Season's Greetings!

2016, a year that hardly any American will be able to forget.

Hope you get to ring out the year with loved ones and good will!

Happy Holidays!

'Tis the Season for Handcrafted Gifts! - Soy Wax Candle Edition

If you have a Pinterest account or have spent any time on the internet, you might have run into some DIY gift ideas. This one is no different.

For some reason, I wanted to make candles this year. I went online to look for a recipe/instructions, my only criteria being it had to be easy and fairly inexpensive.

I came across this simple recipe for soy wax candles from CandleScience.com. And surprise! It's a business that sells candle-making materials -- one stop shopping!

I made a few adjustments to their recommended methods, mostly because I found easier/cheaper ways to do a few things. And I want to share those here with you.

RECIPE YIELDS ENOUGH TO FILL 24 fl oz.
(i.e. 3 CUPS -- 3 x 8 oz CONTAINERS, OR DERIVATIVES THERE OF)

MATERIALS

• 1 lb soy wax
• 1 fl oz fragrance oil
• pre-tabbed candle wicks
• hot glue gun
• 1 sturdy drinking straw
• disposable wooden chopsticks, not separated (like the kind that have been piling up from Chinese take-out -- you need one for each candle)
• containers (3 x 8 oz jars/tins or any derivative there of -- like 6 x 4 oz jars, etc.)
• 8 cup Pyrex (or equivalent) measuring cup 
• cooking pot or double-boiler, large enough to fit Pyrex measuring cup
• silicone spatula, or other mixing utensil
• kitchen scale
• tray (optional)
• 1/2 block of candle dye (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Get your hot glue gun ready. Why hot glue? Because we need something that can withstand the heat of melted wax. 
2. As you wait for the glue gun to heat up, prep all of your materials. Make sure your candle containers are clean and dry before you start. Place them on a tray to keep them organized. This will also protect your table/surface from the heat or from any spills when you start pouring the melted wax.
3. Thread one pre-tabbed candle wick into a drinking straw. Apply one pearl-sized bead of hot glue at the bottom of the tab. Using the straw, apply the candle wick to the center of the candle container and press down. Remove the straw and repeat for each container.
   
   

   A photo posted by J Kim (@msjkim) on Dec 9, 2016 at 1:46am PST

   
   
4. Once you are done attaching all of the candle wicks, hold them up straight by using disposable chopsticks. Be careful not to split the chopsticks, though! You need them to act like clothespins or paper clips -- only open them wide enough to hold the wick in between.
   
   

   A photo posted by J Kim (@msjkim) on Dec 8, 2016 at 3:08am PST



5. Fill your double-boiler or cooking pot up to about half full with water (use your judgment here) and heat on medium.
6. Tare/zero out your kitchen scale with the Pyrex measuring cup on it. Scoop 1 pound of soy wax into the cup.
7. Wait for the water in the pot to start simmering. If it is at a full, rolling boil, reduce the heat. 
8. Carefully lower the Pyrex cup into the pot, being mindful not to let it touch the bottom, or to let any water get into the wax. If necessary, remove some water from the pot. If you're using a double-boiler, rest the Pyrex cup in the upper pot (you can also pour the soy wax chips directly into a double-boiler, if you feel confident that you can clean it all out afterwards).
9. Stir occasionally as you wait for the wax to melt. This is going to take a little bit, so turn some music on or something. Wax will turn a golden color as it becomes liquid.
10. If you want to add some color, the recommended amount of candle dye is 1/2 a block for 1 lb of soy wax. I would say use your judgment here (you could certainly mix and match), keeping in mind that the color will change a little bit as the wax cools and solidifies. Continue to stir until everything is melted and mixed evenly.
11. DO NOT OVERHEAT THE WAX! As soon as the last bit of solid has become liquid, turn off the stove and remove the Pyrex cup from heat. Let the wax cool for about a minute before you add any fragrance oil (this is to make sure the fragrance doesn't burn off).
12. Gently stir fragrance oil into the melted wax until it is blended in. Don't stir it too much -- you don't want to create any bubbles.
13. Let the wax cool for at least a few minutes before pouring it into the containers. The original recipe says to wait until it's 135° F. My rule of thumb for knowing when it's okay to pour is when you start noticing trails in the wax when you stir, kind of like if you were stirring honey (or any thick, clear liquid).
14. Pour the melted wax evenly into each container, using the spatula to scrape the sides, etc. Obviously, don't fill each one to the brim (unless you want the melted wax to overflow when you light the candle). In general, you should leave at least a 1/2" from the top.
15. Let the candles set overnight. Keep them at room temperature in a dry area, out of the way of any disturbance.
16. When cleaning up your utensils, it will make your life easier if you wipe off any remaining wax with a dry paper towel before you start washing them.
17. Once your candles are all set, carefully remove the chopsticks. Make sure you don't tug too much on the candle wicks.
18. Cut the wicks so that they're about 1/4" to 1/2" tall.
19. Et voilà! Put the lids back on and decorate the containers to your heart's content!
    
