#properly cleaned hands with soap and water will do just fine 90% of the time fucking get a grip

[undead-potatoes]

What is it with some people (esp Americans) who see people preparing food for sale w/o gloves on and go "EWWW!! SO UNSANITARY!!!!", like have you never heard of soap and water before

[rowanthestrange]

How To Make A Build-A-Bear Dye Without Killing It:

Me: If this is Paddington, why is he white?

Build-A-Bear: Oh my god Rowan, you can’t just ask why Paddington’s white!

Paddington is currently one of Build-A-Bear’s cutest and plushiest options. However he’s also significantly lighter-furred than either the recent movie, the classic television show, or even the original illustrations made him. My sponsor being a fan of the Paddington TV show, I was asked to experiment to see if I could correct this by dying him, in a long-lasting, no rub-off way, whilst maintaining the gorgeous fluffy texture of the fur.

And shockingly...yes. Yes, you actually can.

(Instructions and more adorable pictures under the cut)

Now as far as I can tell, if you can do it with this plushy baby, you should be able to do this with any Build-A-Bear. Probably any bear full-stop, but I’m not responsible if you re-dye that toy tiger you’ve had since you were a baby and it crozzles into a little plastic ball. Be smart, be responsible, be sure you can buy another one of whatever you’re dying in case you screw up. Remember even if it all works, you might still not get the colour you want. Dying’s a lottery.

Disclaimers over, you will need,

A Bear.

Rit DyeMore Synthetic in the colour of your choice. (Cocoa Brown if you’re doing this Paddington).

A big metal pot than can go on the stove. Bigger than the one you’re thinking of right now.

A cooking thermometer is highly encouraged - look you’re buying the dye, you might as well spring for this too, you’ll find uses for it.

Nice smelling washing-up liquid.

Rubber gloves if you’re not an idiot.

A big wooden spoon that can reach the bottom of your pot.

Basic sewing supplies (don’t panic, nothing arduous)

Ideally an extra person in case of emergencies (these include: when it turns out you can’t stir a pot continuously for over thirty minutes, when you splash yourself with scalding-hot dye and need someone to stir while you hold your hand under cold water, when you apparently don’t have the coordination to stir, check temperature, and keep track of time all at once, etc.)

And before you begin, offer a prayer and thanks to @tokozdragon whose own experimentations allowed me to stand on the shoulders of a giant. Theirs was one of the most helpful bits of information I came across in my research, and is how you’re gonna hopefully keep that fluff nice and gorgeous.

So. Build-A-Bears are seemingly synthetic top to bottom. Certainly this one is. I couldn’t find any tags saying anything other than 100% polyester, man-made fibres. Now this is a bad thing when it comes to dying, because the dyes can’t penetrate and hold in the same way. You wash it, everything’ll immediately rinse out. But Rit Synthetic Dye, does work. The only catch is, you’re gonna have to get it to just below boiling point. And if you’ve ever left a cuddly toy against a radiator before, you might know that these things do not like heat.

But there is a trick to this. You’re gonna diverge from your dye instructions just a little bit, but it’s going to work so long as you’re really on the ball.

First of all, check to see that your bear will fit in your pot - physically put it in there - and check if it could move freely and be covered with water. No? Then you’re gonna do what I did, and frankly what I suggest: You’re going to unstuff your bear. Get a clean box, find a seam (the BAB tag is perfect for this if it’s still got it on) pull until you see threads, have courage, and snip. You can put them back together, I promise. I left the head and arms stuffed for Paddington because it would fit, and they’d be more difficult to restuff. You might want to as well. Keep your heart (and tracking barcode) safe, as well as all that stuffing. Now you may have someone who looks like this:

Next, it’s bath time. No, don’t skip this step. Get a little of your nice washing-up liquid, just a small drizzle, and some warm water. Nothing hot, not close to hot - baby bath temperature. Give your bear a gentle wash, to remove any coatings or oils or dirt, and rinse them out well under more warm water. Make sure to squeeze it through any remaining stuffed bits too. You don’t need to go overboard though, a bit of soap left over is gonna be fine.

While you’re doing that, you’re going to heat up your dye to just below teddy bath temperature.

This is where we start to deviate from instructions.

You’re gonna put that dye in right away, while it’s still cool. I needed about 5 litres of water for my pot, and used about a quarter of a bottle of dye (somewhere between 6-8 tablespoons). You can see how Cocoa Brown turned out here. Obviously if you want a weaker colour, use a few spoons less. If you don’t get it perfect straight away, don’t worry about it, you can add more later if you have to, but again remember your ideal colour is not guaranteed.

Then add a small trickle of washing-up liquid to the dye. Less than a teaspoon, but it’s going to help the dye catch.

When your dye is just about bear-temperature, still really low, you are going to immerse your bear, while the temperature’s still going up. That’s right, we’re doing it now. What we’re trying to do is not shock the fur by giving it a sudden temperature change - plunging it into 90°C dye like you’d usually do. Instead we’re gonna boil it like a frog in a pot.

You are gonna stir this baby continuously, and treat it like a video game level you can’t afford to fail. Bits that float, squeeze em and squish em back down. Nothing stays still. You stop stirring? You’ve failed. And never, ever, ever, let it touch the bottom of the pot for even a second without you moving it away. Treat this early temperature where you can still put your hand in it as your test, and get a rhythm up. Using your gloved hands (or not, but it’s gonna make your nailbeds look weird for days), squeeze the dye thoroughly through your still-stuffed areas, make sure everything’s evenly covered, because once this dye goes past 50°C you’re going to be using your spoon only.

