Guilty Pleasures

I find it so difficult to come up with blog topics, especially during trying times.  I have vowed to keep it up but at times we all get writers block.  Its not really fair to ALWAYS talk about my most favorite guilty pleasure which of course would be 'handcrafted soap'. 

So.. I set out on to the web in search of a blog topic!  I stumbled upon Chris Brogan's Blog.  Specifically a post from 2007 titled 100 Blog topics I hope you write.  WOW!  Now many of the topics do not concern my line of work but certainly it is a place to start for those that may struggle.   So without further ado...

According to Wikipedia a guilty pleasure is:  something one enjoys and considers pleasurable despite feeling guilt for enjoying it. Often, the "guilt" involved is simply fear of others discovering one's lowbrow or otherwise embarrassing tastes, rather than actual moral guilt. Fashion, music.

Quite frankly.. those of you who know me, know that I rarely get embarrassed and am not bothered by what others think, especially when it comes to my two most beloved guilty pleasures.  Diet Coke probably ranks a bit higher than the Coors Light.  I would almost have to say that my Diet Coke would be a staple rather than a guilty pleasure.  Many people wake up to their coffee or Starbucks drive thru, I on the other hand make a stop at a local convience store for a 32 ounce Diet Coke to start my day, I have been told I could be the poster child for them. 

Coors Light is probably the REAL guilty pleasure that I enjoy on weekends only.  Nothing like a nice icy cold blue mountain beverage while sitting on your patio looking at another awesome pleasure in life.

I know that the original blog idea was top 10 guilty pleasures but quite frankly I live a pretty simple life and do not indulge on a regular basis.  However my final guilty pleasure which has become a way of life for me is handcrafted soap. 

Not only does it feel great on the skin but they look and smell fab as well. 

I am feeling more and more non high maintenance after writing this blog post, 3 guilty pleasures... WOW! 

Can ya'll come up with 10 guilty pleasures? 



When Life Gives You Lemons... Make Bath Bombs!

Once again, I feel like I have been 'missing in action' for quite some time.  It really isn't fair to you my readers, customers and friends.  

For the last few months I have asked myself, friends and family members the following question.   'I have been dealt one heck of a lemon, tell me my friends, how do I turn this situation into lemonade"?  Not one person could give me an answer so... I have decided the following:

I will no longer let my fear, anger, sadness, etc get me down and take over my life and happiness.  So what is a simple soap girl to do? 

Make it all EXPLODE!!!

Not my life of course, but in a healthy way.  I have struggled for years to perfect the bath bomb fizzy.  I feel I have finally perfected the process. During this time I have found that I have to slow down my brain and concentrate.  ( I know its tough for me but.. I did it)  What a feeling of accomplishment it has been.

As I test the bomb, I see explosion, fizzing and awesome fragrance begins permeating the room.  Totally relaxing as I fixate on the entire process and realize that with each fizz bubble and pop - this is what I must do.   

Can I get a warm welcome back?

 

12 Top Reasons to Eat Watermelon

Sweet treats in the summertime... yummm... especially when these treats are cold and refreshing!

The classic image of going out for ice cream on a hot summer eve can be so appealing, but remains that, an image - at least for those of us who make food choices that don't include refined sugar.


The very best way to satisfy that hankering for a cold and refreshing sweet treat in the summer is with a juicy watermelon. (A one-cup serving of this healthy, delicious snack is only about forty eight calories!)

And satisfying our "summertime sweet tooth" is not the only reason to eat watermelon - here are twelve other very important health reasons to eat this delicious fruit...


1.  Provides additional water to the body (watermelon is about 92% water!)


2.  Good for bad breath

3.  Serves as a hangover remedy


4.  Can improve sore throat and mouth sores


5.  Cleanses the kidneys (juice the entire watermelon - rind, seeds, and all and drink for a good kidney cleanse)


6.  Naturally gets rid of excess fluid in the body - it has diuretic properties


7.  Liver supportive - contains glutathione


8.  Cleanses blood and strengthens glands - contains chlorophyll


9.  It is a good source of potassium


10.  Fat free - low in calories, high in energy


11.  Nutrients in watermelon include vitamin A, vitamin B6, and vitamin C (it also contains fiber and has no fat or cholesterol!)


12.  Helps lower the risk of heart disease: watermelon has the highest amount of lycopenes in fruits and veggies according to the USDA Caratenoid.



Reprinted from "Home Spa Lady's Tips of the Week," a free weeky offeriing. Subscribe at http://www.homespalady.com/

Did I Really Need That Parent Class?

Every May, we all flock to City Aquatics to our 'not so' coveted parent class which is a pre-requisite for our children to participate in swim team for the summer.  All of us parents roll our eyes and think, what a waste of time, on top of that we must pay $5.00 to attend. 

