Cuddlekins Plush Red Panda Review

Wild Republic Cuddlekins Red Panda Plush

My grandson, David, had a birthday coming up the end of April, so I asked his dad for some ideas for 'grandma gifts'.  The internet makes such requests so simple these days, as my son easily posted a list of 'David Wants' in a shared Wish List on Amazon.

Among the suggested gifts were a set of artist pencils (David loves to draw and is quite good), some Minecraft figures, and a plush red panda, particularly this one pictured here by Cuddlekins of Wild Republic.  I was a bit surprised that David still liked stuffed animals at age nine.  I thought he might have outgrown them by now, but my son insisted it was one of the gifts David was hoping for. 

Cuddlekins Red Panda

Turned out, David did not expect he would get his plush Red Panda, so it was a delightful surprise for him, as you can see by the expression on his face as he opened it. 

I was particularly pleased with the quality of this stuffed animal.  It has smooth, red fur, a big bushy tail, white markings, and lifelike, highly-detailed, realistic features. It's softly stuffed and measures 12 inches tall.  





You can see that it is a wonderful, hugable armful for a 9-year-old. 

About Wild Republic

Wild Republic has been creating nature-related animals and educational toys and gifts since 1979, with their specialty being their realistic stuffed animals.  The line of stuffed animals is extensive and includes just about any animal you can imagine, including farm animals, jungle animals, sea creatures, dinosaurs, reptiles and prehistoric animals, birds, butterflies & bugs and dogs & cats. I am also pleased with how reasonably priced they are. 

Their headquarters are in Twinsburg, Ohio, but they have offices around the world and their international distribution serves zoos, museums, and aquariums, as well as retailers. 

In addition to this plush Red Panda, Wild Republic has a whole line of these cuddly wild animals which look like the real animal.  They also carry a line of gift items that are related to nature, such as jewelry, home décor and seasonal items. You can visit the Wild Republic Website here. 

Happy Birthday, David

David, Age 9

David LOVES his new buddy, the Cuddlekins Plush Red Panda.  He had a wonderful 9th birthday!

The Real Red Panda

Red Panda Poster by Sylvestermouse

Sylvestermouse has a delightful article all about the 'real' red panda which is filled with interesting photos and facts at Reviewing What We Know About the Red Panda.








(c) Review of the Wild Republic Cuddlekins Red Panda Plush by Wednesday Elf

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Hamilton Beach Stand Mixer Reviewed (Model 63325)

I love my Hamilton Beach 63325 6-Speed Stand Mixer! 

For many years, I was tempted to buy a stand mixer, but I simply couldn't justify the multi-hundred dollar cost of the one I thought I wanted.  Every time I entered a department store, I would mosey over to the kitchen appliances and allow myself to be mesmerized by the beauty of a shiny new stand mixer.   

Several times my husband offered to buy one for me, but I refused to let him spend that much money on a mixer.  He even ordered one online as a surprise for me once and I cancelled the order myself citing the ridiculously high price was just too much.  I told him if it ever went on a 70% off sale, we could talk.  Of course, that never happened.   

However, my daughter and son-in-law did the unthinkable without my permission a few years ago.   They gave me a stand mixer for Mother's Day.

The Gift of the Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Stand Mixer

I should note that the children were smarter than me.  They knew I needed a stand mixer, but they didn't choose the shiny and pretty model I was entranced by in department stores.  They looked at a durable, dependable, yet lightweight beast.  

I confess, I hadn't even considered the weight of the "beauty" I thought I wanted.   It's a good thing they thought of the weight though because I do have to move my stand mixer (11 lbs) each time I use it.  I would never have been comfortable lifting and moving the "beauty" (26 lbs).  Lifting my "beast" and carrying it from counter to counter is almost effortless for me.

The first time I used my Hamilton Beach stand mixer, I stood back and watched, amazed at how it did that work for me.  I definitely appreciated everything about it.  

You might think that being lighter weight would cause the mixer to hop around on the counter while mixing.  It does not.  It has nonslip feet and they definitely work!  

I also thought I wanted a glass bowl, but the Hamilton Beach stand mixer has a stainless steel bowl.  As it turns out, the stainless steel bowl is fabulous!  It is also much lighter than a glass mixing bowl, plus it won't break if I drop it.  Now, I have to tell you, I am thrilled that it came with stainless steel instead of glass.

