Using chamomile as ingredients in skin care products There are two plants known as chamomile. One is the German chamomile (Matricaria recutita), while the other is called the Roman or English chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile). Herbalists generally regarded German chamomile was the strongest performance of the two. What is chamomile About 120 chemicals have been identified in chamomile as secondary metabolites, including 28 terpenoids, 36 flavonoids, and 52 additional compounds with potential pharmacological activity (Salamon, 1997).

Studies have also shown that the German Chamomile has a strong antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral. While Roman chamomile is used for anxiety, stress and other disorders of the nervous system and muscle spasms, etc, Guide Healthy, . Where can chamomile, Roman chamomile is a creeping, herbaceous perennial native to Europe and North Africa Northwest. Creeps close to, skin care, the ground and rising to 30 cm high, while the German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is native to Europe and western Asia and naturalized in North America (UMM, 2009).

What are the properties of medicinal use of chamomile chamomile dates back to the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks. German Chamomile is often used locally as a cream or ointment to soothe skin irritated by its antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral. The evidence suggests may be moderately effective in treating eczema. The Roman chamomile essential oil consists mainly of camazuleno, angelic acid, tiglic acid, and several Sesquiterpene lactones. Other parts of the Roman chamomile are hymns acid, athesterol, anthem, resin and tannin.

The essential oil of German chamomile contains camazuleno,-bisabolol,, skin care, bisabololaxides-A and B, cis spathulenol-in-n-dicycloether and farnesene. Other parts of the German chamomile contains a volatile oil, the anthem antheminidine acid, tannin, matricarin and apigenin (Purdue University, 1997). Using chamomile chamomile in skin care products is known as a big pain painkillers, anti-inflammatory and wound healing, reduce redness from any cause and promote skin repair.

It is good for dry, red, warm, sensitive skin and is said that anti-allergic chamomile makes this a very useful ingredient in natural skin care products for this type of destination of the skin. German Chamomile, skin care, has a stronger action, due to their higher content of camazuleno gives the name of the super blue. Like most of camomile essential oils have antiseptic properties, so it is used in natural skin care products as a decongestant and skin cleansers.

Chamomile is used, skin care, by herbalists as an herbal extract that can be used internally by a series of health problems such as blocked tear ducts, thrush (ulcers in the mouth), colic,, skin care, diarrhea, eczema, gingivitis (periodontitis), indigestion and heartburn, insomnia,, skin care, irritable bowel syndrome, peptic ulcer and skin irritations. Can be used externally in creams or ointments directly on the skin for any skin problem that an element of irritation, inflammation or infection.

It is often combined with other herbs or essential oils like lavender, calendula and others. References: Purdue University (1997) of chamomile. Website: www.hort.purdue.edu / NewCROP / med-aro / chips / chamomile.html (access May 22, 2009) Salamon, I. (1992) Manzanilla: Medici Neal plant. The herb, herbs, and Medicinal, skin care, Plant Digest, (1) Vol.1, PP1-4. University of Maryland Medical Center (UMM), Website: www.umm.edu/altmed/ (access May 22, 2009).

Well I think I’ve got it all done- I’ve got all the presents wrapped (Don’t think i’ve forgotten anyone) I’ve got all the shopping done,posted all the cards and even have most of the unit tidy…still more to do on that one sadly. I’ve even got most of the cooking done. Tomorrow night we’ll cook the turkey for Christmas day and I’ll make the couple of salads that  I will need to do  and that will be it.I took the offer of help up this year and so some of the salads and the ham will be arriving with the others.Oh and I’ll need to make the meringues for the Berry Tree which is a dish I’ve been making as the alternative dessert for the last 20 years. Its  consists of 3 layers of meringue going from largest to smallest with layers of whipped cream and berry yogurt with fresh berries in between. Its called a Berry Tree as it looks a bit like a Christmas tree.

Our youngest son Jacob will be arriving in time for Christmas Eve dinner (we’ll be having roast pork and John something vegetarian….its so hot here in Queensland that we have our hot meal on Christmas Eve and then cold meat and salads etc for Christmas day. We do have hot Chistmas pudding though). Our oldest son Ben and his wife Lina and her parents David & Bev will meet us at Church on Christmas morning and then will come back to our unit for Christmas lunch. We might even go and have a swim Christmas afternoon-its only a 5 minute walk down to the beach..a good way of walking off a few of those Kilojoules we’ll be consuming at lunch! We will miss Luke our middle son who is in Darwin and unable to come down to join us.

We finish work here at the Chamomile Massage Therapy Centre at 3pm tomorrow and then don’t reopen till 5th January. John and I will be taking 3 days to drive down to southern New South Wales where my nephew’s wedding will be held on New Years Eve. It will be good to have a happy occaison for the family to get together at after my mother’s tragic death in a car accident a month ago.

I guess this will be my last blog for this year.2009 has been a year filled with great joy and much sadness.

It’s also been a huge year for us. We started it in the air on our way to India from Dublin where we were teaching courses for the  Brandon Raynor School of Natural Therapies. From India to Melbourne then Adelaide, Brisbane and Darwin.In April we decided to leave off being travelling teachers with the  school and settle down here in Maroochydore where we set up our own clinic again. We still teach the Raynor courses from here though-looking at 3 for next year.

In March we had my brother’s daughter Cassandra’s wedding to Peter then in June our own son Ben’s wedding to Lina. This was the last time that I saw Mum alive and it was a joyous occaison. Mum and Dad and my sister and sister-in-law had lunch together the day after the wedding before we all headed home in various directions. Just 2 weeks before Mum passed away I was able to give her the exciting news that her first great grandchild (our first grandchild) was on the way and she was thrilled to bits -as are we all. This baby is greatly wanted and will be much loved by the whole family.

John and I have worked hard over this year to get the new clinc established and have been very pleased to see how well it is going-especially as we started in the middle of the economic downturn!

In November we had the worry of Dad’s knee replacement surgery and just a short week later the terrible news that Mum had been killed in a car accident on her way home from visiting him in the hospital. I had to go down to be with my father and brother and sister at this awful time while John soldiered on up here trying to massage,take bookings and look after things until he needed to leave to attend the funeral. Needless to say I haven’t been totally up to speed since we got back and then we had to get cracking with all the end of year things that needed doing plus preparing for Christmas.

