Anyone who knows me even remotely well knows that my interests pretty much lie in tea, makeup, and bath/beauty products. And my number 1 beauty and bath company bar none is Lush. Lush is a really ethical, mostly natural kind of company that to me creates the most effective products out there. I stepped into one about 6 years ago and it was all over for me. I went through a phase where I bought everything, tried everything, and spent far too much money in general. I still do that, just less frequently.
If you have never been, I highly recommend the soaps. They are cut to order, so I always get roughly five buck chunks. The bath bombs aren't the cheapest, but a lot of fun. The massage bars are quite possibly the best body care discovery I have ever made.
But today, I wanted to talk about Smitten Hand Cream. It was a part of their regular range until a couple of years ago, until it was discontinued. Discontinuing, even though it means bigger and better products, is a horrible part of the Lush experience. It is part of what contributed to the great Lush hoarding that I am still working through now. I may or may not have five Soft Touch body butters stashed from the last time it was offered limited edition. Smitten is now on Retro, but Lush recently announced they are getting rid of the Retro line all together. Normally, this would be super upsetting (as they have my favorite bubble bar, Bathos, on there as well), but I know it means Lush Kitchen is arriving soon. I have been stalking the offerings on the UK site and think the small batch constant rotation of products is a better way to do things...but will probably cost me a lot of money too as things are only available until that single batch sells out.
I am sure Smitten will be featured again someday in the Kitchen, it is so popular with it's Snowcake scent (which is creamy almond, for anyone not already a Lushie), but it is still on the US site now if you need to stock up. I already did. At 20 bucks it isn't cheap, but you get what you pay for. It is effective, full of skin loving ingredients, and sinks in fairly quickly without losing efficacy. Highly recommend.
Smitten: http://www.lushusa.com/Smitten/02356,en_US,pd.html#start=6
Bathos :http://www.lushusa.com/Bathos/00741,en_US,pd.html#start=3
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Student Teaching: The First Week
Now I know why school districts make the first week short, usually.
Three days and I was so exhausted to my core, and it felt like the longest week ever. But definitely not in a bad way. It was more like I was "on" so much, and absorbing so much new information, that by the time the day was done my feet literally felt like they would fall off and I was just too tired to do a whole lot of anything. I am told that will change as I get more used to things, and as I start taking over teaching.
This week, I am starting off by taking over social studies lessons. It is one of the easier subjects in many ways, though it is actually the least scripted (as they do not have a program they use specifically, and a basal reader to go with it), but for me that is actually good. That means it is a subject I have some freedom in, freedom for projects and stuff. There is nothing wrong with the basal reader lessons, but the college expects us to be doing these revolutionary lessons. I am still not totally sure how much I am supposed to stick to these programs. I don't want to derail the curriculum for weeks, as all 6 fourth grades do the same thing for the most part.
I am surprisingly not nervous most days. Leaving at 6:45 when I DON'T have dog sitting and have to leave earlier is kind of killer, but I think all of the mental prep was good. I am set to finish reading my "for fun" book next week, I took a bath, and walked 4 times this week. Well, I walked on the days I didn't have school. My feet couldn't handle anything more.
This week the goal is to cook a little more as my feet hopefully adjust. I am almost finished my lesson plans for this coming week to be submitted tomorrow, and will spend the rest of the long weekend hopefully getting ahead on lessons for the following week, cooking, cleaning, and relaxing. Once Upon A Time season 3 is now on Netflix and I have been enjoying Criminal Minds.
First week down, 6 more to go for this experience.
Three days and I was so exhausted to my core, and it felt like the longest week ever. But definitely not in a bad way. It was more like I was "on" so much, and absorbing so much new information, that by the time the day was done my feet literally felt like they would fall off and I was just too tired to do a whole lot of anything. I am told that will change as I get more used to things, and as I start taking over teaching.
This week, I am starting off by taking over social studies lessons. It is one of the easier subjects in many ways, though it is actually the least scripted (as they do not have a program they use specifically, and a basal reader to go with it), but for me that is actually good. That means it is a subject I have some freedom in, freedom for projects and stuff. There is nothing wrong with the basal reader lessons, but the college expects us to be doing these revolutionary lessons. I am still not totally sure how much I am supposed to stick to these programs. I don't want to derail the curriculum for weeks, as all 6 fourth grades do the same thing for the most part.
