Be Water Wise & Skin Smart with Ocean Safe Screen

                                                          

Wants in your beach bag?
Toss in a few organic products from Mermaid Minerals
and you will be having fun in sun while protecting
the ocean and yourself!

We all love going to the beach, relaxing in the warm sand, flipping our fins in the water and watching the suffers go by! 

The sun blazing overhead, giving everyone that sun kissed glow but what if that sun kissed glow turns into a sun burn. We all know how bad that is for our skin and not everyone is lucky enough to be gifted with the melanin that has projected me from the sun my whole life. (in truth I have had one sun burn my whole life and that was from a tanning bed) I use sun block on the rare occasion that I am too tan and anymore expose to the sun could be bad for my skin at this point. My husband, on the other hand, NEEDS sun block, he doesn't have the melanin and he burns easily. He likes the spray on kind but it's so sticky and the lotion kind is just a mess but those aren't the only drawbacks to using sunscreen. Did you know that by projecting your skin you may be contributing to the rapid rate at which the coral reefs are dying?!

In 2015 Time Magazine published an article about this very problem. A group of researchers published their findings in the journal, Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, stating that they found the chemical called, OXYBENZONE to have toxic effects on young coral! Therefore the sunscreen you are using to protect you and your family is the leading cause of * endocrine disruption, DNA damage and death of coral! Ever hear of coral bleaching? This is when the coral rejects symbiotic organisms and loses it's color. Bleaching has been particularly prevalent in recent years due to rising sea temperatures AND Oxybenzone. According to the U.S. National Park Service approximately 4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen is introduced to the coral reefs around the world, making Oxybenzone one of the leading deadly chemicals unknowingly polluting our waters every day! 

Why Coppertone??

After learning about this I checked the labels on the three bottle of sunblock we had and use regularly. The first bottle was from a gift bag and Oxybenzone was third on the list of ingredients but I do not know the manufacturer. The second bottle I checked came from Coppertone....surely they won't let me down!? Coppertone has been around for a long time it's a trusted company known for its sun protection products, but sadly my chosen sunblock has 6% Oxybenzone.

Good choice, but it could be better...

Fortunately for my little fishy heart our bottle of Banana Boat Sport does NOT have oxybenzone but it is full of other unpronounceable chemicals, which kinda makes me cringe.  

So what is a mermaid to do? Well, Mermaid Minerals came up with the perfect answer, Ocean Safe Sunscreen with SPF 30! Using things like coconut oil, Vitamin E and Zinc oxide for sun protection this sunblock is better for you and the environment! Ocean Safe sunscreen goes on like a thin lotion working easily and quickly into the skin without leaving a sticky feeling. And sand wont to stick to your skin because it dries quickly with no greasy residue. 

The BEST sunscreen for you and the Coral!

And can we talk about the scent?! Forget about the nose clogging smell of most drugstore sunscreens Mermaid Minerals sunscreen is lightly scented from the Green Tea Tree oils, Safflower and other natural oils. like with all sunscreens it is recommended to reapply after several hours of swimming or sweating to make sure you are protecting your skin. In short, you can't just take away sunblock but you can be smart about the sunscreen you use! Especially, divers, snorkelers or anyone else swimming near coral reefs, be sunscreen smart and check the label! If Oxybenzone is on the list, leave it on the shelf!

Find all this and more at Mermaidminerals.com! 

Check out MermaidMinerals.com for their complete line of organic beauty products for Women and Men.

*Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that can interfere with endocrine (or hormone) systems at certain doses. These disruptions can cause cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders. Any system in the body controlled by hormones can be derailed by hormone disruptor's.

Bath Jello Tutorial with Vegan Substitute!

We are just going to jump right into the tutorial because there is nothing I hate more then finding an awesome blog or tutorial that goes on and on before you get to actual info you were looking for. So here we go....

Supplies List:

Decorative glass jars or Mason jars. (I used recycled jars from old candles.)