So all in year we’ve had a lot happen in 2009.

As we look to 2010 I wonder where it will take us. We know the baby will be arriving in June…definately something to look forward to! We hope that the business will grow and that we’ll be able to take on another therapist. Apart from that we have no idea what the coming year will hold. John and I have both already taken steps this year to get fitter and healthier…..so we can look forward to seeing more results in those areas. …I want to grow closer to my Lord next year-to become more like Him and to be less impatient and critical and unloving to those I interact with…

Do get excited or scared as you stand on the edge of the New Year? What are your hopes and dreams and plans for it?

I do know that the decisions we make and the actions we take will go a long way to influencing how the year will deal with us. I hope that you will be able to say at the end of 2010 that it was a year of growth and blessing and that you will be able to look back and see that you made the decisions that will make it a GREAT year in spite of the negative circumstances that you will no doubt encounter along the way.

So John and I wish you a blessed and merry Christmas and a very happy and prosperous New Year!

Kathie x

Do you want to make a difference in the world?

Many people would love to be a person who makes a difference in the world but its so easy to say ‘I’m a nobody…how can I ever make a difference…I’m not smart enough-attractive enough-rich enough-driven enough….”

Just one word can make a difference to someone’s life. It can be a positive word or a negative word but it can have earth shattering effects. We might never know the effect on a person’s life that our words and actions can have. Sometimes it can be the smallest thing and yet someone else will remember it forever.

If we are concious of the effect that we can have on others then we will be a bit more careful about what we say and do. The joke putdown might not mean anything to us but it can be the last straw to someone who is struggling. The careless compliment might make someone’s day.

As we head towards the New Year lets decide that we will err on the side of positive instead of being negative. Let us stive to do ‘random acts of kindness’ not expecting to get anything back. Let us make a difference in the lives of those around us (even the stranger in the street) and in doing so we WILL be making a difference to the world.

‘Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless’ Mother Teresa

Isn’t if funny how the grass ALWAYS looks greener on the other side of the fence.

I have been following joniprittie’s blog and delighting in her lovely craft ideas for Christmas and looking at the pictures of her home all covered in snow last year (according to the latest news here in Australia with the big snow falls in Europe i’m guessing she might have snow by now).

We also have friends in England who have mentioned that they have snow falling now too.One of my dreams from when I was a little girl is to experience a REAL white Christmas.

I’m even hoping that we might experience one next year or the year after in Canada with my brother and sister in law….that’s what we are planning on…not sure if we’ll be able to make it come off yet.

My English friends on the other hand are wishing that they could come and experience a hot Aussie Christmas at the beach.

I guess that its part of our human nature to always want what we don’t have.
Wishing for a short moment that we were doing/having/being somewhere or something else isn’t wrong…happy dreams and wishes are a normal part of life. A vision of where we want to go or be in the future is actually a good thing…we need dreams and plans.

Where it becomes a problem is if we don’t appreciate what we have right now. If we are so caught up in the ‘ I wants that we don’t recognise and enjoy the now.
There is nothing worse than looking back and wishing we’d stuck with or enjoyed what we had back then.

As you enjoy your Christmas and look to the New Year with all the hopes and plans and dreams you envisage, don’t forget that the now is good too. Appreciate the good things and people in your life and don’t wish away the present.

What are your Christmas traditions?

Christmas has always been a very special time in my family. When we were children Mum and Dad established our family Christmas traditions. I’m pretty sure that they drew heavily on the ones established by her parents as my father’s childhood was not as loving and happy as my mother’s.

Mum would be busy baking the Christmas cake and pudding well before Christmas and then as we got closer to the day the mince pies and shortbread would be made. From memory our Christmas meal would ususally be Christmas chicken and ham.I know at some stage in my early years Mum moved the hot meal to Christmas Eve and we would then have cold meats and salad on the big day itself. Christmas Desert would be plum pudding and pavlova.This is a sensible thing to do in Australia where it is often 30 C-40 C on Christmas Day.

Even though my brother and I would be pleading to do so we were never allowed to put up the Christmas decorations until it was December and then the Christmas tree would be put up and the boxes of decorations come down out of the cupboard and we would have fun decorating the tree. I seem to remember in the early years we would actually have a real pine tree but later on we had an imitation one.I also remember making long chains of folded crepe paper that we would festoon the house with.

Christmas Eve we would hang our pillowcases on the back of one of the dining room chairs which we would place in a row in the lounge room and then Dad would close the double doors leading into the loungeroom and we would put the Christmas cake and some soft drink out for Santa on the dining room table as well as a carrot for the reindeer-poor things they must have had to fight over who got the carrot! and head off to bed.

It would usually be very hot at night and I remember sometimes getting out of bed and lying on the lino of the floor to try and cool down. Eventually you’d finally get to sleep only to wake in the early morning before it got light and hope that THIS year Mum and Dad would relent and let us in to see if Santa had been BEFORE it got light.We had to wait till everyone was there and then Dad would officially open the doors and into the room we would run exclaiming with delight at the bulges in the pillowcases.After the Santa presents had been opened we would then wait for Dad to hand out the other presents one by one from under the Christmas tree and we would then get to play with our new toys for a while until it was breakfast time until the rush to get ready for Church.

During the Christmas service I would always stand next to Dad and we would sing the carols with gusto and enjoy joining our voices together as we sang the lovely Christmas songs- I’d always hope for O come all ye Faithful as I know a beautiful descant and Dad would always hope for God rest ye merry Gentlemen. After Church we would come home and then we would help Mum prepare the special Christmas lunch. We would use the best china and glassware (I never lived down the year that i slipped and broke one of Mum’s best crystal glasses because i took my shoes off and was wearing my socks-we had to get the doctor away from his Christmas dinner to stitch up my finger) and of course the crackers would be pulled at the beginning of the meal and we’d share the jokes and wear the hats.

