#or I could DM people to buy my essential oils

[mothman-etd]

Hey, I know you are somewhat techie, cause I follow Joy and you! I am curious if you could help explain something for the unenlightened.

I am very curious what a "bot" is, like I know it is a fake account, but where do they come from? Why do they exist? Do they serve a purpose? Is there some force (group, person, sever?) behind them?

I have been on Tumblr for years, and recently have been SLAMMED with bot follows and just am so curious why now...?

TLDR - Please explain the origin, history and role of bots?

WHAT ARE BOTS?

"Bots" is short for robots, and in this context is a computer program that works as an agent for another system or simulates a human being/human action.

Example, I can write a bot that could search for frog pictures on the internet, log into my tumblr, and post one of those pictures for me. Now that I have my fancy bot I can have posts of frog pictures always going up on my tumblr feed without any interaction on my part.

A porn bot is an extension of malicious bots, these are robots that were designed to perform an action that will ultimately generate money for the person who wrote them. Usually illegal activity and to the detriment of innocent victims the bots interact with.

The porn bots I have seen on tumblr specifically attempt to get me to click on a link that probably has a payload that would install some malware on my computer. What can someone do with a hacked computer? Well a whole bunch of stuff.

(I got this image from Krebs on Security, https://krebsonsecurity.com/2012/10/the-scrap-value-of-a-hacked-pc-revisited/, who is a journalist who likes to report on cyber security news)

What a hacker can do with your compromised PC is quite a bit so I am not going to go much further then that in this post, but just know all those items in the above image can be leveraged to steal money.

WHY DOES TUMBLR HAVE SO MANY PORN BOTS?

Honestly the recent influx of these on Tumblr probably relates to the situation happening at Twitter. Tumblr's reputation is on the rise for the first time in awhile, it is having very positive user growth and online attention. This in turn attracts the attention of thieves and gangs looking to make money off the crowd. In much the same way pick-pockets work crowded train stops, scammers need to operate where other humans are congregating.

This is a VERY brief run down on Tumblr's porn bots, but this is a huge topic that people dedicate their whole career to understanding.

So hopefully this answered your general question, let me know if you have another question or want me to get more specific about something.

[docsamurai]

Policy Breakdown: Elizabeth Warren’s Wealth Tax

So for those of you who follow me for my creative writing, sorry in advance if American politics don’t interest you, but I figured I could add something somewhat constructive to the discourse. Short version: I’m going to break down specific policy proposals by currently announced 2020 presidential candidates. I’m starting with Elizabeth Warren because I’m an active and vocal supporter of hers, but I’ll go ahead and do other candidates at some point. If you have a specific candidate or policy you’d like me to talk about send me a DM since I probably won’t see it in the reblogs (and I definitely won’t see it in the tags). All that said, on with the show.

So what is Elizabeth Warren’s proposal for a Wealth Tax, how would it affect people, what are the stated goals of this policy, and what are the most likely ramifications of it?

To explain it in basic terms, the Wealth Tax is a 2% tax on accumulated wealth over $50 million with an additional 1% over $1 billion. Now 50 million is a number that’s too large for most people who aren’t used to dealing with large numbers to readily comprehend so I’m going to break that down for you into what $50 million in accumulated wealth would actually mean.

The average income in America (according the SSA) is just over $48,000 and the median income (which most people say is more reflective of what the “average” person makes) is a little over $56,000. These numbers vary quite a lot depending on age, location, etc, but to simplify things I’m going to round that to $50k annual income.

So what does a budget on a $50k annual income look like for a single person in a monthly budget? Your net salary (after various taxes) is about $2800/month. Your rent (or mortgage) in a fairly average area is about $6-800. Your utilities (electric, internet, phone, water, etc) probably total around $300. Your food budget is probably around $400 Your transportation budget is anywhere from $200 to $800 depending on whether or not you’re making a car payment or not. Health insurance can vary pretty wildly so basing it off my own, you probably pay about $200 per month in premiums alone.

Though these are rough numbers (and most people have a variety of ways to save on one or more of those) your expenses are probably leaving you with very little extra room your budget. Keep in mind this budget does also not account for student loan payments, child care, credit card debt, or any kind of entertainment.

Now you might be wondering “Wait, why did we just go over income if we’re talking about a tax on accumulated wealth, I thought those were 2 different things?”. Well you’re right that those are 2 different things, but I wanted to make a point about the 50 million in accumulated wealth number and by comparing it to an average monthly budget I can better explain that point.

If I had $50 million in accumulated wealth that means that in total assets (cash in bank accounts, stocks, properties owned, etc) equal $50 million. For the simplest possible explanation, we’re going to assume that all $50M is in cash, not generating any interest or appreciating in value in any way. For comparison $50 million is literally 1000 times the average annual income. Meaning that if I previously made 50,000 and suddenly had $50M in cash that would mean that I could multiply my previous income by 10 and still have enough cash on hand to last me 100 years.

So what does a budget look like for someone living off of $500k a year, for the next 100 years look like? Your net monthly income would be $41,666.67 because you wouldn’t be paying taxes on it since it’s not earned income. Your other expenses would only increase if you decided to increase them by buying more things, moving into a more expensive home or car. Let’s assume though that with increased income you would want more a more expensive home and car, and with your increased free time (since you would no longer be working for your income) you would want to set aside more money for things like travel, hobbies, and entertainment. We could reasonably assume that with your increase in income your expenses would roughly triple, assuming that your spending habits still followed a reasonable progression. If I tripled the earlier estimates I made you would still have an additional $34,000 left per month to spend on whatever you would want. Again, there would be no point to save any of this money since you already have enough to last 100 years at this level of “income”.

So how does Elizabeth Warren’s proposed wealth tax affect this hypothetical person who has $50,000,000.00 in cash on hand?

It doesn’t.

Even if someone had four times that at $200M, it would still only affect the amount they had over $50M. The tax would only apply to $150M of their $200M and even then it would be 2% of that, so annually they would have to pay $3M in taxes which does sound like a lot of money to pay, but would decrease their net worth to “only” $197,000,000.00.

Alright. So again, in terms of direct impact this tax is only something you have to pay if you are worth at least $50,000,001. In terms of indirect impact, we come to what this tax is actually meant to do and where that money is meant to go. Now in general taxes don’t go specifically to one place. So this means that the federal budget would have extra money to work with, which means the budget could afford to pay for more things that Warren has said she would support like childcare, student loan debt forgiveness, free tuition, etc. How much money? Her campaign estimates that it would be 2.75 Trillion over 10 years. Some economists say that’s optimistic but essentially correct.

Now the stated goal of this Tax is both to address the rampant income inequality in the US and also to pay for the programs that are also meant to address the same inequality.

So what are the most likely ramifications of this? Well if this tax were to take effect we can safely assume that we will see a lot of new techniques the wealthy can (and most likely will) use for disguising their wealth. In addition, since the president doesn’t actively put legislation into law, she would require Congress to draft and approve the law for her. This will most likely mean that special interest groups and lobbyists on behalf of the wealthy will find a variety of loopholes to include in the law to help with disguising or exempting wealth. As is, we could reasonably expect that the bill would only be effective at that 2.75 Trillion number in the theoretical sense and would probably be reduced significantly.

If it were able to take effect in any significant form though, we can expect the bill to increase investment in new markets. If the majority of the “super wealthy” are suddenly having their wealth taxed at 2% (or 3% for billionaires) then most of them will seek to have greater returns on their investments to compensate for it. This will probably see a shift away from more traditionally safe investments (like oil and gas) and into newer markets with greater potential for growth (like renewable energy). Some of those markets are, of course, riskier, but the alternative would be to have their investment income grow at a slower rate.

Again this is all conjecture and speculation at this point as Elizabeth Warren is not president and has not been able to convince congress to implement her proposed policy (at the time of this writing).

