i write about stuff...

Big Decision

2012-01-22T00:33:00.001-05:00

I recently (well last May/June) decided “I need to do something with my life!” I was working odd hours at an animal hospital and my mind was way too stressed out. I took over a lot of responsibilities at work that no one asked me to – Don’t get me wrong, I did my job and I did it very well but it was way above and beyond what “my job” really was. All I talked about was work, all I thought about was work, and it was getting to be too much. I had been there for almost 2 years and felt that if I didn’t complete a task on my own, it wouldn’t get done or it wouldn’t get done right. The only time I enjoyed my work was the days that everyone was getting along and goofing off. So, you could say that I enjoyed being at work when no work was being done. I was a very hard decision for me to leave. I’m not sure if my co-workers realized it or not, but I left my friends, and a job that I knew I was doing well for a place where I wouldn’t know anyone and I would have to learn everything over.

The good news is that I never have to work any weekends. I only work 9-5 and will never have to work another 12+ hour shift by myself. I got to spend the holidays with friends and family, too. Something that I didn't always get to do at my old job. I am way less stressed and I don’t often talk about work outside of work. Sure there might be a busy or stressful hour or two during the day, but I know that as soon as the clock hits 5pm I am done until tomorrow.

In November I applied to go to school for my master’s degree and at the beginning of January I started my first class (plus I’m already registered for my next two classes). It’s going to put me into debt and will take up a lot of my free time, but I’m hoping that after just a few years of studying and hard work it will pay off!

Trying something new...

2012-01-10T23:21:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, at work, I was sitting at my desk putting some lotion on my hands. So I was just chilling there, rubbing the lotion on my hands, letting the moisture soak in, and decided to read the ingredients on the bottle. I couldn’t pronounce most of them, and I definitely did know what 95% of the ingredients were. I started thinking about what was actually in the lotions (and other products) I’m using. I already decided as a New Year’s resolution that I want to put less processed foods into my body, why wouldn’t I also stop putting weird processed things onto my body?

I went last weekend to get my hair cut, and spoke with the stylist about how unhappy I am at the frizz and dryness. I have wavy hair (which gets wavier the longer it gets) and lately I like it’s just one big frizzy, pouf-y mess on my head. She explained that the natural oils in my hair weren’t able to travel from the scalp to the ends and I should spend a little more money on a better quality shampoo/conditioner which would target and help with frizz. It made some sense.

For the last few days I have been reading a LOT about shampoos, the harmful chemicals they contain, and homemade alternatives that supposedly work just as well. The most popular thing I have found is baking soda as shampoo and apple cider vinegar as conditioner. It’s super cheap and apparently very effective.

There is a lot of information out there and a lot of people have tried, failed, succeeded, and given their option of going shampoo free. It’s definitely something that interests me, but I’m going to take my time transitioning into anything new.

Today I did buy sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner, but it was $17 for two small 11oz bottles. We’ll see how it works and I’ll keep you posted!

Clutter

2011-11-08T09:13:00.001-05:00

For someone of my age I feel like I have a lot of junk. I also feel like this is a problem.

For about 6 months, I stored all of my belongings in a POD storage container that was not easily accessible. I hated that my stuff wasn’t being used and that I would end up buying things I already had just because I couldn’t get to it (I bought a comforter, but had about 4 in storage…). Even when I finally had a place of my own I still filled up every inch of my assigned storage closet in the basement of my building.

I recently found 10 rolls of tape in with my desk supplies. Do I really need that much tape? No! I need to reorganize and de-clutter my life. I don’t want to have anything in storage just because maybe, one day, later on, possibly I might want to use it.

I am actually finding it to be very hard and very slow work since I also try not to be wasteful. I wouldn’t just throw my unwanted items in the trash - everything will be donated. However, I still find myself trying to rationalize keeping my old things and trying to get some use out of them.

It doesn’t help that my bedroom, bathroom, and walk-in closet are a total 450 square feet of space. I have had plenty of time to spread out and jumble every thing up into one giant mess since I moved in 7 months ago.

I did start with my bathroom, which took me three hours to clean and organize. I was able to get rid of extra toiletries that I’ve collected but won’t actually use. My next step is the closet, which is a great place for me to shove everything that I don’t feel like taking care of. I haven’t been able to see the carpet in there for a few weeks now.

My hope is to catch up on straightening my space by the beginning of next year. I have other things I need to worry about and I want time to enjoy my space before I move again.

Weather Change, Fun Adventures

2011-10-27T20:56:00.001-05:00

Summer is my favorite season. I love the sun and heat and getting outside to enjoy it!

Fall is my second favorite. It's prefect hoodie weather and it's still warm enough to enjoy being outside.

The first few weeks of October were beautiful and sunny. I took a trip with my boyfriend and his sisters to an apple orchard in Champaign. It was pretty crowded so we didn't stay for too long. We did get to pick out our own bag of apples to take home and they were delicious!

Last weekend, on a lazy Saturday afternoon, we drove out to a forest preserve to kill a few hours. It just happened to be a radioactive waste disposal site! After a short walk through the falling leaves, we came upon the clearing where the site marker is. We walked around a bit and took a few pictures, but it was getting dark and we had to head home.

Every day the weather has been getting colder and the days get shorter. It's been fairly rainy too, which makes it hard to be outside. At least I was able to have a few fun trips while the nice fall weather lasted!

