I’ve been reading quite a bit on aromatherapy and have used a diffuser from Origins before that helps me ease my racing mind before bed. Not sure why Origins stopped carrying the diffuser, but you can get it on Amazon. I really liked the diffuser because it was compact, easy to use and there was no mess. I’d just pop it in my purse and whip it out anytime road rage hit, when I know I’ll get jitters or before bed when my mind is still ruminating from the day.

But, in all honesty, I need sensory therapy all 24 hours! I’m a stress case that’s also a worry wart, the worst kind. From the time I wake, my mind begins it’s never-ending cycles.

…What time is it? Is it too late for me to take my morning meds? What should I eat for breakfast before taking the meds? I should clean. Where should I start? Where’s the cat? Has she been fed? Maybe she’s puked again. I should definitely clean. I hope I get my magazines in the mail today. Did I pay my bills yet? I’ve got to check my bank account. Wait, I haven’t eaten anything yet or taken my meds, I should do that first. What’s that noise? Is it outside? I’ll go downstairs and check it out. I’ll take the trash out while I go down stairs. Remember to grab keys. Oh, I could get the CD from my car that I wanted to transfer to my phone and bring down those wipes I got for my dashboard too! I hope these cheap wipes don’t ruin my car. Did it rain this morning? I don’t want to go out with sandals on. I’m kind of craving those wontons again from that place. I wonder if they’re open yet. Should I just drive there or have them delivered? Wait, do I even have cash on me? I should go to the bank. CVS is right next door, I can go pick up my new prescriptions too. I still need  to return that book I got from the library a few days ago…

So now you have a glimpse into oh, about the first 30 seconds of my mornings, you can clearly understand why I need products to help me focus and calm down. I’ve talked to my doctors and they’ve just said to write things I need to remember down, then forget about it. If I need to later, I can refer back to the notes. Which is actually a good idea and I’ve been using this method quite often and it has helped me stop obsessing over things. But for that extra boost to ease my mind, I use aromatherapy. I’ve found there are many different companies that produce different products for aromatherapy.

Massages, diffusers, incense sticks, candles, all can be combined with a multitude of different scents and essential oils for what’s ailing you. Learn more about essential oils here. Or just a simple google search will bring a numerous pages of the different companies which usually have the benefits of each of the different oils/scents as well.

With my research, I felt that lavender would work best for me throughout the day. So I took a trip to Whole Foods and bought a few things for the home. Lavender Aura Cacia Essential Oil and a candle by tru malange in Evening Peace. I also purchased a USB aromatherapy oil burner from thinkgeek.com a couple weeks ago that I use with the oil. It’s great and since I’m always on the computer, it’s right next to me all the time!

For on the go, I got Dr. Bronner’s organic lavender hand sanitizing spray and Bach’s Rescue Remedy drops. I found out Rescue Remedy from Whole Living magazine that I subscribe to and wanted to give it a shot.

I’ll let you know how it works in a later post!

Eight days into the month and our bills are paid (except one) through August.

There’s a certain amount of responsibility we must consider regarding our purchases when living on our own. Especially since we’re a one income household (until I hear back from some recruiters, keep your fingers crossed!) and because of this we’ve got to be smart about what we spend. Although we each have our share of splurge worthy items (for me – sephora trips, for him – camera accessories), we’ve managed to not only stay afloat without assistance, but we’ve saved five figures worth (with decimal) for our wedding budget!

I’ve always been a conscious shopper — looking for deals and such. But remembering back a few years ago, there were so many things I could have done differently to save even more. I’ve made out ok, but there’s always room for improvement.

So fast forward to 2010 and I’m a savings-savvy, bargain-hunting, price comparing, coupon-clipping frugalista! Seriously, it pays off and you’ll see what 50¢ here 75¢ there  adds up to. And if you don’t mind the spam box of occasional junk mail (but also bears great discounts/coupons), sign up online for the stores you frequent and/ or register for free store loyalty discount cards. Not sure how these work, but there have been plenty of times that I’ve made out like a bandit just by swiping these loyalty cards. There are also sites devoted to great deals where you can grab a promo code (for online purchases, of course) or print out store coupons. There are even sites where other coupon lovers swap out one deal for another! The possibility of saving a buck or two is endless, you’ve just got to do your homework.

Here’s an article with a concise list of the sites I use to wrangle my coupons:

http://www.wisebread.com/the-best-places-to-get-coupons-online

Happy shopping!

>