My favorite things of 09:
-beach trip with family
-dark chocolate: Yum! Full of antioxidants, no artificial ingredients, organic, and fair trade certified. Just an occasional guilty pleasure from Whole Foods or World Market.
-herbal tea: Herbal tea is so calming and healing. I love this sweet cinnamon spice tea warmed up with milk and honey to sweeten it.
-brother returning from his mission
-reading some close to perfect books (The Glass Castle, Left to Tell, The Book Thief, Pope Joan)
-smoothies, sushi, coconut ice cream
-a place to live with a fireplace and a garage (Necessities for snow days.)
-my husband starting his Phd and lovin it
-new and old friends
-Death Cab concert in the mountains
-farmer's market
-Fit TV; all kinds of exercise routines almost any time of day and being well enough to exercise
-Hautelook; If you want designer clothes (nice quality, comfy, soft, long lasting clothing) for Target prices, Hautelook is the best. I've bought a few things and am NEVER disappointed. Everything I've bought from there has been under $20!
-Shikai; I LOVE this hair care. It's all natural and it's safe for colored hair. It extends the life of your hair color by weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks. It uses natural things like henna to make your hair look blonder, or redder, or darker, and shinier!
I always get the question, what's healing you? Oh, sooooo many things. Especially the medicinal marijuana. (Just kidding, just seeing if you're paying attention.)
So here's my list of what's healed me in 2009:
-friends and family (all my adorable nieces and nephews)
-faith and lots of prayer
-lots of hard work micromanaging all aspects of my life that increase my pain
-fish oil, vitamin D, and acidophilus (healthy bacteria; good for digestion)
-the perfect combo of medications (took awhile to find the right mix for such a complicated illness, but I'm finally there!)
-physical therapy
-my T.E.N.S. machine (I could not exist without it. It keeps my pain to a minimum.)
-ice, ice, and more ice. (Those with pain know ice is a miracle for us!)
-lots and lots of veggies
-less acid
-no milk or gluten
-deep breathing
-natural cleaning and beauty products (Less chemicals equal less inflammation, and yes inflammation is the battle I'm constantly fighting. Less inflammation equals less pain.)
-less stress
-love and laughter
-exercise (I'm able to do it everyday now, yeah baby!)
-blogging (Reading and writing of course. Keep writing girls, your posts lift me!)
-meditation (Lovin Eckhart Tolle. First person to every successfully get me to shut my dang mind off!)
-walking, walking, and more walking
-sun
-volleyball
-good movies (Silly chick flicks, as well as the deep thought provoking stuff.)
-taking care of myself and then others
-work (Yes work, when you're pain is less and work becomes real again, it heals you.)
-music
-parties (Can't forget the parties. They are my fave!)
-cooking healthy meals for my hubbie
-service, helping others heal from illness
My vision of 2010:
I read on Kris Carr's crazy sexy life blog that she has a vision board for all her dreams of the new year. It's just a cork board where you put somewhere special and you decorate it with your creative dreams, ideas, and goals. My husband and I made one with our creative, family, career related goals. Here'
s ours and the tools that Kris Carr suggests to make your own:Vision boards work because they allow you to turn your dreams on. They create a path that leads to action. Look at your vision board like a road map, allow yourself to believe that you are powerful beyond measure and that you deserve to live your best life. Your vision board can be a very helpful compass. But it’s not enough to post stuff and then sit on your sofa and do nothing. Plot and plan your attack! Your tools: magazines clippings, prayers, sayings, quotes, paper to write stuff on, scissors, glue & poster board, thumb tacks & cork board, imagination, freedom, and a positive attitude, childlike whimsy, giggles, and a sense that anything is possible. 2010 is the perfect time to start a board. You have nothing to lose – well, except doubt and the blues. Share your powerful stories with us! We’d love to see your boards and hear how they’ve transformed your life. Peace and thumbtacks, Kris
Some of my own ideas: Become a certified nurses assistant to boost my resume. Get a job as a caseworker. Take a trip with my husband and my girlfriends. Foster children in need. Adopt. Read really great books and not just the informative ones. Forgive, forgive, forgive. Start a book club. Dance. Smile. Kick the rest of my pain in the butt with lots of physical therapy. Exercise everyday. Be a good friend, sister, aunt, wife, and daughter. Serve, serve, serve.
