Archive - life
RSS Feed
Tea + Affirmations: Pu-erh (time keeps on tickin’)
My 8-year old, Cricket, the younger of The Baby Kittens, has no idea of today’s date. She also doesn’t know what time it is right now. Not because she can’t tell time, or effectively read a calendar. She just doesn’t care enough to know how and where she fits into this large construct that we call Time. When I tell her it’s time to get up for school, she gets up and gets moving. When it’s play time, I tell her to come back inside for dinner in 15 minutes. She comes back in 45 minutes.
The other day, her older sister, Honey exclaimed, “I can’t wait until tomorrow!”
“Why not? What’s happening tomorrow?” Cricket asks.
“Tomorrow is a teacher work day. No school tomorrow, duh?!” Honey replies looking at her sister as if she’s from another planet.
“Oh, okay,” Cricket says, and goes about her business. Continue Reading…
9 grams of life: In the driver’s seat
Compared to last month, it seems I’ve spent more time out and about, driving all over town for this, that and the other. I did, however, slow down here and there to take in the view. For example:
|1.| I snapped this sunset after tucking The Baby Kittens in bed early for once. |2.| Looks like I may enjoy some okra Continue Reading…
Life + Libations: Red, red wine (bottoms up)
Every time I mix myself and the Mister a cocktail, I feel a wee bit guilty that I’m not drinking a glass of red wine instead. Mentally, I make the commitment as I down my drink: Yes, beginning Monday (why do goals always have to begin on Monday), I will have a glass of red wine with dinner. It’s pretty widely known that red wine contains resveratrol which helps reduce inflammation of the body. Past studies have shown that resveratrol helps lower cholesterol, reduces the risk of heart disease and even certain forms of cancer. But in a new study conducted by Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, researchers have found that resveratrol can help lessen the decline of mobility as we get old and crotchety mature. Continue Reading…
Whatever Lola wants: Aromatherapy USB Drive
I can hear it all the way from my desk. All day long. The sound of my colleague chewing ice cubes is going to send me over the edge. I take a few deep breaths and try to find my happy place, but to no avail. I would love to send him a polite, yet strongly worded email with the subject line “Re: You’re driving me effing batty” and include why this ice chewing is bad for my peace of mind, and the health of his teeth. You and I both know that will never happen. Perhaps this would be a better option.
Florame’s USB Diffuser provides a little aromatherapy while you trudge through the work day. To use, simply add a few drops of your fave essential oil into the device’s mini-bottle. Then, place the mini-bottle into the USB port, insert the USB drive into your computer, inhale the soft scent the drive emits and let the annoyances of the day melt into the background. Ahhh, I feel better already. You can pick one up here. These would make awesome stocking stuffers—at the time of publish, there were only 130 days, 11 hours, 44 minutes and 50 seconds left to shop for the holidays.
How do you deal with annoyances while you work?
Hat tip: Beautylish
9 grams of life: While you were away…
So it appears that I am back from my sabbatical. Although I missed chopping it up here at LZ, I did make the most of my time away. No, I didn’t go to the Galapagos Islands (hopefully that will be the plan for Spring), but I did indulge in a few of my favorite things, captured for your viewing pleasure on Instagram: Continue Reading…
Summer is a verb
This time of year is so bittersweet. Sweet because half of the summer has been gloriously spent frolicking away and what not. Bitter because only half of the summer is left to squeeze in more frolicking. It’s a classic case of Is the glass half full or half empty? Either way, I’m going to slow it down and savor every drop of summer left in my glass. I’ll be away for a spell, enjoying all things sun, water, green, and things with pages. Until we meet again, feel free to catch up on posts you may have missed. Below are the top posts of the summer thus far:
- For the Mixtresses: Thyme Aloe-Apple Facial Toner for Acne (bye-bye benzo)
- In the lab: Lola’s Leave-In (take 3)
- For the Mixtresses: Castor + Hemp Herbal Facial Cleansing Oil
- For the Mixtresses: Hops + Horsetail Hair Cleanser
- Lola’s List: Mama’s got a gun (5 things skeet shooting taught me about life)
- Kitchen Garden: Growing herbs for beauty, food + libations
- Herbalicious: Rosemary Olive Oil Sea Salt Sundae
- Life + Libations: Summer’s here ya’ll + White Peach Sangria
- Food In Jars: Lavender Honey Simple Syrup
I’ll still be hanging out on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Tumblr during my respite so you can holler at me there too. Anyhoo, I’ll catch you on the flip side.
