FEEL GOOD FACTOR

Inspiration:

Try setting yourself free! Be who and what you are. Not what others expect or want you to be. Perhaps you have lost sight of your true character. Let a trip back to childhood through colours and paper remind you.


DAUBING PUTS COLOUR BACK INTO YOUR LIFE

By Teresa O’Driscoll


Do you remember the childhood joy of splashing bright colours all over a piece of white paper? Of putting whatever colour you wanted, wherever you wanted it, in whatever shape you wanted it - and loving every minute! “Free expression” is what it would have been labelled but at that time we neither knew nor cared about labels - we were just having fun. In this case nostalgia alone is out of place. It is within your power to turn back the clock and recapture that freedom. Painting is a cheap and cheerful way to lift the spirits.

"Not everyone needs or wants to become a painter but it is important to express what is inside of us and this is a good way to do it," commented artist Elisabeth Mamas, who has also studied communications science. Painting is an accepted way to relax the mind and bring about a more positive attitude to life. Hospitals, for example, often encourage patients to paint as part of the healing process. "Painting can have a therapeutic effect,” Mamas agreed. “The action of applying paint to paper can be calming.” She teaches art to adults and to children at her home atelier in Athens. "In my lessons there is always music playing, often classical, and this, together with the painting itself, engenders a soothing atmosphere," she shared.

The materials needed to begin are minimal, inexpensive and readily available. "I favour water-colours as a medium," Mamas volunteers. "This technique, using the combination of the elements water and colour, encourages the creative powers." Recently, at my local supermarket I bought water-colours, brushes, and a block of paper for a very low price. These were enough to begin daubing. 

If you need any further encouragement to bring painting back into your life make a visit to the Museum of Greek Children's Art in Plaka. In itself the tranquil atmosphere and wealth of colour in the paintings on display are sure to please you. Then, the refreshingly bold approaches will hopefully stimulate you to go back home and fill up a blank piece of paper with visions from your own imagination. And take heart from Picasso who once said, "I've spent eighty years of my life trying to paint as a child."

Once you have begun to paint don't be surprised if it raises your general awareness level. "Painting helps people to see things in a different way, to observe carefully and to see what is going on around them," Mamas predicted. Sooner or later, you may even get inspired to go out and about and paint the celebrated glorious blue sky of Greece or any other of the wonders of nature that are here. Keep in mind though that the object of the exercise is FUN and this is only achieved through a relaxed approach.

WORKS FOR ME

By Webmaster • September 18, 2023
Garnier – Ultimate Blends Shampoo Bar Zero Plastic Waste I’m sure that you, like me, are very concerned about plastic waste cluttering up our planet. So, when I came across these shampoo bars a couple of years ago in my local branch of Boot’s I thought I’d give them a go. I felt that if we could ditch plastic shampoo bottles it would be a big step in the right direction. I admit that the first time I used the shampoo bar it seemed strange. Instead of pouring shampoo into my hand I had to wet the shampoo bar. After that I simply rubbed the bar over my wet hair and lathered up as usual. And… after I’d rinsed the shampoo off, my hair felt cleaner than it had ever felt after using liquid shampoo! Wow. One wash was all it took to convert me to the Shampoo Bar. There are various options to suit all types of hair. My favourite is Delicate Oat for sensitive scalp and fragile hair. Apart from ‘no plastic’ there are other bonuses for using this product. One is that it smells fabulous. Another is that the little bar is perfect to pop in your luggage when travelling. If you try it out I’d love to hear your feedback. Enjoy! Teresa

