ThinkGreenLovePurple ♥

Done.

2012-02-16T23:56:00.002-05:00

To my dear Blogger friends,

I know I haven't posted on here in a really long time... again....
But I've been busy as you'll see...

I just wanted to share some great news with all of my readers...

I've been worrying about this since grade 9....
I've mentioned it on my blog posts multiple times...
I've spent way too many hours...
I've procrastinated way too much....

and now
one week after the "due date" (when I started)...

I AM FINALLY FINISHED MY EXTENDED ESSAY!!!!!!

And for those of you who've been following my blog wondering what this extended essay is:
The extended essay (EE) is a mandatory core component of the IB Diploma Programme. It is a research paper of up to 4,000 words giving students an opportunity to conduct independent research or investigation on a topic that interests them...

Some screen shots of my finished work, because I am just that happy...

Yeah, I know, 4000 words isn't really that big of a deal. It was just the research and worrying that killed me. I am a huge procrastinator and perfectionist. Those two don't go together very well....

But I'm done. Yay!

Now, I gotta go start my historical investigation and two world lit papers.... and my chemistry lab! :)

Hope you are all doing great,

thinkgreen <3

PS: And I sincerely hope/ promise I'll make a real post soon. :)

Obsessed with grades...

2012-02-06T00:12:00.002-05:00

As I enter a new semester of school, and plan to see my exam results tomorrow, I just felt like I needed to post this...

With exams and university applications going on right now, sometimes I feel that obsession with grades can go to the extreme. Especially here in Canada, where most universities only look at your grades. We don't have SATs, standardized tests, or ANYTHING, and many programs or universities don't have any required supplementaries or essays. (Fortunately/ unfortunately, my top choices all have required essays =.= )

But I think becoming obsessed with grades can happen and be harmful at any level of education: elementary, secondary, or post-secondary...

A lot of times I here talk about "bird" courses to boost up their averages, or taking difficult courses at other schools to get better marks. People- both students and their parents, say things like "I can't believe I (or my son/daughter) am/is only getting a 95!!"

I'm not pointing fingers at anyone. I get caught up in my grades a lot too. I think I have a calculator in my hand way too often, trying to estimate my average, wondering, what do I need in this course, this next test? When I get anything below my average in the course, I'll feel awful, thinking "Oh no, that brought my mark down", and act as if my whole day is ruined. If I get slightly higher than my average, I'll think to myself "it could have been better." If I get 100, I'll be happy, and then say to myself "why couldn't I have done that on my other assignments" and start stressing out about my upcoming test/lab/assignment.

And then there's the issue about me being in IB. The program is generally considered to be more challenging, but universities treat us all the same. Some schools use a grade conversion system (eg. if you get a 10/20 on an essay, somehow it is equivalent to 70%), but many schools, like mine, do not. Sometimes I regret being in this program because I wonder how much higher my grades could be if I were in the academic stream. But then I remember that I'm getting a better education, that I'm challenging myself. If I am able to survive all this seemingly impossible work, I will only come out of high school stronger, and more prepared for university.

At the end of the day, grades are just a number. They don't define who you are, or your intelligence, or how hard you work. Especially in Ontario, where we have neither SATs nor any form of standardized testing. If I'm getting a 90 and you're getting an 80, does that mean I'm doing better than you? Not necessarily. There are so many discrepancies in grading amongst different schools, different teachers- and we've all heard of those shady private schools that give their students very high grades as long as they have $$$.

It's not the grade that matters, it is what you have learned and what you know. Taking "bird courses" for example, may give you a higher average, but what do you learn? Isn't school about learning, about becoming an expert in your chosen field, and not about a high number?

It's not the end of the world if you don't get into the program of your choice. Learning can happen anywhere, and when one door closes, a window opens. If you work hard and you're a good student, it'll be apparent anywhere.

I hope it didn't sound like I was trying to vent, or like I was mad or something. I'm not. So many of us are stressed and worrying right now and I just feel like this is so important for people to realize and keep in mind, including myself.

My point simply is: Your grades don't define who you are. Just try your best, and have fun learning!

À plus, (haha, get it?)

- thinkgreen ♥

PS: And I know I keep posting about university applications, but haven't even mentioned what I applied for.

I'll save that for another post. :) But I'll just say that I got my first offer last week to one of the universities of my choice. Not my top choice, but it's a good university/program. Nice to know I'm wanted somewhere.... My top choices don't hand out acceptances till May though, because the applications require supplementaries.

Hint: this post is related to what I want to study. ;) Any guesses?

4 verses: A much needed update

2012-02-02T16:10:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I owe this blog and all my friends taking part in the challenge a huge update for the 52 Verses Scripture memorization challenge.

I've been away from blogging for a while and I haven't posted my verses since week one! I've been keeping up with my verses for the most part, but I haven't posted about them!! Sorry :( So I'll post about them now:

Week 2

Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you. - 1 Peter 5:7

I worry so much... but this verse brings me comfort and reminds me to offer everything- works, joys and sufferings- up to God... and he can make something good come out of it; I can learn a lesson out of it. Nothing, not even my worries and sufferings, are meaningless with faith. Here I am, after exams, much stronger thanks to God... what doesn't kill you makes your stronger! :)

Week 3: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."- Psalm 40:8

Part of the responsorial psalm for that week, and it really spoke to me...

