#buy new cookware

[butterbourbonandothersins]

360 Stainless Steel Cookware

“A proper saute pan, for instance, should cause serious head injury if brought down hard against someone’s skull. If you have any doubts about which will dent — the victim’s head or your pan — then throw that pan right in the trash.” ― Anthony Bourdain I am obsessed with stainless steel cookware. The first set I ever received was the classic Paul Revere cookware set. Remember that set? It…

[vamptastic]

induction stove is permanent. annoying but i will live.

[pondscummy]

girl clean up after yourself this is so foul

[jinwoosbabyboo]

Onychinus Personal Chef I

ꩇׁׅ݊ You became Sylus' personal chef based off of pure chance. He's picky, he's annoying and he is just so damn fine. ꩇׁׅ݊ fem!reader, sylus x personal-chef!reader pt 1 of a 4 part series ꩇׁׅ݊ pt. 2 .... ꩇׁׅ݊ pt. 3 .... ꩇׁׅ݊ pt.4 A/N: [Based on this] Shout out to @kindalonely-ngl for this idea and thank you for tagging me love. I wouldn't be me if I didn't take some creative liberties though.

Being Sylus' personal chef was never on your bingo card of life yet here you were staring down the red-eyed man with nothing, but pure loathing. That faithful day when you were just about to start closing up for the night he and his two crow masked friends walked in asking for a meal. They looked exhausted and you didn’t have the heart to turn them away. You never thought that one visit would become a daily thing. Not only did he come by daily, but he sent in multiple orders a day. The constant orders were helping your family’s small business so you didn’t complain.

This went on for months to the point where your grandparents considered him a family friend. That all came to a head when he waltz in one day offering you 'a deal you simply can’t refuse'

“You do realize it’s just me and my grandparents right? I can’t just leave them to run this place alone Mr. Qin” You usually address him by his first name, but you knew using his last name would wedge some kind of distance between you two and you wanted him to know how upset you were. You couldn’t let yourself seem welcoming at all especially when it came to this insane proposal.

“I can have new employees here to help and I will pay off the debts your family owes on this little restaurant” Your eyes widened in shock how did he know about your family debt? He grinned as he leaned down to be eye level with you. “Do we have a deal?” Your lips curled in disdain “What's in it for me?” You said through gritted teeth, Sylus could practically see the venom dripping from your lips.

And damn were your lips pretty.

Sylus was focused on your lips as he replied “Free housing and a hefty salary all while you get to cook with the finest appliances and cookware that money can buy” His gaze snapped back up to meet your narrowed eyes. “I have to live with you?”

He stood back to his full height as a chuckle seeped out of him. Damn even his laugh sounded like it could fix your finances. “You’ll be on call twenty-four seven it would be beneficial if you were already on sight dont you think?” You hated that he was right, commuting back and forth would be hell.

“Do we have a deal? Yes, no, maybe so?” Sylus bent at the waist and held out a hand almost as if he was bowing to you. You rolled your eyes and looked off to your left as you stuck your hand in his. You were shocked to feel his lips touch the back of your hand with a quick kiss. You felt your heart rate sky rocket as you pulled your hand away. “When do I start?”

“Tomorrow. Leave your address with Mephisto I'll have movers sent to you by morning” With that he turned and disappeared in a cloud of black and red mist.

[reasonsforhope]

"Legislative momentum against PFAS has surged this year, as at least 11 states enacted laws to restrict the use of “forever chemicals” in everyday consumer products or professional firefighting foam.

The legislation includes bans on PFAS in apparel, cleaning products, cookware, and cosmetic and menstrual products. Meanwhile, lawmakers in some states also passed measures that require industries to pay for testing or cleanup; order companies to disclose the use of PFAS in their products; and mandate or encourage the development of PFAS alternatives, according to Safer States, an alliance of environmental health groups focused on toxic chemicals.

In total this year, at least 16 states adopted 22 PFAS-related measures, according to the group. Since 2007, 30 states have approved 155 PFAS policies, the vast majority of them in the past five years.

The thousands of chemicals categorized as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, do not naturally break down and are found in the blood of 97% of Americans. Some PFAS compounds can harm the immune system, increase cancer risks and decrease fertility...

Earlier this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released new standards limiting PFAS in drinking water. Water systems have five years to comply with the rules. Even before the EPA action, 11 states had set their own limits on PFAS in drinking water, starting with New Jersey in 2018.

Water utilities and chemical manufacturers are challenging the new EPA standards. But states also are heading to the courthouse: So far, 30 states have sued PFAS manufacturers or key users for contaminating water supplies and other natural resources, according to Safer States...

Sarah Doll, national director of Safer States, said one reason states have been so successful in enacting PFAS limits is that more companies are willing to stop using the chemicals.

“When California restricted PFAS in textiles, all of a sudden you saw companies like REI saying, ‘We can, we’re going to do that. We’re going to move to alternatives,’” Doll said.

In Vermont, state lawmakers in April unanimously approved a measure banning the manufacture and sale of PFAS in cosmetics, menstrual products, incontinence products, artificial turf, textiles and cookware.

“The same as everyone else, like Democrats, we want to make sure that we remove PFAS and get it out of products as soon as we can,” said Vermont Republican state Rep. Michael Marcotte, who said his district includes cosmetics manufacturer Rozelle Cosmetics, in Westfield.

Democratic state Sen. Virginia Lyons, the chief sponsor of the Vermont bill, said it is particularly important to get PFAS out of products that are essential to consumers.

