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Posts Tagged ‘projects’

On My Mind, episode 11: summer plans

laelene Posted in general blog, on my mind，Tags: calavera, dinners, eating, food, friends, kickstarter, meals, panda, pictures, projects, summer, travel, trello, work

18 April 2016

I don’t do a lot of journal entry type posts here, but there are some things going on that I just wanted to share. Sometimes there is no specific topic; it’s just about life in general.

This weekend, I was very excited to get a shipment notification from Baubax, which I backed on Kickstarter back in September. I had hoped to get it in time for Thanksgiving. So much for that! They originally anticipated being able to get them completed by November, but their campaign exploded way beyond they ever expected. The product is a travel jacket, which they designed 4 of. I chose the red bomber jacket because it seemed like a nice balance between dressy and casual. I hope it fits me well!!

Panda and I have been looking for someone to rent a room in our home. His organization has interns that will be coming next month and they always need a place to stay. There are a few students we’ve considered and I look forward to finalizing details. We’re happy to earn some extra money to help fund my MBA. I’ll be leaving halfway through their stay to get ready for my program. Things are going to be crazy the next couple of months! Maybe in the future we can consider listing a room on Airbnb.

Panda got the Whole Dang Thang, which included fried fish, scallops, gator, calamari, shrimp and more.

About a month ago, Panda and I went out to dinner with Calavera for cajun seafood. As I was cracking away at my crab legs, I didn’t realize I was weakening part of my tooth and on the drive home, I noticed that my tooth had chipped. Prior to that, I had noticed a tiny little indentation along the bottom of the tooth, so it must have fractured along that groove. I needed a teeth cleaning anyway, so I scheduled a dental appointment and was told I should get a crown. Since dental procedures are expensive in the US and I plan on going to China this summer, I decided to wait until I go there to get it done. In the mean while, I look silly sometimes with what looks like a gap in my teeth that then shows itself as a missing chunk. At least a gap would look normal!

Now that I know what program I’ll be attending in the fall, it’s all about getting to know what they have to offer. I received a call from an MBA Ambassador today, but I was working and then wasn’t able to reach her later. I’m compiling questions about the program, life in general, and other things to know before I start school. There are four more people I should reach out to (two friends and two ambassadors, one who interviewed me). I think I’ll learn a lot at Admit Weekend next week and I can’t wait to start meeting people, learning, and thinking about what I’ll do. All this looking to the future has me distracted from what I should focus on, but I’m still making good progress at work. Still, I’m itching to train someone up and start handing things off, though it looks like that won’t happen for another month.

I’ve always been interested in helping uncover resources and make them more readily available, so I created an unofficial employee handbook using Trello. Tomorrow I get to train a new girl on it for the very first time! I can’t wait to see what she thinks, get feedback, and hone it into a lasting legacy that I will leave here. I’ve got quite a few projects that I hope will continue to live on when I’ve moved on. I know that our use of Slack will certainly be one of those.

There are so many things buzzing around in my head these days. With my obsession with Trello, I’ve put together various boards to help me track everything I should be doing. Now I just need to get better at checking them… 😛

Homegrown Collective July 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: green, homegrown collective, pictures, projects, reviews, soaps

23 August 2015

Ooo, another soap box! Almost a year ago, we got a similar box, but the recipes are mostly different this time. I like that they used the same three base soaps, but came up with some more soap types to try out. The charcoal one is the same as last year, but that means I get to try it with both possible bases (white and clear). I want to try using some of the fun molds I’ve gotten, like stars or ducks.

The Homegrown Collective GREENBOX is $39 per box + $9 shipping (or as discounted as $429 for an entire year, with options in between) and comes with fun and easy projects to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program you can apply to join.

Project #1, DIY charcoal soap: As mentioned, this soap is the only repeat from the last box. Since you can try it with two different soap bases, I look forward to being able to make both! Yeah, I still haven’t made the soap from the last round… I just have so many bars waiting to be used! I’ll make these when I finally work through some of the backlog I’ve managed to accumulate.

