I am so far behind on these Perk-Ups that it’s embarrassing! But here I am, trodding right along as if nothing ever happened. And really, when you have a hot cup of DD’s Pumpkin White Chocolate Latte, you really can leave all your cares behind. An “aaaah” in every sip. 
Anyway, September was completely skipped over, and we’re already more than halfway through October. But that just means I have that much more to share with y’all!
(If you ever want to be featured in TCC’s Wednesday Perk-Ups, by the way, just shoot me a message! I absolutely love including people in this!)
When Witches Go Riding Writing
Samhain’s Sirens: Bringing Sex, Fun, and Prizes to the New Year!
Samhain’s Sirens is a gift of Halloween love to you from us. During the Samhain season (October 1- November 2) we’ll be treating you to blogs, giveaways, craft ideas, recipes and music to help you celebrate this holy and happy time in honoring the thinning of the veil and our ancestors.
I hope y’all enjoy this page! I had to drop out of most of the festivities myself (blog post to be featured on Samhain’s Sirens about that this Friday), but it’s run and contributed by several talented witches all around the world! Yesterday’s blog post is from Sosanna over at Sosanna’s Closet… I highly recommend and dearly love this girl!
Be sure to visit their other pages, too:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamhainSirens
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamhainSirens
And don’t forget to enter their daily giveaways!!
Sam Curtin: Bones, Buried Treasure and Beliefs
You know what I love about this girl? Aside from the fact that she’s Sam and she’s awesome. Sam has such a great spirit and the biggest heart you could ever imagine, and that shines through everything she does. Just today, she posted about charities that are looking to improve the lives of the less fortunate. One is Shepherd’s Table, and her workplace is participating in a food and clothing drive from 22 October through 16 November. Would you consider giving something, if not to this charity, then something else local to you?
If you’re interested in helping Sam’s and Shepherd’s Table’s effort, below are items taken from the organization’s wish list:
Food Items:
- Margarine or butter
- Pepper
- Salad dressing
- Hot sauce (an item our guests love)
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Canned vegetables (large #10 cans)
- Soup (cream-based or broth)
- Spices
- Coffee
- Creamer
- Sweet-N-Low or other sugar substitutes
Kitchen Items:
- Aluminum foil (large industrial roll)
- Saran Wrap
- Paper Napkins
- Industrial Can Openers
- Tide Laundry Detergent (powder)
- Metal Silverware (spoons and forks)
Clothing Closet Items:
Shepherd’s Table always accepts donations of new and gently used-clothing and shoes. Please donate seasonal items that will enhance the dignity of their clients.
- Sweaters
- Sweatshirts
- Sweatpants
- Men’s Jackets
- Children’s Clothing
- New Men’s and Women’s Socks
- New Men’s Underwear (smaller sizes)
- New Women’s Underwear (all sizes)
- Shampoo, conditioner, soap, shaving cream, toothpaste, and deodorant (travel-size bottles)
Resource Center Items:
- Blankets
- Safety Razors
Administrative Items:
- Stamps
- Paper (97 bright white)
Food for Thought
ThinkProgress.org: Skinny Minnie Mouse Could Give Girls Body Image Problems for Christmas
It’s the gift that keeps on giving, right?
I fully admit to having body image issues of my own, as do upwards of 80% of American women. It’s difficult for us to accept our bodies as they are and realize that they are all created perfect in whatever form is given to us.
And it’s this kind of display that really gets my shackles up. A far cry from the Minnie with which I grew up, this new Minnie, featured by the New York department store Barneys, is 5’11” tall and has legs that are probably thinner than my pinky finger.
“When we got to the moment when all Disney characters walk on the runway, there was a discussion,” Freedman recalled. “The standard Minnie Mouse will not look so good in a Lanvin dress. There was a real moment of silence, because these characters don’t change. I said, ‘If we’re going to make this work, we have to have a 5-foot-11 Minnie,’ and they agreed. When you see Goofy, Minnie and Mickey, they are runway models.”
