An investment in love

As we begin our new year, we reflect on the people we aspire to be and the values we want to make a priority. We resolve to meet the goals we believe will create more joy, peace and wellness for our lives. We attempt to recover. And just as we are getting back into the swing of things and begin to work on our goals, Valentine’s Day arrives on the scene and another holiday attempts to overtake us with its vast, red displays of chocolate, flowers, candy and giant teddy bears.

All of a sudden, Christmas cheer has been replaced with pink and red hearts and clichés. Our goal setting quickly refocuses on ways to make the ones we love in our lives feel special, and the pressure begins to mount.

Most of us can readily admit that Valentine’s Day has become a commercialized holiday that seems more about candy, cards and floral companies promoting their offerings and less about true heartfelt expressions of love. But instead of simply boycotting Valentine’s Day, why not choose to celebrate in a different way? Let’s enjoy the tenderness that is cultivated in a cherished friendship, the love we share with our families, and the appreciation we have for those we are lucky enough to work in harmony with.

Instead of spending the “Day of Love” showering our favorite people with traditional gifts and expressions that feel obligatory, why not demonstrate how much we value and love them through our actions and words? What if we took the time to consider what expressions of our love will address their deeper needs? How can we can invest in our loved one’s lives so that they can experience a more fulfilling, exciting and blessed day that will improve their well-being?

Some wives would give anything to hear “I love you, thank you for all you do” in addition to coming home to flowers and chocolates. Many moms would rather have an afternoon of peace and serenity without having to take care of the laundry, dishes and kids than open a box containing valuable jewels or fancy chocolates. Do the men in our lives need to know how much they are valued and appreciated by encouraging them to kick their feet up and not feel bad about what else they could be doing? Do the friends we treasure need a girls’ day of bonding and laughter? What would fill the hearts of those YOU love?

As a spa coordinator, I often see weary-eyed expressions as our guests walk into our safe-haven, and the glisten of hope in their eye when they tell me the service they are here to enjoy. The most fulfilling part of serving our guests at Simply Blissed is seeing the transformation of the expressions of the faces of moms who have finally had a moment to breathe and relax after meeting the constant demands of parenting, the business people who share that they haven’t felt this relaxed in ages and that they had forgotten what it felt like to be refreshed. I love listening to college students as they tell me how the weight of finals, expectations and unknown futures was lifted from their shoulders for a few hours—and the world of a difference it has made.

Oftentimes the best gifts we can give those we love are the ones that cannot be measured monetarily, but rather are immeasurable in the way they build up and support their health and well-being. The value of a gift is better measured by the level to which it enriches the recipient’s life—not the level to which it impacts our wallets.

Let’s find meaningful ways to help our loved ones recover from the stress incurred by the holidays, and find balance, joy and peace in their own lives, instead of simply adding to their belongings. By doing this, imagine the spring in their step and the energy they could release toward those goals they want to reach in 2015!

What are some of the inspirational, life-giving, and encouraging ways you plan to celebrate your unique relationships this week in honor of Valentine’s Day? What would be the best way someone could bless your life this Valentine’s Day? Share your ideas by commenting below!

Krista Bass – spa coordinator, Simply Blissed

A blissful reflection

“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.” -Andy Rooney

The entire team at Simply Blissed wishes you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a blissful and healthy New Year!

We would also like to express our warmest appreciation for your business and support.

It’s my “Bliss Wish” that we could all pause for just a few moments of reflection during this joyous and busy celebration of the Christmas holiday season.

Most of us have a long list of things to do; presents to buy and wrap, parties to attend, goodies to bake, decorations to put up and all this on top of going to work or school and attending to the regular chores of life such as laundry and dishes. Who wouldn’t feel at least a little overwhelmed and stressed? I know I do.

In the midst of it all I long for quiet times of reflection and connectedness. Let’s all take time to breathe and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas – even if just for a moment. Here are some words of inspiration to help get you started:

“Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.” – The Conductor, Polar Express (2004)

“Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.” – Oren Arnold

“Good news from heaven the angels bring, glad tidings to the earth they sing: To us this day a child is given, to crown us with the joy of heaven.” – Martin Luther

Whatever your beliefs regarding Christmas, I hope that all of us can agree “tis always the season to reflect and live with love in our hearts!”

