Every now and then, its important to have a Mental Health Day to refresh your mind, body and soul. Mental Health Days ain’t for lying around in front of the TV. Get out, have adventures, eat scrumptious treats, get some sun on your skin and some wind in your hair!
1. Thrift store shopping. No Mental Health Day is complete without a spot of thrifting. I found a pair of high waisted old Levi’s complete with genuine paint splatters, which I have already worn to eat fish and chips on the beach on a balmy summer’s evening. Capping off the finds were a golfing-style sweatshirt, which will be perfect for an afternoon of cycling and devonshire tea and a lovely 100% wool sweater, which will be perfect for weekends in the countryside, sitting in front of the fire and drinking red wine. It’s important to fantasise about the situations in which you can wear your clothes. As you can see, the cat is totally impressed by my scores.
2. Lie around in the garden or laze around in a cafe, drinking coffee for hours and reading your favourite magazines.
3. Eat delicious sandwiches with lettuce, tomato and cucumber straight from the veggie patch. Food picked straight from the garden is just so tasty!
4. This fruit custard tart is an example of the kind of scrumptious treat you should eat.
5. Have cycling adventures upon your trusty steed, in my case a bicycle with the cutest light ever! This was truly one of the best birthday presents I’ve ever received.
6. Fill your home with beauteous blooms.
Song of The Flower
I am a kind word uttered and repeated
By the voice of Nature;
I am a star fallen from the
Blue tent upon the green carpet.
I am the daughter of the elements
With whom Winter conceived;
To whom Spring gave birth; I was
Reared in the lap of Summer and I
Slept in the bed of Autumn.
At dawn I unite with the breeze
To announce the coming of light;
At eventide I join the birds
In bidding the light farewell.
The plains are decorated with
My beautiful colors, and the air
Is scented with my fragrance.
As I embrace Slumber the eyes of
Night watch over me, and as I
Awaken I stare at the sun, which is
The only eye of the day.
I drink dew for wine, and hearken to
The voices of the birds, and dance
To the rhythmic swaying of the grass.
I am the lover’s gift; I am the wedding wreath;
I am the memory of a moment of happiness;
I am the last gift of the living to the dead;
I am a part of joy and a part of sorrow.
But I look up high to see only the light,
And never look down to see my shadow.
This is wisdom which man must learn.
- Khalil Gibran
the | com·pli·ant | cli·ché by Creature Comforts
I’ve always been a little skeptical about the whole organic thing. Lately, my organic-mad flatmates have got me wondering whether I should take the organic pathway to health and happiness. If its got organic on the label, my flatmates are buying it: bread, mayo, fertilizer, butter, fruit, veggies, hell, even seedlings for the veggie patch!
Can your food really be completely chemical free? In any case, the pesticides and other chemicals used in agriculture / farming are considered safe for human consumption. However, I’m making an effort to not buy food with any kind of chemical in the ingredients, no matter how harmless they’re meant to be. Why not take the same stance with fruit, veggies, meat and dairy?
So I did a little investigative research into the subject. If I’m going to be paying more for organic, I want to know that it’s worth it and that I’m getting what I’m paying for!
What exactly is organic anyway? The actual definition of organic refers to something that’s composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen – which means that every vegetable, grain, meat, dairy, fruit and nut we eat is organic.
But in the grocery store, the use of the word “organic” on the label is meant to mean the product has been grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, fungicides, herbicides or fertilizers. It means the food (including the seeds it’s been grown from) has not been irradiated. If its meat or dairy, it means the animals have been fed organic food, and have not been fed antibiotics, growth-regulating drugs, steroids or hormones (however in Australia, animals are still vaccinated against various diseases). In addition, the animals are free range.
Unfortunately, though, the use of the word ‘organic’ is not regulated in Australia. You need to be sure that the foods with organic labels are telling the truth. There are a few things to look out for to be sure the product is genuinely organic:
- Choose foods with the label ‘certified organic’ from one of the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) accredited certifying organisations:
- Aus-Qual
- Australian Certified Organic
- Bio-Dynamic Research Institute
- Organic Foodchain
- National Association for Sustainable Agriculture
- Safe Food Production Queensland
- Tasmanian Organic- Dynamic Producers
- Check packaging for the grower’s name and certification number.