I am surprisingly not nervous most days. Leaving at 6:45 when I DON'T have dog sitting and have to leave earlier is kind of killer, but I think all of the mental prep was good. I am set to finish reading my "for fun" book next week, I took a bath, and walked 4 times this week. Well, I walked on the days I didn't have school. My feet couldn't handle anything more.
This week the goal is to cook a little more as my feet hopefully adjust. I am almost finished my lesson plans for this coming week to be submitted tomorrow, and will spend the rest of the long weekend hopefully getting ahead on lessons for the following week, cooking, cleaning, and relaxing. Once Upon A Time season 3 is now on Netflix and I have been enjoying Criminal Minds.
First week down, 6 more to go for this experience.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Student Teaching: The First Day
The first day went really well. I found that going in advance to visit the school made me minimally nervous, as I already had a bit of familiarity with the kids, my teacher, the other teachers, and the building itself. I mostly just helped out whenever possible and tried to get a sense of the routine, but with all the testing, there is only a shady sketch of a routine right now.
To give you a picture of how tired I was at the end of my first day, I wrote that first paragraph and then promptly went to sleep. Luckily there wasn't much of anything I had to do after the first day, for today anyway. I am planning a social studies project that will begin next Tuesday (as we have off Friday and Monday for Labor Day weekend), and might have a couple of other lessons that week as well. So if I want my weekend to be a weekend, and if I want to get started on working on things for the week after (thankfully, my teacher is amenable to me working ahead if I am feeling motivated, and choosing what I want to teach and how I want to teach it. I do have a copy of the first social studies test, so I can make sure to cover all of the points at some point).
So, when I went to bed my feet and body ached like nobody's business and I couldn't keep my eyes open past 9. Luckily this morning leaves me with the aches gone, though I am sure I will start to feel it much more quickly today, and ready to face the day. I am bringing an extra water bottle today, because I also accidentally dehydrated myself yesterday. I drank a lot in the morning, knowing we plan first thing and can use the restroom between 8:45-9:30, and had my water bottle at lunch, and I felt ok until the kids left at 3:30, and then realized how thirsty I was when I left school altogether an hour and change later.
As glad as I am to have what seems like a really great class, and a really great co op in a school I like, I am also really thankful the first week is three days (due to my seminar last Monday), and next week is four days. Physically, it feels necessary to ease in to a full work week, and easier to re-acclimate to the intensely tedious college lesson plan format, by having so much time to complete them.
To give you a picture of how tired I was at the end of my first day, I wrote that first paragraph and then promptly went to sleep. Luckily there wasn't much of anything I had to do after the first day, for today anyway. I am planning a social studies project that will begin next Tuesday (as we have off Friday and Monday for Labor Day weekend), and might have a couple of other lessons that week as well. So if I want my weekend to be a weekend, and if I want to get started on working on things for the week after (thankfully, my teacher is amenable to me working ahead if I am feeling motivated, and choosing what I want to teach and how I want to teach it. I do have a copy of the first social studies test, so I can make sure to cover all of the points at some point).
So, when I went to bed my feet and body ached like nobody's business and I couldn't keep my eyes open past 9. Luckily this morning leaves me with the aches gone, though I am sure I will start to feel it much more quickly today, and ready to face the day. I am bringing an extra water bottle today, because I also accidentally dehydrated myself yesterday. I drank a lot in the morning, knowing we plan first thing and can use the restroom between 8:45-9:30, and had my water bottle at lunch, and I felt ok until the kids left at 3:30, and then realized how thirsty I was when I left school altogether an hour and change later.
As glad as I am to have what seems like a really great class, and a really great co op in a school I like, I am also really thankful the first week is three days (due to my seminar last Monday), and next week is four days. Physically, it feels necessary to ease in to a full work week, and easier to re-acclimate to the intensely tedious college lesson plan format, by having so much time to complete them.
