Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

Hi Dolls!  Happy New Year!!!

I  just had to post a quick note on this....  If you've read my previous post on Eyelashes- Ready to Wear Lashes, you will know that I am a huge fan of Eyelashes!  I love GLAM... such a girly girl, I know.  Well anyway, one of the best eyelash curlers, hands down is made by Shu Uemura.  Shu Uemura eyelash curler is no longer sold in US stores. I was able to find an AUTHENTIC one on eBay and just recieved it in the mail.  I am super excited.. Curls to perfection and just in time for New Years Eve!  I will be at church giving thanks and ushering in the New Year with praises, but you still need to be fly at church right?  :)

tata...

Health, Happiness and Prosperity New Year's Dinner!

Hi all!

Its that time of year again... 2010 is coming to an end.  What can you reflect on from this year?  What did you attract to your life in 2010?  What are you affirming for 2011?  On or about New Years Eve, I like to take the time to reflect on what I accomplished the past year and think about all that I want to accomplish in the coming year as well as give thanks for the blessings I've received and the blessings I'm going to receive in the years to come!  We all have something to be thankful for!  If you are reading this blog, you have at least 2 things to be thankful for!  1.  You can read and   2. You have Internet access!

As a child, each year, my grandmother would prepare black-eyed peas to eat on New Year's Day.  Black-eyed peas are a symbol of prosperity and good luck when eaten on New Years Day. This year, since I will not be home for dinner on New Year's Eve, I am planning dinner for New Year's Day! I am going to prepare a

Feast of Health, Happiness and Prosperity for New Year's Day 

to usher in the New Year!

My Feast will be a calibration of dishes from many cultures that I have gathered over the years. Each dish represents either wishes for good health, wealth, prosperity, happiness on a spiritual, mental, physical or emotional level for the new year!  I am really excited!

Check out my menu:

Sharron's New Year's Day Feast
for Health, Happiness & Prosperity

(...and the meaning of each dish)

1.  Black Eye Peas:  They are small, look like coins and expand when they are cooked so they symbolize wealth and prosperity!  These are commonly eaten in the US on New Year's day, originating in the southern states.

2.  Fish:  Whole fish with silver scales symbolize wealth and good luck as well as surplus and abundance! Not to mention that fish are packed with many nutrients that are good for us! 
  

3.  Greens:  Greens represent good family ties, spiritual growth as well as wealth because of their color.  Greens such as Kale, Collard Greens, Spinach, Cabbage and Swiss Chard are very rich in nutrients and a key to eating for good health.   I plan to prepare some Kale and Swiss Chard. 
TIP:  Don't cook down your greens!  Cook them just long enough to maintain the bright green color to ensure that you retain all of the nutrients.   Cook them about 10 minutes max. Also, the greener the greens, the more wealth ;)

4.  Grapes:  In Spain, Portugal and parts of Latin America, many people eat 12 sweet grapes, symbolizing the 12 months of the year, at midnight on December 31st.    1 grape equals good luck for each month in the coming year. I am going to have some sweet black grapes as an appetizer with my feasts!

5.  Steamed Shrimp:  In Japan, shrimp are specifically eaten for longevity.  

6. Pomegranates:   This super fruit, a native from Iran to northern India, which has been cultivated and naturalized over the whole Mediterranean region since ancient times, is gaining increasing popularity.  Pomegranates are considered the "New Fruit" and symbolize new beginnings, good luck and fertility!

Well, based on my menu, it sounds like I have a great recipe for a successful year!  Of course, in all things, put God first and give thanks to God for all of His blessings!

Hope you enjoy this and perhaps decide to try some of these dishes as well!  Do you have any plans, traditional meals for New Year's Day?

NOTE:  I will also be starting the Daniel Fast beginning on January 5, 2011.  The Daniel Fast, in a nut shell, a spiritual, mental and physical commitment to only eat certain foods and focus your spiritual thoughts in prayer and meditation.  My goal is to stay on board for 21 days, but I may extend beyond and do 40 days with a few friends and family!  If you are interested in joining me, please let me know.   I will be posting on this soon!!!

tata... and HAPPY NEW YEARS!

