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.
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.
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’>
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.
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’>
The woman who cuts my hair was out of town for a month, so I’ve been sort of lazily growing things out. I suppose one could argue that every single person is constantly growing out their hair because that’s sort of what hair does. Even if you’re sitting in the chair getting your hair cut, it’s still growing out. Isn’t life magical with the breathing and the weird digestive noises and the hair growth?
Anyway, this morning I went in for a shaping which isn’t a haircut although the same tools are used. My neck is now shaved and my ears are now perky (I have no idea what I’m saying) and the hair on top of my head continues to grow. (As it does.) Anyway, I wanted to take a photo for you to document my long hair so I read an article about the most flattering ways to take selfies when you’re haggard, and the experts say that holding the camera as high and far away as you can get from your face is the best way to go.
Here.
This might just be the best photo ever taken of me. Henry’s there. Scout’s there if you look closely enough. The wadded up bathroom rug is there. Meredith’s Galaxy Vans are there. Also, my hair is there.
Does it bother you that I’m upside down?
Wait a second.
(It’s funny, because the beard makes me think I just joined The Decemberists.)