“There are some consumer products where you can say, ‘I don’t need to buy that, because I don’t want PFAS,’” Lyons said. “But it’s really tough to say that [about] a menstrual product.”

California’s latest PFAS measure, which Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed last month, specifically bans the use of PFAS in menstrual products. Democratic Assemblymember Diane Papan, the author of the bill, said it was particularly strong because it covers both intentional and unintentional uses of PFAS, so “manufacturers will have to really be careful about what comes in their supply chain.”

While more states enact laws focused on specific products, Maine is preparing to implement the world’s first PFAS ban covering all consumer goods. The Maine law, which is scheduled to take effect in 2030, will include exceptions for “essential” products for which PFAS-free alternatives do not exist. Washington state has also taken a sweeping approach by giving regulators strict timelines to ban PFAS in many product categories.

[claudiafrankie]

Pick a Card: How They See You

DISCLAIMER: TAROT IS NOT AN EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE. YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF MAKING YOUR OWN DECISIONS.

Pile 1: The Dog

This person sees you as having mastered the earth element. I think you are pretty detached with the way you approach your goals and it like doesn't compute in this person's brain that this is how you get the things that you want and build the world around you that you have.

They see you as someone who revels in the simple pleasures in life - sitting in the grass on a sunny day, stretching your body in the morning, a delicious seasonal coffee creamer. You are rich in the ways that count pile 1. You take good care of yourself and because of this you kind of exude a nurturing quality to those around you. Whether you intend to or not, you help other people get to where they want to go. You build people up and show them that they are capable of achieving their goals. I think you have a good eye for material goods and know what to splurge on and what to buy generic brand. Maybe you invest in nice cookware and knives because you know you'll use those for years to come, or in a high-quality bed spread or mattress. You take care of your body and appearance, you understand this to be an art form. But you also know that it's not everything. And this down-to-earth quality of taking good care of yourself but also not taking it too seriously or to extremes is really sexy to a lot of people. I think this person thinks that other people see you as husband/wife material. If you're single they're scratching their head like "how the hell are they not wifed up yet"

I think they see you as someone who doesn't stay in people's lives for very long, and they are worried that this is going to be the case for your relationship with them as well. They think you are in tune with the rhythms of nature and aren't afraid to let go and move on. You enjoy the good times when they come knowing they won't last forever, and you don't let the hard times beat you down when they come because you know they will pass.

I think they see you as someone who has learned all this the hard way. As someone who has been through many highs and lows, someone flexible in the circumstances you can thrive and survive in. You know when a tree lifts up the concrete of a sidewalk? That's you. Pavement be damned, you are going to keep growing and growing. You understand setbacks are part of progress. You don't let the hiccups hangups and obstacles sway you from steady movement forward.

I think they think that you are very loyal to those you care about, perhaps to your own detriment at times. I think this person sees you as someone who feels easily caged and needs a lot of space to try new things and be your own person. They see these two sides of you being at odds with each other at times, whether that is true or not.

This person sees you as being perhaps at times unwilling to open up emotionally. I think they respect you for your stoic disposition, but they think that sometimes you take this position/approach when it isn't necessary and that you actually hold yourself back a little bit in this way. Like you are a little blocked in your self-expression. Again, this is how they see you. It doesn't mean that this is actually who you are.

Pile 2: The Moon

This person thinks that you are in an incredible amount of pain underneath a calm surface. The card you picked, I just really tried to sense what it would be like to be there. Sitting next to a lake on a cloudy night. You have that smell of the freshwater and grass, and the sound of maybe a frog or two. Some light wind ruffling the surface of the lake... sitting in that setting depicted on the card it has the vibe of "something happened here and there's this weight hanging over the whole place." Like the trees are clinging to the ground so tightly because they are afraid of a strong wind knocking them down, and maybe there's a dock with a small boat that has rusted over from getting no use anymore and with no one around to take care of it or store it properly.

That's how they see you, as someone who has been through something, or maybe a series of things, that have deeply impacted you. And it's like you're still processing and aren't quite sure what the you that comes out the other side of all this processing is going to look like yet. This goes beyond sadness, this person sees you as grieving. Who or what I don't know, but they see you as dealing with some kind of loss. I think it could have to do with your family. Maybe you have been dealing with family troubles or grieving the loss of a family member or a family friend. Or, if it's not a literal death that you are processing, it could be that you are beginning to understand your family in a different way, a deeper way. Maybe your perspective on your family is expanding, you are understanding the pain and wounding that they have been through, and you're angry. You could be reconciling feelings of bitterness or anger towards your family with feelings of sympathy for the difficulties they have faced in their own lives.

I think this person sees that you are holding on to this pain and struggling to let it go. Maybe they sense a despondency in you, a subtle hopelessness. Not detachment so much as fear of encountering the same lessons with different people, of being hurt in the same ways again. They can feel a deep anger in you, seeing you as someone who is looking for their place in the world, wanting more than anything to feel like you belong.

This is really sad pile 2. You are so strong and this person wants to help you but they know that you have to want to get better, and they think that you don't even see the sadness, anger, and longing in yourself. They won't offer unsolicited advice, so for the time being I think they are taking the role of being a supportive friend and willing to give advice should you go to them for it.

There is some judgment coming from them. Like "why can't they just get over it" or "they are so stuck and don't even realize." It's weird, they want to help you, but they do kind of want you to lean on them as some sort of savior/hero/rescuer figure. I think they believe that you really want someone like this to come along and sort of take care of you. I'll say it again, this is how this person sees you not necessarily who you actually are, so don't get too fixated on their perspective - especially if it is not accurate. You know yourself best.