- Don’t be fooled by packaging that claims the produce is ‘natural’ or ‘chemical free’ if the proper certification labelling is not displayed.
- If you’re shopping in a store that’s selling only organic food, check for the Organic Retailers’ and Growers’ Association of Australia (ORGAA) notice, which should be prominently displayed.
Nutritionally speaking, there’s no difference between food that’s organically farmed and food that’s not. So really, apart from reducing the chemicals you’re ingesting, the best reason to eat organically grown food is that it is far better for the environment.
Organic farming means no chemicals ending up in the soil, air and waterways. It’s all about sustainable farming practices and a balanced eco-system. It produces less waste and less carbon dioxide. It is about treating animals humanely. I am more than happy to support that by buying organic.
Spring is just perfect for holding tea parties in the garden. Stock up on old fashioned china floral tea cups, vases and jugs from op shops.
Fill your vases with big frothy bunches of cream and pale pink flowers and place them everywhere.
Make jugs of home made lemonade and Pimms cocktails, set the table with 50’s floral serviettes, doilies and your mis-matched collection of tea cups and serve cupcakes, pretty fruit platters and finger sandwiches. If you want to turn the tea party sideways, bring out the Long Island iced tea…
Plant a vegetable garden! There’s nothing more delicious than eating veggies straight out of the garden. If you haven’t got a yard, plant your veggies in cute little pots or grow a herb garden on your window sill.
Treat yourself to a deluxe facial – the kind that promises to brighten up your skin and give you a fresh, healthy glow!
Better yet, book an entire day at a spa and get the full treatment – a body scrub and wrap, massage, facial, pedicure and manicure! Ahh the luxury!
Take up yoga and swimming.
Get out in the countryside and go for a day hike, pick cherries at a cherry farm or go mushrooming in the woods.
Picnic in the botanical gardens, have a game of frisbee or bocce in the park or spend Saturday afternoon playing lawn bowls at your local bowls club (dressed up like old Italian olive-growing farmers, of course!).
Add touches of gold, peach and creamy-white to your wardrobe.
Try to eat fresh fish at least three times a week
(just make sure its sustainably caught!).
Wear jade nail polish.
Get a new hair colour.
Make a scarecrow for the garden.
Do you race to the newsagents each month for your fix of your favourite magazines? If you’ve never subscribed before, do it now!
Get up early and watch the sun rise.
Hang fairy lights across your back yard fence, over the tree or on your balcony and switch them on each night so you’re surrounded by twinkling lights.
Give your hair a deep moisturising treatment. After all the harsh heating and hairdrying of winter, your hair will soak it up!
Next time you visit your local farmers market, stock up on a big bag of tomatoes. Then whip up a huge batch of tomato pasta sauce with basil, onions, olive oil, pepper and salt.
Let it simmer all afternoon so it goes thick and rich. Then divide it up into jars, cool it down and store in your freezer so it lasts all summer long.
Redecorate your home with small touches. Bring old furniture back to life with a fresh lick of paint. Scour antique and vintage stores for a huge fabulous old mirror that’s tarnished with age to hang in your hall. Hunt down a pair of enormous horns to display above your doorway. Find a gigantic vintage ceramic animal (I lean towards bulldogs, partridges and owls) and place it sitting proudly in your lounge.
Fill your home with fresh flowers every weekend – and not just one vase, but adorn your entire home with beautiful blooms! The hall, the bathroom, the dining room, the lounge, everywhere! I like to group a collection of different vases together on the kitchen table, each filled with a bunch of the same flowers. In the bathroom, I place one rose in a gorgeous antique glass cup. The heavenly fragrance fills the whole room!
Got some spare cash to invest? Then why not buy yourself an incredible work of art?
Spring clean your home and hold a garage sale to get rid of all that “stuff” you discover hidden away that you no longer want or need!
Learn how to make do with less “stuff”, because as we all know, having “stuff” doesn’t make you any happier!
The world is an amazing place. My inner nerd (ok, the nerd isn’t actually that inner; yes, I am a total dork) just loves watching documentaries and science shows. I aim to visit as much of this world as I can in my life. So I’m dead keen on seeing this planet stay just as amazing and beautiful as it is now. Here’s another five reasons why it’s worth taking care of this amazing planet, and the humans in it too.
