Masking Also Doesn't Just Apply To Protecting You From Covid. It Also Helps Defend Against TB, Most Influenza

I'm all for 4B, and will be joining Y'all if BoyToy and I split, but I'm also not seeing myself joining yall as anything more than an ally and supporter of what 4B is doing any time soon.

Are you 4b? Considering it? Not interested? (4b is Not dating men, marrying them, or having children? And when did you start?

Yes, my whole life naturally

Yes, a while ago as a result of learning about radical feminism

Yes, as of this election

No, opposed to the idea

No, I already had kids and was married before learning about it

No, I already had a boyfriend and don’t want to break up with him

-🐌

It has been a fucking day

Yes, but in the same tragic way any 2000s It Girl was a good celebrity. Just trying to live a normal life and having normal struggles and it constantly being blown out of proportion by tabloids until I devolved into the monster they made me out to be.

do you think you’d be a good celebrity?

Do not be so open-minded that your brains fall out. - Gilbert K. Chesterton

Anyways, BoyToy and I are now planning a renfaire weekend.

Actual Conversation Today Between BoyToy and I:

Me: 😷 I wanna snuggle

BoyToy: Not happening.

Me: I know 🥺

BoyToy: You got ADv and I got strep. What kinda bioweapon you trying to create?? 😂

Me: With you? The kind USAMRID would lock up. 🥹👉👈

Him: 🤣🤣🤣 Go back to sleep, I'll see you when we're both healthy.

Quit over buying

Hunt and utilize your entire harvest, stop going for big racks, focus on meat and pelt quality

Get a simple milk soap bar for hair body face etc

Cut unnecessary subscriptions

Buy bulk where you can

Speaking of can, learn how to can so you can preserve your foods you grow/buy during the growing season for the off season

Swap bread for rice 20 lbs bag of rice is $15 lasts 6-12 months for a single individual and provides sufficient carbohydrates

Yogurt and hard cheeses > milk lasts significantly longer

Ground meats are cheap, easier to integrate organ meats into, and take up less freezer space than cuts, you also have better control over your fat intake and the price per pound is a fraction of cut meats

Canned chicken breast: versatile, good storage life, shelf stable, and cheaper than buying chicken breasts

Ramen + produce is better than Ramen alone, and cheaper than eating out

ways to actually save money

stop buying animal products ($10 for a single meal vs $10 for months worth of beans) + benefit of saving planet

use wash cloths for wiping urine + benefit of saving planet.

get a menstrual cup or panties. yes, even if you have a heavy flow.. the chemicals in tampons and pads leads to heavier, more painful, and smellier periods. +benefit of saving planet.

shampoo bars, lasts way longer + benefit of saving planet.

stop buying name brand

stop buying makeup + benefit of saving planet

stop buying nail polish + benefit of saving planet

stop buying synthetic clothes. + benefit of saving planet

reuse (soap free) tub and shower water for plants, laundry. + benefit of saving planet.

hang clothes to dry, even if you don't have an outdoor area. hang in the windows, by fireplaces, by heaters and ac units. + benefit of saving planet

stop buying niche chemical products. for almost every single cleaning situation you only need soap, baking soda, vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and bleach. this goes for gout removal, rust removal, urine removal, window cleaner, sanitizing wipes, literally every single thing. + benefit of saving planet

repurpose old clothes and towels by making them into wash cloths and oven mitts.

stop buying from shein, temu, amazon, and using afterpay. (im not demonizing pay later. i utilize it all the time. I've just found a lot of people who do use these payment methods treat it like a 'buy now, pay NEVER' option and are surprised when it fucks them over)

remember this any time someone tries to tell you being eco friendly isn't affordable.

know what really isnt affordable? buying disposable products every week.

My answer to this, and I've just figured this out in the past 6 months or so, is being largely apolitical on social media. There's a few reasons for this:

Social media is built on engagement metrics, so the most ragebaity, sensationalist accounts covering current events get the most engagement and therefore end up in your feed the most.

Social media is the least effective method of praxis

Social media also has the most room for misinformation, disinformation, and propoaganda.

Social Media also has a habit of engaging with news, politics, and political discourse in the worst possible bad faith.

What I do instead:

During my morning coffee I listen to my local NPR station.

I have a few select news podcasts from a variety of leans and angles, (The New Yorker, NPR, BBC, The Wall Street Journal, The American Conservative) that I rotate throughout the week, so that I have a bit of background on what all positions of the media are saying about certain issues.

Using Allsides for big issues, find them here. They present articles from across the political spectrum on current events issues, primarily for US politics.

CSPAN is your friend. It is... quite literally just the facts, with opinion lines for both liberals and conservatives, and it's where most of the livestreams of congress and political events are done.

I’ve seen quite a few people this past week ask something along the lines of ‘how to be up-to-date and properly informed about current events and politics and also not get super depressed?’

While most of these were phrased in a joking matter, it actually is a really good question. Being able to balance awareness of the shitty things happening in the world, but not letting that shittiness destroy you is a skill.

