Ok, after reading this article on Cafemom.com, I suddenly feel like a bad mom for taking my daughter to the mall to get her ears pierced. Everybody does it, so it's perfectly fine, right? Well, experts say it's not....here are the 5 reasons why:
Sanitation of the facility:
A mall booth, on the other hand, can be touched by everyone who walks by, is often just a cloth stool in a highly trafficked area, and the only part of their equipment that is sterile is maybe the earring studs -- which doesn't matter if the gun and gloves aren't.
Training of the piercer:
A mall piercing employee often has one day of a seminar, or even a video, then practices a few times on a piece of cardboard with dots or a teddy bear. Sometimes pediatricians offer this procedure, but they're no more trained with a piercing gun than you are.
Quality of the equipment: Piercing guns use cheap metal that almost always contains high levels of nickel despite the fact a good 15 percent or more of the population has a nickel allergy. The studs are so thin that they have a tendency to migrate into the healing flesh, and they are not long enough to allow for normal healing in even the thinnest earlobes. How many times do you hear "The skin will close over the back of the earring if you don't twist it!" This isn't because of twisting (which is not advisable nor healthy!) but because of improper jewelry to begin with. The butterfly back earrings also have so many grooves that they can trap bacteria against the new piercing wound.
The aftercare:
Piercing booths hand you a bottle of cleaning solution that is about 99.8 percent water ... and the remainder is Benzethonium Chloride, or they suggest a soap with Triclosan (like Dial) that actually damages healing tissue. Their healing care almost looks satirical to educated piercers, which includes twisting piercing daily, a move that unless the earring is totally free of "crusties" (dried healthy fluid) and totally clean, twists bacteria into and tears sensitive tissue in the newly healing piercing. BAD idea.
Real piercers have been trained to not just hand you a bottle and piece of paper, but show you how to care for a piercing and help recognize potential problems and solve them. Piercing artists undergo often one year or more of internships, take bloodborne pathogen courses, often take CPR just in case of a medical emergency with a client, have to learn about aftercare, potential medical problems, and proper jewelry choices for each piercing type, and have to watch procedures many times before being very closely monitored while learning to perform them. Piercing parlors are required to thoroughly and regularly clean their piercing area (which consists of easy-to-clean materials like a doctor's chair) regularly, and only allow paying customers into the area to prevent any contamination of their sterile equipment.
Whether you are a brand new wine lover or already have a sophisticated palate, Thanksgiving weekend is the perfect time to visit the wineries of the Willamette Valley. This year, over 163 wineries in the Willamette Valley are opening their doors for a Wine Country Thanksgiving. You'll be able to sample wines that are hard to find, enjoy special pricing on special bottles.....and even enjoy live entertainment, gourmet food, and more! It's a great way to learn more about wine, while enjoying time with friends! My husband & I took a wine tasting adventure this weekend at JK Carriere Wines. We enjoyed some great conversation with Jim Prosser, owner & winemaker at JK Carriere.....and found some new pinots to take home for Thanksgiving. This year, the wineries of the Willamette Valley have developed a smart phone app that will help you perfectly plan your Thanksgiving Wine Country Escape. Go to www.willamettewinemap.com and scan the QR code to get: directions, hours, information, and more for over 190 Willamette Valley wineries. You can also get more info at www.willamettewines.com!
Here's a brief video overview of our visit!
Jim explains why JK Carriere features a wasp on their labels....and at the winery
Levi's says we need to stop washing our jeans to help them last longer....and to help save water (and the planet). They say in the future, water costs will make the cost of cotton (and our jeans) skyrocket!!
They say FREEZING them will kill the bacteria that causes stink! Hmmmm.....I'm skeptical. Do you think it works? Does anyone actually do this?
The British Journal of Psychology just published the findings of a study on how music affects how you taste wine.
Professor Adrian North of Herriot-Watt University gave taste tests to 250 students â half male, half female â while playing music in the background.
After five minutes the volunteers were asked to rank how much they felt the wine tasted. Their options matched the musical descriptions: powerful and heavy, subtle and refined, mellow and soft, zingy and refreshing.
The results showed the music the volunteers listened to consistently affected how they perceived the wine to taste!
Some pairing advice came out of this study: They found that for the best earthy and full-bodied Merlot taste experience, drinkers should try listening to Tom Jones....or to add a little zing to a glass of Pinot Grigio pull out the latest Lady Gaga album. What would YOUR suggested pairing be?
Turn 'em into another dessert and bring 'em to work! These would disappear SO fast around here.
Mmmmmm....candy bar cupcakes!
Candy Bar Cupcakes
Topping
4-8 of your favorite candy bars, plus 1 bag of favorite M&M's
(Twix, Payday, Reeses, Snickers, Rolo's, Baby Ruth, Butterfinger, Kit Kat, Nestle Crunch)
Crush, cut and mash into tiny pieces
Mix together in a bowl, set aside
Peanut Butter Chocolate Ganache Frosting
½ cup peanut butter
1 cup chopped chocolate
½ cup cream
Melt together over low heat, stiring constantly, until incorporated
Remove from heat and let cool
When completely cooled whip with beaters until fluffy
Cupcakes
1 ½ sticks softened butter
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
Cream together until fluffy
Add
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
Mix together until color lightens
Add
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ cups buttermilk
½ cup mini chocolate chips
Stir until flour is incorporated
Pour evenly into cupcake liners, ¾ full
Bake at F350°, 10-12 minutes until edges just begin to brown
Remove from oven, let cool
Frost with peanut butter chocolate ganache and top with candy bars
Matt Nathanson is such a fun interview. I try to catch up with him every time he visits Portland, because there is never a dull moment with him.....never.
Haha! I have GOT to make this for dinner on Halloween. It's meatloaf that looks like a disgusting, creepy hand. Love it! It looks pretty easy to do and I think you can find hand-shaped pans at Michael's (or another cake/craft store). Here are the step by step instructions, with pics! Have fun!!!
Barry Chappell's Nicorette gum collection weighs 175 pounds. He's been collecting it for six years,
carefully adding new pieces to his giant gum ball measuring 62 inches in circumference.
So big it's actually registered as the world's largest...
This is according to respected Scottish paleontologist and speculative zooologist Douglas Dixon. I don't know about you, but I'm glad I won't be here!!
It's called the Kissinger. It is a small skype-ready robotic pig that will send the sensation of your unique lips and kiss over the internet to the person you are skyping with (assuming they also have a Kissinger). Now you can kiss your loved ones...
This black Saab, which John Kim left parked along Southwest Jefferson Street in downtown Portland, has since been towed. Still up in the air: Who will pay the tickets?
105.1 The Buzz
Sheryl's got your Hollywood news and your favorite Buzz artists, every weekday from 10am-3pm. Thanks for spending your workday with her!
