Monday, February 7, 2011

Remembrance




Remembrance

remember your divinity
remember who you’re created to be
remember life beneath the tree
remember Light
remember Me


~*~ ©Regina Ann   2/4/2011


Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The Forgiveness Meditation

This was shared with me by a friend and I wanted to share it with you as well. Enjoy



A simple and ultimately profound meditation is to close you eyes and breathe in the word "I" and exhale the words "forgive you."

Silently repeat “I forgive you” as long as needed and apply to all thoughts, feelings, and any other phenomena or sense of self or "other" in your meditation until still.

Neither reason, nor knowledge of an event is required to forgive.
Forgiveness is complete within itself, transcending all knowledge and reason.
It peels away the layers of judgment we hold on everything until we are finally left in the silent Love of God.

Our ultimate truth is unconditional Love.
Forgive means to first give (fore give).
All you really have to give from inside is unconditional Love.
The rest is conditioned responses of which you can also forgive.

It is wonderful to do going to sleep and waking up so that it penetrates deep into the subconscious.

Practicing this meditation instills the habit of being, knowing, and remembering love.
To first present unconditional love causes the spontaneous erasing of memories resulting in “forgive and forget.”

Only judgment holds onto past memories or future fears keeping you dead or asleep to your Truth.

“Forgiveness dissolves all but Love.”
- Robert Lodge Groves
 

Monday, August 23, 2010

Popcorn & Lung Disease


Is your microwave popcorn causing you lung disease? According to an article sent to me featured on Sphere.com some companies have reformulating to remove the deadly diacetyl, the chemical in artificial butter flavoring that has been blamed for sickening hundreds of workers, killing a handful and destroying the lungs of at least three microwave popcorn addicts. Unfortunately the ingredients they are now using may be just as bad or worse than the diacetyl they removed.

If you or anyone you love enjoys microwave popcorn this article is a must read especially if they have any lung issues! Sphere.com

Natural Mold Killers


We were blessed to receive a gently used bedroom suite for our middle son recently. The downside was that it came from relatives who have mold in their home and brought some mold with it. Mold is not a good thing for anyone to have around but son two has asthma so it is even more urgent to rid the furniture of the mold.

We started by wiping down the furniture with a vinegar water mixture to clean and disinfect. Then I started researching natural mold killers. I knew that lavendar is one natural mold killer but wanted more in my arsenal for peace of mind. These are some natural mold killers I found. I am starting with the tea tree oil spray and will report my results. In the meantime, I hope that these will help you in your fight against mold.

Natural Mold Killing Solutions:

Tea Tree Spray
2 tsp Tea Tree Oil
2 cups Pure Water

Mix in a spray bottle and spray over affected surface. Allow to dry. Tea tree doesn't smell the best but the smell will go away.

Grapefruit Seed Spray
20 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract
2 cups Pure Water

Mix in a spray bottle and spray over affected surface. Allow to dry. This mixture is recommended for showers and most effective when sprayed daily over the area.

Vinegar Spray
Pour vinegar straight into spray bottle (do not dilute) and spray affected area. Vinegar is a natural bleach so do not use this spray on areas you don't want lighter.

Borax naturally prevents mold and disinfects thus making it a great mold killer for your cloth shower curtains.

Our best result was with the Tea Tree Oil mixture.  It worked so well killing the mold and odor that my mom and dad bought some tea tree oil to treat their house as they were building it.
 
Please post if you have a favorite natural mold killer that you have had good results with.

SOAP NUTS & RECIPE


Soap Nuts are the best natural laundry detergent I have found. These little beauties come from a tree and despite their name they are actually the dried fruit from the tree. The seeds are harvested to be used and to be planted to make sure there are soap nut trees for as long as people want soap nuts.

Reasons I love them -

- They're inexpensive! I'm frugal so this is my #1 reason for liking them. They average $0.15-$0.19 per load of laundry depending on the size of bag you purchase.

- They work! These little beauties keep the laundry odor free and clean as well as soft - even with boys!

- I no longer use fabric softener! Soap nuts softens your laundry much as vinegar does. (In case you didn't know it - vinegar is great for softening your laundry!) For a nice smell I simply put 10 or more drops of my favorite essential oil or oil blend on an old wash cloth that I planned to throw out and place it in the dryer.  Lavender works great when washing the sheets and Orange is wonderful for the towels.

- I feel good about using them! They are sustainable and natural. I am protecting my family and my planet! Yeah me!

One bag of 5 soap nuts washes about 5-7 loads of laundry (depending on your water) and then you remove the old and put in new. My husband grew tired of having to change the soap nuts out so I started making liquid. (See recipe below) This made him very happy and since he does do laundry, as do my sons, it is important to make sure they are happy about the laundry procedures. :)

Check out our website for natural laundry soap you can feel good about. BeautePurpose.com

 
SOAP NUT LIQUID

To make Soap Nut Liquid simply add 16 soap nuts to 6 cups of pure water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. I simmer mine covered. Simmer for about an hour. Allow liquid to cool and remove soap nuts. Store liquid in an airtight glass container. I store mine in the refrigerator to extend the shelf life. Even in the refrigerator the liquid should be used within a few days. Never a problem at my house.