    Or just light and enjoy!
    
    

    A photo posted by J Kim (@msjkim) on Dec 12, 2016 at 9:44pm PST

US FDA No Longer Approves of Antibacterial Soap

A couple of years ago, I wrote about the state of Minnesota banning products containing triclosan, which is the main antibacterial ingredient in most antibacterial soaps, body washes, and hand sanitizers. Now, the FDA has jumped on board and is no longer approving the use of several ingredients (triclosan being one of them) in soaps and body washes.

As I pointed out in the previous post, triclosan has been associated with bacterial resistance to drugs and antibiotics, as well as hormone disruption in animals and human beings (as a result of overuse and our environment being subsequently contaminated with the chemical).

However, the biggest determining factor, and perhaps the most important, is that antibacterial soap manufacturers have been UNABLE TO PROVE that their products are more effective than plain soap and water. It is probably safe to assume that it was all a gimmick to sell more soap.

Antibacterial hand soaps and body washes containing triclosan and the other list of ingredients will no longer be available in the U.S. within one year of the ruling. In other cases, I would recommend people stocking up before everything was pulled from the shelves. Not in this case, though. NEVER in this case.

Tips on How to Cruise, by a First-time Cruiser

Gone fishing.

A photo posted by J Kim (@msjkim) on Aug 28, 2016 at 4:47pm PDT

I recently went on a cruise with my family, a 4 day trip from Los Angeles to Ensenada (Baja California) by way of Catalina Island. It was my first time cruising.

At the end of my trip, I made a few notes so that I could have a better cruising experience next time. I'm writing them down here as a sort of reminder to myself, but also in hopes that they can help other first-timers.

1. BRING A WATER BOTTLE*
Depending on what cruise line you're traveling on and what type of stateroom you're staying in, a bottle of water will not always be provided for free (especially not in the cheaper rooms). Fill your water bottle up in the cafeteria to take back to your room and/or to take with you on excursions.

* NOTE: Your water bottle must be EMPTY when you board the boat on the first day (you'll be going through a security checkpoint, like at the airport).


2.  HAVE A LANYARD AND/OR CARD PROTECTOR FOR YOUR ROOM CARD
Your room card also serves as your charge card aboard the ship and as an ID/entry card to scan you onto and off of the ship when visiting a port. Most people keep their cards on a lanyard for easy access. If lanyards aren't your thing, then you can use something like a wristlet or smartphone wallet - something to keep things readily available.


3. BRING YOUR OWN SOAP AND SHAMPOO, IF YOU'RE PICKY
Every stateroom has soap, body wash, and shampoo, just like a hotel or gym would. But, just as you might find at a hotel or gym, the quality of the soap and shampoo you find in your room on the cruise may not meet your standards. If this is a big deal for you, don't hesitate to bring your own. 


4. DON'T SKIMP ON THE SUNBLOCK!
I guarantee, unless you are a construction worker or an avid outdoor sports enthusiast, you WILL be getting more sun than usual. In fact, it is likely you will get sunBURNED (so don't forget to pack the aloe vera, either)! If you have any excursions planned during the day, make sure you slather on as much sunblock as possible over every visible inch of skin (including the back of your neck and ears).


5. IF YOU'RE TRAVELING WITH A PARTY, PAY FOR THE CRUISE'S MESSAGING APP
Most major cruise lines will have their own smartphone app that lists the day's itinerary, lets you keep track of how much you're spending, AND provides a messaging service with other users onboard. For Carnival cruises, it's $5 (per person) to activate messaging on their Carnival Hub App for the entire duration of your trip.

Yes, the price is BS, but your only other alternatives are:

• A. Since you will have little to no cellular reception at sea, everyone in your party will have to purchase an internet package (which STARTS at $5.99/day on Carnival cruises) so you can use your usual messaging apps with each other, OR... 
• B. Run around the ship looking for each other. Believe me - the boat is HUGE, and it's easy to get separated from your party if you're not careful. Or maybe you just want to do things on your own for a while and need to get in touch with your people when you're done. Yes, you can decide on a meeting time and place for either situation, but it's not always easy or convenient to get from one end of the boat to the other (these boats also have around 10 floors). Let me put it this way: you can easily put in 10k steps a day on your Fitbit just by walking around on the boat. Just bite the bullet and pay the $5.