Then just keep stirring. If your arms get tired, this is why you have your emergency standby buddy. Check the temperature occasionally. When it gets up to about 80°C this is when the dye will actually start activating. Keep the heat going, but check your time. If you can’t easily see a clock and don’t have a buddy, you definitely can’t afford to stop stirring now, so start counting one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi, up to about 240-Mississippi. For everyone else, go to about 4-5 minutes, maybe having your buddy check the temperature as you go. If you hit a boil - you’re seeing bubbling - turn the heat off. What we’re aiming to do is give it about 4 minutes in the 85-max 95°C range, so you choose when to shut your heat off - you know your cooker better than I do.

After your heat is off keep stirring as it drops its temperature, remembering it’s just as delicate a procedure as when you were heating it up, it still can’t touch that hot metal for too long. When it gets down to about 60°C, if you or your emergency buddy can easily (and I mean easily, with no difficulties at all) lift that pot to put it in a cold water bath in your sink, you could do that, but if your wrist suddenly gives out or something that is a hell of a lot of hot water that will mess you up. If in doubt, you gotta just keep stirring for as long as it takes for the pot to cool back down to bath temperature. Don’t try and lift the bear out and put it in the sink early, just do it properly.

Once you’re down to relatively cool again, lift the bear and squeeze the dye out. Then transfer them to your sink. Run water at about the same temperature, and rinse them thoroughly.

When the worst of the dye stops coming out, then it’s time for bath time yet again. More of that nice smelling washing-up liquid, soap them up good, and watch that sink get all colourful again.

Then keep rinsing them, replacing the water until it stays clear and free from soap.

And then all you need to do is wait for them to dry!k

(If you don’t have a hairdryer that works on a cool setting, then just squeeze them with paper towels to get the worst of the water out, and fluff em up a little bit every now and again, moving that fur, and making sure it ends up roughly in the direction it should be so it doesn’t dry too oddly.

Then the next day when they’re dry, brush them up a bit, and give them a re-stuff, making sure to give that heart-wish a little booster when you put it back in. (And put that odd little barcode you probably found in there right next to it - that’s one of the ways a lost bear can find its way back to you. You never know). Then to stitch up the hole, use a ladder stitch. Google it to find instructions that work for you, but that’s the clever invisible stitch you’ll need. And if you can’t do that last bit for any reason, I’ve never found a Build-A-Bear shop that won’t help fix up a bear (and they’d probably be interested in your dye test. You could probably even get a scent put in if you’re good at sweet talking).

And voila, one spiffy bear.

Who in this case, had all his stuffing given a rub down with sweet orange essential oil, the perfect scent for any bear who carries an emergency marmalade sandwich.

Of course if you’re going the full Classic Television Paddington, then a bit of work with some black felt and ribbon is still required. The red hat should be enough for you to mirror a pattern. I suggest 2mm or 3mm thick felt (and you’ll need a metre/whatever rather than A4 if you want to do the...sticky-up-bit of the hat all in one go like the red hat). And 1.5-2cm ribbon (but I had 1cm so that’s what I used). The brim is about the size of a dinner plate, and you could cut the circle for the top out of the middle of that if you’re trying to conserve materials.

Bonus cuteness: I think Orlando the Thirteenth Doctor Bear makes a very good movie Paddington.

[whattoputonyourface]

Quit Whining and Wash Your Face!

A lot of times people will say to me, Kath!! I literally don't do anything to my face ever! How can I fix it??

Obviously you could follow a 9 million step skincare routine like I do, but going from zero to sixty like that is probably untenable for most people and your skin might freak out from all those new products anyway. Then you won't know which specific one is causing problems and you'll have a whole new mess of shit to figure out. What I normally tell skin care newbies is threefold:

1. Wash your face. 2. Moisturize. 3. Wear sunscreen.

Sure, there's acids and retinols and snake venom and snail slime and all that shit, but that's really just the seasoning on the meat and potatoes of cleansing, moisturizing, and protecting. If you don't know where to start, start here. I'm going to write a post on each of these three steps in more detail to help you out.

First up: Wash your damn face!

I can't tell you how many people tell me about their skin complaints, about all of the expensive products they've purchased to try to clear their acne or brighten their complexion, all while admitting to me they sleep in their makeup or don't wash their face. GUYS. None of that stuff is going to do any good if you aren't keeping your skin clean. Not washing your face can cause acne, of course, but even if you don't get zits, all the expensive products you put on your face aren't going to absorb properly or be effective if you're just smearing them on top of the layer of dirt, oil, and general gunk that your face accumulates (and produces) during the day. It's good to wash your face in the morning, too, especially if you get oily overnight, but it's less important than washing it at night. So I'm sorry. There's no getting around it. If you want good skin you have to wash your face. Every single night if you can (I'm not going to pretend I'm perfect here, but I can count the amount of times I've fallen asleep in my makeup in the past year on one hand). Here's how to do it and what to use.

If you wear makeup and/or sunscreen, or even if you just have oily skin, you need to double cleanse.

"Double Cleansing" is the technique of using an oil based cleanser or makeup remove to remove oil based debris (including makeup, lotion, and sunscreen), followed by a water based cleanser to remove all the other stuff, as well as any residue left behind from the first cleanse. Typically, first cleansers tend to be rich and creamy, and second cleansers tend to be "soapier".

I hear you lazy people already getting exhausted by this. I get it. But you want to have a clean canvas for all the stuff you're gonna put on your skin after you clean it, you know? Especially if you live in a dirty city like I do, you're gonna want to get as much of the day's gunk off as you can. Cleansing twice ensures that happens. Some people just use a makeup wipe or micellar water as their first cleanse, and I guess that's fine if you're in a rush or traveling or something, but if you're not pressed for time, I really recommend two full face washes. It really doesn't take longer than maybe 90 seconds. Of course, cleansing twice with the wrong cleansers could be super stripping to your skin, so it's important to pick the right products.

