soap scum

Soap scum or limescale is an anomaly that I don't understand.

NOT my shower/bath, random picture.

Defined as a grey layer of material that forms around showers etc. where soap and water are present together, it is caused by minerals which are naturally present in water.  As the minerals combine with soap they create a sticky mixture which adheres to surrounding surfaces, and mixes with skin, hair and dirt.

Now the part that baffles me is this

1)
soap+water=soap scum
soap+water+skin=soap scum
all these factors are present when we wash.

2)
You can't get rid of soap scum with the water that comes out of your tap.

3) If soap and water does (refer to image) this to your shower what is it doing to your body.

So are we all walking around with a build up of soap scum on our bodies?

Can you avoid being a human soap scum incubator by rinsing off with clean water (shower vs bath), or should we begin to use the soap scum rider products to wash with in order to prevent an outbreak of soap scum human beings.

Or is it a huge conspiracy between the soap factory and the soap scum rider factories, a we'll scratch your back if you scratch ours.

So maybe next time you're reaching one for one of these...

  

you should think again and reach for this instead.



















Next week I'll show you how to use this anomaly to avoid bath time, kids you'll want to catch this one.


* Please note we do not endorse any of these products.
* Don't try this at home.
* We are not responsible for your stupidity if you lack common sense take that up with your parents or educators.
* This blog was intended to be humorous and no scientific studies have yet been conducted. 

SSMT Verse 2

16 Days into the New Year, I thought I would be employed by now and I'm not - gulp* gulp*  With the only certain thing in my life being on the first and 15th of every month (oh and now that I'm doing youth the next 9 Fridays are planned out - YAY!).

So the 15th of January rolled round yesterday and I thought 'OH NO I don't have a verse to memorize for the next 2 weeks' que the anxiety.  Ridiculous right, anxious because I can't find a verse that speaks to me, one where I can hear God saying 'Justine this is where you're focus needs to be for the next 2 weeks'.  In my true fashion I list the things that I am struggling with in life...

anxiety

fear (links to trusting God)

stress

uncertainty

My next step is to page through my journal and see if I've written down any verses that I could use, nothing.  My next turn is to my bible concordance and see what I can find, the result NOTHING.  Well I am a 21st century woman so lets use technology, I will google the scripture verses I am looking for - nothing relevant.  Finally I go to my bible software and search, after scrolling through and reading a number of verses I got Isaiah 12:2 "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.  The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."

Having just posted it, I saw another ladies verse come up under mine and I am now hijacking her's so verse 2 for 2011, which I think re-iterates what I chose - "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."  Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV

Follow the hyper-link to Beth Moore's page, if your keen to be part of the blog community.

"Being CERTAIN of this that He who began a good work in you will carry it onto completion until [Jesus comes back]."  Philippians 1:6 NIV

Feature Friday!

One of my FAVOURITE blogs.

I love it when I see a new feed in my Google Reader, and cant wait to click on the link and see what awesome treats she has for me.

Christa Taylor introduced to me in a book called Answering The Guy Question (loaned to me by a friend).  It was a worthwhile read at the time, and that cover picture is SO cute how can you not want to read it?

In fact I enjoyed this book so much that when I fell on a book one of Leslie Ludy's books Set Apart Femininity, I had to buy it, I have yet to read it but if you see the stack of books lined up on my desk you will understand why.

I digress, I will discuss Ludy's work in another blog at a latter stage.

Now Christa's clothing line (which sadly is no longer in existence) was prompted as a great online store to purchase modest clothing.  Not something a nun would wear, but tasteful, elegant and cute.

If you think a girl can look good without baring all, then Christa is a blog you will love to follow.  Great fashion tips and looks.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2011 walk with God

A New Year, full of uncertainty and anxiety for me, a plannner with NO plan gulp.

What I do know however is that on the 1st and 15th of every month I will be memorizing scripture, so if your interested in joining an online community of woman (sorry boys) go to Beth Moore's website and have a look at this 'challenge' and start join in.

My Current Spiritual Crusade...

I am striving to 'take my thoughts captive'.  As a woman and 'so(le)journer'* of my mind the crazy, whacked out musings, over active imagination, propensity to think of the worst case scenario and all facets and possible outcomes of EVERYTHING in an attempt to be prepared for it all.  (Yes I'm letting you take a sneak peak at how my brain works - run now).  This is a necessary task.

My Material

Beth Moore's bible study 'Breaking Free' provides a section where 5 days are spent on the aforementioned task.  This is my soul focus for the next 5 days - and yes it is terrifying.

The Terror

Its a situation where practical application is necessary, so you pray for patience and what happens your put in a painstaking situation with the most tedious person on the planet and your job is not to have an apoplexy or kill them. Same thing here.

Scripture

The chosen verse is "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in You."  Isaiah 26:3 NIV

So the journey of Spiritual Growth begins today and hopefully I can look back on Dec 15th 2011 and see a grown and changed woman, who is better for her time with God.  Like a good wine a Christian woman should get better with age as she walks with God.  The other thing I know 2011 will bring is more character and improvement on who I currently am ~ thank you Jesus, my life verse "Being CERTAIN of this that He who began a good work in you will carry it onto completion until (Jesus comes back)."  Philippians 1:6 NIV

*play on words - I'm the only traveler that gets to experience my mind first hand.