Ya’ll be good!
Life is a garden. Dig it.
Gardening is a labor of love. Many a morning I wake up with sore and aching muscles after toiling away in the dirt the day before. Then there are the days when I am white-hot angry because a chipmunk or squirrel wreaked havoc on my poor garden. And I can’t even begin to tell you how worried I’ve been during this recent heat wave, and the joy I’ve felt when rain finally came. As emotional as gardening can be, nothing compares to enjoying a meal made entirely from ingredients from the garden. I get equally giddy when the same garden provides herbs I’ve come to rely on for hair and skin care recipes. These are reasons enough to keep my green thumbs active, but I just recently learned that gardeners actually live longer.
Lola’s List: Mama’s got a gun (5 things skeet shooting taught me about life)
I have no interest in running a marathon. Nor do I want to climb Mt. Everest or indulge in other common “Bucket List” aspirations. Naw, My List consists of simple, everyday stuff. For example, years ago we lived near a skeet and trap range, where folks attempt to shoot clay disks flung into the air at high speed from a variety of angles. For years I’d drive by the range, see folks shooting away and wonder what all the hype was about. They’re just a bunch of trigger-happy good ol’ boys, I thought. But still, I was curious. This weekend, The Mister and I braved the heat wave to see first-hand what this was all about.
Dear Lola: Whatchadoin?
Dear Lola, what have you and The Mister been up to while the Baby Kittens are away for the summer? My boys stay with their Nana every summer, and that in itself is a vacation.
Just curious,
Tee
~~~~~~~~~
Dearest Tee,
Thanks (to you and a couple of others) so much for asking! I miss the Baby Kittens some kind of bad, but I’m trying to make the most of this new found extra time. I’ve been meaning to get back to running in the morning, but haven’t been able to make that happen just yet (sigh). But The Mister and I have been enjoying quality time together. That’s us above having a brewski at the Chattahoochee River. Ahhh, good times…
In case you were wondering, a 2006 report published in a journal of the American Heart Association showed that moderate drinking may be associated with better cognitive function in women. See, that’s why I’m such a smart @$$.
Cheers!
Have a question, just wanna chat? Hit me up!
Life + Libations: Your nethers are already sweet enough + Capt’n Grantus’ Rumpleskirt Rum
As for what I mean by “nethers,” let’s just say it’s already sweet enough, and any added sugar can be too much of a good thing (with undesirable consequences). ~Grantus
Our dear friend Grantus was referring to the delights of tasting Damaian Liqueur on skin, and cautioning to keep it away from the “nether” region. However, these wise words would be good to keep in mind when we so often fret that we won’t get that promotion at work, or that that special someone won’t ask us out, of that our clothes are fitting a little tighter than usual, or the hundreds of other ways we think we don’t measure up. Just remember, your nethers are already sweet enough! Continue Reading…
Dear Grantus, that was such a friggin’ sexy comment (Damiana revisited)!
Dearest Grantus, I’m not sure if you’re a guy or a gal, but that was such a super sexy comment you left in response to my Damiana and the Big O (yeah, that O) post. Your comment made me simultaneously want an ice cold cranberry margarita, some poached salmon, and to take The Mister to bed to see if damiana leaf powder is back in stock. I enjoyed your comment so much that I had to share with All. Many thanks for your thoughts, and don’t be a stranger.
Cheers!
Lola
P.S. What are “nethers?” I have a pretty good idea, but need to be certain so that, as you advised, I will not allow your recipe to be applied to my “nethers” 
.
~~~~~~
Dear Lola:
When I lived in New Mexico, my old girlfriend and I tried this and loved the results so much that it became a staple item. The effects are really lovely. It takes a good thing and makes it AMAZING! Ha ha ha. Continue Reading…
This Just Pinned!