Christmas afternoon when my father’s mother was alive we would go over to visit her. After she passed away we would pack up the car and drive a couple of hours up to my mother’s sisters place where we would spend the rest of the day and come home on Boxing Day. I aways hated that trip as I would get car sick on the winding road that went up to the Central Coast…these days its a lovely straight highway! A few times we would travel up to my grandparents farm in the New England area a long trip that we would undertake when Dad got home from work and we’d travel through the night.Christmas at Avondale was always fun -there were usually pet lambs to feed and play with, the neighbours would sometimes come to play tennis or a form of softball on Boxing Day and the big table in the dining room would be packed with relatives. We’d have a real tree that Dad and Grandad would ride out on the horses to cut and bring back so we could decorate it.

Whe John and I got married we would always go to my parents place for Christmas and as our children arrived the familar Christmas celebration would have new life breathed into it. My sister would still hang up her pillowcase but Santa would fill it with things like Dad’s old gardening shorts etc and one real present….after she got married she wasn’t allowed to hang out her pillowcase any more much to her disgust!

Now that we are settled here in one spot again after having all our things in storage for 3 years while we were travelling I was able to pull out the CHristmas tree and decorations and put them up…. I do love them.It was so lovely pulling out the various old friends and trying to fit them into the unit we are living in for the moment.
This is the first year that we have Ben’s wife Lina with us to celebrate Christmas (last year we were in Ireland) and so she was asking Ben what we do and eat at Christmas. Hopefully she will like our way of celebrating and it will be lovely to have her parents with us too. Next year the grandchild on the way will be here and a new generation will learn to appreciate our family traditions.

Today so many people seem to despise traditions -the old way of doing things can be a wonderful thing in the right place-even if you come from a family where you didn’t have many family traditions you can make your own. Make Christmas a special time in YOUR yearly calendar. Develop some things that have meaning to you and make the celebration of Jesus’ birth a time that gives you pleasure as you prepare and celebrate.

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“Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.”
– Oren Arnold

I love this quote.If we all gave these gifts the world would be a much better place. They don’t cost anything as far as money goes….they might cost a lot though if we hold on to unforgiveness, intolerance,selfishness,lack of respect and the ‘near enough is good enough’ attitude.

Just stop for a moment and imagine what living in a world where we all did this would look like though!

Maybe we can start with baby steps and make the decision to act on one of these Christmas gifts today… I challenge you to see if you can do it.

We belong to a BNI group (Team Winning Edge-Australia’s first Platinium group) and this morning at our last meeting for the year we had some fun with the info-commercials about our businesses. Here is the masterpiece I came up with for ours

We three Kings of Orient are
We’ve aching backs from travelling so far
Our necks are cricked
We’re feeling stressed
From following that star.

So we need a massage right away
we’ve lots of gold we’ll happily pay
When you’re bodies a mess you need the best
Tell John at Chamomile we’re on our way!!!

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. ~Dr. Seuss

There are certain symbols that you see used again and again at Christmas. They DO mean a little more than so many people realise.

We use a FIR TREE because the pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind, all the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man’s thoughts turning toward heaven.”

We use a STAR as the heavenly sign of promises long ago. God promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of His promise.”

The CANDLE symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness.”

The WREATH symbolizes the real nature of love. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection.”

SANTA CLAUS symbolizes the generosity and good will we feel during the month of December and also our concern for others. The legend of St Nicholas tells how the Bishop Nicholas went around to the children of the poor and left them gifts to celebrate the birth of Jesus…the greatest gift of all.

The HOLLY LEAF represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly berries represent the blood shed by Him.We remember this as Christmas has no real meaning without Easter..the Death and Resurrection of Jesus completes the gift of the baby in the stable.

We give GIFTS because God so loved the world that he sent Jesus to the earth.

CANDY CANES represent the shepherds’ crook. The crook on the staff helps to bring back strayed sheep to the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother’s keeper.”

WE use ANGELS because it was the angels that heralded in the glorious news of the Savior’s birth. The angels sang Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and good will toward men.”

We use BELLS because lost sheep were found by the sound of the bell around their necks-bells should ring mankind to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return.

As you are decorating your home and tree remember what these things represent and enjoy this special time of year.

Christmas is meant to be a joyous celebration but for many it becomes a nightmare as we struggle to get everything done and organized.

Here are a few tips to be able to enjoy this time of year.

1) look after yourself….it is so easy to get tired and run down which only makes the whole thing harder

2) Drink plenty of water- your body needs it to be able to function properly and if you are dehydrated you will be tired and not able to cope as well

3)Don’t think that you HAVE to have the perfect home and meal for Christmas day. As far as I know most people won’t have the House and Garden crew there filming them-and although you want to bless your family and friends and also if you’re like me a bit of pride creeps in there- the day is about enjoying things not being perfect.

3)Try to simplify a bit. As many of you know I have recently lost my mother and apart from all the other things this has meant to me it also took 2 weeks out of my Christmas preparations, so I have had this one forced on me.Instead of trying all sorts of special dishes etc I am going to be sticking to the basics this year and accepting the help offered by my daughter-in-law and her parents.

4) It isn’t worth putting financial pressure on yourself just to celebrate one day of the year. If it isn’t too late to do so talk to your family about buying less expensive gifts and maybe buying a chicken or a mosquito net etc on their behalf through World Vison or Compassion as part of their present. Ask for a suggestion list from each member of your family with a few different suggestions ranging in price. What I have suggested to my children and husband this year is that they all put intogether to buy me a particular machine that I would really like to have that will help with my cardmaking.

5)Remember it is meant to be a season of goodwill. Try smiling at people.Its amazing how uplifting it is to receive smiles and good will in return.

6)There are many Christmas productions around…where we live the Maroochy Baptist Church has a wonderful thing called Christmas Lights that runs for a fortnight finishing on Christmas Eve. It includes a Christmas production, living Nativity, marketplace, music etc. Go to the Local Carols by Candlelight or something similar- it is fun and helps you get into the Christmas spirit.

It has really been brought home to me this year that we never know if this will be the last time we might see someone we love so instead of stressing over the preparations enjoy the day.

