Create Your Own "This is what makes me happy" List

Sometimes it seems as if we have the weight of the world on our shoulders, and the last thing we have time for is ourselves. For me, the last eight months have been nothing short of a whirlwind. However, with a few key items off my ongoing to-do list, I feel that I can finally take a deep breath and enjoy getting back to the simple pleasures of life once again. As I sit on my screened porch feeling the breeze of the ceiling fan and looking out at our backyard that I love so much, I feel utterly and extremely happy. At this moment, I feel no stress; nothing that requires my immediate attention, and I can just sit and collect my thoughts. I think to myself, “Why do I take on things that consume so much of my time and energy? Why can’t I let every moment be just like this?” Then I snap back to reality and remember that life must go on, and relaxing is a luxury that must be pursued. Although I do take time out of each day to enjoy a cup of tea or read for a few minutes, I am guilty of not allowing the stress to completely go away. I tend to keep everything in my mind as if it were for safe keeping so as not to forget anything. However, this is unnecessary since I keep everything in the calendar on my phone with reminder alerts and backup reminder alerts. I used to be quite skilled at keeping stress in its place and not allowing it to rule over me, but somewhere in these last eight months, I became involved in so many things that I seemed to have misplaced that skill. Nevertheless, acknowledgement is the first step to solving any problem, and I am determined to recapture the ability to live each day stress-free by saying no to things that will consume too much of my time and saying yes to the things that will bring peace and contentment. We must be both physically and emotionally healthy to live life to its fullest as the mind and body rely on each other more that we realize. For every busy item that finds itself on my list of things to do, I will add something that makes me feel happy. Even if it’s only closing my eyes for five minutes and imagining myself a world away taking a walk in the English countryside, I am determined to counter each item of stress with something that is equally enjoyable. If you are finding that stress is outweighing happiness in your life, take some time to put things into perspective. Even if you can’t take things off your to-do list, be sure to add things to your “this is what makes me happy” list. Feeling happy is the greatest gift you can give to yourself and those around you!

Beautiful Skin the Natural Way

With so much talk about invasive surgery and high-octane chemicals, it’s easy to forget that holistic wisdom provides a clear path to beautiful and radiant skin. Good habits and consistency create a virtuous cycle in health and beauty, and it’s never too late to start making wise choices.

Nourish
It’s important to nourish your skin from within. Many experts agree that one of the first steps toward healthy skin is to eat antioxidant-rich foods that fight free-radical damage. To get the essential fatty acids that keep skin moist, choose super foods like walnuts, flaxseed, and avocado. You’ll also want to fortify with calcium found in foods like tofu and kale. Without enough fatty acids and calcium, skin loses its suppleness and gets the brittle look of premature aging, says Susan Ciminelli, holistic aesthetician and author of “The Ciminelli Solution: A 7-Day Plan for Radiant Skin.” She also adds that it’s important to eat plenty of fiber. Because the skin is a major organ of elimination and has to handle waste that the colon can’t, toxins generated by constipation can cause a dull, sallow look.

Detox
Detoxing is one of the most powerful ways to get your systems back on track and get your skin glowing. “A detox is not about fasting or deprivation, but about giving your body a rest and holiday. By ridding your body of inflammations, your skin looks clearer, brighter, and less puffy,” says says physician, Dr. Mark Hyman, author of “The Ultrasimple Diet.” Hyman encourages a prep week which eliminates processed food, refined sugar, caffeine, and alcohol. A weeklong detox follows built around leafy greens, lean protein and skin boosters like flaxseed (a natural laxative containing essential fatty acids) as well as vitamins and minerals.

With a skin nourishing diet, a good skin care regimen, and protection from too much sun, you can have beautiful and radiant skin. Why not give whole foods and natural products a try before resorting to the expense, pain and recovery of invasive surgery?

