Need some help sleeping? my 4 methods so far.

the past couple of months, i hadn't been sleeping well.  takes forever for me to knock out and boy it is darn annoying.  how i miss the days when all i had to do was simply to place my head on the pillow and within 5 minutes, i'm off to la-la land.   now i understand what friends mean when they say insomnia's a b***h.

naturally i tried a couple of things.  first, i removed the LED clock in my room as one article said to have absolutely NO light at all.  well, it does work to some extent.  I get up in the middle of the night to go to the loo (on a sad sleepless night - it was a good FIVE times!), and not knowing what time it is and having a bright shot of light to my eyeball does help me relax and not fret that I STILL hadn't sleep after an hour!

[caption id="attachment_1859" align="aligncenter" width="280"] this is actually a really useful clock - LED clock, alarm and radio rolled into one. glad it has a new home at my sis's place - rather than sitting in my cupboard![/caption]

another thing i do from time to time is switching off my white ceiling lights and using the my lamp for about 30 mins to an hour before i sleep.  the warm yellow light does help provide some gentle ambiance, so when i head to my bed, my brain's not so 'awake'.

[caption id="attachment_1856" align="aligncenter" width="547"] my table lamp! i had to clip a paper 'shield' over my lamp cos' it was way to bright and hurt my eyes! with the shield, the light is nicely diffused.[/caption]

another thing which I felt helped...now please don't laugh and think i'm weird.  It started with me trying to stop the annoying 'fan-hair'.  you know - at night when you sleep and the fan blows your hair all over your face and tickles annoy you?  one night, out of sheer irritation, i grabbed the bamboo towel my mum got me and used it to cover my eyes, forehead and kindda 'wrap' in and contain my hair. and i found that using the bamboo face towel to cover my eyes - not only blocks out light (and prevent me from looking around instead of trying to focus on sleeping), it was also softer and heavier - so that slight pressure helps me to stop fidgeting so much.  of course, there are still many times I would throw off the towel, and then head to watch TV cos' sleep just wasn't gonna come. but it does help.

[caption id="attachment_1860" align="aligncenter" width="500"] bamboo towels are surprisingly soft! previously i thought all hype, but when I used my cotton towels i totally felt the difference! bamboo's way softer and surprisingly heavier at the same time![/caption]

and this I just tried this afternoon and am so gonna try this later!  there is this app called 'Relax Melodies: Sleep & Yoga'.  It's available for iphones and android phones.  what it allows you to do is simply to select some music that you like and then you listen to it while you attempt to sleep.   I tried this afternoon for my nap and fiddle with a few sounds until i settled on 'butterfly', 'bird', 'slow waves' and 'dreams'.  I love the sound of nature, and I did eventually sleep - though I have to disclaim I was also exhausted from re-potting my plants!

[caption id="attachment_1862" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Relax Melodies![/caption]

so there! my 4 ways of trying to go to dream land!  Let me know if you have any other effective ways! i sure need some help!

 

yes...i succumbed. call me shallow.

this evening, i succumbed.  despite my strongest efforts for a few months to rein in my desire - I could no longer fight it.

well, this evening grocery shopping trip revealed just how easily manipulated i am by a colorful, pretty, cheerful and rather unique (and slightly discounted).....dish soap pump!!!

yes yes. so anti-climax right! you might have been expecting shoes, clothes or a nice expensive leather handbag?  hahaha...strangely, those don't tug my heart-strings as much as items that pretty up the house! :)

so.....ta-da!  my Method soap pump which i am going to use FOREVER!  I promise to refill you (with non-method dish soap cos' I'm cheap that way) and look after you till the end of your day (okay - so not forever, i lied.  but as long as I can!)

[caption id="attachment_1811" align="aligncenter" width="547"] my new Method dish soap! so pretty ain't it! and i finally managed to find a use for the beer bottle!  loving this corner now cos' of all the colors!  orchids are amazing sturdy!  these few stalks lasted me almost 2 weeks![/caption]

i was at NTUC Finest and found myself once again looking forlornly at the Method soap dispenser cos' i could not justify to myself paying four times more (!) for dish soap ...and then at the corner of my eye - i spotted... $2 discount!!   immediately, giddy like a school girl - i lovingly  picked it up, turned to the hb and said 'can buy pls?' and i don't blame him for that 'aiyoh' look!  and in it went into the shopping trolley!

so drama right.  ahahha...pent up desire lah.  well, at least for $6.95 - i am now one happy girl (or 'aunty' if you so wish to call me that - i admit it myself!)

medicine for upset tummy and a whiter smile?? plus something for dog lovers at the end of the post!

Tummy's not feeling for the past couple of days and i was glad that I bought some medicinal charcoal a week ago.

heh. i shall confess. i bought the charcoal NOT in anticipation of the runs, but actually for a little experiment (which i have yet to start on).   

[caption id="attachment_1785" align="aligncenter" width="547"] charcoal[/caption]

what on earth would I do with charcoal you might think?  apparently you could use it of all things... to whiten your smile!!!

[caption id="attachment_1787" align="aligncenter" width="303"] white teeth[/caption]

yes! whiten. teeth. no kidding.  when i read the blog of the lady who tried it - i went 'really? serious?  doesn't it actually blacken your teeth?'  well. apparently it does quite the opposite after you wash the thing off!

I did try those gel strips years ago - despite the fact that I didn't like the fact that it was probably not all that great to bleach your teeth and that it wasn't so good for your gums.  All i can say is that at that point in time - i disliked the yellow teeth more - so I used a couple of strips, got it ever so slightly less yellow, then stopped.  i didn't experience any side effects.