6. DRESS CODES ARE NOT AS STRICT AS CRUISES MAKE THEM OUT TO BE
In addition to a dress for Formal Night, I packed an extra couple of blouses because I thought the dress code for the dining rooms would be heavily enforced. There was no need. The general cafeteria area allows for more casual clothing (if dressing up isn't your thing), but on my trip, people in beat up T-shirts and flip-flops were being let into the proper dining rooms anyway, even during Formal Night. There were people walking around the boat, eating in the cafeteria and attending shows in bath robes. Not a fancy kimono or wrap dress that I mistook to be a bath robe. A WHITE, TERRY CLOTH, "PROVIDED IN YOUR ROOM" BATHROBE!!! If you're nervous, nice, clean resort wear is always a safe bet.


7. SPEAKING OF CLOTHES, PACK SOME DANCE CLOTHES!
If you like to dance, take some time to visit the night clubs on the ship.


8. DO THE MATH BEFORE YOU PURCHASE A BEVERAGE PLAN
If you only plan on having 2 or 3 drinks a day, then you'd be wasting your money on a beverage plan. Estimate alcoholic drinks to cost around $10 and sodas to be around $2. Do the math to decide whether or not the plan would be worth it for you.

For what it's worth, I also observed people bringing 12-packs of soda with them onto the ship. Self-service beverages in the cafeteria (water, coffee, hot chocolate, lemonade, and iced tea) are free.


9. DO NOT EAT MEALS OUTSIDE ON THE PATIO!
You're dining in the cafeteria today, and it's a nice day out, so of course you'll feel tempted to eat on the patio. I'm telling you right now to turn around and find yourself a table inside. Seagulls perch near patio areas waiting for any scraps. Some are even bold enough to snatch food right off the plate in front of you. Sit next to a window if you want to enjoy the ocean view.

Eating outside may seem like a good idea in theory, but...

A photo posted by J Kim (@msjkim) on Aug 30, 2016 at 10:04am PDT

10. HAVE A GOOD TIME!
Above all else, you're there to relax and enjoy yourself. That's not to say there won't be a few aggressive salespeople and the like, to whom you'll need to put your foot down and just say "No!" But remember to loosen up and let yourself go with the flow! As long as you're not inconveniencing or harming anyone else, there is no wrong way to have a good time.

Free International Data Roaming with T-Mobile? Yes, Please!!!

Do you find yourself traveling abroad sometimes and thinking, “Man. I wish I could still use my phone without having to spend extra money on an international data plan or on some random SIM card.”?

Check out T-Mobile. I found out a week after coming back from a trip abroad (and after about $100 in overages thanks to my old wireless provider’s craptastic international roaming package that provided a whopping 120 MB for $30 USD) that T-Mobile provides free, unlimited international data and text to its customers in just about every country. I switched without hesitation.

I can understand if you're not interested because they don't have great coverage in your particular area, but their plans are less expensive and better in general, so if you have that option available to you, TAKE IT!

If you already have an unlocked GSM phone, your transition will be smooth. If not, you'll need to get a few things ready before making the move, like unlocking your phone for use with other carriers. Check out my post on how to prep your old smartphone before upgrading for some tips.

There is the possibility of having to buy a new phone, especially if you're coming from a provider like Verizon or Sprint, which run on CDMA networks (as opposed to GSM, which is what T-Mobile runs on). Some people have found success bringing their iPhones from Verizon to T-Mobile, so don't lose hope! You can also go to T-Mobile's website to check if your current phone is compatible with their network. 

I was a longtime patron of my previous wireless provider and felt some weird sense of loyalty to their company all this time, even though I knew theirs was probably not the BEST deal I could get. If you're like me, I just want to tell you that it's all BS. Wake up! These companies are not your family nor your friend. They are multi-billion dollar corporations, and they don't care about you - they care about your MONEY!

Your cellphone is but a tool that helps you navigate through your life. Pick your carrier based on which one will serve you best for now.


** This is an unpaid message brought to you by a disgruntled former customer of a certain wireless provider that shall remain nameless but they own a ballpark in a certain “city by the bay”. **

"Brothers"

Another short from friend and colleague Terry Wesley.



"Brothers"
When happy-go-lucky Robert tries to cheer up his moody identical brother Charlie, an existential argument ensues.

Enjoy! 

"20 Questions"

Friend and former film school classmate Terry Wesley and I have been collaborating on some web content during our free time (which we've had a lot of recently). The first few installments of Terry's comedy series, "20 Questions" (a parody of the Liam Neeson vehicle Taken), have just gone live on his YouTube channel. The videos are quick and fun to watch whenever you have a little lull in your day. If you've got a couple minutes, check them out!