Ok, that was a lot so I’m going to give you the TLDR; How does this affect you personally? If you don’t currently have $50 million in assets, it doesn’t directly. How does this affect the economy? It will probably increase the budget significantly and can pay for lots of social welfare programs that can help less advantaged people be more productive. How does this affect the rich? It will pressure them to invest in higher yield investments or to simply accept that their asset will not grow as quickly otherwise. Will the rich be able to get around this? I would frankly be astonished if there weren’t some kind of cottage industry that springs up overnight to help the wealthy hide their assets. So yeah, most likely. Is this a good thing and should we do it even if Elizabeth Warren isn’t elected? Ultimately yes. While those who would be directly affected by the tax would see a slight reduction in their total assets or a slowing of the growth of their assets through investment, they would also see a reinvigorated economy through the social welfare programs that allowed more people to better participate in the economy which would ultimately provide them with better investment opportunities in the long term. So yeah, it’s one of those rare things where everyone wins eventually (the rich just have to wait a little longer than usual to win).

So yeah, that’s the nuts and bolts of Warren’s proposed Wealth Tax. If you liked this and want to see more just let me know.

[roes-in-the-east]

Such a cool little statue for a doTERRA user isn't it? Just one of the pieces of art dotted around Abbey Gardens in Bury St.Edmunds. 💧 I've been using essential oils for years, but finally switched to doTERRA just this year. The difference has been surprising, in a good way! 💧 I used to believe that oils did good on faith. I never saw any results, until I started using doTERRA, then I saw actual results from using the oils. But it's not a 'one oil fits all' product. That's why it's important to join a team so you continue to learn about the oils and what does and doesn't work for different people. 💧 Whilst getting a kit is a cheaper option overall because the prices are reduced specifically for the intro kits, I know that times are hard. Believe me I know, my husband could be jobless next week. 💧 But health is something worth spending a little bit of money on. So doTERRA have provided an option to join as a wholesale customer for just £24 (no products included), and you buy the oils as and when you want and still get the 25% discount. 💧 That sounds do-able to me. If you're interested why not DM me. . . #healthfirst #doterrauk #keepingitreal #quarantinelife #healedbynature #emotionalwellbeing #wellness #positivevibes #emotionalsupport #mentalhealth #joinmyteam #roedoterra #supporteachother (at Bury St. Edmunds) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCJNSjuH5Xn/?igshid=18viog2nnfjtb

[professorpalmarosa]

Endless Love (Yugao)

One of the suggestions I received for my August batch involved including Yugao. Yugao received very little screen time and only appeared once or twice in the manga, but the animators never really forgot about her. She appeared more in some of the fillers and was really fleshed out as a dynamic, badass lady.

Plus, her standoff with Hayate’s edo tensei was heartbreaking. Their relationship wasn’t thrown in the fandom’s face, nor was it a major plot point. Still, they were so darn cute together and aaaaaaah.

To make a long story short(er), I was up for the challenge and present to you now the “Endless Love” shower bomb: inspired by Yugao and dedicated to my friend @kaless39

So…what’s in it and can you use it at home? Let’s find out!

Geranium Essential Oil

There are different kinds of Geranium Essential Oil you can buy. The one I used wasn’t Egyptian Geranium or Geranium Bourbon, but a breed called Rose Geranium. It has a rose-like scent and a slightly fruity under-note. My cat likes the smell of this one, but I always exercise caution. The high geraniol content isn’t good for him, so he always has a safe and easy way out of the room if I diffuse it.

It has a lingering power. Although your nose may get used to it if you diffuse in the room, you’ll smell it all over again when you leave and come back. That lingering can last even into the following day, which is only one of the reasons it’s so great for perfume!

The perfume industry will often use rose geranium as a rose replacement, since both Rose Otto and Rose Damascena are obscenely expensive.

Pros: Rose Geranium can be applied to the skin (with a carrier oil) for nerve pain and works wonders for pain following shingles. Some folks also use it to treat diarrhea or to tighten loose skin. It’s a rejuvenating flower with an uplifting scent.

Although there’s no legitimate scientific backing to this claim, some manufacturers of dietary supplements claim that geranium oil can be used to help with weight loss. I wouldn’t know. Although I can diffuse at my job, I can’t diffuse flower oils because one of my cubicle mates has a sensitivity to flowers and geranium’s a no-go.

(I totally swear by the coriander oil, though.)

Cons: Rose Geranium Essential Oil is generally considered to be universally safe, but some people may have a sensitivity to it. Apply a small amount (mixed with carrier oil) to your skin and perform a test to see if geranium’s safe for you. If you’re pregnant, ere on the side of caution with essential oils.

Manuka Essential Oil

Manuka Essential Oil is fairly new to the aromatherapy scene, but the flower has been used for its many benefits by the people of New Zealand for centuries. Although this South Pacific flower has a medicinal scent and might not be one of the prettiest smells among essential oils, Manuka blends wonderfully with geranium and grapefruit.

Pros: Here’s a far from humble list of all the amazing things Manuka Essential Oil can help you with:

Dandruff! Adding a little Manuka Essential Oil to your shampoo/conditioner can dramatically reduce the amount of flaky white mess you find on a dry scalp.

Bug Bites & Stings! If you’re stung by a stinging insect or bitten by an insect, inflammation and redness is the first thing you’ll feel alongside the pain. Applying a drop of Manuka Essential Oil neat (undiluted) to the wound can reduce the inflammation and at least make sure the wound doesn’t get any worse. You should still see a doctor if you’re allergic to the insect or the bite is really bad.

Nasty Microbes! Manuka Essential Oil has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties that are amazingly strong. In fact, Manuka Essential Oil kills MRSA bacteria at a significantly higher success rate than Tea Tree Oil does!

Allergies! Manuka Essential Oil has an antihistamine effect, which reduces the amount of coughing you experience in regard to allergies. It calms down your body and can help you with mild seasonal allergies.

Cell Growth & Regeneration! Applying diluted Manuka Essential Oil to fresh scars and stretch marks dramatically reduces their presence. It can help you heal faster and leave less of a trace of damage behind. It promotes cell growth and leaves you with younger, healthier skin.

Body Odor! Manuka Essential Oil combats the chemicals and bacteria responsible for body odor and leaves a medicinal, clean smell behind. I personally recommend mixing it with Grapefruit, Rose Geranium, or both!

Depression! The smell of Manuka has a calming effect and can soothe anxious nerves, as well as fight away the blues.

Cons: Manuka Essential Oil is generally considered to be universally safe, but some people may have a sensitivity to it. Apply a small amount (mixed with carrier oil) to your skin and perform a test to see if Manuka’s safe for you.

Pink Grapefruit Essential Oil

Grapefruit is one of those familiar scents and is used in many diets to boost metabolism and suppress appetite. I even ended up picking up an entire half-gallon of white grapefruit juice on my way home from work yesterday, since it’s one of my favorite flavors in the world.

I’ve also been trying to find white grapefruit in my grocery store since I graduated from college in 2011, but I can’t seem to find them anywhere. If anyone knows where I could purchase them online from a reputable source, message me. I miss them so!

Pros: Grapefruit Essential Oil has several health benefits and can be your friend on a (safe) weight loss regimen. This oil contains a lot of the chemical d-limonene, which has clinically been shown to stabilize your metabolism, decrease your BMI, and even lower cholesterol.

Grapefruit peel (the part of the grapefruit Essential Oil comes from) also contains a lot of antioxidants, which help fight free radicals in your body and reduce your risk of cancer.

The smell of grapefruit can make a person feel happier and more alert. Some folks use it as a stimulant.

One of my friends mixes a little Grapefruit Essential Oil (due to its disinfecting nature) and vinegar into her homemade bathroom cleaner and her tub sparkles.

Cons:

Grapefruit (Pink or White) Essential Oil increases your photosensitivity, which increases your risk for sunburn. Please avoid being in the sun for too long if you’ve applied this essential oil (even diluted) to your skin in the past 12 to 36 hours.

Some liver medications may take longer for the liver to break down if Grapefruit (Pink or White) Essential Oil is being used:

Some medications that react to sunlight may increase your photosensitivity while Grapefruit (Pink or White) Essential Oil is being used. Please use sunscreen, sunglasses, and protective garments if outdoors if you’re using these medications and use Grapefruit on the regular.

