Changes!

Just a quick post today to say HELLO!

And to let you know that I have been changing a lot of things here at My Blissful Journey with even more changes on the way!  First and foremost I have added a FUR KID Section.  Take a look and let me know what you think.  It's kind of like a Hall of Fame...the furkids we currently have and the ones we have lost over the years and still think about daily!  It will tell you a bit about each of them and have photos of each.

I have deleted a few tabs and will be re-working them at some point.

Also, you might have noticed my sidebar and blogroll has had a MAJOR overhaul!  I've been trying to re-connect with blogging buddies I have lost touch with over the years and keep in touch better with those of you I have become close friends with, too!  I want to visit and comment more frequently.  If you don't see your link on my sidebar please let me know!

My Blissful Journey ~ Sleep & Meditation

I've been blogging here and there about my experiments with music and sleep.  It seems to be working.  In a round about way I had been pairing that with my own form of meditation.  I, for one, believe there is not a right or a wrong way to meditate.  I think it can be any form of prayer, it can be deep breathing, it can be yoga, it can be reading something positive and bright, it can be a walk in the woods or on the beach, it can be listening to music, or just that zone you get in before you fall asleep.

It took me a while to accept that.  I thought for years that I wasn't meditating correctly.  But that is like saying that someone isn't 'christian enough' or 'female enough' or 'pretty enough'.  Who are the meditation police?  We can't let anyone tell us we are doing something wrong if its improving our lives, right?

As for me - and what I have been doing LATELY - based on the first chart in this post is - for my ENVIRONMENT is my living room.  I actually sleep on my sofa.  I have for years.  I know it's not the best for my Sciatica, sleep, or back, but the dogs will not have it any other way.  That AND - DH goes to work at 4am. I rather get what sleep I can that be up and down and up and down every hour.  BUT ANYWAYS...my environment is my living room with low light and meditative beats on my iPad from YouTube.  I usually have Riley sleeping by my feet, Cricket sleeping on my lap or in the boat of my legs, and Paco sleeping above my head.  I know...it doesn't sound real comfortable but I finally have a system and so do they! LOL - Then for the 'set the intention' part - my intention is to get to sleep, stay asleep, and feel refreshed when I sleep.  I try and focus on healing any aches and pains I have, too.  For posture - I lay flat on my back - most of the time with my arms to the side and slightly above my head.  Sometimes under the blanket because I like to be warm at all times - or tucked under my pillow.  And as for Posture - I think a photo will explain it better but I've been sleeping in the Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana).

So before when I was saying that Cricket usually sleeps on my lap or in the 'boat' by 'boat' I mean inside my leg area.  These sleeping choices could not be further from what I have been doing my ENTIRE LIFE.  Prior to this experiment I was sleeping in a ball - was a side sleeper - and had to have blankets over my ears - no matter how warm the weather was - and my arms hugging something - usually a pillow.

I have noticed that this has been helping my Sciatica on many days.  I have gotten used to sleeping this way - the thing that seemed to seal the deal was pairing all of this with Binaural Beats and Meditative Music!

Poms, Snips, & Crystals

It's been a rough week.  But since this is my positive and uplifting space My Blissful Journey I won't vent here.  Instead I will focus on a few things that made me smile yesterday.

A small local grocery store near here had pomegranates on sale for quick sale.  They were VERY ripe but you could get 2 for 79 cents!  I grabbed a duo of them and might try and go back to get more depending how the two I got look when I crack them open later today.

Parsnips!  Parsnips are a food that I don't eat a lot of.  Not because I don't like them - mostly because they aren't a big thing in my area and they don't keep many in stock at the stores.  And when they do they aren't the cheapest thing.  I don't really have many recipes and/or ideas in my creative arsenal for them either.

I branched out.  Yesterday I grabbed two of them.  They cost $3.71 for the two of them.  I would like to do a raw vegan rice recipe with them soon!

One of the many things I am learning about at the moment are crystals and chakras!  I ordered two of these cones and should get them tomorrow.  The orange and the yellow.  I'm thinking about getting the red, too, because of how I tested on a chakra test and daily life, habits, characteristics, and interests.  I hope to put them on my desk at work and surround myself with more positive things.  Another thing I am getting back into is Mandalas, too, and will be putting some of those in my office when I complete them.

Yoga Vibes

YEARS ago when I first stared this blog I had to go with a name because the one I wanted was already taken.  When that happened I wanted to use this blog to be more accountable to myself with my yoga practice.  I have never nor will I ever claim to be a yoga expert.  I just do it to do it.  I do it for me.  I need to get back into it.  I've said that often over the past couple of years.  Perhaps this will make me more accountable but as you can see my blog has grown and is much more than yoga.  Yoga has very little to do with this blog any more and I would like to change that.  I will start incorporating more yoga related posts but will certainly keep my vegan based recipes as the core.

Having said that I recently came across Yoga Vibes and their FREE Video Section on their website.  I'm exciting to start in with some of these.  I know it sounds weird but I will also start doing more yoga during the work day.  I found THIS was a good place to start again.  But I'm considering bringing my mat in, too.  Time will tell if I actually do that.  Question of the day: What are some of your favorite FREE Yoga Sites and Videos?