[caption id="attachment_1795" align="aligncenter" width="224"] teeth whitening strips[/caption]

so imagine my surprise and delight when I found that someone used charcoal AND it worked!  cheap and safe - aaaahhhh...heck! why not!  Again, as usual - i went to research and read someone who tried and her teeth were sensitized cos' it was too abrasive.  so i guess the trick is to do it lightly, and probably once a week?

My teeth are slightly yellow - probably from the copious amounts of coffee I drink.  (irrelevant to the post, but I am trying to limit it to a single morning boost cos' apparently caffeine taxes your adrenal glands, and despite the inital boost - it actually weakens your body makes you more tired. still i personally think - bias and all - that a cup is good for our brains. i feel I think clearer).

so I'm gonna pound those pills into powder form and use it with my toothpaste!  update again after i try it!  Here's the link to the blog post where I first read about it for those who are interested!

probably will try only in the next couple of  days cos' seem to be coming down with the flu and my entire body is aching.  Part of the body ache probably is from walking Lucky at the dog shelter yesterday!  We took almost a 2 hour walk from the shelter to the nearby wetland (together with all the other shelter dogs and volunteers).  Volunteering to help take the dogs for a mid-week walk was to bring more joy to them, and I have to admit - I ended up throughly enjoying myself!

Lucky is super energetic - tugged and pulled and yanked.  had to dig in my feet to hold him back - until i figured that I had to walk a lot faster and ahead of the rest - then he walks contently at my side.  He has a really gentle energy about him and is very good natured (he tolerated TWO dogs trying to hump him!!) andwill be a great companion to someone who needs an exercise buddy!:)  The family or person who decides to gives him a home he deserves will be blessed with this darling!

If you or anyone you know is keen to adopt this handsome boy - you can click on the photo to head to the fb page.  Or leave a comment if you would like more info about this dear fellow!

Lucky - the shelter dog who has one of the sweetest temperament. a very gentle energy about him and I think he will make a wonderful companion to someone deserving of him!  

the thing I can't live without these days!!

This Chinese Lunar New Year is a little strange - rains like mad (I'll actually ok with that!  weather's much cooler though I'm glad the sun's coming out a bit more these days cos' it helps in drying the clothes!), and there seems to be tons of burning!  It's strange cos' I thought burning is usually restricted to the Ghost month?



Add to that - there seems to be a new resident smoker in my block.  every other day - there is cigarette smoke wafting into my home.  There are several kinds - some the 'usual' cigarette smoke smell, and others downright vile!  The vile one has this really really heavy, immediate-headache-inducing suffocating stench.  Well, I get both.

I'm a little upset cos i'm not good with smoke and literally feel suffocated by the smoke.  It's gets hard to breathe and I get a headache.  I'm can live with the paper-burning cos' it's a custom for some people and it's once a few months.   What I'm upset with is the cigarette smoke!  and almost every day!  Please.  I have windows and I wish to open them.  Go smoke in an enclosed room and douse yourself with your own smoke - I don't want any of it.

So now whenever I smell burning, I will close my windows.  though the pesky smoke seems to lingers and even becomes stronger!   Luckily, I have two wonderful machines at home!  definitely not state-of-the-art, but it does the work decently.

[caption id="attachment_1771" align="aligncenter" width="547"] air purifiers - my life saviours!  the honeywell was my dad's old one.  buttons are spoilt, but dad managed to fix it partially and it works on medium speed when you plug the power in.   The europace was one I bought several years ago cos' of the haze. [/caption]

the honeywell was my dad's old one and i bought the europace several years ago.  it was one of the least expensive purifier with carbon filter - the carbon filter is important to tackle the smoke / soot smell.  Just yesterday, I 'purified' my room and when I went to the toilet, there was this heavy smoke smell.  I switched on the honeywell for about 5 mins and the smell was significantly reduced!

so yes.  I am uberly grateful for my purifiers!!!:)

guess what I'm going to do with these!

as you might know, i'm not so pleased with the my DIY shampoo attemps, and the more natural shampoo - i don't quite like cos' it doesn't lather well.

and  in my attempts for other recipes, I read that actually diluted castille soap is not great for the hair cos' it's too alkaine. ditto for the baking soda and water.  and the other day i smelt the hb scalp.  let's just say it's not so good. hee.

[caption id="attachment_1751" align="aligncenter" width="230"] aloe vera leaf that I bought from cold storage cos' i happened to be in the area.  It's available at NTUC - probably cheaper there![/caption]

so I found another simple recipe -

• 3 tbsps of aloe vera gel


• 1/4 cup coconut milk

what can i say - i love to keep things simple - so much easier that way!

[caption id="attachment_1756" align="aligncenter" width="547"] pure coconut kernel extract.  i generally don't like the smell of coconut, but this was heavenly!  then i conclude - i probably don't like the artifical coconut smells.  the real deal? thick and rich - smells darn good![/caption]

Directions

1. cut aloe vera leaf.  here's a link on the safest way to cut! the videos i watched were super scary the way they handle the knife!  PLEASE be careful with the knife since the aloe vera is slimy and it can get slippery and easy to get cut!

2. blend the aloe vera in a blender

3. use the amount you need

4. keep the rest of the aloe vera in the freezer (I poured it into an extra ice cube tray)

5. mix the 3 TBSP of aloe vera gel and 1/4 cup of coconut milk

6. store in fridge when not in use.  probably can last about a week?

as usual, will test and update!

 

UPDATE @ 19 Feb 2013

sigh.  seems like i'm fighting a losing battle with my own DIY shampoo!

smells heavenly cos' of the coconut milk, but boy - does it make my thin fine hair greasy.  It does make the hair soft though....soft AND greasy.  so didn't pass this for the hb to guinea pig on.

