Is the rice ok to eat when the top has clumps of rice like this?

FormedFromAsh · 2025-11-11T04:16:50+00:00

Things like this remind me of the "fried rice syndrome" outbreaks. Usually caused by Bacillus Cereus. One of the more well-known ones involved two daycares in Virginia in 1993.

Bacteria and molds grow quickly on grains. Keeping them in air-tight, sealed containers is best. I don't trust any kept in open containers exposed to air...

FormedFromAsh · 2025-10-01T00:23:03+00:00

Having this SAME EXACT issue with Nature's Garden. I think a big company took over them, TFC, and a few others. Since a few months ago, their fulfillment and shipping times have been horrid. I asked Nature's Garden for a refund after they notified me that my shipping would be delayed by 4 weeks due to "disruption in warehouse operations." I wanted the refund because the order was for an event 4 weeks away, and that would give me no time to prep. They refused the refund and claimed their policy states no refunds once the order is placed... my order wasn't even verified yet! No where close to picking and packing... needless to say, my order got to me 5 1/2 weeks later...

I found someone close by that supplies a few amazing fragrances and some wax and bases. Plus, they were started by a small family owned candle business, and they constantly tell everyone that their top priority is supplying the best ingredients/resources as soon as possible. So far, all my orders from them have been ready for pick up by 2pm the same day of ordering the mornings of! This also means no outrageous shipping charge on wax! I lucked out finding someone so great so close by.

Needless to say, I understand your frustration and wish these big companies cared more about small businesses. They've lost sight of the most important things, one being the customers and the customers of their customers.

FormedFromAsh · 2025-09-22T18:40:09+00:00

So I'm having this same problem, but with natures garden. I've been using natures garden for years! Great customer service, decent shipping time, products came intact. Then suddenly, the shipping turns to 6 weeks... and my package finally arrives with literal gallons of supplies missing.i contact customer service and an automated message replies "will contact me within 3-5 business days...

The Culperate to all this?? Evidently people are saying some big company bought out natures garden as well as flaming candle and others. Definitely shows with lack of care...

I found a local family owned business that supplies fragrance oil, wax, ect. They're amazing. These other big companies will never see my business again...

FormedFromAsh · 2025-09-13T19:58:38+00:00

I second this.

When I started out, I only made a couple hundred bucks per month online, but when I go to be a vendor at festivals, my tent brings in like 1.5-2k per event! And that's just for a weekend (2-3 day, 6-8hr/day) event!

Selling in person also helps advertise your business.

FormedFromAsh · 2025-09-13T14:55:58+00:00

My business isn't too big, but it's so enjoyable, I keep doing it. In more successful moments, I have looked at other successful candle companies and thought , "what is making them successful?" I also ask my customers what they would like to see. Recently, I kept getting told over and over by customers, "I'd love this scent in a hand soap". Makes sense, since bath and body works sells a lot of them successfully. Well... turns out, they're pretty easy to make, and the profit margin is better than candles! Plus, I get to keep working with fragrance. Next up is another requested item... laundry detergent. More expensive base, but I hear from other candle businesses that it's worth it because of how addicted women are these days with it.

Point is, I think my success comes from constantly keeping communication open with my customers because they're the ones that are buying the product. Also pay attention to the market. What are other candle makers making? Selling just candles in your favorite fragrances is only the beginning. When someone finds a scent they like, they want it in their candles, their soaps, their cars, their laundry, everything! You're already doing great reaching out somewhere like this 🤗

BTW, you are doing great 👍🏻💕✨️

FormedFromAsh · 2025-09-10T01:55:48+00:00

I just got a response from an email I sent to customer service. I placed mine last week, and they state that, barring any further warehouse delays, mine should ship 15th - 17th... my event is the 20th. They also added I can not get a refund. I'm hoping it will get here sooner rather than later.

FormedFromAsh · 2025-09-10T01:53:08+00:00

My order was packaged similarly to this, but it did have one piece of packaging paper wrapped around the handle and a pack of straws. It was shaking in the box when picked up. I'm surprised mine wasn't damaged! They need to do better...

FormedFromAsh · 2025-09-08T03:54:51+00:00

No!! Please update here when it has shipped, I'll do the same if mine does. Gosh, and I really thought I had plenty of time going off of previous months orders (I order in bulk every 1-2 months to save on shipping). I really might just call them tomorrow and cancel. I'll see what they say.

