Recolor Your Blues with Color Therapy: Ways to Spring Out of Your Winter Blahs in 6 Days -Day 2

Day two - add orange.  Orange is associated with movement and flow. 

Are you feeling fluid, or tired and run down?  Adding orange food to your diet can assist in overall health as well as adding color to your plate and palate.  Orange foods such as carrots, oranges, mangos, apricots, and sweet potatoes also are rich in beta-carotene, and antioxidant that boosts your immune system.  Those beautiful orange foods are also high in vitamin C and folate (folic acid), which helps reduce the risk of heart disease and prevents birth defects.  Eating right, and bright will enrich your diet and your life, enhancing your energy thus allowing you to want to move and flow more freely.  Orange, in relationship to your chakra relates to water, which equates movement.  Think of yourself as a flowing stream, freely moving to find that larger body of water to connect to.  When you have the free-flowing positive energy that comes from nourishing your body, you attract like people, and all move forward positively.

Stop by again tomorrow for the next color to add from your rainbow, and let me know your thoughts.

* Please note:  This is not meant to replace doctor recommended medications for depression, or seeking professional advice if needed. 

©Marie Boyum

4-30-11

Recolor Your Blues with Color Therapy: Ways to Spring Out of Your Winter Blahs in 6 Days

With spring now officially here it does not mean instant warm, sunny days, and bright colored flowers.  For many parts of the country it can still be cold, dark, and dreary.

Feeling blue can set in for anyone at any time of the year.  How can you turn blue into a bright hue?  The key is color.  Just as music can assist in changing your moods, going from soft and bluesy, to more uplifting beats, color can do the same thing, and who doesn’t love to see a rainbow?  The faeries love bright colors and they help give the flowers their bright, beautiful colors through their loving touch and energy.

So, for the next six days, our (mine and the faeries) spring gift to you is color therapy.

Each day I offer you simple ways to look at brightening up your life, as well as making it healthier, with little or no cost.  We will begin by adding all the colors of the rainbow to your life, one at a time. 

Start day one with wearing something red.  Red is an energy color giving it as well as attracting it, and it can add vibrancy to your day.  Don’t feel you look good in red?  Wear red socks, or add a scarf, pin, or bracelet to your outfit for the day.  Observe any changes in your energy or attitude.  Add a red accent to your food.  A slice of red pepper to jazz up your meal, a bowl of bright red apples on the table will not only brighten the room, but remind you of a healthy snack alternative.

Stop by again tomorrow for the next color to add from your rainbow, and let me know your thoughts.  No one likes to think they are alone in cyberspace.

* Please note:  This is not meant to replace doctor recommended medications for depression, or seeking professional advice if needed.  

©Marie Boyum

4-29-11

Beautify the World

More words of wisdom from the faeries…

“Everyone has a way to see, find, and add to the beauty of this world.”

Have you found some beauty today? 

Looking within do you see your beauty? 

Can you look at your outside without judgment or criticism? 

We first need to see the beauty and love in ourselves before we can share any with the world.  And the world needs us to be able to spread both beauty and love.  The faeries work to do that by helping the plants, flowers, herbs, berries and vegetables grow, assisting the nature spirits to beautify the trees, grass and other aspects of our landscape. 

Have you added to the beauty of the world today?  The faerie realm is asking for our help to assist in beautifying the world as much as we possibly can.  Many times society looks at beauty only in the physical form and in the extreme - who has the picture perfect look, or if you have that big, new, beautiful house; whomever has the most toys wins, type of attitude. 

These attitudes can lead to pressures, jealousy, anger, frustration, fear, and a list of negative emotions that are unnecessary and do not assist in the overall energy of the planet, which needs all the positive thoughts it can get.  Finding and celebrating the simple things in life ironically, can lead to those positive grand scale outcomes; it first starts with taking small steps. 

Beautify the world by seeing and appreciating the simple things such as, you have a beating heart that keeps you breathing; legs and arms that allow you to do things, and lips to smile and share a simple hello to everyone you encounter, adds joy to the world. 

To make your world truly beautiful, you first need to see it and then share it.  We live on a giant sphere, and life is circular; what we send out will come back to us. 

So send out your beauty through your thoughts, words, and actions, and watch how much beauty comes back to you, tenfold. 

©Marie Boyum

4-22-11 (Earth Day)

Healing Energy

The faeries teach us that we need to have reverence and respect for Mother Earth; obviously, we have taken her for granted for far too long.

I have spoken of some ways to assist Mother Earth and will continue to talk on that subject however, it is also important to heal ourselves, for when we do we also heal the energy of the universe.

Healing the many wounds that environment, society, and guilt have created within us appears to not be easy, but the blessed thing is, nature teaches us it can be simple.  We only need to slow down enough to see, think, feel, hear, smell, and taste life’s glory, to know we do not really need much to have inner peace, and be truly happy no matter what life throws at you.