My Blissful Journey ~ Into Essential Oils ~ Intro

I've been reading up on Essential Oils for quite some time.  And the last few months I've actually been ACTING upon my interest.  Before Vegan MoFo started I had a few people ask me to post my findings and my journey with Essential Oils.  I figured now is the best time as any to start posting a few things.  It just seemed like a nice way to start the weekend, too!

As many of you know I contribute to The Raw Food World NEWS Site.  You can find most of my posts within the RECIPE Section of the site or you can click on my PROFILE, too!

This post really won't be a 101 type crash course but some of the things I have done with them and I will start building Essential Oil posts here on my blog as well as over at The Raw Food World NEWS Site.  

First up...one of the Essential Oil combos that I think is great to have on hand and on stand by near your kitchen and/or bathroom.  The Burn Blend.  This blend is made up of a carrier oil, Tea Tree, and Lavender.  By clicking on the link you can see the full recipe and benefits profile of this blend.  As a default I usually use Grapeseed Oil or Coconut Oil as my carrier oil of choice.

Lemon Body Wash is another thing you can do with Essential Oils.  All you do is add Orange, Lemon, and Ginger Essential Oils to an UNscented Body Wash of your choice.

Tomorrow I will be posting a few ideas using Lemon Balm LEAF.  Stay Tuned.

The Bellamy Brothers Concert

Wednesday of last week during the Warren County Fair the featured band to perform was...The Bellamy Brothers!

I helped with the flow of the Meet N Greets prior to the concert and then helped with various things during the show so I didn't get to see much of their performance but the crowd LOVED them!  The 'house' was PACKED the whole time!

Here's a shot from the audience that a friend of mine took.

I also helped sell merchandise towards the end of the show.

New this year - is the front of the stage.  The wood is actually 29 years old and reused/repurposed from the Motor Sports Arena and was sanded and treated and it looks amazing!  The Cornplanter Stage Sign is new this year, too!

After the show the 'brothers' stopped over at the Entertainment Office (a new addition during last years fair) and signed the wall and a few other promotional signs we will be hanging on the walls in the coming weeks.

These guys sure were busy prior to visiting our county fair!  In about a week they traveled from Switzerland to Germany to Denmark to Norway and then to Pennsylvania.

I will be posting at least one more time today so be on the look out for that.  I have 2 more concerts to report on and will post in between other My Blissful Journey posts, too!

Peppermint Water - Ah-HA Moment - and a WINNER!

First of all - I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the giveaway over the weekend for the Chocolate Covered Mulberries and the Chocolate Covered MacNut from Medicinal Foods!  The interest was OUT OF THIS WORLD!

Having said that...the winner of this delicious prize was...
LiberTEAs (aka Anne)
CONGRATS!!

Now...for the rest of my post today!  Ever had one of those AH...HA!!!  Moments?

Well, I had one recently when it came to the water you see here.  It's simple peppermint flavored water.  Those who know me - know I LOVE water and I LOVE peppermint!  I usually grab a bottle of this Metromint when it's on sale but last week I tried NuNaturals Peppermint flavored Stevia in filtered water and it tastes JUST LIKE IT!

All I did was use 2 drops of this NuNaturals Peppermint Stevia in a glass of water - so what is that - like around 10 ounces or so - it just 2 drops is all it takes!  The flavor was AMAZING!

I did do a taste test using 3 drops and I think you can start tasting the Stevia a bit more than the Peppermint.  But at 2 drops you are getting that subtle refreshing minty goodness without going overboard with the mint or the Stevia!

So just a little tip and trick from me here at My Blissful Journey!  And another simple way to use NuNatural's products in  your daily routine!

Mostly Raw Vegan Foods - 4 Ideas

Lately I have been doing a lot of foods like you see here.  You know I LOVE my dips and spreads.  I did a spin on a creative Guacamole and I made some Kale Chips with a bit of a kick that turned out pretty awesome.  I hope to be sharing these recipes with The Raw Food World NEWS Site and the Recipe Section on there, too!  For Smoothies lately I have created many.  Two of them are shown here.  I'm looking for some ideas!  In comments let me know what kind of smoothie you would like me to try and throw together.  Also what kind of Kale Chips you might have in mind, too!

Next week I will be having a week FULL of giveaways!  One each day for 7 days starting MONDAY.  Then I will have a HUGE Grand Prize so be sure to subscribe to this site AND my new YouTube channel!  In other YouTube news I bought a new GoPro Camera and have been doing some crash courses on it.  I hope to start using it for some videos soon!

1st Vlog

My first Vlog is up!  Be kind...be gentle...I'm new at this!
Opal & Christine - special shout outs to you both!  Thanks for all you do!  You are wonderful!

Focusing on My Lymphatic System

For the next 3 days - minimum - I will be doing a detox of sorts - while focusing on my Lymphatic System.  

