10,000 Eggs and a Really Long Day

This is probably going to be an all-over-the-place post because I am more exhausted than I have been in a really really really long time. I woke up this morning at 5:00 A.M., yes that's five A.M. on a Saturday morning to go help out with an easter egg hunt put on by Habitat for Humanity in east Austin. It was so much fun watching all the kids pack their baskets full of eggs, sometimes more than once! There were 10,000 eggs!

 

 Then Ethan and I grabbed breakfast at Juan in a Million. It's an Austin favorite for breakfast tacos, and has even been on Man vs. Food! 

 

 Then we went to a little music festival to support some friends who were playing, and I took a couple of pictures...

Kyle from Gatsby

Sophie from Gatsby

Greyson from Gatsby

Spencer of Dead Swagger

Go on facebook and support them by "liking" their pages!!! 

Gatsby 

Dead Swagger

over and out.

What can your soap do for the enviorment?

So I am still working on finishing up The Tangible Kingdom, but in the meantime, I thought it would be cool to show you guys the environmental policy of the store where I get all my beauty products (except makeup). The environment is something I find myself worrying more and more about lately. I am currently in a class called Dilemmas that is basically a pre-senior thesis class where you write 15-20 page paper throughout the semester on a social dilemma. We have to research the dilemma and what caused it and why it hasn't been solved, discuss the differing viewpoints and their arguments, and then present a policy based solution. My paper is over carbon offsets and through my research, I have found myself way more interested in where and how the products I use are being made. Now, I am far from using only animal and earth friendly products, but I think I am progressing in that direction well. If you read my blog, you know that I am recently obsessed with Lush. These products cleared up my skin, are all natural, AND they are taking the global intitative to be environmentally friendly as both a business and encouraging their consumers to be as well. Watch this!

over and out.

You Are More

I am currently in the middle of reading Tangible Kingdom. I got to meet the authors of the book and I blogged about that here, and now I am reading the book. I am loving it so much that it is taking forever to read due to all the notes I have been taking. I have this little rule with myself that whenever I am reading a book that I know I want to dedicate a nice, in depth blog post about, I won't blog until I finish reading it. (Kind of a personal accountability program) So instead, I thought I would share a song that I have been loving lately, not necessarily for its musical technique or song, but for its message. (But speaking of music, Arcade Fire, Explosions in the Sky, and Beirut are playing in Austin soon!) Anyways, this song never fails to make me feel uplifted, no matter how bad (or good) my day might be going.

You Are More by Tenth Avenue North

There's a girl in the corner

With tear stains on her eyes

From the places she's wandered

And the shame she can't hide

She says, "How did I get here?

I'm not who I once was.

And I'm crippled by the fear

That I've fallen too far to love"

But don't you know who you are,

What's been done for you?

Yeah don't you know who you are?

You are more than the choices that you've made,

You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,

You are more than the problems you create,

You've been remade.

Well she tries to believe it

That she's been given new life

But she can't shake the feeling

That it's not true tonight

She knows all the answers

And she's rehearsed all the lines

And so she'll try to do better

But then she's too weak to try

But don't you know who you are?

You are more than the choices that you've made,

You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,

You are more than the problems you create,

You've been remade.

You are more than the choices that you've made,

You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,

You are more than the problems you create,

You've been remade.

'Cause this is not about what you've done,

But what's been done for you.

This is not about where you've been,

But where your brokenness brings you to

This is not about what you feel,

But what He felt to forgive you,

And what He felt to make you loved.

You are more than the choices that you've made,

You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,

You are more than the problems you create,

You've been remade. 


What's your favorite inspiration song right now? Why?

over and out.

The Financial Tales of the Shopaholic:

Well, if you are a dedicated reader of my blog (hey mom!), then you know that I will be studying abroad in Angers, France next semester. I am beyond excited, but am definitely overwhelmed with preparing for the trip. Thankfully, I already have a passport from whenever I went to Italy in high school, but my to do list still freaks me out a little.

To do:
1. Pack up my apartment and move back to my parents.
2. Clean my apartment to avoid any extra costs.
3. Cancel my cable and internet services and drive the cable boxes and modem all the way to the Time Warner office (boo!)
4. Somehow survive my two remaining weeks of classes and finals.
5. Get rid of 75% percent of my stuff.
6. Apply for and obtain my student VISA.
7. Purchase airline tickets simultaneously with Ethan and my friend Izzy, who is also going.
8. Figure out a way to transport my essential belongings to Angers.
9. Start and finish my training in Quick Books so I can work more hours.
10. And last but not least, somehow save all the money I will be spending abroad.

