Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Wine, Roosters, and Boats

43. Make a batch of wine


It's been bottled! We bottled it at 1 a.m. the night that my sister-in-law arrived. I bought some labels from Amazon and we've been having some fun with them. We printed out labels for the winners of our Ugly Sweater Party and called it "Ugly Sweater Sauvignon" and another label was called "Headless Chicken Wine." Or something like that. It was fun!


59. Eat a rooster that wakes me up too early

He was delicious in Buffalo Chicken Dip. I tried not to think about it too much.Let's just say that if there was  a zombie apocalypse, I could probably kill and eat my own chicken, but it's not something I think I'll ever be comfortable with. They're too much like pets to me. I tried to rationalize it by thinking what a better life our chickens have had than those who are raised until they're only 6-8 weeks old, then shoved into tiny pens and processed at a big plant, but it is still tough to eat something that was once a cute little peep.


76. Decide if buying a boat is right for us

I would like to mark this one off. I think it makes more sense for us to rent a boat from Schnaitman's whenever we want to go fishing or crabbing than to own a boat ourselves. Not to mention that we have several other friends with boats. It just doesn't make sense for us to buy one of our own. Yet. Maybe next year it will be a different story. Jay thinks that a small crabbing or rowboat would make sense for us to have. So, we will re-evaluate at a later date, but for now, I'm crossing it off.


I have completed 27 items of the 101 - 26.73% through my list.

177 days into my 1001 days - 17.68% through the days.

I am doing a good job keeping up with my schedule!

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Oil Pulling... gross or helpful?

77. Try out oil pulling for at least a month

I've been at it for a month, only taking a day off here and there when I was away or when I forgot. I've been pretty good about getting into a routine with it and I would say that it's pretty much a habit now. I scoop out a spoonful and swish it around while I'm showering and getting ready in the morning. 

It really grossed me out for the first few days, but I eventually got used to it. The chewing/melting of the oil initially was also rather disgusting, but at least the coconut oil has a nice flavor.



Here are the claims:
  1. It whitens teeth. 
  2. It clears up acne. 
  3. It can lead to a healthy, glowing complexion. 
There are also claims that it detoxifies your body and all sorts of other stuff. I'm not so sure about all of that, but I will tell you what I think.
My experience:
It whitens teeth. 
I should have taken photos for comparison, but I believe this claim. Mostly for me, I have problems with build up of coffee and tea. I've had no tooth staining since I started this regimen. My breath also seems fresher and my gums feel like I just left the dentist, even though I'm not always great about flossing.
It clears up acne. 
I actually did notice an improvement. When I began oil pulling, I was in the midst of a horrific breakout on my forehead. I thought perhaps it was a cycle issue, but after oil pulling for a month, I have to agree that my acne has been reduced by at least 50%.
It can lead to a healthy, glowing complexion. 
Well shucks, my complexion is already glowing. Ha! Actually, there may be some improvement. I should have taken before and after photos.

All in all, I'm glad that I did this little experiment, and I think that I will continue using the coconut oil. A few times I have also smeared it on my face as kind of a night cream, and I've also used it as a moisturizer. 

Verdict = coconut oil is some pretty awesome stuff. Give it your own trial!


Tuesday, December 3, 2013

It helps to be a little nuts

89. Harvest pecans from our tree


I had always planned to do this by putting a big tarp underneath the tree, but it turns out that the easiest way is to just pick them up after they've fallen off. 

I don't know if I'll be able to make a pecan pie with them, but I should at least be able to use them for the topping on my pumpkin pie crunch.