You know those days where you get up and think “I’m absolutely crazy for doing this”? I had one of those mornings until I saw the sunrise.
Stepping out of your comfort zone can bring wonderful experiences! by THOMAS A. WILLARD
This morning, I got up 2 hours earlier than I normally do, packed my camera bags and took a trip to Mantua Reservoir. Why? Because I’m stepping out of my comfort zone today and participating in a photography competition hosted by a local photo club and the goal is to take a minimum of 20 images in 24 hours and capture 20 different locations and themes. One of the challenge locations happened to be Mantua Reservoir. I’ve driven past this water body many times, but I’ve never stopped to look and explore. This morning is different, and I love this new perspective of a place I hadn’t ever REALLY considered before.
Today, I’m challenging you to step out of your comfort zone and try something new! To spice this up, comment here to tell me what you are going to try, and I’ll send you a surprise fragrance oil to try in a 4 fl oz size. This is open to all existing TheSage.com customers so I can comb through your order history and find something new for you to try. You can tell me if you have any absolute dislikes or likes, but I’m going to challenge you with your surprise fragrance too!
Hi Andee!! Oh this is a good one! Certainly speaks to me today! Today I pick up a race bib for a 1/2 marathon for Tomorrow morning, I’m not a strong runner presently but I’m gonna do it. I hadn’t planned on signing up, running distance has been the hubby’s gig, and he had the Teton half last Saturday and the Yellowstone 1/2 this Saturday; but this week the hubby injured his foot some while on a trail run/hike we were doing as a family, and I said I’d do it if he isn’t able to. Well he thinks he will do it, however slow it may be (and slow is likely my speed lol) but asked if I still would do it with him. So I said sure lol… it is way outside my comfort zone and I am hoping it goes well. Nervous as I could possibly be!
I hope you had fun with the half marathon! That is sweet that you would do that with your hubby. I hope his foot is healing!
That is a beautiful picture! I love photography, but I have not taken the time to learn it very well and that is something that I want to do more of this year, as I have a great DSL camera to do it with.
I absolutely love goat’s milk soap but I have only made a couple of batches and I have never used fresh goat’s milk. I have a resource for fresh goat’s milk so this is something that I am going to gingerly go out of my comfort zone and try. I have a quart of the fresh milk all frozen and ready to use, so I am excited to try this relatively new venture in my soapmaking!
Goat’s milk soaps are fun! My favorites are the half and half technique that we teach. It makes my life easy!
My biggest challenge is just getting out and taking pictures of things I like.
You must have forgotten about the offer to send a 4 oz sample of a new FO. No problem. I am still continuing to try new stuff. I decided to enter the soap challenge club. I learned how to do the Intaglio technique. That was tougher than it looked!. It’s not difficult to carve, but to choose a good design, and to clean it up, and get good color choices, now there is the challenge! I love looking at sites to look for new and exciting ideas. It would be fun if The Sage would have some challenges like this as well. I like to support my home grown businesses. 🙂
Thanks for reminding me! I got the samples out today!
I’m planning a long trip, for me anyways, from Oregon to Yosemite. I don’t like to travel too far and especially to places I haven’t been so this is definitely out of my comfort zone, LOL! I also will be staying in a house that I am randomly choosing through Airbnb from someone I don’t even know so that, too, is another step out of my comfort zone…yowzza!
BTW, I dislike all perfumey, powdery FO’s but I love earthy, musky, smokey FO’s…thank you!
Oh my! Road trip time! My favorite thing to do when on the road is to bring a couple of audio books. It helps the time fly. I like to take stops to look at flowers, shops or even scenery. You are going to have fun!
I would like to try a facial scrub. I have wanted to do this for a long time but I have been timid due to the sensitivity of the skin of the face.
Ms. Mary
Face scrubs are fun! I recommend using things like super fine sugar, finely ground oatmeal or even clays.
Here are two recipes for you to use for inspiration from the blog.
http://blog.thesage.com/2012/09/11/wake-me-up-face-scrub-day-2/
http://blog.thesage.com/2014/06/05/daily-oatmeal-face-scrub-day-1/
I hope this helps!
How fun Andee! I bet you will capture some amazing images!