If you use any of the below do not use this product:

Artemether (Artenam, Paluther)

Buspirone (BuSpar)

Carbamazepine (Tegretol)

Carvedilol (Coreg)

Cisapride (Propulsid)

Clomipramine (Anafranil)

Cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune)

Dextromethorphan (Robitussin DM, and others)

Estrogen Supplements (Premarin, Climara, Vivelle)

Etoposide (VePesid)

Itraconazole (Sporanox)

Itraconazole (Sporanox)

Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) substrates, lovastatin (Mevacor), ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), fexofenadine (Allegra), triazolam (Halcion), and many others.)

Medications for high blood pressure (nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia), verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, Verelan), diltiazem (Cardizem), isradipine (DynaCirc), felodipine (Plendil), amlodipine (Norvasc), and others.)

Medications used for lowering cholesterol ((Mevacor), simvastatin (Zocor), atorvastatin (Lipitor), cerivastatin (Baycol), and others).

Methylprednisolone

Praziquantel (Biltricide)

Quinidine

Scopolamine (Transderm Scop)

Sedative medications (Benzodiazepines like clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), and others).

Sildenafil (Viagra)

Terfenadine (Seldane)

If you use any of the below on the regular, exercise caution:

Caffeine

Erythromycin

Fenofexadine (Allegra)

Losartan (Cozaar)

Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) substrates) such as (amitriptyline (Elavil), haloperidol (Haldol), ondansetron (Zofran), propranolol (Inderal), theophylline (Theo-Dur, others), verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, others), and generics

Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) substrates) such as omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid), and pantoprazole (Protonix); diazepam (Valium); carisoprodol (Soma); nelfinavir (Viracept); and generics

Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) substrates) such as diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren), ibuprofen (Motrin), meloxicam (Mobic), and piroxicam (Feldene); celecoxib (Celebrex); amitriptyline (Elavil); warfarin (Coumadin); glipizide (Glucotrol); losartan (Cozaar); and others.

Saquinavir (Fortovase, Invirase)

Theophylline

Warfarin (Coumadin)

The TL;DR on this list is this: “If you are taking a medication that impacts your liver or blood, exercise caution or don’t use Grapefruit Essential Oil (White or Pink).

You’ll probably have better luck with the fragrance oil, which will have none of the benefits but won’t mess up your medication.

It’s not just pretty smells and relaxing aromatherapy, guys. Some of this stuff can mess with your meds and Grapefruit’s notorious for it.

[theprettiestshit]

WTF is Happening on Instagramis

Written By: Danyelle V

Why are you scrolling through your Instagram feed and seeing people covering their eyebrows in soap? Can someone explain why people are dousing their faces with seemingly unhealthy amounts of powder? Were all of these women shaving their face, is that why they were rubbing aftershave all over their faces? And finally, for what reason are women dabbing silicone bra inserts on their faces!?! Have internet beauty gurus run out of creases to cut and shadows to blend or have they all just lost their minds?

I have also scrolled through my IG feed and explore page and found videos that I cannot explain. Like someone using a banana as a guide for their contour. While that banana thing is just a mess, some of the trends that have left you in confusion actually have some method to their madness. As someone who writes for a beauty, I often get that random Instagram DM from a friend who is just not understanding what the kids are up to. I have answers! Here were some of my favorites WTF Instagram moments from 2016!

Covering their eyebrows in soap?

Before it saturated your feed, using soap as a way of holding your brow hairs in place was a trick used by makeup artists of a different era. Late in the summer of 2016, Sam Chapman of the Pixiwoo sisters, the ladies who created the Real Techniques brush lines, posted a video on her YouTube channel teaching us how she transformed her thin sparse brows into thick, bushy brow that are completely on trend. She called it the Old Hollywood Brow. According to Sam and her sister, Nic, just by using some basic clear bar soap, water, and a spooly, was the secret to how makeup artists of the 50s and 60s for keeping their starlets’ brows looking groomed and luscious. It’s so simple, anyone could do it!

Why are they going crazy? Because it is an affordable alternative to more expensive brow gels. And it lasts longer. The real trick is finding the right balance between soap and water. If you test it out, be sure to create a gel texture that isn’t runny. The texture needs to be slightly thick to be effective. I’ve personally tested this one out and it’s worth giving it a try. You’ll give Cara Delevingne a run for her money. 

Unhealthy amounts of powder?

I bet you’ve had hard time finding a new recipe lately without running into baking or cooking memes that have nothing to do with cookies and cakes.

Again, this isn’t anything new! I learned about baking from YouTube beauty guru, Patrickstarrr; but it isn’t h original trick either. I do have to say that I love the videos where he beats his face with a huge powder puff. After you apply a cream product, use a sponge to apply powder under your eyes, below your contour, and anywhere you see fit. Baking is useful if you need your cream products to be more long wearing. You can avoid under eye and smile line creasing. You can also brighten areas of your face you want to highlight. It’s helpful if you blended your contour too low,  just swipe the powder under your contour line like an eraser for a cut cheekbone. Drag queens use it to conceal the texture on their skin from shaving. Kim K has posted pictures of her face striped in powder. For a full coverage, glam, beat to hell face, baking is your tool!

Caution! Hydrate your undereye area before baking your makeup to avoid looking super dry and after to keep your skin from drying out.

Rubbing aftershave all over their faces?

OK, I fibbed a little. this one is from 2015 but it was a craze I watched intently and wanted to share. NikkieTutorials told her over 6 million subscribers a story of how she had run out of moisturizer so she turned to her boyfriend's skincare products. She found his Nivea Post Shave Balm in for sensitive skin and rubbed it on her face. What was just a means to an end, turn into one of her essential products for making her makeup last. As she rubbed the balm onto her face, she noticed it became tacky. She noted that there was a high amount of glycerin in the product and tested as a primer for her makeup. She claimed the after shave product kept the oils of her skin from breaking down her makeup throughout the day. Beauty gurus all over the internet went crazy and how could you blame them? Ensuring your makeup lasts without needing a touchup is the ultimate goal! 

I was tempted to test this one myself. However, every time I remembered to look for the Nivea Post Shave Balm, it was sold out. I'm sure Nivea never thought makeup enthusiasts would snatch up their aftershave products. 

Dabbing silicone bra inserts on their faces!?! 

The chicken cutlet bra insert being used to apply foundation caught me off guard too. I thought Instagrammers had truly lost their mind leaving me ready to deactivate my account the way I was ready to leave Facebook if I got just one more Candy Crush request from my mom’s coworker’s cousin. But don’t be fooled, Instgrammers are crafty! The craze comes after Molly Cosmetics launched the SiliSponge. A silicone makeup applicator whose biggest selling point is that the sponge doesn’t absorb any product. Because the surface is not porous, no cream or liquid product will go to waste.

Why not just buy the $10-ish dollar SiliSponge? It is constantly selling out! Molly Cosmetics is on its 9th restock! The internet went crazier for the SiliSponge than they did for the rainbow highlighter. So beauty lovers took scissors to their bra inserts to make their own silicone sponge in the same way they took a spatula to their eye shadow palettes to make their own rainbow highlight. A little thing like a ‘sold out’ sign is not going to stop Instagrammers from trying all things beauty. The hype surrounding the sponge has been so great that Molly Cosmetics has already expanded the SiliSponge line to include a new shape.

There will certainly be no shortage of WTF Instagram moments in 2017! Let's see what they come up with next!

Thanks for reading! If this is the type of article you want to see more of on meetpepperb.com, let us know! We can do other installments every few weeks? Tell us which Instagram crazes made you look at your phone sideways?

