On the Hunt for a New Read

But the last one was so good.

If only it was longer or you hadn't turned through the pages so fast, greedily gobbling up the words like a child stuffing her mouth with sweets.  It wasn't your fault--how could you not keep reading?  How could you not dip back into that world every chance you got, losing yourself in the absinth and fog, the plot and the twists? 

Perhaps you will try this book here--it's been sitting on your shelf awhile.  But no--the heroine is not so likable, the streets not so interesting--but maybe if you gave it a few more pages--why should you? You shouldn't have to work that hard.  It is a battle within yourself, searching for a new place to plant your imagination and yet loath to leave your old haunt.  Eventually, you abandon the bookshelf altogether, throwing yourself at the mercy of Kindle sample reads.  Surely there must be *something* to sink your mind into. 

But the same old dilemma greets you in your cyber realm: this book is too slow--that one too fast, falling over itself in its hurry to get through the plot.  The tone there is too light, like a cream puff, leaving you feeling too sugary and breezy; yet this next one is too heavy, weighted down by verbose prose and self-importance--hardly the stuff of guilty pleasures.

You sift and sift, revisiting old books and searching for new ones, until it happens: you stumble upon a gem in the pile of simply-will-not-do books.  It's the cover that draws you in first with its the hint of adventure--then your fingers slip between the covers and find that perfect spot--the one that makes you giggle, or shiver, or wonder, begging you to turn the page. 

You remember now, why you bought the book in the first place.  You can hardly understand why you haven't read it sooner, as you curl up on the couch, the immediacy of the last read fading in the unfolding of the new one.

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

Keepin' it Fresh Homemade Deodorant

Keepin' the B.O. at bay is not the most glamorous of subjects, but there's nothing like solid underarm protection to make you feel like a lady (or gent). 

While mainstream deodorant can promise extra strength protection against sweat and B.O., it does this with the use of harmful ingredients--check out Dying to Look Good for more info on the scary details.  This leaves us with a safer, but often less effective option: all natural deodorant found at your local co-op or hippy grocery store.  Safe?  Yes.  But if you're active like me all day, it does little to keep you feeling fresh as a daisy.  Worse still, some "natural" products even contain harmful ingredients as well.

So I went in search of another option: DIY deodorant.  It sounds crazy, but it totally works!  Not only are the ingredients cheap household staples for the most part, but the final product works better than anything I've tried before.  The recipe I have here has been adapted from ones by Wellness Mama and Crunchy Betty.  The baking soda absorbs odor and, I've found, actually makes you sweat less over time.  The coconut oil is anti-bacterial, while the arrowroot absorbs moisture.  If you use essential oils, opt for tea tree oil or lavender oil, both of which are antibacterial.  Always go for organic ingredients because they are gentler on your skin.  

Ingredients:

1/4 c baking soda

1/4 c arrowroot powder

1/4 c coconut oil

3-5 drops essential oils (optional)

Mix dry ingredients together in a small bowl then slowly work in room temp coconut oil until all ingredients are combined.  Then stir in essential oils if desired.  Store in a small mason jar.  Makes about 1/2 cup.  Enjoy!

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

On Reading Late into the Night

You've lost track of time.

You know it's late, but you refuse to glance at your clock for fear the little green numbers will pull you out of the magic spell the book has cast over you.  

It's just one more page--to see what happens--yes, just one more.  Really, you should just finish the chapter--yes, that's a good stopping point--except you still don't know what happened to the heroine or if the hero will ever escape his captors.  It only makes sense to keep going, letting the words on the page run through you like sand through an hourglass. 

You are safely cocooned inside your blankets, the soft lamplight keeping sleep at bay.  You know tomorrow will be better for a full night's sleep.  Yet you know, just as well, that even if you were to put the book down, you would only stare at the little cracks and lines in the ceiling and whittle away the hours speculating. Wondering about what could happen, how your heroes could have done things differently, why they didn't see the clues earlier as they were so plainly laid before them.

So you read just a little more.