Features of the Hamilton Beach Stand Mixer, Model 63325

My Homemade German Chocolate Cake

• 6 Speeds
• 3 Attachments:  Flat Beater, Whisk, & Dough Hook
• Head tilts up and locks into place to easily add ingredients 
• Beater has excellent bowl coverage - very little need for scrapping sides
• Nonslip Feet
• Lightweight (11 lbs)
• Mixer Unit Wipes Clean
• Attachments and Bowl are Dishwasher Safe
• Inexpensive by Comparison 

I want to take a moment to address how well this stand mixer mixes.  When I make a German chocolate cake, I do stop and scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure it is getting completely mixed.  That truly may be more habit on my part than necessity.  However, heavier batters, like my carrot cake, do not require scraping the sides of the bowl at all.  The flat beater does an excellent job of scraping, stirring and mixing.

The only advantage I now see to the beauty over the beast is that you can purchase separate attachments like a food grinder, pasta maker, ice cream maker, etc. that work by using the motor of the stand mixer for power.  If I ponder that for long, I realize I'm not likely to ever buy or use either of those separately purchased attachments.  If I want either of those things, I can buy the individual machine that is made for that specific purpose with it own motor.  

In case I forgot to mention, the Hamilton Beach Stand Mixer (the beast) costs almost 1/4 of the price of the one I thought I wanted (the beauty).  Ironically, that even beats that 70% off sale I was waiting for before I would make a purchase.

Thank you again to my daughter and her sweet husband for giving me what I really needed, the Hamilton Beach Stand Mixer. 

 Hamilton Beach 6 Speed Electric Stand Mixer with Stainless Steel 3.5 Quart Bowl, Planetary Mixing, Tilt-Up Head, 300W Motor, Black (63325)Check Price

   

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Review of Daniel Boone Home Site in Defiance Missouri

Daniel Boone Home

On a recent April morning a group from our photography club visited Boonesfield Village on the grounds of the Daniel Boone Home in Defiance Missouri.  This area includes the area where Daniel Boone lived his final days and a village of shops, a church, schoolhouse and homes all built in the 1800's in mid- Missouri and moved to the Daniel Boone site.  The buildings are set up to give us a peek into what frontier life was like in 19th century Missouri.

A Bit of History

Daniel Boone was born in Pennsylvania in 1734, into a family who made their living from hunting.  When things became too crowded in the northeast, they moved to North Carolina and then to Kentucky.  In Kentucky Daniel Boone made his reputation as a great hunter and explorer.  He also held several government jobs and he flourished living in Kentucky.  By 1799 Kentucky was becoming too crowded so Daniel Boone and his family moved to Missouri.  Daniel Boone was 65 when he moved to Missouri.  He lived their until his death in 1820.

Peace Chapel

Peace Chapel

The Old Peace Chapel was built in the 1800's as a dance hall and general store in New Melle, Missouri.  At the turn of the century a German Evangelical church purchased the building and remodeled it into a church in 1983 it was moved to the Daniel Boone site.  Today it is a focal point in the village of 1800's buildings.  It is often used for weddings and renewing of vows.

Here are a few photos I took inside the chapel.

One Room Schoolhouse

I found the one room schoolhouse to be very interesting.  My father attended school in a one room school house in rural mid Missouri and I imagine it was much like this one.  

Inside there is a chalkboard that goes across the front of the classroom.  Across the back of the room is a wood burning fireplace, which is the only heat for the building.

Can you imagine going to school in this tiny schoolhouse where all grades were educated in one room?

Sites around the Village

Here are photos of several of the other buildings in the village.  An old covered bridge is on the property.

Here is one of the barns.

How would you like to use this washing machine on laundry day?

This is the Newton Howell Home

Beautiful Spring Flowers

I loved all the spring flowers that brightened up the village.  The vase of wildflowers in the last photo was sitting in the window in the general store.

For more information on the Daniel Boone Historic site and directions to the property go to The-Historic-Daniel-Boone-Home

Zazzle Card

Here is a notecard made from my photos.

Spring Wildflowers Card

by mbgphoto

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The Dirt Tooth Powder: A Review for Those Tired of Toothpaste

What on Earth Is The Dirt?

