March 20th will be the first day of spring. And there are signs of it approaching everywhere.

But it’s still bone chilling cold at night.  As a recent study came out to say the melting Arctic is fueling all this cold surge.

At least the sun is still shining.

Jade blossoms.  This plant is in need of new potting soil soon.

Japanese plum blossoms.

I’ve purchased these seeds for mom to plant in her garden.  These are organic and non-GMO cucumber seeds.  These will make a great addition to summer salads.

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I’ve always admired cable knits. A few winters ago I purchased this long cable scarf from Boden UK.  This is before I knew how to knit cables either.

It’s a super long and chunky scarf that I liked for a moment. Now I find it too long and very annoying to wrap several times. What I prefer are infinity scarves where it’s knitted in the round and seamless.

So I tried to tie the two ends together, but still that was too long. So then I thought about unraveling part of it.

Maybe I’ll knit another piece and add a hoodie? Or I can sew it together and make my own infinity scarf.   Maybe I’ll just make it shorter and use the extra yarn for other stuff.

The unraveling is going well so far.

To unravel scarves or sweaters, you have to pull it out the right direction. If the side you’re unraveling doesn’t come out easy, switch to the other end and unravel from that side instead.  Meaning if it doesn’t unravel on the top end, then go to the bottom end.

Here’s how to save Youtube videos to your iPod Touch. This way you don’t have to worry about it being remove or gone forever on Youtube. Plus you can always have access to them all the time.

Since I use Firefox as my main browser, this method works best for me.

Go to Mozilla Firefox Easy Youtube downloader available here. It’s a simple add-on page for Firefox.

Click “Download Now,” click “Install” and restart Firefox. Just follow the instructions.

Then when you go to Youtube’s website, the “download” option will appear. See photo below.

You can save as other formats, such as mp3 for music and MP4 for videos.

On your computer, locate the videos file, add them to iTunes movies library. Sync it.

Another way is to select the titles and drag the videos you want to the iPod icon on the left side of iTunes. Sync it.

Once it’s done the videos will be on you iPod home screen. Just tap and watch!

Note: Some people were having trouble synching their iPod as it was showing up as a digital camera.

What you need to do is remove and reinstall iTunes. Make sure you remove all files, including Quicktime. Also make sure your firewall is turned OFF.

Tea Vivre (Tea for Life) has a wide selection of teas, from organic green tea to flowering tea. I was fortunate enough to have tried many of their samples recently.

The teas are shipped directly from China. These are all high quality loose leaf green tea.

The tea comes in a silver maylar package with the samples inside another silver bag. All this insures the tea are kept fresh. Once opened it can be ziplock back in the silver bags. Teas have a shelf life of 36 months.

Glass of Organic Bai Mu Dan green tea. Photo from Tea Vivre.

So far I’ve only tried the organic white Peony tea and Taimu Maojian organic Green Tea.  Plus 1 flowering tea.  But from the taste of these teas I’m sure the others will be just as good.

With the Taimu Maojian organic Green Tea, I only needed a few pinches of tea leaves for my first cup. It’s a nice and light green tea that’s good to drink several times a day.

The reason I like tea is because it’s healthy and natural.  And especially in the winter, I find myself drinking more tea than usual.

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One of the nicest thing about living in California is the generous amount of fresh produce available all year. And this time of year we have lots of oranges, clementines and grapefruits.

When I first saw the Blood oranges, I hesitated because the name was not so appealing. Then I remember the last time I had oranges with similar dark colors were Cara Cara navel oranges. And they were really one of the best oranges I’ve ever tasted.

Check out the color!  The color inside reminds me of beets or maybe ripen raspberries.  The fruit taste bit tart, but it’s still really good.

Blood oranges contain the highest amount of antioxidants due to the bright color. Anthocyanins provide the deep color and can also be found in many dark color fruits such as blueberries or acai berries.

Wikipedia writes:

“Blood oranges may have originated in either China or the Southern Mediterranean, where they have been grown since the 18th century. They are now the primary orange grown in Italy.

The anthocyanins which give the orange its distinct maroon color will only develop when temperatures are low at night, as during the Mediterranean fall and winter. In U.S., Blood oranges are cultivated in Texas and California.”

Health Benefits of Blood oranges from Cooking Light:

“Rich in antioxidants―vital for healthy cells―including vitamin C, which aids in healing, boosts your immune system, helps your body absorb iron, and even helps reduce the risk of cancer. This citrus fruit is also a good source of fiber, which helps lower cholesterol and, like vitamin C, reduce your cancer risk. (To maximize your fiber intake, be sure to eat some of the spongy white pith right under the skin.)”

It’s a good thing these fruits are available this time of year with all the sneezing and coughing everywhere.

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Hope this brings a smile to your heart.

Artist unknown from vintage Valentine’s Day card.

