#like they smell super overly sweet just in the jar

[serendipetite]

the fruity pebbles candle from walmart. that is the post. 

#they smell sooooo good #like they smell super overly sweet just in the jar #but when you light it and it gets all warm.....oh my lanta #i sound like a Candle Mom(TM) omg

[stuff-from-the-void-matron]

My MC Headcanons (Potions)

Awkward Potion

• Smell - An empty but clean room. Not dusty or super clean, just that odd middle ground of ‘not lived in but livable’.

• Taste - Like room temperature water. Only difference is the barely noticeable film on the top of the potion to show it’s not plain water.

Thick Potion

• Smell - Air, but ‘thick’ air. No I won’t explain further.

• Taste - Exactly like thick water, down to the almost syrupy consistency. Only way to differentiate the two is the vague potion fumes the Thick Potion gives off.

Mundane Potion

• Smell - Barely there vanilla that’s so insubstantial that most people miss it.

• Taste - A very watered down wintergreen oil flavor that almost blends into the vanilla scent.

Potion of Healing

• Smell - Healing potions have a strong natural sweet floral scent, similar to roses or meadowsweet. It can be overwhelming if you smell too deeply.

• Taste - If you make the potion right then it has a fresh olive oil that goes down smoothly and leaves a little tingle on your tongue.

Potion of Strength

• Smell - Smells strongly of cinnamon with turmeric undertones. 

• Taste - Very flavorful, like sugary spiced cinnamon. Some have described it as tasting very similar to the Red Hots candy. Some find it nice while others dislike it. It’s just a matter of personal taste.

Potion of Fire Resistance

• Smell - An almost milky room temperature strawberry custard that smells like it was cooked in the pot a bit too long and almost burnt.

• Taste - It tastes heavily of cream cheese with some bursts of strawberry. The burnt flavor is stronger when tasting than smelling.

Regeneration Potion

• Smell - A bag of pretzels. Just a regular bag of pretzels.

• Taste - The dominant flavor is still actually pretzels. But the aftertaste is less nice. Because it tastes like your sweat. You know when you’re sweating and you lick your lips and you get a brief salty taste of your own sweat? Yeah that is the aftertaste of this potion. Enjoy.

Night Vision Potion

• Smell - Carrots, obviously. But it’s not as strong as you’d expect. 

• Taste - Again, carrots, clearly. But there’s a gentle sweetness to it as well. And besides that you also get an almost buttery twang at the end. 

Potion of Swiftness

• Smell - Roses, but very strong. Very sweet smelling. Enough to make you at least wrinkle your nose and lean back to escape the overly fragrant scent.

• Taste - Candied rose petals. Cloyingly sweet enough to make your jaw buzz from the sugary taste.

Invisibility Potion

• Smell - A faint acrid scent, almost like old socks. Unpleasant. 

• Taste - It has a mild fermented flavor thanks to the fermented spider eye, but it also has a slightly bitter, earthy undertone that some have described as being similar to aged Stilton cheese.

Potion of Water Breathing

• Smell - It really depends on how fresh the pufferfish you used for the potion was. Fresh pufferfish gives the potion a sea breeze scent. But the older the pufferfish the more ‘fishy’ it will smell. 

• Taste - Again, it depends on the freshness of the pufferfish. The fresher it is the better it will taste, like a subtle cool taste with a hint of iodine and cucumber. But if older pufferfish is used then it tastes uncomfortably salty. 

Potion of Harming

• Smell - Honeydew and melted butter. A very disarming scent for something that can hurt you. Best to keep out of reach of children since the sweet smell is often very misleading to those who don’t recognize it for what it is. 

• Taste - Melon but it tastes utterly artificial. And it’s so chemically sweet it causes pain in your teeth and jaw. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the aftertaste is likened to fermented liver an onions. The utterly jarring shift from the saccharine sweetness of the melon to the malodorous flavor of the liver and onions has been said to make the damage you take from the potion SO much worse.

Potion of Poison 

• Smell - Vaguely like vinegar on first whiff but if you go in for a second smell you’ll be surprised to note a strange and unidentifiable sweetness underneath it. 

• Taste - Like slimy uncooked shrimp and a mystery spice. Not terrible but not in any way good either. But strangely fitting for a potion of poison.

Slowness Potion

• Smell - It has a heavy musky scent to it, like the air wafting off of the potion is somehow more dense than the air around it. But aside from the musk it smells quite similar to agar.

• Taste - Awful, just simply awful. Like fermented soybeans blended with raw goat milk. If you can get this potion down without gagging then you’re not normal.

Potion of Weakness 

• Smell - The unpleasant scent of burning cinnamon that feels like it’s singing your nose hair with every whiff. Very unpleasant. Hurry to cork this potion so the whole room you’re in doesn’t stink like it.

• Taste - It tastes like warm pickles and sweaty candy corn. A truly dreadful combo that will definitely make you gag.

Leaping Potion

• Smell - It’s stinky, but in that good way that all pets stink. A comforting stinky. Which is a bit sad considering you had to kill a rabbit to make this potion.

• Taste - Almost tastes like tepid bone broth. Not a terrible taste all things considered but try not to burp after drinking it or you’ll start to taste cartilage. Which is less nice.

Potion of Slow Falling

• Smell - It has a salty odor to it. Not particularly overpowering to the point where it would knock you off your feet but it’s still the aromatic equivalent to a slap to the face. Likened to Spirit of Hartshorn.

• Taste - Somehow slimy and watery at the same time. And tastes suspiciously like bland calamari and mushroom broth. How well you handle the taste depends on how much you enjoy raw sea food.

Potion of Luck

• Smell - Fresh morning dew and peaches. A bright and nice scent that gives you a boost of energy. Or so the few who have had this sought after potion have said~

• Taste - A bit of a peppery flavor (but not too strong) on top of a fresh crisp taste. Almost like seasoned raw watercress. Really puts some pep in your step.

Turtle Master Potion

• Smell - Strangely enough this potion smells like salted meats, a jerky scent. Most find the smell pleasant or at least not bad. 

• Taste - Like a fatty meat, savory and delicious. Some have even likened the flavor to that of cooked veal. Though it’s not spiced or seasoned at all so it’s a good taste but not necessarily a great taste.

Potion of Decay

• Smell - The unholy combination of rotting meat and rancid compost. I feel like if you smell this and then drink it anyways then you deserve the wither effect.

• Taste - The taste is three times as bad as just the smell. It tastes like you’re drinking stagnant fetid swamp algae. But again, why are you drinking this? 

#Minecraft #Minecraft potions #potions #mc #mc potions #minecraft headcanon

[hunterscoffee]

Promptlist One: #16, #20

Masterlist Hughie Campbell x Reader Warnings: None.  Word Count: 679 A/N: Just a second warning that this is not my best work.

Sunday morning. The delicate sound of Sam Cooke floated through the apartment as the sun warmed the room. It wasn’t all that late, but it seemed as if time was stagnant, unmoving even though the seconds ticked by. You didn’t want to leave the comfort of your bed, but the smell of pancake batter cooking wafted towards you. You had to physically summon the motivation to sit up. The room was a mess, clothes had been thrown on the floor from yesterday’s activities and a small pile of uni workbooks were scattered in the corner.

The curtain’s opaque meant the room had a golden light to it, sunlight filtering through the white fabric. A glance over the clothes told you nothing you owned was all that clean and so you stood, with the duvet still wrapped around you for warmth and headed towards the closet. The doors creaked slightly when they were opened, but revealed an array of sweatshirts. Not belonging to you. Without blinking you removed the grey hoodie with the fuzzing lining from its hanger and pulled it over your head. You spent a second rummaging through a draw to find a pair of sweatpants, then padded out to the kitchen and the source of that smell only for your jaw to drop like one of the cartoon characters off old-timey slapstick shows.

“Is that my dress?” You asked, stifling a laugh at the image of Hughie Campbell, expression of pure focus while he flipped a pancake over the stove, wearing your long, floral dress.

“That’s my shirt.” He said, not even needing to look at you to confirm that you were indeed wearing his shirt.

“Why does it look better on you?” You scrunch your nose up.

“I look good in everything.” He said with mock-hurt.

“Fair enough,” You shrugged, hoisting yourself up on the kitchen bench beside the plate of pancakes. “Is this why you wanted to get Nutella?” You asked, recalling his shopping request.

“Perhaps, but also Nutella goes on everything.” He answered, eyes still on the pan.

“Pasta?”

“I reckon so.”

“You're a psychopath,” You said, shaking your head as you opened the jar and slid a knife around the metallic film covering the sweet spread. “Can we do something today?”

“Like what?” He asked, turning the stove off.

“That big fish thing where you get to watch them swim around.”

“Aquarium?” He laughed, adjusting the dress, “This is actually really uncomfortable.”

“I know right! The material is too-” You started,

“Coarse.” You both said in unison.

“You know the red dress? That one’s super soft and nice.” You said for future reference.

"Why'd you change?" You asked, a hand around Hughie's waist as you walked around the aquarium. 

"It chafed." Was his simple reply. 

"Reckon it would be nice to be one of these fish?" You asked. 

"No, I reckon you'd feel trapped." He said, not looking at you, his eyes trained on the large shark contained within the glass. 

"Deep," You nodded your head, "Wait, there's a love tunnel thing over there! Can we go?!" You tugged at his hand. He looked over at the tunnel of glass, water and aquatic life. Then with a smile, he looked back at you and let himself be pulled forward by you. 

You were a few metres into the tunnel when you turned to him. 

"I smell something fishy going on here." You wiggled your eyebrows. 

"Stop." He said, face unimpressed, eyes narrow. 

"You love me." You teased, tongue between your teeth as you wrapped your arms around his waist. 

"I do." He conceded, faking reluctance.

"Well, then I guess I love you too." you shrugged, moving an arm to his cheek, dragging your thumb gently over his cheekbone. His eyes glinted ever so slightly in the dim blue light as he dipped his head so his lips met yours in a loving kiss.

"Maybe the fishy smell is you," he mumbled. You pushed him away, a look of fake shock on your face.

"How dare you!" you said, in an overly dramatic tone.

#the boys #the boys x reader #hughie campbell #hughie campbell x reader #hughie campbell fluff #fluff #hughie campbell x reader fluff #hughie x reader #hughie fluff

[thisentertaining]

As the Blue Spirit Howls - Chapter 4

Zuko was not a good shifter.

Azula could switch between her wolf and human skins between steps. Not Zuko, he needed several minutes before he even started the shift, and that was on a good day. If it had been Azula who Animal Control found in that alley, they would have walked away convinced that their eyes had played a trick on them. There had never been a dog there.

But Zuko’s long transformation would have only revealed his kind to the world. Father may think he has no honor, but he wouldn’t stoop so low as that. Even if that meant being dumped in animal shelter, trapped as much by the 24/7 security cameras as by the cage bars.

He had the worst luck. -

“Come on guys!” Aang said as he lead his friends through the clamoring barks of the shelter. “I want to show you my favorite dog! He’s a sweetheart.”

Aang lead the pair to where a monstrous beast of a dog was growling with raspy barks loud enough to drown out the rest of the shelter. His bright white teeth contrasted against golden eyes and a bright red scar that stretched over the side of his face as he lunged against the cage door.

Sokka laughed nervously. “Did the word ‘sweetheart’ change meaning when I wasn’t looking?”

Chapter 1

Read on Ao3

“Wait,” Katara said as they neared the shelter doors. “We should make sure he get’s along with Appa first.”

Zuko sat as they paused, pointedly looking away. He’d been surviving off of disgustingly cheap donated dog food for weeks. Even his wolf side didn’t like it. That had been his first shot at real food in what felt like forever and they had ruined it. He was furious.

No, he wasn’t sulking. He was too dignified to sulk.  

“Oh, good point!” Aang said brightly, pivoting from the doors to a fenced in yard to the side. It was a larger yard for the dogs that didn’t react poorly to being around other dogs, allowing them to run around and exercise without a volunteer walking them directly. A smattering of potential future-dog owners were in the yard, petting and playing with the pups.

“Who’s Appa?” Toph asked, her face scrunching softly as they moved off of the sidewalk and onto the gravel, her expression smoothing again when they made it to the grass.

“He’s my dog!” Aang said happily. “He’s the best! A big sweetheart. And he’s a service dog too*! Not a seeing eye dog, but still really well trained. He’s not in his vest right now though so you can pet him.”

Toph opened her mouth, as though to ask what Aang needed a service dog for, but the boy forged on, likely practiced at avoiding the question. “Anyway, Spirit hasn’t been super dog aggressive. He growled at Bosco earlier, and sometimes if other dogs bark too loud he’ll get an attitude, but he isn’t like some dogs who will lunge at or go after other dogs. Well, you know, more so than he is with everyone.”

By the time the boy finished his explanation, they were at the gate of the fence. He whistled, and a dog immediately broke off from a pack that was tussling together. It was a huge white and brown furred beast of a dog, toung out and leaking drool as he happily panted. An orange bandana on his neck proclaimed the words ‘Not Available for Adoption’, one of the many such dogs of the pen. Zuko narrowed his eyes at the stranger. The Saint Bernard’s scent was familiar, Aang was practically drenched with it.

And with drool.

Appa ambled over to the group, waiting patiently as Aang slid the gate open and coming directly to his owner’s side. Zuko was vaguely aware of Sokka advising the two girls to hold on to his leashed and step back for the introduction. He wasn’t paying much attention though, instead eyeing up his opponent. They were fairly close in height, well at Aang’s chest, but Zuko’s shaved fur made him look much smaller compared to the other dog’s floof. Something about the way that the other dog held himself belied strength, confidence. He seemed solid**.

Zuko was still pretty sure he could take him.

He didn’t want to hurt him of course. But he was not going to be bottom of the totem pole. Being dog and having to act like a mindless animal was going to be bad enough, but he refused to defer to an actual dog. If this ‘Appa’ didn’t yield, he was prepared to establish dominance (it hadn’t ever worked for him in the past, but this wasn’t his sister, or his father.)

…he really didn’t want to hurt a kid’s service dog.

Especially not a therapist prescribed service dog. That meant he had PTSD or something, and Zuko shuddered to think what a kid this young and happy had gone through to qualify. Maybe something related to what landed him in witness protection, a traitorous bit of his mind suggested, and Zuko violently shook his head to force the thought out. He couldn’t think like that.

