Sad, but true! :)
Have a fabulous weekend, and happy melting!
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Friday, November 16, 2012
The Miserable Life of a Candle
My husband sent me this funny picture and I thought I'd share it with all of you.
Sad, but true! :)
Have a fabulous weekend, and happy melting!
Sad, but true! :)
Have a fabulous weekend, and happy melting!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Scents and Sadness and Healing
Blogging about scents and candles and wax might seem trivial to most people, but it has
been really fun and actually sort of therapeutic, in a way. I love to write, and I love
things that smell good, so they seemed to go hand in hand.
Unfortunately, a lot of people don't have any filter when it comes to their online persona. You can basically be whoever you want to be online, and most likely, no one will have a clue. The line between what should and shouldn't be broadcast on the internet is thin; many people skate around this line too often.
Personally, I'm just me.
Lauren.
I'm not trying to be someone different, I'm just me, no frills, no fuss, no masks. There are some things in life, though, that are too big to be ignored.
A few weeks ago, I stopped updating for a bit. Josh's grandmother passed away three weeks ago. It was tough, but she was in her 80s. She lived a long, happy life, filled with people who loved her. She traveled, she loved flowers...she was not her dementia. She was just Grandma Nancy.
This week, on Thursday morning, my mother-in-law, Josh's mom Laura, passed away, just 3 short weeks after her mother. She had been sick with ovarian cancer for almost 2 years. In some ways, it seemed there was no hope with her diagnosis, but most of the time, she was optimistic, even when she was suffering. Her death was sudden, though. She was admitted to the hospital early Monday morning, and only a few short days later, here we are. Mostly, I feel terrible and want to cry all the time, but I know I can't do that to Josh; he would do the same and that would make it worse. My mom is right: I do try to put up walls, I try to be and act tough when I feel like breaking down, and I've always been this way...
...but there's no way to ignore the sadness this time. I don't know where to begin, so I guess I just won't start. We'd be here for a month. I could go on about how great she was, but I won't. These words don't need to be spoken because everyone who knew her knew there were great things about her. It won't help, it will just make it worse, and again, I think it's crossing the line. Just know this: she was great, she was strong, and she was loved.
Bottom line is, I needed something to turn to in my sadness to make me/us/we feel a little bit better. I came across an article just by chance while searching for...who even knows, now:
Scents for Helping with Relaxation & Depression, from LiveStrong.com
...even in times of sadness, scents seem to be the key to everything.
For the next few days, I am going to be lighting a series of candles not only in honor of Laura, but hopefully to put our minds and souls at ease. It might not seem like much, but it's worth a shot. These include but are not limited to: Yankee Candle's Lemon, Yankee Candle's Sage & Citrus, Yankee Candle's White Christmas, Bath & Body Works' Lavender Vanilla, The Bathing Gardens' Christmas Splendor, and Scentsy's Awakening. Most of these fragrances include scents notated in the article as being helpful for depression (I'm not depressed, just really, really sad, if there's a difference) and relaxation.
Needless to say, I might not be around for the next few days. My usual happy, quirky updates will resume shortly, but bear with me for a while. I know no one probably reads this besides family and friends, I just needed to release some of my negative energy in the only way I know how. Thanks for listening.
Unfortunately, a lot of people don't have any filter when it comes to their online persona. You can basically be whoever you want to be online, and most likely, no one will have a clue. The line between what should and shouldn't be broadcast on the internet is thin; many people skate around this line too often.
Personally, I'm just me.
Lauren.
I'm not trying to be someone different, I'm just me, no frills, no fuss, no masks. There are some things in life, though, that are too big to be ignored.
A few weeks ago, I stopped updating for a bit. Josh's grandmother passed away three weeks ago. It was tough, but she was in her 80s. She lived a long, happy life, filled with people who loved her. She traveled, she loved flowers...she was not her dementia. She was just Grandma Nancy.
This week, on Thursday morning, my mother-in-law, Josh's mom Laura, passed away, just 3 short weeks after her mother. She had been sick with ovarian cancer for almost 2 years. In some ways, it seemed there was no hope with her diagnosis, but most of the time, she was optimistic, even when she was suffering. Her death was sudden, though. She was admitted to the hospital early Monday morning, and only a few short days later, here we are. Mostly, I feel terrible and want to cry all the time, but I know I can't do that to Josh; he would do the same and that would make it worse. My mom is right: I do try to put up walls, I try to be and act tough when I feel like breaking down, and I've always been this way...
...but there's no way to ignore the sadness this time. I don't know where to begin, so I guess I just won't start. We'd be here for a month. I could go on about how great she was, but I won't. These words don't need to be spoken because everyone who knew her knew there were great things about her. It won't help, it will just make it worse, and again, I think it's crossing the line. Just know this: she was great, she was strong, and she was loved.
Bottom line is, I needed something to turn to in my sadness to make me/us/we feel a little bit better. I came across an article just by chance while searching for...who even knows, now:
Scents for Helping with Relaxation & Depression, from LiveStrong.com
...even in times of sadness, scents seem to be the key to everything.
For the next few days, I am going to be lighting a series of candles not only in honor of Laura, but hopefully to put our minds and souls at ease. It might not seem like much, but it's worth a shot. These include but are not limited to: Yankee Candle's Lemon, Yankee Candle's Sage & Citrus, Yankee Candle's White Christmas, Bath & Body Works' Lavender Vanilla, The Bathing Gardens' Christmas Splendor, and Scentsy's Awakening. Most of these fragrances include scents notated in the article as being helpful for depression (I'm not depressed, just really, really sad, if there's a difference) and relaxation.