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With Christmas right around the corner, I thought I’d share with you whats on my wish list. I hope you do the same. What is on your wish list? Click the names to view their pictures.

Necklaces

Myth

Reflection

Swept Away

Chamomile

Bracelets

Midnight Hour

Epiphany

Heritage

Earrings

Bite Sized

Silver Streak

Rings

Black Out

Premise

I was honored when Mama Goose herself asked me to take a shot at a Twittermoms contest soliciting blog entries on the subject of Five Bedtime Tips and Tricks.  Ever the overachiever, I’ve got six, straight out of the Phipps Phamily, home to kids who pride themselves on rousing as much rabble as possible around bedtime.   Feel free to add your own in the comments section, especially when it comes to book and music suggestions!  We love to know what other families are up to — we’re just nosy like that.

1. Make use of your daytime hours.

We are all about the gross motor play.  There is no shame in running your kids ragged during the day in the hopes that they’ll collapse calmly into their beds at night.  Parks, playgrounds, parties… any positive outlet for energy is a good thing.   On rainy days, get creative.  We spent one particularly desperate day allowing an active wee one to run up and down a long hallway in a mostly-deserted covered strip mall.  Whatever works, we say.

1. Be big on bath time.

Bath time is a great pre-bed ritual.  First, it’s an opportunity to reach out for a little herbal help…  there are copious amounts of children’s bath products that incorporate ingredients like lavender, chamomile, and eucalyptus – all of which are supposed to soothe and calm little ones.   Second, bath-time provides a great forum for kids to process the day on a developmentally appropriate level.  We keep a large stock of bath toys, from miniature sea animals to empty bottles, all of which work their way into our kids’ bath-time narrative play over the course of the week.  Think of bath-time as journal-writing for the pre-literacy set: an opportunity to constructively process your thoughts and release them before lying down to sleep.

1. Coziness counts.

Never underestimate the power of a cute pair of pajamas.  Seriously, in our family, sleepwear is a big deal, and I’m not just saying that because this blog entry was inspired by a contest run by children’s sleepwear company St. Eve and their www.dramau.com website.  It’s a lot more exciting to get ready for bed if your favorite outfit happens to be your red monkey footie pajamas.  (Purchased at Mama Goose, of course — I think there’s currently another pair available in the 2T section.  I know a certain 3-year-old who highly recommends them.)  Pajamas also provide a nice opportunity for parental compromise.  You know that ratty old t-shirt that your kid won’t let you throw out?   Let him sleep in it.  Having an all-out war over whether Hannah Montana is allowed in the house?  Get a Hannah nightgown — no one else will have to know.  The same thoughts apply to bed linens… a cushy, cozy comforter can go a long way towards coaxing a kid into bed, and clean skin on soft sheets is an automatic sleep inducer.  If those sheets happen to have The Wiggles on them, we won’t judge.

1. Books  and music.

If you choose carefully,  books can be used as literary lullabies.  Any book can be a “bedtime book,” regardless of subject matter, if its words possess a certain calming cadence, rhythm and/or rhyme.  Almost anything by Dr. Seuss fits this description, as do the Madeline books.  Bedtime books are best if they can be read over and over – it’s comforting for children to hear the same words each night, plus, children are less likely to fight sleep mid-story if they are assured that they know the ending.  Bedtime books are also a great opportunity to meet a child’s individual needs.  A child who acts out repeatedly may find comfort in Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, knowing that whatever he may do, home is always where someone loves him best of all.  An adopted child may love to hear Tell Me Again About the Night I was Born by Jamie Lee Curtis; a city kid transplanted to Ithaca may find solace in “Harlem Night Song” by Langston Hughes.   Again, whatever works.

I’m also a big fan of the mix CD, and bedtime is no exception.  At our house, kids generally listen to adult music, to avoid what I’ll call Laurieberkneritis, a phenomenon first discovered while I was working at the Scholastic Toy Store and would find myself unable to sleep because of the medley of children’s tunes playing non-stop in my head.  We have several incarnations of our bedtime CD floating around our house, and you can visit some of the frequently included tracks on ITunes, in Meryl’s Mama Goose Bedtime IMix.

1. As in all aspects of parenting, choose your battles.

When it comes to bedtime, parenting books and sites are all about one word – “routine,” and routine is indeed a beautiful thing.  Children need structure, especially around transitions, and bedtime is a great place to provide that.  However, children are also people, and occasionally need to the flexibility that adults do.  Think about how annoyed you would be if someone insisted you were in bed asleep at the exact same time every night.  Things come up.  Sometimes your kids just won’t be tired, and trying to force them to sleep is just setting everyone up for failure. Don’t worry about letting them stay up thirty extra minutes, if it’s going to save you fifteen minutes of fighting.   Don’t feel bad if you let them fall asleep in front of a movie once in a while.  Don’t be afraid to use what my best friends have brilliantly coined “Standard Ops,” that tried-and-true procedure in which you keep your kids out a little late, turn the heat up in the car a little higher than normal, and take a long and winding road home, giving you the chance to just carry your little ones from their carseats to their cribs, kiss them without waking them, and go downstairs to watch some Grey’s Anatomy.  You deserve some downtime.  Seriously, though, remember that you know what works best for you and your kids, and as long as you’re all getting enough sleep, you can’t go wrong.

1. When all else fails…

This is my husband’s favorite bedtime technique, though I believe it should be used sparingly, as I’ll explain in a bit.  We’ll call it “modeling good sleeping behavior.”  When you’ve got a kid refusing to go to bed, offer to stay with him until he falls asleep.  Make yourself a cozy sleeping space, lie down, and take a nap.  You know you’re tired, you know you want to, and there’s really very little a child can do when he realizes that not only is it bedtime, but it’s SO bedtime that even the grown-ups are sleeping.  There are risks to overusing this technique, though.  First, if the novelty wears off, you’ll find yourself in the uncomfortable position of being poked and prodded awake by your child, who has chosen not accept your modeled behavior.  Second, you could fall victim to Lost Night Syndrome, in which, by falling asleep at 7:30 pm with your three-year-old, you completely flaked on whatever was on your to-do list for that evening, only to awake at 4:00 am, discombobulated and annoyed that you didn’t do whatever it was you wanted to do.  When used appropriately, however, this technique is a tried and true way to get your kids to fall asleep…. We think.  We were napping. 

