Your Loved One Might Owe You Something This Good
You know when your favorite person makes a mistake so grave that they really ought to do something to redeem themselves, even though their mistake was just stupid and wrong-headed and not mean-spirited? Welp, my husband knows when he makes such a mistake, even when I don’t torture him about his inadvertent wrongdoing. I was soldiering on through the unfortunate situation he helped to create—and being way more understanding than he deserved—when I received a fantastic, unexpected gift: a feather body pillow.
You haven’t slept well until you’ve slept with your arms and legs wrapped around a feather body pillow. (Now, I sort of think I might need another feather pillow to tuck in behind me and lean against, but he hasn’t been that bad yet. The year is still young.) But every night since I first snuggled down with that fabulous pillow, I’ve settled in with a heartfelt sigh and reminded myself to write a blogpost about it.
We all deserve a pillow (or two) like this, even when our loved ones don’t mess up bad enough to give one to us. We spend 1/3 of our lives in bed, so we owe it to ourselves to make sure our sleepy time is as comfy and nurturing as we can make it. Now, if you’re allergic to feathers or you object to feather pillows in general, I guess you’ll have to do something different. Other than advising that a cheap polyester pillow will only make you hot and sweaty, I’ll bow out of any further conversation on the subject. You do what you want, and I won’t judge you, just as I’d prefer you don’t judge me for my choices. But if you want to sleep better than you’ve ever slept before, you might want to get a huge, fluffy feather pillow for yourself. (Or, if you’ve been bad, get one for someone you love.)
LEVOIT Air Purifiers for Home
My wonderful sister smoked cigarettes inside her house. But her house didn’t stink of smoke, because she kept more than one high-quality, large-room air purifiers going 24/7. They did a great job, not only of keeping the air clean, but of preventing nicotine from staining the walls. (Once upon a time, I helped take care of a housebound neighbor who chain-smoked without the benefit of an air purifier to mitigate the damage, and let me tell you, the yellow stains on the walls were as thick and impossible to remove as wood varnish.) I couldn’t find the exact kind of purifier that my sister used, but this one looks similar, is reasonably priced, and has great reviews.
Diffuser - Professional Grade - Wood and Glass
I’ve tried just about every kind of essential oil diffuser on the market. This is my all-time favorite, because #1, it’s pretty. But also #1, it works better and is cleaner and easier to use than the ones that use a water reservoir. With this kind, you’re ONLY diffusing the essential oil droplets into the air; not oils that have been watered-down by potentially moldy water. No worries about the device leaking or the water vapor leaving a damp residue on nearby furniture or walls either.
Ancient Minerals Magnesium Bath Flakes
I miss my bathtub! I really, really miss my bathtub. Our bathroom only has a shower, and when we bought this house, I told my husband that no-bathtub is a deal-breaker, so he promised that we’d remedy that situation as soon as we could afford it. Because let me tell you, I am SUFFERING without my nightly magnesium soaks. This is the brand I settled on after trying a few. Now, I can’t say for sure whether this will help you sleep better or avoid nightly leg cramps, but I do believe it helped me. At the very least, soaking in a tub of warm, magnesium-salted bath water helps me relax at the end of a long day.
Earthing Universal Mat Kit 2 Pack
I haven’t used one of these, because to me, it’s easy enough to walk outside barefoot—especially since the type of fire ants we have here live in the trees instead of the dirt. And I spend a lot of time outside, so I think I’m probably good-enough when it comes to grounding. But I’ve met people who swear by these things. I’m including it here for the sake of information. You can decide whether it’s worth a try. At least they’re not very expensive, so if they don’t work, you’re not out by much, and there are versions you can use as a yoga mat, a kitchen rug, a mattress cover, or even a car seat. If you try it and it works (or doesn’t, whatever), please let me know.
My favorite meditation cushion
Alexia Meditation Seat Zen Yoga Chair (Teal Vegan Leather)
I love this meditation cushion! It's one of the best investments I've ever made for myself. Before I added this important tool to my life, I couldn't meditate for more than five minutes without my back and hips hurting. Now, I can sit and meditate for as long as I want! It's amazing!
Meditate more!
Secret Universal Mind Meditation
The Secret Universal Mind Meditation is my favorite guided meditation music. It's designed to listen to while you're falling asleep, so it works great with the Cozy Phones headphones. Warning: Don't put one recording on auto-repeat, because listening to the same tones all night long, over time, can make your ears ring. (Which I found out after listening to this soundtrack all night long every night for weeks on end.)
Sleep better!
My wonderful husband sometimes snores. Sorry to have to say that about him, but there it is. I tried ear plugs, pretty much every kind that exists. They're uncomfortable and don't work that well. I dosed myself up with OTC sleep aids, which worked but made me drowsy the next day. Then I found Cozy Phones headphones, which I plug into my phone so I can fall asleep to meditation music.
Immune System Support
In my book Hear Them Speak, I tell readers that there are times when we're just not up for communicating. One of those times is when we're not feeling well. Not much we can do about being sick, right? But then again, maybe there is. A nutritionist recommended this product to me years ago. I took it because she said I should, but I became a true believer when I woke up with a sore throat at 2 a.m. the night before I was scheduled to teach a weekend animal communication class at the farm. I marched downstairs and yelled, "You made me sick!" at my poor husband who was sitting up watching TV because he had the flu and was too miserable to sleep. I poured a big glass of orange juice and took some vitamin C packets, then went back to sleep. When I woke the next morning, I was fine! If I ever wake up with a sore throat or that icky Oh-no-I'm coming-down-with-something feeling, I load up on Lipospheric Vitamin C and often that helps me to avoid getting sick at all. I also take it religiously whenever I'm traveling and exposed to more germs than usual. It's expensive (around $1 a dose) but worth every penny.
