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!