I did give him a ice-cube of the pure aloe vera gel to wash his hair with....and he said it was slimy/oily.  I smelt his scalp...and hmm...it may be the aloe vera smell or his scalp.  either way. not so great.

more research to go!

Re/Upcycled (pretty!) glass bottles

call me paranoid - these days, I try to reduce the exposure to plastics in the house cos' I don't think it's healthy to have food I'm going to ingest touching the plastic all the time.

of course, there is the usual route of  'go buy new glass containers' and I either can't find nice ones or the decent looking ones - i just didn't want to pay cos' it wasn't exactly what I wanted anyway.

so one day i was packing my cupboard, and I came across a nice glass container I had tucked away in a corner, and hey! that could be my new cold water jar! just need to get rid of the sticker (though on hindsight - it does make the container prettier - ah well).

ta-da!

[caption id="attachment_1738" align="aligncenter" width="547"] pretty glass bottle - recycled!:) [/caption]

okay - if you are as anal as me - you probably want EVERY single bit of sticker wiped off cleaned!  for small surfaces, you could use rubbing alcohol, but for such a large surface, it's cheaper AND way easier - to first soak the label.

I filled a tray with water and lay the bottle - label side down.  After 5 to 10 mins, the label comes off pretty easily.  and definitely helps to have a scrub sponge!  THE easiest way to remove the label.  rubbing alcohol took way too much elbow grease and time!

so ta-da! my new water jar!  haven't used it yet cos' I need to scrub the insides first!

*****

You know sometimes you buy certain products cos' of the packaging? So I got this starbucks Frappuccino one time I need a caffeine boost.  and while it was too sweet for my liking - I got a nice bottle to store my condensed milk!  Exactly right sized for a can!:)  and pretty too don't you think?:)  I left the label on cos' I like it.:)

[caption id="attachment_1739" align="aligncenter" width="334"] Pretty Starbucks Coffee Glass - now used to store my condensed milk instead of using plastic tupperware (which i think isn't BPA free). [/caption]

my mum had a lovely glass bottle and couldn't bear to throw it away - so she passed it to me.  Normally I don't add stuff to my home, but it was pretty and unique - so I held onto it...and it was uber useful to store my vanilla sugar!:)

[caption id="attachment_1741" align="aligncenter" width="547"] i love this unique glass bottle! [/caption]

ta-da!  hope this inspires you to reuse the pretty glass bottles!

glass bottles are better for our health (though you have to be careful cos the glass bits are dangerous in the unfortunate event it drops - esp the small pieces which are almost invisible and can hurt badly!  so for a kid filled house, wouldn't recommend it!), visually more appealing (for me at least), environmentally friendly and makes your wallet heavier for you to spend on more meaningful stuff!

 

 

 

Letting Go of Your Bananas.

[caption id="attachment_1726" align="aligncenter" width="547"] Letting Go fo Your Bananas by Dr Daniel T. Drubin[/caption]

Picked this book from Popular bookstore - cos' of the catchy title.  flipped through it and the snippets I read was interesting enough, so at only $8.9 - sure, why not?  and i have to say - it's a fabulous book for the price!  (somehow, the 20% didn't apply despite the sticker!)

Essentially the book tells you to dump / get rid of the rotten 'bananas' in your life and become more successful.  for me - it translates to being happier.  Naturally one would be happier without rotten bananas in their life, and while it didn't contain any revealing principles or concepts, it provided many good (and probably required!) reminders, and a refreshing read.

here's the intro

"Everyone knows the fable of the monkey and the bananas – he couldn’t get his hand out of the jar because he was holding too many bananas, making his hand too bulky to remove from the narrow container.Life, contends Dr. Daniel T. Drubin, is like that story, in that too often people grab as many “bananas” as they can, without realizing that many of them, in fact, are holding them back. Now Dr. Drubin offers a quick 12-step program designed to help you see which bananas in your life are expendable, and how to drop them. Such tips include:- If you want to find gold, you’re going to have to lift some rocks.- Always work on your “dash” of life – the only time between birth and death that you have control over."

Snippets which i found worth noting!  Actually a lot more scattered throughout the book.

"Remember: It's okay to have bananas / barriers; it's just not okay to use them as the excuses that explain the condition of your life." [Key #4 Finding Your Bananas, p.40]

"Your past is supposed to be a place of reference, not a place of residence.  You can learn from the past, you just don't have to live there." [Key #5 - Win the Blame Game, p.45]

At only $8.9, i recommend the book.  Less than a meal if you eat out...and food for the brain is priceless aei?

 

 

 

 

Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year to you!

[caption id="attachment_1720" align="aligncenter" width="547"] Happy Chinese New Year!  I enjoy a bit of decorating.  A small touch - to bring some festive feeling into the home!:)[/caption]

It's the year of the Water Snake and boy - this is truly one of the wettest Chinese New Year I recall!  It's been raining pretty heavily for the past few days and when you think the rain's taking a respite, it starts all over again!  One thing great about the rain is that the weather's really nice and cool!

When I was young, Chinese New Year was a busy joyous event.  relatives gather at my great-grandmother's home (tradition dictates the younger ones visits the elder relatives as a mark of respect), and it was fun for me as a kid as there was a energetic buzz, red packets to be collected and also the thrill of meeting relatives you like - once a year. Of course, not forgetting the tons of snacks and eating!

Chinese New Year become a lot of a quieter event after my great-grandmother passed on, and relatives no longer gathered at the same place.  these days, CNY is a quiet event for my family.

