Goal:
- Exercise 20 minutes per day
- Stay within calorie range per day
- Drink at least 5 glasses of water per day
Pennies earned:
19
I haven't been posting my progress, but I'm up to19 pennies now! I've added another goal this past Sunday to drink 5 glasses of water per day. I have a lot of trouble staying hydrated these days so I figure I'll start small and work my way up to 8 glasses later. I admit that I've been slipping a bit here and there and so the number of pennies I could have earned isn't what's posted. Well, gotta keep on truckin'!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Noodle soup comfort
Noodle soup is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods for the winter. My favorite noodle soup shop is this little Japanese place right across the street from my office. Unfortunately, it gets really crowded really fast during prime eating times! So sometimes, I'll have to get my noodle soup fix at home.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 servings of asian noodles (see note below)
3 to 4 cups vegetable broth
2 eggs
1 bunch scallions, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
4 to 5 cabbage leaves torn into big pieces
1 salt egg, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup of reconstituted TVP (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Note: The noodles I use are flat and thick. In a pinch, you can use italian pasta noodles, but the texture won't be the same. I measure servings by making a circle with my thumb and index finger, overlapping them up to the first knuckle.
Directions:
Begin boiling the vegetable broth in a pot big enough to cook the noodles in. Toss in the scallions, garlic, tomatoes and cabbage leaves into the pot. Beat the eggs and add the salt egg and/or TVP. If you are not using a salt egg, add salt to your eggs. Make a patty in a separate pan with the eggs. Tear up the patty into large pieces. Once the water is boiling in the pot, add the noodles. Add water and soy sauce or salt as necessary. Cook until noodles are soft. Serve with the egg patty on top.
If you don't have lots of broth to cook the noodles in, you can try the method below instead:
Boil a pot of water and add noodles. Beat the eggs and add salt egg and/or TVP. If not using a salt egg, add salt. In a wok or deep pan, Add scallions and garlic to the pan, then make an egg patty with the eggs. Tear up the patty into large pieces. Add the broth, tomatoes and cabbage leaves and cook until cabbages are tender and noodles are soft. Serve noodles in a bowl with broth mixture poured over it.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 servings of asian noodles (see note below)
3 to 4 cups vegetable broth
2 eggs
1 bunch scallions, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
4 to 5 cabbage leaves torn into big pieces
1 salt egg, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup of reconstituted TVP (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Note: The noodles I use are flat and thick. In a pinch, you can use italian pasta noodles, but the texture won't be the same. I measure servings by making a circle with my thumb and index finger, overlapping them up to the first knuckle.
Directions:
Begin boiling the vegetable broth in a pot big enough to cook the noodles in. Toss in the scallions, garlic, tomatoes and cabbage leaves into the pot. Beat the eggs and add the salt egg and/or TVP. If you are not using a salt egg, add salt to your eggs. Make a patty in a separate pan with the eggs. Tear up the patty into large pieces. Once the water is boiling in the pot, add the noodles. Add water and soy sauce or salt as necessary. Cook until noodles are soft. Serve with the egg patty on top.
If you don't have lots of broth to cook the noodles in, you can try the method below instead:
Boil a pot of water and add noodles. Beat the eggs and add salt egg and/or TVP. If not using a salt egg, add salt. In a wok or deep pan, Add scallions and garlic to the pan, then make an egg patty with the eggs. Tear up the patty into large pieces. Add the broth, tomatoes and cabbage leaves and cook until cabbages are tender and noodles are soft. Serve noodles in a bowl with broth mixture poured over it.
Eggnog Cheesecake
I saw this and my mouth started to water. I have, however, promised not to bake anymore desserts since that delicious chocolate cake, complete with dark chocolate icing, that I baked for Thanksgiving. I can't help but file this way for future use though. Mmmmmm!
http://www.thimble.ca/?p=1361
http://www.thimble.ca/?p=1361
Xmas tree
I wanted to get an Xmas tree last year and decided to grow one. It died earlier this year. :-(This year, I wanted an Xmas tree again, but haven't gotten around to carrying one home. In fact, it's quite possible that I won't be having an Xmas tree at all this year. :-(
I suppose, I'll have to settle for a paper one I can make off of here:
http://www.marthastewart.com/how-to/paper-evergreens
Although they're not what I had in mind when I want an Xmas tree, they are undeniably cute nonetheless!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Homemade cough drops
I've always suspected that cough drops were nothing more than minty candy. Lol! Well, I just found a tutorial on how to make your own cough drops! It really is just a candy recipe with an herbal infusion. Check it out!
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Homemade-Cough-Drops
Battle of the Bulge check-in
Goal:
- Exercise 20 minutes per day
- Stay within calorie range per day
Pennies earned:
10
Yay! I am now at a whole dime! Can't buy anything with a mere dime these days, but I do feel like I'm doing okay so far. Unfortunately for me today, I might not be able to stay within my calorie range today. We'll see!
Something else I wanted to bring up in this post was something I had stumbled upon recently. It's a different way of calculating your "normal" weight range. Most places will calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index) to gauge if you are underweight or overweight. This other method is a bit more complicated and is just another gauge, like the BMI. So anyways, here's the method:
1. Women: For every 60 inches of your height, allow for 100 pounds, and then 5 pounds for each additional inch. Men: For every 60 inches of your height, allow for 106 pounds and then 6 pounds for each additional inch.
2. Subtract 10 percent of the above number from the above number to get the low end of the range and add 10 percent of the above number to the above number to get the high end of the range.
3. To determine where in the above range you should be near, with your non-dominant hand, using the thumb and middle finger, circle the wrist of your dominant hand where the bones protrude. If you fingers overlap, you are small-framed and should be closer to the lower end of the range. If your fingers barely touch, then you are average-framed and should be around the midpoint of the range. If your fingers don't touch, then you are large-framed and should be at the higher end of the range.
Note: This method, like BMI, does not account for a person who may be very muscular. Muscles weigh more than fat, so if your body fat percentage is low and your muscle mass percentage is high, then you might be considered overweight by these calculations when you are clearly not.
So now that I have an idea of where my weight probably should be, I think that my current weight is higher than where I want it to be. To lose weight, in the simplest terms, you must burn more calories than you take in. To calculate how many calories you tend to burn in a day, you calculate your RMR (resting metabolic rate) and add that to the number of calories you burn doing a physical activity, such as gardening or step aerobics. I found a formula that helps calculate your RMR:
RMR = 9.99(weight in kilograms) + 6.25(height in centimeters) - 4.92(age in years) +166(gender) - 161
Note: For "gender," put 0 if you're female and 1 if you're male.
If you track your caloric intake, you can see if you're running enough of a deficit to lose weight over time. One pound is 3,500 calories. To lose one pound in a week, you must create a 3,500 caloric deficit over the course of 7 days. Most healthy weight-loss sites recommend that you do not lose more than one to two pounds per week, even less if you don't have that much weight to lose, like if you're only trying to lose 10 pounds. Crash dieting will only cause you to gain the weight back later. The best way for weight to be lost and stay lost, is to make changes in your lifestyle.
Anyways, I just thought I'd offer the formulas I've found because I thought they were helpful to me in judging whether my weight-loss goals are healthy. Of course, I'm not just working out and dieting to lose weight - I also want to look and feel attractive! My fiance thinks I'm the most lovely person in the world, but most people I know, including myself, don't go through this for their significant other. Most people do this for themselves. I fully acknowledge that I struggle with my body image more than I'd like to and that it's a mental thing rather than a physical health thing. I like to think that I'm a pretty grounded person, but it's nice to have something outside of yourself validate that your goals aren't unhealthy for you.
Well then! May I continue forward farther than I fall backwards!
- Exercise 20 minutes per day
- Stay within calorie range per day
Pennies earned:
10
Yay! I am now at a whole dime! Can't buy anything with a mere dime these days, but I do feel like I'm doing okay so far. Unfortunately for me today, I might not be able to stay within my calorie range today. We'll see!
Something else I wanted to bring up in this post was something I had stumbled upon recently. It's a different way of calculating your "normal" weight range. Most places will calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index) to gauge if you are underweight or overweight. This other method is a bit more complicated and is just another gauge, like the BMI. So anyways, here's the method:
1. Women: For every 60 inches of your height, allow for 100 pounds, and then 5 pounds for each additional inch. Men: For every 60 inches of your height, allow for 106 pounds and then 6 pounds for each additional inch.
2. Subtract 10 percent of the above number from the above number to get the low end of the range and add 10 percent of the above number to the above number to get the high end of the range.
3. To determine where in the above range you should be near, with your non-dominant hand, using the thumb and middle finger, circle the wrist of your dominant hand where the bones protrude. If you fingers overlap, you are small-framed and should be closer to the lower end of the range. If your fingers barely touch, then you are average-framed and should be around the midpoint of the range. If your fingers don't touch, then you are large-framed and should be at the higher end of the range.
Note: This method, like BMI, does not account for a person who may be very muscular. Muscles weigh more than fat, so if your body fat percentage is low and your muscle mass percentage is high, then you might be considered overweight by these calculations when you are clearly not.
So now that I have an idea of where my weight probably should be, I think that my current weight is higher than where I want it to be. To lose weight, in the simplest terms, you must burn more calories than you take in. To calculate how many calories you tend to burn in a day, you calculate your RMR (resting metabolic rate) and add that to the number of calories you burn doing a physical activity, such as gardening or step aerobics. I found a formula that helps calculate your RMR:
RMR = 9.99(weight in kilograms) + 6.25(height in centimeters) - 4.92(age in years) +166(gender) - 161
Note: For "gender," put 0 if you're female and 1 if you're male.
If you track your caloric intake, you can see if you're running enough of a deficit to lose weight over time. One pound is 3,500 calories. To lose one pound in a week, you must create a 3,500 caloric deficit over the course of 7 days. Most healthy weight-loss sites recommend that you do not lose more than one to two pounds per week, even less if you don't have that much weight to lose, like if you're only trying to lose 10 pounds. Crash dieting will only cause you to gain the weight back later. The best way for weight to be lost and stay lost, is to make changes in your lifestyle.
Anyways, I just thought I'd offer the formulas I've found because I thought they were helpful to me in judging whether my weight-loss goals are healthy. Of course, I'm not just working out and dieting to lose weight - I also want to look and feel attractive! My fiance thinks I'm the most lovely person in the world, but most people I know, including myself, don't go through this for their significant other. Most people do this for themselves. I fully acknowledge that I struggle with my body image more than I'd like to and that it's a mental thing rather than a physical health thing. I like to think that I'm a pretty grounded person, but it's nice to have something outside of yourself validate that your goals aren't unhealthy for you.
Well then! May I continue forward farther than I fall backwards!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Vinyl wall art
I looooove cool wall art, but would rather not risk making a permanent mistake on my walls! So if you're in a similar situation, or need art you can take off easily later, here's a great project:
http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Vinyl-Wall-Art/
Basically, you cut designs out of contact paper and stick to your walls. I love how it looks!
http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Vinyl-Wall-Art/
Basically, you cut designs out of contact paper and stick to your walls. I love how it looks!
Two more pennies make a dime!
Goal:
- Exercise 20 minutes per day
- Stay within calorie range per day
Pennies earned:
8
Yes! I have managed to meet both goals last night! Will I manage to earn a two more pennies tonight? If I do, will have a whole dime banked!
- Exercise 20 minutes per day
- Stay within calorie range per day
Pennies earned:
8
Yes! I have managed to meet both goals last night! Will I manage to earn a two more pennies tonight? If I do, will have a whole dime banked!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Monster wreath!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bahkubean/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
OMG! I totally LOVE this project!
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=53867.0
Lollipop flowers
What a cool, cute idea! I don't tend to eat hard candy anymore, but it's definitely a cute project to have in mind for kids or perhaps even for a wedding? :-)
http://kitschy-koo.blogspot.com/2007/02/lollipop-flower-valentine.html
Hair fascinators
I love hair accessories. I love having long hair so I can wear hair accessories! In fact, I plan to wear a hair accessory on the day of my wedding - that is, other than the veil. :-) Unfortunately, the Wedding Industrial Complex is trying to brainwash everyone into thinking that you have pay 100 buckaroos for a flower barrette made of white plastic beads, polyester and perhaps a few feathers. The truth is, it doesn't cost much to make one and it doesn't take all that much time either.
