satur-interesting-day

today has been an interesting day.

i woke up early to drive awesome husband @_antgas to the airport.  he's in florida for a couple of days.  my brother and sister-from-another-mister are on a family vacation there (with her family).  i had a bucketful of jetblue points and halloween horror nights are going on at universal studios.  i hate scary things, but the three of them love shit like that.  so being the best wife EVER, i sent him to florida to go to the gym with his friend, smoke a cigar, and spend tomorrow at universal studios.  he'll get to go to harry potterville and drink butterbeer (damn him), see the new simpsons area, and spend the night getting scared.  the themes this year are 'the walking dead', 'the cabin in the woods', and 'evil dead'.

that's important.  'evil dead' is his like favorite movie.  and he loves 'the walking dead'.  and he made me watch 'the cabin in the woods' the other night and now i get why he liked it so much.  but seriously, 'evil dead'?  that's really what it's all about.  @_antgas loves it, loves it, loves it.

so after waking at the ass crack of dawn (actually, it was before dawn) and getting my vanilla soy latte on, i dropped @_antgas at the airport and turned around.  i also made my best time yet from queens county to my house waaay out in suffolk county.  i spent the morning cleaning at a leisurely pace.  i dusted the bedroom and living room.  i vacuumed the carpets and the couch and the cat beds.  i washed the kitchen and bathroom, including floors.  i cleaned the litter boxes and changed the towels.

i also made my first bottle of homemade all-purpose cleaner.  i used an empty spray bottle and filled it half with white vinegar and half water.  then i added like 40 drops of tea tree essential oil.  the vinegar smell fades and the tea tree is antibacterial, antimicrobial, and all around cleansing.

what did i not do today?  shave.

i'm married (read: have no one to impress) so i really only shave my legs once a week.  my hair is very fine, so even my stubble isn't like, really stubbly.  but i shave every friday or saturday (underarms are shaved as-needed).  the other day, i checked my under arms and they didn't look like the needed to be shaved.  i thought that was strange but whatever.

so yesterday i went to the city to work with dad and showered at like 5fuckingAM.  so no shaving done then.  but i realized that my leg hair was not growing.  i even had @_antgas feel my leg for stubble - nothing there.  which means that in eight days, i haven't grown any leg hair.  and i checked my under arms again, really checked.... nothing there, either.

i started researching why chemo drugs (like the methotrexate i'm on) make you lose your hair.  it's not that they make you lose your hair - your hair stops growing.  methotrexate stops certain types of cells from splitting and regenerating and whatnot (like ho cancer grows).  hair also grows like that.  so methotrexate stops your hair cells from splitting and growing.  when a strand of hair falls out of your head, it's falling out of the hair follicle.  methotrexate stops a new hair from forming and growing in that follicle.

so your hair doesn't fall out from chemo.  your hair falls out naturally (we all lose like a thousand hairs a day).  on chemo drugs, your hair doesn't grow and replace those fallen-out-hairs.

if my leg hair isn't growing, and my armpit hair isn't growing, doesn't it follow that the hair on my head is not/will not be growing?

in addition to spending some time researching that kind of shit, i spent some time freaking out and worrying and wondering and wishing that this didn't happen to me.  RA is a lot bigger than i thought it would be, and it's affecting me in more ways than i anticipated.  especially emotionally.

on top of that, i'm breaking out and nauseous more often than i care to admit.  and i'm not really hungry very often.  on one hand, that's good because maybe i'll lose some weight.  on the other hand, it's not that good because eating is important to staying healthy.

fuck.  times like this i wish i still drank.

instead, i'll take another pill or two like a good girl and go to bed to let my body rest.  tomorrow will be better.

wool dryer balls!

i know! it's exciting!  i've been working on these for a few weeks and i think they've finally felted.

it's okay, i didn't know what 'felting' was either.  until i made wool dryer balls.

sounds strange, right?  i stopped using dryer sheets and static cling was becoming an issue with some items.  adding plastic balls (shaped like hedgehogs) helps dry clothes faster, but it's possible for chemicals to leach out.  wool dryer balls help both: they tumble around and help your clothes dry faster, and they help cut down static.  because they absorb some of the moisture and release it into the dryer, they help keep the humidity higher, which reduces static*.