Terry also runs a blog where he discusses various topics, such as TV shows, politics, and fantasy football. If you enjoy his videos, check out his writing!

A Fresh(er) Outlook

First of all, Happy New Years (both Gregorian and Lunar)!!!  Whatever new things you've got planned for your life, let this be the year!

Or not. No pressure. :-)

With the beginning of each new year, many people (myself included) feel the need to reevaluate the past year and see what changes they could make to become a better person. I think this becomes more true as we start approaching our middle-age years, when we have some space to reassess our careers and milestones.

In previous years on this blog, I touched on dealing with perfectionism and jealousy. This time, I want to talk about self-love and acceptance.

Recently, through my work, I learned about a lovely woman named Gabby Bernstein.  For those of you who aren't familiar with her or her work, she is a life coach and motivational speaker who has written quite a few best selling self-help books.  Search for her on YouTube, and you'll find thousands of videos that will help you better acquaint yourself with her work.

In one of her recent talks, she discussed the issue of jealousy and how it is a symptom of a lack of or barrier to self-love.  The way she talked about it opened my eyes to something that really hit home and made me feel the need to share it with as many people as possible.

Merriam-Webster describes jealousy as "an unhappy or angry feeling of wanting to have what someone else has." So, here's the question: have you thought - REALLY thought - about why you want what someone else has so badly that you begin to feel negatively towards them?  Many people think that it's because the other person doesn't deserve those things.  But then, who does deserve it?  You?  Because now you're saying that you are not happy with what you currently have and can only be happy when you have that other thing.  And that, my friends, is a lack of self-worth, a lack of self-love.

The secret to finding the truth is looking inward.  The secret to finding the cure is to flip the script.

Yeah, you may not have that senior title with the corner office and six-figure salary, but are you really so bad off?  You might not have a vacation home or an expensive sports car, but you seem to have the means to be reading this random blog post in your spare time.  You're still alive, you're still breathing, and you have access to the internet.  Many people would argue that that's not such a bad place to be.  Yes, you don't have what THEY have, but you do have many things that a lot of other people don't have as well.

Loving yourself doesn't mean that you no longer aspire to be better.  Loving yourself means that you respect your being and are proud of what you have been able to accomplish thus far.  You are thankful for the people and things that are currently in your life and want to honor them and yourself by becoming a better person.

Can you become a better person through jealousy and competitiveness?  You would certainly be driven.  But better?  How can you truly be better if you never think that what you are or what you have is ever good enough?

Think about that for a second.  Your soul might thank you.

Hi. My Name is Jean, and I Just Made Some Ghee.

Curiosity and @m_perez_design inspired me to make some ghee/clarified butter. P.S. I may or may not have burned the first batch... 🔥 #tasteslikeburning

A photo posted by J Kim (@msjkim) on Jun 2, 2015 at 5:13am PDT

A type of "clarified butter," ghee is traditionally known as an ingredient in South Asian (e.g. Indian) cooking.

More recently, however, it has been adopted by followers of The Paleo Diet™, who seem to tout ghee as the new coconut oil.  Don't worry, though - I'm not here to promote some new, random "superfood."  I just think it's cool that you can make it at home, and all you need is butter.  My DIY curiosity got the better of me here.

And just what is ghee or clarified butter?  Basically, it's the fat/oil left over from butter after the milk solids and water have been removed.  And since the milk part of it is gone, ghee can be consumed by those who are lactose intolerant. 

There are tons of videos and blog posts on how to make ghee - instructions aren't hard to find.  This is all well and good, unless you're like me.  I've never really cooked with ghee or seen it firsthand, so I don't know what I'm looking for exactly as an end product.  One video told me that I should simmer the butter for about 45 minutes, or until it starts to smell like toffee.  I must not know what real toffee smells like because I never got a toffee smell the entire time.  My first batch ended up looking like maple syrup and smelling like old, rancid fryer oil.

All that is to say that I want to share this recipe with you, including a few tips from my ghee-making experience, so you don't end up accidentally ruining good butter like I did.

Making ghee is relatively easy.  All you need is some butter and a lot of patience.  Ha!