I think this person is equally invested in making you feel better as they are making themselves feel better. Maybe they think that your well-being is what they're concerned about, or this is what they're telling themselves, but really they are dealing with their own insecurities and need to feel like the hero to be worthy of love. Maybe this person is an overachiever, or highly successful for their age. They could come from a family where this was expected of them - to win.

So yeah they see you as a little bit of a damsel in distress pile 2. I don't think you need anyone to save you or are trying to signal this to people, but I do think that this person thinking that you deep down want someone to come along and sweep you off your feet has some truth to it. And I feel like I should tell you that wanting to be saved and taken care of is totally normal and human. We live in a world where it's difficult just to be a person. Dealing with deeply rooted pain while navigating the mayhem of daily living is incredibly difficult. You are doing a good job, pile 2. Maybe no one has said that to you in awhile. Keep up the good work. And, while there's nothing wrong with wishing for a knight in shining armor, remember who it is that has been saving your ass this whole time in their absence. ;)

Pile 3: The Broom and Whip

Hey pile 3! Lets get into it

This feels like someone that you had or have a romantic connection with but there was a falling out. They see you as someone who is defensive and in a lot of pain. They know that you are not the type of person to lash out and take your hurt out on other people, but they almost wish that the two of you could have it out - I just don't think that you are expressing your anger to this person. I think they could be concerned that this is eroding you mentally and emotionally, that you aren't expressing to them how you really feel.

I think you guys aren't talking right now and they are feeling this separation big time. They really want to work this out and come back together. You literally got the Lovers and the Two of Cups side by side - whoever you are asking about sees you as a soulmate, as their endgame. They are worried that this won't work out and they are trying to plan how to fix things with you, possibly asking about you to their friends or asking their own friends for advice on the situation.

This person sees how naturally cooperative you are with the people around you, how you are so willing to work with others and put your own interests aside if it benefits the majority - it's like this is just how you operate, you don't even have to think about it. They could see you as working on some kind of skill and gaining notoriety for it, gathering some attention for your diligence, attention to detail, and team-oriented attitude.

Yeah dude this person just thinks that you're it for them. The Lovers and the Two of Cups??? Come on. I think that even though this person is upset they see whatever upset is currently going on is temporary. It's like they aren't even entertaining the option or possibility that things are over over between the two of you. It will not compute in their brain.

I think this person thinks that you're pushing them away. They think that you are retreating into yourself where it's safe and keeping them at arms-reach. I think the way you are interacting with them now compared to the way you used to interact with them is very different - I think right now you are giving them friendly, polite energy but it's just a way to maneuver around them so you can keep them away. You are relying heavily on your manners to protect yourself in this situation and they can tell. They hate that you used to have so much vivaciousness when you used to talk to them and now they don't get that side of you anymore.

I do think that there is part of this person that enjoys the suspense and tortured waiting of what's going on. I think that they want to comfort and soothe you, to coax you into their arms and hold you while you hang onto them. I think this is part of a sexual fantasy of theirs as well, where they are the one to console you and then fuck the sadness out of you. They could be into BDSM type stuff, or if it's not that heavy/intense, they just want to test your limits a little bit. They like the idea of being the one to inflict some pain on you and then show you that they can make it better, that they can make you feel even better than you did before the pain even occurred.

It's hard to explain but it's not really an exotic fantasy or unusual I don't think, I'm just having a hard time putting it into words. They want to like........ stretch you? LMAO Like yeah just see... what you can take. And when they're done having their way with you, being the one who you collapse into. They want to be the person with the power to harm and to heal you. Not sure if that's your vibe but that is what I'm getting from this person. Very intense and steamy, if this is your situation then please write smut about it or something so the rest of us can live vicariously through you lol.

Take care pile 3 :)

[thebearer]

if you lie down, lie next to me |carmen berzatto x reader|

prompt: you and carmen are newly weds, moving into your forever home.

inspired by @carmybears fic assembly required which has been SO heavy on my mind lately mixed with lana del rey's "if you lie down, lie next to me" <3

contains: fluff. just fluff newly weds, alludes at smut, some language, but tooth rotting sweetness and fluff.

“Carmen, I’m not even kidding. Where the fuck did all of this stuff come from?” You groan, collapsing another cardboard box with a huff, shoving it into the pile with the others by the door. “Our apartment was, like, one-fifth the size of this one. The living room was like our whole apartment. How do we have this much shit?” 

Carmen snorted lightly, grinning and unpacking the various pots and pans. New pots and pans- wedding gifts.Your wedding came with an influx of appliances and cookware, gadgets for the kitchen that Carmen bubbled with excitement about. And a margarita maker- for you, of course- courtesy of Natalie Berzatto herself. The old apartment, you barely had space for the dishes and pots you had, let alone new ones. 

So Carmen kept them tucked away, until he got the new place for you. He didn’t have a clue at the time he’d be buying you the Brownstone you were in now, nestled in the heart of Old Town. A good neighborhood, close-ish to the restaurant, zoned in a good school district- a forever home, for the two of you. 

“I mean, most of it was wedding gifts.” Carmen shrugged. “The rest are your shoes.” He teased, a playful glint in his eye when he looked over at you. 

You rolled your eyes. “Ha-ha,” You said sarcastically, bumping him with your shoulder. “Seriously, though, I’m never doing this again. We’re here for life, Berzatto.” 

