Supernatural Botanicals

After a long day’s work, I love going to the library, perusing the new release section of books, and bringing them home to my bed and scattering them all out for a couple hours of reading before turning in.  It’s one of my favorite things in life! 

It didn’t take a recession for smart girls to know that the library is the most valuable free resource on the market!  Go take advantage of your local library for books, DVDs, (workout DVDs are my favorite…especially new releases), magazines, books on tape, etc.  There’s so much to love….and best of all, it’s so recession-friendly.  Free!

Did you know that the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County was voted the busiest library in the nation for four years running?  I’m proud to say, I think I single-handedly have helped improve our numbers!  I adore the library.  Take the whole family, and have a free night out at the library…and get smarter in the process. 

If you want to understand what global warming is all about, you must watch Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth.   This eye-opening piece shows you, in no uncertain terms, exactly what is happening to our planet right in front of our eyes.  It’s informative, enlightening, and terrifying at the same time.  It’s your responsibility as a human being to be educated about what we are doing to the planet.  It’s your responsibility to your children and the children that will inherit this planet one day.  Borrow An Inconvenient Truth from your library or have Netflix deliver it to your door…whatever it takes.    Please visit www.ClimateCrisis.net to find out more.

     I’ve had an ongoing love affair with the library ever since I can remember.  I love everything about the library.  I love what the library represents…..intelligence, sanctuary, free resources of audio/video to the masses.  I’ve spent countless hours of my time at my library and have never once regretted it.  It’s an indulgence that I can’t get enough of, and I have loads of random facts in my head to prove it. 

I love the New Release shelf.  It sits right at the entrance of the library and after I hear the librarian say hello to me (by name, of course), I transfix my eyes upon the beautiful books.  I love the smell of a new book.  I adore having access to every new book written.  I’m a non-fiction girl personally, but occasionally, I’ll venture to the other side. 

Being a library “regular”, like I am, makes you feel that you are in the loop.  You’ll always have fascinating topics to draw from your memory bank of recently read books.  You’ll be current on your current events.  You’ll be more informed on happenings in your community.  The library provides a wealth of networking opportunities.  And you’ll have unlimited access to every book on any subject your heart desires. 

My fascination started innocently enough as a young girl, reading titles from Judy Blume and Laura Ingalls Wilder, and my innocent curiosity built over the years, making me the strung-out-on-non-fiction-and-self-help-books adult that I am today.    I’m okay with that though…it could be worse, right? 

Here are some hot new releases:

   Rescue Your Nails By Ji Baek.   This is a how-to for great fingernails and toe nails. 

     The Little Green Book Of Beauty by Sarah Callard:  250 Tips for an Eco Lifestyle.

     Practically Posh, the smart girl’s guide to a glam life by Robyn Moreno

      The 5 Minute Face, the quick and easy makeup guide for every woman by Carmindy (the Kim Cattrall look-alike from the show What Not To Wear.) 

    Passport To Beauty, secrets and tips from around the world for becoming a global goddess, by Shalini Vadhera

Wondering if Pilates works? You better believe it! Pilates came as a complete surprise to me. I thought I was far too advanced for Pilates with my usual grind being strictly cardio and strength training. Quite frankly, I thought Pilates was too easy for me. It didn’t look like it hurt, for lack of a better word, enough to make a difference. It didn’t look intense enough. That’s what I thought before I tried it.

It takes one Pilates workout to “get it.” The next day, when I felt like I was ran over by a Mack truck…. I got it. I was feeling muscles in my back and core that I had forgotten about. My legs felt like strings of limp spaghetti when I walked down the stairs. I lifted my arms to fix my hair and noticed all these shoulder and arm muscles that I hadn’t noticed before. My ribs literally ached when I was laughing from reading Michael K.’s blog, Dlisted.

My entire body had felt thoroughly stretched. You know the feeling you get when you’ve been at your desk all day and then stand up to stretch? It feels so good. That’s exactly how Pilates feels for your whole body. I didn’t believe it until I tried it. And as far as it not being challenging enough, I was shocked at how much Pilates did challenge my body, and every body part, i.e., neck, shoulders, arms, forearms, wrists, hands, fingers, the entire core, hip flexors, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, ankles, feet, and toes. You’ll feel every one of those body parts the day after Pilates. It feels fantastic!

Oh, the pain will subside. Your muscles will get used to the stretching and the results will be better posture. You’ll have a leaner body. You’ll sit up straighter. You’ll sleep better at night. And, adding Pilates to your strength and cardio fitness routines only enhances your overall performance. I’ve learned, the holy trinity of fitness is strength, cardio, and stretching (Pilates or yoga.)

So, if you think Pilates isn’t intense enough for your routine….well, it takes just one time to get the big picture. Grab a Pilates DVD from the library for a trial run. Every single friend I’ve told to just try it once, has gotten “it” the same way I did. Then, you too, will crave that “just ran over by a Mack truck” feeling. You’ll experience, first-hand, elements of the Pain/Pleasure Principal. It’s an odd feeling to crave, to be sure, but you will. So try it just once. You can thank me later!  

 Try The Firm’s Pilates programs, they’re fantastic!