hair shiny, but which can only be removed from the hair with conventional shampoo. The end result is that you damage your hair with an overly-harsh detergent, then mask the damage with a coating that can only be washed out with more overly-harsh detergent. It's a nasty cycle, and one which shampoo/conditioner producers would very much like you to perpetuate.<br />
<br />
As I said in my post on <a href="http://erinexplainsabit.blogspot.com/2010/11/successful-experiment-oil-cleansing.html">facial oils</a>, if you aren't completely stripping your hair and scalp of all of its natural oils, it won't feel the need to overproduce them and become greasy by the next day. Don't worry, there's an incredibly easy, cheap solution to this problem, which I know you are waiting for on the very edge of your seat!<br />
<br />
The first thing you have to do is get past the notion that you need lots of foam and lather to be clean. Just toss that right out the window and don't look back. I mentioned sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) in my last post as being a Bad Thing. It is, as I just learned on Wikipedia, an amphiphile; this means it has a molecular structure that makes it attracted to both water and fats/oils, which explains why it pulls all the moisture out of your hair. I just thought that was neat. Basically, it's a foaming agent and a detergent, and as I have mentioned a few times, it's not great for you or your hair.<br />
<br />
There are plenty of shampoos that don't contain sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and won't be as harsh, but why spend money on those when you can whip something up at home in less than a minute that costs you next to nothing?<br />
<br />
If you're sick of hearing me talk about baking soda and vinegar, you're in luck, because that's exactly where this is headed (I didn't say it was GOOD luck).<br />
<br />
To clean your hair, all you need is a little bit of baking soda and water. I do mean a little bit: just mix one tablespoon of baking soda with one cup of water. That's a 1 to 16 ratio, if you're into fractions. What I do is just put a little bit of baking soda in an old, well-rinsed shampoo bottle, fill the rest with water, and then shake it up before use. To use it, all you have to do is pour some on your head (focusing on the roots of the hair), then scrub it in with your fingertips, then rinse out. That's it. Just like regular shampoo, except I focus more on the scrubbing aspect. Despite that, I find that far fewer hairs fall out and end up in the drain than ever before.<br />
<br />
Now, since baking soda is a base and it can rough up your hair shafts and even build up over time, it's important to rinse it out with an acidic compound that will neutralize it and smooth the shafts back down. That's why you take another empty, well-rinsed bottle, pour some apple cider vinegar in it, then fill the rest up with water and use that as your conditioner rinse. It seals the hair shafts right up and leaves your hair real shiny. And as long as you're very careful to rinse it all out, no lingering smell of vinegar will remain.<br />
<br />
Should you start using this method to clean and condition your hair, you may find that your hair is still greasy at first. As your scalp adjusts to the fact that you're not attacking it with SLS every day, that greasiness will slow way down, and you may find that you don't even need to do the baking soda/vinegar routine every day. Most days, I just scrub my scalp vigorously with my fingers for a few minutes in the shower, then do a little vinegar rinse on the ends. If my hair starts looking weighed down after a few days of this, I'll do a full wash with baking soda and rinse with the diluted vinegar, and I'm right as rain.<br />
<br />
Full disclosure, I do still have a couple of bottles of regular conditioner I'm trying to use up. Before I transitioned to baking soda and vinegar, I was using SLS-free shampoos and silicone-free conditioners, and I still have some of the conditioner. On my finger-scrub days, I'll use a tiny amount of the conditioner to smooth on afterward and it leaves a faint, pleasant smell and probably some extra moisture. Nothing wrong with that, and no silicones to build up and need stripping.<br />
<br />
Basically, just do what feels right at the time, and don't be afraid to try new things. Eventually you'll stumble upon a routine that works for you... hopefully one that leaves your scalp, hair, and wallet happier than when you started!<br />
<br />
For more information, here's an <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Go-No-Poo/">Instructables</a> about how to go no-poo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044045815164071490.post-3107617911776255612010-11-29T22:28:00.001-05:002010-11-29T22:36:08.845-05:00Flying time and my "no-poo" adventuresWhat do you know... I got sick for a few days, then family came into town for Thanksgiving, and now it's the end of November and I don't understand how that happened. I feel like I spent the last week stuck inside a hamster ball. I'm all disoriented and have a bizarre urge to drink from a drippy water bottle.<br />
<br />
For all 0 of you reading this, I'm back now, and I think the next topic I'm going to tackle will be hair: a little bit about hair in general, a lot about curly hair in particular.<br />
<br />