For me, I can't wear most wedding hair accessories as per Chinese tradition, I am to avoid wearing white in my hair. White is the color of death and was worn to funerals in old China. Nowadays, I think most people wear black, as per western tradition. Anyways, according to Chinese tradition, you should never wear white in your hair because doing so signals to everyone that you are an orphan. If your parents are still alive and you wear white in your hair, it means that you wish to be orphaned, which is a terrible thing to wish for. Given that the Chinese are a superstitious bunch, it's bad luck to wear white in your hair if you don't want to be orphaned.
Aside from the fact that my culture doesn't approve of my wearing white in my hair, the fact that everything "bridal" is nothing but white and sparkles makes the whole bridal accessory shopping ridiculously boring! I actually love sparkly things but after the 100th shiny feathered flower, all the accessories just look the same to me.
Rather than try to find a ready-made hair accessory, I thought, why don't I try to make my own? Towards that endeavor, I found an excellent tutorial on how to make your own hair fascinators:
http://corvustristis.livejournal.com/3205.html
New goal added
Goal:
- Exercise 20 minutes per day
- Stay within calorie range per day
Pennies earned:
6
So this week, I've added the goal of staying within my calorie range. There are lots of online calculators you can use to see what your daily calorie intake should be to maintain your current body weight, or to lose up to a pound or two per week. I'm not very ambitious about losing a pound per week, but I would like to eat a little less than I have been. So I've set up a calorie range that feels realistic and achievable to me.
I didn't accrue any pennies on Friday or Saturday, but I hit both goals yesterday, hence I earned 2 pennies. Now, I can earn two pennies per day! After tonight, I hope to have banked 8 pennies!
- Exercise 20 minutes per day
- Stay within calorie range per day
Pennies earned:
6
So this week, I've added the goal of staying within my calorie range. There are lots of online calculators you can use to see what your daily calorie intake should be to maintain your current body weight, or to lose up to a pound or two per week. I'm not very ambitious about losing a pound per week, but I would like to eat a little less than I have been. So I've set up a calorie range that feels realistic and achievable to me.
I didn't accrue any pennies on Friday or Saturday, but I hit both goals yesterday, hence I earned 2 pennies. Now, I can earn two pennies per day! After tonight, I hope to have banked 8 pennies!
Friday, December 11, 2009
No exercise tonight :-(
Goals:
- Exercise for 20 minutes every day: Yep,definitely did that last night!
Total pennies earned: 4
I am excited that I have earned almost a nickel now! Unfortunately, I will not be getting to that 5 cent level tonight. Tonight, I have to stay very, very late at work to help my department on something. The person in charge of this endeavor thinks that we may be at the office until at least past midnight. Guess I'll be earning that nickel tomorrow. :-(
- Exercise for 20 minutes every day: Yep,definitely did that last night!
Total pennies earned: 4
I am excited that I have earned almost a nickel now! Unfortunately, I will not be getting to that 5 cent level tonight. Tonight, I have to stay very, very late at work to help my department on something. The person in charge of this endeavor thinks that we may be at the office until at least past midnight. Guess I'll be earning that nickel tomorrow. :-(
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Up to 3 pennies now!
Goals:
- Exercise for 20 minutes every day: check - another penny earned!
Total pennies earned: 3
I was really fired up to exercise last night and did a whole variety of things that I've been wanting to do, but rarely ever got around to it. My fiance and I took turns on the Wii. He did mostly games and I did a mix of games and routines that were pre-programmed into the Wii. I am enjoying the Wii routines though I prefer to do the strength training exercises on it rather than the yoga ones.
So anyway, when I finished my stint on the Wii and my fiance took over, I would do some jumping jacks or watch him play from my mini-elliptical or do some yoga and pilates. I ended up clocking about 35 minutes on the Wii, 10 minutes on the mini-elliptical, 1 minute of jumping jacks and about 10 minutes doing pilates and yoga poses. I know it isn't much time for each activity, but I felt good when I crawled into bed that I was able to stay active throughout the workouts. Yay! I am ready to earn my next penny tonight!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Little rewards to maintain motivation
Often when you exercise and go on a diet, the pounds you lose is a reward in and of itself, but it takes a long time to get to your goal. So how do you stay motivated until you reach your goal? One trick is to set an achievable short-term goal and reward yourself every time you achieve it. For instance, let's say I lose a pound at the end of this week. To reward this achievement, I'll treat myself to a very pretty pair of earrings that cost only 5 dollars. The reward should reflect the size of your achievement, I think. After all, you might gain that pound back the next week, so you might change things to reward yourself only when you lose 2 or 3 pounds.
Rewarding yourself on a daily basis is also good. On SparkPeople.com, there is a group that starts off with a simple daily goal and each time you achieve that goal, you give yourself a penny. You do this one goal for a week and the next week, you add another goal for the week. So if you achieve both goals on a daily basis, you are now earning 2 pennies a day for the week. Each week, you add another goal and eventually, you won't be able to afford to reward yourself! That's when you can take your savings and pamper yourself with something big, like a spa treatment. I absolutely love this particular method and really want to give it a shot!
So I'll start this week with a goal of clocking at least 20 minutes of exercise every day. I've already clocked this much time on Sunday and yesterday on the Wii, so that's two pennies already. Haha! Am ready to earn my third penny today!
Rewarding yourself on a daily basis is also good. On SparkPeople.com, there is a group that starts off with a simple daily goal and each time you achieve that goal, you give yourself a penny. You do this one goal for a week and the next week, you add another goal for the week. So if you achieve both goals on a daily basis, you are now earning 2 pennies a day for the week. Each week, you add another goal and eventually, you won't be able to afford to reward yourself! That's when you can take your savings and pamper yourself with something big, like a spa treatment. I absolutely love this particular method and really want to give it a shot!
So I'll start this week with a goal of clocking at least 20 minutes of exercise every day. I've already clocked this much time on Sunday and yesterday on the Wii, so that's two pennies already. Haha! Am ready to earn my third penny today!
Wii Fit Plus
I'll admit it. I slipped up and stopped taking care of myself for a while. I lost two pounds and gained it back during Thanksgiving. I have since neglected my 30 Day Shred DVD as well. So while I do feel a little guilty, I don't feel all that guilty because I have not actually been sitting on my rear this whole time. :-)
I have been playing with my new Wii Fit Plus! Yes, it's a video game and yes, it doesn't give nearly as good a workout as the 30 Day Shred, but it's way more fun! I actually did used to play the Wii Fit, but the games got boring and I stopped playing on it after a while. With the Wii Fit Plus, my interest has been renewed and I've even started playing my old favorites again. Now, I know that working out on the Wii is probably not as good as working out in a gym or taking a fitness class, but I have better luck getting off my butt to play on the Wii than going to the gym. What I mean is, my interest in playing on the Wii is allowing me to be active consistently, albeit on a lower intensity level, but consistency has always been something I have had great difficulty maintaining. So right now, I'm not complaining that I am able to do something, however minimally active, on a consistent basis, rather than doing nothing after a few intense spurts.
So since the Thanksgiving blowout, I've been on the Wii Fit Plus and wouldn't you know it? I've lost the two pounds I gained from that weekend! Hurray!
I have been playing with my new Wii Fit Plus! Yes, it's a video game and yes, it doesn't give nearly as good a workout as the 30 Day Shred, but it's way more fun! I actually did used to play the Wii Fit, but the games got boring and I stopped playing on it after a while. With the Wii Fit Plus, my interest has been renewed and I've even started playing my old favorites again. Now, I know that working out on the Wii is probably not as good as working out in a gym or taking a fitness class, but I have better luck getting off my butt to play on the Wii than going to the gym. What I mean is, my interest in playing on the Wii is allowing me to be active consistently, albeit on a lower intensity level, but consistency has always been something I have had great difficulty maintaining. So right now, I'm not complaining that I am able to do something, however minimally active, on a consistent basis, rather than doing nothing after a few intense spurts.
So since the Thanksgiving blowout, I've been on the Wii Fit Plus and wouldn't you know it? I've lost the two pounds I gained from that weekend! Hurray!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Gained pounds back
I understand that Thanksgiving is a day of eating, but I ate for four days straight! Is it any wonder that I was able to undo a few weeks' worth of work in such a short period of time? The good news is that I am back on track after almost of week of pure sloth and gluttony!
Unfortunately, I'm being distracted from the 30-Day Shred so I haven't been doing that. I've been having a great time on our new Wii Fit Plus! I really liked the Wii Fit when I first started playing it, but the games got boring and my fiance and I stopped playing with it. Since we got the Wii Fit Plus, our interest has been renewed and our activity level has risen once again! So although I do feel guilty for not getting right back on the 30-Day Shred, I don't feel too guilty because I'm clocking about an hour a day on the Wii these past few days. With any luck, I will be back down to my pre-Thanksgiving weight soon. Oy! Wish me luck!
Unfortunately, I'm being distracted from the 30-Day Shred so I haven't been doing that. I've been having a great time on our new Wii Fit Plus! I really liked the Wii Fit when I first started playing it, but the games got boring and my fiance and I stopped playing with it. Since we got the Wii Fit Plus, our interest has been renewed and our activity level has risen once again! So although I do feel guilty for not getting right back on the 30-Day Shred, I don't feel too guilty because I'm clocking about an hour a day on the Wii these past few days. With any luck, I will be back down to my pre-Thanksgiving weight soon. Oy! Wish me luck!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Advent calendars
Growing up, I was not aware of such things as the advent calendar. Oh, we had the tree and the ornaments and presents and all, but for some reason, we never knew about the advent calendar. When I received one as a token Christmas gift in high school, I was fascinated by it! What a novel idea! A little surprise for every day in December, counting down to Christmas. I dutifully ate every piece of chocolate in my gift and never forgot how much I enjoyed it. These days, on occasion, I'll see a really beautiful advent calendar for sale and wish they can be used to count down other things, like birthdays and anniversaries. Unfortunately, most advent calendars for sale are clearly marked for Christmas use only. Lol!
Well, if I want a generic countdown calendar like an advent calendar, I may have to just make own. There are lots of tutorials on the web on how to make your own. Wouldn't it be nice to gift a countdown calendar to somone counting down to a very special birthday?
For the love of burgers
I happen to love burgers. I mean the really good ones - not the cardboard that most fast food places try to sell you. However, I haven't had a burger since I cut cows out of my diet. Ever since, I've been keeping an eye out for tasty veggie burgers and meatless meatloaves. I'm not expecting the meatless meats to taste like meat. I just want something that tastes flavorful and makes me remember why I don't miss meat.
I've experimented with a few recipes on the net and also tried a few of my own creations. In the end, my favorite lentil loaf recipe is my meatless meat of choice. It's delicious as a meatloaf, or a meatball and can be eaten as a slice or patty on a bun. However, it's a little labor intensive to make. Picking stones out from lentils takes a long time! Sometimes, I just want a fast, easy burger dinner.
That's why this recipe I found on the internet is so interesting! It looks really good and I really want to try it. Check it out here:
http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2008/11/meaty-mushroom-veggie-burger-least.html
Embossing the invitations
So I've begun embossing one corner of the invitation wording sheets. When I say embossing, I mean stamping the corner with my chosen stamp, using slow-drying ink, then sprinkling embossing powder over the image, sliding the excess powder off, and then using the embossing heater tool to melt the powder on the paper to create a raised image. It's pretty cool! Unfortunately, I messed up a lot of sheets. :-(
I didn't mess up terribly to the point where the sheets are unusable, but they don't look "near-perfect." What I mean is that some of the pages had stray dots from stray embossing powders that somehow stayed stuck to the page. Or I over-melted the powder and the image didn't look as crisp as I would like it to be. After messing up several sheets, I came up with the following tips for better, if not near-perfect results:
- wipe the paper with a sheet of fabric softener to prevent static cling. Static cling helps stray embossing powder to stay stuck to the page, creating unwanted stray dots.
- ink the stamp by placing the stamp facing up and pressing the ink pad down onto the image, rather than pressing the stamp into the ink pad. This helps prevent over-inking, which creates smudges and non-crisp images.
- press the stamp onto the page, but not too hard or risk smudging the image.
- after covering the image with embossing powder and sliding the excess off, tap the paper gently several times to remove any stuck excess grains.
- warm up the embossing heater tool and run it over the image, side to side, from the top down. I prefer a slightly grainy rather than smooth effect so as soon as the powder melts, I move the tool to a different part. If you want a smoother image, keep heating the powder until it melts all the way and the image smoothes out.