Everything is definitely doable, but #10 really freaks me out and has been a huge stressor in my life since my decision to study abroad has been made. I am currently battling my addiction to shopping and at the same time, saving a large sum of money for the first time in my life.

I decided that the amount I will be aiming for is $2500. I came up with that number by averaging the amount a previous Angers student claimed they spent abroad, the amount I would be making if I kept the job I have now in the states, and also the monthly recommendation of money for studying abroad made by the government's student Visa website. Also, the fact that the ratio of euro to dollar does not weigh in my favor.

WOAH, I have never seen that much money in my bank account at one time (mostly because I spend it before I get anywhere close to that amount). But honestly, I think that since I do not have a choice but to save this money, I am being forced into cracking my addiciton while at the same time learning how to budget and save my money (something I am glad to be learning now, instead of later).

Current Budgeting Plan:
1. As soon as I get my weekly paycheck, I put all but $50 into my savings account. That $50 has to last me through the week: all of my meals, shopping, everything. (I am very thankful that Ethan's meal plan still has plenty of money in it and can support both of us during these last few weeks of school. I am also thankful that Ethan has been helping me save money by offering to pay for meals on dates and telling me that I don't need things when I want to buy them (haha). I am also so lucky that my parents cover my apartment and bills, and part of my pay for my work includes my gas. Thank you parents and boyfriend!)
2. If I have something I need to purchase that requires me to spend more than $50 in a week (key word: need), I can transfer it from my savings. The effectiveness of this strategy is that I can only do that six times a month, so I really have to think about it before I transfer it over.
3. So far, in about a month, I have hit the 1/7 of my goal mark!

Summer Plan:
1. Since I will be living with my parents and working more hours, I will have the opportunity to earn more and spend less. My weekly allotment will probably still be $50, but I have a feeling that I might not even spend all of it in any given week.
2. About a month before I leave (August), I will evaluate where how much I have saved and make a trip budget. I will be alloting my money in six basic categories: pre-trip essentials, travel means (train and bus) and expenses (hotels, hostels), food, groceries, entertainment, and weekly pocket money.

Dans le plan de la France:
1. I will have my credit card for emergencies only.
2. I will have my debit card, but mostly I will...
3. Use my budget to plan how much cash I need on a weekly basis and use an ATM to withdraw that money weekly. That way I will only carry small sums of cash and won't risk losing my debit and credit cards. (I would much rather lose a week of funds than have no money and have to go through canceling all my cards while abroad).
4. Potenially scope out a job in a local cafe or something for a few extra euros here and there.

I think that hardest thing about saving currently, is as the money in my savings account slowly grows to amounts of items that I have wanted to purchase but have yet to afford, its just a little weird. I feel broke based on the number in my checking account, but technically I have enough to buy a new IPhone 4, and pretty soon I will have enough for an IPad, and by the end, I will have enough for the new MacBook Pro I have been wanting for a while. But, as weird as it is, the learning process, as well as the experience of studying in a new culture is beyond worth the monetary value. Also, after accomplishing this, I will have learned and experienced the discipline needed to save up for things if I really need them.

I apologize for the boring budget post, but its all that has been on my mind and its nice to organize and type everything out. Also, if anyone has any advice, please send it my way!! Also, another book review should be coming up soon :)

over and out.

A Book Review: The Road

 Austin, Ethan and I's college small group leader and friend, loaned me a book to read this weekend

on my road trip to Oklahoma this weekend (Thanks Austin!). While in the car on Friday with Ethan's family on the way to see his sister and brother-in-law (awesome weekend, P.S.), I read The Road by Cormac McCarthy in its entirety in one sitting. 

The Road is a bleak, dismal novel. A father and son are traveling south on a road in a world utterly destroyed by a cataclysmic event that occurred years prior to the novel's setting, possibly caused by nuclear warfare. The plot consists of a few basic activities: walk, forage, starve, rain, sleep, starve, and walk some more. The whole world has been reduced to ash and gray snow; the only sustenance that remains are canned goods hidden away in long-abandoned homes. The narrative is simple; it is as if the father and son do not have enough energy to utter more words than the practical and essential.

They looked at each other.

One more.

I dont want you to get sick.

I wont get sick.

You havent eaten in a long time.

I know.

Okay. (p.141)

In this world, negative contractions are laid bare without their apostrophe's, and quotation marks are extinct. I wonder if the apocalypse burned all of the punctuation, or if this style is consistent in McCarthy's novels? 

One theme that particularly stood out was the reference to the father and son "carrying the fire".