Peace on Earth!

Sandy Green, Owner of Simply Blissed

A centerpiece of thanks (and joy).

Fall in general is a beautiful time of year, and as November ushers in the winter, it invites a certain change of pace that is often welcome to many of us who find ourselves stuck in routines and habits. It is interesting however, that the beginning of the season of thankfulness and gratitude begins here – November.

After all, November does have a reputation for being a gloomy month. It is the beginning of cold, dark and gray for those of us in the Pacific Northwest. All-in-all, it is not the most stand-out month on the calendar. But perhaps, what may appear to be nonsensical may actually be a brilliantly designed interruption. Perhaps the timing couldn’t be better chosen.

We hear a lot about thankfulness at this time of year, but what is thankfulness? Is it limited to recreating our grandmother’s perfect pecan pie? Is it about having just the right place settings dressing the beautiful Thanksgiving table, ready to welcome our loved ones? Perhaps it is these things, and more.

~ A specific time to recognize and appreciate the value of our lives and those
lives around us.

~ To take note of the elegance of our surroundings, sometimes as simple as the
way a bead of dew shimmers on a fall leaf.

Perhaps it is also about reflecting on the blessings present in difficult times, including the peaceful passing of a loved one or the relief that comes with someone admitting to a struggle that has kept them entangled.

Ann Voskamp shares in her book “1,000 Gifts” that as long as thanks is possible, joy is possible. To see with new eyes, recognizing the hints of beauty and hope around us even when it appears that all is mundane, ordinary, even dreary. Like November.

Some people have the privilege of living their life from one mountain top to the next, but many of us live a life of Novembers. Ordinary, sometimes uncomfortable and cold, sometimes dull and often unpredictable as circumstances can pounce on us, changing our patterns and routines in the blink of an eye. Even more so the reason why Thanksgiving must happen here and now.

Being thankful for the big and small doesn’t have to imply that we agree with the challenges of life and the pain that surrounds us. Ann Voskamp goes on to explain,

“Why would the world need more anger, more outrage? How does it save the world to reject unabashed joy when it is joy that saves us? Rejecting joy to stand in solidarity with the suffering doesn’t rescue the suffering. The converse does. The brave who focus on all things good and all things beautiful and all things true, even in the small, who give thanks for it and discover joy even in the here and now, they are the change agents who bring the fullest Light to all the world.”

Whether your losses are deep or you’ve barely scratched the surface of the struggle of life, choosing to be thankful in the midst of it all is like choosing to be a revolutionary.

This Thanksgiving, may we choose to be revolutionaries at our jobs, in our families, and to ourselves. May we take note of the small blessings, without negating the struggle. May we take control of our perceptions rather than letting outside circumstances tell us what we should think in feel.

“I only live the full life when I live fully in the moment.” ~ Ann Voskamp

May you live fully in the moment this Thanksgiving, this November, and ever after.

~Simply Blissed

Mother’s Day Blog 2014

I don’t think my Granny has ever eaten a hot meal. The woman’s backside never found a chair until everyone was scraping their plates with her buttermilk biscuits and asking what was for dessert with full mouths.

She’s 88 years old and has spent a lifetime cooking amazing and mouthwatering dishes for our family, their church, and their friends, preparing each meal from old fashioned things like “ingredients.”

Sometimes she used food that was sown and cultivated from their own garden to create a meal, sometimes she used items purchased from the Army commissary, and sometimes she purchased items from found change to create a meal. No matter the source, people were always fed and no one was ever turned away.

I remember the smell of baking bread filling up her house. Watching her knead the dough was like watching an artist. She would cut a slice for me and slather it with real butter. Excitedly I would swing my legs from the chair and impatiently wait for it to cool enough to eat. The perfection of bread and butter can never be overstated. The way it melts on your tongue… it’s like unconditional love. Granny would wink and wipe flour-covered hands on her apron; satisfied.