Friday, August 22, 2014
Student Teaching: Meeting My Cooperating Teachers
Just one month ago, I was in a near panic over the oncoming student teaching tasks. I had no real reason to be so freaked out, I know I am a solid lesson planner, and am reasonably good at classroom management and getting along with others. I also know that while maintaining a semblance of a life is important to me, I will work as hard as I can.
I was nervous about meeting my teachers. I have had four field experiences prior to this, and only one of them left me really excited about becoming a teacher myself. Student teaching is not at all like the real world, which is good in many ways, but bad in that even though you take over teaching the class, it still isn't your class. You have to really conform to what they believe is the right way of doing things, and if they have a very set idea about that, it can be stressful.
I can say now I have met both of my cooperating teachers for the fall, and I feel incredibly fortunate. My first teacher is in fourth grade, in a more rural school district, and my kids will be a whole different demographic than what I am used to. She seems incredibly supportive, and also relaxed, which tells me she is open to ideas and letting me figure things out how they will work for me. She also has a lot of experience in multiple grade levels, and I am looking forward to learning her techniques as well. I spent four half days helping her in her classroom, prepping, and attending an open house to meet some of the students and their parents. While I am still nervous, getting to know her, other teachers, the school, and meeting the kids has taken a lot of the stress out of it.
My second teacher was a lot harder to pin down, due to some emailing challenges. But I met her today, and she seems just as lovely as my other teacher. She is in second grade, and the layout of the school is very different. One of my classmates had her for pre student teaching last year and loved her, so despite not spending as much time, I am feeling very good about starting that experience in October as well.
Monday is my half day seminar at the college, I start Tuesday in my first placement. I feel ready.
I was nervous about meeting my teachers. I have had four field experiences prior to this, and only one of them left me really excited about becoming a teacher myself. Student teaching is not at all like the real world, which is good in many ways, but bad in that even though you take over teaching the class, it still isn't your class. You have to really conform to what they believe is the right way of doing things, and if they have a very set idea about that, it can be stressful.
I can say now I have met both of my cooperating teachers for the fall, and I feel incredibly fortunate. My first teacher is in fourth grade, in a more rural school district, and my kids will be a whole different demographic than what I am used to. She seems incredibly supportive, and also relaxed, which tells me she is open to ideas and letting me figure things out how they will work for me. She also has a lot of experience in multiple grade levels, and I am looking forward to learning her techniques as well. I spent four half days helping her in her classroom, prepping, and attending an open house to meet some of the students and their parents. While I am still nervous, getting to know her, other teachers, the school, and meeting the kids has taken a lot of the stress out of it.
My second teacher was a lot harder to pin down, due to some emailing challenges. But I met her today, and she seems just as lovely as my other teacher. She is in second grade, and the layout of the school is very different. One of my classmates had her for pre student teaching last year and loved her, so despite not spending as much time, I am feeling very good about starting that experience in October as well.
Monday is my half day seminar at the college, I start Tuesday in my first placement. I feel ready.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Recipe: Kale Salad
I jumped on the super duper trendy bandwagon of kale awhile back. I am not always the best about eating my veggies, and kale is super healthy. I did not realize though that many (if not most), eat kale cooked, as I had been eating it exclusively raw. While totally ok to do so, I don't think I will ever go back. Slightly wilting the kale first makes it super tender, and as a side bonus it also becomes the most vivid shade of green.
Doing it is simple - I put a fairly deep pan on the stove on medium, and add a little water. Then put in the raw, washed kale (it is ok if it is wet, and in fact probably works better at allowing the kale to slightly cook a bit faster).
For me, if the pan is already hot, it takes maybe 60-90 seconds for all of the leaves to turn the richest green you have ever seen.That is when I usually take it off the heat and transfer into a bowl to cool. I usually do two big batches like the ones in the picture for about three salads worth.
After that, all you need to do is let it cool, add whatever to it you like, and eat. I roasted up some yellow squash to go into it, just roasted for 40 minutes in a baking pan with olive oil and some Mrs. Dash (I try to avoid adding salt, as most dressings offer plenty of flavor). Then I mixed it with some chipotle ranch dressing because obviously this was looking way too healthy. I still have enough salad for about two more salads, and I will likely roast up some broccoli tomorrow to add into it too. Other toppings I enjoy are hard boiled egg, grilled chicken, artichoke hearts, marinated mushrooms, shredded/crumbled cheese...pretty much anything that can go on a salad. Plus, easily portable too, and is likely to become a feature in the student teaching lunchbox. Nomnom.