Truly, it would not do the novel justice if you were to break off reading at such a pivotal moment, as if you would suspend the characters in that scene, freezing them until you could return to your book, find that right page, and begin again. 

You press on, enjoying the naughty feeling of being up past your bedtime.

Your eyes betray you first--they droop and flutter, even as they try to squeeze in one last sentence.  Then your hands, too tired to hold the book up any longer.  Your head tilts to the side, your cheek on the pillow.  But the story had not left you--only the page--as your dreams pick up where you left off and play with the loose threads of plot not yet sewn into the larger tapestry.

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

On Sundays

A day in the kitchen. 

There is no other way Sunday should be spent.  You linger amidst your pots and pans, oven and stove, concocting medicine for the week in the form of hearty winter soup for your dinners and lentils with roasted veggies for your lunches.  You even tinker with your herbs and spices, lazily dreaming up another tea blend--a treat to finish off your evenings before drifting off to sleep. 

It is a day of devotion to nourishing yourself and your loved ones, filling up your soul as you fill your belly, fortifying yourself for the week ahead. 

A nap is in order while the soup simmers on the stove and the roasted veggies cool.  You allow yourself to drift on the couch, an abandoned book limp across your chest.  You relish the afternoon quiet and sink into the deep pleasure of no real agenda, no need to be on for anybody, no reason to wear restrictive clothing.

Tomorrow you will greet the world, ready for the noise and bustle--yes, even ready to wear real clothes with zippers and buttons on them.  But for now, you let the smell of your winter stew tickle your nose as your mind dances between the dream world and wakefulness.

It will only be the promise of a bubble bath that inevitably lures you from the couch and the ritual of homemade pasta for dinner that steals you from the delicious hot bath.  The slow easy pace of the day and luxurious family dinner will always be your restorative tonic to start the week.

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

Winter Wellness Tea Blend

This is another tea blend I made my family for the holiday.  It's packed with everything your body needs to fight, or ideally prevent, a cold.  During the winter months, I drink this tea several times a week--usually before bed, since it doesn't contain caffeine--to boost my body's immune system.  The tufts of marshmallow root in the blend look like mounds of snow, adding a fun winter touch to the tea and making it a festive gift for those you know who need a little extra winter TLC.

Winter Wellness Tea Blend:

1 cup tulsi (holy basil)

1 cup marshmallow root

1/2 cup ginger

1/4 cup cinnamon

1/2 cup elderberries

1/2 cup calendula

1/2 cup rosehips

1/2 cup rose petals

Blend all ingredients in a bowl and transfer to an airtight container.    Keep away from direct sunlight and heat.  To brew, use a heaping tablespoon per cup of hot water.  Enjoy!

Health benefits of ingredients:

Tulsi: helps body adapt to stress by balancing out cortisol levels, antibacterial, and anti-fungal.

Marshmallow root: anti-inflammatory (especially for throat); contains protein, vitamins A, B1-3, and C, magnesium, potassium, and other vital nutrients.

Cinnamon: antiseptic, aids digestion, calms nervous system, anti-inflammatory.

Ginger: soothes stomach pain; anti-inflammatory; aids digestion.

Elderberries: clears respiratory tract, reduces phlegm and congestion; eases throat pain; reduces fever; contains vitamins A and C.

Calendula: anti-inflammatory, aids digestion, reduces swollen lymph glands, soothes irritated skin.

Rosehips: anti-aging; contains vitamins A, D, B, C, E, and K, iron, calcium, zinc, and other vital nutrients; promotes healing and boosts energy; antibacterial.

Rose petals: contains vitamins A, B, C, D, and E; mild sedative; anti-inflammatory; antibacterial; cleanses system of toxins. 

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

On Grocery Shopping

It's the fruit and veggies section that draws you in first--piles of oranges and grapefruits vying for your attention over mounds of ripe tomatoes and lush eggplants.  And then there it is--the artichoke that seduces you with its layered petals and the promise of the fleshy heart tucked in the center of its thorny armor.  On impulse, you abandon the tight outline of your shopping list and commit to the artichoke.  You throw in Brussels sprouts for good measure, already planning the meal centered on those crisp sprouts sautéed with nutritional yeast and pomegranate seeds.

