Turby and John

Luna Bars are vegan too. That's pretty cool.

Luna Bars have been around for a while. I get that. I, however, only discovered them about two weeks ago….and I am just smitten. Each flavor is better than the last, and they’re a much healthier choice than my former sweet treats of choice ( cookies, snickers, cream cheese piled on top of a cinnamon raisin bagel).  And if I needed another reason to like them, which I don’t, they’re full of things that women need to stay healthy that they may not get elsewhere  (like Calcium and Folic Acid). My favorites are berry almond and blueberry bliss.

Cut Out for Fame Boots from Modcloth

Remember those boots from my  Christmas list? They made my toes want to throw up. Thus, I am returning them for store credit. With said credit, I will be purchasing the following:

Pokrifki Dress from Modcloth

Avian Charm Necklace from Modcloth

As a new year’s resolution, I decided to cut dairy out of my diet.Why on earth would I do that? To make a long story short, I am not a baby cow. To make a short story long, milk is completely unnecessary. I can just as easily get calcium from almonds, oatmeal, wholemeal bread, dried figs, parsley, or kale (and the list goes on). Protein can be found in bread, pasta, brown rice, sunflower/sesame/pumpkin seeds, peas, beans lentils, tofu (among other things). Vitamin B12, a vitamin found in milk, can be incorporated into a dairy-free diet with certain cereals, soya milks or other fortified soy products, fortified yeast extracts, or a vegan B12 supplement. Riboflavin is not found in milk alone. You can also get a healthy dose of it by eating mushrooms, almonds, whole grains,  and cruciferous vegetables ( such as collard greens, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and  rutabaga). Phosphorus, another nutrient in milk, is also found in artichokes (one of the tastiest foods ever),  asparagus, broccoli, butternut squash, corn, and lima beans.

My reason for giving up cheese is simple. Not only is it made from milk, an unhealthy part of any diet, but it also makes my bowel movements irregular… and I want no part of anything that interferes with something as natural and important as a bowel movement.

I still eat fish, eggs, and honey. This means that I am not a vegan or even a vegetarian. Regardless, I have no doubt that if done correctly…a vegan diet is an ideal diet.

The spout of a Neti Pot is more than slightly phallic.

Thanks to this little guy, my nostrils and the surrounding area have never felt less blocked. Kirby has terrible allergy problems, and he said that he could breathe better than he had in years after using it the first time. In case you’re unfamiliar with Neti Pots, they are remarkably easy to use. You just tilt your head forward and to one side. You pour the warm water, salt, and baking soda solution in the nostril that is facing the ceiling. The solution will eventually come out of the other nostril, along with a disturbing amount of snot (if you’re me and/or lucky). If your nose is completely stopped up, then wait until it isn’t to try it out.  Read the instructions that come with the product; I may have been negligent. I’m not a doctor. Check out your friendly neighborhood Walgreens, or probably anywhere for that matter.

Burt's Bees Natural Skin Care for Men

I am trying to ease Kirby into natural skin care products. As one of the first steps, I bought him a few paraben and SLS-free products for Christmas. He really likes this one. Even though the containter says it’s an aftershave, he uses it as an all over face moisturizer. When I asked him his three favorite things about the product, he said this:

“I like the smell, the texture, and that it is a good moisturizer.”

I also like the smell, and since I am close to his face on a fairly regular basis…I guess that’s pretty important.

It’s rated as a 3 on the Cosmetics Database , FYI.

A couple of months ago, I painted a silly picture of my dogs to hang in my room. My friend Kyle seemed to really like it, so I painted a picture of his two cats and gave it to him for Christmas. My friend Selena mentioned casually that she would like to have one after Kyle opened his, so I painted her two dogs and gave it to her as a present as well. A few days ago, my friend Nikki asked if I would paint her dog too. I did so yesterday, and gave it to her last night. They all seemed really pleased, and for that reason I am pleased with myself. Here they are:

I forgot about liking Married To The sea until I stumbled upon this today:

I remember very clearly the day that I became curious about the ingredients in the health and beauty products I use.  It happened after reading an internet news article about a girl dying as a result of using too much perfume. As to whether or not this article was bullshit, I really have no clue.  I read some really disturbing things about parabens, preservatives used in many cosmetics and toiletries, and sodium lauryl or laureth sulfates, which are cleaning agents. I felt overwhelmed, so I decided that I would try to avoid those two ingredients at least. I began buying burt’s bees, alba hawaiian, tom’s of maine, yes to carrots, and method products because they were paraben and SLS-free (aside from my toothpaste and my hand soap, because I could not find ANY without SLS). I never stopped to consider all the other chemicals that I was introducing my body to by using those products. My sister, disfordelicate, has always been ahead of the game.  A few days ago, she told me about a website (cosmeticsdatabase.com) where I could find out exactly how hazardous the products I use are to my health. The website rates products on a scale from one to ten (one being the least dangerous and ten being the most dangerous). I was beyond shocked and a little disgusted by the things that I discovered. The result? As I finish the products that I currently use (to avoid being wasteful), I will be replacing them with safer and more natural alternatives.  The rundown:

I bought a dress online today.

I found this treasure at peppermintvintage.com.

Sometimes I think I’ll explode if my life gets any more boring.