Appa let out a  soft noise as Zuko shook his head, not quite a bark. It sounded more like a low moan, and it brough Zuko back into the game. Right. He had something else to focus on. It didn’t matter why Appa was here, Zuko refused to submit to him. He would fight tooth and nail to-

The Saint Bernard bumped their noses together and let out a low ‘boof’ before sitting down beside Aang, evidently no longer seeing Zuko as a threat. Zuko relaxed as well, sitting to show his acceptance. Equals. Probably the best outcome that could have happened.

Aang grinned as the dogs sat and largely ignored each other. “They’re going to be best friends.”

Sokka let out a bark of laugher as Katara lead Toph closer so that she could pet Appa. Reminded suddenly of the presence of the blind girl, Zuko resumed the low rumble that he’d halted during the standoff. He kept careful eye on Appa as he did so, but the other dog seemed to recognize that the noise wasn’t meant to be aggressive.

“Well, let’s just hope he doesn’t like to eat small rodents.” Sokka snarked.

“Why?” Toph asked. “Is your home so gross that you’re attached to the pests? Well, animal pests.” She amended, elbowing Sokka as the other teen came up to make sure their new (temporary) dog didn’t get left out considering the girls were more concerned with Appa.

Aang laughed in reply, seeming to miss the dig completely. “No rats. I have a sugar glider back at home though. His name is Momo and he is the cutest thing ever. He likes to land on my shoulder and I just walk around the house with him attached to me!”

She let out a semi-interested noise, but otherwise seemed to largely dismiss the statement. “I don’t like pets that I can’t tell I’m about to squich.”

Sokka hummed. “That’s fair.”

Aang perked up however. “Don’t worry, he loves new people! If you give him some fruit, he’ll stay on your shoulder the whole time you’re there and you don’t have to worry about it!”

The girl was quiet for a moment, her usual brass and assertive personality falling away for a moment of awkward uncertainty. “You would want me to come over?”

“Sure!” Katara said brightly. “Do you have a… um… phone?”

The girl snorted, her earlier personality restored, but a bit happier. “No, sweetness, being blind prevents me from hearing voices through technology. It’s a real struggle.”

Katara groaned. “Just give me your phone.” She commanded and Toph cackled as she handed it over.

“I can text too, using text to speech. Just put your company as ‘Snarly’ for me, will ya?”

“Sure.”

Zuko rose, sniffing towards the phone in attempt to see the number she was entering. He didn’t trust any hackers enough yet for it to be of use, but it had to come in useful somehow someday. However, the more he tried to get close to the phone, the more Katara lifted it away from his head. Zuko wanted to growl. No one wanted dogs to get too close to something valuable and fragile like phones.

He had not foreseen this problem.

He huffed and sat back down. A flash of irritation hit him, but he forced it back before it manifested into a growl. Instead he focused a moment on relishing in the smell of the grass and the feel of the sun hitting his fur and overly-sensitive skin. He hadn’t gotten the chance to enjoy it much recently, either stuck in the loud, bare rooms of the shelter or working out his restlessness with the Boulder power-walking behind.

Finally, after several moments of fiddling around with phones, Katara started herding them back into the shelter to fill out the paperwork. Long Feng glowered at them when they entered, but since Kuei was still in the corner, arranging the new owner pamphlets for the millionth time, he said nothing as he slapped the paper’s onto the counter. “I’m afraid one of your… friends will have to complete the paperwork. According to your volunteer application, you are underage. I’m afraid we will need to conduct the full new foster interview and-”

“Oh no, its okay!” Aang protested. “I’m a legal adult, I was emancipated.” He pulled a folded certificate out of his wallet along with his license, handing both over to the sour-looking man.

Zuko’s ear’s perked. This was his second chance. He jumped up so his paws were on the counter, pretending to sniff at the ceramic jar holding treats while his eyes sought out the license and certificate. It made sense that they would emancipate a 16 year old who apparently went into Witness Protection without his family. Or at least emancipate his cover. Wait, did that mean he was emancipated or wasn’t?

Zuko eyed the license, trying to catch the address and license number. The name ‘Kuzon Gyatso’ was emblazoned on the front of the card, a smiling picture of Aang adorning it. The rest  of the writing was in smaller font and he squinted to read it.

“Ah ah, no!” A voice said from behind as a pair of arms snaked around behind his armpits, pulling him back away from the desk.

Wat.

Zuko blinked owlishly, utterly thrown to have been lifted away like some kind of rag doll.

Does not compute.

“No, no jumping on the table.” Sokka's voice said WAY TOO close to his ear.

Zuko finally brought himself to awareness just as Aang tucked the documents away once more.

This… was going to be harder than he thought.  

_____________

* So, to clarify, in the first chapter, Sokka calls Appa a 'therapy dog', he is actually a trained PTSD dog prescribed to Aang after the offscreen events that landed him in witness protection (which will be revealed later). I just didn't think that he would throw out the phrase PTSD in the middle of a casual conversation.

Unlike therapy dogs or emotional support animals, PTSD dogs are considered service animals and are highly trained to do a lot of cool things. They can sniff out if their owner is headed to a panic attack, 'distract' from flashbacks, lead them away from stressful situations, keep them from hurting themselves or others, and a lot of other essential tasks. I'm not a professional, just a person with google, but I have been super interested in PTSD dogs ever since Chef Jet Tila did a cooking competition to raise money for a service that trains shelter dogs to be PTSD service animals. They are real cool. For more information, check out this link: https://usserviceanimals.org/blog/ptsd-service-dog-tasks/

** One of the cool things PTSD dogs are trained to do is to always watch their owners backs and make them feel comfortable knowing someone on their side is keeping lookout. To represent that, Appa walks confidently and self-assuredly to give Aang more comfort. Some of the dogs can be trained to check a perimiter or check out new houses or rooms before the owner enters. Again, I just find them super cool.

#avatar: the last airbender #atla #Zuko #Aang #Katara #sokka #toph #Appa #Werewolf!AU #Werewolf!Zuko #fanfiction #MY FANFICS

[lavendersoft]

Until I met you.

-Street fighter!Jimin x Reader

1/?

Synopsis: While on a date for their 2nd anniversary, Jimin loses Yoongi while being attacked in an alleyway by a robber. Yoongi sacrificed himself for his lover and Jimin could never forgive himself for not being able to do the same. The survivor’s guilt ate away at him over the months and it definitely didn’t help that he saw Yoongi’s face everywhere. In mirrors, dreams, large crowds, on trains, and even when he closed his eyes. Although, Jimin found a way to cope. He began a rigorous training schedule. Boxing, self-defense classes, Tae Kwon Do, he even started street fighting and got caught up with bad people. Anything and everything. His hands would bleed, his muscles would ache, his bones would break. Jimin was offered multiple full scholarships to prestigious martial arts schools for his talent, all of which Jimin turned down. He didn’t want to make a career out of this, he just didn’t want to be haunted by his dead fiancé. The only time Yoongi won’t haunt every moment of Jimin’s life was when he’s training, as if Yoongi is saying “I won’t rest, nor will I let you rest, until you’re stronger.” Jimin will never lose anyone that he loves again.

Everything felt like a downward spiral,

until he met you.

Warnings: (There’s a lot- and it’s kinda dark, be warned) PTSD, implied schizophrenia (sorta? take that with a grain of salt), PTSD induced delusions/hallucinations, depression, paranoia, night terrors, character death, major angst, unhealthy coping mechanisms, masochism(?), alcoholism, minor gore, mention of drug abuse, mention of blood, mention of asylums, profanity, Jimin goes through one hell of a mental breakdown.

Author’s notes: super slow burn :/ basically, in which jimin copes with the traumatic incident of his fiancé’s brutal murder by street fighting. this story isn’t yandere but has dark themes.

The air was lifted right out of Jimin’s lungs. Tears were flowing freely, his hands were stained red, he couldn’t even see the golden engagement ring through the thick blood. He couldn’t hear anything over the sound of his own sobs and heartbreak.

“Please... please stay awake. They’re coming, okay? Help’s coming. Just look at me. Look at me, please.”

He’d remembered somewhere that you were supposed to put pressure on wounds this big to stop the bleeding. If only his hands could stop shaking.

Yoongi had stopped responding about two minutes prior to this but Jimin refused to accept his fate. His last words replaying in Jimin’s mind like a mantra.

“Survive. Please, live. I love you.”

Two wallets.

Two fucking wallets with about 150,000 won split between them.

That’s how much his fiancé was murdered for.

Jimin jerks awake in a cold sweat. His bruised fist clamped around his bedsheets, heart rate much higher than it should be. He rises out of the creaking bed to stretch his overly tense muscles.

He can still feel the weight of his deceased boyfriend’s limp body in his arms.

Every day starts like this.

Every morning he’s pulled from the same reoccurring nightmare, then he starts his cold shower.

He can’t even take warm showers anymore, remembering how hot Yoongi insisted on keeping the water temperature when they showered together.

It’s been nine months.

Nine months, two weeks and four days since he lost the love of his life forever.

He hasn’t even taken off the engagement ring. It’s as if it’s glued to his finger now, his hand feels empty without it.

Jimin avoids looking in the mirror at all costs. In fact, he’s gotten rid of most of them in his home. The ones he couldn’t get rid of, he smashed with his bare hands in a fit of rage. The scars on his hands are proof.

How could he look at himself knowing how weak he was?

He scoffs.

Back then... how could I bare to tolerate myself back then? I was so flimsy and weak. Could barely open a fucking jar by myself. Absolutely pathetic.

Jimin’s heart has gotten callous. He is easily provoked and irrational. The takes unnecessary risks and is impulsive.

His therapist said it was “self-sabotage” or something.

Just two weeks ago, Jimin bleached his hair a striking blond, almost white- which burned most of his scalp- just because. And before that, on the nine-month anniversary of his lover’s passing, he went to get a tattoo on a whim. Just because he felt like it. He drinks alcohol for breakfast and has recently taken up smoking. The smell of cigarettes remind him of Yoongi, who also used to smoke.

Jimin liked pain. It was invigorating. He likes feeling things. Feeling has become a rarity, a privilege, a novelty.

Although irritable and easily angered, Jimin is not an unkind person. He gives to charity and volunteers at animal shelters. These things have also made him feel again, because he can feel Yoongi there, the real Yoongi. Yoongi was a huge advocate for human kindness. He used to say it was never justifiable to be a hateful person for no reason at all.

Jimin clings to this principal.

But it’s hard. It’s so hard to act happy when he’s so broken inside. He almost wishes he could just-

“Don’t you dare use me as an excuse to be a miserable person.” Yoongi’s voice rings out from behind him. Jimin screws his eyes shut and covers his ears.

“Go away.”

This person- this being- wasn’t Yoongi, that much he knew. If anything, it was a demon. A poltergeist that feeds off Jimin’s suffering. Yoongi would never do that.

This is why everyone around Jimin thinks he’s the sweetest, loveliest, most endearing man they’ve ever met. If only they knew about the unyielding hellfire that burns his very core.

“Good morning, Mrs. Jeon!” Jimin’s sweet voice cuts through the morning air.

He was on his way to his best friend Jungkook’s house to meet before Tae Kwon Do training. The Jeon family owns a martial arts studio and they’ve been training together for months now.

“Oh, good morning Jimin! How are you today?” The nice woman is always so cheerful, Jimin respects that.

“I’m wonderful, thank you. Have you heard from Jungkook? He’s supposed to meet me here.” Jimin hurry’s to catch up with the woman in front of him and takes her groceries off of her arms to carry.

“Yes, actually. He was running a tad late this morning since his class ended late. He should be here soon. Would you mind bringing those up for me?” She gestured to the apartment right above the studio, where the family lives.

“Not at all.”

When Jungkook finally arrives, he brings with him thirty-two excuses as to why he was late.

“I lost my phone.”

“My car ran out of gas.”

“My girlfriend broke up with me.”

Jimin chuckles as he suits up his training gear.

“Dude, if all of those things are true, you really need to get your life together.”

“You’re one to talk.”

Jimin’s heart stops when the cold, low growl sounds from behind him again.

“You’re far from qualified to be giving life advice.”

Jimin hides his frown when the oblivious Jungkook punches him on the shoulder playfully.

“Haha! Shut up, dude! Let’s go.” He chides, padding off to the ring.

Jimin’s falters a bit behind, throwing a quick but cautious glance at the bloody image of Yoongi that glares back at him.

“Pathetic.”

“Seriously, dude! You’re way too talented at this to not make some money off of it.”

Jungkook’s been trying to get Jimin to take the scholarship he was offered by a scout that visited their studio not too long ago.

“I don’t know, man. This was just supposed to be a hobby remember?”

Jimin knew better. This was much more than a hobby. It was his anchor. It was his stress reliever. It was keeping him sane.

“Come on. We both know better than that. I see the way your face changes to stone when you fight. You have something. Something real. You could make it in the business!”

“You sound like a mafia boss.”

Jimin smiles as he eats the last of his ramen.

“Ya. I’m serious. If not a professional fighter then at least a coach. I mean, I’m doing it because I wanna be a cop but,” Jungkook sips from his energy drink. “Do you really just want to be a dancer?”

Jimin sighs. Yes. That was his dream before everything happened. He still clings to the idea. Before nine months ago, the idea had seemed just within reach. He’d applied for so many dance and art schools, even getting into a couple.

But after everything, he’d given up. He stopped dancing. He hates music. Even if he tried, his skills wouldn’t be anywhere near the place they were.

He’d totally abandoned his dream.

“Yes. I do.” He lies.

Jungkook shrugs, “Well, if anything, it’s made you a better fighter. Your moves are so fluid, it’s amazing.”

“Careful, you’re getting a crush.” Jimin jabs at him with a chopstick.

“Ugh. Please,” the younger rolls his eyes, “like I could ever. Plus, my girlfriend probably wouldn’t like that very much.”

“Oh? I thought you two ‘broke up’, no?”

“Nah. I love her too much.” Jimin finds it cute that Jungkook actually loves his girlfriend. Before, he was a player, only using girls for sex or free food.

“Don’t use girls like toys, Jungkook.” Yoongi would always keep Jungkook in place when he broke another heart.

“Well, this ones on you. Since you lost. Again.” Jimin’s giggle makes Jungkook pout.

“One of these days, I’m gonna beat you, Park Jimin.” Jungkook pouts.

“One of these days.” Jimin reiterates.

Jimin says goodbye to his friend and pushes through the restaurant door. He misses the worried look Jungkook gives him when he turns his back.

