A Breath of Fresh Air

The air we breathe is arguably the most overlooked necessity in our daily lives. We don’t even think about it until it becomes polluted in some way. To battle that, we spend tons of money on spray products that clutter cabinets and not much else. To clean our air inside, we need to take a look outside.

Plants absorb some of the negative particles in the air along with the carbon dioxide they need. The carbon dioxide is converted to oxygen and released while the negative particles are broken down. The most natural and decorative way to clean the air inside our homes would be to bring that same cycle indoors.

Now, a houseplant can seem like a no-go if a person has allergies, pets, or even a dreaded “black thumb”. Never fear! While all of those things are certainly reasons for concern, there are plenty of common household plants that cost very little and can be adjusted to fit your household. A perfect example of one such plant would the aloe plant. With the added benefit of being able to soothe slight burns and skin irritations, aloe plants are very good at cleaning the air and are very hard to kill. They don’t require much maintenance and are not known to be toxic to pets.

With a little online research and a quick trip to the local supermarket, you can fill that empty spot on the end table, save money on products, and purify the air you breathe.

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Atman Tea Co. Relaxes The Body

I have the pleasure of smelling the relaxing aromas of the tea from Atman Tea Co. as I write this. The smell reminds me of a health spa and I find my mind drifting to scenes of zen gardens. In this day and age it is more important than ever to take a few moments to relax and enjoy life. The Atman Tea Co. promises a stress-free experience when you drink their teas.

The brand itself is focused on providing a product that is beneficial to the customer. I am also happy to report that their teas are completely all natural and organic. I drink a lot of tea and have found that more and more companies try to trick their customers into thinking that they are getting a wholesome product, but in truth they are tricking them into buying processed ingredients. The Atman Tea Co. is very transparent and honest with their customers, so you don’t have to worry about the quality of the ingredients.

They also take the frustration out of making a cup whole-leaf tea by packaging their teas in biodegradable pyramid tea bags. There is much to be said about a company that takes special care of their product and customers to provide an all-around unique experience. Their teas are hand blended, that means a machine isn’t preparing your blend for you, and their whole business is personable. If you are looking for a product to help you relax, look no further. I highly recommend checking out their website for more information.

Atman Tea Co. – Click here to learn more!

Falling and Staying in Love

Love is a common word we hear every day. Love is equated to so many things. As you may have heard the famous cliché, we sometimes look for love in all the wrong places. What is love? What should I love? Is too much love a dangerous thing? Merriam-Webster defines love as a strong assurance of affection. I can say I love you, but if you’re not strongly affected in any way, love cannot be perceived from such words. Hugs, kisses, random talk, and spending time with someone all falls under the meaning of love.

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In today’s society, it’s very easy to fall in love, but staying in love is where the game begins. Some fall in love at first sight while others fall in love as time progresses and they learn new things about the person or thing they admire. Love comes in categories. The four categories of love are Storge, Philia, Eros, and Agape. In order to reach an area in your life where you remain in love, you have to reach the agape level. Think about your favorite food or dessert for a moment. When I was young, I enjoyed candy apples. I would help my mother bake them and glaze them in the wee parts of the afternoon. Putting on the peanuts was my favorite part. It took a while for me to love candy apples. Once I gained an agape love for them, I began doing anything I could to obtain one or a few. I hope this blog post achieves the very same thing you are seeking for.

To begin, one must understand that “love” and “hurt” cannot mix just like light and darkness cannot. They are separate entities. Many times, people can accept hurt as a form of love. In my childhood years, they called it tough love; the child that got kicked out of his parent’s house and forced to live on his/her own. True love is not tough and it shouldn’t hurt. True love requires sacrifice, not hurt. If someone tells you about your actions and how you are hurting them, you’ll change or make progress to change if you love them. If not, you’ll continue hurting them. Love is sacrifice and will be discussed when I talk about agape love.

Secondly, you must love yourself. You cannot love anything or any person until you love yourself. Love what God created you to be from the inside out. Many times, we focus on the physical appearance and if we don’t look the part or fit in with the crowd, we feel we’re rejected and not loved. Loving you starts on the inside. Take a moment to sit down and write down all the things you like about yourself; your gifts, your smile, your skills, and so forth. There’s always something you can love about yourself if you try really hard to think about it; even if it’s small.

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Thirdly, find a reason to love. When you find the reason to love, find out if it’s healthy or detrimental to your emotional health. Your joy and self-esteem interprets your view and mindset on the things around you. Ask yourself – why do I love this? How does loving this benefit me? Love is give and take. The giving is the sacrifice and the taking is the benefit you receive from loving. It’s a two-way street and if both parties aren’t making “love” work, it won’t be successful.

In closing, make the sacrifice to achieve love! Sometimes, you’ll be placed into circumstances where you have to agree to disagree and give up the right for the wrong. A mother’s birth is the best example. Though she didn’t agree with the pain and procedure to bring you into the world, she loved you so much that she was willing to sacrifice. What are you willing to give up today to show your love? Would you give up money and time? Would you give up some selfish ways and become selfless to others? Once you make the sacrifice to love, love yourself, and find a reason for loving, you can fall and remain in love with anybody and anything. It’s a process, but it’s worthwhile in the end!

Distraction-Free Writing: How to Handle Distractions

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I’m making it a habit to write daily; that is, whatever comes to mind. A person can write for years and become good at it. Yet, they suffer with distractions. Writers are not exempt from distractions. Every writer has a personal life outside of writing and they too, have to deal with this. It agitates me madly when I’m trying to write down my thoughts and a train passes by my place of stay. My neighbors, sometimes, family will play loud music or constantly knock on my door. Better yet, the phone seems to never stop ringing. No one is calling about something important and you think, “Couldn’t this wait until a later time?” Writing in a world filled with distractions is very difficult. It takes a lot of skill and technique to get beyond it. Today, I want to share some techniques with you that I think could help you as a writer, author, novelist, poet, lyricist, or whatever form of writing you enjoy doing.

My first tip is staying focused. Writing is considered a goal. There’s an end and a finish to it. You pick up your pen or pencil, apply it to paper, and then let your thoughts ride. The minute I notice a distraction, I speak to my inner self and remind myself to keep going. You can’t quit till you cross the finish line and feel satisfied with your writing piece.

The second tip I have to offer is taking a break. What! Are you sure? Yes, I am sure. You have to give your brain and thought process a break after a certain amount of hours. My rule of thumb is every four hours. During your break, leave your current setting and find a new atmosphere. Find a spot that’s calm and relaxing, such as a park. Remember to bring a notebook and something to write with. Don’t make it an intention to write because this is a break, remember? I am asking you to bring a notebook because you can run into something that intrigues you. I call this the test of the wills. Thoughts come and go, and you cannot expect your brain to remember the ones coming at you rapidly.

The third tip is finding the perfect timeframe. This is very difficult, though it sounds easy. Some writers have to write late at night when everyone in the house is asleep and all personal errands are done for the day. Other writers prefer to write in wee morning hours before any chaos hits the day. I have even seen some writers write in the middle of the day, during their lunch breaks from work, and at certain times designated for writing.

I want you all to succeed in your writing. The very last tip I have to offer is grabbing a cup of coffee or tea. Drinking something hot stimulates the mind and pushes you to continue writing down your thoughts when distractions are near. Please do not flatter yourself into thinking that you will not have to deal with distractions when you write. Distractions come in many forms; down to the sound of forceful wind. It’s how you handle them and how well you use emotional intelligence to balance your attitude about the distractions.

Good luck and promote “distraction-free writing” wherever you go!

COLORS Magazine

If you are tired of reading the same cheap quality magazines that don’t ever really seem to say much, then we think we have a solution for you. COLORS Magazine is a magazine that is a bit out of the ordinary in the fact that they feature only high quality content and even their magazine paper feels like it is a much heavier and substantial stock than what other magazines use. For example, if you pick up an Entertainment Weekly, the paper quality is going to be the same slippery smooth and thin product that all of the other magazines use. Now, we don’t have a problem with Entertainment Weekly, but you can’t deny that quality is lacking in their finished printed product.

Each COLORS Magazine has a particular theme that is emphasized and discussed throughout the entirety of the magazine. This makes for a nice coherent edition each and every time! For example, one of their issues is on Happiness, a concept that is very interesting to talk about, and the entire issue delves deeply into what it is that makes a person truly happy. The articles and content in these magazines is well worth reading, not like the bland and uninformative columns in most.

On top of the fascinating content and high quality of this magazine, there are a few additional things to note. The cover designs are spectacular and artistic, it shows that a lot of thought went into each and every one. Lastly, it is available on the iPad as well as in print, so for those of you that are too impatient to wait for the print issues, look into getting the digital version on your iPad. For more information or to subscribe, check out www.COLORSmagazine.com.

Gfreely

Think healthy, now think how hard it can be sometimes to eat that way. What would you say to getting a box filled with super healthy and gluten free snacks delivered right to your front door each and every month? Believe it or not, Gfreely is a company that is making this a reality. For only $19 a month plus shipping you will get your surprise box delivered right to you or a loved one every month.

You will get super cool snacks, recipes, and of course GFree foods in the box. It’s different each month, so there’s never any fear of growing bored with what they send. You may or may not know that it can sometimes be quite difficult to find gluten free foods at your local supermarket and if you do they don’t always taste the best. What’s cool about this monthly box is they hand pick foods that taste amazing and are good for you.

