Hearts have been played.
Friends have been lost, but not forgotten.
Lives brought together or maybe torn apart.
Dreams remain unfulfilled, unchanged, unspoken.
And yet the sky is still blue, and the stars remain the same.
We wonder, we ponder, and we hypothesize.
We pay less attention when it counts.
Chance left behind for what we can quantify.
We’ll lose our faith in everyone we know.
And yet we will forget that no one wants to die alone.
All animals find a variety of insects to be annoying. The bites from these insects can also be unhealthy. Fortunately there are natural solutions that are mild, but effective. Even people can benefit from these easy to make pest control sprays. Mosquitoes and black flies can be chased away using these sprays too.This recipe makes about 32 oz of flea spray or insect repellant.
32 oz Water
2 tablespoons Polysorbate 20
2 teaspoons Catnip essential oil or Essential oil blend
1 teaspoon Neem oil
Combine the essential oil blend and Neem oil with the Polysorbate 20. Slowly begin to work the water into the Polysorbate 20 / oil blend. It may appear cloudy, but it will not separate. Package in Plastic or aluminum bottles equipped with spray misters.
Enjoy a pest free day!
http://www.snowdriftfarm.com/form_petfleas.html
I was standing in line at a certain Seattle based coffee shop and I noticed that everyone had their heads down, staring at their ‘smart phones’. None of these 15 or so patrons were there with a friend having coffee, or even acknowledged the person taking their order. They simply muttered their order to the barista—without looking up at her—then handed her a credit card. It was all very cold, detached, impersonal, and a little sci-fi movie scary to be honest!
Now, I am not saying that it is necessary to have a 5 minute conversation with a stranger about their life, especially when I am behind you in line and in need of my coffee fix. However, since when have we become so detached from human interaction that we no longer give someone the simple common courtesy of looking them in the eye…?
Just think about what we are missing out on by being so distracted by our tech… As a case in point, this particular barista was about 23 year’s old, long brown hair, petite, hazel eyes, and a nice smile. There were at least 3 decent looking guys without wedding rings on, and they didn’t even realize that this young attractive female was standing right in front of them. Since when has checking email become more important than flirting with a cute coffee girl?
We sit at a bar with friends and everyone has a phone in their hands. We check our Facebook status more than we check our mailbox. Our thumbs are stronger than our calves because we spend more time texting than we do walking. We email, IM, and video chat so often that we’ve actually convinced ourselves that this is just as effective as a phone call or actually being face-to-face with a friend.
Are we becoming too comfortable with the idea of minimal human interaction…?
Clay Masques  Clay masques can provide deep cleansing as part of your regular beauty treatment routine. Use once a week to refresh your face. Two types of clays are usually used in masques. Swelling clays have three layers and can trap metal ions and other materials between the layers. These tend to hydrate as loose slippery materials without much body. They include bentonite, Green montmorollinite (French green) and Rhassoul clays. Since the kaolins and illites hydrate on the surfaces, they are less absorbtive but will provide body to the masque. Both types are usually combined to create a balanced product.
Clay masques are also a very effective way to apply many active anti aging ingredients. Add them to the water that is used to hydrate the clays. Since clays are natural minerals, it is difficult to predict the exact amount of water that they will absorb. Add the water and mix until you achieve the correct consistency. Be prepared to add more as the clays swell over time. Wet masques must be properly preserved. Adding over 10 % glycerine will prevent microbes from growing and help hydrate the skin.
Refreshing French Green Clay Masque
Combine 1 tsp horsetail herb, 1 tsp lemongrass herb, 1 tsp chamomile herb and 2 to 3 crumbled white sage leaves in a heat seal tea bag. Steep for 10 minutes in 16 oz of boiling water combined with 4 tablespoons of glycerine. Allow this mixture to cool before adding other ingredients. Add 1 to 2 tsp SDF Hydra and 1 tsp Marine collagen. Add 1/2 tsp Panthenol and mix well. You can also add Kojic acid and/orDipotassium glycyrhizzate to work on age spots. Start with 1/4 tsp and work up as needed since these ingredients may be irritants at higher use rates. Use this water mixture to hydrate the clay mix. Look for these anti aging ingredients in the following article.
