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I love storytelling and always want my readers to have options. You can find my blogs on my YouTube channel and listen to them on the go.
I Drink Tea Everyday...And Here's Why You Should Too!
I am a big tea drinker, hot tea, not iced. I love tea, and I drink it all day long. I find no need to add sugar, or anything else to my teas. But one of my favorites is naturally sweet, and extra yummy.
My preferred tea brand is Tea Forte, but drink whatever works for you.
I used to only drink tea when I was sick, to soothe a sore throat, and warm me up. But as I got older, I started to learn about all of the health benefits of drinking tea. There are many types of teas, and they all have their own health benefits.
There is green tea, white tea, black, and herbal tea just to name a few.
Green Tea Health Benefits
Green Tea
Green tea seems to have the most health benefits, and can help boost your metabolism. Green has antioxidants and nutrients. It is known to improve brain function, aid in fat loss, help in preventing certain types of cancer, and reduce risk of Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's.
Green tea also improves dental and cardiovascular health, and reduces risks of Type 2 Diabetes.
Black and White Teas Health Benefits
White tea also contains antioxidants, more in fact than green tea. The tea improves cardiovascular health, lowers cholesterol, improves weight loss, and reduces risk of cancer.
Black tea, much like green and white tea, aids in cardiovascular health, immune system, and reduces cancer risk. It also helps with skin, hair, and digestive problems.
African Solstice
Herbal Tea Health Benefits
Herbal teas come in many varieties. One of my favorites is African Solstice, which is absolutely delicious. The benefits of herbal teas are dependent on the type of tea you choose. Some of the most common herbal teas are peppermints, rosehip, ginger, and chamomile, and each of these have their own benefits.
Peppermint tea will help with gas and bloating, while ginger helps with nausea. Chamomile helps you sleep, and aids in recovery with cold and fever. Rosehip tea helps boost your immune system, with its high vitamin C content. It also helps skin and adrenal functioning.
So I bet you are asking yourself right now, why haven't you been drinking tea all this time. It is never too late to start reaping those benefits. Drink up!
Confessions Of An Insomniac...No Cure, But A Plan
I confess I am an insomniac. I am used to having trouble falling asleep, and staying asleep. This is my norm. But this past week has been extreme even for me. I am surviving on 2-3 hours a night of interrupted sleep, and really starting to feel unfocused, unmotivated, and unable to gather my thoughts. Surprisingly I am not irritable. Maybe because I am actually too tired to be annoyed, or mad at anyone right now.
Iphone 8
Tonight I am determined to get at least 6 hours of sleep. As an insomniac I know all about sleep hygiene. My doctor has lectured, I mean informed, me that I shouldn't have my iPhone, my iPad, or my laptop near my bed, which of course they all are. But in my defense, the phone is on night mode at 9pm, and I am off the iPad early, and I put my Macbook away no later than 9pm every night as well. I have done the research, and there are literally hundreds of suggestions on the Internet on how to fall asleep, and how to get back to sleep when you wake up. Honestly some of the suggestions are downright bizarre, and I will not be attempting those. One suggestion I will be utilizing is the bedtime alarm clock on my iPhone. You tell it when you want to go to bed, and when you to get up, and it will give you notice that it is time to go to bed. It also wakes you up of course.
I guess the most important factor in poor sleep is identifying the root cause. Like I said, I have always struggled with sleep, but this week is extreme. Am I suffering from some sort of anxiety? I don't think so. Am I stressed? Well no more stress than usual, but with my fuzzy thoughts right now, it's hard to do any real analysis. Once I get some rest I can possibly figure out what caused the disruption.
Okay, so here's the plan. I am starting off with a warm bath with lavender oil, candles lit, and old school Sia playing. If I can't get relaxed from that I am doomed. After the bath all electronic devices go off, and dimmer goes off on the nightstand clock. I will take some melatonin, which is a natural hormone that the body produces that helps control your internal clock. I am going to place a small towel under my pillow with a few drops of lavender oil and 1 drop of eucalyptus oil on it. Next, I am going to lower the temperature in my home by a few degrees. Lastly, I am going to crawl into bed, and focus on clearing my thoughts. Sounds like a good plan, right? Wish me luck...
