So, iTunes has these nifty widgets that I finally decided to share. The first one shows you which items I’ve reviewed – although I wish it would also show my reviews. The second one shows my favorites, but I’m not sure if it’s pulled only from the store or from my library because I certainly don’t waste my time favoriting items in the store, only in my library. The third one shows my purchases. I don’t know if it includes free items, but if it doesn’t then it will be a very bored widget! :-p
Jun 022009
Everyone knows what a Volkswagen Beetle is. It’s a very distinctive looking car driven by sadists. The newer models are typically driven by females while the older models can be driven by either gender without any negative social repercussions.
Most people know the game Punch Bug. It’s also known as Punch Buggy, Slug Bug, and even Skittles. I’ve never really understood how people justify calling it Skittles. I get that with the bright colors and rounded shape that it resembles the candy, but I’ve never associated Skittles with hitting and I don’t know many people who do. And before you say, “Well, what normal person associates hitting with cars,” keep in mind that the car is called a beetle and a good majority of people automatically squash (or hit) almost any bug within reach! So there! :-p
What is a punch bug?
A “punch bug” is any model of the Volkswagen Beetle. You can do a Google Image search and see what they look like. I went to the VW website and built one that I think would be fun to drive. Here’s what mine would look like:
Rules
There are a few basic rules that you should know before playing! Now, the rules can vary from person to person depending on lots of different things, so I’m sharing the rules that I use.
- Beetles in a VW dealership (used or new) do not count and cannot be called.
- Beetles in used car lots that are not specifically VW dealerships count, but are only worth half a point if you’re scoring.
- Scoring is optional, but should be decided on before playing.
- You can only hit once for each Beetle!
- You must call the Beetle before hitting.
- To call the Beetle, you say, “Punch bug, color, no punch backs!” ie: “Punch bug, red, no punch backs!”
Scoring Systems
With a basic scoring system, all Beetles are worth one point. Calling a punch bug on a car that isn’t a Beetle causes you to lose a point.
Using a more complicated scoring system can add a bit more fun to the game. These scoring systems are usually determined by the individuals playing. For example, if there is a Beetle that is almost always in a certain location, you can make that worth half a point instead of a full point since it will most likely be a race of who calls it first. Another common change is making any Beetles in used car lots worth half a point as well. I enjoy making convertible Beetles worth 1½ points. Also, considering some of the amazing artwork that some people have done on their Beetles, making those worth 1½ points is fun!
How To Play
Simply take a drive and keep your eyes open for Beetles. Call them as you see them and hope that you see them before the others in the car!
Good luck playing!
Apr 302009
So, I came across this interesting site about a month or so ago. I don’t really remember what I was looking for, but a recipe for a “sugar scrub” caught my eye and I bookmarked the recipe. I had never heard of sugar body scrubs before, but I’m ridiculously obsessed with my skin being soft! I figured I would give the recipe a try and (proving that I am so not the “everything-has-to-be-organic-and-green” type of person that are targeted on that site) I thought I could pick up the ingredients at Wal-Mart. [-x Ha!
Well, if Wal-Mart has the ingredients, I couldn’t find them, but I did find this:
I figured that it made more sense to buy something that was already made rather than run all over creation trying to find ingredients that I had never heard of. Besides, it was only about $6.00 and I was willing to lose that little bit on something that sucked provided that I wouldn’t lose a bunch of time, too.
Well, I lucked out and this stuff is incredible!! Even the heels of my feet are extra soft! I love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love this stuff! :-x The very first day I brought it home, I hopped in the tub and applied it carefully to my face. I’m really not sure why, but I left it on like a mask instead of rinsing it off immediately and I still do that. Then I moved on to my neck, arms, chest, torso, back (as best as I could), legs, and feet. Naturally, the bottoms of my feet were the least soft to start, although probably not as bad as most people’s feet are. However, for them to be as soft as they are is just astounding!
I’m still planning to try making my own and I found most of the ingredients I need on Amazon. Now I just need to get around to ordering it. :-p
In fact, over the next few months, I plan to try out several recipes. I’m stretching it out because I have very sensitive skin. I haven’t had any adverse reactions to the Shea Sugar Body Scrub, but that’s not to say that I won’t have a reaction to one of the recipes that I try. I want to make sure that if I have a bad reaction that I know which recipe I reacted to and, of course, I want to make sure that I know which ones work best.
I’m going to share the recipes that I’m hoping to try with you imaginary people out there. If you want to try these out, too, I highly recommend following the links (just click the name of the recipe) to the site and reading all the information and comments that they have about the recipes. I have been very basic and provided only the recipe mostly because this is for my own personal use more than to share with people. I’m actually printing this out when I’m done so that I have all the recipes together. :-D
DIY Coffee Grounds Body Scrub
- 5 tsp. ground coffee (used coffee grounds are fine)
- 1 tsp. sugar or salt
- 2 tsp. essential oil (avocado works well)
Mix ingredients together and using loofah rub in a circular motion all over your body. Leave on five minutes and then wash off.