I was one of those parents yesterday, rolling my eyes, racing through lunch hour traffic to make it on time.  Parking is always a hassle too!  So I park at the church across the street thinking my truck will NEVER get towed from a church. (this is after I drove 3 blocks looking for the perfect parking spot)  As I enter the crowded room, with little air flow, and sweating as I raced across the street to make it on time.  I flop down in my seat and think, my gosh... do I have to really be told how to treat my child at a swim meet?  I like to think I am not hard on him, cheer him on every step of the way, and teach him that he is still young and has plenty of time to 'do his thing'. (whatever that might be)

All of a sudden, a breath of fresh air enters the room.  A very pale red headed woman with a soft voice enters the room and welcomes all of us.  She does not lecture us about anything but rather gives very important advice regarding nutrition, and NOT to coach our kids.  Hmmm... my ears are perking up at this point. 

I learned quite a bit, one point really stuck with me.  How many of us parents out there think we have the next prodigy?  Whether it be swimming, golf, baseball, etc.  They told us in no uncertain terms that it takes children over 10 years to develop into an elite athlete.  Hmmm... so if you have a great athlete NOW - in ten years they could potentially plateau or soar.   I also learned how to potentially feed my child before during and after a swim meet. 

Moral of the story? 

I learned quite a bit yesterday and having a negative attitude is NOT always the best attitude to have.  With an open mind imagine how much more I could have walked away with?

Transform Toenail Fungus for Pretty Beach Feet!

YUCK

It's an acronym for the common symptoms of nail infections and also how we feel when we see our nails turning on us in front of our eyes!

Y Yellow discoloration of the nail bed


U Under the nail bed, a buildup of skin


C Cracking of the nail


K Keratinization, or thickening of the nail

What can we do at home to get rid of these symptoms or prevent them from happening?

Let's First Address the Entire Body as a System

If a fungus is on a toe, its highly likely that its present somewhere else inthe body. If you've ever had yeast infections, athletes feet, or jock itch for example, you will be apt to get fungal infections on the nails. Make sure the foods that you are eating are more alkaline to balance the body so the unwanted fungus can't take up residence. More alkaline foods are fruits and vegetables. Stay away from acid producing foods, such as sugar, refined carbohydrates, coffee and alcohol.

There are certain "anti-fungal" foods you can eat such as:

Avocado

Broccoli

Brussels Sprouts

Cabbage

Cinnamon

Cloves

Collards

Lemon

Garlic

Kale

Onions

Coconut

and "anti-fungal" supplements:

Grapefruit seed extract

Oregano essential oil

Ginger

Pau d'arco herb and tea

For local application...sure, there are over the counter topical creams. Often they are full of chemicals you may want to shy away from. More natural topical applications would be oils: therapeutic essential oils, vitamin E oil, castor oil, and Vicks VapoRub.



Some ways to use these:

Castor Oil: "Horny" Toe Nail is a common problem especially in the elderly. It's a toenail that is large, angled, and difficult to trim. Soak feet in Epsom salts for 15 minutes every night, and then wrap toe in a castor oil soaked gauze. Put a sock on.



Therapeutic Essential Oils Use one of these directly on the affected toe:

Oregano - Melaleuca (Tea Tree)

Mix tea tree with lavender

Mix tea tree with mountain savory You can use about 5 drops of these oils. Use directly on the site, or dilute with Vitamin E oil. Use the Young Living Blends of Melrose, Thieves, and Purification.

Vicks VapoRub as a remedy? When Vicks hit the market decades ago, people were using it for everything, including fungal nail infections.

The magic of Vicks in the eucalyptus!

(But I say why use Vicks when we have our Young Living Oils!)

Vicks has essential oils in it. Essential oils are naturally anti-microbial and can get rid of any unwanted microbes in their environment, including fungus.

Now Make Them Pretty

Paint them anyway. But be sure to take off your nail polish regularly and reapply. It gives you the opportunity to follow its healing course. You have to pay more attention to your toenails when you are working on getting rid of a fungus. Cleaning, soaks, oil applications, and regularly taking off your polish and reapplying it will take time, stay with it, its worth it.





Reprinted with permission from "Home Spa Lady's Tips of the Week," a free weeky offeriing. Subscribe at http://www.homespalady.com/ 

Have Pencil... Must Write!

This may be the last time I have to be reminded how utimately important it is to blog!  How many times must the PR Guru's (ideally The Publicity Hound) tell me.. blog blog blog!  Search engines such as Google will find you, Twitter - you have to post to Twitter, and don't forget about Facebook.  How does a simple soap girl deal with it all?  Not sure, but I will figure it out come (H E double hockey stick, or high water)

I sit and search my Stats on http://www.statcounter.com/  all  the time!  Hmm.. not working.  Of course it is NOT working, nor is any traffic of any kind going to visit My Site unless I work it.  I am not sure why it has taken me years to jump on the 'social media' band wagon.  But... I think the time has come.

I really have to be serious this time, so hold on to your hats, and fasten yer seatbelts because I think my time is here...........

Might not always be soapy driven, but I will find something to mutter about.

Peppermint Not Only Smells Good....

We all know that peppermint smells and tastes great but....

Did you know??

Peppermint essential oil relaxes the muscles of

your digestive tract, which may ease indigestion.

It numbs pain due to the menthol, which acts as a

local anesthetic. It also stimulates cold-sensitive

nerve endings and helps you breath more freely.