“That’s the plan, Berzatto.” Carmen nudged you back lightly, leaning to press a sweet kiss to your blushing cheeks, a loving squeeze to your ass when he passed you that left you squealing. 

“The good news is,” Carmen paused, sliding the pot onto the hanging rack over the island, stepping back to admire it. “The kitchen is unpacked.” 

“The most important room.” You hummed playfully. Carmen nodded in agreement, arms slipping around your waist, pulling you into his chest. 

“Think we should celebrate?” Carmen grinned. “Christen it?” 

“We already christened it.” You rolled your eyes at him. “Twice- no, three times, already.” 

“Yeah but now it’s done.” Carmen countered. “No more boxes in the way.” 

“I think you can only christen something once.” You give him a pointed look, ignoring the way his crotch is rubbing against your hip. You were still sore from the celebratory round of “putting the coffee table together” from earlier. 

“And I’m starving. Should we order in again?” You hum, looking at the fridge. Nothing but a bottle of champagne and leftover takeout Chinese food. Your stomach turned at the thought. 

Carmen caught your grimace, a hand running soothingly down your back. “If you want. I can run to the store, too. Grab some things for dinner. Break in the kitchen now that it’s done.” 

“I think I like that idea better.” You nod, leaning against his chest, feeling his chain through his t-shirt- the same chain you had tucked between your teeth earlier. Your knees wobbled at the thought. “What are you making?” 

“What’re you in the mood for?” Carmen tilted his head back to look at you. “Can make you whatever, baby, just lemme know.” 

“I am down for anything that doesn’t come out of a box.” You giggle, nose snarling at the Chinese food. “Surprise me, Chef.” You grinned smugly, content at how Carmen’s cheeks flushed with heat. 

“You wanna come with me?” Carmen asked, reaching over to swipe his keys off the kitchen counter. 

You rolled your lips in thought. “I need to shower.” You blink at him sweetly. “I feel all sweaty and gross.” 

“Alright. Need anythin’ else, baby?” Carmen is looking for his phone, patting his pockets and turning in a semi-circle to look around him. 

You roll your eyes, plucking the phone off the coffee table in the living room, passing it to him. He was always losing his phone. You’d begged him to get an Apple watch but he swore it got in the way of his cooking, so you took to texting Nat or Richie- who always had their phones- when you needed him. 

“Something to drink? Unless you want champagne because I’m pretty sure that’s all that’s in there.” You giggle, looking at the fridge. 

Carmen smiled, pulling his hat over his tousled locks. “I got it.” He muttered, leaning to press a sweet, soft kiss to your lips, hands splaying over your hips, pulling you closer and closer into him. 

He always managed to make you swoon like that, cheeks rushing with heat, dizzy and light with love. You hoped you’d always feel like this. Even when you were old and wrinkly and wobbly, you hoped Carmen would still kiss you like that- in this very spot, in this very house. 

“Oh, Cass Elliot?” You grinned, spinning with the vinyl in your hands, brows raised playfully at Carmen. “He has taste.” 

Carmen snorted lightly in laughter, dishrag slung over his shoulder, spooning the sauce over the chicken in the pan. The kitchen was warm, smelling heavily of spices and a dash of citrus. You’d set up the vinyl in the corner by the nook, an old school record player passed down from Carmen’s grandmother. His Nonna Berzatto, who he adored. He had told you about how he’d always go over and help her make Sunday sauce. She had that same vinyl in her kitchen, next to a picture of her parents, and a prayer candle of Mary. It was all he managed to get, keep after she passed and his parents sold everything else that they could. He’d even snagged a few records, though the one you held looked new. 

“Yeah. Thought you liked her stuff?” Carmen muttered, eyes cutting to yours gently. 

“I do.” You grinned, slipping the record out of the protective paper. “How’d you know that?” You lifted the arm of the record player, slipping out the old disk and sliding in the new one, careful of the bouquet you’d just placed by it. Carmen had snagged one at the grocery earlier, surprising you with the beautiful bloom when you’d gotten out of the shower. 

“Because, you told me.” Carmen said simply, checking the asparagus inside the stove. Your heart fluttered. “When we were comin’ back from that trip… The, uh, the one we took to Detroit, remember? You played it on the way back.” 

Your chest soared, filling with that warmth that made your body tingle from head to toe. “You remembered that? That was… two years ago?” 

“Of course I remembered that.” Carmen scoffed lightly, shaking his head at you like he couldn’t believe you’d say something so ridiculous. “You said that, uh, that one song was like the love song to you. So I-I started listening to it because… ya know, it reminded me of you and stuff.” Carmen muttered, cheeks heating at the omission. 

You beamed, lifting the long arm of the record player, letting it softly come to life with a scratch of static before the slow melody filled the room. “You’re sweet.” You hum, arms wrapping around his torso, swaying gently to the familiar medley. “Never would’ve guessed you woulda been this sweet.” 

“Yeah? I’m given’ off asshole vibes?” Carmen laughed, hips turning slightly to face you. 

“Not at all.” You shook your head. “Gave off recluse vibes.” 

“Recluse?” Carmen turned to you. 

“Yeah, like… quiet, shy boy vibes.” You giggle. “You barely spoke to me when I started… and you hired me!” 

“I thought you were pretty.” Carmen shrugged boyishly. “And I thought if I talked to you, I’d throw up or embarrass myself. Also thought there was no way you’d be single. Too pretty and funny and… I dunno, thought you’d never go out with me.” 

“Little did you know.” You grinned wickedly. “I had been stalking you in secret.” Carmen laughed at you. “I thought you were pretty, too.” 