Week 4: Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long. - Psalm 25:4-5

Also taken from the responsorial psalm. I love the Psalms... As I studied for exams, this verse helped me remember to keep sight of the bigger picture, and remember God

Week 5: (This week)

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? ~ Psalm 8:3-4

I thought about this verse the whole time this week and last week while studying biology. Cell respiration, photosynthesis, DNA replication, the contraction of the heart, synaptic transmission and all... such complex processes with so much info to memorize (despite the fact we still know so little about them)- but what's amazing is that they actually occur, that so many things we do not see are going on to sustain life... and all of it is the work of God. And God loves all that he creates. Just thinking about that takes my breath away.

Oh I'm going to miss biology class. It took up 80% of my schoolwork, but now that it's over (well, there's still final exams in May, so I'll have to study from now till then)... I'm sad :(

Anyway....

have a nice week. :)

thinkgreen ♥

Hi there... Vous m'avez manquée!

2012-02-01T17:05:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone :)

I know I haven't been on Blogger for quite awhile now, and thought I'd just drop by and say hello. I've missed all of my friends in Blog-land!

This past month has just been so busy. University applications (still scrambling to get those supplementaries done- agh!!!), a ton of tests, school exams... especially the dreaded English individual oral commentary exam that I've been worrying about since Grade 9 have kept me away from Blogger entirely.

But the one reason why I'm letting myself go on Blogger today is:

EXAMS ARE FINALLY OVER!!! :)

... and I just wanted to give a little update, to let all of you know I'm alive. February is still going to be a pretty busy month (I have to start and finish a 4000 word essay), so I don't know if I've been posting much.

Exams were actually a great experience. Not that I did well (I didn't get my results yet), but I am just amazed at the amount of information I was able to absorb in such a short period of time. Before exams, I almost felt like it was impossible. Especially biology, and I really wanted to do well in biology. But then I just kept repeating to myself, "We use so little of our brain's full capacity... Let's see how much I can push myself."

And whether I did well on my exams or not, I can still say that I learned a lot. Hopefully I did well though, because I'd like to get into the universities I applied to!

This is probably the only week where I get to take a little break. (Break= catch up on schoolwork). On Friday, I'll be performing at a senior home in my neighbourhood. I'm so excited :) I might even post about it, if I manage my time really well. The residents there are really an amazing audience. If you play an instrument and haven't already done so, I suggest you phone your local hospitals and senior homes and ask if they would like to have you play there. :) Music always brings joy:

Also, I also owe this blog a huge update for the 52 Verses Scripture memorization challenge. I'll be posting about that in a while (tomorrow?), promise!

And... I've also been awarded my very first award, the Irresitibly Sweet Blog Award by Elizabeth at The Endless Road. Thank you so much Elizabeth! ♥

My task now is to post seven random facts about me, and then award ten other bloggers.

1) The last book I read was Mad Shadows (La Belle Bête) by Marie-Claire Blais.
2) My last exam, history, was this afternoon, and I only started studying for it this morning. :( To be fair, I had a bunch of uni apps due today that had to get done! But yes, I can be a procrastinator.
3) You can tell that I haven't been practising piano if my nails are long. :P
4) Mandarin was my first language.
5) Activia is my favourite brand of yogurt... I like the apple one best!
6) I love spicy food. Like really spicy food, not jalapeno potato chip spicy :P
7) I'm 5'9 but my hands are as big (small) as my 12 year old sister's

Now for the people I'd like to award :
1) Romi @ The Dreamy Tree
2) Emmy @ THE Blog
3) Vellvin @ The Irish Maiden
4) Tangerine Tane @ Fifth out of Ten
5) Sveta @ Nature's Light Photography

And anyone who hasn't gotten the award yet :) I think all the blogs I read are sweet!
... and that makes 10! :P

Yes, I know this was a random post.

J'espère que vous allez bien...

À bientôt!

~thinkgreen

PS: I don't know why I wrote part of my post in French. It was just completely on impulse... I guess I just miss my summer, where English was forbidden and

French always

was the rule.

Life is simple. Eat. Sleep. Speak French.

it was the best summer of my life... where I actually had a life outside of school. :) I wish it were summer again! I'm getting all nostalgic now.... Sigh....

Happy Birthday Pollini!

2012-01-05T12:08:00.007-05:00

Today is pianist Maurizio Pollini's 70th birthday!!!

I enjoy listening to a lot of different pianists and their very different interpretations, so I don't really know if I have a favourite pianist. But I am definitely a fan of Pollini. I'm no music expert, but I know there is just something I really like about his music. Thanks to his art, I've discovered a lot of wonderful music... :)

Just wanted to share some of his music on his birthday... Enjoy! ♥ ♫

I used to not like this nocturne very much...(I liked it, just not as much as the other nocturnes) It just seemed too "sweet?" (for lack of a better word) Then I discovered this recording and fell in love! It sounds so refreshing...

