The 4 Noble Truths

In Buddhism there is a beginning point known as the 4 noble truths. No matter your religion, morals, ethics, or thought patterns there is truth in the idea that we cause our own suffering.

The 4 Noble Truths

1. Life means suffering.

Struggling is part of Everyone's life.

To live means to suffer, because the human nature is not perfect and neither is the world we live in. During our lifetime, we inevitably have to endure physical suffering such as pain, sickness, injury, tiredness, old age, and eventually death; and we have to endure psychological suffering like sadness, fear, frustration, disappointment, and depression. Although there are different degrees of suffering and there are also positive experiences in life that we perceive as the opposite of suffering, such as ease, comfort and happiness, life in its totality is imperfect and incomplete, because our world is subject to impermanence. we are never able to keep permanently what we strive for, and just as happy moments pass by, we ourselves and our loved ones will pass away one day, too.

2. The origin of suffering is attachment.

The cause of our Suffering is our own greedy mind that constantly wants “more” and “better.”

The origin of suffering is attachment to transient things and the ignorance That they are impermanent. Not only Material things, but also Ideas., and -in a greater sense- all objects of our perception. The reasons for suffering are desire, passion, ardour, pursuit of wealth and prestige, striving for fame and popularity, or in short: craving and clinging. Objects of attachment also include the idea of a "self" which is a delusion, What we call "self" is just an imagined entity, and we are merely a part of the universe.

3. The cessation of suffering is attainable.

Suffering can be overcome.

This means that suffering can be overcome through human activity, simply by removing the cause of suffering. Attaining and perfecting dispassion is a process of many levels that ultimately results in the state of Nirvana. Nirvana means freedom from all worries, troubles, complexes, fabrications and ideas. Nirvana is not comprehensible for those who have not attained it.

4. The path to the cessation of suffering.

There is a path to the end of suffering - a gradual path of self-improvement, This is the Eightfold Path. It is the middle way between the two extremes of excessive self-indulgence (hedonism) and excessive self-mortification (asceticism); it leads to the end of the cycle of rebirth. because these do not have a final object. The path to the end of suffering can extend over many lifetimes, throughout which every individual rebirth is subject to karmic conditioning. Craving, ignorance, delusions, and its effects will disappear gradually, as progress is made on the path. The Buddha taught that through diligent practice, we can put an end to craving. 

Ill write more on the eightfold path in a later entry! 

DIY Facemask

AT Womansday.com I found a large list of different DIY Facials and tried some out. Heres my favorite one, with tweaks that I included after trying it out.

A nice Brightening Mask: This recipe I halved, and even after halving it I had WAY more than enough, and since its a bad idea to do it every day, its kind of a waste unles you are doing it with a group of friends.

Combine:

• 1 Tbsp sour cream
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.

Apply to your cleansed face and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water followed by a cool (not cold) rinse.
I Applied with the back of a spoon and smoothed it on.
This mask can be done twice a week.

“This mask heals, exfoliates, brightens and moisturizes skin. It refines pores, fades acne marks and prevents blemishes from coming up,” says Macan-Graves.

Read for more: Home Facials - Get Natural Skincare Ideas at WomansDay.com - Woman's Day

Hair care tips for the day!

Summer has been destroying ym scalp and in turn my hair. My hair isnt naturally oily, plus I bleach and dye it squite a bit so not washing every day is not usually a problem for me, but in the summer (Here in Arizona its 109 degrees today) there is a lot of sweat to go around and excessive moisture can really irritate your scalp (and the rest of your skin, too) so my scalp is too moist and my hair is too dry.

Here are some tips for correcting common hair problems no matter what hair type.
(FYI, Im actually doing these methods then typing about them after... come along for the journey!)

First, If just your scalp is dry put on some Braggs Organic Apple Cider and rub it into your scalp. leave it on for a minute or too. This will absorb oil from your skin, noirmalize your ph balance, and help rid your scalp of excess skin flakes.

BUT
If youve been swimming in a pool or the ocean, use a lot of hair product, ect. this recipe will suck impurities right outta your hair!:

• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon Arm and Hammer Baking Soda
• 2 tablespoons Braggs Organic Apple Cider 

The itchiness in my hair immediately went away and I felt happier right away!



Now lets condition and heal that hair!
 I found the following recipe online (Pinterest of course)

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (or vanilla for a slight smell)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• egg whites from 1 egg
• (Since this isnt my first time making a hair mas I also added a little Oliver oil and Coconut oil - If you have it also smash up an avocado!)

 Whip it up then massage into hair making sure to get it completely covered from root to tip. Put on a shower cap (in my case a plastic bag) and then let it sit for about half an hour. Make sure to put a towel around your neck because it will melt and drip. I Even spent some time outside since its over 100 degrees outside. The heat really helps it absorb.
This recipe is more than enough for my hair which is pretty short right now, so if you have long hair you'll have plenty still with this recipe. 

Workin hard for the money

Hey there! Rainbow Warriors Workshops is starting to be built up so we can take off!

My partner Bri and I have been working hard finishing school, making videos for our Youtube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/RainbowWarriorsWork/videos) and doin what we need to do to make life a dream come true for ourselves, our hubbies, and my baby.

Check out this blog, The YouTube channel and PLEASE give me feedback on what you love/hate about either. We are always looking for guest speakers if you have a video you want to submit or a blog post you want to make (includes advertising for your own blogs or channels just for helping US out!)

We would be happy to come speak with you, blog for you, or help you out as well! We strive for community.

I have been hard at work hypnotizing people for money! I am certified and in March I will officially be a CLINICAL hypnotherapist! (That just means I can work in hospitals and things of that sort as well as have a private practice - which the certificate already allows) Remember to check out Melodyinyourhead.com if you are interested in my services. Right now I am charging $30 for Skype sessions so no matter where in the world you are I am here for you! This is limited time!

