Photo: Orawan Pattarawimonchai (Shutterstock)

Skin care products can be a hit or a miss. A quick Google search reveals lots of negative reviews for “cult favorites” that supposedly work for everyone (but obviously not because there are so many different skin types).

Finding products that work for you is therefore usually a trial and error, so you’ll have at least a few unused lotions or serums tucked somewhere in your bathroom. Now a beauty company wants to pay someone to try, rate, and write reviews of their products. Here’s how you can take on the role of Product Quality Executive.

What does the job include?

The position is for Product Quality Manager at a company called Herbal Dynamics Beauty. Unlike many of those dream competitions, this one takes time and effort to invest in the role – in other words, it’s not a situation where they send you some lotions and the money and you post about it on Insta once and then call it a day .

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According to the Job offersThe successful candidate will be “responsible for keeping a thorough photo and daily diary of their skin and for carefully reviewing every product they test.”

The remote position is expected to last five hours a week for three months. While five hours a week is usually about 20 hours a month, in the application there is a question of whether the person is able to work 30 hours a month. (We’re not sure what this is about, but we figured we’d report it.) On an hourly basis, that’s roughly $ 16.66, better than the minimum wage, even if you’re somewhere with a minimum wage of $ 15 Life.

Once selected, the new employee will select a variety of Herbal Dynamics beauty products (valued up to $ 500) to try. (The company may also make suggestions based on the person’s skin type if they are unsure.) Herbal Dynamics will then ship the products and ensure that “all deliveries are made under COVID-safe guidelines.”

In addition to earning $ 1,500 for their work, the selected candidate can keep all of the products after the performance is over.

Who is Eligible?

Do you want to throw your hat in the ring? The successful candidate:

• Must have a professional demeanor and access to a 12 megapixel camera or more
• Know about skin care products
• Agree to use Herbal Dynamics products only during the three months of the review process
• Cannot be linked to any other skin care brand

The company also recommends people with severe medical skin care problems who need prescription treatment or known allergies to skin care ingredients.

To apply, fill out the application form here (scroll down a little), including the company’s explanation of why you are the ideal person for the job. The application deadline is March 30, 2021.

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If you are both a coffee lover and a plant parent, you may want to recycle your coffee grounds while also helping your garden or indoor plants grow. While coffee grounds can benefit your plants, it’s not always that easy to throw fresh soil on.

While brewed coffee is pretty acidic, used coffee grounds are pretty neutral, which means they’re unlikely to do much harm or good in terms of pH. However, the remaining caffeine remains in your coffee grounds could inhibit seed germination and growth. Also, pile floors on your plants can prevent air and water from properly circulating and penetrating the soil.

When used properly, coffee grounds can improve soil structure and deter pests (and plant-loving cats). What should be done instead?

Add soil to your compost or mulch

An indirect approach allows your plants to take advantage of your used coffee grounds without risking stunted growth. Mix the soil into your mulch or compost pile which can then be used to strengthen your soil. Make sure, however, that your entire compost bin is not made of coffee grounds.Treehugger recommends one part coffee to four parts other organic matter.

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Use directly in small quantities

If you don’t have homemade compost, you can sprinkle a small handful of soil on the ground and gently mix it into the first inch or two. Or you can make a “tea” for houseplants and potted plants, use 2 cups of soil to 5 gallons of water that has soaked overnight.

Add to your worm container

If you have an earthworm compost, coffee grounds are great food.

The conclusion with coffee grounds in the garden: less is more and indirect is more direct. Don’t throw the site on your plants every morning.

Photo: Whitson Gordon

A few years ago I finally gave in to social pressures and bought one Aeropress. It was (and is) all the rage among coffee connoisseurs, and while I definitely don’t fall into that category, I thought to myself, why not brew the best mug I could? But honestly, I kind of hated it.

Look, I love the taste of coffee, but I’m far from an expert (if you are you can stop reading now). My goal is not to make the best possible coffee, but to make a decent cup with as little work as possible and by wasting as little space as possible. I could do things with a “right” grinder and an aero press, or I could do things in the 90s and get a bulky drip machine that wastes counter space and incites the wrath of my millennial coffee snobs. Neither of these options really met my needs – in part because both actually require cleaning – and so after a few years of experimentation, I finally found the combination of low-maintenance coffee equipment that makes a hell of a solid mug.

Photo: Whitson Gordon

First and foremost, I threw the complicated devices overboard and bought one Kalita Wave. The Aeropress was cool and everything, but a bit awkward to use and much more annoying to clean and store. The Kalita Wave, on the other hand, is incredibly simple: insert a filter, scoop up your coffee and pour it. Okay, it’s a little more art than that, but still: it’s incredibly simple, and while coffee experts pour over the love it deserves, it doesn’t seem like it has flowed to the general public. that I see via aeropresses are indications of this.