Body Wash (I prefer clear scentless body wash)

Knox Gelatin ~ Vegan Substitute: Agar or Konnyaku jelly powder

Essential oils or your favorite perfume

Food coloring

Plastic bowls or Tupperware for mixing

1/4 cup cold water

1/4 cup boiling water

I used the Knox Gelatin for my Bath Jello, I have not experimented the vegan substitutes. If you do, please share you experience with us in the comments! For vegan substitutes follow package directions, skip to step 2 of this tutorial.

Sprinkle the gelatin powder over 1/4 cup cold water and let stand for one minute. Add 1/4 cup boiling water and stir until all of the powder has dissolved and the water clear.

Now the fun part! I used one package of gelatin​ per bowl and added my color and fragrance to the separate bowls​. Add 2 - 6 drops of food coloring, the more drops the darker the color. Then add 2 - 4 drops of your favorite perfume or essential oil. Gently stir in 1 tablespoon of body wash, try not to make bubbles or foam while stirring.
*Footnote Glitter or Mica powder were also used in these test batches however it did not work out so I left it out of the tutorial. The glitter and Mica sunk to the bottom and stick to the bowls! Very little was left in the bath Jello.

Carefully place the bowls in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes, I leave my bath Jello to sit over night, uncovered, before bottling. Once your bath Jello has set up into a firm yet bouncy consistency it's ready! You can use right away or slice it up for bottling. I cut my bowls of bath Jello into cubes and scooped them into glass jars. They will last in the refrigerator for several weeks but it will get watery as it sits. You can either drain off the extra water or pour it into your​ bath for a hint of color and fragrance!

Now you have made this stuff, what do you do with it?!

The gelatin is really good for the skin and hair. Use it to wash your hair and body or let the Jello dissolve in a hot bath and soak in the sweet smelling colorful water. I take the Jello cubes crumble them in my hands and rub them through my hair. Not only does my hair smell lovely but it gives my hair more body and bounce!

Bath Jello is also fun for the kids, just don't let them eat it!!! Put a scoop or two into the bath and let the kids play with it until it's​ dissolved or just let them play with it in the sink or tub. Either way they will be clean and so will your sink! You could even let the kids help make the bath Jello and they can pick which "flavor" they want for bath time! Store it in Tupperware and let them take the whole bowl into the bath and help make bath time a fun new experience.

Thanks for checking out my process! If you try this at home please post pictures in the comments below or to

 https://www.facebook.com/TenTicklesArtPage

Love, Peace, & Mermaids,
Meridian Mer-Gyver

Check back with me for more blogs, photos, and adventure! Leave a comment, stay connected and be sure to follow Meridian Mer-Gyver on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter!

Part of Our World ~ Tail Contest

 My friends have jokingly called me the fairy godmother of the mermaid community, I have big dreams and goals and none of them are about me! One of my biggest dreams is to help new merfolk get their first tail. Unfortunately, I am not a tail maker nor am I made of money to be buying and gifting fabric tails, but when Magic Tail began their design a tail contest, I saw a chance to be able to give at least two tails away! 

The design I submitted was one I was thinking of using on my personal tail created by Thom Shouse of Mermaid Rentals, after much thought I ended up using another of my designs.  I love the Nautilus Tail design and I hoped many others would too and I felt that male or female this design would work.   Over the course of a month and with the help of Talderoy, an amazing pirate who wrote Pirate Santa and hosts charity events from his tattoo shop Studio City Tattoo and who always been good to the mermaids, I won the contest!

A few months later the tails arrived and I got to film my first “unboxing” video of the tails. Nervous about the camera and excited about the tails I dove in…

Now for the fun part….finding homes for the new tails!

Requirements

You live in the USA

~This contest is open to USA citizens only, if you live outside the continental US, I am sorry, you are not eligible. This due the high cost of international shipping.

You have never OWNED a tail of your own

                ~If you have a tail already and it’s broken or damaged or torn, I feel for you, but this contest is for new people who have yet to realize their merfolk potential.

You are a male or female who fits the size description

                ~VERY IMPORTANT. The sizing info can be found below, if your body type does not fit into either size, please do not enter.  I was limited to what sizes where available from Magic Tail and they do run small being European sizes. Please measure yourself carefully before moving on to the final step.

