Many top skin care companies use squalane in their products. Such as the Japanese beauty line DHC.

Instead of relying on the small amount beauty companies put in their product, why not use 100% squalane as part of your skin care regimen?

There are two types of squalane oil. Mayumi’s squalane is derived from the livers of deep sea sharks. And the other brand is derived from olive oil.  Both prices are very decent. Swanson offers 2 fluid oz bottle with dropper at $11.99.

Using squalane oil consistently will help skin appear more supple and plump, thus reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

I’ve been using both for 2 weeks now. Mostly Mayumi since I ordered that one first. But then I found Swanson’s vegetarian squalane and will use that one too.

My skin loves this stuff. There is no scent or color. It absorbs quickly and keeps my skin moisturized all day. No more dry spots! This has really become my favorite beauty product. No fancy labels, just pure and natural oil.

Benefits of Squalane:

Blocks UV rays naturally.

Anti-bacterial.

Quick absorbing, non-irritating, and won’t clog pores.

Assists in the acceleration of new cell growth.

Prevent the formation of brown age spots.

Can be used as a moisturizer on any part of the skin.

More interesting notes:

Olive Squalane is plant derived squalane produced by the total hydrogenation of the squalene source in olive oil. It’s an alternative to using shark-derived squalane.

What’s the difference between squalene and squalane?

“Squalene and squalane sound like two sides of the same coin, and, in a way, they are. First discovered in human sebum during the early part of the past century, squalene comprises approximately 12% of sebaceous secretions. Because of this, squalene was considered valuable in skin care but, due to its unsaturated state, was found to be highly unstable when in the presence of oxygen.

Several decades later, squalene from shark liver oil was hydrogenated to form oxygen-stable squalane. Today, squalene and its hydrogenated counterpart, squalane, are obtained largely from olive and other natural oils. Both are excellent lubricants and moisturizers, and are highly compatible with the skin. However, of the two, squalene is highly comedogenic and, therefore, is not recommended for oily or acneic skin.” - The Truth About Chemicals, Mineral Oil, Squalene and Fillers. By Rebecca Jame Gadberry at Skin Inc. magazine.

What are the other uses of Shark liver oil?

“Shark liver oil is used along with usual cancerdrugs to treat leukemia and other cancers; to prevent radiation illness from cancer X-ray therapy; to prevent the common cold, flu, and swine flu; and to boost the body’s immune system. It is also used for increasing white cell counts during treatment with anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapy). White cells are important in fighting off infection, but many are killed by chemotherapy.” -Web MD.

The word ricotta is Italian for “recooked”. True ricotta is made using Ricotta milk whey left over from the production of cheese. The milk comes from sheep, cow, goat, or buffalo.

When the milk is heated, it changes the nature of the proteins and they begin to stick together, or coagulate. Adding acid further coagulates the proteins.

After this happens, you skim out the curds and strain them in cheesecloth and you’ve got ricotta.

This original recipes makes about 2 cups or 1 pound.

Ingredients:

9 cups whole milk
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 tablespoons distilled vinegar

I made a smaller batch and divided this recipe in half.  Instead of whole milk, I used skim milk. Making this, reminded me of making yogurt.

In a heavy pot, heat the milk and buttermilk on medium heat until it gets to 185 degrees F. Then add the salt and vinegar. Stir and remove from heat. For about 5 to 10 minutes the curd will form. Skim off the curds to a cheesecloth and let it strain for a few minutes. And there is your homemade ricotta cheese.

The homemade ricotta cheese was delicious, very smooth and creamy. I added it to my dish of pasta and zucchini.

After this experiment, I don’t see myself making this anytime soon. Even at this small amount, there was too much whey (the water part) left over. I tried to save it and used it to add to omelets and pancakes.

Maybe if I were to make cheese blintzes.  It would make it all worth it.

The best things about making jewelries (or soap) is that they are truly unique. Handmade gifts always feel more genuine than something found at the mall.

And if you can’t make it yourself, you can always support local artisan that do excellent and beautiful work.

This bracelet is held together with steel wire and clasp. There’s also some fresh water pearls, random small gem stones and glass beads. I think I bought most of them from The Bead Shop many years ago.

Sometimes I still find myself admiring pretty gemstones and taking them home with me. Now they are just sitting there waiting for an inspiration.

Priorities change, so next time I’m in southern California, I will have to make a reservation to visit Lotusland.

