{merry christmas!}

from our happy family to yours, merry christmas!
we'll be reminiscing over the past year while putting together photo albums, 
 & teasing each other to open presents. 

Speaking of presents, quick story: 
About a month ago, I ordered all of my presents {thank you amazon prime!}. Within a few days, everyone had theirs. There was still one more present for my sweetheart that I was waiting on. Last Saturday, we decided to track the package. Tricky, because we use the same account to order presents. It said delivered to front door. But I didn't have the package...
For the past two weeks, our neighbors have had a package on the front porch. It had been raining for days.
As you may have guessed, it was his package.

Merry Christmas!

{fresh cuppa}

via a well traveled woman

My sweetheart and I bought a Keurig earlier this year, hoping that it would save money instead of paying $1.40 for coffee everyday. No that's not much, but it adds up to roughly $500 per year, and that's only if I don't get something fancy like a latte. Since I've worked in coffee for 6 or so years, I enjoy a well crafted latte.
Instead of buying a regular coffee maker, we decided to buy a more modern, versatile coffee maker. I like that I can make hot cocoa, tea, or any flavor of coffee. But since we've purchased this coffee maker, I haven't cleaned it.

I was a little intimidated to clean it. Cleaning an espresso machine? No problem. A Keurig? Seemed complex.

So here is how you clean a Keurig. It is far easier than I expected; just takes time. This is a slightly adapted version from the Keurig website.

1. Wipe down the outside. Clean the tray, the outside & the counter under the machine. Just soap & water.

2. Clean the K-Cup holder.
Remove the K-Cup assembly: To remove the assembly from the brewer, open the cover by lifting the handle. Grasp the top of the K-Cup Holder with one hand while pushing up on the bottom of the assembly from underneath with the other until it releases. The K-Cup Holder is dishwasher safe. {I just used soap and water.}

    ------> 

Clean the Funnel: The funnel can be removed from the K-Cup Holder by pulling on it until it snaps off. The funnel is dishwasher safe. To replace it just snap it back onto the K-Cup Holder.  

funnel is the bottom section

Clean the exit needle: The exit needle is located on the inside bottom. If coffee grounds or cocoa mix gets clogged in the exit needle, it can be cleaned using a paper clip or similar tool. Remove the funnel from the K-Cup Holder, insert the paper clip into the tube and move it around to loosen the clog and remove any debris. Please note, you cannot poke all the way through the needle as the opening of the needle is located on the side and not the top. {paper clip worked for me}

Install the K-Cup assembly into the brewer: After cleaning, align the K-Cup Holder tabs with the opening placing the two front tabs on the bottom and the single tab on top and snap it into place by pushing down on the top rim. Do not try to just close the lid, the pieces may not align correctly if you try to just close the lid.

3. Descaling your brewer: do this every 3-6 months.
Why? Scale is harmless, but it can hurt optimal brewer performance. Descaling regularly helps maintain the heating element, removable water reservoir and other parts of the brewer that come in contact with water. Better water quality and water heating means a better cup of coffee, tea, hot cocoa or iced beverage. it is recommend you descale your brewer at least every 6 months (every 3 months if your water has a high mineral content).
How? Depends on your keurig type. For an Elite B40, Classic B44, Special Edition B60, or Platinum B70 do the following. Otherwise, look at their website.
 To start:
1. Empty the water in the Water Reservoir.
2. Disable “Auto Off” features. {I just set mine to shut off after 5 hours, and set a timer for 4 hours}
To fill & clean:
1. Pour approximately 48 ounces of the vinegar into the Water Reservoir.
2. Place a large mug on the Drip Tray Plate and run a brew cycle. DO NOT USE A K-CUP, just press the BREW Button. Pour the contents of the large mug into the sink.
3. Repeat the brew process without a K-Cup until “ADD WATER” is indicated.
4. Now let the Brewer stand for at least 4 hours while still on.
5. Discard any residual vinegar and rinse the Water Reservoir thoroughly.
Rinse.
1. Ensure the Water Reservoir is filled with fresh water.
2. Place a large mug on the Drip Tray Plate and water brew cycle. Pour the contents of the large mug into the sink.
3. Repeat brew process until “ADD WATER” is indicated.
4.  You may need to perform additional water brew cycles if you notice any residual taste.{you will know if vinegar is still in there if your milk curdles. I took me about 4 or 5 reservoir fills to flush it all out.}

{NOTE: If “DE-SCALE” is still displayed after completing the procedure, repeat the de-scaling procedure above.}

{small things}

perfect glass of sweet tea

Sometimes its the small things that make your day. 
I woke up with an idea this morning, and I'm not sure where it came from.
& I am so proud I thought of it!

