{simplicity: to buy an island}

I've made a resolution for my cleaning to go green by the end of 2013.

I'm already doing pretty well with  my own dish detergent and laundry soap.
I also like natural toothpaste and deodorant.
But I think there is more room to improve.

I've also made my two usual resolutions: work out and cook at least 3 times a week.

You wouldn't know it based on my recipes I usually post, but I"m a fan of healthy eating.
So for the past week or so, I've been working out and eating lean, green, & clean.
I plan on sharing those recipes more often too.

I feel like my ultimate goal is to make 2013 more simple.
Our house has school, CPA exams, and work, while still staying in touch with our family and friends.
Part of the idea of simplicity was inspired by this movie. 

So, cheers to the man who said he wanted to buy an island, and did.

{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!