Being well informed is vital. However, if you become so informed that it’s starting to effect your life, you’ve gone too far.

The point of being aware of current events, especially bad ones, is so you can do something about it. Read about it, post about it, donate to charity, volunteer, etc. Something you can’t do if your overwhelmed with (rightful) anger and sadness.

So the answer to the original question is that you become informed enough that you want to do something about it, but do not overload yourself to the point where you feel too depressed to take any action.

Burying your head in the sand isn’t good. But neither is doomscrolling into oblivion. Find that middle where you are actively interested in what is happening in the world, but not to the point where it becomes a hinderance to regular life.

Being aware of the world around you is super interesting, but don’t spiral. Misery loves company. Stay informed, stay active, stay hopeful.

Went to church today on a very wet, snowy Sunday morning, took care of one of my comfort care patients with some antinausea meds and SQ fluids, then ran to the grocery store, now I'm cuddled in with my Critters for the Eagles game. Go Birds!

Outfit is:

- Ralph Lauren Cotton Cardigan circa 2019, similar to This cotton blend Cardigan they currently offer.

- Tommy Hilfiger Imina boots in Saddle Brown thrifted you can find them on poshmark Here

- Wool & Cotton Skirt by Ann Taylor, Circa 2016, unfortunately they don't have anything similar anymore and have largely switched to synthetic blends in their knits

- Thrifted, tagless top of some sort of synthetic stretch blend, bought at my local goodwill for $7

- 100% cotton leggings from fair indigo size XS find them Here

- Scarf head covering for church is a flax bandana I bought from an Amish vendor at my local farmers market, you can find a similar one here on etsy.

Primal Chic Beauty Part Two: Beauty From Food... No, Really!

I was planning on doing this post a little later, after my introduction to my Paleo-based, but not strictly paleo diet and what I regularly have stocked in my fridge and pantry. However, I've gotten a few more asks recently about skincare, and this post got moved up in the content planner to now!

In this post, you'll learn about some pantry staples that can be utilized for skin care, a few basic recipes for skin care products, long-lasting tools that compliment homemade & natural skincare, and why making the switch can benefit you and the environment. I'll cover some at-home-created makeup at a later date, but you should know, it doesn't last very well and it's often easier to simply buy clean, natural makeup from a company specializing in it.

Something you need to know for this to make sense is that I consider my own diet Paleo-based, but it's not strictly paleo. This means I largely am eating unprocessed foods, I'm not playing with artificial sweeteners and using natural sweeteners sparingly (usually Honey or whole sugar cane), and have cut out unfermented dairy, and most grains & grain foods, with occasional rice & oat consumption & my weekly communion at Church. I personally advise anyone who's dealing with food and gut issues to start with an elimination diet such as FODMAP or a strict Paleo, and then gradually reintroduce foods & food groups to figure out what works for YOU! Whole30 is a great introduction to this concept.

So, with that out of the way, let's talk about making your own skincare and some things to keep in stock for skin care.

Stocking Up

Pantry Staples for DIY At-Home Skincare & Haircare:

𓃠 Avocados & Avocado Oil

𓃠 Coconut Oil

𓃠 Almond Oil

𓃠 Honey

𓃠 Unsweetened Greek Yogurt

𓃠 Cocoa Butter

𓃠 Eggs

𓃠 Lemons and/or Lemon Juice

𓃠 Jojoba Oil

𓃠 Shea Butter

𓃠 Oats

𓃠 Rice

𓃠 Milk (Goat or Whole Cow Milk)

𓃠 Beef Tallow

𓃠 Ghee

𓃠 Baking Soda

𓃠 Apple Cider Vinegar

𓃠 Dried Rose/Rose Hips

𓃠 Cacao Nibs

𓃠 Mugwort

𓃠 Green & Black Tea

𓃠 Orange Peels

𓃠 Calendula Flowers

𓃠 Catnip

𓃠 Dried Witch Hazel

𓃠 An Aloe Vera Plant

𓃠 Table Salt or Himalayan Salt

𓃠 Unrefined Sugar

Non-Food Ingredients:

𓃠 Aztec Clay

𓃠 Castile Soap (in liquid or bar form)

𓃠 Epsom Salts/ Magnesium Salts

𓃠 Essential Oils in your favorite scents, I recommend Lavender, Lemongrass, & Mint, if you don't have pets you can also do Tea Tree & Eucalyptus but they are Nephrotoxic (toxic to the kidneys) for Cats, Dogs, and some small animals such as ferrets.