Tail 1 ~ Size MEDIUM 

    Monofin/Shoe Size: Women's 6-8

US/American Size: Women's 4-8

Tail 2 ~ Size LARGE

    Monofin/Shoe Size: Men's 6-9.5

US/American Size: Men's 10-16

You have submitted your story

~Please submit a brief story about yourself and why you should be the one to receive a nautilus tail. At least one paragraph and no longer than a page, it MUST be in English and emailed directly to me at MermadeforyouEvents@gmail.com

The Contest Begins today May 1^st 2015 all entries MUST BE emailed to me by June 1^st 2015 by Noon PST. After I have read ALL the entries and discussed your stories with an outside opinion, I will announce the winner in mid-June on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/meridian.mergyver  and the tails will be sent off to their new home. 

Could it be a Mer-Fairy Godmother? 

5 Beauty Secrets from Mermaid Meridian’s Boudoir

NO MAKE UP.

I have been using Mermaid Minerals exclusively for over a year. I get complements on my skin, how I do my make up, and I am always being asked what products I use.  Now, I am giving you my insider tips and tricks for staying beautiful through the harsh chlorine, heavy stage make-up, and rough sands of mermaid life and beyond!

Save Your Skin

• My favorite way to unwind and get all bubbly clean after a long days swim in a chlorine pool is a long hot shower with Shea Butter Body Gel by Mermaid Minerals.  The light scent brings me back to a calming place while the bubbles incase my body with their rich moisturizing lather that leaves you feeling clean with no residue only your naturally moisturized skin! The Shea Butter Body Gel is made with red marine allege that improves your skin’s hydration and natural peptide to help repair and condition the skin! Finish off with Coconut Oil or any of Mermaid Minerals fine lotions for touchably soft skin! (My favorite everyday all over body lotion the Shea Butter Body Lotion!)Sun, Sand and Saltwater we love them, but our skin doesn’t necessarily love them!  A day on the beach the wind whipping your hair, the salt water dripping from your tail and the sun to warm your body, what a lovely image but to our delicate skin it is a nightmare! The salt dries out your skin and hair, the sun wicks moisture away and our skin is left dry, itchy, and ashy. This makes me feel scaly, as if I need to shed my skin like my snake, but alas that is not an option. Instead I use an exfoliating body wash, a yummy new favorite is the Chocolate & Coffee Mint Body Polish! Do not be turned off by the Saccharin sweet scents of Chocolate or Coffee or Mint, because there are none!  Nothing but foodie scent found naturally! Love the smell of fresh ground coffee or fresh picked mint? How about the rich scent of raw chocolate? Then I highly recommend this to you!  The exfoliating part comes from the bits apricot seed and vanilla bean found wrapped up with this sumptuous body polish. Use this after a hard day on your skin to wash off the dirt and the dry and dead skin cells that make your skin look dull and dry. Follow up with your favorite lotion or oil to keep your skin soft and hydrated throughout your day or night.

Sleeping Beauty

• Having trouble sleeping or unwinding after a stressful day? Lavender is a natural calming scent that will put your mind at ease and help you drift off to sleep.  I have been fighting with insomnia since I was in highschool, so I have tried just about every natural remedy you can think of and I have found that lavender is always a key factor in products that work for me. Then one day a package arrived on my doorstep with Mermaid Mineral goodies, inside I found several lavender products and decided to formulate a new bedtime routine. Here for you is a little bedtime pampering that you can indulge in whenever you feel the need! Just before bed or after a hot shower or even in the middle of the day, you can do this. The La La Lavender scent is available in both body butter and roll-on essential oil and of course I use both!  After a shower and exfoliating my hands and feet I lather up with the La La Lavender Body Butter. The extra thick rich cream hydrates and penetrates the tough skin on your feet and hands. Remember to exfoliate your hands/feet first, that way you have removed any dirt, dead skin, or ick that you do not want on your hands or feet. The fresh exfoliated skin will thank you and love the soothing lotion that will repair and soften your delicate toes. Just because we are mermaids does not mean we can ignore our feet, even the water Gods of old are said to have been known by their beautifully manicured and well-kept feet.  Dab on a little La La Lavender essential oil on your wrists, neck and between your breasts so the scent will be with you throughout the night and will carry you off to sleep.  You can also add a dab or two to your pillow or blankets or dilute several drops of oil with water and put in a spray bottle to use as a room, linen or garment spray! Now for an extra added bonus to my Sleeping Beauty routine I use the Super Firming Cream, especially around my eyes, to help to tighten and firm the skin.

