The Craze Behind Weighted Blankets

For years, many people did not know that weighted blankets existed, and those who did - had to choose from a very limited and expensive selection...until now! The gossip and whispers about this hefty bedding gave way to what is now a ton of media coverage.

It started with celebrities who raved about weighted blankets, retail stores nationwide began selling variations of the heavy sheets, and by the end of 2018,  weighted blankets were on practically every gift guide on the internet. 

Finally!

For decades, weighted blankets were used by a small community to treat children with autism and adults with PTSD and other conditions. The blankets purportedly work by using deep-pressure therapy – similar to the comfort created by swaddling babies or getting deep-tissue massages – to create more restful sleep. Read how Rebecca from my Winter short story series, Love Paints the Way has a weighted and...

Love Paints the Way

Synopsis

Rebecca Campbell is an over-worked, exhausted Talent Acquisition Manager for an International Financial Corporation in Boston - pulling her further and further away from her true passion - oil painting.

The day after Christmas her boss calls her to meet him at the office right away, even though she had just begun her much needed and earned vacation. After demanding that she be flown out the next day to head up the on-boarding of the new office in Chicago because their HR manager there quit - Rebecca snaps.

A quick decision brought her to a family own ski resort in Stowe, VT, where unexpected opportunities arise and her paintings pave the way to new possibilities to have the life of her dreams.

Chapter One Excerpt - Boston's Chill

The captain came on the overhead speakers, jolting Rebecca out of a dead sleep. Slightly embarrassed, she sat up and looked next to her. Luckily, the woman seated beside her was asleep too and didn’t notice the drool that...

Valentine's Day Gift Guide to Treat Yourself

All over the stores, you see Valentine's Day focusing on relationships - however there is no better relationship, than the one with YOURSELF!

Here are some gift ideas that you can treat yourself with OR hint at your partner with! 

Shop this Guide: Sweetheart Essential Oil Collection, Tohi Starter Kit: Premium Skin & Body Care Line, Lean Body Sculpting for 2020, 100 Days to Brave

 Shop this Guide: Inspirational Home Decor, Love You. Love Your Health Collection, Essential Oil Roll-Ons for On-The-Go, Rose Quartz Skin Renewal Kit

Wait! Before You Go!

Check out my FEEL GOOD SHOP and use coupon code: LOVEYOURSELF2020 and receive 15% off either the Nutritional Mental Health Quickstart Guide or Aromatherapy 101

*offer valid until 2/29/19

An Excerpt from Just Be

There is nothing more wonderful than sitting around an open fireplace with a hot cup of cocoa on a cold January day. I love New England retreats to get away by yourself or with family to have fun, recharge and find ways to enjoy the long, cold winters up here. 

In my next story, Love Paints the Way, Rebecca Campbell, a high profile business woman from Boston, listens to her heart that calls her to these mountains though she wasn’t sure why. In surrendering to her heart’s longing, love shows her the reason...

Riding on the subway during a stressful time at work, she sees an ad for a cozy retreat in a mountain village near a ski lodge and senses that this is what she needs. A time for rest and some fun on the slopes.

Despite her boss’s objection, Rebecca packs up and goes on a much needed trip. In surrendering to her heart’s longing and her body’s need for renewal, she finds love and a different reason to get away than she expected.

Vermont...

Warm Up With These 3 Easy & Healthy Crock-pot Recipes

Chicken Lemon Orzo Soup

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 celery ribs, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

1. Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to the skillet and cook until golden, about 4-5 minutes.
2. Place chicken into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in chicken stock, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Cover and cook on low heat for 5-6 hours. Uncover and stir in pasta; cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30...

 Lean Into Your Passions

There are so many times have I heard someone tell me: “I hate my job. I hate that I am always so tired after work. I hate that I never get much ‘me’ time.” I totally get that. I’ve been there many times. When my health deteriorates and I’m not happy to get up and start the day’s work, I am just miserable. Something always seems to be missing.

In my winter 2020 short story series, Love Paints the Way, my main character Rebecca certainly can attest to that. She has a great career as a Lead Talent Acquisition Manager for an International Finance Corporation in Boston. She enjoyed her work and made a great income. But somehow she didn’t feel that her job gave her much meaning and purpose. Something in her snapped one day in the office with her boss and for the first time, she began to lean into her passions inside.

So often we don’t align our jobs, our health and our happiness with our passion. In fact,...

New Beginnings in 2020

January first! Every year on this day - the first day of a brand-new year and a brand-new decade - always excites me! It makes me me think about all the first days of my life. What are yours?

• The first day of marriage?
• The first day you held your first child?
• The first day on a new job?
• The first day after a major loss?
• Your first kiss?
• Your first slow dance?

First days are both wonderful and sometimes challenging. And here we are, ready to take on another new beginning of the year and a decade. I have been thinking about all my firsts in the last 10 years, and goals for this coming year and decade. I’m sure most of you have begun to think about this too.

• What were you doing 10 years ago?
• How have you changed?
• How has your life changed? 

Every decade is a fresh new beginning to create the next ten years of our lives, almost like a brand new chapter in a book. It seems the older I get, the more I see how each decade is an...

Be Merry & Still

December always brings mixed emotions, though I love Christmas. I know that it also can trigger many emotions with many of my readers, some of which are sadness from loneliness or missing someone you have lost. For that reason, my focus has been on a value that I cherish especially during the holidays. It is learning to be still and to just be with emotions without judgment. When I do that, doors of God’s love open, giving way to peace and joy. All month I’ve sought ways to share ‘just be’ moments where stillness is honored, and joy is nurtured.

Advent, a season of reflection and being still is one that I have a vague memory of growing up. For a long time, Christmas made me feel both excited and anxious, not just because of childhood memories, but because of the extreme pressure we put on ourselves to make the holidays perfect.

Often, we get so wrapped up in all the Christmas activity, that by the time Christmas day comes, we...

Heart of Christmas 

I love Christmas. I love everything about it from the Christmas lights to the baby in a manger. I don’t even mind the hustle and bustle of these busy days as we prepare for bringing our families and friends together. We open our doors, our kitchens and our lives inviting people in, so we want to bring a sense of hospitality. But what exactly is true hospitality? And what does it mean to be hospitable? I know that if I’m not careful, I can easily burn out as I get ready for Christmas.

What I’ve found is that as I prepare my home that I want to look at its best, I can get so busy giving that I don’t necessarily prepare my heart to receive. In receiving the love, peace, hope and joy of Christmas, we receive the best of what hospitality is all about. My husband and I decided not long ago…to SLOW… it…down. Savor the moments of December day by day and bring the best of ourselves to our children, friends and family. What...