Homemade incense.....yeah, it's a thing!

I have some amazing incense, purchased from a website where things are hand made and fresh.  I also have some incense from the store....some from Walmart, some from Planet K, some from a metaphysical store in Sedona, some from Amazon.  

There is a HUUUUGE difference between the incense I purchased from the website where the woman hand makes things and all the other sources.  Huge.  Did I mention how vast the difference is?  The scent is true, not headache inducing overpowering like I've run into from other sources.  Well worth the cost and yes, I know it's "handmade" but never stopped to ponder that handmade meant that me, with my aromatherapy background and love, could make it myself.

Until today, that is.  I take classes through Aromahead Institute and am working on my Aromatherapy Specialist designation.  I read the Aromahead Blog as well as the Aromatics International Blog (one of my absolute favorite oil suppliers as they have extremely complete info on their site).  Guess what?  I found a great post from Aromahead that explains how to make your own incense sticks.  It details out why many of the mass produced blank incense sticks are NOT good due to ingredients in them.  The resource for Thai Punk Sticks she recommends is from Scents of the Earth. 

I know this hand made incense won't be as inexpensive as what I'd been purchasing in stores, but that's not my end goal.  I look to have more natural ingredients about me, things that do me and my psyche good, are good for my world.  In pursuing this, I have less and better quality and truly enjoy it more.

It's not for everyone, making your own incense, but I wanted to share.  I haven't tried it yet as I've just ordered my punk, but I'm moving my little used olive dish into my "laboratory" or studio as I prefer to call it, and am anxiously awaiting to make my own!

If you try it out, please let me know what you think.....dobré zdraví.

Recording the changes......

This picture appeared in The Independent, the local LH newspaper recently.....shows (a bit) my weight loss but of course I'm wearing a HUGE sweatshirt.  I browsed through past pictures and just made myself sick seeing what I looked like before.....overweight, matronly.  Holy crap.  That was so not me, no wonder I never felt like myself.

I've grabbed the reins back and no more being everything else for everyone.  Me first.  I need to work out, walk, run, eat right.  I'm doing it.  Feeling much better about myself.  Going to look for better pics to post the change......I should post the before pictures but need to get the guts up.  Oh heck....will keep me where I am right?

Carpe diem!

Ch..ch...ch....changes.....

Tried on and off for years to lose weight, it truly does take a mindset, something clicking on in your brain to do it.  Well, and a pretty little pill called phentermine to jump start it. 

I'd gotten to my heaviest ever, dealing with being suddenly single, no health insurance, difficult to get due to borderline diabetes.  Unknown to me I had high blood pressure and high cholesterol as well.  Finally got insurance and doc wanted me working on weight.  Two years.....lose....excuses....finally he said enough, do it NOW and we are starting you with an appetite suppressant to get you moving.  That was start of March 2012.

One month and 20 pounds lighter, the motivation was great.  Still on lowest dose, I continued to lose.  It is now a full six months later, he still has me on a higher dosage to get the rest off....he gave me a goal of 10 more pounds to put me within my ideal weight range, a range I never thought I'd see again.  I"m three pounds into it, seven to go. 

Along the way.....shock, excitement, buy new clothes.  OOPS!  Everything I bought is too big one month later.  Not that I lost a lot during that month, five pounds, but it was like everything settled in and my body really started showing the change.  So....those size 10's that I just bought were too big.....out shopping again.  SHOCK!  Size 8 and 6 fit....depends on brand, cut.  Shirts?  Now having to buy a medium, the larges I just bought are hanging loose.

Today I'm feeling great, feel like ME again.  I have energy, I walk and feel like I'm trucking along at a fast clip, not gasping for air at all....probably could push it up even faster.  I no longer an on blood pressure medicine as my bp has maintained a respectable 118/80 for quite a while.  Cholesterol is inline with the exception of HDL's being a bit under the range they should be, the solution?  Increase exercise.  Weight lost to date?  43 pounds.  Size's lost?  Well, I started at a 14 or an XL woman's shirt, L in men's t-shirt.  Today I wear a 6/8 in pants, a medium in women's shirts and a medium in men's t-shirts.  My closet?  Rather empty and it will stay that way for a while as I continue losing the last few pounds and evaluate if I'm going to continue losing a bit more or what the status is. 

The biggest pay off?  Well besides the constant compliments on looking great, SHOPPING IS FUN!!!!  I've hated shopping for years because things didn't fit, I looked fat, whatever it may be.  But now the biggest challenge I face when shopping is of all the items I try on, of which 90 percent fit, what do I choose?  I've never had so many choices of things that fit.  It's nice being able to be picky.

I need to get whole body pics .... but I've been told the face shots are very evident that there was weight loss......yeeehawww!