I miss the slow-paced life that baking bread seems to offer. My daughter has never seen me in an apron. But, that’s okay, every mom is different. Each mom has different gifts to offer. Granny showed her love through her cooking. And, bless her for it.

That gift did not carry through and it’s alright – God created phones and delivery people for moms like me. Funny thing though, my daughter can cook like nobody’s business – talents jump generations, I suppose.

Whatever way you show your family love, it’s the perfect way (slip-ups and all) because you’re unique and only you can use your gifts to their fullest potential!  You give them exactly what they need exactly when they need it in a way that only you can. So shine your light brightly.  As Marianne Williamson says,  “…as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”  What a great gift to give to your children, your parents, your business, your community ~ whatever it is that you nurture!

Happy Mother’s Day.

Just Love . . .

Do you remember your first love?

The feeling of warmth that surged through your body.

The belief that nothing more beautiful on earth existed.

Knowing you’d found your perfect match . . . “You complete me” finally made sense.

I met my first love at eight years old. It was a pair of Saddle Shoes.  They were white with a black stripe in the middle and wooden heels.

The Saddle Shoes were about a size and a half too big (2nd hand store, you know) but, it was love at first sight.  All I’d ever worn were tennis shoes or flip-flops.  These were big kid shoes; ladies shoes and I HAD to have them! I begged my mom.  She thought I was beyond silly but, she indulged a goofy girl and I took my first love home.

Blisters?  Oh, yes, love hurts!  I wore them everywhere; to school, to church, to friends’ houses, to bed.  Well, maybe I exaggerate. . .

Fast forward forty years and I am still in a loving relationship with shoes, but they’re in their proper rank in the scheme of life.  God, husband, children, family, friends, work, chocolate, etc, etc, etc.

I am learning there are many ways  and many types of love. Each finding its place in my life.

So just how many kinds of love are there?

According to the Greeks, it’s four: (source)

•  Eros is “physical” passionate love, with sensual desire and longing. Romantic, pure emotion without the balance of logic.
• Agape means love in a “spiritual” sense. It means “I love you” in Ancient Greek and it often refers to a general affection or deeper sense of “true unconditional love” rather than the attraction suggested by “eros.”
• Storge means “affection.”  It is like that felt by parents for offspring. In ancient works it is almost exclusively used as a descriptor of relationships within the family.
• Philia  is “mental” love. It means affectionate regard or friendship.  It includes loyalty to friends, family, and community, and requires virtue, equality and familiarity.

Love is a funny thing.

We love our spouse, our parents, our children.  We love that shade of blue and our favorite song.  We love our cars and our iGadgets – big or small.  We love the sunshine, the mountains and we love the rolling sea…

It doesn’t necessarily matter what you love; it matters that you love.  Love what you love as much as you can. Love in any way that brings you joy – or even better – brings joy to someone else. Just love.

Whatever your reason for celebrating love, and whether it’s on St. Valentine’s Day or everyday, know this:

We at Simply Blissed truly love you . . . our family of guests.

You’re the reason we are celebrating love this year.  It’s our privilege to pamper you and share in the special events of your life.

• We love being a part of your healing process and we are honored that you trust us with your health and wellness.
• We love that you trust your skin to the products we carry (we do as well, by the way).
• We love just being there for you when, perhaps, you’re feeling a  little down or have — we hope not — a broken heart and need someone to talk to.
• We love that you refer your family and friends to us when they ask for help – there is no greater compliment and we thank you.
• We love it when you walk in the door and we love it when you come back again.

I’ll leave you with this bit of T-shirt wisdom, “When you’re down, and have got the blues, shop for, shop for, shop for shoes!”

And just for fun: Some fun internet history of St. Valentine’s Day!

Author: Simply Blissed Blogger, Dianna Barham.

Blissful Self Reflection: Taking Another Look

Chances are you recently set new goals with the turn of the year.  You might have boldly proclaimed your New Year’s resolution(s) to your social media friends or quietly committed yourself via private journal entry to a new pursuit without telling a soul.  Some of you probably just committed to live this year as best you can while working on the same goals and values you are already striving for.