-Meryl at the Goose

I am not experiencing constant intense grief now-obviously things bring it back…like not being sure of the address of a relative to send a Christmas card to and thinking ‘oh i’ll ring Mum and ask her’ and then being hit by the realisation that I can’t do that any more.

The biggie that I am experiencing lately is that I am so forgetful- I couldn’t remember where I parked the car today at the shopping centre and I forgot I had some people calling into the clinic this morning ….. hopefully this is just a short lived thing and i’ll be back to normal soon.

The other thing that happened yesterday is that we went to a meeting last night where I had one glass of wine and it went straight to my head….I couldn’t believe it affected me so badly! Fortunately I rarely drink any alcohol so it isn’t a big problem but was certainly something that caught me by surprize.

My dear Father is going so well… I am so proud of him. He has been consentrating on getting on with his rehab and will now be going home on Wed. Oh I wish I could be there to stay with him for a while to ease the loneliness that he will experience in the house with out Mum. He has to learn to cook and look after himself after 57 years of being looked after (he did the outside jobs and washed up at night etc but Mum did most of the inside stuff). I just pray he’ll be ok physically as he leaves the hospital and continues to improve with his movement. I know his friends will be keeping an eye on him but its so hard to be up here and leave him to it. At least we’ll see him in a couple of weeks for my nephew’s wedding.

Spa Herbal Tea

At  Yai Ya Spa, we emphasized on holistic approach, the spa herbal tea will be served after treatment. The herbal tea is mindfully selected from range of Thai healing herb and well -prepared to promote the healing essence of well-being.

Tea of your choice:

Herbal tea (Non-Sugar)

Chamomile: Promote calm and relive anxiety

Juaogulan: Anti-aging and longevity herb tonic

Green Tea: cooling the body and natural anti-oxidant

Sweet Flavor tea with mild sugar

Ginger: promoting digestive system, releasing bloating stomach, and warm up the body

Lemongrass:  stress relief and good tonic for muscle tension

Pandan: promoting cooling effect, help maintain heart and liver

If you have ever not known what to say to someone when they are grieving I can now tell you from personal experience that the best thing you can do is say “I’m so sorry’ and then give them a big hug.

In the past I have tended to be one of the people who try to talk to a person who is grieving…saying things like….at least they didn’t suffer…..you’ll feel better in time etc… all those things that people say trying to bring comfort to the person.

I now know that you don’t want to hear all those well meant platitudes…the things that mean the most are the comfort received from a hug as you cry….the meal dropped around so you don’t have to think about food…..in our case the loan of a car so we could get up to see Dad in the hospital,out to redirect the mail and see the solicitor etc without having to organise lifts.

It’s the practical things that help most as you are so consumed by the things that need doing and the numbness of shock that its hard to cope with the little things.The messages left on your voicemail just letting you know that people love you and care and the cards and flowers help too but there’s nothing like the comfort of a hug from someone who cares.

‘Sometimes it’s better to put love into hugs than to put it into words‘. ~Author Unknown

‘You can’t wrap love in a box, but you can wrap a person in a hug’. ~Author Unknown

A common problem many women face today is volume. Trying to achieve a natural look of volume can often be difficult. Certain hair products leave your hair crunchy and heavy. Others waxy and greasy. It is very hard to find a product with the proper balance.

SLI Beauty has various volumizing styling products, but one takes ring champion. Root Lifter spray. This delicious spray is a light weight volume product, but a  power house hold and flexibility.

One essential ingredient in Root Lifter spray is Chamomile. Chamomile is used as a soothing agent, no wonder it appears first and foremost in our root spray, since it is being spray onto the root of hair/scalp. This can also help with minor scalp irritations. Another ingredient that might surprise you is corn starch. Corn starch is used as a hold ingredient, the brilliance behind this is that the corn starch does not leave any crunch with its hold power. Also nice to know that you are getting your hold from a natural ingredient. To keep the cuticle smooth and increase the hairs diameter, Panthenol ( also better know as Pro Vitamin B5).Panthenol also helps retain moisture and balance in the hair, a great feature about this ingredient is that it is quickly absorbed into the hair.

If you are thinking about building private label this product is a sure winner amongst your stylists and clientele. SLI Beauty can help you build a Sulfate Free - Paraben Free - Phthalate Free - Salt Free private label hair care line.

This is just one of the many products that SLI Beauty can offer.

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The intense grief of the first week has subsided and I am now experiencing ‘flashback’ moments where memories of Mum surface at the oddest moments. I have found an intense need to tell people I am speaking to about what happened – fortunately everyone is very kind and listens to me with compassion and concern.

I have also discovered that you don’t need words from people…the best sympathy is to say how sorry you are and then to hug the person grieving….human comfort is what you REALLY need at this time of sorrow.

I guess the one thing I didn’t really realise would happen is the intense exhaustion I am experiencing. I shouldn’t be surprized really…while I was down at Mum and Dad’s as well as trying to organize the funeral and let everybody know who needed to be told, we were having to drive an hour each way to visit Dad in the hospital in Nowra from Mollymook, visit him, cry with, remember with and occaisonally laugh with each other. We also had to try and sort out legal stuff etc.

As soon as we found out that Mum had been killed in the accident I left to go down to join with my brother and sister at Mum and Dad’s. Dad is still in hospital after his knee replacement op and our first need to was to be with him and comfort and support him. John had to keep things going up here at the clinic until we knew when we could have the funeral and then he drove the 1300 kms in one day so he could be there.

After the funeral we stayed an extra day and then on Sunday drove back up to Qld -taking 2 days this time.Yesterday was the first day back at work where everything was in chaos as John had to try and manage without me here for a week…he was massaging, teaching the course and trying to take calls etc while dealing with his grief too.

Last night i could barely think straight and this morning I feel so weary but I know that it will get easier as time goes on.

