You don't know who your life could impact at present or in future. Standing side-by-side with a picture of someone I had never met, but still having an unspoken connection to the lives they impacted, says a lot. Especially in an age where digitisation and uniformity of ideology rules, it may seem like individuality is dying out. But God made us with unique abilities, that when utilised, can impact the lives of others in unspoken ways. So, don't feel pressured to follow the crowd, it’s perfectly fine to go against the tide and do your own thing.

Having lived in a developing country, I'm of the mindset that the concept of waste prevention is nothing new. It's more of a community effort. As an adolescent, I would watch my mother gather empty plastic and glass botttles in the pantry until it was a sizeable amount. She would then batch them up in empty woven rice sacks, before handing them to those in need of them. Typically it would be to local street hawkers or local community workers who have come to know her. They seem to look forward to the days they collected the empty bottles. Possibly because these were not just empty bottles, but a source of income to provide for their families. They were able to sell the empty bottles  to recycling agents who would repurpose them. Sometimes, they would sell them to market traders who would clean them and reuse them at their stalls.

Almost everything was recycled. Mainly because money was not in abundance and everyone had to make do with what they had. Pre-used empty cans of tomatoes would become measuring cans for selling grains of rice, cassava granules, pulses and other food products. Oftentimes these empty cans were recycled into baking tins for making foods at home. They would clean the tins and grease them with cooking oil before use to avoid food sticking to the tins. Clothing was passed down from elder to younger siblings and once a family has outgrown their clothing, it would be passed down to loved ones who needed them. Nothing was wasted. The norm was to fix things first before buying new ones. Everyone had a local or street tailor close by to sew or mend their clothing.  From footwear to white goods or automobiles, there were repair men for almost anything.

But the reverse was the case when I ventured into life in the West. Repairing things seemed more of a chore than a lifestyle. More challenging was the cost of repairing things which proved more costly than new ones. Gradually, the urge to recycle went down hill and wastefulness took over. Fast forward to the present day and things are looking much better. The West has picked up on the importance of recycling and are coming up with innovative ways to reduce, manage  and repurpose waste. Would I say that I am waste-free? Of course not, it's still a balancing act. I imagine the case is the same for the Western community. When things are mass produced and churned out at an alarming rate, you quickly form a habit of acquiring things, which increases waste. A good example is fast fashion. Clothings are churned out seasonally and when new ones are bought, the old ones are discarded. So, the challenge would be finding ways to manage waste which can be achieved by buying only what is needed and repurposing what is still of good use. Something I imagine would take time for some of us to adjust to, but is not an impossible task to achieve. It's a case of baby steps and not judging others for lagging behind.

That said, unlike water which is God-made and is naturally recycled, man-made things can't be reused infinitely. There simply will come a time when it has to be thrown away. Even the Bible acknowledges that,

'There is a time to keep things and a time to throw things away.'
- Ecclesiastes 3:6, NCV -

The important thing to consider is whether the item has been fully utilised before it is finally discarded. That is the question to ask ourselves in order to effectively manage waste.

Two recent art installations I came across touched on the subject and drove home the need to manage waste. The first was a project called 'Whale on the Wharf' and the second one was called 'Refuse'. They were thought provoking and would compel anyone to think about how to better manage, reduce, upcycle or repurpose waste. Images of the installations can be seen below, along with pictures of the cardboard box I repurposed to house my silicon soap moulds.

It is our God-given responsibility to care for the earth as confirmed by Genesis 2:15 which says,

'The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to farm the land and to take care of it.'
- Genesis 2:15 -

For that reason, caring for the earth by taking better care of it, is a must and we can do so with God's divine wisdom!

Coriander plant has been around for ages! There is even a reference to this great herb in the Bible in Numbers 11:7 comparing its seeds to Manna. It says,

'Manna was like Coriander seed.’

Coriander seed is the produce of this great plant. So, it's a privilege to still have them around today and enjoy it's many benefits. To make your own, see below for details:

Ingredients:
Four Coriander leaves
One star anise
One and half cups of water

Brewing instructions:
- Pour one and half cups of water in a pot
- Let the water boil on the hob for a minute & add star Anise
- Let the star Anise boil for one minute, then add Coriander leaves
- Let it cook for three minutes and take the pot off the hob
- Let it cool, pour in a cup and serve
- Add honey or natural sweetener of your choice if needed.
Relax and enjoy your Coriander brew!