Scripture on Health of our Bodies

This is one of my favorite Scriptures as I relate it to the overall health of our physical body.  It touches on the necessity to be guided by our Spirit and not our body.  As we are 3 dimensional beings, Mind, Body and Spirit, the Spirit is far greater and more powerful than the desires of the flesh in all things.  Our physical desires to eat certain foods in excess that are not beneficial to the health of our bodies can result in destruction of our physical self.  Let the Spirit led you, even when it comes to matters of health and you will not be subject to every desire, which includes overindulging, excess and foods that lack nutritional value.

Galatians 5:16-17

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Nameste...

Curly Nikki Fierce Friday Feature!

Hi Everyone!

I just wanted to post a quick note regarding my recent feature on CurlyNikki's blog this past Friday (Christmas Eve) for her weekly "Fierce Friday" feature! Each week the fab CurlyNikki features several ladies who rock their Natural hair-- meaning chemical free hair!  Some ladies rock naturally curly styles, braids, twist-outs, straight styles and curled styles etc..whatever their fancy.  Check it out here when you get a chance.  This is once of my favorite styles right now and I achieved this with my Curlformers.

Here is a re-post of my feature on CurlyNikki.com:

Hola chicas!


It's that time again! The images below are of CN readers at their flyyest...at work, on the town, and with the fam. Showing us all that natural hair is not a fad, it's a way of life...an extension of our beauty! Click on the images to enlarge them:

Sharron

My hair was styled using extra wide and long curlformers, and is about 3 days old in this pic. I slept in the curlformers the first night to dry (no heat) and pincurled each additional night to retain the style. I was not headed anywhere, just in the house from running errands all day!

Quick-- I need a Holiday Game!

Hi my lovelies!

So, I hope you all are having an amazing holiday!  Every year, my family plays the White Elephant gift exchange game on Christmas Eve and I thought I would share how it went this year!  If you are not familiar with the game, we each bring a gift to the family Christmas party, not to exceed a set amount.  Then, we draw numbers and the person with the lowest number picks a gift from the gift pile.  The next person can either pick a new gift from the unopened gifts, or snag a gift that previously open.  No gift can change hands more than 2 times.  If someone takes your gift, you can pick from the unopened gifts...

Well.....This was the very FIRST year that NO gifts exchanged hands!!!  What's up with that? Good gift karma or perhaps everyone was just happy with what they picked from the pile!  hummmm or maybe it could be that everyone was taken back by how cute my little nephew was when he handed out gifts to everyone, that they lost interest in the game this year!... lol

What's your favorite holiday game?

Happy Holidays!!!

By now, I'm sure that your holiday festivities are underway... but... I just wanted to wish all of my amazing, lovely viewers and followers a warm...

Happy Holidays!!!!!

Enjoy your festivities...

I am having some family over for Christmas Day dinner and I will be preparing a meal!  Exciting right?  :)  I purchased a vegan cake on yesterday from one of my favorite Vegan bakers in my area.  I wanted the carrot cake, but they were sold out so I purchased a Blueberry Lemon Cake instead.  its sooooo yummie -- to die for!  (I had a sample at the bakery).  I can't wait for my family and friends to try it and taste the foods love.  :)

Post-Christmas Giveaway!

Hello Everyone!

FYI-- 

Please be on the look out for a

POST CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY

on my blog www.sharronsguide.blogspot.com!

--and no, I won't be re-gifting anything that I recieve! lol

later muffins...

Homemade Guilt-Free IceCream Sandwich Anyone?

Hi Lovelies!

So I recently purchased some amazing cookies from my local health food store! They are Gluten-free, Wheat-free and Dairy-free, amazingly delicious, Ginger Cookies with Sliced Almond by Pamela's Products.  If you've read my previous post on Purely Decadent, Coconut Milk Icecream, you will know I'm a huge fan  of it :).  Well, I came up with a great, guilt free icecream sandwich on Sunday and I thought I would share!.. here is what I did:

Ingredients:

Ginger Cookies with Sliced Almond by Pamela's Products
Purely Decadent, Coconut Milk Icecream, Vanilla Bean
Sunspire Vegan Carbo Chips or Sunspire White Chocolate Chips

Take two cookies, face-up so the bottom of the cookie is open.  These cookies are super soft and are surprising the PERFECT consistency for an icecream sandwich!