Hey Twitter, thanks for the help! NOT!

2011-10-06T07:51:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I wanted to sign up for a twitter account using my "professional" email. I had my reasons for wanting to use that particular email and not one of the other 6 email accounts I have.

Anyway... When I tried to sign up I was told that my email address was unavailable because it was already linked to an account. I used the forgotten password feature to get into what appeared to be a spam account that someone else made with my email. They of course got the account suspended.

I tried reporting to Twitter that the suspension is in error. They have a handy help form that you fill out with all of your details. I also email the support team directly, three times. I was unable to find a support telephone line which was pretty aggravating.

It's been a few weeks and I'm figuring I won't hear anything back I know I can just use another email account but like I said, I have my reasons for wanting to use a specific one. Maybe in the future Twitter will get better support, I can't imagine I'm the only one who has an incorrectly suspended account.

Garnier Fructis Review!!

2011-10-05T20:22:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago I was running low on leave-in conditioner and recently my leave-in of choice was discontinued. I headed out to Wal-Mart to get a replacement, and decided to get a matching set of shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in conditioner. I was determined to find my new favorite product and after walking up and down the aisle for 15 minutes I picked out Garnier Fructis' Pure Clean products.

The shampoo and conditioner caught my eye first for their pricing. At just under $5 each for 25 ounces per bottle, it is twice the size and only a dollar more than my usual shampoo and conditioner. The leave-in creme is a little pricey but most leave in conditioners are. The big selling point is that all of the products are Earth-friendly, and though each product varies, they are all over 90% biodegradable. I felt good saving money and the planet!

I used the products for about 4 days. The first thing I noticed was that I had to use twice as much shampoo to get my hair really soapy, and twice as much conditioner to get my hair feeling smooth. The conditioner rinsed completely out, but it was to the point where my hair was squeaky clean and not feeling "conditioned" at all. The leave-in creme is very thick, so it was not very easy to get it spread evenly throughout my hair.

On day 4 I was regretting my decision to try something new. My hair felt like greasy straw. The shampoo and conditioner made my hair feel clean, but did nothing to make my hair feel healthier, and the leave-in was not conditioning properly. I could not wait to get home after work to take a shower and wash everything out.

I have never called a company to complain before, but I called Garnier and asked about their return/satisfaction policy. They apologized that I was not happy with their products and sent me a $10 coupon good towards any Garnier Fructis product. It is a nice gesture, but I spent $15 on something that I will never use again.

Time to point out gross stuff in your yogurt!!

2011-09-17T12:47:00.000-05:00

Yogurt is pretty great. You can have it by itself as a snack. Add some granola and you got a tasty breakfast. Put sprinkles on it and you have a sweet dessert. Eat it with a sandwich and you've got yourself a nice lunch!

I'm a big fan of peach, strawberry, and mango flavors. I love going to self-serve frozen yogurt places and piling on fresh fruit to my fruit flavored fro-yo! I don't even have to feel guilty because it's good for you and filled with pro-biotics and junk!

BUT!! Most yogurt has some gross stuff in it!

Gelatin is a gelling agent which gives yogurt it's thick consistency. In the gelatin making process, things like pig skins, cattle bones and hides are used and the collagen in them is extracted. Gelatin is animal collagen. I don't know about you, but that kinda grosses me out.

I mentioned that my favorite flavors include peach, strawberry, and mango, all fruits that are red/orange in color. Well, when these fruits are processed into yogurt, some of their color is lost and a coloring agent is added. You don't want to eat a peach flavored yogurt that isn't peach colored, right?

A common coloring agent used in yogurt is carmine. Carmine is made from insect scales boiled in ammonia and then processed to bring out the red color. This coloring agent (also called "crimson lake" and "red #4") is used to color yogurt as well as candies, juices, cosmetics, and paints. Carmine can also cause anaphylactic shock in some people.

I have not been eating the same brands of yogurt that I used to in order to avoid these two ingredients. There are plenty of natural/organic brands that have great tasting yogurt without gelatin or carmine. Instead pectin (gelling agent extracted from citrus fruits) and carrageenan (extracted from red seaweed) is used instead.

This has made me think more about what kinds of processed foods I'm putting into my body. I know that I can't get away from all "gross" additives but at least I can be more aware of it and find some tasty alternatives!

The Crafty Side

2011-09-16T21:08:00.000-05:00

As you may guess, crafting is a hobby of mine. I do have a "Craft Room" in the house but I don't make use of it nearly enough.

I had a spurt in college where I was knitting all the time. I would bring projects to class, work, friends apartments, road trips... everywhere! And then right after graduation I started going to a knitting group about 5 nights a week. I got a lot of projects done the summer I was with the knitting group!

But for the last year and a half I've done very little with the piles of yarn, fabric, paints, and general crafting junk that is starting to collect dust.

I did put together a necklace a few months ago. It's nice and simple, made with a rock from Lake Michigan. And I am working on an Adventure Time hat for my boyfriend, which really should not take me long to finish. I just have a lot of non-crafty projects I'm trying to do all at once!

Oh! Hello there!

2011-09-14T22:33:00.001-05:00

Hello again Blogger!

I have decided to resurrect my blog! The poor thing had been neglected for 2 years!

Mostly I'll post crafty things and current projects I'm working on. Maybe I'll review books I've read and products I've used.

Is anyone still out there?