The Power of Laughter

Did you know that a four year old laughs up to 500 times a day? Grown ups laugh about 15. One of the easiest, most convenient and effective techniques to achieve emotional wellness is to laugh. 

Jerry and I have been enjoying watching the show "It's About A Boy". While I question the content being shown as early as it is (8:00 CST) it really makes us laugh. I think we probably laugh our 15 times during the show.


 Scientists say that when we laugh we:
 • Reduce feelings of depression 
• Lower our blood pressure 
• Promote relaxation 
• Reduce stress 
• Increase the oxygen level in our blood, giving us more energy
• Increase the endorphin activity in our body resulting in a sense of well-being 
• Fight boredom
 • Increase our enjoyment of life

I know that many of us are trying to improve our lives by exercise, diet, drugs,yoga and meditation to name a few.  Laughing doesn't require any extra equipment, lessons or really any time committment and yet the benefits are many.

So go ahead. Laugh out loud! (Heard any good jokes lately?)

 

Wordless Wednesday

Sole Searching

 

 Love these shoes--but would my feet love them?

Did you know that your feet contain one quarter of all the bones in your whole body? Did you know that women are nine times more likely than men to develop foot problems because of their shoes? 

Feet have to endure tremendous pressures of daily living. An average day of walking brings a force equal to several hundred tons on them. They are subject to more injury than any other part of the body, which means we need to protect them with proper footwear. Here's some interesting info on shoe styles. 

 *High-heels--If you frequently wear high heel shoes they can tighten and shorten your Achilles tendon. This will lead to pain when you walk in flat shoes or no shoes. Wearing high heels can also cause permanent damage to the calf muscles. If you must wear them (my sister loves heels!) only wear them for about 20% of the time. Wear them to work, out on the town but change into comfortable shoes at home. Alternate with good quality sneakers or flats for part of the day. 

 *Peep-toes--If your toes are getting crowded in the narrow tops, the edges of your toenails can get pushed into surrounding skin tissue which can cause pain and possibly infection. Always cut your toenails straight across and not too short. 

*Ballet flats--These shoes very definitely do not have much arch support. This can lead to plantar fasciitis, inflammation of the shock-absorbing tissue in your arch. You'll feel sharp, stabbing pain. If you must wear these shoes, add over-the-counter arch support inserts or get made-to-fit your feet orthodics. (I love mine!) They will help to distribute pressure more evenly. 

 *Flip-flops--You see them everywhere, in every season, on every age. The gripping action of your toes means your foot works harder than normal. It can eventually lead to problems such as tendonitis and can cause hammertoe, a permanent buckling of the toe. (Sounds awful!) You shouldn't wear flip flops for more than two hours a day because the seemingly comfortable spongy soles provide little support for your feet. 

 Activity should have a bearing on your shoe considerations; wearing the right shoe for a particular activity is probably as important a factor in your choice of shoes as any. For tips on choosing the right fit go here. Your tootsies will thank you. (Running shoes are a whole different ballgame. I'll have to write a separate blog post on them.)

DIY Facial and Body Products

One of the very best parts about my job here at Gathered From the Garden is trying out new bath and body recipes. While the following are not recipes that I could use in my products to sell, they still sounded like fun to try. I thought I would share them with you. For more fun bath and body recipes go to www.craftbits.com 

Fruit Salad Facial 

1 Ripe banana 

1 pineapple ring 

3 strawberries 

Mash the fruit together in a bowl or use a food processor. Take the fruit paste and apply it to your face and allow it to soak in for 20-30mins for a soft, refreshed, revived and cleansed facial. This mix will last 2-3 days in the fridge.

 Apple Hair Rinse 

2 cups of water 

 2 tbs of apple cider 

 1 red apple 

Place all the ingredients into a blender and process, pour the mix into a bottle and apply it to your hair after you shampoo. Allow it to sit a few minutes and then rinse well. Do not apply conditioner. This will give your hair a lovely shine!! 

Monkey Banana Hair Mask 

1 ripe banana 

3 tbs of whole egg mayonaise 

 1 tbs of olive oil 

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl and apply to the hair, place a shower cap on and leave for 20-30 min. This hair mask will store for around 1-2 days. Your hair is going to love this Monkey hair mask, the banana soothes your hair and fills it back with potassium and loads of shine. 

Red Wine Sugar Scrub 

5 tbsp raw sugar 

5 tbsp mascavado sugar/ brown sugar 

3-4 tsp honey 

 2 tbsp red wine

 Mix all the above ingredients together in a bowl until sugar turns like a sticky paste form. Mixture is ready to use and can be stored in the fridge for 2 days. The measurement above is enough for a one time usage. 

Have you ever tried to make your own facial/body products?
 

Wordless Wednesday

Watching a glacier "calve" was an incredible experience!

 

Dom Perignon

 

Being in Vegas last week we saw many people drinking champagne. Sometimes at dinner, or at a show or in the morning as they went about their day. Were they high rollers drinking the best? 

 Here are some little known facts about Dom Perignon.

According to "The Little Blue Book" (www.littlebooks.org) Pierre Perignon was born in France in 1639. He took the vows of a Benedictine monk at an abbey that produced a variety of wines. Pierre soon became an expert on wine.

 Maybe because he was blind he used his extraordinary sense of smell and taste to tell which grapes came from which vineyards. He worked with mixing wines so that the qualities of each added to the qualities of the others. 

In particular, he studied the grapes from a region of Champagne. When he was 60 years old, he succeeded in producing what we now call "champagne". Years after Pierre died, the wine company that bought the monastery vineyards gave the name "Dom Perignon" to its finest vintage. 

On New Year's Eve and other special occasions, many people (without realizing it), celebrate the memory of this monk and wine expert. 

 *"Dom" was a title sometimes given to monks and other religious leaders.

 I actually have been lucky enough to taste this champagne. When Jerry retired my brother and some of my sisters gave him a bottle as a gift. It was a special night indeed when we opened that bottle and toasted his career! Knowing what it cost it will probably be the only time I'll drink this fine wine.
 

Happiness in Vegas (and Home)

Jerry and I were lucky enough to escape the cold and spend a few days in Vegas. Unfortunately, Jerry was sick for two of the days. He was a good sport though and tried to be as active as he could.

Day 39  The view from our room at the Vdara Hotel. This really made me happy!

Day 40  Today while Jerry napped I wandered around the Aria Hotel. They had these fantastic "tornadoes" spinning in glass cylinders. Delightful to watch!

Day 41  Seeing many of this guy made me smile!

Day 42 The real flowers at the Bellagio made me SO happy that I had to go back several times. I was impressed by this painting done all out of fresh flowers!

Day 43  I was tickled to be invited along on my granddaughter's birthday celebration. They all had fun getting their hair done.

Day 44 Anytime that I get to babysit and photograph Maggie makes me incredibly happy!

What's making you happy these days?