Here's a few things about my hair routine that will give you an idea of where I'm going with this:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>I almost never use shampoo (once per month, if that, and that's only if I end up using a hair product that can cause buildup).</li>
<li>I make my own hair gel.</li>
<li>Diluted baking soda and diluted vinegar are my cleanser and conditioner, respectively.</li>
</ul><div>For an idea of why I have chosen to do such a crazy thing, please see <a href="http://babyslime.livejournal.com/174054.html">this insanely informative post</a>. For those of you who would prefer to not read through all of that just now, here is a basic rundown:</div><div><ul><li>Shampoo contains harsh and harmful chemicals such as mineral oil and sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate.</li>
<li>Shampoo is a detergent which strips your hair of its naturally occurring oils, which help keep your hair healthy.</li>
<li>You truly do not need shampoo to keep your hair clean, and you can save moderately-sized bucks by going without.</li>
</ul><div>Tomorrow I will begin a two-part series on green hair-care, beginning with cleansing and conditioning. Some of what I cover will apply more to those with curly hair than those without, but I will try to keep everything generally informative for all hair types.</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044045815164071490.post-75419458090439662632010-11-16T22:47:00.000-05:002010-11-16T22:47:26.794-05:00Potential Experiment: Homemade Laundry DetergentI have been obsessing over DIY laundry detergent the last few days, poring over powder and liquid recipes until my eyes water and using every ounce of my brain power to psychically determine if using these will cause my washing machine to implode. I think it would be fine but I like to make extra sure before I go diving in.<br />
<br />
I research things like this at full tilt on my lunch break at work, and as I have yet to develop a system for getting the most useful results back to myself at home (I know, it's so silly that I haven't just started e-mailing myself the links. What the frig is wrong with me?), I tend to forget where I found things. After a bout of rough-and-tumble cursory Googling, here are some links I remember looking at earlier that were helpful:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Laundry-Detergent/">Instructables: Homemade Laundry Detergent</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/04/09/making-your-own-laundry-detergent-a-detailed-visual-guide/">The Simple Dollar: Making Your Own Laundry Detergent: A Detailed Visual Guide</a> - this article not only has plenty of pictures and detailed instructions, but he even does a cost breakdown comparing the DIY detergent to store-bought in terms of cost-per-load.</li>
<li><a href="http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/detox-laundry.html">Detox Your Home: In the Laundry Room, Part 1</a> - this isn't a guide to making your own detergent, but rather details some of the ecological and health-related reasons why you might want to consider doing so.</li>
<li><a href="http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/make-your-own-laundry-soap.html">Planet Green: Make Your Own Laundry Soap</a></li>
<li><a href="http://diynatural.com/simple-easy-fast-effective-jabs-homemade-laundry-detergent/">diy Natural: Jabs Homemade Laundry Detergent</a> - another cost breakdown, plus some helpful comments from readers.</li>
</ul>From what I understand, the Fels Naptha soap mentioned in most of these articles is a petroleum-based product, so that's probably something I'll avoid. I think I remember reading that the Zote is as well, but don't quote me on that. Several commenters mentioned using Dr. Bronner's bar soaps instead, which, since they are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castile_soap">castile soaps</a>, would eliminate the petroleum issue.<br />
<br />
Another common additive is baking soda as part of the soap recipe and white distilled vinegar as a fabric softener. Apparently the vinegar dissolves any soap residue in the clothes, which is part of what makes them stiff without the use of fabric softener. The smell completely disappears once the clothes are dry, and it helps to keep the drains in the washing machine clear of gunk. As for avoiding static cling, <a href="http://www.grinningplanet.com/2004/04-29/stop-static-cling-fabric-softener-article.htm">Grinning Planet</a> says you can do this by stopping the dryer before clothes are fully dry and allowing them to air-dry the rest of the way. I imagine this would save a bit on the electric bill as well!<br />
<br />
Most people seem to find that using a food processor with a grater blade is more efficient than grating by hand. A few people said they use "Salad Shooters" they found at thrift stores. Still other people say they microwave the soap or let it sit out to dry for a long time before grating it because dried-out soap crumbles into a much finer powder.<br />
<br />
Our washing machine is an HE model, which, if I understand correctly, needs to use soaps that don't suds up as much. Since everything I've read indicates that DIY laundry soap doesn't suds up at all, it should be a non-issue. I'll do a bit more research before plugging ahead and see what I can find. Hopefully I'll be able to try it soon!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044045815164071490.post-46684256314868114832010-11-15T22:20:00.001-05:002010-11-15T22:29:02.019-05:00Not into the Oil Cleansing Method?It's cool. What works for me may not work for you. I will suggest, however, that products like Clean n' Clear might not be your best option; for instance, Clean and Clear Morning Burst Detoxifying Facial Cleanser scores pretty badly on the <a href="http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/wordsearch.php?query=clean+n+clear">Cosmetics Database</a>, meaning it's got some toxic ingredients. I also find that products like that can be really harsh and drying on the skin.<br />
