Happy Hump Day Bloggies! How has your week been so far?
Scott's traveling, again, so it's just me and Skylar. We have been keeping busy, that's for sure! Today we went to the gym and ran a few errands. We came home, I Swiffered the floors, and then I and got some kitchen chores done.
Remember yesterday when I said I got a
new oak barrel to
brew kombucha in? Well, my
existing batch was ready to be bottled. Here it is,
all bottled up. Look at that foam and fizz! Yeah, baby!
For the
new batch, I brewed almost
2 gallons of tea + 2 generous cups of SugarPoured that
tea & sugar into the barrel + 1 c of the previous batch of 'booch (it's a nice starter, i.e.
boost to get everything off to a good start)
And
added a Scoby Mushroom from my
Kombucha Hotel Look at all those scoby's I've grown!
Layers of shrooms!
The Kombucha Hotel method is how extra mushrooms are recomended to be stored. They can hang out for
up to 90 days on the countertop in a tea/sugar mixture without any issue. Putting them in the
fridge can kill them so the
Hotel method is what
Eddy the Happy Herablist recommends.
Put the barrel on the
warming plate and set it to
80, and now I just
wait 7 or 8 days. In a week, I will drain off my first glass, about
10% of the total volume of the barrel or about 10-12 ounces, add 10-12 ounces of fresh tea/sugar to replenish, and
Continuous Brewing will be established.
Drain, replenish, repeat daily.Moving on to Shopping Finds...I've mentioned in the past
I love body sprays and I reloaded my spray stash yesterday.
I've
posted about this Dove one before, and I
love it so much I got
two bottles of it this time around.
And this is a Food Blogger's Delight: Marshmallow and Pineapple Coconut
The
marshmallow does smell
a bit fake and sweet, but
not sickly sweet like some of the cotton candy scented body sprays that I was testing smelled like. There's some
vanilla and powdery tones to it. It's definitely
sweet and edible smelling. I love it! The
Pineapple Coconut smells like a
tropical drink.
Not totally like a pina colada, but along those lines. It makes me want to be back on this
Beach in Aruba !
She looks
so much older now! This picture was taken just under
7 months ago .
I also picked up a
new shampoo and conditioner that smelled nice and was on sale for 2.99 each
Something just seems very wrong using the words Royal Jelly as a selling point. It seems X-Rated. Perhaps that's why I bought it. I don't think my hair is very dry or damaged. I am all for deep moisture and shine, though.
I also picked up a tube of Great Lash. I haven't bought any of this stuff in at least 5 years, but since I was too lazy to drive over to the MAC Store for my Black ProLash, I figured that I can never go wrong with Pink & Green.
They have a new brush but I'm hoping they didn't reformulate the product and it's the same stuff I used to smear on in 7th grade. My application techniques have come a long way since then.
From Yesterday...Thanks for telling me you were impressed with my
oak barrel for kombucha making And it certainly sounds like I have a bunch of
wine lovers in the house! An overwhelming number of you wrote in to tell me that
you love wine, you love going to vineyards and do wine tastings or you'd love to try it in the future. I mentioned I would love to
own a vineyard one day.
Ahh, gotta dream and set the bar high, right?!And
some of you are into gardening and have a green thumb But the rest of you said that you're
not that into it and you're a
Plant Killer . haha! The thing about gardening for me here in an urban area is that it can be
very pricey to get set up with containers, pots, buying the plants, and then the
time and energy it takes to care for the plants.
I tried this about 3 years ago on an urban patio of ours. After buying some very expensive pots and
yielding 3 strawberries all growing season, I realized that for me, given my
urban landscape and the amazing access to the
largest year-round farmer's market in San Diego across the street from my house, it's more
cost effective for me to buy my produce.
By a landslide. Not to mention, I could never yield enough from containers to actually come anywhere close to
sustaining a rabbit,
let alone a high raw veggie-based family.More Farmer's Market Produce
Here Oh and some of you asked if I plan to re-plant my
Stevia Plant now that it's had a
growth spurt ?
I confess,
no, I have no intentions of re-potting it. I am the type of person that if I love something, I will go to the ends of the earth to "humor" that passion; but if I am just
whatever about something (that's gardening for me, could take it or leave it) then any extra "work" or steps, well, I just have
no energy to embark on it. I know the plant would like a bigger pot just like I would like a bigger bank account balance. Some day those things may or may not happen. You never know.
And most of you were like me with
spending time in the kitchen . Fun to a point, but you hit your
max-out period after about an hour or two, and anything
longer than that, you sort of feel like you
"have to" finish up the project you started, whether you're still enjoying it
or not.