We wouldnt ever eat anybody, would we?

No. Of course not.

Even if we were starving?

We're starving now.

You said we werent.

I said we werent dying. I didnt say we werent starving.

But we wouldnt.

No. We wouldnt.

No matter what.

No. No matter what.

Because we're the good guys.

Yes.

And we're carrying the fire.

And we're carrying the fire, yes.

Okay.

(p.128)

-and-

You cant. You have to carry the fire.

I dont know how to.

Yes you do.

Is it real? The fire?

Yes it is.

Where is it? I dont know where it is.

Yes you do. It's inside you. It was always there. I can see it.

(p.278)

What is McCarthy's meaning? At first, I thought it meant that the young boy was a symbol of the continuation of the human race. After finishing the whole novel, I'm more inclined to think that "carrying the fire" refers to never losing hope. If you always carry hope, you will survive. I like this interpretation, it creates a positive note in one very depressing book.

Another interpretation that I lingered on is how the words of the father to his child are so similar to the words of Jesus to His disciples. I have yet to settle on how that fits into the meaning of the book, but I am still trying to figure it all out. Also, the child, born into the post apocalyptic world has the compassion that seems to have gone extinct in the world. His actions and emotions seem to allude to Jesus. I am still lost as to how to puzzle the book together into a meaning, but I can kind of make out how the pieces fit.

The Road also introduced some vocabulary unfamiliar to me. McCarthy must be a walking dictionary. Here are a few examples:

Gryke (p.11) - a deep cleft in a bare limestone rock surface.

Gambreled (p.17) - A grambrel is a two-sided roof, usually symmetric, with two slopes on each side.

Laved (p.38) - to wash or flow against.

Soffits (p.106) - the exposed undersides of any overhead component of a building.

Gelid (p.136) - Very cold; icy.

Bivouack[ed] (p. 168) - temporary encampment under little or no shelter

over and out.

Review: LUSH

Alright, so I have read lots of absolutely wonderful things about the brand Lush, a company that makes fresh handmade cosmetics. And by cosmetics, they mean all things skin care. I had been interested in trying some things by them because I have recently been in a skin care kick and their products are usually vegan and do not contain any of the scary ingredients found in drugstore and department store skincare options. As I was browsing their website, I looked where some stores were, wondering if one was nearby. And guess what?! One just opened two weeks ago on 6th Street right in the middle of my favorite part of town by Whole Foods and Book People. Last night after our weekly "Whole Foods Monday" trip, Ethan, Sam, and I strolled across the street. While they were in Waterloo Records, I decided to go check out the new Lush store. I am obsessed. The products range in prices, anywhere from super cheap to around $50. Since I am trying to save money for my semester in France, I have allotted myself very limited funds to just shop for fun, so I only bought two things (both under $7) and got two free samples. I am so impressed with these products that I decided to share!

Lush Ultra Bland:

This is one of my free samples, but I have a feeling that when I run out of my current cleanser, I will be replacing it with this. The common theme throughout my use of these products is feeling a little uncomfortable with using things that aren't foamy and don't leave my skin feeling super squeaky clean, but no need for me to have feared! This was a strange product to use; you use it dry and apply it straight to a face covered in makeup. You rub it in like a thick body butter and it literally melts the makeup off your face. Then you take a dry cotton pad and remove as much as you can, then get another cotton pad damp with warm water to remove the rest. No splashing your face with water here. It got everything off my face, and left my skin feeling pretty moisturized actually! I still followed up with my usual moisturizer though.

 

Ingredients: Almonds oil, Rose water, Beeswax, Honey, Fresh Iris Extract, Glycerin, Rose Absolute

Angels on Bare Skin:

This is one of the products I did purchase, but the best thing about it is that in the store, its basically a huge log of product and you tell them in dollars how much to cut off. I asked for a $7 amount, but I could've gotten less or more depending on what I wanted to spend. Also, another common theme amongst Lush products is that a little tiny bit goes a long way. This is because if water needs to be a part of the process, you add it yourself instead of it taking up room in a container like most drugstore and department store products. This is another cleanser, but unlike Ultrabland,  it is better to use this on clean skin since it won't remove your makeup well. I used Ultrabland at night and then Angels on Bare Skin in the morning. You put a little dime sized amount of product in your hand and mix it with a little warm water and make a paste to apply to your *dry* face. It has crushed almond meat in it so it also acts as a gentle exfoliator. Then you can either remove it with a damp wash cloth or just using your hands and warm water. I loved this product as well; it does exactly as the product claims, so I will post that!

