Pool Pictures, Winter Solstice, Tips for Free Goodies

PinSave

This post may contain affiliate links.

Hi Friends!  I hope your week is going along well.  And you’re staying warm!  It’s plenty warm here in Aruba.

We got some sun yesterday and hit up the pool for an hour or so. 

Pool view with people swimming

 

Young girl in swimsuit playing on pool steps

 

Young girl on pool steps leaning over edge of pool

I tried to rest on my chaise lounge for a nanosecond but Skylar will have none of that. 

Woman and child sitting on lounge chair smiling
Excuse the hair.  Clearly my Brazilian Blowout has worn off and the humidity here makes everyone’s hair a little wild.  I have an appointment for another Brazilian Blowout in January.  Yep, chemicals and all.

 

Uo close of woman and young girl on lounge chair smiling

Thanks to everyone who wished Scott a Happy Birthday.  You all are amazing.  I just want to say that because really, I would never think that my readers or friends would bother wanting to wish him a Happy Birthday because you don’t “know” him at all, but thank you so much! 

He enjoyed reading all the nice well-wishes and commentsEvery time I showed him a new comment, he was really touched! 

And I enjoyed reading how you like to celebrate your birthday

Side of raising bread unwrapped
 Moistest and Cheapest Birthday Cake, ever.

I wanted to make sure everyone knew it was the Winter Solstice on December 21.  I did quite an extensive post on it last year

As I mentioned in that post, it’s customary in yoga to mark the Solstices with 108 Sun Salutations.  You don’t have to do all 108 Sun Salutations.  Do as many as you feel is appropriate.  Heck, just do one!  Kath recently posted that she did 108Go Kath!

Just be mindful, aware, and present that the days will now get longer and notice how this effects you in your daily life.   There’s more on this in my post from last year on solstices.

Snack Time: Carmelized Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Chickpea “Peanuts”  
Just like the nuts they sell at the mall this time of year.  Almost.  The smells of cinnamon and sugar that waft through the air and tempt you.  But these aren’t really nuts so for anyone with nut allergies these are perfect.  But they will still tempt you!

Carmelized Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Chickpea "Peanuts"  on foil lined pan

 

Close up of Carmelized Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Chickpea "Peanuts" 

Tips of the Day
1. Free Recipes
Click here to download your FREE Vegan Christmas Dinner Recipe Book

2. Free NuNaturals Stevia through their FREE SAMPLES program!
ALL Continental U.S. readers can receive FREE SAMPLES of NuStevia Packets by sending a SELF-ADDRESSED, STAMPED, # 10 envelope to us at the following location :

NuNaturals , Inc.
2220 West 2nd. Ave. # 1
Eugene, OR 97402

3. Don’t forget about my $50 iHerb Give Away!
Ends Tomorrow!

 

 

 

Dollar signs

 

Click Here to Enter



Questions
1. Do you have any tips on how to score Free or Low Cost Goodies?
Three random things that come to mind…

If you live near a farmer’s market and can go there about 15 minutes before closing time, many vendors will give you what they didn’t sell for super cheap or for free.

Don’t be afraid to barter with people.  I’ve mentioned this in my Yoga FAQ’s post, but many yoga teachers will gladly barter for free yoga classes if you can provide them with another service, i.e. you do nails, or hair, or can babysit, or can even cook for them and do a meal exchange.  Think Creatively and Out of the Box!

Oh and yesterday’s post about Cameras and lenses, lots of you recommended Craiglist.  I am a huge Craiglist fan already!  That’s how I got my Macbook for hundreds less.

2. Do you celebrate the Solstices or occurrences in the natural world in any way? 
Yesterday day I mentioned there was a total lunar eclipse.  And although I missed it because I fell asleep (darn!) I do like to be mindful and stay in tune with the natural world. 

If you’re a new reader, I’ve discussed many times about how the Full Moon effects us.  Things to be aware of from insomnia to heightened or heated exchanges in our personal relationships and more.  So if you’re noticing it hard to sleep right now, the moon and natural world could be effecting you.

I had the worst time sleeping last nigh and I’ve had excess energy.  Kind of a disorganized, manic energy though.  Total full moon stuff.

That said, what’s going on in the natural world is only one piece to the puzzle of life because we don’t live in a “natural world”.  We live in a modern world and tweet and sit at our desks and computers and rush around to crowded shopping plazas much and so many of us are quite disconnected from the natural world.  So yes, I am mindful of natural occurrences, but I am not off in total la-la land with these things…haha!

It’s time to workout.

On This Path

Beach with rocks going into ocean

Woman taking photo of self on beach smiling

Then Come Home…

Woman doing yoga pose

….For lots of extra Yoga today in celebration of the Solstice!

See you all back here later today…

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

Get the latest recipes via email!

Leave a Comment

Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.