Project #2, DIY rosemary mint soap: I don’t think I’ve had a rosemary soap before, so this is a cool one to try. I certainly enjoy cooking with rosemary and I like the benefits that it is purported to have for the skin. Detoxifying soaps are my fav!

Project #3, DIY cacao chocolate soap: For me, this is the most likely candidate for the luffah and I can’t wait to try it. I will look for some extra ingredients to incorporate as well, just to make things more exciting. It’s so much fun to get full control over how your soap will be made! I wasn’t sure when the cinnamon sticks were supposed to be used, so I figure this one would be the perfect fit. I’ll probably shave off some and then break off some bits to mix in.

I prefer using soap over body wash, so I’m more than happy to get another box of them. With these pre-made bars, it’s super easy to customize them the way I like and have fun creating something unique. These ingredients should sit pretty well, so I will hold off on making them until I’m closer to using them. I’ve got a drawer that’s full of other soaps at the moment!

Want your own? Subscribe to the Homegrown Collective to start getting projects too!

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Homegrown Collective June 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: body scrubs, boxes, exfoliants, face scrubs, home, homegrown collective, homemade, pictures, projects, reviews, scrubs, subscriptions, sugar scrubs

10 July 2015

Ooo I’m all about exfoliation! In fact, I think I probably go too crazy with that, but I just love envisioning the dead skin sloughing off leaving behind freshness. Sugar, salt, ground up nuts – I’ve tried’em all and love’em all!

Project #1, DIY lavender bath soak: Ah, what a nice easy soak to put together. I enjoy baths with lovely scents like this, so I’ll be trying this with one of my next baths.

Project #2, DIY eucalyptus sea salt scrub: Now what is the difference between these types of salts? I’m not really sure, but I’m happy to use them. I guess epsom is good for soaking and sea salt is good for scrubbing. Oh, and the glove is so cute!

Project #3, DIY sugar & lemon scrub: I had no idea sugar helps draw sugar to your skin, but I did know there is a difference between using sugar scrubs vs. salt. Still, I like them all and will use this when my skin is feeling dry to hopefully revive its moisture.

All these are just up my alley and I’m excited to have them to try, among my many other exfoliant products. The last sheet explained more about exfoliation and the benefits of it all over your body. Good stuff. 🙂

Want your own? Subscribe to the Homegrown Collective to start getting projects too!

Homegrown Collective May 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: eco-friendly, green, health, pictures, products, projects, reviews, skincare, subscriptions

14 June 2015

What a cool theme! Focusing on an area of the body allowed them to really include a nice variety of projects this time. I’m super excited about these, some which are totally new and some which are familiar.

Project #1, DIY rosewater tonics: I have a bottle of rosewater sitting on my counter, which I use to lightly mist my face from time to time. I like that this time they also offered a toner option, which I’m totally going to try. I definitely need to use toner!

Project #2, DIY makeup remover pads: I’ve already done this one so I can try them out this week. I generally use facial wipes, but I’m happy to make my own makeup remover pads to use instead. I love how simple and easy it is.

Project #3, DIY activated charcoal mask: I’ve seen both these projects in previous boxes before, but I think it’s the first time they’ve been offered together. I just started trying a teeth whitening toothpaste, so once I get a chance to see how that works, I’m curious to try the charcoal and compare.

Project #4, DIY coconut oil pulling chews: I also went ahead and made these to try first thing tomorrow! It takes me a good half hour to get to work, so I might chew these on my drive. I’ve never heard of oil pulling before, but I figure it couldn’t hurt. I made half peppermint and half cinnamon to see which I prefer and future batches will probably be one or the other.

I couldn’t quite figure out what the loofah was for, but I’m happy to have another one. Is it weird that I love the unique jars, molds, and containers they send? I just love that stuff. I’m also really pleased with this box. I’m trying to be better about doing them right away or else I sort of don’t get around to trying them…

Want your own? Subscribe to the Homegrown Collective start getting projects too!