I still find it a lot easier than the Aeropress, and because it’s ceramic, I can toss it in the dishwasher when I’m done – no fuss, no need to. It’s as easy to use, clean, and store as anything else I’ve tried. And unlike drip machines, it gives you a little more room to experiment without making things difficult.

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G / O Media can receive a commission

G / O Media can receive a commission

There are also Glass and stainless steel Variants, and it comes in two sizes – the smaller 155, which makes one or two cups, and the slightly larger 185 for two to four people. Make sure you get the correct size filter to match your model. If you need to serve an even larger group, this is it Chemex is an often recommended alternative.

Photo: Whitson Gordon

I had another complaint with coffee: it never seems to stay hot long enough. Despite the fact that my office is like an oven, my coffee seems too cold to be drunk before I’m even halfway through – and it’s not like I’m breastfeeding it here in the course of an hour. So I went looking for something to keep it hot longer while tempted by the techie in me Embers heated cupI went with something less futuristic: this vacuum-insulated Yeti Rambler. While it’s not perfect, it is much better at keeping my coffee steamy long enough for me to finish drinking. Plus, it comes in 19 colors, although they can vary slightly in price. After using it, I don’t drink any hot beverage from anything else.

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This simple duo made coffee so effortless that I actually drink it instead of thinking, “Oh, too much work.” The rest of my gear is pretty normal: I use a regular old kettle (which Amazon is littered with affordable price points), although experts recommend a gooseneck model like this one For more control over your watering – I haven’t quite got there yet as I’ve already bought a kettle from my wife who drinks tea. I also use filtered water – my fridge has a built-in pitcher, however a standard Brita mug would work too.

However, I don’t grind my own beans because a) I’m not interested in adding more steps to the process, b) I don’t need any additional equipment, and c) I usually make my coffee while my kids are still sleeping and I’m not about to to disturb the peace with the cacophony of the spinning blades. But my coffee snob friends tell me this burr grinder is the way to go if you want to grind the beans yourself (although you could join in a cheaper model when $ 150 is a bit too rich). I don’t use a scale either, because what am I, a scientist? ON long handled shovel works well because I’m a busy man, damn it.

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G / O Media can receive a commission

G / O Media can receive a commission

To round off the kind of “Please, God, make it easy” combo, I subscribe to monthly coffee deliveries from in the evenings intelligence– I’m going with that House mix (usually without coffee), although it might be a bit easy for some people. In that case, you might like it one of their tastier roastsor something another Beanery. Check out what local roasters might be available in your area. You can either use a subscription service or buy it in-store. Amazon has a few options, but I would only buy it if it was from Whole Foods. If reviews are any indication, Amazon itself tends to ship older bags and you want something freshly toasted.

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You may make fun of my choices, but remember: I’m far from being a coffee connoisseur. My goal is to make coffee as easily as possible, without a few large appliances and a can Folgers sit in my closet. I still have a lot to learn, but the biggest struggle was making the process so easy that I actually wanted to do it every morning – and eventually I made it happen.

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Today, many fitness trackers give you your VO2max, sometimes referred to as “cardio fitness” or advising you that you are fitter than a certain percentage of the population. While it’s fun to see this number change as you workout, it’s not necessarily a good measure of your fitness.

Fitness can be tested and measured in many ways, and no metric can possibly provide a complete picture. For example, someone might be strong enough to lift 800 pounds but not be able to do more than a handful of pushups. Someone else might be a fast sprinter, but end up at the very back of the pack over a long distance. Our muscles, lungs, and all other parts of the body work together to produce athletic performance, and there is no single number that can define “fitness”.

What is VO2max?

With the news that the Apple Watch will soon be able to measure VO2max more effectively (it says) …

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What is VO2max anyway?

We have a full explainer hereBut in short, the higher your VO2max, the harder your body can work for longer periods of time. A person with a higher VO2max can overtake a person with a lower VO2max, all things being the same as they can maintain a higher speed during their exercise.

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It’s called VO2max because the traditional method of testing – in a lab where you’re attached to a breathing mask – is to measure the largest (maximum) volume (V) of oxygen (O2) you can take in and use of per minute. (It is measured in milliliters of oxygen that is consumed in one minute per kilogram of body weight.)

Higher is better; A person who doesn’t do a lot of cardio may have a VO2 max in their 20s while an endurance athlete has one in their 40s or higher. Age and gender also affect your numbers, with women typically having a lower score than men and older people scoring fewer points than younger ones. (This is why fitness trackers often compare your scores to those of your age and gender.)

Is it accurate?

Fitness trackers estimate your VO2 max based on the data they can collect. No, they are not as accurate as a laboratory VO2max test. However, the number can still be useful.

Typically, a tracker uses your heart rate and speed during a distance exercise (such as running) to make an educated guess about how good your cardio fitness is. If your heart is beating out of your chest while running a 10-minute mile, you likely have a lower VO2max than someone whose heart rate increases only slightly while running a 10-minute mile.

