composting. part 2!

after being all fired up about actually maybe composting, i went online to find a nice bin to see if i can get more motivated! ideally, small, un-obstructive and decent looking! and it should have some aeration so that the bin gets sufficient oxygen and doesn't end up smelling like a hot mess due to anaerobic process. 

couldn't find one that fit my requirements, and then I stumbled upon Naturemill!  GOSH! it seems EXACTLY suited for apartment composting!!!!

1. decently sized
2. looks sooooo slick
3. compost in 2 weeks!!! instead of months!!!

BUT it works on electricity though - it uses it to speed up the process by heating up the food wastes to the optimal temperature for composting and also it aerates it by churning the insides (this helps introduce oxygen and reduce the bad smell).

take a look at these pretties!!! if you see what's currently available for apartment compost bins (which ain't many), these are real stunners!  yes yes, i'm a geek.  I actually lust over a compost bin!!! 

 

Traditional Way

• during the compost class, we were told to layer greens and browns - to allow aeration and also probably to ensure the water is better mixed and not all gooey cos' water cuts oxygen and in the absence of the vital oxygen, it turns into an anaerobic mess...which means stink bomb! 

• also, it was recommended to  avoid adding meat to the bin. technically you could - but it was recommended NOT to add it in - to prevent rodents and insects.  

• and if you could, it was good if you could turn the compost every 2 wks or monthly...just to have everything mixed well, aerated (so it doesn't stink) and to speed up the composting process. 

• a bit of skill required for composting as you need to balance your 'greens' and 'browns', know when the aerate to ensure sufficient oxygen so your bin doesn't stink.   

• 2 to 3 bins.  cos' compost takes a while to breakdown, so you probably need more than a bin. 

• patience.  about 3-6 months generally for a home compost...cos' you need your pile to 'heat' up and for the bacteria and stuff to break it down. 

Naturemill

• you don't need to layer greens and browns.  you simply just throw your scraps anytime! the machine will churn and do its thing.   BUT you do need to add sawdust and baking soda to balance the compost and help the process along. also to reduce the smell. there is btw, a charcoal filter in Naturemill's machine! 

• you CAN add meat (cos' it is securely covered and the heat in the bin ensures the bacteria level is safe or something along those lines.  so.....)  BUT they recommend avoiding citrus, brocooli and certain food to avoid a stink bomb in your home. 

• you don't have to add any newspapers (I wasn't particularly keen on newspaper cos' of the ink..which may be lead based). you have to add sawdust or pellets.  if you have a carpenter friend, you can ask for sawdust waste...or you could use hamster bedding... or cat litter pellets (pee wee i think shd work fine!) 

• FAST! 2 wks and you get compost! instead of ~3 MONTHS via the traditional way.  so you don't need more than 1 compost bin!  

• Fuss free - throw in your scraps anytime. 

• Runs on electricity so you have to keep it indoors. it works outdoors too if you have an electrical outlet! and fingers crossed no one steals your bin from you! it's a possibility! 

Isn't it amazing!  but alas, the cost is high for me.  It's actually decently priced, but after conversion to SGD and the shipping costs, it is something that i have to mull about and lust after in my dreams for the moment.  One day i will get it!

after I saw the Naturemill bin, I personally reckon you don't really need to go for a lesson on composting! (i could have saved that SGD 80 and contributed to the bin hor...but ok lah. take it as an excursion with the hb)  you can if you are geeky and wanna learn more, connect with fellow greenies. if your main purpose is to reduce waste / compost for your garden or herbs and not so much interaction (aka anti social...which i am) - then I reckon you can just go ahead and get this beauty!  

the traditional method works great if you have your own land and enough space and HUGE loads to compost.  In Singapore, that's rare. I live in a apartment with the husband and don't have THAT much food waste to compost, and have limited space.  smell is also an issue cos' of the enclosed area, and stink bomb will really suck! 

composting! part 1.

you know the tons of fruit / food scraps you get each time you prepare or finish your meals?  every time I see the amount of fruit peelings left after preparing the husband's fruit lunch box, I feel a twinge of guilt as I throw it into the garbage.  living in a city and apartment - you don't learn how to recycle your food cos' mostly it goes down the rubbish chute...

photo from http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/

Recycling paper, plastics and other stuff?  in recent years, it's SOOO easy - recycle bins are all over the place and there is one literally a stone's throw away ( i have to throw the stone really hard...but yah. you know. very near).

