Tag: aromatheraphy

10 Things to do after 50.

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1. Try everything twice.
On one woman’s tombstone she said she wanted this epitaph:
“Tried everything twice. Loved it both times!”

 

2. Keep only cheerful friends.
The grouches pull you down.
(Keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches!)

 

3. Keep learning.

Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever…


Never let the brain get idle. ‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’


And the devil’s name is Alzheimer’s!

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud.

Laugh until you gasp for breath.

And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with HIM/HER.

6. The tears happen: endure, grieve and move on. The only person who is with us our entire
life, is ourselves. LIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever…
Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health.
If it is good, preserve it.
If it is unstable, improve it.
If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don’t take guilt trips.
Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where

the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

I love you, my special friend!

11. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second chance

can improve, get help.

 

Easy Peazy Herb Jar

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A simple and  fun way to add  a decorative touch is a Mason jar herb garden. Most herbs are extremely easy to grow and growing them in a jar is easy peazy  as long as you provide plenty of light and proper drainage.Mason Jar DIY Herb Garden | How To Grow Your Herbs Indoor - Gardening Tips and Ideas by Pioneer Settler at http://pioneersettler.com/indoor-herb-garden-ideas/:

 

A couple of herb garden Mason jars tucked into a bookshelf or resting in a sunny windowsill brings the outside into the kitchen. Plus, the added benefit is you can easily snip off a sprig from your jar of herbs for your latest culinary masterpiece. The easier herbs to grow in a jar are 

Just How Do You Start.

The first thing is finding the jars. Mason jars are the easiest and look great in the Farm House setting. I have  used Skippy peanut butter jars and decorated them with burlap ribbon and bows.  After finding your jars, wash them and let them dry.  You are now ready to plant your herbs.

Starting your jar of herbs from seeds in the Mason jar is not a recommended course of action. Using transplants is a surer recipe for success when planting herbs in canning jars, such as the plants for herb jars listed above. Herbs have roots that are a little larger than their top growth so be sure to use a jar that allows for the root growth. It is helpful to select drought friendly herbs in case of missed watering, and trailing herbs like some thyme look lovely in the glass jar.

Also adequate drainage is essential for your herbs , so I add a few stones in the bottom of jar before adding the soil. It also adds a cute look to the jar.

My favorite herbs are mint and rosemary because of their  fragrances. Bring them in from outside and their delicate hints of freshness fills the room.

Dressing up the jar is up to your imagination. I even top mine off with herbs spikes, complete with writing their names in chalk. 

Mason Jar Herbs

National Bubble Bath Day

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IMG 3083 256x192On a cold winters day, relaxing in a nice warm/hot bubble bath sounds like the perfect way to commemorate National Bubble Bath Day, which is celebrated annually on January 8 th.  More and more people are celebrating this national holiday. So much so greeting card companies have cards to send your favorite people celebrating the day. 

It is a great holiday to have a tea party with friends and share bath products and small bath gifts. I like sharing soothing bath recipes . I make my own bath soaks and give them as gifts in a jar .  Pinterest has tons of recipes too.

And while we are celebrating this fun day, it wouldn’t be complete without having Mr. Bubble close by.  Who hasn’t had a Mr. Bubble bath ? He is as American as  Buster Brown shoes.

Mr. Bubble  is the #1 brand of bath products in the United States and in 2011 it celebrated its 50th birthday.  Mr. Bubble is a brand of bath product made by The Village Company. He was created in 1961 in North Dakota .

 And we all know this slogan  ” Makes Getting Clean Almost as Much Fun as Getting Dirty!” 

 But did you know that Mr. Bubble   made several TV  appearances. His career as a TV celebrity has lasted through several decades. Mr. Bubble TV show appearances:

  • Family Guy
  • The Simpsons
  • 1983 Eddie Murphy Delirious
  • 1987 Gold Through the Fire
  • 1996 Ed (starring Matt LeBlanc)
  • Everybody Loves Raymond (Season 3)

 

So run a luxurious bubble bath today. Invite Mr. Bubble or add your own favorite soaks and bubbles. Add a bit of oil to the water to majorly moisturize your skin, light some candles for ambiance, grab a magazine and maybe a glass of wine and just totally bliss out for a bit.  Take the opportunity to treat yourself to some you-time and celebrate this National Holiday. And relax in your own Bedroom Sanctuary  Happy Bubble Bath Day !