That's all I got right now when it comes to my embossing experience. Currently, I'm using a silver stamp with pearly embossing powder. I love the effect when it comes out just right. My biggest pet peeve is the stray dots, which despite all my above efforts, I still get from time to time. I've become a bit obsessed with wiping down all surfaces ever few sheets to prevent stray grains from sticking on, which does help, but definitely slows the process down. Good thing I still have lots of time to get these done!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Carved Eggs
I was browsing through Etsy when I stumbled across a store that sells carved eggs. It's really amazingly gorgeous stuff! You gotta check it out:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/1eggman
http://www.etsy.com/shop/1eggman
Thursday, November 19, 2009
30 Day shred - Don't remember which day it is anymore
Good news! I've lost 2 pounds! I was surprised because I didn't work out very much last week and haven't exactly been conservative with my caloric intake. I am very happy to have lost some of the weight and I hope it wasn't all water weight. I'm going to try to keep going and weigh myself again in another week or two.
So far, all I'm doing is the 30 Day Shred DVD plus a few yoga stretches at the end. So although I think I can be better about working out, I think my real issue is the food I'm eating. I'll usually eat whatever's around my workplace, but everything is really expensive and the stuff I like to eat probably has tons of calories. It's not that I'm not getting a balanced meal, it's that along with my meal, I'm eating lots of butter on my bread and spreading cheese all over my salad. I like to indulge when it comes to food, but it isn't doing anything for my waistline! However, full on denial will only cause me to binge later, so telling myself, "No potato chips!" is not the answer. I think a better idea is to cut down, not cut out. In a way, I'm reminded of this idea in buddhism of "not too loose and not too tight." Finding the right balance is really the tricky part.
I'm tempted to stay on my current course and see if I lose any more weight this way. If I don't have to change my eating habits and all I have to do is be more active, that would be great! Eating yummy, fatty foods is one of life's pleasures and I'd rather not cut down on what I can enjoy on a daily basis. Lol! However, I do feel a bit guilty about putting so much bad stuff into my body. For now, I think I'll just take it on a day by day basis.
So far, all I'm doing is the 30 Day Shred DVD plus a few yoga stretches at the end. So although I think I can be better about working out, I think my real issue is the food I'm eating. I'll usually eat whatever's around my workplace, but everything is really expensive and the stuff I like to eat probably has tons of calories. It's not that I'm not getting a balanced meal, it's that along with my meal, I'm eating lots of butter on my bread and spreading cheese all over my salad. I like to indulge when it comes to food, but it isn't doing anything for my waistline! However, full on denial will only cause me to binge later, so telling myself, "No potato chips!" is not the answer. I think a better idea is to cut down, not cut out. In a way, I'm reminded of this idea in buddhism of "not too loose and not too tight." Finding the right balance is really the tricky part.
I'm tempted to stay on my current course and see if I lose any more weight this way. If I don't have to change my eating habits and all I have to do is be more active, that would be great! Eating yummy, fatty foods is one of life's pleasures and I'd rather not cut down on what I can enjoy on a daily basis. Lol! However, I do feel a bit guilty about putting so much bad stuff into my body. For now, I think I'll just take it on a day by day basis.
Asking guests to turn off cellphones
Back when I used to teach first aid classes, one of my biggest pet peeves were cellphones. Generally, I got annoyed at anything that indicates the participant couldn't care less about learning the material. It's also a sign of disrespect for a person to think nothing of letting their phone call interrupt, not just me, but the entire group's concentration on learning how to save a life. However, most people aren't trying to be disrespectful. Most people just plain forget to turn it off or put it on vibrate. I, myself, am the forgetful type and appreciate reminders so that I can avoid being the a$$ in the group.
In class, I'll usually just ask people to turn it off or put it on vibrate during the introduction, and believe it or not, I also often find the need to tell grown-ups that they should take the phone call outside if they have to pick up. You'd think that mature adults that expect others to respect them would offer the same courtesy to others, but often, common sense isn't very common. Teaching adults is often like teaching a bunch of rowdy teenagers. Okay, enough ranting on my part!
What I really want to talk about is how to politely ask guests to be courteous during the wedding ceremony. It would be rather ruinous to have someone's phone ring loudly while you're sharing a teary "I do" with your honey. So we could ask the officiant to give a polite reminder before the ceremony starts, and/or we can put up nicely written signs at the entrance that asks guests to turn off or put their phones on vibrate. A nicely phrased wording is suggested here:
http://stylisheventsblog.com/2009/11/17/tip-of-the-day-turn-off-cell-phones/
Monday, November 16, 2009
How to cut the cake
I really don't know anything about the cake cutting ceremony other than the bride and groom cutting a slice of cake and feeding to each other. I didn't imagine that the couple would have to cut an entire cake themselves! So if you're just as clueless as me, here's a great post on how to properly cut a wedding cake!
http://www.austinweddingblog.com/2009/11/how-to-properly-cut-wedding-cake.html
Friday, November 13, 2009
Feeling the pull of the Wedding Industrial Complex
I have a new obsession now. I really, REALLY want to have flower petals lining the aisle when I walk down it. Unfortunately, the amount of petals I need for the effect I want is really, REALLY expensive! Logically, there's really no need for them. After all, we're getting married in an outdoor garden, where there are flowers and grass and trees and the scenery is beautiful all by itself. Do I really, really NEED the flower petals? The answer is, of course not, but I want them!
The flower petals are not the only things I want, but really don't need. For instance, an underskirt. Now, if I do wear one, it will be one I made myself. They're pretty easy to make so I'm not worried, but it's still money and resources spent on something that I don't really need. After all, my dress already has some layers of tulle sewn into the skirt. I really don't need that extra poof, but I WANT it. Lol!
Another item that I've already decided to cut out, but still crave are favors. In the weddings I've attended, I really don't miss them if they're missing, nor do I go gaga over them when I do get them. Most of the ones I've received have been tossed into a dark corner on a shelf, gathering dust. They really aren't necessary, and if your guests have a good time, they won't be missed either. However, I still feel that it's a nice touch if your guests can take something home. If I had the money to give my guests something extra nice and special that they would appreciate, I would totally get favors. Given the choice of giving my guests some cheap, crappy favors or spending a bit more on the heart of the event (like getting a good officiant to marry us), I think I'll go with the latter. After all, the wedding isn't about the favors or the gifts or the flowers. A wedding is about getting married!!!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Terracotta pots for wind chimes
I've always like wind chimes, though I've never owned one. I guess I'm always a little worried that the chimes would eventually irritate me. Still, my eyes light up when I see a really pretty one making really pretty sounds in a shop. Because I'm worried about eventually being irritated with it, I've never thought it was worth the money to buy one. Well, here's a way you can make one cheap if you have some craft and gardening supplies around the house:
http://www.diynetwork.com/decorating/chiming-garden-pots/index.html
I think this is also a nice project for a rainy day with the kids.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Pizza - like food
Oftentimes, I feel too lazy to cook a full-on dinner. Sometimes, I want something hot/warm to eat for a snack and don't want to put too much effort into it. That's when I turn to what I call pizza pitas, or pizza bread. It's not really pizza because I don't alwyas use mozzarella cheese. I pretty much use whatever cheese we have on hand.
Basically, you need some bread, or pita. With pita, I like splitting them apart and make two pizzas at a time. Brush with olive oil and place in toaster oven until just starting to turn brown. Take them out and slather on some tomato or marinara sauce and top with shredded or grated cheese. Place back into the toaster oven and toast until cheese is melted. Enjoy!
Basically, you need some bread, or pita. With pita, I like splitting them apart and make two pizzas at a time. Brush with olive oil and place in toaster oven until just starting to turn brown. Take them out and slather on some tomato or marinara sauce and top with shredded or grated cheese. Place back into the toaster oven and toast until cheese is melted. Enjoy!
Icebox Cake
This is a cake that probably has a million calories per bite! It's literally nothing by chocolate wafer cookies and sweetened heavy whipping cream. It looks delicious!
http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/01/wafer-wonderland/
http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/01/wafer-wonderland/
Toilegami
Otherwise known as toilet paper origami! If you're bored one day and would like to treat the next person who goes to the bathroom to some pretty toilet paper decoration, this is the link for you! Learn to fold toilet paper while it's still on the roll, like those fancy hotels!
http://www.origami-resource-center.com/toilet-paper-origami.html
http://www.origami-resource-center.com/toilet-paper-origami.html
Make your own temporary tattoos
I've always loved temporary tattoos. Some of them were so pretty! The best thing is, they come off easily when you're ready to get rid of them. I love temporary tattoos. Now, I've found that you can make your own! You need a laser or inket printer and some decal paper, like the ones found here:
http://www.decalpaper.com/category-s/8.htm?gclid=CKekwO2LyZICFQx7PAoduwaULA
Follow the directions on how to use the paper and voila! Your own temporary tattoos that you can make any time you want!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Invitations, part 4
So I finally came back to working on the invitations again. I started stamping and embossing one corner of the invitation print-out and did about 60 invites before I noticed that there was a typo! Now, I need to re-print the invites (no big deal here) and will probably have to buy more ink (sucks here). I like going to the crafts store, but I hate making the trip out to one just to get an ink pad that they may or may not have. Still, it's better to have the ink pad around in case I need it, than to run out in the middle of the process and have to stop. There's still so much to do with them. Good thing I still have a loooong time before I have to send these out!
As for the Save the Date, that's going to be done via email. I was going to use one generated by TheKnot.com, but they don't give you the option of sending your guests to a different wedding website. Then I discovered that my Mail application has a Save the Date template stationery. In the interests of saving time and effort, I think I'll just go with the template. Yay!
As for the Save the Date, that's going to be done via email. I was going to use one generated by TheKnot.com, but they don't give you the option of sending your guests to a different wedding website. Then I discovered that my Mail application has a Save the Date template stationery. In the interests of saving time and effort, I think I'll just go with the template. Yay!
Day 5 of the 30 Day Shred
I know I didn't do an entry on Day 4. Suffice it to say that after Day 4, I thought I was ready to move on to Level 2! So on Day 5, I watched through the routine and decided to try it out. Boy was it HARD!! I was definitely sore the next day and had to take a 1 day break.
I would say that Level 2 had more variety in the workouts, but I miss the traditional pushups that's done in Level 1. I think I'll try pushing through Level 2 for a few more days and see how I feel. Maybe in another few days, I can do Level 3!
Unfortunately, I don't feel any more "shredded" than when I first started. My waistline is still the same size and my weight hasn't changed. It makes me a little sad to know that, even though I know it's unreasonable to expect results in 5 days of 20 minute workouts. I lamented my lack of visible progress to my fiance who replied that I'm expecting too much too soon and he has definitely noticed that I have more energy now than when I first started. That's good. More energy is always welcome!
I would say that Level 2 had more variety in the workouts, but I miss the traditional pushups that's done in Level 1. I think I'll try pushing through Level 2 for a few more days and see how I feel. Maybe in another few days, I can do Level 3!
Unfortunately, I don't feel any more "shredded" than when I first started. My waistline is still the same size and my weight hasn't changed. It makes me a little sad to know that, even though I know it's unreasonable to expect results in 5 days of 20 minute workouts. I lamented my lack of visible progress to my fiance who replied that I'm expecting too much too soon and he has definitely noticed that I have more energy now than when I first started. That's good. More energy is always welcome!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Day 3 of the 30 Day Shred
Did it for the third time last night! I definitely can say that I feel my body already getting used to it as it feels easier to do than the first time. Still, it is a very good workout. I definitely still have to push myself and I definitely work up a lot of sweat! I may be able to start on Level 2 either tonight or tomorrow night. Only, I'm having my monthly visitor now, and I never feel like sweating a lot when I'm having my monthly visitor. It seems bad to break my routine so soon into the program, and exercise can sometimes make me feel better overall. I guess I'll see how I feel later tonight. Lol! I'm so bad!
Rethinking my wedding
Before I started planning my wedding, I was soooo excited! Once I started planning and realized what a money and time sucker it was, I wanted to elope. I mean I still do, but at this point, eloping is not an option. So I plowed ahead and researched and read tons of blog posts and forums on all kinds of DIY projects. Then I got all excited again and my inner craftster woke up with a vengeance! So I charged ahead, buying all these craft supplies and started working on the invitations. They're still not done, by the way. I've been putting them off. So now that I'm taking a short breather from the wedding stuff, I realize just how much I've taken upon myself. I need to prioritize my DIY projects!
