Grace Magazine

Because of my love for all things beauty related and my penchant for mixing up my own soaps and lotions, friends are always letting me know of new products they’ve tried and giving me samples of things they’ve picked up.

A friend discovered LUSH while travelling on business. She was looking for ways to pamper herself while she had a prolonged stay in a hotel.

The Serenity Set by Lush - $35.45

A beautiful collection for calming, inspirational baths
Some people go an entire lifetime without experiencing a waking moment of serenity. Some of us have got to the point where we think that five minutes a day is pretty wonderful, but wouldn’t ten be better? Up your friends’ serenity quotient by giving them our Serenity box with five soothing treats, including A Ring of Roses buttercream for soft skin and Bathos bubble bar for a lovely, peaceful bath time.

Set includes:
Alkmaar Handmade Soap, Ring of Roses Conditioning Buttercream, Bathos Bubble Bar, Butterball Bath Bomb, Ceridwen’s Cauldron Luxury Bath Melt

Available at LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics

Price: $35.45

I can’t help it. I’m a beauty addict.

Beauty products relax me, especially when they are high quality and long lasting.

Work stress is an everyday part of my life. Thankfully, it’s not stressed caused by people I don’t like or don’t respect. Quite the opposite. I work with people I admire and trust. But we work in an extremely busy and fast-paced atmosphere.

One of my pleasures is looking good and smelling lovely. When you have to work closely with others, your fragrance can’t be overwhelming. It should be personal and enjoyed just by you.

I write often about how much I love Chanel No. 5. These are my favorite Chanel products at the moment.

Chanel No. 5 Bath Gel
I use this in the shower with a nylon puff. It produces a rich lather and provides aromatherapy benefits for my sleepy morning routine.

Chanel No. 5 Essentials Bath Oils
I follow up my shower by smoothing on this moisturizing oil before I towel off. The light scent lasts all day without overpowering. It’s a modern way to enjoy this classic fragrance.

4 Fleurs de Chanel Yeux-Eyes Exclusive Creation - Limited Edition
To add to my prettiness factor, I just purchased this eye shadow quad. The colors are soft and feminine. The packaging and presentation are romantic. I enjoy using them in the morning before my commute.

What are your favorite beauty products?

Dancers have the best bodies. They are lean, flexible, athletic and strong.

Now you and your favorite couch potato can get fit by playing video games that incorporate dance.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) has researched games such as Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) to see if they provide the same fitness benefits as more structured aerobic workouts. And they were pleased with the results.

You can boogie to your PlayStation or Wii and burn calories at varying intensity levels. They are finding that people from different age groups are playing and dancing together.

Hmmm, I’ve been looking for an excuse to buy a new gaming system. DDR sounds like a fun way to workout, relieve stress, burn calories and improve balance and coordination.

To read the full details of the ACE study, click here for a pdf version of the Sep/Oct issue ACE Fitness Matters.

I originally found this story at Yahoo! Health.

Organizational skills are necessary in our fast-paced modern world. Organizing your mind and environment will save time, create mental clarity and reduce stress. There are many ways in which to organize your life.

• Make lists to help you get organized. There is no better way to keep track of the things you need to do and what you have accomplished. Make daily lists, long-term goal lists, shopping lists and only buy what is on your list. Make lists of nice things to do for people. I love lists so much that I make lists of the lists I need to make. The beginnings of organization start with making lists.
• For one week write down every penny that you spend. You’ll be surprised how those pennies add up at the end of the week. Decide where you can save some money. Even if you can only afford a few dollars a week, save something for a rainy day. Skip that latte once in a while and put that money in the bank. Pennies add up to nickels, nickels to dimes, and so forth. Every little bit helps. You should always have an emergency fund so you don’t always have to depend on credit cards to get you out of a jam. Financial organization creates freedom.
• Be on time. Late people are unorganized people and cast the wrong impression. No one cares why you are late and they don’t want to hear tales of traffic woes or alarm clock malfunctions. They just know that you kept them waiting. You can’t be organized and stress free if you are always rushing around. There is a difference between being a fast mover and being in a hurry. Movers and shakers know what they want and go for it as quickly as possible. People in a hurry are rushing toward an unclarified goal. Better preparation will get you to life’s goals faster.
• Tidy your house and your workspace. Chaos is not a good living or working environment. Tidiness is as much of a psychological state as a physical one. Makes a list of the things you need to tidy. Some things need to be tidied every day, some once a week, some less often. Environmental organization creates peace of mind.
• Buy a filing cabinet to keep your bills and other important papers handy. You should be able to pull out a bill or an insurance policy at a moment’s notice. It’s also a good idea to keep photocopies of important papers close at hand, and keep the originals safely tucked away in a safe deposit box. Having a pile of unorganized bills will only create stress. Clerical organization creates order.