The actual calculation uses other factors, including your weight, as VO2max scales relative to your body weight. So if you want to keep an eye on your VO2max values, make sure your information in the app is up to date. And make sure you actually take a run every now and then to enter the data. If you never do the kind of exercise your gadget uses to measure VO2max, you will not get accurate or useful readings.

To find out what workouts it is, read the details for your watch. Typically, they look for running or fast-walking workouts that last at least 10 minutes and get your heart rate within a reasonable cardio zone. You will also get the most accurate results when you are on level ground and not chugging uphill. Here is Fitbit’s explanation and Apple’s explanation how they calculate VO2max. Garmin never managed to be outdone VO2max can be calculated in five different ways.

What can I learn from my VO2max score?

Assuming you get the most accurate estimate your device can give, all you have to do is watch your VO2 max increase as you improve your cardio fitness. If you followed the numbers religiously, it could be easy to panic if you take some time off and see this change – what I would say is a good argument not to pay too much attention to it.

Why are you training? When you’re training for a race, your training and time trial steps should help you know if you’re going to get any faster. If you’re only doing cardio for your general health, sticking to a sensible schedule automatically means you’ll get the job done regardless of what happens to your numbers. So, think about whether or not this number is useful for you.

However, if you want better VO2 max, you can do cardio exercise more often, more consistently, and occasionally faster. Long slow workouts and short quick workouts will improve your cardio fitness, and an ideal exercise program will include both.

What does VO2max not tell me?

Your estimated VO2 max doesn’t tell you how strong your muscles are. It doesn’t tell you how agile you are or how good you are at your sport. It doesn’t tell you how efficient your stride is, or whether you are good at the mindset or planning required for long races. It can’t even tell you what your actual VO2 max would be if you were given a lab test.

The sports world is full of people who were told that one metric – sometimes their VO2 max, sometimes a different number – would limit them, and then they succeeded anyway. It’s also full of people who have good numbers but never managed to live up to them. Runner’s World points this out that an 18-year-old cyclist who rode the highest known VO2max, retired from his sport a few years later after a “short, not exactly convincing professional career”. Conclusion: VO2max is not everything.

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We all benefit from caring for something – maybe now more than ever, if that is the case Increase in dog adoptions during the pandemic is a hint. And hiring them to care for another living being is a great way to teach children responsibility and empathy (with your help and guidance to keep them alive). But if adding a new furry family member to your home is not an option right now, there is another way we can provide our children with a grooming experience – with a “pet” plant.

Plants have been shown to offer something to their caretakers many health benefits: They reduce stress, they can increase your well-being, they can improve air quality and they can even make you more productive. (Plus, they don’t pee all over the floor.) That’s why Veronica Moore, a blogger and plant therapy attorney in eastern Pennsylvania, helped lead a program at her local school bringing 300 children to kindergarten and teacher training.

As Molly Bilinski writes The morning call::

Plants mean a lot to Moore, which she used as a remedy along with traditional therapy after her sister died unexpectedly in 2018, she explained. During the shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, she got plants from local vendors and noticed it [her daughter] Hunter, 4, was also very interested in her.

“She had a hard time not seeing her friends, not going to school, and really going to this place from ‘What am I doing? ‘Said Moore. “It was a very difficult transition for them too. So we took care of our plants together. “

Caring for plants can also help teach kids how to solve problems as they will inevitably forget to water a plant for a week or they will love and overwater it. If you see a plant declining in health (in this example your child named the plant “Freddie” because they can and should name their plant), this is an opportunity for the family to do a little research together to find out how to return sweet Freddie to his former happy, healthy self.

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If Freddie gets too big for his pot, you can replant him together and talk about how that means he’ll grow and thrive just like her. On the other hand, if Fred is too far away and needs to be laid to rest, you can still use the situation as an opportunity to regroup, talk about what worked and what didn’t – and then try Freddie # 2 again .

If you are not a great plant person yourself, Garden know-how offers these suggestions as solid starter plants for kids (with links to each for more care information):

Snake plant: Low light and water requirements with long, interesting leaves in different patterns.

Spider plant: Low light and water requirements. These plants plant small hanging plants that are fun and easy to transplant for an interesting project.

African violet: These plants are very easy to care for, bloom reliably, and have soft, flaky leaves that are pleasant to the touch.

Aloe vera: Low water consumption. These plants are interesting to touch and can have a calming effect on irritated skin. Put them in a bright window.

Sensitive plant: An interactive plant that children love to touch.

Venus Flytrap: Carnivorous plants are cool no matter how old you are. Slightly harder to care for, these are better for older children.

And in the meantime, Moore has an account dedicated to all things plants @brownskinplantmama. I also followed @Blackplantchick’s Account for a couple of months and it’s well and good, how’s your podcast, Black Plant Chick Podif you want to learn more about plant care.