doesn’t? Lie down for a quarter of an hour with these covering your eyes and presto—you’ll feel rejuvenated in no time.
2 10-by-10-inch pieces of muslin
4 ounces dried chamomile flowers
With a pencil and ruler, mark off 2-inch squares on both pieces of fabric, with 3/8-inch seam allowances around each square. You should have 32 squares. Place one of the pieces of muslin down and put 1 teaspoon chamomile in the center of each square. Cover with the other piece of fabric and pin. Sew along the guidelines you have made for yourself. Cut apart. Makes 16. To use, place 2 in a small bowl and pour 1 tablespoon of boiling water over pads. Cover and let sit until lukewarm. Squeeze gently and apply to dosed eyelids for 15 minutes.
JANUARY 29
CLEAN UP
In doing the Simple Pleasures series, I was struck by how many people wrote to tell me that some of their greatest pleasures were tidying, organizing, or cleaning some part of their homes. People mentioned straightening the tools in the garage, cleaning their desks before starting a new project, organizing the sock drawer once a year and throwing out all the single socks, and tackling the kitchen utensil drawer. What do you love to tidy or straighten up in your life? Give yourself a clean-up lift today.
JANUARY 30
FEAST OF WORDS
My idea of a good time these days is to stay in bed as long as possible in the morning reading a good book. Between working and parenting, I can never get enough of it. Sometimes I even wake up in the middle of the night and read for a couple hours just to get my fix. For my birthday, my husband entertained our daughter all day so that I could stay in bed with a thick thriller. What fun!
JANUARY 31
MEANINGFUL WALLPAPER
I read of a wonderful idea in 365 Days of Creative Play by Sheila Ellison and Judith Gray. Just ask your child to draw pictures of the meaningful things in his or her life, like their hopes and dreams, beliefs, and loved ones. Then make a border at the top of your child’s room with the pictures. It’s a great way for a kid to decorate his or her own bedroom—and what a delight for you to look at.
FEBRUARY 1
HEARTFELT VALENTINE’S DAY
This year, rather than buying a card, why not make your loved ones personalized Valentine’s Day cards? All you and/or your kids really need is imagination. To get started, consider the following:
Look through a book of poetry to find just the right verse.
Be brave and try expressing your thoughts directly.
Take an 8½-by-11-inch piece of construction paper and fold in half. Keeping a ¼-inch margin at top and bottom of fold and between each design, cut little half-hearts and other designs in the fold. Open up and voilà! A homemade lace border.
Decorate with lace doilies, glitter, dried flowers, and bits of ribbon.
FEBRUARY 2
LATE-NIGHT LOVE NOTES
Last Valentine’s Day I started a new tradition with my husband. I gave him a little journal that was only to be used for writing love notes to each other. We keep it in the bedside table drawer, and whenever we feel compelled we make an entry then hide it under the other person’s pillow. There’s nothing like getting into bed, feeling that little lump under your head, and realizing that you have sweet words from your beloved to read before going to sleep.
FEBRUARY 3
SETTING THE SCENE
If you want great sex, think about creating a bedroom that’s conducive to intimacy, says Will Ross in The Wonderful Little Sex Book. “It doesn’t need to be elaborately furnished, but it should be uncluttered, have pleasing colors, and not be merely utilitarian; it should inspire a sense of beauty. The bed you use for sex ought to have a special, exotic, otherworldly feeling, almost evocative of an altar. There should be an air of reverence. Some people enjoy making love under a canopy, and you may want to construct one. Soft lighting is immensely helpful, and so is quietly pulsating music. When the whole room feels like a retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, won’t you relish the thought of spending time there with your beloved?”
FEBRUARY 4
GOOD BOOKS FOR SENSUAL PLEASURE
In their book Tantra: The Art of Conscious Loving, teachers Caroline and Charles Muir make the following suggestions for a more meaningful connection: be love and nurture oriented, rather than goal oriented; be sure to give and receive, and remember to make love a dance. Other good books on sexual intimacy are Soulful Sex by Dr. Victoria Lee; The Art of Sexual Ecstasy and The Art of Sexual Magic by Margo Anand; and Sexual Secrets by Nik Douglas and Penny Slinger.
FEBRUARY 5
HOPS FOR A GREAT NIGHT’S SLEEP
Hops is said to be mildly sleep inducing, while lavender induces a sense of well-being. Together they make a great sleep pillow.
1 10-by-8-inch piece of muslin
4 handfuls dried hop flowers
2 handfuls dried lavender
Sew up three sides of the muslin and add the hops and lavender. Slip-stitch the open end. Pillow should be relatively flat. Makes 1 pillow.
FEBRUARY 6
CLEANING SOLUTIONS
Are you looking for assistance (the written kind) with cleaning every room in your house? Check out Jeff Campbell’s Household Solutions that Work or www.thecleanteam.com on the Web. Consumer Reports’ How to Clean Practically Anything is also great. If you want only nontoxic solutions, Clean and Green by Annie Berthold-Bond contains wonderful ideas that really work.
FEBRUARY 7
LAVENDER BATH POWDER
This is a delicious treat after a long soak in the tub.
1/3 cup dried lavender
mortar and pestle
1¼ cups cornstarch
25 drops lavender essential oil
small box and ribbon
With a mortar and pestle, grind the lavender into a fine dust. Mix together