Carmen blushed at your omission, lips twitching in a smile. You swayed lightly, cheek pressed to his chest, letting the soft melody lull you. You remembered the car ride back from Detroit. Carmen was going to some chef expo there, trying to network and get Sydney the star she deserved. You’d agreed to go along. Things were far enough along it was stable, but still new and exciting. Your first real trip as a couple. You’d stayed in a hotel, gone to Carmen’s colleague’s fancy restaurant, went sightseeing and shopping hand-in-hand. You couldn’t help feeling so romantic, shuffling songs from the playlist you listened to when you were getting ready for a date. Old school tracks, filled with symphonies and ballads of love. 

“I think this is almost done. D’you want to grab the glasses and I’ll-” 

“-Let it sit for a minute.” You sigh contently, turning down the heat on the stove top. 

“What’re you doin’?” Carmen huffs in laughter, turning while you pull at him, your hand lacing through his own, tugging him to the open space on the other side of the kitchen island. 

You just smile at him, pulling him close to you. Your hand in his, the other wrapped around and settled on his spine. His free hand followed, sliding down your back. You leaned towards him, chin tilted towards his face, his curls tickling your forehead. You swayed slowly, nothing elaborate or coordinated, just a soft shuffle type sway, Carmen pulled close to you. 

“‘M not good at this.” Carmen’s breath hitched, hand squeezing yours, his thumb gliding over your wedding rings. 

“Yeah, you are.” You hum, nose brushing his. “Best dancer I’ve ever seen.” You mutter, your lips slotting over his sweetly. Carmen’s hand left yours, cupping your jaw and pulling you closer, his lips soft against your own. Your head found his shoulder, dipping into his collarbone, arms wrapped around his torso while he rocked you gently. The sound of Cass Elliot’s voice humming out of the record player Baby, I’m Yours fading into Words of Love. The fan from the stove still buzzing with life, wafting out the steam from the pans, rhythmically merging with the sounds from the street. A relatively quiet neighborhood, filled with quiet cars and the occasional children’s screech from their strollers that pushed by. It was all so calming, the sound of your new home. Sounds you hoped would become familiar overtime and still shared with Carmen.

[lonely1sthemuse]

my guide to wonyoungism, improve your life, glow up, be THAT girl:

🎀 have a routine: this is something I learned from being on therapy for so long. It is really important to have a routine because if not you can have bad sleeping, be tired all day, get bored easier, you won't be able to finish your responsabilities, it can bring you bad self esteem and in general is a complete mess.

🎀 work out: always do what's best for you and do what you feel comfortable doing but please! work! out! I'm such a lazy person and at some point it was really hard for me to have motivation to do anything, but once I put my mind into it, and force myself a bit and started with 10 mins of pilates everyday (since it was something easy to start with) my life and my self esteem improved a lot. Working out is another way to have schedules and a routine, also improves your self esteem by making you feel capable of doing stuff, and ofc is good for your body.

🎀 have a good skincare routine: first, do some research about your skin type and see what products can work better for you (you can also go to have a skincare treatment and ask the beautician or search on internet) but always do what's more comfortable and affordable for you, don't use stuff that influencers recommend bc you can alter you skin type based on the products you use too (as a beutician I know) Also don't DON'T do it everyday, some products can be used everyday like the cleanser but others not. As I said just do a good research. Besides skin stuff it's really interesting!!

🎀 improve your diet: with diet I don't mean to specifically have a diet, actually I'm a bit against them, since being strict about what we eat can cause stress and guiltiness, it's really important to have a balance, eating healthy at the end of the day means nothing if you don't enjoy it. And you can enjoy it by having fun creating new healthy recipes, doing a journal about your fav healthy recipes, buying new cookware (pink plates, pots, pans, etc) or eating a hamburguer, a chocolate cookie sometime

🎀 journal: this is something I do since 2014 lol it's without doubt one of the best things the human has created. It has helped me to improve my writing skills, to get to know me better, to vent about stuff idk how or whom to talk about, also make it fun! In my journal I vent and write about my feelings,fears, dreams, goals, etc but also write down my travels, concerts or fav kpop artists, decorate with stickers, a piece of confetti, even dried flowers!

🎀 hobbies: this is something I also learned recently on therapy, I mean we all had hobbies from time to time but do we know about the importance of having them? I spent this whole year doing nothing since I can't work or study, and without hobbies I can tell you life is too boring, and it can lead you to bad self esteem too I mean, I kinda got crazier for spending so much time alone with literally nothing to do. So find new and fun stuff to do just for the pleasure of doing it, you don't have to be the best at it. I bet you can find hobbies ideas on YouTube as well.

🎀 be more femenine: this is ofc an optional step but I think it can be important, since always either wonyoung or it girls usually look very femenine. Don't forget to make it a fun thing to do! Finding your aesthetic, maybe trying a new one, enjoy going shopping..you can be femenine with your clothing, with your skin care routine, with your jewlery...this is just about feeling beautiful and also powerful.

🎀 improve your behaviour towards other people: with this I mean basically being more open. To meet new people, to make new plans...also fixing your body gesture (at least mine is shit and It always end up hurting my back and shoulders)

🎀 affirmations: good affirmations are a thing, this I learned in therapy too. The way you talk to yourself is important and changing the mindset too. If you tell yourself "I won't be able" then for sure you won't. This is not an easy thing tho I know, but is a necessary thing. Forcing yourself to change your mind every time a negative thought pass by is a hardwork but is well payd, cause the price is your happiness. For this is VERY important to have some help and work things up in therapy. But to give you a little tip, surround yourself with good energy, put some pictures of good affirmations in your room, as background of your phone, even on a shirt!

