Self- Love Lesson #2: B is for Baths

“[My guilty pleasure is a] deep, eco-unfriendly, hot bath. Preferably with a glass of champagne and someone sitting on the loo seat gossiping.”  ~Prue Leith

A long, hot, oily bath* can do wonders for you at the end of an over-scheduled day, at the beginning a weekend or a-in-the-middle-of-the-day-treat on a Sunday. 

People are so busy these days that the idea of a long, leisurely soak in the tub surrounded by scented candles with soft, relaxing music filling the room with no deadline seems like a luxury.  But a simple bath can relax muscles, calm your mind, detoxify (if you make the water hot, hot), moisturize, stimulate circulation and clear your lymph system.  And the cherry on the sundae: Bathing has also been proven to lead to a better night’s sleep and who can’t use that?   

Morsel for the Day: Don’t feel any guilt for taking the time to indulge in a soul-soothing bath.         

Scented bath salts are an inexpensive way to perfume your body and according to the Smell & Taste Research Foundation in Chicago, lemon scents have a mood-lifting, anti-depressant-like effect while green apple scents seem to help reduce headache pains.

Product suggestions with prices varying from reasonable to oh-no-they-aren’t-charging-that-much are listed below:

• Carol’s Daughter: http://carolsdaughter.com

• San Francisco Bath Salt Company:  http://www.sfbsc.com/bath-salts

• Jo Malone:  http://www.jomalone.com/

• Sephora: www.sephora.com

• Bath Salts: http://www.bath-salts.org/

Schedule yourself some bath-time!  You DESERVE it!

I hope this has been Tasty & Informative like Cupcakes & Travel Magazines.  

*If you have high or low blood pressure check with your doctor before indulging in water that is too hot.

Self- Love Lessons A to Z will commence today…

“The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely.”  ~C.G. Jung

A true Love journey starts with self and prepares a person to love someone else.  

Today’s letter: A for Awareness, which is defined as having knowledge; conscious of one’s own existence, sensations, thoughts.  Simply put it means paying attention to what you want, what works for you, and what matters to you.  

One of the ways I figure out what I want and believe in is by journal-writing.   There are no hard and fast rules to the process.  Just do it! I believe in starting slow with a very loooooow expectation threshold, so start with once a week.

Morsel #1:  Drop the fear that someone will find your journal.  Solution #1: Write it down, read it, rip it up/dispose of it.  Solution #2: Buy a lockbox and put your journal in there after each session.   

Journal-writing will help open you up.  Trust me you will find things pouring out of you that you weren’t aware you were holding in and/or onto. 

Morsel #2: Don’t feel any guilt about what you write; thoughts are not facts and feelings change – no judging yourself.    

In getting to know you - accept the good, the bad and the ugly and always, always keep it real with yourself!  Happy Writing…

I hope this has been Tasty & Informative like Cupcakes & Travel Magazines.  

What Matters to Me...

…is family, friends, knowing I am loved by people I love, a new day, music in all its forms, my God-given senses, talents and messages, memories of my past vacations and dreams of my upcoming getaways,  laughter, laughter, and more laughter, my identity as a black Native American: I know I come from a rich history and act accordingly, two little archangels named Sahar & Sisi who have been a Blessing, God-send and Lifesaver to me, Kisha & J’von, the parents of Sahar & Sisi for sharing their two precious daughters with me, my Mother for allowing me to help her heal and deal with the loss of her baby girl, my sister, Daryl, my sister Brenda for being herself, my Step-Dad James for being himself, for life itself, which I have cursed some days but am grateful for, the visits from Daryl, truth, patience, perseverance, fluidity, reciprocity and love, love, love…

What Matters to You?

I hope this has been Tasty & Informative like Cupcakes & Travel Magazines…until the next time…Valerie 

Every Woman should have a Wedding!

Notice I didn’t say marriage because I don’t think every Woman wants or needs to be married.  But I damn sure think every Woman needs a WEDDING….what?! I look at weddings as Bat Mitzvahs, Debutante Balls, and Quinceaneras for adult Women.  The Woman is the Belle of the Ball, Diva, Princess & Queen, all rolled into one, for the Day. 

It is an unfortunate fact that a lot of women have been dreaming of their wedding day from the moment they became aware such a day existed.  Some have every detail in their head if not written down in some wedding-hope binder; the only missing element is the guy to drop into the picture.  Why go through all that when each woman can just have a Wedding?

These events could be called: Solo or Self Weddings.  Traditionally a wedding is defined as: the act or ceremony of marrying; and marrying is defined as taking an intimate life partner by a formal exchange of promises in the manner of a ceremony.  Who is more intimate than ourselves? No one I say.  A woman would be marrying herself,  promising to love, honor and cherish her being/essence/spirit always, forsaking any and everyone who desires, requires, and wishes her to abandon her dreams and individuality. 

So I say every woman should have a Wedding, going all out and planning a celebration of herself and her dreams.  By having a Solo/Self Wedding women can shop for and buy the most important element of any wedding: The Dress! 

Women have been known to overlook a completely inappropriate mate, who can be fixed with just a little work, just to wear The Dress.  With a Solo a woman can sparkle and dazzle in The Dress without having to carry the extra weight of husband fixing on her back.  With a Solo she gets to pick the guy who may not be marriage material but will look fabulous in the pictures! And then at the end of the day he goes home. So plan on, all you Brides-For-A-Day…WooHoo! And have your perfect Wedding…

I hope this has been Tasty & Informative like Cupcakes & Travel Magazines…

Until the next time…Valerie

Today's post is very simple!

This quote is so simple & profound; it hits the spot! I hope it works for you too:

The simple, not always popular, truth is that you are responsible for your own life. What you do, who you are and what you become is up to you. That's an awesome responsibility and an awesome gift! Make the very most of today!  ~Begin With Yes

I hope this has been Tasty & Informative like Cupcakes & Travel Magazines...until we meet again...