Tips Tuesday – Living Plastic Free Part 2

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Last week we started a month long Tips Tuesday segment on Living Plastic Free!  It has motivated me at home and work how about you?  We can always do more!

 

Kitchen Ware Continued!

  1. Choose a glass blender.
  1. Spin salad without plastic.
  1. Choose a stainless steel ice cube tray.

 

  1. Use stainless steel popsicle molds.

 

 

Make It From Scratch

  1. Make your own yogurt without a yogurt maker!.
  1. Make your own soy or nut milk.
  1. Make your own condiments.

 

Make your own snacks.

 

 

No More Plastic Trash Bags

  1. Compost food waste.

 

Household Cleaning

  1. Clean with vinegar and water.
  1. Baking soda is a fantastic scouring powder.
  2. Use powdered dishwasher detergent in a cardboard box.
  1. Hand wash dishes without plastic.

 

  1. Use natural cleaning cloths and scrubbers instead of plastic scrubbers and synthetic sponges:
  1. Wash laundry with soap nuts or laundry powders without a plastic scoop.
  1. A reusable Swiffer cloth is great for those of us who already own a Swiffer mop.
  1. Use natural rubber gloves.

 

Many alternatives to plastic can be found on line, awesome metal, and glass products and recipes that support plastic free living AND in turn provide greater nutrition with less fillers and chemicals.  Until next week when we continue our quest for complete Plastic Free Living!

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Tips Tuesday – How to become Plastic Free!

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If you are like me and you are wanting to become Plastic Free, then this list is for you!  Some of it is pretty straight forward other items I hadn’t thought of yet! Clearly as a family and for HHDS we have been promoting this for a while, especially with our refillable mason jars for shampoo and conditioner.  I love this list and will post 25 more new tips each week for the next month!   Check it out!

Top Ways to Reduce Plastic Waste

    1. Carry reusable shopping bags.

    2. Give up bottled water.

      Grocery Shopping
    1. Shop your local farmers market.

    2. Say “no” to plastic produce bags.

    3. Buy from bulk bins as often as possible.

    4. Cut out sodas, juices, and all other plastic-bottled beverages.

    5. Buy fresh bread that comes in either paper bags or no bags.

    6. Return containers for berries, cherry tomatoes, etc. to the farmer’s market to be reused.

    7. Bring your own container for meat and prepared foods

    8. Choose milk in returnable glass bottles.

    9. Buy large wheels of unwrapped cheese.

    10. Try to choose only wine bottled in glass with natural cork stoppers.

    11. Let go of frozen convenience foods.

    12. Give up chewing gum.

       

Eating and Drinking on the Go

    1. Carry your own containers for take out food and leftovers.

    2. Carry a stainless steel travel mug or water bottle at all times for coffee and other drinks while out in the world.

    3. Carry reusable utensils and glass drinking straws.

    4. When ordering pizza, say no to the little plastic “table” in the middle of the pizza box.

    5. Treat yourself to an ice cream cone.

       Lunch Time at School or Work
    1. Keep your own reusable foodware at the office.

    2. Carry lunches in reusable stainless containers or cloth bags.

    3. Choose reusable cloth sandwich/snack bags.

       Kitchenware & Food Storage
    1. Choose glass/stainless steel food storage containers, and reuse what you have.

       

    2. Learn to preserve foods without plastic.

    3. Avoid non-stick cookware.

      Now I understand this can be an overwhelming task!  Some of us have lots of plastic in our homes still and like me maybe don’t want to fill a landfill with our old plastic containers or portable drinking cups.  I hear ya!  I plan on utilizing mine until they are no longer effectively useful, however that doesn’t mean I can’t be more conscientious  with future purchases.  And so goes my plan!  How will you reduce your families plastic consumption?  Will you go cold turkey or gradually transfer?  If you get rid of all your plastic from the start, what will you do with it to be more conscious of what happens to it next?

