~the belle brigade
hoooooooooboy. I have no idea how it's only tuesday afternoon because this week feels like molasses flows. maybe it was the busy weekend. maybe it's the photos that I still need to edit. maybe it's the way that the unseasonably warm weather (cough*cough*climate*change) is beckoning me to go outside. but something is making it drag.
so, I totally failed at actually getting photos prepped to include in this post. so instead I'll introduce you to the youtube video with which I am obsessed. It showed up on our g00gleTV one day and it looked cool so we watched it. and now we are hooked!
tomorrow marks the beginning of february. which I've decided this year has too much potential good going on for me to really hate it. ready for the positive?
-we get to see our friends Kristin & Adam in Maryland and meet their little kiddo Jacob!
-we get to see Jessica, Cody and Caroline in Tennessee
-it's the month o' the work photo contest (entry possibilities comin' up soon!)
-and it's NOT already all filled up. which brings me GREAT joy!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
the guessing game.
Since last year I have been telling people (typically guys, but sometimes ladies) how inconsiderate it is to play the guessing game. You know the one--she did/didn't do this/that, she must/must not be expecting. I've told my brother about 17 times--this guessing game goes one of two ways. One-the gal isn't actually expecting and you made her feel self-conscious, and if you REALLY hit the mark, you also made her want to cry by reminding her. Two-it's too soon to tell, either because of where she is in her cycle or because it's still early in the pregnancy. Again, awkward-ness, making people self-conscious and a reminder of how things don't go as planned. Also, yet another time you might make the girl cry.
Seriously, people, STOP IT.
Anyhoo--this is not the guessing game I actually meant to write about. Sorry for the tangent.
I meant to talk about the guessing game of what to/not to eat. And use to clean your house. Or to clean your hair/face/body. My friends Jennifer and Christy and I have been talking about it a lot and it. is. complicated. I've mentioned this awesome website before--it's a great resource for many cosmetic products. But it doesn't tell you about everything, and even if you're someone highly educated in organic chemistry (org I and II and four years of research in it), it still doesn't all make sense.
Take, for instance, Polyethylene Glycol. Reading about it makes me nervous even though the ratings aren't complete. And if you google elsewhere, you find out it's not awesome stuff. But what happens when it's a polymer? (and there are MANY versions of it that are polymers) I know that changes the chemical makeup--but how much?
I mean, I'm going to have to admit that there's no way I'm going whole hog and ditching everything that isn't made from, like, water, vinegar, baking soda and essential oils. That just isn't happening any time soon--primarily because I would be ditching an awful lot of stuff that cost good money. So instead I'm trying to re-evaluate what I have, look for huge no-nos and also identify the things that are good and I should keep. And buy more stuff from Burt's Bees since they are local and awesome and even though some people complain that they are owned by a big scary corporate giant, I still think it's putting my money where my mouth is. :)
Next post will have pictures, for sure!
Seriously, people, STOP IT.
Anyhoo--this is not the guessing game I actually meant to write about. Sorry for the tangent.
I meant to talk about the guessing game of what to/not to eat. And use to clean your house. Or to clean your hair/face/body. My friends Jennifer and Christy and I have been talking about it a lot and it. is. complicated. I've mentioned this awesome website before--it's a great resource for many cosmetic products. But it doesn't tell you about everything, and even if you're someone highly educated in organic chemistry (org I and II and four years of research in it), it still doesn't all make sense.
Take, for instance, Polyethylene Glycol. Reading about it makes me nervous even though the ratings aren't complete. And if you google elsewhere, you find out it's not awesome stuff. But what happens when it's a polymer? (and there are MANY versions of it that are polymers) I know that changes the chemical makeup--but how much?
I mean, I'm going to have to admit that there's no way I'm going whole hog and ditching everything that isn't made from, like, water, vinegar, baking soda and essential oils. That just isn't happening any time soon--primarily because I would be ditching an awful lot of stuff that cost good money. So instead I'm trying to re-evaluate what I have, look for huge no-nos and also identify the things that are good and I should keep. And buy more stuff from Burt's Bees since they are local and awesome and even though some people complain that they are owned by a big scary corporate giant, I still think it's putting my money where my mouth is. :)
Next post will have pictures, for sure!