Next, on a cold stone, marble slab or anything that will keep your icecream cold, use 2 spoons and fold a small amount of the Vegan Chips or the White Chocolate Chips (which ever your fancy) into the icecream until it is nice and blended.

Spoon the coconut milk icecream mixture onto one cookie.

Top with the other cookie, and.. VIOLA! ..the perfect petite treat!

Also checkout my post on How to make a Lactose Free Milkshake with Coconut Milk.

Any special holiday Guilt-free treats planned?

How to Use Lemons to Remove Age Spots

Lemons are one of nature's powerhouses!  Ever notice that most cleaning products contain "The Power of Lemons"?  Well, its not an advertiser gimmick.... Lemons actually are an excellent agent to break-up and remove dirt.  They can also be used on your skin to reduce age spots and dark spots left over from acne scarring.

What to do to remove dark/age spots:
Take a lemon and squeeze the juice from it using a juicer or your hands if you don't have a juicer.  (You can store the lemon juice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.)  Take a cotton ball and saturate it with the fresh squeeze lemon juice.  Focusing on the dark spot(s), pat the saturated cotton ball on the hyperpigmentation spot(s).  Repeat for several days or until the spots are gone or you receive the desired results.   When I do this, I noticed a different within 5-7 days.

Please check out my previous post on Night Time Facial Treatment which explores a three step process using Amla, Lemons and Cucumbers!

BONUS:  In addition, lemon juice can be used to whiten nails as well!  For your at home mani, simple soak your clean finger nails in a small bowl of fresh squeezed lemon juice for about 10 minutes.  You will notice instant whiter nails!  This is especially good if you wear a lot of dark fingernail polish.


NOTE:  Lemon juice can increase sensitivity to sunlight so be sure to wear sunscreen.  I would suggest doing the treatment at night before bedtime.  Please also check with your physician before use to ensure that hyperpigmentation is not related to another problem such as skin cancer.  In addition, I am not a physician, so please check with your doctor before proceeding.

Hippocrates Quotes on Health and Modern Medicine



Hippocrates, the father of western medicine (ca. 460 BC – ca. 370 BC)

It is said that Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, once said:

"Let your food be your medicine, and

let your medicine be your food."

Such wisdom in a small quote!  (Quick History) Although, there have been claims that Imhotep of ancient Egypt was the first physician, Hippocrates is credited nonetheless.  He was a wise soul, before his time during his era where many questioned his practices.  He believed that the body had the ability to heal itself abut when the body was off balance, the physician should intervene by making a correction to bring balance back to the body.  Here are some additional quotes from Hippocrates, who is considered the father of Western medicine. It seems to me that Western medicine and many western lifestyles have strayed a bit from what the father of western Medicine's core belief's were.  Here are some more amazing quotes by Hippocrates:

"Everything in excess is opposed to nature."

"If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health."

"Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease."

"Walking is man's best medicine."

"It's far more important to know what person the disease has than what disease the person has."

To me, living a balanced lifestyle and understanding the healing power of nature is more reflective of what Hippocrates beliefs signified and is far removed from what western medicine has become today with the many pills and chemical solutions based on the demands of changing lifestyles and the dependence on care from physicians as opposed to the necessity for them to intervene. Often times, once disease inflicts our bodies we then pray for our healing, as oppose to being proactive and practicing preventive measures to care for the bodies that God has blessed us with.  Of course there are certain inevitable situations in life, because of fallen man.  But for the things that are in our control, it is our duty to keep balance in our bodies! 

Many schools of holistic thought believe in the same intrinsic philosophy of Hippocrates.  Everything in life calls for balance.  I believe in balance Spiritually, Mentally as well as Physically-- Spirit, Mind and Body.  Now, don't get me wrong, I am in no way discounting the years of knowledge and discoveries of our great medical practitioners as we are blessed to live in a time where surgeons and advancements in technology are available to us.  However, at the same time, we should not rely on such knowledge to cure us as a result of abuse or overindulgence and neglect to seek balance in our own person and assist others in their balance as well. 

Thoughts?

tata...