A "Small" Bin

Organics To You was offering a 50% discount to try their service when they were at the Portland Green Show a couple of weeks ago. Normally $33, this box cost us $16.50. What a bargain! We did pay full price ($4.25) for the eggs (farm fresh from Banks, OR) which were not included. We thought we would try it for a one-time delivery. It is a refreshing change from the usual winter fare. Last night I made some potato leek soup. Yummy…this motivated me to eat more vegetables. We also recently signed up for a CSA for the first time. I am looking forward to good eating all season long

I am finally experimenting with my 50mm lens. It takes good portraits with great lighting. Above is a portrait of Mulder I took this morning. The only drawback is it cannot autofocus on the Nikon D40. We originally bought it for the D70 but that’s gone now so I’ll have to wait until we get another camera. Meanwhile, it works fine with manual focusing.

We “discovered” a couple of local places in our ‘burb. India Direct serves up some nice home-style Indian food.  We picked up a combination plate last Friday. It was good and more than enough for both of us at a reasonable price of $8.99. This place is more of a grocery store but there are tables if you want to dine in. On Saturday, we finally got to try the Tokyo Japanese Restaurant. It was a pleasant surprise to see an authentic place in a suburban shopping mall. Marcel had the mixed tempura while I had the spicy chicken donburi. The lunch menu was extensive and well-priced. Both restaurants are recommended.

We also had a chance to see the Unique Animal Expo. It was just ok and in my opinion, not worth the $8 entrance fee. There were a lot of birds, reptiles, and other rescued wild animals such as the leopard, a porcupine, and a monkey. I was more interested in dogs and while there were a few, I got bored quickly. We ended up going to Petsmart and the Bonnie Hayes Shelter to see more dogs. No, we are not looking for another dog. We just enjoy watching them

In an effort to improve my health while also enjoying the outdoors, I started walking during my lunch hour with a friend from work Sokbun. During our walk today, she asked me what sunscreen brand I used.  Well, I use Boots Botanics on and off but mostly off since it is a bit greasy. I usually mix it with the regular moisturizer that I love and it sort of works. It has been so nice and sunny lately so I think it is time to get back into a regular sunscreen routine. She mentioned “California Baby” was recommended by Skin Deep. This website was created by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) to promote awareness of cosmetic safety. I searched the site and found it to be a good resource for both safety and effectiveness. Well, time to get a search party going…

First candidate: ALBA BOTANICA SUN: MINERAL SUNSCREEN – FRAGRANCE FREE SPF 18 available at Amazon.com

Review: Great rating by EWG except for the lower SPF. I was hoping the lower SPF would make it lighter but it is still thick. Much lighter than the SPF30 but still hard to apply evenly. It seems that this would be typical for non-chemical sunscreen.

Epionce Active Shield Lotion SPF 30+

Review: This one is lighter and spreads evenly but has a greasy feel to it. An hour later, it still felt greasy. I also noticed that the fine lines on my face became more prominent. EWG did not have any ratings for this brand. I got the sample from VanderVeer Center and the “set” of skincare products costs $195 for a six-month supply. I guess it could be worth it if the products work wonders for your skin. It didn’t on mine. I did like their regular moisturizer. It was light and made my skin soft.

I decided that I might be better off to go with a “middle of the road” product so I went for the classic Cetaphil.

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF15

Review: A little bit thicker but very similar to Epionce without the greasy feel. It did feel greasy at first but after a few minutes it settled down. Also, I had to make sure my skin was not dry, otherwise, the sunscreen would cake up a little bit in the flaky areas. This is the one I like best so far. I will stick to this for now until a better one comes along. EWG rated it as safe except for the last ingredient Triethanolamine. They also did not like the low SPF but for everyday use, I am not too conercerned. For extended outdoor exposure, I would reach for the Alba sunscreen.

For my brother Francis’ 21st birthday, I am sending him two of his favorite things: Gatsby spiky edge and Portland’s favorite Stumptown coffee. Gatsby is a hair grooming accessory from Japan. It could be hard to find but readily available at my local Japanese grocery store Uwajimaya. I have never tried Stumptown coffee myself but the locals swear it is the best in Portland. Enjoy, Ab

Yesterday, we went to see the OMSI for the first time. The location on the waterfront with the Esplanade walkway going through it and the building were fabulous. We particularly enjoyed the Da Vinci exhibit. We have seen many of these artworks (replicas) featured in Europe but we got to take a closer look at the history behind them. We were also fascinated by his inventions and love of music. He is truly a genius. On the other hand, the OMSI did not have much else to offer for us. A family with kids would definitely get their money’s worth out of the place which was full of hands-on scientific experiments.

Dinner was at the Widmer GastHaus Pub. I had the chicken schnitzel with potato pancakes and Marcel had the chicken pot pie with split pea soup and spaetzle. They were both good but a little on the greasy side. The place was crowded and reminded us of Europe where the tables are cramped. It is actually quite common in Portland because a lot of the restaurants are housed in historic buildings, just like in Europe. We had a great time spending the day in Portland.