WORKS FOR ME

By Webmaster • September 6, 2023
Warm Lemon Water Drink this before breakfast Perhaps this is an old wives tale, but many years ago I read an article about the benefits of drinking warm water with a squeeze of lemon, upon waking. It’s something I’ve done from time-to-time – sometimes as a Lenten discipline, because I could do this as a sacrifice for God. Now though, I drink this every morning. I’ll tell you how I managed to succeed in doing that, but first let me set out the benefits. Warm lemon water, drunk before anything else in the morning, is said to help cleanse the body. It is this that has always attracted me to the practice. But in the past, I’ve found it difficult as I love to drink milky tea first thing in the morning. Other benefits are said to include: aids digestion; good for the skin; and strengthens the immune system. And if all that seems a tall order it is irrefutable that it hydrates the body! I have now, after so many attempts, managed to adopt the lemon water habit. I’ve done this by bringing God into the equation. I make the drink by first boiling some water. I pop a slice of fresh lemon into a mug, add some cold water onto the lemon – so the boiling water doesn’t kill the vitamin C, then top this up with the hot water. I take this into my back garden, and sit and drink it slowly while looking around at nature – the birds, trees, flowers, and so on. Then, I say my morning prayers. After that, I go back into my house, feed my cat Smudgy, then make the breakfast. And by then at least twenty minutes has passed since I drank the lemon water so it has left my stomach and is whizzing around my system, where I picture it cleansing as it goes. If you try it out yourself, please let me know how you get on! Best wishes! Teresa

WORKS FOR ME

By Teresa O'Driscoll • August 11, 2023
100% Biodegradable Teabags Plastic Free Teabags When, a few years ago, a friend told me that teabags contain plastic I was shocked. It didn’t seem possible. But I did a little research and discovered she was right. My gut reaction was: boiling water and plastic just doesn’t seem healthy to me. My fact-finding turned up the stats that the amount of toxins that end up in our drink was below the limit to cause health problems, blah, blah, blah. I wasn’t buying that, and neither were many others who had already started hounding the teabag industry. From then on, I didn’t buy any teabags that were not 100% biodegradable and started urging friends to ditch the plastic-lined ones themselves. The first brand I found was PG Tips. I stuck to them; still do. Lately though, more and more companies have switched to 100% biodegradable versions so you’ve got plenty of choice now. If you’re not sure if your favourite teabags are plastic free just check the pack. If it doesn’t say, “100% biodegradable” it’s got plastic in the bags. Here's an article that lists plastic-free teabags. The Teabags Without Plastic in 2023 & Those Containing Plastic - Moral Fibres Meantime, if you still use teabags (or coffee bags) containing plastic do not put them in the kitchen bin for composting. Plastic does not compost – as I’m sure you know - and that was how it was discovered that teabags contained plastic in the first place! A man noticed lots of little pieces of plastic in his composter! Happy plastic free tea-drinking. Cheers! Teresa

WORKS FOR ME

By Teresa O'Driscoll • August 1, 2023
Milk in Glass Bottles Buying milk from a Milkman If you, like me, want to do your bit to cut back on plastic perhaps you would consider buying your milk in glass bottles. When I decided to make this change, which I also thought it would be the healthier option, a search around supermarket chill cabinets proved fruitless. Checking sources online I discovered that the only way to buy milk in glass was from, wait for it, a milkman! Yes, they do still exist. And appear to be growing more popular by the day. I contacted my local milkman – you can do this either by phone or online and set up an order. I was pleased to find that there was a good selection on offer in glass. I also chose to go a step further and get organic milk, which I know is kinder to cows as well as better quality milk. When the Covid 19 pandemic hit and we were locked down I was even happier to have a milkman as the company I use also sell fruit and veg, plus other grocery essentials. I admit that the milk I buy costs more than in a supermarket but I’ve found that it can actually save me money. This is because if I run out of milk and go to my local minimarket to top up, I always end up buying more items that I’d planned. If you give this idea a go, I’d love to have your feedback. Try this link to get the ball rolling. Find Me A Milkman:: Find your local milkman - milk and dairy product delivery for home and business Best of luck! Teresa