About first cleansers

Usually, anything labeled a "cleansing oil", "cleansing balm", or "cleansing jelly" is going to be a first cleanser. These products feel like a liquid or solid oil (ie, coconut oil) when applied, but when mixed with water, they emulsify to rinse away clean. You use these cleansers by applying to dry skin, massaging to break up your makeup (or whatever you have on your face), and then rinsing with water. Some examples of first cleansers I like include Banila Clean It Zero, Heimish All Clean Balm, and my favorite, Botanic Farm Grain Ferment Cleansing Sherbet. I tend to like balm consistency cleansers, but anything marketed as a "cleansing oil" would probably be fine as well. I've heard good things about this one, for example.

About second cleansers

Second cleansers are what you skincare newbies are probably more familiar with as your average stereotypical Western face washes. Look for second cleansers that are appropriately ph balanced, between 4.5 and 7, ideally around 5.5 or so. I've talked on this blog about the importance of using appropriately ph balanced products on the skin before. Basically, anything that's out of this range, particularly anything that is too alkaline (as most bar soap and many shittier face washes tend to be), is going to disrupt your acid mantle and strip your skin of its natural protection from the elements. If your skin feels "tight" after cleansing, chances are you're using something that is out of the appropriate ph range. Here is a helpful list of skincare products and their tested ph levels. (two notes here: 1. oils don't have a ph, only water based things do, so you don't have to worry about this with first cleansers. 2. some acid treatments tend to have ph levels outside this range, which is fine, because they're acids and they need to be at that ph level to work. But that low ph is part of why acids can sometimes irritate the skin.The more you know!) Any face wash that falls within the appropriate ph range that agrees with you will probably be fine. The two I use are Cerave Hydrating Cleanser and, if I'm feeling fancy, the Sum:37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick. I've also heard good things about this Gel Cleanser that is very reasonably priced.

I know it's insane that I linked to multiple 30 dollar face cleansers in this piece. You don't have to spend that much to get good products. But I've found the key to making sure I actually wash my face every single night is making it a pleasurable experience rather than a neutral one. So I spend a little extra getting products I really enjoy using, so I can feel like I'm having a little spa time before I get into bed instead of just doing a chore. Trick your brain into liking it if you can, because you have to do it! I'm sorry! Them's the facts!

[readmomwrite]

10 things I learned through having a baby

At 30, my pregnancy had been unplanned with my boyfriend of two years. I was two months pregnant when we traveled through Asia, and that’s where I told him I was keeping the baby. He was upset—after all, he had just turned 28 a couple of months earlier. We’d been in Phuket, Thailand when I told him. A few days later, we were in Taipei, Taiwan, having lunch, seated across from his best friend—breaking the news. After that, the idea of being a father seemed to bother him less and less, and slowly, he grew to embrace it.

Since we hadn’t intended on becoming parents so soon, I was completely in the dark on what to expect from the pregnancy and delivery, and on what to expect the first couple of months. I didn’t end up reading any guides or books on motherhood, but here are some key things I definitely learned.

Don’t feel ashamed I went through my entire pregnancy, and even the first several weeks after delivery, feeling self-conscious for not being married and still living in an apartment, and I felt like everyone was judging me. No one actually ever said anything to me—in fact, the support and love I received was overwhelming, but I had to learn that my son’s life was bigger than any feelings of shame or inadequacy that I felt.

Stockpile healthy snacks I experienced so much nausea and morning sickness in months 3–8 that I learned the term morning sickness was a pile of BS. I was stricken with vomiting and nausea at all hours of the day or night nearly every day. If I woke up and didn’t immediately eat something, I’d throw up. If I was lying down too long and got up too quickly, I’d throw up. If I didn’t eat something every hour, I’d throw up. If I took vitamins without food... you get the point. Fill your pantry with healthy snacks and easy-to-prep small meals so you can stave off sickness. And keep your purse supplied. Always have food on-hand, and if you don’t want to gain excessive weight, ensure you have smart options.

SHOCKER: my water breaking wasn’t quite like the movies One of my fears was that my water would break while in the shower. Guess what? Yup—that happened. It was my sister’s birthday and I remember stepping out of the tub feeling like I was dripping off more water than usual. Next I thought maybe I was tinkling myself a bit, which can happen when you’re far along. My boyfriend was on a work call upstairs and dismissed it as me being paranoid. But when the leaks kept happening, he finally believed me, and we threw our overnight bags together and rushed to the hospital. There was no great, continuous outpouring of fluids—it was a sporadic leakage every couple of minutes... which went on for hours. Hollywood would have you believe that gallons of warm fluids splash your feet and then a baby magically appears in your arms an hour later, but it was exactly 24 hours from when my water broke that my son was born.

The biggest bowel movement of my life It took me over 22 hours from my water breaking for my cervix to fully dilate for me to begin active labor. I asked the nurses what I was supposed to do, and they told me to push like I was passing the biggest bowel movement of my life. Wait—what? Push like I’m taking the biggest dump ever?? Yes. So for the next 90 minutes, I breathed in and pushed for as hard and as long as I could, breathing out only when I couldn’t push anymore—in unison with my contractions. In front of a full-length mirror (front row seat!), while snapping at my boyfriend to keep the ice chips coming. I was spared the situation of actually having a bowel movement—the worst I suffered was some leakage from the intense pushing I did. I pushed so hard I felt like my head would pop. But once my son’s head crowned and I overcame that final hurdle, the ring of fire, those 90 hellish minutes were worth every second.

