Neroli Essential Oil

Monday, June 29, 2009

You're probably already aware of the relaxing properties of lavender and chamomile, but there is an essential oil that you may not know about that may have an even greater calming effect.

Neroli is the name given to the essential oil that is produced from the orange blossom. It's scent has been described as mildly sweet, floral, and slightly haunting. It has long been used as a perfume, and has a incredibly relaxing effect on the nervous system.




You may be wondering, "If Neroli is so great...why haven't I heard of it before?" Well, the answer is simple. Due to the large number of orange blossoms needed to produce the essential oil, it isn't as readily available. It takes about 1000 lbs. of orange blossoms to make 1 lb. of Neroli oil.




Neroli has been used to relieve a wide variety of conditions including: chronic anxiety and depression, stress, shock, fear, heart palpitations, nervous tension, headaches and vertigo.

I personally use this oil, and find myself adding it to everything from lotion to body mist. Try rubbing a little on your wrists and enjoy the relaxing benefits throughout the day.


**essential oils should always be diluted in a carrier oil such as olive, coconut, or jojoba. As always...essential oils are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease**

Conceal and Carry

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Currently, 48 states allow some form of concealed weapons permit. Alaska and Vermont do not issue a permit, you must only meet their requirements. Some of these 48 states are Shall Issue which means that if you meet their requirements, then they will issue you a conceal carry permit. Other states are May Issue which means they have discretion over who gets a license even if you meet their requirements.

Once you have obtained your permit, there are several types of handguns you are allowed to carry. You must make sure that it is completely concealed. This includes making sure that it cannot be seen through lightweight/sheer clothing.

This is a freedom that we must not lose, or take lightly. Anyone keeping a weapon in their home needs to understand their responsibility for the safety of everyone who enters their home. Carrying a concealed weapon is meant to protect lives not destroy them in a careless accident. Please keep these statistics in mind before deciding where to store your handgun.

FACT: Despite popular belief, young children do possess the physical strength to fire a gun: 25% of 3-to-4-year-olds, 70% of 5-to-6-year-olds, and 90% of 7-to-8-year-olds can fire most handguns.

(Naureckas, SM, Christoffel, KK, et al. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 1995.)


FACT: 59% of students in grades six through twelve know where to get a gun if they want one, and two thirds of these students say they can acquire a firearm within 24 hours.

(Harvard School of Public Health.)


FACT: Comparison of U.S. gun homicides to other industrialized countries:

In 2004 (the most recent year for which this data has been compiled), handguns murdered:

5 people in New Zealand
37 people in Sweden
56 people in Australia
184 people in Canada
19 people in Japan
73 people in the UK
11,344 people in the United States

- Provided by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie

Saturday, June 27, 2009

If you're familiar with the animated series, Avatar: The Last Airbender on Nickelodeon, then you may have already heard there will be an Avatar movie coming out July 2, 2010. This is great news for all Avatar fans who didn't want the series to end. My family regularly watches this show, and while I didn't care for it at first, I admit it's grown on me after three seasons! It does have a positive message about doing the right thing, and being loyal to friends.

This movie is directed by M. Night Shyamalan and tells the story of Aang, the Last Airbender, who must master the elements of water, earth, fire and air in order to defeat the Fire Lord and bring peace to all four nations. All the regular characters from the series are featured in this movie.

Unusual Phobias

Thursday, June 25, 2009

A phobia is an extreme fear of an object, activity, or situation. These irrational fears may not make sense to someone who's never experienced this paralyzing sensation, but it can be crippling to the effected person. Everybody is afraid of something, but there are some pretty unusual phobias, and the names are even more peculiar! Here's a list of some of the more interesting fears.

Alektorophobia: Fear of Chickens
Arachibutyrophobia: Fear of Peanut Butter Sticking to the Roof of Your Mouth
Ataxophobia: Fear of Disorder or Untidiness
Barophobia: Fear of Gravity
Bogeyphobia: Fear of the Bogeyman
Chionophobia: Fear of Snow
Coulrophobia: Fear of Clowns
Cyclophobia : Fear of Bicycles
Eisoptrophobia: Fear of Mirrors
Ereuthophobia: Fear of Blushing
Geliophobia: Fear of Laughter
Hylophobia: Fear of Forests
Ichthyophobia: Fear of Fish
Lachanophobia: Fear of Vegetables
Melophobia: Fear of Music
Mythophobia: Fear of Lying
Ophthalmophobia: Fear of Being Stared At
Pogonophobia: Fear of Beards
Scolionophobia: Fear of School
Telephonophobia: Fear of Telephones

Don't Underestimate the Heat!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Beware of heat-related illnesses, and take the necessary precautions to prevent them. Many people stay indoors during cold weather, but underestimate the dangers of prolonged exposure to heat.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, excessive heat exposure caused 8,015 deaths in the United States between 1979 and 1999. Heat illnesses range from minor to severe, and all are fairly easy to prevent.