Though a little nostagic for the old days - mainly for the wonderful people like my great-grandmother who is the nicest person ever!  and a super cute, cheery and happy grand aunt. i definitely miss the happy vibe they exude.  I'm grateful for the tone-down version too!  The hb and I visit the most important ones to us - allowing us more time with our own families and then we can head home to rest (and boy - do I get really tired even from just visiting just our own families!) I'm not so keen on visiting relatives that I don't really know cos' it's awkward and sometimes I don't know how to answer some of their questions.

Here's wishing you a happy chinese new year and the start of good new things!:)

 

simple pleasures and happiness

my apologies for the lack of posts recently. not been feeling that great recently, and the horrid itch didn't help!  yah. sad to say it's still around.  been taking meds at night, and it seems to help - so that's a good thing!:)

so....yesterday morning, I woke before my alarm went off and wayyyy earlier than my usual waking hours.  amazing huh! given I'm quite the pig and have consistently proven that I can easily sleep through my phone alarm even as it rings a zillion times.  once I had to be somewhere at a certain time and asked the hb to call and be my 'stand-by' alarm clock.  and boy! was i lucky i did! he had to call FIVE whole times before the sound hit me in dreamland!  I am pretty sure he was a tad annoyed, though he tried hard not to show it - right hb who reads my blog?;)

[caption id="attachment_1694" align="aligncenter" width="438"] the only other time I recall waking with such enthusiasm was when I took riding lessons eons ago! had to wake about 5 plus, but boy - was I just eager to jump off the bed! sadly i sucked so bad that I didn't continue. also it was expensive.[/caption]

I was looking forward to the day - as I had volunteered at a local dog shelter.  They were asking for mid-week volunteers to bring the dogs out for walks.  most volunteers are free only weekends, and the dogs go a whole week w/o walking. and a mid-week walk is something the dogs would love.  Since I had the time, I figured, why not?

So i started the day with my morning coffee (else I'll just be a grouchy monster) - with the sound of the water fountain in the background, and my two darlings loitering near me.  it's moments like this that I feel incredibly blessed and happy.

after my caffeine boost, i made my way to the shelter.  Located in a 'ulu' place - the 10 mins solitary walk was real peaceful - hardly a car and lots of wide open spaces (sadly, a premium here in Singapore!)!     finally reached the place, and there was a nursery - the plant kind!  take a look!

[caption id="attachment_1691" align="aligncenter" width="547"] love how healthy and vibrant the plants are!  maybe the next time I'll get one for the home!:)[/caption]

the volunteers (new and old) waited at the carpark till the 'chief' volunteer came to bring us in.   When we arrived at the enclosure, I was a tad concerned and wary when I saw the sizes of the strays! My twinkle is a small/medium-sized dogs - so I'm comfortable with smaller dogs. but boy! the strays were really a LOT bigger than what I used to!

a little drama actually - a dog fight broke out (which is apparently normal in a free roaming environment) and a volunteer got bitten when she was trying to clean the wound of a dog that snaps when in pain.  The dogs are actually pretty human friendly, but I guess there needs to be some level of caution especially when we don't have an established connection.   I stayed out-of-the-way, and just let the experienced volunteers do what needed to be done.

Once the drama was contained and enclosure cleaned of the loads of shit (apparently the dogs were having diarrhea!  and it stank just as bad as my cat's poo!) - we brought the dogs to a big field for them to roam, and boy were they happy!

[caption id="attachment_1697" align="aligncenter" width="547"] left photo: Faith - the dog I walked right photo. very powerful pull!  I had to dig in my heals at times!  she's one of the more docile one.:)  right photo: Chili, looking like a super young version of my twinkle tan. but she was very withdrawn.  doesn't bite nor show aggression, just super wary and aways backs away.[/caption]

After their little excursion, we brought them back to their enclosure, and here's a video of the dogs in their home!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY1PjvvsM08&feature=youtu.be

It was a simple activity, and it made me happy to enabled their mid-week walk! although it's sad that they are enclosed, they are loved and protected. at least by the founder of this shelter.    it's times like this when I am reminded of how lucky my family dog - twinkle tan is!:)    I think he knows that too - he stopped attempting to run away (he tried once when we first adopted him).   you can leave the door open, and he will just lie there on the floor or sofa!:)

hair treatment mask!

my hair's feels scratchy dry lately and been curling all over the place.

so i decided to do a simple hair treatment mask. and given my recent 'DIY instead of buying commercial stuff', naturally I grabbed the coconut oil I bought from iherb a couple of months ago. It's simple plain 100% coconut oil.  it's in liquid form cos' our weather's really warm, so if you store it in the fridge or are in a cold climate, it becomes a solid.  thought you might wanna know.

[caption id="attachment_1681" align="aligncenter" width="547"] Cococare 100% coconut oil - bought from iherb (as usual! heh!).  there's a raised level in the container - so it looks more than it really is![/caption]

if you want better quality coconut oil - either for cooking or skin care, you may wanna consider cold-pressed, hexane-free, organic versions instead.  supposedly cold-pressed retains more nutrients.  and if you are particular about chemicals, make sure it is not processed with hexane.  though the ingredient is listed as 100% coconut oil, I suspect it's very likely processed with hexane. at only USD 3.41 - I don't expect much.

So - back to the hair mask - what I did was spoon a few tsps onto my palm, worked it into my hair thoroughly and then put on a shower cap and left it for a good 2-3 hours while I busied myself with other stuff.

[caption id="attachment_1682" align="aligncenter" width="438"] shower cap from my recent hotel stay sure came in handy! if you don't have a cap - a warm towel wrapped around your hair also works.[/caption]

Shampoo-ed it off in the shower, and it seems to work pretty decently. A little work to get the oil out, and i didn't bother to get it out squeaky clean.  Just made sure I washed away most of the oil else I'll get a pillow case stain!

