Month: August 2019

Do you find the smell of essential oils relaxing and soothing? I love trying all the new kinds of oil scents and depending on my mood, I enjoy the different aromas and moods they bring about. During the fall and winter months I often use eucalyptus as it helps with allergies and also with colds and general aches and pains. The smell is invigorating while calming you into sleep at the same time.

An essential oil is a concentrated  (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils,  aetherolea, or simply as the oil of the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove. An essential oil is called “essential”because it contains the “essence of” the plant’s fragrance—the characteristic fragrance of the plant from which it is derived. Essential oils typically evaporate completely without leaving any stain or residue.

Essential oils are generally extracted by distillation, often by using steam. The steam brings the fragrance through the room without becoming overbearing. Before purchasing you should research any effects they may have on pets or specific illnesses you or a family member may have. Some essential oils can be rubbed on your wrists for a calming effect especially while doing yoga or Pilates. Tea Tree oil also keeps away certain insects, including lice which can wreak havoc during the school year. You can even dab on your hair to prevent these nasty creatures from invading your life. Essential oils are also an added welcome in massage therapy. The aromas help you achieve the state of total body release and muscle relaxation in massage.

Essential oils are often used for aromatherapy, a form of alternative medicine in which healing effects are ascribed to aromatic compounds. Aromatherapy may be useful to induce relaxation, but there is not sufficient evidence that essential oils can effectively treat any condition. Essential oils can help practicing mindfulness techniques, especially for those that have difficulty getting focused and releasing the outside world. Many practitioners have found that using a calming oil such as lavender may help them ease into a meditative state while using their mindfulness strategies to achieve calmness and release from everyday stresses.

Improper use of essential oils may cause harm including allergic reactions and skin irritation, and children may be particularly susceptible to the toxic effects of improper use. You should research different oils before trying them. Every family situation is different so find ones that will be the most beneficial in your situation. One concise article https://medshadow.org/essential-oils/. — this can start you on your way to mastering the use of essential oils safely in your home.

I enjoy trying new oils but only after checking if they are harmful to pets or anyone with breathing or allergy issues. When trying a new scent I usually put a few drops in the diffuser to test it out. I have also combined some scents like orange with tea tree oil. This combination cuts down on each scent and makes it fill the room with less intensity. I admit that I have found some that I did not like and discontinued using.

I recently bought a diffuser from Botiga that is portable and ia nice wood color which can blend in with your decor. It is perfect for a non-obtrusive scent in your living room or den. In fact, I even used it in my kitchen after cooking a delicious yet fishy smelling salmon dinner the other night. You can add it to your guest bathroom when company arrives for a continuous aroma. My favorites are orange or eucalyptus. It’s portable and only $9.99. Click the link below for more details on ordering. I love it and am going to order another one so I don’t have to keep moving it from room to room.

https://www.thebotiga.com/stores/550990/products/k324oegqafye?invited_token=550990

I would love to hear about your experiences with essential oils and aromatherapy. Please comment below. Happy relaxing!!

Every summer we attempt a road trip from New York to Florida. Yes, the summer is the hottest time of the year to go to Florida, but with a teacher’s schedule there is sometimes no choice. This year the temperatures in Florida were lower than New York. So our trip begins…..

We start off at Bear Mountain Bridge to Garden State Parkway. We have found this way to be much more pleasant than using I95 from the very beginning. Our trip is mostly on 95 so we want to enjoy the scenery as much as possible. So off we go with our Dunkin Donuts, our GPS and our faithful companion all in tow.

Each year we write down license plates as we see them along the way. Last time we found 46 of the 50 states. This time we used an app called Plate Spot that I used with my car pool all year. It’s a fun app that allows you to “Claim a Plate” and learn all about that state as you check it off. My husband and I love to do Trivia questions in the car while we are driving so Plate Spot was an extra learning bonus for us.

Each year our goal is to make it to South Carolina as our halfway point. This time we decided to leave a day earlier and we left later in the day so we were just flowing in the breeze and seeing how far we could get. We put our 70s Station on our Satellite Radio and off we were. Usually, we can’t wait to get to Delaware because then we are out of New Jersey traffic and a little closer to our destination. We always cheer as we cross the Delaware Memorial Bridge. It is especially enjoyable when you are not on this bridge on a Saturday when all the week renters are approaching. So late Sunday going the opposite way was a plus for us.

This stretch of the trip is usually the same. We hop on and off I95 to 295 or 495 to avoid the intense traffic especially in the Baltimore/Washington DC stretch of the journey. Even though I have made this trip numerous times, we always look for new interesting sites along the way. And of course, cars and trucks and interesting signs make our trip more fun. This trip we definitely avoided the DC traffic jams and actually breezed right through.