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Tips Tuesday -Know When to Reach Out

Men

I have noticed many people feeling stressed, overwhelmed and suffering high anxiety lately.  Some of you might say, that’s nothing new, but statistics are showing increases in every area, suicides in every age group, increase in mental health leave in work places. more violent aggression towards others in our communities, we have reached a breaking point.  Reaching out for help from places like ours is a sign of strength not weakness, you empower yourself and in turn those around you!

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Hybrid Hair and Detox Spa is all about providing our guests with a ‘Safe Place’ to give themselves permission to enjoy self care, and increase the knowledge base in many alternative medicine treatments, as well as eco friendly full hair and skin services.  We expect people in overwhelm, we welcome them eagerly.  We accel at assisting others with decreasing their stress, anxiety and overwhelm.  But we know other people too, many amazing certified alternative medicine practitioners and we can connect you with their skills!  We encourage our guests to ask questions, and give themselves permission to explore alternatives in passive and active treatment for mind, body and spirit self healing approaches.

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Peace starts within you, each one of us has the responsibility to do what we need to, to chill out and find our zen on a regular basis.  For some that might be yoga and meditation, others massage and a hair cut, others, hiking and facials, I don’t care what it is, but what you MUST understand is that if you choose not to  you WILL pay a heft price.  Your health will decrease more rapidly, you will age faster, you will have a shorter life span, you will not be as effective or efficient at work or at home, you will be short tempered and low on energy, you will have more bouts of fear, anxiety and or depression, and you WILL affect negatively, EVERYONE around you.  Here is the kicker, you see chaos around you and you want to fight it!  You want to make it stop, you can’t by putting more effort outside yourself.

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The only way you can influence others to become more peaceful and calm, more loving and kind is to be that first yourself.  Sounds easy but it isn’t, without self care and filling your own cup first , learning skills and tools to heal yourself first you couldn’t possibles take on the task of positively influencing others.  But start acting as a leader and teaching by example how peaceful practices produces a peaceful environment and watch how everyone around you benefits!

MEpic for IHL

Want to learn how to start?  Book in a Free 1 hour first session with me for Holistic Life Coaching and we will get you started in empowering yourself with skills and tools to support you for the rest of your life! Call now for your first FREE SESSION! 519-404-6627

Looking Forward to Meeting up with you!

Tips Tuesday – What are you investing in?

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Many things floated through my mind about what to write about in this weeks Blogg, and I realized all the themes were linked, as everything is.  It all flows back to, ‘What Are You Investing In?’.

I know longer have cable.  I have not watched the news in a very long time.  I always find out what is going on.  Always.  I won’t bore you with why I do not watch it other then to say, I do not feel it’s accurate and it leans too often to the negative.  What happens when any of us lean too far, too often, to the negative?  We perpetuate more negativity.  I personally do NOT want to invest that way.  I do not want ‘interest’ on my negative thoughts or feelings.

I have seen and heard of many sad events happening lately close to me and not so close.  Watching a young woman be verbally, emotionally and physically abused for falling in love with a boy not of her culture and religion, by her own family.  This isn’t the first time, I’ve seen it and heard of this before.  In varying degrees of extremity and aggression.  Hearing how a rapist is protected and supported by the courts, a woman left to spend her life recovering.  Watching a man of authority inflict fear, pain and manipulation to sexually and physically assault women and walk away with very little if any repercussion.  Watching human beings cut down during a seemingly typical fun Saturday night, for no other reason but for their sexual connotation.  But this isn’t new, this is old news, this has become common place like a disease, we like to think it’s just in a neighboring country but it’s here, as I mentioned with the earlier example, it’s in our town, our schools, our homes, our heads.