I wouldn't say it came out as soft as i would like but it's still a good way to try to tame down the dryness. besides, it's inexpensive and simple! woot!

 

UPDATE @ 14 Feb 2013

I did the mask a couple more times, and I have to say - it does help reduce the straw like texture, and my hair is now way more comfortable than before.  much softer too! and a really cheap great way to moisturize!

Saw an article here about ditching conditioners for coconut oil.  Here's the link if you are interested!

Recycling / Upcycling?

so I have a bottle of wonderful smelling yet ineffective deodorant.   seems like a waste to throw the bottle away cos' it smells really good.  so i kept it around for a while, and recently, I found a nice way to recycle!

used one of the cermaic rose aromatheraphy thingy you get as wedding favors, and poured it in instead!

[caption id="attachment_1664" align="aligncenter" width="264"] Recycling deodorant![/caption]

honestly, i can't really smell any fragrance.  doesn't seem to diffuse too well through the ceramic rose.  maybe it's better off as a toilet spray...

on the other hand, i have another one with the body shop peppermint foot spray, and boy! did that mint up the back toilet real well!  a little too well cos' it was a tad powerful!

Yummy Salad @ Tossz, China Square

[caption id="attachment_1651" align="aligncenter" width="410"] yummy salad at tossz, china square![/caption]

Normally I'm not a salad person, but whenever I am in the area, I would pop by Tossz at China square cos' I find their salads amazing! (probably more that the selection that appeals to my palate).

Rocket salad, with olives, orange, apples, kidney beans and chicken peas. generously drizzled with their japanese something sauce! YUMMY!

floss

yes floss - the thing you use between your teeth.

funny how it can even be interesting enought to warrant a blog post.  then again, i'm a geek. so....

all along I never knew there was any difference in flosses - after all, it's just a string/thread.  how different can they be right?  and the price difference? I assume it was all just marketing and  branding.

One day, i absently minded bought the Oral B floss (despite its horrendous $6 price tag - probably a moment of weakness) and boy oh boy! Was I super surprised!  The floss was smooth, glided well between my teeth, and I didn't get any 'floss cuts'!  Yup, I actually get floss cuts from wrapping the floss so tightly round my fingers as the usual dental floss that I use are hard to get between the teeth and i need more grip.

so here are some of the dental floss i have used, and Oral B's the best out of the three.  It's close to $6 each at Watson/Guardian, and I am sooo happy to have found a much cheaper source!  $6 for TWO - at the supermarket near my home.  heh.  now i can happily continue to use good floss!

[caption id="attachment_1643" align="aligncenter" width="547"] dental floss that i tried![/caption]

 

Eco Dent Gentle Floss and Pearlie White are basically about the same.  Both were difficult to get in between the teeth and a few times, the floss got stuck and i got slightly worried cos' it was VERY difficult to get it out and I could feel tension on my teeth when it gets stuck - not a good thing for floss to be doing that.  I also got floss cuts on my fingers cos' it can be difficult to floss especially around the molars and I think i wrapped the floss to tightly around my fingers. heh.  I bought Eco Dent from iherb and Pearlie White from Guardian / Watsons.  sadly both don't work so great for me.

Oral B's the best! smooth, glides well between the teeth and I actually use less cos' I don't need so much thread to wrap around my finger for grip!

Ta-dA! review of dental floss.  yes - boring old geeky me. but hey! just in case you planning to buy some - now you know which is better!

DIY shampoo

Just the other day - the hb mentioned that he felt the shampoo I 'made' for him (essentially just diluted Dr Bronner Lavender castille soap) didn't work so well, and he felt that his hair didn't feel so clean.

so i googled this afternoon and found a really simple receipe.

• 1 tablespoon baking soda


• 1 cup water

that's it!  and its supposedly effective despite its simplicity.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="568"] a tablespoon of baking soda![/caption]

so I made a batch.  I like simple recipes so I don't end up buying loads of stuff which if I don't catch and control myself - tend to do at times.

What I did additionally included was some essential oils.  10 drops of 'Awaken the Mind' by Skin Pharmacy which smells fabulous!  The same one I use in the hb's hair gel.  It contains rosemary oil which is superb for hair.  so in it went.

[caption id="attachment_1551" align="aligncenter" width="458"] add 1 cup of water + 10 drops of your choice of essential oil. rosemary is good for your hair![/caption]

so how does it work?  dunno cos' i only just made it.  Will update again!

 

UPDATE @ 12 Feb 2013

shampoo's okay - very watery and no lather so it's hard to feel that your hair's cleaned.   The essential oils on the other hand - does make my hair softer though!  I was walking back home one day and felt that my hair feels softer after using the shampoo for about 3 days...

meanwhile, still on the hunt for a reasonable priced shampoo or a recipe for one that lathers better and makes me feel that my hair is cleaner!

Lip Balm for super cheap!

i suppose you know the feeling when you fly - lips start to become dry or crack due to the dry cabin air and you desperately need that tube of lip balm to rescue them?

for years! the same tube of lip balm always follows me whenever I travel.  this time when I was packing, I suddenly wondered if it was a good idea to use the same old lip balm since it probably had zillions of bacteria from the years of slathering it directly on my lips!'

remembering I had a tub shea butter from iherb a couple of months ago, I decided I would use that instead.  so i went rummaging through my cabinets for a small container to hold the shea butter, simply transferred some over with a butter knife and voila! instant 'new' lip balm!

oh, call me shallow, but a nice container helps.  it's a joy to use the lip balm from a pretty pink translucent container with gold screw cap.  Morale of the story?  Keep the pretty containers! only the pretty ones though!  the not-so-nice ones?  I recycle them.

