Influence

"There is no greater joy nor greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone's life." ~ Sister Mary Rose McGeady

Homemade Exfoliant

Exfoliating removes dead skin from our bodies. This eliminates flaking and gives our skin a more polished and healthy glow. You can exfoliate with special gloves, loufahs, as well as commercial products.

I have bought many commercial exfoliants over the years, but I always gravitate back to my homemade one for the best results.

This simple recipe is one I learned a number of years ago. I keep a batch that I place in a plastic container. I keep it by my tub and use it once a week or so when I shower.

You can find lots of recipes for the following scrub on the internet. Here is the one I have followed for the last five or ten years:

The recipe:

1 part olive oil (I usually start with 1 cup)

2 parts sugar

Add some drops of essential oil, if you'd like (I prefer almond oil)

I often buy some oversized popsicle sticks or tongue depressors that I keep on hand by the container.

The popsicle stick/tongue depressor is good for stirring up the mixture and for taking out a dab to put in your hands.

When my skin is really dry I rub it on my legs, arms, and torso. I rinse it off and pat myself dry. It really helps smooth down my skin and keep the moisture in. 

This mixture is also really great for gardening hands. This is also great for when I do needlepoint and need nice smooth hands for my linen fabric and silk threads. 

Another use is for feet. I like to put peppermint oil in that batch. I apply it generously (especially to my heels) after I've soaked my feet for a few minutes in warm soapy water. 

I have friends who say they have used it on their faces. I don't recommend this without talking to someone knowledgable, however. While I've seen many exfoliants with sugar in them, facial skin is delicate and I'm just not comfortable trying this on my face.

This stuff is also ok for them men in your life.... even if just to use on their hands.

Social Intelligence and Leadership

Daniel Goleman has done extensive research on Emotional Intelligence. This brief interview comes from Harvard Business School.

Cash for Gold

What is it with all of the recent commercials that have annoying men talking too loudly and over emphatically as they try to convince viewers to put their gold in an envelope and mail it to them...with the promise of cash being sent to the seller?? I absolutely hate those commercials. They are brash and annoying and make you want to change the channel immediately!

Do people really put their gold in an envelope and send it to people they've never met? What kind of money do they get for their gold? How do they know that they got the right value?

I also have other questions...maybe it's because I don't have any jewelry that's been passed down to me, and the fact that I don't actually own all that much...but what are they sending? Family heirlooms? Rings and necklaces from boyfriends and husbands past?

Now I'm not saying that people shouldn't be able to sell the jewelry they no lo

nger wear. Nor am I dismissing the need for money, but I do have trouble understanding the blatant capitalization of people's need through these garish commercials.

Do people really get an appropriate amount of money for their jewelry? or, is their need for instant cash something that makes them someone easily taken advantage of? I really hope that people in need, who actually have some jewellry around, aren't getting ripped off.

Choice

"It's not what people do to us that hurts us, it's our chosen response to what they do that hurts us." ~ Stephen R. Covey

Keeping Active in Winter

Belly bulge...muffin top...pudge...spare tire...love handles...


Whatever you call the weight, winter seems to bring it on even more than usual. Maybe that's why so many people make weight loss a part of their New Year's resolutions?

I actually find it easier to stay active in the winter...once I get past the fewer daylight hours. I find it far more fun to get out and do things in cooler weather, than in the heat of the summer.

 

Just before Christmas I treated myself to some snowshoes.

Snowshoes are made for walking on snow, distributing the weight of the person over a larger area, so that you don't sink completely into the snow.

Traditional snowshoes are made from hardwood and rawhide lacings. There is laticework on them, to keep the snow from accumulating and have bindings to attach to your boots. Traditionally, snowshoes were an essential footwear for fur traders and trappers and many others who spent their days working in and traversing across the snow. While there are many people in various regions who still rely on snowshoes to help them complete their daily tasks, most people who wear snowshoes these days do so as a way to get some exercise. Snowshoeing is easy to do and learn. Once they are strapped on it's as easy as walking.

My snowshoes are a modern version. They are purple, with aluminum rims and a fabric mesh. My husband says that they aren't as good as the traditional ones, but I have to say that I am enjoying them. And so is my dog!


We've been out to the deeper parts of the park and fields where she jumps through the snowdrifts like a rabbit. I get out in the sun and have a great workout. There's nothing like a crisp cold day with the sun bouncing off of the snow.

I'm off to make some tracks with my dog!

Change

"When we can no longer change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." ~ Victor Frankl