*or so i'm told.  i'm not a scientist or whatever field would understand this.  it just is.

it cost me $7 to buy enough wool for six dryer balls (wool yarn was on sale!).  you can also use a secondhand sweater or afghan - be sure it's 100% wool yarn and unravel it.

it's going to be photo heavy.  mostly because there's not, like, real instructions.  so enjoy!

start with a skein of wool yarn.  or however you have your wool yarn.  it has to be wool.  i chose this multicolored wool yarn.  i think it's purdy.

wrap it around your fingers a few times, as shown.

take the yarn off your fingers and wrap some yarn around the middle, making it look like a little bow!

fold it in half or smash it together or whatever and start wrapping the yarn around to make a teensy ball.

guess what - keep wrapping.  it makes a bigger ball!  keep going and going....

apparently, cartoons are correct.  cats do like yarn.  jake was very interested in what i was doing. 

he was enjoying the yarn.  he got his fang stuck in it.  it was cute.

so this is about the size you want.  i got three balls from each skein of wool yarn.  stick the end of the yarn back in the ball, or secure it under a few strands.  whatever you want.

get an old knee high or the leg of an old pair of pantyhose.  put the finished ball in the toe and tie an knot.
   

make three more balls (or however many) and add those to the knee high/pantyhose.  tie a knot after each, so each dryer ball has its own little nylon coat.  or whatever. 

i made three dryer balls in this color too.  very fall.

so here you see all six dryer balls in my old knee high.  the knee high/pantyhose helps keep the yarn together for the next step.

continue to allow a cat to play with the wool yarn dryer balls.  jake was confused.

so at this point, you'll have your wool yarn in balls.  like a little smaller than a tennis ball, i would say.  once the balls are in their nylon coats, you're going to want to wash and dry them.

i hear you - you can't wash and dry wool!  that's the point here.  we're trying to felt the wool yarn.  wash the knee high full of wool dryer balls in HOT water (i washed with my towels and sheets) and then dry them on HIGH (dried them with my towels).

some reviews online said you only had to wash/dry them once to felt them.  felting them kind of makes the yarn melt into itself, so each strand is like attached to another strand.  it won't unravel (ideally).  and that's why each ball is in a knee high - to keep it intact and from unraveling during the felting process.

now, i didn't think they had really 'felted' after one wash.  i ended up washing them three or four times in hot water and drying them on high heat.  each strand of yarn is kind of attached to another strand, but they're not totally felted.  i have washed/dried them with clothes already, and there was no unraveling.

after three or four trips through the laundromat, i have new dryer balls!

you can still see each individual strand of yarn, but if you felt it, it feels pretty smooth.  like, if you really wanted to, you could dig your fingernail under a strand and separate it, but don't do that.  the more they are washed in water and dried in the dryer, they will felt more.

you can kind of see on this one that the strands are more melded together.  

the more i use these, the more they will felt.  online comments from other bloggers show that these can last YEARS.  if you like some scent in your dried clothes, some people add a few drops of essential oil to the wool dryer ball.  i'm not doing that because i have scent added to my HOMEMADE LAUNDRY SOAP!  which you'll learn about soon enough.  it's almost time to make another batch.

so now you can stop using dryer sheets.  they do nothing but coat your clothing with chemicals, coat the inside of your dryer, and fill landfills.  these are economical and green and fun.  now, i still have a little static with some poly-blends, but i've taken to line drying most of them (i don't have a lot of stuff like that).  oh, and instead of using fabric softener - vinegar.  i just dump in about 1/8 of a cup of white vinegar into the softener compartment for each load.  it helps rinse out the soap and other contaminants and, if you own your washing machine, it will help keep it clean and fresh.  and your clothes will not smell at all like vinegar.

let me know if you make them and if you love them! and please, feel free to pin the hell out of any of my DIY or recipes.  follow me on pinterest!  i'm on tumblr now, too.  i haven't added buttons about that yet.  because.  i just haven't.

cleaner oatmeal

i don't even like oatmeal.  yuck.

awesome husband @_antgas decided that he wanted something else for breakfast.  oatmeal.  and of course i'm not going to shell out money for the man in the hat's tiny instant envelopes of crap.  have you read the ingredients?

so i got on teh interwebz and started my research.  i ended up finding out how one makes oatmeal (because i didn't know how).  i learned the difference between instant and quick cook and steel cut omfg i hate oatmeal.