Does this mean we should all give everything up and take off for the north woods?  No, in fact, if we did we’d end up creating the same thing we were running away from.  The secret is not to run away from things but to run to them, from the inside out  (Buddha leaf quote.) 

When was the last time you truly looked at a leaf and saw the simple beauty yet complexity of it all?  Are you like the leaf, splendid, ever changing; yet constantly growing and absorbing the abundance life has to give, or are you stuck in the fall or winter of our seasons, hibernating- appearing dead but still existing?

The wisdom of the trees shows us that although they have to go up against the weather, insects, man, and the messed up environment with its dirty air and water, they still somehow stay strong, continuing on year after year.  We too have trails and crud thrown at us, whether it is from negative people, or things that happen. Yet, we still need nourishment daily, so we can stand strong and use our resources and gifts. We can find this in nurturing our bodies with healthy, organic foods, exercise and quiet contemplation, listening to nature and our inner guidance from the Divine.  In essence, (and truly the key to all) being present and welcoming every moment.

Trees don’t need much to grow and flourish, and neither do we, if we keep it simple; we too can flourish and stand strong for many years and help create new offshoots that will continue to beautify and give joy and life to our world.  So, by nurturing yourself as well as all aspects of nature, we all benefit, helping spread love and positive energy throughout the planet and the universe.

©Marie Boyum

4-21-11

Inviting Faeries Into Your Home

Inviting faeries into your home came be an exciting adventure J  If you are up for their playfulness and the energy is loving, fun and inviting, you may be blessed to have some come.  Some ways to bring them in are to offer them treats; they love sweets (not salt!)

Another is to play music or sing.  Celtic instrumental music is the best, and anything joyous and lighthearted you can sing will delight them.

Invite the flower fairies into your home with fresh cut flowers.  Just make sure when you notice them dying, which indicates the fairy spirit leaving) compost them and thank the fairies for their gift of fragrance and beauty.  If you hold on to them too long after they are dying, the fairy energy is forced to also hang on.

Watch for more ideas to come on how to invoke various beings of the faerie realm into your home.  Don’t forget, you can always ask me questions if you can’t wait until the next post!  Until next time, have a fairy fun day!

©Marie Boyum

4-14-11

 

Sometimes More Equals Less

There is a story of a little boy who received a quarter from his grandpa.  He was so excited he showed it to his friend while they were playing outside.  A bigger boy came over and said, “I’ll give you three coins for your one coin.”  The younger boy knew three was more than one, and gladly took the three nickels.  Later, another boy said, “I’ll give you eight coins for your three, and again the boy was excited about getting more!  The bigger boy gave the younger boy eight pennies for his three nickels.  The boy was so happy he got more, he ran in to show his grandpa... 

Are you striving for more and ending up with less?  More is not always better.  More can lead to pressures, stresses, and strains to keep up with everyone else, or to keep trying to top what we’ve done or have.  Our society seems to thrive on “more is better,” but is it really? 

Can we have more with less?  I know with less, I have more time, more serenity, more appreciation, and more freedom, just to name a few of the benefits; and those, are more than worth it. 

When we think of the places where there are not a lot of people, stores, gas stations, concrete, lights, and traffic, we see there is so much more, because there is so much less. 

Some may see the “less” as not being convenient; I see it as a wonderful opportunity to live simply, economically, and earth (faerie)-friendly.  There is more room for nature and wildlife.  You can see stars, birds, reptiles, bugs and if you are privileged, those in the faerie realm. 

In addition, all that “less,” totals so much “more,” in terms of peace, serenity, quiet, and beauty, not to mention, deepening your connection to the Divine and having joy in knowing there is still somewhere where wildlife outnumbers humans.  The great minds of Thoreau, and Emerson knew that we are at our best as humans, when we are more in tune with nature.      

Now, I know we cannot all run off to the secluded wilderness, but the lessons those serene woods teach can be applied anywhere, if you are willing to let go of some of the material things in your life and allow the natural ones to come to the surface.  Not having so much stuff can save you time, money and frustrations, while lessening the burden you place on Mother Earth.

One way to bring the simplicity of nature to your surroundings is to easily, and inexpensively attract more birds, butterflies, and animals into your yard.  Not sure how to begin?  Watch here for more blogs that give ideas how to use recyclable products to make birdbaths, feeders, suit holders and the like. Ask any question you have.  Send me your thoughts and comments, whether you agree or not that humans need to simplify their lives and take hints from nature how to live.  Worry does not exist in nature, wouldn’t you like to have it extinct from your life? 

©Marie Boyum

4-11-11

A Beseeching Request On Behalf of the Trees

I actually wrote this quite a few years ago, but I still feel it applies today.

Recently, while on a trip up north in the beautiful wooded wilderness, the “naturalist” came out in me and thought, “Why aren’t there recycling bins in hotel and motels?  The enormous amount of things thrown away that could cleanly, and easily, go into recycling bins is a tragedy that could be avoided.  The “thrifty” aspect of me, thought, “Towns, Cities, Villages, and the like, make money on recycling, (so also, can individuals,) so why is this not common practice?