[weightloss18-blog1]

My Experience with Celery Juice for Acne + Juicer Review

New Post has been published on https://designweightloss.com/my-experience-with-celery-juice-for-acne-juicer-review/

My Experience with Celery Juice for Acne + Juicer Review

As you guys might remember, I’ve been really into the whole celery juice craze. Truthfully, I’m a little nervous to publish this post because there are a lot of people who do not support it – and I totally get that. Like a lot of people, I was super skeptical about the “healing powers” of celery juice – given that I’m not one to believe in magical “cure-all” solutions. I mean, I have a chronic autoimmune disease (ulcerative colitis), and I can’t tell you how many people have recommended that I try crazy things, like aloe juice, essential oils, yada yada, to cure myself. BUT I’ll also try just about anything once in the name of health – never say never! 😉

The guy who started the celery juice trend is Anthony William, better known as the “Medical Medium”. He’s kind of nutty, claiming that he can diagnose diseases through communicating with spirits. Yep, I know, I know…. oooh, I know how insane it sounds. I hear ya loud and clear, people, it’s crazy. My husband still gives me a hard time even though he’s witnessed my results. Speaking of Mal, we often talk about the “placebo effect” and maybe drinking celery juice is “just” a placebo effect, but after drinking it fairly consistently since Thanksgiving, I’m a believer.

  Since starting my morning celery juice routine, I’ve noticed a major improvement with my skin. Just after our annual family trip to Newport, my skin starting breaking out like crazy. I started eating eggs again, so I assume that’s what kicked things off, but the breakouts were never-evening and way worse than what I’d ever experienced in the past. I was getting deep, cystic acne on my neck and body, which were places I never really had breakouts. It was so bizarre and totally out of the blue. 

Prior to this, I had received approximately 1 million emails, comments, and DMs telling me I should check out the “Medical Medium.” I kindly thanked my followers for their recommendations, but I didn’t bother looking into what he was all about. Say what? A guy who talks to spirits who has no medical background or credentials of any sort? Sure, I’m hippy-dippy in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to health and healing, but a medical medium was just too much.

My skin continued to breakout, and I started to feel really self-conscious about it. I started wearing t-shirts to the gym to cover up my body acne, and I didn’t share as much on Instagram Stories because my neck was one big breakout. The zits were so big and sore, I couldn’t even cover them with makeup. I kept hearing about the Medical Medium, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to explore what he was all about. I read a few of his articles online and started listening to his podcast. Initially, I was skeptical, but open-minded since so many people raved about their experience with celery juice and related Medical Medium protocols. (You can read about them in his books.)

The more I listened to the podcast, the more things started to make sense, especially with regard to my chronic strep throat infections. You might remember that I had it 3 (!!) times last year, including twice in a single month. According to Anthony Williams, there’s a connection between strep, eggs, and acne. Yup. That immediately caught my attention, so I figured what the hell, I’ll try some celery juice. I figured I had nothing to lose and my skin wasn’t getting any better on its own.

Does celery juice help with acne?

I started juicing the week of Thanksgiving, but I only did it a few times per week. The juicer that I was using was old, so it took me FOEVER to juice a glass full. I also needed to use so much celery to get the recommended 16 ounces. (If you have questions about the official celery juice protocol, check out this blog post: Celery Juice 101. It tells you everything you need to know.) Juicing was a royal pain in the butt, and I knew it wouldn’t be something I’d do long-term if I couldn’t fit it into my everyday life. I sporadically juiced for the first few weeks of December. I didn’t see a huge improvement in my skin, BUT my usual PMS symptoms (specifically sore breasts and night sweats) were almost non-existent. I basically had the easiest (and happiest) period of my life, and it made me consider maybe there really was something to this celery juice stuff.

In the week leading up to Christmas, I ended up buying Liver Rescue and reading the whole thing, cover to cover, in 24 hours. The information was definitely bizarre, but, at the same time, it made sense. After that, I decided to really commit to juicing (mostly because my skin still sucked) and started researching juicers like it was my job. I can’t tell you how many reviews I read and videos I watched. I wanted the best and easiest to clean juicer on the market. A couple of days before Christmas, I bought myself a new juicer. The new juicer helped me get into a daily routine with juicing, so I finally started to see some real improvements with my skin.

What juicer works best for celery juice?

I’ve received a ton of questions about the juicer I’ve been using (and loving), so I figured I’d put together a review to share my thoughts with you guys. I use the Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor, and it’s an absolute beast! It really squeezes all of the juice from the celery stalks. The pulp comes out nearly dry because its made for optimum juice and nutrient extraction. Plus, the chute is extra wide, so I literally add handfuls of celery stalks whole – no chopping required!

I’ve read that other similarly-priced juicers not only require that you pre-cut fruits and veggies, but they are also difficult to clean. I love that the Juice Fountain Elite is only three parts, all dishwasher-safe (and BPA-free), which is super important for busy mornings when I just want to get my juice on and throw the parts into the dishwasher for fast cleanup. Most of the time, I just rinse them real quick, and it doesn’t take me more than a few minutes. Plus, there’s not a million settings to figure out – literally, just high, low, and stop/off. I’ve found that the lower speed is better for fruits and veggies that are softer, like ripe fruit or spinach, while the higher speed is better for the tougher fruits and veggies, like apples or celery, so you can pick and choose according to what you’re adding.

One of the concerns with juicing is that by only extracting the juice, you’re leaving all those amazing nutrients behind. I shared the same concern, and that’s one of the reasons why I purchased the Juice Fountain Elite. Breville’s patented direct central feed system actually extracts more nutrients than other juicers on the market – win-win!

While this juicer is definitely a total badass and game-changer, it does have a few cons – namely that it’s pretty loud and kind of big. That being said, it’s not HUGE or an eyesore – otherwise it wouldn’t have earned a permanent spot on our kitchen counter (right next to my beloved air fryer)! If you’re on the hunt for a juicer that is easy to clean and requires minimal food prep, then I’d strongly recommend you give this one a try!

With the help of this amazing juicer, there’s no denying that I’ve seen improvements in my skin, mood, and PMS symptoms. I’m on month 3 now of consistent juicing, and I really do think it helps. It could definitely just be placebo and me believing it’s working. Maybe so, but there’s no shame in using the power of the mind!

Questions from CNC followers

Do you add anything to your celery juice? 

No, it’s supposed to be consumed on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. You can always juice some cucumber to lessen the flavor. Check out this post for additional details: Celery Juice 101.

I’m not a fan of celery juice – is there something I can add to make it taste better? 

See above! 🙂

Do you always make your celery juice fresh?

Yep, I make it fresh every morning. Thanks to my new juicer, it doesn’t take me more than 5 minutes, start to finish. According to the Medical Medium, you’re only suppose to drink celery juice fresh. If your ONLY option is to make it ahead of time, that’s okay. Store it in a closed container, like a mason jar, and consume as soon as possible. Check out this post for additional details: Celery Juice 101.

How much celery juice do you drink?

I aim for 16-20 ounces, 5 days per week. I was doing 7 days, but there are some mornings that I just can’t fit it in/don’t feel like doing it.

How much money do you spend on celery juice per week?

I spend $12.50 a week. Right now, I’m juicing 5 days a week and each bundle that I buy is $2.50.

Has celery juice impacted your ulcerative colitis?

I can’t say for certain if drinking celery juice has helped with my UC. My digestion overall has changed for the better, but I’m taking Entyvio (intravenous drug for UC), so there’s no way to truly know. From personal anecdotes (chatting with IBD patients in online forums and on Instagram), celery juice has not helped them achieve remission. It just goes to show you celery juice is not a “cure-all” and depends on the individual. 

What are the macros in celery juice?

I’m actually not sure. I don’t track it.

I’ve heard celery juice causes an upset stomach – is that true? 

For me, yes, in the beginning, but not everyone has stomach issues. At first, I had trouble drinking the recommended 16 ounces and would feel nauseous and/or end up in the bathroom. But, over time, I worked my way up to a larger portion and rarely have issues now. If you can’t tolerate that much, you can start at a lesser amount or juice cucumber with the celery.

If you don’t have a juicer, can you make it another way?

Personally, I think you really need a juicer, especially if it’s something you want to do long-term and see results from. If you don’t have a juicer, the Medical Medium suggests making celery juice in a blender and straining through a cheesecloth, which seems like a lot of work to me! Check out this post for additional details: Celery Juice 101.

Why has celery juice become so popular recently?