The raindrops hit the top of the hood of Jimin’s jacket as he walks down the busy street. He hates being too alone these days. Jungkook really helps keep Jimin grounded, he’s one of the only people that don’t totally annoy him now. He reminds Jimin of all the times Yoongi, Jungkook, Tae, Namjoon, Jin, Hoseok, and himself would hang out as teens and young adults. Just fooling around without any worry. No cares or responsibilities, young love, parties. That was their lives.

Until nine months ago.

The grief of losing one of the group was detrimental. It seemed like no one was recovering properly, except maybe Jungkook. That’s why Jimin cohered himself to Jungkook, he seemed to be the most stable out of them all.

Namjoon and Tae both landed themselves in jail on multiple occasions for a plethora of reasons.

Hoseok checked himself into a mental asylum for a while. Last Jimin heard, he was abusing drugs of some sort.

And Jin moved across the country, said he wanted to start fresh. But really, he was just doing what Jin did best- running away.

None of them kept contact, except for Jungkook.

The entire carefree, wild group of friends had dissipated into nothing.

He feels his eyebrows furrow into a stern look.

They all left.

They all left.

“They all left you.” His jaw clenches at the familiar, yet slightly inhuman voice. “They never cared about you. And Jungkook will leave you one day, too. No one is forever.”

Jimin’s turns down an alleyway and stops about halfway through, tears gathered in his eyes.

“No one is forever, but at least they keep moving forward. You’re just stuck.”

Yeah, Jimin truly hates being alone.

The not-so-subtle red neon sign flickers with the bright name of the “club.”

The large metal door makes a shallow sound when Jimin’s taps on it three times. A man wearing all black with sunglasses answers, “Passwo- oh, Jimin-ah. Come on in.”

Jimin nods once to the tall bodyguard as he passes him. The man towers over Jimin in height but the energy around the two doesn’t match. The man takes a small, nervous step back when Jimin starts forward.

Jimin hates how skittish everyone is in this little hole in the wall.

The biggest underground fighting ring in Korea was right next door to Jimin’s apartment, who would have thought. How convenient.

Heads bow as he passes. No one makes eye contact. Some mumble respectful greetings while putting honorifics next to his name, no matter what age or status they have.

He’s basically a king here.

But he doesn’t want the throne.

Jimin’s peers into the crowd and sure enough, sights his dead lover. He just wants this damn demon to leave him alone.

Yoongi never bothers him while he’s fighting or training. It’s like he goes dormant or something. That’s why Jimin keeps doing it. Well, that and because he wants to be strong. Stronger than he’s ever been.

And he is. He’s undefeated in this hellhole. He sort of blanks out when he fights anyone that’s not Jungkook. That’s how he earned the appropriate nickname “Demon”, for good reason. He’s heard from others that’s he’s terrifying when he’s in the ring. Although no one but his manager and couple other higher-ups dare to call him that, and he barely even tolerates that.

The last newcomer that called him that learned through a crushed windpipe to not.

He only does this to pay the bills. Everyone here knows that. It pisses some people off. For some, this was their entire life, what they were raised to do. Born to be fighting machines.

So, naturally, some don’t like Jimin. Especially those who he’s fought and won against. But Jimin couldn’t care less about what these people think about him.

“Manager-nim,” Jimin addresses an older man, somewhere in his forties, “I need you to schedule another Gold for me.”

See, the underground business is one built on ranking.

In the underground street fighting business, fights were categorized by prize earning and rank of the fighters. Gold rank fights could only be scheduled by- and usually for- the highest members, the Elites. The grand prize for a win was seven hundred million won. Only the greatest of the greatest won the prize and thus, earning an elite status (if not an elite already).

Jimin’s won it twice.

“Ya, getting pretty greedy now, are we? You just won it a couple months ago, Kid. Where’d that money go?”

“It’s gone.”

The suited man scoffs, “You need a better budgeting plan, Demon.” Jimin fights the urge to uppercut him.

“Can you do it or not?” Jimin’s patience is already wearing thin and he’s been here for a whole five minutes.

“You know, contrary to what you might believe, I’m not a money machine. The money you win when you fight comes from somewhere. Not only that, I’m not the only Elite that gets to decide. We take a vote.”

“Well vote.”

“Aish.” He growls, “You’re something else. People here are gonna start to think I favor you, and that’s dangerous for the both of us.” He pauses to look Jimin in the eyes, “You know, you have all of the qualifications to make the Elite status. Why don't you do the initiation-”

“Let me know when you have an answer.” Jimin’s made his feelings on the subject clear already. He has no intention of making this a permanent thing. This isn't a lifestyle, this isn't his job. It’s just a way to relieve his stress and make some cash.

With that, Jimin takes his leave, disappearing into the same direction from which he came. He’s truly a mysterious phenomenon.

Jungkook: hey do u wanna meet me and Jiyoo tonight for dinner?

Jimin peers down at his phone in confusion.

Jimin: uh third-wheeling really isn’t my thing lol

Jungkook: no, no we have someone we want you to meet. she’s Jiyoo’s sister and she’s just come home from college.

Jimin groans. This isn’t the first time Jungkook’s tried to set him up since Yoongi passed. He appreciates the sentiment but Jimin doesn’t think he’ll ever love someone like that again. It’s too much to ask for.

Jimin: idk man i’m pretty tired from training today. i think i’m gonna pass.

Jungkook: pretty please?

Ugh.

Jimin shoves a pillow over his face in frustration. He’s never been able to tell the kid no. And besides that- Jimin can feel the beady eyes of the shadowy figure in the corner. No, he doesn’t really want to stay here.

Jimin: fine.

—

The restaurant is filled with all sorts of people. From children to the elderly. Jimin gazes from person to person trying to decipher what kind of person they are. He tries to hinder the negative thoughts from entering his mind about them. 

Jungkook’s always late. Always. When Jungkook says “5:30” he really means “6:00.” You’d think after almost a decade of knowing the kid, Jimin would learn.

He fidgets with the sleeves of his sweater. Why was he so nervous all of a sudden? Was it because these blind dates never end well? He thinks back to the last blind date Jungkook had set him up with.

Jimin shudders.

He can still hear the innocent girl’s cries as she fled his apartment, heartbroken.

He’s pulled from his thoughts as an arm slings around his shoulder, “Hey, man.”

Jungkook’s bright smile beams at him.

“Hey. Hi, Jiyoo.” He greets the couple as they take their seats.

“Hey, Jiminie.” Jungkook’s girlfriend was super cute, he’ll give her that.

“So..?” He’s confused time see that they came alone.

“Oh, she’s coming. My little sister is always a little late.”

Later than you both?

Jimin stops himself from the bitterness that threatens to erupt again. Not tonight. He’s going to try to be on his best behavior for his friend’s sake.

He’ll save all those pent up emotions for the fight he has scheduled tomorrow.

He vaguely registers the figure that makes its way into his peripheral vision, although he pays it no mind at first.

“Oh, Y/n! It’s good to see you again.” Jungkook seems a bit overly excited. What’s all the fuss about? It’s not like-

Oh.

Oh.

Okay, so she’s, like, really pretty. So what?

“Hi, Jungkook. Nice to see you. Jiyoo!” The girl walks over to embrace her sister tightly, “Oh my God, it feels like it’s been forever.”

After they take their greetings, the woman sits down across from Jimin.

“Hello, you must be Jimin. Jungkook’s told me so much about you. I’m Y/n.”

Okay, so she has the voice of an angel, big deal.

“Um, hi- yeah, I’m Jimin.” He reaches out to take the hand she offers.

“So, Y/n’s a dancer,” Jungkook starts when the food is placed in front of them, “and she’s really good.”

“Not that good.” She blushes.

“Don’t be modest, Y/n. She’s going to a really prestigious dance school on a full scholarship!” Her sister beams.

“Oh? Which one?” Jimin presses. It’s not like he’s interested or anything. Definitely not.

“Global. Global Dance Studio.” She answers.

“Ah. I heard they were good.” Jimin knows more than he let on. That was literally his dream school.

“Yeah, but strict. The training is brutal.” She emphasizes. He knows, he had to go through the same treatment. He hates that he feels a pang of jealousy and resentment towards this person he’s just met.

“I’ve heard.” He finishes as he takes the first bite of his food.

The rest of the hour-long dinner was pretty boring, with Jiyoo and Jungkook mostly taking ahold of the conversation. Although, Jimin will admit that he couldn’t stop glancing back at the beautiful girl across from him.

And he won’t pretend that he didn’t notice her treating him the same.

He was charming and kind, as usual, but he remained on the quiet side of the conversation. Jimin knew that Jungkook could tell he wasn’t being quite as flirty as he usually is with setups like this, from the way that the younger kept trying to tie Jimin in the chit chat.

Jimin stays subtle for the rest of the date.

When the group says their goodbyes, his eyes linger on hers for longer than the rest.

“It was nice to meet you, Y/n.”

“Likewise.” She grins and Jimin feels his heart stop.

And then he leaves. Really, really fast.

That’s not good.

—

#Until I Met You #bts fanfiction #bts #park jimin #min yoongi #yoonmin #jeon jungkook #park jimin fanfic #park jimin fanfiction #jimin x reader #bts x reader #bts fanfic #jimin #yoongi #jungkook #street fighter! jimin

[ellocentipede]

Moonalisa Spring 2020 Collection

Moonalisa’s spring collection is always my favorite of her annual offerings. I love the happy and upbeat earthy and botanical artwork and scents. It’s always a vibrant and cheerful collection! This year I snagged some old favorites and tried several new items as well. All of the items (excepting the hand sanitizer, which is a brand new offering) are tried and true favorite formulas for me. 

Soaps

Moona’s soap uses a glycerin base, and has the nicest lather of any glycerin-based soap that I’ve used. Her soaps are always beautifully-designed, well-scented, and hold their shapes well. 

Almond Pastries

Scent description: Airy flaky pastries with a sweet almond filling.

Oh my. I know that this is one of Moona’s scents from years past, and I sincerely hope that it makes a return in the future! I wish that I had purchased more products in this scent! It’s a gorgeous and realistic almond pastry scent. It’s not cloying at all, but smells like a realistic almond-cream filled croissant. A new favorite of mine!

Bees Knees

Scent description:  Honey, honeysuckle and hyacinth.

Bees Knees is springtime perfection! The honey is sticky, sweet, wildflower honey, and the honeysuckle and hyacinth complement it beautifully with their sweet, subtly heady scents. This one is a fan favorite for good reason! Also, how beautiful is this soap?!

Sweet as a Peach

Scent description:  Sweet & sugared fresh Georgia peaches!!!

This is the sweetest, loveliest peach blend! It’s a fresh-cut ripe peach, coated in sugar and ready for a cobbler!

Perfumes

Cloven Cotton Candy

Scent description: Clove and cotton candy blended together! It's sinister, but not evil!

Cloven Cotton Candy is the first Moona scent that I ever tried (in bath soak form!), and I fell in love with it. It’s a wonderful twist on a cotton candy scent. Sometimes cotton candy blends can be overly sweet and cloying, but here the addition of the clove both tempers the sweetness and makes the blend more interesting. The clove is smooth and dark, rendering this scent perfect for the fall.

Raspberry Lemon Tisane

Scent description:  Various Raspberry fragrance oils mixed with Lemon essential oil.

This is my very favorite raspberry scent of all time. It’s realistic, mouth-puckering tart and sweet raspberry with one of Moona’s famous and beautiful lemon blends. It’s sweet, tart, and refreshing, like a glass of raspberry lemonade. <3 

Strawberry Marshmallow

Scent description: Bursting fruity strawberry goodness married with ooey marshmallow cream, a match made in heaven!

This blend is so sweet and happy! I get sugar-crusted, ripe, fresh, realistic strawberries and a delicate cloud of fluffy vanilla marshmallow. Love!

Strawberry Sugar Shortcake

Scent description:  Ripe juicy strawberries, crushed and rolled into sweet cane sugar, gently folded into fresh whipped cream on top of a warm buttery shortcake.

I love this sweet strawberry blend so much. It’s less of a fresh, realistic strawberry scent than Strawberry Marshmallow,  and more of a strawberry cake scent. The cake is sweet and fluffy, like angel’s food cake, and the strawberry is sugar-crusted and syrupy. Strawberry Sugar Shortcake is youthful, happy, and delicious!

Dusting Powder

Dusting powder is a handy little product that can be used in a variety of ways. I like to dust it on my decollete and under my arms after my bath at night, but you can also use it to absorb excess moisture on the skin when it’s hot and sticky out, dust it in shoes, sprinkle in gym bags (or anywhere you want to freshen up the scent a bit), or dust it on your bedsheets.

Lavender Shortbread

Scent description: A buttery shortbread cookie blend with just a touch of Lavender EO.

This blend is the perfect mix of soft, herbal lavender and sweet, buttery shortbread. It’s neither too sweet nor too herbal--it’s just right. One of my very favorite of Moona’s blends!

Hand Sanitizer Gel--Lavender Shortbread scent

This is more of a traditional hand sanitizing gel product. I really love the small size of the bottle--I’ll easily be able to keep this in my purse or in the car. It’s an extra bonus that it smells like Moona’s beautiful Lavender Shortbread scent. I almost wish that I had purchased more than one bottle of this.

Hand Sanitizer and Surface Spray--Four Thieves scent

This is more liquidy than the gel sanitizer. It’s meant to be sprayed on surfaces (or on the hands). This is also a super handy product! The Four Thieves scent (a mixture of lavender, rosemary, mint, sage, marjoram, and anise hyssop) is super refreshing and calming--it’s woody and herbal with a generous dash of mint.

Bath Salts

I love Moona’s bath salts and I go through them so quickly! I usually get about five baths out of each jar, which is a great value. The salts are always well-scented and make for a lovely and relaxing bathing experience.

Earth/Uplifting

Scent description:  Sweet Orange and thyme. A Citrus and herbal scent, thyme oil was used historically for melancholia. Represents the element Earth.

This is a calming and grounding citrus scent. It’s hard to pick out the thyme, but I can definitely smell an herbal element calming the citrus. This is a favorite scent of mine, especially for the bath.

Gaelic Mist

Scent description:  Hard to describe, powdery, misty, morning dew, rain-like, sweet but refreshing!

Gaelic Mist is one of my top five Moona blends. It smells like warm rain and a cloud of gentle, wet florals in a mist of amber. It’s very cooling, and one of my all-time favorite rain and floral blends!

Honey Cakes & Wildflowers

Scent description:  Earthy, buttery corn cakes drizzled with golden honey, a touch of golden frankincense in a meadow full of blooming wild flowers.