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal. ~From a headstone in Ireland

Hi Everyone
I have not updated my blog until today as on 19th Nov my dear Mum, Margaret Gordon, was killed in a car accident near Nowra in NSW. She was on her way home after visiting my father who had a double knee replacement the week before.

Needless to say this has been a horrendous experience for me and my family. Mum was a young 76 year old who lived her life to the full. She loved her Lord and her family and had a strong sense of responsibility to the world around her. She was always on the go- whether it be planning and going on the overseas or domestic trips that she and Dad had done since they retired, working in one of the many groups, commitees or organizations she was involved with or making the prize-winning hand made dolls etc she was famous for and sold at the Milton Markets.

Death is one of those things that we don’t like to think about….many of us do our best to avoid growing old these days and there are even a number of people who are in denial that one day they too will meet their Maker. However, regardless how we try to avoid it the truth is that we WILL die.

Grief comes from the fact that those of us left behind find it hard to realise that we will not see our loved one again on this earth. We also are very aware that we have usually left things unsaid or not shown how we really felt. I have been feeling sad that I took my wonderful Mum for granted and often saw the annoying things and didn’t appreciate the good as much as I should have.

Sudden death is awful as we don’t get the chance to say goodbye….to let the person know how important they are to us. I was trying to but could not contact Mum for a day and a half before she died, but  I am glad that the last thing I said to her was “I love you Mum”.

I know that as time goes on the intense grief that I am feeling now will fade and even though I will never forget her, in time I am sure that it won’t hurt as much as it does now. There will be times where I will feel sad that she isn’t here…. like when her first great grandchild will be born in June next year. I hope I will remember her often and be grateful that I had so many good times with her.

I would encourage you to make sure that you let those you love know it…don’t assume that they will always be there,  treasure the times you have together and make plenty of good memories that you will be able to carry with you for the rest of your lives.

Thank you Mum for all you did and were and gave. I am missing you xxxx

Alright, last night I was able to knock out one more Iron Chef from my list as Yuki’s parents took us along with her sister to Iron Chef Italian Masahiko Kobe’s restaurant, Ristorante Massa. It’s located in a very cool neighborhood of Tokyo called Ebisu tucked away off a main street. It’s a simple little restaurant that seats only about 25-30 people. It was full when we were there, and probably is most nights due to his celebrity status and fantastic food.

There were two pre fix menu options. The one we opted for was the less expensive of the two (approx $65 compared to $85) as it offered one less dish than the other. Since none of us are fat Americans it seemed like the right choice. We could chose one from each category of Antipasto Freddo (3 choices), Antipasto Caldo (three choices), Primo Piatto (5 choices), Secondo Piatto (4 choices), and either a Dolce (5 choices) or Formaggio Plate (pick two out of 4 cheeses) followed by either tea or espresso. We washed down the meal with some Chianti Classico. I have pics of everything, but I’m only going to mention what I ordered otherwise this post will be way way way too long. This is already one of the longest introductions I’ve written. So, on to the food!

We each started off with the Oyster starter that was not part of the Pre Fix. It is probably the largest oyster I’ve ever eaten in my life! So fresh and clean it was simply served in its own juices with a little squeeze of lime and some rock salt. What more does a good oyster need?

Then they brought out an amuse bouche. Baked pasta filled with ricotta cheese, a little slice of pear, and an Italian parsley leaf. It almost reminded me of matzoh with cream cheese, a treat dear to my stomach for one week out of the year.

The Antipasto Freddo I ordered was a foie gras terrine with chamomile. It was served with smoked Ishikawa potatoes, a yuzu consomme jelly, Italian Arugula, and sprinkled with flaked red pepper.

My Antipasto Caldo of choice was a bit of a mis-translation. I thought I was getting duck confit, when it showed up we thought is was duck balls, but it turned out to be chicken gizzards. I actually preferred it to be balls since I’ve never eaten bird balls, but it was still outstanding! The gizzards were served on top of a kabocha puree with thinly sliced red onions that were soaked in cold water, a shishito pepper, and a pea pod.

The Primo Piatto, pasta course, I ordered was chitarra with cremini sauce. The sauce was as simple and delicious as could be…olive oil, garlic, and minced cremini mushrooms. There were big slices of sautéed cremini in it as well. With Kobe being the “Prince of Pasta” it was easily the best pasta in my life. Cooked to perfection, nice and al dente.

For the Secondo Piatto I got the beef, of course. A perfectly grilled strip loin to medium rare covered in a light mustard sauce and served with asparagus, a shiitake, a pea pod, and a slice of red pepper. Uichiro, Yuki’s dad, ordered his with black truffles on top. I wish I knew I could do that. He gave me a few of the truffles and they made an outstanding steak even better…as truffles always do.

I opted for the Formaggio instead of a Dolce. I chose the parmigiano and taleggio. He served it very typically with some dried fruits and sliced nut bread. I washed it down with lemon tea instead of espresso as I wanted to sleep later on.

Maki, Yuki’s sister, couldn’t finish her Tirimisu so I took it upon myself to not waste any food. It was served with kiwi sorbet and fresh fruit. Of course, it was the best tirimisu that I’ve ever digested.

Overall, this was by far the best Italian food I’ve ever eaten, hands down. And I’ve been to Italy. I’m sure there are places as good in Italy, but when Yuki and I went there we couldn’t afford any of the top restaurants. We ate some pretty damn good food there, but nothing as refined as this.

I have also said before that I didn’t think modern Italian food existed. I said that due to the lack of creativity and refinement of Italian food in Chicago (although, I have yet to eat at Spiaggia). At home it’s mostly humongous bowls of pasta with thick rich sauces that weigh you down. Nothing like Ristorante Massa where the portions were clean, fresh, perfectly sized, and creative modern takes on classics. I have a newfound respect for Italian food.

While I have eaten at Sakai’s, Michiba’s, and Chen’s restaurants, this is the first time that an Iron Chef has actually cooked for me. It was very exciting to see Kobe back in the kitchen when we walked in. I think there are two reasons Kobe was cooking for us. First, he only has one restaurant while the others all have numerous. So you know where Kobe will be when he cooks as opposed to it being a crapshoot for the others (I missed Sakai by 4 hours back when Yuki and I went to La Rochelle). Second, he’s still young at only 40 and still wants to create. Michiba is an old man and doesn’t cook anymore and I don’t think Sakai cooks too much anymore either.