So beautiful..... I have no words... The music speaks for itself :)

Love it! I became addicted to these pieces for about a month after listening to this!

I'm learning this nocturne right now... This was the first recording of the nocturne I ever listened to. And after that, I decided I had to learn it. It's definitely an inspiration for my own playing, even though my interpretation is quite different :P

PS: I FINALLY applied to uni ;) More on that later...

What will the future bring?

2012-01-01T16:27:00.004-05:00

For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13

What a nice verse to start off the new year :)
It is not only brings hope for the future and reassurance that no matter how uncertain it is or how difficult it seems, God does have a plan for each of us. No, his plans may not involve me getting all 7s on my diploma, or winning 100 scholarships, or even good health and happiness 24/7, but I have to trust that it's what is best for me.

It's also a reminder of what the focus of my future should be: a relationship with God; seeking God and his plans. It's something for me to keep in mind, not only as a struggle with decision making on my uni applications (!), but throughout the year... I need to place my future in God's hands and put my faith first :)

This is the verse for WEEK 1 of the 52 Challenge: A special challenge to memorize 52 verses this year, one verse each week with many other bloggers. :)
I know this verse is a popular one, and it was probably one of the first verses I memorized as a child. So why am I picking it for this week's memory challenge? Well, I think it's one thing to know something from memory and another thing to really keep it in mind. It's kind of like me and my biology tests. (Yes, I always have to relate everything to school... I know I'm weird! :P ) Sometimes I know a biological fact, word for word. But on a test, I can get overwhelmed by all the writing (I don't think I've been able to keep a single test under six pages, and it's point form) and forget to mention it in my explanation! In my busy and hectic life, I want to keep this verse not only buried somewhere inside my memory, but keep it in mind throughout the year. I hope that made sense :)

New Year's Resolutions 2012

2011-12-31T17:00:00.002-05:00

I love New Year's. It's the time for a fresh start, time to leave behind the mistakes of last year and move on to a new and better future. Time to set goals and write resolutions for the new year!

I tend to be a bit of a dreamer though. I can come up with so many plans, so many ideas and resolutions, but I don't always follow through. So this year, instead of making a list of 1000000 resolutions, I'll stick to a few and keep them small.

Here are a few resolutions that I'll be sharing with you on my blog. Hopefully all of you will make sure I keep them! And I invite all of you to join me (if you want :)) in my goals.

1) Green Goal: Save water
Last year, one of my "green goals" involved boycotting bottled water. (More on this another day). This year, I've decided to save water by shortening my shower time. To 5 minutes (or less!) We'll see how that goes :)

2) Music Goal: Share my music
I've been making videos on Youtube since 4 years ago. However, I haven't been very good with adding new videos. I'll try a lot harder this year, and I'll try to post my practise on here too. This goal is more that just about sharing my music online though. While I've played at recitals and senior homes in the past, it took a lot of effort because I was a bit scared. I plan to get out of my shell and perform as much for my community as possible. After all, music is meant to be shared. :)

3) Faith Goal: Read the bible more!
As St. Jerome is often quoted saying, "Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ." A while ago, I was thinking how I should probably read the Bible more... when I discovered two awesome challenges in the blogging world: The 52 challenge, which involves memorizing a Bible verse a week, and the Bible in a Year Challenge. :)

4) Health Goal: Exercise More!
I'd like to try some new sports, go skating and swimming more often, etc, in addition to my daily midnight walks with my mom :) I need more CAS hours!

What are your resolutions?

Happy New Year's Eve, Everyone!!!!!!

On the fourth day of Christmas, a stranger gave to me...

2011-12-28T14:22:00.002-05:00

FOUR AWESOME (and useful) TEXTBOOKS...

It's funny. My mom was walking to the supermarket today and on her way home, she found a box of books on the curb of one of the houses in our neighbourhood.

She wondered if there were any textbooks that I might find useful inside, specifically, Chemistry textbooks.

And sure enough, the box was filled with textbooks. Including FOUR chemistry textbooks. One of the textbooks was actually an older edition of a textbook my mom and I were considering purchasing!

It was like the textbooks were put there just for me! Haha. What a nice surprise!

I'm already finding the textbooks pretty helpful. Nice supplements to the 2 chemistry textbooks I already have.

Yes, I know this is such a random post...
But it just goes to show that one man's trash is really another man's (or girl's !) treasure.
And this post is probably also further evidence of my oddness... Yes, I get excited over Chemistry textbooks! (And it's not even my favourite subject!)

Hope you're all enjoying your holidays.... It finally started snowing here yesterday!
I might post about my Christmas later... but for now, I have to study!

My gift to you...

2011-12-25T17:03:00.006-05:00

Just a little message to my readers and online friends. ;)
The music- silent night- is from a duet I played at my Christmas concert, on the 23rd. One of my favourite Christmas carols, ever :)

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!" - Luke 2:13
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.- Isaiah 9:6

Merry Christmas!