Avoid drinks with large amounts of caffeine, alcohol, or sugar, as these can inhibit your body's cooling process. Whenever you're outdoors, drink plenty of water or electrolyte water before you get thirsty.

If you exercise outside, try to do it in the early morning or late evening, when temperatures are cooler. Wear lightweight, loose, light-colored clothing. Natural fibers such as cotton or bamboo allow your skin to breathe, and help you stay cooler.

Stay Cooler With Bamboo Fabric

Sunday, June 21, 2009

With the heat rapidly approaching, I'm always looking for a way to stay cooler. My search has led me to discover the benefits of bamboo fabric. Many people who experience allergic reactions to other natural fibers, such as wool, do not have a reaction to bamboo.

Bamboo is being promoted as an environmentally friendly, or 'green' fabric. Companies producing organic bamboo fabric leave the bamboo fiber unbleached. Bamboo is a sturdy plant which requires no pesticides to grow, but does require chemicals to produce the fibers which are spun and dyed for weaving into cloth.

The superior wicking properties of bamboo make it an excellent choice for staying cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Bamboo is a naturally antibacterial, antifungal and odor resistant fiber, through multiple washings.

While there continues to be much debate over the environmental benefits of bamboo, the noticable difference it makes while wearing it, compared to cotton and linen, definitely makes this fabric worth looking into as a 'greener' option.

Great Site For Free Traffic!!

Friday, June 19, 2009

Many of you may already know about TrafficG, but I just found this site, and wanted to share a fast way to accumulate free traffic credits.

It works on the same principal as Blog Explosion, and the great thing about it is that for every site you click through, you earn one credit to your site, so you earn traffic twice as fast. Also, the waiting time for each site is shorter than that of Blog Explosion, so you earn more credits in the same amount of time.

Another great feature is that there's no need to wait for your site to be approved. Simply add your information, and your blog is instantly listed. You're now ready to surf!

They do offer the option of purchasing traffic credits for those who don't have time, or prefer not to surf for credits, but in my opinion, they are a little pricey!

**This is not a paid advertisement for TrafficG. I just thought I would share this information with others who are searching for traffic sites!**

Does Television Rot Your Brain?

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Some people are against having their children watch television because they don't want them wasting their time. Others say that there are too many inappropriate shows, and they don't want their kids being exposed to such things.

There is a lot of trash out there, but there are also plenty of good, family-oriented programs. We home school our children (which is another subject), and they've learned a lot about animals from Animal Planet, and found ideas for science projects from the National Geographic channel.

We do need to take responsibility for what our children watch, and if you take the time to look, you will find quality shows that help children realize that other kids are dealing with the same issues they are, and they may even learn a lesson from the program without having to learn it the hard way.

Spending too much time in front of the tv isn't good for anyone, regardless of age. We do need to get out and enjoy the fresh air, get some exercise, and do something productive. But, who says that watching television has to be a time for mindlessly staring at the screen? Sometimes, my favorite time of day is snuggling up with my kids and watching a movie that we can all enjoy together!

What is Modest?

Sunday, June 14, 2009

When it comes to what we wear, is it possible to define modesty? There are many factors that determine a person's definition of what is considered modest. Depending on where you live, you may be wearing something that would be considered by most to be modest, while in other areas of the world, the same outfit would be seen as shameful. For instance, the picture in this post, the girl's outfit could be viewed as cute by some, and way too short by others.

For many people, religious beliefs play a large role in determining what is perceived as modest. For others, its a personal preference. There are also different standards of modesty between men and women.

While there will always be varying opinions of what is modest, many people agree that the latest trends are not as modest as they could be. I don't see anything wrong with wearing something comfortable on a hot day, I just wish some people wouldn't dress in a way that draws attention to specific parts of the anatomy. It's good to leave something to the imagination!