I think it’s a combination of awesome results and people looking for a “magic pill” to improve their health.

Do you drink celery juice first thing in the morning?

Yes, I wake up, make it, and drink it on an empty stomach. Check out this post for additional details: Celery Juice 101.

How many stalks of celery does it take?

It depends on the size of your celery and quality of your juicer. I’ll typically use 1 big bunch of 1.5 smaller bunches.

Do you use organic celery?

Most of the time, I do. But, if I can’t find organic, I’ll use conventional.

How long until you saw a difference in your symptoms?

In a month of sporadic juicing, a saw a difference with my PSM symptoms. My skin probably took 3-4 weeks of regular juicing everyday to see improvement.

Did you experience a detox phase when you first started?

I think I did, actually, but not until I was juicing more regularly (everyday). There were 3-4 days when I had a mild headache, and I’m not someone who typically gets them. It could have been a detox side effect? It only happened for a short period of time and hasn’t happened again since.

Have any negative articles about celery juice impacted your thoughts and use? 

Not really. I agree this whole celery juice thing is crazy, but it’s working for me, so I don’t see why I should stop doing what makes me feel good both inside and out!

Is it worth the effort? 

I think so! I was pretty down in the dumps about my skin, and drinking celery juice isn’t a huge effort now that I have a good juicer. I clean the celery stalks at night and store them in the fridge, so, in the morning, my juice comes together in matter of minutes!

Is this something you see yourself doing long-term? 

Right now, yes. I’ve cut back from 7 juices per week to 5 and will likely cut back more to see if I still get the same effects. I actually really like drinking celery juice first thing – it gives me a little boost to my morning! 🙂

The post My Experience with Celery Juice for Acne + Juicer Review appeared first on Carrots 'N' Cake.

[lindsaynsmith]

How to Get a Friend Out of an MLM

How to Get a Friend Out of an MLM https://ift.tt/2CWgEwB

Elle Beau didn’t know much about makeup when she started selling it in 2015. As a college student, she was having trouble finding a job that worked with her busy school schedule. So when a friend began posting frequently on Facebook about a new business venture, Beau thought she’d found the solution to all her problems. After paying a start-up fee she couldn’t really afford, Beau was pulled into the cult-like world of Younique. “You’ll definitely make your money back in your first month, easy peasy,” her friend assured her.

But Beau didn’t make her money back. During the seven months she spent as a Younique presenter, she was pressured into buying more and more product, into posting constantly about her “business” on Facebook, and into recruiting friends and family to join her team and buy her products. Although she was hemorrhaging money, she was encouraged by her “upline” (the woman who recruited her and that woman’s superiors) to act like she was flourishing—uploading photos of orders that she’d made, pretending they were from customers, and writing out long testimonials about her love for the products and the company.

“I’ve always been very honest and open about everything in my life,” said Beau, who now runs a blog devoted to warning others about Younique’s toxic culture, and requested VICE not use her real name to avoid harassment from those still devoted to the product. “Finding myself pretending to try and make a sale or trick someone into signing up under me was really difficult. I was doing crap, and so were a lot of the other girls on my team, but we were told to lie.”

If Beau’s story sounds familiar, it probably is. In 2017, more than 18.6 million people in the U.S. were “employed” by a multi-level marketing (MLM) company. According to the FTC, two recent and unrelated studies both found more than 99 percent of people who join MLMs ultimately lose money.

But that hasn’t stopped the MLM model from infiltrating every section of international consumer culture. From colorful leggings and essential oils to supplements and powdered coffee spiked with literal viagra, MLM products like Younique and Herbalife invoke a bizarro world rule 34: if it exists, you can pay money to sell it.

At first glance, it might be difficult to see the problem with the MLMs. Sure, it’s annoying to have acquaintances slide into your DMs and try to sell you weight loss wraps, but is it really hurting anyone? Unfortunately yes, says Rick Alan Ross, an expert cult deprogrammer who founded and serves as executive director of the Cult Education Institute.

“I receive complaints on a regular basis about the destructive nature of MLMs,” Ross told VICE. “They hurt families and relationships, destroy people financially and really do a great deal of harm.”

Over the years, Ross has helped deprogram more than 500 cult victims, and MLMs pop up so frequently in Ross’ line of work that an entire chapter of his book, Cults Inside Out, is devoted to an Amway intervention.

According to Ross, most destructive cults and MLMs share three defining characteristics, initially popularized by Psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton: 1. A charismatic leader who is worshipped and revered. 2. A culture of coercive persuasion or thought reform, in which all members of the group are taught to think alike and isolate themselves from anyone who questions their devotion. 3. Sexual, economic or other forms of exploitation of group members by leaders.

Using these tactics, MLMs overwhelmingly prey on vulnerable populations—the poor, single mothers, retirees, and even people with chronic illnesses—and promise them the world. Yes, they tell them, you have to invest a little money. But that’s normal when you start a business! If you work hard, you can can live a life of leisure, raking in cash while staying home with your kids.

When you’re desperate and someone you trust is providing you with what looks like a way out, it’s easy to take the bait. And those decisions, made under pressure and false hope, can end up costing a whole lot more than the joining fee. We talked to Ross and members of the growing anti-MLM community to find out what steps you should take if someone you love is drinking the MLM Kool-Aid.

Image via Shutterstock

Don’t buy anything from them, and don’t join their “team.”

“One of the most common mistakes people make when their friends are in an MLM is that they buy products from them,” the manager of the anti-MLM site Botwatch, who goes by ‘Bot’ or ‘Ms. Bot’ for reasons of privacy, told VICE. “They feel like they want to support their friend but don’t realize they are feulling false hope.”

Along with Elle Beau and several other anti-MLM bloggers, Bot runs mlmtruth.org, a site dedicated to exposing MLMs and providing support for people whose loved ones are in too deep. She says that when a newbie MLMer starts off, their main source of income is going to come from either selling or recruiting their friends and family, and the people who love them may feel obligated to support their “business” by buying their product or signing up underneath them.

“If they have some initial orders, they think they can make it work,” said Bot. “So they invest in it a bit more and keep chasing sales, harassing their friends and family and making relationships awkward.” If no one makes those initial purchases, the newbie MLMer is likely to drop the habit before they get in too deep.

Be positive.

When you see a friend starting to fall for an MLM scheme, your first instinct might be to shake them by the shoulders and yell at them about pyramid schemes. But all the experts we spoke with agree this is actually the worst possible thing you can do.

Like cults, MLMs often have a strong culture of positive thinking that’s centered around blocking out any and all negativity. From the top down, every new recruit is told again and again that they will encounter a lot of people who don’t understand or don’t believe in the mission. They are told these people will attempt to talk them out of the dreams, that they don’t want them to succeed, that they’re jealous and bitter. “Haters” may bring up lawsuits against the company, show evidence that the product they’re selling is of poor quality, or gently point out that the revered founder of the company once ran a scam cancer clinic and drowned his newborn daughter in a fucking hot tub. But recruits are assured all of these things are lies, and the people who tell them are toxic.

“When it comes down to it, if you don’t want to push your friend away, the most important thing you can do is not be negative about the company,” said Sasha Zazzi, co-host of the podcast Sounds Like MLM But OK. “For every one person they have telling them this is a bad idea, they have five more in their upline telling them to ignore the haters, and giving them false examples of people who have ‘made it’ to prove they can too.”

Instead of coming at them armed with statistics and horror stories, Zazzi, Bot, and Ross all recommend asking polite questions about the company’s mission, the amount of work they’re doing, and their financial goals. Be supportive of their decisions without actively supporting the business, and don’t argue with them.

“[Confrontation] in many cases results in the immediate termination of the friendship,” said Bot. “If the MLMer does this to a few people, they can quickly find themselves isolated from genuine friends and they become surrounded by MLM people, who are all encouraging them to keep putting in their money and isolating themselves further.”

Show them the money.

While Beau was selling Younique, her sister implored her to keep a detailed spreadsheet of her expenses and sales. She didn’t want to hear it at the time, but when she finally sat down to calculate how much her new business venture had brought in, she was shocked to see herself deep in the red. That realization, coupled with her growing unease over lying about her life on social media, ultimately pushed her to leave Younique.

“If you’ve got any accounting skills, one of the biggest things you can do to help a friend in an MLM is to set up a basic spreadsheet to show them how much they’re actually bringing in,” said Beau.

People in MLMs might think they’re doing well because they’re netting a few thousand dollars a month through sales and recruitment. But they’re often discounting the difference between revenue and profit, and they also may not realize that as independent contractors, a large chunk of their untaxed income will need to be paid out to the IRS come April.

Additionally, MLMers often have large business-associated costs they don’t even think to factor into their earnings. In addition to being constantly pressured to stock up on new products to sell, MLMers are encouraged to attend large, out-of-state conferences hosted by their companies.

For example, the 2018 annual conference for the essential oil MLM doTERRA just wrapped up last week, and tickets to the event were priced between $125 and $169. Attendees could go to the official doTERRA gala for another $75, take a campus tour for $10, and attend an “EMPOWERED SUCCESS TRAINING” session for another $20. Couple in the cost of flying or driving to Salt Lake City, the cost of a hotel or Airbnb for the week, and meals, “networking” drinks and gala-appropriate outfits, doTERRA consultants who made the trip could easily drop thousands on the experience.

If you want to help a friend see the light, Beau recommends sitting them down with the numbers. Take what they think is their net income and subtract what they’ll owe in taxes, the amount they spend on product, and their travel expenses for conferences and training sessions. Watching their money disappear before their eyes could be the wake-up call they need to stop.

Stage an intervention.

It’s one thing to know someone who’s casually shelling It Works products in addition to her full-time gig. According to the FTC, an estimated 50 percent of MLM recruits will drop out in the first year, and are hopefully able to minimize their losses as a result.

But it’s quite another to watch a friend, spouse or family member spiral into debt and financial ruin, and show no signs of giving it up.

“In many ways, MLMs can be as addictive as gambling,” said Zazzi. “You’re constantly told that you have to pay money to make money, and that you’re just a few months’ hard work away from crazy success. So you keep putting money down, thinking this time will be different, this time you’ll make it back.”

When a loved one is in this deep, it’s not enough to be positive and ask gently probing questions, says Ross, who has seen first-hand families and lives ripped apart by the destructive nature of MLMs.

“I get calls like this all the time,” he told VICE, describing conversations with desperate husbands and wives who have been watching in abject horror as their joint checking accounts are drained, their garages are filled with piles of unsold merchandise, and their spouses become unrecognizable. In these extreme cases, Ross says an intervention can be a loved one’s last resort before cutting off the MLMer completely.

When planning an MLM intervention, Ross first advises the spouse or loved one of the MLMer to start educating themselves on the concepts of thought reform and brainwashing. Once they have an understanding of what has happened to their spouse or loved one, they should reach out to other friends and family members for support during the intervention.

Ross recommends putting together a team of no more than four people – siblings, parents and close friends – who can help to anchor the MLMer and prevent them from walking out when they realize what’s going on. These people can also help attest to the harm they’ve seen caused as a result of the person’s involvement with the MLM.

Ross says an intervention usually takes several days, and he asks the person in the MLM to abstain from contacting anyone they work with during that time. The next step involves educating the person on both the fundamental flaws in the MLM business structure, and the cultural similarities between MLMs and cults. In his book, Ross cites an intervention with an Amway seller who began crying upon realizing he’d been brainwashed into believing the promises made by his upline.

Of course, interventions don’t always work. For every person who is willing to listen and leave, there’s another who refuses to see the light.

When asked if the process used to extract someone from an MLM was the same as the one he uses on victims of cults like Scientology, Ross laughed. “It is. It’s exactly the same process.”

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via VICE https://ift.tt/1fnaWnB October 22, 2018 at 05:42PM

[readfelice-blog]

moominland chronicles zwölf :: no more no poo

It’s not late today, I’m actually up fresh and early on a cold and clear Sunday morning, just listening to the new Aphex Twin EP ((Collapse)) (no bandcamp though, it’s warp, so here’s the best link: https://warp.net/news/aphex-twin-collapse-ep-out-now/ ) I’m playing it through my little blue bose mini, I got sick of hearing everything on my laptop speakers, its, hang on, it’s very hard to concentrate when listening to Aphex I’ve never heard before actually, I think I’ll change to Mary Lattimore (https://marylattimoreharpist.bandcamp.com ) or some calypso and leave this for later…

Very weird :slash: perfect, just wandered onto Bandcamp and they have a feature on Calypso on their home page, so rather than Robert Mitchum’s palatable western reincarnation of this musical style I’m going to listen to the genuine thing. Here’s the link, have a look yourself: https://daily.bandcamp.com/2018/09/14/calypso-classics-list/

Gosh I love that about life, little serendipitous moments that guide you along, there is serendipity on the internet to.

Ok, back to whatever I’m babbling about today.

I’m torn this morning as I sit in front of my laptop, do I talk about accepting my femininity? Do I talk about Hackney? Do I talk about saying no? Or do I talk about being an apothecary? Let’s go with the latter, it’s a nice tie in with last week and all the witching biz and Shakespeare quote. I will still be a feminine girl from Hackney that says no in 7 days time.

When I first met one of my Berlin mentors it was a typically unusual affair, I rolled up to the glass fronted roastery in Kreuzberg and discovered that our hair was not just similar, it was in fact identical, if you know me then you know that’s an extremely rare occurrence. I then proceeded to sit on a table by accident which collapsed, she laughed and I guess it was an icebreaker. She was wearing a gold necklace, some symbol I didn’t recognise, it sat proudly around her neck and as we wove our way around art and life it was hard not to notice that me and this woman both came from the same shimmering forest kingdom, two creatures chipped out of rose quartz meeting for the first time on the heat lashed streets of Berlin.

This meeting was supposed to be an interview by the way, it was my introduction into the sun.

What’s this got to do with being an apothecary Felice?

Well, on our verbal travails we of course touched on the subject of our hair, I can’t really remember what condition mine was in then; but her’s was defined, luscious and plump. She told me she had gone no plastic for several months and during this period had started to make her own beauty products.

“But doesn’t your hair get dirty?” I asked bewildered.  

“I just wash it with bicarbonate of soda when its dirty.” She responded

And so began my curiosity in mixing up your own broths for all sorts of things, the chrome browser on my iphone suddenly became riddled with a myriad of womens battle cry, imploring me to try the no poo method, it makes your hair shinier! More luscious! You won’t recognise it! But first of all you have to go through 3 months of shit hair, before it magically recombines itself, as if it were a pokemon that would evolve, my jigglypuff hair could become wigglytuff hair, it just needed exposure to the great moonstone that is bicarbonate of soda.

Now months have followed this, in those months I have become a much more whole person, part of my time has been spent though not throwing clear jar’s away so I could store all sorts of unsavoury botched mixes within them.

First off, when I was ready, I took myself to the middle class mecca that is LPG Biomarkt on Kollwitzstrasse, for the first time,  a wonderland of exorbitantly expensive tempeh, alkolholfrei bier, modest vegetables in wicker baskets and a rather large section dedicated to organic beauty products. I hummed and haa’d over coconut oil, (do I get the liter of cooking oil that costs half the price of the one next to the face creams? - I did) shea butter, wild honey (what is wild honey? Is this 4euro jar in my hand wild or not?), I touched and explored the scents of essential oils for the first time, nothing seemed good, but I love that rose argan pflegebalsam that cost 15euro I bought a week ago, let’s say I’m a rose girl.

Now I know to much rose scent makes me feel queasy: perhaps because I’m made from rose quartz, like asterix I can’t drink the potion.

Then there was the matter of soap, the eternal hunt for pure castile soap, I know I can buy it on amazon but I am stubbornly determined to find it in Berlin, alas LPG was not its keeper, so after nervously asking the shop assistant several times I settled on some pure soap bar instead, then I bundled up all my belongings and returned home.