Typically many will start pointing fingers at an extremist group, a religion, a culture, a race.  But it is far more sinister yet far more basic then that.  It can be summed up in just a few words.  Intolerance, ignorance, hate, fear.  It was found in Cristopher Columbus when he raped and pillaged the peaceful native people he found when he discover the new land, it has been in every war in the name of religion or for power, ever domestic dispute, every random act of violence from stealing a purse to rape to murder.  It simply has different faces.  But it’s all the same underneath so why hate the face?  Stop looking at the surface, it’s underneath you too, in the swearing at the diver who cut you off to the gossip you tell behind a coworkers back to the bullying on the play ground, to the mental abuse you put yourself through every time you tell yourself yours stupid, incapable, fat, ugly, worthless and on and on and on….

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What Are You Investing In?  Do you choose to add to your own negativity with layers of invested energy focusing on self inflicted crippling thoughts and emotional scars?  Do you watch negative shows and news only to spread the news, and feed the fearful sensationalism propaganda?  Are you someone who turns a blind eye to a neighbor, child, spouse, parent doing something you know is wrong and allow it to build until one or many are hurt?  How do you begin to reign in the violence? Start with your own actions thoughts and behaviors, move on to acting out of peace, love and acceptance of others, ALL OTHERS.  If you see someone of YOUR race, YOUR culture, YOUR religion, YOUR beliefs striking out against others in a hateful way, DO WHAT IS RIGHT to protect others from violent acts, help your friend, loved one, neighbor by protecting them from themselves, report it, don’t turn a blind eye, or your hands too will be bloodied with the investment you made by a decision of inaction.

What are you investing in?  How do you choose to spend your money, your time, your life?  Every choice you make controls an outcome, even the choice not to choose.  You vote with your dollars, your habits, your decision to or not to vote.  You vote by raising your children in the environment you provide for them.  What do you see as your future balance?  Have you invested enough time in your health to live a strong healthy life with your grand or great grand children?  Have you invested in your relationship with your kids for them to want to come visit you when you are in a home?  Have you invested enough in ethical practises to lead your life as an example to tohers on how to honour and respect all life on this planet?  Have you invested enough in your fellow man/woman so that your deposite of love and accpetance onto others invests into an epidemic of colossal proportions that it takes on a healing lif of its own?  Have you invested in the understanding that with voting you DO have a say in the environment your country offers to be safe in and out of your ow home, local entertainment spots and schools?

With the closing remark, that in a peaceful world no weapon is lethal.  I am completely opposed to guns, yet, as sadly our next generation has displayed in record numbers of suicides, words can kill, and you don’t need a licence to speak.  What are YOU investing in?  I choose to invest in the future, future generation, future evolution, future peace.  Will you join me?

pic for IHL

Normally I would write a gratitude peace to our fathers for fathers day, and they should not be over shadowed by the grievous acts of radical behavior.  To my Father who voted just days before passing, I do hope our neighbors to the south will vote for a peaceful future this fall.  To our fore fathers I offer forgiveness for what they may have done in ignorance and fear, I also show gratitude for those who fell for us to enjoy peace.  To the Fathers Today may you raise tolerant, loving peaceful and respectful children of both sexes, this will not be a simple task, but I know you are up for the challenge!

Fathers-Day-1

Show your your love and gratitude with our amazing spring promos to encourage him to fill up his self care cup!

Tips Tuesday – Stay cool and green!

 

I Found some great ways to keep cool this summer, it looks like it will be a hot and hazy one!  Many of these tips we use @HHDS & @ Home!  If you have more great ideas on how our followers can stay cool this summer in a ‘Green’ way please share your ideas on our Facebook page!

 

If you’re looking for green ways to keep cool this summer — with little or no air conditioner — you’ve come to the right place.

We’ve gathered a variety of eco-friendly tips that either don’t use an air conditioner or help you use your air conditioner more efficiently.

Yes, it’s true you can stay cool without harming the environment.

To keep you and the planet healthy and to save money on your energy bill, here are 20 green ways to help you keep cool when summer heat threatens to get inside your home and under your collar.

waterGreen Ways to Keep Cool With Little Or No Air Conditioner

Avoid the dry cycle and plan ahead. Allow dishes to air dry in your dishwasher. And, wash dishes late at night or early in the morning so you can keep the dishwasher door closed for several hours after the wash cycle completes to avoid hot air from spilling into the room.

