Baths, Glorious Baths

I am an anxious person; this is not a shocking confession to anyone who knows me at any intimate level. So, I find myself needing to discover ways to relax, and one of my absolute favorite ways to do this is with the good old-fashioned bath.

I turn off the lights in the bathroom and light a couple of candles and some Nag Champa incense. Then I draw a bath with water that is just barely hotter than I can stand (which, for me, is steam-coming-off-your-arms hot). When the water is about 2/3 of the way full, I add:

Sea Salt



Essential Oils (for relaxation, absolutely use a blend with lavender)



-Note: don't ever pay for over-priced bath salts. You can get the same thing, even more naturally, with just 1/4 c of sea salt and 10 drops of essential oil-

Then I get in and I soak... and soak... and soak. I love to put my feet up and feel the soothing heat of the water, my face pulsating, my blood circulating, watching the steam rise. And this is one of the best ways I have found to stave off my insomnia, to boot.

My muscles and my mind relax, and my stress vaporizes with the steam.

After, I always make sure I drink plenty of water so I don't dehydrate, and maybe follow up with a little chamomile tea.

Cheers!

Guest Basket

We were recently charmed with a visit from a very close friend, and I wanted more than anything to show her how happy we were to have her in our home.

If we had an extra bedroom, I would have laid out some clean linens, presented a simple, fresh vase of flowers on the nightstand, blah blah blah.

But all I had to work with was an air mattress in the living room. So I decided to create a basket with some small welcoming comforts.

Here are some things I included:

Natural travel-size shampoo and conditioner (Kiss My Face and Avalon are my favs)


Lavender travel-size lotion (Kiss My Face, again)


A travel-size bar of natural lavender soap (lavender is for relaxation)


An organic dark chocolate bar (make sure to get 70% cacao)


A short novel for reading



Other things you can include:
a razor and/or toothbrush for a longer stay (or at least keep an extra on hand)
a list of your favorite spots to visit in town
a map of your city and/or public transportation maps
a bottle of water, iced tea, or even a mini bottle of wine

Put them all in a fun basket, and your visitor will feel right at home!

Demiurgic Dames

In the middle of winter, when Lake Michigan looks like the Arctic Sea and walking from a parking spot to a restaurant in 10 degree weather is so daunting that we're sampling yet another pizza delivery place, books become a lifeline for us.

This is truly a silver lining, as in Vegas we had lamented those rainy days spent drinking tea and losing ourselves in a good book. Dreams of rain have turned to snow, but it's the same book-lovin' gray to us, and we are both finally reading again.

Thus, my discovery of two fun women writers' short story collections. Bright, lively, fresh, and likely to make one blush at times, these gals have injected some color into my short winter days.

Alissa Nutting, a fellow Las Vegan, has recently come out with a story collection with a great title: Unclean Jobs for Women and Girls, which explores many of the areas in a woman's life that rarely get discussed in such a novel, honest, and hilarious fashion: our need to be needed, our need to be desired, and much, much, more. These stories stretch your imagination, make you laugh, and demand that you dig deep.

Similarly, Miranda July's No One Belongs Here More Than You explores well-hidden parts of humanity that tend to seep out into our larger existences, sometimes without our noticing. These stories have a sweet, simple lesson: you are okay.

I look for creative inspiration everywhere, especially in the cold, dark months where it can be difficult to find. Right now these books have lent themselves as my companions while I write and submit my own blogs and poems, cook like crazy, and add to the beauty and self-expression of our home.

Thanks, ladies!

Le Moustache

Inspiration comes from the most unlikely places sometimes... Lately, I can't help but notice that iconic facial hair everywhere- on the young guys at work, on my wine, while shopping online for dresses. Perhaps I'm getting delirious from cabin fever since my recent relocation to Chicago from Fabulous Las Vegas, but the mustache just makes me smile.

Check out these mustache lollipops at Etsy...

And this mustache wine...

Even the Cafe Mustache in Chicago!

They're everywhere, and they bring a little bit of panache to my first gray winter here in Chicago.