Each item added to the cart is a promise to nourish, to indulge, to create.  You imagine each meal: from the wine you sip as you steam the artichoke and cook the quinoa, to the quick-sautéed spinach leaves fragrant with the aromas of garlic, ginger, and chile peppers, to the morning oatmeal filling the belly after yoga has filled the soul.

You even let yourself be taken in by the decadence of the cheese section--surely the weekend is not a weekend without aged Gouda--even as you ignore the cheap thrills of the chips and candy aisles.  There is no room in your cupboard for food devoid of soul.

At home, you unload your culinary loot, a warm sensation spreading through your belly as your fridge fills with edible jewels, vibrant tokens of self-care and wholesome indulgence. 

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

On Early Morning Yoga

The world is not yet up. 

It is only you and the sliver of moon and your yoga mat.  

You are careful at first, listening for the little snaps and pops of your joints.  You feel your way through your sun sals one breath at a time, gently courting the golden morning light before it has fully woken; you coax it out of bed as you coax yourself from the warm covers with the promise of clean energy, one breath at a time through the flow of your morning devotion to earth, to sun, to life.

Each day the body is different.  Today it is slow moving, relishing the way the spine elongates in the first downward dog of the day, feeling your palms and heels press against the mat, fingers and toes splayed.  Each day is a new dance, a delicate tango of lunges and bends and twists; the mat is your dance partner, allowing you to fall into the rhythm of your body. Your breath is a soft symphony that greets the day, reminding you that you are alive.  Each day you gently peel the moon from your skin and wrap the sun around you.

It is your moment for you, before the sun rises, the world beings to move, and you get swept up in the current of life. 

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

On Bubble Baths

You are chin deep in bubbles--those perfect little orbs of relaxation and whimsy.  The hot water swirls around your body, soothing sore muscles and a tired mind.  Your head rests against the tub's lip; your toes peek out of the frothy bubbles, red from the heat.

The only way to have a proper bubble bath, you know, is to sink into it, melt into the bubbles and hot water and drift.  You are not allowed to ponder anything too serious--the bubbles won't allow it.  You can only let your mind meander as it will, here to reflect on the day's sunrise, or there to contemplate the pleasures of a glass of wine, or further still to the way your fingers and toes pucker like little raisins the longer you soak.  Eventually, your thoughts range further--to the promise of the weekend, to the bliss of the evening dinner.

After a time, when the water has begun to cool and the bubbles begin to pop, you take up a dusty old paperback to keep you company in the tub.  You read about airships and distant lands, clockwork contraptions and sweeping adventures all while soaking safely in the comfort of your ceramic oasis.  It doesn't matter where you go, only that each turn of the page allows you to linger in the healing waters until the bubbles have faded and the water is no longer warm. 

There is nothing to do when faced with the bleak prospect of cold water and little bubble islands but place the book down and wash quickly.  You seek refuge from the faded glory of hot bubbles in your plush robe, already looking forward to your next tub indulgence. 

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

On Returning Home After Work

It is quiet--a blissful sanctuary after a day of noise and movement.

You slip out of your heels, feet firmly on the ground again.  Your toes wriggle out the kinks of the day, your ball and heel kiss the carpet.  You consider checking your email or reading, but your mind rebels against sitting at a desk, taking in more words. 

No.

Your body wants movement.  The deep pleasure of yoga asana that allows your body to unfurl, releasing the paperwork and student questions with each spinal twist, until your limbs, like petals, are loose, soft.

The silence is broken only by the click of your jewelry as you begin the task of removing your armor.  One by one each ring goes back into the jewelry box, each a piece of the day washed away from your skin; your earrings go next, taking with them the sound of the copy machine and sputtering coffee maker.  The war paint is last--off goes the mascara and blush that separates you the teacher from you the you.