Besides all that Brianna and I are creating workshops and planning WORKSHOP PARTIES in order to practice on friends before actually going out in the world. We want to be polished and ready to make your life amazing!

Here's what the YouTube channel and workshops are about. SHOW YOUR TRUE COLORS
Workshop Subjects will Include:

• Nutrition (Colors in food and eating seasonally)
• Grounding/Protection/Security
• Optomism/Fun/Making your life a party
• Learning about yourself - How do you see yourself?
• Empathy for others
• Astrology, elements, and colors in religion
• Colors of the body (Auras, Chakras, etc)
• Colors and emotions
• Art and Music therapies
• Using colors for healing

Wow that's a mouthful.. but we are still planning, organizing, and looking for support and projects to work on. May the force be within you.

Root Beer Float cookies.

I just made the most amazing cookies. Everyone in my house is loving them!

Here's The recipe!
Makes about 3 dozen cookies, depending on the size


Cookie Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk (I actually made buttermilk using 1 teaspoon of vinegar and a cup of almond milk)

1 tsp. root beer extract or concentrate

4 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

Frosting Ingredients:

4 cups powdered sugar (or icing sugar)

3/4 cup butter, softened (I actually ran out of butter so I used some olive oil and added a bit of flour to thicken it up)

3 Tbsp. milk (I used almond milk)

1 tsp. root beer extract or concentrate

 
Directions:

Preheat oven to 375º.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in buttermilk and root beer extract. 

Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture. 

Drop by globs onto ungreased baking sheets. (They will be super gooey) Bake at 375º for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. 

In a mixing bowl, combine all frosting ingredients. Beat until smooth. 

Frost cooled cookies. The Frosting makes the cookies!

Just a reminder - 10 rules to being human

Ten Rules for Being Human
by Cherie Carter-Scott
1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it’s yours to keep for the entire period.
2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, “life.”
3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The “failed” experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately “work.”
4. Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.
5. Learning lessons does not end. There’s no part of life that doesn’t contain its lessons. If you’re alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.
6. “There” is no better a place than “here.” When your “there” has become a “here”, you will simply obtain another “there” that will again look better than “here.”
7. Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.
8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.
9. Your answers lie within you. The answers to life’s questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.
10. You will forget all this.

Household Management Book

 Around here I keep a LOT of lists. I clean a LOT, and I have a child to take care of. I decided to combine these things into one home made binder that me and the Boy dually use to manage cleaning, finances, health, and organization!



When you make it Im sure you'll feel very Obsessive Compulsive as I did, but it does wonders for making progress in the home.

What you'll need:
*Sheet Protectors, Diamond Clear - 100 Count (V) -
*Expo Dry Erase Markers - 18 ct. - Dry-Erase Markers (Used to write on the clear sheets to save work, ink, and paper!)
*A 3 ring binder (not a super thin one, depending on how much you incorporate.)
*A word processor on your computer. And a printer! (Leave a comment if you want me to email you the template for any of these pages!)
*Section Dividers.


 

SO far there are 4 sections, but its a work in progress.

The Finance Section:


This form just make sure that every thing gets paid every month and no bills get skipped.




 Debt repayment Page: The following page got a bit messed up because I didnt realize I didnt have any colored ink, so I just wrote it in.
Write the minimum payment amount, how much you actually pay. Then you figure out (if you can afford it) a day that you would like the bill paid off by, divide total amount owed by the number of months that is, then you write down ho much you would have to pay in order to complete your goal.

This is a great way to organize things, make getting out of debt more likely and easier to figure out. Its my way of figuring out how realistic financial goals are.

The sections (If you cant read it) on the form from left to write are: "As of" Date. Type of payment. Minimum payment amount. Projected date/number of payments (based on min. payment.) Actual amount of money you pay monthly. Projected finish date (with the amount you actually pay - this can be hard if there is interest involved.) When do you WANT to have it paid by?  Amount of money needed in order to achieve this date. And the Number of payments that would be.

The Food Section:
I have a page like this for both Oliver and I. Of you wanted you could track exercises, too. I use my Android for that.

On this page I make sure he is getting a rounded diet by having the checks in the end - Meat, Veg, Fruit, Beans, Nuts/Legumes, and grain. Theres no dairy because we dont eat dairy except occasional cheese, and you may want to put Sugar on there, too.



The TO DO/Chores Section:

This page is for long term stuff that doesnt need to be on the chore list but we need to do some time soon.


This section is the only one I have in plastic sleeves.
Ok this may seem like over kill, but Ill explain why there are 3 chore lists in a minute. First look them over.
Weekly Form. This way I can look over what I need to get done every week. Also, I dont "work" on weekends =)





This one is both weekly and daily. Sometimes I have time to do extra chores and sometimes not enough. As long as its all done by Friday Im in the clear. This is so I can just check them all off. Just trust me, I had to do it this way from experience.



Not everything needs to be done all of the time. These are things I get done when I have extra time, or something REALLY needs to get done. Itsthe lowest priority list.

This above form I have been keeping on the fridge until Adam has been trained to look in the book. Its just man chores to remind him to keep busy as well.

The Stuff Section:

Things to save up for like large appliances, or even luxury items you really want go on this list:




Eventually Ill make a lists section, but this is my bonus time funzies craft list! I made the table really thick so I can write all of the supplies in it.


I hope you like it! Give me some feedback!

Other ideas:

A section just for all of my ridiculous lists.
A list of peoples Birthdays, anniversaries, and interests (gift ideas) they have.
FAVORITE family recipes as a quick reference when you arent sure what to go shopping for.

I would LOVE to hear other ideas you guys may have for the book!