Connecting with your creative side is a great way to reduce stress as I shared in a previous blog post, “Can Getting Creative Reduce Your Stress?” It is also a great way to let your spirit loose. One way to get creative without the pressure of creating a masterpiece is to doodle. You probably doodled at one time or another when you were a child. Often kids doodle while in school and you can find doodling art on papers and folders. But, adults doodle too and often they don’t realize they are doing it. Many times adults will doodle while on the phone or maybe in a meeting. Doodling is a great way to connect with your creative side and it will help reduce your stress level!

My Doodle Book

 My Creative Healing Artist friend, Michelle, sent me this beautiful book specifically for me to connect with my creative side through doodling. She expressed that there is no need to feel pressure because it is doodling. Doodling is an opportunity to let your creative spirit flow without the critic.

Even 10 minutes of doodling helps connect you to your creative self and helps reduce stress. While my doodle book is beautiful and inspiring you can doodle on any paper and feel the benefits of expressing yourself creatively. I have used colored pens and water colors in my doodle book and have found it to be almost therapeutic.

My Girls Doodle Books

I loved my doodle book so much, I wanted my girls to have one too! My friend, Michelle, created beautiful doodle books for them as well so now they have a special place to doodle too!

You don’t need to have a special book to doodle, you can doodle on any type of paper. Remember there is no pressure to be perfect as you are just doodling but you will start to connect with your creative side and it is a way to relax your mind.  Grab a piece of paper and doodle away and your creative spirit will thank you.

Using green cleaners is the way to go these days.  They are safe and they are good for the environment. While you can purchase many green cleaning supplies as they are readily available, you can also save a little cash and do it yourself.

Here are a few do it yourself recipes for healthier cleaning supplies. These recipes are courtesy of Susie Schiering my doTerra essential oils representative (her website) and Miriam Bogard my friend and owner of MB Organizers.

For all the oils listed, I recommend using doTerra essential oils, however if you have another favorite brand then that will work just fine.

Window and Glass Cleaner

• 1 and 1/2 C of White Vinegar
• 1/2 C of Water
• 8 Drops of any citrus oil.

Note: All citrus oil solutions need to be in an aluminum or glass container as citrus oils break down plastics

All-Purpose Cleaner

•  1 Tsp of Borax with
• 2 Cup Very Hot Water
• 2 TBLSP of White vinegar
• 1/2 Any dish soap
• 5-6 drops of essential oils-grapefruit, citrus,lemon,or lavender

Mix all together in the order listed and you are done.

Homemade Soft Scrub

• 1 C Baking Soda
• Liquid Dish Soap
• 10 Drops of Melaleuca Essential Oil
• 1 Tsp Glycerin

Pour Baking soda in bowl and add liquid dish soap till consistancy of frosting.  Add Melaleuca Oil and Glycerin and stir till even.  Place mixture in tight sealing container.

Summer Intensive

Are you ready to start living Your Zesty Life this summer?

Join me with my new Your Zesty Life Intensive!

4 weeks – 4 one-on-one sessions

All customized with your summer goals in mind

If you are ready to get down to business and make “you” a priority this summer then this just might be for you.

I am opening the Your Zesty Life Intensive up to 5 people who are ready to focus on living a life they love!

You will:

• Get clear on your summer wellness goals and get a plan in place to accomplish them.
• Be held accountable for your goals and have support while moving forward.
• Learn how to de-stress and have a more relaxing summer.
• Get comfortable in the kitchen and feel confident trying new foods and be ready with summer time recipes to share with friends and family.
• Have fun as you get to know you better and begin to accept and love who you are.

Do you want the summer of 2012 to be the summer your life got a little Zesty?

This is for you if you are:

• Truly ready to have a tranformational summer.
• Willing to make a commitment to yourself.
• Open to new ideas and willing to try new things.
• Craving to do something for you.
• Willing to invest in yourself.

Investment is $297

Contact Carrie if you are interested and schedule your free 30 minute exploratory session to be sure this is the best next step for you. Include “Your Zesty Life Intensive” as your subject line.

Weed or Flower?

Are you a “glass half full” person or a “glass half empty” person? Seriously, I want you to think about that question? When something happens in your life that is challenging or throws you for a loop, are you one to go immediately to the worst scenario and see the negative or do you realize the lesson in the situation and appreciate the positive?