If you like your clothes to smell good I recommend using an old wash cloth as a dryer sheet. Place a few drops of your favorite essential oil or essential oil blend on the wash cloth and through it in the dryer with your clothes.

If you have extra smelly clothes or want extra softness - use a quarter to half cup of white distilled vinegar along with the soap nuts liquid. I do this with our towels and sheets and I love the clean softness that results. Be careful with vinegar as it can lighten dark clothes if the dye is not colorfast. I use it as a bleach alternative since my youngest is allergic to chlorine bleach.

Wishing you wellness,

Regina

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

BEAUTY FOODS


Eating well is just as important for beautiful skin as the products you put on your skin. I found a great article in the Energy Times magazine that listed the best foods for beautiful skin. My favorite is the dark chocolate, which I personally think should be a food group. ;) I've listed the highlights and created a link to the magazine at the bottom of this blog.

Dark Chocolate is packed with phytonutrients. The flavonols found in dark chocolate have been shown to increase blood flow - good for the heart and the skin. The recommendation is an ounce of at least 60% cacao chocolate.

Tomatoes provide beta-carotene, calcium, iron, lutein/zeaxanthin, lycopene, magnesium, potassium, vitamins C and E. Wow, all that in a tomato!

Yogurt provides B-complex vitamins (stress defense), calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and probiotics to keep your system running smooth.

Blueberries contain anhtocyanins (protect collagen from free-radicals), ellagic acid, lutein/zeaxanthin, potassium, and vitamins C and E.

Walnuts offer copper, ellagic acid ( a potent antioxidant that helps ease inflammation and retard collagen breakdown), L-arginine, manganese, melatonin, omega-3 fats, and vitamin E.

Spinach provides alpha lipoic acid (ALA) (works with other antioxidants in the skin to reduce inflammation caused by the sun), beta-carotene, folate, lutein/zeaxanthin, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins C and E.

There are more foods out there that a good for you so don't stop here. A wise doctor told me once "the key to health is a colorful plate." Make sure to choose organic as often as you can. A certified nutritionist friend told a class I was in that any food not organic can be GMO.

http://www.energytimes.com/

Wishing you wellness!

 Regina

SWEET CHOICES!


Since I gave you the scary bad info about refined and processed sugar I thought I should give you some good news about natural sweeteners. Here is a list that I have compiled. I will note my favorites and the ones I have had recommended by people I trust.

My personal favorite - Stevia. Stevia is a South American herb that has been used as a sweetener by the Guarani Indians of Paraguay for hundreds of years. The leaves of this small, green Stevia rebaudiana plant have a delicious and refreshing taste that can be 30 times sweeter than sugar. You can buy powdered or liquid. I love the liquid, especially the flavored. It works so well in my water and herb tea. Not good for baking though:(

Xylitol is commonly used in sugar free products and especially in chewing gum because of the positive effects on teeth. I was amazed at the many benefits of xylitol as reported by Wikipedia. Check it out


Erythritol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that is found in our bodies, as well as in many fruits, vegetables and even certain fermented foods. Make sure the erythritol you use comes from an organic source!
• Virtually calorie-free (0.2 cals/gram)
• A glycemic index of zero, so while it sweetens, it does so without adding calories or spiking blood sugar the way other sweeteners often do.
• Research indicates that for most people, it's highly digestible!

Certified Organic Sugar Cane. The cane juice, rich in molasses, vitamins and minerals, is extracted, clarified, evaporated and crystallized. The result is a blond- colored, delicious and natural organic sugar that will enhance all your favorite recipes. Use as a one-for-one replacement for refined white sugar. Great tasting but high glycemic index for those of us concerned about our blood sugar.

Organic Sucanat® is a whole cane sugar. It's made by simply crushing freshly cut sugar cane, extracting the juice and heating it in a large vat. Once the juice is reduced to a rich, dark syrup, it is hand-paddled. Hand paddling cools and dries the syrup, creating the dry porous granules.

Because Sucanat still contains all of the cane's natural molasses, it has a deep brown color and a distinct, natural molasses flavor that enhances many foods. It can be substituted for brown sugar in any recipe and it is especially good in chocolate-based recipes, for baking and for BBQ sauces and marinades. It is an excellent source of iron, calcium, vitamin B6, potassium and chromium, which helps balance blood sugar. This is what our cooking demo guru recommended for use in baked goods.

Organic Turbinado Sugar is made by crushing the freshly-cut sugar cane to squeeze out the juice, rich in, vitamins and minerals. The cane juice is evaporated and spun in a centrifuge, or turbine, to produce the large sparkling golden crystals. I have used this as a brown sugar substitute and people loved the taste.

Organic Molasses is a blackstrap molasses with a rich, full-bodied robust flavor that adds natural color and opulent caramel molasses tones to recipes. It is especially good in molasses cookies, in other baked goods, breads, sauces, BBQ sauces and in marinades. It can be used as a one-for-one replacement for refined blackstrap molasses. It is loaded with vitamins, minerals and trace elements naturally present in the sugar cane plant and is a good source of iron, vitamin B6, potassium, calcium and magnesium.

Now that you have some sweet choices (couldn't resist), experiment and enjoy!

Wishing you wellness,

Regina