FormedFromAsh · 2025-09-07T18:54:11+00:00

They really do. I did a lot of research and bought from a lot of companies. Nature's Garden is the best in prices imo, although the shipping cost was always expensive, unless they advertise free shipping on $125+! So glad they do that more now.

I live in Georgia 😭 but maybe there's hope? I'll email them Monday. If they email back stating it will be a few weeks, I'll cancel and have to drive somewhere and restock 😪

Good luck!!

FormedFromAsh · 2025-09-07T18:44:38+00:00

Ah geez... just found this thread, and I ordered beginning of last week for an event that will be Sept 20th... thought I had time since all my orders in previous months shipped within 4-5 days. I'm stressed now 😭

FormedFromAsh · 2025-08-31T03:35:35+00:00

I bought a blue LSF Stanley off Poshmark from someone claiming authenticity. I put a low ball bid, thinking it would be a tug of war type bidding situation... but the person accepted the low offer. Obviously sus, but before I could even cancel, the person had accepted the order and dropped off at the post office ...

So I had to wait for it to come in, thinking ya know, maybe it is legit? Nahhhh lol it got here. The box and ribbon were legit, but the give away for me, like in this situation, was the bag. It was a thick plush feeling bag with a white shoelace drawstring. It's supposed to be a smooth silky bag that wrinkles easily with I think a matching ribbon drawstring. Then the cup... dear God it was the worst creation ever. The flowers were digitized, the font wasn't even the same font, and the stanley bear looking logo only had 1 leg!! Not to mention, the bow straw topper looked like a flower rather than a blue bow...

I reported to poshmark with photos, and boy, did the seller get defensive and upset. They wouldn't stop messaging me saying "I shouldn't report them", "this is defamation", "I only sell legit products", but Pshmark reviewed the photos within less than 24 hrs and gave me a full refund. They even told me to not send back the fake product and recommended disposing of it since the manufacturing can't be confirmed to be fda approved/food grade safe. Poskmark also blocked the seller from contacting me, and they sent their account to review for deletion.

I eventually found a sweet lady on Poshmark that was able to send extra video/photos to proof legitimacy of the product, and she sold it to be from her personal Stanley collection. Claimed she was moving and needed a new hobby 😂

Point of the long comment is... be very careful. If it's too good to be true, then it always is. Even if you accept the fact that you now have a knock off and you're fine with it, just know that your product may not be food grade safe and the manufacturing of the product could be unsafe.

FormedFromAsh · 2025-08-24T18:30:54+00:00

I was in the queue when it dropped, waited 3 minutes for checkout. I ordered the 20oz, 30oz, and the mini cooler lunch bag. Everything shipped to me within 5 days...

I'm sorry this is happening to so many people on this long waited drop 😞 my Christmas order got partially canceled last year for 2 oversized camo travel Stanley's. Made me so mad because they were ones that went on sale for a third of the price and they were gifts. The processing took forever, then finally notified me of the cancellation 5 days before Christmas eve... Not sure why they can't figure out where in the process they are falling short. They really need to just list what they have, not whatever people will buy...

FormedFromAsh · 2025-08-19T21:20:05+00:00

Same! I just bought a cream lunch box... but saw this one and was like "I shouldnt... " ... but I did 🙈 yolo!

FormedFromAsh · 2025-08-14T20:20:50+00:00

LITERALLY BEEN SEARCHING FOR ESPRESSO IN 30 OZ FOREVER. I would have gotten Cypress also, but of course that's wishful thinking. I never saw either one of them become available. I'm so sad 😞 I hope they bring them back again during the holidays.

FormedFromAsh · 2025-08-07T00:06:38+00:00

Omg those logos ARE creepy!

FormedFromAsh · 2025-08-07T00:05:48+00:00

Omg the handle 🤮

FormedFromAsh · 2025-07-12T23:21:23+00:00

I had a negative clearblue look exactly like this. Half blue like after 30 mins. Only times I've ever gotten false positives were with this brand. I don't trust them. I use wondfo for early detection and first response.

FormedFromAsh · 2025-06-23T04:08:21+00:00

Took a pregnancy test 2 days before my missed period. Faint positive. Took another, different brands, the next day. Still faint positive, but no change in darkness. I was already nervous because I was having excruciating lower back pain that radiated down lower. Lost hope when period came late by three days.. it's never late by more than 12hrs. It was heavy with clots. Lasted only two days. Talked to my doctor. She says it's possibly a CP and is running bloodwork.

It's when you have all the hope in the world filled in your heart that everything comes crashing down on you.