Seeing the blessing in difficult situations is not always easy. In fact, it is often easier to focus on what is not going right in our lives, than to look at what is good in our lives. Ask yourself this question and answer honestly to yourself, “am I happy?” If you are not, do you focus on the frustrating, disappointing, sad, and difficult times in your life?

Happy people do not have perfect lives; however, happy people often choose to look at the experiences in their life with a more positive spin. It is your choice whether to focus and find the good in a situation or not. 

Is it easy for you to share the good and new in your life or do you go directly to what is not going well or what you are frustrated with at that particular time? If you are one of those people that always shares what’s going wrong in life, why not try to change it up and focus on what is going well in your life. Find the gifts, find the blessings, and focus on the good. What’s good and new?

Our perceptions can immensely change the way we feel and how our life flows. If you look at the picture of the yellow flowers you might be surprised to know that many call that a weed. In fact, it showed up in my yard because I need to do some weeding. But when I realized that this weed is actually very beautiful, I decided to keep it and not pull it because its bright yellow blooms are pretty. The so called “weed” is actually a beautiful flower too. It’s all in our perception.

Don’t let difficult life experiences and situations dictate how you experience the present and the future.

For example, if you are in a job and you are bored, why not stop complaining about being bored and instead take the initiative and learn something new or offer to take on a new project. Being bored might give you an opportunity you never thought existed.

If you feel lonely and sad because you are no longer married and your kids are with you only part of the time, try seeing the blessing that your kids have another parent that truly wants to see them and loves them too. There are many divorced families where only one parent wants to spend time with their children and having both parents wanting to spend time is a blessing for your kids. In addition, you have some time to get to know yourself a little better which might be something you have neglected for many years.

Two people can look at the same situation and both perceive it in different ways; one can view it as something terrible that has happened to them and another can view it as a great life lesson. It is all in how you choose to see it.

There are blessings in every situation if you look hard enough you will find them.

When you start to change your perception from negative to positive you will attract more positive into your life. It is called Newton’s third law or the law of attraction. It basically means for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. When you think about the energy you put out into the world, is it positive or negative? Are your thoughts full of anger, jealousy and hate, or do you have thoughts of kindness and love? What you think about and what you put out into the world will come back to you. It is Newton’s third law. It is your choice on how you think and how you perceive your life, but if you want more positive experiences in your life then you need to start focusing on what is good in your life.

How can you start finding the good in your life?

• Every day write down at least 3 things you are thankful for.
• Share what is going well with a friend or relative.
• Look at difficult situations and be determined to discover the lesson learned.
• Ask others what is good and new going on and then listen to what they share.
• Take a deep breath and smile because you are alive.

The next time you are having a bad day, instead of continuing to say you are having a bad day why not change your thoughts and focus on what is going well that day. It may be difficult to find something, but try hard because as soon as you change your perception you will change how you feel and then you just might end up having a great day!

Would you have ever thought about making a Brussels sprout salad? I hadn’t, until my husband came home from a trip to Arizona and raved about the salad he had at a restaurant called Chelsea’s Kitchen.  He loved it so much that he searched for it online and found it. When we made it, we changed only a few things on the recipe he found and let me tell you he was right . . . it is AMAZING!

It is so amazing that my oldest daughter practically begged for us to make it again because she was craving it. I have to say I was craving it too! While I like Brussels sprouts I am not one that has ever craved them and my daughter for sure has never craved them . . . that is until this salad. 

With summer around the corner this is a perfect recipe to share with friends at a cookout or get together. While it may seem like a lot of steps or ingredients it is simple to do and it is worth it! The most difficult part is blanching the Brussels sprout leaves and I will share with you how to do that, otherwise it is just mixing ingredients together.

Ingredients for the mustard vinaigrette dressing:

• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons French wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh if possible
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest, fresh if possible
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups olive oil
• sea salt to taste
• pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl or other container. You will most likely have plenty to save for a future salad and to add more to salads on an individual basis if needed.