I felt like I was bonding more with my breast pump than baby My son was born covered in green poop, with the umbilical cord wrapped tightly around his neck—the result of a long labor after my water broke. He didn’t cry out when he was born—it took a little extra effort, so I only got to hold him a few seconds before he was whisked away to NICU for tests and monitoring. After my doctor sewed me up (they had to cut me a bit to make way for my son’s head to prevent tearing), the Lactation Consultant came in and walk me through pumping. She said it was very important to start pumping as soon as possible to make colostrum and build supply. It took me three days of pumping every two hours for my milk to come in. My baby was formula-fed while in the NICU for the first day, and he already preferred the bottle over my breast. I cried and cried, feeling helpless and like a bad mom for not getting him to take my breast, and I tried enticing him with droppers of milk to get him on my breast, without success. A few days later when we took him to his first Pediatrician appointment, the doctor said he’d lost too much weight, so reluctantly, I started giving him bottles of formula/breast milk instead of trying to eyedropper milk alongside my nipple to try and get him to latch. Presently, I still express milk and supplement with formula. I pump 6 to 7 times a day, and I feel like I’m always in my chair pumping. Always drinking water. Always eating oatmeal and popping lactation supplements. Always applying nipple balm. Always obsessing over how many ounces I’m getting (or not getting). Cleaning pump parts. Pumping again. Over and over and over.

I also felt like I spent more time cleaning bottles than bonding with baby We primarily use Dr. Brown’s bottles. These bottles have SIX parts to each bottle. The cap, the nipple, the white thing, the blue tube thing, the flat round piece when mixing the formula, and the bottles themselves. If you didn’t think dishes were terrible before, wait until you have over twelve bottles that you’re standing over the sink soaping down and scrubbing thoroughly so that your sweet little one isn’t sucking down any nasties. And the back pain...it’s such a strain standing over the sink for several minutes scrubbing away. I haven’t found one cleaning method that saves time while making me feel confident in the cleanliness of our bottles and pump parts—I’ve tried boiling and the dishwasher kits... I don’t own a microwave so I can’t speak to the sterilization bags. Same with the countertop steamer appliances. If I have to soap down and scrub the parts any way, might as well just hand-clean them all and air dry, or pop them into the dishwasher for sterilization. My son currently eats 5-6 ounces every 2-2.5 hours, and that’s a lot of cleaning, my friend.

Post-partum bleeding Nine months of being period-free is a beautiful thing, but during those nine months, your body is producing more blood. I gained 50 pounds during my pregnancy, most of that was extra blood and fluid retention. After delivering my son, the next 3–4 weeks were pretty much my body purging itself of the extra blood and fluids. It’s not a period—I experienced no cramping or PMS whatsoever, but your body is constantly shedding nasties as it tries to snap back into shape. Another little nugget I learned is that I could potentially delay the return of my period by frequently breastfeeding and pumping. My son is three months old and I see no sign of my period coming back soon, and that’s fine by me!

My boobs are no longer mine Through nursing, I learned a few things about the areola and nipples. It feels as if my breasts have become these alien beings attached to my body. Areolae darken and the diameters increase significantly—this is to help newborns zero in on the breast for suckling. I also learned babies properly latch onto the breast by getting as much of the areola in their mouth—not just the nipple. And about the nipple—I had no idea it would secrete milk from more than one hole. Nipples have several holes which then release milk for baby. Another fun fact? There will come a moment when you’ll hear your baby cry and your nipples will start sprinkling out milk—Always have nursing pads!

Routine is everything My son craves routine and structure. From hospital to home, he was fed at consistent times each and every day. Each day, after his first bottle, I carry him into the living room where he spends the next couple of hours playing on his piano play mat, which he loves. Then he has another bottle—I make sure to change his diaper after each feeding. My boyfriend and I go to bed late—the earliest being midnight, so we wanted our son to be on a similar sleep schedule, and it works out great. Around 9pm, we turn off most lights, turn the TV volume down, and get him in the mood to relax and go night-night. He typically has a bottle and gets very sleepy at this hour. He may doze off, and around 11:30pm, we’ll wake him to give him a final feeding and diaper change. Then we swaddle him. Swaddling is everything. It makes him feel snug and secure, akin to being in the womb, and it’s lights out, every time. He’ll sleep from 12–12:30am to 8–8:30am. If I didn’t get this window of sleep each night, I’d be a total zombie trying to meet his needs and keep him happy.

Letting him cry it out is totally okay I don’t rush to console him when he starts being fussy or goes all out screaming and crying. I’m very diligent with sticking to our routine so if he cries, I know he’s getting sleepy, has a poopy diaper, or he’s scared himself (babies startle very easily their first few months). He’s gotten pretty good about self-soothing—he’ll suck on a finger or three, or he’ll close his eyes after a couple minutes of crying and take a little power nap. In the mornings during the first week or so when we were building up to him sleeping a full 8 hours, he’d stir in his crib and quietly cry out. I’d resist getting up to soothe him by waiting to see if he soothed himself first. Half the time, he did. The other half, I’d keep the lights out and give him his binky to suck on and he’d fall right back to sleep while suckling, all swaddled up snugly. Now at 3 months, my son is constantly cooing and playing with his hands and feet and grabbing his toys. Sometimes he’ll cry out, but he first self-soothes with his fingers. Some moms choose to always scoop their babies up and calm them, and that’s 100% okay to do, too. You always learn to do what’s best for your particular little one. There’s more than one right way to do something, and we’re all in this journey of motherhood together!