Because Lotusland is a public garden operating in a private, residential neighborhood, advance reservations are required.

Lotusland is located in Montecito, just east of Santa Barbara.

It sits in a 37-acre estate that used to belong to Madame Ganna Wakska. Her life story in itself is very interesting. You can read more about it here.

Madame Wakska resided at the esate from 1941 to 1984. She did not have any children and before her death, her estate was  established as the non-profit Ganna Walska Lotusland Foundation.

The photo of the lily pods are one of my favorite photo from gamillo via Flickr.

If you love lotus, the best time to visit would be in June when they are in full bloom.

Many people who have visited this place gave it great reviews. One reviewer described the garden as romantic and flamboyant. Probably much like Madame Ganna Wakska herself.

If you live near the area, it would be worth it to get the membership and visit as often as you like. No need to be part of the “guided 2 hour” tour.

For the rest of us, check out gamillo’s Flickr set for some great photos of the place.

To make a tour reservation call 805-969-9990 or email reservation@lotusland.org. Visits are by appointment only.

Check out the shells along the edges.  And the waterfall is so neat.  Photo by Karl Gercens.

The garden is divided into these garden groups.  I’ve made a partial list here:

aloe garden

Australian garden

blue garden

bromeliads

butterfly garden

cacti & euphorbias

cactus garden

cycad garden

fern garden

Japanese garden

Address - Ganna Walska Lotusland, Santa Barbara, California, USA, CA

Opening times - Docent-guided tours are available at 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM, Wednesday through Saturday, between February 15 and November 15.

Admission - Adults $35. Ages five to 18, $10; four and under, free.

To make a tour reservation call 805-969-9990 or email reservation@lotusland.org. Visits are by appointment only.

These are the fresh young lettuce washed and ready to eat.  Not only are they good in salads, but in sandwiches too.

It took about 1 month to get this big. I had 1 of these container and 2 rectangular containers.  Growing lettuce in containers is really easy and simple. 

First line the bottom with packing peanuts for the water to flow well. Then add a layer of potting soil mixed withe some sandy soil.  Lay down the seeds.  Topped off with peat moss.  Water daily.  Growing in containers also seem to keep the bugs and slugs away.

After a few weeks, the plants started to show.  I thinned out the plants to give them room, but others I just let grow in bunches.

I also transplanted some bigger ones into another container.  Sounds like a a lot of work at first, but after that it’s just a matter of time before they start growing on their own.

And here is my salad.  I was able to enjoy several servings of salads over the weekend.  Just add vinaigrette dressing and you’re set for a healthy meal. I used organic olive oil, Himalayan salt, ground red & black peppers and apple cider vinegar.  Topped off with eggs and tomatoes.

This spring I noticed we are getting more fruits.  They are growing in clusters of at least 3 to 5 fruits. And many more of them are starting to fall off when the fruits are still green and young.

It turns out this is how the tree is “thinning” itself.  Many stone fruits require thinning to encourage bigger fruits.

The more I researched “growing apricots” I found that it’s best to thin of the clusters and leaving only 1 or 2 fruits near each other. And it’s best to not let them touch as this could cause fungus to grow.

An interesting note, the ones that fell are a mixed bunch, some having dimples and markings while others are just normal looking.

These 2 fruits don’t look too healthy with the dark spot.  I’m waiting to see if they will drop off on their own.

A tip on thinning from BC Ministry of Agriculture:

“If the tree sets a heavy crop and no thinning is done, the fruit will be small at harvest time. Thus, removal of part of the crop is necessary. To do this, space the fruits about 1 - 2 inches (3.8 - 5 cm) apart. Early thinning results in more uniform ripening.

Fruit on well-thinned trees will ripen several days earlier than on poorly or unthinned trees. There will still be mixed maturities, even on well thinned trees, so more than one pick may be necessary. Heat greatly accelerates maturity.”

Check out the harvest from a gardener in the SF bay area yard.  And it doesn’t even look like they did any thinning of the fruits.  Talk about bumper crop!

Business Lessons from A Quiet Gardener

The people who know me best know that at heart I am just a quiet gardener. My garden has probably taught me the most about how things grow - and thrive in a vibrant and sustainable manner. These lessons have shaped my approach to encouraging responsible growth in business and to the ways I apply my intention, attention and energy.

Tranquil garden at Leaping Lamb Farm in Oregon. Photo from Flickr.