But you are not quite ready for the mat.  You tend your plants. You chop up root vegetables and put them in the oven to roast.  You light a candle.  Each act, a simple ritual of letting go of the day and welcoming the evening.  Slowly, you begin to feel your mind drift away from lesson plans towards nothing in particular. 

It is at that moment that you finally turn to your mat.  Your home is fragrant with cumin and roasting vegetables.  Your body breathes a sign of relief to be out of the desk and onto the mat. 

You relish the inevitable finish to this transition--after grounding mind and body, releasing the wrinkles of the day--when you crawl into your favorite cozy pajamas, your soft second skin, to just be.

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

Winter Solstice Tea Blend

I developed this blend as a gift for family this holiday (so, naturally, I wasn't able to post it until *after* they got their gifts, lest I spoil the surprise).  This blend is a true tea blend, and not a tisane, or herbal tea, like the previous blends I've posted.  Its base is green jasmine tea.

Typically, when we think of winter, our palates conjure up the rich tastes of the heavy, warming spices like cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg.  But I find there is a crisper, lighter taste to the season too--one of early winter mornings and the sharp scent of citrus.  This tea is meant to taste like that first day of winter: fresh, vibrant, a promise of life underneath the carpet of snow. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup jasmine green tea

1/2 cup dried raspberry leaves

1/2 cup dried rose petals

1/2 cup dried orange peels

1/2 dried ginger pieces

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and place in an airtight storage container away from light.  A mason jar works well--add a ribbon to it and you've got a lovely gift!

To brew, place a heaping teaspoon in a strainer and let sit in 8 oz. hot water for no more than three minutes (the tea will get bitter if left longer).  If you want a stronger brew, add more tea leaves. 

Health properties of ingredients:

Jasmine green tea: loaded with antioxidants and catechins that protect the body from free radicals and other toxins; lowers blood pressure.

Raspberry leaves: tastes like a lighter, more floral black tea, without the caffeine; contains vitamins A, B, C, and E, not to mention iron, potassium, and calcium, among other vital nutrients; relieves tension and tones pelvic muscles.

Rose petals: contains vitamins A, B, C, D, and E; mild sedative; anti-inflammatory; antibacterial; cleanses system of toxins. 

Orange peel: can lower cholesterol; anti-microbial; anti-inflammatory; anti-fungal; promotes healthy liver function; mood booster.

Ginger: soothes stomach pain; anti-inflammatory; aids digestion.

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

On Winter in NM

 ...because sometimes only pictures can capture the majesty of winter in the land of enchantment...

On Windsor Trail near Santa Fe ski slope. ..

On top of the Sandia Mountains in Albuquerque...

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

On Snowshoeing

There is no sound lovelier than the kiss of snowshoes on fresh snow as you glide through the sun-filled forest, marveling at the delicate tree branches coated in ice crystals.

Each step takes you further and further away from your cares until you are left with nothing but the methodical rhythm of your snowshoes flowing along the path and the sound of winter birds flirting in the trees above.

Snowshoeing is not the frantic, fast-paced drama of downhill skiing, as snowboarders whiz past you on the slopes and a helmet is advisable; nor is the plodding of cross-country skiing, with too-long feet and laborious trekking across an open field. 

It is a moving meditation of heart, breath, feet--each step at once grounding you to the earth and lifting your spirits above the tree line.  For several hours you are only nature's grateful visitor, sun and snow your welcome companions.  You pause to admire the canyon below, feeling the world open up to you.

It is no longer small cubicles and meticulously scheduled days, but an expansive never ending abundance calling to you, beckoning you to remember a fuller, bigger life.

So you turn from the view and continue your journey deeper into nature, grateful for this reminder to always live expansively. 

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

On the New Year

It is a clean slate.  A promise of another way of being.  Gone are the nicks and scrapes of the previous year--the soul healed and unblemished again after a long, restful break.

The holiday decorations have been taken down: a homey task that would seem anticlimactic after weeks of festivities, but in all actuality is a cathartic ritual of putting one year to rest while welcoming another. 