[bahamas-paradise-island]

The sidewalk in downtown Nassau was near empty yesterday afternoon. An eerie stillness fell over downtown Nassau yesterday as COVID-19’s stranglehold on the local and international economies tightened amidst a worsening pandemic and mounting uncertainty over how long it will last. Business along the usually bustling Bay Street slowed to a trickle, with some merchants shuttering their establishments and others preparing to do so. Some have decided to hobble along as long as they can with a skeletal staff. This is the rainy day we have all been warned to save for. It has an apocalyptic feel as it strains health systems and shocks economies all over the globe. Yesterday, downtown stores were empty. Taxi drivers sat in their vehicles staring or chatting; jitneys were lined off, some empty, others with just a few passengers; the straw market was quiet as many vendors had packed up by 1 p.m. and left empty-handed; and restaurants that serve locals and visitors saw very little activity. The city’s energy has been zapped. The mood that permeated the area was somber. And no one, absolutely no one, had a clue when things would get better. While cruise passengers coming to the Port of Nassau are not generally big spenders, their dollars keep these businesses afloat. In 2019, 10,400 cruise passengers a day came to Nassau, and 10,000 per day came in 2018, according to the Ministry of Tourism. On March 13, 2020, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) announced that several major cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian and MSC, will voluntarily suspend sailing operations to and from U.S. ports for 30 days due to the pandemic. Nassau Cruise Port Ltd. recently pointed out in a press statement that Disney also suspended its sailings through the end of March. Yesterday, we counted three ships in port, but as the press statement noted, the ships were expected to contain “a relatively small number of crew members who will spend this time here in port”. The effects of the cruise shutdown are clearly just beginning. Complete drought Standing outside Breitling Boutique on Bay Street yesterday afternoon, store manager Kevin Hanna had his arms folded as other store workers stood around quietly passing the time. “We have seen this before where it was a ghost town, but of course we have never seen the wide spread of a virus that closed down Bay Street,” Hanna told National Review.  “…We’re prepared for it in the sense of our mindset. [We are waiting to see] how well it’s going to go based on the decisions the government makes in the near future. We’re not sure. We’re still uneasy, we’re still waiting.” In his national address on COVID-19 on Sunday night, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis said Minister of Finance Peter Turnquest will address the economic and fiscal aspects of this crisis in more detail in the House of Assembly today. “He will outline a number of the measures we are taking to deal with the tremendous economic impact of this crisis,” Minnis said. “The minister of tourism and aviation will also give a communication in the House of Assembly.” Like the rest of the country, many who earn their living directly from tourism are anxiously waiting to hear what Turnquest and other government officials have to say today. The Bahamas has only recorded one case of COVID-19 so far, but health officials believe community spread is taking place as the 61-year-old victim has no recent history of travel. Marcus Huyler, a security officer, outside Little Switzerland on Bay Street yesterday. Many expect things to get worse before they get better once again in The Bahamas. “Bills still have to be paid, so I want to know if the government is going to help because you put something up for a rainy day, but [not] everybody is making that kind of money to put it up for rainy days, and how long will it last? I know they won’t be able to say how long it will last,” said Sherise Taylor, who manages Greg’s Deli on George Street. “I’m hopeful, but what about those who didn’t put [something] up for rainy days? And so, it’s going to become a little scary. I don’t know if landlords are going to be lenient with people who are staying in their apartments. I don’t pay rent, but I still have kids to feed.” Taylor said the popular deli will close its doors until further notice. “That’s without pay because we can’t pay the staff if we don’t have the money to pay the staff,” she said. “For the cruise ships and everything to stop for a month it’s really scary because we have to consider our own bills as workers when it comes to rent and everything else. Soon we won’t be concerned about the virus because we are going to be concerned about how we’re going to survive, how are we going to eat.” Rebecca Small, a third generation straw vendor who has been in the Nassau Straw Market since she was five years old, said vendors are currently experiencing a “complete drought”. “We are waiting anxiously for [Wednesday] to hear what the minister has to say as it relates to what they are planning to do, so we are waiting on that, but as you can see, 90 percent of the vendors are out of here,” Small said. “They were here, they just left. [No money] is making. The market hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and I generally leave at 8 p.m., but I’m not going to do that today, so it’s a concern.” Small spoke to National Review at 2 p.m. She said she opened her stall