#also worth mentioning that I am very much an introverted homebody which is how i make time for them

[l3irdl3rain]

I always love when Wrex crosses my dash!

I've loved the idea of getting an older cat for a while now, that or a cat with some sort of anxiety disorder (my intent being to be their emotional support human while they're my emotional support animal XD), but I also worry about the logistics of that.

As someone who's never had a pet before (except for a few stray cats that I took care of as best I could when I was a child), I don't know how smart it would be to just jump in headfirst with a cat (cats) with special needs or higher care needs. I honestly don't know when I'll get a pet at all, probably sometime after college or whenever I save up enough to comfortably sustain myself and them but that is a while away.

I guess what I'm saying is: I love your old and pathetic animals and am wondering if you've got any advice on how you care for them

I actually think special needs cats are super doable for a first pet, depending on a couple factors. This is gonna be super long winded, so I'll put it under a read more for people who aren't interested.

Cost is a huge factor for special needs animals. Depending on what's wrong with them they're going to need more vet care than a "normal" cat, and things like bloodwork and exams can add up. I'm lucky because I get free vet care from the clinic I work at, but even still their medications and prescription foods can add up. Chloe, for example, is extremely expensive. She eats Science Diet K/D for her kidneys, gets Epakitin and Lysine daily, has two different weekly injections, and Sub Q fluids 5 times weekly. I honestly don't even know how much she costs me a month, I try not to think about it because I just know she's worth it.

Maccready on the other hand is relatively cheap. He also eats K/D but up until a month ago his only other medication was Enalapril for his blood pressure, which only cost me $5 a month. Now he's also on Epakitin for his kidneys, which is a little pricey but not too bad.

I think a cat like Maccready or Wrex would be totally doable for a first time pet owner! Petunia and Chloe on the other hand are definitely more difficult. Chloe is extremely time consuming and a lot of work, whereas Petunia is just difficult if you've never worked with a feral cat before. I've found that the biggest thing with social issues in cats (or any animal) is just being patient and being able to understand their body language.

I think the last thing worth mentioning is the emotional toll it can take on you. A lot of people say they won't rescue a senior or sickly animal because you have less time with them, and I totally get it. It's not for everyone. But, I think it's completely worth it. It's always going to hurt to lose a pet, but for me one of the best feelings in the world is taking in an "unadoptable" animal and giving them a safe, happy home even if I don't get long with them.

[wildflower8281]

Bike Life Deep Dive

Recap

I’ve been living the bike life now for almost a year and a half here in downtown Phoenix. After a small fender that busted up my beloved Max (Ford Taurus, very old, no AC, leaking roof, but helpful!) I decided to let him go, and with him, all the trappings of car ownership. For a trial run. I said I would try out the #bikelife for 3-6 months and see how I like it, see how or if I could adjust my lifestyle to it, and whether or not the bike life was overall something of true value for me, both internally and financially.

In my initial #bikelife post last year (Adventures in Not Owning A Car,) I enumerate the various financial benefits and reasons why the bike life was, for me personally, economically savvy. It has still most definitely proven so and I’ve adjusted even more to the lifestyle, having since made further changes and routines that create an easier flow for me. I continue to confess that I know that living this lifestyle is a privilege! I deliberately chose a home close to where I work and I have zero dependents, and my Aunt Barb has lent me her bike indefinitely as long as I live in Arizona (Thanks, Aunt Barb!) Also, for what it’s worth, I am very much an introverted homebody, so I’m not someone who is or constantly needs to be out and about. Thus, relying on Lyft for occasional trips is very within my budget. Also, since most of my social plans are with family or friends and happen relatively close to me, I gratefully take up their offers on rides and happily return the favor with coffee or drinks or gas money. Thus, this entire situation it’s not a life circumstance that most people are in and I know that. I am grateful for this season in my life when I can live this way and in this post, I want to explore and reflect beyond just the financial benefits, because the #bikelife has in many ways enriched my entire experience of the world.