The house feels quiet, clean, spacious after the last of the pine needles have been vacuumed up and any leftover ribbons and tissue paper are folded away for the next year.  Sometimes you still find traces of the holiday like a stray festive card sitting on your bookshelf or a forgotten bauble resting on your writing table.  Those too are soft reminders of the coming new year.

You tuck them away in storage and marvel at how fresh your home feels, how decadent it is to sit on the couch and knit and have nothing pressing to do.  In a little bit you might walk to the refrigerator and rummage around for something to eat for lunch, but only if it isn't too much trouble. 

For now, you sit and knit, trying to stretch out the freshness, the newness, the unblemished glory of another new year before some adventure or another lures you out of your home and the whole thing begins again.

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

New Year's Resolution: Daily Meditations on the Magic of Everyday Life

I am sitting at my writing desk looking at the tree outside my window and thinking about this past year.  It occurs to me now in the gentle quiet of my apartment that I've spent quite a bit of 2013 talking to friends, family, and fellow teachers and yogis about finding that perfect work-life balance. We each of us went through various bumps in the year, both professionally and personally, and each bump made us reflect on how we can live more gently, with more grace.

How do we find the beauty and the majesty of life as we go about our daily routines? How do we remember to value these routines when we find ourselves grappling with the challenges life inevitably throws our way?

There is no easy answer to these questions of course. But I have found that the simple act of talking about them has made me more aware of the magic in my life: many good people to grapple these metaphysical questions with, a hot cup of home-blended tea to mull these thoughts over, and numerous other small pleasures that make life worth living.

In honor of these conversations and my own increasing need to make more space in my life for self-care and reflection, I've decided to dive into my next adventure: daily meditations on the magic of everyday living and learning.

I'm creating space to ponder the wonder of daily life--not the big giant adventures of world travel or the lofty topics education reform, but the simple small bites of hedonism (the favorite yoga pose or the evening bubble bath) that we gobble up every day like salted dark chocolate coated caramels.  

In these little delights lie simple lessons of saner, gentler living. So if you are like me, searching for a daily reminder of life's wonders, join me at Enchantment Learning and Living to read and discuss my daily meditations on mindful living! 

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

On Rejuvenation

This time of year it is not uncommon to feel, as Bilbo Baggins once put it, "like butter scraped over too much bread.”

We can get lost in the flurry of the season, one that is equally fraught with frantic energy (buy! buy! buy! do! do! do!) as it is the celebratory warmth of the year's end.  Our nights can become quickly filled with one holiday party after another and our days with a string of errands and tasks that prepare us for the big festivities.  While some holiday rituals are fun--like making tamales or scouting out that perfect gift for someone you love--they can also make us feel spread thin with little time for self-care. In other words, we have altogether too much noise and not enough quiet in our minds and in our lives. 

I've been mulling this concept over as I unwind from a hectic semester, stopping to enjoy an afternoon cup of my Winter Solstice Tea after a day of tea blending and present wrapping.  The semester had been a difficult one, and I often felt "like butter scraped over too much bread."  I had overworked, given out too much, and felt as if I had nothing left for myself.  I didn't feel the light, joyful energy of the season, but a profound need to turn inward into my books and crafts, to tend my plants and develop new recipes. 

The week after the semester ended was filled with long days tinkering in the kitchen--whipping up body butter and homemade mascara one day, making tamales with family another.  There have been the holiday scones and bizcochitos scenting the kitchen with ginger and anise seeds; there have also been the lazy not-sure-what-to-cook-for-dinner meanderings and the welcome evening melody of a well-shaken martini being poured into its glass. 

My afternoons were filled with yoga and naps, my evenings with bubble baths and novel reading.  The week was spent doing what I absolutely love--tinkering in the kitchen and drinking tea with old movies playing in the background.  I didn't think of grading papers or other work demands.  I didn't think of rushing out to run this or that errand.  I simply played in my kitchen and got lost in novels.  And today, in the quiet of my home, the air smelling of warm beeswax from my body butter and pine from the holiday tree, I find that I no longer feel "like butter scraped over too much bread.”  I feel light.  I feel full.  I feel me again. 

