Sunday, February 28, 2016

Living a Non-Toxic Lifestyle

Welcome!

This blog post is about living a non-toxic lifestyle which is something Greg and I are working on right now. For us, it's an ongoing endeavor. It's not for the faint of heart, for it does require some work and discipline, but the results can be very rewarding.


The word toxic simply means anything that is poisonous or harmful. It's anything that might be detrimental to a living organism. It can refer to the physical or to the mind and emotions, as well.

Our world is full of toxins, and in order to live a healthier life, we need to find ways to deal with those toxins.

Greg and I generally try to eat as healthily as possible.* We've been eating mostly organic and non-GMO food for several months. We're now gradually eliminating all white flour and food containing sugar, which is not an easy task. In fact, in order to do this, I've started using whole grains and natural, low glycemic sugar or fruit for baking. (No artificial sweeteners for us!)



Starting tomorrow (2/29/16), Vani Hari (AKA Food Babe) will be featuring an article about sugar addiction on her website. (Greg and I, and almost everybody else are sugar addicts. Even Food Babe has struggled with sugar addiction.) (Did you know that sugar is more addictive than cocaine?) Vani will be discussing how to overcome it. Her information should prove to be very helpful. ( www.foodbabe.com )

However, this being said, an acupuncturist told us that in order to balance the yin and yang, and to keep from feeling deprived, that it's okay to occasionally indulge in a favorite treat. Hers was ice cream. Greg and I do that. We normally eat out only once a week, and make the healthiest selections we can, and then, on special occasions, we allow ourselves a special treat. (However, if the food we might like to eat is truly harmful, such as one that would cause a severe allergic reaction, we, of course, avoid that food altogether!)

As far as environmental toxins go, we're still working on that one. We do try to avoid all cigarette smoke, and we use all non-toxic cleaning supplies. We especially like using baking soda.

Research on the Internet can be valuable for trying to live a non-toxic lifestyle.

Also, letting go of any toxic people in one's life can be valuable, as well.

"It doesn't matter whether someone is a relative, romantic interest...friend...you don't have to make room for people who cause you pain or make you feel small....if a person disregards your feelings, ignores your boundaries, and 'continues' to treat you in a harmful way, they need to go."
-Daniell Koepke

So, try to surround yourself not only with nice, positive people, but it's also good if you can have your home environment as clean, neat, and organized as possible.


Your home doesn't have to be fancy, just comfortable and enjoyable to be in.

Also, much of the entertainment industry has gradually become more toxic. You might want to switch off that toxic TV show in favor of one of your own DVD's that is truly healthier and more enjoyable.


Being in the great outdoors can often help overcome toxic emotions.

Can you think of anything else that might improve the quality of your life, to make it less toxic?

Happy non-toxic lifestyle!

*Disclaimer: Whatever lifestyle Greg and I lead may be great for us, but that doesn't mean it's necessarily right for anyone else. I am certainly not an expert in the field of health, physical or mental. I am not responsible for any harm that might come to anyone as a result of reading this or any of my other blog posts. (B. A.)

Signs of spring alert!-

Here in Tennessee last week, we noticed daffodils were already blooming!


Also, there were several robins.

Positive thought: "Every moment is a fresh beginning."-T. S. Eliot
Thanks for visiting! Until next Sunday, Becky

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Words of Wisdom

Welcome!

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver."
-Proverbs 25:11


I've been thinking very philosophically the past few days, probably because of the time of year, winter.

I have some positive quotes, words of wisdom, to share with you to help uplift your days, to maybe help you get on the right track:

-"A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition."
-William Author Ward
(We can make our own sunshine, no matter what the weather! There are countless ways to do that. A few are: meditate, smile, say positive things to yourself, do random acts of kindness, be thankful, read positive quotes, watch positive videos like on YouTube, etc.)

"Worrying is like walking around with an umbrella waiting for it to rain."
-"Natural Life"

-"Some days there won't be a song in your heart. Sing anyway."
-Austin Emory
(I have read that singing can make a person feel better, even if you "can't carry a tune in a bucket!")

-"I will not let anyone walk through my mind with dirty feet."
-Mahatma Gandhi

-"Whoever is trying to bring you down is already below you."
-Justin Chase Mullins

-"You cannot spend the majority of your time in the presence of negative people and expect to life a positive life."
-Justin Chase Mullins
(I love Justin's wise quotes because they are so empowering. Justin is a gifted psychic from East Tennessee.)

-"If anyone has offended me, I try to raise my soul so high that the offense cannot reach it."
-Rene Descartes

-"There are two types of people-those who come into a room and say, 'Well, here I am,' and those who come in and say, 'Ah, there you are.'"
-Frederick L. Collins
(I've found that those people who seem to be the most liked and are most popular are the ones who would say, "Ah, there you are," because we all like to feel that we are important.)

-"Don't be mean when you've had a bad day. Be nice and your day will get better."
-Terri Guillemets
(Terri is a quote anthologist who has collected quotes since her early teens.)

"Change your thoughts and you change your world."
-Norman Vincent Peale
(All of his words and quotes are so uplifting.)

-"The wisest men follow their own direction."
-Euripides
(I like this quote because it's telling us to follow our own hearts, to stand for our principles, to even be free spirits.)

-"Life is not happening to you. Life is responding to you."
-Author Unknown
(So, let's send out the positive!)

-"There are exactly as many special occasions in life as we choose to celebrate."
-Robert Brault
(We don't need to wait for birthdays or holidays to have a ball often!)

Cute animal-related quotes:

-"Wag more. Bark less."
-Author Unknown

-"Scratch less, purr more."
-Author Unknown
(These last two quotes would be neat to post on the bathroom mirror as a fun reminder!)

Positive thought: "In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer."-Albert Camus (Did you realize that it's less than a month until spring!)
Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, February 28, 2016, Becky












Sunday, February 14, 2016

A Birthday Celebration at Bruce's Ice Cream Parlor

Welcome!

Hope you are enjoying your day!

Just recently, my cousin Bruce and I celebrated our February birthdays in East Tennessee.

In this area, as in many others, this time of year, you never know what the weather is going to be like so you don't know for sure if you're going to get to have your planned celebration or not due to possible wintry weather.

Last year, we had to put off our birthday celebration two or three times, but this year, we got lucky and had it in between two big snows! Great timing!

It was a really special birthday celebration at-


Cousin Bruce recently set up a really neat old fashioned ice cream parlor where he lives. Years ago, he and his parents had a drug store in Southwest Virginia, and these fixtures, etc. came from that store. In addition, Bruce has added several more pieces to his collection gradually through the years.


Bruce, in His Ice Cream Parlor 


My brother and his family brought delicious pizza for the main part of our meal.



Then, of course, there was the cake which Bruce had bought that cleverly had our edible picture on it of our last year's birthday celebration.


Cake has got to have ice cream with it, so Bruce got to work dishing it out- 


Does this sundae look great, or what!


It was wonderful! Peppermint ice cream with either butterscotch or chocolate syrup! Yum! Bruce works wonders with ice cream!


After the Meal, Were Gifts


Looks Like More Decorations for the Ice Cream Parlor!


Little Table for Two

Everyone should be so lucky to have a nice place to celebrate such as this!

Thanks, Bruce, and to my other wonderful family members who made this birthday celebration at Bruce's Ice Cream Parlor one we'd always fondly remember!

And...



Positive Thought: "The most beautiful view is the one I share with you."-Author Unknown
Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, February 21, 2016, Becky