Doing it is simple - I put a fairly deep pan on the stove on medium, and add a little water. Then put in the raw, washed kale (it is ok if it is wet, and in fact probably works better at allowing the kale to slightly cook a bit faster).
For me, if the pan is already hot, it takes maybe 60-90 seconds for all of the leaves to turn the richest green you have ever seen.That is when I usually take it off the heat and transfer into a bowl to cool. I usually do two big batches like the ones in the picture for about three salads worth.
After that, all you need to do is let it cool, add whatever to it you like, and eat. I roasted up some yellow squash to go into it, just roasted for 40 minutes in a baking pan with olive oil and some Mrs. Dash (I try to avoid adding salt, as most dressings offer plenty of flavor). Then I mixed it with some chipotle ranch dressing because obviously this was looking way too healthy. I still have enough salad for about two more salads, and I will likely roast up some broccoli tomorrow to add into it too. Other toppings I enjoy are hard boiled egg, grilled chicken, artichoke hearts, marinated mushrooms, shredded/crumbled cheese...pretty much anything that can go on a salad. Plus, easily portable too, and is likely to become a feature in the student teaching lunchbox. Nomnom.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Tea Drink-Down
Anyone who knows me even reasonably well knows how much I have come to love tea. It is funny actually, five years ago I had only had it a couple of times. It was a slow transition, and I realized at some point, through a single Teavana tin of loose leaf tea, that the plain Lipton bags were what I didn't like, and there was a whole other world out there I had no clue about.
Fast forward a couple years, and you have a girl who now drinks almost exclusively tea or tisanes. I am not a fan of water most of the time, I prefer my liquid to have flavor. I have also stopped buying juices or soda (diet or regular) to keep in the house, and only order them occasionally when I am out at dinner as a treat. I can honestly say I feel a lot better for it. That said, I try to keep my caffeine intake stable, and less than what would amount to a couple cups of coffee per day. This isn't so hard to do - I stick to black tea in the morning, oolong and green tea midday, and white or herbal tisanes in the evening. I make my own iced tea and it is largely unsweetened.
I should state first that I am TOTALLY comfortable having a large tea stash. It is a fairly healthy vice, and compared to most other drinks is also cheaper. But between a few monthly subscription boxes and a few boxes of samples from people on Steepster looking to pare down their collections, I have more than I can handle. So a few months ago, I instituted a goal. I count all of my teas on Sundays, and currently have 59 tins of tea (ranging from 1oz-10oz), and 45 samples (anything under an ounce). It doesn't fit in my tea cabinet in full, which to me is my main issue. So, my goal is to have less than 20 samples, and 30 tins full. That way, hopefully about half will be hot tea, and half will be iced. But really, I would be happy if it all fit in the cabinet, which would work at 40 tins too.
Making iced tea often means I drink those very fast, but hot teas take less leaf, so I usually keep drinking them in the mornings and evenings through the summer. Not too hard a feat, given how mild this summer has been.
Adagio, Rwanda Rukeri: Adagio is the first brand I ever bought from, and still one of my favorites. They have the best rewards system I have ever seen - I find between reviewing and sharing my daily cup on Facebook that about 25% of all the tea I purchase from them is free, often more. I started out being very into black tea, but now I often find it to be a bit too strong. This tea is good, very bold, but I have to be careful not to overleaf or overbrew.
Harney and Sons, Florence: This is very much a chocolate tea. It is a sample I got from a box of samples I purchased from a person on Steepster (damn my need to try a little of everything combined with a good deal!). It is chocolatey, with a hint of roastiness that I believe is hazelnut flavor. It was ok on its own, but I plan to add a bit of almond milk and turn it into more of a creamy dessert. Chocolate teas usually just make me want real chocolate, so brewing it stronger and with milk, like a chai, should quell the craving.
Adagio, Hojicha: If you like strong black teas, but want to branch out a little, this roasted green is the way to go. Roasty all the way, and I like to drink it in the evenings.