Ingredients for the salad:

• 3 cups of Brussels sprout leaves, blanched and dried (directions below on how to blanch the Brussels sprout leaves)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries 
• 1/4 cup dried blueberries
• 1/2 cup of crumbled bacon (about half a package of cooked bacon)
• 1/4 cup of sliced almonds
• 4 tablespoons of the mustard vinaigrette dressing or amount you desire (recipe below)
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup of shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions for salad:

Rinse Brussels sprouts to clean them. Blanching the Brussels sprout leaves steps:

Step 1. Cut ends of Brussels sprouts off.

Step 2 – Cut Brussels sprout in half long ways to help separate the leaves.

Step 3 – Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the Brussels sprout leaves and reduce heat to a simmer for about 5 minutes. You want the leaves tender and crisp but not too soft. Once blanched strain and let cool.  You may need to put the leaves in the refrigerator to cool further. They should not be warm when you serve this salad.

Step 4 – Add Brussels sprouts and all remaining ingredients to a bowl.  

Step 5. Then add the mustard vinaigrette dressing (recipe above) and mix. Viola you are done! Enjoy!

 ”Spotlight”

Whether you are a beginner at meditation or want to take your practice to a new level Stephanie Estice can support you on your meditation journey. Stephanie is a friend and colleague of mine and has helped me move my meditation practice to a whole new level.

Over the years I have tried meditation on my own, I have taken classes and I have read books about meditation and it was not until I worked with Stephanie that I really started to feel confident and comfortable with meditation. As with many things in life my meditation practice ebbs and flows.

I worked with Stephanie via Skype and was able to be in my own home and have a transformational experience. While Stephanie guided me, I was able to release issues that no longer served my highest good and come to a more peaceful and grounded place.

I have asked Stephanie to be my first “Your Zesty Life Spotlight” and share with you how she found meditation and a little more about what she does. You can work with Stephanie wherever you are via Skype and discover the transformation that meditation can have on you as well.

More Peace, Calm and Ease in Life Through Meditation by Stephanie Estice

More peace, calm and ease in life…this is what I have found through a meditation practice, but how did I find it? And, more importantly, how can you find it, too? My first experience of meditation was in my first yoga class, now 20 years ago. I remember lying on the floor in savasana. I had a glimpse of what it is like to have a quiet mind for just a moment – truly, a glimpse that lasted a mere second or so. I’m sure that is the reason I returned to yoga class. I certainly didn’t enjoy the stretches and interesting positions, at first. Like working out, it was the end result that enticed me to return. I knew if I could make it through class, I would get to what I considered the good part – the part where my mind would take a break, if even for the briefest of moments. I am a searcher by nature, so once I tried yoga and had that experience, I started trying every kind of yoga I could find (I lived in New York City at the time, so there were multiple styles to choose from). I wanted to see if there was one particular style that would give me more of that space – more of that timeless, spacious, thought-free space. With more practice, those brief moments in class would leave me smiling and blissfully walking home, leaving the stresses of city life behind. A few years later, it became clear to me, though I had grown to love yoga, and those asanas were now my friends, the thing that I was wanting more of was the meditative state that I was experiencing in savasana. When I stopped moving my body, and I closed my eyes, I simply experienced being.

And so in 1999 I began my meditation practice. Since that time, I have in my quest tried many styles of meditation, and I have had many experiences. I have noticed changes in my daily life – changes in stress levels, changes in anger, anxiety and depression. I have noticed that the focus that I bring to my practice has spilled out into my life as an ability to better cope with things that come my way. I have noticed, as some of my clients have described, a “buffer” when faced with stressful situations. The situations still present themselves, but I don’t respond in the same way. The response is toned down; I am able to be more mindful.

So now you may be wondering, as I posed at the beginning, how do you bring this to your life? There are many resources readily available to support your practice.

• There are books, CDs, and mp3s available online.
• There are often local meditation groups you can find by searching on MeetUp.com or through local Buddhist and other organizations, if you are drawn in that direction.
• There are trained facilitators like me.

I work one-on-one in facilitation sessions, in person or via the internet, that are an hour in length. About 20 minutes of that time is a personal, guided meditation that is emailed in mp3 format for my clients to practice in the week between our sessions. The meditations are not scripted, but instead they are tailored to each individual, based on simple concepts and what has come up in the discussion portion of our session. In as short as a couple of months, clients who are ready to bring a meditation practice into their lives have made beautiful shifts in the ease with which they approach their lives. Many notice changes in the beginning weeks. For those of you who have worked privately with a yoga instructor or other healer, you know there can be profound benefits from this type of one-on-one work.