- Living in a friendly community with friendly neighbours is SO nice. You know, the kind of neighbours who can collect your mail and water your plants while you’re away, who know your pets’ names and who can help you out when you need a hand.
- The ocean is an awe-inspiring, beautiful, incredible place and home to many amazing creatures.
- Riding bicycles is fun, gets you fit and doesn’t create any air pollution.
- Every child deserves an education.
- We all want to live in a world with a healthy climate and a big fat ozone layer.
Here’s five suggestions for showing some love:
- Make friends with your neighbours. Say hi to your neighbours when you see them. Have a friendly chat. Offer to help them if it looks like they need it. If it’s hard to meet them, then make up reasons! One of my neighbours has the most incredible hot pink geraniums, so I’m going to knock on her door and ask her for a cutting. When my flatmate’s car got robbed, we let our neighbours know so they can keep their cars safe. Little things like that make the world go round! We’ve helped neighbours get into their house when they locked their keys inside, been given unwanted pot plantsby a neighbour who was cleaning out their garden and most of my neighbours let my fat gangsta cat chill in their homes (actually, I don’t think they have a choice; the little bugger just invites his fat self in).
- Avoid buying plastic bottles whenever you can. Yeah, this one is hard. I mean, it’s pretty difficult to find mixers for your next party that don’t come in plastic bottles! Anyone seen tonic water in a glass bottle? However, I recently learned (even though its been around for years) about this huge plastic pile of rubbish floating in the Pacific Ocean. Now I am completely committed to avoiding plastic as much as possible, so I’m going to stop buying small bottles of water and juice, and use a reusable bottle instead. If you buy a Sigg Drop of Hope bottle, $5 from every bottle will go to the Jane Goodall Institute to help improve access to clean drinking water in Africa! Top stuff!
- Cycle instead of drive! Why drive when you can ride a bike? You’ll do the environment a favour. If you don’t have a bike, why not hire one. At The Humble Vintage you can hire amazing vintage bikes to get around town! Look good while you’re doin’ good.
- Help a child get an education. Goods 4 Good provide school supplies, clothing and more to school children in Africa. They’re able to do this through donations of surplus goods. I like it! So if you run, or know someone who does, a company that might be able to donate appropriate school-related goods, get onto it!
- Install energy efficient light bulbs in your home. And, turn off any lights you aren’t using. Not only will your energy bills decrease, but you’ll also be reducing the amount of greenhouse gasses being released. Check out Choice to find out some facts on CFL’s and the Resource Smart site for suggestions and tips on what you can do.
“We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success.”
- Henry David Thoreau
Credits: Panda Cat Baby ★ and raspberrytart
Rounded up here are a few more links to posts, stories, pictures and more from the marvellous world of the interwebs. Knock your socks off!
Protect your peepers: Here’s some great advice from The Beauty Brains on what your sunnies should do to protect your eyes from the sun. Gotta look after those babies, they’re the only ones you’ve got for life!
Fade those freckles: Got a freckle or two you wish would just disappear? Beauty Addict banished hers. Find out how!
Anti-wrinkle: true or false? Hmmm….. I’ve always wondered whether anti-wrinkle creams are all that. The Budget Fashionista wonders about it too! What do you think?
Clothing Patents: Far more interesting than it sounds! Search Google for US clothing patents. It’s fascinating what you’ll discover.
Billboard bags. Say what?! When the Target billboards in Times Square, NYC, come down, they’re going to be turned in totes designed by Anna Sui. I think I like that kind of recycling!
I <3 Tiki Bar TV. OK, this has nothing to do with anything. But seriously, watch it. Especially the episode where LaLa makes a robot. She makes it with science! Er, you have to watch it to see just how sexy that is.
Sew a designer frock. That’s right. Show Studio are running a competition in which you make your own outfits using patterns from designers such as Yohji Yamamoto and Alexander McQueen. But it ends tonight! Aaargh!
Valentino: The Last Emperor. Have you seen it yet? There’s a lot of buzz around this doco! I’m bang up for seeing it just to see him get told that maybe he’s a little too tan… Ha ha ha. And to see his pugs get their teeth brushed. The super rich really are out of touch with reality… But I think this will be a fascinating watch!
Lady Gaga: Jezebel ponders the often pantsless Lady Gaga. What’s your take?
So that about wraps up the week, don’t you think? Have a splendid weekend!
