DIY SAD Light Therapy Box

As I become more aware of my state of mind, now that I’m awake and living most of the time, I quickly noticed that sun effects my mood quite a bit. No sun = No energy or motivation. My anti-depression meds are a lot less effective when it is overcast and gray. And now that winter is coming and the sunlight that reaches us is weaker, even sunlight doesn’t help as much as it should.
So, I need a light box for light therapy, one of the most common treatments for SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).  But a commercial one cost $60 or more, like this one on Amazon. What?!!
It’s some light bulbs. In a fancy lamp. I don’t have $60+. And, you have to factor the cost of replacement bulbs into the equation. Bet those things are expensive too.
Internet Time! Some research on the internet brought me to this handy page, where I got the general idea. By reading the follow-up article, I realized that I probably didn’t need fancy light bulbs, just a lot of regular ones.  But sticking nine or ten 60 watt bulbs into a wooden box didn’t sound like a good idea: incandescent bulbs get very, very hot. So the bulbs would have to be fluorescent, which is what Boris (author of the previously linked page) recommends anyway. So the idea was planted in my mind.
But there were some obstacles:

• I had a very tight budget. The light fixtures Boris used cost about $5 each here. $5 x 10 = $50. Way too much.
• I am not an electrician.
• I do not have any hole saw bits, and they cost at least $15, depending on size.

In order to overcome these obstacles, I needed to get creative. The answer to solving all of the above problems came to me as I was browsing the lighting aisle at Fred Meyers: I found a light bulb socket you can plug directly into an outlet. No lamp, no cover, just the socket you screw the light bulb into. Hmmm. If I plugged a bunch of these into a power strip or two (or three), I could have lots of light with no need for an electrician or a hole saw.
I would still need a box, though. The box focuses and directs the light, making sure you get the most out of it. No problem. I have wood. I have power tools. I have a Kreg Jig.
The only sticking point left was the cost of the light bulbs. Sure, florescent light bulbs really aren’t that expensive anymore. Unless you are buying 9 of them. So off to the dollar store I went. I’ve bought light bulbs there before and was pretty happy with them. $9 is better than $15 or $20, right? Right. But instead of a $1 each, the bulbs were 2/$1! So I got 10 light bulbs, for $5 and change. Project Lightbox was a go.
Here’s the cost list for my lightbox:

• 9 light bulb sockets @ 2.19 each =  19.71
• 1 can flat white spray paint @ 3.00 = 3.00
• 9 fluorescent light bulbs @ .50 each = 4.50
• 1 small package 11” zip/cable ties @ 1.59 = 1.59
• 3 power strips: On Hand
• Pocket Hole Screws: On Hand
• Wood for box: On Hand
• Tools: On Hand

Total for Project: $28.80 + tax
Here’s the finished product with the lights on. Each of these bulbs is rated at 900 lumens:

The light is pretty bright, but not so bright that it’s uncomfortable to be near it. Of course, you aren’t supposed to stare into it, just have it nearby. I put mine about 2 feet from the side of my face, next to my computer desk, where I spend an hour+ every morning anyway. Sitting in this light for about 30 minutes a day is supposed to be enough.
Here it is with the lights off, so you can see more detail:

I used my largest drill bit (that fits my drill, anyway) to make the holes along the edges for the cords. And yes, the power strips did have holes on the back for mounting with screws, but I used zip ties instead because I have found they are more reliable, and I felt they would hold the power strips more snugly in place. I drilled holes through the back board,  above and below each power strip, and threaded the zip ties through the holes.
Here you can see it from the side, but keep in mind that the front box is about 1 & 1/2” shallower than it appears here, because of the way I assembled the box. And yes, I know the sides tilt inward. I could have built a perfectly square, perfectly aligned box, but that wasn’t my main concern.

Finally, here’s a picture of how I did the back of the box. I wanted to be able to mount this on a wall or ceiling if need be, as well as sitting it flat on a table.

Here’s where the extra cordage went. And with the niche in the bottom of the frame for the final cord to slide through, this can be mounted flat against the wall. I put the power strip with the longest cord on the bottom, and this power strip plugs into a wall outlet, controls the other strips, and provides an on/off switch in the front. Here on the back, you can see the pocket holes I used to assemble the box. If I need deeper sides later, it can be easily disassembled.  I only had enough paint to paint the inside of the box, which I did before assembling, so the outside remains unpainted. It’s not unfinished, however, as this box was made from plywood that had been previously finished on one side. I painted the unfinished side.  I could make it a little  nicer by placing another board over the back, to hide the cords and such, but I think it looks fine as it is. (The little cord you see along the top of the box is for charging my Kindle and isn’t attached to the light box in any way.)
The nice thing is, when I can afford it, I can use more powerful bulbs, or even LED bulbs, without re-working the box. Yay!
Is it a beautiful piece of home décor? No. Does it work? So far, yes.
Not bad for $30 and a little ingenuity! Let me know what you think. Have you done something similar? I’d love to hear about it.

