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Drinks/ HEALTH/ Healthy Eating/ RECIPES

My Personal 31 Days Of Tea-LC Challenge + Another Tea Giveaway

31 days of tea

 I just chose a winner for my last Celestial Seasonings 31 Days of TeaLC giveaway, and there was so much excitement about it that I though we should do one more!

I talked last week about just how much I love hot beverages in the winter.  I love chai, coffee and tea, but because I am a cancer survivor, health and immunity are super important to me. With this in mind, I have been wanting to drink less coffee and more tea, and joined in on Celestial Seasonings 31 Days of TeaLC Challenge.  My personal challenge is to replace my typical 2nd cup of coffee, the one I usually drink in the afternoon, with tea! 

Henry James Tea quote

My friends at Celestial Seasonings recently sent a bunch of their new wellness teas, just in time for my 31 Days of TeaLC Challenge.  I have LOVED trying out their new products, and have been really impressed with the emphasis their teas have on health!  This month is more than half way over and I have found that this 31 day challenge really isn’t much of a challenge for me because it has been a very delicious challenge!
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During my last giveaway, I asked you to comment on what your favorite Celestial Seasonings teas are.  I loved the response I got from you!   Here are the most popular flavors according to New Nostalgia readers!
~ Sleepytime teas were by far the most popular.  Many of you commented on how they really do work and help you fall asleep.  The Vanilla, Peach and Sinus Soother were the most popular flavors.

~Raspberry Zinger was also very popular, and came in second.

~Mandarine Orange Spice was a close 3rd.

~Honey Vanilla Camomille was 4th

~Peppermint was a favorite for a few of you!

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Ok, now on to a couple more of my favorite teas from Celestial Seasonings.

Celestial seasonings tea
This tea is very timely for what I have seen and experienced here in the Midwest.  It seems like EVERYONE is battling colds and flu.  We have managed to stay fairly healthy.  I do have one girl with some cold symptoms. When she told me she had a sore throat one evening, I was excited to experiment with Sleepytime Throat Tamer.  I made her some, added some honey, and she said she really liked it and that it definitely helped. She drifted right off to sleep after her tea. She is 11 and is really starting to enjoy tea, especially herbal teas!

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When the seasons change, minor throat irritations are all too common. Steep yourself in soothing goodness with Sleepytime Throat Tamer™. This special blend features all of the calming and relaxing qualities of our beloved Sleepytime tea, including aromatic spearmint from the Pacific Northwest and soothing Egyptian chamomile. Sleepytime Throat Tamer adds licorice root and slippery elm bark to coat and soothe a sore throat, while the rejuvenating infusion of lemongrass and ginger provides a comforting aroma and flavor. You’ll feel soothing relief from the very first sip! *

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Metabo Balance Green Tea
The next tea that I have really been enjoying is the Metabo Balance Green Tea.  I am on a medication for 5 years due to my cancer history.  This particular medication makes you gain weight.  It messes with hormone levels and because of this I have noticed a change in my body shape, and in my tendency to gain weight around the middle.  I have been blessed to never have had to worry about weight gain, until now!  I’m hoping this tea will help regulate my metabolism. This tea is delicious–it has hibiscus, orange peel and grapefruit flavor.  It is a green tea which is great for everyone, but especially cancer survivors!
For many of us, maintaining a healthy weight can be a challenge. Support your metabolism by adding Metabo Balance™ wellness tea to your healthy diet and active lifestyle. This all-natural blend features authentic green tea leaves and potent green tea extract for sustained energy and metabolism support, plus garcinia cambogia and a delicious tropical grapefruit flavor for great taste with no calories!*

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Hamilton Beach Stainless Steel Electric Kettle
I own an electric tea kettle, and it is by far one of my most favorite kitchen appliances, especially in the winter.  I fill it with water in the morning, then flip the button to “on.”  In just a minute or 2, I have hot water for my tea.  The kettle keeps the water hot for a long time, so I refill my mug often.  If it has been a couple hours since my last cup of tea and I want more, I simply flip the switch to “on’ again. It is a great way to have hot water handy all throughout the day. I LOVE it.
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Would you like a chance to win a month supply of Celestial Seasonings tea?

