Wordless Wednesday

Just a boy and his chicks.

Spring Renewal

Even though it doesn’t seem like spring, here are our top ways to rejuvenate, renew and refresh yourself just in time for spring: 

1)     Tub time - drink a cup of tea while soaking in a hot bath with your favorite fragrant bath soak. 

2)     Take a mini vacation in your head - visualize yourself on a warm, sandy beach soaking up the sun as you hear the waves crashing. 

3)     Make Some Daily Personal Time - take some time each day just for yourself, even if it's just 15-20 minutes. Meditate, sit quietly or say affirmations. Just 20 minutes will energize you and help you maintain a better frame of mind. 

4)     Express gratitude - remind yourself of all the things you're thankful for: your family, friends, your home, and your work. Remember to say "thank you" to those who help you.

5)     Perform small acts of kindness - Performing acts of kindness will help you to feel better about yourself too!

6)     Remember to laugh - laughter can be great medicine. Watch a funny movie, make plans with your funniest friends, or just laugh out loud at nothing!

7)     Breathe deeply - after an especially stressful situation, take a few minutes to breathe deeply. Inhale and count to five and then exhale slowly. As you exhale imagine all your tension leaving your body. 

8)     Permission to be you - Take a break from the image that you have of yourself and the image that you project. Just let yourself be whoever you feel like being in the moment. Give yourself permission to be you!

9)     Eat a healthy lunch - instead of making do with eating fast food, eat something simple, healthy, colorful, fun, and exotic or with wild flavors and textures. Enjoy!

10)  Host a gathering with girl friends - we saved the best way to renew yourself for last. 

What To Eat Each Day For Looks And Health

If you are like me and have trouble resisting all of the Easter goodies around this time of year, remember to add in some healthy food to your diet.                  

                                 

Carrots

Helps maintain the outer layer of the skin to prevent premature aging. What you'll find in carrots is the same as you'll get in Retin A. 

Citrus Fruits
Hold the skin cells together by forming collagen. Collagen cannot be added to the skin topically, which is why fruits and fruit juices are such an important part of the daily diet. 

Garlic
Helps combat wrinkles and restores tissue. 

Sweet Potatoes Vitamin A is known to be a remarkable anti-wrinkling agent. Sweet potatoes are full of this important vitamin. The pleasing result is clearer, smoother skin. (We’ve started eating these instead of regular potatoes. They’re great fried or baked.)

Tomatoes
These "love apples" will keep you loving your skin. Tomatoes are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. 

Wheat Germ
If you want to get rid of pimples quickly and efficiently, make sure to include two or three tablespoons a day in your diet. Add it to cereal, yogurt, and cottage cheese. 

Wordless Wednesday

Time to downsize but I hate the idea of having to get rid of these antique school desks.

Special Skin Care Tips

  Fine lines and wrinkles are inevitable as we age, but with a little special skin care and these tips, you minimize wrinkles forever!

1.  Sun protection  The single biggest cause of skin aging is sunlight. You should use a sunscreen every single day of the year.   This will help skin from premature aging, as well as guard against burning.

2.  Don't smoke  Cigarette smoke speeds up the aging process because it strips your skin of oxygen and slows the rate of new skin cell regeneration. It's responsible for giving the skin a gray, sluggish look and can cause fine lines around the mouth.

3.  Deep cleanse Many older women don't cleanse their skin as well as they should believing this can lead to dryness and lines.  Cleansing your skin properly is essential to ensure your skin is cleared of dead skin cells, dirt and makeup, and gives your skin a fresh, healthy glow. Massage a good creamy cleanser into your skin and rinse off with warm water.   Always pat your skin dry with a soft towel.

4.  Deep moisturize As well as using a daily moisturizer you can give your skin an extra boost by using a weekly nourishing face mask.  Apply to damp skin for extra effect.

 5.  Boost your circulation Choose a gentle facial scrub or exfoliator and use once a week to gently remove dead skin cells and keep the top layers of your skin glowing with good health.

6. Eat Healthy   Foods that are high in antioxidants, such as berries, are great for your skin. Eat blueberries and strawberries as a nutritious snack, or add them to your breakfast cereal or yogurt. It's also vital to eat foods high in omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids can help regenerate your skin at the cellular level. High omega-3 foods also reduce inflammation, help prevent cancer and offer many other health benefits. Foods high in omega-3s include salmon, halibut, sardines, albacore tuna, flaxseed and walnuts.

7. Stay hydrated Water is important for your overall health. Drinking eight glasses of water a day will help you lose weight, aid digestion, improve your energy and concentration, remove toxins from your body and keep your skin glowing and healthy.
8.  Be gentle Always be as gentle as you can when applying skin care products and don't drag your skin, particularly around the delicate eye area. A heavy touch can cause your skin to stretch and appear "crepey".  Always use a light touch and stroke upwards, rather than drag the skin down. Avoid any products that make your skin feel irritated or itchy and switch to a more gentle formula. 

Words To Live By

  

   In light of all that has been happening in the U.S. and around the world lately I thought this was a very appropriate poem.

ANYWAY  

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.  
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.  
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies. Succeed anyway. 

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.  
What you spend years building, someone may try to destroy overnight. Build anyway.  
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous. Be happy anyway.  
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow. Do good anyway.  
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Do it anyway.  
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God.  
It was never between you and them, anyway. - Anonymous

This seems like a great list of easy things to do to make life better for all!

A Treat for Marshmallow Day

    In Japan, Korea and Taiwan, the February 14 Valentine's Day holiday is closely followed by White Day, celebrated on March 14. On Valentine's Day, the custom is for women to give gifts of chocolate to men, and not just to sweethearts, but co-workers as well! The chocolate gifts are known as giri-choco (giri = obligation; choco = chocolate). In order to level the playing field, a savvy marshmallow manufacturer conceived of Marshmallow Day in 1965, calling for a gesture of thanks by the men.

     His idea bloomed and on March 14, men who receive chocolate on Valentine's Day return the favor and give sweet gifts -- usually with marshmallow -- to women. The holiday is often called White Day, as well, and gifts now include marshmallow, candy, chocolate, and lingerie. 

     Well here in the USA both men and women give and receive valentines including chocolates. It would be kind of fun to give your valentine a marshmallow treat as a little “thank you for thinking of me” on March 14.  You could give a little cultural lesson too.  (Jerry loves Peeps so I could give him a marshmallow gift of those!)

Wordless Wednesday

The phone or the pool...which one is more fun?