Even Tones and Flawless Finish

• Every girl has her secrets; every girl has a make-up trick that is not seen but necessary to her look.  My two secrets, Eye Fix and HD Setting powder, neither one is noticeable but both are essential! First off, I don’t sleep often and don’t sleep well, so the Eye Fix by Mermaid Minerals is a dream come true! It blends in perfectly; it covers the dark circles, and evens out my skin tone. As an added bonus the Eye Fix also acts as a base for your eye shadows helping to ensure you will have beautiful eyes all day! The Eye Fix is a perfect base for all of the iRAVE colors (My favorite: Tinkerbelle) and loose mineral powders.  And secondly, I have never really understood the use of setting powders, but apparently I had not found the right one.  After I have done my make-up, but before I put on lipstick, the HD Setting Powder comes out!  Swirl and tap a large powder brush into the container and brush over your face to give you a finished glow and an even toned flawless look.  The powder is made from Chamomile Flower Powder, which very light and airy, and is invisible once on, but will it reduce the appearance of fine lines giving you a visibly smooth look! I have worn the setting powder with heavy make-up and light make-up, every time I get complaints on how smooth my skin looks! One of the most important things about makeup is getting a compliment on your skin, if you use makeup that is healthy and natural people will notice you before they notice your make-up.

A Good Face Forward

• My sister is the reigning Inland Empire Zombie Beauty Queen and when she asked me to tag along to play the role of a zombie mermaid at a comic book store grand opening, I jumped at the chance!

  

  INLAND EMPIRE ZOMBIE BEAUTY QUEEN MYRA MAINS AND HER ZOMBIE MERMAID!

  The day started with both of us firmly planted in the make-up chairs, latex, fake blood, heavy stage make-up,  glue, food coloring, you name it, it went on my face!! My sister and I had talked about how the grease paint and stage make-up was taking a toll on her skin, but I was not prepared for all it all at once. That evening, when it was time for the make-up to come off I grabbed my Mermaid Mineral Face Wash Kit! This is a kit I put together, you cannot buy all the products together, but you can buy all the products individually and build your own face wash kit that works exclusively for you!   I start with a makeup remover cloth, then splash on some warm water to rinse off the now loose and smeared make-up. Then the fun part begins, I start with Limu Facial Cleanser to get rid of the rest of the dirt, oil and makeup, rise with warm water then I move to the Papaya Crème Enzyme Polish. The enzyme polish will remove any dead skin, scabs and even dried-on fake blood, who knew!? Wash it all off with warm water and pat dry your shiny new face, now that you scraped off the zombie blood and latex scars, spritz your face with  ZEN Hydrating Mist & Toner (this is my Husbands favorite part, he absolutely loves the scent.)
• This will help firm and tone your buffed and polished skin and finally finish off with face lotion. My favorite is the Herbal Silk Moisturizer, perfect to soothe my skin! I also highly recommend using the Restorative Marine Moisturizer to help repair tired, dried out skin or to maintain your healthy skin, like I do! By the end of the night, my sister was raving about how her face felt smooth and clean and soft ….Mermaid Minerals is NOT just for Mermaids!