Enya

I am always on the look out for all natural and effective beauty product, so I was looking forward to giving Lina Hanson Global Face Serum a try.

I’ve used many interesting facial oils in the past, including Sea Buckthorn, Rose hip oil and argan oil. But this face serum made by Lina Hanson includes all the best orgainc oils combined into one package.

Some oils include Neroli, Camellia seed, Ylang Ylang, Marula, and Baobad. The product is 100% natural, free of parabens, silicone, petrochemicals, synthetic fragrances or other chemical ingredients.

This is the sample they’ve sent me.  I’ve been using it mostly as a nighttime face serum. Although I have used it occasionally in the morning. I love that it absorbs and sinks into the skin so well.

I especially like the Camellia seed which helps brightens skin and lightens spots. And Marula oil is rich in antioxidants and a great source of Vitamin C.

After using this face serum I’ve noticed my skin is much more hydrated.  It has also made my skin appear bright, soft and looks absolutely healthy.

Another nice thing about Lina Hanson Global Face Serum is that it’s fair trade and supports sustainable harvesting. Several ingredients are harvested by women around the world to help promote their economic growth and to give them a sense of empowerment.

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Given a choice between green tea or black tea, I always go with green. Yet there are also health benefits to drinking black tea.

A small German study found drinking black tea significantly improved the ability of arteries to relax and expand to keep blood pressure healthy.

Another study at The University College London also found that black tea helps cut levels of the stress hormone cortisol circulating in the blood.

Professor Steptoe said, “This has important health implications because slow recovery following acute stress has been associated with a greater risk of chronic illnesses such as coronary heart disease.”

Once I had my first cup of St. Dalfour organic Earl Grey tea I just love it. It took me a while to find black tea this good.

The bergamont in this black tea makes it that much better. Made with pure organic Ceylon tea. Selected and blended under the direction of the tea experts of St. Dalfour France. Enhanced by the all natural flavor of bergamot.

St. Dalfour tea come from the Himalayas of India and the highlands of Ceylon. St. Dalfour describes this about their tea:

“Since tea is made directly from tea leaves plucked on a continuous basis during harvest (and these tea leaves are not washed), it is vitally important to make certain these leaves are free of any chemicals. Be confident of having pure, wholesome tea when buying St. Dalfour.”

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It’s February and one of the few plants in bloom is this Kalanchoe succulent. It’s also called the Paddle Plant with it’s large thick succulent leaves.

This plant was grown as part of my mom’s succulent plant garden. The plant had some freezing nights to deal with, but mom made sure to cover them up on those nights.

From Wikipedia: “Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are water-retaining plants adapted to arid climates or soil conditions. Succulent plants store water in their leaves, stems, and also in roots.

Many succulents come from the dry areas of the tropics and subtropics, such as steppes, semi-desert, and desert. High temperatures and low precipitation force plants to collect and store water to survive long dry periods.”

The last time I saw these plants in bloom were from my plant. Mine was a cutting from this same plant a few years back. And the flower still didn’t look quite as bright and beautiful as this one. The color here is just much more red than my plant. It must be getting prime sunshine and great potting soil. Or maybe mom just has a green thumb.

After I used up all my skin cream I’m ready to try another brand. And lately I’ve been using Life Flo Health’s “Radiant Skin - Revitalizing Skin Cream with Hyaluronic Acid (HA).”

It was the Hyaluronic Acid (HA) that got me interested and the fact that it was third on the list of ingredients is a good sign. Since many other skin cream has HA listed on the very end. Meaning it doesn’t contain much of HA, just marketing hype.

HA is a key component of collagen that is normally produce in the skin and joints of the body. Collagen is what gives skin it’s volume and fullness. But as we age, collagen production decreases.

Here are the first four ingredients are: Purified water, aloe, hyaluronic acid, sunflower seed oil.

The texture of the cream is a bit clumpy, almost like it wasn’t mixed well. Despite how it looks it does absorb fine into the skin.

After applying the cream, my skin immediately felt a little warm. Maybe it’s the HA doing it’s thing? But after using it for a while my skin must have adapted to it and I it feels fine. Not sure if it’s “radiant” looking, but does look healthy and not as dry anymore.

The smell is very fruity, reminds me of ripe pineapple. I actually prefer this scent over any floral scent. But fragrance free would be best.

The cream comes in a light plastic jar, but a glass container would be better. Preferably a pump so it’s easy to apply. Plus the life of the cream is extended with it’s pumped out rather than dipped out. Less contamination and less exposure to air.

Description
Organic Living
Powerful Skin Nutrient Complex in a High Quality Face Cream Base
Not Tested on Animals

“Radiant Skin cream helps replenish the hyaluronic acid (HA) which is naturally lost with age, and leaves skin feeling renewed, smoother, and younger-looking.” - iHerb.com at $12.24 for 1.7 oz.