An easy step towards conquering Chaos ❥

Welcome to my life. ☺

It is a little crazy here sometimes!

If you are like me you are juggling lots of balls at the same time, which can be challenging at best.

I am the owner/candlemaker for Blue Moon Candles an Indie Business (check out the Indie Beauty Network) making Organic wax Candles, I am a mom that works both in and out of the home, I also manage a Dental office.  On top of that I have many interests and love to do lots of other things!   All of these things add joy and purpose to my life.  They can also conspire to wreak havoc if I am not careful & organized.

Here is a fantastic resource I have found, it is helping me get my life and home in order, so I would like to share it with you.

The site is called The Fly lady.

The description of her site is: that The Fly Lady has a special way of weaving housecleaning tips with homespun humor and daily musings about life. She has a no-nonsense approach to getting your house and your life in order. She mixes housekeeping advice with insights about life and love and anything else that is on her mind.

For me it is a helpful step by step guide on how to stay on track…here is her info on Beginning Baby Steps. I like it that there are limits, so I do not get as easily overwhelmed…you can do anything for 15 minutes right?!  There are some good recipes and lots of other resources for busy people there too.

Check it out and let me know what you think…and I will keep you posted on my progress.  Wish me luck! ❥

Love, Laughter & Candlelight!

I ❥ Snow Owls…

Baked Cinnamon Apples

* 4 tart green apples
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Scoop out the core from top of the apple, leaving a well.
3. Stuff each apple with a premixed amount of 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 tablespoon butter. Add a handful of walnuts or pecans if desired. Place in a shallow baking dish that has a layer of water in the bottom, Sprinkle apples and water with nutmeg and a generous amount of cinnamon.
4. Bake at 350 for 20 min. covered with foil and then for another 10 min. uncovered.
5. Finally, serve in bowl with the caramel/nut sauce around base of each apple. Vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt in the center drizzled with caramel ice cream topping is another incredible addition.

This is one of my favorite winter night snacks…I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Love, Laughter & Candlelight!

Spice up your life with Cinnamon! ❥

Cinnamon can spice up your life!

Did you know that Cinnamon is mentioned in Chinese writings as far back as 2800 BC.?

Cinnamon was one of the first trade spices of the ancient world. Biblical references indicate that merchants carried the Asian spice all the way from Ceylon to Palestine – that’s a 24-hour airplane trip today – before the pyramids were built.

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) is a tree belonging to the Lauraceae family. The bark of the tree is what is used as a spice.

The Egyptians used cinnamon medicinally and as a flavoring in food and beverages as well as during funeral ceremonies.

Cinnamon was used on funeral pyres in Ancient Rome. In 65 AD, Nero burned a year’s supply of cinnamon at his second wife Poppaea Sabina’s funeral in order to show the depth of his grief.

In the Middle Ages, cinnamon was only affordable by the wealthy elite of society. A person’s social rank could be determined by the number of spices they could afford.

Cinnamon has many health benefits. It has shown promise in the treatment of diabetes, arthritis, high cholesterol, memory function, and even leukemia and lymphoma.

The Chinese believe that cinnamon heats up a cold body, improves the circulation, and generally gets the blood rushing around, stoking up the waning fire, and they prescribe it for loss of vigor, whether due to stress, aging, or illness. They believe the spice warms the kidneys and cures impotence, weak legs, and backache. Specifically, cinnamon is held supreme for blood deficiencies that leave one feeling weak.

One study found that smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory.  It is a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.

Two teaspoons of cinnamon has about 12 calories.  Studies have shown that just 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower LDL cholesterol.  Several studies suggest that cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially beneficial for people with Type 2 diabetes.

Cinnamon has been used as a tranquilizer and is excellent as a tea used to relieve a stressed out spirit and overworked nerves.  Cinnamon Tea is even used in Asia as a treatment for asthma and is a great tonic when feeling run down. Take four cinnamon sticks, or two teaspoons of cinnamon, and add to two cups of boiling water. Let it boil for ten minutes, and then add honey to sweeten to taste.

One of my favorite easy ways to incorporate Cinnamon is shaking a teaspoon on top of my waffles.

My favorite chili with cinnamon and Chocolate! https://bluemooncandles.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/chocolate-chili-3/

or try Baked Cinnamon Apples.

Try our all natural Eco Friendly Organic wax Candles with Essential oil fragrant blends in Cedar & Cinnamon and Cinnamon Ginger Mint!  What better way to set the mood?!

Love, Laughter & Candlelight!