I’m super picky with honey scents, and this one is a beauty. I get primarily sticky-sweet wildflower honey, with a hint of smooth, grounding frankincense, dried wildflowers, and a touch of sticky corn cakes. I would love to try this in food form! It’s a perfect blend of all elements, not overly sweet.

Ostara

Scent description:  Rites of Spring - Cedarwood, Lavender, Rose, Clove, and a touch of Dragon's Blood.

One of my very favorite Moona scents! Ostara is am incredibly well-blended woody blend. The cedar is prominent but not overpowering, it’s softened by the sweet, herbal lavender and deepened by a pinch of smooth clove. This scent is a powerful stress reliever!

Potion Lotion

Moona’s Potion Lotion formula is quite possibly my very favorite lotion formula. It’s cooling, soothing, and well-scented. It hydrates my dry skin super well without leaving it greasy. The size also makes it perfect for travel.

Indigo Wine

Scent description:  A fresh and gloriously blue blend of Hydrangeas and Hyacinths!

Indigo Wine is a beautiful, realistic spring floral blend. I get lots of creamy, mildly-spicy, lightly-heady hyacinth, which is one of my favorite scents of spring.  A must-have for lovers of spring and realistic floral blends!

Moonalisa’s beautiful products may be perused and purchased at https://www.moonalisa.com/  Products are not always available, so follow her on Facebook or sign up for her newsletter for sale dates.

[viktoriaanabel]

Honey Lavender Latte

You look like you might need an extra cup of coffee on this Friday morning. Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered. I’m going to ease you into the weekend with the most comforting cup of caffeination out there.

Today, we’re making lattes. But not just any lattes. Lattes with homemade honey-lavender syrup. AKA, my newest favorite thing. Over the summer, my sisters and I took my mom away to Cape May for the weekend to celebrate her birthday. While there, we visited one of my most favorite places in the world: Congress Hall. It is a beautiful old hotel right on the waterfront, and it’s pretty much the stuff of dreams. They have a really cute coffee shop right off the lobby, and every time I’m in Cape May, I stop in there. It’s just so darn cute.

While perusing the menu, I noticed the coffee flavor list. Now, coffeehouse flavor syrups are NOT my thing. I don’t care for them usually, and I almost never get them as a result. In the long list of options, though, one stuck out to me. Honey lavender. It sounded too interesting to pass up. I admit, I was worried it would be like drinking a glass of coffee potpourri. I mean, I’ve always liked lavender in my candles and bubble bath, but not necessarily in my food. It can be very overpowering, and that’s exactly what I expected with this cup of coffee.

But! Curiousity got the best of me and I ordered it anyway. And goodness am I glad I did!

Not only was the lavender NOT overpowering or overly florally, it added such a comforting element to my coffee. Which is huge in my book. You see, coffee is so much more than a caffeine jolt to me. It’s a morning routine. A comfort. When I don’t have coffee in the morning, I am off for the entire day. Again, not necessarily because of the lack of caffeine. I just LOVE holding that hot mug of coffee early in the morning. I love the way that first swirl of milk or cream looks as you stir it in. I love the smell. I love the taste.

And the honey lavender syrup in this cup of coffee was everything. It was slightly sweet, a touch florally, and super comforting. All while meeting my morning routine requirements. I sipped it as we sat in huge adirondack chairs, basking in the early-day sunshine, overlooking the ocean. I decided in that moment that honey lavender coffee was going to be a thing. A regular thing. At home.

And so here we are! These lattes are really easy to make, but if you don’t have an espresso maker, I can vouch for this syrup tasting good in all kinds of coffee. I’ve had it in regular coffee (my first experience), and I’ve actually had it drizzled into a big glass of cold brew. It really works in any and all coffee drinks. It starts by making the syrup, which I recommend doing ahead so that the lavender flowers have plenty of time to steep in the syrup before you use it. It’s a mixture of water, sugar, honey, and dried lavender. That’s it! You simmer it until the sugar and honey are completely dissolved and then let it cool to room temperature, with the lavender flowers steeping. Then, when you’re ready to use it, you strain out the flowers and go to town!

The other great thing? The syrup keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks! I have a small carafe in my fridge right now, and I’ve been enjoying it in my coffee every morning for the past week. And it’s been LOVELY with the cooler almost-fall mornings. I’m telling you, these lattes are comfort in a cup. And they are destined for your weekend plans!

You can thank me later! Honey Lavender Lattes Yield: makes 2 lattes (with extra syrup), easily multiplied For the Honey-Lavender Syrup: 1 cup of water 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender flowers ½ cup sugar ½ cup honey For Two Lattes: 2-4 shots of espresso (you can sub with strong coffee) 1 cup steamed milk The Honey-Lavender syrup (to taste) Whipped cream, optional For the Syrup: Combine the water and the lavender in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and then add in the sugar and honey. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the honey and sugar have completely dissolved. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature, with the lavender steeping. Strain the syrup into a jar or resealable glass container and discard the strained lavender flowers. Store in the fridge. For Two Lattes: Divide the espresso between two coffee mugs and drizzle in some of the honey-lavender syrup (to taste -- see NOTE below). Top each glass with some of the steamed milk, whipped cream, and a sprinkle of dried lavender. Serve immediately. NOTES: This syrup is great in iced coffee and regular hot coffee as well (and definitely in tea!). It’s a versatile flavor, but beware, it IS potent. Start small and adjust to meet your tastes. The syrup will last in an airtight container in the fridge for roughly two weeks. The lavender sediment may settle a bit, so swirl or stir it before drizzling in your coffee or tea! Read the full article

#coffee #food #lavendise

[dawnasiler]

Editor’s Picks: 22 of the Best Body Scrubs, Peels and Exfoliators for Soft, Smooth Skin

Exfoliation—it's not just for your face.  

Your body needs it, too, especially if you're dealing with dryness, rough patches... or even scales (here in Canada, that's an actual thing). 

Unless you remove that surface dead skin, any body moisturizer that you put on top won't be able to do its job properly.

That's where the latest body exfoliators come in.

Choose from body scrubs, which physically buff away dead skin cells, or body peels, which use acids to chemically dissolve them. You can even use an exfoliating body lotion that does double-duty!

Ahead, find out what to look for in a body exfoliator, and discover the best products to try now.

What to Look for in a Body Scrub, Peel or Exfoliator

The best body scrubs, peels and exfoliators from Pixi, REN, Kopari, Herbivore, Goop, Indie Lee and Biologique Recherche.

Here's what I look for in a body scrub, peel or exfoliator:

Sulfate-free: Sulfates are harsh foaming agents that can strip away natural oils and lead to irritation.

Stable oils (or oil-free): Polyunsaturated fatty acids go rancid quickly, so I avoid them in high concentrations (typically the first five ingredients). Monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids are more resistant to oxidation and have a much longer shelf life. 

Silicone-free: Silicones are film-forming ingredients that leave a coating on the skin and can exacerbate body acne.

Petroleum-free: Similar to silicones, petroleum derivatives such as mineral oil leave an occlusive film on the skin and may actually increase water loss.

Low in fragrance (or fragrance-free): While it's much more harmful on your face, too much fragrance can also lead to skin reactions on your body. 

Has a preservative: All water-based products must contain a preservative in order to prevent bacterial growth.

Now, on to the products that tick off these boxes!

Herbivore Coco Rose Coconut Oil Body Polish

Herbivore Coco Rose Coconut Oil Body Polish

Herbivore Coco Rose Coconut Oil Body Polish is a densely-packed sugar scrub with a pretty pink tint and a subtle rose scent (thanks to the Moroccan rose absolute). You know how some scrubs have a puddle of oil at the top after the first use? That doesn't happen here—this jar is chock-full of sugar. Afterwards, your skin will feel soft but not oily. You can also use it as a lip scrub!

Goop G.Tox 5 Salt Detox Body Scrub

Goop G.Tox 5 Salt Detox Body Scrub

Goop G.Tox 5 Salt Detox Body Scrub exfoliates with five different types of salts (Himalayan pink, Dead Sea, Celtic sea, New Zealand solar and Epsom). They're blended into a base of moringa and olive oils, spiked with fragrant rosemary, grapefruit, and peppermint and elichrysum oils. This one has quite a gritty texture and is not overly oily, and gives your skin a light coating of moisture.

Indie Lee Coconut Citrus Scrub

Indie Lee Coconut Citrus Scrub

Indie Lee Coconut Citrus Scrub has a higher concentration of oil, so it could definitely double as a body moisturizer. The all-natural ingredients list couldn't be more simple, and includes sugar, coconut oil and jojoba oil, plus lemon balm, lemongrass and vanilla for a lemony-fresh scent. The sugar granules dissolve quickly, so it's incredibly gentle on your skin.

REN Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Salt Anti-Fatigue Exfoliating Body Scrub

REN Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Salt Anti-Fatigue Exfoliating Body Scrub

REN Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Salt Anti-Fatigue Exfoliating Body Scrub has the texture of a balm, but once you massage it over your skin, it polishes with sea salt and Epsom salt. Coconut fatty acids and an algae oil act as emollients, leaving your skin super soft but not greasy. For best results, apply it on dry skin and then have a bath—it will turn into a relaxing magnesium soak.

Kopari Coconut Crush Scrub

Kopari Coconut Crush Scrub

Kopari Coconut Crush Scrub may not look the prettiest (which is why they didn't put it in a clear jar). But that's because it's packed with exfoliating brown sugar and coconut shell powder, in a moisturizing coconut oil and beeswax base. Since the grains are very fine, this is one of the gentlest scrub options, and it can double as a light body oil. The sweet, coconut milk scent smells good enough to eat (but please don't!).

Nécessaire The Body Exfoliator

Nécessaire The Body Exfoliator

Nécessaire The Body Exfoliator takes a two-way approach to smoothing your skin, using both physical and chemical exfoliants. Tiny pumice beads give it a slightly gritty feel, while salicylic, glycolic and lactic acids dissolve dead skin and marula oil adds moisture. Choose from Eucalyptus, Sandalwood or Fragrance-Free.

Truly Moon Rocks Whipped Body Scrub

Truly Moon Rocks Whipped Body Scrub

Truly Moon Rocks Whipped Body Scrub is, like all of the brand's products, made with only a few natural ingredients. They include sugar and Dead Sea salt crystals to exfoliate, and olive and jojoba oils to hydrate dry skin. Blue tansy oil, often used in facial skincare for its soothing properties, makes an appearance here to give it a vibrant blue colour. The floral scent comes from rose, ylang-ylang and lavender.

The Organic Pharmacy Cleopatra’s Body Scrub

The Organic Pharmacy Cleopatra's Body Scrub

The Organic Pharmacy Cleopatra's Body Scrub is another sugar and salt combo, using them with olive oil, honey and vitamin E to create a hydrating, luxurious scrub. It's also very floral, thanks to rose petals, ylang-ylang and a little synthetic fragrance (so you may want to skip this one if you're sensitive). 

Little Barn Apothecary Coffee + Mint Exfoliating Body Scrub

Little Barn Apothecary Coffee + Mint Exfoliating Body Scrub

Little Barn Apothecary Coffee + Mint Exfoliating Body Scrub wakes your skin right up with coffee (which has firming benefits) and peppermint essential oil. Organic cane sugar granules do the exfoliating here, while coconut oil, meadowfoam seed oil and cocoa butter deliver moisture. 

Fur Silk Scrub

Fur Silk Scrub

Fur Silk Scrub isn't just for the bikini line, like the brand's other products. This polisher can be used all over the body and is even gentle enough for your face. It uses not one but three types of exfoliation: jojoba beads, fruit enzymes and alpha-hydroxy acids. It is also one of the only exfoliants that is completely fragrance-free.

Herbivore Amethyst Exfoliating Body Polish

Herbivore Amethyst Exfoliating Body Polish

Herbivore Amethyst Exfoliating Body Polish contains actual amethyst gemstones, crushed into a fine powder. Along with sugar and Epsom salt, they buff away dead skin while coconut oil, shea butter and meadowfoam seed oil lock in hydration. The texture isn't oily at all, and it has a subtle, natural floral scent. 

Pixi Rose Body Polish

Pixi Rose Body Polish

Pixi Rose Body Polish nourishes while it exfoliates with sugar granules, lactic acid and papaya extract. Glycerin, shea butter and fatty acids leave your skin feeling soft and smooth, while the rose and citrus extracts impart a fruity-floral scent.

Pacifica Sugared Crystal Supercharged Body Scrub

Pacifica Sugared Crystal Supercharged Body Scrub

Pacifica Sugared Crystal Supercharged Body Scrub is a cleansing, foaming body scrub with sugar, crushed quartz crystals and silica beads (which give it a grittier texture). It can be used on wet or dry skin, and you can even let it sit for a few minutes for a deeper exfoliation. This one's scented with watermelon, but if you prefer lavender, there's also a Crystal Lavender Crushed Quartz version.

Shea Moisture 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Daily Hydration Crème Sugar Scrub

Shea Moisture 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Daily Hydration Crème Sugar Scrub

Shea Moisture 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Daily Hydration Crème Sugar Scrub is one of the most budget-friendly body scrubs, and features natural ingredients such as sugar, coconut oil, coconut milk and shea butter. The brand also makes a Ground Coffee Scrub that is worth a look, too!

Harper + Ari Exfoliating Sugar Cubes

Harper + Ari Coconut Exfoliating Sugar Cubes

Harper + Ari Exfoliating Sugar Cubes are single-dose cubes, and each one is good for a full-body cleansing, exfoliating and hydrating treatment. Sugar does the scrubbing here, and it's enriched with shea butter, glycerin and aloe vera for moisture. They do contain some artificial fragrance—choose from an array of scents, including Coconut, Juice Cleanse, Dream and Rosé.

UpCircle Body Scrub

UpCircle Body Scrub

UpCircle Body Scrub applies the upcycling movement to skincare. The company takes coffee grounds from London cafés and then combines them with salt, sugar and shea butter to create this all-natural scrub. Tangerine, grapefruit and other essential oils give it an uplifting herbal scent.

This Works Perfect Legs 100% Natural Scrub

This Works Perfect Legs 100% Natural Scrub

This Works Perfect Legs 100% Natural Scrub isn't just for your legs—it's also gentle enough to be applied all over the body. Pink Himalayan salt and sea salt are suspended in coconut fatty acids, which give it a balmy texture. The light and refreshing scent is 100 percent natural.

Pixi Glycolic Body Peel

Pixi Glycolic Body Peel

Pixi Glycolic Body Peel is part body scrub, part chemical peel. It contains fine pumice particles for physical exfoliation, and is also high in glycolic and lactic acids to dissolve away dead skin. Out of the tube, it's a luxe pink cream, but as you rub it over your skin, you'll feel a mild gritty texture. It's actually gentle enough to use daily.