Lazy Update

Well, I know it’s been awhile since I’ve updated this blog. I’ve been busy being Lazy…!

Here’s a picture of my garden, it’s doing pretty good, despite the late start. My tomatoes especially are doing well.

Yes, it’s a big picture. I have 13 boxes and it was hard to get them all in one picture.

Gardening is a lot of fun! And pretty easy, too.

This fall, I’m planning to buy a couple of yards of compost/manure mix to spread over the boxes to prepare them for an even better season next year.

I’ve already spread several bags of the stuff, but buying by the truckload is  cheaper.

I have several plans for next year, based on stuff I’ve learned this year:

• 1st, I plan to start everything earlier. Way earlier. I got a pretty late start this year.
• More beets. Mom loves them when they are about the size of a radish, so I need a lot more.
• More broccoli. I hate it, but mom loves it.
• More spinach, chard, kale, and some types of lettuce.
• More carrots, they aren’t growing very well this year. Perhaps they will like next year’s soil better.
• More peppers, mine aren’t doing so well this year.
• More tomatoes. Mine are doing well, but I need more!
• More cucumbers.
• Lots more onions! We eat them as scallions/green onions, only letting a few get big. And we use an average of 1 per day, so need more.
• Radishes also very popular.
• Plant the garlic very early.
• Purple onions!
• Peas!
• Basil: mine just won’t sprout this year.
• Compost: need to start making my own.
• Start flowers (flower bed couldn’t fit into the picture) indoors. Plus spread compost over the bed. Most of my flower seeds didn’t sprout this year.

And my big dream project for next year: a proper watering system! Maybe with a timer!

Now, I’m off to be lazy in the kitchen….

Low Sodium Cinnamon Rolls

These are the very best cinnamon rolls I have ever eaten. No commercial cinnamon rolls can compare!
Cinnamon Roll Recipe
Dough:

• 2 c. lukewarm whey (or water)
• 3 tbsp. mild olive oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 ½ tsp. (2 pkgs.) rapid/quick rise yeast
• 5-6 c. flour
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• Filling mix

Combine whey, egg, oil, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Mix in a little flour and let stand a few minutes until bubbles start to form.
Stir in flour until thick batter forms. Then add flour slowly until dough starts to come from sides of bowl.
Turn onto floured surface, round into ball. Cover with bowl. Let stand 10 minutes.
Knead, adding flour if necessary so it isn't sticky. Dough should feel smooth and soft.
Put into well oiled bowl. Turn so it is covered with oil. Cover with towel. Allow to rise for about 30 minutes in a warm, draft-free location. Dough should double in size.
Punch down and divide into 4 sections.
Place each section on a lightly floured or oiled surface. Roll out into a rectangle. Spread softened butter across dough (hands work best for this). Generously spread filling mix on top of butter, leaving a 1-inch strip on one long edge of the dough. Lightly tamp the filling into the butter using the back of a spatula or spoon.
Roll up the dough toward the un-sugared edge. Seal edge gently. Cut the roll into 2-inch thick pieces and place on a greased baking sheet cut side down.
Cover and allow to rise for about an hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Bake at 350°F for 15 - 17 minutes, or just until tops start to brown. Remove immediately.
Transfer to cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before storing.
Filling:

• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Sources of sodium in this recipe: whey, egg.
Thanks to these recipes for inspiration:
Salt-Free Bread, Lauren’s Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls.

Low Sodium Seasoned Crackers

Everyone who was interested in my ranch crackers, here’s the recipe, desalted by me. Plus the ranch seasoning mix, courtesy of Mom. Tastes just like ranch!

Low-Sodium Seasoned Crackers

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups flour (white, whole wheat, any kind)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Generous amount of seasoning mix* (I used about ½ a spice jar worth.)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. water
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare two baking sheets: line with parchment paper OR aluminum foil and no-stick spray. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar, and seasoning mix. Don’t be afraid to add plenty of seasoning mix, you really can’t add too much. Because there is no salt in this recipe, you need to go bold.

Cut in unsalted butter until mixture is crumbly.

Add water and vanilla and mix until dough forms. Use a fork or your hands. Dough should form a ball and hold together, but it should not be sticky.

Split dough into two portions. On a floured or oiled surface, roll out dough until very thin. Use a knife, spatula, or pizza cutter to cut into desired shapes. Using your fingers or a spatula, gently place the crackers on the prepared cookie sheets, close together. The crackers will not spread during the baking process, so you can really squeeze them in.

