365 Days of Aromatic Affirmations

A little over a year ago, I purchased the book Daily Aromatherapy by Joni Keim & Ruah Bull.

In the book, one essential oil is profiled each week. For each week,  there is a different type of intention exercise to be performed each day:  an affirmation, emotional self-discovery questions, a ceremony, a blessing, an activity, a visualization, and a prayer.

At the CFA Retreat in September 2009, we used the book daily.

The dates were September 18th, 19th and 20th, and the essential oil was Bay Laurel.  At the time it was an oil I had never used.  It reminded me of Christmas trees.

On a subtle level, Bay Laurel helps promote good judgment, nurtures your intuition and opens your mind’s eye to prophetic vision.

At the end of the weekend, I felt recharged and re-energized.  And maybe I wasn’t completely “at one” with the Universe, but I was getting there.

Then I came home, put the book on my shelf, and never looked at it again.

Until yesterday.

Eureka!

While cleaning my office and trying to pare down my stacks of reference books {which, by the way, I really could not whittle down any further. I have about 83 reference books, which is the exact bare minimum of  books about aromatherapy, herbalism,  anatomy, reflexology and holistic medicine that a girl needs}, I came across the book and had a really ambitious thought:

“Hey! A new year starts in two days! What if I vowed to perform the exercises in the book every day for all of 2011?”

Clearly I am the first person EVER who has had the idea to vow to change her ways and start a-new at the beginning of a new year.

It’s genius! People should do this all the time! 

Then I patted myself on the back for being such a clever girl.

Then I had to get an ice pack because I strained my shoulder a bit whilst patting myself on the back.

{There is a stock photo for everything, isn’t there?}

Serendipitously, the essential oil  for the first week of January is Neroli – my favourite.   I’m really not a big fan of florals – Rose is lovely, but it’s a too sweet for me.  Neroli comes from the blossoms of the orange tree, so it’s the perfect combination of floral, greenery and citrus.

Let’s Do It Together!

If anyone would like to join in my 365 Days of Aromatic Affirmations quest, please comment here or Tweet me or Facebook me.  I’ll be updating Twitter and/or Facebook as  I perform each exercise.

If a group of you want to get together and take bets on how long I’ll stick with it, that’s fine with me too.

There won’t be any pressure, and the book allows adjustments to practice weekly or monthly rather than daily. 

You can pick up the book at any major book retailer, but I’ve included the links here because I’m just awesome like that.

Chapters/Indigo

Amazon.ca

Amazon.com

Borders

Let’s give ‘er!

21 Book Challenge for 2011

I am a self-confessed book whore.

Despite having shelves full of books waiting to be read, I keep buying more books.

I can’t stop.

Help.

Due to space limitations,  I’ve been forced to practice some restraint.  My book storage allotment is only one small section of shelving on one side of our fireplace.

But then I discovered this contraption:

With the Kobo,  I do not have to limit myself to only as many books as can fit on my physical bookshelf.

Oh, no.

The Kobo can (theoretically) store an infinite number of books.

And believe me, I plan to test that theory.

So now, in addition to my real books,  I’ve got a virtual bookshelf full of books TBR (To Be Read).

{Okay, I know I said I’d never get on board with e-readers, but I’ve discovered it’s a great way to get new releases for about $7 each.}

Now, you all know I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions.  But if I did, it would be to not buy any more books until I’ve read all the ones currently sitting on shelf (or loaded on my Kobo).

To facilitate my non-resolution resolve to read all my books, I’m participating in a little book challenge.  I originally read about this challenge on a message board and have modified it for my purposes.

Feel free to participate with me!

The Challenge:

You will choose 21 books to read – 3 from each category.

You do not have to choose them all up front, and they do not have to be books you already own.  Because I realize that most people are normal (unlike me) and do not have eighty million books sitting around the house waiting to be read.

Dust Collectors

These are books that have been sitting (unread) on your shelf for some time.  Obviously I’m not going to have a problem filling this category.

I’ll choose these books when it’s time to read them.

An Author That’s New To You.

1. The Bishop’s Man – Linden MacIntyre
2. The Last Days of Ptolmey Gray – Walter Mosley
3. Saving Max – Antoinette Van Heugten

  

A Trilogy - Read in Order.

I resolve to finally plough my way through the Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson.  These are books that I definitely want to have read before I watch any of the films. Incidentally, I plan to watch the original Swedish films before the American versions.

1. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
2. The Girl Who Played With Fire
3. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest

  

A Genre You Would Normally Never Read.

1. The Shack  - William P. Young (Christian)
2. Something by Nicholas Sparks (Romance)
3. Something by Tom Clancy (War/Action)

  

Biographies or Memoirs.

1. Long Walk To Freedom – Nelson Mandela
2. Spoken From The Heart – Laura Bush
3. Last Words – George Carlin

     

Written More Than a Hundred Years Ago.

1. Uncle Tom’s Cabin – Harriet Beecher Stowe
2. A Journey to the Centre of the Earth – Jules Verne
3. The Romance of Tristan & Isolde - Joseph Bédier

Books by Canadian authors that are also set in Canada.

Even if you’re not from Canada, this could be a good opportunity to learn something about our culture.  Believe it or not, it’s actually quite different than life in the United States.

1.  Annabel – Kathleen Winter
2. Oryx & Crake – Margaret Atwood (Technically this is set in a dystopian future which may or may not have once been the Greater Toronto Area.)
3. Unless- Carol Shields (American-born, but considered herself Canadian.)

So what are YOU reading?

Best Letter To Santa Ever Written

My 9-year-old step-son just mailed off his letter to Santa.  Here is what he asked for:

1. 4th Generation iPod Touch {good luck with that one, kid}

2.  Bottle of Root beer

3.  Two, $50 iTunes gift cards

4.  A shot gun

5.  A heat-guided missile

6. A girlfriend {I hope this isn’t related to numbers 4 & 5 in any way.}

 

And in other news, my 4-year-old just tried to download the Zoost online dating app for my iPod Touch (which is only a lowly 3rd generation, by the way).

Christmas Fun On Etsy

My blog has been languishing for awhile. Many dark things have been churning in my soul and I just have no desire to write. Sorry.

BUT -- as a small Christmas gift to you, my beautiful readers, I will share some cute stuff I’ve discovered on Etsy.

{Click on any picture to go to the item}

Cute Fat Plush Penguins by Sassy Pack Rat Studios. Cute indeed!

A robot nativity scene done in polymer clay. Robot Jesus People! I love it, I love it, I love it!  By lubu.  You need to check out the whole shop, by the way. Robot Wizard of Oz! I’m going to die.

 

Macchiato Snowflake soap by Savor.  Do I eat this or wash with it?

 

Printable winter wonderland by Fantastic Toy’s.  I loved doing this kind of stuff when I was a kid! Unfortunately, my own kids do not.

 

More later!

xoxo