Aquareveal Gentle Action Water Peel for Body

Aquareveal Gentle Action Water Peel for Body

Aquareveal Gentle Action Water Peel for Body exfoliates without any grains, acids or enzymes. Instead, it uses a water-based gel technology to bind with dead skin cells so they can be rinsed away. Use it out of the shower, on damp skin—you simply massage it on and then rinse it off. This peel is also fragrance-free.

StackedSkincare TCA Multi-Acid Body Peel

StackedSkincare TCA Multi-Acid Body Peel

StackedSkincare TCA Multi-Acid Body Peel is a leave-on acid treatment for your body—ideal for removing dead skin, softening keratin bumps, fading dark spots or clearing body acne. The fragrance-free liquid contains lactic, salicylic and trichloroacetic acids, and is self-neutralizing, so you don't need to rinse it off. You simply brush it on and leave it to work its magic for eight to 10 hours. 

Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 Corps

Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 Corps

Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 Corps is the body version of the cult-favourite exfoliating toner. It uses a similar blend of active ingredients, including alpha-, beta-, and poly-hydroxy acids, to smooth dry, rough skin and boost hydration. You've got to love that it comes in a spray bottle for easier application on hard-to-reach areas.

REN AHA Smart Renewal Body Serum

REN AHA Smart Renewal Body Serum

REN AHA Smart Renewal Body Serum lets you exfoliate while you moisturize. The creamy, lotion-like serum is spiked with a high 10 percent concentration of lactic acid. It also includes shea butter, xylitol and probiotics to soften, smooth and hydrate. It is surprisingly effective on scaly skin, and can even help with keratosis pilaris and body breakouts!

Shop Editor’s Picks

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Editor’s Picks: 22 of the Best Body Scrubs, Peels and Exfoliators for Soft, Smooth Skin syndicated from The Skincare Edit

#skincare #beauty #makeup

[sylvaetria]

Hi Hi! I've been interested in secular witchcraft for a long time, but i'm finally starting to stop just researching, and I want to try and start practicing! I've collected a bunch of resources, but what are some of the first things you'd suggest picking up from the store? Candles, herbs, oils, etc? Also, any beginner posts you could link me to would be wonderful. I'm all ears! Have a wonderful day

Hey, congrats on deciding to practice and doing your research! Are you excited? Nervous? Enjoying what you’ve seen so far? Is Tumblr your primary resource? :)

I wanna learn so much from new witches omg. (There’s irony in there.)

Well, it honestly depends on what you wanna do and use yourself. Because personally, I picked up a few of each - I got some tealights from WalMart, bought some cheap incense from somewhere else, picked up some dried herbs from the grocery store that I didn’t already have in the kitchen, and found like five or six crystals I liked from Green Earth. I spent maybe like twenty bucks. That was my beginner’s witch kit.

But, again, it all comes down to what you want to use. Are you more interested in working with candles in magic? Candle magic *is* a really easy but effective method of magic, and candles are everywhere, and really cheap. Most spells use candles in them, not necessarily as the focal point of the spell, but they also do wonders for boosting energies. A bag of 100 tea lights goes a long way in witchcraft. Color correspondences can help, but isn’t necessarily required.

Or maybe crystals are where you wanna go. Crystals have amazing energy, but are a bit more on the pricey side. It can also be hard for people who don’t know a lot about them to tell them apart - the “danger” in this is being swindled by people claiming their crystals are something they’re not. Doesn’t mean they won’t work for their “declared” intent, necessarily, but it means you just dropped a lot of money on something worth a tenth of that. 

That doesn’t mean it isn’t worthwhile to work with them, though. Because they’re an amazing tool, really - you just gotta do some more research, and be confident in where you’re buying from. Finding a reliable dealer with decent prices is where it’s at. But then, once you’ve got some crystals, they’re really versatile. They can be used on their own, or in conjunction with other spells, put them in jars and sachets, or in poppets, make grids, use them to charge other things, just stick like ten of them in your pockets - boom, witchcraft. 

Oils aren’t something I necessarily recommend, to be honest. Not because they aren’t useful, because they are, just like any other tool can be (just gotta know how to use them). I just don’t know a lot about essential oils. xD If that is the area you wanna go in, however, it’s worthwhile to know that you’re gonna want to do some more research on the topic, and be wary of any allergies you may have, and for the love of god don’t put a crapton of pure oil straight on your skin.

Herbs is a little bit of a tricky area too, especially when using them as medicine. It requires a lot of research and safety if you plan on ingesting herbs for actual remedial purposes. If you just want to use dried herbs in, like, jars and spell bags, it isn’t nearly as bad, but you still want to keep an eye out for any poisonous / toxic plants and allergies. The stuff you can get pre-dried from grocery stores and dollar stores are honestly enough in most cases, and there’s lots of substitutes for more expensive or exotic plants, depending on intent.

If you wanna grow your own herbs too, that’s an option, but another area I don’t know a lot about, so I can’t give you any more advice on that besides do some more research. (It seriously never ends, so I hope you like studying.)

I guess this sort of answers your questions, but not really in the way you wanted. So, long story short, what you pick up depends on what and how you want to practice. However, I’ll give you a list of items I would recommend, purely based on my own craft, but I feel they’re pretty good staples to have all around.

candles - versatile as all hell; can be used on their own or in any other spell; bags of white tea lights are super cheap and easy to find; worry about colors later; scents can be used as correspondences as well but don’t hinder in any way

also, if you can’t have open flames for whatever reason, they have LED / battery powered candles in some dollar stores now; not to mention, tech magic?!

matches - they smell nice, and can light candles; suuuper cheap, but in bulk; unless you’re allergic to sulphur, then just a lighter will work

herbs - dried herbs from the grocery store seriously do the trick just as well as fresh / organic stuff; Bulk Barn / Barrel has a lot of awesome stuff for super cheap too; start off with just a few general / all-purpose ones, and then add to your collection as you go along; it starts to build up over time, trust me

sea salt - cleansing and protection; can be used as a base for most herbal mixtures

rosemary - considered a substitute for most other herbs

basil - has like a shit ton of correspondences

cinnamon is useful to have too

if you wanna curse, pepper flakes, paprika, or cayanne pepper should do the trick

jars - do I even need to explain?; dollar store, man; even thrift stores have some pretty amazing and cool looking bottles and stuff

notebooks - not something necessarily overly witchy, but more so to write down what you learn; trust me, you’ll wanna do that, especially with correspondences; also, sigils

also, though, keeping a blog can be a great way to have a magical book; can be password detected / kept secret; tags are useful for organiazation; and then you have us assholes in the community to hang out with too xD

writing utensils are also kinda required to, you know, write in books; black Sharpies are useful for actually drawing on stuff - candles, sachets, etc.; good for sigil work

scrap fabric - but some cool patterns from thrift stores or whatever; useful for making sachets and poppets

sealable plastic bags can do in a pinch though, really; also can be drawn on with Sharpie for easy sigil application

string / thread - tie up bags, herb bundles; make sachets and poppets; also useful for bindings, and that’s a good skill to know

mini sewing kit - super useful to have in general, and all parts of it can be used for something, somewhere

tea bags - seriously, tea has magical properties too; super discreet; and easy as hell; play around with different flavors for intents

crystals - clear quartz is super cheap and all-purpose; buy like five of them and just use them over and over; again, another thing it might be useful to have like three or four basic ones and then build your collection over time; that’s how most of us get our arsenal of supplies

clear quartz - substitutes for any other crystal

amethyst - super cheap and easy to find; variant of quartz; good for sleep and peace and divination; also purple

tiger’s eye - I’m biased because this is my favorite crystal; good for protection and courage; did I mention it’s awesome to look at?

incense - not necessarily required, but I like to have it; smells nice, useful; so many scents; can be found pretty cheap all over too

again, if you can’t have open flames in your place, you can try those wax melters; definitely pricier, but versatile for magic as well; and I mean, they just smell, so, good; my mom has one with like sugar cookie wax cubes; and I come home and think she’s baking, and I get super excited; but it’s a lie

So, yeah, that’s my list, and reasons for what I wrote. That’s just some ideas to get you started. If you choose a path that doesn’t need those things in them, obviously don’t bother then. And depending on what “type of magic” you wanna do, your basic supply list might be very different. For instance, a sea witch probably won’t care so much about kitchen herbs, and stock up on sand and seaweed, sea shells and salt water. 

Since you asked for beginner’s posts, too, you can have my whole list:

Advice for Witchlings: [Part 01]; [Part 02]

[How to Start Being a Witch] (an ask)

[How to Begin to Do Magic, and Other Questions] (an ask)

[Advice to Baby Witches]

[Becoming a Witch] (an ask)

[For a Beginner] (an ask)

[Getting Started]

[How Do You Even Begin?] (tw: gif)

[“I’m Interested in Witchcraft, Where Do I Start?”]

[The Newbie Witch - What Others Often Don’t Tell You About Beginning the Practice]

[9 Practical Tips for New Witches]

[NSFW (Not Safe For Witches): Staying Safe in Magic]

[100 Tips for the Secret Witch]

[St.’s Short and Sweet Guide to (Not Asking Her) How to Get Started in Witchcraft and Magic]

[10 Common Misconceptions of Baby Witches]

[Things I Wish Somebody Had Told Me in the Beginning: Witch Edition]

[Tips for Beginner Witches] (an ask)

[Tips for Beginners] (an ask)

[Tips for Extremely New Witches] (an ask)

[Tips For Those Who Are Considering Witchcraft]

[Top Witch Tips]

[What I Wish I Knew Starting Out]

[“Where Do I Start?”]

[Where to Start] (an ask)

[Witchcraft, Where to Start?]

[Witchling Tips]

I did it! I made a post that wasn’t mostly links! :o Anyway, sorry for my smartass mouth, I was having fun with this. I hope you enjoyed reading, and I hope it gave you some ideas, and helped you out! Good luck! And if you need any more clarification or have more questions, you know where to find me. :D

#witchcraft 101 #supplies #I wrote a post! #long post #resource #masterpost #richtor's lists #richtors lists

[wandering-ish]

(reposting this post from last year because it won’t show in my travel tag and it annoys me quite a bit (((a whole fucking lot))))

5 years ago and last year, I didn’t appreciate Korean food much. But during my last trip to Seoul, I learned to love the food I didn’t even like before! In fact, I spent quite a lot on food >__> So I decided to get the most out of the spending by… writing it down. My overlimit credit card and I proudly present:

SEOUL CULINARY DIARY

Fried chicken 양념 치킨 (yangnyeom chicken) is the first meal I had during the trip. Getting exhausted and hungry while trying to find Sinseonggak Jajangmyeon from Gongdeok Station, a hole in the wall chicken place got me interested. The owner saw me hesitating in front of her shop so she encouraged me to go inside, and I went. The place only had one table with 2 chairs. I was doubting at first, but ended up ordering half and half chicken set with fries. I was actually trying to order rice, but they don’t have it there (fortunately so, because I ended up struggling to finish the chicken). They served the chicken and fries with coleslaw and 치킨 무 (chicken mu) aka cubed radish pickle. Not much to say other than how amazingly delicious the chicken was, it’s like KFC but a zillion times better. Asked for more coleslaw because it was so good, fresh cabbage and tasty mayo. Also, I used to not like chicken mu but I ended up enjoying it. What I was surprsied about was that this little restaurant accepts credit card! They have that cashier machine thingy too. Really impressed. My guess was it was sponsored by the government for small businesses. If only the government here does that too~

My visit to Hello Kitty Cafe at Hongdae was planned. Pretty easy to find, you can follow this map here. I instantly chose strawberry mousse because it was the most representative of Hello Kitty. Tastes good, but nothing special. For drink, I ordered sweet potato latte because it seemed unique. It tastes just like our sweet potato, but in liquid phase. Overall, this place was nice to hang and chat, but the dessert was quite expensive. The mousse alone was 11500 KRW (around 130k IDR / 10 USD).

Still hungry after dessert and strolling around Hongdae, Izakaya bar was my next stop. Though it was a Japanese bar, it had 막걸리 (makgeolli aka Korean rice wine). The price for 1 litre of makgeolli was only 8000 KRW (87k IDR / 6.7 USD). Unfortunately, they asked me to order one food menu too aside from drink, so I ordered beef okonomiyaki (sadly it had shrimp and octopus too, so I didn’t enjoy it much). The makgeolli was nice. You had to drink it with a tin bowl. Felt quite buzzed by the end of the night because I had to finish half of this jar, possibly more.

Seoul was raining the next day, so a bowl of  삼계탕 (samgyetang aka ginseng chicken soup) seemed like a good choice for lunch. Personally, I am not really fond of samgyetang. I think it lacks the spice, but maybe it’s because my tongue is too used to overly spiced Indonesian food. Anyways, Tosokchon Samgyetang is a famous place, so I went there. The atmosphere was great there. I got the middle floor seat, sitting between a chinese tourist family and a couple of college guys. Ordered one regular samgyetang (there are a few types of samgyetang, but I chose the cheapest one, of course), a bottle of soju, and one pajeon. The pajeon came so late I thought they forgot this (they didn’t write the order, but only remembered it in their head). Pajeon had shrimp and octopus so I had to remove them before eating them. Samgyetang tastes like samgyetang did, I didn’t have improved opinion of it. But the weird part was I kind of didn’t hate soju anymore?? I used to dislike it, because it smelled like nail polish remover and tasted like how nail polish remover probably tastes like. Still smelled vividly like that, but I could finish half a bottle (probably more) of it. Obviously I got drunk in the middle of the day and passed out on the train ride.

SUM Cafe is located near Cheongdam Station Exit 6. I took pics and took a look at the magazines displayed there, but apparently you couldn’t sit in the cafe and read magazine without buying anything, so I ordered a lemon tart + coffee set. The lemon tart tastes just like those lemon biscuits from Khong Guan assorted biscuits tin. I meant it in a good way, because I like them biscuits. But this tart was way to overpriced. I went downstairs to take a look at the new SUM Market. It was a mini market, but the goods are packaged with SM artist names or arts on it, and sold about 5-10 times more expensive than the regular goods with regular packaging. In other words, the place was a capitalist hell. Sadly I still bought a thing, aka a bottle of SHINee’s sparkling water. Sounds ridiculous, but it was the least ridiculous thing of all things there. It was also the cheapest.