The Nature Connect

The bike life connects me to the natural world. I used to think that Phoenix had pleasant weather pretty much year ‘round….until I began biking in it!!! While Phoenix may not “have weather” frequently, when it does, this place doesn’t mess around! If it’s not pleasant and sunny (which, honestly, it is like 80% of the year,) then it’s either extremely hot and dry reaching temps over 100 for weeks at a time, pouring monsoon-like storms or we are having the coldest winter since 2013! Phoenix doesn’t mess and when it actually allows weather into the Valley, it is always something extreme. But this is actually a positive point here! I have grown to love biking in the all the weathers! I am actually really proud to say that I bike to work in all the seasons here! I bike to work in the Arizona summers, and I bike on the mornings when it’s under 40! If you would have told me two years ago, that I would be biking to my job in under 40 degree weather, and enjoying it, I would not have believed you. But, I actually do enjoy it. Even for this girl who despises being cold generally, the Aliveness I feel each day I get to go outside, feel the weather and experience the Elements on my skin far outweighs any uncomfortable moments of cold hands in January or radiating heat on my neck during July. Biking brings me into the natural world each day, kind of whether I like it or not, and that daily dose of weather, even when it is extreme, is good medicine for my entire being! Its my few minutes of feeling the sun on my face or the rush of the cold. Many times it is the only 30 minutes I am outside on any given day. On some days when I’m just tired of packing my bag, putting on my helmet and going thru the routine, ultimately it’s the connect with nature in Her seasons that pull me through and never really let me down. I arrive to work refreshed and in a better mood, pretty much never fail! (Yes, I have my limits too: for monsoons and over 115 degrees, I use Lyft or call a neighbor, but that is literally under 10x a year!)

(Photo: Me in my usual bike get-up on a cold day, going home. Cred: Mirinda, also seen in reflection, encouraging as always!)

Less Stress

Biking also kind of just simplifies the commute. I have 2 choices each day: bike or walk. Both are relatively simple and low maintenance transportation styles. This season, I *may have* chuckled as I rode by various folks standing by their cars, waiting for them to heat up and melt the frost on their windshield.... 

In the summer, I ride by parked cars that are humming, as they build up their AC inside, so the owner doesn’t suffocate at 125 degrees upon entrance. In the 10 minutes it takes them to cool down their car, then sit in traffic, I’m having a peaceful bike ride, enjoying nature and arriving at the same time! It’s pretty fantastic most days! I ride by folks with flat tires, fenders, and cars that seem like they probably shouldn’t be cars anymore! I also know the awesome feeling of driving a car without AC here in the desert summer, as well as one that has an ironically leaking roof. In the desert, where one would not think much about rain problems or that a leaky roof would be an issue, it totally sucks during monsoon season! I feel the human with car troubles, believe me! I’ve had them too! However, these are all situations I have left behind and can very simply pedal by and be grateful that I don’t have to deal with or worry about them. Not owning a car just makes the daily commute a lot simpler!

(Photo: Unsplash)

Moving Meditation

I’ve learned I prefer the slower pace of biking and walking to work much more than driving. When I bike or walk to work, once I’m out of my neighborhood, I’m on some major streets where cars are whizzing by in their AC or heated seats, with radio blasting, trying to make it thru the ‘orange’ light! That was me for most of my former driving life, so no judgement here. I was a car owner from age 17-35, so I love a good car dance and I will never turn down heated seats! However, biking and walking are organically a much slower pace. They cause me to notice the plants, the trees, the flowers I pass by daily, and watch them transform through the seasons. Biking and walking allows me to enjoy the songs of the birds and say hello to all the neighborhood pups and kittens. I’m not being sappy here, these are things that truly make me happy. I’ve even noticed how the sun rises and sets at different angles in the sky, as the seasons change, which in some deep way makes me feel more connected to All That Is. On the way home, I get to revel in some of the best views of our Arizona sunsets, as I can linger wherever I want, stop and gaze at the sky and allow myself to be mesmerized by the palette of magenta pinks and fiery oranges. Not to mention inhale the yummy wafts of dinner that swirl through the evening air in Coronado (my eclectic neighborhood!) - Italian garlic and Indian curries are the usual fare! YUM! It’s delightful! These little nuances are imperceptible to the whizzing car with blasting music. The slower pace allows me to tune into the subtler moments, cycles and patterns of life, as well as engage my senses much more, all which for me, enhance my entire experience of the day, and consequently of the seasons in my own life. It is quite literally a moving meditation.

Gratitude

So, how is the bike life going, do I still like it, is it worth it?! Yes, for many reasons! Financially, it definitely is an amazing option that I have in my present situation. But, of even more value, are the daily, small ways that this lifestyle pulls me into the present, allows me to feel Nature into my bones and tunes me into the frequency of the Elements. For me, these consequences are gifts that I did not intend and for which I am daily grateful.

(Photo: Sunset taken on a ride home from work.)

[ellayvonne]

Something New: Eyelash Extensions!

One of my new years resolutions (and life resolutions really) is to always be trying new things! Whether that new thing is something huge or something little, I always want to be challenging and educating myself through new life experiences. I know that as an introvert and a homebody, it can be only too easy for me to stick with what I know and what’s comfortable, so I'm challenging myself to try something new each month. Whether it's beauty, fashion, food, volunteering, work-related, or really just anything in life - it's always fun to try something new!