Are you an insomniac? What do you when insomnia strikes?
Indulgences...The Small Pleasures In Life
I confess, I have some self-indulgences, and no regrets about it. Everyone needs the occasional indulgence. I think my indulgences are simple, not too pricey, and oh so pleasing. Here is my list of indulgences. How do you self-indulge? Is it guilt-free? Is it worth it?
Flowers - Fresh flowers are a must have in my home. I buy fresh flowers every week for the kitchen island, the family room, and the master bedroom. Lilies and tulips are my favorite, but I will also mix it up with seasonal flowers. Like right now I have fall bouquets throughout the house with mums, carnations, and lucky me, beautiful yellow and orange lilies.
Cookware - Le Creuset is my cookware of choice. It is pricey but I love to cook and it is so worth it. Le Creuset is quality, heavy, cast iron cookware that I see myself passing on to my daughters who also like to cook. The cookware comes in great colors. I prefer the caribbean blue. I also splurged on some great bakeware from William Sonoma. Awesome products!
Beauty - Now that I am in my early forties, my self-awareness in regards to aging is on high alert. I have always taken pretty good care of my skin, but I have bounced around from products. Well I have finally found the skin care and make-up line that I think works best for me, and that is Estee Lauder. Estee Lauder is also very pricey but worth it to me. I also get regular facials and pedicures but these are so relaxing, almost therapeutic.
Hikes - Hikes or walks, call it what you will, I enjoy them. I like to get up early on Saturday and Sunday mornings and go for about 2 hours if I can. It clears my mind, and get those endorphins going. This one is probably the best indulgence of them all.
My indulgences are simple, yet so rewarding and fulfilling for me. What are your indulgences? How do you treat yourself?
Dream Vacation...What's Your Ideal Vacay?
Vacations are wonderful, if you have the time and money to take one. Vacations are relaxing, de-stressing, a great way for family bonding, and romance. Truthfully, my dream vacation would be out of of this world, literally. Perhaps a stay at a nice spa on Mars. Or to a WestWorld like park, but perhaps set in Renaissance World. But since space travel for the average citizen is not really offered on Orbitz quite yet, I think I will have to settle on some Earthly wonder.
Tanzania, Africa
My first dream vacation locale is in Africa for a safari. I have been to Africa before, but for work, not pleasure. I want to see the beauty up close. I am not about roughing it, so my accommodations would likely consist of staying at a luxury lodge, or worst case, if my companion insisted, it would be "glamping" style. I truly look forward to having this adventure one day.
Neuschwanstein Castle (Germany)
My second dream vacation spot is to the United Kingdom for dreamy stays in castles. I am a romantic, but not hopelessly so. I graduated from Judy Blume books, to Sweet Valley High books. And then on to Johanna Lindsey, and any other romantic novel I could get my hands on in my pre teen, and teen years. Needless to say, I have had very vivid thoughts of a knight and shining armor in my life. There are many castles to stay at in Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales. I think I would prefer Ireland and Scotland for my vacation. Ireland and Scotland are beautiful, and lush, and so green.
Lastly, my dream vacation would consist of renting a villa on a private island. Complete seclusion and privacy in paradise sounds like a dream. Of course the dream vacation would not be complete without having a staff there for pampering, but you get my point. No other tourists. No kids. No lines. Just me and my love.
I know that everyone's dream vacation is different. I have been to several countries in Europe and Hawaii many times, and I will go back to those places too because they are wonderful as well. But this blog is about the "dream" vacation. The extraordinary, not the ordinary. If you had limitless options what would you choose? Where do you want to go?
I Had My DNA Tested With Two Different Lab Tests To Trace Ancestry, And Here Is What I Discovered...
First off, I am sure you are wondering why I tested with two different DNA companies. The answer is pretty simple. I am a skeptic. I wanted to see if I would get completely different, similar, or the same results from the labs.
So I first tested with Ancestry DNA a few years ago. My girls were getting older, and I was working on a family tree. I was able to trace my husband's side all the way back to the 1700s. His German and Scottish roots were not hard to trace. But for me, a black woman, with African roots, the trail came to a screeching halt.
