smokey rolls down thunder canyon

Amidst a grueling day of packing I find solace in music. Devendra lifts me up every time.

And can I just say, no matter how many times I watch this bizarre video it doesn't get old. I laugh every time. It has so many things I love, all balled into one!

Teasicles

I had surgery today. The inside of my mouth could easily rival Frankenstein's monster, it's that tacked up. I have orders not to eat or drink anything hot. My Dr also recommended that I keep some icey treats on hand. I'm not a fan of the super sugary, flavored colored ice pops at the grocery store so I decided to make my own treats.
My love of tea and refusal to give it up during this healing process spurred some creativity today. Of course, I could always ice my hot tea, but sometimes I get a little bored with that. So I made teasicles!

First, I picked my tea. I figured green tea might be a tad bland in icicle form and I really love the cinnamon flavor in Yogi's Kava blend.
Thus, Kava won.
I brewed some water and steeped 2 bags to ensure maximum flavor.

 

I let the tea steep and cool for a while before I poured it into regular ice trays. I put them in the freezer for about 20 minutes before I stuck the sticks in them. The theory is that the semi-solid state will hold the toothpicks upright, but the meds made me a little hasty and sloppy. That's okay though, I'm not really going for aesthetics right now. Then I just waited until they were frozen all the way through.

My toothpicks are all willy-nilly!

Ta-da! Now I have two trays of deliciously iced tea in a miniature form! Have I mentioned I love mini things? Well, I do. These are especially great during the summer, too, since it's blazing outside. I'll keep making and refining these. I think next time I'll try to make an icicle-smoothie treat, complete with brewed tea and blended fruits. Yum!

oatmeal & orange peels

I'm somewhat obsessive over my skin. The generic products grocery stores carry always, always irritated my skin. So I was stuck with the expensive stuff; it was the only thing that somewhat worked for me. The drawback to that, besides the harsh chemicals and high price, was that if I skipped a day of exfoliation or a mask my skin would take 3 steps back... *sigh*

Because of all that I decided to try my own, home-made treatments. I have to say I really enjoy the experimenting and my skin can handle it, too. My problem with home-made is that I'm somewhat lazy and don't plan ahead. But that all stops now.

Today, I was in dire need of exfoliation. I must admit I haven't exfoliated for a while, and I'm planning an epic pamper-spa day, complete with dry brushing, oil bathing, hair treatments, mani/pedi, and a facial mask. But before I do a mask I need to exfoliate, and I don't like to do both on the same day. Laziness aside, I concocted an exfoliating treatment today.

This is what I used:
*2 Tablespoons of Oatmeal- ground up with a mortar and pestle
*2 Tablespoons of dried orange peels- also ground with mortar and pestle
*1 Tablespoon of honey
*1-2 teaspoons of yogurt or milk

After I cleansed my face, I ground the oatmeal and dried orange peel and put them in a small bowl. Then I added the honey and milk and stirred it all together. I applied it with gentle circular motions and let it sit for about 5 minutes. After that, I rinsed it off with lukewarm water, gently dried, and topped it all off with some sesame oil. The result: awesome feeling skin.

sesame oil

My sister-in-law asked me to dig around for some information on sesame oil to find out what makes it so great. And i'm glad to do it! She tells me it's been working wonders on her skin, leaving her soft and naturally glowing. The more skin alternatives I find the better. Having struggled with skin issues my whole life, I've recently become sort of obsessed with using only all natural, chemical-free products on my skin. My delicate skin! How could I torture you with chemicals?! I choose not to. So when I hear of new stuff, I try it!

Source

Here is what I found out about sesame oil:

• It's one of the most important oils used in Ayurvedic medicine
• Also known as gingelly or til oil
• It's popular in oil bathing, as it calms an imbalanced Vata dosha
• It provides natural protection against UV rays
• It's antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory (really good for fighting blemishes!)
• It's full of antioxidants
• It's full of vitamin E, which is excellent for keeping skin hydrated and healthy
• It draws oil soluble toxins out of the skin
• It's used in oil pulling, for oral hygiene 

Basically, sesame oil is hydrating, it helps regenerate new cells, protects against UV rays, it attracts and extracts toxins, and it has very sanitary qualities. Plus it has awesome nutritional value being high in mono- and polyunsaturated fats, as well as being low in saturated fats. It's a win-win situation all around.

Source

I can say with confidence I'll be getting my hands on some of this miracle worker soon!