I just made a quick pre-birthday & pre-Christmas video, on making my own aromatherapy skin cream & also my own Capsaicin pain cream. I enjoy DIY-ing a lot of things, many ideas of which I have gotten from YouTube.

 Thanksgiving is over, so it's time to start getting ready for Christmas! Here my 1st Christmas card video, set to some free Christmas music that I found here:  https://www.freexmasmp3.com/

I found some interesting new holiday freebies online, which I will share here. Here's an address where you might be able to get a free Christmas tree, in the US: 

http://www.thechristmastreeproject.org/request-tree.html

And here's information on where you can apply for a permit to cut your own tree, in BC: 

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/natural-resource-use/christmas-tree-permits/christmas_tree_cutting_info_personal_use.pdf

Monday, November 23, 2020

 Aren't we all looking for Christmas gift ideas, especially ones that won't break the bank?

Well, here's a few ideas: Select a good photo of the family, 8 x 10s are generally around $1 & many places have free offers from time to time. Select a pretty frame from the dollar tree & voila, a lovely gift for someone on your list.

For anyone who has access to a printer. Home-made calendars, with family photos. You can get an excellent free calendar program, here: https://photo-print-calendar-from-yokohama.software.informer.com/

Here's an excellent idea for someone who loves cooking &/or baking. Holiday-themed oven mitts, with matching hot pads &/or dish towels.

Or coffee mugs, in a small gift basket or bag, along with a small bag of coffee, or packets of hot chocolate, candy canes or other Christmas candy.

COVID19, masks & the environment.

I have found several places online where you can get free masks, many are already out. Here's a few that do not appear to be, yet. Koi mask kits,, you can try & get a free kit sent to you, or if you have fabric, you can download the instruction & a pattern from their website for free: https://www.koihappiness.com/freekit/ 

These Face Masks Made from Abaca Leaf Fibers Could Replace Synthetic Surgical Masks:  https://www.greenmatters.com/p/abaca-face-masks?gm&fbclid=IwAR1lSOqt-ALDx_lrtqbFFZe4VPPRQvOS49tpDbVuJtmvrzfMt5af9kdTvSc

I was unsuccessful at making one of these, perhaps you'll have better luck?  https://www.greenmatters.com/p/sock-mask-how-to?gm&fbclid=IwAR3GnAUxP4cSwx0-Nz2nJCdU99b_dKyf9K2WSL2km05RGwiEOOJCK-GnRJ4

The Best Sustainable Face Masks by Slow Fashion Brands:  https://www.greenmatters.com/p/sustainable-face-masks-august-2020?utm_source=Green+Matters&utm_campaign=3acb4f5b15-weekly11282018_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0cc8a36e46-3acb4f5b15-96295035

Here's an interesting article, with a free ebook, on the best way to wear & care for your mask.  https://d2saw6je89goi1.cloudfront.net/uploads/digital_asset/file/856681/Ultimate_MASK_GUIDE.pdf

Thursday, July 09, 2020
I was in an odd sort of mood today, so I searched for, & organized a bunch of different articles, on a variety of somewhat related topics.

The only thing I can say about this article, is Parenting done awesome!! Way to go, Mom!!
https://shareably.net/mom-backs-up-girl-hit-boy/?utm_source=tip&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=parents

These 2 articles gave me a chuckle, why does anyone have an opinion on what other people are wearing?  https://www.huffpost.com/entry/to-the-women-over-40-20-somethings_b_10223158?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000046

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-not-to-wear-after-ag_b_6656902

Did you know that it is legal for a woman to go topless anywhere that a man can, in New York, New Hampshire & all of Canada.  https://www.mtlblog.com/lifestyle/montreal-woman-walks-topless-on-saint-catherine-street#

Here's another article on women's right to go topless.  https://globalnews.ca/news/2729369/women-fight-for-the-right-to-bare-it-all-insist-sexual-double-standards-need-to-end/?sf27256974=1

I have to assume that Friday October 16 2015, was the slowest news day ever, otherwise why did Iggy Azalea end up in the news for wearing this outfit:  https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/iggy-azalea-low-cut-shirt-airport_n_5620ea4ae4b06462a13b951b?ri18n=true
I mean yeah, it's beautiful, but seriously? Why is it news?

