10 Ways To Brighten the Day

For us here in MN I think summer has finally arrived! We had an exceptionally cool and rainy spring that has lasted into June. But hurrah--today's high should be about 80 degrees! So with all of the sunshine today it got me thinking of how to brighten your day and that of others. Here are some ideas:

1. Smile. (at everyone and just because- if no one else is around!)
2. Start your day with a workout or some kind of exercise or stretches.
3. Enjoy time with your family.
4. Call a friend. (It's really better than email)
5. Get outside! Swing in your hammock, garden, bike, go for a walk.
6. Help someone in need. (turn on the news and you will see plenty of others that could use some help! Prayers help those in need too.)
7. Play like you did when you were a child. When was the last time you played hopscotch, hula-hoop, or scooped up sand in the sandbox?
8. Laugh out loud. Tell a good joke. Read the comics.
9. Praise someone. It will make two people happy!
10. Wear bright colors--reflect the glorious colors of nature in summer.

I'm sure you can add to the list. Let us know what other ways we can brighten our day. I could have added "read a blog"...or check out Gathered From The Garden's website. Buying and using any of our wonderful products will surely brighten your day! gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

Could You Live To Be 100?

My mom just celebrated her 77th birthday. She was commenting on the fact that she outlived her mother. We got to talking about longevity in my family. My dad's mother lived to be 94. Could we make it to 100?
I read on the AARP website about a fellow who is studying people who live to be 100. He went to Costa Rica and interviewed a wonderful old woman. You can read about his visit with her and watch a short video. It is quite inspiring! (aarpmagazine.org/lifestyle/living-healthy-to-100.html)
He lists several factors that these people have in common. Some are: they have a sense of purpose, they have a focus on family, they eat fewer calories, they have kept hard at work all of their lives, they maintain social networks and they are genuinely likeable people. This particular woman had visitors stop by her house everyday and she was thrilled to see them.
The list doesn't seem complicated or difficult to do. (maybe the fewer calories part...). I'd like to think that reaching 100 is attainable. I'd only want to live that long if I was in relatively good health like the woman in the interview and if I still had people visiting me everyday! She lives by herself but her 80-year-old son does bike over everyday to check on her. :)
What about you? Would you like to live that long? Are you doing any of the things of the list to increase your chances? I think being a 100-year-0ld "goddess" would be awesome!
Speaking of awesome--check out Gathered From The Garden's website for some awesome products for the goddess in you! gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

Girls Just Gotta Have Fun

Ladies you need to check out this site: HairMixer.com!

The site has hundreds of celebrity photos where you can magically insert your own image into the face portal section. Supposedly you can use the feature to see what hairstyles look good with your coloring and face, but more importantly it’s just plain fun! I haven't figured out yet how to post pictures of me using hairmixer so you'll have to go there and fool around with your own picture. Let us know which celebrity style was your favorite.

For more fun go to www.gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com where you won't find celebrity styles but products that will make you feel like a celebrity!

Memory Like an Elephant?

A very good friend of mine was telling me about her elderly mother and how forgetful she is. She couldn't remember the name of "that thing that cuts grass" (a lawnmower). My friend was worried that her mother was becoming senile, getting Alzheimers or having side effects of her medication.
As I listened to her tell about her mother I couldn't help think of all of the times I had trouble remembering names, dates etc. For me it's only a temporary lapse (something to do with menopause perhaps?) but it still makes me a little nervous when it happens.
I was reading the March 2008 issue of Prevention magazine. In it they listed several factors that we can control which have been shown to slow "mental decline". (I don't like the sound of those two words.) I've listed some of them here.
*Eat more brain food. Blueberries are especially good to improve short-term memory. Cut saturated fat and eat more fruits, veggies and fatty fish such as salmon.
*Sleep 8 hours every night. Your brain uses the "downtime" to sort and store information. Sleep can also strengthen memory recall.
*Do something new every week. Tackling unfamiliar tasks boosts short-term memory and builds up the part of the brain that encodes info.
*Breathe deeply. Processing new information when we are stressed is tough.
*Make a list of tasks. (I do this all the time--don't always get to everything on the list though.) Sometimes we ask our brain to retain too much information.
*Take it one task at a time. (I am very guilty of multi-tasking!) Trying to do too much at once leads to forgetfulness. A mature brain tends to experience "moments of rest". These pauses are what causes us to draw a blank.
These seem like easy things that I can start doing right away. I guess we have to exercise our brains just like our bodies. It's a little scary when those "senior moments" happen and I would like to keep my mind as sharp as I can. For more good information check out the March issue or go to Prevention.com
One thing I never forget is how good Gathered From the Garden products feel on my skin! Check out our website: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

