Monthly Archives: June 2011

10 things blogged on the 10th of every month.

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I’ve recently been renewing my garden and have created a little, cool, shady place to sit when I need to calm down or just enjoy the garden on a hot day. I often refer to my “Little Book of Calm” by Paul Wilson to help me to gather my thoughts. I hope you will find the following 10 thoughts from the book helpful and I’ve also included a photo of my shady place to help you get in the mood.

10 thoughts by Paul Wilson to inspire you:-
  1. GROW YOUR OWN- Gardeners are among the most calm and relaxed people (while they’re gardening) you’ll find.
  2. PAINT THE TOWN GREEN- Keep plants where you work, sleep and live and you’ll enjoy more oxygen. The more oxygen you can get, the calmer you will become.
  3. THINK CALM- Have calm thoughts, picture calm scenes, recall calm sounds.
  4. SMELL THE BLOOMS- Certain scents stimulate the production of the relaxing chemical, serotonin, in the brain.Among the most effective of these scents are lavender and chamomile.
  5. USE A SOFT VOICE- Have you ever noticed a calm person with a loud voice?
  6. PRETEND IT’S SATURDAY.
  7. REST IN A TUB- A leisurely, warm bath soothes like no other method. Lower the lights, add a few drops of your favourite oil, and you’ll be transported.
  8. GO ON, SMILE- A smile relaxes all the major facial muscles. It also sets off an emotional chain reaction that invariably helps you feel good.
  9. RECOGNISE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVING AND LIVING.
  10. GAZE ON SOMETHING BLUE- Or pink. Sometimes green. Each of these colours- one warm, two cool- has the ability to instil calm in a troubled mind.
There are LOADS more in the book and if you would like to leave a comment either just say ‘Hello’ 🙂 or share something you do to help you stay calm. Lots of Love, Irene x.

Poor Kids

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Where did all the money go that was thrown at the country over the past few years?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b011vnls/Poor_Kids/
“Documentary telling the stories of some of the 3.5 million children living in poverty in the UK. It is one of the worst child poverty rates in the industrialised world, and successive governments continue to struggle to bring it into line. So who are these children, and where are they living? Under-represented, under-nourished and often under the radar, 3.5 million children should be given a voice. And this powerful film does just that.
Eight-year-old Courtney, 10-year-old Paige and 11-year-old Sam live in different parts of the UK. Breathtakingly honest and eloquent, they give testament to how having no money affects their lives: lack of food, being bullied and having nowhere to play. The children might be indignant about their situation now, but this may not be enough to help them. Their thoughts on their futures are sobering.
Sam’s 16-year-old sister Kayleigh puts it all into context, as she tells how the effects of poverty led her to take extreme measures to try and escape it all.
Poor Kids puts the children on centre stage, and they command it with honesty and directness. It’s time for everyone to listen.”
Courtesy of the BBC