God is so great that he can become small...

2011-12-24T17:00:00.003-05:00

God is so great that he can become small.
God is so powerful that he can make himself vulnerable and come to us as a defenceless child, so that we can love him.
God is so good that he can give up his divine splendour and come down to a stable, so that we might find him, so that his goodness might touch us, give itself to us and continue to work through us...
God has become one of us, so that we can be with him and become like him.

~ Pope Benedict XVI

Something to think about this Christmas eve and at Christmas time... it's one of my favourite quotes... :)

Merry Christmas everyone... have a safe and happy holiday!

Wrapping Up

2011-12-23T13:32:00.003-05:00

As usual, I leave Christmas gifts to the last minute... now, the day before Christmas Eve, I am finally wrapping up my gifts.

Here are some eco friendly gift wrapping ideas that I use that I want to share with all of you, for last minute procrastinators like me. They are great alternatives to wrapping paper!

Happy wrapping!

DIY Gift Bags

I think these gift bags look so cool! The tutorial is here
Gift bags in general are nice because you can always reuse them =) I PROMISED I would wrap my friend A's gift in newspaper... just because she reads them every single day. You can see her carry a stack to basically every single class. :D

DIY Gift Baskets

Tutorial

Tried this last year... so much fun!

Wrapping Paper Alternatives

Scarves

Also try: posters, maps, newspapers....

DIY Bows

Tutorial

or instead of a bow, why not just look outside:

This is a nice gift too!!

PS: I would have loved to post my own pictures... but my camera is having technical difficulties -.-

And a little update on life:
Today, I finally handed in my TOK (epistemology) essay... 3 months late! *blushes guiltily* I wrote about whether or not vocabulary shapes what we can know (What do you think?) What an accomplishment. I've been ~~working~~ procrastinating on that thing since September. And now I'm finally done!!!! I feel like I should celebrate ;)

Also, Christmas break has finally started today !!! I can't believe that Christmas is in just a few days!
Although I have an overwhelming amount of work to do- a huge essay, labs, assignments, a history project, studying for all my exams, APPLYING to uni... I'm still glad the holidays are finally here. :)

Anyway, I have a lot of wrapping to do, and tonight is my Christmas piano recital...
So I'll talk to you later!

:)

DIY Hand Cream: Gift Idea #2

2011-12-16T19:09:00.002-05:00

Winter is a wonderful season, but unfortunately cracked and dry hands can come along with the beautiful snow and ice. This hand cream recipe is one of my favourites, one that I have tested, tweaked and perfected (almost...!) over the years. It's non-greasy and extremely moisturizing because it actually gets absorbed in the skin, and would make a great gift for anyone- especially during the winter months! I'm making some of this for my piano teacher- musicians need to keep their hands in good condition (without getting their hands all slippery and greasy!) :)

thinkgreenlovepurple's hand cream

You'll need:
10 tablespoons of pure, unrefined shea butter
5 tablespoons of jojoba or almond oil
5 vitamin E gel capsules (use the gel in the capsule) / some vitamin E gel
1 teaspoon of cornstarch
A few drops of essential oils, if desired... I like mine unscented!

1) Mix the shea butter and vitamin E gel capsules together and melt either in a microwave or using hot water.

2) Mix the melted shea butter and oils together and let it cool to room temperature.

3) Top with cornstarch.

4) Whip the mixture until it has a near meringue-like consistency.

5) Store it in a container- try old (cleaned!) hand cream containers or small glass jars. You can decorate the container for a more festive look! Make sure the hand cream is kept in a clean, dry place.

Source

6)For a Christmas-y look and some added colour you can make some of the lotion following the steps above but add red jojoba wax beads. You'll end up with pink/red lotion...

There are many ways of modifying this recipe. As always, let me know how you make it. :)

Anyway, I've got a ton of work this weekend... an essay and lab due Monday, a Bio test on Monday, and a Chemistry test on Tuesday... My life has been taken over by school. But it's almost Christmas, only one more week! So there's something to look forward to:)

As a related side note: Have you ever heard of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics? I discovered this eye opening site years ago... please take a look.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a nonprofit coalition effort dedicated to eliminating chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, etc... Its website contains the world's largest database of chemicals in cosmetics to assess the toxicity of your favorite products and find safer alternatives. ;)Have a nice weekend!

My week + a sneak preview of my nocturne :)

2011-12-10T10:30:00.011-05:00

Hi everyone,
I know I promised I'd do another Christmas DIY post... but I just don't have the time today. I will, sometime next week, because I have to start getting my presents ready!

To make up for this delay:
I'll be performing piano in a Christmas concert in a few weeks and I've been practising like mad... As mentioned in the title, I'd like to share a snippet of one of the pieces I'll be playing, Chopin's Nocturne in b flat minor. (I'll also be playing Christmas music, but they're duets... If I record the concert... I'll post here :) ) I haven't practised this piece in a while, I've never played it in public, and my teacher didn't tell me about the concert until very recently... so it's a little rusty. Still a lot of work to be done.
I wish I could have recorded it all- but the battery was low. I was scared there wasn't going to be any left by the time I connected to the computer!
Nevertheless, I still wanted to share it, and hope you enjoy it! Any comments/ advice/ etc is welcome :)

Listen to a snippet of my nocturne!