I got drunk for the 2nd time that day, this time at a bar called Oz in Itaewon. Last year I went to why not, the bar across from it, but it was too quiet and exclusive, so I chose Oz for a new experience. Because it was early, the bar still only had a few people. The bar was small with only bar seats available. The bartenders were CUTE and they tried to chat with us, albeit struggling while doing so. I ordered Banana Bomb, aka banana uyu mixed with vodka. Unexpectedly, it was really tasty. I wish we had banana uyu here so I could make this drink every other weekend. I can’t recall what others drank, but mine was the tastiest. Tho I didn’t reject Luthfi’s offer to finish his drink.

On the morning of my Railbike+Nami+Garden of Morning Calm Tour, I went to 7-11 to buy snacks. I was about to buy my favorite snack aka Thor’s Pretzel. But like dramatic fated meeting of lovers in kdramas, I stumbled upon a 2+1 deal for Cheese In The Trap potato chips! As a passionate CITT fan ☠webtoon only☠ I instantly bought it. I finished those three tubes mostly by myself during the whole day trip.

At Nami Island, I had lunch in the BBQ restaurant. Originally, I only ordered the pork one, but the restaurant won’t let 2 people share one set. Finally, one pork set, one chicken set, a bowl of dwenjang jjigae, and two bowls of rice were ordered. Plates of banchan and lettuce were served as well. Dwenjang jjigae came first, so I ate it with rice because it was cold and I was hungry. Personally, I didn’t enjoy it very much. Then, the meat came and I got into the grilling. I tried the wrap with kimchi and pickled chilli, but I ended up liking it without. Maybe because I’m not into Korean pickled things in general. All in all, the grilled pork and chicken was A++++ and I ate very happily. Most likely because it was the first time I ate rice in 4 days.

As I arrived at the Garden of the Morning Calm, I saw stalls of street food and I spotted The French Fries Coated Corndog!! I never found it in Seoul, so it got me super excited. After I finished going around the park, I went to buy it right away. They offered a few choice of sauce such as tomato ketchup, mustard, etc. I chose garlic. It was way tastier and better than the other corndog. I was so pleased. It was also so big and fulfilling.

The last day in Seoul, I chose to have brunch at Myeongdong Kyoja. Located near artbox in Myeongdong, it was easy to find. Famous for its 칼국수 (kalguksu aka knife cut homemade noodle), I ordered that along with a set of 만두 (mandu aka dumpling). Kalguksu had the width and thickness of pho noodle and the broth looked thick and rich but it was refreshing and not heavy. It got minced meat (pork? I think) and four dumplings. I enjoyed it very much. The portion was big, tho. And I still had to eat half of the dumpling set too. It was too much, but it was a great meal nonetheless. I had to poop before eating to reserve some space for the food.

Notes: All restaurant stated above (except street snack stalls) accepts credit card and provides free water.

Phew.

So that was my culinary diary from my last trip to Seoul. It was very mind opening. I had a great time and I feel like Seoul will never bore me?? There are still so many restaurants on my list that I have yet to visit. Which means I absolutely have to go back, right?

Right.

#travel #seoultrip2016 #seoul #culinary #food #korean food #hello kitty cafe #korean fried chicken #makgeolli #samgyetang #soju #corn dog #kalguksu #mandu #cheese in the trap #sum market #trip

[roastsalivearchive]

WARREN  PEACE  --- OLFACTORY  HEADCANON.  to  supernatural  beings  with  a  heightened  sense  of  smell,  warren,  at  first,  smells  exactly  as  @ferabestia  mentioned  in  their  thread  --  like  burnt  charcoal.  this  is  because,  unfortunately,  when  he’s  at  school  he’s  usually  rather  irritated.  out  of  school  &  ‘off-duty’  as  it  were,  warren  has  the  more  .  .  .  subdued  scent  of  a wood-clearing  bonfire  ;  a smoky,  pleasant  smell  that  can  easily  give  way  to  burnt  charcoal  if  pissed  off.  however  !  underneath  both  scents  is  a  sweeter  one  -  one  that  doesn’t  quite  mix.  many  with  super  sense  think  themselves  mistaken  when  they   first  smell  it.  it’s  rather  jarring,  but  it’s  the  smell  of caramelised  sugar.  specifically,  caramelised  sugar  just  on the brink  of turning too dark  ;  of burning  &  ruining  one’s  sticky  toffee  sauce.  when  angered,  the  ‘sugar  smell’  does  burn,  giving  way  to  an  overly-sweet  yet  still  somehow  very  bitter  smell.   the  odd  smell  combination  can  be  directly  linked  to  his  parents  &  his  heritage  --  he  gets  his  burnt  charcoal  carbon  /  woodsmoke  smell  from  his  father  (  whose  parents  he  directly  inherited  ),  but  the  sugar  part  is  all his  mother’s  (  a  superheroine  in  her  own  right  ).  the  burning  sugar  smell,  however  is  all  warren  &  is  a  direct  combination  of  his  parents’  scents.  don’t  mention  to  warren  that  he  smells  sweet  though  -  it’s  amazing  how  quickly  that  sugar  can  turn.

#ɪɪ. — ❪ i write because i don’t know what I think until i read what I say / headcanon ❫

[georgeluz]

hi can you do the face tag thing for me!!!!! also i love your blog i just joined the hbo war fandom on here and i love everything and all of you guys!!!! also my face tag on my blog is tagged/me the picture on there are all over a year old but i look p much the same just a little bit longer hair, slimmer face lmao

“i just realized i didn’t say anything about me ack i’m a pisces, 5'3" i love music and writing and nature and i’d prefer to be shipped from someone in BoB since it’s my favorite and i know the men better.“

YOU GOT IT! I know this is super late… annoyingly late buT WELCOME TO THE FANDOM I AM SO GLAD YOU ARE HERE.

(no more ask game requests pls)

The Character I See You As: David Webster! Sweet sunshine child, loves to write, loves music, loves nature (so much he DIED BECAUSE OF IT I WILL NEVER NOt be SALTY OVER ThiS @ the ocean give me back webster ok) I mean I just can’t get over how he wrote so much about the war. He saw it from an outside perspective despite being right in the middle of it. He was always observant like that. Loyal and overly trusting to a fault, like a puppy dog, sweet and gentle with THE KIDDOS (even tho he probably swears he doesn’t want kids). ALSO PSA I DIDNT KNOW WEB WAS UR BLOG SIDEBAR THING I SWEAR I DIDNT PiCK It bECAUSE OF THAT I JUST SAW…………….. I picked because I swear you seem like him!

Your Three Best Friends: George Luz, Dick Winters, Babe Heffron

The One You Don’t Get Along With: Frank Perconte. Okay actually you do like Perconte okay, it’s not anything hard against him, it’s just that he’s so damn salty sometimes. He’s rough around the edges, blunt, and somehow naive despite doing his best to seem super prickly. Half the time you have no idea what to expect from him or what to do around him to avoid his bad side, but Luz SWEARS he likes you, Frank’s just like that.

Who I Ship You With: Eugene Roe. THE CAJUN PRINCE. MYSTERIOUS MEDIC. The love of everyone’s life tbh. I feel like everyone swears he’s this shy and gentle soul (and at times I kinda believe it), but people sometimes forget that he’s STRONG, strong enough to deal with watching his friends get injured one by one, strong enough to sit there while they scream in pain as he patches them up. He can deal with whatever shit you throw at him tbh. He’s funny, he can be outgoing when it’s just you and him, and he’s just a BRAVE GOOD SOUL UGH.

Wildcard: Private First Class. Mortars. 1st Platoon. Easy Company. 

You were trying not to cuss, biting down hard on your lip. You had twisted your ankle up nice and good in Bastogne, and you had ignored it, walked on it, limped on it, and eventually you had to be carried by George Luz and Babe Heffron all the way to Roe’s foxhole. Meanwhile you swore it was fine, you swore you would let it rest, prop it up, do whatever you could to avoid the scathing gaze of the medic you admired so much. You swore he was going to kill you for letting it get this bad. You just didn’t want to be taken off the line.

George and Babe were both cussing and laughing, yelling and mothering you at the same time. “Goddamn it, Y/N, you didn’t have to go lookin’ with me for supplies. If I’d’a known your damn leg was like this–” Babe spewed, huffing and muttering obscenities under his breath as Roe popped his head out from under the tarp spread above the foxhole. You rolled your head to the side, over George’s arm to guiltily stare at the medic. “Sorry, doc, I’m so sorry, I’m an idiot, it’s not that bad I swear–”

Roe furrowed his brow, looked at the two men who shook their heads at him, and motioned for you to be slid down into the foxhole. You groaned in annoyance. “I feel betrayed, guys,” you bark, grappling to smack George’s leg on your way down.

“You’ll thank us later, alright? We need you healthy,” George said through a wide grin, dancing away from your smack.

Down in the foxhole, Roe had already begun untying your boot. Your foot had swollen in the boot, and every jarring movement made you suck in air sharply. “Sorry, Gene, really, I should’ve known better.”

“Toye ain’t much better than you, I s’pose,” he said through gritted teeth, easing off your boot while you bit into your knuckle. Your ankle was black and blue. Your socks were soaked with sweat. You were getting trenchfoot along with the swollen ankle. “I oughtta send you off the line right now, private,” Roe scolded gently, taking your uninjured foot in his hands and rubbing it gently between his palms. You tilted your head back against the freezing snow and bit back a moan of both relief and pain. Pain blossomed across the foot as feeling began to return, but it was coupled with sweet, sweet heat.

“So am I stuck in here with you until I’m back on my feet?” You panted, stuffing your gloved hands into your front pockets as Roe went back and forth, massaging one foot and delicately massaging the injured one. 

“That’s the way it’s gonna be, but I very well may send you off the line if this won’t improve.” Roe was quiet when he was at work, gaze occasionally lifting to meet your’s as he worked on drawing circulation back into your feet. It was painful, but you didn’t mind so long as Roe was keeping you company. You felt guilty he was going to the trouble. Embarrassed, but also grateful that Spina wasn’t here to intrude.

“Put your socks on your neck ‘til they dry,” Roe instructed, running his thumb over your toes. You wiggled them at him before doing as he said, screwing up your nose at the smell.

“Aye, aye, Doc. Maybe I’ll massage your feet next?” Cheeky, you grinned at him despite yourself, trying to lighten the mood, trying to make him forget that he should have been mad at you for making such a foolish mistake.

“I got Spina for that,” he replied smoothly before grabbing one of the sheets in the foxhole and wrapping both your feet in them. Once he finished, he set them in his lap and continued to hold them in his hands. “You’ll repay me in company, Y/N, I think that’ll do just fine.”

You ducked your head against your chest, avoiding his gaze. “Thanks, Gene. Really.”

He cracked a little smile and gingerly squeezed your feet in his hands. “You’re alright, you’re alright. Why don’t you tell me about home?”

“Home?” You repeat, trembling as a chilly breeze penetrated the foxhole.

“Yeah. I need somethin’ to cheer me up,” was the gentle reply, Gene scooting over until his shoulder brushed your’s, trying to share whatever body heat the both of you had.

“Well, I don’t know where to begin.”

“How about Christmas?”

“Alright, Christmas it is.”

#ask #ask game #yourdirtysadness

[ellocentipede]

Moonalisa Mardi Gras & Tudor 2020 Collection

I’ve been purchasing Moonalisa’s products for nearly ten years now, and her collections still make my heart flutter. The artwork that she designs for her labels and ephemera is always so beautiful, and many of my favorite scents may be found in her extensive scent collection. Her products are very reasonably priced and are among my favorites (especially the bath salts, 4-in-1 gels, Potion Lotions, and soaps). The Mardi Gras & Tudor collection is my second favorite of her annual collections (Spring/Easter is my first favorite!). The Tudor offerings are romantic and nostalgic--think rose, amber, orange blossom, woods, and incense--and the Mardi Gras collection is an explosion of gourmands, fruits, and pastry-type scents. 

4-in-1 Gels

4-in-1 gels are super gentle and useful gels that can be used as shampoo, shower gel, bubble bath, and laundry soap. I use them for all of the above, and really enjoy using them as a handwashing soap for delicate garments like scarves.

Lavender Shortbread

Scent description:  A buttery shortbread cookie blend with just a touch of Lavender EO.

This is one of my favorite scents ever, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes lavender and/or bakery blends. The lavender cuts the sweetness of the shortbread cookie, and the cookie similarly cuts the herbalness of the lavender. It’s a perfect blend--well-balanced and beautiful. It is both calming, and playful, and it makes me happy to smell it. I have this scent in perfume form and I wear it often.

Poetry

Scent description:  Romance is in the air with this balance of scent between floral, citrus, spice, and resin. Orange blossom cream with an English Toffee swirl and a touch of Frankincense and Ginger.  

I love orange blossom, and this blend is a pretty and interesting take on it. It’s very well-blended--neither too floral, nor sweet, nor herbal. I primarily smell the orange blossom, and it’s cut with something a bit herbal like petitgrain, though it may be the ginger that I’m smelling. There’s a bit of sweetness softening the blend, which is likely the toffee and cream, but it’s not sickly sweet the way that toffee can sometimes be. It sort of smells like the orange blossom glaze that I make for my pistachio cake--delicately sweet and floral. It’s a soft, beautiful, happy, romantic blend.

Bath Salts

I love Moona’s bath salts! They are one of my staple bath products and are a great value for money. I typically get about 5-6 baths out of one jar. They are well-scented and make for lovely, relaxing baths.

Bohemian Rose

Scent description:  (formally known as Gypsy Rose) This scent, I love, it is true to my roots. It is what I imagine a classic Bohemian den would be full of; gorgeous paintings, gem toned velvets and glass, natural incense filtering through the air, and sultry music cascading throughout the room. Made of smoky and sultry natural Agarwood, real Bulgarian Rose, rich, vanilla amber like Labdanum resin and earthy Patchouli & Vetiver.

This is a dark and moody resinous herb blend. It’s beautiful! It’s a dark red, velvety rose with a robust base of smooth, well-blended resins--primarily Agarwood, which is rich, slinky, woody, and not at all indolic as it is wont to be. This is one of my Moona staples and it makes for a beautiful bath.

Field of Dreams

Scent description:  (formerly Lavender Fields): A blended Amber with Lavender Kashmir, Lavender absolute and Lavender (Lavendula Angustifolia Moldova) and wow, on the dry down I am in LOVE <3 The dark earthy green hue of this oil is 100% natural and coming from the Lavender absolute.