Pure castile soap is already liquid, a soap bar is fat, so when I carefully spread my plunderings out across my work surface and started hacking at the soap it dawned on me that my body wash was going to be a little different, I spent a stupid amount of time melting it, putting it in a little food processor, returning it to the pan, in the end it smelt weird and didn’t look right, but stubbornly I poured it into what used to be a gherkin jar, let it cool, then screwed the lid back on and placed it in my bathroom, officially an apothecary now.

And I used it until it was finished, which took a while, always curling my nose up a little when I opened the lid, having to buy a loofah to spread it over as it wasn’t something I could casually lather myself up in. I’d also made some strange yellow goo out of beeswax and oil which felt waxy and also didn’t smell quite right, this was my body butter, to go with my body wash.

Time moved on, the cleaning job was awful then fantastic, then transcendent, I’d wash my tired sweaty body with this lotions and potions, never settling on quite the right smell but also adamant that there was nothing for me in DM (DM is the superdrug of Germany, but better, for anyone not familiar with German proprietors and confused by this reference) and I’d get this medley right in time, its a process, I get my art right with a little work, I can get this right to, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Whilst this was all going on my hair was getting tattier and tattier, wiry, distressed, flat on top and scatty at the ends, but again, this is the interning I must do so one morning I wake up to gleaming locks, so full of body and rich in colour that others will fall back in admiration wherever I go.

Several saturdays were spent mixing up bicarb and water, scooping it into my hair and scrunching up my face because the salty mixture stung my eyes.

You can also make your own home cleaning products, did you know? Well apparently you can, vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and that elusive liquid soap, just spread it all over everything you own and hey presto, your house will look like it’s never been used.

So then I started to make really horrid mixtures to take to other people's houses, this was the beginning of the end really. For a week my poor clients were subjected to all sorts of strange concoctions and smells, yes it works, but the thing is its not some kind of miracle brew that you are making, its just odd smelling gunge that’ll make things shiny. And nothing, absolutely nothing, will mellow out the smell of vinegar, there is no essential oil on this fair planet of ours that can tackle the sickly nausea inducing fumes that enter your nasal passage when you spray vinegar all over everything, so I was in Wedding in a bathroom feeling like some kind of pioneer pretending that it wasn’t disgusting being bombarded with vinegar molecules left right and centre.

Vinegar makes your hair shiny, let’s try that then.

Then the bear enters my life again, because I invite him back in, because I miss his body and his mind and because I think I can balance him in my life now, there’s so much going on he won’t be the focal point anymore. He comes in, we lose ourselves together in the folds of passion and lie prostrate on my bed in the golden rays of late afternoon sun sinuously entering my little yellow bedroom, curled up together like lions.

Before he goes he remarks on my hair, like he always does, I make some comment about how the vinegar isn’t working and he smells it and agrees that it smells strange. The aroma of my hair has been an ongoing thing with the bear since we first met, it was also with the moon as well, as I use coconut oil and that tends to make its bouquet….. organic.

Actually vinegar made my hair sticky.

And that was the last nail in the coffin, officially, it had been dawning on me since one of my favourite clients looked a bit alarmed at the little tupperware box I pulled out of my bag, that perhaps it’s ok to use things other people have made.

You see the thing is, there are companies, good ethical companies, that have grown and been developed because they have a passion for what they do, because they have the time and resources to invest in developing something, they are the apothecaries.

I’m an artist / musician / cleaner, between these things I don’t really have time to brew strange things in my kitchen and then obstinately use them. Sodasun makes a gorgeously scented orange alles reiniger, frosch has a anti kalk spray which transports you to childhood: to a local newsagents where you’re tenderly picking rasberry sweets up and depositing them in a little paper bag, there’s a delicious verbena soap at bio company that I can’t stop inhaling. I think I’m ok with putting my trust in someone else to do these things for me, in fact I think that’s healthy, I make my thing, they make theirs and we exchange, because I don’t have all the time in the universe, I’m not a chef, I’m not a barista, I’m not a tinker, tailor, soldier or spy. I can customise and arrange and enjoy, but I don’t have to exercise total control over everything that comes in and out of my house from now on.

Though 3 stripes, leaping cats and big ticks are not things I need either, I can just put ribbons in my trainers myself and I don’t need 10 products that essentially do the job of soap and oil.

So I went and bought shampoo and conditioner after I met with my mentor, at that same roastery in Kreuzberg, this time we met to discuss the future of my cleaning, I needed her advice and support and she gave it to me, she has given me the wings I need and unlike Icarus, life has taught me what happens when you fly to close to the sun.

Right o, today I’m going to make some techno, have a stretch and clean my washing machine, its going to be a sublime carefree day of rest and creativity.

(Oh, by the way, I switched to Mary Lattimore in the end, spending time with an adept harpist whilst I write this has been lovely.)

[enjoyyoursundays]

Christmas is a wonderful time of year, but let’s be real: it’s stressful as hell. If you’re looking for something super easy, cheap but still says that you put thought into your gift, this post is for you! I gathered some things from Hobby Lobby and Target AKA the motherships and came up with a few easy DIY presents! I suggest looking up which sales are which days at Hobby Lobby because everything I purchased was half off that day!

1. Double Sided Painted Plant Holder!

    This is one of my favorite DIY projects that I did! Initially, I just did one side with the eyes, but I felt like someone might want to show a different side or just have more to it. It’s extremely simple but it’s so cute and perfect for that person in your life that loves plants! I got this little terra-cotta pot for $1.99, the plant I put in is fake but you can obviously use something else, it was $2.99. The chalkboard paint can be found at any craft store, I got this one from Target for $2.49 and I used a chalkboard pen from Target that was $2.00. Totaling at $9.47. You can really make this your own, with any design of your choice!

2. Christmas Body Scrub

Body scrubs are allll the rage it seems. But, you walk into a store to buy them and they’re SO overpriced. I went with a Eucalyptus scrub and some green food coloring and called it Grinch scrub! There are a lot of things you could do with this one. You could make a candy cane scrub with red coloring and peppermint essential oil, a vanilla body scrub with vanilla extract or any kind of scrub! The jar I bought for this was $1.99, and I had all the rest of the ingredients already but you can use any oil for this and any salt or sugar that you have already to make it easy! This one comes out to about $6.

I used:

1/2 cup of white sugar

2 Teaspoons Coconut oil (room temp)

1 Teaspoon Coconut oil, melted

2 Drops Eucalyptus Essential oil

1 Drop Peppermint Essential oil

1 Tiny drop of green coloring (optional)

3. Christmas Cookies In a Jar!

  How stinkin cute! I love to bake but hate to measure out all the stuff. I know this is a popular gift idea but I thought it was too cute not to put in here! This mason jar was $2.99 and I had all the other ingredients also but I will leave the recipe down here! I just did simple chocolate chip cookies but you can obviously put anything in there. Make sure to layer the white ingredients at the bottom so it doesn’t look like a hodgepodge of stuff. I made this tag from a print out online and some colored paper! **Make sure to add on the back what they’ll need.

In the jar:

2 1/4 cups unsifted flour

1 Teaspoon baking soda

1 Teaspoon salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 cups chocolate chips

What they’ll need:

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup butter, softened

  4. Minimal Christmas Wreath

I kept seeing these trending on pinterest and instagram and I wanted to make a simple decoration for my room and I loved how this turned out! All I did was take these fake plant stems found at Hobby Lobby (each was 2.99 on sale) and intertwine them with this wire (I found it for $3.00) I tied some raffia at the bottom and that’s it! This one totals at $8.98.

5. Bath Salts

Seriously how stinking cute is this jar?! I found this at Hobby Lobby for $2.00 and made my own bath salts to go in! Here’s what I used:

1 Cup epsom salt- $2.89

3 drops juniper berry essential oil

2 drops rosemary oil

1 drop lemon essential oil

1/2 cup sea salt

6. Wall Hangs

Okay, so I wish I could take credit for this one but my talented friend, Haillie made this one! There are several ways to go about a wall hang but its such a cute gift for the trendy girl in your life that needs a cute room decoration! She really has a keen eye for creativity and if you visit her IG page: @handmades_byhays you could get one yourself! DM her for any interest!!