I was using Ancestry.com for the family trees and research, so their DNA kit seemed like a natural progression for my research. My husband and I did the DNA testing together, sitting in bed laughing as we had to spit "A LOT” into a tube. The test comes with everything you need, including prepaid postage. Just a few weeks later we received an email that our results were available. When it came time to look at my results I became nervous.
Congo, Cameroon, and Senegal Roots
My results were surprising, and not surprising all at the same time. I consider myself a black woman, but my father is of mixed races, so I knew I was not 100 percent black. I wanted to know where in Africa did my ancestors originate, and what else was I. According to Ancestry DNA, I am 68% African with a combination of Cameroon/Congo, Ivory Coast/Ghana making up 52%, Senegal 7%, and some other small percentage possibilities as well.
French, German, and Belgium Roots
The other 32% was comprised mostly of Europe West, which is France, Belgium, and Germany. Also I was found to be 5% Irish, and had a small percent of Scandinavian as well. I was disappointed, and surprised not to find any Native American relation on this test. I had always been told my paternal grandmother was Native American.
I sat on the results for a couple of years, but wondered how accurate they were, so I decided to do a 23 and Me kit. Pretty much the same process with the spitting, and approximately the same wait time for results. When I was notified my results were ready, and I read them, and again I was a little surprised. The results were similar, but not the same.
My 23 and Me results showed me as 66.6% West African, and 28.4% European. Not much different than the last results. But this test also showed 2% Asian and Native American, as well 1.1% of undetermined ancestry. 23 an Me is less country specific, than Ancestry DNA, but seems broader over all. Also 23 and Me identified my European genealogy as British and Irish, instead of French and German.
So there you have some of my genealogy story. A story that is just beginning because I still have so many questions, and I plan on finding out answers. I cannot say which test is more accurate. Perhaps I will never know my true genealogy. It's a journey, but an interesting one.
I know there is a challenge in tracing my genealogy. It's the challenge that many African Americans face. Our ancestors were brought here as slaves, and not many records were not kept. I know who I am. I am just trying to get some answers on where I came from.
What's your DNA story? Think you know it?
My Favorite Places ... Let The Travels Begin!
I became a worldwide traveler at a young age thanks to my time in the military. Since leaving the military I have continued to travel on my own. I have a love for traveling and my hope is to be able to retire within the next 10 years from the conventional work force. Once I retire, I plan to move abroad for a few years and be home-based in Marseille, France. I will write novels, do freelance writing, and travel Europe and Africa. Travel writer perhaps? Not sure the world needs another travel writer.
The below cities are my top 5 places that I have visited and plan on visiting again. I am going to share a little about each of these wonderful places with the hopes of encouraging you to get your travel on as well.
Bali, Indonesia - Bali is an Indonesian island located just 8 degrees south of the equator. It is breathtakingly beautiful and a popular destination for honeymoons and those looking for great resorts. The weather is pretty warm all year long, pretty hot on some days. During the day you can hike a volcano, surf, do a jungle excursion, or visit ancient temples or palaces. I spent a lot of time relaxing on the beach during the day. The nightlife is nice with great dining, dance clubs, bars, and moonlit walks. I also spent a lot of nights dancing it up.
Corfu, Greece - Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. I fell in love with Greece, Corfu in particular, although I never developed a taste for Ouzo, which seemed to be everywhere. I became a greek food fan (yummy lamb gyros on the street) and enjoyed the shopping experience. I bought lots of lavender scented goods. I found Corfu to be both stunning with amazing views from all points of the island and wondrous with all of the Greek mythology. The Mediterranean weather is wonderful and warm and the setting is romantic. Definitely worth a return visit.
Mallorca, Spain - Mallorca is a Spanish island and all I can say is "PARTY". Actually I did all of my fun-having in Palma, which is a city on the island. I nearly had enough fun to last a lifetime in Mallorca. It is beautiful, and fun, and made me feel a little wild. I spent my days sipping daiquiris on the beach, swimming, and parasailing. I spent my nights dancing up a storm and flirting with an endless parade of really cute guys. Ahh to be young. My return will be somewhat tamer...somewhat.