awesome husband requested cinnamon raisin (holy shit i hate raisins too.  what goes on?).  i trekked to to the store to get the necessary ingredients (for this AND a cold salad that he requested.  expect another fucking post on that.  i promise, i don't intend for this to be a recipe/craft blog.  i just keep doing things.  no photos on this one.  because i'm not making the oatmeal.  because it's disgusting.  (no, really, i'm sure this tastes delicious if you like oatmeal.)

cleaner eatin' sorta-instant cinnamon raisin oatmeal

• 6 cups of quick cooking oats of your choice (check the ingredients to make sure there isn't any added shit.  the entire 18oz canister is 6 cups)
• 6oz raisins (i just bought a 12oz box and used like half)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (break it up, put it through a sifter, whatever you need to do)
• 4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

i put this all in one big glass bowl and mixed it all up.  i had to touch the raisins and break some of them up because they stuck together.  is that a thing?  hmph.  

then i portioned out 1/2 cup of the oat mixture into a baggie.  it made 15 baggies.  i wrote the instructions on each one.  for 1/2 cup of oatmeal mixture, add 1 cup of water or milk.  microwave for 2 minutes (maybe try 1.5 minutes first?  it might vary depending on your microwave).

conversely, you could boil said milk or water and then mix in the oatmeal.  cook for one minute.

i hope it's good.  i'm told it's good.  so, you know.  enjoy it.

super easy stir fried vegetables

i know, i know.  too many recipe posts.  but i keep making things and dug out my old olympus that i love taking photos with.  so here we go.

i make it really easy by using a bag of frozen vegetables.  i know, right?  i use this birds eye green been stir fry blend to be ultra lazy - it even has some noodles in it.  you could really use any frozen veggie stir fry blend and some noodles.  if you use pasta or noodles that need to be boiled, i'd cook them to al dente and then mix them in at the end.  check the directions on your chosen noodles - some noodles like rice noodles only need to be steeped in hot water, not boiled.  and i guess you could serve this over rice if you prefer.  remember, i'm not a big measurer, but i try.  it's so important to measure when your'e baking because that's all chemical reactions, but i cook by smell and taste usually.

super easy stir fried vegetables

it tastes pretty damn good, and even better because it's so simple to make.  i assemble all my spices and what not first, and then get to cooking.  i serve the entire bag for awesome husband @_antgas and me.  it's a decent sized, not too heavy dinner. 

• coconut or olive oil (like a tablespoon)
• 16oz bag of frozen veggie stir fry blend (or approximately 16oz of your chosen frozen veggies.  think carrots, broccoli, peppers, onions, asparagus, water chestnuts)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup vegetable stock
• 4 tsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 1/4-1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
• grated fresh ginger (like, 1/8tsp?)
• sesame oil and sesame seeds for finishing

a bunch of the ingredients are really for the sauce.  i use better than bouillon organic veggie base.  i take my pyrex measuring cup and heat up 1/4c water in the microwave, then add 1/3tsp of the veggie base to combine.  then i can use that measuring cup for all the liquid stuff.

1. put the coconut or olive oil in your pan over medium heat.
2. add in your veggies - i toss them all in at once.  cook over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.  since the veggies are frozen, it should take 5 or 6 minutes.  BUT halfway through this, i add in the garlic.  i don't like to add it at the beginning because i'm afraid it will overcook.
3. while your veg are cooking, take your 1/4c of broth in a small bowl (or pyrex measuring cup) and add in the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes.  mix that up.
4. once your vegetables are cooked (i usually want them just not frozen and warm through) add in the liquid.
5. keep simmering - probably medium/medium-low heat - for a couple of minutes.  the liquid should reduce by about half, maybe a little more depending on your preference.
6. grate on some fresh ginger.  or add a bit of dried, powdered stuff.
7. remove from heat and splash about 1/2tsp of sesame oil on top.  mix in and plate.
8. once your veggies are plated, sprinkle some sesame seeds on top - just a bit.  i use both white and black sesame seeds because i love the look of black sesame seeds.

yum.  just enough heat in the sauce coating the crisp veggies.