There are some things I still recommend you purchase commercially such as:

𓃠 Toothpaste (I'm not here to talk the fluoride vs MI paste vs Ozone vs hydroxyapatite vs charcoal vs no anti-cavity measure debate, if it's requested I can do a breakdown on the pros and cons of all of them, but it's really not my area of expertise and I'd recommend talking to your doctor, dentist, and local complimentary or holistic dentist or doctor about your individual needs)

𓃠 Floss (if you can, opt for silk rather than plasticized floss, and rolls of floss over single-use floss picks, if you're dedicated to floss picks, aim for a bamboo or wooden handle instead of plastic)

𓃠 Mouthwash (I've found the homemade varieties of this do not sufficiently treat dry mouth or gum issues)

𓃠 Deodorant or Antiperspirant (Thai Crystal deodorant works very well as a non-antiperspirant option, and I recommend solid stick antiperspirants over aerosolized ones for your indoor air quality and lung health)

𓃠 Sunscreen (I have never found an effective DIY Sunscreen)

Tools:

𓃠 A Mortar and Pestle

𓃠 Boar or horse hair fan brush with wooden handle

𓃠 Glass bowls in multiple sizes (from a small spice bowl to a large bowl for doing facial steams)

𓃠 Measuring Cups (You can use your food ones, just make sure to wash them well)

𓃠 A stone roller and Gua Sha

𓃠 A small skincare spatula in stainless steel

𓃠 2 Small Spoons (spare stainless steal teaspoons work well)

𓃠 Wood & Boar Hair dry brush

𓃠 Undyed, untreated Cotton Washcloths & Hand Towels

𓃠 Mesh Tea Infuser Ball

𓃠 A small spice wisk

Recipes:

A Sample Routine:

𓃠 Start with a Coconut & Almond Oil Cleanse (about 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil & Almond Oil to desired texture) apply to dampened skin with hands, rinse with lukewarm to hot water

Tip: Utilize a reusable cotton round moistened with a bit more of the above oil cleanser to wipe away stubborn eye makeup

𓃠 Soak a cotton hand towel with water that is as hot as you can tolerate, wring it out, and wrap around the face, leaving the nostrils exposed, leave on until towel has cooled.

𓃠 Combine 3 drops of Liquid castile soap with 1-2 tablespoons of warm water into a small glass dish, work into a foam with a fan brush or whisk, then apply to face with either hands or a reusable face scrub sponge or applicator. Rinse with Warm water

𓃠 If dealing with redness, puffiness, or inflamed skin, prepare a large glass bowl with ice and cold water, dip face for as long as tolerable 2-5 times.

𓃠 Dry the face, and utilize a small boar bristle dry brush to gently exfoliate the skin with light pressure, working away from the nose towards the outside of the face.

𓃠 Utilize a Rose & Witch Hazel Green Tea toner for the face (Steep Green Tea, dried rose petals, & witch hazel in distilled water for 3-5 minutes, allow to cool, and store in an amber colored glass spray bottle or dropper top bottle, store in the refrigerator for longer shelf life & a more cooling effect)

𓃠 Apply 2-4 drops of a preferred liquid oil such as almond or jojoba to the face, the amount should be enough to provide glide for a Gua Sha to run across the face

𓃠 Do a gua sha massage, paying attention to the forehead, the hollows of the cheeks/cheekbones, and the jawline, and any areas of tension, you can also utilize a mushroom shaped stone to work tension out of the temples or TMJ.

𓃠 Moisturize with a preferred semisolid fat such as Ghee, Tallow, Coconut Oil, and utilize a facial roller until absorbed, for the eyes, gently heat your preferred semisolid fat until it is liquid or near liquid between your finger tips, and apply gently with the ring fingers.

𓃠 Utilize a face roller to assist in absorption of your semisolid fat moisturizer

Avocado, & Oat Hydration Mask

𓃠 Materials: 1/2 Avocado, 1/4 cup of rolled oats, 1/8 cup goats milk or yogurt, 1 tablespoon honey, a mortar and pestle

𓃠 Remove the skin of the 1/2 avocado and Mash thoroughly with food processor or mortar and pestle, once thoroughly mashed, add honey, & milk or yogurt, whisk together until thoroughly combined, and add oats, folding gently to combine, apply to face excluding the eye area and let sit for 15-30 minutes. Avocado and honey can also be utilized as an under eye pack for a similar duration to help with dry, tired under eyes.

Inflamed Skin Honey Helper (I use this for acne and post-sun burn relief)

𓃠 Combine equal parts honey, goat's milk, and aloe vera and mix until thoroughly incorporated, apply to dry, itchy areas of the skin, and leave on for up to an hour

Body Scrub

Combine 1/2 cup of Epsom salts with 1/4 cup unrefined sugar & 1/4 cup of Himalayan salt and mix well, add 1/4 cup of preferred carrier oil such as jojoba, almond, or avocado oil, 1 tablespoon of Mugwort, and 10-20 drops of Lemongrass or Lavender Essential Oil, store in a sealable glass jar (such as a mason jar or a bale wire jar) in a cool, dark place until ready to use.

Apply with light pressure using the hands to exfoliate the body or as a pre-shave scrub

This also works very well on sore joints as a sort of pre-bath pack or wet-bandage by slathering it on thick to a dampened joint and surrounding the affected joint with a hot towel for 20-30 minutes to draw out heat and inflammation from arthritic joints.

There will be videos for these coming out as I hit the point of needing to remake them and I'll keep you all updated on how to watch those once I figure out some new platforms post tiktok ban and my leaving meta.