We’re already bombarded on a daily basis as to what “true beauty” is: Stick-skinny models teetering on four-inch heels, done-up faces with not a speck of natural skin showing through, body parts that have been “enhanced” using surgery or other questionable methods. It’s no wonder that eighty percent of 10-year-old girls in the US say that they have been on a diet – with pressure around them every day to fit a specific mold or conform to society’s idea of “beauty”, they feel they have no choice but to fit in.
Even if it brings them to their deaths.
This news makes me terrified to have a daughter of my own. If I were to ever be blessed with a little girl, I’d want her to feel comfortable in her own skin, to know that she is beautiful just the way she is, and that anyone telling her otherwise is insecure and trying to make her feel bad for their own gratification.
Reminds me of a beautiful photo a friend of mine posted to her Facebook wall not too long ago:
Speaking of being born a certain way and accepting yourself for who you are:
Led by Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta, the Born This Way Foundation was founded in 2011 to foster a more accepting society, where differences are embraced and individuality is celebrated. The Foundation is dedicated to creating a safe community that helps connect young people with the skills and opportunities they need to build a kinder, braver world.
We believe that everyone has the right to feel safe, to be empowered and to make a difference in the world. Together, we will move towards acceptance, bravery and love.
Vegetarian Times: Ingredient Substitution Guide
A fantastic resource for tweaking otherwise non-veg*n dishes! As recommended, try to keep substitution ingredients within the same ethnic category, i.e. black beans or hominy for Mexican dishes and lentils for Indian recipes.
They have great suggestions for making a dish meatless, vegan, low-fat, allergen-free, ethnic, and alcohol-free. A great way to easily swap out one ingredient for another and still create a delicious dish!
Local Brew
Every Sunday, 1:00pm-5:00pm: Open Hearth Foundation Pagan Book Drive
1502 Massachusetts Ave SE, Washington, DC 20003
Got Books? Got Tarot Decks?
We will be collecting donations of books, periodicals, and tarot decks at the OHF Library in the DC Pagan Community Center.
The OHF Pagan Library is constantly building our collection and you can help! Stop by, bring us your books, check out the library!
The Open Hearth Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Donations are tax deductible.
Decaffeinated: Blissful News
This Month in Holidays
Be sure to check out our NASA Goddard-provided list! (Old, but whatevs, lol.)
(Thank you to HolidayInsights.com for this list!)
Month:
- Adopt a Shelter Dog Month
- American Pharmacist Month
- Apple Jack Month
- Awareness Month
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- Clergy Appreciation Month
- Computer Learning Month
- Cookie Month
- Domestic Violence Awareness Month
- Eat Country Ham Month
- International Drum Month
- Lupus Awareness Month
- National Diabetes Month
- National Pizza Month
- National Vegetarian Month
- National Popcorn Popping Month
- Sarcastic Month
- Seafood Month
Weekly Celebrations:
- Week 1 Get Organized Week
- Week 1 Customer Service Week
- Week 2 Fire Prevention Week
- Week 2 Pet Peeve Week
- Week 3 Pastoral Care Week
Each Day Year 2012:
2 National Custodial Worker Day
2 Name Your Car Day
3 Techies Day
3 Virus Appreciation Day
4 National Golf Day
4 National Frappe Day
5 Do Something Nice Day
5 World Teacher’s Day
6 Come and Take it Day
6 International Frugal Fun Day – first Saturday of the month
6 Mad Hatter Day
6 Physician Assistant Day
7 Bald and Free Day
7 Oktoberfest in Germany ends, date varies
7 World Smile Day
8 American Touch Tag Day
8 Columbus Day – second Monday of month
9 Curious Events Day
9 Fire Prevention Day
9 Leif Erikson Day
9 Moldy Cheese Day
10 Emergency Nurses Day- date varies
10 National Angel Food Cake Day
11 It’s My Party Day
11 Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day
12 Cookbook Launch Day
12 Old Farmer’s Day
12 Moment of Frustration Day
12 World Egg Day – second Friday of the month
14 Be Bald and Free Day
14 National Dessert Day - take an extra helping, or two
16 Bosses Day
16 Dictionary Day
18 No Beard Day
20 Brandied Fruit Day
20 International Newspaper Carrier Day -date varies each year
20 Sweetest Day Third Saturday of month
21 Babbling Day
21 Count Your Buttons Day
21 National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day find a recipe, too.
23 National Mole Day
23 Tv Talk Show Host Day
24 National Bologna Day
24 United Nations Day
25 Punk for a Day Day
25 World Pasta Day
26 Frankenstein Friday - last Friday in October
26 National Mincemeat Day
27 Make a Difference Day- fourth Saturday of the month, an opportunity for neighbors to help neighbors.
27 National Tell a Story Day – in Scotland and the U.K.
27 Navy Day
28 Mother-In-Law Day – fourth Sunday in October
28 Plush Animal Lover’s Day
29 Hermit Day
29 National Frankenstein Day
30 National Candy Corn Day
30 Mischief Night
31 Carve a Pumpkin Day – no surprise here
31 Halloween
31 Increase Your Psychic Powers Day
Yoga Journal: What Your Tongue Can Tell You About Your Health by Ashley Pitman
I’m going to let you in on a massive health secret. Inside of your mouth you have a reliable diagnostic tool for monitoring your overall state of health on a day to day basis.
It can tell you if you’ve properly digested your food from the night before, if your colon is clear, if your organs are happy, if you could use a cleanse, if you’re holding onto too much anxiety or fear and it can even aid in diagnosing disease.
This diagnostic tool is your tongue. If you’ve never taken a peek at your tongue start checking it out first thing in the morning, before you brush your teeth or eat. In general, you’re looking at the color, shape, and coating of your tongue.
A body with healthy organs and a clear digestive tract will show up pretty pink. A body with clogged organs or undigested food from the night before will show up with a layer of fuzz, film, the quivers, indentations from teeth, and/ or bumps (other than your taste buds).
Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine have been advocating and performing this type of visual inspection for thousands of years. In fact, tongue diagnosis is actually a very old practice that dates back to the Shang Dynasty, which began around 1600 B.C.
Although the intricacies of tongue analysis can take years, or even a lifetime to master, there are a few simple things you can learn right away to diagnose yourself and quickly remove any toxins that have accumulated.
First off, below is a mirror image chart of what organs correspond to what part of the tongue. Cool, right? So, the gist of tongue analysis is that if something funky or abnormal is showing up on your tongue, take note of where it is. These locations give us insight into the health and state of our organs.
(Read more…)
Espresso Shots: News with a Kick!
Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Granola
This comes to me from Dashing Dish! While I haven’t checked out the rest of her recipes yet, this was a GREAT one to start off with. I’m considering a few changes to her recipes, so if you’re feeling daring or off-the-cuff, check out my [suggestions]. YUM.
Ingredients
* 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
* 2 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
* 1/2 cup baking stevia [or sugar because why not – in fact, I’d love to try 1/4 cup each white and brown! Ooh, or turbinado!]
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 3/4 cups pumpkin [check out TCC’s pumpkin goop recipe!]
* 1/2 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
* 3 Tbsp agave nectar
* Optional: 1/2 cup white chocolate [or butterscotch, if you’re into that] chips, 1 cup honey [or other] teddy grahams (lightly crushed)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. [If you’re using the optional ingredients, add them at the end!] Mix wet into the dry using a spatula (or your hands) until everything is well-combined and oats are coated with wet ingredients.
3. Place granola on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, then stir granola around. Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until granola is golden brown and crisp. Take the granola out of the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet.
4. Stir in the optional ingredients, then store in an airtight container for up to a week [if it lasts that long!].