Chameleon Teas, Peppermint Cinnamon tea: This one is also green, and also spicy and relaxing and perfect for evening. As you can see, I am well on my way to finishing this one.
After I drink a tea, I rate it and review it on Steepster so I can remember which ones I liked best, and see what others think. Sometimes I find I am brewing a tea incorrectly. Other times, it just isn't for me and I rehome it with someone who might like it better.
Life is too short to waste forcing yourself to drink samples you don't care for when there are 59 you love overflowing a cabinet.
Fast forward a couple years, and you have a girl who now drinks almost exclusively tea or tisanes. I am not a fan of water most of the time, I prefer my liquid to have flavor. I have also stopped buying juices or soda (diet or regular) to keep in the house, and only order them occasionally when I am out at dinner as a treat. I can honestly say I feel a lot better for it. That said, I try to keep my caffeine intake stable, and less than what would amount to a couple cups of coffee per day. This isn't so hard to do - I stick to black tea in the morning, oolong and green tea midday, and white or herbal tisanes in the evening. I make my own iced tea and it is largely unsweetened.
I should state first that I am TOTALLY comfortable having a large tea stash. It is a fairly healthy vice, and compared to most other drinks is also cheaper. But between a few monthly subscription boxes and a few boxes of samples from people on Steepster looking to pare down their collections, I have more than I can handle. So a few months ago, I instituted a goal. I count all of my teas on Sundays, and currently have 59 tins of tea (ranging from 1oz-10oz), and 45 samples (anything under an ounce). It doesn't fit in my tea cabinet in full, which to me is my main issue. So, my goal is to have less than 20 samples, and 30 tins full. That way, hopefully about half will be hot tea, and half will be iced. But really, I would be happy if it all fit in the cabinet, which would work at 40 tins too.
Making iced tea often means I drink those very fast, but hot teas take less leaf, so I usually keep drinking them in the mornings and evenings through the summer. Not too hard a feat, given how mild this summer has been.
Harney and Sons, Florence: This is very much a chocolate tea. It is a sample I got from a box of samples I purchased from a person on Steepster (damn my need to try a little of everything combined with a good deal!). It is chocolatey, with a hint of roastiness that I believe is hazelnut flavor. It was ok on its own, but I plan to add a bit of almond milk and turn it into more of a creamy dessert. Chocolate teas usually just make me want real chocolate, so brewing it stronger and with milk, like a chai, should quell the craving.
Adagio, Hojicha: If you like strong black teas, but want to branch out a little, this roasted green is the way to go. Roasty all the way, and I like to drink it in the evenings.
Chameleon Teas, Peppermint Cinnamon tea: This one is also green, and also spicy and relaxing and perfect for evening. As you can see, I am well on my way to finishing this one.
After I drink a tea, I rate it and review it on Steepster so I can remember which ones I liked best, and see what others think. Sometimes I find I am brewing a tea incorrectly. Other times, it just isn't for me and I rehome it with someone who might like it better.
Life is too short to waste forcing yourself to drink samples you don't care for when there are 59 you love overflowing a cabinet.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Ipsy: August 2014
I am a beauty junkie. Part of what I love is trying new things - when I can get a product in miniature, I do, because I rarely finish products due to having so many I like to use and switch between. Most people would say the subscription boxes are not worth the money because you get one or two things you like, and several you do not. This is probably true for many people, but I always really enjoy three out of the five items sent at least, and happily pass along anything I do not to friends who might enjoy it more.
Ipsy is one of my favorite services - it satisfies the urge to try new things, and only costs ten bucks. What I receive usually well exceeds that, even if I remove the things I didn't like. This month wasn't a bust, but it wasn't my favorite month.
The bag is a summery, wipeable plastic in a tube shape. I like this shape - any bag where the zipper is at the very top, more product fits in than ones where the zipper isn't on an edge. It being cheap, wipeable plastic means it might look super cheap, but it is sanitary and good for protecting your bags and products if you travel.
Here are the products - this is not so much a review, as I have only tried them once or twice, but more how excited I am to receive them, and their value.