<br />
My reasons for loving the oil cleansing method are explained in my <a href="http://erinexplainsabit.blogspot.com/2010/11/successful-experiment-oil-cleansing.html">post</a> on the matter, but if you are really not digging the idea, there are other things you can do to keep your face clean that don't involve oil blends.<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Face washes with tea tree oil are a good option for people with acne troubles or complexions that are oilier than they might like (though keep in mind that excessive oiliness may be the result of using harsh soaps to try to strip oil from the skin). I have <a href="http://www.swansonvitamins.com/SWU410/ItemDetail?n=3570">this one</a> in my shower right now and I use it every once in a while, though it can be a liiiittle bit drying for me. I tend to only use it when I'm having breakout issues. It's pretty inexpensive and a little goes a long way! It doesn't suds up like other face washes, but it does the job beautifully (in fact, it's best to sever the mental link between suds and cleanliness. You don't need a lather to be clean).</li>
<li>Think outside the drug store! Etsy or other sites with handmade goods often have great natural options available. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/herbolution?ref=seller_info">This shop</a> in particular has a few that look good. I have the Strawberry Face Scrub and it cleans and exfoliates really gently. My skin always looks so nice after I use that one. It's a bit pricier and the container is tiny, but you only have to use an itty bit of it and I also save it for special occasions because I am a cheapskate.</li>
<li>It's okay to just use water all by itself. I started doing this when I was in a hurry but I find that it's actually pretty great. Just take some lukewarm water, splash it on your face, and use your (clean) fingertips to rub at your greasy spots (sides of the nose, chin, etc.) It helps break up concentrated areas of oiliness without stripping your face. Since I've almost completely stopped wearing makeup (it's too expensive and low on the priorities list), I don't have to worry about getting that off my face, and regular old water seems to do the trick pretty well. Here's some more <a href="http://www.fabulouslybroke.com/2010/05/water-only-facial-cleansing/">anecdotal support</a> for this method, if you can call it a method. Please note that using straight baking soda on your face as she mentions there is a bad idea, which the blogger says in a <a href="http://www.fabulouslybroke.com/2010/06/dear-readers-im-sorry-please-stop-using-baking-soda-on-your-face/">later post</a>.</li>
</ul><div>There ya go! Three easy (on the wallet and the skin) ways to keep your face clean that don't involve bombing it with the harshest chemicals you can find. And as I've noted, I use a combo of ALL of these things and the oil cleansing method, and I feel like my face looks better than it ever has. It's all about doing what works for you on any given day.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044045815164071490.post-80538292622770500692010-11-10T12:00:00.000-05:002012-10-03T12:28:24.374-04:00In Search of a Substitute: Orville Redenbacher's Lime and Salt PopcornSomebody call Dr. Drew, because I have an addiction to Lime and Salt Popcorn. I've been hooked since my first bag, and then it disappeared and I was distraught and hoarded my remaining supply. A couple of weeks ago I was in the grocery store when a single shaft of light shone down from the heavens and I saw, to my ecstatic surprise, that it was BACK! AND I BOUGHT FOUR BOXES! OOPS!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51uvayc9+JL._SL500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="229" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51uvayc9+JL._SL500_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasty, tasty poison.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popcorn_bag">Wikipedia</a>, which we all know is the world's most reliable source of information, popcorn from the store-bought mi<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">crowave bags is... how do you say... not so good for you.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In 2006, concerns were raised about the levels of </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfluorooctanoic_acid" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial;" title="Perfluorooctanoic acid"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">perfluorooctanoic acid</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> (PFOA, a chemical related to </span></span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teflon" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial;" title="Teflon"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Teflon</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">) in popcorn bags. The high temperatures used in popping popcorn may facilitate the transfer of the chemical, which is </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcinogen" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial;" title="Carcinogen"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">carcinogenic</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> in lab animals, into the popcorn oil.