🎀 enjoy and trust the process: as I kept saying in each step, making it something fun to do it would help you to don't feel it like an obligation cause it's not. It's ofc a responsability to improve your life so you don't fall in depressed behaviours for example, but by making it something fun, then you won't feel guilty if someday you don't feel like functioning and need a lazy day in bed. And by trusting the process, we keep motivated to keep going.

🌼hope this works for you, please let me know if so, have a great day and a great life! 🌼

[petermorwood]

This post mentions the Le Creuset Doufeu casserole (Dutch oven) and several comments were "I want / must get".

@dduane and I don't need one, but from curiosity I went looking to see what they cost, and what I said in the original post still applies:

New Le Creusets like the one above are hideously expensive...

Ouch!

Since buying by brand name Is A Thing, it seems to me that the words LE CREUSET on cast-iron cookware immediately jacks the price up by at least 100 £$€ currency units over similar items from other manufacturers; for curiosity I compared Le Creuset to Staub, which also aren't exactly cheap: 41cm oval Staub, €449; 40cm oval Le Creuset, €599.

OUCH!

*****

They can be found somewhat (and if lucky, much) cheaper on eBay and Etsy, or in yard sales, garage sales, car boot sales and thrift shops.

A bit of searching revealed that people have had some very good luck with vintage Le Creusets, quite possibly because the original owners didn't know what they'd got.

This has to be the best thrift shop bargain I've seen in a long time:

*****

We've got these:

Even though only the orange one is actually labelled as a Doufeu, the other two have recessed lids and also work that way, complete with condensation drip-points cast on the insides.

This seems standard on recessed-lid casseroles, Staub have them too, and makes me think that casseroles with those lids are a better buy, since they can be used for regular OR doufeu cooking while those with flat or domed lids can't.

Also, remember where I said "original owners don't know what they've got"...? I found a hint of that in a sales listing which says:

It has a multi banded lid with a sunken knob, enabling the lid to be inverted, and used as a serving dish, with raised studs to help stop the food from moving around when being carved.

I think what happened here was that whoever wrote the description didn't know what the studs were actually for, and defaulted to what they thought they were for.

They're not sharp enough to hold food in place, and while this style of lid can be balanced inverted, it's not so they become serving dishes, because they'll teeter off-balance again with the slightest sideways pressure, such as trying to carve meat. So, er, don't.

*****

The cream/brown Fontignac was bought new more than 30 years ago - I've mentioned the French Country Recipes (seriously yummy) cookbook that came with it a couple of times - and DD bought the orange Le Cousances Doufeu about 5 years ago on eBay.

The smaller black Tramontina (from Brazil) was bought new last year to find out if something at that price level was any good.

So far... Yes, it is.

Staub own the Fontignac brand-name and Le Creuset own Le Cousances, so here's what to look for on the base of vintage originals.

There must be other bargains out there, maybe even as good as that thrift-store capture, so good hunting!

[maestro030403]

What toy the Batch would buy Omega for her Birthday

(Does she have a birthday??? Whatever - what they would buy her for any occasion because I bet they would buy her presents all the time if they could)

Tech

He would try to buy her a set of books or her own datapad, but would be made fun of by the other members because "that's not a toy"

He would definitely find some sort of chemistry set and quietly observe her playing with it

He's not the type of guy to actually play with it and show her how to play with it, although he wants to step in when she "does it wrong"

He doesn't let Wrecker touch it even though he's intrigued by the chemical reactions

"Independent play and discovery are very important for children's development. I read it in (blah blah blah)"

Hunter

He would totally get her a little play set with dolls

A mini marauder-like ship and five little action figure clones with an extra little girl doll

He would definitely play house with her when he's not taking care of his other children he has the time

One time she got them all into the game and each of the members got to pretend to be the others

Echo

He would buy Omega some fidget toys because he thinks they're cool and will keep her busy

Hunter ends up finding them and showing Omega cool tricks with a yo-yo

Wrecker breaks about half of them

Crosshair sneakily steals one and uses it when he gets anxious

One of the batch sneaks one into Tech's hands when he's talking and he doesn't even notice. He keeps it.

Wrecker

He would buy her an easy-bake oven and "make snacks" and play chef with Omega

Tech boosted up the power so that it could actually cook - "if we have this thing we might as well be able to use it"

Crosshair puts something metal in it and it causes a fire

Hunter bans any sort of cookware that wasn't already built into the ship

Crosshair

He gets her a "build your own weapons kit."

Crosshair: "Don't show Hunter"

Wrecker: "Where'd you even find this?"

Echo: "This isn't for kids"

Tech: "It appears none of us can use it - the box says 'you must be 18 years or older to use'"

Hunter ends up finding it and making himself a weapon out of it

Bonus

Omega insists that Batcher needs her own toys, too

The batch gets Batcher lots of chew toys and fetch toys

Echo insists that Omega's new chore is to clean up the dog toys when Batcher leaves them all over

Tech insists that they do not play fetch in his ship, especially after the so called "fetch incident"

[jiraisupportgroup]

₊‧°𐐪♡𐑂°‧₊ Tips for Managing a Shopping Addiction ₊‧°𐐪♡𐑂°‧₊

Shopping addictions or impulsive overspending is a really hard habit to break out of, and depending on your financial situation you can end up in really tough spots because of it.