If so, enter below!
39
FAMILY/ Kids/Family/ Leaving A Legacy/ Love/ Parenting/ Spiritual

Leaving A Legacy-A Post For My 3 Girls

leaving a legacy
As a 2-time cancer survivor, I look at life with tangible knowledge that life could end at any given moment.  None of us know how long we have here on this earth.  This legacy series to my 3 girls…my lovelies… is my way of attempting to leave a legacy for them.  To speak of what is most important for them to know from me, their forever Mom.
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It’s funny, my girls.  I’ve wanted to write this series for awhile, but where to start?  There are so many important things I want to tell you, and frankly I fail at this so often.  I try to tell you verbally, and I know, especially now that you are older, that it often turns into a lecture.
So, I’ve decided to start with a journal entry I found, dating back to the year 2008.  I remember writing it.  I was at the Lied Lodge in Nebraska City, having a day set apart for just me and God.  I remember a feeling a strong sense of unease, like something big was coming up and I needed to prepare both myself and my family for it.  I didn’t know what that meant, but I had this pressing desire to express to you words that I would want to say if I ever was not around to say them.
This was 2 years before my cancer diagnosis.  You were only age 9, 8 & 5.  Precious wee ones.  I’ve decided to share this with you as the first post of this series because I thought it was fitting to start with truth, and an apology.
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Mother's day picture
{Mother’s Day 2011}
 
Journal Entry March 18, 2009
For My Girls:
 
You are God’s precious treasure.  
So very precious.
 
He also has treasure for you!  
Receive the treasure He offers you.  
The treasure of Jesus.
 
Nothing compares to Him!  He will never leave you or forsake you.  You will never be alone.  He holds you in His hands.  I entrust you to him, you are His, not mine.
 
Forgive me, my girls.  I know I am not patient. At times my words can be harsh and my temper gets the best of me too often.  God is working on me, and I promise to continue to grow in Him.  He is creating a work in me.  I pray He protects you from my shortcomings and my growth process.  Oh, how I long to be a Mom who is already complete in my wisdom.  But, until Heaven, when we will all be perfected and will all act perfectly, I will keep running forward and doing my best for Him in this crazy race of life.  What a blessing to get to run this race with your Dad as my husband (he is SO wonderful) and as you 3 as my girls.  You bring me so much JOY! God is only getting started with you, this is only just the beginning!  He has so much for you.  His way truly is the only way.  
 
Follow Him.  Keep His commands.  Accept His forgiveness.  
 
Have patience while He completes his work in you and don’t give into Satan’s lies.  He will tell you that you are not good enough.  He is a liar, a deceiver.  Fill you mind with God’s truth about you so you can discern when Satan is trying to trick. He is sneaky. Watch for his craftiness BUT BY NO MEANS BE FEARFUL of him. 
 
Our God is so powerful and so much bigger.  Get to know God’s promises and cling to them, to Him, for He is truly awesome.
 
I Love You More-n, 
Mom
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3
Beauty/ HEALTH/ Natural Products

The Oil Cleansing Method-100% Natural Moisturizing Face Cleanser

A Guest Post from Kendra @ Our Homemade Happiness
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I’ve been using olive oil to wash my face for the past two months. Yeah, you heard me right. I wash my face with oil. Sound like an oxymoron? Here’s how it works: like disolves like. The clean oil dissolves the dirty oil from your face, all without stripping your skin’s natural protective oils. This all natural, gentle cleansing approach is called the oil cleansing method or OCM in the blogosphere. Not only do I save money compared to my old Clinique face wash, it also doubles as my eye makeup remover. Yay for simplifying! The best part? My face has never looked and felt better. 


dCalifornia extra virgin olive oil

Recommended Oils

You’ll want to use a little castor oil mixed with a carrier oil. Castor oil is very cleansing. Start with one of the following ratios listed below. If your skin feels too oily, use more castor oil. If your skin feels too dry, use less castor oil. Castor oil is very drying, so don’t use too much. You should be able to find these oils at your local health food store,Amazon, or Mountain Rose Herbs. It may take time to find what works for your skin. When I started OCM, I used 100% olive oil because my skin was so dry. Now that my skin has adjusted and isn’t dry anymore, I use 10% castor oil, 90% jojoba oil.