</span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DuPont" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial;" title="DuPont"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">DuPont</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> has agreed to eliminate almost all use of the chemical by 2015.</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Additionally, the artificial butter flavoring used in many brands of microwave popcorn has been linked with the obstructive lung disease<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronchiolitis_obliterans" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial;" title="Bronchiolitis obliterans"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">bronchiolitis obliterans</span></a>, sometimes referred to as "popcorn lung", in factory workers and others exposed to large amounts of the substance. The chemical <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diacetyl" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial;" title="Diacetyl"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">diacetyl</span></a>, the cause of bronchiolitis obliterans, has been removed from some popcorn brands.</span></blockquote>
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"POPCORN LUNG?" That ain't right, you guys. I have to figure out how to replicate this delicious flavor on my own, so that "popcorn" and "lung" may never again be in the same sentence, unless it is to say "I inhaled the delicious, non-toxic popcorn scent into my lungs before eating the entire bag by myself. The end."<br />
<br />
I get that you can make plain popcorn kernels in <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Microwave-Popcorn:-Home-made,-cheap-and-easy/">plain paper bags in the microwave</a>, and you can make them <a href="http://www.duxcw.com/potpourri/recipes/popcorn.htm">on the stovetop</a>, and then you can add your own flavorings. It's up to me now to figure out what process and what ingredients will most closely resemble Mr. Redenbacher's wretchedly glorious creation. Perhaps items from <a href="http://www.urbanaccents.com/Popcorn-Seasonings-s/14.htm">this site</a> could be of help. In the meantime, let's hope I don't crumble and die from eating the 4 boxes I already bought. Because I will do it.<br />
<br />
UPDATE: <a href="http://erinexplainsabit.blogspot.com/2012/09/successful-experiment-diy-lime-popcorn.html" target="_blank">I figured out how to do it myself!</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044045815164071490.post-90957233334384902062010-11-09T12:00:00.000-05:002010-11-09T12:00:01.134-05:00On my Mind in NovemberI can't stop thinking about:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Making my own <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Mineral-Makeup/">mineral makeup</a>. I found a kit <a href="http://www.coastalscents.com/cfwebstore/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=651">here </a>that seems like it would be fairly economical. <a href="http://www.brambleberry.com/Mineral-Makeup-Foundation-Kit-1-kit-P3643.aspx">This one</a> also looks pretty good.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/whatisnano">NaNoWriMo </a>and my perpetual failure to participate. I am extremely bad at coming up with storylines but I think it would be fun to try. Maybe next year. Or the year after that.</li>
<li>Establishing a day to <a href="http://navigatingdomesticity.blogspot.com/2010/03/vegetarian-freezer-cooking-with-3-year.html">start </a><a href="http://busycooks.about.com/od/makeaheadrecipes/a/freezablevegetarianrecipes.htm">vegetarian </a><a href="http://www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/oamc/vegweek.html">freezer </a><a href="http://busycooks.about.com/od/makeaheadrecipes/a/freezablevegetarianrecipes.htm">cooking</a> so I can stop going out for lunch so often (two or three times a week). I have this sweet/super nerdy stainless steel lunch container that I want to use so bad.</li>
</ol>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044045815164071490.post-41556381930588471542010-11-08T12:00:00.000-05:002010-11-08T12:00:02.232-05:00Successful Experiment: Oil Cleansing MethodI first learned about the <a href="http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/">oil cleansing method</a> (OCM) from general internet wanderings a few years ago. I was pretty skeptical, and also had no idea where to obtain the oils that are usually used in oil cleansing blends. This past winter, I was so sick of how dry my skin was that I decided to cowboy up and order some oils online (from <a href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index2.html">Mountain Rose Herbs</a>, to be specific) and give it a go.<div><br />
