Author: blondy1956

It’s that time of year.  The birds are singing, buds are appearing on trees and daffodils and tulips are in bloom.  It’s hard to not get too excited and start planting things.  But before you do, there are some steps you should take to ensure that your garden, whether it’s flower or vegetable or both will be the best!    First, clean out all your gardening areas.  Remove dead leaves and brush from around your perennials.  Fall is the best time to add compost, so it has time to boost your soil.  If you didn’t do it in the fall, you can still add some now. 
Compost provides organic matter and natural nutrients for flowers and vegetables. You can also add coffee grounds as fertilizer. I empty my K-cups into a jar and weekly sprinkle it onto the soil. Coffee grounds make great fertilizer because they contain several key ingredients required for plant growth. They can also help attract worms and decrease the concentrations of heavy metals in the soil.  Now look at your garden.  What worked and what didn’t?  The placement of plants is key to their success.  Do they need full or part sun?  Remember a sunny spot in your garden now, may be shaded after the trees have bloomed.  Second thing to consider, is what type of soil you have. Not every plant works in all types of soil.  Where I live the soil is sandy.  For herbs, Lavender, eucalyptus, and Rosemary all do well.  For flowers, Black Eyed Susan’s, and Salvia work well.  Salvia is one of the easiest to grow. Whether you’re an expert gardener or a first-time grower, you’ll get months of vibrant, re-blooming flowers. This low-maintenance showstopper is also drought tolerant, once established, and resistant to deer and rabbits.  After you have cleaned out the beds and garden area, take some time to research what works best in your area.  Google is a great source.  Take your time.  Plan your garden out on paper.  For the next few weeks, we will do this together, step by step.  I will cover flowers, herbs, and vegetables.  I’ll share my successes and epic failures!  For now, put on some sunscreen, clean out those beds and get ready for a great summer harvest!  There will be pictures of my progress!

CBD Oil: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

It’s everywhere!  Your local gas station, drugstore and of course stores specially selling CBD products. At first, I was very skeptical.  I grew up in the sixties and marijuana was “the thing”.  I was confused as to what CBD oil was and how it could be legal.  I work with a nutrition company and when they came out with their own CBD oil, I took notice.  I started doing research.  The company is a billion dollar company that has been around for almost 20 years and they spends millions researching any product they produce and market.  They have a staff of scientists and doctors, as well as years of botanical experience with some of their other products so I knew I could trust their new product, CBD Peppermint Oil Blend. I loved the fact that they paired it with peppermint because peppermint has lots of benefits.  It can help with digestive probems, the common cold, and headaches .  Topically it relieves itching, muscle pain and has natural anti-fungal properties.  It also is a great insecticide for yourself or your plants.

How does CBD oil work?  CBD and THC work by interacting with our own endocannabinoid system.  This system is found throughout your body, brain, organs ,connective tissues, glands and immune cells.  Although the exact way CBD oil affects our bodies is still unknown there is no denying the proven benefits that people experience when using it.   It can help to relieve pain and reduce anxiety and depression.  Because it has anti-inflammatory actions it may help with acne.  Researchers also believe that it might have Neuroprotective properties and are currently doing research on people with neurological disorders such as epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis.  Early experiments suggest that it may help fight anxiety and ease schizophrenia.  Scientists also think that CBD encourages the body tp produce more of its own cannabinoids, which may help reduce anxiety, pain and inflammation.

What’s the best way to take CBD oil? a lot depends on what benefit you are trying to achieve.  It’s available in oil form, edibles such as gummy bears, cookies as well as pills and capsules. With my company it comes in a bottle with an eye dropper top with dosages marked on the side. I like that because I can use the oil several ways and know that I’m getting a perfectly measured amount.  I usually put it under my tongue.  I have also applied it my hands and have gotten immediate relief from arthritis.  I have built a community of customers that use it and we share our benefits with each other.  People wonder if you get high from CBD oil?  The answer is no.  CBD oil comes from a hemp plant, the part of the cannabis plant that doesn’t make you high.  There is research however that combined with a small amount of THC which does induce a ”high” it is absorbed more readily by the body.  Check the label of anyone you are considering buying.  As long as it’s at 0.3 it’s legal in RI and you won’t feel a high.

Though CBD in generally well tolerated and considered safe,  it may cause some adverse reactions in some people.  Side effects noted in some studies include diarrhea, changes in appetite, weight and fatigue.  It is also known to interact with several medications.  Before you start using CBD oil google the medications you are on, or ask your pharmacist.   the reason I don’t suggest you ask your doctor is because many doctors aren’t educated about the benefits and are against it.  I have a very good friend that was the head of nursing at RI Hospital.  She said she was amazed when she attended a seminar about the benefits.

The bottom line is that CBD oil has been studied for its potential role in easing symptoms of many common health issues including anxiety, depression, acne and heart disease.  For those with cancer it can provide a natural alternative for pain and symptom relief.  Research in the potential health benefits of CBD oil is ongoing.  New therapeutic uses for this natural remedy are sure to be discovered.