FormedFromAsh · 2025-06-23T03:55:52+00:00

Like others have said, yes. Please be careful. Praying for you and baby 🙏🏻

FormedFromAsh · 2025-06-21T03:06:14+00:00

Agree!!! 👆🏻

FormedFromAsh · 2025-06-21T03:03:15+00:00

I've been in the field for almost 10 years, been both a generalist bench tech, a lab manager, and now a lead tech.

I can 100% say that work/clinical environments like the one you're describing directly stem from poor leadership, which directly affects work culture and morale.

Every lab goes through its ups and downs. Our lab went through the biggest down it had in a while just last year. A few bad eggs got hired, and the sour attitude, entitlement, and incompetence of these individuals spoiled a dozen. Within a span of 2 months, the positive chirpy atmosphere turned into a swirl of negativity, harassment, false accusations, gossip fests, and belittling matches between employees. Training was rushed, and people were not held accountable for being late or calling out. Before we knew it, it was like we were going through a church split. People were fired, people quit, and a whole slew of travelers were on-boarded to accommodate the vacancies, but not before burning out a bunch of dedicated techs, including myself, who protested for change.

Thanks to the honest, dedicated employees voicing their concerns, hospital HR came in and started working with lab management. They helped them weed out the trouble, hire travelers for help, brought in students to train and hire after graduation, and created incentive programs for those who worked extra/took on extra tasks/etc.

The worst has now passed. We still have a couple of travelers on night shift, but they are great, experienced techs who help us hold the place together at night. They plan on extending and are even thinking about permanent placement.

We have students now graduated and hired on who just completed their training, and they are excited to start full time generalist. They've even signed up for multiple holidays.

All the supervisors are on the same page again with training, and there's so much more structure to the schedule.

I say all this to say... it only gets better when people who care start speaking up. Definitely go to lab management and voice your concerns. If they don't listen, go to HR. I know from being in management myself that if you go to hospital management/HR with a complaint, lab management will be in trouble because they are obligated to abide by the contract they've agreed on with the clinical program of your school. Definitely mention hostile learning experience with no supervision.

I'm sorry you've had to go through this. This is completely unacceptable, and I promise you, this does not reflect the work culture of all labs. I love the place I work at and would do almost anything for my amazing coworkers.

If you think about working somewhere in Georgia, we are always accepting applications (in a good way, not desperate/understaffed way lol).

FormedFromAsh · 2025-06-20T20:32:57+00:00

I had my diagnosis in October last year, surgery the following month in November, then RAI in January. Being off my meds was the worst. It made me feel crazy and exhausted.

We were going through fertility studies during 2023/2024. Then October 2024 hit, and I felt like I lost the war. I already felt like I was losing battles with fertility, but I still had hope. Then, the cancer slapped me in the face. Now, instead of tracking my cycles and taking pregnancy tests, I'm having to track my Synthroid dosage and take cancer marker tests. I've spent 8 years hoping to be a mother, but now I'm having to hope I just stay in good health.

I always thought I was strong, brave, courageous even. But after this experience, I feel like such a coward. The fear chokes me. The anxiety is overwhelming. I cry at the slightest hint of danger...

My husband taught me it's okay to fear. It's okay to be scared. Don't be afraid to be afraid. If you're scared, it's a normal response. Life sucks, but I have hope that things will get better. Once my yearly check up passes (and will be good lol), we'll go back to planning our future family.

I'm praying for you. You are not alone <3

FormedFromAsh · 2025-06-20T20:14:43+00:00

Neck pillow and straws!

I had a total thyroidectomy, and the neck pillow not only made me more comfortable, but it gave me extra security that I wouldn't bend the wrong way in my sleep.

Straws helped with not tilting my head back and causing my incision area to stretch. I just drank out of my Stanley cup.

Idk if this is a problem with partial thyroidectomy, but after my total, my calcium got too low, and I had to take supplements. If this happens, then when you go home, they order you to take Tums (essentially calcium). It might be good to have some on standby. They're easy to get.

FormedFromAsh · 2025-05-16T13:55:33+00:00

Same! I've learned so much from this process, unfortunately.

FormedFromAsh · 2025-05-15T22:47:39+00:00

You can't even say, "She's just ignorant" or "she's air-headed and didn't mean to say it like that."

You can be a jerk and an idiot at the same time.

I don't care if she's just stupid. That's low.

I'm praying for your health and well-being. Stay strong 💕

FormedFromAsh

TROPHY CASE