I first saw The Dirt advertised on a website I was visiting and I was intrigued. I discovered it was a more natural way to clean my teeth than the Sensodyne toothpaste I'd been using for decades. I had never really liked all the chemicals it was putting in my mouth. The Dirt is different.

Get The Dirt Here!

Why Do I Like The Dirt Better than Toothpaste?

The Container: We could start with the tube. First, a tube is rather awkward to store. You want it handy, but it never really looks neat on the counter, even when you can stand it on its head. It isn't a great fit for a medicine cabinet, either. Then there's that old controversy about whether or not it should be rolled up or just squeezed. When you have old arthritic hands, either method can be a literal pain.

The Dirt container is just a little over two inches in diameter. It takes almost no space on the counter and the cap screws on and off. Easy-peasy! And it is also attractively packed. I prefer the three-month jar you see in my photo, but you can get a six-month supply in a little glass mason jar that also looks nice on a bathroom counter. Click through to the website to see all the sizes, flavors, and container styles for The Dirt, as well as a complete list of the ingredients.

The taste: The Dirt is clay-based and has all natural ingredients. The taste I chose is a pleasant but mild orange cinnamon spice flavor -- a bit like the original Constant Comment Tea I love so much. (By the way, Amazon has a great price on Constant Comment if you buy a four-pack.) I like the taste of The Dirt much better than the chemical taste of most toothpastes I've tried, including Sensodyne. If it makes a difference to you, The Dirt is also a Paleo tooth powder.



Remineralization: The Dirt helps remineralize your teeth. It also helps whiten them and it does this gently. There are more details when you click through to the product page. See link under photo below.

Get The Dirt Here!

How Do You Use The Dirt?

First you wet the toothbrush and shake off the excess water. I use the Waterpik Sonic Toothbrush that is part of this set.

I tilt the jar a bit so that I can easily dip the entire bristle surface into The Dirt. Then I gently dip the wet brush into the tooth powder and shake the excess back into the jar. Your brush will look a bit like mine in the photos. Brush your teeth as usual. When you are through brushing, rinse your mouth out with water to remove any remaining tooth powder from your mouth. While you're at it, use some of that water to rinse the tooth powder residue from the sink. Then enjoy how fresh your mouth feels. 

My Results

My dentist had told me when I was in college that I should use Sensodyne because of my receding gums that make my teeth really sensitive. At the time -- think back over fifty years -- there wasn't much else on the market to do the job. The Dirt wasn't around back then. I used Sensodyne regularly for all of these fifty plus years. My teeth are still sensitive and I still get cavities. Would it have been worse if I'd brushed my teeth with something else? Who knows?

In the four months I have used The Dirt I have not noticed my teeth getting more sensitive. I chose The Dirt because it is supposed to actually remineralize the teeth. I still need to see my dentist to see if my teeth have gotten any worse by changing. They don't feel any worse than they did before. But my mouth feels cleaner after brushing that it did before.

About a month ago I ran out of The Dirt and had to go back to Sensodyne while waiting for my order to come in. What I noticed was that my mouth got sore when I switched back. It's possible that I was sensitive to one of the chemicals in the Sensodyne. After a couple of days, though, the soreness went away.

What's Not to Love?

Actually, not much. One fault I might find is that the color of The Dirt traces still on my white sink after I brush are really visible. I take care of that easily with a quick rinse after brushing or a swish of a sponge. It doesn't stain the sink. It will, however, be likely to change the color of your toothbrush. You need to thoroughly rinse it after each use to remove all residue, but even then there still may be a tinge of color left.

The only other thing is that when you are almost out of tooth powder, it takes some creativity to get the entire brush surface covered with The Dirt. That's why slanting the jar is so important. If I'd thought ahead I could have taken care of that problem by reordering The Dirt before I ran out. Then I could have put what was left in the old container right onto the top of the new.

These are small inconveniences I don't mind  in exchange for the clean fresh feeling in my mouth after I brush using The Dirt. I hope you will try it for yourself. Why not order today while you're thinking about it?

THE DIRT Tooth Powder - Natural Fluoride-Free Toothpaste Alternative, Vegan - Essential Oils & Bentonite Clay (Sweet Spice, 25g: 3 Month Supply)Check Price

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Cafe Bustelo Espresso Style Coffee Reviewed

For Those Who Like A Strong Cup of Coffee

Rich dark coffee

If you are a fan of espresso or just like a good flavorful strong cup of coffee, you might be interested in the Cafe Bustelo line of coffees. I recently tried the Espresso style from this company and I really like it! It is bold, it is rich and it satisfied my taste buds!