Call Your Mom

Just a simple thought today as we look towards May. Call your mom. You'll feel great and mom will feel even better. She is probably still the one who knows you best. She is still the one who probably has the smartest advice. In the cycle of life there will come a time when you want to call her and cannot. So look around--where's the phone? Go ahead, call your mom.

While you're at it you might want to hint around for some gift ideas for her for Mother's Day. Gathered From The Garden can help you treat yourself and your mom with luxurious goodies. We can help you feel oh so indulged! gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

Just like Jerry Seinfeld
Some times you just have to do what Jerry Seinfeld did...talk about nothing. So here I am basically blogging about nothing! Anyway, read on. I think these facts are fun.

1. Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the U.S.Treasury.
2. Men can read smaller print than women can.
3. Women can hear better than men.
4. Coca-Cola was originally green.
5. It is impossible to lick your elbow.
6. The average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour : 61,000
7. 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321 (1-9 forward and backward)
8. If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle.
9. If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle.
10. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
11. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of their birthplace.
12. Bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers were all invented by women.
13. Honey is the only food that doesn't spoil.
14. Father’s Day has more collect calls than any other day of the year.
15. “Good Night and Sleep Tight” - In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by Ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the Bed firmer to sleep on.
16. “Honeymoon” - It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a Month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law With all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their Calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as 'the honeymoon'.
17. “GOLF” – Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden. Many years ago in Scotland , a new game was invented. It was ruled 'Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden'...and thus the word GOLF entered Into the English language.

FINALLY~~ At least 75% of people who read this will try to lick their elbow!

Any silly or fun facts to add to our list? Send us a comment with yours...

You're Never Too Young

This past weekend my two granddaughters ran in their first 1 K race. The older one was very excited to be running. The younger one was too until they got to the race and saw some costumed characters. She was afraid of them and absolutely did not want to be part of the race anymore.

We let her watch the older runners take off. When her age group came up, her mother picked her up and convinced her to just walk behind her older sister and cheer the runners on. That was fine as long as mom held her. So they walked and cheered and about half way through the race, Karalyn turned to her mother and said, "I'm doing it!!" She managed to get to the finish line (although mom had to carry her the WHOLE way--poor mom!) where she received her medal.

This got me to thinking about how many opportunities we pass up because we are afraid. We can be afraid of risk, of failure, of embarrassment etc. But if we would just dive in we might be surprised like Karalyn to find that "we are doing it". I know there are a couple of things I would like to try but fear has held me back. I am going to try to do one of them this week. Hopefully I'll be smiling and saying "I'm doing it!". There's the old saying, nothing ventured, nothing gained...

In case you are out running in races and marathons this Spring, Gathered has some great "Sore Muscle Relief" Lotion to help with those aches and pains. Check out our website: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

On another note, I apologize for not having indented paragraphs. If anyone has some advice for me on how to do this in my posts--please comment!!

The Big Give

Have you been watching Oprah's "Big Give" tv show? Each week a group of contestants has a mission--give big to someone. There are rules and twists to what they have to accomplish each week and those that don't, get eliminated. It's been interesting watching partly because of their creativity and partly because they do get to work with big amounts of money.

Watching the show got me to thinking about how us ordinary people can give big. We don't have tons of money to spend. We don't have a fancy new vehicle to drive around while we figure it out like those on Ophrah's show. But I think we all have the opportunity to give everyday if we just look around. Here are ways to give right now--they aren't big in terms of money but they could make a big impact on someone' life.