[caption id="attachment_1531" align="aligncenter" width="547"] Shea butter I bought from iherb. Transferred into uber cute estee lauder sampler container gifted to me from mum who received from her friend![/caption]

thing to note is that as it's 100% shea butter, it is fairly solid and harder to apply, but once its on your lips, it glides since the warm of your lips helps to soften it.  Best part - you can use it on any part of your body - your hands / body!   sis tried it and was impressed. ha.

so its good for your skin cos' it doesn't contain any additives, and doesn't cost much (USD 12.24 for 227g!).  I guess why the normal lip balms cost so much is from all the packaging.   You can consider this the next time you run down your lip balm!

SuKin

I came to know about SuKin from a friend who recommended it cos' of its natural ingredients.  While its deodorant didn't work for me, I have been slowly testing some of their other products - some I love, some not so.

The ones I didn't quite like are their deodorant (probably cos' i'm too stinky, but it does work for my friend) and their rosehip renew shampoo (doesn't lather well, and somehow I don't feel that it cleans well, and I saw a lot more hair fall!  it's could be a cycle when we 'shed'. or i rubbed too vigorously - so it could be just me and not the shampoo.   regardless, it's a meh for me).

[caption id="attachment_1495" align="aligncenter" width="163"] Sukin shampoo and deodorant[/caption]

The ones I do love?  Quite a few actually - i particularly like their facial wash and rosehip oil! and their body oil is not too bad!

[caption id="attachment_1494" align="aligncenter" width="595"] SuKin products I love![/caption]

Their foaming Facial Wash smells heavenly (then again, most of their stuff smells quite similar), washes decently - doesn't leave your face dry.   When you need a light refreshing facial wash - this does the job very well.  Very reasonably priced too - esp when you get them on promotion.  I got two bottles at $17 and I reckon they last probably a good 3 - 4 months.   Convinced my sis to change to this cos' it's a healthier and safer wash and she ended up loving the smell too.  Good price and good for your skin too! well, why not?

The other product that seems to work for me is their rosehip oil.  I NEVER ever thought I would use oil as a moisturizer, but it works for me!  it's supposed to be for more mature skin.  I have dry skin and I guess 30+ skin is mature?  and the best part is - it doesn't feel oily AT all!  it's a dry oil - meaning it absorbs really quickly, and I do feel my skin looking better than when i used other moisturizers.  so i'm sticking to this for a while!

I bought their bodyoil when there was a 20% and i was pleasantly surprised to find that it came in a glass bottle! it had a normal cap, and they even provide an extra pump dispenser.  boy - I as superbly impressed by the thoughtfulness.  and it wasn't too expensive - $17.52 after discount - given that other body moisturizers are about the same price too.

the next few I might wanna try?  eye serum and the other shampoos. let me finish my current shampoo first loh!

the hb laughed heartily AT me!

this evening while I was watching TV, the hb walked over, looked at what I was doing and started laughing.

you know the uncontrollable 'i can't believe what you are doing' laugh?  yeah.  that kind of laugh.

cos' I was sitting at the sofa....folding these I got from Vietnam

[caption id="attachment_1461" align="aligncenter" width="521"] bunch of washed tea towels[/caption]

into these

[caption id="attachment_1464" align="aligncenter" width="614"] folded tea towels![/caption]

i knew what he was thinking...probably along the lines of 'wah. you got nothing better to do?'   sigh.  the ridicule I have to put up with - while trying to be more environmentally friendly!  anyhow, I'm starting this small experiment to see if I can reduce my reliance on paper towels to be more environmentally friendly.  it does seem wasteful to throw the paper towels just to wipe my face or bowls and plates.

paper towels are still indispensable though! like clearing shit from the floor when my cat decides she doesn't like the litter tray (I say cat when i have cats cos' really only one of them is super fussy.  she's the princess), or when they puke out their hair balls (strangely looks like shit too!).  so let's see how.  i hope i can make the switch!

oh, and here's a photo that inspired me! the ladies in Hotel Nikko Saigon!

haul from iherb!

heh!  please indulge me and allow me to blabber on about my loots!  yes, i'm aware it does seem like i'm on a shopping spree recently, though they are generally household items and healthier alternatives to the commercial detergents.

my parent's order from iherb arrived a couple of weeks ago, and take a look at the hauls!

[caption id="attachment_1441" align="aligncenter" width="614"] Hauls from iherb.com![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1442" align="aligncenter" width="614"] Dr Bronner's Soap! My cousin mentioned that I could open a shop! only 1 bottle is mine - the rest are for my parents and sis.[/caption]

as you already know - I am switching all my hand wash to Dr Bronner's cos' it has less nasty chemicals.  My parents got the Rose Hemp and it smells really nice!  a little bubble gum like smell - in a good way.  Managed to convince my sis to change too and she got the eucalyptus and lavender.

[caption id="attachment_1444" align="alignleft" width="205"] Magesium Oil[/caption]

i got magnesium oil for myself -  see link for what it's supposed to help you with. for me, I mainly wanted to improve my sleep quality (cos' i wake up an average of 3 times per night!) and boost my energy level cos' I feel lethargic and sluggish at times.   I rub it to the base of my feet and the 2nd night I did it - I actually slept throught the entire night w/o waking up!!!

While on holiday I didn't bring it but still managed to sleep well.  Back home, I was lazy to apply (cos' I slept well on holiday so figured doesn't hurt to skip it), and the past 2 nights - i woke about 3 -5 times.  Sigh.  Not quite sure if it's cos' I didn't use the magnesium or the late afternoon coffee or the later nights i sleep.  probably a combination of all I suppose.

oh. you might like to know that you can use the magnesium oil as a deodorant!  they say to spray it directly on your arm pits, and smell-be-gone! Haven't tried that yet since I still have my Soapwalla deodorant.

