My Week On The Chopsticks Diet

Last week I read a diet tip from Jillian Michaels who advocated the use of chopsticks to reduce calorie intake. At first I laughed it off...and then I took it as a challenge. After all, how hard could it be to eat with nothing but chopsticks? Not to mention, some of the fattest countries use the knife, fork, and spoon. Some have said we are using our utensils as shovels here in America, so I decided to spend a week eating all of my regular foods, but with these unique eastern utensils. How long did I make it? Four days.

Breakfast really wasn't too challenging with the exception of being tedious. I don't always eat oatmeal but when I do, I wanna break my chopsticks in half and throw them across the room.

My only oriental meal. Costco sells these frozen vegetable/chicken pot-stickers, which are amazing but makes the house smell. I'd have to say this was probably my only meal where I didn't feel weird using chopsticks.

Grilled chicken with barbecue sauce. I spent some prep time cutting it into smaller pieces with a steak knife. I didn't consider it cheating because I wasn't using the steak knife directly.

Okay, this one was ridiculous. I don't even use American utensils to eat hummus and sugar snap peas, but in trying to keep up the experiment I used chopsticks anyways...and nailed it.  

Once again more prep work to eat with chopsticks. This culinary masterpiece is a cut up cliff bar and a plum. Not the easiest meal as plums can be slippery, but when you're pressed for time nothing beats a spoon.


So spending four days eating with chopsticks is definitely time consuming, albeit an eye-opening experience on how easy it is to rush through our meals. In fact many things in my life could probably use some chopsticks, like slowing down my days off. From now on I'm going to start waving my magical chopsticks around like a wand to improve mindfulness, which makes me wonder if in the 1700's we weren't burning witches at the stake, but people who were misusing chopsticks? As a final note (and probably what is in the back of everyone's mind), can you use chopsticks to eat gelato?
The answer is a defiant yes.

Daily Sparks...

• Lately I've seen a trend of people who are getting tattoos involving semi-colons. It's supposed to bring awareness to mental illness, but maybe it'll also bring awareness to people using improper English?

• Speaking of mental illness, I've completed my first week of abnormal psychology and have learned that mental illnesses are prevalent, treatable, and that not everyone is a serial killer. 

• My sister April is coming over this weekend for her birthday and I'm super excited!

• Currently I'm reading Fundementals of Photography: The Essential Handbook for Both Digital and Film Cameras by Tom Ang.

• Getting up at 4:30 in the morning for a photo adventure around Lake Stevens is just a little too early for going to bed at 10pm. I think on my next adventure I'll go to bed earlier.

Ground Control To Major Tom

This month marks the 46th anniversary of the first moonwalk (no not the Michael Jackson version); I'm talking about the Apollo 11 lunar landing. While some Stanley Kubrick fans may argue it never happened, the point is that outer space is fricken awesome! Here are 5 things that make the dark matter above us so impressive...

We found out where unicorns come from! Okay so not really, but at 5,200 light years away the Trifid Nebula has a striking resemblance to these mythical creatures.



It has been the backdrop for Star Wars since 1977.

This planet would be a girls best friend. Made up of a more than 30% diamonds, 55 Cancri e boasts a carbon-oxygen ratio that makes it a hot bed for manufacturing these gems. As a side note, its surface temperature reaches 3,900 degrees Fahrenheit and is 40 light years away, so don't expect mining anytime soon. 

For those into all things adventurous, Mars boasts the largest volcano and tallest mountain in the solar system (Olympus Mons), which is three times the size of Mount Everest so it's definitely not for the greenhorn hiker. If you thought Alaska was remote, try having things go south in outer space; the nearest rescue crew is a planet away. To see this play out, The Martian will be in theaters October 2nd.  

Hate constantly trying to beat the heat in summer? Although a lot more expensive than AC, a trip to the Boomerang Nebula (where temperatures get below negative 455 degrees) will definitely cool you down. 

Daily Sparks...

• I need to get my sleep schedule back on track; I make a terrible night owl.

• I'm itching for a photo adventure...Artist Ridge?

• Speaking of itching, I'm starting to get hives on my left hand now.  