at 11:30 a.m. and had not yet made a dollar. “Does the government have anything [planned] for persons like us who are self-employed?” she wondered. “Do they have a strategy or a plan to say ‘if you are not able to work for a month or two months, or one week or whatever, you could go to [the Department of] Social Services’? We are waiting to hear what they have to say. Some vendors don’t have to, but there are the majority of us as vendors who would need some type of assistance, but we know the country is already burdened from [Hurricane] Dorian, so that’s not to be taken lightly.” Small and others are bracing for even more difficult times. “I hope going forward our government does things [differently] because it’s concerning right now as a citizen,” she told us. “We spend as if there is no tomorrow. Nobody has control over this — nobody has. So then what do you do at this point? You just have to pray and hope for the best.” Major setback Cresswell Chipman, who told us he has been a taxi driver for the last six years, was sitting in his van on Bay Street waiting to see if he would get any more business for the day. He said while he is used to things being slow in September and October, what they are now witnessing is even worse. Downtown remained virtually empty as businesses and vendors begin to feel the impact after Sunday’s announcement of a confirmed case of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in The Bahamas. AHVIA J. CAMPBELL Asked what he is now experiencing, Chipman said, “A major financial setback. I’d say that for sure. It’s different, not expected this time of year because of spring break. We’re used to having good business.” He said he came out around 9 a.m. and up to 1:30 p.m., he had only made $15. “That’s it,” Chipman said. “I have to pay the rent. I have to pay the lease for the car.” While he is concerned about the sharp drop in business, he is not surprised. “I expected it to happen because of what’s going on,” Chipman said. “You have to be safe. Safety is first. Safety is primary. Everybody is shut down because of the situation, so I understand.” On the western side of Bay Street, we were struck by the image of Marcus Huyler, a security officer at the entrance of an empty Little Switzerland jewelry store. Huyler had a cloth tied around his face just under his eyes. On an ordinary day, this would be an odd and even concerning sight on Bay Street. But in the world we live in today, this is the new normal, and it is scary for many. Some other workers along Bay Street and other locals downtown also wore masks and latex gloves. The World Health Organization (WHO) has advised that masks are effective only when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. If you wear a mask, then you must know how to use it and dispose of it properly, WHO has also said. Health experts have also warned that wearing gloves can actually increase people’s risk of getting the new coronavirus. We could not help but wonder whether those we saw in the masks and gloves were any safer than anyone else downtown yesterday. William Romer, who was wearing a mask, is also in the public transportation business. He told us he has been a bus driver for over 20 years. “This is the worst it’s been and I think it’s going to get worse in the days to come,” said Romer, who pulled down his mask to talk as he sat in his bus. “We go to Cable Beach with two, three people, come back with nobody. It’s rough. We burn more gas than we make money. There’s nobody here. The tourists are not traveling. Some of the workers are off, probably took vacation. Let’s pray God we get over this and very soon.” He added, “All we have to do is to keep cleansing, keep our hands clean, use a lot of alcohol and stuff like that. I got wipes, alcohol in my bus; if my guests want any, I let them have some. We just have to do what we have to do and take it one day at a time.” Hopeful Max Hemrajani, a manager at Kay’s Fine Jewelry, is hopeful that things will get better “as soon as possible”. “It is a difficult time and we are hoping to get over as soon as possible. We are hopeful, yes, and it will change,” Hemrajani told National Review. “At the end of the day, we are only working here, so we don’t know how long the company can afford to take the situation.” Asked what was going through his mind given the situation, Hemrajani said, “A lot of things. It’s something crazy that cannot be explained. This is the first time we’ve ever had something like this.” Hanna, the Breitling Boutique manager, said it is important to remain hopeful when working in tourism and retail. “We’re always hopeful,” he said. “One thing you have to realize in sales is sales is an emotional roller coaster ride. There are some great days, some bad days; there are some great months and really, really slow months. If you’re going to stay with sales, you have to be hopeful.” Even as he expressed concerns about a slowdown in business, Chipman too remained optimistic. When asked if he was hopeful, he responded: “Of course. I’m a Bahamian, man. It’s more to life than money. If money is your god you’re in trouble.” One of a handful of visitors on Bay Street yesterday was Sacha Meiller, a German man who said he has been on the island for five days. He said he is enjoying being in The Bahamas. Meiller added, “You must be careful, but don’t panic.” The post GHOST TOWN appeared first on The Nassau Guardian. source https://thenassauguardian.com/2020/03/18/ghost-town/

