Light,  Love and Inspiration is this year’s Good Life. Good Earth. Holiday theme.  Our eco-friendly, 100% Organic Candles are the perfect gift to give to family, neighbors and friends as a way to share light, love and inspiration.  All of the candles are formulated with pure essential oils and provide true aromatic benefits in addition to creating an uplifting or relaxing mood.  Check out our Holiday Flyer  on our home page where you can see the entire collection.  They are available for ordering now while supplies last.

I’m in the process of becoming a Reiki Master studying under a wonderful woman with a lineage that ties directly back to Dr. Mikao Usui of Japan.  Dr. Usui founded the system in the 19th century.  Reiki is the art of healing through universal energy. It is a very simple system, carried out by placing hands on or over a person (who is always clothed), whose personal intention is supported during the session.  Reiki can heal on all levels, physically, mentally, spiritually and aids the body’s natural ability to heal itself.   It can also be used with traditional medicine to help bring about a faster, less painful  recovery . I am so loving the practice.

However, you don’t need to become a Reiki Master to understand the spiritual principles of Reiki.  They are timeless and can provide great comfort when repeated every morning.  Below are the universal principles of Reiki:                                                                        JUST FOR TODAY:                                                                                                                          Do not bear Anger – for anger is an illusion

Do not be Worried – for fear is a distraction

Be true to your Way and Honest in your Work

Be Kind to yourself and others

Can you imagine a world where everyone lived by these principles?

We are featuring our 100% Organic Soy Mango Candle in our Customer Package Special this month so we thought we’d provide a yummy Mango Smoothie to go along with it. Mangos have delicious pale-orange flesh, packed with Vitamin C, as well as minerals like potassium and phosphorus.  When you by a mango, test it for ripeness by gently pressing the skin, which should give away under your fingers.  Peel off the skin with a sharp knife, then carefully cut the flesh away from the pit in chunks.  Bananas are a great instant source of energy as well as B group vitamins.

Into the blender put the flesh of 1 mango; 1 peeled banana cut into chunks: 3 tablespoons of unsweetened yogurt and 1/2 cup of milk.  Put the lid on the blender and whizz up until smooth.  Smoothies are a great replacement meal and very beneficial to your health.  Drink up!

Relish your relaxation in your bedroom.  This space is a perfect place to embrace candles of all sorts to help you relax.  You can hang a romantic candelabra overhead or cover a surface with candlesticks.  One idea is to use candlesticks of all sizes on an old silver tray placed on a dresser or desk.  Another idea is to have a scented candle next to your bed that offers a calming fragrance.  We recommend Good Life. Good Earth.’s Lavender Organic Soy Candle containing pure essential oils.  As you light your candle make a wish, say words of gratitude, extinguish your candle, and enjoy a good night’s sleep.

Sleep and immune health are inextricably linked.  Many of the body’s major restorative functions, tissue repair, and muscle growth happen mostly during sleep, and studies have linked sleep deprivation with lowered immune ability, increased inflammation, and obesity tendencies, all of which are risk factors for heart disease, cancer and stroke. Everyone needs sleep, and adults need between seven and nine hours per night.  People who sleep well have a great attitude about sleep.  Many even create pleasurable bedtime rituals such as taking a hot bath with a little lavender essential oil, rubbing the bottoms of feet with roman chamomile essential oil, or listening to calming music.  Deep breathing before sleep is also a way to induce relaxation.  Lying in bed, breathe in through the nose for a count of 4, then hold the breath for for 7 seconds and slowly exhale through the mouth for 8 seconds.  Repeat 3 times.  Select a ritual, take a few minutes to unwind before sleep and look forward to what dreams may come.

I love the power of peppermint oil.  It grows wild throughout North America.  After a British Medical Journal, in 1879 noted that peppermint relieves headaches, it became all the rage in candles, sprays, cosmetics, and oil burners.  It’s distilled from the leaves and its scent  is powerful and fresh.  Inhaling peppermint steam or the aroma from candles and oils seems to clear sinus and congestion.  It alleviates nausea and can enhance digestion.  In one study, people putting a small amount of oil on their temples saw substantial relief from headaches.  Here’s another interesting fact; most bugs and mice hate the scent of peppermint.  So if you want to control your little garage visitors, put some oil on a small piece of cotton fabric and put in by the entrances of the garage.  Tuck it up so the family dog or cat doesn’t chew on it.  You’ll have a great smelling garage and less critters. We love the power of peppermint in our candles, sprays and therapeutic oils.  Visit our store and power up with peppermint!  (If you’re nursing, pregnant, or have a medical condition, be sure to check with your doctor before using Peppermint Pure Essential Oil.)

Last week, we received the license to market a very special product, Warm Spirit Special Attention Cream®.  This is a very effective and unique product created by a healer in the Arizona desert over a decade ago. It looks like butter but works likes magic on rough, cracked skin and nature’s trouble spots (elbows, knees, and feet).  Classic emollients and vitamins mixed with eucalyptus, camphor, and menthol help increase blood flow and soothe, heal and invigorate your dry skin.  It’s a real problem solver.  I love to use it on my tired feet at night before bed and then cover my feet with light cotton socks.  Not only does it help my circulation, but my feet are soft in the morning.  Soon we’ll be posting our customer testimonials so you can hear how others put the product to the test.  You’ll find Special Attention Creme® in our product store.  And, remember to give yourself a little special attention today!.

Here’s a favorite recipe for softening cuticles that you can make right in your kitchen.  This oil helps keeps cuticles healthy.

2 tablespoons jojoba oil

1 tablespoon of wheat germ

1 tablespoon of cocoa butter

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan.  Heat gently (low) until the cocoa butter has completely melted.  (Do not leave the saucepan unattended at any time.)  Stir well and cool.  Pour into a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.  To use, massage a small amount into the base of each nail, gently pushing the cuticles back.  Keep in refrigerator between use.  You can find these ingredients at a Whole Foods type market.

It’s one thing adding texture and comfort to your home, but do you feel  relaxed and protected in your environment?  Here is a very simple ritual which exists in virtually every ancient culture.

1.  Stand in the center of your living area and close your eyes, gently follow your breath.  Feel the tension dropping away from your body and mind.

2.  Now visualize a small point of glowing light in your heart.  It shines clear and white.

3.  Expand that point of light so it becomes a bubble all around you, so you feel safe and serene.

4.  Now visualize the bubble out even further.  See it encompass your home.  Imagine this bubble is removing all negative energy from your home leaving it pure, beautiful and secure.

5.  Gradually come back to normal awareness armed with the knowledge that all is well.  And so it is.

I have to say I love the 30 ways to unwind at home from my new book, RELAXATION ROCKS.  I enjoy finding creative ways to help people become more productive and increase their energy and inspiration.

My favorite chapter is Chapter 1.  BECOME A MORNING PERSON. I’m a morning person, but you don’t have to be an early riser to enjoy all that the morning has to offer.  You can turn any morning into one of the most relaxing and energizing parts of your day.

I like to think of each new morning as a new year – a new life if you will.  If you can modify a few things about your morning, it can change the way you see the whole day.  Here are a few things to try:

Step outside.  In many ways getting outdoors in the morning provides the best way to get your mind and body in sync with the day.  Stand in the morning light and fill up your lungs with morning air.  Get connected with the world.

Savor something.  Whether you like a big breakfast omelet or prefer toast and tea, eating food you enjoy will definitely help your mood.  Stock up on your favorite breakfast ingredients so you have them on hand.

For more morning ideas and many other ways to energize your life, order my book in the product store.  Isn’t it time you learned to put a little more joy into your life?