• Painted my nails with China Glaze's Flip Flop Fantasy. It has a matte finish so I added a top coat to give it more shine, but let me warn you this stuff doesn't last long and chips off like crazy.  
  
  

Double Rainbow

Hi everyone! For this week's nail look I went with Black Gold, Texas Tea by CbL. I did two coats (waited 5min in between) and this morning I added a top glossy coat of Seche Vite to add shine and prevent from my nails from chipping. In natural indoor lighting this color looks like a dark gunmetal grey, almost black. I always use a base coat for whatever nail look I'm doing, but with this color it is a must since highly pigmented or dark nail polishes can stain your nails. 

 

While Black Gold, Texas Tea can look a little dull indoors, get this puppy in some lighting and BAM! COLOR EXPLOSION! Since this polish is a linear holo, in sunlight (or using the flash on my camera), a rainbow prism appears creating so much dimension it's like being sucked into a black hole. I must warn you that this color can be very distracting, so I probably wouldn't recommend it if you have issues with staying on task. That said, I will definitely be using this color again, just maybe not during finals week. 

Daily Nuggets...

• I switched to the IPhone 6 Plus. That thing is a monster in my hands but I've noticed I have a harder time losing it.

• My abs are super sore from working out yesterday. TRX is my new frenemy. 

• 75 Days until the wedding! Time is going by scary fast. Before I know it I'll be doing a blog post about how the wedding went. 

• Speaking of scary fast, summer quarter starts in 4 days and I have yet to purchase my abnormal psychology book or pay for the class. I should probably get on that.

• We finally got a grill! I don't know how to work it, but maybe Ken will teach me when I'm not so distracted by my nail polish. 

      

Why Failure Is Not A Bad Thing

Today I failed. I signed up for a beginners motorcycle class and the second day into the class I called it quits. I felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of coordination involved to steer, shift gears, speed up, slow down, and stop. In fact the only thing I was good at was stalling the engine. As the pace of the class picked up, I got to the point where I was scaring myself with my inability to control the bike, and decided it was best to quit now rather than spend the next few months rocking a body cast. So $125.00 down the drain, but I did learn a few valuable lessons.

• Failure does not mean it's the end of the world (unless you're on a mission to destroy an asteroid headed for earth).

• It's hard NOT to feel bad when we fail. No matter how we reason with ourselves, fighting back tears becomes an insurmountable task when we associate failure with feeling helpless. And it's okay to cry. It doesn't mean you're weak or you're flawed as a person. 

• Failing simply means you have to develop a new plan of action. Examine why you failed, and then try again with new viewpoint. 

• Do not define something as impossible over one failed attempt. As a stuntman, Evil Knievel suffered over 433 bone fractures in his lifetime. Ultimately he died of pulmonary disease in 2007, but the point is he never stopped believing in possibilities.

• Gauge how important your goal is. You certainly don't have to succeed at everything in life just to prove you're not a 'quitter.' Some things simply aren't worth any more of your time or effort. I once failed at putting a VCR back together and I've never lost sleep over it. 

• If you've identified that an objective that is important, resolve to try again. Don't allow negative thoughts over a few failed attempts stop you from reaching your goal.

 

I may try learning how to ride a motorcycle again but being in school and short on funds, it will probably be awhile.

 

 

Daily Nuggets...

• I saw Jurrasic World yesterday but was disappointed more tourists didn't get eaten. 

• Since father's day is over I'm scouring Craigslist for a used grill.

• Deciding what to do with tomorrow now that I don't have the motorcycle class to go to.

Deep Sea Treasure

Hi everyone! This week I've used two polishes out of my "A Box, Indied" for June to create an ultra glamorous nautical look. I've decided to call this look Deep Sea Treasure. I thought up a scenario behind this one. A pirate ship carrying a chest full of gold comes under siege in the Caribbean. While the ship goes down, the chest breaks open, laying its bounty on the crystal-blue sea floor.

For the base I used "Ships Ahoy" from DIFFERENT dimension, which is a blue linear holographic with glass flecks mixed in. You can definitely use this color alone, but I recommend at least two coats if doing so. On top I added "Pirate Booty," which is luxurious hexagonal gold glitter suspended in a clear base. This makes it perfect for top coats if you want to kick your polish up a notch. 