So after some thought, here are the things I definitely MUST do at this point:
- make simple Save the Date emails (these are actually done, for the most part)
- finish making the invitations (have been putting them off cause am still collecting everyone's guest lists)
- print out invitation labels (easy!)
- make pattern and make chinese dress (not so easy!)
- make simple veil
- make bouquets
- make boutonnieres
- make centerpieces
- make "reserved" seating signs for ceremony
- make escort cards and table numbers
Here's the list of stuff I'll do if I have the time and patience:
- make thank you cards
- make pattern and make evening gown
- make simple underskirt
- make decorations for the ceremony site
- make favors
- make card box
- add crystal beads to veil
- make wedding jewelry
It's a lot of stuff, isn't it? The truth is, all of these tasks are do-able if I could just do a little bit every weekend. However, there's not getting away from the fact that I am lazy! Lol!
So after some thought, here are the things I definitely MUST do at this point:
- make simple Save the Date emails (these are actually done, for the most part)
- finish making the invitations (have been putting them off cause am still collecting everyone's guest lists)
- print out invitation labels (easy!)
- make pattern and make chinese dress (not so easy!)
- make simple veil
- make bouquets
- make boutonnieres
- make centerpieces
- make "reserved" seating signs for ceremony
- make escort cards and table numbers
Here's the list of stuff I'll do if I have the time and patience:
- make thank you cards
- make pattern and make evening gown
- make simple underskirt
- make decorations for the ceremony site
- make favors
- make card box
- add crystal beads to veil
- make wedding jewelry
It's a lot of stuff, isn't it? The truth is, all of these tasks are do-able if I could just do a little bit every weekend. However, there's not getting away from the fact that I am lazy! Lol!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Day 1 of the 30 Day Shred
Okay, so I've been putting off going into a real exercise program for a while now. It's easier to reject food to control portions than it is to actually put out effort to exercise. Lol! However, I decided I need to get my rear in gear.
A few weeks ago, I bought the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD that promises 20 minute workouts on 3 levels. Essentially, there are only 3 workout routines, with one routine per level. Within the workout routine, there is one trainer that demonstrates an easier, modified version for those who are like me, a bit out of shape. Each routine has a 2-minute warm-up and a 2-minute cool-down. The heart of the workout is her 3-2-1 interval training technique. Interval training is a huge buzzword in the physical fitness world, claiming to help you burn way more calories than a steady workout. The concept behind interval training is to work your body as hard as you can for about a minute, then progress to a lower level for the next 3 to 4 minutes, then start the cycle again and again until you complete your workout. In the 30 Day Shred, it starts the cycle with 3 minutes of strength training, like pushups, then 2 minutes of cardio, like jumping jacks, and then 1 minute of ab work, like crunches. She goes through this cycle a few times, and then it's time to cool down. Since it's only 20 minutes, there are no breaks and you have to maintain your momentum and intensity. In terms of equipment, you will need some dumbells and an exercise mat.
So yesterday was Day 1 for me. Let's see just how "shredded" I get in 30 days. Lol! Anyways, I watched through the Level 1 workout before starting it and everything looked simple and easy enough. None of the exercises are anything I haven't seen before. However, once I started the workout, I realized how hard it was! I mean it was HARD!! There were times when I really wanted to just drop to the floor and just breathe for a minute or two! It makes sense that you have to maintain a high intensity to get the most out of a mere 20 minutes, especially if this is all you're planning to do for the day. After the workout was done, I was wiped out! I admit that I did take a break during the workout to drink some water, plus I thought my heart was going to pound itself out of my chest. Lol! Anyways, I survived, and my arms are really sore now.
Overall, I really like the workout and I'm glad I got it. After the first day, I am definitely motivated to keep going and try it again tonight, though I'll go a little lighter on the arms so they can recover. I do have to say that I think the cool-down is too short and doesn't stretch you out enough. Going forward, I may just supplement the cool-down with a few yoga stretches.
A few weeks ago, I bought the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD that promises 20 minute workouts on 3 levels. Essentially, there are only 3 workout routines, with one routine per level. Within the workout routine, there is one trainer that demonstrates an easier, modified version for those who are like me, a bit out of shape. Each routine has a 2-minute warm-up and a 2-minute cool-down. The heart of the workout is her 3-2-1 interval training technique. Interval training is a huge buzzword in the physical fitness world, claiming to help you burn way more calories than a steady workout. The concept behind interval training is to work your body as hard as you can for about a minute, then progress to a lower level for the next 3 to 4 minutes, then start the cycle again and again until you complete your workout. In the 30 Day Shred, it starts the cycle with 3 minutes of strength training, like pushups, then 2 minutes of cardio, like jumping jacks, and then 1 minute of ab work, like crunches. She goes through this cycle a few times, and then it's time to cool down. Since it's only 20 minutes, there are no breaks and you have to maintain your momentum and intensity. In terms of equipment, you will need some dumbells and an exercise mat.
So yesterday was Day 1 for me. Let's see just how "shredded" I get in 30 days. Lol! Anyways, I watched through the Level 1 workout before starting it and everything looked simple and easy enough. None of the exercises are anything I haven't seen before. However, once I started the workout, I realized how hard it was! I mean it was HARD!! There were times when I really wanted to just drop to the floor and just breathe for a minute or two! It makes sense that you have to maintain a high intensity to get the most out of a mere 20 minutes, especially if this is all you're planning to do for the day. After the workout was done, I was wiped out! I admit that I did take a break during the workout to drink some water, plus I thought my heart was going to pound itself out of my chest. Lol! Anyways, I survived, and my arms are really sore now.
Overall, I really like the workout and I'm glad I got it. After the first day, I am definitely motivated to keep going and try it again tonight, though I'll go a little lighter on the arms so they can recover. I do have to say that I think the cool-down is too short and doesn't stretch you out enough. Going forward, I may just supplement the cool-down with a few yoga stretches.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Paper flower decoration
I love how pretty this looks! I might want to borrow this idea for my own decor.
http://blogs1.marthastewart.com/weddings/2009/10/grace-bonneys-bar-d%C3%A9cor.html#more
http://blogs1.marthastewart.com/weddings/2009/10/grace-bonneys-bar-d%C3%A9cor.html#more
A gift idea that caught my eye
What could it possibly be? Why, it's a wreath of yarn balls! Unfortunately, the yarn balls in this wreath were glued onto a styrofoam form. It would have been so awesome if it was attached to the form in such a way that a person can easily remove a ball or two to use. A yarn ball glued onto a wreath just seems like a waste of good yarn to me. Lol!
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=280949.0
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=280949.0
Monday, October 26, 2009
Strawberry cake
Growing up, my absolute favorite cakes were either the ice cream cake from Carvel (the one with the chocolate crunchies) or this strawberry cake from a Chinese bake shop. It was the only bake shop I ever found that made my favorite strawberry cake. It was light and pink and tasted richly of sweet, sweet strawberries. Yum!
So lately, in a fit of nostalgia, I was craving some strawberry cake. Maybe it was because I saw a strawberry cake mix in the supermarket that the craving began. The beautiful pink, yummy texture beckoned me to buy the mix. Well, I haven't made a cake from a mix in a loooong time and I wasn't about to start now either! Looking online for "strawberry cake" yielded lots of results of people mixing white cake mix with strawberry gelatin mix, which is definitely not what I wanted. Then I found a forum where someone posted a strawberry cake recipe from Whole Foods. You can see the recipe here:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=732
At the time, the supermarket near me didn't have any fresh or frozen strawberries, so I decided to use strawberry preserves. I left out the sugar in the recipe and added some lemon zest. It actually turned out quite well, though unfortunately we finished the cake before I remembered to take and post pictures. As much as I liked the cake, it didn't really satisfy my nostalgic craving.
So in the next attempt, I was able to procure some frozen strawberries, which were delicious and very sweet on their own. This time, however, I was missing lemon zest, but I made it anyways. This cake turned out very nicely too, but I felt it didn't taste of strawberries enough. While polishing off the last of this second attempt before remembering to take photos again, I realized that it wasn't just any cake I wanted. I really wanted to make more of a sponge cake!
So the next attempt will require much more work. First, I'm actually going to make strawberry gelatin. I have some agar agar packages I bought from an asian supermarket so I'm not using any non-vegetarian gelatin. A nice strawberry gelatin recipe is offered from Martha Stewart. Then, I'm going to incorporate the gelatin into a light cake recipe. For the cake recipe, I'll be using cake flour and I'll be separating the eggs, so I can beat them fluffy. I may just use the egg whites and freeze the yolks for something else (yes, you can freeze yolks! Just pop them and add some salt to keep them from getting lumpy). The idea is to get lots of air into the batter. Cake flour is lighter, and more fine than regular flour, so it will create lighter texture. I haven't worked out all the details of how I'm going to meld the two components, but as you can see, I'm sort of trying to duplicate the gelatin-cake mix recipe.
Anyways, I won't be able make another attempt until the local supermarket stocks frozen strawberries again, which doesn't happen all that often. :-( Ah well. Another project on the To Do Someday bin!
So lately, in a fit of nostalgia, I was craving some strawberry cake. Maybe it was because I saw a strawberry cake mix in the supermarket that the craving began. The beautiful pink, yummy texture beckoned me to buy the mix. Well, I haven't made a cake from a mix in a loooong time and I wasn't about to start now either! Looking online for "strawberry cake" yielded lots of results of people mixing white cake mix with strawberry gelatin mix, which is definitely not what I wanted. Then I found a forum where someone posted a strawberry cake recipe from Whole Foods. You can see the recipe here:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=732
At the time, the supermarket near me didn't have any fresh or frozen strawberries, so I decided to use strawberry preserves. I left out the sugar in the recipe and added some lemon zest. It actually turned out quite well, though unfortunately we finished the cake before I remembered to take and post pictures. As much as I liked the cake, it didn't really satisfy my nostalgic craving.
So in the next attempt, I was able to procure some frozen strawberries, which were delicious and very sweet on their own. This time, however, I was missing lemon zest, but I made it anyways. This cake turned out very nicely too, but I felt it didn't taste of strawberries enough. While polishing off the last of this second attempt before remembering to take photos again, I realized that it wasn't just any cake I wanted. I really wanted to make more of a sponge cake!
So the next attempt will require much more work. First, I'm actually going to make strawberry gelatin. I have some agar agar packages I bought from an asian supermarket so I'm not using any non-vegetarian gelatin. A nice strawberry gelatin recipe is offered from Martha Stewart. Then, I'm going to incorporate the gelatin into a light cake recipe. For the cake recipe, I'll be using cake flour and I'll be separating the eggs, so I can beat them fluffy. I may just use the egg whites and freeze the yolks for something else (yes, you can freeze yolks! Just pop them and add some salt to keep them from getting lumpy). The idea is to get lots of air into the batter. Cake flour is lighter, and more fine than regular flour, so it will create lighter texture. I haven't worked out all the details of how I'm going to meld the two components, but as you can see, I'm sort of trying to duplicate the gelatin-cake mix recipe.
Anyways, I won't be able make another attempt until the local supermarket stocks frozen strawberries again, which doesn't happen all that often. :-( Ah well. Another project on the To Do Someday bin!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
A community helps a family
Wow, I'm so down about how horrible human beings can be to each other that this story just seems too good to be true! I wish there were more stories like this:
http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/830300.html
http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/830300.html
Making bread
My fiance loves bread. He gets all dreamy-eyed when we talk about delicious crusty bread from our local bread shop. Unfortunately, good, homemade bread can get expensive to buy every week. So for a short while, I made bread at home. Then I got lazy and didn't want to make bread anymore. The thing is, we eat a lot of bread when it's good, which means one loaf will last a week. That means I have to spend precious down-time making bread every weekend! Chores are only fun when they're novel, then they just become chores. Lol!
So one way to get around making bread every weekend is to make a big batch of dough and freeze it after the first rise. Punch down the dough and divide into small portions for fast future thawing. Wrap the portions in plastic wrap and place in freezer. When you want to use it, just unwrap it and leave it on the counter, where it will thaw and go through its second rise. At this point, you can bake it, or punch it down and let it rise one last time before placing in the oven. Tipnut.com suggests doubling the amount of yeast if you're planning to freeze the dough.
