Laundry Tip

It has been reported that fabric softeners (both the liquid and sheet forms) contain a lot of toxic chemicals. Here is a list of some:

• Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer
• Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant
• Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders
• Limonene: Known carcinogen
• A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage
• Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list
• Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders
• Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic
• Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders
• Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled

So, I've actually thrown out all my Bounce sheets. Instead, I now put 6 tennis balls into the dryer with my clothes. The results of the tennis balls are as such:

• No toxic chemicals from fabric softeners.
• Shorter drying time on a lower heat setting (lowering use of electricity and/or gas).
• No synthetic "fragrant" smell.
• Fluffy laundry... especially those that have filling (i.e. pillows, down jackets, comforters, etc.)
  
• No static cling.
• No additional costs after initial purchase of new tennis balls.
• Downside: The need to adjust to the thumping noise in the dryer. BUT, they do NOT harm the dryer.
  

Therefore, if you want to save money, eliminate some of the terrible chemicals that come into contact with your body, and still get soft clothes, I would suggest tennis balls in your dryer too... especially if you have children. But, my suggestion is for you to invest in a good brand of tennis balls because the cheap generic ones sometimes have coloring that can come off on clothes.

Let me know how this tip works out for you if you try it!

Missing the Obvious

I'm back in LA for a visit.

Last week, I decided to go visit Debbie and her new baby. Since it was around lunchtime, Debbie asked me to go to In-N-Out to pick up lunch. When I arrived at In-N-Out, I pulled up to the drive-thru window. When I got to the window, the guy looked at me and I looked at him. Neither of us said a word for a few seconds.

Finally, it dawned upon me that I had completely missed the speaker box where I was supposed to place my order. The poor guy at the window was probably trying to figure out what to say to me. By this time, two other cars had already pulled up behind me, so I could not back up. So, I apologized profusely—providing some lame excuse about being from Vancouver. (Drive-thru's are not common in Vancouver proper, and I don't have a car there.)

I felt so stupid. I had literally forgotten how to use a drive-thru!

The guy kindly took my order at the window... probably still puzzled. After I got my order and drove out, I noticed the big bold words on the speaker box, "PLACE ORDER HERE". Talk about missing the obvious!

Next Trip Back to LA

June 9-25.

My Appearance... According to Children

One summer during my early teens, my church was at a particular retreat site that was managed by a married couple. This couple had an adorable little girl. I think she was probably 3-years-old at the time. Needless to say, all my teenage friends and I wanted to play with this little girl. She happily played with everyone except me. Finally, her dad asked her why she didn't want to play with me. Her response was, "Because she's ugly."

I never forgot that incident. This was hard to hear as an awkward teenage girl. I never thought I was physically attractive, but to hear it confirmed by a child really hurt. After all, aren't children naturally honest?

But I received a bit of redemption this week.

I was in LA these past couple of weeks. (I'm now at LAX waiting for my flight back to Vancouver.) To catch up with each others' lives, Angela and I decided to go out for dinner on Sunday night. We went to a Shanghainese restaurant (Mama's Lu Dumpling House) that my mom recommended. When we walked into the restaurant, Charice was there, along with her husband, 3-year-old twins, new baby girl, mom and aunt. It was such a pleasant surprise to see them all. But because it was our "catching-up time," Angela and I did not join them for dinner.

Towards the end of dinner, Maddie (the girl twin) came up to me and just stood there smiling at me. After several seconds, she finally said to me, "You're very beautiful."

Maybe I've grown out of my awkward teenage phase or maybe Maddie is less selective. Whatever the reason, Maddie absolutely made my day... actually my week. Thanks Maddie.

"Soul of Ministry" Small Group

For my "Soul of Ministry" class this past term, we were assigned into a small group. We met once per week. Initially, I was reluctant because I don't like forced intimacy and that's I felt was being expected of us. But I ended up absolutely loving this group. Ben, Kirk, J.J., Momin and I got along very well. We were appropriately open with each other, but did not overly divulge everything in our lives... sharing, laughing, praying, eating.

Kirk even made a funny collage for us at our last meeting. Notice the green roof that is so characteristic of the Regent College building. From left to right: Ross (our professor), [Jesus?], Momin, J.J., me, Ben, Kirk)
Then, this past week after we all finished our last papers of the term (except Ben), we had dinner. For this, we included the spouses. J.J. and Kirk both brought their wives, Lisa and Rachel. Ben's fiance, Anna, joined us after we already took the picture. From left to right: me, Kirk, Rachel, Lisa, J.J., Momin, Ben.

I don't know if we will continue to be close because we all come from such different places and backgrounds, but I am grateful for them.

Jesus said:
"For where two or three come together in my name,
there am I with them."
Matthew 18:20.

Zit Zapping

Ever since I changed my facial hygiene regimen several years ago, I rarely ever get acne. Recently, however, due to a lack of sleep and poor eating habits, I've been breaking out. But I'm glad to say that none of the pimples have gone full-blown.

Let me share my secret with you... as soon I see a pimple at its early stages, I dab a little white vinegar directly to it with a cotton ball. In a few hours (usually overnight), the zit is zapped. If you have very sensitive skin, it might be better to use mouthwash instead of vinegar.

* Note: To avoid too much drying of the skin, do not rub in the vinegar or dab too many times. Just one or two gentle dabs is all that is needed.

Community Parties

Recently, I had the blessed opportunity to work with others to throw a party for a friend. The planning process was interesting because everyone seemed to have different ideas, but since not all the organizers knew each other well, there were some hiccups along the way. But one thing really stood out for me. One of the people helping to plan kept saying that the guest-of-honor was the most important. In essence, this person was saying that whatever the guest-of-honor would want or like is what we, as the people throwing the party, should do.

At first glance to most people, this probably appears to be a great way of looking at things. It really makes the guest-of-honor feel honored, special and loved. But, somehow, this mentality rubs me the wrong way.

This is probably more of a Christian principle about community, but I think it is important in general. A party is a social celebration. While the principle purpose of the party may be to honor a person(s), every aspect of the party should not be geared towards him/her/them. There are other people involved. Therefore, it is important to consider what the other guests may like as well. The guest-of-honor should still be held in high regards, but doing things for the guest-of-honor should never trump the importance of making the event enjoyable for EVERYONE, including those who are throwing the party.

Perhaps I have thought more about this than most people because I'm an event planner. One of my pet peeves when helping clients plan an event, especially a wedding, is when they don't consider the guests enough. It drives me nuts when a couple wants to do things that suit them, but are willing to put their friends, family, guests, and/or wedding party through financial hardship, extensive time occupation, or a lot of excessive work just to get what they want.

For example, I don't think it's right to choose a venue with excessive parking fees merely because you like the venue. (solution: pay for all or part of the parking, pick a venue with cheaper or free parking and/or advise people of cheaper or free parking nearby.) There are so many other things I've seen and observed... but it's probably best to not list them all for fear of offending my community.

In most instances, as I'm sure was the case with the party we recently planned, people don't intentionally try to make things difficult for others. It's just that intentional consideration is not usually present in decision-making. Does that make sense?

When a party is done well, the guest(s)-of-honor will feel special, honored and loved... but so will everyone else!

But the good thing is that the aforementioned party actually ended up being enjoyed by everyone. It's good to know that God works through all our inadequacies. =)