WORKS FOR MY CAT

By Teresa O'Driscoll • November 19, 2022
Dr. Clauder’s – Intestinal Antihairball + Taurine Paste Prevents Hairballs Cats groom themselves often and that means they swallow fur. If you keep a cat you’ll know exactly what I mean! I’ve had cats since I was six years old and it’s the same story: They eat well, then they go right off their food because a hairball is blocking their intestine. I have always treated this with an anti-hairball paste. I’ve tried other brands but Dr. Clauder’s gets the best results to clear the blockage. One day, though, when I’d got a new tube for my cat Smudgy I read the box and saw the word Permanent. I was puzzled. Then I realized that I should have given it to him daily. (I don’t know anyone who gives this stuff to their cat daily, though.) Anyway, I tried hiding a squeeze of it in his breakfast. Joke, as if he wouldn’t know it was there! Well, he sniffed at it, then ate the lot. Now I do the same every morning. I’ve even seen him licking that bit first, so he clearly likes the taste though I thought he didn’t. And the result: No fur balls!! I hundred percent recommend it! If you try it out on your cat let me know how it gets on. Best of luck! Teresa

WORKS FOR ME O’Keeffe’s –Sally Hansen – Miracle Cure Strengthener

By Teresa O'Driscoll • October 27, 2022
Sally Hansen – Sally Hansen – Miracle Cure Strengthener Having been impressed by the Sally Hansen basecoat / topcoat I went to buy more. However, I opted for the one above instead. Being a writer constantly typing on my computer causes little slivers of breakage at the nail tip. This means that my nails stay short. Because of the typing I don’t want very long nails but I’d like them just a little longer than they seem to be able to grow at present.  Within a few days of using the new product I noticed a big difference. My nails have grown longer, because they are stronger. And, of course, nails grow quicker in the summer too. Let me know if it works for you. Or if you have a similar product to share. All the best! Teresa

WORKS FOR ME O’Keeffe’s – Healthy Feet Foot Cream

By Teresa O'Driscoll • October 13, 2022
O’Keeffe’s – for Healthy Feet Foot Cream I had never had a cracked heel in my life before this summer! Sure, I’d heard about them. But it was something that happened to other people. Then, I got one. And though I tried lots of different products none worked. Yes, they did soften the skin on my heel (well, heels as, of course, I did use them on both though I only had a crack on one!) but didn’t heal the problem. Then I remembered O’Keeffe’s Lip Repair, which worked brilliantly. I’d seen an Ad for their foot cream so I bought some in Superdrug and gave it a go. And it has worked! Phew. So, I am carrying on using it as a prevention. Since this episode I’ve mentioned this to friends and it’s amazing how many of them have the same foot problem. Let me know how you get on with it. Or, if you have a similar effective product to share with us. Best of luck! Teresa

WORKS FOR ME O’Keeffe’s –Sally Hansen – Double Duty Base & Top Coat

By Teresa O'Driscoll • October 5, 2022
Sally Hansen – Double Duty Base & Top Coat I love nail varnish and go through the whole spectrum of colour and shade – depending on what I am wearing or on my mood. I always use basecoat though, to prevent yellowing. I was running out when, rummaging through my bottles, I found a Sally Hansen - see above – with a little left in it, used that and thought no more about it. But. A few days later I realized that my nail varnish was still perfect. Whereas I would have been either touching it up or removing it – depending on how much it had chipped off – after even one day. And I hadn’t even used it as a topcoat either. Wow! I was impressed! Which is why I’m sharing this with you. Sally Hansen nail products are widely available but I usually buy mine at Boots. Teresa

WORKS FOR ME O’Keeffe’s – Lip Repair

By Teresa O'Driscoll • October 5, 2022
O’Keeffe’s – Lip Repair Unscented Lip Balm In 2020 Lockdown my lips became very dry and sore. It’s a condition I’ve had since childhood! Usually, it is kept at bay with lipstick, which keeps my lips moist. But working at home meant I sometimes forgot to apply this. I’ve always got some lip salve or other at hand which I religiously use at bedtime. But using this regularly during the daytime didn’t really help my sore lips. Then I saw an Ad for O’Keeffe’s and bought some online to give a try. Well, it quickly soothed my lips. And now, it’s my go-to brand. I cannot recommend it highly enough! If you give it a go let me know how you get on Best of luck! Teresa

How to Avoid Criticism

By Teresa O'Driscoll • August 8, 2022
Step 1 of 9 Ways to Health – because without it feeling good is difficult!