Please note: As with any herb, do check the ingredients are suitable for you before trying it out.

Happy Mother's Day to all the nurturing soldiers out there. And to those who have lost a mother and lost a heart because of it, may the Lord fill your heart with love today. In Jesus name, amen. Stay blessed and keep on going!

This video is a spoken version of the 'Daffodils' poem posted earlier for those who might prefer it. See post below.

There are things we take for granted that should always be a blessing. This poem is in celebration of one of those things, 'Daffodils'. They are a beautiful reminder of the importance of gratitude for the everyday things we take for granted. Things, that bring a ray of sunshine to our lives even in their simplest form. As we welcome the spring season, let's be thankful for the little things. Have a great spring!

Stay blessed and keep on going!!

'The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.'
- Psalm 24:1, NKJV -

We all face stressful days or days where we get a little anxious. Essential oils can come in handy during those times. This essential oil nasal inhaler, with it's relaxing properties can help calm the nerves. Want to try making your own homemade nasal inhaler? Just follow the simple  steps below:

Recipe
8 drops of  lavender essential oil
3 drops of grapefruit essential oil
4 drops of ylang ylang essential oil
(Total of 15 drops of essential oil required)

Items needed
- Essential oil
- Cotton wick
- Tweezer
- Nasal inhaler tube
- Metal or glass bowl

Steps to take
1) Place the cotton wick in a bowl
2) Drip 15 drops of essential oil on the cotton wick.
3) Pick-up the cotton wick with a tweezer and insert it into the nasal inhaler tube.
4) Close the nasal inhaler tube.
That's it. Your essential oil nasal inhaler is ready to use! 

Storage: Will last up to 3months.

For this recipe I blended lavender, ylang ylang and grapefruit essential oils for their relaxing, calming and uplifting properties. The ideal travel companion to calm the nerves on a stressful day and handy to carry in your purse, hand bag or backpack.  It's why I named it a touch of calm!

Important note: Be sure to check the ingredients used are suitable for you before trying it out.

When you face distractions at every turn and your attention is being pulled in different directions, what do you do? The answer is simple: Step away from the distractions by focusing on something completely different. Something unrelated to what is vying for your attention. This is where DIY (do-it-yourself) projects or doing any kind of hands-on creative projects can prove useful. When you make something it engages your mind, so much so that you become fully immersed in the process of making. To the point where everything else fades into the background. This is known as the state of flow. That is, the moment where time seems to stand still and you are completely engaged in the task at hand. Being in this state can help you forget your worries or help you come up with creative solutions to your problems.

Beyond that, making things or doing DIY can reduce stress, build resilience, boost mood, improve self-confidence, as well as increase Endorphins and Dopamine levels to the brain. A recent research has found a strong link exists between DIY and wellbeing, showing that doing hands-on projects can positively impact mental health. The research suggests that doing DIY can help combat anxiety, stress and improve wellbeing. In short, doing DIY is Good for you. Click Wickes for details.

Why not give it a try? Taking up a creative or hands-on activity to unwind from the daily stress of life can be immensely beneficial. Looking for ideas? You might want to start with some basic home repairs, like regrouting tiles. Being able to tackle a kitchen and bath tiling project during the height of my busy schedule proved useful as a switch-off tool. See below for pictures from my regrouting project. Whilst the outcome wasn’t perfect, it surely helped me press reset and refocus my mind. It also helped me save some money!

See short You Tube video from Wickes on DIY and wellbeing or click Wickes for more DIY inspiration. Hope this encourages you to create something when you are facing distractions and help shut out the noise. Take care of your wellbeing because it is your greatest wealth!

Please note: This website has no affiliation with Wickes and used Wickes for signposting purposes only. Especially with regards to the subject discussed. Many thanks!

Happy Valentine’s day my lovelies! Showing love should be a 365-day thingy. Not just a once in a year occurrence. The Bible says, ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:16). So, loving others is a Godly thing to do. Just remember to shower yourself with love too, because let’s face it, you’re worth it! I'll leave you with a song by ‘Annatoria called ‘That Love’, in gratitude to God and in celebration of Valentines day. Have a great Valentine's!!