yummy and pretty darn easy.  the hardest part for me was getting the damn jar of better than bouillon open.  i have a big jar and it's hard for me to open.  luckily awesome husband @_antgas is stronger than i am.  you can play with the sauce recipe too.  don't like ginger?  don't add it.  like it hotter?  add some sweet chili sauce.  want more protein?  marinate cubes of chicken or firm tofu in a mixture of hoisin sauce and brown sugar.  then dredge in flour and fry.  play with it and make it your own.

positivity?

it's so hard to remain positive sometimes.

you may remember in one of my recent blog entries i talked a little about being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis - RA.  i was happy and sad about being diagnosed.  happy because now we know what's wrong with me and can try to treat it to alleviate the symptoms.  sad because i don't want to be on an immune suppressor forever.  or even not forever.

now that my rheumy knows how advanced my RA is thanks to the ultrasound, she wanted to start me on medication.  we discussed it on friday over the phone.  i'm going to take methotrexate and a folic acid supplement.  she also warned me to use two forms of contraception because you do NOT want to get pregnant on methotrexate (i let her know that isn't a problem any longer).  dr. rheumy called in the prescriptions and i figured i'd pick them up on saturday.  just didn't feel like it on friday.

of course, i started googling things.  and i probably shouldn't have.  but i found out that methotrexate is a chemotherapy drug.  it's used to treat people with cancer.  it's a cancer drug.  do you get it?  because i didn't at first.  i kept checking other websites, thinking that one must be wrong.

it's.  a.  chemo.  drug.

i started checking some RA message boards to find out people's experiences with methotrexate.  people on a lower/similar does than i'm going to take have lost their hair.

i kept searching for info.  i found an excellent website called RA warrior.  with an info page that says the day you're diagnosed with RA, your mortality risk doubles.  it also says that studies show people with RA have a 10-15 year SHORTER lifespan.

so, i was starting to get a little depressed.  i mean, more than normal.

i knew that RA was a serious disease, but i thought it was just, like, a disease.  like you take pills and you exercise and everything will be fine.  i didn't think that it was this far reaching.

i should have.  it's an AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE.  yes, RA specifically seems to attack the joints.  but it's your own immune system attacking your body.  other body parts can be involved; it is a whole-body disease.

i'm terrified of taking my first dose.  i was thinking about putting it off indefinitely.  i thought about going and getting rip roaring drunk tonight and then taking the pills another day (i haven't drank in almost 9 months).  i thought about saying 'fuck it' and just dealing with it.

until awesome husband @_antgas said something along the lines of 'and be in a wheelchair by the time you're 40'.

oh, well then.  good point, i suppose.

so after the walking dead premier tonight (if i make it through it because i've been quite sleepy) i'll be taking my first dose of methotrexate.  i'm trying to stay positive and trying to focus on the good, but it's been pretty hard.  most people say the first day or two (or four for some people) after taking the methotrexate are bad - it's hard to get out of bed, eat, bathe, anything.  here's hoping it's not too bad for me.  maybe the worrying will be worse than the actual side effects.

vegetarian potato soup

today i'm making potato soup.  it's a recipe that i modified from cara at pearls, handcuffs, and happy hour to make vegetarian so my brother could eat it too.  to give many of my vegetarian dishes that meaty, umami flavor, i add better than bouillon vegetable base.  it is the 'meatiest' flavored vegetable base/broth that i've found.  they also make a no-beef beef flavored base and a no-chicken chicken flavored base.  i prefer to use the vegetable base.  i use it anytime chicken or beef broth is called for in a recipe.  i've had great success using it in risottos, with portobello mushrooms to make cheesesteaks, and in stir fried meals.  (i have not received any special stuff for mentioning better than bouillon... but would love free samples if they want to share!)

i used 42oz of filtered water and about 4 teaspoons of vegetable base... give or take.  it smelled meaty and good.

i've tried to find a balance between cost, organic ingredients, and accessible ingredients.  i don't always have time to order shit online or drive all over the place to get good stuff.  ore ida is a brand i trust, and they add minimal ingredients for preservation.  i'm using an organic cream of mushroom soup for the first time (i tried making this once with an organic cream of cheddar and broccoli - everyone else liked it, i didn't love it).  as for cheese... well, the amount of cheese awesome husband @_antgas and i eat makes it very cost prohibitive to shop all organic and whatnot.  we usually use stop & shop brand cheeses but really... cheese is pasteurized milk, enzymes, salt, and sometimes color.  i'm comfortable enough with their ingredients, even though they are not organic.  and for this recipe, i purchased the onion down the road at a local farmstand.  i've been trying to get as much produce as i can there.  but i have actually used frozen diced onions before with excellent results - and they're very convenient because you can just grab a handful and add them to whatever.