And now, just a bit about what I've been up to lately....

My daily schedule has basically been like this:
6:45 am - Wake up
7:00 am - Force myself to get up and get dressed
7:10 am- Get out of the house and eat breakfast in the car :)
7:30 am- Morning English classes before school. Almost everyday, until Christmas break! But we're doing poetry, which I love, so I'm not complaining!
8:30 am- School officially starts.
2:32 pm- School ends. I still don't understand why it ends at 2:32 and not 2:30. We're usually out of the classroom earlier than that though.
3:30 / 4:00 pm- Get home. Depends on if I have any clubs after school. Practise piano.
5:30 pm- Start homework. I'm taking Chem, Bio, English, and History this semester. But I admit always end up spending most of my time on chemistry and biology. Why is that???
6:30pm- Dinner!
11:00 pm- 12:00 ish am- Nightly walk with my mom!
1:00am- Let's hope I'm in bed by then?

This weekend, I have 2 essays to finish (English and "philosophy") and 2 tests to study for (chem and bio! - again. :) )

I guess my life sounds really boring. School, school, and more school. But that's how it's been.

I worry a lot but I know that it'll be worth it in the end. Even if I don't get all 7s, at least I'll have learned a lot! Last year, my life was just as chaotic. Staying up all night working on my math portfolios and planning chemistry labs. Going to bed at 7 am after writing my English essay. I didn't think I would survive, and I didn't even think it was possible to achieve the grades I ended up with. Yet I did.

And now I have a blog to keep me sane!

To end off this post, I'd like to share my musical obsession of the week. I'm in love with this Ballade!!! And Zimerman is just fantastic... I love love love his performances! Without a doubt, one of my favourite pianists.
Every time I feel like falling asleep, I just imagine this and listen to it in my head:

What have you been up to lately???

DIY Recycled Notebooks - Gift Idea #1 + iPad giveaway

2011-12-02T17:49:00.007-05:00

As promised... I present to you the first of a series of eco-friendly DIY gift posts leading up to Christmas!
Since it's Friday, I can finally have some fun after a busy week :) and decided to post this gift idea.

I've always loved the idea of homemade gifts. They can be sustainable, fun to make, and very personal and thoughtful.

Today's gift idea is recycled notebooks. They're very easy and fun to make, and are great stocking stuffers for aspiring writers and students. And you experiment with different ways of binding your notebooks, decorating the front cover, different materials... use whatever you have and get your creative juices flowing!

One day, a few years ago, I was cleaning my room ( a very rare occasion :D ) and I realized a had a HUGE collection of partially-used notebooks from since kindergarten! I decided then that I would make use of all this wasted paper-- by turning it into a notebook.

This is my own video tutorial :)

Here are some other awesome variations that I found from different websites, for your inspiration:

Meghan and Jill’s DIY Recycled Paper Notebooks

(using wrapping/wall/newspaper and scrap paper)

Creative Notepads

Here is a list of possible materials you can recycle and use:

Cover
- old posters (like what I did)
- greeting cards
- playing cards
- used bristol boards (from school presentations maybe?)
- scraps of fabric
- scrap wallpaper, wrapping paper
- old book covers
- boxes (eg cereal boxes)
- old calendar covers/ pictures

Pages
- unused pages from old notebooks/ journals/ notepads
- calendar pages
- any junk paper that is printed on just one side (fold it in half)

Binding
- staples
- butterfly fasteners
- yarn/ string/ thread
- glue
- ribbons
- old binding coils

of course, there are more.... If you try this, I'd love to know what you used!

(note: none of the photos or tutorials are mine, EXCEPT the first video)

Have fun! And let me know how it goes!

PS: Speaking of saving paper and gifts-- wouldn't you want to win an iPad? Well you can, here at little chief honeybee! I thought it'd be useful for reading the news and books as well as storing my notes and homework without having to use tons of paper!

♥ thinkgreenlovepurple

Homemade Hand Sanitizer

2011-11-27T18:31:00.003-05:00

Flu season is here, which means it's time to break out the hand sanitizer to keep all the bacteria at bay!

The problem with most store bought hand sanitizers, however, is that they are extremely drying because of all the alcohol, and loaded with irritating fragrances and chemicals. A few days ago I was going through the newspaper and a section titled "Immunology" caught my eye because it tied in perfectly with what we were studying in bio- the immune system. While flipping through the pages, I was super excited when I found a recipe for gentler, safer, and more eco-friendly alternative for hand sanitizer!. After some tweaking and experimenting, I now present you with my recipe for homemade hand sanitizer!