Whether it is a meditation practice or something else that is calling you, keep looking with an open heart. All is well.

About Stephanie: Stephanie Estice is a facilitator/guided meditation coach and wellness coach. Her desire for understanding her personal health-related issues, and those of her family and friends around her, as well as a desire to simply understand why we are here, has driven her twenty-year plus quest for answers. She loves to research, explore and investigate, but ultimately has found that a daily meditation practice can bring the most insight. Learn more about Stephanie by visiting her website.

Surprisingly Simple Ways to Get Started Cooking Healthier & Feeling Comfortable in the Kitchen

Come Join the Fun

In the Kitchen with Carrie at Vibrant Health

Don’t spend another day frustrated in your kitchen because you don’t know what to cook or how to get started! Carrie will lead you from frustration to enjoyment in the kitchen.

In this class you will:

• Be amazed at how fast you can make a healthy meal containing lots of veggies and a super food that has been around for thousands of years.
• Feel confident that you can cook on your own and have it taste great!
• Be introduced to easy recipes using the food most missing from our modern diets – Leafy Greens.
• Get comfortable with your style of cooking.
• Learn cooking techniques that can be used for your busy lifestyle.

May 31^st, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

At

Vibrant Health

1965 Newark-Granville Road

Granville, Ohio 43023

Early Bird Special! Register Before May 11^th and save!

                                Early Bird Investment – $20             Register after May 11^th – $25

Call or E-mail Debit Boyle to Register: 740-704-7197 or vibhealth@gmail.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups of cooked quinoa (note 1 cup of uncooked quinoa will make 2 cups of cooked quinoa)
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in quarters
• 1 cup cucumber, chopped
• ½ cup parsley, chopped
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 – ½ cups feta cheese, crumbled
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook quinoa according to package directions. While the quinoa is cooking, in a large mixing bowl, combine chickpeas, grape tomatoes, cucumber, parsley and garlic powder. Once quinoa is done cooking, add to the mixing bowl containing the above ingredients.

Next, add the olive oil and red wine vinegar and mix thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste, then mix feta cheese or top depending on your preference. 

This recipe is super easy because you can cook the quinoa the night before, keep it in the refrigerator and use the amount you want in the morning for your hot cereal.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked quinoa (1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa)
• 1 T. honey
• 1 – 2 T. almond flakes
• ¼ cup dried cranberries or raisins
• ¼ – ½ cup of sliced strawberries (you can also use blueberries, banana’s, mango’s or your favorite fresh fruit)
• Cinnamon to taste
• ½ – 1 cup of milk depending on your preference of consistency (you can use almond, soy, rice or cow’s milk – whichever works for you)

Directions:

Cook quinoa according to package. Please note that ½ cup of quinoa to 1 cup of water will make 1 cup of cooked quinoa.  Using a sauce pan, add the desired amount of cooked quinoa. Next, add the milk and mix well as you begin to heat the quinoa over medium temperature. Add honey and cinnamon and mix as it begins to heat. Let the quinoa heat for about 3-7 minutes, adding more milk if you desire a more liquid consistency. 

Once the quinoa is heated (not boiling) remove from heat. Pour in a bowl and add the cranberries/raisins, almond flakes and fresh fruit. Mix well and enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of cooked quinoa (1 cup of uncooked quinoa when cooked makes 2 cups)
• 1 can black bean, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup of thawed frozen corn
• ¼ – ½ cup of cilantro, chopped
• ¼ cup of red onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 cup of your favorite salsa
• ¼ cup of lime juice, approximately 2-3 limes
• 1 – 1 ½ T. of jalapeno peppers, chopped
• Avocado (optional)

Directions:

Cook quinoa according to package directions. While quinoa is cooking, drain and rinse black beans and pour into mixing bowl. Add corn, cilantro, red onion, red pepper and jalapeno. Set aside until quinoa is done cooking.

Add quinoa to your mixing bowl containing the corn, cilantro, red onion, red pepper, jalapeno and mix thoroughly. Add the salsa and lime juice and mix. Once you have thoroughly mixed all ingredients you can serve and garnish with avocado. Enjoy!