This month, I am so excited to share my experience with eyelash extensions! I’ve been wanting to try these for quite some time after hearing a lot about them through social media, I finally decided to take the plunge last month before we went on vacation!

Like most asian girls out there, I have stubbornly short, stick-straight lashes. I’ve tried tons of mascaras, lash curlers, and even growth serums but nothing has really worked well enough to make it into my regular make-up routine. I also have monolids (which means that I don’t have a crease in my eyelid) and this causes my eyelids to weigh down my lashes so that they typically point straight down in front of my eyes. As you can imagine, this causes all sorts of make-up headaches with mascara getting into my eyes, not being able to see through my lashes, and smudges all over the place. My current make-up routine pretty much ignores my eyelashes altogether because frankly - they’re just not the worth the trouble!

Enter eyelash extensions. Eyelash extensions are a professional service done by lash technicians where an individual extension is placed on each of your natural lashes to create long, fluttery lashes! Most places say that they last between 4-8 weeks if you take good care of them. From my research online, I’d heard that eyelash extensions were great for vacations and travel, so since we were on our way to the Caribbean, I figured it would be the perfect time to put eyelash extensions to the test.  In order to get the full experience, I received a full set of lashes and then went in for a lash fill 4 weeks later. 

The Experience

For my first full set of lashes, the entire process took about an hour. Since it was my first time trying out eyelash extensions, my lash technician chose to go with shorter, more natural looking extensions. In order to keep your bottom lashes out of the way and to help the technician see your lashes better, they place a white sticker-type thing underneath your eyes. The only part of the process that was a little painful was when my lash technician removed the sticker from under my eyes at the end! Other than that, I only felt a little bit of pulling and tugging here and there. It’s definitely a long process and since you have to keep your eyes closed the entire time, it can be easy to fall asleep (guilty)! My 4 week lash fill was a shorter process and took ~45 minutes instead of the full hour. Overall, the process of putting the eyelash extensions in place was pretty non-memorable.

The Lashes

Look: The look of the lashes was definitely what I was most excited about! The first set of lashes I received were almost invisible since they were so hidden by my heavy eyelids. Since the first set of lashes weren’t very noticeable under my lids, I kept make-up super light and wore double eyelid tape to help pull my lids up. This way, the lashes were much more visible. At my 4 week lash fill, I asked for longer extensions and was really impressed by how much the longer lashes opened up my eyes! I didn’t feel like I needed to wear too much additional makeup since the lashes were already adding so much extra dimension to my eyes. 

Comfort: This is probably my biggest complaint about the extensions I received. As I mentioned previously, I have monolids and as a result my heavy upper eyelid kept pushing the eyelash extensions down over my eyes. This not only prevented me from being able to see clearly, but also caused several of the eyelashes to stick and lay flat against my eyeball. I also wear contacts so having a giant eyelash glued to my eyeball and my contact lenses? NOT FUN. As I mentioned before, I wore double eyelid tape to help make the eyelashes more visible, but this also helped pull the lashes up out of my eyes!

Durability: Most lash technicians say that the extensions last between 4-6 weeks with good care. Although there is nothing that says you can’t wear makeup with lash extensions, you do have to avoid oil based makeup removers and be much gentler when taking off makeup around the eye area. In my experience, the eyelash extensions only lasted 2 maybe 3 weeks. For both sets of extensions I received, there were only a couple of eyelashes hanging on for dear life by the end of week 2. I wore very limited eye makeup (usually just eyeshadow) with the extensions and tried my best to be careful with removing makeup and drying the lashes but it still wasn’t enough! 

The Cost

My lashes cost $75 for a full set and $55 for the 4 week fill. From what I’ve gathered, this is definitely on the cheaper end as far as eyelash extensions go. The prices vary quite a bit depending on where you get them done and where I’m from, a full set can cost you up to $300! 

Final Verdict

Overall, my experience was mixed. I think extensions would be perfect for vacations or the summers when you don’t want to worry too much about applying and reapplying makeup in hot weather, but as an everyday thing, I think the cost and maintenance of the lashes is just too much for me. If the lashes really lasted 4-6 weeks at a time, I think I would feel differently but either the lashes I received or simply the shape of my lids really made it so that the lashes only truly lasted 2 weeks. I loved the eyelashes during that 2 week period, but a $75 cost for only 2 weeks of lashes doesn’t really seem worth it to me.

With that being said, a lot of the issues I experienced seemed to be related to the fact that I have monolids. I don’t think everyone will have the same experience since eye shapes and sizes vary quite a bit - but if you have monolids like myself - it’s worth considering whether you want to deal with all of the trouble they can cause! 

Have you tried eyelash extensions? What was your experience like? I’d love to hear your thoughts!