There are a few things that I want to heal with my body and I feel the Lymphatic System is the perfect place to start.  I have 2 confessions to make up front.  ONE - I've never done this before so it's a learning process - so it's rather fitting that I am posting it here on my blog - My Blissful Journey.  And TWO - as much as I try and do things to improve my life and situation - it doesn't mean I don't have bad habits.  To get a little personal here - the older I get the less comfortable I feel about going undergarment-free (if you know what I mean) and I know that is BAD...I really have to change that.  It's suggested that women go at least 12 hours every day without that kind of support.  Because I have felt physically uncomfortable doing so I haven't for quite some time...so one of the things I will be forcing myself to do during this time is wear a camisole when I get home at the end of the day.  This might sound like a 'small thing' but it's going to be a challenge for me.  

Having said that...some of the other things I will be focusing on over the next 3 days (which will probably turn into all of this week) will be hot and cold compresses on problem areas, hot and cold showers, deep breathing, yoga, walking, and natural deodorants.  Some of these things I do on a daily basis such as wear a natural (non-aluminum) deodorant.  I rarely (close to if ever) wear make-up and I don't even use lotion, etc.  If need be I will be using Grapeseed Oil and/or Coconut Oil.  Another thing I will be doing more of this week is Oil Pulling and I tend to do that with Coconut Oil.

Now...on to what I HOPE to consume...of course this is all based on whether or not I can find these items in my area which has been a complete challenge as of late.

Plantains - altho - not RAW - I do have some in my freezer that I intend to bake.

Leafy Greens - you will see me doing a LOT of salads this week - so that means - I will most likely be posting those with my home-made dressings!

Cranberries - I really doubt I can find fresh ones right now but I do have a stash of dried that I have from my shipments from The Raw Food World.

Raw/Soaked Nuts & Seeds

Coconut, Avocado - Again, our fresh coconut situation here is grim so I'm unsure how this will come into play but I have been rather Avocado-Happy, lately!

Echinacea - as well as other herbal tonics and tisanes

Garlic/Ginger/Turmeric - I eat these in some form almost every day but during this time I hope to incorporate them into other ways, too!

Seaweeds, Spirulina, Chorella

Citrus - whole, juice, in dressings - you name it!

Consume more fruit on empty stomach - such as more fruit based mono meals

Cantaloupe - if possible I would like to make some Cantaloupe Juice and/or Milk

Apple Cider Vinegar (mixed with water and possibly garlic, Agave)

LOTS of Water and Water with Lemon!

I will probably be doing some juicing and smoothies this week, too!  At least that is my goal.  One I would like to try was from an old Dan McDonald Video - 2 Apples, handful of Grapes, 1 Lemon, and a chunk of Ginger.

These are just some of this things I would like to work toward this week.  I'm challenging myself with many of them to try and stay consistent but also try and do some healing.  Please drop by with encouragement this week!  I would appreciate it!

Old Dogs, New Goals, & Green Hummus NOT Made from Avocado!

I am still trying to catch up from my vacation and have lots more to share but I've been itching to post some foodie posts, too!

And share this sweet snapshot of Suzie sleeping last night.  She's lost some weight but still eating and playing like her usual self.
 She's 14 and for the last 5 years have had different things she's visited the vet for.  We will continue to keep an eye one her and each time we visit the vet for her nails to be done they will weigh her, too.

Paco is plugging along, and we will be visiting the vet again soon for more blood tests to see if his platelets continue to climb.

Earlier this week I was hungry for hummus but I wanted to change it up a bit so I came up with this one.  I really don't have a name for this hummus yet but here is what's in it...
 1 Can of Organic Chickpeas
1/4 C Tahini
1 tea Garlic Powder
1 T Lime Juice
1 T Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 tea GoL's Perfect Food Engerizer
Water to consistency

On top I sprinkled some Raw Vegan Parmesan Chipotle Flavor that I got over at The Raw Food World.

A sneak peak of something that I will start doing and blogging about on a weekly basis starting Monday.  I'm combining the Vision Boards and Inspiration Boards that I have blogged about doing before into a Goal Book.  I haven't decided whether or not I will be doing 3 Goals each week or 5 goals each week.  Regardless it should be great for getting my rear in gear and start setting some goals and mini goals for myself and having some sort of accountability for them.  I will apply a bit of Mixed Media and Junk Journaling or Art Journaling into this project a bit but I intend to take photos of my Goal Page each week and post it on my blog here for all to see.  Comments and feedback welcome and encouraged because it will encourage me to stick to the goals!

The inside cover to the Goal Book isn't all that involved but I think each individual page will have a theme of its own or a completely different look and feel to it each week.

I think this will help me get back into crafting, too.  I need to use up some of my supplies that have just been sitting there for months and months.

Also...I hope this helps with my Time Management a bit.  I've been slacking in a number of areas.  Perhaps this will help!

This project will be positive and fit in nicely with my blog here at My Blissful Journey, too!  What do you think!?

Participant:
Healthy Vegan Fridays

State of Bliss Travel Blog

Just a quick blog post about a sub blog I started!  Feel free to check it out it's called State of Bliss Travel.  MyBlissfulJourney will ALWAYS be my main blog and website but this sub site is specifically about travel and adventures and will be heavy on the photos.  I will cross post and cross link when appropriate.  Check out this new site to see why I'm posting this gorgeous cabin!