Homegrown Collective April 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: almonds, eco-friendly, food, green, homegrown collective, milk, pictures, projects, reviews, seeds, sprouts, subscriptions

07 May 2015

Hmm, I guess they reverted back to printing out inserts. This box is similar to a combination of two previous boxes (my very first one with sprouts and one with almond milk). I like that sprouts are completely different ones and the focus was a unique theme of raw foods.

Project #1, growing sprouts/sprouting: Wow, there are so many different sprouts to try! I’ve really only had bean sprouts and alfalfa sprouts before (pretty sure brussel sprouts aren’t actually sprouted). I’ll have to test each of these to see which is tastiest. Maybe they all are, and that would be great. These would be super easy to throw in a salad or atop my regular meals. Seeds are powerful things and I have no doubt that sprouts offer great health benefits.

Project #2, chocolate almond milk: While I am not a fan of almonds, especially anything made from them, I’m curious how a chocolate milk would be. I started to try to make the original one I had from the other box, but I left the almonds sitting too long and it grew mold so I had to throw them away. I haven’t quite gotten around to retrying just yet, but I will!

These are simple projects yielding all sorts of edible results. I would have liked to see one project using some of those seeds and making a face mask or something from them. Otherwise, this box was good, with a variety of easy plants to deal with.

Interested? Subscribe to the Homegrown Collective get your own projects!

Homegrown Collective March 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: baking soda, cleaning, home, household, projects, reviews, sucscription boxes, vinegar

11 April 2015

Homegrown Collective is trying something new and instead of printing out inserts with the projects for the box, they’re posting all the info on their site! I think that’s a great idea and it certainly offered them a chance to share a ton of information. This month’s theme is “Vim & Vinegar!” and they showcase three types of vinegar, all with amazing uses. This is great timing since Panda and I were planning on some spring cleaning this weekend.

Project #1, orange peel white vinegar: I can’t believe I never considered infusing vinegar with other scents to help with the odor. I’m pretty sensitive to the scent, so cleaning with vinegar has been something I avoided. This is perfect and I can’t wait to see how the orange peel helps with the vinegar smell! I won’t have to hold my breath when using white vinegar to clean. 🙂 They also laid out over a dozen ways to use it, from removing scents to conditioning hair and of course plenty of cleaning remedies. A spray bottle of this stuff is going to be a total life saver around the house.

Project #2, baking soda & white vinegar cleanser: Combine two power cleaning products and the effects have got to be amazing! I’ve heard of all the things baking soda can do, so it totally makes sense for both of these to be key ingredients to cleaning just about anything. Surprisingly, I haven’t tried using them for removing stains before. I really need to try that on the ones the cats have created.

Project #3, apple cider vinegar: Wow, they wrote up another extensive list of ways to use this kind of vinegar. I’m totally adding this to my daily drinking habit (I go through a good 10 mugs of water and/or tea on weekdays). I never knew it could be good for digestion! Maybe it will help with my stomachaches. Other uses that jumped out at me were skincare related, including using it for a facial toner, applying it to work against acne, and rubbing it in to help with cellulite. The hair care benefits reminded me of what I learned from the January box.

Project #4, pasillo pepper spicy vinegar: The final use is about infusing vinegar, which takes advantage of the balsamic vinegar. I did a cold infusion before, so this hot style will be new and should provide a strong flavor. I’ve never tried pasillo peppers and I hope they aren’t too spicy or I’ll have to give this to someone else to actually consume.

What an assortment of vinegars and their respective uses! This will certainly keep me busy for awhile, trying out all the ways vinegar (and baking soda) can power my cleaning needs. I love the simplicity of these natural items that are so easy to buy.

Subscribe to the Homegrown Collective today and start living a greener lifestyle!

Homegrown Collective February 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: beeswax, boxes, face scrubs, home, kitchenware, lip balms, pictures, projects, reviews, subscriptions, utensils, wood butter

15 March 2015

Now this is a theme I’ve seen before. In fact, it was exactly a year ago! I like that the projects are slightly different from the first time around, though I think once my annual subscription is up I’ll have to take a break since I’m starting to see repeats.