Marseille, France - I love, love, love Marseille, which is why I will be moving there. Marseille is a port city in the south of France. It is France's second largest city behind Paris. I like Paris as well but Marseille is slightly slower and gives me better access for all of the European travel I plan on doing. Plus the cost of living in Marseille is very reasonable. Marseille is a lovely city by the sea with wonderful Mediterranean climate. It is also a very culturally diverse city and many people speak English. I used to be fluent in French but not so much anymore. Before moving there I plan on regaining my fluency as well as learning passable German. I picture my future self seated at an outside cafe reading a book and sipping a cafe au lait.
Napa Valley, California - Yes I am aware that Napa is neither foreign nor exotic like the others on the list, but that does not make me love it any less. I love great wine and great food and Napa has both. Plus I am a California girl and it's a relatively short trip to get away to a nice B&B in Napa. There's some really good French restaurants located in Napa, some very pricey ones too. For me, Napa Valley is romantic and relaxing. If one doesn't feel romantic and relaxed in this locale, you are doing something wrong or you are with the wrong person.
This is my past and my future travels. Life is too short, and although we all have the what ifs, and the shoulda coulda lists, I am doing my best to keep my list short. Live your life with few regrets and missed opportunities. You are not getting any younger and time will not wait for you.
Side Note: Ouzo is a distilled alcohol beverage that tastes like black licorice. Yuck!
Lucid Dreams...Dream A Little Dream, And Then Control It
I have always been quite the dreamer, but lately I am experiencing something completely new to me. I have become aware that I am a lucid dreamer. Lucid dreams are very fascinating to me.
Lucid dreams are dreams where the dreamer is aware that they are dreaming, and may be able to exert some degree of control over the dream characters, narrative, and environment. Sounds pretty amazing right?!
I have been experiencing lucid dreams quite frequently lately. It is not intentional, and I can not actually pinpoint when it started happening. In fact, when I started to research and find out more information about my odd dreams, I found guides on how to actually have lucid dreams.
And then I had the "duh" moments with the realization that one of my favorite movies Inception is based on lucid dreaming.
I realize that the lucid dream concept is very cool to some, and maybe weird to others, and I will provide you with some tips to lucid dreaming if you are interested. I know that in my lucid dreams I feel very aware. I am looking around for people, imagining their faces, and they appear.
I can imagine a place, and suddenly I am there. Surprisingly I do not feel any less rested the mornings after a night of lucid dreaming, than I do on mornings after nights of regular dreaming. I dream just about every night, and I remember many of my dreams.
Tips for Lucid Dreaming...
Be tired when you go bed
Believe you can lucid dream
Sleep in a cool, to cold room
Sleep in a dark room
Push through in your dreams
Meditate
Increase self awareness
Use self hypnosis
Keep a dream journal
I hope you find these tips helpful. There is a lot more information out there on lucid dreaming. This is not junk science or a hippie concept. If you have the ability to dream, then you have the ability to have lucid dreams.
In all honesty, I basically go to bed tired, and can lucid dream. I am now able to do it more frequently because I know, and believe that I can. You can do it too. It's really cool what we can do with our minds. You just need to relax and believe it.
What are your thoughts on lucid dreaming? Does it sound weird, cool, or scary? Are you able to lucid dream? Please share your thoughts, your experience, and your recommendations!
"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream." - Edgar Allen Poe
Christmas Gift Ideas For Kids
Christmas is almost here, and if you haven’t started shopping, it is time to get going. Kids are probably the easiest to shop for for Christmas presents. They are usually pretty decisive in what they want, and are not hard to please. And if all else fails, go for Play-Doh, Legos, slime, or Hot Wheels. Target, Wal-Mart, and of course Amazon are the best go to places for toys for kids.
Just like adults, I still recommend that you get a Christmas list from the children in your life. If they can talk and walk, they know what they want. Now, if you are not using a list, you need to take the child's age into consideration. But just know that a gift card can ultimately still be a great gift at any age, because they will get to go to the store, and pick out a toy, or game of their choosing. Score!
