These are my new “Seabuckthorn & Green Tea Handmade Soaps”. Since I was having so much fun with hot process soaping, I decided to make these the same way.
You can usually tell if it’s hp soap by the little bubbles around the surface. This is noticeable even when I made sure to fill the mold all the way with soap. Hot process soap is tricky in that sense.
Ingredients: Olive oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, palm oil, distilled water, seabuckthorn oil, rice bran oil, green tea powder, and green tea melon fragrance. Because they are half circle bars, they fit well in the palm of my hands.
The last Seabuckthorn soap I made was was nice and I added lots of good ingredients. Including red palm oil, which gave it the deep golden color.
For this version, I just kept it simple. Except I also added green tea powder. Green tea is making it’s mark in many cosmetic products due to it’s benefits to skincare.
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In addition to the Peppermint Poppy soap, I also made another batch of hot process soap. It’s made with fresh goat milk and scented with a sweet floral scent of Bali jasmine blossoms.
This batch was much easier to work because there are no sea salt or other extra ingredients. It’s also a much smoother bar too.
Sometimes exfoliating soaps are nice, but some days you just want a smooth bar of soap. But each type of soap has their own benefits. And most of all, handmade soaps leave your skin well moisturized and clean.
Once the soap was done cooking, I poured them into my empty (clean) goat milk carton. After letting it cool down for 24 hours, I sliced them into medium sized bars.
The bars are pretty and a good size too. With fragrance, there are variations and difficult to describe. So I went with a lighter jasmine scent that is not overpowering. But it’s a nice sweet scent that reminds me of someplace tropical and breezy.
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Here is my latest handmade soap: Peppermint Poppy. Because I wanted to use it within a couple of days, I went with hot process soap making. With traditional cold process, the cure time would have been at least three weeks or longer.
When I was pouring hemp milk into my cereal, I immediately thought about making hemp milk soap. Hemp oil seem to be more common for soap making then with hemp milk. To make sure I didn’t mess up, I also added equal amounts of goat milk.
The hemp milk I got was from a natural health food store. Hemp milk taste a little like soy milk, but creamier and nuttier. It is naturally rich in omega 3, 6 and 9. It also contains minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, high in vitamins A and E.
Besides the hemp milk, I also added other stuff to this batch. There is fine Brazilian sea salt, peppermint essential oil, and poppy seeds. It’s going to be one difficult to name soap. So I just decided on “Peppermint Poppy Soap”.
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I just found out a few cool new ways to send postcards from your computer or iPhone, iPod, or Blackberry. No more worries about finding a postcard at the tourist shop, searching for stamps or mailbox either.
For iPhone and iPod user, there is an app which lets you take a photo and send it as a postcard with a personalized message. But only for U.S. address. Check out goPostal.com
“Simply choose a photo, add your message, and select a mailing address. goPostal will automatically print and mail your postcard to your friends and family.
Each postcard costs $1.29 when using the iPhone application, which includes postage. goPostal also uses state of the art SSL security to verify that all of your information is securely transmitted.” - goPostal.com
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“There came a Day at Summer’s full/ Entirely for me.” - Emily Dickenson
It’s August and I am taking in all the beauty of this season. The sun is always shining and flowers are in full bloom.
And one of the most unforgettable flower I saw in bloom are water lotus. It was just a few weeks ago when I took my mother to the local Buddhist temple and got to witness this for the first time.
So on my next visit to the temple I had my camera ready to capture some of the blooms. But sadly it looked like all the flowers were gone. But what remained was something just as interesting. There were pods after pods of water lotus seeds.
Here is a photo of the youngest pod. During the life cycle of the water lotus, the flower blooms, the petals die out and then the fruit pod grows. Eventually the dried pods drops off and float on the surface of the water flat side down. This way the seeds can sink to the bottom of the pond and a new cycle begins.
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Recently I overheard two guys talking about their new shoes. They weren’t really shoes, but more like socks or glove for the feet. It was the toe slots that became the conversation piece.
It actually reminded me of something Spiderman would wear. It really does make people look twice. Personally I thought they were interesting and different, but not too strange.
Photo from Vibram.
It turns out the guy with the “finger shoes” was into barefoot running. It’s not just for runners, but other outdoor enthusiasts have also enjoyed wearing these shoes, from mountain climbing, windsurfing to kayaking.