Let the New Year Begin

The beginning of a new year can be a clean slate for many people. It is the opportunity to reflect on the things that we would like to change about ourselves and the perfect time to set goals which will hopefully become part of our everyday lives. Research shows that almost half of all American adults will make one or more New Year’s resolution with the most popular resolutions being weight loss, exercise, stop smoking, money management and debt reduction.

This is the time when everyone who has declared a New Year’s resolution goes into it with enthusiasm and feeling the satisfaction in advance for the positive changes that are about to take place. Sadly, research also suggests that, after just one month, 25% of New Year’s resolution participants will have already given up and after six months, less than half will still be working to reach their goals. In the end, only about 10% of those who started out the new year with a goal in mind will actually achieve success. So what happened to these individuals who started out so strong and with so much anticipation for a better or healthier life? It’s very likely that their goals were vague, possibly unrealistic, or perhaps they were simply unachievable. Here are some helpful hints to keep you on track with your New Year’s resolutions.

Make your goals realistic. Too often, people set goals that sound great but are actually unattainable. Be honest with yourself and set your goals at least within the realm of possibility. When goals are too difficult to achieve, oftentimes we get frustrated and may eventually give up.

Be specific in what you are trying to achieve. Instead of saying your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, trying setting your goal at losing two pounds per week. It may not sound like much, but in one year, that’s 104 pounds! This will give you a clearer picture of what you are trying to achieve as well as a measurement for success. Each week, you will be able to evaluate your progress and adjust your weight loss routine accordingly.

Enlist friends and/or family as a support system. By making your goals known to those who are closest to you, you will allow yourself a tremendous amount of support and encouragement. You may possibly find someone who has the same goal and can become a teammate for achieving the goal(s) together.

Don’t forget to reward yourself! By breaking up your resolution into short-term goals, you will be able to see success more quickly which will give you confidence and enthusiasm to continue on. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to reward yourself for a job well done. Be wise, however, with what you choose for a reward. For example, if your goal is to stop smoking and you stick to it for a week, month, or any other specific period of time, it’s not a good idea to reward yourself with a cigarette. Instead, reward yourself with anything else that makes you feel happy that is not related to the behavior in which you wish to change. It could be a new outfit, pair of shoes, a trip to the theatre, or even a weekend getaway. The possibilities are endless. Just find something that provides motivation without compromising your effort.

While the research suggests that most people will not follow through with their resolutions, the same research also tells us that people who make New Year’s resolutions are ten times more likely to reach their goals. Whatever your New Year’s resolution may be, remember that you are working toward something that will change your life for the better. Be sure to set realistic and attainable goals, then let your goals get bigger as you achieve success. I wish you the very best for a healthy and happy 2012!

Giving Thanks

As Thanksgiving approaches, it is customary to ponder the things for which we are thankful. As we think about how thankful we are for our family, friends, and all of the wonderful things that make our lives complete, we should take time to consider that the freedom we have to live how we choose would not be possible without the sacrifices made by our veterans and active duty military.

This Veterans Day, I had the honor of taking part in a Veteran's Day ceremony and introducing a disabled veteran who was severely wounded while serving in Iraq. His story is nothing short of heart wrenching. When I asked if he had any regrets joining the Army, without hesitation, he said, "Not at all."

Our veterans have sacrificed so much to ensure our freedom, and it is truly a debt we can never repay. Please remember to thank our veterans and active duty military members for their service and sacrifice. Helping our disabled veterans is absolutely the least we can do.

It is most appropriate that Veterans Day falls in the same month as Thanksgiving. I've heard it said that Thanksgiving is the day when we pause to give thanks for the things we have, and Veterans Day is the day when we pause to give thanks to the people who fought for the things we have. Thank you to all of our veterans and active duty members...we are forever grateful.

Delicious Ways to Enjoy Pumpkin

Pumpkins aren't just for Halloween. Any variety of pumpkin can be used throughout the entire Fall season as a beautiful and festive decoration. However, as long as the pumpkin is still in good condition at the end of the season, instead of throwing it out with the garbage, why not make use of it's highly nutritional value? The inside of the pumpkin is a great source of vitamin A, and the seeds contain most of the B vitamins along with vitamins C, D, E, and K. They also contain calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. Here are a couple of ideas on how to make good use of this versatile food.