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Just what's The most effective Type Of Marble For Your Kitchen Flooring?

Located in Marbella as well as dealing with the Costa del Sol coming from Torremolinos and also Fuengirola to Sotogrande ... as well as inland to Alhaurín as well as Coín, Grimebusters are the Coastline's leading specialists in marble flooring sprucing up as well as repair, carpeting, upholstery, window curtain and also rug cleansing and also stress cleansing for balconies, pool patios and also neighbors. Though the expense of the component might appear rather high, particularly when the ceramic tiles are sourced overseas, you could discover a suitable dealer if you invest a significant quantity of opportunity searching for a bargain. Certainly not simply will this ensure your ceramic tiles' wonderful appearance is actually kept, the cleansing as well as closing procedure will expand the life-span from your marble floor tiles. As you will have the capacity to tell when you explore your local tile flooring provider, each ceramic tile is distinct in appeal as a result of the natural veining in travertine. The greatest disadvantages to slate flooring are that this is pricey as well as could not be actually mounted by yourself. There are some extra treatment issues that you must take into consideration if you organize to install marble floor in any type of location that will undergo much higher web traffic. At Grimebusters we use a number of various levels of cord woollen depending on the request, as well as Caselli wax for marble flooring polishing ... and also our experts do not weaken that to create that go additionally! If you are you looking for more on yellow pages uk contact number (click here to find out more) take a look at our own website. Certain cleaning agents offered available could be made use of for this purpose as the surface area from marble is smooth and any kind of blemishes on that are actually cleared away effortlessly. Marble bathtub decks may provide a bath a professional as well as exquisite charm and marble walls as well as neighbors, improve a simply nice shower room right into a luxurious and glamorous declaration from type. . You may possess your wall surface ceramic tiles, washroom floor tiles or even floor tiles on the blink, as well as certainly, T.R.I.M. can do that for you. You are actually prepared to begin gluing the moment you are pleased that the ceramic tiles are set out properly. Caring for all of them may be a tricky company but you have to admit the sight of your marble floors reminds you from attributes's charm and miracle and you forget momentarily that nearly every little thing in this planet is actually artificial and also artificial. Real wood floor for steps is much prominent and also typically seen in several houses as well as workplaces too. Some of the best perks of Veggie Glue is simplicity of installation and also low over all price of the item itself. These ceramic tiles are actually slip insusceptible; hence there is actually minimal chance from brokening because of unsafe area. These floor tiles will certainly set up an ambiance from design and convenience to any kind of wall structure on which they are put. Today's homeowners cherish Carrara as well as various other types of marble tiles for their colour and resilience. At some point the marble floor contours all of a sudden and raises itself approximately create a 2m-high display of merely 5mm depth, offering that a translucency in front of the windows. Are you looking for the best floor firms after that you've found the right place compared to FloorGem Providers, Inc Floor tile sizes additionally deliver various sort of marble tiles, such as the 12 through 12-inch paver, which is actually typically made use of for sizable scale areas, as much as the little mosaic marble tiles which are actually utilized to make networks of floor tiles. You can get much larger, sound different colors train tiles or even little varieties of ceramic or even glass ceramic tiles. With enhancement from mosaic floor tiles for the upright part of each step you could possess a developer and also multicolored stairs prepared to poise the insides. Damp wiping with a mild white vinegar answer is largely encouraged as a method to clean lumber and no-wax vinyl or even laminate floor covering. Custom-made marble and marble concept may be made inning accordance with the dreams and also ambitions of the consumer. That is actually ideal for floor ceramic tiles to acclimatise to the room temperature level just before you prepared them down. I describe Pergo( R) as they were the 1st laminate floor producer in the USA. Marble floor is actually also naturally resistant to moisture as well as this, as a result, produces the cleansing of spills something similar to youngster's play; you only need to have water, some light soap, and also a tidy towel and you are going to have handled numerous forms of spills. Limestone floor tile meanwhile is delicate as well as is better as a decorative emphasis, like glass and also steel tiles. A complete series of UK shipment alternatives is readily available on all our natural stone products (based on postcode). After in 2013's problem, they have actually currently reorganized and also our experts can easily again resource the largest range of top quality French limestone as well as marble for tiles, pieces and also bespoke items. Black, brown as well as various other darkened colours should be actually prepped to a 3,000 guts surface prior to marble sprucing up are going to recover deep blue sea colour. Travertine floor tile demands unique cleaning products that are not commonly offered at any kind of routine food store however may be found at a ceramic tile flooring business. As motion or even loss from one aspect of a floor may place stress and anxiety on the adjoining location, loose stones or ceramic tiles should be actually rebedded as well as missing out on ones switched out along with a matching product, observing the tips of your checking engineer or property surveyor. See to it that the design from stair railing as well as floor for steps, complement each other. Many basements are actually sweltering as well as as a result some floor covering possibilities like bamboo, real wood as well as cork need to essentially certainly not be actually utilized. All bigger open spaces from marble flooring can easily profit from the use of the runners and also area rugs. The marble tiles have now been stone polished, along with the cement lines rejuvenated to the initial ivory colour. Organic stones as well as rugged marble are best for sinks as well as countertops in your Mediterranean kitchen space. Over the various years our team have devoted refreshing marble floors, our experts have gotten a vital credibility for delivering precisely what our experts say our company are going to ... time, after opportunity! For the garage flooring where there is actually necessity from regular lorry motion one can shift to the epoxy floor coats however this still has some mistakes to handle uniquely for upkeep. An individual that wishes to include some style to his residence need to certainly not restrain himself on marble floorings as well as counter tops. For example, the floor tiles could either be actually rough or pleasant and they typically possess a pattern on them which can feature hand coated styles. This dry out gemstone fine-tuning package listed here gets the job done without a lot worry as that possesses a Velcro hook and also loop support pads making the pads effortless to transform. The polished finished floor tiles may be laid into an elegant living-room, or they could be used to include a rustic pity a structure. You may reduce the Opacity level to 90% if the structure from the stone looks too darker. These type of floor tiles are actually simple to well-maintained, water resistant and secured to stroll on. In the event you are mosting likely to work with all-natural rock or terra-cotta ceramic tiles on your floors to create a a great deal even more innovative influence, ensure you purchase the kind making use of a non-slip appearance. It provided the planet exceptional hand-made marble mosaic patterns generated off semi-precious stones and also natural marble.

[modulomen-blog]

Chairman of the Beard | Tips on Growing a Beard Like a Boss

There are but a few achievements in a man's life that instill confidence and fortitude deep within the soul, than his ability to cultivate, grow, and maintain a proper beard. A great beard is not born from laziness and complete denial of razor to face. Nay, sir, a great beard requires careful attention, diligence, and the ability to make it through the itching phase without complete abandonment of it all. For those willing to make the journey, the fruits of labor can pay dividends. Go forth and realize those dividends, Mr. Chairman. 

We have spent some time reliving the joys and horrors of growing a marvelous beard and put our thoughts and advice in an easy-to-follow article. Let's begin this venture together...

Prepare the Face

You may be seeing an underlying trend here in our postings and that is being mindful of the layer of stuff covering your body. For any venture to be successful, you must prepare the foundation to build upon. In this case, you need clean and healthy skin to support those stubby little hairs that will one day become your face trophy of greatness. The proper way to prepare your face is to begin the never-ending process of daily cleansing with warm water and mild soap or shampoo. Try using products that also promote skin exfoliation, which will keep dead skin cells from clogging your skin and allow for more hair to grow. Yes, exfoliation sounds like something out of Cosmo (the mag for dames), but is is just as important for you, good sir. Remember, even when hair is present you still need to clean and exfoliate the skin below. By keeping your facial skin clean and removing those dead skin cells, you are allowing better blood flow and the right environment to support your hair follicles. Start this now and continue doing it for the rest of your life. 