The advantage to using the k-cup version is that you can opt to have a closer version of espresso depending on how much water you use in the brewing process. If your brewer allows a 4 oz cup of coffee, you will get pretty darn close to a real espresso. Selecting the 8 oz brew will give you a good strong cup of coffee which is a little watered down from what a true cup of espresso would be. I have tried it both ways and loved both. It kind of depends on my mood.

Cafe Bustelo K-cups

You can trust the Cafe Bustelo brand for an authentic Latin American type of espresso. Back in 1928, Gregorio Bustelo immigrated from Spain to East Harlem, New York. He was quite taken with the type of coffee found in many of the Latin American cities that he visited; especially in Havana, Cuba. He began to save his money to get his own roaster and eventually became a very prominent name in the Latin coffee community. As they say, the rest is history.

I tried the k-cup version of this coffee and I love it. You also have the option to purchase ground coffee if you prefer brewing your coffee in a pot. My guess would be that with the ground version you will be able to achieve a truly good shot of espresso especially if you have an espresso machine.

So, if you are a fan of good strong coffee; I highly recommend trying Cafe Bustelo Espresso style coffee. It is now one of my favorite brands to choose for my morning cup of coffee.

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Michael Crichton's TRAVELS, A Book Review (1988)

I have just returned from a trip around the world. A few of the more exotic countries that I visited were Thailand, Maylaysia, Bonaire, Ireland, England, Tanzania, Jamaica, New Guinea and Pakistan. On these travels, I climbed mountains, swam in the seas and slept with fleas. I mingled with elephants, felt the breath of gorillas on my face and swam among the sharks. I travelled off the beaten path and in some very rough conditions.

This trip was another armchair travels trip that I took via Michael Crichton's nonfiction book, Travels. It was a book club book that I recommended to the group. Fortunately, most of the group enjoyed the book more than I did.

I did enjoy parts of the book though I expected something different than I received from within the pages of the covers. It turned out that the title Travels was a little more general than I took it to be. It was meant to encompass Crichton's life adventures, which included literal travel but also spiritual adventures and medical training.

eNotes.com called Travels a "patchwork of pieces salvaged from a writer’s bottom drawer" and that is certainly how I felt about the book and why I was not keen on it. It does a good job of sharing Crichton's experiences individually but I would have appreciated it more if it had flowed as a single story rather than a series of short stories. In terms of writings, I suppose one might consider it a journal or diary of sorts.

On Crichton's website, it says that the book started as a series of travel pieces though he never intended to write about his travels thinking of them as just "something he did for himself that wasn’t work-related and wasn’t supposed to amount to anything." I understand how an author would not always want to chronicle everything in his life. Anyway, when Crichton discovered that some of his most important experiences happened on his trips this book was born and, when the book became autobiographical, he added the medical stories.

I am sure you have heard of Michael Crichton. He was a very successful novelist, screenwriter and film director. It is interesting that he wrote and sold books while he was studying to become a medical doctor though perhaps odd that he made it through the entire training program before he decided he did not actually want to be a doctor. In his 66 years, he wrote eleven books and more than 200 million copies of them have been sold in the science fiction, thriller and medical genres. In 1994, he had an unbelievable trifecta that included a number one movie, a book and a television show. Namely, Jurassic Park, Disclosure and ER. I am sure you will have heard of a couple of those, too.

Do I recommend Travels?

I guess so, reservedly. I would not recommend this book to someone looking for a page turner or an engaging novel. This book is as I have said before, a group of stories.

If you like to travel, you might enjoy the unusual destinations in this book whether or not you would choose them yourself. If you do not travel, you might enjoy visiting these places via the pages of a book.

Whether or not you believe in psychic phenomenons like aura reading, spoon bending, out-of-body trips and exorcism, you might enjoy learning about them and the various experiences Crichton had in the metaphysical world.

If you are interested in the human body or in being a medical doctor, you might appreciate the first chapters more than I did. If you red the book, you will discover how medical students are assigned cadavers and what follows.

But do not let my lukewarm recommendation be the deciding factor about whether or not you read this book for I have read many reviews by people who really enjoyed it and the majority of my book club members found Crichton's adventures interesting.