Cooked Pumpkin:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut a 2-3lb. pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Use a tablespoon of butter in each half, and place on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan . Bake for one hour or until soft. Season with salt and pepper or brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:
Scoop seeds from pumpkin cavity, wash and drain. Let rest for 24 hours so that they dry completely. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Toss seeds with 2 teaspoons melted butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Take advantage of everything nature has to offer when decorating your home as well as planning a nutritious meal or snack.

Recapture the Lost Art of Writing Letters

In an age of technological conveniences where math, spelling, and navigational skills are considered by some to be unnecessary, the art of composing a handwritten letter has nearly become a lost art. How convenient it is to simply pop open the laptop, quickly type up an email (which sometimes gives the appearance of an encrypted message), press the send key and, in the blink of an eye, the message has found its way to the recipient.

I am all for conveniences, but I have to admit that I am a bit nostalgic when it comes to something that held so much meaning years ago. These handwritten letters are, in many cases, all we have today to get a look inside the minds of some historical figures who were well known for their letter writing skills. The correspondence between John and Abigail Adams tells a beautiful story about this famous couple. In a letter written by John to Abigail in 1774, he writes, “We live, my dear soul, in an age of trial. What will be the consequence, I know not.”

These words have such meaning and gives us an insight into what he may have been feeling at the time. Had this been an email or text message written today, it would have undoubtedly been shortened, probably into ten words or less, and would have been perceived as nothing more than a passing thought.

Letters written almost 100 years ago between Tzar Nicholas and the Empress Alexandra tell us of the loving relationship they shared but with a haunting overtone from knowing their tragic fate.

My parents have a collection of letters written by my uncle during World War II. I am fascinated by these letters, and I always focus intently on the look and feel of the fragile yellowed paper as I read his handwritten words from his location in the South Pacific during such an historical time.

I still have the letters that my husband and I wrote to each other when he was in the Navy on deployment not long before the clever invention of email. These things are very near and dear to my heart, and it sometimes inspires me to pull out the beautiful monogramed stationery that lies almost lifeless in a desk drawer and take the time to write a letter to a family member or a very dear friend.

I encourage you to take a few minutes to hand write even a short message to someone who would very much appreciate it. Perhaps you know someone who is not internet savvy, or maybe you have an elderly friend in a nursing home. Receiving a heartfelt letter tells the recipient that someone was thinking of them and took the time to let them know. Email and text messages can be deleted in an instant, but a beautiful handwritten letter is a treasure that can last for generations.

Give Your Hair the Royal Treatment

It is well known that olive oil is one of the most nourishing and moisturizing treatments for our skin. However, it’s just as beneficial for our hair as well. Oil treatments can be found in many popular name brand hair products, but nothing gives your hair the royal treatment like pure extra virgin olive oil. For a hot oil treatment that will leave your hair silky smooth, simply heat a small amount of olive oil in a glass measuring cup (I normally use 1/4 cup). You will want to wrap a towel around your shoulders to keep the oil from getting on any clothing. Start with a small amount of olive oil and gently massage into scalp. Make sure your hair is dry so that it will completely absorb the oil. After a thorough scalp massage, continue adding oil as you work it into the rest of your hair. Be sure your hair is coated entirely with the olive oil. Leave on for at least 20-30 minutes.
Use this time to sit back and relax. Enjoy a refreshing glass of water infused with fruit or a hot cup of herbal tea. Create a spa-like atmosphere with aromatherapy candles and a collection of ambient music (Soundscapes is a perfect genre for relaxation). Let this be your time to unwind and completely escape from the cares of the world. After your spa time is over, simply shampoo and condition your hair as usual.
The next time you need a deep conditioning treatment for your hair, but your schedule just won’t allow you to slip away to the salon, create your own salon/spa at home. The olive oil from your own pantry will be every bit as beneficial as any salon product!