Simple hand scrub for dry skin

Tis the season of dry skin.  Last night my hands were dry and feeling winter rough - catchy.  Catchy - you know when your skin sticks to nylon -silk type material.  Microfibers are the worst. augh!!

There is a simple, inexpensive solution at your fingertips!  Shop your pantry!  I love recipes with limited ingredients and few steps.  This is so easy- in less than 5 minutes you will have soft smooth and happy hands again.

Ingredients:
                     Oil
I used my kitchen's organic olive oil but feel free to use Organic: sunflower oil, sesame oil, avocado oil, walnut oil and safflower oils.  Anything you cook with will work.  You are using organic oils to cook with right??
                    Salt &/or sugar
  A fine salt but sugar or a combo of both would have been heavenly as well.  My favorite salts for a scrub are fine salts.  Leave the course salts for cooking.

Directions:  Last night I simply poured a little salt in my hand followed by a little olive oil.  Then rubbed my hands together for 2-5 minutes.  Get everywhere!  Rinse and dry!  Walla the worlds easiest, least expense and most productive hand scrub ever!

I decided to post this recipe this morning when I woke up and noticed how insanely soft and smooth my hands.

Enjoy!  Wishing you the gift of simplicity for the holidays,
                    Denise

Go to list for staying healthy in the Winter

Hi All,
   As I type this it is raining cats and dogs outside.  Going outside for a run doesn't sound nearly as inviting as it did a couple months ago... and yet...

When I moved to Washington from Colorado, I struggled in the winter months.  The short days, cloudy skies and lack of sunshine created a less light and bright me.  Here are 5 of my go to strategies for staying healthy all winter long

1.  Go outside everyday!  Even if you just stand on your porch- get some fresh air.

2.  Up your veggies and minimize the processed  foods, sugars and over indulgences.
           Your body will thank you!

3.  When you come home from shopping, work, socializing wash your hands first thing. 
   This will help keep viruses out of your home.
  On that same note- always wash up before eating

4.  Stretch and breathe deeply.  Stretching gives you energy and helps keep you open. 
         Both stretching and deep slow breathing open up your lungs and heart.

5.  Lighten up your life- declutter the extras
              Add in a bit more TLC/play/recess/freetime/naptime

Wishing you all vitality all year long.
       Denise
No need to go it alone
Call me and set up a time to create your own go to list of TLCs.  253-278-1082
Contact Dallas for a deep relaxing sound bath and personal Reiki session. 253-278-1244

The ordinary art

"The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest."
                        Thomas Moore

   How we do is more important than what we do.  One of the most inspiring people I ever met was a man named Kenny.  He picked up the grounds at an apartment complex.  We met Kenny in the early 90's.  He picked up trash and smiled.  Every time you saw Kenny he was happy.  It didn't matter what he was doing, he was happy.  His job didn't define him, his attitude did. 

   I still think of this happy man picking up trash.  Somehow he made his job seem like the best job ever.  He was outside, chatting, whistling, working and being.   

  How do you show up at work?  Or more importantly how do you want to show up at work?
                   

Shifting your perspective of work

Work and play are exactly what you decide they are.

   This spring I gave one of my "chores" over to Dallas.  Mowing our lawn.  As he was mowing and I was working on something else I was thankful and felt relieved not to have to mow the lawn that week.  But a funny thing happened when I walked into our back yard... I missed it! I missed being outside, I missed the smell of freshly cut grass, I missed the feel of a newly mowed lawn.  I missed moving to the rhythm of mowing, the meditative quality of one foot in front of the other. I missed the physical work out. I missed mowing my lawn.  I missed my chore!!

   And it turns out it wasn't a chore all along it was a gift of nature and meditation and accomplishment.  It was so much more than a chore.   It is exactly what I decide it to be.

  The truth is, mowing or washing dishes or cleaning or sitting on the deck, reading, grocery shopping are all things we do.  How we do them is what matters most.

Change your perception...lighten your life

It is said your eyes are the windows to your soul. 

What do you see...when it comes to your chores?

  I'm super excited to share my upcoming class with you.  When I work with clients in my coaching and clutter clearing,  I'm most aware of their energy shifts.  I'm looking for eye shifts, body shifts.  Eyes that light up and sparkle and bodies that tighten and become stuck.  Body movements tell me more than the words spoken.