Reviewer Patricia Bosworth said in a 1988 New York Times book review, "I was ultimately swept away (by this book), not just by Crichton's richly informed mind, but his driving curiosity. Satisfying your curiosity takes guts."

Shangri-La anyone? The Shangri-La Michael Crichton visited is not the one you might have in your mind's eye. I thought of Shangri-La as an earthly paradise of sorts. Apparently the version I was picturing comes from a 1933 book called Lost Horizon. The real Shangri-La, as experienced in Travels, is quite different from that pleasant image in my mind and a good example of the unusual destinations in this book.

You can learn more about Michael Crichton's Travels on Amazon by clicking right here. If you do read the book, be sure to come back and let us know what you think of it. You might also let us know what your perception of Shangri-La was before you read this post.

See you
at the book store!
Brenda

Quick Links:

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More armchair travel book reviews.
Travel with these movies.

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8 Creative Flower Planter Ideas for Inside or Outside

Have a lot of broken down cars? Or just one?

There it is, a car planter, with the body as Art

Bring out your inner artistic side to display flowers and plants.

If you're stuck in a rut on the way you feature plants in and around the home, this list is designed to trigger an artistic spark so you can break that chain, and try something different this year.

1. Use An Old Wooden Toolbox

Old Shoes as a Planter?

Hmmm Yes? No?

If you have an old wooden, distressed toolbox - the ones with the handle across the top are especially nice - fill it with dirt, flowers, plants or spices. Place it anywhere you choose. Move it around from time to time.

2. Use Window Boxes Indoors

You've seen window boxes on outdoor railings, porches and the exterior of windows, however you can use a window box inside as well.

Find the window box that works best for your space, and simply duplicate what you would do outdoors. You can also spruce it up with decorative rocks and variety of rock garden plants. 

3. Old Tea Cups or Mugs

Old tea cups and coffee mugs are a creative way to display small plants or spices. If your kitchen has an area to display a set of cups or mugs, use them as a decorating accent or a place to hold your kitchen spices. Get each mug in a different color to add a little funk to your plant area.

A Large Cup of Flowers

4. Old Metal Boxes

You can use a new metal box as well. Any metal container in your home, that's the right size for your needs, can be filled with dirt, rocks, flowers, spices or plants. 

5. Ladder Plant Display

There are a number of ways to display plants on a ladder. You can secure the plants to each rung, or rig it so that each rung can hold a planter box. If doing it yourself isn't an option, you can get an already made free standing ladder that's designed to hold planter boxes. 

6. Drawers from Old Furniture

Rather than toss out your old dressers, use a drawer or two or three to plant flowers in.

Put the dirt directly in the drawer and plant what you want, or use it as a holder to place smaller pots already planted.

If you're able, turn it into a family affair by letting the kids paint a drawer and take care of their plants in their drawer.

7. The Top of a Birdhouse

Create edging around the roof of your birdhouse, fill it with dirt, then plant what you want in the area. It will look lovely, and the birds will appreciate it.

8. An Old Bicycle as a Home for Plants and Flowers

Position an old bike against a wall, tree or in a garden and use it as a prop for planting flowers and other plants. If it has a basket, fill it with hanging flowers. Use the wheels to grow flowers and plants that need a support to tie onto.

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Reviewing How Aromatherapy Can Help Relieve Stress

Buy Your Lavender Oil Here!

I love using aromatherapy and it's awesome for many different things, but one thing that aromatherapy is often used to help with is stress.

I thought it would be handy to showcase which aromatherapy oils are the best to help relieve stress and how you can incorporate them into your lifestyle to make stress a thing of the past.

The best stress-busting essential oils that aromatherapy has to offer are:

• Bergamot
• Lemon
• Lavender
• Gerarnium
• Chamomile

The best thing about these five oils is that they also smell absolutely divine too (a win/win).

Bergamot Oil

Bergamot oil is a very uplifting oil and is great for keeping you feeling positive and avoiding stress.  I love the smell of Bergamot - it always puts me in a 'happy' mood.

Bergamot can help with -

• depression
• nervous tension
• relaxation
• general well being

Lemon Oil

Lemon oil also has uplifting properties (most of the citrus oils do) and gives you a feeling of positivity.  Lemon oil has the advantage of being anti-bacterial and anti-viral so if your immune system is feeling the effects of too much stress, lemon oil can help.