If you would like to know more about the CBD oil that the nutrition company I work with reach out to me at SixtiesAndSexy@gmail.com.  Or call me at 401-497-5656.

Pssssst, Prepping is the secret to eating healthy!

Having worked in the wellness and beauty industry for over 40 years has taught me a lot.  I’ve seen many woman and men lose weight.  I’ve also seen them gain the weight back and then some.  What I’ve noticed is that the people that succeed in keeping the weight off have several things in common.  First, they look at the changes they’ve made in their diet as a lifestyle change, not a diet.  Secondly, they don’t deprive themselves and occasionally have foods that they love.  Third and most important, is that they prep their meals and snacks ahead of time.    Calories add up fast and before you know it you can consume 500 extra calories or more getting ready to eat.  Here are some tips that can help prevent that.  On the weekend cook for the week.  Make a tray of chicken tenders.  I put them in a bag with some olive oil and spices and mix well. I use my air fryer to cook them.  I have the Emeril air fryer and I love it.  I use the air fry option because the meat doesn’t dry out while cooking because of the air that circulates around the food.  It cooks evenly and is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.   If you don’t have an air fryer you could broil them as well.  Store the cooked chicken in a container that closes tightly.  During the week I use the chicken in several different ways. Sliced on top of a salad, in a whole wheat wrap or mixed with some brown rice and beans are just a few ideas.  You could also add some cooked veggies and some broth and have an instant chicken soup! I sliver veggies like mushrooms, scallions and carrots and cook them in the microwave in a little water for 5 minutes.  It makes the perfect soup!   Remember to have prepped the veges as well.  It’s easy to throw a salad together if you have all the vegetables cleaned and sliced.    In my  wheat wraps I love to add, spinach and feta cheese.  For snacks I make yogurt parfaits.  I buy vanilla yogurt, fruits and nuts and granola.  Fresh fruit is nice but frozen works as well.  I take medium size, wide mouth mason jars and put a few tablespoons of yogurt in the bottom. I then layer some fruit on top.  My third and forth layers are nuts and granola. Just alternate the ingredients until the jar is almost full.  These are great snacks that are sweet and provide protein and a fruit serving! Another great snack is doing the same thing but with vegetables.  I like to clean and cut celery sticks to fit in the jar.  I save some room at the top.  Put peanut butter in a small container and place on top of the celery sticks. I buy the small plastic containers like restaurants give you with dressings.  These are available on Amazon. Other ideas include broccoli and cauliflower with some Greek dressing in a small container for dipping.  Carrots and celery with some hummus is yummy too!   Salad jars are easy too.  Make sure you put the dressing on the bottom so the veggies stay crisp.  You can layer quinoa, slivered zucchini, carrots, really just about any vegetable works.  Try a greek salad by layering lettuce, tomatoes, feta cheese, red onion….the possibilities are endless.  Before you eat it, simple turn the jar over a few times to mix in the dressing and enjoy!   Fill as much as possible so there isn’t a lot of air in the jar.  Screw the top down firmly.  I find that these snack jars last 4 to 6 days in the fridge.  The possibilities are endless!  The bottom line is that if you take some time on the weekend to prep your food and snacks, you will be setting yourself up for success!

I have two granddaughters ages 6 and 9.  For several years we have been making fairy gardens.  What is a fairy garden you ask?  Well it’s a make believe world you create outside using anything you’d like.  A little glitter, some gems and some paint is all you need.  An upside down pot becomes a castle…popsicle sticks glued together make a fence.  There are also lots of things available in local craft stores and even in some discount stores in the garden section.  It’s fun and stimulates their imagination.  Here are our gardens for this year.  The second picture includes a dear friends of mines grandaughter Sydnee and the others are my granddaughters Sidney and Savannah.

I have been hosting for Airbnb for over 4 yers.  I have meet over 600 people from 16 countries.  It has been amazing!  I love sharing my great city of Warwick and the great state of Rhode Island.  There have been struggles…..to date I am the only Airbnb that has been forced to register with he city and forces to comply to rules and regulations.  Some made sense, some they were making up as they went along but after a two year and $2000.00 as far as I know, I am the only legal one that is running!  My battle with the city continues!  But I digress….I really wanted to share some wonderful experiences that I have had over the years.  As you can imagine, being a Rhode Islander means that most recommendations are about food.  I send people to Federal Hill for Italian, Iggy’s for clambakes and chowder and Newport for seafood.  Of course I always include the scenic part of each place but truly it’s a food tour.  Over the next few weeks I will be sharing some of the reviews that people leave in my book about their experiences!  This weekend I played the tourist and went to Narragansett, RI.  As you can imagine the beaches were beautiful and although we did not stop to eat there, we did stumble upon a great art festival held in the park next to the Towers!  Make sure if you live in RI you play tourist sometimes and if you don’t hit me up and I’ll tell you all about my fabulous Airbnb!