Fluid Pudding

This is what I know: If I were to be elected President of the United States, I would probably do a really shitty job. Like, REALLY shitty. I can be talked into giving money to just about anyone, and I don’t even MAKE that much money. I want to knit hats for good-hearted people who are actively dreaming and searching out better opportunities. I think everyone should be given their own umbrella and if you don’t WANT an umbrella you should receive a voucher to cash in for a warm monthly dinner. I don’t want anyone to go into serious debt just because their appendix blew up and they had to have it taken out. Only people who can take care of dogs can have dogs. I want to be the president who cures cancer. I want to encourage regular neighborhood get-togethers (introverts get a pass). I want to take some guns away and offer incentives to people who step up and get involved with community service. I want to see a major decline in the prison population. I want every child to feel loved and encouraged and well-rested and never hungry. I want to enforce Meatless Mondays. Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection—the lovers, the dreamers, and me.

Yes. I voted for Bernie Sanders today.

And, yes. I know there’s a fairly good chance that he won’t be our candidate. I had to vote with my heart.

It’s such a charged time for us. Overly charged. For the first time in my life I truly have no idea what will be happening a year from now. (Actually, I suppose it’s safe to say that I never have an idea in regard to the happenings of next year. I’m not a wizard! I’ve never felt this ruffled about the future before.)

WHOOSH! I have to change the subject because wetlrkdafogiyaehrtkajnawp9hy8. (That was me banging my big forehead against the keyboard.)

We have essential oil winners!
RzDrms won the lavender!

Sherry won the orange!

Kathy G won the lemongrass!

Thank you all so much for dropping by and participating in the giveaway, and thank you to Better Essentials for the oils! (Don’t forget to check out the Better Essentials website!) ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>

Do you remember when I chose my words for 2016?
This morning I felt an urgent need to put those words on a t-shirt. So I did.

I then met Tempe for a much needed sushi/coffee/knitting adventure before returning home to this t-shirt in my mailbox.

Also, I did some laundry, I cleaned up a bit, I practiced some yoga, I wandered around the neighborhood with Jeff, and I’m currently getting ready to settle down with some chamomile tea and a book. It’s time for a freelance gig, but until it arrives I’m going to keep on doing what I’m doing.

I’ll be drawing names after I vote tomorrow! You still have time! ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>

This afternoon I was told that we should replace judgement with curiosity and I LOVE that, so I decided to start immediately. I then made the mistake of turning on CNN and watching political news.

I’ll try again tomorrow.

Luckily, the day wasn’t a total detour from my path to Tranquil Town. I made a shirt! (I received a Cricut for Christmas. I sort of want to spend all of my time cutting vinyl and making window clings.)

Also, I went to a steakhouse where I ate fries dipped in cinnamon butter and I feel only slightly guilty about that choice.

(Only two more days until I draw winners of essential oils!) ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>

During the sleep deprivation experiment I mistook my stomach growl for an outdoor animal fight. I smiled at the television for nearly thirty minutes before realizing that I was watching a documentary about Richard Nixon. (Also, I prayed that Harper will not follow in Meredith’s footsteps by deciding to complete a project on sleep that involves me NOT sleeping.)

I’m dragging a bit today.

ANNOUNCEMENT: During the Republican debate a few nights back, I was able to do this:

(I couldn’t do that four weeks ago. Currently, I can’t bend over from a standing (legs far apart) position and touch the top of my head to the floor. I’ll be working on that. Also, I haven’t been very successful when it comes to cleaning my shower. I’ll work on that, too.)

This morning Harper made a PowerPoint presentation. Here is a highlight:

It made me laugh like Seth Rogen for thirty seconds.

Oh! I’ll probably draw the names for the essential oils on Tuesday, so you still have time to comment! Click here to go there!

Also:
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Clarification: Meredith will actually be sleeping during the sleep deprivation study. (One of her classes requires a 35-minute presentation, and she chose sleep as her topic. Jeff and I are the animals being tested.) ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>

UPDATE: Names have been drawn and winners have been notified. I’ll announce the names sometime on 3/15!

In December of 2015, Jeff purchased an essential oil diffuser for me and suddenly our entire house was filled with the scents of lemons and oranges and eucalyptus and lavender and peppermint and I think you’re getting the idea. Because I find that certain scents actually improve my mood, I bought a diffuser necklace last year so I can have easy access to calming oils. (I think the world would be a better place if everyone would just sit in a dark room, smell an orange, and listen to Chopin.)

A few weeks back, Jennifer from Better Essentials contacted me and I immediately liked her because she is a yoga instructor, a young mom, and someone who started her own company with the goal of selling the best oils at the best prices. She asked if I was interested in offering a discount on oils at Fluid Pudding. I asked her if we could host a giveaway instead of a discount. She was in.

A few days later, four oils arrived: Lemongrass, Orange, Lavender, and Best Friend Blend. I decided to keep the Best Friend Blend for a demonstration video and give the rest away, and I’m so glad I kept the Best Friend Blend because get this: On Tuesday morning I woke up all lousy with a cold. For grins, I put some of the Best Friend Blend in my diffuser and I rubbed some of it onto the bottom of my feet. My cold was completely gone on Wednesday and I’m not even kidding. (Meredith asked me to not share that story because it makes me sound like “one of those people.” But, listen. If I can shake even 23% of my head colds within a day? I’ll sign on to be one of those people!)