This experience has taught me that there is no replacing the magic of self-care, the quiet time we take for rejuvenation and reflection, or the time spent dallying with family in the kitchen.  These things are the real meaning of the winter holidays. 

As I linger over my morning coffee and get ready to meet my mom for an afternoon of cooking our traditional posole feast for Christmas Eve dinner, I wish you and yours a mellow, rejuvenating holiday, full of the simple pleasures of the season. 

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Body Scrub

There is nothing more delicious than peppermint hot chocolate on a cold winter day.  Oh, wait.  Yeah, there s: my peppermint hot chocolate body scrub.  It has all the feelings of sweet indulgence without the calories or sugar overload.

It also makes a great gift that is enjoyed by the recipient after the last holiday candy cane is gone and is super easy for you to make during the flurry of winter preparation. 

So here is the recipe to make for your loved ones--and yourself:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

5-10 drops peppermint essential oil

Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined.  To gift this, simply put the scrub in a mason jar and wrap the jar in a festive ribbon. 

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

On Hibernation

This time of year always brings out my inner bear ready for hibernation.

Although this can be the time of year for bright lights, big parties, and excessive shopping, I find that all the noise makes me pull inward rather than tempting me out of my hobbit hole. 

Instead, I turn to the quiet beauty of an unexpected snow storm that turns the city into a giant snow globe, with fat snowflakes kissing the landscape and reminding its inhabitants that winter is a time for hibernation--quiet reflection, joyous introversion. 

I relish the hush in the streets, the tree branches coated in velvet snow, the sky a crisp, clear turquoise.  I look forward to the pot of rosemary and rose hip tea that I drink as I dress my holiday tree, the sharp scent of pine filling my home and making me long for a day of snowshoeing. 

Others try to tempt me from my home with office parties or noisy shopping trips to malls, but my inner bear keeps telling me hibernate, hibernate. 

I fully give into my guilty pleasure of introversion, finally, when I see the temperature won't be above 16 degrees for most of the day and that another snow storm promises to grace the city soon.  It is too cold to go out for cocktails; the streets might be too icy when the sun sets.  I don't need more things, especially not from a mall, just the comforting warmth of fuzzy socks and a mug of tea in hand.

I retreat to my home, my hobbit hole, my bear cave, happily toasty warm under my knitted blanket, enjoying the gentle hush of a winter day spent in cozy contemplation.

In the spring I will awaken from my dream state in search of daffodil bulbs and adventures, but for now, I do what the bear does: I hibernate, I draw inward, I wrap winter around me like a cloak and linger in the natural beauty of this meditative season.

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

Thankfulness

I'm sitting on my couch, drinking a cup of tulsi peppermint tea and writing. 

I've spent the day with my mother and sister cooking for our big feast tomorrow: we made pies and cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes, brined the turkey, and even had time to sneak in some yoga, playtime with my sister's dogs, and pumpkin cider sipping at lunch. 

It was a wonderful day, the kind that revolved around kitchen and conversation.  It was made even more delicious by the fact that I took the day off school to help prepare this Thanksgiving meal.  I woke up feeling like a kid playing hooky, knowing full well that while I was out having fun, the rest of the world was at school (to my fanciful mind at least).

In the quiet of this evening, I realize thankfulness is an art form, best expressed in the simple actions of making cranberry sauce with both tangerine and orange slices in it because you know that's how your family likes it.  Thankfulness is in setting the table just so with the fine china, napkin rings, and homemade place cards for the people you love.  You can find it in your kitchen smelling of freshly baked pies, a heavenly scent for those coming home from work, a perfect perfume promising a day full of nourishment and relaxation.  It is the basket of herbs shared between mothers and daughters or the gift packages sent to those away from home.  All these things are tokens of thankfulness, letting those around you know that you are grateful they are in your life. 

Tomorrow I will continue to celebrate my thankfulness--for my family, my friends, my readers--and relish the gravy-making and the dishwashing for what they are: acts of thankfulness in their purest form.