I love both lavender and amber, and this well-blended combination is rich and full-bodied, sweet, woody, resinous, and a touch herbal. The amber is deep, fragrant, and golden, and the lavender is dry and smooth. A beautiful blend.

Wanderer’s Blues

Scent description:  (formally known as Gypsy Blues) Lavender, Patchouli, Amber Bouquet, Oak moss Absolute, Black Pepper, Neroli, Ylang Ylang, Jasmine & Violet Absolute. Contains ground Oak moss and Patchouli herbs.

This blend is another of my staples from Moonalisa, and to me it encapsulates the heart of many her signature and original scent blends like Eclipse, Indigo Ice, and Bohemian Rose--deep, mysterious, and incensey. Somehow this blend does manage to smell a bit blue. It’s so well-blended that it’s a bit hard to pick out individual notes, but it’s woody, a touch herbal, a touch incensey, and a touch sweet. The floral notes, of which violet is the most prominent, are balanced by the herbs, smooth woods, and sweet resins. Oakmoss wraps around the blend like a mossy cloud--softening the edges and elevating the blend to a perfume that smells elegant and expensive. Beautiful.

Dusting Powder

Moona’s dusting powder is a lovely and handy little treat that has multiple purposes! I like to dust mine on my decollete after my evening bath. It softens the skin and smells lovely. You can also use it to absorb a bit of extra moisture when it’s warm outside, or dust it lightly on your sheets for a silky and fragrant treat. One bottle lasts me a long time!

Hair Detangler

Moona’s hair detangler is a great, lightweight detangler that doesn’t weigh down hair. It’s well-scented and not overly oily or greasy. I go through bottles of this fairly quickly!

Lemon Curd and Coconut Cream

Scent description: (aka Lemming Crack) Lemon curd and coconut cream with graham crust.

I typically don’t go much for gourmand scents, but Moona is a formally-trained pastry chef, and her gourmand blends are very popular (and the volume of them is extensive!). She makes several lemon bakery blends and they are all wonderful and realistic. I have trouble with lemon scents from other houses, but Moona’s (along with Arcana Wildcraft’s citron note) are perfection. Lemon Curd and Coconut Cream is one of my favorites. It smells like a lemon bar with a layer of freshly-whipped cream infused with coconut shavings. The lemon is not sharp, but smooth, sweetened, and juicy, and the pastry and coconut elements are balanced by the citrus and are not overly sweet. I highly recommend this one!

Potion Lotion

Potion Lotion is one of my favorite lotions, especially during the summer. It’s pretty lightweight and absorbs well, and it also holds scent well. It’s cooling on the skin and is generally a nice, moisturizing treat.

Eclipse

Scent description:  A full on powdery musky Amber! Full bodied, earthy, sweet and sensuous.  Represents sensuality.

Eclipse is another of my favorite blends--it is a musky, sweet, and earthy amber as described. It smells like there are some other woods and resins in the blend, and it’s not sharp or perfumey as amber can sometimes be. It’s both soft and deep at the same time. A beautiful and unique blend.

Massage Bar

This pretty bar was a freebie with purchase! It’s made with cocoa, coconut, shea butter, beeswax, lavender buds, and organic lavender essential oil. The scent is of lavender and chocolate (from the cocoa) and it’s soft, calming, and natural. It melts easily on to the skin (but not too easily!) and is beautifully moisturizing. I’m going to put this in my travel bag to use as a lotion bar on-the-go!

Moonalisa’s beautiful products may be perused and purchased at https://www.moonalisa.com/ 

[thecoroutfitters]

Written by R. Ann Parris on The Prepper Journal.

//

For a lot of us, companion animals are as much family as the people we don’t really want to see even on the holidays. For some of us, they are working partners, part of our mental well-being, and our therapy all rolled into one. While most of our companion animals are going to be cats and dogs, there are also birds, pigs, goats and even horses that fit the bill of a pet as opposed to solely being livestock. Livestock or pets, we took responsibility for a feeling creature’s life, and we owe it to them to take care of them.

That means adding to the long lists of things we need to do, buy and plan for should our worlds fall apart on either a small-scale or a large-scale.

I’ll mostly focus on the cats and dogs, but a lot will apply to anything, from ferrets to pot-bellied pigs.

Water for Mr. Whiskers

Just like people need food and water, so do our animals. Ferret to bunny, pony to puppy, if the animals dehydrate, we’re in a world of hurt.

Water is going to really be a biggie should the world or nation ever collapse. Try to monitor the water use in winter and in summer, or in high-activity seasons, so we keep at least a week or so on hand for them (ideally more).

With animals, we also have to remember that a lot of them pant. Whether it’s a stress action or cooling action, panting will dry them out and we’ll need to allot extra water for them.

It may be possible to do sub-cutaneous fluids for even very small livestock if it becomes necessary, but ideally, it’s not necessary. In an emergency, we’ll have to monitor our animals just like we do small children and seniors.

Bathing animals may take an even lower priority, but in that case, we may need to come up with a smell and-or pest plan.

Commercially Available Long-Storage Foods

Food might be simple, or it might be more complicated.

There are “normal” commercially available freeze-dried pet foods. There is no way I’d buy them. I’d be totally broke and then my beloved fur-balls would be in a shelter anyway.

There are long-term storage foods available in buckets. The Ready Store sells one, and  MayDay makes another. One of the wholesale bulk warehouse stores sells a bucket of food for cats or dogs as well.

I consider them about on par with Ol’ Roy, on top of being expensive. I do have a couple of buckets of cat food (I really think they came from Costco) but I have every intention of using a Pearson Square to make it part of the protein component and it’s mostly there for helping to clean their teeth.

MRE Depot sells doggy biscuit treats and at one point sold those “quart” #2.5 cans of dog and cat food. However, MRE Depot tends to … think very highly of their products, and I have dogs who consider those single-serving cans.

Plus, again, this is not Blue Buffalo or Nutrish level dining here.

Therefore, I tend to avoid the commercial long-storage options. I either repackage, or I create “normal” food storage for my furry friends.

Repacking for Rufus & Rex

I pack Milky Bones and Alpo squares in mylar and oxygen absorbers, and in canning jars with oxygen absorbers. I keep in several bags of food that get rotated, even with the oil-rancidity risks of our hot Southern summers. (Wowser article that I ignore)

I have tried to repackage bagged pet food in Mylar with oxygen absorbers, but it tends to barely extend the life by 2-4 months – which is not overly worth it to me. In cooler climates, with fewer or smaller animals, it might be worth it to be able to open smaller increments.

Stocking Up for Socks & Spot

I could just buy cans of cat and dog food, but we rarely feed it. That means whole stacks of flats end up donated on a regular basis as it comes time to rotate, and the deductible barely dents replacement costs every year.

While I don’t mind giving some extra love to unwanted shelter animals, I need to be able to take care of mine.

Years ago when imported foods started making animals sick, I started making homemade food. There are a million and five recipes available, with the best options very home and animal-specific.

We had incredible results from it. The older dogs perked up, leaned down, tightened up, and played more. Periodic tummy sensitivities and Gassy Gus went away almost overnight. Attention, retention, and stamina went through the roof.

I no longer make all of our pet feed, but I do still make a portion of it and I tend to make extras of certain foods to add to the scraps our animals get.

For us, a casserole or soup worked best. I make up enormous kettles in one go, freeze a portion, and pull out three days’ worth at a time to defrost. It’s then as easy as scooping.

For an emergency, it won’t be quiet that easy, since I won’t have fridge and freezer space for the pets’ foods, but I will still be making them basically human foods.

Storage Foods for Pets

Powdered Eggs make up the backbone of the protein and fats that are stored for the dogs and cats. Commercially, they’re available as whole eggs or scrambled egg mix. They can also be dehydrated at home if inclined.

Oatmeal, barley, brown rice & white rice are my go-to feeds for the dogs, both in daily life and in the stored foods. The oatmeal especially is cheap, fast, and easy. The grains make for a decent calorie base and belly filler for dogs and rodents.

Potatoes are stocked for both the cats and the dogs, home-dehydrated as well as commercial buckets and #10 cans of slices, dices and grated shreds. I even can baked potato skins, although the cats won’t touch those. They’re full of good nutrients for the dogs.

Apples, Carrots & Sweet Potatoes are present for the cats and dogs, with the dogs a little heavier than the cats on the apples and sweet potatoes or sweet African yams. Again, I can dehydrate them at home, or buy them in affordable bulk to repackage or already set in cans and buckets. The veggies give the animals much-needed vitamins, just as they do us.

Peas are no longer part of my animal-diet plan. Some dogs handle them, some don’t. There are enough other options, I tend to just skip them now, but for years I included them.

Berries are fine for cats and dogs most of the time, but they tend to be expensive and human favorites so with the exception of copiously producing cranberry-equivalent bushes, I don’t allot many to the animals. Cats and dogs are less likely to eat the bitter berries than birds or ferrets.

Greens are dehydrated, purchased dehydrated, and grown in tin soup cans, small Dollar Tree cubes and planters, and outside. They’re also foraged wild. While the animals may not be super wild about them, and the greens should represent a smaller proportion of feed than even something like apples or carrots, they are another one that is stacked-legit with nutrients – especially the nutrients we’ll find lacking in lean animals and winter.

Boiled with something meaty or flat-fried or baked-and-chipped eggs, our cats, dogs, rats, and ferrets will dive on greens just as fast as they will a chunk of salmon jerky or broth from meat trimmings.

Milk gets stored as a calcium source and calorie boost. My animals handle whey milk and soy milk without any problems, so I can buy whatever’s cheapest at the time. Previous animals have handled raw milk and goat milk even if pasteurized was off the table.

Most long-storage milk is fat-free, so I have to be aware and get their fats in from something else.

When’s lunch?

Fish is a major part of my dogs’ and cats’ long-term food storage plan. For a few dollars a year, I can spend days in the sun collecting dozens and hundreds of pounds of feed for them. Skins and some of the organs we don’t even want help boost proteins and oils for the animals.

Especially important with cats, pressure canning or drying fish for storage creates something I can open or soak-and-simmer to create an enticing scent. If cats can’t smell food, they won’t eat.

Without a fishing license or with prohibitive keeper restrictions, tuna in oil and then tuna in water (which will last longer) can make somewhat less-expensive food-flavoring options. There are places that sell cod, shrimp, and salmon, but it tends to be freeze-dried and pretty pricey.

Repacking well-dried jerky-like treats to extend the storage life might be another option to consider to induce kitties to eat.

Peanut Butter Powder is also in my storage for the animals, but it’s there mainly to make them homemade doggy “biscotti” biscuits that will give them something to gnaw and help keep their teeth in better shape.

Wheat & corn are in my storage, but not for my animals. A lot of dogs and cats don’t actually process much corn, and some are sensitive to wheat. With potatoes, rice, and oats inexpensive and compact, I can easily avoid having wheat and corn be their base calories.

Transitioning Foods

Pets or people, we’ll want to plan transitions between foods – almost always. While some animals don’t need it, even transitions between types of kibble or canned foods should be done slowly.

You replace 1/10 to 1/4 the feed for 2-5 days, then another 1/10 or 1/4. If an emergency requires it, you can go ahead and skip to 50-50 blends or 70-30 new-old blends.

My preference is to have dry food as a finisher or by itself at least several times weekly, because it really is better on their teeth. When we transition to smokes and raw bones, we use a step process as well.

It’s my personal belief that because my animals do get scraps and leftovers, and do get trimmings and bones stewed for them, their guts stay ready to process more foods. Skipping a meal or a few days of their usual feeds doesn’t bother my animals’ stomachs at all.

Just like people, animals vary widely, so consult a vet and add those transitions slowly.

Goodies for Evac Kits

Red Cross and FEMA sites are happy to list out supplies to consider for our animals. Whether we’re evac’ing alone, with a cat, or with a trailer of six crated dogs, two goats and three horses, there are some goodies we might want to add to make everybody more comfortable, both during the trip and after.

Portable, battery-operated fans (blow into crates)

Misting systems/bottles

Umbrellas, portable pavilions (shade, rain coverage)

Animal entertainment

Spare towels

Tarps

Treats (even hooved livestock like treats, such as applesauce or sweet pellets)

Hoods

Fly screen/fly hoods/mesh, and-or tiki torches or various Off fan types (flies and mosquitoes are bears)

Pool mattresses (elevated bedding)

Nail trimmers & file (to save the air mattresses)

Garbage bags, kitty litter, shovels (waste cleanup)

Medications

Remember that cats, especially, can’t take a lot of human or dog medications. Those need to be sourced and stocked separately. There are, however, a lot of overlaps between species, fish to humans, pigs to dogs.

We have to research any meds our animals are on or can be anticipated to be on, just like with humans. Contraindication can delay recovery and set animals back if we combine the wrong things, or push them at the wrong intervals. Just like human meds, we’ll want to stock up on prescriptions and OTC drugs our animals have used in the past, or that we can anticipated them needing in the future.

Flea and tick preventatives, dewormers, heartworm preventative, mange washes, lice and flea dips, and ear cleaners are just a few of the things we might consider stocking up on.

Prepping for Furry Friends

There’s a lot to think about with our family disaster plans, big and small. Figuring out how we’re going to take care of our critters – pets or livestock or working animals – just adds to the headache. The moisture content in animal feeds and the expense of some types of feeds can make it seem impossible at first, but with some twitches, we can use standard, inexpensive storage foods to keep the animals fat and happy. There are also things like a water plan and sport umbrellas or mesh screens that will not only make us and animals happier, they can help reduce diseases, illness and heat stroke. It takes a little forethought, be we can absolutely prepare to keep our animals in personal crises or nation-altering events.

The post Prepping for Our Furry Friends – Stuff for Spot appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

#SHTF #TEOTWAWKI #MARTIALLAW #BUGOUT #PREPPERBAG #USAF #USSOCOM #ARMY #NAVY #SurvivalFirestarter #Sur

[viktoriaanabel]

Honey Lavender Latte

You look like you might need an extra cup of coffee on this Friday morning. Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered. I’m going to ease you into the weekend with the most comforting cup of caffeination out there.

Today, we’re making lattes. But not just any lattes. Lattes with homemade honey-lavender syrup. AKA, my newest favorite thing. Over the summer, my sisters and I took my mom away to Cape May for the weekend to celebrate her birthday. While there, we visited one of my most favorite places in the world: Congress Hall. It is a beautiful old hotel right on the waterfront, and it’s pretty much the stuff of dreams. They have a really cute coffee shop right off the lobby, and every time I’m in Cape May, I stop in there. It’s just so darn cute.