Stimulus Money For Construction... Who Benefits?

Friday, June 12, 2009

Vice President Biden was in Overland Park, Ks. yesterday for the ground-breaking ceremony of the largest stimulus project in the Kansas City area. The stimulus money will go toward widening U.S. 69 to three lanes in each direction from I-435 to I-35. This ceremony was to demonstrate how stimulus dollars are benefiting the construction industry in this area.

This is great news for the construction company that won the bid for this project, however, stimulus money hasn't helped our construction business at all! When politicians state that the economy is improving in this area, do they mention the fact that there are numerous companies bidding on each project, and quite often, the winning bidder actually bid less than what it would cost most companies to complete the project.

The cost of materials, insurance, and gas necessary to complete a project continues to increase, while the amount that consumers are able to spend continues to decrease. When you have to bid a job so low that you do little more than break even, it's hard to be encouraged by the stimulus money!

Family-Owned Business vs Big Business

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

I live in a small town where you can walk down main street and visit the local town shops. I love the country life and enjoy the unique family-owned businesses that provide a friendly environment.

I understand the importance of supporting a small business (we have our own family business), and want to support the home town economy. I also realize as a consumer, that small businesses can't compete with the prices that national chains can offer.

Nothing compares to the feeling of walking into a local store where you know the owner, and they are truly interested in helping you find what you need. The personal service can't be beat.

On the other hand, when you only have a certain amount of money to spend every month, and the food is much cheaper at a large supermarket in the city than it is in the local grocery store...what choice do you have?

How do you support local businesses and manage to have enough money for everything at the same time?

I'd Like One Burger, Hold the Mold Please!

Monday, June 8, 2009

Joe Pesci said it best in the movie Lethal Weapon 2 during his famous rant about the quality of the food at the drive-thru. I'd show the quote here, but that might put my blog in the partial profanity category for adult language!! If you haven't heard it, you can check it out here.

I live in a small town where the fast food choices are limited. I don't expect things to be perfect all the time, but when my hamburger bun has mold on the bottom, and you can actually smell that the chicken strips have gone bad, that's a little more than I can take! The scary thing is...the restaurant didn't even seem overly surprised or concerned about it. They just took back the bad food and remade my order. By this point, I'm not sure I want to eat the new one either!

The whole idea of a fast food restaurant is to get your food fast, but that doesn't mean I want to eat cold fries that have been sitting there for who knows how long. I'd like to see the person who served this food try to eat it themselves.

The obvious solution would be to eat at home, but we're on the go a lot, and sometimes it's just easier to eat out, (and sometimes I just don't feel like cooking!) Even if you do eat at home, that doesn't guarantee that everything will be as expected. I once found the tip of a rubber glove in my green beans, but that's another story!

Turn That Music Down!!

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Somewhere along the road, I must have turned into my parents, because I just don't understand why some of the new music groups out there today are so popular. I actually caught myself telling my kids to turn their music down because I had a headache!

If I hear one more song by the Jonas Brothers on the radio, I'm going to scream!! Why is this group so popular? I realize that I'm not a teenager, but I just don't get it! It seems like almost every time I turn on the radio or television...there they are!

There are so many talented groups and performers out there, that it makes me wonder why one artist becomes an instant superstar, while others remain unnoticed. Now, the Jonas Brothers even have their own tv show on the Disney Channel. My youngest daughter thinks it's hilarious, so I gave it a try, but just didn't find it as funny as she did. They don't seem to do or say anything inappropriate, so I guess it is better than some things out there for kids today!

Have a Great Day!!!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

I never imagined when I started blogging that I would read about so many interesting people. It's easy to get caught up in our own little world, and it's amazing to read all the stories of other people's lives.

I look forward to getting to know all of you through your posts. Have a great day!

Have You Tried This Traffic Site?

Monday, June 1, 2009

Has anyone tried the website,trafficpods? I've been trying to figure it out all week, and don't seem to be getting anywhere. It looks like it should be a great way to get traffic to your site, but I must be missing something!

I spent hours clicking on sites, and accumulated a lot of traffic credits, but I didn't get that many visits, and now it says I have no credits left. I realize that every visit uses 5 credits, but I had enough credits for several hundred visits, and now they're gone.

If you've tried trafficpods...please let me know what you think of it. Thanks!!