As for bread recipes to use, there are plenty floating around on the internet. I haven't tried a lot of different recipes, but I have found a pretty decent whole wheat bread recipe here. Some wheat bread recipes use half whole wheat flour and half white flour because 100% whole wheat tends to make a very dense, chewy bread. It's also very difficult, if not impossible to get a good crust. In the recipe I use, I replace a few tablespoons of flour with vital wheat gluten, which is also used to make seitan. The vital wheat gluten helps give the bread a spongier, lighter texture. Sometimes, I'll add a few shakes of ground ginger as well. When it comes time to bake, I'll arrange two racks close together in the middle of the oven and place a tray of water on the bottom rack. Before placing the bread in the oven, I'll brush the surface with cold water. During the baking process, I might have to refill the tray of water, in which case, I'll brush the surface of the bread again. This helps the bread form a crunchier crust, though it works best with white bread recipes. For whole wheat recipes, the crust is only crisp when it first cools from the oven, and even then, it's not as crisp as with a white bread recipe.
The result of my efforts is a really good loaf of sandwich bread. Even though the crust isn't crusty, the insides are soft and delicious! This is a bread for everday use. On those days when we want something a little more decadent, I'll consider making a crusty white bread. I've been eyeing the no-knead bread craze for a loooong time now - and I'm not kidding when I say "craze." Lol! Check out the no-knead recipe here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html
So one way to get around making bread every weekend is to make a big batch of dough and freeze it after the first rise. Punch down the dough and divide into small portions for fast future thawing. Wrap the portions in plastic wrap and place in freezer. When you want to use it, just unwrap it and leave it on the counter, where it will thaw and go through its second rise. At this point, you can bake it, or punch it down and let it rise one last time before placing in the oven. Tipnut.com suggests doubling the amount of yeast if you're planning to freeze the dough.
As for bread recipes to use, there are plenty floating around on the internet. I haven't tried a lot of different recipes, but I have found a pretty decent whole wheat bread recipe here. Some wheat bread recipes use half whole wheat flour and half white flour because 100% whole wheat tends to make a very dense, chewy bread. It's also very difficult, if not impossible to get a good crust. In the recipe I use, I replace a few tablespoons of flour with vital wheat gluten, which is also used to make seitan. The vital wheat gluten helps give the bread a spongier, lighter texture. Sometimes, I'll add a few shakes of ground ginger as well. When it comes time to bake, I'll arrange two racks close together in the middle of the oven and place a tray of water on the bottom rack. Before placing the bread in the oven, I'll brush the surface with cold water. During the baking process, I might have to refill the tray of water, in which case, I'll brush the surface of the bread again. This helps the bread form a crunchier crust, though it works best with white bread recipes. For whole wheat recipes, the crust is only crisp when it first cools from the oven, and even then, it's not as crisp as with a white bread recipe.
The result of my efforts is a really good loaf of sandwich bread. Even though the crust isn't crusty, the insides are soft and delicious! This is a bread for everday use. On those days when we want something a little more decadent, I'll consider making a crusty white bread. I've been eyeing the no-knead bread craze for a loooong time now - and I'm not kidding when I say "craze." Lol! Check out the no-knead recipe here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html
Cat steals socks!
Some stories are just too funny not to link to!
http://optimistworld.com/Cat-owners-leaflet-neighbours-after-pet-steals-fifty-socks/
http://optimistworld.com/Cat-owners-leaflet-neighbours-after-pet-steals-fifty-socks/
Marshall Alexander paper toys
The cool thing about paper toys are that they are fun to make and fun to play with! All you need is some paper, a color printer, scissors (or craft knife with cutting mat) and glue. Not all of these toys are easy to make, or suitable for young children, but they are pretty cheap, considering the fact that many of the templates and instructions can be downloaded for free. For the most part, I love visiting Canon CREATIVE PARK, but today, I found another site for paper toys: Marshall Alexander! The best part about Marshall Alexander's designs are that they use only one sheet of paper to create. Check it out:
http://members.chello.nl/m.egtberts2/library.html
http://members.chello.nl/m.egtberts2/library.html
Ribbon wreath
Here's a project that is not only simple, easy and pretty quick to whip up, but also looks quite nice! I haven't considered using any wreaths for my wedding decor, but if I change my mind, I'll definitely keep this project in mind:
http://www.i-do-it-yourself.com/2009/10/diy-grosgrain-ribbon-wreath/
http://www.i-do-it-yourself.com/2009/10/diy-grosgrain-ribbon-wreath/
Hello Hanna placemats
I am not really a fan of placemats. I like them when they're pretty, but it doesn't make cleanup any faster or easier, in my opinion. It certainly dresses up the table, which is nice, but it's not something that I consider necessary or even very desirable. That is, until I saw placemats from Hello Hanna! They look so cute and fun that I felt an instant attraction for them.
However, there are a couple of things that hold me back from taking the plunge and splurging on them. First, they are made of uncoated cardstock, which means they're probably not going to last you very many meals. I prefer placemats that are infinitely reusable, or close to it. Lol! Second, I personally believe that there should be few distractions at the meal table. Mealtime is when we all focus on each other and actually have a real conversation. That means, no cellphones, no TV and no toys. The Hello Hanna placemats can definitely qualify as a toy for the meal table.
Having said all that, I still can't get away from oogling them! They are just so cute! Curious yet? Check it out for yourself:
http://hellohanna.com/index.php
However, there are a couple of things that hold me back from taking the plunge and splurging on them. First, they are made of uncoated cardstock, which means they're probably not going to last you very many meals. I prefer placemats that are infinitely reusable, or close to it. Lol! Second, I personally believe that there should be few distractions at the meal table. Mealtime is when we all focus on each other and actually have a real conversation. That means, no cellphones, no TV and no toys. The Hello Hanna placemats can definitely qualify as a toy for the meal table.
Having said all that, I still can't get away from oogling them! They are just so cute! Curious yet? Check it out for yourself:
http://hellohanna.com/index.php
Microwave chocolate cake in a mug: Update
I didn't get to try this one out. Turns out, after the awesome birthday dinner, we were too stuffed to eat anymore! Now, my sweet tooth cravings have pretty much stopped calling, so I am no longer motivated to make this. I guess I'll save the recipe for some other time then. :-)
Monday, October 19, 2009
Microwave chocolate cake in a mug
For a few days now, I've been craving something sweet and decadent. I've finished our small tub of ice cream, which was sooooo yummy, and have taken to adding an extra bit of sugar to my daily coffee in an effort to assuage my sweet tooth. It worked for a little while, but then it hit me this past weekend that I wanted a chocolate cake! Unfortunately, baking a whole chocolate cake means I'll be munching on that all week, unlike having a mere spoonful per day of ice cream. I really just wanted one small slice and not have to worry about finishing the leftovers, causing me to completely ruin my diet.
Then I came across a cake recipe you can make in your mug using a microwave! It's perfect because it's a small portion that I can share with my fiance, it's fast and easy to make and it's made from scratch. Perfect! Previous recipes required using those powdered cake mixes, which I haven't used in a few years now and have no intention of using again.
The timing is also perfect as it is something I can make tonight for my fiance's birthday. Yay! Of course, it might turn out horribly since I've never made this before and there won't be any chance to tweak the recipe. Also, you should know that despite its small portion, it is by no means a low-calorie snack. In fact, the recipe below is for two servings, at about 400 calories per serving. Anyways, here's the recipe:
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 egg
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp vegetable oil
pinch of salt
pinch of baking powder
few drops of vanilla extract
Spray mug (recommend a really big one, like a big pyrex cup) with cooking spray, or rub a tiny bit of butter on the surface and sprinkle with flour. Mix all the wet ingredients separately from the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix. Try not to over-mix. Pour into baking mug and place in microwave. Set the microwave for 3 minutes, but most likely the cake will be done before the time is up. Experiment a little and it's important not to overcook the cake.
Some changes I'll make to the recipe when I try it out tonight:
Add a pinch of instant coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor
Since I'm not sure if my baking powder is still good, I may have to replace it with baking soda and a drops of cider vinegar
If this turns out well, I might try replacing some of the oil with applesauce and/or replacing the egg with agar agar powder. Wish me luck!
Then I came across a cake recipe you can make in your mug using a microwave! It's perfect because it's a small portion that I can share with my fiance, it's fast and easy to make and it's made from scratch. Perfect! Previous recipes required using those powdered cake mixes, which I haven't used in a few years now and have no intention of using again.
The timing is also perfect as it is something I can make tonight for my fiance's birthday. Yay! Of course, it might turn out horribly since I've never made this before and there won't be any chance to tweak the recipe. Also, you should know that despite its small portion, it is by no means a low-calorie snack. In fact, the recipe below is for two servings, at about 400 calories per serving. Anyways, here's the recipe:
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 egg
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp vegetable oil
pinch of salt
pinch of baking powder
few drops of vanilla extract
Spray mug (recommend a really big one, like a big pyrex cup) with cooking spray, or rub a tiny bit of butter on the surface and sprinkle with flour. Mix all the wet ingredients separately from the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix. Try not to over-mix. Pour into baking mug and place in microwave. Set the microwave for 3 minutes, but most likely the cake will be done before the time is up. Experiment a little and it's important not to overcook the cake.
Some changes I'll make to the recipe when I try it out tonight:
Add a pinch of instant coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor
Since I'm not sure if my baking powder is still good, I may have to replace it with baking soda and a drops of cider vinegar
If this turns out well, I might try replacing some of the oil with applesauce and/or replacing the egg with agar agar powder. Wish me luck!
Friday, October 9, 2009
America's work culture - no vacations!
In the U.S., the standard number of vacation days per year is 10, and you're one of the lucky ones if they're all paid vacation days. In Europe, it's almost unheard of to get less than 20 paid vacation days. In the U.S., you are expected to show that you're totally devoted to the company, which often means pulling long hours, working through your weekends and vacations, or not taking your vacation days at all! In our current uncertain times and the lack of job security, people are working their rear ends off to avoid the chopping block, as if our work culture wasn't bad enough before. Even before our current economic crisis, people felt they're less likely to be rewarded with a raise or a promotion unless they have no life but the life of devotion to work.
Yet with all our miserable days and hours spent working, our productivity levels are not way higher than a country with a more relaxed approach towards life and work. Considering that we're not getting better results and individual burn-out is more prevalent here, I don't think our work culture is an ideal one. It's hard to avoid the pressure of collective attitudes, but I really feel that we need some tweaking here. I mean companies should start encouraging people to take their vacations and to take one should not be in any way construed as slacking on the job. Your work life shouldn't be your entire life. That also means working during your vacation should absolutely not be allowed. These are just some of the thoughts that popped up when I started reading this article:
http://www.wisebread.com/america-is-the-no-vacation-nation
Yet with all our miserable days and hours spent working, our productivity levels are not way higher than a country with a more relaxed approach towards life and work. Considering that we're not getting better results and individual burn-out is more prevalent here, I don't think our work culture is an ideal one. It's hard to avoid the pressure of collective attitudes, but I really feel that we need some tweaking here. I mean companies should start encouraging people to take their vacations and to take one should not be in any way construed as slacking on the job. Your work life shouldn't be your entire life. That also means working during your vacation should absolutely not be allowed. These are just some of the thoughts that popped up when I started reading this article:
http://www.wisebread.com/america-is-the-no-vacation-nation
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Invitations, part 3
Okay, so I talked previously about how I started working on my invitations. So far, I've scored and folded about a hundred sheets of cardstock, most of which has had its edge punched out.
Once I've finished punching out the edges, I'll have to start cutting and pasting on the pockets.
I've also printed out half the wording pages. I spent a lot of time designing the wording page, tinkering with the images and downloading free brushes and fonts from the internet. I ended up use a cherry blossom brush for the purple flowers, Chopin Script font for our names, Curlz MT font for the venue name and regular Times New Roman for everything else.
I guess I'll print out the other half tonight. Once the pockets are pasted into the covers, I'll start stamping the wording pages and then paste them into the covers.
I still have to do the inserts...
I've also printed out half the wording pages. I spent a lot of time designing the wording page, tinkering with the images and downloading free brushes and fonts from the internet. I ended up use a cherry blossom brush for the purple flowers, Chopin Script font for our names, Curlz MT font for the venue name and regular Times New Roman for everything else.
I still have to do the inserts...
The art of having insecurities thrust upon you
Let's face it, we live in a consumerist culture, meaning we like to buy or "consume" things. As a group, we feel the need to consume things in order to obtain a fleeting moment of what we think is happiness. These days everything you see is geared to get you to buy something. So how do they get millions of people to buy billions of dollars of stuff they generally don't need? I mean, do I really need to have another dress hanging in my closet? Do I really need to get that awesome-smelling soap shaped like the most adorable flower for some exorbitant amount of money? The answer is simply no, I don't need those things, but I want those things. How did it get that way? Marketing!