Here's 2 articles on Zoe Saldana & her husband Carlos Saldana (formerly Perego) defying social convention on marital names.
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/zoe-saldana-husband-last-name-_n_7536974

https://www.upworthy.com/zoe-saldana-and-her-husband-are-making-us-reconsider-last-name-traditions-heres-why-thats-great?c=ufb1

I have been married 5 times, I only took my 1st husband's name because in 1977 in Ontario Canada, I needed his permission to keep my name. Hindsight being 20/20 I should have seen his refusal for the red flag that it was. My 4th husband took my name & 4 of my 5 children have my last name.

Wow, I sure miss the 60's & 70's, when they were getting rid of all the dress codes. I think the whole thing is ridiculous & wrong. If you aren't breaking whatever local public nudity laws apply where you live, it should be allowed. And that should apply equally to students & parents. The Oregon NOW (National Organization of Women) dress code is a good one (link is about 1/2 way down the article), if one is actually necessary, which it really isn't or shouldn't be.
https://www.upworthy.com/a-high-school-principal-created-a-dress-code-for-parents-it-s-being-called-racist-and-sexist

Here's a few more articles on dress codes: https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/9/13/17847542/students-waging-war-sexist-racist-school-dress-codes

https://www.racked.com/2018/7/2/17519874/dress-code-duct-tape-enforcement-violation

http://neatoday.org/2018/07/24/when-school-dress-codes-discriminate/

https://www.insider.com/school-dress-code-rules-controversy-2018-8#lori-ann-orr-says-her-son-a-student-at-laurens-middle-school-in-south-carolina-was-sent-to-the-principals-office-for-an-emerging-hole-in-his-jeans-18

This one at least seems slightly reasonable.  https://www.insider.com/illinois-high-school-body-positive-dress-code-2017-8

What's next?

June 17, 2020

This vlog post is about what's coming next, after the pandemic.

the funny 7 Oaks goose

I had some shopping to do in Abbotsford & missed my bus, so I crossed the street to get some sandwich meat & smokies at the deli. I saw that funny goose who likes to walk across the street, he seems to enjoy blocking traffic. I did some editorializing, probably NSFW language.

For Their Future

You know how sometimes you get a song stuck in your head & can't turn it off?

Because I watch TV online rather than on cable, they often play the same commercial 3 or 4 times in a row.

Now I have this song in my head!

making Tumeric capsules

I decided to make my own tumeric capsules, after reading & hearing about the health benefits. Since it is currently a very trendy & popular supplement, it's also pretty expensive. I bought 1,000 gelatin capsules on Amazon for about $15. But since I am a member of Swagbucks, I did some surveys & got $15 in gift cards, making them free to me. If you are curious interested in checking out Swagbucks, here's my referral link: https://www.swagbucks.com/refer/MichaelannD

UPDATE: If you've been reading my blog for a while or if you subscribe to either it or my YouTube channel, you may already know that I make my own tumeric capsules (February 04, 2020). ^ I recently discovered that one of my blue tank tops has tumeric stains that I cannot get out. I tried baking soda & vinegar, I tried bleach. No luck. I was about to throw it away when I realized that I should keep it & leave it in the kitchen with my apron. No point in wearing the apron with another shirt & getting it stained as well. Reminded me of when I was a kid, my mother would save a shirt that was already stained & I took it to school to use for art class. The perfect art smock, because who cared if it got stained.

it's snowing in Mission today

I decided to get some videos since it's snowing, but unlikely to stick. I took one video from my living room video & one downstairs outside the entrance to my building. I combined them into one video using All Free Video Joiner, which you can get here: http://www.allfreevideoconverter.com/index.html They have a lot of interesting & useful freeware audio & video software programs.

It's snowing!!

Friday, January 10, 2020

It was snowing when I got up this morning. I took some videos & some photos, which I pit together using Movie Maker, which is/was available for free from Microsoft.

Vlog on fast fashion, the environment & saving money.

Thursday, January 09, 2020

I just posted a new YouTube video on fast fashion, the environment & saving money. 

Check it out: