Pamper Yourself
"You must love yourself before you love another.
By accepting yourself and fully being what you are, your simple presence can make others happy."
In the spirit of the quote above and Valentines Day, today I am going to explore the most important love of all...loving yourself. After all, if you don't take time to refuel yourself you won't have anything left for all those lovely people in your life. As strange as it may seem to the guys out there, for women, taking time to pamper ourselves can be a luxury that is just out of reach. After giving our all to our boss, out friends, our partners and our kiddos, the time to stop and get a massage, take a bath or even just sit quietly and read a favorite book is something that we might have time for next week...but not today!
So, for all of you beautiful, giving, loving women out there here's your permission and a few small ways to pamper yourself each and every day. You'd be amazed at what a few nice pairs of sexy skivvies or a lit candle during dinner can do. After all, we ARE worth it.
Eco Undies
Not just for Valentines Day, these cute organic undies from Nigel's Eco Store are just the ticket for bringing on the sexy any day. "Pants to Poverty is a new kind of underwear on a mission to rid the world of bad pants. These organic, dazzle pants are made from 97% organic and fairtrade cotton and 3% lycra, they come in red with a heart printed front and back, a white waistband, and are gorgeously soft and comfortable."
These pants are fairtrade, organic and 100% sweatshop free. Guaranteed. Makes a great gift.
Organic Candles
There's something so special about lighting a beautiful candle and creating a peaceful space for love, dinner or simply sitting and meditating on the beautiful present moment. I've always been a fan of candles, but I hated the soot they put out. After a bit of research I discovered that most candles are made with toxic substances like paraffin which is as toxic for your lungs as second hand smoke. And it's a non-renewable resources. Luckily there are some great alternatives to paraffin that are longer burning, non-toxic and beautiful. My personal favorite is beeswax. It burns for a long time and is a natural substance that has it's own lovely smell.
The candle featured above is not made from beeswax, but is made from certified organic oils and plant wax. Here's a bit of info from the company NuboNau Organic : "Each exquisite NuboNau Organika candle delivers a complete, holistic aromatherapy experience for you, as well as creating an aromatic sanctuary in your own environment.
Fragranced with an artisan blend of Organically Certified essential oils, enrobed within a luxury, all natural and sustainably sourced plant wax, and finished with an unbleached cotton wick."
Eco Journal
Another little daily luxury that can create a beautiful rhythm in your life is writing in a journal. I still have my very first diary that came with a lock and key. I read through it recently and was instantly transported to my 14 year old bedroom crying over some boy that I had a crush on and ended up breaking my heart...or so I thought then. I could still see the tears that stained the pages. It was so amazing to be able to connect to that part of my life. But even more importantly, I remember feeling the relief and catharsis of letting all of that emotion out onto paper.
I've held on to that tool in my life. Some years I've written consistently and some years (like being a new mama) I let it slide a bit. But I always come back to the beautiful feeling of getting out the clouds of emotion onto paper. Some of my journals have been beautiful works of art, and others simply a notebook.
These days I like having a small journal in my bag at all times and choose a great new company called New Leaf. All of their products are made from chlorine free, 100% post consumer paper. And they are made with renewable energy. Check out the entire collection for home and school here at NewLeafProducts.com.
What's your daily luxury to love yourself?
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