“Once she stopped rushing through life, she was amazed how much more life she had time for. “
-unknown
Spring Health
This spring, greenery fills the Southern California hills and fields. The park where my puppy and I run is usually desert brown and dry, but right now it very much resembles the photo above. Running through green fields with yellow flowers and a cool breeze then catching a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean in the distance is refreshing and life-giving.
Greenery is also the Pantone color of the year for 2017. Maybe those keen Pantone creators had enough foresight to know our culture needed a little more refreshing life-giving color and breathe for each new day in 2017.
Soul health
I am not a deep cleaner. I try to keep things tidy. When life is rushed, even the tidying stops. And so goes the soul. Deep cleaning of the house and the soul takes too much time, so we keep it just tidy enough for maintenance. When I am longing for things to slow down in life, I know my soul is really craving stillness with the Creator. Rushing makes my anxiety rise and hustling makes me miss the beauty along the way.
How do we incorporate stillness, intention, connection, and community when we have no time? I have noticed a trend both in reading and in conversations that I am not alone in this longing for stillness, connection, and restoration. A longing for more life.
In the book, Chasing Slow, Erin Loechner says she wants to spend her days connecting and caring, not consuming and competing. She remarks how “social media has encouraged us to crop out the contradiction in ourselves.” This is tidying, making ourselves look nice and neat enough for someone to pop by (whether in social media or at home) and see how “well” we are doing. Hoping they don’t stay long enough to notice the contradiction; the clothes and toys pushed into the bedroom closet , or the hurt and exhaustion pushed down deep into our soul’s closet.
One of my favorite books I have read so far this year is Befriend. Scott Sauls asks, “How do we become the kinds of people-the kinds of lovers- who form a grace mob that silences the shame mob?”
Maybe shame is more to blame than time. Maybe it’s shame that keeps us just tidy enough, but still stuck in the never enough. It’s shame that reminds me each morning how much I fall short. Stillness with God silences the shame and fear as He lovingly reminds me, Melanie, you don’t need to be all things to all people. You need to be found in me. Rest in me. This spring I am praying out loud against the culture of fear and shame for my family. 
Everyone should read this book! I think the remedy this spring is for us to be friends with God and let Him remind us who we are and how much we are cherished. When we know how much we are loved by God, we can befriend ourselves, our family, the lonely, the different, and even our enemies.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from Befriend:
- “What if success was no longer measured in terms of achievement but in terms of humility, thankfulness, wonder, a life of love, and being faithful in the ordinary mundaneness of life? What if our secret battle with shame was neutered so we could spend less energy covering ourselves and more energy loving the people in front of us?”
- “She is working from a chaotic center. She is seeking to create order from a cluttered core. She is so busied and distracted by secondary things that she has lost touch with the first thing–which is the love that brought her into friendship with Jesus in the first place…..She has forgotten what is already hers.”
- “What if we really believe that in the sight of God, we have nothing to prove, that being loved is our starting point, that our first and most essential task is to rest in and receive his finished work, that he is quite fond of us and there is nothing we can ever do to change that?”
Plant health
Ferns are winning the house plant trend for 2017 so far. This is a lovely fern in my backyard that needs some attention and some weed pulling-ok my backyard needs a deep cleaning too. I have some big plans for this beauty, i.e. this gorgeous hanging fern
Plant based foods are everywhere in nutrition as well. This spring you will be surrounded by greens in home decor and food. So get ready to eat your greens this spring.
Give these vegetable based foods a try:
- Farmhouse Culture Kraut Krisps – yes Saur Kraut Krisps are the new tortilla chip.
- Pressed Juicery Freeze – a non dairy frozen treat that is delicious, healthy, and trendy.
- Greens Powder – a great mixure of probiotics, probiotics, antioxidants, and fiber.
- You can add the greens powder to water to drink for a pick me up in the morning or add it to your favorite green smoothie.
Skin Health
Green beauty is the final frontier for all things wellness. Well + Good has predicted a clean beauty revolution. If you haven’t heard already no one is looking at the ingredients in your bath and body products or your makeup bag to ensure safety. There has not been a major regulation of the cosmetics industry since 1938, so your health is in your hands and it is up to you to know whether the ingredients you place on your skin conribute to disrupting hormones or are linked to cancer.
Did you know it is legal for companies in the US and Canada to use dozens of chemicals under the word “fragrance”? Any time a product has fragrance listed, the toxicity level rises. Check out the EWG app for the toxicity level in your personal care products.
I am noticing the trend with people becoming more educated about their skincare choices. If you want to know what questionable or harmful ingredients to avoid, check out the Never List.
My remedy for skin health this spring is Beautycounter Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer with SPF. It is one of my favorite products. Infused with Vitamin C and gives a dewy glow with light coverage. It rates a 2/10 on toxity level and is the perfect answer to your BB cream. I was completely shocked when I looked at the toxicity rating of Neutrogena BB cream and bareMinerals Sheer tint moisturizer with SPF.
Immune Health
In the last two weeks, we have had 3 of us down and out with illness. Fever, sore throat, coughing, headache, tummy ache, congestion, and pink eye. When I asked my friend Dawn, who I consider a maven for all things homeopathic, about how to treat pink eye she recommended Colloidal Silver.
My spring remedy for immune health is Colloidal Silver. My mother used to make us drink it, yet somehow I had forgotten all about this immune boosting power house. Read for yourself some of the colloidal studies….
This is not written as a prescription for pink eye or healing your immune system. As always check with your doctor or do your own research as there may be side effects for each individual.
This spring, I want to hear from you. What are your favorite remedies?
Need More Inspiration?
- 7 wellness trends for 2017
- Transparency and Accountability in Business
- 2 other books I’ve loved so far in 2017 Chasing Slow and You are Free
