Day 19- Soothing Scents

hmmmm....

freshly cut grass in the spring.
a fresh candle burning in the house.
all Eminence facial products.
the aroma coming from a great french bakery.
wood-fired pizza.
a "real" crackling fire.
homemade muffins in the morning.
fresh cinnamon rolls
aromatherapy oils during a massage.
freshly cut flowers.
Play by Givenchy cologne. (Sexy!)
all scents by Susanne Lang perfume.


these are just some of my favorite scents! Oh yeah...and the delicious scent that comes out of the vent when you walk by Goody's in Sunriver, OR...

yummy.

Day 18- The Pampering Bath

What would your "pampered" bath look like? Each bath can be tailored to your specific needs/ or desires. Aromatherapy oils can make an average bath turn into a wonderful bath. Layer on a cup of hot tea, fruit water or a glass of champagne and now it's a "golden" bath. It's truly amazing how therapeutic/ healthy a bath can be for us. Blood pressure is lowered by dilated blood vessels and circulation improves as the skin's temperature-sensitive nerve endings are calmed by the soft warm water. Epsom salts are also great for muscle relaxation due to tension and stress.

My "Pampered" Bath ingredients:
Lots of HOT water (don't want it to get cold too quick!)
dash of yang oil by Bio elements (love the scent)
dash of calendula oil
ABRA relieve stress bath salts

a la cart:
Us weekly magazine/ Simple retreats book
hot cup of tea
towel roll for neck

Indulge!

Day 17- Delight in the Miracle of Touch

Take this one how you please my dear friends! When I read this chapter, I realize that the physical part of touch is so important in so many ways. Holding your baby for the first time, interlacing hands with your partner, a much needed back rub, tickling your babies toes, slipping into a hot bath, feeling your baby move inside of you during pregnancy, braiding your daughter's hair. We all know what these miracle touches feel like. Emotional touch is something that goes beyond the physical touch, both of which are so important in our lives. Random acts of kindness, an unexpected card in the mail, plugging someone's meter, having an in depth conversation with someone you love to express how you feel about them, emailing someone to let them know you are thinking of them, praying for someone who doesn't know it..... Touching people (in whatever way you choose) in our lives is what we should all strive for. To love, appreciate, and honor the people that we have met along our journey.

Day 16- Create a Nourishing Tape

I can't say that this is something that I've ever done before but I do own a tape that I listen to for mental imagery. It helps with those anxious thoughts that pop into my head and I use it for cleansing to my body. Often times, I imagine a light entering the crown of my head, touching all parts of my body internally working it's way down until it exits out through the feet. It is amazing how your body feels after using this simple technique. Try it one day. Everyone may have a different color light they they choose when visualizing this. You can look up what those colors mean according to your chosen color. Mine usually happens to be white, but it's fascinating to read about it. See if there may be a correlation!

Day 15- The Sounds of Music

Isn't is amazing how music can change how we feel in an instant? There are so many kinds of music and each type is so appropriate for certain times or events. For instance, it probably wouldn't be appropriate for hard rock or metal to be played in a relaxing yoga class or it might throw you off a bit if you showed up for Church on Sunday and instead of worship there was gangster rap playing. I love how music can make you feel. I definitely feel the most joy from worship at Church. It's so good! My favorite song of all time that speaks to my soul every time I listen to it and walked down the aisle to at our wedding is Maxwell's "This Woman's Work". Some of my favorite music right now is Lenny Kravitz's "I'll be Waiting," Seal's "People Get Ready", Drake's
"Say Something" and the Ryan Adams remix of "Wonder Wall"

And of course my bean's latest version of Rihanna's "Rude Boy". Check her out on you tube! I love it!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMaOivnmqSM

Day 14- The Joy of Listening

So, unlike the silence that we sometimes crave, there is also a joy to listening to our favorite sounds. Maybe you enjoy music coming from the tv/radio, or birds chirping when you wake up first thing in the morning, or baby "sounds" at 4am?  My favorite sounds are raindrops hitting tin outside, ocean waves, baby noises
(the good ones!), the lawn mower cutting grass on a hot summer day, the coffee maker brewing coffee early in the morning, a strong crackling fire and good worship in church on a sunday! I could probably go on and on, but these are on the top of my list. It's important not to hear these things but to LISTEN to them. Take them in and appreciate these beautiful sounds!

Day 13- Savor the Silence

Being still and allowing silence can either be a very good thing or it can be a challenge if you have a racing mind. My husband and I were just talking about this the other day because he enjoys having the tv on and I really could care less about it, unless it's the Today show or when I used to watch him on tv or if a really good movie is on that is. Other than that, I prefer the silence to get things done that I want to get done or take time with my kids honing in on just them. The truth is that I would much rather pick up a book than watch tv. This is definitely different for everyone though! One of my favorite sounds is listening to the rain fall outside when there is no other noise in the room....I love it! Slow down and try and create your own silence. Bask in it!

Day 12- Sweet Dreams

Our Spanish teacher today said that she was a little tired and could barely speak clearly because she had a conversation with Johnny Depp last night in her dreams.... good for her! Sleep is so important for us and we ALL need it! Preparing for bed is something that we all do differently. My bedtime ritual usually starts about 2 hours before I finally lay down for the night( unless I pass out on the couch) and entails washing my face, getting into sweats, grabbing a cup of tea, brushing my teeth and diving into one of the few books that are piled on my nightstand(or my kindle).... (On a great day, maybe taking an extremely hot bath and reading the most current US weekly.) But, the most important part of my bedtime ritual is thanking the Lord for the day he has given and praying for my friends and family. After all of this is done, I'm free to dream wherever my mind takes me. What is your ritual?

Sweet Dreams!

Day 11- Play More

Do you remember the toy store where you could get everything and anything you wished for as a child? I distinctly remember KB toy store as a child because my grandmother would always let me choose one thing to buy every time we went and it was always the lee press on nails....it was always so much fun to play dress up. Remember the stick on mustache's???? Well, thanks to a fun evening of celebrating birthday's and an early Cinco De Mayo, we were all able to play just a little bit more. Thanks to Carrie and Kirk for a fun evening!