No more Iron Chefs this trip as we head back to cold Chicago tomorrow. Next trip I’ll visit Iron Chef Japanese Nakamura Komei and maybe Honorary Iron Chef French Ishinabe Yutaka. Morimoto will have to wait as his Teppanyaki restaurant here in Tokyo starts at approx $300 a head!

Today did not start out well. I was having the WEIRDEST dream ever, and must have turned my alarm off during said dream, because when I actually woke up and figured out where I was, it was 6:15 am, and I had to be out the door in 15 min! ACK!

I threw on some clothes, washed up, and put some food in containers and was out the door. I even made it to class on time, but had to wait until after class to dig into breakfast. Boy was I hungry!

In the thermos I had yogurt, the last of the quince, and pomegranate arils. The other container was just some Kashi Honey Almond Flax cereal to combine with said yogurt & fruit.

Yogurt close up!

It was horrendous weather all day. It just rained, and rained, and rained. Good thing I had my new fancy boots – they kept my feet dry and warm! But to warm the rest of me up, I had to hit up the Sbucks.

Do I even have to say what’s in there?

My last volunteer shift at Agora later, and I was on my way home. First thing on my mind when I walked in the door? What’s for lunch?

I made a grilled ham & cheese sandwich with baby spinach and red pepper jelly. Too bad my cheese didn’t want to melt.

I also heated up a bowl of broccoli soup my sister had made on the weekend.

Topped with a little more cheddar. What’s better than broccoli & cheddar?!

Rainy day food, for sure!

With a Werther’s Original candy for dessert

I spent the afternoon at home, expecting an important phone call. Of course, my mom then ended up on the phone all afternoon, and we don’t have call waiting, so I figured they called and got a busy signal. But, low and behold, and 5 pm I received my call. Looks like I’ll be working with a dietitian on a project at Children’s Hospital. Alas, it is only volunteer, but still – it’s all about boosting that resume, right?

Dinner was served way too early for my hunger, so I only had a bit.

Meatloaf, green peas, and apple/craisin/pecan salad. There were baked potatoes as well, but I wasn’t feeling it. And wouldn’t you know it, all my close ups turned out poorly. So this is all you get!

I made a quick trip up to the store to get a couple things (I was all out of good peanut butter), then had a sweat session with the dvd’s. Then it was time for me to satisfy my baking desires!

I had a hankering for muffins. I thought oatmeal and apple should be involved. I searched out some recipes, decided on this one as my inspiration, concocted a variation in my head, then assembled the required ingredients.

Some mixing, grating, scooping, and baking later, and I was presented with this:

Apple Carrot Raisin Oatmeal Muffins

makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup oats
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour (would have used whole wheat, but we had none)
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 small apple, chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins

Method

1. Combine dry ingredients (oats through salt) in a large bowl.
2. Combine wet ingredients (milk through vanilla) in medium bowl.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry, then add carrot, apple, and raisins.
4. Mix until just combined – don’t over mix! (you know how muffins go).
5. Divide equally between 12 greased or lined muffin cups.
6. Bake at 375 F for 20 min, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

These turned out really well. I was a little worried that my wet to dry ratio would be off, but it was perfect. They are hearty, moist, slightly sweet, with a nice balance of spices. Both of my parents tried them out, and gave them the thumbs up. I think they would be a great breakfast muffin, pairing nicely with your favourite nut butter.

Obviously, I had one as my evening snack, with a another cup of chamomile tea.

I still have another project on the stove, but it’s totally time for bed, so I guess I’m calling it done. I’m sure you’ll get to see it tomorrow. Night!

Ahhhh….another long day, and another long post. Such is the life of a student at the end of the semester.

I started off my morning a little later than planned, but breakfast was ready and waiting for me.

Leftover waffles from dinner last night. Perfect – all they needed was a little zap in my microwave, and they were good to go.

I topped the waffle with the rest of the caramelized apples, peanut butter, granola, and a wee drizzle of maple syrup.

All with a glass of cranberry pomegranate juice.

Fortunately, I didn’t need to put together a lunch today, as I had a lunch outing planned with a classmate. I did grab a Key Lime Pie Larabar though, for snacking purposes.

After my first (and only class, and some leisurely computer time, I was off to lunch with my classmate. We hit up Solly’s Bagels on her suggestion.

Solly’s is this little Jewish deli not too far from school. They have a basic menu – bagels, soup, sandwiches, and an array of delicious baked goods.

It’s a cute little “hole in the wall” kind of place, with only 4 tables inside, and 2 outside (if you want to brave the rain). Fortunately for us, they do alot of take out business on weekdays, so we were able to score a table to eat at.

I decided on the smoked turkey sandwich on an onion bagel.

It came loaded with sprouts, red onion, and tomato (I passed on that), as well as your choice of mustard (dijon for me). Some crispy ripple chips, and a big ol’ dill pickle spear were served on the side.

The sandwich was great, but a little pricy for an everyday lunch. Mind you, we are talking quality bagels, meats, etc, so maybe it’s not too bad. Plus the pickle was awesome.

Of course, we couldn’t pass up all those tempting baked goods staring at us from across the (tiny) room. I decided to get three little bites: chocolate rugoleh, poppy seed rugoleh, and a chocolate almond meringue cookie.

My favourite was the poppy seed rugoleh. So much so, it deserved it’s own close up.

The chocolate one was good too, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t as moist as the poppy seed one. The meringue was also good, but still didn’t quite compare.

My friend bought a chocolate babka, and O. M. G. She gave me a small piece, and that was some amazing stuff. Let me tell you. I would go back there just to get babka and poppy seed rugoleh. Or maybe I should just learn how to make them? Anyone know of some good babka & rugoleh recipes? I think Jewish baking might be my new calling!

The whole reason we went out for lunch was because we were off to survey one of the schools for our project. Our meeting with the principal went well, and was quicker than expected, so I was able to get home before 5 pm. And on a Tuesday even! Sweet!