For young girls, baby dolls and Barbies are still top choices. But also don't forget about Lalaloopsies, American Girl dolls, and Shopkins. Shopkins are traded on the school yard, and can be very hard to come by. My daughter has over a hundred, and carrying cases for them.
For young boys I recommend Star Wars toys, action figures, Legos, Nerf guns, and Pokemon cards. The boys love to trade these cards at school as well. Is your little guy a gamer yet? If you are feeling very generous you can spring for an XBOX One X for around $500, or for half the cost go for a Playstation Pro.
Both boys and girls will likely want bikes, skateboards, scooters, and sports gear. I also recommend board and card games for those rainy days, and forced family fun. The classics such as Monopoly, Uno, Yahtzee, and cards are still a hit with my family on game nights.
Those are my suggestions for kids. I hope you found this helpful. Let me know if you have any additional ideas. Please share!
The Gift of Giving...Paying It Forward Is More Rewarding Than I Ever Imagined
Many people are charitable, and choose to give in their own way. There is no one way to help others, or to be a kind, giving person. I know that when it comes to charitable giving, my passions are charities involving children and women in underdeveloped countries.
I wanted to share with you all my favorite charities in hopes of encouraging, inspiring, and thanking you for being willing to help others.
Here are my favorite ways to give...
Kiva
Kiva is a global lending program. They are micro-loans, usually in increments of $25, to help small businesses get off the ground. Many people come together to help fund a loan for a stranger, in a foreign land, and hopefully, help them change their life for the better.
The beauty of Kiva is that the loan is repaid over time, and you can re-loan the same $25 to help someone else. www.kiva.org
DonorsChoose.org
Donors Choose is a wonderful way to help teachers and classrooms across the United States to fund special classroom projects, and improve the learning experience for children. You can choose a local school or any school, anywhere of your choosing to help. Log in to see where the need is. It takes very little money to make a big difference. www.DonorsChoose.org
Heifer International
Heifer prides itself on helping to lift families out of poverty. As another global charity, your donations can be monetary, or you can purchase livestock that goes directly to villages. My girls and I choose to purchase goats, which are $120, and flocks of chicks $20, and flocks of hope $60. There are many options to help with this charity. www.Heifer.org
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Last, but not least is St. Jude. I have been giving to St. Jude for about as long as I realized children could have cancer. You can give a one time donation to St. Jude, or set up an allotment. This charity in particular is a heartbreaker for me, and one that probably means the most. www.stjude.org
Whether your motivation to give is from the heart, for bragging rights, or for the tax deductions I care not. I do not think the recipients could care less either. If you donate time, money, or food and clothes, it is all valuable, and appreciated. The benefits are the same regardless.
Do you think charitable givings are important? Do you worry that your donations will be misused?
The A-Ha Moments in Life...
We all have that moment, or moments, in life when things suddenly become clear to us. The moment when we discover who we are, what we want, and where we need to be. To me, the aha moment is liken to an awakening, or a rebirth.
Aha moment is defined as a sudden realization, inspiration, insight, recognition, or comprehension. It can happen at any time.
The last few months have been filled with aha moments for me, and with those moments have come inner peace, and happiness.
I believe the key to aha moments is inward reflection. I had to ask myself what I really wanted, why I wanted it, and what was I willing to do to get it, and to keep it.
Aha moments apply to so many things in life. It can be about the creation of an invention. The moment you finally figure out how to make that one thing work. Or the moment you master math. It can even be the moment you realize it's over, and it is time to move on.
The aha moments can be happy, sad, exhilarating, or anxiety inducing, but either way you had your realization. And now you can move forward.
Heading into 2018 is a more goal oriented, and driven Charlene. I temporarily allowed myself to become distracted, and less focused, which is out of character for me. The year of 2017 was full of uncharacteristically bad decisions, mainly with people.
The aha moments have arrived, and I plan to let some people who do not deserve to be in my life go, and write my heart out all of 2018.
What was your aha moment of 2017? How will it impact your 2018?
There are things that we don't want to happen but we have to accept, things we don't want to know but we have to learn, and people we can't live without but we have to let go. - Unknown Author