Combine 1 cup of French Green Montmorollinite clay with 1 cup ofKaolin clay. You may combine 1 to 2 tablespoons of Jojoba oil with the clay if desired to help treat dry skin. 2 tsp of Seabuckthorn oil and 1 tsp of Vitamin E oil may also be added to help nourish the skin. Add up to 2 tsp of fragrance or essential oils as desired. Add the water mixture slowly and mix well to form a medium thickness paste. It may take several hours for the clays to swell. Be prepared to adjust the mixture to an easily spreadable consistency. If more water is required, add 2 tablespoons of glycerine to 8 oz of water to finish the hydration. Package in jars.
Steam your face using a herbal tea to open pores prior to use. Spread a thin coat of the masque over the face and allow to dry for about 15 minutes. This masque will remain slightly flexible due to the glycerine content. Wash the masque off thoroughly using a natural soap. You may finish with an herbal astringent if desired, but this treatment alone will leave your face clean and refreshed.
Enjoy!
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As I sit here with my big class of cheap red wine (not suitable for anything but a hard & fast buzz and the Sunday gravy), I find myself reflecting on the events of the past few weeks. I am early into my 3rd decade of this journey we call life and I am wondering if anything of significance has really changed. Or is it just the same old story…different chapter.
We are supposed to make smarter and wiser choices, based on the proverbial “lesson learned” adage, but do we? By now we’ve been expected to step into line, but do any of us have a clue as to what that looks like and what its coordinates are?
We have big plans, we use big words, we think deeper and harder, and sometimes we even know the answers. And yet we often find ourselves as lost as we were on our first day of school!
If you’re sitting there thinking that I’m full of shit and you’ve got it all figured out, then my friend, you need to write a book!
If our mistakes are the same—just tied up in a different bow—how can we change the outcome? By definition, that would make us insane!
Chances are you know someone who served our country; have you thanked them? Far too often we fail to recognize what really matters in this world. We take for granted our “creature comforts” without ever really stopping to think about why we have them. We can go to the store whenever the mood strikes and buy whatever we want or dine out in a 5 star restaurant because a solider fought to give us this right. We live in a capitalist society that allows us these luxuries because someone’s husband, wife, brother or sister laid down their life to give us the right. We are basically free to do what we want and it is because of the brave men and women who fight to protect us and our freedom!
I met someone last weekend that inspired me with his selflessness and bravery. His sheer willingness to enlist in the army just to ensure the safe return of the men and women of the United States Military made me believe in humanity again!
With all the news of wars and people killing each other under the banner of God in order to gain control and make more money than they need, I can’t help but feel that the fate of mankind is bleak, but because of people like this brave solider I have hope once again!
After hearing this man’s incredible story, I’ve decided that I can no longer sit and just listen to these stories on the news and feel heartbreak and anger. My new motto in life is “Be the change you wish to see”! If these soldiers’ are willing to lay down their lives to protect me, I am going to do everything I can to make sure they know how much I appreciate what they have done for us!
As some of you may know, I will be turning 30 in a few days. As my only birthday wish I am asking all my friends to pay it forward. I have done some research and found two wonderful organizations that you can make a small donation to. The details of these organizations and the wonderful services they provide for our troops are listed below.
Thank you for reading and I do hope you can help me in my quest to make a difference in the lives of those who put themselves on the line.
Give peace of mind and help a soldier stationed overseas talk to their loved ones by clicking here: http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/shippingLabel_generic.html
Donate A Phone
It's simple and FREE! Every phone you donate will help increase the amount of talk time we're able to provide to our troops!
Cell Phones for Soldiers hopes to turn old cell phones into more than 12 million minutes of prepaid calling cards for U.S. troops stationed overseas.
Help to keep the USO in the business of sending care packages and providing other types of assistance by clicking here:
