Fly Right

As we head into the holiday season many of us will be traveling. Flying across time zones can throw your circadian rhythms out of whack, resulting in fatigue, headaches and not feeling yourself. To prevent jet lag, adjust your bedtime by an hour each day leading up to your departure. (matching the sleep schedule you'll follow when you arrive at your destination) Stay awake on flights if it's daytime at your arrival place, try to sleep if it's nighttime where you are headed.

Some of the newest research on neurophysiology indicates that elevating your temperature can help reset your circadian rhythms (day/night cycles). Exercising, grabbing a sauna or relaxing in a warm bath helps that process.

Eat carefully.Pressurized cabins can have odd effects on your gastro intestinal system. Avoid gas producing foods preflight, such as apples, apricots, beans, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower - even milk if you’re lactose intolerant. And pack high fiber snacks in your carry-on, such as dried fruit, nuts and whole grain granola bars.

Avoid alcohol. Because of altitude, pressurization and dehydration, one drink during your flight has the alcoholic equivalent of nearly two and a half on the ground. Instead drink water--drink plenty of water before, during and after your flight. You can also supplement with melatonin to help reset your natural rhythms.

Keep moving. Blood clots are a serious health threat on long flights. Force yourself to get up and move around the cabin on a regular basis. Flex your legs and rotate your ankles while you’re seated. Do knee bends while waiting in line for the lavatory. Spend layovers walking through the airport.

Most everyone experiences jet lag at some point but following these suggestions will minimize your discomfort.

Let Your Hands Do The Talking

Do your hands reveal your age, disguise your age or do they add years to your look?
What makes hands look older than their years? They actually get more use and abuse and less pampering than your face. Here are some solutions to make your hands look timeless and beautiful.

Sunspots—UV damages pigment producing cells causing brown spots to form. Slather on that sunscreen!!

Veins—To minimize the color contrast between your skin and the dark veins try using a concealer or use a self tanner. Jewelry and manicures help give you a younger look too. Keep nails short (1/8 inch long). Shorter nails soften the appearance of veins.

Dryness—As we age our skin produces less lubricating oil and loses its ability to hold moisture.
Apply lotion throughout the day. Rub it on immediately after washing your hands to seal in moisture. Before using household cleaners or doing dishes apply lotion or a hand cream and pull on cotton-lined gloves.


Gathered From The Garden has the most wonderful Goat Milk and Honey Lotion. It’s our best seller! It is loved by doctors, nurses, teachers, and others who need to do frequent hand-washing. It comes in many fantastic fragrances. Once you try this lotion, you’ll never try another! $10.00/8oz. or $4.00 for a 2 oz. purse size.
Our Satin and Silk Shea Butter Lotion is excellent for dry skin too. It would work great to put on your hands before gloves to do those chores. $12.00/8 oz.
www.gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

Champagne Hair Rinse

I was out shopping at New York & Co. this weekend looking at their sparkly sweaters when I thought of New Year's Eve and Champagne. Thinking of Champagne made me think of this cool rinse...

This is an old French secret for making hair shiny, silky, and healthy. If you have light-colored hair, it brings out the golden lights in it. It will not dry or damage the tresses.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup champagne 1/2 cup hot water

Directions: Mix; after shampooing and rinsing well, pour the mixture through the hair. DO NOT rinse again. You can use a conditioner before using the Champagne Hair Rinse if desired. The hair is left looking vital and lustrous, with pale champagne highlights.

Champagne Hair Rinse courtesy of Recipe Goldmine

The Weight of the World on Your Shoulders--Your Purse!

I recently went to a baby shower and one of the games we played was to see whose purse weighed the most. I came in second--mine was close to four pounds! I hadn't really thought about how much weight I was carrying on my shoulders until then.
The Sept. issue of Good Housekeeping magazine (goodhousekeeping.com) says that your purse should weigh less than three pounds and be toted on alternating shoulders throughout the day. This is according to the American Chiropractice Association.
Good Housekeeping suggests lightening your load. You should dump the contents of your purse and reorganize. Toss your loose coins into a pretty jar or dish at least once a week. Streamline the make-up containers you are carrying around. Keep small items and feminine products in a zipper pouch. Sort through receipts and coupons. Find more tips in the Sept. issue.

I have tried these tips and have lightened up a little. It seems like I just need to have so much stuff with me. Nailclippers, mirror, hand sanitizer and my glasses case and contact case to name a few...My family just expects me to travel with everything they need! I guess I could remove the keys from my keychain that don't seem to have a purpose.

How about you? How heavy is your purse? Does it feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders? I would love to carry one of those cute little purses but I think I would have "stuff" withdrawal. Maybe if I give up a few things little by little I can eventually get there. For now, I'll have to settle for something smaller than a suitcase!!

Ahh...a Home Spa

Now that colder weather is setting in, it feels like bath not shower time. It is so easy to have a spa-like experience in your own home. Follow these tips for an ahh-mazing time.

1. Choose just one room in your house where you can be alone and quiet. The bathroom is the usual choice, but it can be anywhere. Prepare your space ahead of time so you can relax during your spa time. Clean, declutter, and dust the space. It doesn’t have to be perfect; but your mind needs to be at peace, not looking around at reminders.
2. Set yourself up with a pile of big, fluffy towels and a couple of washcloths. You'll want at least one extra large towel for your body and another towel for your hair. If your towels are looking a bit shabby, invest in a few new ones. There is nothing like a good, luxurious towel for your home spa experience. pioneerlinens.com has an incredible selection of towels!
3. If you don't already have one, invest in a plush bathrobe and nice slippers. This is a one-time expense that will make you feel pampered each time you treat yourself to your at-home spa.
4. Decide on a theme (relaxing or energizing, for example), then set the mood with music and lighting. Choose a tranquil or energizing CD, depending on the mood you wish to create. Light several aromatherapy candles in a scent such as lavender (for relaxation) or citrus (for rejuvenation.) When you set the right mood, you will intensify the effects of your other spa treatments.
5. Put aside at least 20 or 30 minutes to fully enjoy your luxurious home spa. Fill the bath with hot water and turn on the shower for additional steam Add bubble bath, bath confetti, or aromatherapy bath salts for a softening effect. The bath salts help to cleanse and detoxify your body.
6. Turn off the overhead lights, light the candles and turn on the music. Wash your face with a warm face cloth and apply your facial mask. Then take off your robe and slip into your hot bath. While your facial mask is working, start with your exfoliating scrub or pumice and let yourself relax. The entire body should be scrubbed at least weekly. Exfoliation should be done in a circular motion, beginning with the feet and up the legs, then hands up the arms, down the back finally up the front to the heart. It is usually best to rinse with tepid or cool water after the scrub to further activate circulation.
7. When the time for your home spa has come to an end, rinse off the facial mask and dry off with your luxurious towels. Then take time to moisturize from head to toe. 9. Conclude your experience by wrapping yourself in your soft robe and enjoying a cup of your favorite relaxing or invigorating herbal tea, selected to compliment your homemade spa experience. Choose peppermint or citrus tea, for example, to end a relaxing home spa or select jasmine or chamomile tea for a relaxing home spa.

Creating a home spa is so simple and affordable that you will have no excuse not to indulge at least once a week. When was the last time you pampered yourself!!

Quick Takes

Here are a couple of short little tips from Prevention Magazine (prevention.com)

*Wash your face to ward off wrinkles

A new British Skin Foundation study found that 50% of women don't wash their faces at night. This habit can make you look older. It can enlarge pores and further irritate dry skin. To clean away signs of aging, gently rub your cleanser onto damp skin and rinse thoroughly with warm water.

*Exercise to Help a Charity

Eric Harr, author of Goal Digger Fitness, will donate $5 to the humanitarian organization CARE for every hour you exercise and log at www.care.org/workout--up to $1 million. This could bring clean water, build a home or educate a child in developing nations around the globe. You can build a better world while you are building a healthier body!!

*How to find the right bra

A professional bra fitter can help or on your own keep these in mind:

It's important to choose a bra that's tight in the band. That's where most support comes from. (I didn't know that!) A bra with a seam gives more support.(I didn't know that either!) Check out unfamiliar brands. American bra companies produce just seven cup sizes, European brands offer 14 cup depths that allow you to get a better fit.

That was just a little potpourri of interesting items. For more information check out Prevention Magazine.