If you don’t have a diffuser and you’re not quite sure how to deal with essential oils, the easiest thing to do is make an air freshener, so that’s what I’ve demonstrated in the video below. AND, before you say it, please know that when I’m nervous my declaratives sound like interrogatives. Also, my glasses need to be adjusted so I tend to do a nose dance to straighten them out. My white balance is off. I say “Anyway” a lot. Aren’t you glad I don’t have a vlog? (Vlog.)

Here goes!

After watching that video, don’t you want to make an air freshener of your own? You do? You do! Leave a comment below and and tell me about your favorite scent. Or tell me how you use oils. Or write a poem about your nose. In a few days I’ll do a random drawing and three people will win a bottle of Better Essentials oil! (Giveaways are fun. I really should do this more often. But probably without the videos.) Meanwhile, please hit the Better Essentials ad at the top of the page and check out all of their oils! The site suggests different ways to use different oils, the prices are great, shipping is free in the US, and the idea of supporting a small business owned by an awesome yoga instructor mom jazzes me to no end. ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>

Do you see that essential oil ad over there—->?

In April of 2014 I ate a doughnut and decided to take my sidebar ads down “for now.” Two years passed and during those years I turned down probably three or four offers to promote products on my website because I don’t want to subtly hint that I support plastic bags or weird makeup that was tested on sweet baby rabbits (or monkeys or dolphins).  ((Or any animal, really.))

Anyway, a few weeks back I had an e-mail conversation with the woman who founded Better Essentials and she is super nice and she actually sent me some oils (I’ll be giving them away here in a few days) and I love them.

When I started this website back in 2001, I was a totally different person than I am now, and I sort of dig the fact that I’ve grown into someone I would have made fun of (behind my own back, obviously) back then. Today I’m a 45-year-old comfortable-clothes-wearing yoga-loving fiber-spinning essential-oil-diffusing cardigan-knitting drama-free clean-eater who used to know all of the rules of hyphenation, but is no longer a total stickler. Anyway: If you like things that smell good, I invite you to check out Better Essentials. If you dive deeper and want to explore oils beyond the good smells, I invite you to check out Better Essentials.

Best of all, please know that *I* asked *them* for the graphic and link on my sidebar. (I still have lingering guilt over the ad thing. I need to get past that, knowing that I’m going to recommend only things that I love.)

Tomorrow you and I are going to make a room freshener out of one of the oils and at the end of the post will be the random giveaway. Consider it payback for the way I’ve been mostly mundane during NaBloPoLenta. Thanks for sticking with me. ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>

WHAT I DON’T LOVE: Having a cold that waters my eyes and blocks my nose and hazes my head.

WHAT I LOVE: Removing my Birkenstocks just long enough to apply a cold-fighting essential oil blend to the bottoms of my feet. (Here we go again with the foot talk. I’m so sorry!) I’m walking around smelling like cloves and cinnamon and lemons and the cats are very much into me.

WHAT I DON’T LOVE: Having my new debit card declined at Costco and then being asked by the burly tan cashier (BTC) if I’ve exceeded my daily spending limit.

Me: It’s not even 11:00 in the morning and I’m buying almonds and fruit snacks. I don’t think I’ve exceeded any limits.

BTC: You probably have an exceeded daily limit.

Me (to myself, obviously): I’M ABOUT TO EXCEED MY LIMIT RIGHT NOW, ROWDY RODDY PIPER!

WHAT I LOVE: Clearing up the “potential fraud” issue with the bank in the parking lot and then returning to Costco where I threw the burly tan cashier a stink eye and a Pretty Woman attitude.

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(Jeff and I are both in that video. He touched a glute. I touched a right leg.)

I didn’t sleep much last night so today has been devoted to nothing but avocado sushi and brownies. I have no complaints. None. ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>

In less than eight hours I’ll be standing in a big building with Jeff and Bruce Springsteen. (I’ve heard other people will be there, too.) This will be Jeff’s tenth time seeing Mr. Springsteen. It will be my third.

When I first saw him (in 2008) it went a little bit like this:

When I saw him in 2009, this happened:

I’m all kicks and giggles about tonight for three reasons: 3. Date Night. 2. Bruce Springsteen. 1. I get to see a friend whom I haven’t seen in six years and she’s a knitter and an animal lover and has it really been six years?!

Unrelated: I talked about Nancy Reagan three times in the past week which is more than I’ve EVER talked about Nancy Reagan. 1. On Tuesday I told the girls about the Just Say No campaign. 2. On Wednesday I told the girls that Nancy Reagan was dead. (She wasn’t. Yet.) 3. Yesterday I told the girls that Nancy Reagan didn’t really endorse Hillary Clinton, despite what the Internet has told us.

I’m not sure where I’m going with this.

Would you drive all night just to buy me some shoes? ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>