</div><div>The logic behind the method is that your face produces oils for a reason, and so it makes no sense to completely strip all of those oils away and then try to replace the natural oil-based moisture with a water-based moisturizer. Traditional, commercial face-washes and astringents and acne treatments can be incredibly harsh on the skin, and operate on the principle that "oil is bad." Too much oil sitting on your face all the time isn't ideal, but oil in and of itself is good for your skin. If you aren't stripping all of it off every morning and night, your skin won't feel the need to go bonkers and overproduce its own oils, which is where that "greasy" feeling comes from.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I won't lie, oil cleansing takes a bit more time than regular face wash, but it feels so good and your skin will be so happy afterward. Well, probably. It doesn't work for everyone, but different oils have different properties, and if a certain blend isn't working for you, another one might do much better.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Castor oil is used to pull things (like blackheads) out of the skin and dissolve dirt. It's a fairly heavy oil, so if you use only castor oil, it's going to be hard to get off your face. That's why most people cut it with a lighter oil, such as olive oil, which helps to dissolve makeup as well as making it much easier to remove the oil blend with a wet washcloth.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I have combination skin, so parts of it are dry and parts are oily. My personal blend consists of (approximately, because I don't measure) 50% castor oil, 40% olive oil, and the remaining 10% is varying amounts of jojoba, grapeseed, and sweet almond oil. I also put in a couple of drops of lavender essential oil for smell and its antiseptic properties. I massage this into my skin for a few minutes (or longer if I'm zoned out and watching TV or something while I do it), then I wet a washcloth under hot water, wring it out, and lay it on my face. This is possibly the most relaxing thing on the earth. Then I gently wipe off the oil and, if my face feels a little dry afterward, pat on a few drops of jojoba or sweet almond oil.</div><div><br />
</div><div>This worked beautifully for me all winter, but over the summer my blend was too heavy and I stopped using it. Now that it's starting to cool off again, I broke out the oils and have started it back up. I wish I had never stopped! My skin looks better and my breakouts are under control, and the scarring on my cheeks has lightened considerably. I also find that these oils last so long and have so many other uses, I feel like I'm saving money over buying a little $8 bottle of Neutrogena or whatever. It's a larger upfront cost to buy the oils, but I think it's a good investment.</div><div><br />
</div><div>There are tons of resources available via Google if you want to figure out which oils work for which problems. A bit of searching found me <a href="http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=5922&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=">this thread about essential oils and their properties</a> from a forum apparently called Essential Day Spa or something.</div><div><br />
</div><div>If you give this a try, let me know how it works out for you! I cleaned out the bathroom closet today and found an old bottle of Sea Breeze astringent and I can't believe I ever put that stuff on my face. The smell of it makes my soul cry.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044045815164071490.post-74787524920066361492010-11-07T12:00:00.004-05:002010-11-07T12:00:00.949-05:00Semi-Successful Experiment: Replacing antiperspirant with baking soda and corn starchI realize that in sharing this I risk shunning by friends and family who are proponents of antiperspirant, but hopefully none of my personal relationships are so shaky as to be severed by any underarm-related decisions I may make now or in the future. Right? ... Right?!<br />
<br />
As a person who wants to be considerate of others, I try to avoid producing offensive body odor as a general rule. I want people to smile when they see me coming, not wince. But even though the American Cancer Society says it <a href="http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerCauses/OtherCarcinogens/AtHome/antiperspirants-and-breast-cancer-risk">ain't really a thang</a>, the idea of antiperspirants makes me nervous. Plus I hate the idea of buying and throwing away all of that plastic packaging.<br />
<br />
Enter <i>le Google</i>. I found <a href="http://angrychicken.typepad.com/angry_chicken/2008/07/homemade-deodor.html">this post by Angry Chicken</a> about homemade deodorant, and it occurred to me that I didn't <i>have</i> to buy deodorant from the store. I don't know why making my own never occurred to me, but it hadn't. Her recipe looks awesome, but it involves lots of ingredients and steps and it's probably not that hard but I can be lazy and I wanted to find an easier solution. I still want to try that recipe someday (soon-ish, hopefully), but what I'm using in the meantime is way simpler.<br />
<br />
I can't remember exactly where I came across this idea, but general googling led me to understand that you can use plain baking soda as a deodorant. Let me qualify that by saying that while using straight baking soda will work, it can be a bit harsh and irritating to the skin. So it's better to mix it with cornstarch, which makes it feel smoother and even provides some antiperspirant-like qualities, as it is somewhat absorbent. Shoot for a 6:1 ratio of corn starch to baking soda. I didn't really measure, to be honest, I just put more cornstarch than baking soda into a tupperware container, shook it up, and called it good.<br />
<br />