  • Oily Skin: 30% castor oil to 70% carrier oil
  • Normal Skin: 20% castor oil to 80% carrier oil
  • Dry Skin: 10% castor oil to 90% carrier oil
  • Really Dry Skin: 0% castor oil to 100% carrier oil
Moisturizing Carrier Oils:
  • Jojoba–all skin types, especially acne-prone, oily, sensitive, and normal
  • Sweet Almond–all skin types, especially oily and normal
  • Avocado–all skin types, especially dry, itchy, sensitive, and aging
  • Apricot Kernel–all skin types, especially dry, sensitive, aging, and normal
  • Grape Seed–all skin types, especially acne-prone and oily
  • Kukui Nut–all skin types, especially dry and normal
  • Olive–all skin types, especially dryRinse Face. Rinse face with water.
    First: Rinse Face. Rinse face with water.

  1. Massage with Oil. Lightly massage oil in a circular motion over your face for two minutes. Massaging your face can lead to firmer, more radiant skin by minimizing fine lines and wrinkles, releasing tension, and improving circulation. Just remember that when you’re getting bored and wondering if the two minutes are up yet.

  2. Remove Eye Makeup. Gently rub oil across your eye lids and eye lashes to remove eye makeup.

  3. Steam. Soak a washcloth with hot water. Hold it over your face for 10-15 seconds.

  4. Wipe Off. Gently wipe oil off your face and eyes with your washcloth. When I’m finished, my face feels clean and moisturized, never greasy. I’m still amazed that oil can clean my face.
    (Don’t forget to admire your beautiful, glowing skin in the mirror.)

essential oils

Customize with Essential Oils

You can make your cleansing oil even more luxurious and customized to your individual skin type by adding essential oils. Essential oils are natural compounds extracted from parts of plants, flowers, and trees. They have been used throughout history for their medicinal and therapeutic benefits. They are extremely concentrated so you only need to add a few drops to your bottle of oil. Never use undiluted essential oils on your skin. Click here for more essential oil safety. You can find essential oils at your local health food store, Amazon, dōTERRA, or Mountain Rose Herbs.
  • Mature Skin/Wrinkles: frankincense, helichrysum, geranium, lavender, myrrh, sandalwood, carrot seed
  • Dry Skin: rose, lavender, geranium, sandalwood, rosewood, ylang-ylang, chamomile
  • Oily Skin: lemon, cedarwood, cypress, juniper, lavender, lemongrass, grapefruit
  • Acne-Prone Skin: tea tree, lemongrass, lavender, geranium, peppermint, rosemary, sandalwood
Questions About OCM:
How often do you wash your face with oil?
I do OCM most nights to wash my makeup off, but many people do it less often. I wash my face with water only when I shower in the morning. I don’t use facial cleansers anymore because they strip too much of the skin’s natural protective oils.
Do you need to moisturize after OCM?
My face was quite dry when I started OCM, so I had to moisturize. Over the past two months of doing OCM, my face has gotten less and less dry so I don’t even need to moisturize anymore. But I do it anyway to help prevent wrinkles (it’s never too early). I also use oil to moisturize, which you can read about here.
Does washing with oil make you break out?
No, I get less blemishes now then I did before OCM. Occasionally I’ll get a tiny blemish when I’m lazy and don’t wash my makeup off at night. Do OCM for at least three weeks to give your face adequate time to adjust. Be patient. It took some time before I figured out what oils worked for my skin and for my face to adjust to this new way of doing things.
How does OCM save you money?
Here’s how much money I’m saving by switching to olive oil/castor oil. Not only do I save money, I don’t have to worry about all the chemicals in commercial cleanser anymore. I also use oil as a natural make-up remover so that saves me even more money.
$3.90/oz. Clinique Foaming Cleanser ($19.50/5 oz.)
$1.68/oz. Olive Oil ($9/24 oz) & Castor Oil ($10/8 oz.)
 So Happy You Are Here
Hi, I’m Kendra!  I blog about all things homemade, especially cleaners, skincare, and healthy eating.  I started my blog, Our Homemade Happiness, after my husband suffered from mono symptoms for over two years and his blood results showed some liver disease.  Since the liver is responsible for filtering out chemicals and toxins from the bloodstream, I started to realize how many chemicals are in everything we buy, from processed food to household cleaners, lotion, and even air freshener.  I’ve become inspired to rid my home of as many chemicals as I can, one product at a time, and blog about it along the way.
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FAMILY/ Spiritual