The Perfect Pout

• The perfect pout starts with hydrated lips that look and feel kissable soft! To get this begin by using lip protectant with sunscreen every day, every time you go outside, instead of licking your dry lips use a lip protectant.  Mermaid Minerals carries a line of lip balm with SPF 10; the Key Lime is to die for! You can also pick up any generic SPF Lip protectant like SoftLips to carry with you at all times. When finishing your look, you need the perfect lip, but there are so many options! I will admit I am lazy with lipsticks, stains, and pencils.
  I do not own very many shades because I like to keep it simple.  My typical everyday perfect pout consist of lip balm and lip gloss, I like to use Mermaid Minerals Hint of Mint lip gloss or the NEW Diamond Gloss lip gloss! (I love the extra sparkle)
  However for photo shoots or performances, I use the Go Brazilian Lipstick. It is a great long lasting lipstick with Cupuacu butter which contains vitamins A, B & C. which also help hydrate your lips, so you don’t get crease lines and lipstick smear! Go Brazilian Lipstick comes in 11
  shades from evening wear to everyday.
  To spice things up I will go the extra mile and fill in my lips with one the Soft Fill Lip Liners, to complement my lipstick and pat on a little Puttin’ on the Glitz glitter for that extra mermaid shine. Always remember to finish your lips with Mermaid Minerals Lip Seal to water proof and lock in the color, your mermaid lips will always be the perfect kissable pout!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My beauty routine is now yours to try! You can purchase Mermaid Minerals from our website http://www.mermaidminerals.com/ or from our Etsy Shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/MermaidMinerals.

Not wanting to commit to a new product line? Join in on our monthly Mermaid of the Month Contest on Facebook for your chance to win a free goodie bag with samples from some our favorite products.

And make sure to follow me on Facebook,
whenever I am out and about with samples, my Facebook friends are the first to know! I hope you have enjoyed my insider secrets, be sure to leave a comment or ask a question.

Love, Peace, & Mermaids,

Meridian Mer-Gyver

Check back with Mermaid Talk for more blogs, photos, and adventure! Leave a comment, stay connected and be sure to follow Meridian Mer-Gyver at:

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https://www.facebook.com/meridian.mergyver

https://www.facebook.com/meridianmermaid?ref=hl

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Blogger:

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A Tale of My Tail

It all began one hot spring day at the Renaissance Faire, I was introduced to a fiery old man with a wit and sense of humor that is sure to keep anyone on their toes.  Our conversation was fun and light hearted, we parted ways and would wave whenever I would pass by the booth he was working with. Fast forward several years to 2012, another fiery old man enters my booth, a lot of time has passed and it has changed us both, but a few minutes into our conversation we both remembered that season of faire.  

First night with Thom, he let me
 wear Ashley's tail! I was excited and so
nervous, Ashley was top mermaid to me
so this was a high honor! 

We spent hours catching up and before I knew, my husband and I were visiting the home of the great and wonderful Thom Shouse!!

<3 Thom and I <3

So much excitement, so many “fan-girl” moments that I try to keep hidden, so many tears, both happy and sad, Thom and I have unique relationship, a father/daughter slash comrades /emotional artists bond.  From the day I stepped foot into his home, I knew I was home and I would do anything for this man and his family.

Turns out, Thom felt the same way about me and mine and asked me to be part of the Mermaid Rentals Pod, I began swim training almost immediately and began planning my new career as a professional mermaid.

Working for Thom meant I got to wear a lot of different tails and learn how to care for, repair, and paint tails. I have worn tails that have been seen on Animal Planet, Comedy Central, and even the TV show Charmed. The most famous tail I have worn to date! The gold “Charmed Tail” was created for an episode of, you guessed it, Charmed for actress Alyssa Milano. Who it turns out doesn't swim and doesn't really like water… The Charmed Tail came into my care and I have worn her ever since, proudly at all the events Thom and I do together.

The Charmed Tail, Dana Point 2013

Despite my best efforts the tail is old and worn and Thom began talking about retiring her, but not until I had a tail of my own. Well as mermaids often find out tails are expensive and I had to go with what I could afford.

My Mother shelled out the cash to pay for a “silicone” tail so I could begin booking regular parties/gigs to help fund the tail I really wanted from Thom.

Re-gluing Scales and
patching holes...