Check refrigerator settings and coils. Set your refrigerator between 37 to 40 degrees and remember to keep the coils clean. Dirty coils make your refrigerator work harder and run longer, which heats up your kitchen.

Open windows and doors in the early morning. Allow early morning cool air to circulate throughout your home.

Close windows and coverings mid morning. Shut windows, blinds, shades, shutters and curtains later in the morning to stop afternoon heat from getting inside.

Drench your extremities. Run cold water over your hands and wrists, soak feet and ankles in a tub of water, splash water on your face and ears.

Dress for the heat. Wear loose or lightweight clothing made from natural fibers, such as cotton and linen (rather than synthetic materials), including sleeveless and short-sleeved shirts, shorts, capri pants, skirts and dresses. Rotate your shoes or sandals, so you’re never wearing shoes that are damp from sweat. Go barefoot when possible.

Eat smaller amounts of food. Your body produces less heat to digest small amounts of food than compared to large amounts of food.

Freeze a wet a towel. Allow the towel to thaw a little and then place it on your forehead, stomach, or feet to lower your body temperature.

Notice outdoor temperatures. Open doors and windows when the temperature drops down outside.

Practice green bathing habits. Open the window and close the door when showering, so hot steam doesn’t reach other parts of your home. If you don’t have a window in the bathroom, remember to turn on the fan to vent hot air.

Service your air conditioner. If you must use an air conditioner, make sure it runs efficiently by keeping filters clean and using the right amount of coolant. To help your air conditioner work better, use a fan to circulate the cold air. (If you can live with without using an air conditioner, do it. Use an air conditioner only during the hottest part of the day.)

Shut off heat-producing devices. When not in use, unplug or turnoff electronic devices such as computers, televisions, stereos, and incandescent light bulbs.

Sip cold beverages and eat chilled foods. Drink cold beverages, like ice water with a squeeze of lemon, or eat cold food, like chilled strawberries and blueberries, to lower your body temperature from the inside. Stay away from caffeine and alcohol, since both can lead to dehydration.

Sit under a tree. Hang out under shady trees where it can be up to 10 degrees cooler.

Spritz with water from a spray bottle. Mist your face or feet with water to cool off. While still damp, sit in front of a fan to get even cooler.

Take cold showers or baths. Lower your body temperature by cooling off your body from the outside.

Turn on fans to circulate air. Turn off the fan when you’re not in the room.  For a short-term treat, place a bowl of ice in front of the fan to move colder air.

Use a microwave or toaster oven. Cook food in a microwave or toaster oven, since both produce less heat and cook foods faster, which keeps your house cooler.

Visit the library, mall, grocery store, movie theatre or gym. Go to public places where many people can be cooled by air conditioners at the same time.

Wash and dry clothes before or after hottest periods. Do laundry early in the day or late at night when it’s cooler. Use a clothesline when possible or at least air dry part of the load. (Not everything may need to go in the dryer, especially items made from synthetic materials like workout clothes, blankets, and fleece jackets.)

sheetsSwap your sheets.
Not only does seasonally switching up your bedding freshen up a room, it’s a great way to keep cool. While textiles like flannel sheets and fleece blankets are fantastic for insulation, cotton is a smarter move this time of year as it breathes easier and stays cooler. And as an added bonus, buy yourself a buckwheat pillow or two. Because buckwheat hulls have a naturally occurring air space between them, they won’t hold on to your body heat like conventional pillows, even when packed together inside a pillow case.

 

 Set your ceiling fans to rotate counter-clockwise.
Whether you know it or not, your ceiling fan needs to be adjusted seasonally. Secounter-clockwise in the summer at a higher speed, the fan’s airflow will create a wind-chill breeze effect that will make you and your guests “feel” cooler.