Currently there are a few companies offering these shoes. Including Vibram, Feelmax and Terra Plana. The thin sole designs combine the benefits of going barefoot but with a thin layer of protection from the elements. Vibram’s FiveFingers are noted to “stimulate the muscles in your feet and lower legs to build strength and improve range of motion.”
The idea of barefoot running has it’s fans and skeptics. Even for all the latest technology added to running shoes (sneakers), research suggests that it may not actually do much to improve a runner’s performance or prevent injuries. And some avid runners now believe they are better off with shoes with minimal support or with no shoes at all.
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My latest tea review comes from Revolution Tea. They have a great selection of teas, from organic to fruity blends.
I really picked it up because it has acai. The last tea I had with acai was Good Earth Rooibos tea, which was okay but not great.
Revolution teas are made with whole leaf and you can taste the difference. It never gets too bitter. And the acai combine with other fruit blends give it a nice scent too. I like that I can brew at least 2 cups for one tea bag too. Watch out “Two Leaves & A Bud” there is a new stiff competition in town.
Not only do they make good tea, but the packages are nice and simple too.
“Sencha, the finest Japanese green tea, is blended with the rich, zingy taste of berries for a light, refreshing brew. The flavor of raspberries, black currants and acai, a Brazilian berry bursting with antioxidants, provide a memorable medley.” - Revolution Tea.
More about green tea: the leaves are not fermented. Instead they are withered and steamed. Green tea also contains the most antioxidant compounds, most notably EGCG. It has many health benefits, including cancer-preventative properties.
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This summer I wanted to get a really comfortable pair of sandals. I mean super comfortable too.
So I checked out Zappos.com and came upon the many happy reviews for “Earth Footwear”. Especially for the Earth “Sizzle”.
The sandal I chose was Earth “Sizzle” in coral multi straps. When I first wore my Earth “Sizzle”, I noticed how light it felt. Almost like I was barefoot, but better. The sole is really comfortable and the contour of the feet felt like it was molded just for me.
Some of the features are listed below:
- The most defining feature of Earth footwear is Kalso Negative Heel Technology a unique inclined sole that positions the toes 3.7º higher than the heels. The slight angle shifts weight subtly back over the heels, and can help strengthen and tone the body while also burning calories.
- Anatomic Arch Support To complement Kalso Negative Heel Technology, all Earth footwear features reinforced support through the arch. The arch support maximizes the effectiveness of the heel design in promoting a natural walking motion.
- BioFoam Cushioning Inside all Earth footwear, a form-fitting footbed provides exceptional comfort with Biofoam™ cushioning. The proprietary material molds to the shape of the foot, displacing and absorbing shock with each step, and is environmentally-considerate, using 70% recycled content.
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When the days are getting warmer, it’s always nice to be near the water. There’s something about being around water that makes us all feel better. But what if the river or ocean is too far away? You can still bring some of that in the form of a trickling water fountain or a small relaxing pond.
Here is one fountain I’ve found that would be nice in a small garden. It’s a birdbath water fountain with fish spouting water. Another neat feature is, “The polyresin construction can’t rust, doesn’t fade, and never needs polishing.” The only thing I don’t like is how skinny the pole is in comparison to the top portion (water dish). But it is solar powered, so that is a plus. Just remember to set it up in a sunny location.
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This is California’s new license plate redesigned, actually it’s just one artist’s conception of it.
The artist is Stefan Bucher, who was commissioned by Fast Company to redesign California’s license plate. Originally an idea from GOOD Design, which asked “How do we solve Los Angeles quintessential problems including: “Tacos, Traffic, Ugliness, Water, Pollution, Isolation, and Acts of God, respectively.”
When I saw this new license plate design, I just thought it was too funny. The far right corner mentions, “QR contains vehicle license and registration information, as well as your credit score.” Come to think of it, maybe this won’t be far from how the future of California will look. I sure hope not. Image from Stefan Bucher.
Back in December of 2009, GOOD Design had an idea to bring artist together to solve LA’s situation. Here is what GOOD Design wrote, “The collection of people and ideas was wonderfully diverse, and offered some fun, serious, and occasionally totally outlandish things to think about as how to make LA an even better place.”
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