I’m going to push myself outside my comfort zone and work on a dual lye men’s shave soap. I have tried this once before. I have really been wanting to work on creating my own recipe but this is so different from regular cp soap that it is outside my comfort zone. Wish me luck!
Nice! I know you will get this worked out and have fun doing it. Dual lye soaps can be really awesome!
Well, today is my 59th birthday and I have never – I mean never ever- enjoyed shipping for clothes. Today, I have decided that it is not too late, and I am going shopping for the most elusive item of all – a bathing suit. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but I get the cold sweats even thinking about it. I have always had body image issues that have been very hard to overcome, but today I am going to go and find a bathing suit and I am going to wear it proudly. I hope you enjoy your day of photography, I know you will do well! We’d love to see the pictures!!!!
Happy Birthday! Remember, everyone else is just thinking, “Wow! I wish I had her confidence!” My favorite thing that I read this weekend was about how Neil Armstrong and Neil Gaiman both feel like they are imposters. If these two successful and accomplished men can feel like they haven’t done much, then I certainly can step out of my comfort zone regularly!
P.S. I’ll share my pictures once the judges are finished!
A little slow on the draw here with critical summer projects ongoing! Your photography challenge is an interesting one. I would have to really think about how to approach that. I just may give it a try!
My most recent “taking on something new” challenge is that I have eliminated olive oil from my soap recipe as of two days ago. We were at Costco, where I purchase my olive oil. I was shocked at the price! Since I was there a month ago, the price had gone from $27 to $33. I decided at that moment that I just can’t depend on the pricing, so I changed my recipe. I am happily surprised at my results. I had never considered not using olive oil, so a new and good change for me.
Wow! That is a fun recipe change for you. Olive Oil prices are fluctuating again and that means we’ll see the prices roller coaster again. psshhtt! Not fun!
The challenge was a lot of fun. I didn’t get much sleep, but I laughed a lot and I found some creativity hiding in the back of my mind.
I am stepping out of my comfort zone with adding a spa line. I had been so focused with selling my soaps in our campground that I haven’t tried anything that wouldn’t sell there.
I was offered space to sell to a spa and realized I have a whole area I have no comfort in but am very interested. It was easy to go with what had worked. Now there is an opportunity to expand and try new products. I have also found that I do that in my life. It works why try more?
Also, Andee on a more personal note. Lotions have been my struggle. I went to bases after too many failed attempts. You don’t make lotions with the whole phase thing and it challenged me to try your method. I have had success! Thank you for giving me a option to the standard way of doing things. Since I had so many failures and oils can be pricey, I had decided I would just stick to bases. Your method has worked for me and Its opened up a lot of fun projects that I have been experimenting with.
How neat! I’m excited for you to add the spa line. It is a totally different nich market from your campers, but now you get to try a new market!
I’m so glad to hear that lotions are working for you! Anything to make life less stressful and more successful is wonderful. Phases really are hard unless you are making 30 gallons of lotion at a time or more. Anything smaller and it just becomes complicated and way too sensitive to the limited equipment we as small crafters have on hand.
I made the fluid hot process that I mentioned on fb! Woohoo!
I’ll post a picture on Instagram and tag you. I would definitely like to try it again but on reflection, I’d like to try cooking it less and use a stainless steel double boiler instead of a crock pot, which seems dangerous to lift when it’s warm! I’ll tell you which fragrance I used in the IG post- it turned out really lovely despite me letting it cook for too long and not getting a really fluid batter at the end. 🙂
Hi Andee!
What an inspiring blog about your photography experience. I too LOVE to take pictures, primarily of my two daughters, and soon of beautiful Lake Tahoe. It’s easy to take pictures of things I’m familiar wth, however, I will be working on my Website in the near future and will challenge myself to take all of my product pictures hopefully without the fear of over thinking the photos. My favorite MMS fragrances are Lilikoi and Tahitian Vanilla. I like sweet and citrus but not anything too earthy. Thank you! 🙂
I’m going to try hiking in the mountains. We’ve recently moved from the Midwest to the PNW. My husband really wants to go backpacking out here. It pushes my comfort zone but I’m going to give it a go!
Good for you! That sounds like a wonderful adventure!