You will need:
1/2 cup 100% pure aloe vera gel
1/2 teaspoon of witch hazel
10 drops of tea tree oil
2-3 drops of your favourite essential oils (I like lemon!)
1 vitamin E gel capsule (optional)

1) In a container, mix the essential oil and tea tree oil together.
2) Then add the witch hazel.
3) Add the mixture to the aloe vera gel and stir well.
4) Break open a vitamin E gel capsule and mix in the gel.
5) Store your hand sanitizer in a small bottle. Old travel sized shampoo bottles or old hand sanitizer bottles work great!

That's it. It's so simple! Natural and eco friendly- when you need to make more hand sanitizer, you can just refill the same bottle! Let me know how the recipe goes for you!

For the curious:
How does the hand sanitizer work?
Aloe vera gel gives it a gel-like consistency. It is also very soothing and contains lots of vitamins and amino acids which are good for the skin.
Witch hazel is an antiseptic as well as an anti-inflammatory.
Tea tree oil has been shown to have strong antiviral, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties...
Vitamin E: It's very moisturizing!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Hand sanitizer, whether store bought or homemade, is not edible! Also, pregnant women, small children, and pets should not be using tea tree oil. And make sure you aren't allergic to any of the ingredients.

Also I have to emphasize that hand sanitizer is not the best way to prevent germs- washing with water and soap is. But when water and soap are not readily available, hand sanitizer is a good solution. :)
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AND Speaking of seasons, today also marks the start of Advent...It's also the beginning of a new church year... so happy "new year", and hope you have a great week, and for those who celebrate it, a blessed Advent :)

It's almost Christmas! Are you excited?

Celebrating Authenticity

2011-11-22T17:25:00.009-05:00

I've seen quite a few people post about the Authentic people Blog Party at Rear Window. Being new to blogging, I was curious to see what a blog party was all about...
and it looked pretty awesome, so I decided to join in on the fun. :) (Note: I skipped a few questions that I didn't know how to answer... sorry!)

Hiya.

I'm thinkgreenlovepurple.
Everything else about me is in the "About me" section of the sidebar... so I won't repeat it all :)

1} What's the nerdiest/geekiest/weirdest thing about you?
Thing? There are way too many nerdy/weird things about me...
a) My piano obsession! It gets me eyerolls from my friends... b) I spend too much time on the Internet for my own good. Never for playing games, but to ~~debate~~ talk with people on online forums, learn languages on LiveMocha, read random wikipedia articles, watch piano videos and documentaries on youtube, and play around with web design. c) On the language learning note- I speak 3 languages, but I'm hoping to learn more! I also find etymology really interesting.
d) I read just about anything. Shampoo bottle ingredients, cereal boxes, everything. Some of my favourite nerdy things to read for fun are my biology textbook, atlases, medical books, French textbooks... :D

2} If you could live in a fictional universe from any book, movie, or television show, what would it be?
Call me childish, but-- Spongebob!

Ok, not live-- visit. It'd be nice to take a tour of Bikini Bottom for a day, taste a Krabby Patty, catch some jellyfish, and visit an underwater beach. I like the universe we live in right now just fine though. :)

3} Little or big, practical or frivolous, what is one of your favorite items in your house?
You've probably already guessed by now... My piano!

4} What is your favorite household chore?
Dusting. It's just so satisfying to see all the dust that I've eliminated!

5} What's your favorite thing to get at Starbucks (or your favorite coffee shop)?

Green tea chai latte with soy milk... In the summer, make that iced!

6} What is your favorite pizza topping?
Mushrooms and sundried tomatoes.

7} Waffles or pancakes?
This is a tough one. They're both good! As long as I can top them with lots of fruit and maple syrup, I'm happy.

8} Have you ever let anyone win a game?
Yes. I don't have the attention span for 3 hour chess games!

9} Have you ever dyed your hair?
Nope. And I don't plan on doing so, ever. As self conscious of it as I am, I like my hair natural. Or at least I'm trying to. I've even sworn off straighteners and curling irons. :)

10} Do you make your bed every morning?
Better question would be, do you ever make your bed? And the answer would be... no.

11} Picasso or Norman Rockwell?
Picasso!!!

12} Do you like carpet, tile, or hardwood floors?
Hardwood floors with cozy rugs.

13} What's your favorite condiment?
Hot sauce, soy sauce, tartar sauce, and good old ketchup! Depends on what I'm eating of course.
But usually, in my opinion, spicy condiments go with everything!

Oh and am I the only person who likes Dijon mustard? At camp, I always get the bottle to myself because no one else wants it!

14} Have you ever thrown up on someone (excluding when you were a child)?
I can't even remember the last time I threw up. I don't get sick very often.

15} What was the last thing that made you laugh?
My own klutziness!

16} Think fast...what's the first song that pops into your head?
It's not a song.. but Chopin's Nocturne op 9 no 1. I was just practising. :)

Blaming overpopulation...

2011-11-20T14:40:00.002-05:00

Earlier this month, the arrival of the world's 7 billionth child and the announcement of Michelle Duggar's pregnancy with her 20th child, I've been hearing a lot of talk about overpopulation lately- claims that overpopulation is the "worst environmental problem" and "the greatest threat to our planet" because "there isn't enough resources for everyone".

Really???