Bedroom Sanctuary

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Have you ever spent a night at a motel or hotel and found it was a restful night? You actually felt more rested than if you were in your own bedroom.   If you have, then it is time for a bedroom revamp. First notice what was it about the motel room that made it more restful. You will want to reinvent this mood in your own bedroom.

I love a cozy bedroom. I love lots of pillows, Egyptian  sheets and fluffy coverlets. I love subdued lighting and a touch of white noise to block out the world. And I love a healthy bedroom.

love a cozy bedroom. I love lots of pillows, Egyptian  sheets and fluffy coverlets. I love subdued lighting and a touch of white noise to block out the world. And I love a healthy bedroom.
What is a healthy bedroom? It is when you walk into the room and it feels and smells fresh. Here are ways to keep your bedroom healthy and cozy.

Replace your mattress every 5 to 7 years. Quality counts. Choose the best quality you can afford. You want your spine to be properly aligned. And the size of the mattress matters. A bed too small is a big mistake. You need to be able to stretch out and feel free in bed. Use high quality thread count linens. They breathe easily and feel cool to be skin.

Stay away from the memory form pillows. They often emit dangerous Volotile Organic Compounds or VOC’s that can cause headaches, nausea, and eye irritation. You don’t want your face, mouth, or nose anywhere near them. Use instead pillows filled with organic materials, like wool or feathers, or at least safer foam like natural latex foam.

A quiet air filterer is an efficient way to purify your bedroom of dangerous pollutants and agitating allergens like dust mites, pollen, and pet dander. It also can be used for white noise to block out sporadic noises.

My favorite thing is to have house plants in my bedroom. Not only will a potted plant or two beautify your bedroom, but they will also release oxygen and help filter out harmful compounds emitted by everyday cleaners, detergents, and fragrances. They are several houseplants that thrive in low light and are perfect in a bedroom.

The décor of your bedroom needs to invoke peacefulness to yourself when you enter the room. We all have that special color hue that we gravitate to for restfulness. Use this palette for your wall and accents. I love the colors of beiges and blues in my bedroom.

I personally don’t have a TV in my bedroom. It detracts me and I can not relax with its chatter. I prefer to be quiet and mediate before sleeping. Ease your anxious mind. Wind down before bed. Take a bath, meditate, or do whatever it takes to relax and wipe away the day’s stress.  I like an oversize chair with a rug underneath to sit in before retiring to bed. A soft light with low wattage sits on a side table beside the stair. I can read or use my ipad and enjoy some evening tea or milk. This helps me wind down for bedtime. Your bed should never be a desk, dining room table or a couch. A radio or sound system of soft music playing the background while reading tends to relax the body, but before I get into bed, I turned it off.

Always, always have scented oils or candles in your bedroom. Lavender and lemongrass are two of my favorites in the bedroom. Another scent is peony and rose. Studies show the sense of smell of calming aromas helps to reduce your stress levels.

I read a study on sleep patterns and what helps in sleep. I was surprised it suggested having a dark red night light. If you wake during the night, this color doesn’t cause you to feel wide awake. It gives a glow of contentment and helps you fall back to sleep. I use a red glow infuser in my bedroom. It cast its glow as well as the smell of lavender fills the room.

I find that keeping it simple in décor is best. If a picture of a sunset makes you feel rested, hang one in your room. I personally like water scenes and flowers. So my room has cottage cozy written on it. Keep it clean and simple. Remember to keep your sleep environment uncluttered, dark, quiet and cool.

 For the best sleep, avoid exercising or eating near bedtime. Eliminate alcohol and nicotine intake, especially before sleeping. And treat your body right during the day. Eating right and exercise during the day. Bedtime is the body’s time to rejuvenate for another day.

Take it day by day. Changing your schedule and attitude about sleep isn’t going to happen overnight. It requires lifestyle changes, dedication and practice. Just like improving any aspects of our lives, making sleep a priority takes time.

Remember your bedroom is your getaway room. It is like that motel/hotel away from home. Close the door and unwind and call it a day.

Walls in an Austin, Texas, master bedroom are painted Pratt & Lambert

Here are several inspirations of  a cozy bedroom.

Cosy bedroom with caramel floor, vanilla wooden wall panels and metal bed

Cozy Bedroom       

Desk as Nightstand

 

Little Girl’s Room       

 

Pinterest is full of ideas to create the Cozy Bedroom

 

Herbs and Essential Oils

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Essential OilsGrowing up in rural North Carolina I was surrounded by farms and fields. My family operated a Bed and Breakfast, which was called The Gatesville Hotel.