"Our best-selling cleansing roll is perfect for all skin types. Made with finely ground almonds and heaps of balancing lavender, a pea-sized amount will gently scrub away the day. Ground almonds help to gently exfoliate the skin, clearing away dirt and dead skin. Rose oil and lavender oil are wonderfully toning, while the gentle exfoliation of the almonds helps to keep the skin clear and improve the texture of the skin. Lavender is extremely soothing for the skin."

Also, this product left my skin feeling clean, soothed, but also soft and moisturized.. a feeling I am not used to after using a cleanser.

 

Ingredients: Ground Almonds, Glycerin, Kaolin, Lavender oil, Rose Absolute, Chamomile Blue oil, Tagetes oil, Lavender flowers

BB Seaweed Fresh Face Mask:

This is the other item I purchased ($5.95) and is probably my favorite and most fun of all the products. This is the one Lush item that you have to buy in store (not online), because it is made of 100% fresh ingredients with no preservatives. It has to be refridgerated and has a self life of only three weeks. The amount they give you in the jar is enough to use 10 thin masks or 4-5 thick masks, so plenty to use in three weeks, but not too much that you will waste product. I have already used two thin masks within 24 hours, that is how much I adore this stuff.

I went to a Mary Kay party the other day and it was very fun :) but unfortunately the skin care line is not from me and made me break out. This was frustrating to me because I had just gotten my skin to be consistently clear for a month or so. My breakouts were inflammed and irritated and not painless at all. This calmed my face, both from being chilled in the fridge and the calming ingredients in the mask. You put it on your fask and let it dry (about 10 minutes) and then wash off with warm water. This left my skin feeling incredibly smooth, moisturized, and calmed (all redness disappeared). This morning when I woke up, my breakouts had already healed most of the way (AMAZING), and I decided to do another quick mask to finish the process. 

"Relaxing and reviving, mineral-rich mask to cleanse, soften and beautify all skins. This blend, inspired by the sea, contains fresh and nutritious seaweed and seaweed absolute. Cleansing kaolin, antiseptic honey, calming aloe vera and rose absolute make this a great mask for everyone."

They have a handful of other masks that serve other purposes, and the one I would like to try next is the Catastrophe Cosmetic mask that apparently soothes your skin and evens out your skin tone flawlessly, leaving no traces of red. Which would be so perfect for the summer after getting too much sun (also how good would putting a cold mask on a sun stung face feel!?)

 

Ingredients: Lime Tree Flower and Sweet Violet Leaf Decoction, Kaolin, Honey, Glycerine, Ground Almonds, Toothed Wrack Seaweed, Organic Aloe Vera Gel, Millet Flakes, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Bentonite Gel, Fresh Rose Petals, Rose Absolute, Patchouli Oil, Rosemary Oil, Seaweed Absolute

And oh yeah! Lush does not test on animals! :)

over and out.

Fat Free Cupcakes:

Well, almost fat free... only 15 calories from fat per cupcake! Here's a photo-recipe of how to make it :) Also, continue reading after the recipes for some lessons learned from my first try at this!

You need:
1 box of cake mix
12 oz (1 can) of soda
Candy center (optional)

First: Go to any local grocery store (we actually went to the Dollar Store)...On the way we got distracted by a pet store and went to play with some ducklings!

 

Anyways.. pick up any variety of these ingredients.. 

 Put the mix into a mixing bowl (obvs..)

 Pour in the soda...

Watch it fizz...

 Stir until well incorporated (it will be lumpier than you're used to)

Grease the pans (see lessons learned below...)

 Fill up 1/3 of the way...

 Take fun sized candy (optional)

 Cut candy into smaller squares..

 Mmmm....

 Stick in center of batter...

 Oh yeah! Pre-heat your oven to 350*F

 Put them...

 in the oven...

 And cook 10-15 minutes until the center of the cake does not depress with a light touch...

After you take them out of the oven, let them cool and enjoy a very light and fluffy, nearly fat free cupcake!!

Lessons learned:
1. Buying 12 ounce cans of soda instead of 20 ounce bottles allows you to avoid measuring the soda.
2. Diet sodas would make this recipe even better.
3. Because there is no oil in the batter, they stick.. like crazy.. even Pam didn't prevent them from sticking. Next time I will definitely be using cupcake liners.
4. Other flavor options Ethan and I think would be yummy (although the options are endless) are...

Cherry-Coke and Chocolate

Dr. Pepper and Red Velvet

Sprite and Lemon Cake

Sunkist and White Cake

What combos would you like to try?

over and out.