While perusing the menu, I noticed the coffee flavor list. Now, coffeehouse flavor syrups are NOT my thing. I don’t care for them usually, and I almost never get them as a result. In the long list of options, though, one stuck out to me. Honey lavender. It sounded too interesting to pass up. I admit, I was worried it would be like drinking a glass of coffee potpourri. I mean, I’ve always liked lavender in my candles and bubble bath, but not necessarily in my food. It can be very overpowering, and that’s exactly what I expected with this cup of coffee.

But! Curiousity got the best of me and I ordered it anyway. And goodness am I glad I did!

Not only was the lavender NOT overpowering or overly florally, it added such a comforting element to my coffee. Which is huge in my book. You see, coffee is so much more than a caffeine jolt to me. It’s a morning routine. A comfort. When I don’t have coffee in the morning, I am off for the entire day. Again, not necessarily because of the lack of caffeine. I just LOVE holding that hot mug of coffee early in the morning. I love the way that first swirl of milk or cream looks as you stir it in. I love the smell. I love the taste.

And the honey lavender syrup in this cup of coffee was everything. It was slightly sweet, a touch florally, and super comforting. All while meeting my morning routine requirements. I sipped it as we sat in huge adirondack chairs, basking in the early-day sunshine, overlooking the ocean. I decided in that moment that honey lavender coffee was going to be a thing. A regular thing. At home.

And so here we are! These lattes are really easy to make, but if you don’t have an espresso maker, I can vouch for this syrup tasting good in all kinds of coffee. I’ve had it in regular coffee (my first experience), and I’ve actually had it drizzled into a big glass of cold brew. It really works in any and all coffee drinks. It starts by making the syrup, which I recommend doing ahead so that the lavender flowers have plenty of time to steep in the syrup before you use it. It’s a mixture of water, sugar, honey, and dried lavender. That’s it! You simmer it until the sugar and honey are completely dissolved and then let it cool to room temperature, with the lavender flowers steeping. Then, when you’re ready to use it, you strain out the flowers and go to town!

The other great thing? The syrup keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks! I have a small carafe in my fridge right now, and I’ve been enjoying it in my coffee every morning for the past week. And it’s been LOVELY with the cooler almost-fall mornings. I’m telling you, these lattes are comfort in a cup. And they are destined for your weekend plans!

You can thank me later! Honey Lavender Lattes Yield: makes 2 lattes (with extra syrup), easily multiplied For the Honey-Lavender Syrup: 1 cup of water 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender flowers ½ cup sugar ½ cup honey For Two Lattes: 2-4 shots of espresso (you can sub with strong coffee) 1 cup steamed milk The Honey-Lavender syrup (to taste) Whipped cream, optional For the Syrup: Combine the water and the lavender in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and then add in the sugar and honey. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the honey and sugar have completely dissolved. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature, with the lavender steeping. Strain the syrup into a jar or resealable glass container and discard the strained lavender flowers. Store in the fridge. For Two Lattes: Divide the espresso between two coffee mugs and drizzle in some of the honey-lavender syrup (to taste -- see NOTE below). Top each glass with some of the steamed milk, whipped cream, and a sprinkle of dried lavender. Serve immediately. NOTES: This syrup is great in iced coffee and regular hot coffee as well (and definitely in tea!). It’s a versatile flavor, but beware, it IS potent. Start small and adjust to meet your tastes. The syrup will last in an airtight container in the fridge for roughly two weeks. The lavender sediment may settle a bit, so swirl or stir it before drizzling in your coffee or tea! Read the full article

#coffee #food

[dawnasiler]

Editor’s Picks: 22 of the Best Body Scrubs, Peels and Exfoliators for Soft, Smooth Skin

Exfoliation—it's not just for your face.  

Your body needs it, too, especially if you're dealing with dryness, rough patches... or even scales (here in Canada, that's an actual thing). 

Unless you remove that surface dead skin, any body moisturizer that you put on top won't be able to do its job properly.

That's where the latest body exfoliators come in.

Choose from body scrubs, which physically buff away dead skin cells, or body peels, which use acids to chemically dissolve them. You can even use an exfoliating body lotion that does double-duty!

Ahead, find out what to look for in a body exfoliator, and discover the best products to try now.

What to Look for in a Body Scrub, Peel or Exfoliator

The best body scrubs, peels and exfoliators from Pixi, REN, Kopari, Herbivore, Goop, Indie Lee and Biologique Recherche.

Here's what I look for in a body scrub, peel or exfoliator:

Sulfate-free: Sulfates are harsh foaming agents that can strip away natural oils and lead to irritation.

Stable oils (or oil-free): Polyunsaturated fatty acids go rancid quickly, so I avoid them in high concentrations (typically the first five ingredients). Monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids are more resistant to oxidation and have a much longer shelf life. 

Silicone-free: Silicones are film-forming ingredients that leave a coating on the skin and can exacerbate body acne.

Petroleum-free: Similar to silicones, petroleum derivatives such as mineral oil leave an occlusive film on the skin and may actually increase water loss.

Low in fragrance (or fragrance-free): While it's much more harmful on your face, too much fragrance can also lead to skin reactions on your body. 

Has a preservative: All water-based products must contain a preservative in order to prevent bacterial growth.

Now, on to the products that tick off these boxes!

Herbivore Coco Rose Coconut Oil Body Polish

Herbivore Coco Rose Coconut Oil Body Polish

Herbivore Coco Rose Coconut Oil Body Polish is a densely-packed sugar scrub with a pretty pink tint and a subtle rose scent (thanks to the Moroccan rose absolute). You know how some scrubs have a puddle of oil at the top after the first use? That doesn't happen here—this jar is chock-full of sugar. Afterwards, your skin will feel soft but not oily. You can also use it as a lip scrub!

Goop G.Tox 5 Salt Detox Body Scrub

Goop G.Tox 5 Salt Detox Body Scrub

Goop G.Tox 5 Salt Detox Body Scrub exfoliates with five different types of salts (Himalayan pink, Dead Sea, Celtic sea, New Zealand solar and Epsom). They're blended into a base of moringa and olive oils, spiked with fragrant rosemary, grapefruit, and peppermint and elichrysum oils. This one has quite a gritty texture and is not overly oily, and gives your skin a light coating of moisture.

Indie Lee Coconut Citrus Scrub

Indie Lee Coconut Citrus Scrub

Indie Lee Coconut Citrus Scrub has a higher concentration of oil, so it could definitely double as a body moisturizer. The all-natural ingredients list couldn't be more simple, and includes sugar, coconut oil and jojoba oil, plus lemon balm, lemongrass and vanilla for a lemony-fresh scent. The sugar granules dissolve quickly, so it's incredibly gentle on your skin.

REN Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Salt Anti-Fatigue Exfoliating Body Scrub

REN Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Salt Anti-Fatigue Exfoliating Body Scrub

REN Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Salt Anti-Fatigue Exfoliating Body Scrub has the texture of a balm, but once you massage it over your skin, it polishes with sea salt and Epsom salt. Coconut fatty acids and an algae oil act as emollients, leaving your skin super soft but not greasy. For best results, apply it on dry skin and then have a bath—it will turn into a relaxing magnesium soak.

Kopari Coconut Crush Scrub

Kopari Coconut Crush Scrub

Kopari Coconut Crush Scrub may not look the prettiest (which is why they didn't put it in a clear jar). But that's because it's packed with exfoliating brown sugar and coconut shell powder, in a moisturizing coconut oil and beeswax base. Since the grains are very fine, this is one of the gentlest scrub options, and it can double as a light body oil. The sweet, coconut milk scent smells good enough to eat (but please don't!).

Nécessaire The Body Exfoliator

Nécessaire The Body Exfoliator

Nécessaire The Body Exfoliator takes a two-way approach to smoothing your skin, using both physical and chemical exfoliants. Tiny pumice beads give it a slightly gritty feel, while salicylic, glycolic and lactic acids dissolve dead skin and marula oil adds moisture. Choose from Eucalyptus, Sandalwood or Fragrance-Free.

Truly Moon Rocks Whipped Body Scrub

Truly Moon Rocks Whipped Body Scrub

Truly Moon Rocks Whipped Body Scrub is, like all of the brand's products, made with only a few natural ingredients. They include sugar and Dead Sea salt crystals to exfoliate, and olive and jojoba oils to hydrate dry skin. Blue tansy oil, often used in facial skincare for its soothing properties, makes an appearance here to give it a vibrant blue colour. The floral scent comes from rose, ylang-ylang and lavender.

The Organic Pharmacy Cleopatra’s Body Scrub

The Organic Pharmacy Cleopatra's Body Scrub

The Organic Pharmacy Cleopatra's Body Scrub is another sugar and salt combo, using them with olive oil, honey and vitamin E to create a hydrating, luxurious scrub. It's also very floral, thanks to rose petals, ylang-ylang and a little synthetic fragrance (so you may want to skip this one if you're sensitive). 

Little Barn Apothecary Coffee + Mint Exfoliating Body Scrub

Little Barn Apothecary Coffee + Mint Exfoliating Body Scrub

Little Barn Apothecary Coffee + Mint Exfoliating Body Scrub wakes your skin right up with coffee (which has firming benefits) and peppermint essential oil. Organic cane sugar granules do the exfoliating here, while coconut oil, meadowfoam seed oil and cocoa butter deliver moisture. 

Fur Silk Scrub

Fur Silk Scrub

Fur Silk Scrub isn't just for the bikini line, like the brand's other products. This polisher can be used all over the body and is even gentle enough for your face. It uses not one but three types of exfoliation: jojoba beads, fruit enzymes and alpha-hydroxy acids. It is also one of the only exfoliants that is completely fragrance-free.

Herbivore Amethyst Exfoliating Body Polish

Herbivore Amethyst Exfoliating Body Polish

Herbivore Amethyst Exfoliating Body Polish contains actual amethyst gemstones, crushed into a fine powder. Along with sugar and Epsom salt, they buff away dead skin while coconut oil, shea butter and meadowfoam seed oil lock in hydration. The texture isn't oily at all, and it has a subtle, natural floral scent. 

Pixi Rose Body Polish

Pixi Rose Body Polish

Pixi Rose Body Polish nourishes while it exfoliates with sugar granules, lactic acid and papaya extract. Glycerin, shea butter and fatty acids leave your skin feeling soft and smooth, while the rose and citrus extracts impart a fruity-floral scent.

Pacifica Sugared Crystal Supercharged Body Scrub

Pacifica Sugared Crystal Supercharged Body Scrub

Pacifica Sugared Crystal Supercharged Body Scrub is a cleansing, foaming body scrub with sugar, crushed quartz crystals and silica beads (which give it a grittier texture). It can be used on wet or dry skin, and you can even let it sit for a few minutes for a deeper exfoliation. This one's scented with watermelon, but if you prefer lavender, there's also a Crystal Lavender Crushed Quartz version.

Shea Moisture 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Daily Hydration Crème Sugar Scrub

Shea Moisture 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Daily Hydration Crème Sugar Scrub

Shea Moisture 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Daily Hydration Crème Sugar Scrub is one of the most budget-friendly body scrubs, and features natural ingredients such as sugar, coconut oil, coconut milk and shea butter. The brand also makes a Ground Coffee Scrub that is worth a look, too!

Harper + Ari Exfoliating Sugar Cubes

Harper + Ari Coconut Exfoliating Sugar Cubes

Harper + Ari Exfoliating Sugar Cubes are single-dose cubes, and each one is good for a full-body cleansing, exfoliating and hydrating treatment. Sugar does the scrubbing here, and it's enriched with shea butter, glycerin and aloe vera for moisture. They do contain some artificial fragrance—choose from an array of scents, including Coconut, Juice Cleanse, Dream and Rosé.

UpCircle Body Scrub

UpCircle Body Scrub

UpCircle Body Scrub applies the upcycling movement to skincare. The company takes coffee grounds from London cafés and then combines them with salt, sugar and shea butter to create this all-natural scrub. Tangerine, grapefruit and other essential oils give it an uplifting herbal scent.

This Works Perfect Legs 100% Natural Scrub

This Works Perfect Legs 100% Natural Scrub

This Works Perfect Legs 100% Natural Scrub isn't just for your legs—it's also gentle enough to be applied all over the body. Pink Himalayan salt and sea salt are suspended in coconut fatty acids, which give it a balmy texture. The light and refreshing scent is 100 percent natural.

Pixi Glycolic Body Peel

Pixi Glycolic Body Peel

Pixi Glycolic Body Peel is part body scrub, part chemical peel. It contains fine pumice particles for physical exfoliation, and is also high in glycolic and lactic acids to dissolve away dead skin. Out of the tube, it's a luxe pink cream, but as you rub it over your skin, you'll feel a mild gritty texture. It's actually gentle enough to use daily.

Aquareveal Gentle Action Water Peel for Body

Aquareveal Gentle Action Water Peel for Body

Aquareveal Gentle Action Water Peel for Body exfoliates without any grains, acids or enzymes. Instead, it uses a water-based gel technology to bind with dead skin cells so they can be rinsed away. Use it out of the shower, on damp skin—you simply massage it on and then rinse it off. This peel is also fragrance-free.

StackedSkincare TCA Multi-Acid Body Peel

StackedSkincare TCA Multi-Acid Body Peel

StackedSkincare TCA Multi-Acid Body Peel is a leave-on acid treatment for your body—ideal for removing dead skin, softening keratin bumps, fading dark spots or clearing body acne. The fragrance-free liquid contains lactic, salicylic and trichloroacetic acids, and is self-neutralizing, so you don't need to rinse it off. You simply brush it on and leave it to work its magic for eight to 10 hours. 

Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 Corps

Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 Corps

Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 Corps is the body version of the cult-favourite exfoliating toner. It uses a similar blend of active ingredients, including alpha-, beta-, and poly-hydroxy acids, to smooth dry, rough skin and boost hydration. You've got to love that it comes in a spray bottle for easier application on hard-to-reach areas.

REN AHA Smart Renewal Body Serum

REN AHA Smart Renewal Body Serum

REN AHA Smart Renewal Body Serum lets you exfoliate while you moisturize. The creamy, lotion-like serum is spiked with a high 10 percent concentration of lactic acid. It also includes shea butter, xylitol and probiotics to soften, smooth and hydrate. It is surprisingly effective on scaly skin, and can even help with keratosis pilaris and body breakouts!

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Editor’s Picks: 22 of the Best Body Scrubs, Peels and Exfoliators for Soft, Smooth Skin syndicated from The Skincare Edit

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