There's nothing better than a chilled glass of sweet tea. Any time of the year. I've also started adding a 1/4 tsp, thanks to this southern gal. But nothing ruins a glass of sweet tea more than melted ice cubes.

Some ideas to fix this are sticking your glass in the freezer {which doesn't work for long} or just drinking it quickly {brain freeze}. My solution is to make some ice cubes out of sweet tea. All you need is sweet tea, and an ice cube tray.

I wonder what I'll think up next. Is an answer for world peace too much to hope for?

{checkin' the list & checkin' it twice}

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...

Finals are over, the house is mostly decorated, and it's time to finish all my lists!

Since starting school, I've started to make lists of things I want to do in my free time. Well, now I have a few weeks of free time since school is out. So I've done the major stuff: all Christmas cards sent, all Christmas presents shipped, bought my travel ticket {I'm not telling you where I'm headed yet!} and started on my cooking list!

I have lots and lots of crafts and cooking in mind. As long as I don't spend too much time at work, I think I'll be able to get all of my cooking and crafting done. Hopefully my sweetheart will like them, and then I'll share them! They have to pass the sweetie test first.

Not to mention how long my Hulu queue list has gotten. Maybe a few Duck Dynasty marathons. Plus a few Christmas parties. I should probably work out..

It's a good thing we aren't going anywhere for Christmas.

{we the tiny house people..}

I was completely floored by this.
I love getting rid of stuff just as much as I love to finding new stuff.
These people probably hate the show Hoarders.
I'm just not sure I would do what they do. Even though there are many great points of why I might.
Would you?

{Drawer Party Finale!}

Last, but not least, CoverGirl's natureluxe mascara!! I stumbled on this in a drugstore a few months ago, and thought, "what the heck, can't hurt right?"

Well, good thinking self. I am impressed.

No clumping, its lightweight, no ridiculous synthetics, and it still looks natural. That's a quadruple threat.


What's in it? 

Water: self explanatory.

Beeswax: looks like it helps build a thicker, but smooth formula. From bees!

Cetearyl alcohol: helps keeps the formula thoroughly mixed. It is found in natural oils and fats, and helps soften thick formulas.

Carnuaba wax: is wax of the copernicia cerifera palms. This also keeps the formula from separating, and gives it a sticky quality.

Shellac: So this is kind of gross. It is a resinous material refined from the secretions from a lac bug. It keeps the ingredients of from separating into its oil and water-solubles and helps hair hold its style by inhibiting the hair’s ability to absorb moisture.

Cetereth-20: Helps ingredients dissolve, and helps retain moisture. I believe it is a mixture of alcohols.

Glycerin: is an ingredient that decreases how thick the final paste is. I don't know if this is vegetable based or animal. It can also found in deoderant.

Tapioca starch: is the starch from a cassava root. Yes, just like tapioca pudding or bobas in boba tea (pearl tapioca). I can't find much information about why this is used in mascara, but it is all natural.

Alcohol denat.: is the easy way of saying denatured alcohol. Alcohol is from fermented sugars, and "denatured" means it has been made unfit to drink. Seems like it's made unfit on purpose. In mascara, I think it is used to decrease the thickness.

Xanthan gum: can also found in deoderant! It is purified version of a bacterial coat of plant diseases. Sound ridiculous, but is an ingredient that keeps all of the product mixed thoroughly.

Ethylparaben: is a preservative. It is technically a paraben, which is a preservative. Parabens are often used for antibacterial and fungicidal properties. These can be found naturally, but I don't know if it is natural in this product or not. 

Sodium gluconate: is the sodium salt of gluconic acid. Gluconic acid is found naturally in fruit, honey, kombucha tea, and wine. In makeup it may be used to keep the ingredients from deteriorating, helps cleanse the skin,  prevent odor by slowing the growth of microorganisms, or as a lubricant. My guess is that it is being used as a lubricant here.

Iron oxides: are a compound of iron and oxygen, and there are a lot of different types. For example, rust is a type of iron oxide! It seems they are mostly used for their color. Their colors can range from red, yellow, to black.

Titanium dioxide: is an oxide of titanium, which is a silvery grey metal. Titanium dioxide has been processed to remove any impurities. It is often used in sunscreen. It seems to be added for its white color, and to make the formula opaque (not see through). Hey, at least your eyelashes won't get burned?


As always, not medical advice. A lot of my information came from cosmeticsinfo.org, a few science websites, and other sites that I found to be credible.

Those are the three new items in my makeup drawer, and my research! I feel a lot better knowing what goes on my skin, and hopefully you learned something too!