Simple Sugar Scrub Formula
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Enough cold-pressed oil (olive, wheat germ, peanut, corn, or sunflower) to dampen the mixture
Gently massage this exfoliating scrub all over your body and face before you shower with a light soaping and rinse. Repeat once or twice a month.
Homemade Sugar Scrub
- 50 percent white cane sugar (note that organic sucanat, while the best choice for food, doesn’t work as well for this recipe)
- 50 percent vegetable glycerin to moisten the sugar (I used avocado oil since I was out of vegetable glycerin and it proved to be a successful substitute)
- Small amounts of aloe vera gel, vitamin C crystals, or anything healing that dissolves in water
- 1 or 2 drops of essential oil if desired (Larry recommends combining orange and lavender)
- Enough ground hibiscus powder for pink color (if desired)
Combine the ingredients in a bowl. Scoop some of the scrub onto your hand and massage gently onto your skin for a minute (the scrub will actually tighten onto your skin like a masque). Leave on for 3 to 4 minutes before rinsing.
Banana Body Sugar Scrub
- 1 ripe banana
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract or your favorite essential oil (optional)
In the shower, before turning the water on, slather the sugar mixture and gently massage over your body. For your face, gently massage plain banana there, avoiding the eye area. Rinse off with warm water.
Mash ingredients together with a fork into a chunky paste. Do not overmix or it will become too watery. If you want a banana scrub for your face, reserve some of the banana and mash it separately without sugar.
Sweet and Spicy Brown Sugar Body Polish
- 1 cup organic brown sugar
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- ¾ cup almond, soybeans, hazelnut, or macadamia nut base oil
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon, powdered
- 2 teaspoons ginger, powdered
- 2 teaspoons nutmeg, powdered
- 40 drops cardamom essential oil
Massage approximately ¼ to ½ cup of scrub onto pre-moistened skin using circular motions. Rinse.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine all ingredients except the essential oil. Using a whisk, blend ingredients thoroughly, making sure to break up any lumps of brown sugar or spice. Add the essential oil drop by drop, blending after each addition.
Spoon into a storage container with a tight-fitting lid.
Gentle Scrub for Fresher Skin Formula
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Chopped fresh tomato
- 2 tablespoons yogurt or sour cream
Allow formula to remain on skin for 10 minutes, then rinse with warm water and pat dry.
Place the sugar in a small bowl. Add enough fresh chopped tomato to moisten, then add yogurt. Combine and apply to a clean, damp face, using fingertips to gently massage the formula into skin.
That’s all I’ve got in the plans for now. Of course, I’ve been browsing through that site randomly clicking their links so that I end up with things that I wouldn’t have thought to look for and I have seen lots of other things that I might want to try.
Now, I’ll be honest, I’m don’t care all that much about the green movement, or whatever it’s being called. But I do recycle and I don’t really waste all that much to begin with. I also don’t care at all about the LGBT messages that the care2 site is promoting. However, just because I don’t agree with or buy into everything they are promoting doesn’t mean that I can’t still enjoy their site. I’m prefectly capable of overlooking the things I don’t agree with without throwing a massive temper tantrum about their opinions being different from mine.
Apr 182009
Okay, so I watch YouTube more often than I watch TV. I suppose this isn’t too much of a shock because I know lots of people who do that. However, the video that I want to share with you has been removed from YouTube. Copyright infringement or some junk like that. And that really sucks because the video is totally awesome! It’s made by the guy from the WasteTimeChasingCars channel. His name is Mac and he’s really funny! I spent some time last night enjoying a good number of his videos. It also helps that he’s absolutely adorable!
Anyways, the video that I wanted to share is a music video he made for a song called “Don’t Trust Me” by some group called 3Oh!3. You can watch the official video on their website, but I personally think that Mac’s is better. A lot better, especially considering that he can’t dance. Of course, neither can those other guys from the looks of it, but it totally helps that he’s a lot cuter than the guys in that group. Anyways, here’s Mac’s version of the video which he put on some site called Vimeo after YouTube was required to take his down:
So, what do you think? Isn’t he adorable? I don’t apply that word to too many guys, but look at that face. I love the look on his face for the very first part of the Helen Keller section. Although my favorite line in the whole song is, “I’m a vegetarian and I ain’t fucking scared of him!” My favorite part to watch is when he sings the line, “just another girl alone at the bar.” I’ve always been a sucker for a crooked smile. :-D
Oh, and the link under the video that says “asdf” is not my doing. For some strange reason, Mac didn’t bother to name the video correctly (I’m guessing to prevent it from being easily found in a search so that Vimeo won’t be forced to take it down as quickly as YouTube) and that’s how it’s labeled in the embed code. I didn’t want to change any of that code, not because I don’t know what I’m doing, but because I really didn’t feel like it. I’m lazy at heart. Besides, I think it’s kind of funny.