Lemon oil can help with -

• relaxation
• nervous tension
• general well being

Lavender Oil

Lavender oil has so many properties that it really is the super oil of all oils, often referred to as a first aid kit in a bottle.  Combine that with the fact that the fragrance is just as beautiful you're onto a winner!

Lavender oil can help with -

• depression
• headaches
• high blood pressure
• migrane
• insomnia
• nervous tension

Geranium Oil

Geranium oil is one of the few that can be blended with nearly any other oil.  It goes extremely well with rose, however and all of the citrus oils.

Geranium oil can help with -

• depression
• nervous tension
• nervous pain
• anxiety

Chamomile Oil

Chamomile oil has a very low toxicity which is why it is often used with children.

Chamomile oil can help with -

• depression
• headache
• insomnia
• irritability
• migrane
• hysteria

Essential oils really are a fantastic way to keep stress levels down.   I managed a shop for a number of years and we had an aromatherapy burner going all day.  My stress levels (especially considering how busy we were) were always kept under control.  My first experience of work stress didn't happen until after leaving this environment.

Common Stress Problems

Common stress problems include headaches, low libido insomnia, high blood pressure, depression, irritability, anxiety and exhaustion.

Headaches - the classic essential oil for stress headaches and migraines is lavender.  Simply put a drop on each middle finger and massage into your temples (lavender is one of the few essential oils you can use neat, usually you should dilute pure essential oils before putting onto the skin)

Insomnia - chamomile is a fantastic essential oil for helping with insomnia, especially when combined with lavender oil.   Leave a diffuser going in the bedroom or have a chamomile and lavender bath before going to bed.   When my daughter was teething she had problems sleeping so (as I didn't have a diffuser at that time) I put a couple of drops of chamomile on a hankerchief and placed this under the mattress in her cot.  It really seemed to help settle her.

Low Libido - when stress starts to affect your sex life then you want to grab some Jasmine oil (this oils has athrodisiac properties) as this works really well in combination with lavender, chamomile, bergamot or geranium.  Add a couple of drops of jasmine along with a couple of drops of one of your stress oils into a carrier oil and try a massage.

High Blood Pressure - this needs to be approached in a holistic manner, but both lavender and lemon oils are fantastic in helping to support other methods of reducing blood pressure.

How Do I Use Essential Oils?

Now that you've worked out what oils you need - what do you do with them?  Essential oils can be used in diffusers, burners, baths, massages, lotions and creams.

Diffusers

Diffusers are wonderful, if you're able to have them going at work it is fantastic.  When you're trying to convince your employer to let you have a diffuser at work point them in the direction of Takasago.  Takasago is a Japanese company who released essential oils into the office air of computer and word processing operators to see if it affected productivity.

The results showed an increase in productivity, reduction in error rates and a reduction in stress levels.  The productivity rates were all increased by between 21% and 54% depending on the oils used.  Take this to your boss and he won't just let you use a diffuser in the office he may even buy one for you!

De-Stress On Your Drive Home

Car Diffusers

Driving home you can use aromatherapy as well and reduce the chance of road rage!  Simply get a car diffuser, they usually plug into the cigarette lighter.  If you If you don't want to use one of these you can put a couple of drops of essential oil on a tissue and leave it over the airvent so that it can diffuse throughout the car. This is also a great tip for long car trips to stay alert when driving - we used a combination of lemon and rosemary on a road trip a few years ago - I'm digressing now. Back to stress!

Massages

Regular Aromatherapy massages are fantastic, if you're under a lot of stress then booking in to have a weekly massage is a great idea. A friend of mine finds that once a month is enough for her as her work stress levels aren't really high, but are fairly consistent.

Massage by itself is great for stress, but seeing an Aromatherapist means that you'll have the added benefits of the power of essential oils as well.

Baths

Baths are a fantastic way of 'washing away' the stresses of the day. The Romans and Egyptians have long known the benefits of bathing. In our quest for speed and efficiency we have switched to quick showers and have lost the relaxation of a bath along the way. Combine the relaxing properties of a bath with the power of aromatherapy and you will be much happier.

Other ways to incorporate aromatherapy are using burners, candles, body lotions and creams.