As an environmentally-conscious person who has never bought into this whole "population problem idea", I just had to make a comment.
First off, yes, the world's population is growing. But where? Certainly not much in developed countries, where birth rates are in decline. The fertility rate in Canada 1.52 children per woman-- not enough to replace the existing population. Most of the world's population growth is from developing nations- nations that use a fraction of the resources that people in developed nations such as Canada use. According to the Agriculture Department, each year Americans waste about 25% of domestically produced food. Remember: 20% of the population use 80% of the world's resources. There are people out there who own 100 cars and multiple houses. So really, it's not really population that is a problem, but the large amount of resources a small percentage of the population uses and wastes. Population doesn't tell us much: one person could have the same impact on the planet as 20 other people.

from flickr

It's pretty irresponsible to just blame our environmental problems on this vague concept of overpopulation. Focusing on reducing the number of people we have, rather than the amount of waste we produce, loses sight of what is really important- conserving our resources and leading a sustainable lifestyle. With this "blame overpopulation" mentality, even if the world's population was 1 billion, we could still figure out a way to hog everything and use up all of the resources we have.

The real solution is taking action- living a sustainable lifestyle. Which is part of what this blog is about. Less waste, more reducing, reusing, recycling. If everyone in the world did little things such as using resuable waterbottles, taking shorter showers, and not wasting food-- it would probably make a huge and positive difference.
What does solving overpopulation involve? Either no real action and just verbally blaming overpopulation, or increasing our death rate.

Well, those were just my thoughts. Now I'd like to know, what do you think? :)

PS: I haven't been posting lately because I've been so busy! I've had so many tests and labs this month I've lost count! 3 in the morning has been my regular bedtime this past month. I spent all of yesterday studying chemistry. And now I have to study for a history test tomorrow- on Austria, France, Germany, and Russia from 1860-1900. And then I'll read Fritz Fischer's very long thesis on the cause of the outbreak of WWI. Anyone want to tell me about it? I've tried reading it and couldn't get past the 3rd page!

Music theory: Farmer Bob Eats Avery's Dark Green Coleslaw!

2011-10-27T17:41:00.002-04:00

A little music theory here....

I'm sure many people have heard the acronym "Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge", for remembering the treble clef line notes...

This post is about sharing some silly music acronyms my sister and I have come up with over the years when studying theory.... :) I still use them now! Some of them almost made me burst out laughing in the middle of my Rudiments exam a few years ago...

Major Keys in Order of Increasing number of sharps in the key signature

Come (C) drive (D) an (A) elephant (E) baby's (B) car (C#)

(This reminds me, I seriously need to get my license. If elephants can drive, why can't I?!)

Major Keys in Order of Increasing number of Flats in the Key signature

Farmer (F) Bob (Bb) eats (Eb) Avery's (Ab) dark(Db) green (Gb) coleslaw (Cb)

(We were taught Father's Battle Ends and Down Goes Charles, but it was easy to mix up with "Father Charles goes down and ends battle" (order of sharps) and "Battle ends and down goes Charles' Father" (order of flats).... so we decided to come up with this nonsensical one instead!)

Modes-Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian

I don't particularly like math after lunch!

(because my math class used to be after lunch every other day at school)

The traditional acronym: I don't particularly like modes a lot.

I miss you, math class!!

If you're studying music theory feel free to use these! Maybe these ones will spread and become as popular as "Every good boy deserves fudge!" :D

Probably not, they're too random and silly... oh well.

Now I've got to go and do my harmony homework! If only I could harmonise chorales using an acronym...

Have a lovely day!

Love,

thinkgreenlovepurple

Busy but content...

2011-10-21T23:24:00.006-04:00

(Sorry if this post is random... If you don't want to read it, just listen to the music!! ;) )

Friday is usually a very lazy day. It's the end of the week and usually all I want to do is sit on the couch with a blanket, some tea, music, and a good book.
But today wasn't like that at all. It was very busy.
And the end of it, I felt like I just ran a marathon (well not really, it's just an analogy)-- tired, but very content that I got so much work done. It's also the same kind of feeling I get after practising a fugue sometimes!
Speaking of fugues, here's a fugue that describes my day perfectly-- it's lively, busy & multitasky (like most fugues) and has this content E-major-ness (I'm weird, I usually associate different keys with colours/moods but I can't describe them in words)....

Right now, aside from Chopin's Barcarolle (which I've been listening to daily for months!), I am insanely addicted to this prelude and fugue.

At school, I multitasked all day, trying to pay attention in class while studying for chemistry. I even brought my Zoom H1 recorder to school so I could record my teachers' lessons, in case I missed anything because I got distracted by chem. (I hope they aren't reading this blog!) The past two days have been all about chemistry... and trying to learn content I should have learned a week ago. :) I studied basically non-stop. As a consequence, I now keep picturing this whenever I see styrofoam:

o.o

Anyway, the chemistry test wasn't so bad. I didn't have a ton of time to check it over, but at least I didn't have a panic attack or leave anything blank...

