Pinterest Project #1: Satsuma Sensation aka Clementine Candle

Thank you to one of my best friends Miku for inspiring me to start my first DIY Pinterest Project! :)

Items you'll need:

• I used a Satsuma Mandarin. You can use a clementine, or even a regular orange for a larger candle
• Olive Oil
• Small sharp knife
• Lighter or matches (A long reach lighter will be easier for this project

Step 1: Using the small knife, cut an incision along the tangerine as if you were cutting it in half horizontally. Don't press too hard. You're only trying to cut the skin of the tangerine so you will be able to peel it into two halves.

Step 2: Once the incision is made, slowly peel one side, then the other. It helps to twist the skin as if you were opening and closing the lid of a jar. 

Step 3: Now you should have 2 halves of the clementine. On the bottom part of the orange, there should be a leftover skin that will act as the wick for the candle. 

Step 4: Fill the half of the clementine with the wick with olive oil. Pour about half way in and try to submerge the wick of the candle in the olive oil. This is the key to lighting up the candle. Submerge it for about 30 seconds to a minute. The more olive oil you pour, the longer the candle will last.

Step 5: While you wait for your wick to soak in the olive oil, cut out a design of your choice on the other half of the clementine (Heart, star, horse shoe, clovers, blue moons, whatever you wish). This is so the flame will be able to escape once it is placed on top of the other half with the olive oil.

Step 6: Grab your lighter and light the wick. If it doesn't light up on your first try, keep trying. If it still doesn't light up, soak it in the olive oil a little more, then try again. 

Step 7: Once the candle is lit, place the other half with the design on top. 

Step 8: Turn off the lights and see your beautiful, new candle! 

Notes:

• The candle can last up to two hours depending on the amount of olive oil you put into the fruit.
• If the flame gets too high, take off the top half of the clementine. It could burn the top part so you can still enjoy the candle without the other half. 
• The beauty of this candle is that it requires no wick or wax! 
• If you happen to need a candle on a black out day and don't have one, hope you have a clementine, some olive oil, and matches to light up the room :)

Achievable: YES!  :)

Growing up

The innocence of childhood allows you to conquer fear, shame, danger, superficiality, and the ugly side of life. As a child, all that mattered was, "I wonder what Mom packed for lunch today," "I can't wait to play with Alison today during recess,"and "I want to plant a cherry tree in my backyard because of the book I read today in school!". The simplicity of a child's mind is so pure, bliss and free.

I remember everyday after school my little brother and I would always have so many games and activities we wanted to do. The endless list consisted of racing on our bikes on our cul-de-sac street, drawing our own hopscotch until the chalks covered our hands, pretending to own a restaurant called "The Apple Cafe", building unique houses from Legos, throwing mini water balloons in our spacious backyard, and ending the day with a delicious home cooked Indonesian meal by our mom.

Now as I slowly "grow up", I'm beginning to understand and appreciate all the sacrifices my parents have made for my brother and I.  I did not realize all the nitty gritty tasks my parents needed to do in order for life to go on such as paying the bills on time, choosing from a variety of insurance companies, selecting the right car for the family, commuting to work in traffic, saving up money so we can go on vacation and live a comfortable life. These necessities are behind the scene works that children are shielded from for a good reason.

A few lessons I've learned as I leave my childhood behind are :

1) Be extremely thankful for everything in your life. Nothing comes easy.

2) Be persistent and don't give up on important things. You don't know until you've given it your all.

3) Save, save, save your $$$! In the materialistic world we live in, the temptation so spend is everywhere. But spending on only what's necessary will take you a long way.

4) Keep your true, genuine friends close and always stay in touch with them. Distance yourself from the superficial acquaintances that bring negative energy.

5) Read as many books as you can. Reading empowers you.

6) Don't be afraid to ask. If you want something, you need to go after it yourself. Independence is the key to success.