Project #1, honey lip balm: This simple recipe for lip balm is all you need for soft lips! I like that there are the tubes and tubs to use. I didn’t realize until later that the essential oils were meant for this one. I have a ton of lip balms, but this might be just the thing I can make for Panda so he doesn’t always complain of dry lips in the winter.

Project #2, honey & sugar scrub: This time around, the sugar was not included. Luckily, I have the bag from last time and raw sugar isn’t hard to find at the supermarket. I think the essential oils could be useful in this as well. I love a good scrub!

Project #3, beeswax wood butter: Sweet! Last time we did wood coasters, which I still use pretty much on a daily basis at home. Now I get some cooking utensils, which will be great for the meals we make. I even used some of the wood butter I made previously on the kitchen cabinets, which helped give them a nice luster (and hopefully be more resist to the steam and oils from our cooking). I’m excited to add these to my collection of tools.

I couldn’t quite understand what the peppers are for and I wasn’t sure about the essential oils until I reviewed the recipes in depth, so I took a picture of these mysterious extras separately. I still don’t see a use for the peppers, but I can use them for other things!

I would have enjoyed these a lot if they were new to me. I do appreciate that it wasn’t identical to the last box of this theme, but some greater variation would also keep me interested. We’ll see how many more repeats come along.

Subscribe to the Homegrown Collective to get your own projects to try. You’ll be going green in no time.

Caulking those cracks

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses，Tags: cats, family, home, home improvement, household, lifestyle, panda, pictures, projects

21 February 2015

For awhile now, Panda’s been talking about caulking the cracks we’ve been seeing. The builders left us with a tube of it, which we have been meaning to use. So two weekends ago, we went shopping and got a caulking gun. We opened up the caulk tube and got to work in the coldest part of the home – the stairway leading up to our unit. It turns out that I’m far better at it than he, so I ended up doing a lot of the work. I even had to fix some of the caulking he did (what would he do without me? ;)). The cats were also super fascinated by this activity, so they sat around watching. Panda was a bit worried that they may try to sniff and then lick the stuff, but they didn’t seem that interested in it.

Have you caulked your home before? We still have plenty to go and I keep putting it off. Would you hire someone for jobs like this or do it yourself like us?

crack by stairs of home prior to caulking

These were the cracks that we tackled.

caulk gun poking hole into caulk tube for use

We poked a hole to let the caulk get squeezed out, but eventually it clogged and came out the back end so I just scooped it out with my finger from the other end.

midway through caulking process with globs of caulk covering crack

Putting the caulk on in all its globby goodness. We tried smoothing it with a plastic card, but I found it easier and faster with my finger.

two cats sitting on stairs watching caulking project

The cats love to oversee our home improvement projects.

crack by stairs of home concealed after caulking job

Finished product! Looks pretty good, doesn’t it?

Homegrown Collective January 2015 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, conditioners, green, home, homegrown collective, lifestyle, natural, pictures, projects, reviews, shampoos, subscriptions

11 February 2015

Again and again, they continue to impress me with their projects and timeliness. I was just telling Panda how I needed some conditioner. Traditional hair care seems to be causing some of my hairline breakouts, so I’ve been avoiding them and now I have the perfect, natural solution.

Project #1, DIY dry shampoo & conditioner: This totally reminds me of my Klorane dry shampoo, which I still use. I’m surprised how simple it is – you can basically just use the maize starch and you’d be good to go. I absolutely love the little shaker they included, which is totally adorable. I’ve already done this project and have it sitting ready for whenever my current dry shampoo runs out! I’m not sure where the conditioner plays into this part, so I think it was just supposed to be dry shampoo.

Project #2, DIY coconut conditioner: I saw video about using coconut oil to help grow your hair stronger and longer, but I never got around to buying some. Now that I have this, I just need to make some extra time one day to apply it and let the oil absorb into my hair. I’m not great at these types of things that you just leave on, but maybe I can also get a mask out of the way at the same time to get more for my time.