While the white tail was never finished to my specifications and not to the standards that I was used to with Thom’s tails, it had one redeeming quality, it looked incredible on camera! Every time I put on the white tail the scales would loosen and holes would begin to appear in the "skin", the fluke was never fully cured and was never put together properly and if experience taught me anything this is not a Dragon Skin Silicone Tail with a Neoprene lining as advertised.

Re-gluing the Fluke...Again!

It is home improvement store silicone and neoprine, which is tiring and stretching, making the tail bigger than its original size. Learn from my mistakes, research you tail makers, their material, and talk to previous customers.  I used the knowledge from Thom in learning tail repair in order to keep the white tail together and just kept on swimming.

January 2014, my Mom once again, presents me with a gift so great all I can do is cry. She made a down payment on a Thom Tail….I cannot believe it, this is happening? Oh my god, this is really happening!

 For the past 8 months I have been waiting, watching, and wondering. This is my adventure with Thom, Tails, and the Mer-Family who made it all possible. 

Before leaving for NCMerfest, a mermaid convention being held in North Carolina in January, Thom had already cast the fluke portion of my tail, he and my Mom had been plotting this for a few months, and on the way home from North Carolina we discussed casting the body.  We talked lots of options, styles, colors, and then Thom says to me, How about the Splash Scales? ...Excuse me? You want to cast a tail for me using the Splash scales….HOLY FREAKING COW! (It is really hard to keep “fan-girl” moments to a minimum in a crowded airplane!) 

Mermaid Ashley working on my tail.

But, before we landed in LA, we had it all planned out and Thom and Ashley (My sister Mermaid) would begin casting my tail soon! I would get pictures and emails with updates and I sketched constantly, trying to find the right colors and pattern.

Drying in the molds!

Every time I went to Thom’s, I had to fondle the pieces of tail that were out of the mold. The call came all too quickly for me, the tail skins were finished and ready to be assembled and I was still sketching and coloring!

Mermaid Fruit Roll Up! 

Thom reassured me that there was still time and that it would all come together and we picked a weekend to start fitting and assembling.  My Husband and I headed over one evening, I mostly giggled and played around in my tail skins and then we got down to business!

First fitting 

The first fitting is the easiest part, the cutting is the scariest part and second fitting is even more nerve racking. It’s time to find out if you measured and cut properly… so nervous! Thank god I have friends who do Math, because I don’t trust my math skills and the tail body fit perfectly, thank you Crystal!

Second Fitting and Fluke Placement

Then we fit, marked, cut and secured the fluke with a Rapid Monofin snug inside the tail body. This was it the moment of truth, the tail was complete and it fit!

BUBBLES! 

 Now it was bath time for my naked, dirty tail. We washed the tail down and let her air dry in the warm beach air. As the tail dried, Thom taught me some of the finer points to mixing paint and pigment, combining colors and using primers. The hardest thing to remember was which jar of cleaner to put the used brushes in! Fortunately, I had finally picked which one of my sketches was going to be my jumping point for painting the tail.

All the paint and test strips!

I had been looking at lot of different sea creatures for inspiration and looking closely at the SPLASH Tail. I knew I wanted to keep some of the gold from the Charmed Tail and I wanted the markings to mimic the markings on the SPLASH tail.  I settled on a design I had created using the Octopus from adult to juvenile as inspiration. Everyone agreed that the octopus tail design was made for me!

My original stretch 

Together Thom and I put on the primmer and then he let me lose… gulp, ok painting skills don’t let me down now. I will admit, I was so nervous to put brush to tail I pranced around and whined a little before really getting into it. It took two days to paint the entire tail all by hand with a little help from the Mer-family!

Blocking colors for the base coat.

Layer by Layer, the colors and pattern started to come together, I kept telling myself not to get discouraged, it wasn't finished. It’s so hard to be objective, when you are your own worst critic. I was unsure of my skills with this new kind of paint and I was so worried it would be ugly or weird looking or markings wouldn't match up, AH!

Day Two: Painting the Fluke

But once I settled into it and just let the paint and brush work for me and listened to Thom’s stories and memories, it all flowed. I was still scared by day two, but I knew it would be ok.  On day two my Husband came with me to spend the day with Thom and I, he brought his giant didgeridoo and serenaded us while I painted!

<3 Torleif, my Landsmen <3

 By midafternoon, I had my husband painting alongside me as we layered the colors on the fluke and before the night was out, I was honored to have Thom’s wife, Susan or Mom as we call her, lend a helping hand with the final clear coat.

Torleif putting on the final wash of copper!

All in all I am honored to have the Mermaid Rentals’ core people; Thom, Susan and Ashley help bring my tail to life. I am deeply grateful to Crystal and Emmalee for helping with the measuring and math skills and so happy to have shared this experience with my little sister Mermaid Alex and her family who came by to help and support me and to Merman Christian who I gossiped with, teased and asked advice of during this entire process. I cannot say Thank You enough or in too many ways to my husband and my Mom, for making my dreams a reality, I would be nothing it was not for them.  And can I just say to all of my internet friends, FINS, and supporters, you never stop continuing to amaze me! I am overjoyed with the outpouring of love, support, friendship, and joy that you bring to me each and every day, I smile often and laugh more because of all of you…..THANK YOU, EVERYONE EVERY WHERE! 

Meridian Mer-Gyver, 2014

Love, Peace, & Mermaids,Meridian Mer-Gyver

Check back with me for more blogs, photos, and adventure! Leave a comment, stay connected and be sure to follow Meridian Mer-Gyver at:Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/meridian.mergyverTwitter:https://twitter.com/MeridianMerGyve
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Nuclear Mermaid Bath and Instruction

Earlier this week a friend sent me a link to http://www.funathomewithkids.com/ were this interpid and ingenious Mother has found safe and sometimes edible ways in to infuse the magic of black lights into her childrens lives.

HOAX
http://www.snopes.com/photos/food/mountaindew.asp

I am a sucker for all things glow in the dark and UV reactive, I just knew I had to experiment with it. I'll be honest I was sure it was going to turn out like glowing mountain dew hoax.  We tried it! We went out on special 7-Eleven run and everything. Only to find that it was an internet ruse. :(

When setting out to being this nuclear mermaid project, I had my doubts...how could a few vitamins and a black light really do this....

Well, it did! It freaking worked! All be it a little dangerous, this is how we went about creating my dream bath!

This is all you need! 

I used Balanced B-50 B-Complex pills, you have to make sure it the pills are high in THIAMIN. This bottle of pills continues 55% thiamin in each pill! It is actually the thiamin that makes the water glow, it won't work at all with some of the B vitamins, because they contain little to no thiamin.

Now, I have a whole room dedicated to UV reactive paint and decor, so I was not short on Black Lights. (Note: One Black Light is will work just fine, we needed more lights for the photos) My husband ended up rigging four of the bar Black lights around the tub...now here is the scary part. When working in and around water the last thing you want is extension cords, cables and bar lights hanging all around you. Fortunately for me, I married an electrician!

Torleif the Mad Electrician! 

He carefully taped, rigged, attached, and hung the lights around the tub. He taped up the random cables that were everywhere and covered portable power supply that had the light plugged into it with towels. As cautious and as safe as we could manage getting the bathroom, my husband and I both had our trepidations.




I put about 8 pills into a mortar and pestle and easily crushed up the pills, if you don't have mortar and pestle, you can put the pills into a ziplock bag and crush them with the bottom of a glass. Mix the powder into your bathwater and you are ready to glow baby glow!

 
 And, that's it! Seriously! I do insist that if you try this and you are working around water and electrical equipment, to be safe and smart about the whole adventure.

The aftermath! (Draining the tub)

Thanks for checking out my process! If you try this at home please post pictures to  https://www.facebook.com/TenTicklesArtPage

Love, Peace, & Mermaids,
Meridian Mer-Gyver

Check back with me for more blogs, photos, and adventure! Leave a comment, stay connected and be sure to follow Meridian Mer-Gyver at:

Facebook:
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Twitter:
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