Okokimup

I had one inserted 10 odd years ago, and the ladies(!) who did it had zero sympathy and wouldn't even give me Tylenol. I had to take it out 2 days later. Never again.

Action item at the end:

“Avoid plastics as much as you can. Reducing your use of ultraprocessed foods can reduce the levels of the chemical exposures you come in contact with,” Trasande said. “Never put plastic containers in the microwave or dishwasher, where the heat can break down the linings so they might be absorbed more readily.”

Here are other tips to reduce exposure:

· Use unscented lotions and laundry detergents.

· Use cleaning supplies without scents.

· Use glass, stainless steel, ceramic or wood to hold and store foods.

· Buy fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables instead of canned and processed versions.

· Encourage frequent handwashing to remove chemicals from hands.

· Avoid air fresheners and all plastics labeled as No. 3, No. 6 and No. 7.

I just lost a family member (not a close one, but I did love him). Not sure yet when the funeral will be, but I'll need to plan ahead, and I'm not sure where to start. When my boyfriend died (8 years ago) we made copies of his favorite tshirt and wore those. I'm guessing this will be a slightly dresser function.

Disclaimer: I am not in any way involved in Indyx as a business. I use the free functions available on the app and have never used the paid services. I will only be discussing the features that are available for free.

Indyx is available in your app store of choice for apple or android. It allows you to take photos of the individual items in your wardrobe, then mix and match them to create outfits. Their photo program automatically removes the background from images and works really well. Here is a crazy outfit I put together for an 80s night concert.

You can add information with each item such as date purchased and price paid, and for each time you “wear" an outfit (by adding it to your calendar) the app will calculate your price-per-wear.

You can create groups of items. For example, when packing for a trip, I plan outfits and put all the items I want to bring for them on one list. It helps me create a little capsule wardrobe so I can use items in multiple ways and save packing space.

You can also create a wishlist for items you're interested in buying. This has been one of the most helpful features for me. Sometimes I think an item will be perfect for me, but when I add a photo of it to Indyx and try to create outfits with the things I already own, I realize it doesn't quite work and would not be economical for me to buy. The app has definitely saved me money.

I like to save inspirational outfits on pinterest, then see if I can build something similar with what I own. That also helps me identify gaps in my wardrobe. After saving a bunch of outfits with a navy shirt, I knew I needed to get one.

I label my outfits based on what temperature I would wear them in (cold, cool, warm, hot) and sort them each day to find something weather-appropriate.

Or I decide I want to wear a specific pair of pants or an accessory. I can navigate to that an item and see all the outfits I've created with it, and select one.

Or let's say you've got an outfit that you want to pick out matching purple jewelry for. Sort by jewelry and purple to narrow down your options.

I once misplaced a ring and was able to look on my calendar to see when I last wore it. Sure enough, it was in the pocket of the pants I wore that day.

I've been using Indyx for over a year now. I don't have to sift through my closet or end up only wearing the same few things because they're the only ones in front of my face. If you enjoy putting outfits together, it's a lot of fun, especially when you do add a new item. The developers have made a lot of changes and are still working on features. They are very responsive to issues and feedback.

Some things that used to be free are now behind a pay wall and I expect most new features will be as well. The devs point out that when an app is totally free, that means the product is probably you, and they want the app and their services to be the product, not their users. According to their newsletter, their average user earns between $100-150,000 yearly, which is far, far higher than me, so I'm not really their target customer. But the app is still super useful and fun for me.

If anyone has questions or would like tips for using it or taking good photos, please ask in comments.

Hello artists, apologies for the late post.

Go outside, paint en plein air. Or paint something that’s outside. You do you.

Go forth and create.

Mom's going to be out of town for three weeks, so I'm on my own. I ought to keep it simple, but I also wouldnt mind treating myself. If you were in my place, what would you cook?

Whether it's the enormous ruby ring Nanna left you or the dangling SpongeBob earrings you got from the flea market, what's the jewelry you have that makes people stop and say "wow I LOVE that"?

They are $300. Would you buy them? Would you wear them if they were free?

April showers supposedly bring May flowers. Is it rainy where you are? What gear do you use? What are you missing?

I'm more of a youtube person myself. Here's who I watch:

Hannah Louise Poston has great vids on how to develop your personal style. She does vids on makeup too, if you're into that.

Christina Mychas helps with style too, but focuses a lot on minimalism and organization.

Stylish Curves does a lot of clothing hauls, which don't really interest me, but I like when she does videos about general plus size fashion, or telling us about black-owned or sustainable brands.

Beepworld. I have nothing in common with her personal style, but she has a lot of good tips on making use of what's in your closet and saving money. She's also the one who turned me onto Indyx, which I love for organizing outfits (will do a future post on that).

I'd love to know if you have any recommendations.