I remember when I took a marketing class in college, they mention the different ways a company can sell their product. If a product is useful and definitely people need it to carry out certain useful functions, the company has to find a way to get the message out that their product can help and is better than all the competitors' products. However, what if a product serves no useful purpose? What if there is no need for it whatsoever? What if no one ever even thought about using such a thing before? Meaning, what if there is no market for it? Well, a good marketing company makes a market and creates a need for it. So how do you get someone to buy something they probably think is useless or a waste of money, if left to their own devices? You play upon their insecurities.
If you think about it, we are bombarded by ads everywhere we go, everywhere we look. From magazines, to the radio, to the TV, to the internet, everyone is marketing something. They all have the same message: You're a loser and are totally inadequate, and if you buy our stuff it will fill the hole you've been trying to fill your whole life. They fill you with completely unrealistic images that we're supposed to strive to achieve and since the "perfect" life being the "perfect" person doesn't exist, we are ALWAYS left feeling insecure and inadequate. But it's not just any image of perfection they want you to strive for, but theirs. It has to be theirs because they want you to buy their stuff. Those beautiful models on magazine covers, the men in luxury cars driving on an empty road, the great fun people seem to have drinking certain brands of alcohol - these images are not just selling the product, but selling an idea and/or image. The implication is that you are just not good enough or you are not happy unless you buy our stuff. The implication is, you're a loser because the car you currently own makes you a loser and that's why you're not as happy as that man in the commercial.
For example, one of the commercials that ALWAYS ticks me off are those Kay Jeweler commercials because their slogan is "Every kiss begins with Kay." The slogan says to the man that no woman could ever want or love him unless he gives her expensive jewelry, which implies that he just ain't good enough to get a woman to love him without bribing her and so implies that women are materialistic gold-diggers. At the same time, the commercial is telling women that your man don't love you unless he gives you expensive jewelry and that's why you should kiss him. This leads men to buy the most expensive, ugly jewelry ever for their girls and have no idea why the girl doesn't wear it! To quote a friend of mine after her boyfriend proudly presented her with a gift, "Just because it's Tiffany's doesn't mean it's pretty."
Another commercial that ticks me off are those hair loss ones. They're flat out telling the guys that they're ugly, unwanted and totally unattractive unless they have hair. It's pretty sick. I mean, the poor dude is probably already embarrassed about the hair loss and now there's a commercial saying, "Yes, you are indeed a totally undesirable, disgusting loser because you're balding so go buy our stuff cause it will make you into everything you've always wanted to be!" What they don't tell you is that it might not work and all you're left with is this burning feeling of inadequacy, making you even more desperate to "solve" the issue.
Of course, most of the time, we tune out these commercials as silly. I only get riled up when I deconstruct this stuff and realize just how much of this kind of messaging is out there. It's unavoidable and if you are constantly told that you're inadequate, you can't help but be affected no matter how hard you try to ignore it.
The truth is, even the most naturally beautiful person in the whole world isn't beautiful enough because our idea of beauty simply doesn't exist. The idea of natural beauty no longer exists because what's natural isn't beautiful anymore. The same goes for the brilliant lifestyle marketing sells. Don't we all want to be like those impossibly beautiful, popular people in the drinking commercials at a fancy bar, laughing and having the best time? It's an impossible life with impossible people, which means that no matter how much we buy and how much we spend, we will never be satisfied. We are so bombarded by images of youthful beauty and youthful enthusiasm that we forget that youthful enthusiasm often is reckless and impulsive and gets us into trouble. We cannot accept that it's okay for youthful beauty to fade, so we buy thousands of dollars of stuff to make us age more slowly, yet none of that stuff buys us less misery and more wisdom. Whatever happiness we feel is fleeting until the next upkeep appointment or the next sign of aging sprouts up. I feel like nobody knows how to age gracefully anymore. After all, reckless and impulsive enthusiasm gets people to buy more stuff than pragmatic, equanimous wisdom.
I, myself, find myself getting caught up in my insecurities and see my mentality shifting as I'm going about my wedding planning process. Things that didn't bother me as much before now takes on epic proportions. The idea that we have to look absolutely stunning on our wedding day is putting an impossible amount of pressure on me because all my physical and imagined physical flaws are "ruining" the "perfect" future moment. The truth is, what will be, will be. I cannot control the weather and I cannot keep my eyes from protruding due to my medical condition. So most likely, I'll look like a frog in many of my photos, but what can I do? Nothing. So I shouldn't worry, right? I know I shouldn't, but I do anyways. That's how powerful the Wedding Industrial Complex is. I had immersed myself in thinking I could resist its powerful pull to spend loads of money on the "Look at ME!" mentality, but now I realize that resistance is harder than I imagined. If I could do things all over again, I might do them a little differently by worrying less about having a picture perfect wedding and more about taking it easy!
The thing is I started out taking it easy and became more stressed as I looked at more magazines and wedding sites. See what I mean about having insecurity thrust upon you? I mean how you would have been fine and happy had someone not told you that a "good" wedding has certain "must have" things. So you go out and buy this "must have" thing after recovering from the initial sticker shock, only to be left with a vague feeling of dissatisfaction. So you think, oh no! Did I not buy enough "must have" things? Is my wedding going to be "cheesy?" and will people judge me to be a bad, tasteless person forever because I didn't get matching napkins for this one day!?!!? Sounds kinda funny, doesn't it? Well it's not funny to the person freaking out at the moment. Maybe the trick is to constantly step back and try to remember the big picture whenever I start worrying. After all, at the end of the day, the most important thing is that you're married!
I remember when I took a marketing class in college, they mention the different ways a company can sell their product. If a product is useful and definitely people need it to carry out certain useful functions, the company has to find a way to get the message out that their product can help and is better than all the competitors' products. However, what if a product serves no useful purpose? What if there is no need for it whatsoever? What if no one ever even thought about using such a thing before? Meaning, what if there is no market for it? Well, a good marketing company makes a market and creates a need for it. So how do you get someone to buy something they probably think is useless or a waste of money, if left to their own devices? You play upon their insecurities.
If you think about it, we are bombarded by ads everywhere we go, everywhere we look. From magazines, to the radio, to the TV, to the internet, everyone is marketing something. They all have the same message: You're a loser and are totally inadequate, and if you buy our stuff it will fill the hole you've been trying to fill your whole life. They fill you with completely unrealistic images that we're supposed to strive to achieve and since the "perfect" life being the "perfect" person doesn't exist, we are ALWAYS left feeling insecure and inadequate. But it's not just any image of perfection they want you to strive for, but theirs. It has to be theirs because they want you to buy their stuff. Those beautiful models on magazine covers, the men in luxury cars driving on an empty road, the great fun people seem to have drinking certain brands of alcohol - these images are not just selling the product, but selling an idea and/or image. The implication is that you are just not good enough or you are not happy unless you buy our stuff. The implication is, you're a loser because the car you currently own makes you a loser and that's why you're not as happy as that man in the commercial.
For example, one of the commercials that ALWAYS ticks me off are those Kay Jeweler commercials because their slogan is "Every kiss begins with Kay." The slogan says to the man that no woman could ever want or love him unless he gives her expensive jewelry, which implies that he just ain't good enough to get a woman to love him without bribing her and so implies that women are materialistic gold-diggers. At the same time, the commercial is telling women that your man don't love you unless he gives you expensive jewelry and that's why you should kiss him. This leads men to buy the most expensive, ugly jewelry ever for their girls and have no idea why the girl doesn't wear it! To quote a friend of mine after her boyfriend proudly presented her with a gift, "Just because it's Tiffany's doesn't mean it's pretty."
Another commercial that ticks me off are those hair loss ones. They're flat out telling the guys that they're ugly, unwanted and totally unattractive unless they have hair. It's pretty sick. I mean, the poor dude is probably already embarrassed about the hair loss and now there's a commercial saying, "Yes, you are indeed a totally undesirable, disgusting loser because you're balding so go buy our stuff cause it will make you into everything you've always wanted to be!" What they don't tell you is that it might not work and all you're left with is this burning feeling of inadequacy, making you even more desperate to "solve" the issue.
Of course, most of the time, we tune out these commercials as silly. I only get riled up when I deconstruct this stuff and realize just how much of this kind of messaging is out there. It's unavoidable and if you are constantly told that you're inadequate, you can't help but be affected no matter how hard you try to ignore it.
The truth is, even the most naturally beautiful person in the whole world isn't beautiful enough because our idea of beauty simply doesn't exist. The idea of natural beauty no longer exists because what's natural isn't beautiful anymore. The same goes for the brilliant lifestyle marketing sells. Don't we all want to be like those impossibly beautiful, popular people in the drinking commercials at a fancy bar, laughing and having the best time? It's an impossible life with impossible people, which means that no matter how much we buy and how much we spend, we will never be satisfied. We are so bombarded by images of youthful beauty and youthful enthusiasm that we forget that youthful enthusiasm often is reckless and impulsive and gets us into trouble. We cannot accept that it's okay for youthful beauty to fade, so we buy thousands of dollars of stuff to make us age more slowly, yet none of that stuff buys us less misery and more wisdom. Whatever happiness we feel is fleeting until the next upkeep appointment or the next sign of aging sprouts up. I feel like nobody knows how to age gracefully anymore. After all, reckless and impulsive enthusiasm gets people to buy more stuff than pragmatic, equanimous wisdom.
I, myself, find myself getting caught up in my insecurities and see my mentality shifting as I'm going about my wedding planning process. Things that didn't bother me as much before now takes on epic proportions. The idea that we have to look absolutely stunning on our wedding day is putting an impossible amount of pressure on me because all my physical and imagined physical flaws are "ruining" the "perfect" future moment. The truth is, what will be, will be. I cannot control the weather and I cannot keep my eyes from protruding due to my medical condition. So most likely, I'll look like a frog in many of my photos, but what can I do? Nothing. So I shouldn't worry, right? I know I shouldn't, but I do anyways. That's how powerful the Wedding Industrial Complex is. I had immersed myself in thinking I could resist its powerful pull to spend loads of money on the "Look at ME!" mentality, but now I realize that resistance is harder than I imagined. If I could do things all over again, I might do them a little differently by worrying less about having a picture perfect wedding and more about taking it easy!
The thing is I started out taking it easy and became more stressed as I looked at more magazines and wedding sites. See what I mean about having insecurity thrust upon you? I mean how you would have been fine and happy had someone not told you that a "good" wedding has certain "must have" things. So you go out and buy this "must have" thing after recovering from the initial sticker shock, only to be left with a vague feeling of dissatisfaction. So you think, oh no! Did I not buy enough "must have" things? Is my wedding going to be "cheesy?" and will people judge me to be a bad, tasteless person forever because I didn't get matching napkins for this one day!?!!? Sounds kinda funny, doesn't it? Well it's not funny to the person freaking out at the moment. Maybe the trick is to constantly step back and try to remember the big picture whenever I start worrying. After all, at the end of the day, the most important thing is that you're married!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Fashion magazine goes model-less
All I can say is, "Whoo hoo!" That's one less magazine in the world telling women they're inadequate cause they don't look like a woman that doesn't exist! Be proud of being REAL! Feel beautiful inside and out without dousing yourself with a million chemicals! Be a part of Operation Beautiful!
http://www.thelocal.de/national/20091005-22367.html
http://www.thelocal.de/national/20091005-22367.html
Office in the woods
How many times have I dreamed about taking my laptop to a nearby park to work when the weather's nice? Countless times! I know I'm not the only one who longs to work in an environment filled with greenery on nice summer days. So how about working in an office in the woods? Check out this work space!
http://www.planet-mag.com/blog/2009/architecture/ryan-grim/office-in-the-woods/#http://www.planet-mag.com/blog/2009/architecture/ryan-grim/office-in-the-woods/
http://www.planet-mag.com/blog/2009/architecture/ryan-grim/office-in-the-woods/#http://www.planet-mag.com/blog/2009/architecture/ryan-grim/office-in-the-woods/
Chocolate powered race car
I saw this article and... well it's weird and amazing and the techniques used to make it probably isn't sustainable, but hey, what do I know? Lol!