 Focus on the temperature in your body, not the house.
If your ancestors survived without air conditioning, so can you. From sipping tasty iced drinks to applying a cold cloth to strong-pulsed areas like your neck and wrists, cooling yourself from the inside out is not a bad idea. Other tricks include being smart about your clothing choices and telling your partner you won’t be cuddling until the leaves start changing color.

Turn on your bathroom fans.

…or the exhaust fan in your kitchen, for that matter. Both of these pull the hot air that rises after you cook or take a steamy shower out of your apartment.

Heat-proof your bed.
Go straight to the source, and put a cool-inducing Chillow under your head while you sleep. For feet, fill a hot water bottle and put it in the freezer before placing at the foot of your bed. And it sounds strange, but slightly dampening your sheets before bedtime will majorly help you chill out.

 Let the night air in.
During the summer months, temperatures may drop during the night. If this is the case where you live, make the most of these refreshing hours by cracking the windows before you go to bed. You can even create a wind tunnel by strategically setting up your fans to force the perfect cross breeze. Just be sure to close the windows (and the blinds) before things get too hot in the morning.

summer night

 Ditch the incandescent lights.
If you ever needed motivation to make the switch to CFLs, or compact fluorescent lamps, this is it. Incandescent bulbs waste about 90 percent of their energy in the heat they emit, so tossing them to the curb will make a small difference in cooling your home while lowering your electric bill.

Start grilling.
It’s obvious, but we’re going to say it anyway: Using your oven or stove in the summer will make your house hotter. If it already feels like 100+ degrees in your home, the last thing you want to do is turn on a 400-degree oven. Besides, who doesn’t want to get more mileage out of their outdoor furniture and seasonal accessories?

 Make a few long-term improvements.
If you’re really, really committed to the whole no-AC thing, you can make a couple changes to your home that will keep it cooler for seasons to come. Insulated window films, for example, are a smart purchase as they work similarly to blinds. And additions like awnings and planted trees or vines on or in front of light-facing windows will shield your home from the sun’s rays, reduce the amount of heat your home absorbs and make your investment nothing but worthwhile.

“Wear light, breathable clothing, and avoid polyester,” says Adam Scott, green energy program coordinator for Environmental Defence and coordinator of the Green Energy Act Alliance.

 

Install white drapes and awnings, says Scott. “They won’t absorb the heat and will reflect it back out,” he says. Coulter says window coverings can block 65 percent of the heat that comes through windows. You could also opt for light-coloured shingles on your roof.

For days when you need AC, set it to 25 degrees Celsius.”It’s just as comfortable as 21 degrees Celsius,” says Scott. If every Canadian household did this, imagine the impact on the Earth.

**Some info from “Turn off the AC!” in the Summer 2011 issue of Best Health.

Tips Tuesday – Eco Sun Protection!

Many people are recovering from a little to much sun over the weekend!  But it was a good long weekend wasn’t it?  So I collected a few Eco Sun Tips for you and your family to observe in this intense sunlight we have and will continue to enjoy for the rest of the season!

MY FAVORITE Lets start here I’m not good at waiting!

BIG HATS!  They are sexy, flirty and timeless!

Processed with VSCO with s2 preset Processed with VSCO with s2 preset

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Protective Eco Skin Care! Diego  Dalla Palma, SPF 15 and 24 hour options!

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Protect your skin even more with Mineral Make up!  FitGlow, Canadian Made!

VITA-ACTIVE FOUNDATION is more than just a way to perfect skin tone but a healthy way to nourish skin with clinically proven super foods and essential vitamins. The plant based skin loving blend of Vitamin C, Botanical Hyaluronic Acid,Seaweed Brighteners and Beta-Caroteneincreases collagen production and dramatically boosts skins ability to diminish spots, freckles, hyper-pigmentation, sun damage plus improve elasticity. Daily use leaves skin clear, smooth and radiant. VITAMIN C Provides potent antioxidant protection, shielding skin from damaging free radicals, boosting collagen production and reducing brown spots. It’s prevented my usual sun spots and freckles from appearing this past.