Feed the Stubble

The food you jam into your talking hole is important for all of your body functions - including supporting proper hair growth. The concept seems so simple, but when you really think about it, your body is continuously growing and replacing cells - including growing hair, and all those new cells are coming from the horrible food choices you make throughout the day. If you are like us and you find yourself washing down your third Doritos Locos Taco with a hefty swig of Don Julio, then you will be hard-pressed to find enough of the nutrients your hair needs to grow thick and strong. To supplement, we suggest adding Biotin, Vitamin C, Vitamin E along with some extra protein to your daily regimen. Not only will these vitamins and nutrients support proper hair growth, they help your skin and other things inside your body, too. So, even if your guts are screaming for mercy (from the forementioned tacos and booze), your hair and skin can present a much better picture to the world.

Moisturize that Stuff

As your beard face begins to take on its own identity, you may become less focused on taking care of the skin and other treasures hidden under the new hair on your face; this is a big mistake and one made by many great beardfellows. Do not succumb to the laziness. Around the time your face begins to itch - and oh will it itch - you will need to learn to hydrate your beard hair and the skin below.

To accomplish this, employ the powers of beard oil. Haven't heard of beard oil before? Just take a look around the interweb and you will see countless brands of this magical elixir popping up everywhere...like here! The concept of beard oil is to keep your beard hair moisturized and the skin hydrated to support a healthy growing environment, strong hair and less skin irritation. There are some oils that work better than others and each may work differently with your situation, so find the one that suits you. A good beard oil should go into your nasty snarl of hair and absorb quickly without leaving an oily residue. By using this magical solution daily, you can keep your tufts healthy and prevent that itch we keep bringing up. 

Shape Your New Face

The best part about growing a field of dreams right on your very own face is the day you can shape it and create your new identity of man with a beard. The average beard should take 4-6 weeks to cultivate to something worth #bragging about to everyone on InstaSocial. It is important to let your beard grow before trimming the edges, however. You may look like a wily beast, but that is 90% of the fun. When you feel that the length, fullness and coverage looks like something you can work with, it is time to go to work and shape it.

BEARD BONUS: The part of the beard journey between stubble and a properly groomed beard can be particularly fun and adventurous. This is when you can be considered many things based on your attire. For example: Sweat pants and dirty tee shirt on the subway - throw that man a dollar and get him a warm cup of soup. Full suit and tie with a glass of scotch in hand - that man is beat from closing billion dollar deals all day. See? Fun!

Shaping Tips

We could write an independent article on the art of shaping your beard, which we probably will. [spoiler alert] But, since you have made it this far, we can give you some pointers on landscaping your beard harvest to appear to have your shit together.

Length: If you are unsure of the length you want, choose a length that matches the hair on top of your nugget. This is a good rule of thumb for most beard folk. If you have no hair up there, or you are going for something more daring, throw that tip out the window and go for the length you know you can pull off. We have all seen that bald guy with a massive, thick, glorious beard - behold the beauty! This look is very possible to pull off, because that gentleman has the confidence to know his face can wear anything it wants.

Blending: You should know where your sideburns end and your beard begins. Just like the barber that always gave you a buzz cut as a kid (or was that just us?) use clippers to blend the transition. The key to avoiding being a noob is all in the transition, unlike your best man speech that you started with an anecdote about strippers in Vegas and ended with true love.

Neck and Cheek Line: This is more a matter of what looks correct to the eye and not so much on what you can pull off. You shouldn't trim your beard to follow too closely to your chin line, but you should also prevent it from going all the way down your neck. Nobody likes a neck beard. Period. We think a sound tip for you, fearless beard entrepreneur, is to trim a little above your Adam's Apple and call it a day. As for the top cheek area, having a nice fade into the upper cheek is advisable, unless your beard is short. The longer your beard hair is, the more unnatural it will look if trimmed to an exact line. Just remember: The longer the actual beard hair length, the more odd it will look with an exact straight line.

Mouth: If you have a tendency to place your lips on other humans (we are talking lips and cheeks here - don't be nasty), you should keep the hair from going over your lip. If not, let that stuff go a little longer, but not too much. Just like trimming the neck and cheek line, keep this neat and tidy, but not too perfect. If you prefer to grow a mustache with a personality of it's own, then go forward with your plans on expansion. Displaying a great beard AND a fantastic mustache is not yet another endeavor altogether.

Maintenance: The overall length you settle on will determine the best method for keeping things tidy. If you are working with a length of 1" or shorter, you can get away with an electric trimmer and a guard. If you are in the 1" to 6" zone, then you will need to use a fine tooth comb with rounded scissors or an electric trimmer. This requires a little more practice, but you will get the hang of it. First, use a comb to straighten your hair out - comb in the direction of the hair growth. Next, start from your ear on one side of your face and trim the straggler hairs that go beyond the teeth of your comb to an even length. Be careful to trim less than more on each pass that you make. Keep the length from your skin either the same distance or gradually increasing until you reach the front center and repeat on the other side. The goal here is to be symmetrical. When both sides are done, trim up the center from the top down with the same comb and trim method. There is a real art to this, so take your time and be patient. If you are in the 7" and longer zone you need to make sure to have all the toys built by December 24th at 5pm, so the elves have enough time to load them in your sleigh for all the children on your list; you have a busy night ahead.

And there you have it - most of the tools necessary to launch your beard venture with confidence. The biggest piece of advice we can offer up is to have patience and go into this partnership with your face knowing that there will be serious commitments required on both parts and some itching. But, as you can gather from witnessing other great men roaming this planet with their beards proudly displayed on their faces and swagger in their step, the investment is worth it. So, go out there and make us proud.

-moduloman

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