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=217300279
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=217300279
Monday, October 5, 2009
Homemade nonstick cooking spray
My fiance is a fan of Pan nonstick cooking spray. Growing up, the only time my mother used Pan was when she was baking a cake. As for me, I stopped using it years ago, preferring to use oil and flour in my baking pans instead. I've also seen some people use it to spray their griddle when making pancakes. I usually smear a thin coat of oil onto the pan with an oily napkin. Still, I suppose a nonstick spray can be convenient to have around, especially if your fiance likes it! To make your own, you will need liquid lecithin, which isn't something you can find in a regular supermarket. My local health food store has soy lecithin, but it's not something that I would have thought to purchase until I saw this recipe:
http://tipnut.com/homemade-non-stick-spray-recipes/
So considering the fact that I'd have to purchase something soley for this purpose, I'm not inclined to make this. Honestly, I see no need to use non-stick spray, but if ever I'm doing a project that needs it, I'll try to keep this recipe in mind. :-)
http://tipnut.com/homemade-non-stick-spray-recipes/
So considering the fact that I'd have to purchase something soley for this purpose, I'm not inclined to make this. Honestly, I see no need to use non-stick spray, but if ever I'm doing a project that needs it, I'll try to keep this recipe in mind. :-)
Homemade glue
When I think of kids' glue, the memories of my classmates sniffing Elmers and "rexo" sheets pop up. Those were to days, no? Well, now they say sniffing those rexo sheets probably wasn't good for you and now the schools no longer use them. What about Elmer's glue? I still have a bottle lying around somewhere, and yes, I still occasionally use it. It's fun stuff and no one's debunked their claims of being non-toxic yet.
However, what if you've got an artsy-craftsy kid around and you forgot to get a bottle of Elmer's?! What if you just don't have time to run to a far way stationery story to get it? Well then, make your own!
The recipe below uses flour, sugar, water and vinegar:
http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/26/homemade-glue-for-kids-crafts/
You can also make rice glue by boiling a cup of rice with 3 to 4 cups of water for about 45 minutes. This is the glue that's traditionally used to make kanzashi flowers (japanese fabric flowers). It's also the stuff used to glue the Great Wall together. Yeah, I mean The Great Wall of China. Talk about standing the test of time! It also means that this is probably a very old way of making glue in asia. I've also seen my dad use it to glue our passport photos onto our application. Apparently, it worked cause we got our passports later. Lol!
When you think about it, both glue recipes use items that create a paste or mix of starch and sugar. Think about how sticky dried foodstuffs are, like spilled soda, and you might think about how soda would make a great glue! In any case, I'm sure both recipes work well as glues. Enjoy!
However, what if you've got an artsy-craftsy kid around and you forgot to get a bottle of Elmer's?! What if you just don't have time to run to a far way stationery story to get it? Well then, make your own!
The recipe below uses flour, sugar, water and vinegar:
http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/26/homemade-glue-for-kids-crafts/
You can also make rice glue by boiling a cup of rice with 3 to 4 cups of water for about 45 minutes. This is the glue that's traditionally used to make kanzashi flowers (japanese fabric flowers). It's also the stuff used to glue the Great Wall together. Yeah, I mean The Great Wall of China. Talk about standing the test of time! It also means that this is probably a very old way of making glue in asia. I've also seen my dad use it to glue our passport photos onto our application. Apparently, it worked cause we got our passports later. Lol!
When you think about it, both glue recipes use items that create a paste or mix of starch and sugar. Think about how sticky dried foodstuffs are, like spilled soda, and you might think about how soda would make a great glue! In any case, I'm sure both recipes work well as glues. Enjoy!
Castile soap
There are lots of information out there on "green" cleaning products and how to make your own. Sometimes, I get lazy and/or I forget to mix and bottle a batch or buy an ingredient. When that happens, I'll reach for some liquid castile soap. There are lots of brands of castile soap these days, and if you're into making your own soap, it's also a pretty simple recipe to work with. If making your own, make sure you get the cheap olive pomace oil cause the extra virgin stuff takes next to never to reach trace!
Now, before I go further, I want to clarify some things. "Castile soap" can mean different things to different people. Traditionally, castile soap was made with nothing but olive oil. For some people, a soap isn't truly "castile" if it isn't all olive oil. For many companies that market castile soap, "castile" just means a vegan or vegetarian soap. So although olive oil is still a big ingredient for some of these companies, their recipe is usually a mix of vegetable oils. Many of the popular commercial soaps cannot be considered vegan or vegetarian because it contains animal fat, such as lard and/or tallow. Lard is a very popular ingredient for soaps because it creates a very nice, moisturizing, skin conditioning soap. Tallow creates nice, rich, creamy lather and also has good skin conditioning properties. For me, I use vegetarian soaps in my household as a part of my personal practice in harm reduction. Otherwise, my biggest concern with commercial soaps are all the weird ingredients in it.
So what kind of castile soap do I use? I like Dr. Bronner's brand of castile soap, even though the label is weird and crazy and sounds kind of cult-like. If that's an issue, you can try a different brand, but so far, I like Dr Bronner's the best. I like it because it's popular enough that I can find it almost anywhere in the city and because the ingredients list is simple. Granted, it is not a true castile soap because it's not made from olive oil only, but some will argue that true castile soap is not as "rounded" a soap as a mixture of oils. I've read that true castile soap can create suds that feel... slimy. Lol! So for now, my favorite pre-made all-purpose soap and cleaner is Dr. Bronner's liquid soap. I prefer the Baby Mild, unscented kind because I can add my own scents or essential oils if I wanted, but my fiance likes the Peppermint scented one. My only real issue with Dr. Bronner's is the price. It's not cheap, so it can feel like an indulgence when I get it from my local health foods store. However, I did find an online site that sells it for a lot cheaper than I've seen anywhere else.
It's called vitacost.com and I can get a gallon of Dr. Bronner's soap shipped to my place for under 40 bux! Normally, I'd have to buy it at a local health food store and pay 50 to 60 bux and then still have to lug it home. I'm not going to say that buying it at vitacost means Dr. Bronner's will be cheaper than another brand of liquid soap, but it definitely makes it more cost effective for my purposes. I like having it around, but I have other cleaning materials at my disposal. If I were to actually use this stuff for everything, I'd have to buy lots more of it!
Now, before I go further, I want to clarify some things. "Castile soap" can mean different things to different people. Traditionally, castile soap was made with nothing but olive oil. For some people, a soap isn't truly "castile" if it isn't all olive oil. For many companies that market castile soap, "castile" just means a vegan or vegetarian soap. So although olive oil is still a big ingredient for some of these companies, their recipe is usually a mix of vegetable oils. Many of the popular commercial soaps cannot be considered vegan or vegetarian because it contains animal fat, such as lard and/or tallow. Lard is a very popular ingredient for soaps because it creates a very nice, moisturizing, skin conditioning soap. Tallow creates nice, rich, creamy lather and also has good skin conditioning properties. For me, I use vegetarian soaps in my household as a part of my personal practice in harm reduction. Otherwise, my biggest concern with commercial soaps are all the weird ingredients in it.
So what kind of castile soap do I use? I like Dr. Bronner's brand of castile soap, even though the label is weird and crazy and sounds kind of cult-like. If that's an issue, you can try a different brand, but so far, I like Dr Bronner's the best. I like it because it's popular enough that I can find it almost anywhere in the city and because the ingredients list is simple. Granted, it is not a true castile soap because it's not made from olive oil only, but some will argue that true castile soap is not as "rounded" a soap as a mixture of oils. I've read that true castile soap can create suds that feel... slimy. Lol! So for now, my favorite pre-made all-purpose soap and cleaner is Dr. Bronner's liquid soap. I prefer the Baby Mild, unscented kind because I can add my own scents or essential oils if I wanted, but my fiance likes the Peppermint scented one. My only real issue with Dr. Bronner's is the price. It's not cheap, so it can feel like an indulgence when I get it from my local health foods store. However, I did find an online site that sells it for a lot cheaper than I've seen anywhere else.
It's called vitacost.com and I can get a gallon of Dr. Bronner's soap shipped to my place for under 40 bux! Normally, I'd have to buy it at a local health food store and pay 50 to 60 bux and then still have to lug it home. I'm not going to say that buying it at vitacost means Dr. Bronner's will be cheaper than another brand of liquid soap, but it definitely makes it more cost effective for my purposes. I like having it around, but I have other cleaning materials at my disposal. If I were to actually use this stuff for everything, I'd have to buy lots more of it!
Fabric scrap necklace
For someone who hasn't been sewing very long, I sure have a lot of scrap fabric lying around! At first, I was throwing away the smaller scraps and saving the larger scraps for future use, though I have no idea what I'd use them for yet. I thought about making change purses, or quilts or headbands. Then, I found a tutorial for a scrap fabric necklace and thought, "Hey, that's something I might actually wear and it will use up some of my smaller scraps!" Brilliant!
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2009/06/how-to_tuesdays_fabric_scrap_n.html
Beer Can Solar Heater
I think this is a really cool project, but I'm not sure how well it would work in the winter around here. I think I would be more inclined to make this is if it didn't block light from coming in through a window and if it were more... attractive. The blockage of sunlight is a big concern here since living in an apartment often means that you probably don't get a whole lot of windows with lots of sun to begin with. Still, a passive heater that can lower your heating bills for free can be an attractive thing.
http://www.squidoo.com/beercansolarheater
http://www.squidoo.com/beercansolarheater
Friday, October 2, 2009
Body sugaring instead of waxing
In the last year or so, on and off, I get into these moods where I become enamored of the idea of not having to buy any more razors. I don't particularly like the fact that I have to keep buying more as they dull and I don't like the fact that the ones I like aren't cheap! So far the only alternatives I've heard of are waxing and body sugaring, both of which involve pulling the hairs out. Ouch! On top of that, I've been told that the stuff found in the wax you use to wax yourself is filled with nasty chemicals. Double ouch! As for body sugaring, it's a method you can do at home with some cotton strips and supplies in your pantry, so it involves no weird chemicals. As for the ouch factor? Some reviewers say it hurts the same as waxing and some say it hurts less than waxing. I guess it depends on your pain tolerance and the way you pull it? I dunno, but if you're wondering how to do it, here it is!
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/care2-hair-removal-sugaring.html
Carmelizing veggies
I love, love carmelized onions! Usually, I'll just cook them in some veggie oil until they turn translucent brown, or when their natural sugars carmelize. I've never carmelized anything green like brussels sprouts though. I think it's because there's just not enough natural sugars in there to do what you can do with onions. In general, I'll usually just stir fry the veggies and enjoy their flavor. Sometimes, I'll add a commercial stir fry sauce made from mushrooms, or I'll add garlic or soy sauce. Today, I learned a new way to cook veggies. Carmelize them with balsamic vinegar! Yum!
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/kids-eat-greens-carmelized.html
Monday, September 28, 2009
Crocheted elf shoes
Too cute! It's also a fairly quick project. I think I'll put this in my queue.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2578/3897355974_375f6f75f7_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2578/3897355974_375f6f75f7_o.jpg
Homemade dust clothes
This is not a simple rag, but clothes that have been treated with some lemon oil. I'm itching to try this out!
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/homemade-treated-dust-cloths.html
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/homemade-treated-dust-cloths.html
Invitations, part 2
So now let's talk about the blue cardstock paper. First of all, it turns out that we do not have any suitable rulers in the house, so I will have to purchase one. I just can't properly and accurately score paper without one! Second, I have go figure out a neat way of attaching the pocket flap.
Now, the printed invite is 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches, which is nicely half the size of our cardstock, which is 8.5 inches by 11 inches. When the invite is inserted into the cardstock, a tiny sliver of its edge sticks out, so I had to slice that off. It still looks like a very plain card with a cover, so I took the border punch and punched out the long edge of the cardstock cover. Now the cover has a cute, flowery edge that exposes the edge of the invite. It's hard to explain this without pictures, but I promise to post some of those later so you'll see better what I'm talking about.
The problem with the cover exposing the edge of the invite is that the invite has some stamped decoration there, and it just doesn't look very clean. I mean, most of the edge is white with the blue cardstock punched-out edge laying on top. I think it looks very nice, except for the stamped part peeking out. Plus, I had totally forgot that I still had to attach a pocket flap!
So thus, the solution I came up with was to cut out the flap in cardstock and white paper and paste them together. Then paste the paper side to the inside of the cover. That way, the flowery edge will be shown off against a white background cleanly, and I also have a pocket flap!
The next thing was to decorate the front cover. Do I use a belly band? Honestly, I didn't want to put any more effort into this project and the thought of cutting and pasting a belly band onto a label, and creating a monogram for the label was just too tiring! So I decided just to emboss it and leave it at that. Lol!