1. Hold the door for someone.

2. Donate blood.

3. Give a compliment.

4. Help a fellow traveler with her luggage.

5. Raise money for a cause you believe in.

6. When you see trash, pick it up.

7. Pass on good news.

8. Tell someone you love them.

9. Give up your seat.

10. Send a thank-you card to someone who has shown you a kindness.

11. Smile at a stranger

12.Say a prayer for someone who's hurting.

13. Teach your children about giving.

14. Praise someone who has done well.

15. Kick bad habits, like smoking, that can harm others.

16. Pamper someone with a gift from Gathered FromThe Garden .gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

What would you add to this list? Let us know so we can keep the giving-going!

Quick Sticky Buns
I found this great little recipe in an old issue of RealSimple magazine(Nov.2007) It's for Quick Sticky Buns. It uses only 5 ingredients to make a straight-from-the -oven pastry: butter, a banana, pecans, brown sugar and a tube of refrigerated buttermilk biscuits. There's nothing better than quick AND tasty!! Go to realsimple.com/myfakeitrecipe. I'm thinking it would be a fun one to try with my little granddaughers.
For another quick trick, try Gathered From The Garden's Petite Perfumes! They are sweet little roll-ons of great fragrances. You can tuck them into your purse or pocket. Go to gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com to check these out.

It's in the Bag

Okay, girls, if you're like me you have a collection of purses. When switching purses what are the essential items you carry with you at all times? See if you agree with the list below:

1. Wallet. Make sure you have your driver's license.


2. Baby Wipes. They clean everything.


3. Mini sewing kit.


4. Pain reliever.


5. Cell phone.


6. Pen.


7. Gum or mints.


8. Pocket mirror.


9. Sunglasses.


10. Lip balm or gloss.

I have everything in my purse except the baby wipes and sewing kit. I also carry a nail clippers, mini-perfume, kleenex, keys, pictures of my grandchildren, glasses and contact case and more! I was invited to a baby shower where one of the games was to weigh your purse. Mine weighed close to four pounds!! (You can tell that I have a problem using a small purse.)What can I leave out? It all seems very necessary and important. The one really necessary and important thing I can't do without is Gathered's purse-size Goat Milk and Honey Lotion. You can get one of your own at gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

What's in your handbag?

What To Do With Your Left-over Easter Candy

There is a great website cakespy.com that you should check out--especially if you like cool cakes and cupcakes. They also have some wacky ideas of what to do with that left-over Easter candy. Jesse Oleson can help breathe new life into your Peeps, jelly beans or chocolate eggs with her suggestions. How about a left-over Easter trifle, Cadbury Creme Egg ice cream or Peep s'mores? Check out all of their sugar-laden suggestions. Normally I wouldn't suggest anything using so much sugar but heck, all things in moderation, right?

The above website is almost as much fun as gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com. We don't have any sugar-laden products but ours are still awfully sweet!

Tell Your Life Story in Six Words

Smith magazine published a book called "Not Quite What I Was Planning, Six Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure". It lists great life stories told in only six words. Some are humorous: "baby teeth, buck teeth, no teeth", "tons of calories burned, still fat" some are romantic: "found true love, happily ever after", some are inspirational: "fell in mud, got back up" some sad: (this by a cancer patient) "would settle for bad hair day" and some political: "proud of my country, until Bush".
I tried to sum up my life in six words. It's very difficult! I think this may be mine "Life is good, hope it continues". What would yours be? If you've got one you'd like to share, SMITH is going to publish another book. Go to smithmag.net and submit yours and/or share it with us here! We'd love to see how you describe your life story in just six words.
Here are another six words that Gathered FromThe Garden would like you to remember about us: Soothing skin products to pamper everyone! Go to gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com
to find great products for the whole family.

Another Great Blog

I found this blog and have been impressed with the practical information on health it contains. I am always looking for easy ways to improve my diet or lifestyle. Part of "being your own goddess" means being in control of what you eat, breathe, listen to, buy, read etc. Thanks to Dr.Minser for sharing these smart health tips! Go to docminser.com and check it out yourself. Anyone have other blogs to suggest?