There’s also pet shampoo, dental floss and shaver blades - quite amazed at the range that iherb has!

Now I know why so many people love online shopping.  if done properly and at the right places, it yields a lot of cost savings than from buying retail!

oh.  only thing - this time round, the delivery took 2 whole weeks before it arrived.  maybe cos' it's was during the new year?

See what greeted me when I came home from Vietnam!

oh yes! before I forget - this was what greeted me when I came home from Vietnam!  beautiful ain't it!  sooooo many flowering buds! so pretty.

What a lovely lovely sight - to see your plant flourishing!

[caption id="attachment_1435" align="aligncenter" width="410"] flowering buds![/caption]

the BEST laundry solution for me so far!

a few years ago, my dad bought me a laundry ball.  supposedly you  throw the ball into your laundry sans detergent, and it would well...do your laundry.  only thing? it didn't do it so well.  and i am embrassed to say my sweat's pretty potent especially on hot humid days...which is  320 out of 365 days.

so back to the normal detergent i went.

[caption id="attachment_1425" align="aligncenter" width="360"] This was the exact one my dad passed me.[/caption]

and then recently, my skin started acting up again - the usual itch on my arms.  have no idea what might be causing it since I am already using a milder body soap, don't use too much detergent in my laundry and generally been eating the same.

so in my usual mindless surfing (sometimes the hb asks what I'm doing...and really - it's fb, blog, emails and just mindless surfing...which in my defence, unveils some gems at times!), I chanced upon soapnuts.  so I asked my beloved google search and it said that soapnuts were supposedly better for sensitive skin, reduces your need for fabric softener, environmentally better, economical, and blah blah blah.

since it's good for my skin, the earth and my health. oh what the heck - i went to get some nuts. here, take a look at my nuts!  *yes yes, i AM corny*

[caption id="attachment_1429" align="aligncenter" width="614"] soapnuts![/caption]

I wasn't pinning too much hope on the soapnuts to wash well given the dreadful experience with the laundry balls.  And after trying it for a couple of weeks, they actually turn out to be not too bad!:)  clothes ARE cleaned (no sweat smell), and they really are soft despite not using fabric softener! and pyschologically  i felt better not using the normal chemical detergent!

it's really simple - all i did was pour boiling water and let soapnuts seep (about 5 - 7 soapnuts), and after ten minutes, throw the water into the washing machine, and the bag of soapnuts as well, and just wash as usual.

there is a vinegary smell of the soapnuts.  took me a couple of wash to get used to them but once the clothes are dried - the smell is gone.  so really - only the smell ain't so great.  you could use essential oils, but i think it's such a waste to use EOs on clothes.

oh and my itch?  ney. it's still there.  wonder what's causing it!

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam!

Over the weekend, my sis, the hb and I flew to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam for a short holiday.

We didn't go for any city / historical / educational tour - so it was really a shopping and eating trip!  It was really relaxing and I had a good time - partly cos' it was all planned by my sister so all i did was to just follow (its wonderful when you can switch your brain off), got to actually shopped for clothes i needed (thanks to my sis - cos' if not for her, I probably would have been turned off by the squeeziness and the crowd! since I'm with her gotta follow right? ha.), bought some household items for the home for cheap (yes, I feel that I'm becoming an 'aunty'), and also cos' i realized I didn't have to worry about the business since I closed it! (I believe that everything happens for our best interests more and more each day!)

We stayed at a really nice hotel - Hotel Nikko Saigon.  There was a promotion and it was just USD 310 for 2 nights, including an extra bed!  a superb deal considering how great the rooms are!  check out the photos!  plus they had jacuzzi and spa facilities which you could use!

[caption id="attachment_1403" align="aligncenter" width="737"] lovely bed and comforter...though the pillows were a little too soft for my liking![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1405" align="aligncenter" width="717"] toilet was really nice! there is also a shower which i didn't take a pic of.[/caption]

I went Hanoi before and it was a lot smaller and easier to quickly navigate around.  Ho Chi Minh by contrast is huge! and despite usually preferring a quieter location for holidays - somehow I preferred HCM.  It was strangely cleaner than Hanoi.  Also, in Hanoi, the cars and motorbikes were ALWAYS honking and the noise level was quite unbearable.  Traffic in HCM is still busy and messy but way less honking and less noisy (maybe cos' space is also bigger).

Exactly cos HCM was way larger - you need to know before hand where you wanted to go for the specific things you wanted to get.  Clothes / laquer ware / paintings.  I just followed my sis and told her what I wanted to see.

My hauls?

• 8 tee shirts / SGD 6 each


• 4 tank tops / SGD 3 each


• 2 dresses / SGD 12 - 15.  my sis got more proper dresses about SGD30 or so)


• 1 leather pouch / SGD 24 and quality is really good!


• 50 tea towels (yes, 50.  I'm trying to reduce usage of paper towels to be more environmentally friendly...and tea towels in singapore are ridiculously priced!  I got the 50 pcs for only SGD 6!!  Here, I'll probably have to pay about four times more!)


• 2 bath mats (for the fun of it.  i could have got it at about the same price here at home).


• Laquer ware and plate / SGD 50 for 4 pcs.

Shopping was a lot of fun cos' it is crazy cheaper than back home and I think I got my casual clothes shopping done for the next 2 years!  Of course you need to know where to go and to check the prices at each stall if not the stall owners will naturally try to make a neat profit from you.

also got other stuff for the family (coffee, shawls)  here's a photo of only the clothes for four people (my sis, her friend, my mum and myself).  Naturally the shopaholic sis owns most of the clothes. She was one happy happy shopper!