And now here's the best part. When I got home, I spent THREE quality hours with my piano! Because I had so much chemistry to study for, I had hardly practised piano at all this week (maybe 2 hours). I was so happy to play piano, I even practised my scales (haha!) for 15 minutes. I can't even being to explain how much fun I had playing piano. At first I was kind of feeling stressed because my fingers were feeling clumsy, but after a while I really got into practising. I wish I made a recording to share with all of you... oh well, maybe some other time. :) For now, I'll just post links of recordings of the pieces I'm learning... these pianists do these wonderful pieces much more justice than I do! :

Rachmaninoff Etude-Tableau:

Bach Prelude and Fugue in E flat

Rondó sobre temas infantiles argentinos!

(Enjoy!)

Now, I'm supposed to be working on my TOK essay. It was technically due a month ago, and I really didn't start until today. I have 697 words as of now, which isn't bad, considering the fact that I spent so much time on it before and wrote nothing!

Time for me to get back to work.

Have a musical weekend, and hope your Friday was as productive as mine!

--
thinkgreenlovepurple

Note how I posted youtube videos instead of pictures in this post. Pictures paint a thousand words, but what about music????

How is buying more better for the environment?!

2011-10-19T18:00:00.002-04:00

The irony....
Just something that came to mind when I went shopping over the weekend....

As more and more people are becoming more environmentally-conscious, more and more companies are trying to keep up by marketing their products as "green" and "eco-friendly", so people can spend without feeling guilty, or even be encouraged to buy more for the sake of being environmental.

To me, it's ironic, because being environmentally-conscious isn't about spending, using, consuming, MORE. It's about using LESS, and living a simpler life.

While I admit I do love my Burts Bees and get excited whenever stuff at my health food store go on sale, I don't think that owning the entire Burts Bees product line makes me someone who cares about the environment. In fact, I think that I probably own one too many Burts Bees lip balms, could probably do without water-soluble nail polish, and should be less lazy and make my own conditioner. (Speaking of which, next semester, I get to do a soap making lab in chemistry.... I can't wait!!!!)

It's nice that some companies are replacing wasteful packaging with recycled packaging, reducing is still better than recycling. The 3 Rs- reduce, reuse, recycle, are in that order for a reason. There's no point in me buying a bag full of organic cosmetics just for the sake of being green. Sometimes I feel like the eco-friendly product lines try to make us justify the purchases of items we don't really need. They make us think, "I can buy as much as I want, because I can just recycle it afterward/ it says it's environmental on the package!"

It would have been much more sustainable to not have gone shopping at all. Recycling is good, but it's not the solution to everything. Producing a product and recycling it still creates some pollution. Reduction, not recycling is the first step.

Another thing is that some companies are making false claims about how environmental their products truly are. Just because something says "environmentally friendly" or "natural" on the label does not make it so. Some companies put all sorts of fake labels to trick well-intentioned buyers. I've seen food labeled "made from 100% natural fruits". Well, it goes without saying that fruit should be natural. What they're hiding is that a lot of the non-fruit ingredients are not so natural. So it's a pretty useless label.

Not everything derived from nature is safe anyway- what about poison ivy, nightshade???

And then there are the products labelled "organic". Organic products without legitimate certification often don't mean much.

I don't want to make this post too long, but if you're interested, I found a good article about being aware of companies false "green" advertising claims. Or you could just do some research on greenwashing.

I guess my point to this post is that I feel that going green has become a fad. Environmentalism has become very commercialized and superficial- something for the elite who can afford all these products. Because of that, I can kind of sympathize with those who are wary of environmentalists. But really, it's not about having the latest organic cosmetics or have a sophisticated solar energy system in your home. It's about living simply and working toward maintaining the beauty and integrity of God's creation.

Just my 2 cents.
Have a nice day!

Love,
thinkgreenlovepurple

Afterthought: If I was this passionate writing my TOK essay, I'd be done by now! Or at least started.

Note: none of the pictures are mine, but they are all licensed for reuse.

Thanksgiving Optimism

2011-10-10T12:03:00.017-04:00

Hi there!

2011-10-07T01:12:00.004-04:00

Hi!
I'm thinkgreenlovepurple, and it's nice to meet you!

This is my first blog post- ever. So I just wanted to introduce myself, for those of you who don't know me.

I'm a Canadian teenage girl who loves piano, is passionate about the environment, and is new to blogging. I started this blog for several reasons. Firstly, I've always wanted to blog. I've been following some blogs for quite some time now, and got inspired to get started! I wanted to get more involved in the online community-- meet other bloggers and share my random thoughts and musings. Secondly, I know this will be a hectic year. Blogging, hopeful, will be therapeutic. And thirdly, I hope that blogging will improve my writing skills. :)

Oh as you probably can guess, my real name isn't thinkgreenlovepurple. But I don't feel comfortable posting my real name, and I'd hate to make up a fake name... so you can just call me thinkgreenlovepurple. Or think. Or thinkgreen... doesn't really matter. :)

Again... it's nice to meet you. Hope to post again soon... with a more useful post. :) Sorry if this post was kind of awkward. I'm still new to this... still learning!