give away

12:365

*photo by Elaine A. Russell

...resting... figuring out finances... eating home-made cookies...
...getting packages ready to mail out to some lucky winners of my
First Ever Give-Away...

...enjoying some nice and spicy tacos for dinner...
Thinking how very fortunate I am to be as healthy as I am in spite of everything... and in spite of being not so healthy in the past...
(even though I have to take a BUNCH of meds/vitamins -- hence my inspiration for this photo I took today for my daily photo challenge)





Living Simply tip for the day: If you like spicy food; consider that you quite possibly could be benefiting greatly from the spice as well. I know in my personal experience, nothing boosts my immune system quite like a slathering of green chile on my fav foods. It is a boost in vit c; as well as helping me clean out my sinuses... and giving me a general flush of well being.

"Most of the health benefits of spicy foods appear to center around capsaicin, the ingredient which makes chili peppers hot. Other ingredients like turmeric, coriander, and mustard seeds which appear in spicy foods in some regions of the world may also confer additional health benefits. One of the most widely accepted claims is that eating spicy foods promotes sweating, opens the sinuses, and encourages expectoration, making spicy foods a good thing to eat if someone has a cold. The hot temperature of spicy foods can also promote an opening of the sinuses and bronchial tubes.

Some studies have suggested that the health benefits of spicy foods may be especially important for the brain. People who eat a lot of spicy food appear to be at a decreased risk of developing degenerative brain and nervous system conditions, and these foods may also help with depression and migraines. Eating spicy foods also increases the metabolism, encouraging people to process food more quickly, leading some researchers to suggest that spicy foods may help with weight loss. " -- from http://www.wisegeek.com/

9:365


Some days are the kind where you wish you would have/ could have ... stayed in bed. Lazy days where the bed seems way too comfortable to leave... and the floors seem way to cold to be on....

Today was one of those days. My dear hubby is sick today... something that only happens about once a year. It is cold and dreary out. ......And yet, today was also the last day to submit entries in my "give-away" --- me giving gifts in celebration of this blog site being one year old. So it was with excitement that I went through all the mail that I had received ... tallying up who all had entered..... And so... in the next few days I will be getting addresses from some lucky winners... who will each get a present in the mail.



So, today I did some laundry, picked up the house a bit... took my photo for my "Photo a Day project; year 2010".....made wontons and rice.... ran a couple of errands....went to a Pampered Chef Party briefly....and got back home in time to make my honey some tea and make sure he had taken some medicine.



Tuck yourselves in ... dear readers. Read a good book, watch a good movie... snuggle with someone you love. See you all tomorrow :)

Living Simply tip for the day: Get enough sleep for you. Don't be embarrassed if you have the opportunity and inclination to take a nap. Likewise, if you do better on less sleep... enjoy the extra time doing something you love. This will ultimately reduce your stress, increase your health and well-being... and will make your life much more simple.

""The first thing experts will tell you about sleep is that there is no "magic number." Not only do different age groups need different amounts of sleep, but sleep needs are also individual. Just like any other characteristics you are born with, the amount of sleep you need to function best may be different for you than for someone who is of the same age and gender.""

*all photos by Elaine A. Russell

time, time, time...........


photo by Elaine A. Russell


Where has the time gone? Exactly one year ago today, I started this blog. I have posted every single day since. Wow. 365 posts. And pics on every one!!!

When I first started this blog, my goal was to get some of my photography out there in cyber space so that people could see it... and hopefully enjoy it.
The response has been fabulous. Beyond my expectations for this humble little site. At one point; I was getting over 800 hits a day....I have since stopped looking. I figured I would either get discouraged by the drop-off, or anxious as to how to keep hits up.

It has been a very interesting year. One full of enlightenment, fulfillment, joys and wonders.
I hope that you will stay with me over the course of this next year... who knows what will happen?
OR where this journey will take us.

In celebration of my blog anniversary... I am going to be giving away 9 gifts to 9 lucky winners. ( in honor of this year 2009). All you have to do... to be entered in the "running"... is to send me a note at moongipsies@msn.com.
Let me know what you like/ don't like about my blog... things I could do to make it better, etc
Oh! and let me know if you have a preference on any particular gift you may get :)
Prizes may include: a handmade scarf, an OOAK art piece, a fine art photograph, a handmade piece of jewelry, a stash of supplies for crafts.... who knows....

(winners will be notified on January 9th. Submissions for the give-aways...must be in by January 9th at 9am).