I Finally Found a Word for 2013

Calm

I’ve been keeping my eyes and ears open for the perfect word for 2013.  I found this beautiful image on Pinterest and immediately knew I had stumbled upon my word.  Couldn’t you just spend an afternoon (or 5!) curled up on that couch with a book and some chai?

words of calm

This is the opposite of worry, fear, anxiety & fretting.  It is only accomplished in me through the power of Him. It will remind me of the deep trust I have in God and His goodness, that nothing passes through His hands to me that He is not aware of.  It will remind me that “Life is NOT an emergency”-Ann Vosamp.  It will remind me to be serene enough to be present in each moment, continuing to remember to life this life NEW!  Cancer did not take my life, and I see that as an opportunity to live intentionally.  Submitted to my Creator.  Calm.

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My Simple New Year’s Resolutions
1. Get my greens daily.  In salads, smoothies or juicing.
2. Get to the gym, 3 hours a week.
3. One load of laundry per day.  Washed, dried & put away.

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Below is the juicer I use and love!
Click here for my posts on juicing/juice recipes.
Breville juicer
The Lettered Cottage

12
Books/ FAMILY/ Love/ Spiritual

Supplementing Bible Study With Great Books – Purposeful Living

Supplementing Bible Reading with Great Books

 
These posts written by Todd (Amy’s husband) are designed to model a system of purposeful living.  At least once a month, he spends time setting meaningful goals around one of seventeen core priorities.

If you missed it, consider reading the foundation post – Purposeful Living #1.

 

Correct Priority
Priority #1 – Spiritual HealthGoal Setting & Reflection Date
November 2012

Goal
I need to always be reading one life giving book focused on growing in my relationship with God.  Specifically, I need to develop a process for identifying great books to read.  

Goal Status
Completed

Thoughts – UPDATED
I spent a couple weeks after setting this goal looking through my library of books at home, doing some internet searches, and getting book suggestions from others.  

Nothing peaked my interest until I came across a book I read years ago in college – The Pursuit Of Godby A.W. Tozer.  Apart from the Bible this is the most influential book I have ever read.  


the-pursuit-of-god

I was excited because he has written many books of the exact type I am looking for.  I want to grow in my relationship with God.  There are few people write about this topic more passionately and profoundly than Tozer.

After browsing through all of his books I selected Man: The Dwelling Place of God by A. W. Tozer as the next book I will read to supplement my Bible reading.  As an added bonus the Kindle version of this book was only $.99 on Amazon. 


Tozer_Book
 

The first paragraph of the Introduction to this book is fantastic and I want to share it with you below.

The supreme interest in the life of A. W. Tozer was God:  He who spoke and brought the world into being, Who justly rules over men and nations, yet deigns to make man His dwelling place.  He believed that all that really matters is for man to be in right relationship with God, that his first duty-and privilege-is “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”  For this reason he delighted to speak to men of God’s majesty and wonder and grace and he ever sought to instruct and exhort Christians to let this be the purpose of their lives.  He grieved that they should be content with less.

Thoughts – ORIGINAL
I’ve been reading through the entire Bible over the last couple of years which has been a great use of my time.  But I also want to supplement that reading with literature focused on nurturing my personal relationship with Him.  
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Foundation Post
Build Your To-Do List Around Correct Priorities – Purposeful Living #1

Outline Of All Purposeful Living Posts
Purposeful Living Outline

 
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Spiritual

Peace

John 14:27 – Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Romans 5:1 – Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:


Luke 2:14 – Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

John 16:33 – These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Isaiah 9:6 – For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

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