This home had 33 rooms with five baths and three stairways. My mother and her help cooked breakfast daily for the visitors. The huge dining room table was always set by afternoon for the next day. 

We had our own garden. It was over an acre. Fresh vegetables and fruits were planted by the seasons.   In a corner of the acre of the garden was my Mother’s herb garden.   The perimeter was surrounded by flowers and the rows of herbs had little stakes with their names on them.  

The menus for breakfast changed according to the seasons of the garden. 

In the back pantry, which was a large room with windows and shelves built between the windows was the oils and herbs table. On top of this table was measuring spoons, pretty little glass bottles, and a recipe book from Rodale. My memory of this room was the aroma from the herbs. My nanny and I picked the fresh basil, peppermint, rosemary, lavender, etc, early in the mornings, while the dew was still on the leaves. She would separate the herbs on the table. Some of these were used in recipes and others were mixed with carrier oils to put in the baths with the linens. I enjoyed watching my mother and Ms. Hattie working at this table. The book they used for recipes was well worned. When they would leave the table, I would sit at it, pretending I was mixing too. I spent plenty of playtime at this table

So throughout my life, I have had an interest in herbs and their value in our lives. I learned that besides being used in our foods, that they had medicinal and healing purposes and even natural ways of cleaning and insect repellants.

 Besides all the benefits of natural herbs and oil, I simply enjoy watching them grow and the aroma of the garden.

 A little bit of history about herbs

Essential oils and herbs have been used since civilization. Myrrh was used by the Ancient Grecians and Romans to heal wounds and as an anti-inflammatory. During the outbreak of the Bubonic Plague in the 12th Century, Cinnamon, Ginger and Sandalwood served as lifesaving antibiotics. In the 1920s, French Chemist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse was badly burned in an accident in his lab and he found that by dipping his skin into lavender, he eliminated infection and prevented scarring. Studies show essential oils from herbs have antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-parasitic properties. It only takes a few drops to have an effect when using them.

Essential oils are super-concentrated. It takes about 16 pounds of fresh peppermint leaves to produce an ounce of essential oil. These oils are the active ingredients and flavor additives in many kinds of everyday products , candies, syrups, toothpastes, mouthwashes, cleaning products, skin creams, lip balms, shampoos, bath salts, and soaps. Essential oils even give flavor and aroma to the spices that you use to add zest to your cooking, such as cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg used for apple cider, pies, and baked goods.

And essential oil and herbs are used to relax and refresh our bodies. . The healing and holistic medicinal properties of essential oils have been known to treat everything from minor colds to diabetes.

On my sidebar you will have more information on Essential Oils and their benefits. You can also order online a great resource book. I use the   The Essential Life“. Like the wore torned book in my Mother’s pantry, I find recipes and uses of the herbs from my garden in this beautiful illustrated book.

 

 

 

Relax .. Massage.. Spa

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What better than to begin this new year but to pamper myself. One way of slowing the pace is a massage and spa moment. I found while traveling abroad to include this moment. One of my favorite spas is Jean Louis David  in Doha, Qatar. The spa offers many ways to relax and de-stress after an 18 hour flight. I tried the  Swedish Massage first and later Thai and aromatherapy. The essentials oils are amazing. I fell in love with the scents. jeanlouis

While traveling abroad , I had the opportunity to enjoy their many luxuries. It is amazing what you see and read  in a travel magazine, is nothing like the personal experience of allowing the locals to share their world with you. Doha, Qatar was my first stop . As the plane hit the runway, I saw lights, sea and sand. Lots of sand. Being an American and not knowing their language, I was afraid it would be a barrier. It was unfounded. The people of Qatar pride themselves in knowing several languages. Their English is excellent. I soon found out they are proud their country and heritage and enjoy sharing their culture.

I settled into a luxury room, complete with fruits, beverages, chocolates, and hot foods that were waiting on a table by a window . After enjoying their special made mango juice and chocolates, I relaxed just watching the city’s movement. This is a city of movement even when you reach the sands of the desert . Once in the desert, you feel the wind. You look upward and see the starry sky at night. And then you look beyond and the magical Arabian Sea reflects the moon . It is calming. If you ever put Qatar on your travel bucket list, the souq is the visit worth taking. And plan to attend a falcon flight . Be prepared for beauty in flight.