Project #3, DIY rosemary shampoo: I can already imagine my softer hair. The winter has done a number on my hair and sometimes it feels like straw, so I’m looking forward to improving the condition of my locks. It’s amazing that this shampoo is full of great ingredients and would be safe enough to eat. Now that’s good for the body.

Project #4, DIY hair care: I’ve read about the benefits of baking soda and vinegar, but again, just never tried it. I want to wean myself off my usual hair routine and incorporate these simple remedies though. It just takes of bit of patience with these and they aren’t nearly as fun since they don’t have the foaming action I like so much.

I can’t wait to put these to good use. My hair hasn’t felt very healthy for awhile, so I’m hoping these can really improve its condition. I will miss lathering shampoos, but I’d rather have awesome hair.

Subscribe to the Homegrown Collective and can your very own box to live a more natural lifestyle!

Homegrown Collective December 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: boxes, colds, cough syrups, eco-friendly, essential oils, green, herbal, herbs, homegrown collective, illness, pictures, projects, reviews, salves, sickness, subscriptions, teas, tinctures, vapor rubs

11 January 2015

Excellent timing with the theme this month as people are starting to get sick all around. They’ve introduced us to some of these herbs before and it’s great to see how versatile the uses are, whether infused into something or used more directly.

First they outlined the benefits of three main herbs: dandelion, St. John’s Wort, and echinacea. I love that each addresses different ailments so that combined you’re pretty well covered for digestive issues, low energy, and immunity concerns. These are some useful plants!

Project #1, DIY vapor rub & salve: What a simple set of ingredients to help us breathe better if we do get sick. I’m familiar with vapor rubs for the chest but haven’t really used them. However, I know how effective menthol can be in clearing up my nasal passage! It’s fascinating that they recommend rubbing this under the feet as well. I certainly wouldn’t have thought of that!

Project #2, cough & cold syrup: My very own cough syrup?! This is cool. I remember we had a bottle of some awful cherry-flavored thing as a child and I hated it. I’ve never really been a fan of cherry-flavored stuff. I think this will be much more to my taste with honey, ginger, and cinnamon. It might not even taste like medicine!

Project #3, DIY herbal teas: As a fan of tea, I’m happy to put other plants in my drink for their healing properties. I’ve got to admit I haven’t yet tried the dandelion tea from nearly a year ago, but I will be! I drink a lot of tea at work so switching to these shouldn’t be hard and I don’t need to be sick to try that.

Project #4, DIY tinctures: I first learned of a tincture from last December’s box and I’m super intrigued, but totally intimidated. I don’t know where to get vodka or rum and how that will affect the taste of these. I don’t get sick very often, so I haven’t needed something like this yet. However, there was a period last winter that I felt awful and this could have been handy.

Project #5, DIY essential oils: I’m getting quite the amazing collection of essential oils and I love it. Star anise essential oil is not something I’d come across before, so I was curious to learn about it. I’m not quite sure what to do with these once mixed – do I rub it on my skin? Drop it on my tongue? How often? I tried to do more research on their blog but for some reason I don’t see posts past August.

This time there were a ton of smaller projects that are quick and easy. I feel like I have a whole arsenal of stuff to help keep me healthy throughout the season. It’s great! I’ve already made the vapor rub, which I will share another time. 🙂

Subscribe to the Homegrown Collective so you can get these types of cool projects too! It’ll make for a happier home and better health.

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((little fat notebook))

Posts Tagged ‘projects’

On My Mind, episode 11: summer plans

Homegrown Collective July 2015 review

Homegrown Collective June 2015 review

Homegrown Collective May 2015 review

Homegrown Collective April 2015 review

Homegrown Collective March 2015 review

Homegrown Collective February 2015 review

Caulking those cracks

Homegrown Collective January 2015 review

Homegrown Collective December 2014 review

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