While having tea with my son at our favorite hang out today, he said to me, “I have talked to the manager so many times about recycling the cardboard wrappers they put on hot cups, and they never do it.”  It was very disheartening to him to know that the simple act of putting out a bin or a box seems to be more than they are willing to do. (As you can see, the apple does not fall far from the tree!) We discussed going somewhere that would put out bins, as a form of protest, but he stated he has tried at various places all over town, to get them to do this one simple thing; “Think of all the trees it would save,” he said. 

So, on behalf of the trees, I am imploring all who read this to spread the word, and ask everyone you know who frequents coffee shops, hotels, motels, and anywhere that there are recyclable cups, sleeves, paper, whatever comes from our trees, to just place a unobtrusive bin or box near the garbage can, with a note to drop those items there for recycling. 

Then, if they do it, tell everyone!  Notify your local paper, and spread the word among your friends and colleagues, give that business positive publicity, then others will see there are far reaching benefits to taking care of the environment; that one small act that takes only a few seconds, can have long-term positive results in more ways then one.

Think of all a tree gives us; beauty, a house for birds and critters, oxygen, shade, they can absorb excess water than can damage, the list goes on, and on.  So, instead of leaving garbage in our wake, let us be like the trees, and leave something positive; and the next time you take a breath, thank a tree. 

©Marie Boyum

4-8-11

Speaking For the Trees

As a child, I have always been drawn to the trees.  So, I guess naturally, The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss was always one of my favorites of his books (although that it is very difficult to choose; they are all great!)

Published in 1971, Dr. Seuss shows he was an advocate for the planet back then, possibly inspired by the “hippies” of the late 1960’s who began the awareness of saving Mother Earth.

Although too young to be on Haight & Ashbury Streets for the original movement, (although I do have a picture of me there in 2003 J) I am old enough to know that we strayed far from the original thoughts for way too long and now we humans have to choose to wake up and take action or, we will lose Mother Earth to disease and our own forms of annihilation.

In re-reading The Lorax, I realized The Lorax is a tree spirit.  He constantly tries to do his job (as do tree spirits now,) but is ignored due to greed and a belief that trees are an unending resource.  Once it is realized that is not the case and the money so desperately sought after is no longer available through the dying resource, it is too late.  We too, need to wake up before the damage is irreversible. 

Like The Lorax, this is part of the many messages the faeries have to give us.  We must listen.  It is not just something we casually think or talk about to sound politically correct, it needs to be our way of thinking, our way of life. 

Share these words of wisdom with your children and grandchildren; live your talk.  Allow our lives to be healthier and give the generations to come a strong, beautiful and abundant earth in which to thrive on. 

©Marie Boyum

4-6-11

More Ways to Save the Planet

Here are a few more ideas to help save the planet.  The faeries are grateful for whatever you can do to help.

Cheese slice wrappers

Food Storage

Reuse the wrapper instead of plastic wrap for small pieces of food or on bowls.  Using masking tape or a rubber band, wrap up small pieces of food in the cheese wrapper and secure with tape (masking tape works best) or a rubber band. 

For use as a bowl cover securing it with a rubber band around the rim of the bowl, again, saving the need for plastic wrap. 

Infant learning activity

If you sew, place the wrappers between two squares of material; stitch together for the "crinkle" sound that gives babies a tactile earning experience.

Chopsticks

Save your chopsticks from the Chinese restaurant and rinse the ends in soapy water.  Use to stake up small plants around the house or to grab things from tight spaces.  I once dropped a small object down the heating vent and was able to retrieve it using old chopsticks. 

Clothespins

Food clip

Don’t waste money on those breakable plastic “chip clips” you buy at the stores.  An old-fashioned wooden clothespin works great.  (The hinged ones do work better than the all wood, non-hinged though.)  Use it to seal cereal, snacks, anything with an inner bag liner that does not self-seal.

Refrigerator magnet

Glue a magnet on the back of the clothespin and you have a nice refrigerator note holder.  It can easily be made more decorative by gluing on sequins, adding puffy paint or drawing or lettering it with permanent markers. Do this to designate a purpose, such as, naming a specific store’s list or to just make it more personal, i.e., adding a name. 

Coffee grounds

Save water, use coffee grounds!  “What?” you say.  Yes, it can save hot water (thus energy and money) by using fresh coffee grounds on sticky hands.  This is especially helpful to preschool children who get glue on their hands and do not want to wash and rub under hot water for long periods of time.  Rub hands with the grounds then wash as usual. 

Coffee grounds also help take away smells from your hands (but you still need to follow up with soap and water.)  It can also be used to scrub pans from crusted on food (also see orange bags).  Rub the pan before running water or washing with the grounds.  Then wash as usual. 

Additionally, coffee grounds also make great compost; worms love them!

©Marie Boyum

4-4-11