{More Drawer Party...}

uh, what's this?

For me, the next part of going all natural was with my deodorant. Deodorant is really personal, but this was the next step for me because of the potential link of aluminum based compounds to Alzheimer's and breast cancer. Although the American Cancer society has said there is no conclusive evidence that breast cancer is caused by antiperspirants. The claim that Alzheimer's is caused by antiperspirants has also not been proven true.

Either way, the idea aluminum blocking the armpit's natural ability to let go of toxins sounds wrong.
So, here is my experience. Since smelly armpits comes from bacteria mixing with natural sweat, the best solution is to just wash them. I am fine during a regular work day, since I don't do much physical activity. When I do work out, I do smell a little afterwards but I feel this is normal and acceptable. {I also usually workout by alone!} 

Since there are days where I am away from home for nearly 14 hours, I don't get the chance to just use some soap and water. My solution has been to either reapply, or use a small travel size of regular deodorant to avoid embarrassment. No one needs to feel like they are in middle school again.


On Tom's website, they state what the ingredients are, the purpose, and where the ingredient comes from! Fantastic! No more ridiculous modge podge research from me.

Other Ingredients

Name	Purpose	Source
Propylene glycol	Consistency	Natural gas from the earth
Water	Consistency	Maine aquifer
Sodium stearate	Consistency	Coconut (Cocos nucifera) and palm (Elaeis guineensis) oils
Cymbopogon flexuosus oil (Organic)	Deodorancy	Organic lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) plant
Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil (organic)	Consistency	Organic sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seeds
Aloe barbadensis leaf juice (Organic)	Soothing feel	Organic aloe (Aloe barbadensis) plant
Glyceryl laurate	Deodorancy	Vegetable oils
Humulus lupulus (hops) [CO2] extract	Deodorancy	Hops (Humulus lupulus) cones
Ascorbic acid	Antioxidant	Corn (Zea mays)

This was a great choice for me, and I hope that one day I'll be able to make my own deodorant that I am happy with! I didn't have much choice in deodorant smells, but I have heard that the apricot version smells great.

{Drawer Party cont.}

First item I wanted to share....toothpaste!! This was my first step in going all-natural.

Originally, I tried to make my own toothpaste with baking soda, peppermint, and water. I checked with my dentist's office to see if this was an ok option, and they said that it's ok! But it left a gritty feeling in my mouth and my breathe wasn't fresh enough. {As my sweetheart emphatically pointed out, and I can't blame him.}

So here's my first tip, try all natural toothpaste! I chose Tom's of Maine sensitive winter mint version, because my teeth are pretty sensitive. 

Here's what is in Tom's toothpaste:

Sorbitol: is a type of sugar alcohol, found in fiber filled fruits like apples, pears, peaches, and prunes. As such, it may have a laxative effect. So don't eat it, just brush your teeth silly!

 

Water: is self explanatory. 

 

Hydrated Silicas: is a form of silicon dioxide. It's also known as silicic acid, which is an Opal when found naturally. It's grainy texture helps clean the surface of your teeth, particularly dental plaque.

 

Zylitol: is a type of alcohol sweetener. It has been shown to reduce tooth decay.

 

Glycerin:  is an ingredient that decreases how thick the final paste is. Tom's uses vegetable based, not animal. 

Organic Aloe leaf juice: as shared here, Aloe Vera helps freshen breathe.

Natural Flavors: are all natural! Such as herbs, fruits or flowers.

 

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: is a type/derived from salt. It helps water and oil mix so they can be rinsed away. It works as a cleaning agent to clean bacteria and food off of teeth. However, it looks like cankers sores are more common with this ingredient.

 

Cocamidopropyl Betaine: is probably used for it's antiseptic properties. It is made from coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamin.  Dimethylaminopropylamin is used in most detergents and soaps, but that is all I know.

 

Xanthan gum: is purified version of a bacterial coat of plant diseases. Sound ridiculous, but is an ingredient that keeps all of the product mixed thoroughly.

 

Titanium Dioxide: {from what I have read} appears to be a natural mineral, used for it's white color probably.

 

Potassium nitrate: is the main desensitizing ingredient. The layer under the tooth, dentin, is usually the main cause of sensitivity and potassium nitrate helps calm the nerves and inhibits the activity of the nerve endings.

 

Also, I'm not using a fluoride toothpaste. Although fluoride is natural, it's found to be a toxin when ingested. I'd rather just avoid it. 

Hey, this isn't medical advice. Most of my information comes from LiveStrong.com and Tom of Maine's website, as well as other various sources. Maybe there is a better alternative, and I'd love to hear it!