Enchantment Learning & Living Blog

Welcome to Enchantment Learning & Living, the inspirational space where I write about the simple pleasures, radical self-care, and everyday magic that make life delicious.

On Long Walks

January 19, 2014

You wake up with an expansive feeling in your chest, a longing to roam to the farthest reaches of your territory. You want the sun on your skin and fresh air to tickle your nose. There is simply nothing to do but wander wherever your feet will take you--perhaps here to the neighborhood bookstore, or there to the park, full of families playing games and couples walking their dogs. All you know is that you must walk until the bright energy in your chest reaches your toes and your whole body sings with the fullness of life.

The birds support this plan, luring out of your home with their playful chatter and accompanying you as you drift through the city, one step at a time. The naked tree branches remind you that it's still winter, although it feels more like the first kiss of spring in the air.

You pause at each turn to consider your next direction; your decisions move you toward an unplanned adventure, the promise of an unexpected delight. Even as you move forward, a part of you is waiting expectantly, longing for a joyful surprise hidden behind each fork in the road, a mystery to be discovered, a hidden gem of something or another to be revealed. Because today your city is more than just a map of routes that get you from A to B, but a nest of haunts and jewels to be savored, lingered over, like a cup of tea on a cold day.

Eventually, when your legs tire and your appetite for an adventure is sated, you wander home, happy with roaming, but happier still to return to your sanctuary, the promise of a hot bath awaiting you.

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 Saturday Mornings

January 18, 2014

You get to sleep in today.

The birds and sunlight wake you up instead of the too-eager alarm clock that usually intrudes upon your sleep. You linger in bed, the soft knitted blanket a cozy hug around you, relishing the open day before you.

It entices you with its lack of a real schedule and, as you mull over potential plans, you resist committing to any firm blueprints for your Saturday. That would be sacrilege. In fact, the only thing you're ready to commit to is lingering over a strong cup of coffee on your porch this morning.

Letting the sun's rays wash over you. You stand firm, the better to soak up the light, like a lizard or turtle sunning itself, not wanting to move for fear the warm rays will roll off you like water instead of sink under your skin to warm your very bones.

It is entirely possible you will do nothing today. You say "nothing" for it isn't the splashy outings and big events that weekends are so famous for--the ever important social schedules that let others know how busy or significant you are--but the solitary daydreaming and quiet reading of not-so-serious books, the conjuring in the kitchen or the writing desk. All this nothing that actually does something: it nourishes the soul and heals the mind and body--and allows you to enjoy a good martini in your pajamas on Saturday night without fuss or ceremony.

Your mind returns to your cup of coffee on the porch. Your body is full of the sun's caresses, but your coffee mug is in desperate need of a refill. You turn your thoughts to breakfast--something decadent, a treat after your weekly oatmeal--and the lush enjoyment of a schedule-free day spread out before you.

Weekend Head Start Bubble Bath

January 17, 2014

So you all know I love me some bubble bath!

Sometimes there is no better way, in my personal opinion, to end the week--and start the weekend--than to have a deliciously detoxing and restorative bubble bath.

My recipe includes baking soda (the wonder staple of the kitchen) because it is an antibacterial skin softener. It also clears away blemishes on the skins and pulls out toxins. The Epsom salt in the bath help heal the nervous system, decrease inflammation, and allow the body to better absorb nutrients because of the magnesium and sulfates in it. You can also add your favorite bubble bath (really is any bath complete without bubbles?) and soothing essential oils. Lately, I've been loving eucalyptus and lemon oil in my bath.

Ingredients:

1 cup baking soda

1 cup Epsom salt

10-15 drops essential oil (optional)

Bubble bath

Pour all ingredients in the bath, then add warm to hot water. Plan to spend at least 30-45 minutes in the bath so that your body can absorb all the nutrients of the salt and your skin can get nice and soft from the baking soda. Enjoy!

On Cruising to Work

January 16, 2014

The sun is just breaking over the mountains.

Each building, each tree, each lamppost, seems to spring to life under the playful prodding of the morning light. It is only you and a few brave souls gliding through the streets at this early hour.

Your body sings with the light energy of the morning as yet unblemished by time; this clean slate is tickled by the sound of country music wafting over the radio. Your favorite song comes on and your crank it up just a little louder, waking up that last sleepy part of yourself as you sing along to the twangy tune.

It is as if the mountains pull you towards them, towards the sun, with their own magnetic force.

In this moment, you feel like a true New Mexican, as you crank the music louder still, letting the rhythm wash over you like the sun's rays. Your foot presses the pedal just a little more, revving the engine as if in time to the beat of the music. You greet this workday as you do every other, with the ritual of cruising down your streets, the streets you've known all your life, the streets that carry you through each hour of your day.

You signal to turn into the parking lot of your work, stopping just short of the mountains, the sun. You lower your radio--you must keep up appearances of being a Serious Professional, after all. You turn off the engine and emerge from your car ready to take on the world.

You could dance through your day, ready for anything.

On the Hunt for a New Read

January 15, 2014

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.

Keepin' it Fresh Homemade Deodorant

January 14, 2014

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!

On Reading Late into the Night

January 13, 2014

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.

On Sundays

January 12, 2014

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.

Winter Wellness Tea Blend

January 11, 2014

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.

On Grocery Shopping

January 10, 2014

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.

On Early Morning Yoga

January 9, 2014

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.

On Bubble Baths

January 8, 2014

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.

Thank Goodness It Ain't Maybelline Homemade Mascara

January 7, 2014

Seriously. There's some scary stuff in regular mascara, and if you don't believe me just read what The Naked Label has to say about it! Even some organic mascaras sneak in harmful preservatives.

So what's a mascara lovin' lady (or guy) to do? Simple: make your own. I know it sounds like one of those crazy hippy projects--and it is--but not only do you end up with a product as good as any store bought makeup (and safer to boot), but it also costs you a fraction of what quality organic mascara does. I would typically spend $15-$20 for a good mascara. The cost of making one tube of your own is about $1-$2, maybe $4 tops if you splurge and buy your own $2 mascara tube online instead of recycling your old ones.

The only potential downside to DIY mascara is that it's not out and out waterproof--you need synthetic stuff for that. However, I find that if you add more beeswax, you get a product that is less likely to smudge under duress (rain, Lifetime Original movies, cute puppies--anything that brings on the waterworks).

So here is my recipe for homemade mascara, which I adapted from Thank Your Body, Ditch the Wheat, and Wellness Mama. Ingredients can be found at your local health food store or herb store.

Ingredients:

2 tsp coconut oil

1/2-1/3 tsp grated beeswax

1 tsp activated charcoal (or 2-3 capsules)

Melt beeswax on low heat. I do this by placing the wax in a clean tin can. This tin can then goes in a saucepan with about one inch of water in it (see photo). Once the beeswax is melted, mix the coconut oil into the tin can and let it melt and combine with the beeswax. Once the ingredients are in liquid form, gently stir in the activated charcoal. Remove from heat and carefully pour liquid into your clean mascara tube. I do this by pouring the cooling mixture into a plastic bag that has a corner cut out of it. Place the open corner of the bag inside the mascara tube and slowly push the liquid into the tube (see Thank Your Body above for pictures of this). Allow to cool before using.

On Returning Home After Work

January 6, 2014

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.

Winter Solstice Tea Blend

January 5, 2014

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.

On Winter in NM

January 4, 2014

...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...

On Snowshoeing

January 3, 2014

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.

On the New Year

January 2, 2014

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.

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

January 1, 2014

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!

On Rejuvenation

December 24, 2013

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.