As a general disclaimer: I am not a doctor or therapist, I'm just a mentally ill 24-year-old on the internet who's had issues with overspending (like a lot >-<) but hopefully, these tips can be of some use to you! I would also recommend looking for advice in other areas as well! Don't use this post as your only resource ^-^

♡ Overarching tips ♡

♡ Identify why you might have a shopping addiction. There are many different reasons for this! One thing that can help you identify the reasoning behind it is to analyze the emotions you feel when shopping. Do you feel frantic? Stressed? Really overly-excited? After you make the purchase how do you feel? Do you feel guilt? Shame? Regret? Relief? Super happy? Really analyze your feelings through the process and get a vibe for how it's making you feel. A lot of times shopping addiction develops as a way to cope with negative feelings. If you're feeling sad, stressed, or anxious, it's really tempting to buy yourself a "little treat" to make yourself feel better! But that can spiral into situations where any time you feel those negative emotions you feel a strong urge to go out and buy something to make those feelings go away, and a lot of times they'll come back even worse after the fact. If this is something that you think plays into your shopping addiction, you'll have to build up your resources for healthy coping mechanisms to give yourself alternatives to shopping when you feel down or anxious. Shopping addiction can also develop as a reaction to being in a poor financial situation. You can see this a lot with food and toiletries, but it can happen with other items as well. It makes sense that if someone has experienced food insecurity, once they have extra cash, they'll overstock on food to ensure they never run out again. That same logic applies to other aspects of life as well. If this is something that is playing into your shopping addiction you'll need to do some work into identifying places in your life that you feel the need to overstock on, why you feel that way, and how you can help minimize those feelings to help yourself feel secure without needing to overspend and overstock on those items.

♡ Identify what you are spending your money on. What is it that you're overspending on? Toiletries like skincare products and soaps? Food? Cookware? Clothing? Stuffed animals? Identifying what it is that you impulse buy the most can help you pick up on some of the reasons for your overspending, and can help you know what areas of purchases you need to be more aware of.

♡ Avoid browsing. Especially with online shopping, browsing for items to buy is way too easy. It is so tempting to log onto your favourite shopping websites and just browse for hours, even if you don't need anything! You can open Amazon without the intention of buying anything in particular and the website will shove products into your face until you convince yourself that you absolutely need something T-T so avoid browsing these websites.

♡ Identify when you need something or truly want something vs when you’re experiencing a Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO). There are multiple parts to this. The first one is SALES. 20% off! Free shipping! Buy one get one 50% off! IGNORE THAT!!!! If you did not want to buy it before you saw the sale, do not let the sale influence you into buying it! That's what the corporations want! These sales are designed to create a false sense of urgency so that you feel a stronger need to purchase the product, even if you didn't really want it that much before. Another part of this is trends. This is really easy to see in fashion but it applies to other things as well. Do you really need the new skirt that everyone is talking about? Do you REALLY like the item or do you just want it because everyone else has it and you want to be cool? Would you wear it if no one else was wearing it? Do you already have items to style it with? How often would you actually wear it? Do you already own something similar? These are really important questions to ask when you're shopping for fashion because it is SO EASY to see everyone else wearing something and then just go buy it because everyone else has it, and then they all move on to something else and it just sits in your closet for the next few months never to see the light of day again.

♡ Take note of what you already have. When you're out shopping for something, ask yourself "Do I already have something similar" or "Do I already have something that can serve this same purpose". This works for a lot of things. If you see a new cardigan you really like, think about if you already have a cardigan you can style in the same way. If you're looking at new cookware, ask yourself if you really need another pot or if you have one that can do the same thing. And if you're not sure, go home and check! It is so much better to make sure that you really need the thing that you're buying before you buy it, than to buy it and then realize that you don't need it or you aren't going to use it.

♡ Don’t view shopping as a hobby. Ask yourself... truly, do you treat shopping as though it is a hobby? If you spend multiple hours on shopping websites, it is a hobby. If you get dressed up just to go walk around Target without any specific thing that you need to buy in mind, it is a hobby. Try to replace this with something else that doesn't involve spending money. If you're spending a lot of time on shopping websites, try playing a video game with customizable elements where you can sort of get the feeling that you're buying and building things without spending money (Animal Crossing is really good for this, making Picrews is another good and free option). If it's more of a way to get yourself out of the house try going to places that don't involve shopping instead, there's a surprisingly large number of free or really cheap little art galleries and museums around where you can go walk around and look at cool stuff without really being sold things. Look on your town's website and see if there are any events going on, you'll be really surprised to see how much stuff people organize and do ESPECIALLY around winter-time there are usually loads and loads of free tree-lighting ceremonies and light shows. Talk to your friends too! If meeting up with friends to go shopping is a big part of your friendship dynamic tell them that you're trying to save money and ask if there are other things that you guys can do instead. (Also just as a note I know this is a lot harder in rural areas than cities T-T I do apologise).

♡ In-Store Tips ♡

♡ Don’t go shopping just to go shopping. If you are going shopping make sure that you are shopping for something that you actually need or truly want and have the financial means of getting. Before you walk into the store identify what these things are. Buy only those things. Additionally if you’re looking for something specific but can’t find that item, don’t settle for something else, instead wait until you can find either the specific item you wanted or a really close alternative. Remember that it’s okay to leave a store without buying anything! If you didn’t find what you wanted or needed, you don’t have to buy anything!