Women's History Month
March is Women's History Month where we celebrate the accomplishments of the women who have come before us. Have you ever thought about the women in your own family and how much they accomplished? I had a grandmother who raised 16 children. Many of the years they were growing up she was a single parent. (widowed young) That had to have taken an incredible amount of hard work, patience, perseverance and faith. I think she passed those qualities on to my mother and hopefully to me. Who are the women who have inspired you?
Here is an inspirational movie to view in honor of women. Check out noglassceilingmovie.com It will make you think!
Check out gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com for some great products. You might order some to give to the special women in your life that have made a difference for and to you!

Diva Dolly

I was reading an article in Ladies Home Journal about Dolly Parton. Even if you don't like country western music you have to admit she is quite a woman! She has copywrited some 3000 songs, has an amusement park named after her, started Imagination Library for poor children and runs a pretty big company out of Nashville. She's been married to the same guy for 41 years. (that alone is pretty incredible!)
In the article Dolly was asked about plastic surgery and she admitted to having it done. She said that's why her husband has stuck with her all of these years---he gets a new woman every five! Although I admire her for her talent and good works I just can't agree with her on the bodywork. What' s wrong with aging naturally? She could have been a greater role model if she had said "No, thanks--I'll keep what I have--wrinkles and all." I totally understand wanting to look your best but not with injections and surgery.
How about you? Would you consider having some work done to look younger? Let us know what you think.
Gathered From The Garden has natural face products to help you look your best. Check out our website: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

I Believe in You

Charlon Bobo writes a weekly email newsletter that I subscribe to. (editproofcopy.com) This week her message was about encouraging others. She reminded me of the responsibility each of us has to encourage, enliven and support others. We are not intended to work alone. We need each other.

Charlon says to never underestimate the power of these words: "I believe in you." They might improve someone's day or inspire them to new heights. They are a gift. And who knows the full range of positive potential impacts?

She says it costs nothing and feels great. So think of someone right now who could use your words of encouragement and send these words to them. You never know how you might make someone's day!

You can also make someone's day by giving them one of Gathered From The Garden's wonderful Goat Milk and Honey Lotions. Check out our website: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

A New Vision for 2008

It's that time of year again, to start manifesting what we really need and to let go of things we don't. Our secret for getting everything we want starts with a list. After we've written down what we want in 2008 (tropical vacation, help others, live richly), we turn our list into a "visioning board." You can do this too.

Start with a large, card stock sheet of paper, a pair of scissors, a glue stick, a pen and a stack of magazines. Cut out pictures of a hammock suspended between two beachside palm trees, etc. Write or cut out words like play, create, relax,volunteer and place them with the images all over your paper.

Next, put the board in a place where you will see it throughout the year. From time to time imagine that everything you have placed on the board has already happened, and allow yourself to feel grateful. Then stand back and watch the coincidences start to occur, the pieces fall into place, and the magic happen!

We invite you to let us know how doing this simple yet powerful process of manifesting your intentions is working for you this year!

Gathered From The Garden LLC gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

Joy and The Bucket List

In the movie "The Bucket List" Morgan Freeman's character suggests that to get into heaven you need to answer these two questions. 1. Have you experienced joy in your life? 2. Have you brought joy to others' lives? Two questions worth some thought even if you don't believe you will be asked this at the Pearly Gates!
Have you experienced joy in your life? It's easy to get so caught up in everyday life that simple joys are forgotten. It's easy to appreciate the good things when life is going good. But I think that we can store up memories of joy to help us through and it doesn't take long to stop and smell the roses. Looking at my own life, my grandchildren have brought me immeasurable joy! To see things again through the eyes of a child, to smell that new-born baby smell, to have someone that wants to cuddle with me--that is true joy! Nurturing--particularly my flowers in the summer. Walking through my backyard and finding some new blossom or unexpected seedling brings me peace and joy. Traveling to a new place--seeing mountains, oceans, deserts--the marvels that God has created brings me joy.
Have you brought joy to others' lives? That's a good one to reflect on...Sure, I could say, I've given lots of presents to others. But is that the same as joy? I have started a new prayer each morning..."Let me be a blessing to someone this day." I'm hoping that will bring someone joy. I don't consciously set out to "bring someone joy" but maybe I should. What a different world this would be if our main goal each day would be to spread joy! I feel we should think small bits of joy to start. (Sharing happy memories and experiences with others is one of the most powerful and effective ways to keep the joy going.)
Being joyful has also been linked to improving health. People with a sunny outlook to aging recover more quickly from illness and actually live longer. People who feel joy in their lives also reported fewer illnesses.
One of the ways I experience a very small bit of joy is to have a piece of dark chocolate :) . So I might have to indulge in that a little more often. Another way to experience a little joy each morning is to start with some of Gathered's wonderful Goat Milk and Honey Lotion on my hands. The fragrance of Raspberry/Lemonade always makes me smile! To bring a little more joy into your life check out our website: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com We have many fragrances that can bring a little more joy to your life. Or share with someone to bring some joy to their life too!!