[caption id="attachment_1410" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] shopping hauls! clothes for sis, her friend, my mum and myself![/caption]

i love my plants!

I never quite considered myself a person with green fingers.  In fact, I always thought that I wasn't so great with plants cos' for the very few times I had plants - they didn't flourish that well.  So you can imagine my delight when I saw my lipstick plant flowering!:) ain't it so pretty? :)

I guess all it takes is some love - that bit of attention and effort....and probably the sweet potato water I watered it with! ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOva-VJXJJQ

itchy itchy itchy!

these past few days I've been plagued by a horrendous itch!

and i suspect it's the sweet potatoes I've been eating.  not a 100% sure, but that's the only difference since the itch started - which is kindda sad cos' I am trying to switch to a healthier middle-of-day/midnight snack rather than the high sodium campbell soup and not-healthy instant noodles.   anyhow, i'm laying off them and hope my itch goes away!

i try my darnest to resist scratching but ooooo....the instant relief is so irresitable...initially!  then that gives way to pain since your skin can only take so much abrasion.  no fun.

anyhow, if you ever suffer from an unbearable itch, you can try what I did...

1. ice cubes!  in a plastic bag and apply to your itch area and waaaaaahhhh.....instant relief!



2.  lotions

between the calamine and tea tree antiseptic cream - i actually prefer the calamine - it is a chalk like liquid, and when it dries - i find the powdery film left behind actually acts as a layer of protection from my fingers when I go into auto scratch mode!

The tea tree provides only mild relief but it's good if you need to get out of the house and don't want people staring at you - wondering what's that white film (that the calamine lotion leaves behind) on you!

[caption id="attachment_1243" align="aligncenter" width="534"] my life savers![/caption]

okay - i shall sign off now and go back to applying ice!  arrrrghhhh....so itchy!!!

holidays

the hb, sis and I are heading to Vietnam for a short weekend trip soon and my sis being the one pulling it all together - sent me some info on travel insurance, and on the places she had planned to visit....and it hit me that I was so darn laid back!

only a couple of years ago - when I was about to take a vacation - I would be thrilled!  once, I even started packing 3 weeks before the trip!  now?  probably the night before.   Over the years, the hb and I have become more relaxed when it comes to holidaying - more chilled, no more frantic planning on where to go, what to do, what to see.  after all, a holiday is supposed to be fun and relaxing.

One of the holiday I enjoyed the most - was one with some planning, and then allowing each day to evolve naturally.  Of course it helps that there were TONS of stuff to see.  Anyhow, I'm just SO happy my sis is pulling the trip together...and all I have to do is to turn up!:)  I admit, I'm a lazy bum. Maybe i shall take the dslr along to improve my photography skills!

toxics in our daily products and an easy way to change

over the past few months - i slowly but surely embarked on a quest to become healthier - in terms of the things I use in my house.

many reasons - big and minuscule led me to this journey.  started when a friend had health scare which made me more particular about certain ingredients in my deodorant. partly I was trying to reduce consumption, simplify my life, have more time to read and also of my easily irritated skin.

it can be kindda scary when you first start noticing the ingredients in your daily products - from your shampoo, body soap, hand wash, etc and see the list of scary ingredients.  aluminum, parabens, tricolsan, etc.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfq000AF1i8&w=560&h=315]

So I started to see if I could replace the commercial products without burning a hole in the pocket.   and the happiest thing i found out??  switching to a healthier option - does not need to be expensive!  (you know when you step into organic shops that tout to sell healthier products?  ironically i get an unhealthy heart palpitation when 1 see the prices!)

In fact, if you shop at the right places, it can actually be even cheaper than the commercial stuff at supermarkets!   I've changed my hand soap, and am in the process of doing it for my parents too -  shared the info with my sis and cousin too and when they realised that it's a healthier option which is also more economical and smells darn good as well - it was easy for them to start trying.  some stuff I DIY - like my husband's hair gel which in fact made his scalp smelll wayyyyy better and in fact he said his hair is softer!  There are more I wanna try - just haven't start on it yet!



So I started a page to list the places where I shop - as my own personal reference list and also to share this info with you.  At the moment - both stores are online shops so they are able to provide better prices generally.  Will be building the list as I go exploring around!  Go check  it out if you are keen to start greening de-chemicalizing (yes, my own word) your home and whether it can help you save that bit too.

for your info, I am not a hardcore wellness person (at least at this moment) - I seldom buy organic stuff (maybe only 10%?), have stuff I'm unwilling to give up  my morning coffee!) and probably have a couple of products that I intentionally don't screen cos' i don't want to know...yet!  (like my Estee Lauder Advanced Night Recovery Serum cos' it helps heal my skin when I have those annoying pimples!), household products I love (bleach! to kill those nasty flies that reside in the drainage holes and for my toilet bowl), etc.

so I am by no means an expert.  My intention is very simple - reduce the nasties in my life and for my family so that we can stay healthier.   I would encourage you to try it - it takes just a little initial effort and the benefits of a healthier body / environment?  priceless.

DIY soap dispenser!

Was totally inspired by a beautiful DIY soap dispenser I saw yesterday - a Jack Daniel's bottle, transformed into a soap pump!  beautiful isn't it!

[caption id="attachment_1170" align="aligncenter" width="408"] beautiful soap dispenser! check out the original post!:) http://curlybirds.typepad.com/curly-birds/2012/12/quick-gift-jack-daniels-soap-dispenser-.html[/caption]

and i managed to do one myself!  ain't as pretty as the Jack Daniel's, but hey - it was fun!

[caption id="attachment_1173" align="aligncenter" width="614"] while not as pretty as the Jack Daniel's version - it's pretty good too![/caption]