Why you don’t get Christmas cards from us

Its Christmas and in an attempt to try present a normal functioning family to the world, I have been on a mission to take family photos for our Christmas card.  The said Christmas card has not materialised yet; you will see why when you look at the following photos.

Lets start with last years family photo...

Christmas 2009 - Me, Candy, John (Uncle), Rory, Reece and Mom.

Then there is family photo attempt number 2 at my mother's 50th - hmmm* 

And my final attempt, early family Christmas dinner - on account of Ian the headless and Candy going to the coast for Christmas.

The headless stranger.

Crazy people.

Doh, its blured.

Is kind of normal, pitty about the chocolate pudding on Reece’s chin.

Ah, closed eyes.

Crazy people again.

So when you are opening Christmas cards and you wonder "Why don't we ever get Christmas cards from Justine?"  You need to think back to this post, as shivers run down your spine and ask yourself "Do I really want those people starring at me from the top of my mantle piece."

And the lady in Microsoft's to the cloud thought she had a problem with her family photo - gosh*

In memory of a good friend - this world will be a darker place without your light.

Leanne and I were in a casino in Vegas trying to buy deep fried chocolate bananas.  We saw two guys sitting over at a table and they looked like they were checking us out.  One of them came over and started talking to us.  Derek opened with telling me 'You have the shortest nails I've ever seen on a girl' and possibly commenting that I have boy hands (this could be embellished, it was a long time ago).  Our friendship grew from there, Derek introduced Leanne and I to a side of Vegas we would never have seen - fun filled Karaoke nights, $7 steak and beer (it was really good) at shaddy old town Vegas casino's, a mad adventure to the Grand Canyon that rendered us in Utah and then driving around the ENTIRE canyon, to be met (with surprise) by a snow covered rim, Derek in his flip flops.

Derek passed away on Friday - it breaks my heart that someone so young, with so much potential, and such a good heart has left us.

Looking on death and the major loss of this boy's life to the world, I know he is in heaven, he is at peace, in paradise and in the safe loving arms of God.  It is selfish to want to keep someone here, when there is a big welcome home party waiting for each of us in heaven, I for myself am at peace with going home to God one day because I know it will be great.  But today my heart is sore for the loss of Derek, for the loss his family suffers at this time, for this Christmas they will spend without this amazing ray of light, I am sad for my (selfish) loss of a friend.

There are no words.

Christmas Creativity

YAY its Christmas, normally I don't feel Christmasy, thats probably because living in the southern hemisphere with summer, and Christmas songs are all about snow I cant relate my experience to the carols and snow songs.  Being blessed enough to spend the wind up to Christmas in the states I have a natural taste of the Christmas spirit.


Que the Christmas decorations...


Justin being le bachelor doesn't have any Christmas decorations, he has to work on the 25th and cant go home for Christmas.  Its bleek, as a parting gift I rustled up a garland, decorations, spent 2 days cutting out snowflakes and got busy on Friday (infact this time last week - sad nostalgic face) with decorating.


I fashioned the garland into a tree (it came with lights - so very much a 2 birds one stone), place it in a tin that had a snowman embossed on the front, strung my popcorn string (which lead to a series of pricked fingers) around it, and hung silver, clear and white ornaments on the tree.


I however had forgotten to buy an angel or a star, with no time to run out and purchase one I was left to improvise.  Justin, a dog lover at heart, and me equipped with a printed photo of Lando our basset hound.  When 1+1=2 Lando would be the perfect angel for the tree.  It was very makeshift, a toilet roll with a window cut in it and the white toilet paper as draping around the roll, a hair clip fashioned into a halo.  The angel, a unique Justine original was ready to be put on the top of the tree.

Looking at the tree there was something missing, it looked very stark and bare with the white wall behind it.  Looking around the room and seeing the box of wrapping paper with blue and silver bows - "perfect" I thought.  Equipped with tape which I stuck to the ceiling and proceeded to stick the bows on.  (It looks a little tacky in this picture but the effect in life is really awesome)


I also bought Justin a stocking and found a badge/pin/button with the letter J on it, there we go personalised Justin stocking.


My decorations didn't stop there - I mentioned my marathon snowflake cut out sessions.  Here you have it on the sliding glass doors into the sun room aka bedroom.  And those little black balls hanging in front of the blinds, they were part of the Christmas ball pack, but I couldn't put black decorations on the Christmas tree, it just seemed to morbid.  But they work well here; the balls are matt, glossy, sequined and some have snowflakes printed on them.

Waiting for Justin to come home - hearing the key in the door, I yell "STOP you cant come in."  A dejavu moment from 4 days earlier when I was sitting on the floor with all the decorations and his gifts on the floor and he came home early and I yelled "STOP! STOP! STOP! DON'T COME IN! DON'T COME IN! WAIT OUTSIDE THE DOOR!"  as I hastily packed everything away, and then let him in, it was VERY VERY funny!


After a week of planning and plotting and being sneaky, Justin seemed pleasantly surprised, he know I was up to something but was not sure what it was.

It came together really nicely I was pleased with the outcome.