 Cleaning and clutter clearing are very personal.  How you clean is more important that what you know or the cleaners and tools you use.  It is the energy you bring to the task that means the most.

  Life is too short to let a ongoing chore take any of your spark.  Cleaning and clutter clearing tend either deplete your energy or uplift your spirits.  The task is the same, how you see this task makes all the difference in the world 

Over the past 26 years of working with families and business I have discovered a common thread.

               It isn't the task as much as the perception

         of that task that matters the most

Do you see cleaning as a way to reground yourself, to reboot your  home and create balance in this world?

Do you think of cleaning as a weight, an ongoing and never ending exhausting ball wrapped around your spirit and soul?  

There is no right or wrong answer here, it is only your perspective.  How you think about cleaning or anything will dictate if this task depletes you or gives you energy.

On March 30st, I will be holding a class on this very subject.  "Three ways to make friends with house cleaning"   The principles I will share can be used for shifting any perception. 

( In this class, I will also share tips residue free or green cleaning.)

 My class will be held at Marlene's Market in Federal Way.  The city of Federal Way has graciously sponsored this talk as part of their green home series. Thank you Federal Way

Click here to register and get class details

The classes are listed by date- ours is held on March 31st (scroll down)

Does the thought of cleaning as a practice of joy, flow and gratitude sound a little better than heavy item on your never ending to do list?  If so come join me.  

I'll also be teaching this same class for the 

city of Kirkland April 11th!! 

    

Ounce of Prevention Tip:

The best defense is good prevention.  Keep viruses out of your home is easier than getting over a cold or the flu.  A few years ago when the H1N1 virus was a major health concern, the CDC ( Center for Disease Control) put out a bulletin with their top prevention tips.  I remember being surprised to see washing your hands as one of their top tips.  I expected some brilliant insight of unexpected wisdom but no it was simply:  wash your hands.

Hand washing reminders:
   Wash hands as soon as you return home from being in public.
          Make it a habit of washing your hands as soon as you walk in the door
   Wash your hands before eating
         This includes- eating in the car, fast food restaurants and snacking
    When you wash your hands- wash for 20 seconds
         Wash- rinse and dry

I know so simple and yet when you don't get the flu it's priceless!!!!!

Wishing you all health and vitality this winter!!
          Denise
  

2 Steps in Overcoming Your Resistence

Clutter clearing and resistance go hand in hand.  If it wasn't for resistance, clutter would feel more like a kitten than a fire breathing dragon.  But like the poem I found at my great aunt Velma's house said.  "Every time I tried to throw my long kept things away- my hand's were stayed!"
      Yup- resistance.

Resistance has a funny way of turning into procrastination. Procrastination creates stress.  Constant stress build the feelings of being stuck, overwhelmed and heavy.

                                                 Today, I have two step practice for you
                                  Build new anti-resistance muscles.  Muscles of fearlessness

  Step one:  First thing in the morning ask yourself three questions
        What do I really need to do today but don't want to?
        What has been weighing heavily on my mind and spirit?
        What have I been putting off?

  Sept two:  Do the thing you most resist first!
           Maybe it is working out, eating a salad, calling someone, or ... diving into a box of clutter.  The what doesn't matter so much as the recognition of what you are avoiding and taking action.  Instead of avoiding" it"- you dive in!

 The key is to take action, small consistent actions. The first step is the hardest part. Take the first step.  Do a little bit everyday.  Put on your shoes, roll up your sleeves and move a little bit forward. Look at what "stays" your hands and do it anyway.  5- 30 minutes is a great habit to create.  10 minutes everyday is awesome practice!  It's not the how much you do, it is the action in the face of fear that will give you freedom.  Do a little action forward everyday.

  Consistency, persistence and fearlessness will turn your resistance into your triumphs.  Instead of carrying the weight of what you haven't done with you all day, you get to enjoy your achievement.

  Dive in everyday for 30 days.  Be fearless. Notice what you most resist, scoff at the bully and do it anyway.

  It takes time to build muscles.  We are building muscles of action, fearless action,   The more often you work these muscles the stronger you will be!