Vegetarian Potato Soup

delicious.  and it reheats rather well - we reheat it in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring regularly.

ingredients:

• one bag of frozen shredded hash browns (30oz bag)
• 42oz of vegetable broth (or 3 14oz cans of your chosen broth)
• 1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup (or other cream based soup - cream of chicken, cream of cheddar)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 8oz package cream cheese - use a full fat brick (low fat or whipped seem to melt funny for me)
• 1/2tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• shredded cheddar cheese (a small handful/big pinch to top each bowl)
• a handful of scallions/green onions, chopped (appx. 1tbsp per bowl)
• bacon bits to your heart's content (seriously, check the ingredients of most bacon bits - there is NO BACON, NO MEAT in most of them)

BOOM - you're ready to go.  get your shit together and clear a spot on your counter top - remember, most slow cookers get pretty darn hot on the sides, so you want a few inches of space on all sides.  plug it in and set it to low!

1. dump in your frozen shredded hash browns.
2. pour in your 42oz of broth.
3. pour in your condensed cream soup (do not add extra liquid).
4. dump in that chopped onion.
5. crack some pepper.
6. put the top on and leave it the hell alone for 6-7 hours.

   

   mix it all up good.  cover and leave it alone.  if you're like me, you can peek/sniff/stir a couple of time.

7. at hour 7, add in the cream cheese.  some people leave it out to get to room temperature before adding.  i cut it into little hunks and drop them in, stirring to combine.  
8. cook on low for 1 more hour. 
9. if your cream cheese is not completely combined, taking a whisk to the soup should help combine it.  you want it all mixed in to achieve a nice, smooth, creamy consistency.
   
   

   

   add in the cubed cream cheese.  whisk it up if needed.

10. put in huge ass bowls; sprinkle with a bit more fresh cracked pepper, some cheddar cheese, scallions, and bacon bits like woah.  some people report adding a dollop of sour cream too.  i hate sour cream, so fuck that.
11. eat the hell out of the soup because it's really good.

    
    

    a bowl full of deliciousness.  that's a bit of extra sharp new york cheddar cheese, scallions, and mccormick bacon bits - vegetarian friendly!

pop any leftovers in a plastic storage thingy and stick it in the fridge.  leftovers are just as yummy.  

rheumatoid arthritis

i have a fancy recipe blog all set and ready to post.  photos uploaded, things tagged, deliciousness ready to send your way.

i don't think i've harped on too much about my body aches and pains, but this post from last month should cover some of it.  the doctor initially said it wasn't RA because of the knuckle involvement.  when we got the results of the first round of bloodwork, my inflammation levels were higher than normal and i had a vitamin d deficiency, which *could* cause some joint pain.  she decided to put me on prednisone and ordered another blood test called vectra da which tests for specific protein markers for rheumatoid arthritis.

the prednisone helped, while it was over 5mg a day.  once i dropped it down as directed, everything came back in full force.  i didn't even realize how much it had been helping until then.  i went back today for an ultrasound 'event'.  they have an RA specialist from the midwest out teaching the rheumy doctors in the practice how to use ultrasound to help diagnose special cases.  my doctor called me because she thought i'd be a good candidate.  i know now that she thought i'd be a good candidate because she wasn't 100% sure where to go with me.  my vectra da score came back at 51 - which is high and shows a lot of disease activity.  my rheumatoid factor is negative, but that can happen early in the disease.  once she did the ultrasounds, she's 100% sure i do have RA and wants to speak with me tomorrow about starting on medication.

rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease.  basically, it seems that my immune system has identified  my synovium - the membrane that lines my joints and helps protect them - as something to destroy.  which means my own immune system is trying to kill my joints.  after time, the joints wear down and become deformed, which is stupid.  so now they're going to try to put me on a DMARD - something that suppresses my immune system.

so my own immune system won't attack my joints, but it will leave me susceptible to other things.  like, you know, the flu.  colds.  illnesses.  viruses.  etc.  damn it.