No trip is enjoyable without snacks. Our cooler is filled with iced tea, Vitamin Water, water for poochie and some Diet Coke (caffeine is a necessity). We have our bag of goodies (chips, protein bars and snacks and nuts/trail mix). This is usually the only time during the year that we actually eat and stop at a McDonalds. It’s our cheat day and definitely not a recommendation for too many meals. I always enjoy meeting the different people at our stops along the way. As you go further south you can see the difference between Southerners and New Yorkers. Sometimes they are just nicer and simpler.

So after Maryland and Washington DC we are traveling through Virginia (quiet road with not many billboards or places of interest) which is very pleasant for a two lane part of I95. We love car watching and of course, plate collecting, as we chug along through to the Carolinas.

Since we left later in the day on Sunday our goal was to make North Carolina. I did some research on different parts of the state and we chose Rocky Mount, NC. It seemed like a quaint town and had a perfect pet friendly hotel for the night – Candlewood Suites, where you are greeted with dog treats for your pooch upon checking in. I would highly recommend for your trip to North Carolina.

We woke up early the next morning and before getting on the road again decided to take our pup to Best Friends Dog Park in Rocky Mount. She always loves romping around for a few laps and that may exhaust her for the second part of our trip to Florida.

As we start on our journey after the dog park visit, we know we have reached our halfway point when we pass the sign for South of the Border which is a hotel and amusement area nestled at the border of North and South Carolina. Once we are driving in the Carolinas we see Fireworks signs everywhere and more billboards than in the other states. We see destination signs for places that we plan to visit on our future trips, such as Charleston and Myrtle Beach.

This is our fourth time driving down to Florida. Our ritual is to stop on the second day in Savannah, Georgia for lunch. From the first time we stopped there, we fell in love with this magical place. From the cobblestone streets to the quaint boutiques it is a fun little break from the car. We always go to the same place to eat, right along the water, a place called Dockside Seafood. We enjoy Hush Puppies for an appetizer (a Georgia style potato ball) and I usually have the crab cake sandwich. We love this place because it has a mister to keep you cool and it allows pets to eat with you. Check it out on your next visit to Savannah https://www.docksideseafoodsav.com/. The wait staff is friendly and accommodating and we never look for another stopover. Even in the 90 degree heat it is our go to place as we look at the harbor and boats going by.

Once we leave Savannah we are now serious about reaching our destination in Florida. This time, however, we took another detour to the Smallest Church in America https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2427 located in Townsend, Georgia just a short stop after Savannah and less than one mile off the highway. I was so amazed to see this 12 seat church with a beautiful altar and prayer book waiting for each visitor to sign. There is no one to greet you — you just walk in and check out this tiny structure. By the altar is a carved cane with the words of God on it. On the altar are some bibles and a journal where you can write your personal prayers. If you are driving by Townsend please take a moment to visit. You will feel blessed and calm after visiting. A perfect stopover to give you energy for the last leg of our trip.

Once you get through Georgia and see the signs Welcome to Florida remember that unless you are visiting St. Augustine or Jacksonville, you have miles and miles to go. We immediately notice the changeover to palm trees and enjoy the many recognizable cities of Florida that we have either visited, know of, or know people who live there. Now that we are older, we know many people that have moved to Florida or are snowbirds. I love looking at the signs and remembering if we visited or planning a trip there when we are down in Florida again. A few years ago we visited St. Augustine, the oldest town in America, and we loved it. Unfortunately, we could not stay long because it was almost 100 degrees that day and very difficult to walk around. Going there in a cooler month is on my list of Florida things to do. So we travel through and we note all the destination signs like Miami and Orlando. You are not getting closer to these cities — this is just another highway to bring you there.

We continue for about five hours to our place in Florida which is closer to Delray Beach and Boca so at least 5 to 6 hours of driving in Florida. It’s already a long day because of our stops in Georgia and we can see our journey finally coming to a close. Many people laugh when we tell them we are embarking on a road trip to Florida. We find it adventurous and fun. Usually we fly down once or twice a year but we have looked forward to our adventure in the car together. And of course our stop in Savannah where we have also contemplated buying a property in because we love that city so much. It’s our time together that we enjoy talking, listening to music, answering trivia and collecting plates. Oh this time, we found 47 plates — missing Kansas and of course, Hawaii and Alaska. Another fun trip but as always happy to be home in our home getting back to our normal everyday lives. Happy traveling.

We would love to hear about your road trip adventures. Please comment and share.