Klorane Extra Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk: I hate dry shampoo. I never use it. I wish the trend would calm down so I could stop getting them in my subscription bags. I miss the hair oil craze. I will be rehoming this. Value: around $6.50
Dr. Brandt Pores No More Primer: I use primers, but not nearly at the rate I receive them in these bags. I am kind of over them in general, but I will eventually use this. Value: $11.25
Urban Decay Perversion Mascara: This is the real winner of the bag. It is newly released, from a well known and high quality brand, and a product I am sure to always need. I actually always buy mascara trial sets from Sephora and only ever have one mascara open at a time - in three months (the appropriate life span of a mascara) I never use full sizes up so I LOVE minis. Value: $5.50
Jersey Shore Sun Mongongo Anti Aging Lip Conditioner in Mandarin Green Orange Ginger: Hello to the bizarre flavor name (what exactly is a green orange?), and the less than appealing brand name that elicits bad reality tv associations. But, this product is organic and natural, which I love in lip products, and it smells amazing. It is very buttery on the lips and even though I need more lip balm like a hole in the head, I am super happy to have this one. Value: $5.50
J. Cat Beauty Flying Solo Eyeshadow in Half Naked: This is a very light peach shade that seems to have good pigment, is soft, and shimmery without being metallic. I haven't worn it yet but I like that it is a color, but also neutral, making it possible for wearing to school. The inexpensive full sized price surprised me, I would have pegged it for closer to six or seven dollars, possibly even more. Value: $2.99
Total Value: $31.74
Paid: $10.00
Verdict: Not my favorite bag, but I don't feel like I wasted my ten bucks either. Given that I use any "extras" as thank you gifts or ways to bulk up Christmas or Birthday presents, I rarely find myself wishing I hadn't paid that much. I used to have Birchbox, and generally found it to be lacking in value and often disappointing - I never feel that way with Ipsy. Can't wait for the next one!
Ipsy is one of my favorite services - it satisfies the urge to try new things, and only costs ten bucks. What I receive usually well exceeds that, even if I remove the things I didn't like. This month wasn't a bust, but it wasn't my favorite month.
The bag is a summery, wipeable plastic in a tube shape. I like this shape - any bag where the zipper is at the very top, more product fits in than ones where the zipper isn't on an edge. It being cheap, wipeable plastic means it might look super cheap, but it is sanitary and good for protecting your bags and products if you travel.
Klorane Extra Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk: I hate dry shampoo. I never use it. I wish the trend would calm down so I could stop getting them in my subscription bags. I miss the hair oil craze. I will be rehoming this. Value: around $6.50
Dr. Brandt Pores No More Primer: I use primers, but not nearly at the rate I receive them in these bags. I am kind of over them in general, but I will eventually use this. Value: $11.25
Urban Decay Perversion Mascara: This is the real winner of the bag. It is newly released, from a well known and high quality brand, and a product I am sure to always need. I actually always buy mascara trial sets from Sephora and only ever have one mascara open at a time - in three months (the appropriate life span of a mascara) I never use full sizes up so I LOVE minis. Value: $5.50
Jersey Shore Sun Mongongo Anti Aging Lip Conditioner in Mandarin Green Orange Ginger: Hello to the bizarre flavor name (what exactly is a green orange?), and the less than appealing brand name that elicits bad reality tv associations. But, this product is organic and natural, which I love in lip products, and it smells amazing. It is very buttery on the lips and even though I need more lip balm like a hole in the head, I am super happy to have this one. Value: $5.50
J. Cat Beauty Flying Solo Eyeshadow in Half Naked: This is a very light peach shade that seems to have good pigment, is soft, and shimmery without being metallic. I haven't worn it yet but I like that it is a color, but also neutral, making it possible for wearing to school. The inexpensive full sized price surprised me, I would have pegged it for closer to six or seven dollars, possibly even more. Value: $2.99
Total Value: $31.74
Paid: $10.00
Verdict: Not my favorite bag, but I don't feel like I wasted my ten bucks either. Given that I use any "extras" as thank you gifts or ways to bulk up Christmas or Birthday presents, I rarely find myself wishing I hadn't paid that much. I used to have Birchbox, and generally found it to be lacking in value and often disappointing - I never feel that way with Ipsy. Can't wait for the next one!
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