Tiny waves and long weekends

Tiny waves and long weekends

I have been craaaaving days like these – bright skies and clear waters.

On Friday we SUP’ed out to the break. Small glassy waves called for Ian. He caught clean little lines and kept asking if he could go back out; I laughed and told him to go. I jumped in the water to cool off.

I’m always so much more appreciative of my landscape when I’m out on the water looking back and seeing it big picture. Like it’s crazy to think my life and my little home has anything to do with what I’m seeing out here, but it’s all interconnected. I don’t know how to explain it. Deep water and tall mountains tend to make me feel this way.

 

 

DIY Beeswax Wraps ft. Alafaga

DIY Beeswax Wraps ft. Alafaga

In 2017 I started my journey with zero waste, making small changes to adapt a more natural lifestyle. One of my big goals in 2018 was to reduce my plastic usage drastically, and now in 2019 I’m committed to making steady strides in sustainable living. It’s been a fun learning experience.

Enter: Beeswax fabric wraps.

What are beeswax wraps? They’re a reusable alternative to plastic cling wrap that’s super easy to make! They are great as lids for jars, bowls, and containers, and can be used to wrap sandwiches and snacks.

I hung out with one of my bestest friends Gabby Faaiuaso (@Alafaga) and it was her idea to blog about our creative afternoon adventure, so I hope you enjoy this post and get inspired to make your own beeswax wraps!

What You’ll Need:

 

 

 

  1. Bees wax
  2. Cotton fabric
  3. Scissors
  4. Grater
  5. Baking sheet
  6. Parchment paper
  7. Tongs (optional)
  8. Paintbrush (optional)

Method:

 

1 / Choose a medium weight pre-washed cotton fabric and cut into desired size and shape. We decided on larger square pieces that were 12 inches x 12 inches, so that it could be used to cover most bowls easily. For a clean cut with no frays, you can use pinking shears (zig zag scissors) but since we didn’t have any, we just used regular scissors.

 

2 / On a baking sheet, lay parchment paper over the entire tray and place your cut fabric on top. It’s important to use parchment paper (do not confuse with wax paper as it cannot be used in the oven) so you can safely continue using your baking sheet for other obvious reasons like baking cookies.

 

3 / Then use a grater to shred your block of beeswax down into smaller bits and scatter an even layer on top of your fabric. This will require some elbow grease so be careful and go slow. Make sure that you have enough wax to cover the entire fabric, but not too much that it will melt into a thick glob. We found that a handful of shredded beeswax was enough to evenly cover the fabric.

 

4 / Next, preheat your oven to 250°F, then place baking sheet in and set timer for 10 minutes. Keep an eye on your project. Once all the beeswax shreds have melted, check to see if the fabric is evenly covered in beeswax. You can use a clean paintbrush to spread the melted beeswax around.

 

5 / Pull your baking sheet out of the oven and immediately remove the fabric from the parchment paper using tongs. Be careful as the wax will be very hot. Hold it in the air to let it cool for about 30 seconds before touching. You’ll notice the fabric become stiff once it’s dried.

Uma lava  – That’s it! You’ve made your own reusable beeswax wraps!

Mold your beeswax wraps around containers, bowls and jars to keep your food fresh in the fridge. Beeswax wraps are great as gifts too so grab a friend, choose fun fabrics, and spend an afternoon making a batch to share!
To care for your beeswax wraps, wash with cold water and gentle soap, then air dry.
To store your beeswax wrap, fold and keep in a cool dry place.

First Dive of the Year, FINALLY

First Dive of the Year, FINALLY

The sun finally came out this week, finally!

I don’t know if I mentioned this on my blog anywhere yet, but for Christmas Ian gifted me with a brand new bright yellow 63cf tank (which is perfect for my short self), and Rick and Polly gifted me with brand new ScubaPro regs (I was formerly using Rick’s regs from like the 80s or 90s)!! I’ve been meaning to take my new gear out for a spin since the new year, so I was stoked to see the sun come out just in time for the three day weekend.

On Saturday morning we packed our gear into the truck and drove west to Nua with some friends. The last time I dove Nua was my birthday last year. Nua is a beautiful spot of sandy beach under a shady banyan tree and has a nearshore reef crest with waves breaking over it. Just to the right is a small ava (rip current) where we swam out of to dive the reef slope.

The entire south side of the island was completely calm and flat but there was big swell in the north. Nua is on the southwest so I was a bit surprised when we got down and saw that the vis was only about 30ft and there was a slight current that pushed and pulled. Other than that, it was a perfect dive day.

Ian held me hand for most of it because I was nervous about the current (I think that was my first time diving with a slight current), and we checked out the pretty fish and coral. We were down for 40 minutes and I still had half my air left in my tank on the way in.

We hung out on the beach with our friends for a bit longer, then drove back to town to wash our gear and truck and pick up some Samu’s ice cream. Ian went surfing after and I got home and jumped back in the water just in time for sunset. Then had bbq and game night at our neighbors’. It was an awesome day.

Valentine’s Morning

Valentine’s Morning

He tried to surprise me with breakfast in bed but I woke up early lol. What a lovely way to wake up on Valentine’s! ♥️