98% ORGANIC | 95 % WHOLE FOOD BASED | VITAMIN C | BOTANICAL HYALURONIC | VEGAN

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Great for kids and Canadian made!

http://www.abbysprouts.com/Surf-Print-Kepi-Hat-UPF-50-Protection-Sun-Hat-Ma-p/6527.htm

kids hat

 

Don’t forget Mom and Dad!

http://www.stitchylizard.com/_golf-shirts-toronto/golf-eco.html

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Safer Eco Sunscreen Options

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  1. Nature’s Gate Kids Mineral Sunscreen, SPF 20
  2. Juice Beauty Sport Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
  3. Badger Sunscreen Cream, Unscented, SPF 30
  4. The Honest Company Honest Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30
  5. California Baby Super Sensitive Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30+
  6. Seventh Generation Baby Sunscreen, SPF 30
  7. Yes to Cucumbers Natural Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30
  8. Earth’s Best Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
  9. TruKid Daily Sunscreen Face & Body Stick, SPF 30
  10. COOLA Suncare Body Plant UV Sunscreen Moisturizer, Unscented, SPF 30

To see all the safest sunscreens, check out either Best Beach & Sport Sunscreens or Best Moisturizers with SPF.

 

  • High-SPF (SPF values of greater than 50+) products are misleading to the public and may result in people not applying sunscreen often enough.
  • Retinyl palmitate, a form of vitamin A, may speed up the development of skin tumors and lesions, plus because vitamin A is found in so many products, toxicity due to excessive exposure may result. Vitamin A safety is a huge debate and not everyone agrees that vitamin A is a hazard.
  • Sunscreen is just one way to protect yourself from the sun.

Protect your eyes!

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To best protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful UV and HEV rays, always wear good quality sunglasses when you are outdoors.

Look for sunglasses that block 100 percent of UV rays and that also absorb most HEV rays. Youroptician can help you choose the best sunglass lenses for your needs.

To protect as much of the delicate skin around your eyes as possible, try at least one pair of sunglasses with large lenses or a close-fitting wraparound style.

And of course who could forget the timeless option , the parasol!

umbrella

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BDDDCE An attractive young African woman holding a multi coloured umbrella sitting on a sandy beach with a blue sea in the background.. Image shot 07/2009. Exact date unknown.

Check out this lovely sophisticated version on Ebay! http://www.ebay.com/itm/stripe-Women-Princess-Folding-Anti-UV-Parasol-Umbrella-for-Sun-Protection-/291765363871

 

No matter how you enjoy the sun, do it safely!  Apply sunscreen regularly or if you have aversions to SPF wear long light sleeves and utilize the sexy big brims and pretty parasols!  Either way you can have fun in the sun and be safe too!

 

 

 

Tips Tuesday – Patience

cartoon

Ever just want to jump ahead to the good part of a book, or movie?  Or just want to get past the work of setting up the party and just get down to getting down!  Sometimes we want to just find someone else to do the tough stuff so we can enjoy the fun.  BUT we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the satisfaction of the job well done.  Nor would we be the wiser for the all the lessons we might have learned in the challenges we might face while doing the work.  This applies to EVERY area of our lives. We can’t skip ahead no matter how bad we want to.  When I was a kid I wanted to grow up so fast, not sure why, maybe it was the freedom I thought adults had, or the money LOL.  But either way I wanted it now, and to go faster.  Now I seem to have trouble slowing things down!  I wish I had a pause button or rewind to appreciate the times I rushed through with little or no appreciation that now seems the happiest moments of my life.  I have since rectified this habit-o-mine