i'm a little pissed.  i'm sad and scared too, but mostly kind of angry at my own body for betraying me like this.  which is stupid.  but not that stupid.  because it's like HEY BODY WHAT IS THE BIG IDEA OF FUCKING ATTACKING ME??? AREN'T WE SUPPOSED TO WORK TOGETHER?

at least i know why i've been so achy and ouchy and tired and whatnot.  that counts for something, right?  at least now i know what we can try to do to make it better.  i guess that's all i can do.

bah.  i think i need a nap *yawn*....

vinegar... who knew?

i mean, i'm sure like our grandmothers or great grandmothers knew.  before all the chemicals, before all the clorox and windex and scrubbing bubbles, vinegar was the go to cleaner.

and with so many people looking for ways to cut chemicals from their lives, it's regaining popularity.  you can't read a green or eco-cleaning blog without wanting to run out and grab a bottle.  i started with a small bottle, then a larger one, and now am planning on buying it by the gallon.

right now, i'm cleaning my dishwasher (yes, i know) with two cups of vinegar on the top rack.  it's supposed to clean and freshen it.  i checked for crap first, and then i rubbed the sides and seals with a vinegary rag.  especially that crease at the bottom where the door closes - there was a ton of shit stuck in there.

i've also been using it in place of a fabric softener.  i put about 1/4 cup in the fabric softener spot in the washing machine at the laundromat.  my clothes do not come out smelling like vinegar, but fresh and soft.  i'm still having some static issues with my sheets and towels, but i'm working on fixing that... but that's another blog.

i've also found some recipes for more natural cleaning options.  i had been buying meyer's cleaning products (an all purpose/counter cleaner and a scrubbing powder).  they are pricey.  i've been researching ways to make countertop cleaners with vinegar and essential oils.  so i can just buy a spray bottle and mix up my spray cleanser.  need more scrubbing power?  sprinkle some baking soda on the surface, spray a bit of the cleanser, and scrub away.

awesome husband @_antgas has put his foot down with a firm hand about dishwashing soaps though.  he wants to keep using store bought stuff.  i figure it's a good compromise - i'm making our laundry soap, using vinegar as a softer, incorporating it into our cleaning routine.  it's going to save money and the environment (or so i'm told).

now, why am i doing all of this?  once we started trying to eat cleaner, i realized how many chemicals we are surrounding ourselves with and depositing in the water table.  it started with laundry soap - and when we realized how well it worked and how little it cost, we were sold.  i learned about the chemicals that are deposited on our clothes when we use dryer sheets, and i stopped using them immediately.  the other hold outs are scrubbing bubbles shower cleaner - i purchased a four pack on sale at costco, and omg it works so well - and rug cleaner.  three cats vomit up hairballs and whatnot.  i need to be able to clean that out of our rented apartment carpets.

oh, and i bought professional chemical-filled upholstery cleaner for the car.  but i had pee on my passenger seat.  so fuck that.

but where will we draw the line?  i've already found one line - personal care products.  i love my shampoos.  i love my dove soap.  i love my makeup and my face cleansers and i don't know how well all natural stuff will work.  most of my makeup is organic and/or hypoallergenic and what not.  i'm in love with tarte stuff with amazonian clay.  as far as face cleansers, some people swear by nice, gentle cetaphil for cleansing, witch hazel for toner, and olive or coconut oil for moisturizing.  i'm not there yet.

anyway, my father revbobdad says i'm turing into a big, crunchy, fucking hippie.  i don't think that's quite true, but we are trying to live healthier.  it's all about balance.  another thing i won't change - cat litter.  i don't care how dusty or unnatural or whateverthefuck my cat litter is - it clumps, my cat's don't hate it, and it absorbs odors.  no discussion there.

i even bought label thingies that i can print for my stuff.  i can make or find pretty labels and print them out on my printer and slap them on my laundry soap container and my spray stuff and omg i'm so excited!  it is possible that laundry soap may show up on my holiday gift lists because it's eco-friendly, wallet friendly, and personal.  i've also had a strange urge to crochet.  mostly because i saw this:

image from http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/newborn-guinea-pig.  omg so cute!

then, of course, i found other things.  like little crocheted cats and squids and omfg i have no idea what i'd do with all these tiny crocheted animals but i want them all.

so, anyway.  i'm busy doing absolutely nothing.  just cleaning with vinegar, assaulting pinterest, and considering learning how to crochet.  you know, the usual.