Wishing you, a fearless spirit and power over your resistances. Let me know how you are doing. I'm right there with you- everyday doing the very thing that stops me in my tracks!!
            Denise
   
 

Clutter clearing- removing residue from your wild soul

What do clutter, residue and weeds all have in common?  They all cover up or hide your essence.  To me clutter is a form of residue.  Residue is what covers up,  muddles your own personal clarity, your enthusiasm for life.  If you want your eyes to sparkle again, your heart to be open and your joy of living to expand, you must clear the residues, the clutter or weeds in your life.  Residue is stress.

 When we clear the clutter from our life, it is never about the stuff, it is about your spirit.  It's what is weighing heavily, exhausting, muddling, over whelming our lives.  It can be stuff, or tasks, people, or emotions.. the what doesn't matter.  Every garden has weeds trying to take root.  I love helping clean out residues and clutter and weeds because I want to see that sparkle, the uplifted breath, the smile pop out.  I love seeing a little wildness...

 Last night I was reading from John O'Donohue's book Anam Cara.   I happened on a passage called:  The Passionate Heart never ages- page 187-188.  This is exactly what I mean when I say clutter, residue or weeds:  physical, mental, spiritual and emotional..

"I know some very old people who have hearts full of roguery, devilment and fun; there is a sparkle in their presence.  When you meet them, you have a sense of light, lightness and gaiety.  Sometimes in very old bodies there are incredibly young wild souls looking out at you.  It is so invigorating to meet a wild old person who has remained faithful to their wild life force."

I have had the privileged of spending time with my 4 grandparents and great aunt Velma.  In their 90's and even Aunt Velma at 103- they had a clarity, a curiosity, a since of innocence and excitement in living. Was life always easy?  No, but they never lost that wild spark!  This is what I want for myself and you.  Wild joy!  A wild spark - a place that is untouchable from life.  This is sacred space.

I wish you joy, not because you are trying to be happy but because joy unexpectedly bubbles up from somewhere inside,
        Denise

Prune in January for a happy year

This year think beyond your clutter and stuff.  Look at your to-do lists, your calendar and your expectations for the new year.  

Think Less Is More and Start Pruning!

How do you want to feel this time next year?  How do you want to feel next December?  I doubt I'm alone, when I look at my calendar and see it fill up with no space - no breathing space.  I feel myself tighten.  

We all need space to play, to create, to rest, to just be

If you want your new year to shine, first clear the clutter in your time and schedule.  Find little spaces just for you.  I realize this is easier said than done.  Life can take you on some wild rides.  But no matter what ride you are on, we all need a little space to just be.   

This space doesn't need to be grand vacations or weeks of nothing.  Maybe the healthiest practices are creating space everyday... 15 minute recesses, 30 minute nap time, 5 minutes to breathe, a walk in the woods, going to bed early just because.

Here is the pay off...

Your nervous system is nourished by play and rest

When you are happy and at ease you are naturally more creative intelligent, resilient, healthier, flexible.

When you are stressed the exact opposite is true.  

By giving yourself bits of time and space to just be, to play, to create and rest you will not only be giving yourself a huge gift but you will also be gifting everyone around you.  

Here's to another new year!  

And here's to creating a year that is well pruned with space to grow

5 gifts from clearing your clutter

Happy new year!  I love this time of year.  It gives the feeling of a fresh start, a clean slate,and new beginnings all wrapped up in a tidy little bundle.  Cleaning out is the natural way to follow up the holidays.  That's is why January is filled with sales on organization products. 

Below are of 5 of my favorite gifts you receive from letting go, downsizing and clearing your clutter.  I'm talking all kinds of clutter...emotional, time, mental and physical clutter.  Too much is still too much no matter what form in shows up in

Gift #1  Less gives us a feeling of spaciousness.  Room to breathe

Gift #2  Too much, muddles your time and thoughts.  By simplifying you create clarity

Gift #3  Cleaning out shifts energy and starts life flowing again
             You move out of unhealthy life ruts

Gift #4  Gratitude, by looking closely at what we really have we gain feeling of abundance.   
              Sometimes even over abundance.  In this we see how truly blessed we are

Gift # 5   By letting go of our excesses, we release the drains on our time and energy.  
                Less requires less from us. Less = Freedom
              
There are oodles more gifts to be had by cleaning out but there is no need to clutter up this blog...

     Wishing you all a beautiful new year, filled with a sense of ease and wonder,
              Denise