Bake at 400°F for 8 – 12 minutes, or until the crackers are no longer doughy. Be careful, they burn quickly. Cool completely and store in air-tight container, if there are any left! Makes about 2 baking sheets worth of crackers.

*Ranch seasoning mix below!

Homemade Salt-Free Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix

Ingredients

4 Tbsp. dried parsley

2 tsp. dried dill

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. pepper

Blend together and grind finely in a spice grinder.

Garden Update

Well, thanks to those fence panels I talked about earlier, I’m going to have 13 4’ x 4’ raised garden beds. I’m saving the wood I bought to use on other projects, so yay!

Thought you might like to see some of the finished beds, so here are some pictures:

Sorry about the screen: I took them from an upstairs window.

In order to stretch my topsoil as far as possible, I fill the boxes with a generous layer of moldy, rotting hay before adding the soil. It will sink over time, but I’ll just top it up with layers of compost and mulch as needed.

These pictures are a few weeks old. I’ve since filled three more beds with soil and planted potatoes in the upper-right-hand bed. I’ve also planted everything else that says to plant “as soon as soil can be worked.”  And I planted broccoli and cabbage under little milk-jug protectors, since I didn’t get them started inside soon enough. Three of them have already sprouted and seem to have no trouble with the freezing nights.

And speaking of starting seeds: I started my tomatoes, watermelon, muskmelon, and some others indoors. They have mostly sprouted and some are starting to grow true leaves.

And out in the garden, my radishes are coming up. Yay!

Still have five more boxes to build and six more to fill. Buying my topsoil by the truckload is a lot easier than digging it by hand, even at $25 a load. One load will fill at least 4 boxes, so I should only need one more load, and then maybe a load of compost later.

Yes, this looks like a lot of work, but I really haven’t spent that much time on it: an hour here or there, nothing more.

Reuse, Recycle, Repair–Making Do

Reuse is an important principle of permaculture. In honor of this principle, I am remaking the contents of my closet instead of purchasing new clothes. Also, I’m a miser. And I like the clothes I have, for the most part. Some of them just don’t fit me well.

So here are two remakes:

The first one is the first time I have tried tailoring clothing to fit me well. I forgot to take a Before picture, but the shirt was an oversized yellow shirt which hung straight down. A long-sleeve T-Shirt, really. I cut off the bottom, added darts to the front and back, reattached the bottom, sewed shut the collar opening, and added some pretty ribbon roses in place of the ugly little buttons. I also shortened the sleeves from the top, a great idea I got from this post by The Renegade Seamstress.

Total cost: $0 out of pocket, as I already had all of the supplies needed.

 

In the picture of the back, I’m standing at a slight angle. Don’t worry, the darts are centered in real life. And that bump on my shoulder blade? A benign bone tumor and the bane of my life when it comes to finding clothing that fits well. But now that I’ve figured out how to fit my clothes myself (thanks, Pinterest), it will no longer be an issue.  Hee, hee. And I thought the little ribbon roses added just the right touch of color. Plus, they will help the shirt coordinate with more of my clothing.

 

This next project was actually the driving force behind my new decision to remake my clothing. I love this sweater, but as you can see in the picture on the right, it is just to large for me. But it is really soft and warm. And it is hard for me to find sweaters that I can stand to wear against my skin. So, when I saw The Renegade Seamstress’s post about remaking a sweater, my mind immediately went to this. But I wanted to practice a bit before cutting into my beloved brown sweater, hence the yellow shirt make over. When I saw how easy it was to do, I dove right in. By the way, thanks to my mom for pinning in the alterations while I wore the garments. And for taking the pictures.

 

So here are the After pictures of the Beloved Brown Sweater:

It’s hard to tell because of the color, but I raised the collar (considerably), gave the sides a nice, feminine curve, slimmed the sleeves,  and shortened them from the top. It looks much better in person. Overall, I’m pleased with it, and no longer feel like I’m wearing a sack (and giving everyone a free show). I decided to keep this remake simple because the sweater is so beautiful by itself: it needs no embellishments.

Total Cost: $0 out of pocket, because I already had all of the supplies.

And now, the rest of my wardrobe is waiting….

Upcycling

In a stroke of luck, I just got ten 7.5’ x 4’ privacy fence panels off Craigslist. For FREE!

Squeeee! Gonna rip most of those babies down and use them to build raised beds and other yard and garden stuff. Dad wants to use a few to replace the shrubs I’m cutting down (he has a thing about privacy), so we’ll see.

And, speaking of the shrubs, my new chainsaw came in, and I started cutting them down this week. Chainsaw works great: anything larger & I probably couldn’t control the kickback, while anything smaller wouldn’t get the job done.

We also picked up some great ideas for replacing our old fence.