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We can learn from this now, right now in the now.  Slow down.  What, if anything, do you want, need, aspire to in this moment.  Not the next.  this will allow you to impregnate (sorry for the squrimish image) each moment with purpose and actually slow things down to enjoy it more.  Showing gratitude for the now actually makes each moment better, less like work, so that we are not always seeking happiness and satisfaction in the next moment.  It also dissolves anxiety as it is induced by an inexhaustible dissatisfaction with our current situations.  It gives you time to review what you really want to change, how to improve and what you need to do to accomplish it.  Jumping ahead may get you to the next thing faster, but it’s not as full, not as precious and only gets you to the finish line faster, and when we recognize the finish line is our physical end, is that what you really want?  Remember, it’s in the journey not the destination!  Learn to embrace that and you will embrace the secret to happiness!

live in the moment

Tips Tuesday – Rough Road Ahead!

A Road Closed sign on highway 41/64/72 at the Lee Highway bridge over the Tennessee River.

Yikes Construction is everywhere!  Pretty soon I will have to cut hair through Astral Travel!  All the roads to and from HHDS and my home will soon be closed due to construction.  Not just that but EVERYONE I have been talking to has been mentioning they have been experiencing some pretty tough inner construction too!  It looks like ‘As Within So Without’ does really apply here!

It seems like these challenging times are the most daunting the toughest to navigate and the hardest to bare.  There is no better time then these to stop and look at our self care.  Have we been optimally nurturing ourselves?  If so the impact of outer influences will be felt, but in less of an emotionally tumultuous manner then if we have been slacking in this area.  In these times ‘Doing’ less is more, or at least thats what it looks like from the outside.  If someone were to observe me during these challenging times they might think I was crazy!  All this chaos and I’m too calm, seemingly oblivious to the anarchy outside, BUT!  In reality I am doing something HUGE!  If we remember at our thoughts affect our health, our frequency then we know that what our vibration is attracts the like to us.  So if I want calm peaceful bliss, I must create it inside.  This has been a tough one for me.  I was raised a ‘Do-er’ God helps those who help themselves I was told.  But over the years I realized I messed it up worst for th most part and it was incredibly stressful for me the whole time.  Ever been around someone who was totally calm in a tragedy?  They become an anchor for those terrified souls around them.  They have a calming affect on the whole thing helping others to focus and regroup.  You can be that for yourself, not in an avoidance way though this is not healthy or helpful.  During crazy times being the observer, staying focused and calm allows you to think more clearly and find a solution more effectively.  Not only that but it won’t affect the health of your mind body and spirit as much because you won’t slide into fight or flight.

one way

As we all know troubling times come to us to give us an opportunity to learn and grow.  Some would say ‘If that’s the case I have credentials out the whazoo!’  But truly, if we remember that through every challenge and stay calm, we can extract the lesson, integrate it and move on faster, minimizing casualties including your own!  Remember, ‘What’s The Rush?’

The Inevitable Navigation System: 'You have arrived at your destination.'

So in the mean time check on line to see what roads to avoid, leave a bit earlier and know that sometimes this won’t help. So if you find yourself winding through, navigating one way streets and closed road signs, take a deep breath enjoy your coffee, and enjoy the scenic route!

scenic route

you have arrived

Tips Tuesday – Loving Mama

gratitude

How do you show your Mom, Dad, Guardian that you love and appreciate them?  How do you show that to anyone you care about?  A lot of people are all up in arms about holidays and wasting our money on ‘Hallmark Holiday Money Makers’, however in a world struggling more and more with emotional and psychological problems I pose the question, are we celebrating enough?

