LK's Grab Bag

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Tuesday, February 24th:

1510….. Pope Julius II excommunicates the Republic of Venice. Perhaps painful at the time, Venice seems to be doing pretty well for itself, so there’s the silver lining theory 🙂

Tuesday Blog Review:

Roxie is our Thomas Jefferson Quiz Winner!!! Roxie wins the ENTIRE $2,500,000 prize payout, as NO OTHER ENTRIES were received. To claim the prize money, all she needs to do is sit on a mat, soles of feet together and drawn in close to the groin, and give us the yoga “Butterfly” pose. I’m betting she’s on her way to Disneyland already. 

Also… since only 9 responded that you have an iPhone and are interested in apps, contact me if you would like a list of some very cool additions you can make to your iPhone. Interestingly, out of over 150 “views” of that post a couple of weeks ago, only 17 answered the poll. We’ll try other polls in the future, perhaps of broader interest?

Tuesday Cosmetic Clean Up:

Clean skin care line alert…… and news flash for SB locals…. this line was recommended many moons ago by faithful reader and Northern/Southern California transient Mel P. It is now available at Lazy Acres.

Marie Veronique offers a full skin care line that gets outstanding ratings on EWG and great reviews. I purchased the Sun Serum and I must say I like it alot for the following reasons:

1. It goes on nearly as easily as water
2. It contains NO micronized or nano particles (controversial.. more on this in another post)
3. It contains only zinc oxide, no titanium dioxide (zinc oxide regarded as safer)
4. It does not look like Kabuki make up (although some tan mineral powder base is needed to counter the faint white cast… but the end result is very good and natural looking).

What I don’t like? The smell. But, it dissipates quickly, and, as I have said before, smell is a very unique sense that can vary as much as height, weight and hair color. So you may like it. Either way, the smell should not be the determining factor, right?

Marie Veronique products are available online, too.

Speaking of hair color…. we will be addressing that topic very soon.

Please write a message below or e-mail me directly if you have specific questions or concerns about hair color. If you are currently coloring your hair by standard hair dye methods, you have concerns, whether you know it or not 🙂 I know…. I am such a buzz kill….

Tuesday Nutrition Tip:

WHY BUY ORGANIC PART II

The Organic Premise: Many people are aware that food grown according to organic principles is free from exposure to harmful herbicides and pesticides, but that is only one small aspect of organic agriculture. A larger part of organic agriculture involves the health of the soil and the ecosystem in which crops and livestock are raised. Organic farmers recognize that healthy, vibrant, and live soils and ecosystems significantly benefit crops. Natural, undisturbed soil is alive with microbiotic organisms that exist in harmony with the native plant life and the inorganic minerals that provide the soil’s substrate.

Why should a consumer care about agricultural techniques if an organically cultivated green pepper looks identical to a conventionally grown pepper?

The answer is multi-faceted, but simply stated, an organically cultivated pepper will be healthier and more nutritious than a conventionally cultivated pepper. By growing in a living soil where microbiotic activity constantly breaks organic matter and solid minerals into nutrients a plant can use, an organically cultivated pepper plant always has exactly what it needs to grow, from germination to fruit set, and the plant will be healthier throughout its lifespan than a conventionally grown pepper plant. As a result, the organically grown plant will be able to add more and complex components to all of its parts, including its fruit, resulting in a pepper chock-full of micro-nutrients and trace minerals that are important for human nutrition.

Flavor is another benefit of healthy plants growing in a living soil. Flavor results from a mixture of many different and complex molecules. Healthy, living soil provides a constant and more complex mixture of these molecules, which results in more flavor. It’s no surprise that chefs working in the highest caliber restaurants prefer organic ingredients to conventionally grown ingredients.

By purchasing locally-grown, organic produce, the consumer supports sustainable methods of land use that result in far less pollution and top-soil loss than does conventional agriculture. Synthetic pesticides and herbices not only kill soil microbes and leave toxic residues on food, they also threaten the health of farmworkers and disrupt natural ecosystems around the farm. Chemical fertilizers pollute lakes, ponds, rivers, and groundwater.

The alternative to using synthetic pesticides and fertilizers usually requires more labor on a farm. With more labor, organic farmers can match or exceed the productivity and quality of chemically dependent crops. Labor, rather than synthetic inputs, typically means more support for local economies, but it can also mean higher prices. Conventionally grown foods cost less because their hidden costs are passed on to consumers and the environment. These hidden costs include creating synthetic inputs, the resulting pollution from spreading them, and long-term health effects of pesticide residues in our food.

In the long run, organically grown food is the best bargain for us, the environment, and future generations.

And…. Tuesday Nutrition Trivia:

You know those numbers you see on the stickers slapped on your fruits and veggies?

They have a code…. and here’s what you can discern from that code:

Tuesday Brain Game:

20th Century Trivia

Click on “20th Century Trivia Quizzes” to start playing

Tuesday Fascination/Time Bandit:

Uh-oh…. this got addicting REALLY fast, and it’s also my pick for coolest site I have seen in quite some time. So cool, in fact, that I am quite shocked that I’ve never heard of it before. I just found my way to it on a search for something else. Who knew.
So… here’s what it is. It is first and foremost a site where you can make collages, using thousands of images they have categorized and prepared for you. There are photos, graphics, clothing, accessories, furnishings, backgrounds, textures, etc. You can also clip images from other websites and import them.
But here’s the brilliant part about it: click on any of the images below, and it will take you to the Polyvore site where I created these. Roll your pointer over the collage and each individual item will be framed. Click on an item of interest and it offers you a window where you can link to buy the item, or see collages made by others that used that item.
AND many of the retailers who supply the images and links sponsor contests for the best collages that fill the specifications they stipulate.

I’m Going Out – by Ellkay on Polyvore.com

Or, you can create “art”…. if that’s what you want to call it:

Wheat Dreams – by Ellkay on Polyvore.com

Or, satisfy the Interior Designer in you:

Tan Twist – by Ellkay on Polyvore.com

Tuesday Funny Stuff:

Inspirational Posters for the Workplace or Home