Needless to say, I might not be around for the next few days. My usual happy, quirky updates will resume shortly, but bear with me for a while. I know no one probably reads this besides family and friends, I just needed to release some of my negative energy in the only way I know how. Thanks for listening.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Review: Yankee Candle Macintosh Spice 2-Wick Tumbler
I was awoken the other day by the distinct sound of an emergency alert ringing from somewhere in our house.
"This is it," I thought, "this is 'the big one' scientists have been talking about for so long...we are doomed!"
The noise was not coming from the radio. In fact, the TV had been turned off for hours.
The annoying, loud, shrill tones were coming from our cell phones.
THANKS for the heads-up about the emergency broadcasting alerts via text message, Verizon Wireless, because seriously, I was scared out of my gourd.
California weather is sort of like gambling: you win some days, you lose some day, but most of the time, if you're smart, you break even.
I'm just glad we don't live where there are tornadoes or hurricanes...
...because the last big earthquake we had here, I cried.
No, I'm not joking. I cried for two straight hours. Made Facebook updates, called friends and family, the whole nine yards.
It made me realize how ill prepared I am if some sort of catastrophic event should ever occur. It made me want to build emergency relief kits, make escape plans, and hoard water...well, generally hoard anything valuable or edible.
Ever since that earthquake, I sleep with a spare set of clothing right next our bed. It's better to be safe and clothed than sorry.
Where am I going with all this, you might be asking?
These so-called "emergency alert text messages" were for flash floods. For an area of San Diego that's at least 40 miles away from where we live.
These flash floods also haven't happened yet because, with the exception of a FEW droplets of rain today, it has been between 85 and 95 degrees the past two weeks straight.
Bottom line: I am seriously OVER summer. We might only get 3 or 4 terrible weeks of weather a year here, but those weeks are filled with disgusting, humid days and even damper, grosser nights.
I wanted to get into the swing of fall and light up a spicy candle, since it was a bit cooler today (read: high of 82 degrees). One thing I just can't sacrifice in the heat is candle burning. After digging through the closet, I forgot I had purchased two full-size 2-wick tumblers from Yankee, oh, about a year ago. One of them just happened to be Macintosh Spice, which I bought because Josh tends to like super fruity smells, while I prefer spicy, floral, or clean scents. Cold/unlit, this candle smells very good, nice and cinnamony...
...I wanted to like this one, really, I did. The apple, to me, overpowers the spice; while you can detect a hint of cinnamon here and there, it's almost like a false sense of spice because the apple is so artificial smelling. It doesn't help that the throw is quite strong. Very rarely have I found myself disliking a Yankee Candle, but this one is a complete miss for me.
I've heard of people getting headaches from certain fragrances, and until now, I never believed it. This one gave me a huge headache, in fact, I still have it while typing this sentence. Luckily, Yankee Candle's website now allows user submissions, so I'll be sure to check out reviews of fruity scents I may purchase in the future.
Have any of you tried this one? Are you a fan or not?
~~~~~~~~~~
Yankee Candle Macintosh Spice
Cold Rating: 6/10
Lit Rating: 3/10
Throw Rating: 8/10
Overall Rating: 5.5/10, had high hopes but was left with an artificial apple smell, not a lot of spice, and infinite sadness.
Until next time!
"This is it," I thought, "this is 'the big one' scientists have been talking about for so long...we are doomed!"
The noise was not coming from the radio. In fact, the TV had been turned off for hours.
The annoying, loud, shrill tones were coming from our cell phones.
THANKS for the heads-up about the emergency broadcasting alerts via text message, Verizon Wireless, because seriously, I was scared out of my gourd.
California weather is sort of like gambling: you win some days, you lose some day, but most of the time, if you're smart, you break even.
I'm just glad we don't live where there are tornadoes or hurricanes...
...because the last big earthquake we had here, I cried.
No, I'm not joking. I cried for two straight hours. Made Facebook updates, called friends and family, the whole nine yards.
It made me realize how ill prepared I am if some sort of catastrophic event should ever occur. It made me want to build emergency relief kits, make escape plans, and hoard water...well, generally hoard anything valuable or edible.
Ever since that earthquake, I sleep with a spare set of clothing right next our bed. It's better to be safe and clothed than sorry.
Where am I going with all this, you might be asking?
These so-called "emergency alert text messages" were for flash floods. For an area of San Diego that's at least 40 miles away from where we live.
These flash floods also haven't happened yet because, with the exception of a FEW droplets of rain today, it has been between 85 and 95 degrees the past two weeks straight.
Bottom line: I am seriously OVER summer. We might only get 3 or 4 terrible weeks of weather a year here, but those weeks are filled with disgusting, humid days and even damper, grosser nights.
...I wanted to like this one, really, I did. The apple, to me, overpowers the spice; while you can detect a hint of cinnamon here and there, it's almost like a false sense of spice because the apple is so artificial smelling. It doesn't help that the throw is quite strong. Very rarely have I found myself disliking a Yankee Candle, but this one is a complete miss for me.
I've heard of people getting headaches from certain fragrances, and until now, I never believed it. This one gave me a huge headache, in fact, I still have it while typing this sentence. Luckily, Yankee Candle's website now allows user submissions, so I'll be sure to check out reviews of fruity scents I may purchase in the future.
Have any of you tried this one? Are you a fan or not?
~~~~~~~~~~
Yankee Candle Macintosh Spice
Cold Rating: 6/10
Lit Rating: 3/10
Throw Rating: 8/10
Overall Rating: 5.5/10, had high hopes but was left with an artificial apple smell, not a lot of spice, and infinite sadness.
Until next time!
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