The next thing I have to figure out is how I'm going to include the RSVP, wedding website and venue information. Whew! I'm so glad I was able to get this far at all!
Now, the printed invite is 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches, which is nicely half the size of our cardstock, which is 8.5 inches by 11 inches. When the invite is inserted into the cardstock, a tiny sliver of its edge sticks out, so I had to slice that off. It still looks like a very plain card with a cover, so I took the border punch and punched out the long edge of the cardstock cover. Now the cover has a cute, flowery edge that exposes the edge of the invite. It's hard to explain this without pictures, but I promise to post some of those later so you'll see better what I'm talking about.
The problem with the cover exposing the edge of the invite is that the invite has some stamped decoration there, and it just doesn't look very clean. I mean, most of the edge is white with the blue cardstock punched-out edge laying on top. I think it looks very nice, except for the stamped part peeking out. Plus, I had totally forgot that I still had to attach a pocket flap!
So thus, the solution I came up with was to cut out the flap in cardstock and white paper and paste them together. Then paste the paper side to the inside of the cover. That way, the flowery edge will be shown off against a white background cleanly, and I also have a pocket flap!
The next thing was to decorate the front cover. Do I use a belly band? Honestly, I didn't want to put any more effort into this project and the thought of cutting and pasting a belly band onto a label, and creating a monogram for the label was just too tiring! So I decided just to emboss it and leave it at that. Lol!
The next thing I have to figure out is how I'm going to include the RSVP, wedding website and venue information. Whew! I'm so glad I was able to get this far at all!
Invitations, part 1
So this past weekend, I finally got off my lazy behind and started working on the invitations. Mostly, I was dragging because I had no idea how I wanted those things to look. I had played with a few design ideas a few months back but really hated them. So I started from scratch again with something simple, and ended up with something that is going to be quite labor-intensive. :-(
First of all, my supplies to play with include:
- blue cardstock paper
- invitations kit with 1 plain white page and 1 plain white envelope
- paper cutter
- bone folder
- corner embosser and punch
- flowery edge punch
- slow-drying silver stamp pads (can be used for embossing)
- clear stamp pad (only for embossing)
- 1 white pearly translucent embossing powder
- 1 lavender embossing powder
- embossing heat tool
- clear stampers (to be used with an acrylic block)
- an acrylic block
- double sided tape
- glue stick
- printer paper
- image editing software
- word processor
The first thing I did was sit at the computer and set the page margins and settings to match the size of the paper from the invitations kit. Then I took a generic wedding invitation wording and pasted it onto the page, adjusted towards the lower right. My fiance and I thought the wording sounded boring, so I sat and stared at it for a looooong time wondering how to spice it up. I eventually settled on something and the fiance approved it. You'll see the result when I post the pictures!
Once the wording was done, it was time to move on to graphics. My vision was to use a combination of printed, stamped and embossed graphics on the invite. I had been saving photos and graphics found on the internet. I tried to be careful to only use stuff that has the appropriate licensing restrictions. I dumped all my collected images into a folder on my computer and browsed through the thumbnails, looking for ones that would look nice on the invite. I had to use my image editing software to edit or crop a few of them, but I ended up mostly using a graphic created from a tool in my image editing software. Once everything was in place on the page, I printed a bunch of test sheets.
The test sheets were taken to a sturdy work area, where the experiments with stamping and embossing were going to take place. I experimented with the different stamps and decided to only use one or two. The question that kept coming up was how the heck do I stamp all the darned pages in the same spot? Well, with the clear stamps, you can actually see where you're stamping and there's a grid that helps you place the stamp, but you'll never get it be totally exact, I think. So this is probably not the best route for the obsessive perfectionist. Once I've picked out my stamps and figured out where I want them placed, I had to figure out which stamped images I wanted embossed, or if I wanted embossing at all. The truth is, I think embossing is SO COOL!! I felt like I just had to include it! So I tried all the different combinations and showed them to my fiance. Although the translucent, clear embossed image was nice, my fiance preferred the silver stamp with the purple powder combination, so we chose that embossing combination. Personally, I liked it when all the images were embossed, but my fiance liked it when one of the stamps were left silver. Right now we're down to two choices.
So that's where we're at with the page that contains the wording. It's printed on plain computer paper that will be mounted onto blue cardstock paper. The cardstock paper will be folded in half, like a card (lol!), with one side sporting a flap that will contain the RSVP instructions and venue information and such. Anyways, wrangling with the blue cardstock is another post entirely! :-)
First of all, my supplies to play with include:
- blue cardstock paper
- invitations kit with 1 plain white page and 1 plain white envelope
- paper cutter
- bone folder
- corner embosser and punch
- flowery edge punch
- slow-drying silver stamp pads (can be used for embossing)
- clear stamp pad (only for embossing)
- 1 white pearly translucent embossing powder
- 1 lavender embossing powder
- embossing heat tool
- clear stampers (to be used with an acrylic block)
- an acrylic block
- double sided tape
- glue stick
- printer paper
- image editing software
- word processor
The first thing I did was sit at the computer and set the page margins and settings to match the size of the paper from the invitations kit. Then I took a generic wedding invitation wording and pasted it onto the page, adjusted towards the lower right. My fiance and I thought the wording sounded boring, so I sat and stared at it for a looooong time wondering how to spice it up. I eventually settled on something and the fiance approved it. You'll see the result when I post the pictures!
Once the wording was done, it was time to move on to graphics. My vision was to use a combination of printed, stamped and embossed graphics on the invite. I had been saving photos and graphics found on the internet. I tried to be careful to only use stuff that has the appropriate licensing restrictions. I dumped all my collected images into a folder on my computer and browsed through the thumbnails, looking for ones that would look nice on the invite. I had to use my image editing software to edit or crop a few of them, but I ended up mostly using a graphic created from a tool in my image editing software. Once everything was in place on the page, I printed a bunch of test sheets.
The test sheets were taken to a sturdy work area, where the experiments with stamping and embossing were going to take place. I experimented with the different stamps and decided to only use one or two. The question that kept coming up was how the heck do I stamp all the darned pages in the same spot? Well, with the clear stamps, you can actually see where you're stamping and there's a grid that helps you place the stamp, but you'll never get it be totally exact, I think. So this is probably not the best route for the obsessive perfectionist. Once I've picked out my stamps and figured out where I want them placed, I had to figure out which stamped images I wanted embossed, or if I wanted embossing at all. The truth is, I think embossing is SO COOL!! I felt like I just had to include it! So I tried all the different combinations and showed them to my fiance. Although the translucent, clear embossed image was nice, my fiance preferred the silver stamp with the purple powder combination, so we chose that embossing combination. Personally, I liked it when all the images were embossed, but my fiance liked it when one of the stamps were left silver. Right now we're down to two choices.
So that's where we're at with the page that contains the wording. It's printed on plain computer paper that will be mounted onto blue cardstock paper. The cardstock paper will be folded in half, like a card (lol!), with one side sporting a flap that will contain the RSVP instructions and venue information and such. Anyways, wrangling with the blue cardstock is another post entirely! :-)
First exercise step
So far, I've been pretty decent about getting on my mini-elliptical on a regular basis. Certainly, I could be clocking more minutes on it, but I am happy with the fact that I now regularly think of getting on that machine. So now that the habit has been semi-formed, the next step is to push a little harder.
So far, doing a short, leisurely burst of 15 minutes on my mini-elliptical isn't enough. Haha! Yeah, I already knew that. So I think the next thing I want to do is start adding some weight training to my routine. You know, stuff like pushups and crunches. If I do 10 minutes of weight training and then another 15 minutes of light cardio, that'll net me 25 minutes of exercise total per session. Right now, I'm only exercising every other day because I can never keep up a daily exercise routine in the past. I know I'm starting off very slow, but hey, it's a start!
As for the plan to have salad once a week... that hasn't been going very well. But I have been cooking more at home. I know, I know, I really should get on that salad track. I definitely have plans to do that this week as I bought a bunch of lettuce and other veggies this past weekend.
Friday, September 25, 2009
So what's next?
So now I have to get back into the wedding mode and get some more stuff done! Here's the stuff that immediately next on my list:
- Guest list. I've asked my parents for their guest list and my fiance has one of his own. Once I get mine together, we'll combine ours and see if we can't pare it down a little as I'm sure we'll have to do.
- Make the invites. No clue what I'm doing. I like being crafty but I expect most of these will be thrown out so no point in spending a huge load of time and money on them. Lol!
- Make the veil. I've decided on fingertip length with cascading effect. I'm also going to dye it into a non-standard color. :-)
- Finish the Chinese dress pattern and test it out in muslin.
- Start thinking of evening gown ideas and what I'm going to wear for the tea ceremony.
- Shop for wedding bands
- Start thinking about flowers and decorations
- And for heaven's sake, I gotta lose some weight!
So much to do. So little time.
- Guest list. I've asked my parents for their guest list and my fiance has one of his own. Once I get mine together, we'll combine ours and see if we can't pare it down a little as I'm sure we'll have to do.
- Make the invites. No clue what I'm doing. I like being crafty but I expect most of these will be thrown out so no point in spending a huge load of time and money on them. Lol!
- Make the veil. I've decided on fingertip length with cascading effect. I'm also going to dye it into a non-standard color. :-)
- Finish the Chinese dress pattern and test it out in muslin.
- Start thinking of evening gown ideas and what I'm going to wear for the tea ceremony.
- Shop for wedding bands
- Start thinking about flowers and decorations
- And for heaven's sake, I gotta lose some weight!
So much to do. So little time.
What we're foregoing
Weddings are super aggravating and expensive. So in the interests of simplicity, frugality and lack of resources, we've decided to forego the following for the wedding:
- Favors. Nobody seems to like these unless they're edible anyways. Lol!
- Chuppah. We'll be married in a tent-like structure at the venue and besides, I don't want to rent one for lots of money, nor do I have the time and patience to make one at this point
- Door games. Chinese weddings sometimes have the bridesmaids make the groom and his groomsmen complete a set of challenges. The bride is waiting in her room for her groom to pick her up and he has yet to see her. In order to gain entrance to her room, they must pass each challenge made up by the bridesmaids "defending" their friend.
- Bride price. Also a Chinese tradition where the groom and his faithful groomsmen try to pony up as much money as they can to help the groom offer an acceptable amount of money to the bride's father. The Chinese believe that since the daughter is traditionally leaving her own family to join the ranks of the groom's family, the girl's family should be fairly compensated for the loss of their beloved family member. Before gaining entrance to the girl's family home, the groom and the bride's father will haggle over the "bride price." This is just a game now and it's become a way for the boy's family to show off how rich they are. They more money they can offer, the more likely the amount settled upon will be announced, in what I consider bad taste, at the reception.
- Wedding day portrait. If they don't already know what we look like, they know what we look like when come!
- Limo. A roomy car will do just fine!
- Desperately trying to cut out any speeches and readings. They just don't do anything for me. Still trying to convince my fiance that it's okay not to have them!
- Valet parking. It's a parking lot. I think people can handle those.
- Favors. Nobody seems to like these unless they're edible anyways. Lol!
- Chuppah. We'll be married in a tent-like structure at the venue and besides, I don't want to rent one for lots of money, nor do I have the time and patience to make one at this point
- Door games. Chinese weddings sometimes have the bridesmaids make the groom and his groomsmen complete a set of challenges. The bride is waiting in her room for her groom to pick her up and he has yet to see her. In order to gain entrance to her room, they must pass each challenge made up by the bridesmaids "defending" their friend.
- Bride price. Also a Chinese tradition where the groom and his faithful groomsmen try to pony up as much money as they can to help the groom offer an acceptable amount of money to the bride's father. The Chinese believe that since the daughter is traditionally leaving her own family to join the ranks of the groom's family, the girl's family should be fairly compensated for the loss of their beloved family member. Before gaining entrance to the girl's family home, the groom and the bride's father will haggle over the "bride price." This is just a game now and it's become a way for the boy's family to show off how rich they are. They more money they can offer, the more likely the amount settled upon will be announced, in what I consider bad taste, at the reception.
- Wedding day portrait. If they don't already know what we look like, they know what we look like when come!
- Limo. A roomy car will do just fine!
- Desperately trying to cut out any speeches and readings. They just don't do anything for me. Still trying to convince my fiance that it's okay not to have them!
- Valet parking. It's a parking lot. I think people can handle those.
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