Snack Today: Vegan No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars Make Them. Better, Cheaper, Yummier than any store-bought!
Gym & Weights Workout Today From
This Tab :
Arms/Chest/BackSee my questions for my
Gym DilemmaTip of the Day: I announced the
Winner of the
$100 Shopping Spree CSN Stores Give Away !
Questions1. Do you have any passions or hobbies that you go the extra mile for? That other people may even be
impressed with your skills and devotion because you really go all out but that
for you, it's "easy" to go all out because you love it?There are so many things for me that fall into this from raw dessert making, kombucha making, working on my blog, doing little projects around my house that I want
just right, my decade-plus long daily yoga practice. There are some things I love to spend my time and energy on, but talk to me about gardening, outdoor painting, washing cars, reading books that others seem to "love", well, let's just say
I am not passionate about those things. What are your passions and hobbies that you love really giving yourself to fully?2. Favorite Health & Beauty Product lately? Or any
must-have's you
can't live without?Me =
Palmer's Cocoa Butter lotion, body spray in a variety of scents, mainstream deodorant . (As an aside, I've posted here before about some
less than holistic choices on personal care and other products, and I am more than ok with that.
No one's "perfect" and
I hate looking at choices as Perfect and
Everything Else. They are all just choices. From
food to body spray to using Splenda .
Who cares! If anyone has time in their day to worry about what someone else eats, puts on their body, uses in their coffee, or cleans their floors with, they really need to follow me around for a day so I can give them some things to do to take their mind off what everyone else is doing...haha!)
3. Home Gym. I think I want one. I am already tiring of
dirty public gym equipment,
driving to the gym and dealing with
parking garages and city traffic and getting Skylar in and out of her
carseat,
waiting for machines, and being
beholden to the gym's childcare schedule which is
not really my preferred schedule. Those are the
cons to the gym.The
pros are that my
gym membership is cheap and I am
not crazy enough to try to say that by creating a home gym I will be
saving money.
After a few years, I would be, but not anytime soon will it pencil out. I guess it all depends on
what home gym equipment I were to
buy for
when the
break-even point will come.
Other Considerations: Space considerations (would have to be put in our garage) and I would be working out in my
garage. Which may be just as icky as a dirty gym. But at least it's
private!Childcare. I would have to rely on DVDs for Skylar while I worked out and she would need to realize this is
mommy's time and she can't bother me
every 3 minutes. The things I want are:A few dumbbells in 12 to 20 pound ranges
Something like a Smith Cage or Squat Rack so I can do barbell squats of some sort
A cable pulldown system
And a seated row machine would be a bonus
I already have a stability ball and medicine ball and yoga mats
I also don't get super "hung up" on certain machines and having the "right machine" for certain exercises. I
improvise a lot and
don't use 90% of the machines in the gym anyway. Just some free weights, the Smith, Cable Pulldown, and Seated Row.
3. Do you have a home gym? Would you
like one or do you think you
need to actually Go to the Gym to be
Motivated? I definitely am a
self-starter.
And then some. I don't need to go there to workout. In fact, I know I would be
more efficient at home.4. Do you have any recommendations for me on scoring good deals on equipment? Yes, I have checked Craigslist and so far am not real impressed. Things look disgusting, rusty, dirty, and old. Ebay maybe? I am also not opposed to
buying new in the right circumstance but obviously
price is a consideration. Give me your thoughts & recommendations on this all please!Stay Tuned For
Ya Never Know...hah!
Remember yesterday when I said I got a new oak barrel to brew kombucha in? Well, my existing batch was ready to be bottled. Here it is, all bottled up.
For the new batch, I brewed almost 2 gallons of tea + 2 generous cups of Sugar
Poured that tea & sugar into the barrel + 1 c of the previous batch of 'booch (it's a nice starter, i.e. boost to get everything off to a good start)
And added a Scoby Mushroom from my Kombucha Hotel
Put the barrel on the warming plate and set it to 80, and now I just wait 7 or 8 days.
In a week, I will drain off my first glass, about 10% of the total volume of the barrel or about 10-12 ounces, add 10-12 ounces of fresh tea/sugar to replenish, and Continuous Brewing will be established. Drain, replenish, repeat daily.
Moving on to Shopping Finds...
I've mentioned in the past I love body sprays and I reloaded my spray stash yesterday.
I've posted about this Dove one before, and I love it so much I got two bottles of it this time around.
The Pineapple Coconut smells like a tropical drink. Not totally like a pina colada, but along those lines. It makes me want to be back on this Beach in Aruba !
I also picked up a new shampoo and conditioner that smelled nice and was on sale for 2.99 each
From Yesterday...