Thursday, January 05, 2012
and more to the point
(pardon the pun. sort of. it was totally intentional!)
so, here's how acupuncture works where I go. I have never been anywhere else, so I have no idea if this is the norm. but I got a question about it. sooooo....
the first time I visited I filled out a little health form and then talked with the acupuncturist. He asked me questions about my health, what brought me to them, what I had as concerns, my stress, etc. He also checked my pulse and looked at my tongue. (as soon as he looked he said "are you highly educated?" apparently I have a "scholar's tongue"--he said the best he could describe it was that my tongue is puffy from thinking so much.)
then, it was to the treatment room, which had two tables similar to a massage table and one chair that reclined (but not a full on recliner). he told me to take off my socks and shoes, push up my sleeves to my elbows and to roll up my jeans to above my knees.
I saw him open up a pack of the little acupuncture needles, closed my eyes and then felt pressure as he began to place them. And then I rested for an hour--just kind of laid there, not exactly sleeping, kind of relaxing/meditating. It was just wonderful, clearly. :) He has since mentioned that the typical time for the rest is ~30 minutes, but that if time allows he lets people rest longer.
some advice:
-go pee right before your session. not really knowing what to expect/ how it worked/ how long it took/ etc, and since I was nervous, I didn't. It meant that I spent the last 20 minutes (I'm guessing here, there's not a clock) trying not to think about needing to pee.
-wear comfy clothes. I've yet to wear yoga pants there, but I always make sure to wear my bootcut jeans instead of my skinny jeans (easier to roll up, and also more comfy) and a shirt that's comfy too.
-if they offer you a blanket and you think there's even the remotest chance you'll need it, take it.
-be open-minded and be prepared to just experience whatever happens. this probably sounds a bit granola-hippie-over-the-top but it's true. trust me. :)
so, here's how acupuncture works where I go. I have never been anywhere else, so I have no idea if this is the norm. but I got a question about it. sooooo....
the first time I visited I filled out a little health form and then talked with the acupuncturist. He asked me questions about my health, what brought me to them, what I had as concerns, my stress, etc. He also checked my pulse and looked at my tongue. (as soon as he looked he said "are you highly educated?" apparently I have a "scholar's tongue"--he said the best he could describe it was that my tongue is puffy from thinking so much.)
then, it was to the treatment room, which had two tables similar to a massage table and one chair that reclined (but not a full on recliner). he told me to take off my socks and shoes, push up my sleeves to my elbows and to roll up my jeans to above my knees.
I saw him open up a pack of the little acupuncture needles, closed my eyes and then felt pressure as he began to place them. And then I rested for an hour--just kind of laid there, not exactly sleeping, kind of relaxing/meditating. It was just wonderful, clearly. :) He has since mentioned that the typical time for the rest is ~30 minutes, but that if time allows he lets people rest longer.
some advice:
-go pee right before your session. not really knowing what to expect/ how it worked/ how long it took/ etc, and since I was nervous, I didn't. It meant that I spent the last 20 minutes (I'm guessing here, there's not a clock) trying not to think about needing to pee.
-wear comfy clothes. I've yet to wear yoga pants there, but I always make sure to wear my bootcut jeans instead of my skinny jeans (easier to roll up, and also more comfy) and a shirt that's comfy too.
-if they offer you a blanket and you think there's even the remotest chance you'll need it, take it.
-be open-minded and be prepared to just experience whatever happens. this probably sounds a bit granola-hippie-over-the-top but it's true. trust me. :)
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
it's been a long time now I'm coming back home.
~the beatles.
the song is stuck in my head. and it must come from somewhere very very random, as I haven't listened to the beatles in a good long while.
I have tales to tell of our fun in Georgia for the holidays, and of our NYE festivities with our favorite travel buddies, but those will have to wait for another day. y'know, a day where I didn't forget to bring my external hard drive with me to work. :) I am tempted to run home and get it, but right now I'm just going to go without.
instead, I shall tell you about acupuncture, my new hero.
I'd been considering going to acupuncture for months and months. I found a place near Duke that seemed like my cup of tea and started following them on the book o' the face. I even entered a contest on their page and won a free session! So, alls I had to do was get over my pesky fear of needles, right?