My favorite thing about these two polishes is the glam factor. Sometimes it's nice to do a flat creme, but during the summer when the sun is more prevalent, I love glitter and holo polishes that dazzle in the light. This is my first time trying these brands so I'll see what the staying power is and update this post in a week.

Daily Nuggets...

• I got a free mocha this morning at the Rainy Days Caffe (10th stamp).

• It would be nice to start getting up early again, just hopefully no 5am car side-swipes this time. 

• Summer quarter starts in 10 days. *grumble grumble grumble*

• I love buying journals/notebooks. I get a profound sense of possibility leafing through the blank pages.

• Time to organize mega desk.        

The Bechdel Test

Are the movies you watch promoting gender equality? Use the Bechdel test to find out.
First! The movie must have at least TWO women.
Second! The women must talk to each other.
Lastly (and this is the hard one) The conversation must be about something besides a man.

One of my favorite movies is The Man From Snowy River, so let's see if it passes the Bechdel test. 
Does it have two women? Yes, Jessica Harrison (the daughter of a wealthy cattle rancher) and Rosemary Hume (her aunt).
Do they talk to each other? Yes.
About something besides a man? No.
So while my movie does not pass the Bechdel test, at least I know using the test brings awareness to the inequality between men and women in the movies.

Things have improved since the 1970s. According to the Bechdel website, writers and directors are giving women more significant roles.
Movies that pass the Bechdel test have risen 25% in the last 25 years.

The only thing that worries me is that the numbers have stagnated. I can only hope as we make advances in societal equality, our movies continue to reflect that. 
  
So think of your favorite movie...does it pass the Bechdel test?

Daily Nuggets...

• I got my first scholarship from from the Hugh S. Cannon Foundation. Woohoo!

• Ken has been teaching me how to drive a manual. I didn't know cars and mechanical bulls could have so much in common. 

• My final biology test was posted, 93.25%!

• I've set my alarm for July 8th 12am. That's when Urban Decay's Naked Smoky palette comes out.

• There's supposed to be a new $10 bill coming out from the U.S. treasury in 2020 that features a woman. I wonder how my face would look in green?

Llarowe: A Box, Indied (June Edition)

Hello everyone! This is my first "A Box, Indied" from Llrowe. For the month of June the theme was 'Nauti(cal).' According to their website, you get "a themed monthly subscription box containing 5 exclusive full sized polishes or nail related items from 11 collaborating indie polish makers." This is a pretty sweet way to try multiple polishes from different makers. You can buy the nail polishes separately, but since some polishes run upwards of $14 you have the potential to save up to $20 with the $50 monthly subscription. I also enjoy having nail polishes selected for me as it forces me to try colors and finishes I wouldn't normally go with. Anyways, above you can see the box that the polishes came in. The box itself of course came inside of a USPS package. I feel like it is such a nice box, I may have to repurpose it for something else.

The polishes themselves were individually wrapped with what I can only describe as heavy tissue paper. I'm not exactly sure what the material is, but it definitely holds up to shipping.

Here are the unwrapped polishes along with a card that came inside the box. The brands and colors included for the month of June are as follows (from left to right):

Different Dimension - Ships Ahoy
Hare - Abalone Shores
Serum No. 5 - Whale Hello There!
Girly Bits - Pirate Booty
CbL - Stormy Seas

I must say I am quite pleased with all of the colors/finishes I received. At first I was a little unsure about the coloring with 'Whale Hello There!' as it seems rather bland at first glance, but turn off the lights and BAM! It glows in the dark! Super neat!

I have yet to try these colors out, but I should be redoing my nails either Friday or Saturday and will experiment with them then. I may also do a follow up post rating these polishes individually. Have a great week everyone!

Daily Nuggets...

• Bethesda had the most awesome E3 showcase yesterday! The Fallout 4 release date has been moved up to November 10th 2015. I'll attach the link below for those who are interested...

Bethesda E3 Show

• Took my social psychology exam this morning, so I only have my biology final on Wednesday!

• I have been hearing strange sounds on the roof. My life might be turning into an Alfred Hitchcock film. #TheBirds