Thanks for telling me you were impressed with my oak barrel for kombucha making
And it certainly sounds like I have a bunch of wine lovers in the house! An overwhelming number of you wrote in to tell me that you love wine, you love going to vineyards and do wine tastings or you'd love to try it in the future. I mentioned I would love to own a vineyard one day. Ahh, gotta dream and set the bar high, right?!
And some of you are into gardening and have a green thumb
The thing about gardening for me here in an urban area is that it can be very pricey to get set up with containers, pots, buying the plants, and then the time and energy it takes to care for the plants. I tried this about 3 years ago on an urban patio of ours.
After buying some very expensive pots and yielding 3 strawberries all growing season, I realized that for me, given my urban landscape and the amazing access to the largest year-round farmer's market in San Diego across the street from my house, it's more cost effective for me to buy my produce. By a landslide. Not to mention, I could never yield enough from containers to actually come anywhere close to sustaining a rabbit, let alone a high raw veggie-based family.
Oh and some of you asked if I plan to re-plant my Stevia Plant now that it's had a growth spurt ?
And most of you were like me with spending time in the kitchen . Fun to a point, but you hit your max-out period after about an hour or two, and anything longer than that, you sort of feel like you "have to" finish up the project you started, whether you're still enjoying it or not.
Snack Today: Vegan No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars
Gym & Weights Workout Today From This Tab : Arms/Chest/Back
See my questions for my Gym Dilemma
Tip of the Day: I announced the Winner of the $100 Shopping Spree CSN Stores Give Away !
Questions
1. Do you have any passions or hobbies that you go the extra mile for? That other people may even be impressed with your skills and devotion because you really go all out but that for you, it's "easy" to go all out because you love it?
There are so many things for me that fall into this from raw dessert making, kombucha making, working on my blog, doing little projects around my house that I want just right, my decade-plus long daily yoga practice. There are some things I love to spend my time and energy on, but talk to me about gardening, outdoor painting, washing cars, reading books that others seem to "love", well, let's just say I am not passionate about those things.
What are your passions and hobbies that you love really giving yourself to fully?
2. Favorite Health & Beauty Product lately? Or any must-have's you can't live without?
Me = Palmer's Cocoa Butter lotion, body spray in a variety of scents, mainstream deodorant . (As an aside, I've posted here before about some less than holistic choices on personal care and other products, and I am more than ok with that. No one's "perfect" and I hate looking at choices as Perfect and Everything Else. They are all just choices. From food to body spray to using Splenda . Who cares! If anyone has time in their day to worry about what someone else eats, puts on their body, uses in their coffee, or cleans their floors with, they really need to follow me around for a day so I can give them some things to do to take their mind off what everyone else is doing...haha!)
3. Home Gym. I think I want one. I am already tiring of dirty public gym equipment, driving to the gym and dealing with parking garages and city traffic and getting Skylar in and out of her carseat, waiting for machines, and being beholden to the gym's childcare schedule which is not really my preferred schedule. Those are the cons to the gym.
The pros are that my gym membership is cheap and I am not crazy enough to try to say that by creating a home gym I will be saving money. After a few years, I would be, but not anytime soon will it pencil out. I guess it all depends on what home gym equipment I were to buy for when the break-even point will come.
Other Considerations:
Space considerations (would have to be put in our garage) and I would be working out in my garage. Which may be just as icky as a dirty gym. But at least it's private!
Childcare. I would have to rely on DVDs for Skylar while I worked out and she would need to realize this is mommy's time and she can't bother me every 3 minutes.
The things I want are:
A few dumbbells in 12 to 20 pound ranges
Something like a Smith Cage or Squat Rack so I can do barbell squats of some sort
A cable pulldown system
And a seated row machine would be a bonus
I already have a stability ball and medicine ball and yoga mats
I also don't get super "hung up" on certain machines and having the "right machine" for certain exercises. I improvise a lot and don't use 90% of the machines in the gym anyway. Just some free weights, the Smith, Cable Pulldown, and Seated Row.
3. Do you have a home gym? Would you like one or do you think you need to actually Go to the Gym to be Motivated?
I definitely am a self-starter. And then some. I don't need to go there to workout. In fact, I know I would be more efficient at home.
4. Do you have any recommendations for me on scoring good deals on equipment?
Yes, I have checked Craigslist and so far am not real impressed. Things look disgusting, rusty, dirty, and old. Ebay maybe? I am also not opposed to buying new in the right circumstance but obviously price is a consideration. Give me your thoughts & recommendations on this all please!
Stay Tuned For Ya Never Know...hah!