♡ Set a reasonable budget. Sometimes it's okay to just go shopping for fun, but you want to make sure that before you go shopping you set a reasonable budget for yourself. You need it to be enough that you'll actually be able to stick to it (like I would not set the budget to $20, that's unreasonably low), but you also want to make sure that it is not SO much that it is going to financially stress you (for example $200 is usually too high for me). For most people, this is going to land you somewhere in the $50-$150 range depending on your income, expenses, and current financial situation. If at any point you find yourself saying "I can spend a little more if I don't do XYZ" STOP. If you start taking money away from other expenses for "fun shopping", STOP. Make sure that all of your essential bills and expenses can be comfortably covered before you start spending fun money.

♡ Wait before you buy. Don't feel rushed or like you have to buy something right now. Identify things in the store that you like, leave the store, and come back later if you can. If you forget anything that you wanted in the time between you leaving the store and coming back, then you don't really need it. If you cant leave the store, step away from your basket for a second. See if you can remember everything in your basket then come back. If there is anything in your basket that you did not remember, put it back. If it’s online do the same thing. Close the page and see if you can remember everything. If you can’t, delete what you didn’t remember. Even better if you wait 1 week before purchasing. You can leave the items in the cart, just wait a few days and see if you still want to buy them after those few days are up. The general idea is that if you do not remember and want the item when it is not in your immediate vicinity, then you likely don't need it. And especially if you leave the store and come back a few days later, if you really really wanted it on day one, but when you come back two days later you don't really want it anymore, then you likely don't need it.

♡ Think critically about each of your purchases. Below is a little chart that @.downsizeupgrade on TikTok uses when she makes a purchase to weigh out if she really needs it or not that I like quite a bit. I did make a few small changes. There are three versions ranging from super cute over the top layout to very simple and easy-to-read layout so that if any of them are hard to read you have options for which one is the easiest for you to use. It is super important to try and be AS HONEST as you can when you’re answering these questions.

[thefangirlcackle]

Streaming services are a scam. You don't own what you pay for, you only throw money at a company for them to give you permission to watch/read/listen to something until the day they randomly decide to take it down and you have no saying in it. Suddenly, your favourite movie is gone, your favourite album is gone.

BUY👏PHYSICAL👏MEDIA👏

It's way less expensive than you think, considering that in the end you OWN what you pay for. And you don't even have to buy new stuff. I almost never do. Thrift stores are FULL of books, CDs, DVDs and vinyls which will cost you a fraction of the digital copy you can't even truly OWN.

You will have them with you, to cherish and enjoy anytime you want, and one day they will belong to your kids and grandkids...

...or to the distant relative who didn't even know they had an old weird aunt who mysteriously passed away after putting their name on her will so now they're been told by a somber looking lawyer that they are the new owner of a small cottage in the woods filled with bookshelves, a suspiciously lush garden, drying herbs hanging from the kitchen beams, old copper cookware, a dozen chipped mugs, a deceitful cat guarding the door to the attic and a worn out copy of Practical Magic on the coffee table with the DVD still in the player.

Just saying...

[reputayswift]

Tumblr Swifties when new merch drops: You’re delusional if you think I’m paying that

Twitter Swifties when new merch drops: I had to buy the entire drop because I specifically collect Taylor-related cookware

[distant--shadow]

I'm not a new years resolution kinda guy, but i really love where I'm living at the moment, and despite my landlord bringing the usual lols I do really wanna stay here for sometime and make my little shoebox studio flat a home. the longest I've lived somewhere since I was 18 was 3 and a half years and other than that it's mostly been moving every year or 2 at most, and the last move I did was my biggest one yet.

so I really wanna settle in in this space, hang up some shelves and buy some new old cookware and maybe a fresh lick of paint if the landlord will let me. gonna get back from where I'm spending nye and nye day and come home and sort through a bunch of clothes to donate and some to put in storage to maybe eventually sell. I have so many goobies/niknaks/bric-a-brac and I wanna make space to see it all and finish making the rug I started to latch hook earlier in the year. wanna be painting more at home on my. little collapsible easel I got to stand in front of the window and making goofy little sculptures at my. tiny desk that I've used for clay sculpting and metalworking whilst beside my bed over the years and get more pictures framed and more tapestries and take them all the way to the high ceiling and not just the halfway mark that I can reach without a ladder.

next time people are over for game nights/xena dvd marathons/slut hangs I'm gonna be giving tours of this 4x8 metre room like it's a museum.

[t00thpasteface]

but then again i've just never been much of an AU guy, at least not for those big setting-altering AUs— changing the time, changing the place, changing whether or not magic is real— because usually the bones of any given story are made of those exact things. the story and its characters no longer fulfill that same function or "scratch the same itch" to me once you start doing what i would call invasive procedures that fundamentally alter the rules and expectations of the setting, as opposed to just doing pinball within the established setting— buying new ingredients and even new cookware instead of working with what's already in your kitchen, in other words. i want to see how someone else would prepare this vegetable, not eat an entire steak with the vegetable grated on top as garnish, you know?

and there's an argument to be made for AUs as character study, but once you put a character in a fundamentally different setting, with different rules and backstory, they aren't (and really shouldn't be) the same character anymore, as they must now operate on new rules for new purposes... so you're now studying an OC, in a way.

this isn't to say it's impossible to completely uproot the characters and preserve the themes/message, of course; it can be done, but in my experience it's done very rarely, so as a whole i tend to steer clear of any U's that are so heavily A'd

[laundryandtaxes]

King of thrifting moment- had been thinking of getting into carbon steel for months but didn't need to go buying a new pan rn when I have plenty of cookware. For $10, it was an easy call. And after one wash and season

Voila. Now for the learning curve!