A short nap in the middle of the day can reduce stress and invigorate you for the remainder of the day.

Quick napping for 10 to 30 minutes a day can relieve stress on your heart and increase your effectiveness at the office.

Of course, it’s not always possible to nap at work. But no one will miss you if you sneak off to the ladies room for a few minutes. Close your eyes for 5 quiet minutes and try meditating as a substitute.

Instead of reaching for a midday coffee, try the oppositie approach. Shut down for a few.

I enjoy reading my horoscope, especially as written by Jonathan Cainer.

In today’s post, he wrote about feeling like we are talking to ourselves.

Then he asks Virgos (my sign) that if I really were talking to myself, what would I say?

“How honest would you be? Be brave.
Give it a try.”

So, I suggest that we all try talking to ourselves.

Stand in front of a mirror all by yourself. What do you want to say? As Mr. Cainer suggests, be honest and be brave.

I say:

“Self, you are loved. You are beautiful, graceful, kind, intelligent, hard-working and not as fat as you think.”

What do you say?

Wow. I can’t believe my little blog has received over 50,000 page views in only 9 months. It’s like I’ve had a baby.

I’m sure you’re all as addicted to your blog stats as I am, so you’ll understand this excitement.

My goal in starting Grace Magazine was to publish my own online version of the magazines I love to read. I thought I’d write about topics that speak to women. I like to read about beauty, fashion, food, cocktails, and I can always use ideas to relieve stress. But it turns out I have a lot of male readers, too.

Please feel free to let me know of products or topics you’d like Grace Magazine to cover. I truly enjoy reading all of your comments.

Thank you, dear readers, for making Grace Magazine a success.

See - arrange colorful flowers, watch a movie, paint a picture, buy a coloring book and crayons, look through a kaleidoscope, look through a telescope, look through a microscope, look at the moon, wish on a star, gaze into a mirror, wear your glasses, read a book, explore an art exhibit, study your palm…

Hear - listen to music, read aloud, sing in your car, go to a concert, listen to a speech, go to a play, be in an audience, play the harmonica, whistle while you work, put on your iPod, listen to the ocean, put a seashell to your ear…

Taste - suck on a lollypop, suck your thumb, eat pudding, lick an ice cream cone, kiss someone, have a beer, drink a glass of wine, sip tea, eat a peach, take a deep breath by the ocean…

Touch - get a massage, give a massage, hug someone, get your hands dirty, knead dough, mold clay, dig in your garden, pet a cat, run your fingers through your hair, soak in a tub, wrap yourself in silk, bang a drum…

Smell - stop and smell the roses, bake cookies, chop onions, light a scented candle, light a fire, try aromatherapy, spill a little perfume that your mother wore onto a hanky and breathe in the memories…

6th Senses - explore even more ways to relax: meditate, dream, remember, think, plan, hope, fear, desire, marvel, learn, evoke, consider, try, commit, believe, ponder, justify, change.

Feel free to add your own ideas in the comments section.

A couple of years ago I bought a sewing machine. I was going to learn to make my own things. You know, pillows and clothes and stuff.

It came with an instructional VHS tape. I set up my machine and followed the tape to learn how to sew. It seemed easy enough. Then, I put the sewing machine in a closet to collect dust for a couple of years.

Something possessed me recently to buy some patterns. Aye aye aye. I’ve never had anything I’ve purchased ship so fast in my life. I think I must have been shopping and couldn’t find anything in the stores that I liked so I decided to make my own clothes.

So here I am with three patterns that I have absolutely no idea what to do with. To be honest I can’t even find the sewing machine any more. I wonder if I lent it to someone. I can’t remember.

I have this habit of trying to do everything my self.

So now I have determined to say this 10 times a day, “I am not Martha Stewart, I am not Martha Stewart.” No offense to Martha. I’m sure she’s a very nice lady. I like her TV show and her magazine. But I just can’t do all these things myself. I’ve been crocheting for christssake.

I wrote too soon. Crocheting is very relaxing until you come to a big, frustrating knot in your yarn. Argh.

To prevent this, do a little preparation work:

One end of the wool will be coming from the center of the skein. Pull from this end and roll the yarn into a ball until you have unraveled and re-raveled the entire package. The opposite end of the wool will be wrapped around the outside. But it works easier if you pull from the center.

This exercise takes a little time, but will give you a chance to inspect the roll before you start crocheting.

Then you can start relieving stress as I promised in my previous post.

Enjoy.