A gardener sees the world as a system of interdependent parts - where healthy, sustaining relationships are essential to the vitality of the whole. “A real gardener is not a person who cultivates flowers, but a person who cultivates the soil.” In business this has translated for me into the importance of developing agreements and partnerships where vision and values, purpose and intent are explicitly articulated, considered and aligned among all stakeholders of an enterprise - customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders, and the broader community and natural environment.

The garden has taught me about patience and persistence and the ethical principles of generosity and reciprocity. It has illuminated the importance of appreciating the cycles of life and decay. For the gardener, composting is a transformative act - whereby last season’s clippings (or failures) can become next year’s source of vigor.

I’ve learned that it’s not just what you plant, but how you plant it that brings long - term rewards in life, work and the garden. Gardeners know that once strong roots are established, growth is often exponential rather than linear.

Also gardening, like business, is inherently a local activity, set within an ever-changing and unpredictable global climate. Showing up in person, shovel - and humility in hand is essential.

Gardeners, like entrepreneurs, are obsessed with latent potential - and can be known to be pathologically optimistic. We can vividly imagine the bloom and the scent of the rose even in deepest of winter. As the American naturalist Henry David Thoreau once wrote: “I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.”

In essence, the gardener’s work is a life of care. We cultivate abundance from scarce resources. We nurture, encourage, fertilize - and prune when necessary - while being respectful of the true and wild nature of all things. We know that creating enduring value requires vision, passion, hard work and the spirit of others.

I am just coming to understand this work of business gardening - and investing in keeping people healthy - as an act of universal responsibility. His Holiness Dalai Lama reminds me: “Each of us must learn to work not just for one self, one’s own family or one’s nation, but for the benefit of all humankind. Universal responsibility is the key to human survival. It is the best foundation for world peace.”

_____________________________

You can read the whole speech here. Or visit his website.

This is one of my first attempt at knitting something for my wardrobe.  It’s not perfect, but it’s just warm enough for spring days and nights.

It’s made with a wool and bamboo blend yarn. I knitted the two pieces separately and then sew the seams together along the sides and shoulder.

Learning lessons: Next time around I will use smaller needles and maybe use seed stitches for the ribbing and collar.

I’ve also just finished making a cardigan and that took me forever! Making adult sweaters take way too long.

Maybe I’m one of those folks that like smaller projects for variations. But meeting new knitting challenges can be fun too. As there is still more to learn and grow.

I am currently working on a toddler’s cardigan knitted in one piece from the top down. Hence no need to sew the seams. It’s a quicker knit and uses much less yarn.

I am attempting to model part of this spring vest here. One of these days I’ll have to get me a dress form.

Of Monsters and Men are an indie folk/indie pop band from Garðabær, Iceland. The band was formed in 2009 when Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir decided to add to her solo project, Songbird.

Of Monsters And Men - King And Lionheart

Their debut album “My Head is an Animal” was released in Iceland in September 2011. I got their mp3 album here. Lakehouse and Dirty Paws are some of my favorite songs.

And if you want to check them out live, find their tour dates here.

I have to agree with this Amazon reviewer J. Loudon who states this is one of the best debuts in quite some time.

More from J. Loudon, “My Head Is an Animal” is a fun record. That alone deems it worthy of a listen, but there is far more to it than mostly positive lyrics and sing-along choruses. There is also a certain musical chemistry between the members of the band that finds its way into the recording. The harmonies, not just between Nanna and Ragner but the entire band, are extraordinary.” Ditto!

This time around I only made it to the botanical garden. And here are more photos. So let’s continue with our garden walk.

One of the Magnolia tulip trees that was in bloom.

Huge azaleas tree with bright pink flowers.

There is a shady part of the forest which includes this lush and green area fill with ferns and fiddleheads.

I love seeing moss grow on rocks. Also love ferns too.

Silk tassle bush. Not quite in bloom yet. I wrote about it earlier.

Pretty and simple pink flowers.

Just outside the garden is this pasture of free range buffaloes.

By the time we got to the windmill it was almost sunset. This is the Queen Wilhelmina Garden. The garden was dedicated in 1962 in honor of the queen of the Netherlands. Every spring it’s fill with tulips. This year I didn’t catch the bloom in time. But they did replace it with colorful poppies.

We now end our walk and drive towards the Pacific Ocean for a sunset. No photos but it was nice and very chilly.