[insert maniacal laughter here]
right, like it would be so easy. ha!
so, then my dear friend Christy (who convinced me to look into it in the first place) insisted I call. and reminded me to. so I did. and I am SO GLAD.
I had my first appointment on the 8th of December. And I have gone weekly since. I've had a couple of needles hurt a bit (sometimes you just kind of feel pressure but not pain, sometimes it hurts a little and dissipates and sometimes it hurts and hurts and you ask the nice person to please remove that right now!) and I bruised once (but I have super fair, super sensitive skin so this also isn't surprising). Those are the only negatives.
I led with those so I could gush--because it's gush-worthy.
I love, love LOVE it. I love it because it is relaxing. Like, relaxing in the kind of way where you're in a wee bit of a haze afterward. I love that it can be used to address like 90% of ailments--my acupuncturist basically said that, in general, as long as it isn't a structural issue (his example was calcification of bone) it can likely be helped by acupuncture. It was an excellent choice for me because my obgyn told me to focus on "destressing" since the vast majority of my stress isn't something I can eliminate. And I feel waaaaaay better after.
I also love that it's pretty inexpensive. Even with my massage package dealio (which I am going to use up and cancel!) a massage is like $70-75 with the tip. They are a community acupuncture place (which means there are two tables and a reclining chair in the treatment room, and others may be having the treatment and/or rest time while you are in there). The cool thing about this is it means less cost to the people--they want acupuncture to be affordable for anyone--so you get to choose if you'd prefer to pay anywhere from $15-$40 per session. In short--I get 2.5 one hour acupuncture treatments for the same cost as a single massage. :) My pocket likes this. It doesn't totally replace massage, of course, but it's totally awesome in a completely different way.
I encourage you to try it!
the song is stuck in my head. and it must come from somewhere very very random, as I haven't listened to the beatles in a good long while.
I have tales to tell of our fun in Georgia for the holidays, and of our NYE festivities with our favorite travel buddies, but those will have to wait for another day. y'know, a day where I didn't forget to bring my external hard drive with me to work. :) I am tempted to run home and get it, but right now I'm just going to go without.
instead, I shall tell you about acupuncture, my new hero.
I'd been considering going to acupuncture for months and months. I found a place near Duke that seemed like my cup of tea and started following them on the book o' the face. I even entered a contest on their page and won a free session! So, alls I had to do was get over my pesky fear of needles, right?
[insert maniacal laughter here]
right, like it would be so easy. ha!
so, then my dear friend Christy (who convinced me to look into it in the first place) insisted I call. and reminded me to. so I did. and I am SO GLAD.
I had my first appointment on the 8th of December. And I have gone weekly since. I've had a couple of needles hurt a bit (sometimes you just kind of feel pressure but not pain, sometimes it hurts a little and dissipates and sometimes it hurts and hurts and you ask the nice person to please remove that right now!) and I bruised once (but I have super fair, super sensitive skin so this also isn't surprising). Those are the only negatives.
I led with those so I could gush--because it's gush-worthy.
I love, love LOVE it. I love it because it is relaxing. Like, relaxing in the kind of way where you're in a wee bit of a haze afterward. I love that it can be used to address like 90% of ailments--my acupuncturist basically said that, in general, as long as it isn't a structural issue (his example was calcification of bone) it can likely be helped by acupuncture. It was an excellent choice for me because my obgyn told me to focus on "destressing" since the vast majority of my stress isn't something I can eliminate. And I feel waaaaaay better after.
I also love that it's pretty inexpensive. Even with my massage package dealio (which I am going to use up and cancel!) a massage is like $70-75 with the tip. They are a community acupuncture place (which means there are two tables and a reclining chair in the treatment room, and others may be having the treatment and/or rest time while you are in there). The cool thing about this is it means less cost to the people--they want acupuncture to be affordable for anyone--so you get to choose if you'd prefer to pay anywhere from $15-$40 per session. In short--I get 2.5 one hour acupuncture treatments for the same cost as a single massage. :) My pocket likes this. It doesn't totally replace massage, of course, but it's totally awesome in a completely different way.
I encourage you to try it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
