. . . in other news

• Back in August, I finished my last class for my MPA!
• Which means I should be preparing for my comprehensive finals (in 6 weeks, and counting).
• But I haven't been preparing because No Classes = reading whatever I'm in the mood for. So far that hasn't included administrative law, admin ethics, or public budgeting. But it must. and soon.
• I will be teaching a short grammar course for the students in the legal assisting program late this semester. Prepping and developing the material is so. much. work. Thank you, Ms. Evans, for making me diagram hundreds of sentences and preparing so thoroughly for every class. I know it didn't seem like it, but I was paying attention. sort of.
• Tomorrow I start training to work as a volunteer coder for the Womanstats project. I'm excited to put my education to work for this cause.
• If the local food co-op administrators can find some grant sources, I will be helping to write a grant (or more) so it can move to a larger space and install a commercial kitchen. There have been a few hangups, but I'm optimistic that it will happen.
• The Pocatello planning department is going to let me work on three projects as an intern, pending approval from the city council. Turns out people will let you do cool stuff if you're willing -or compelled- to work for free. I'll be working under one of my instructors who is also the head planner in Pokie. I like his perspective on the relationship between citizenship, cities, and the nature of democracy, and I'm looking forward to learning from him.
• Last but not least, Clark won tickets to a Tom Petty concert of his choosing for the remainder of the tour. Two words: road. trip.

three things Thursday - Now with Olive Oil!!!

When it comes to what I put in my body, I tend to be a purist. Okay, I tend to be a purist about just about everything - and usually to a fault. I'm lucky that Clark is on board with most of it, though there was once (or thrice) a swearing incident over the extent to which I wanted  needed local eggs, not grocery store eggs, even in a pinch.

I feel like we have found a good food groove these days. I cook, I preserve things, I bake, and I read labels. (And by "I" I mean we. Husband is game for all of these things. Even if his efforts are slightly less enthusiastic, they are still enthusiastic.) While I know there is still a lot to learn, I basically feel like I have a good routine that just needs adjusting according to the seasons.

Now I'm on to a companion project. Since I came across this, this, and this, I've been on a mission to rid our home of synthetic chemicals. My current plan of attack involves hygienic uses of kitchen staples. Which brings me to three uses of everyone's favorite culinary wonder: olive oil. If you want to try these, you will probably want to get a dedicated bottle for the bathroom. And if you come to visit, you'll now know why I have a bottle of olive oil in the shower.

1. Shaving aid. It is the closest shave I've ever had, and there's no need for lotion afterward. All excess oil just goes down the drain. I haven't so much tried shaving the old armpits with the aid of olive oil, but if any of you intrepid souls give it a try, let me know how it goes.

2. Hair conditioner. I've been experimenting with a lot of different haircare combos. I use olive oil as conditioner every couple of days. Just a dab, rubbed on my palms, massaged into the ends of my hair, and rinsed. For fine hair, I imagine a lighter oil (grape seed, maybe) would do quite well.

3. Face Wash. About two months ago I started washing my face with olive oil.

"Wash with oil?" you ask.

Yes, indeed. Turns out good oils don't clog pores as marketing campaigns have led us all to believe.

Sometimes I use straight olive, other times I use an oil mixture (olive, castor, and essential oil(s)). My face feels great, my skin tone is more even, I have fewer breakouts, and I don't have to use moisturizer - a nice unintended consequence, since most moisturizers are full of synthetic chemicals and fillers.

Many hygiene products create a need for another. If you ask me, this is a major design flaw. In the case of skin care, face wash creates a need for moisturizer - dry out your skin with synthetic chemicals, then replenish it with more synthetic chemicals that need to be washed off. Granted the synthetics are not always the main ingredients, but they are generally the "active ingredients" that are actively stripping your skin of its ability to maintain itself. It's a nice cycle for the profiteers, but not so much for your wallet or your skin.

Olive oil also works really well as eye-makeup remover. And those tiny late-twenties wrinkles I was getting? Gone.

So maybe now you're thinking, "That's nice, Linds. Sounds like your crazy habits might be getting a little expensive." If you were thinking that, maybe it's time to ask yourself why you are being such a pill. And then consider the cost of the following products that you may use on a frequent basis that you wouldn't need anymore if you switch to using olive oil (aka liquid gold): conditioner, face wash, astringent, shaving gel, eye makeup remover, and face and body lotions. One 16 oz bottle of olive oil will probably last you more than a month and costs maybe four dollars. Cha-ching!$!

I'd like to expand my repertoire of uses, so let me know if you have had any escapades with olive oil.

This ad paid for by the Tuscany Institute of Olive Oil Awareness.