Whatever you decided, it is next to impossible to embark into a new year without thinking about where we want to be and how much we have to do to get there.  It is easy to become overwhelmed and even frozen by the distance we have to go.   This is often why goals are abandoned altogether after the initial excitement of starting wears off. We start feeling defeated or frustrated that we aren’t where we wanted to be.

We humans are quick to disregard our actual progress.  To our own detriment we can glaze over small but glorious victories as we look on for the big scale victories that will prove to us and the world we have finally succeeded.

Let’s try something new this year.

Let’s step inward and take a look at what we really did. Let’s look at how growth really happens and celebrate that!

Have you tried reflecting on the last year of your life and acknowledging your growth or the challenges you’ve overcome?  This is not simply an exercise in listing major accomplishments (college degree, marriage, purchase of first house) – though these are all amazing and worth celebrating too! No, this is a list of what you have lived and worked through last year. What you have faced and fought and become a better human as a result.  Here’s a few examples:

• Finally started ‘new pursuit’ (whether it was a success or not, list it anyways) . . .
• Began new friendship or relationship with . . .
• Grew as spouse/friend/sibling . . .
• Volunteered my time/friendship/services . . .
• Overcame (or am overcoming) struggle with . . .
• Became a more positive person in spite of . . .
• Practiced gratitude amidst . . .
• Got out of bed every morning even though . . .
• Improved my health by . . .
• Met my goal of . . .
• Made great memories with . . .
• Read new book(s) on . . .
• Made time for . . .

And one of our favorites:

• I Learned . . . .

At least one of these should draw out a response – or more likely multiple responses – that allow you to see that this time last year, you were not the same person you are today.  That you lived well and did your best – whether it was your big year, whether it was just plain hard or somewhere in between.  And even though you might wish you had a few re-dos, you have made progress.  That’s what life really looks like.

You DO have what it takes to keep moving towards your goals in 2014!

We know it can be stressful, and hard. We know it can make you tired and your body and mind may try to fight you every step of the way. When that happens, we’ll be here. Ready to bring you back to a state of peace and harmony. So go out and fight and when you need to recover, come see us at Blissed. But first, grab a pen and congratulate yourself with some healthy self reflecting.

Go find your bliss.

We are all cheering for you.

Bliss Happens – Look for Beauty

Have you ever caught yourself being prejudiced? Seeing a person and totally judging their book by their cover?

Yesterday was that day for me.

I was at the health club and saw three young guys. It was just a nano-blip in my brain, but the words I was saying in my head were not “what fine, upstanding young men” – no, I labeled these guys as Hooligans  (Oh, great! I sound like my granny).

Later I found myself with them in the pool. With them was another young man (maybe a friend or brother) who was severely medically fragile. These guys?  The Hooligans?
Well, they were angelic and awesome.

I felt real shame.  The young men that I had woefully and wrongly prejudged were BEAUTIFUL. They played, encouraged, and challenged this special-needs kiddo.

Beauty = Those Kids playing together – building each other up.

We strive for beauty in so many ways don’t we? And here it was, under the guise of my prejudged neighbors.

What is beauty for you? That moment in your day that makes you catch your breath, breathe a sigh of relief that there is still hope for humanity?

Beauty for me is two people walking hand in hand – that longing to touch.  Watching a grown up kneel to speak to a child. Letting a stranger at the grocery store cut in line when they have only one or two items.  My kids laughing together. Someone singing loud in church even though they can’t keep the tune.  Bless them.

Beauty is  neighbors taking care of each other.  And beauty is me, putting myself on my own to-do list.

Itʼs true, you know. When you take care of yourself, real care, you bless the universe (which is really big) in ways only you can – not one other human being on this entire globe can do what you do!

Mary Anne Radmacher reminds us that “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says ‘I’ll try again tomorrow’.” These words keep whirling through my head as I think about the boys in the health club and I’ve  decided that yes, forgiveness takes courage. And forgiveness is also beauty.

Maybe you can relate.

This New York artist gives us a stunning perspective on prejudging our fellow strangers. What might we discover by taking another look?