It worked pretty well, but I have to say, I missed the nice smells you can get with conventional deodorant. So I took it one step further and bought a powder puff (to make me feel fancy when I apply the powder) and some scented body powder from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/BonnynClyde">BonnynClyde</a> on Etsy. I take the scented powder and mix a little of it in with the baking soda/corn starch mixture. It doesn't change the texture or the effectiveness at all, but it makes it smell nice (in a pleasantly subtle way).<br />
<br />
I still sweat a bit, which I don't mind too much because that's a thing your body does on purpose. I have occasionally noticed a bit of BO towards the end of particularly long work days, which can sometimes be exacerbated by the fabric of the shirt I am wearing, but I check myself on the regular to make sure I'm not ruining the olfactory lives of my coworkers. I'm currently trying to figure out a way to make this whole operation portable so I can do touchups if I'm going to be out for a long time. Other than that, this is an extremely cheap, "green" solution to a problem that had been bugging me since puberty, so I'm pretty happy.<br />
<br />
Here's a <a href="http://www.thegreenestdollar.com/2009/04/how-to-make-your-own-deodorant/">post from The Greenest Dollar</a> with a few other homemade deodorant ideas, if you're interested.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044045815164071490.post-16604001127401960922010-11-06T12:00:00.003-04:002011-01-02T15:47:12.810-05:00Failed Experiment: Activated Charcoal and Vegetable Glycerin MascaraThere are times when, as much as I appreciate their message, I find <a href="http://www.readymade.com/">ReadyMade</a>'s projects to be a touch inaccessible or impractical. They involve steps like, "Find a friend who is a metalsmith and have him or her weld all of these 1950s mid-century modern metal chairs to one another to create a chair-bench to meet all of your airport-esque seating requirements!"<br />
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But <a href="http://www.readymade.com/projects/macgyver_your_makeup_mascara">this</a> one is right up my alley. Simple ingredients, no metalsmithing, plus makeup. Bingo.<br />
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The materials:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Activated charcoal capsules</li>
<li>Aloe vera</li>
<li>A clean mascara wand</li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The instructions:</span></div><div><ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Empty an activated charcoal capsule into a small bowl.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Put in ¼ tsp pure aloe vera gel and mix.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Using an old (but thoroughly cleaned) mascara wand, sweep it onto your lashes. Make and use (don’t store) as needed.</span></span></li>
</ol></div><br />
Mascara can be pretty expensive, plus there are all sorts of shifty ingredients I am not terribly keen on putting near my eye-zone. <a href="http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/">The Cosmetic Safety Database</a> has succeeded in cementing my paranoia about commercially-produced beauty products.<br />
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However, since I couldn't find aloe vera gel that didn't look like it came out of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle after eating a bunch of lime jello, I tried to use vegetable glycerin as a base. It looked promising, but it just turned into big black droplets on my eyelashes and 6 hours later, it's still smearing when I touch it.<br />
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This would probably work just fine if I actually followed the instructions. I believe we have an aloe plant around here somewhere, so I can probably get some non-TMNT aloe if I look hard enough and see if that fixes the goop issue. "<a href="http://cartoons.wikia.com/wiki/Hexxus">Hexxus </a>from <i>Fern Gully</i> just sneezed on my eyeballs" is not a good look for me.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9044045815164071490.post-55949086696511270282010-11-05T21:36:00.001-04:002010-11-05T22:46:17.161-04:00Look at me trying to be socially acceptable!I figured today was a good day to start a blog because I got an American Girl catalog in the mail. It felt like a good omen. I haven't owned or thought about American Girl dolls since I was 8 years old, and 17 years later, they are still carrying the flame for me. That's dedication, and it's inspiring. If a dead-eyed fake child staring at me from the glossy pages of a magazine can't get me motivated, <i>what can?</i><div><i><br /></i></div><div>I'm not sure what this is going to be about yet. I have other blogs on which I post little bits of nonsense and silly pictures and a great deal of swear words. I hope to make this a bit more substantial and accessible and useful.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm interested in frugality, self-improvement, and finding the simplest possible solution for every problem. I experiment a bit with all of these things just about all of the time, but I always feel like I could be doing more. I learn just as much from my (frequent) spectacular failures as I do from my (less frequent) modest successes.</div><div><br /></div><div>My plan is to take you through each of these experiments and detail what has worked for me, what hasn't, and the resources I used to cobble everything together. I'll also share my goals, a few deep thoughts, and maybe a swear word here and there.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08679523825683122770noreply@blogger.com0