Extra Pounds or ExtraToes?

There is an article in Fitness magazine about losing weight This article disturbed me. Fitness took a survey of 1,000 women about their thoughts on diet and fitness. The following statistics resulted:

42% of women have used ephedra, hoodia, fen-phen, a diuretic or prescription weight loss pill/other drug to lose weight.

23% of women would spend a week in jail to reach their ideal weight. 23% would shave their head and 21% would trade 10 years of their life.

Women have used desperate measures. 33% have cleared their house of bad food. 24% have drank only liquids for at least a day. 11% have taken laxatives and 6% have purged. 4% have used miracle cleanse.

85% would rather have an extra toe than 50 extra pounds.

To polish that off, most women described themselves as chunky (30%) or curvy (29%).
(This is a fitness magazine so they probably polled women who are a little more shall we say, obsessed with their shape...)

I haven't found myself doing stupid things for weight loss. I've read with interest lots of stupid ideas and wondered if they could possibly work and fantasized what I would look like if they did. It seems you never look fine to yourself. Even the most beautiful women in the world will find themselves unattractive. How do we get over that? We do need to be a healthy weight...

Teachers on the 8th day

On the 6th day, God created men & women. On the 7th day, He rested. Not so much to recuperate, but rather to prepare himself for the work He was going to do the next day. For it was on the 8th day that God created the teacher.

The teacher, though taken from among men and women had several significant modifications. In general, God made the teacher more durable than other men and women.

The teacher was made to arise at a very early hour and to go to bed no earlier than 11:30 PM. With no rest in between. The teacher had to be able to withstand being locked up in an air-tight room with 35 little monsters on a rainy Monday. And the teacher had to be able to correct 103 term papers over Easter vacation.

Yes, God made the teacher tough - but gentle too. The teacher was equipped with soft hands to wipe away the tears of the neglected and lonely student... of the 16 year old girl who was not asked to the prom.

And into the teacher God poured a generous amount of patience. Patience when a student asks to repeat the directions the teacher has just repeated for someone else.

Patience when the kids forget their lunch money for the 4th day in a row. Patience when 1/3 of the class fails the test. Patience when the text books haven't arrived yet, and the semester starts tomorrow.

And God gave the teacher a heart slightly bigger than the average human heart. For the teacher's heart had to be big enough to love the kid who screams, "I hate this class - it's boring!" and to love the kid who runs out of the class at the end of the period without so much as a good bye or a thank you.

And lastly, God gave the teacher an abundant supply of hope. For God knew that the teacher would always be hoping. Hoping that the students would one day learn to spell... Hoping not to have lunchroom duty... hoping that Friday would come... hoping for a free day... hoping for deliverance.

When God finished creating the teacher, He stepped back and admired the work of His hands. And God saw that the teacher was good. Very Good. And God smiled, for when He looked at the teacher, He saw into the future. He knew that the future is in the hands of the teachers.

And because God loves teachers so much, on the 9th day God created.... "SNOW DAYS"

Author Unknown. I found this poem on Skywriting.com

Here in MN teachers and students alike hope for a snowday. Our past winters haven't really cooperated--mostly cold but not much snow. This makes it difficult to keep our skin hydrated. Here at Gathered From the Garden we have some great products to help with dry skin. Our Goat Milk and Honey Lotion is our winter best seller. Check out our website for sizes and fragrances: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com