Some Helpful Aromatherapy Blends

General Formula for the Workplace

This formula will enable everyone to cope before they get stressed out and it also has the added benefit of keeping their immune systems healthy (always good in an office environment).

Bergamot 7 drops
Lavender 3 drops
Lemon 2 drops

Mix these ratios of oils together and put in a diffuser to keep your workplace happy and healthy.

Anxiety Formula

Lavender 10 drops
Geranium 10 drops
Bergamot 10 drops

This same combination works really well for Depression although in different ratios

Depression Formula (from Valerie Ann Worwood's The Fragrant Pharmacy)

Geranium 15 drops
Lavender 5 drops
Bergamot 10 drops

Geranium is a really good oil to use as an uplifting influence on your emotions and although I have already talked about using chamomile and lavender together for headaches, Geranium can also be used.

Headache Formula

Equal parts lavender , chamomile and geranium

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Have You Used Aromatherapy to Reduce Stress?

I'd love to know which oils you used and what the results were ...

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Cabinet Door Spice Gripper Clips Strips Reviewed

Sometimes the simplest things are truly the best solutions! 

I have spent months trying to find a spice rack for my kitchen that would be pretty and convenient.   I looked at shelves, counter-top carousels, cabinet shelf risers and more.   I even considered converting one of my kitchen drawers into a spice holder.  But none of those ideas were the solutions I really wanted.

In our previous home, I had a gorgeous spice cabinet that I absolutely loved.  However, when we moved into our current house, that rack was too tall to hang on the wall between my cabinets and counter.  While I welcomed the taller kitchen cabinets, I really did hate to say goodbye to my lovely spice rack, but life moved on.  

At that time, I settled for an ugly, plastic carousel that would fit in my panty which was meant to be a temporary solution.  Now, nearly 20 years later, I am still using that carousel, except over the years it has been shoved further and further back into the pantry so I don't have to look at it every time I open the pantry door.  The spices I used most often sat on the front of the pantry shelf for easy access, but when I needed something behind them, it was a major pain to move everything around. 

This past Thanksgiving highlighted how desperately I needed a different spice storage solution.  With at least 4 cooks in my kitchen, too much of my own time was spent searching for the spices we needed back on the old carousel.  If anyone else tried to find a spice, they inevitably knocked jars off the spinning carousel.  

Truly, enough was enough!   And, so the search begin.  You can see my solution pictured on the right.

Pantry Door Spice Holder Installation

I resolved my problem with a set of Spice Gripper Clip Strips.  These strips were extremely easy to put up.  I cleaned the door with the alcohol pad that was included, removed the back tape protector strip and pressed my new gripper clips in place.  I did not use the included screws.  They were not necessary.   

My new spice holders are lightweight and plastic which means they will probably break eventually with daily use, but they are so inexpensive that I am not sweating that eventuality.  The convenience of having my spices hung on the pantry door is well worth any downside in the future.

Viola', instant spice rack inside my panty door and extremely convenient! 

I will be the very first to tell you how shocked I am that I love, I mean absolutely love my new spice gripper clips.  I should have done this decades ago.

 

Pantry Door Spice Holders Description

 SimpleHouseware 30 Spice Gripper Clips Strips Cabinet Holder - 6 Strips, Holds 30 JarsCheck PriceThe gripper clip strips have 5 clips per strip.  However, you can separate them into shorter strips if so desired.  The 5 clip strips are perfect for my pantry door, so I didn't need to shorten them.  

I was originally concerned that the space used when the door closed would be basically the same if the spices were still sitting on the shelf.  But, I was amazed to see that less than an inch of space is required to remain bare on the shelf in the front to accommodate the hanging spices.  Fabulous!  Not only do I have new convenient spice holders, but they are also space-savers.  Even better!!!

The strip package is a combination of white hangers and black hangers.  I used both.  Mixing them does not bother me even though I thought it would.  Perhaps, I am just grateful to have a spice holder solution. 

The only negative that I have found is that I will be required to replace each spice with the size spice jar on each clip once I use it the first time.  Since the hangers are plastic, they won't spring back to a smaller size once they are stretched out to hold a wide bottle.  Again, I can live with that.  After all, there are no nail or screw holes in my pantry door and I prefer that mild downside over holes in my cabinet door.

 

 Simple Houseware 30 Spice Gripper Cabinet Holder - 6 Strips, Holds 30 JarsCheck Price