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

Warrior Tea Blend

This is a great tea for the warriors in your life.  It is made up of a variety of herbs and grains that restore vital nutrients to your body and at the same time help it get rid of toxins. 

I developed this blend for my brother-in-law, a personal trainer, who constantly needs to replenish and heal his body because of his constant activity.   He is on his feet all day helping clients get fit, so he needed something that would give him an energy boost--here in the form of vitamins and minerals naturally found in herbs--and something that would ease inflammation and sore muscles after a day of working out.  This blend is good for anyone who works long hours or needs an extra boost during the day; it provides energy without unhealthy snacking or caffeine consumption and soothes the nervous system. 

I've included the recipe for this blend below, along with the health properties of each ingredient.

Warrior Tea Blend (makes about 6 cups)

2 cups roasted barley

1 cup alfalfa leaves

1/2 cup dandelion leaves

1/2 cup cinnamon bark chips

1/2 cup calendula (marigold flowers)

1/2 cup tulsi (holy basil)

1/2 cup fennel seeds

Blend all ingredients in a bowl and transfer to an airtight container.    Keep away from direct sunlight and heat.  To brew, use a heaping tablespoon per cup of hot water.  Enjoy!

Health benefits of ingredients:

Roasted barley: antibacterial, aids in digestion, improves blood circulation, lowers cholesterol, cleanses body of toxins, balances blood sugar levels, rich in vitamins B1, B2, iron, and fibers.

Alfalfa leaves: natural diuretic, improves digestion, rich in vitamins A, E, K, B, D, iron, magnesium, potassium, and sodium.

Dandelion leaves: natural diuretic, aids with anemia, rich in iron and vitamin C.

Cinnamon: antiseptic, aids digestion, calms nervous system, anti-inflammatory. 

Calendula: anti-inflammatory, aids digestion, reduces swollen lymph glands, soothes irritated skin.

Tulsi: helps body adapt to stress by balancing out cortisol levels, antibacterial, and anti-fungal. 

Fennel: aids digestion, relieves bloating.

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

Routine as Ritual

I'm sitting on my newly furnished patio this morning, snuggled under a cranberry throw and drinking cinnamon spice coffee from a pumpkin mug.  The view from my patio is stunning.  The ground is littered with bright gold and orange leaves.  The almost naked trees stand in stark contrast to the cloud-blanketed sky, the stone fountain in my courtyard is framed by all of this natural glory.

This first week of living in my new home--I mean actually living versus unpacking and organizing--has been a daily study in life's simple pleasures.  The early morning yoga in my living room has become a delicious treat after weeks of being off my regular self-care routine.  The weekly grocery store visit is a feast for the senses, especially now that the holidays are near--the produce section is overflowing with Brussels sprouts and pomegranates and persimmons, to name a few of the seductive jewels that caught my eye this time around.  Grocery shopping is especially invigorating as I contemplate what delicious meals I plan to cook in my home--from the tofu, pea and spinach stir-fry with a coconut-peanut sauce to the autumn inspired afternoon tea party with a friend, to the simple nutritional yeast spiced popcorn and pumpkin hard cider for homemade happy hour with my sister.  Even cleaning and doing laundry has become a meditation on the simple joys of a warm, clean home.  Moving into a new space has made me hyper-aware of the magic behind my everyday routine.

While many of these activities--grocery shopping, laundry, coaxing myself out of bed early to stretch my limbs--seem like mundane routines that, like grooves in a well-trod path, are merely evidence of rote actions, they are actually delicious rituals of self-care.  I take comfort in the knowledge that when I get home at the end of a long workday, my routine is in place: I water my plants, I exercise, I prepare dinner while watching the news, I dine listening to old jazz records, I read over cups of minty sleepy time tea.  It is a healing balm to a full day of caring for others--tending to my students and nourishing their writing growth.  It is the promise of soul replenishment and the mending of the proverbial tears and scrapes from the day. 

So the next time you find yourself in the midst of your daily routine, take a moment to pause and relish the wonder of the rituals you've built around your sense of well-being.  These rituals ground.  They nourish.  They heal. 

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!