There was some chocolate consumption (Zazubean) while we considered our dinner options.

Mom suggested hot dogs, but dad and my sister collaborated to come up with a better dinner idea.

Roasted deli chicken.

Sweet potato fries, with ketchup and garlic mayo.

And some greenery, in the form of a Caesar salad.

Totally trumps hot dogs.

I went back for seconds on the salad – mostly because you can’t keep salad that’s been dressed. The lettuce just gets all wilty and gross.

Some digestion occurred, then I wandered down to the gym for some cardio fun. Another treat – getting to work out on a Tuesday.

I decided to try out this new tea my mom was given by a friend – Stash Organic Loose Leaf Chamomile.

Can you believe I’ve never had chamomile tea before? Check this stuff out – it’s full, intact flowers!

I brewed up a cup, and had some spelt sticks to munch alongside.

I quite enjoyed the chamomile. I’ll have to keep that one in regular rotation – it’s a nice change from the other teas we have around here.

Alas, it is bed time. You know how it goes. Night!

We are all familiar with the word “stress”. Stress is when you are worried about getting laid off your job, or worried about having enough money to pay your bills, or worried about your mother when the doctor says she may need an operation. In fact, to most of us, stress is synonymous with worry. If it is something that makes you worry, then it is stress.

Your body, however, has a much broader definition of stress. TO YOUR BODY, STRESS IS SYNONYMOUS WITH CHANGE. Anything that causes a change in your life causes stress. It doesn’t matter if it is a “good” change, or a “bad” change, they are both stress. When you find your dream apartment and get ready to move, that is stress. If you break your leg, that is stress. Good or bad, if it is a CHANGE in your life, it is stress as far as your body is concerned.

Even IMAGINED CHANGE is stress. (Imagining changes is what we call “worrying”.) If you fear that you will not have enough money to pay your rent, that is stress. If you worry that you may get fired, that is stress. If you think that you may receive a promotion at work, that is also stress (even though this would be a good change). Whether the event is good or bad, imagining changes in your life is stressful.

*Anything that causes CHANGE IN YOUR DAILY ROUTINE is stressful.
*Anything that causes CHANGE IN YOUR BODY HEALTH is stressful.
*IMAGINED CHANGES are just as stressful as real changes.

If you have experienced a lot of stress within the last twelve months even with normal stress tolerance, you may be OVERSTRESSED. Some people get overstressed much easier than others.

OVERSTRESS will make you sick. Carrying too heavy a stress load is like running your car engine past the red line; or leaving your toaster stuck in the “on” position; or running a nuclear reactor past maximum permissible power. Sooner or later, something will break, burnup, or melt down.

What breaks depends on where the weak links are in your physical body. And this is largely an inherited characteristic.

Here are the common “weak links”, and the symptoms of their malfunction
*Brain OVERSTRESS
Fatigue, aches and pains, crying spells, depression, anxiety attacks, sleep disturbance.
*Gastrointestinal Tract
Ulcer, cramps and diarrhea, colitis, irritable bowel.
*Glandular System
Thyroid gland malfunction.
*Cardiovascular
High blood pressure, heart attack, abnormal heart beat, stroke.
*Skin
Itchy skin rashes.
*Immune System
Decreased resistance to infections and neoplasm.

We have known for a long time that OVERSTRESS could cause physical damage to the gastrointestinal tract, glandular system, skin or cardiovascular system. But only recently have we learned that OVERSTRESS actually causes physical changes in the brain. One of the most exciting medical advances of our decade has been an understanding of how OVERSTRESS physically affects your brain. We now know that the fatigue, aches and pains, crying spells, depression, anxiety attacks and sleep disturbances of OVERSTRESS are caused by brain CHEMICAL MALFUNCTION.

The above is a quote from Steve Burns MD.

Massage has been found to be extremely helpful in helping the mind and body to cope with stress and release the tension held in the body that leads to so many of these physical symptons. Raynor Massage is one of the best ways of releasing this tension.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Have you ever been in total darkness? Years ago I visited Port Arthur in Tasmania….it was a penal settlement and the isolation cell was designed so that when you were in it there was a total absence of light….no matter how long you were in it your eyes would not adjust -there were no greys or patches of lighter dark…the dark was so intense that you could feel it.

Total darkness is terrifying and overpowering and yet the smallest amount of light drives it back. Light brings hope and absence of fear- it drives away the darkness and gladens the heart.

Hate is like that too. The only thing that can drive away hate is love. Not the selfish sort of love that seeks to tie to itself but that pure love that wants the best for the other.Love that builds up and encourages drives away hate and love like hate is contagious when spread.

‘Love has in it no element of fear; but perfect love drives away fear, because fear involves pain, and if a man gives way to fear, there is something imperfect in his love.’ 1 John 4:18

Don’t you hate it when you are really tired, you go to bed and lie down and sleep is just about to come ……and then it doesn’t.

You try lying on your side, switch to your back, then the other side. You get up and have a drink of water and then go back to bed and try again….your eyes are nearly falling out of your head and your body sinks into the bed…nearly there….and then nothing.You lie there trying not to disturb your peacefully slumbering (and snoring) partner. You change sides again…..BOTHER… I might as well get up and do something useful.

3 handmade cards later I decide to try again….by this time its 3.45am and we have to get up at 5.30am as we have a BNI meeting (Business Networking International-we belong to Australia’s largest and best group-Team Winning Edge) and OF COURSE I finally get to sleep…only to have to wake up an hour and a quarter later feeling like I have a hangover! I’ll have to have a warm bath before I go to bed tonight and put some lavender essential oil on a tissue inside my pillow. Mind you the way I feel at the moment I could happily put my head down on my desk and too bad about any clients or phone calls coming into the clinic this afternoon.

We are in the middle of the first week of the Raynor massage course here at the clinic and I will probably go to sleep on the massage table tonight while being practiced on by one of the lovely students.

Fortunately for me I don’t suffer from insomnia all the time. I have a bout once in a while and am so grateful when I finally get over it and get back to normal sleep patterns.

Hope you have been able to get the rest you need lately !!!