Electronic waste? a bit harder...but a quick google and I found a bin in a nearby community centre!!! :)  i rather the items be recycled than collecting dust in my drawers. No use to anyone languishing there...

but FOOD? ney. nothing. na-da.  it always goes into the trash (except for the ground coffee beans...those go to my plants!).   I read and even you-tubed about composting before but just couldn't get round to it cos'

1. the smell!

• basically the idea of food decomposing/breaking down.... you probably know that smell when the rubbish collector whizz by in their machine or when you pass by a hawker centre's waste dispoasal area - WOAH! no thanks!

2. the bin.  

• WHERE to put it. indoors? YUCK. i rather not. outdoors? okay...i think i can put it somewhere outside.....if unobstructive  (i live in a HDB aka pigeon hole in the sky.  apartment living doesn't give you that outdoor space where you can safely put it so that the smell doesn't get to you...and the idea of something decomposing....) 
• AESTHETICS of the bin.  Yes, call me shallow, but i realllllyyyy don't get motivated if something's really unmotiviationg to look at.  
• SIZE of the bin. can't be too big cos' space is limited!

3. the idea

• well, you know. the idea of it in general.  it's okay to mess it up, but the messing up literally will STINK! and I (or the husband) will have to clean the stinky mess up!

so when I learnt about the Urban Food Farm lessons organized by Edible Garden City, I dragged the poor husband along for 2-days morning lessons over the weekend for the class on composting! (hey! better than sleeping in over the weekend right and someone stuck to the tablet watching tv series?;) )

The lesson was held at Growell Pop up @ Rowell Road.  Once you enter the quaint space, you are greeted by a amazing smell. shelves flanking both walls and rows and rows of microgreens! it just smells wonderful especially in the early morning. You kindda feel you stepped into a forest..that kinda scent.

you are greeted by shelves of greens and a wonderful aroma as you step in. 

Lesson was about an hour, followed by Q&A and a quick look at a compost heap they had at the back of the shophouse.   Much of the info can be learnt online...but you do get interesting info and tips along the way about composting and also gardening in general. the Q&As is also the time where you can bombard the speaker with questions.  If you are shy, don't worry - the other gardening enthusiasts will do the asking for you!:) and good questions too as quite a few of them are quite involved in the green movement!

Day 2 was held at Minden Road - Edible Garden City is creating a edible garden complete with huge ass compost bins for a upcoming restaurant 'Community Food Farm'.  It would be interesting to go back and see it when it's ready in May/ June!   We were taught to make a compost bin using materials around us...and after just an hour in the sun, I was completely depleted...and dying to leave!  I absolutely have no stamina....plus  i don't enjoy taking instructions esp if it could be done faster and more efficently.   As usual  the hb had more patience than me and gamely took it as it came...and i was getting grouchy. Yah....i have an attitude at times. 

All in all, it was an interesting course. Worth attending if you have the interest and time.  Wait for part 2 when i get round to writing as i chanced upon a wayyyyy easier and faster way to compost!

A church nearby...so unlike Singapore! So much greenery around, unblocked view of the skies and an old quaint building!

lesson starting

body butters, oils, creams, moisturizers

I have a slight love affair with skin care.  clothes and bags don't do much for me, but skincare? I LOVE!  It can be an expensive obsession though! little by little, it adds up!

Some years ago, I learnt about some of the horrible chemicals that goes into most skincare like EDTAs, parabens, etc.  A friend had a lump in her breast, and that was probably the spark that triggered me to be healthier (together with the fact that I once had a lump in my armpits - very likely due to the off-the-shelf deodorant that is filled with loads of nasties...).

So now the first thing I usually do (if i don't go gaga over their beautiful bottles and lose my logic!) - is to scan the ingredients list.  Not a bad thing actually...cos' most of the time, I have to put the bottle back on the shelf!  Definitely helpful in controlling my lust!

I have dry skin, and these months, the weather in Singapore is a bit crazy hot and I can literally feel my skin dry and slightly painful.  my skin's already dry and with the drier weather, I need help to moisturize my skin! and to top it off, my eczema on my finger is back!:(  boo hoo!  (read somewhere that eczema is amongst other factors - also due to a lack of omega 3 fish oils.  didn't do much research, but since I have fish oils in my fridge, I'm popping one everyday now! will see if it helps alleviate it!)

So in recents weeks, I slather on some body cream / oil / mositurizers.... so here is what's in my cupboard now!


1. Naked Organix - Sea Buckthorn body Butter

Sea Buckthorn, Shea Butter, Coconut oil, Jojoba Oil, etc....the ingredients seems promising, so I got it on iherb. .

Price: Fairly priced ~ USD10 for a small (107g) bottle.

Usage:  It's warm in Singapore so the body butter while solid is fairly easy to apply.  I would imagine in cold countries, it probably would be hard to dig into the solid butter!

Smell:  I find the butter....too food like!  not something i fancy (I also tried coconut oil directly...and definitely not a fan of food smells on my body).  A few times I used it before going out, and it made me self conscious. While the label reads "naked with nothing to hide" - I definitely felt like hiding when I had this on my body!  I probably smelt slightly weird!  So now I only use it at night just before I sleep.  so well...if I smell funky, only at night!

Moisturizing effect...it helps prevent my skin from getting drier, but nothing amaze balls....but i admit I'm a hard customer to please.

Order again?  While I love the ingredient list, I don't fancy the smell at all.  Personal preference.  I'll just finish this bottle and try something else in future. Highly unlikely to order again.



2. Soapwalla's Luxurious Body Oil 

Then I ordered Soapwalla's luxurious body oil from Living Naturally (p/s: Living Naturally has really good prices on brands that are hard to get in singapore!  not a wide range, but i go there for my soapwalla deodorant which I have since switched to Schmidt!  Really decent prices! I am comparing it with the normal retail price that the brands usually go for)

Price: Luxurious indeed!  I find it expensive for a small bottle ~ x3 times of the Sea Buckthorn Body Butter!  But I loved Soapwalla's deodorant and it was the FIRST natural deodorant that kept me from stinking super badly, so I decided to try their body oil.

This is what is mentioned

" a little goes a LONG way so start out with only a few drops. I don't use any preservatives in my products so they are much more concentrated than the usual skincare items you'd find on the market. Literally one drop will moisturize your hands and keep them protected yet grease-free for hours. This bottle will last for months."

Usage:  I think either I have very dry skin that greedily absorbs the oil or I might be using it wrongly?  I use it as a body oil, so minimally 5-6 drops for each limb (hey, I have long arms! and dry skin!) - and at the rate I'm using...about 20 drops each night - i think the bottle might be gone in slightly more than a month.

Scent:  when i first opened the open to sniff the oil...i was super disappointed. it wasn't amaze balls for the price (the price probably goes to the quality of the oils used...but it isn't exactly cheap so also did expect more scent wise too).  Surprisingly when I applied it - it smelt way better!  Don't really know how to describe the smell cos' it isn't a familar scent, but it doesn't smell funky like the Sea Buckthorn body butter!

Mositurizing effect: ok.  better than not using any body oils...but my skin isn't baby soft and silky after using it.  just normal.   disclaimer though, i do have quite dry skin...so this might work for someone who has more normal skin.

Order again?  Probably not cos' it is expensive for me. And I will try to see if i can find other body creams / butters.  The most I will use just coconut oil on my skin (while i don't particularly like the smell, for the price, I will slather it on when my skin cries DRY!)



3. Origins - Ginger Souffle, Whipped Body Cream

This was gift from the sister-in-law for Christmas.  A quick scan of the ingredients didn't yield anything that screams terrible. I'm no expert at reading ingredients, so if it doesn't have any crazy EDTA, parabens or weird names, I will use it.

Price: Not sure since it was a gift, but I would guess it would be a bit pricer since it's a well known brand and goes by a fancy schmancy name 'Ginger Souffle - whipped body butter'

Usage: Easy to use and apply!  Used it only maybe 3 times (that's why the bottle still looks so full!) until I got my soapwalla body oil.

Scent: Very gingery!  Great if you like the smell.  I was partial to it, but after a few times of using the other Ginger body wash and scrub, I actually quite like the smell!

Order again? I will finish using this.  Will definitely use if given as a gift...but to buy it myself - not so sure. I love trying new products and brands...so probably prefer to find some other items to test! But definitely like it so far the few times I used it.



4. Bio Oil

I bought this as I have a scar I want to get rid of/lessen the darkness.  A few friends swear by this, so I got it.

Price:  ~SGD15 for 60ml.  Reasonable.

Usage: Easy to apply...like any oil.  Absorbs easily too. Not greasy.

Scent: Smells alright! i quite like it.

Effectiveness:  It does work to lessen my scars - especially during the itchy months where my allergies flare and I scratch like mad - and my skin tears (dry skin tears easily!) and bleeds.  While healing, I apply the bio oil and really...the skin recovers well and the scarring is a lot less obvious than if i had not used it.  So it works if it's 'fresh' wounds.  my old scar.....seems to still be there, but seems to lighten a bit.    

Disclaimer: it contains mineral oils which some purist health advocates condemns.  While it works to lessen the scars, it seems to irritate the eczema on my finger, so I now apply only to the areas I want to lighten any scarring and the rest of the body.... I use other butters / oils.



5. DIY Body Butter

I DIY my own body butter after reading a few blog posts online.  Seems easy enough so I mixed coconut oil, shea butter, jojoba oil, cocoa butter, hemp seed oil and geranium essential oil.  You can use just coconut oil with shea butter - i added the rest cos' i had the ingredients so just dumped it in.  Mostly melt the butters and whip in a stand mixer.  Google 'diy body butter' and you will see a lot of pages will coming up with beautiful photos and instructions.  Mostly the same process - melt and whip.

Price:  Most of the items I already had. But I reckon not too expensive cos' the basic ingredients you can get in a supermarket and your local pharmacy for the EOs.

Usage: Very oily. I felt like a grease ball after I apply my own DIY body oil.  But could be my proportion.  Also due to the hot weather in Singapore, it is a little liquid like.  probably more shea butter to solidify it would work.

Scent: Smells decent cos' of the geranium essential oils that masked the coconut oil and cocoa butter!

DIY again?  for the greasy result, I reckon I will just use coconut oil directly (even though I don't like coconut oil! ) cos' no effort on my part needed (read: lazy).

Disclaimer:  If you have any medical conditions, please do read up on the essential oils if you plan to use them!  Some are not good for you if you are pregnant or have other medical conditions.  Also importantly, please read up on the dilution cos' too much EOs can burn your skin.  Remember EOs are highly concentrated, so please use with care.  And do not use on your pets without first researching!


So...as you can see, i'm still on the look out for a great body butter / moisturizer / oil / cream. whatever you call it!

okay, i'm a lazy bum. not been writing for almost 2 years!  ah well. typical of me. i get super enthusiastic and after my burst of energy, it dwindles into.....nothingness!  once i stop doing something - it stops for years before I have any slightest interest again!

now i shall revive this again! at least, let's see how long my attention span can hold!

the main purpose of posting is a place for me to ramble and talk about all my 'aunty' stuff -

• home stuff (home improvements, testing stuff, gadgets and stuff!), 
• skincare (oooo...soooo many products I wish to try, but it's good I don't have a crazy budget else I think i will have too many unused bottles lying around - it helps to rein in my crazy enthusiasm), 
• healthier living (i try lah), 
• simpler living (i LOVE decluttering and recycling, donating or throwing stuff i don't need. you know....this quote...

•  gardening (want to grow more edible plants...but no more space along the corridor which has decent sunlight, and as of today...my chilli plant looks really sad and wilting...and I dunno why!), 
• sometimes baking (which i enjoy but thoroughly hate the washing cos' my hands get really dry and my eczema flares up..so I don't do it as often. depending on my mood and also if the husband requests for his usual cookies), 
• my two darrrrling cats, 
• maybe books (i prefer non fiction and sometimes its hard to get your hands on a good book that speaks to you!) 
• ....and anything that I fancy

....so 'aunty' right. most of my friends are career peeps, and I highly doubt they have any interest in my housewife pursuits... so i don't bore my friends with stuff they have absolutely no interest in!


alright. this shall be a short post for what is to come...hopefully! hahaha...

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!