7. Homemade Kahlua

My mom did this one year and everyone went NUTS. This is a super cute gift for the host of your Christmas gathering or your neighbor or whoever likes a good cordial! And yes there’s more raffia, if you couldn’t tell I really enjoy me some raffia…

Ingredients:

2 Cups water

1-1/2 Cups sugar

2 Tablespoons instant coffee

2 Cups vodka

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

  So that is it for my DIY Christmas gifts! I’m not the craftiest person in the world and I managed to pull off some pretty cute gifts. Christmas doesn’t have to be about the most expensive gifts you can buy for each other or how much money you spent, I’m sure you’re all well aware of it but the stress we put on ourselves to outdo the past years and really go the extra mile for the people we love can be done a thousand other ways that don’t even require money.  Thanks for reading, happy happy holidays !!

  XOXO,

Hobby Lobby Enthusiast.

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Its A Very Merry DIY Christmas  Christmas is a wonderful time of year, but let’s be real: it’s stressful as hell. If you’re looking for something super easy, cheap but still says that you put thought into your gift, this post is for you!

[caffeinefueleddiscussions-blog]

How to begin DIEting

A Calorie is a Calorie, Unless It’s a Shit Calorie. Then It’s Not. But It Is. And It’s Not.

                 More and more I have been seeing power and bodybuilding athletes adopt this “keto” craze, essentially avoiding carbs and eating a day worth of calories composed of entirely fat and protein. AAAND with that some “health magazine” catches wind, lures the general population in and cashes in on our societal driven body image problems.

For those that might not know what keto is; keto is short for ketosis. By avoiding carbs, you raise the ketone levels in your body, much like someone who is diabetic. The premise behind the diet is by replacing carbs with fats, your body will become much more efficient at burning fat for fuel as it will begin making ketones. There is no knocking the diet, it does in many cases work; but damn it’s a lot of work. To achieve peak efficiency, you must monitor blood levels to ensure ketosis, otherwise all your work could be in vain. To achieve this, you must eat foods heavy in fats and protein (think 80/20 red meat for the sake of convivence).  Seems pretty rad right? You get to eat all the greasy fatty food like burgers that you love so much, and lose weight!? Sign me up. Here’s the kicker; it is a lot of hard work for most of the general population. First off, the shit is expensive. Many of the athletes you see that run keto diets do this stuff for a living, they have the funds and time. (let alone willpower, goal in mind and support team) For us normal folk, try eating 2-3000 calories (or even 4-5k for those of us trying to get jacked) worth of food with a macronutrient spilt of 75% fat 20% protein and 5% carbs for cheap; it’s not going to work. Protein is normally around $1 a serving (roughly 25g) for sources that aren’t milk or eggs, and on this diet, you may need to eat upwards of 600 grams protein a DAY (that equates to almost $25 dollars a day in protein needs for someone on a 3k goal). And go buy a bunch of avocados or coconut oil, say enough to supplement the effort to achieve 2250 calories worth of fat a day.  See if it’s cheap. For a person who lives on their own it could be a breeze. Introduce a few dependents in the equation, are you really going to make separate meals? Now you’re potentially buying two separate grocery lists.

Now this again isn’t discrediting the diet, there is science behind it and it does work (it’s essentially the Atkins diet without all the dumb overpriced name brand bull). And I’m not saying don’t try it because if you can truly invest the time and money needed and do it right you could potentially see many benefits. With anything health wise, someone has done the science (usually) and it is up to you to follow it religiously and put in the time to perfect it. All I am saying is its tough, and easy to screw up. Wouldn’t eating in a way that comes more natural and doesn’t feel forced or difficult, let alone expensive seem a little more enticing? We hear “sustainable energy” all the time; making energy cheaper/more efficient/reusable and lighter on the environment. For a slightly more expensive start up than what you’re accustomed to, you can become more sustainable energy wise and make that investment back down the road. (please don’t make me go into that whole sustainable energy/climate change debate) Now think this but in terms of food; a little time investment on your part and you can avoid failure. Search the infinite resources to see what a more efficient food is (vitamin/fiber dense carb, lean protein and something low in saturated fats) and how you can make it tasty. This may require you to lower the amount of Tim Horton’s coffee flavored sugar milk you order, and replace it with black coffee. Oooor maybe opting for a serving of baked sweet potato at dinner instead of chips/fries for a more realistic scenario. In my experiences, recipes found on fitmencook.com or even bodybuilding.com can be very tasty, and full of health conscious fast food alternatives that taste similar to the real thing.

And that leads me to my point; why does no one want to eat “normal”? Like eating an abundance of veggies, moderate amounts of fruits (sugar even from a fruit should be moderate), quality carbs, lean meat (or vegan friendly alternative) and healthy fats? It seems the more radical the idea, the more people want to jump the perfectly normal ship. Now all those words before talking about keto was just to get stuff off my chest, and this is what I wanted to talk to you today about. EAT IN MODERATION, EAT SUSTAINABLY. Don’t eat on a time window, don’t sign up for a fad money pit diet, don’t do stupid stuff like STARVING YOURSELF WITH ONLY A BOWL OF GRASS PER MEAL AND A GLASS OF LIQUID AND CALLING IT A DIET. There’s so much room for failure and unhappiness there. While I am at it, don’t be a sheep. Please avoid “fit teas” and cleansing your system with some witch’s brew remedy. You have organs that are much more efficient at that, and they willingly work for free.

Eat in a manner that can be translatable in most every situation or setting you are at. Eating in a “ideal vacuum” where everything needs to be perfect is just unreasonable (learned this one the hard way). Life sucks, its hectic. Things pop up and you need to be able to take it in stride. The instant the circumstances become tougher (like traveling or a busy errand day or that midterm week from hell) and you lose that perfect diet scenario, how appealing is making sticking to and preparing that daily 600g of protein looking? How about that juice diet? Being healthy is a bitch sometimes, don’t make it harder. All it takes is a few hours of Googling what an ideal carb is, what fats to avoid and how grams of protein a body similar to yours may require to achieve your goal. Then look to see when you can eat and when you can not with your schedule and map it out. Make a loose food schedule, and stick to it. BOOM, you’re all set. (There’s obviously more to it like exercise and trial and error with everything, but that’s for another time) If you really want to hone it in, seek out a professional. Those few visits to a certified nutritionist or exercise physiologist (shameless plug) may be all you need to become a better you. (or you could spend the same money in a pyramid scheme weight loss program/supplement) All I am saying is eating to meet your goals can be easy, you may just be making it harder on yourself.

               I’m still trying to sort everything out blog wise so bear with me, but I am easily findable on social media. Don’t feel shy to drop a DM and fire away at my grammatical mistakes.

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[roes-in-the-east]

Such a cool little statue for a doTERRA user isn't it? Just one of the pieces of art dotted around Abbey Gardens in Bury St.Edmunds. 💧 I've been using essential oils for years, but finally switched to doTERRA just this year. The difference has been surprising, in a good way! 💧 I used to believe that oils did good on faith. I never saw any results, until I started using doTERRA, then I saw actual results from using the oils. But it's not a 'one oil fits all' product. That's why it's important to join a team so you continue to learn about the oils and what does and doesn't work for different people. 💧 Whilst getting a kit is a cheaper option overall because the prices are reduced specifically for the intro kits, I know that times are hard. Believe me I know, my husband could be jobless next week. 💧 But health is something worth spending a little bit of money on. So doTERRA have provided an option to join as a wholesale customer for just £24 (no products included), and you buy the oils as and when you want and still get the 25% discount. 💧 That sounds do-able to me. If you're interested why not DM me. . . #healthfirst #doterrauk #keepingitreal #quarantinelife #healedbynature #emotionalwellbeing #wellness #positivevibes #nofilters #emotionalsupport #mentalhealth #joinmyteam #roedoterra #supporteachother (at Bury St. Edmunds) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCJNEakHDnD/?igshid=xit3963xuul0