A lot of monthly subscription boxes offer small sample sized portions of the products that they feature, and while you will get sample sizes in this box, they also include full sized foods and even things you can cook and eat as your entire meal. They don’t just send you cheap food, they send you a whole new lifestyle in a box. You will feel better and notice that the food you eat taste better when you try eating gluten free, and there is no better time or way to start than right now with a Gfreely subscription.

For more information on Gfreely or to subscribe to their monthly box be sure to check out their website, Facebook, or Twitter.

Spring Set Free

Winter besieged nature, like a country at war

Captivated by cold, from outward to the very core.

But springtime brings hope to barren ground and branches

For life will be as it was before.

When the ice thaws, when the chill subsides

Springtime warmth welcomes new life.

Snow-laden branches are weary no more

When the strength of the new season is rife.

Grass can grow green with the light of the sun

Now free from the shackles of frost.

The budding flowers now emerging are young

Their life of exuding beauty has now begun.

Refreshing rain soaks into the ground

Quenching a desperate thirst.

Sweet sips submerge, but will not drown

A meadow of life that will soon abound.

Springtime sets free what winter once contained

Bleak turns beauty, white turns color

Wind and ice, turns sun and rain.

Springtime brings freedom, and gives life again!

Folding Water Bottles

I am all for going eco-friendly, but sometimes it isn’t easy or fun. Vapur is making it easy, fun, and simple! It all starts with a water bottle that you can use and reuse again and again! It’s a neat concept that is easily adapted into your everyday life. First of all, it is a water bottle that folds, now if that is not cool enough, each bottle comes with a built in clip that makes it simple and easy to clip onto a book bag, purse, or even a belt loop! You can take it virtually anywhere and you can hardly feel it because they are very light weight plastic material. Personally, I think they look pretty awesome. There are different sizes and series to choose from all ranging in price. There is even an artist series for those of you who don’t think a folding water bottle is unique enough (haha). The resources used to make one single water bottle are surmountable, so why not just simplify things and get a Vapur bottle and save the Earth one sip at a time!

UZO Umbrellas

One doesn’t generally take into consideration what kind of umbrella they are using in todays market. There is such a problem with mass production of cheap quality products, that the most functional are left unnoticed. UZO Umbrellas is making a large impact in changing that. The way you see umbrellas will never be the same. Think about it, an umbrella is quite possibly one of the most useful accessories to have when leaving the house on a dreary day, but it can be a frustrating one if you are using a cheaply made one.

Taking the umbrella a step further, UZO Umbrellas is turning this useful accessory into a fashion statement with their brillant line of colors to choose from. One major feature that makes a UZO Umbrella better than most all others is it’s ability to protect the user from rain completely by leaving no part of the area above your head exposed. It was brilliantly thought of and conceived by Ronald Obmaces, a fantastic designer and engineer.

What other umbrella company with those features can boast about owning 24 patents worldwide? None come to mind. It’s quite easy to see why the UZO Umbrella would be a magnificent choice to keep you dry and looking better than anyone else holding an umbrella on a rainy day.

MiiBottle

A major problem in most modern-day households is the identification of whose drink is whose. I can speak from past experience that this is something that has went on throughout time and didn’t seem to ever have an end in sight. The United States in particular is the largest purchaser of bottled water in the entire world, that should say something for itself. Around 70 million bottles of water are purchased daily in the U.S. and nearly 60 million of them end up in the trash. A contributing factor are those bottles thrown away because you simply don’t want to drink out of someone else’s bottle.

One rising company is changing the way we identify our bottles and making it easy and fun to keep track of which drink is yours! MiiBottle is a simple and easy to use system of identifying your bottle. You simply take one of their variously colored snap-on bottle identifiers and clip it onto the bottle with no hassle or instructions other than that needed. They also boast a neat dolphin design making it that much more entertaining just to regard a bottle as yours. But you may be wondering, what makes MiiBottle such a great company?

Well, for starters their products are made of 100% recycled material! It’s great to know that you have a product that you will actually use, but it makes it that much better to know that the product that you are using is made of recycled material! Another cool thing about this company is, they have solved an issue that is simple yet bothersome, and they have done so in a very innovative way!

We have had the opportunity to try these ourselves and they are as simple and easy to use as they look. You will notice that they have a firm snap around your bottles lid, so there are no worries about them falling off of your bottle. The colors are also very vibrant and look great, especially when there are multiple bottles using them! The packaging is simple and conveys the same overall idea of simplicity and problem solving and lets you know the true purpose of this life changing product, to simply make your everyday life easier, save you money on bottles you may’ve thrown away and provide a fun solution to an age old question, “Is that my bottle?” Now you will know, “Yes, it’s MiiBottle!”

To learn more check out their oficial website at MiiBottle.com or like the MiiBottle Facebook page to keep up to date on news and info regarding this creative new product! If you are interested in helping them Kickstart this product and get it sold in more places while getting yourself a pack or two of these cool little things, check out the MiiBottle Kickstarter page to make a donation!