celebration

Don’t get me wrong I am shifting more and more towards simplistic living, and have for many years have enjoyed holistic living, but there are ways to still celebrate and be mindful at the same time.  If anything the two go quite well hand in hand.  When we think of celebrating or of how we appreciate others our minds and bodies shift to a positive frequency.  By planning ways to surprise others or celebrate them in any way can create hours of fun and entertainment if you do it from the heart.  It actually makes both you and the receiver healthier!  Part of why so many complain about holidays is either they have received an inauthentic gift or they are giving them.  Thoughtless gestures turn into dust collectors or land fillers.  So if you were to truly sit and think about someone you care about, devote some time to it don’t rush it.  What have they done for you?  What do they mean to you?  How long would you like them around for?  Now, what is one thing they would love to do, have , experience that up till now they might have denied themselves.  It could be time sitting with a tea and reading a good book.  You could babysit their kids, and get them a box of their favorite tea with a side of poetry, or maybe its simpler, or more complex.  Either way you have the capacity to send them a message on a special day, and no it does not have to be a pre labeled pre packaged version, if you wish to be rebellious and make a stand offer this gesture the day before or after, but don’t avoid it all together.

People deserve thanks, they deserve acknowledgment for all they do for us.  Especially when they don’t do it enough for themselves.  We have several lovely Self Care experiences @ HHDS to honor mom check out our Current Promotions Page for a list of May/Mothers Day services we lovingly discounted for the person you wish to celebrate!

mothers day

 

Tips Tuesday – The Engine Light!

BROKECAR

So my car was hesitating in higher rev at second gear.  I wasn’t sure what was going on not being terribly ‘Car Saavy’, so I asked my husband to check it out.  After filling the tank with premium gas and some fuel conditioner it seemed to be running more smoothly. (Hoping to purchase a Hybrid VERY SOON!).  This didn’t last long, after a longer road trip the problem had become worst.  This time the hubby got serious about the investigation!  Under the hood uncovered the real problem!  A gaping hole in an air vent was the culprit to our car’s hiccup predicament.  after repairing the hole, cleaning the interior and exterior the car is running as smooth as ever!

Now most of you used to these bloggs are probably trying to connect the dots to this theme, and the theme my typical bloggs take.  So many people run their bodies like a machine, no oils changes, no filling the gas tanks, no car washes or repairs.  Just running till ‘something’, usually illness, forces them to look at their health and what efforts their self care has had on their health if they have shown any self care towards themselves at all.  When we pay more attention you our bodies, the whispers can be enough to remind us we need to do more to preserve our health and not wait till the shout to attempt to put out fires.  Any high performance vehicle needs maintenance, to stay in peak performance and avoid break downs.  What makes us think we can go at top speed and not break down, not crash and burn?  Want to reach peak performance?  Want to run on most efficient gas mileage?  You need to get your tires rotated, get an oil change now and again, maybe take the scenic route once and a while.  Ok so this might be an article to share with your hubby to motivate him to introduce more self care too, but I have yet another connection to make.

engine 1engine 2

Everything is connected.  If one thing is dysfunctional in the engine of life whether it be mentally physically or emotionally, you WILL feel it in other areas.  It is essential to recognize that you can not overly any issue you are experiencing, it is the ‘Engine Light’ that your life uses to draw attention to something only you can fix.  On a grander scale all this week HHDS is participating in Earth Week celebrations.  We are doing this because whether it’s convenient or not, easy or not, comfortable or not, our planet is flashing the engine light, and it has been for a while.  When will you take note, and do what YOU can to heal the problem.  Feel free to join us in cleaning up our communities this week, everyday we are going out collecting garbage, making an effort to prevent the items tossed around on garbage day over the winter from entering our water systems and killing our wild life, in an effort to ease the glow of the Engine light.  As we are all connected, the responsibility lies in each of our hands to do our part, nothing else matters no other issues as large or prominent if we don’t have fresh air to breath clean water to drink and majestic creatures to share our planet with.

Enjoy this link with your family to be an example to create Eco Minded Kids! http://www.grameen-info.org/how-to-teach-environmental-awareness-to-young-children/

Hope to see you in to celebrate, and share your Earth week pics with us!  A HUGE Thank you to Goodness Me Waterloo for donating some amazingly yummy Holistic Treats this week! https://goodnessme.ca/

hhds-logogoodness me