No, but seriously - here's what you'll need:

• Unsalted butter
• Pot (big or small enough to allow the butter to simmer for at least 30 minutes without it completely evaporating or burning)
• Spoon
• Glass jar or other container strong enough to withstand hot oil, and big enough to hold all your ghee (about a half pound of butter yields about a cup or so of ghee)
• Coffee filter
• Rubber band (optional - to hold the coffee filter in place)

Directions:

1. Put the butter into the pot and melt it over low to medium heat.  You can cut the butter into smaller cubes to help speed up the melting process.
2. Bring the melted butter to a low simmer.  You'll be letting it simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes.  DO NOT STIR.  AT.  ALL!!!  The butter has to separate.  Also, NEVER cover the pot once while cooking.
3. Make sure the heat is strong enough to maintain the simmer without letting the butter burn.  After the first 10 or so minutes, you'll notice a good amount of foam has risen to the top.  Use your spoon to skim off the foam.  
4. Check back every 5 to 10 minutes to keep removing any foam that appears.  Be careful not to stir the butter too much or scrape along the bottom of the pot. You'll notice that there's some build up on the bottom (these are milk solids), and some of it may even look like it's starting to burn.  Leave it alone.  Scraping the bottom of the pot will only incorporate the burned bits into your oil, which you don't want to do.
5. After skimming the foam off the butter for about the third time, you may notice that the simmering has started to die down, as well as the production of more foam.  Once your butter is no longer producing any more foam, remove it from the heat.  This is a sign that your ghee is ready.  If I were to assign it a scent, I would say something approaching buttered popcorn.  The oil should still be a nice, golden color.  If it is any shade of tan or brown, you've gone too far.
6. As the oil cools, affix the coffee filter to the mouth of your jar with the help of a rubber band (see image above).  Make sure the coffee filter dips down into the jar a little bit to create a reservoir because the oil may take some time to filter completely through.
7. Once the jar is ready, carefully pour your ghee through the coffee filter, into the jar.  Wait for the oil to cool down some before you put the lid on.

As the ghee continues to cool, it will become solid again (albeit softer than before).  Store your ghee in the cupboard (or anywhere that is room temperature and out of the sunlight).  It should keep for about 6 months.

See?  Not too bad, right?

** UPDATE **
Taking a whiff of the finished product, it actually does smell a bit like toffee! I'll be darned!

The Automated Life

First of all, Happy New Year!  2015 is going to be great!  Yeah!

Okay.  Now back to our regularly scheduled program...

Lately, I've been spending a lot of time looking into ways I can upgrade my life through automation.  We don't have readily available self-driving cars (yet), but we do have a smoke detector that will talk to us instead of shrieking.  It's so kind, it'll even text us to let us know if it detects smoke while we're away.

Do you want to be able to control the lights and other electronics in your house while you're on vacation?  Or maybe, like me, you're one of those who has to turn around and head back home just to make sure the curling iron was turned off.  Never fear - WeMo is here!

Unfortunately for me, my disposable income doesn't allow for much more than the occasional tube of lipstick these days.  It will be a while before my home is on its way to sentience.

In addition to gazing endlessly at all of the lovely gadgets I can't afford, I've been tinkering with "recipes" on "If This Then That" (IFTTT), a free service that allows you to create simple programs to automate things across some of your favorite websites and apps.

I know, I know.  "Programming?!  Buh!!!"  But I swear it's easier than you think!

IFTTT programs (or "recipes," as they're called) only consist of 2 elements: a trigger and an action.  If something is triggered, then there will be an action.

To give you an example, here is one of my favorite recipes:


How does this recipe work?  If it finds a picture on Instagram that has a particular hashtag, then it will save it into a folder in your Dropbox account.  In other words, it allows you to save all of the pictures your guests post onto Instagram of your wedding (or whatever type of party or event).  All you have to do is ask them to add a designated hashtag to all of the pictures they post of the party, and IFTTT will do the rest.

One of the cool things you can do with this particular recipe (in addition to making an awesome scrapbook) is to have a laptop connected to a projector or TV at your event and have it play a slideshow from the synced Dropbox folder.  You and your guests will be able to enjoy the pictures throughout the course of the party.

Before you can start creating recipes, you'll need to activate all the "channels" you'd like to use (a.k.a. give permission for IFTTT to access your apps).  Once activated, you'll have access to each channel's various triggers and actions so that you can customize your recipes.  By activating the weather channel and the Phone Call channel, for instance, you can have IFTTT give you a wake-up call with the day's weather forecast every morning.  Or use the weather channel and the WeMo Light Switch channel to have your porch lights (outfitted with a WeMo Light Switch) automatically turn on at sunset and off at sunrise.  The possibilities are endless!

Here are a few of my own:









You may ask, Why?  Is it really so hard to click a few extra buttons and do these things yourself?  No, it's not.  But it is tedious.  That's what automation is all about.  It's not there to make you lazy; it's there to make you more efficient.  Why waste your time and energy doing tedious things, when you can use that extra time on other work or being with your loved ones?  If you're anything like me, you could probably use that extra time to just relax.