It's Not About Your Stuff

Michael Moore's 'Sicko Night In America' Contest

Hey, everyone, I am back from my trip to Cape Cod! It was definitely a mixed bag, but more on that later. Right now, I want to tell you quick about an offer that Michael Moore has made to all his fans in the US and Canada. If you haven't seen his movie 'Sicko', (see my previous post on this engaging movie here) I strongly recommend it, and as an added incentive to drop everything and run to the theater, Michael Moore has made us an offer we can't refuse in the form of a sweepstakes contest! Here's the deal straight from his newsletter:

To show my thanks to all of you who'll go see "Sicko" this weekend, (July 20-22) [I am] going to send one of you and a guest on a free weekend to the universal health care country of your choice! That's right. You'll get to pick one of the three industrialized countries featured in the movie where, if you get sick, you get help for free, no matter who you are. All you have to do is send us your ticket stub (make sure it says "Sicko" on it and has the name of the theater and this weekend's date on it -- Friday, Saturday or Sunday - July 20th, 21st, 22nd). Attach the stub to a piece of paper with your name, address, phone number and email and send it to: 'Sicko' Night in America, 888c 8th Avenue, Suite 443, New York, NY 10019. (Yes, you have to use that old 18th century device called the U.S. Postal Service, and it has to be postmarked on or by Tuesday, July 24th). First prize is a weekend in the city of your choice: Paris, London or Toronto. This includes airfare, hotel, meals and, most exciting, a representative from their fine universal health care system who will give you a personal tour so you can see how they treat their fellow citizens. You'll meet people who pay nothing for college and citizens who are in the fourth week of their six-week paid vacation. Oh, and you'll have time to see the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben or whatever they have in Toronto that is old and tall. (If you don't have a passport, we'll pay for that, too!)

So, here's the site for theater listings for Sicko, now there's no reason NOT to go!

Remember, I am on your team!

..• ´¨¨))  -:¦:-
         ¸.•´ .•´¨¨))
       ((¸¸.•´  ..•´   Jessica -:¦:-

     -:¦:-    ((¸¸.•´*

Moving Across Country:: I am so embarrassed, frustrated, overwhelmed. Can you relate?

This weekend is some of my last days that I have to get everything packed and organized and ready to move. My room looks like a tornado swept through it and I am having a difficult time focusing because of my emotions.

It seems I get bursts of energy to organize and I make great headway for a few hours before losing steam. The best strategy I've found so far is to set myself a finite task (such as wrap all my chotchkies in bubble wrap and carefully pack them in a box). Yes, I do have knicknacks, gew gaws, trinkets, but not many! Carefully selected! Edited! Refined to be only the ones I adore. This was my criteria this time: do I adore it? Then I turn on the TV to my favorite show: old Clean House episodes or an old movie on TCM and the time passes quickly. (a friend suggested last night that I scroll through all the movies and DVR the ones I want to watch so I had a great line-up today!)

In truth, even though everything is topsy-turvy right now, I recognize that it's more emotional than anything else; I am dismantling my energetic field, the place I have called home for the last five years. And even though I have not one iota of regret about leaving, because I have moved so many times in my life, the feelings are coming up to meet me and it makes me want to whine and avoid and distract myself with anything else (like writing a blog post!)

UPDATE: I just spent the entire day packing, rearranging, purging (I've actually already done most of that, but there always seem to be a few more things I can let go of) and wrapping a zillion little things in bubble wrap. On one level it feels like a relief because I way exceeded my goals for the day, but on the other hand, I feel so raw and vulnerable right now, like I am untethered from my mooring. I am neither here nor there, and that is always strange and uneasy for me.

I am clear that I am to leave LA now, but I have no idea what the future holds for me where I am going. Sometimes, it's really obvious that I am doing the right thing by moving to the Cape, but then I get scared and think 'what the heck am I doing?' Staying is not an option, but going somewhere blind just seems crazy in a certain light. The thing is, there's no alternative place to go that has made itself apparent, so I am left with no choice but to surrender and trust. Or live contracted and fearful. (NOT an option!)

I was told years ago by the fabulous astrologer Gretchen Lawlor that I am someone who is moved in 7 year cycles. It's like the cycle moves me, rather than me being in control. It's not the same as feeling the victim, it's more like hearing an inner prompting and going with it. (even though in a way, it feels like I don't have a choice!)

So, Cape Cod it is, my next step. The thought of being within breathing distance of Cape Cod Bay/Nantucket Sound fills my DNA with delight. The cold and salty Atlantic water is my home.

So stay tuned for tales of my exciting adventures! I am off for a quick visit to the Cape this coming week to interview with two fabulous job possibilities. As I see it, I can't lose. That's a good place to be.

Thanks for being on my team!

Remember, I am on your team!

..• ´¨¨))  -:¦:-
         ¸.•´ .•´¨¨))
       ((¸¸.•´  ..•´   Jessica -:¦:- 

     -:¦:-    ((¸¸.•´*

Do you know about Gold Star Events?

Do you love to go to fun events in the city you live in? I am moving across country and so will really appreciate getting an email of some of the cultural events in my new region. I am a very social person, and so enjoy meeting new people in my area. You never know, once you put yourself out there, where the journey will take you. That's what I loved about networking for my business. I met incredible people, collaborated with many of them, and was offered great opportunities like my radio show, which never would have happened if I hadn't put myself out there in the world.

I love to go to interesting events and so I have been signed up with several social groups here in L.A. As you know, I will be moving next month to Cape Cod, and will be looking for things to do and people to meet once I get there.

As of right now, there is nothing specifically for Cape Cod, but in most of the major U.S. cities, GoldStarEvents is a fabulous resource for fun and entertainment. It costs nothing to join, you just have to register and then once you type in your zip code(s), you will get a weekly email with all kinds of events and usually great discounts for tickets. In my new home, I might have to travel to Boston every so often, but that's ok with me. I am adventurous!

From the GoldStarEvents emails, I have seen many plays, music concerts, even movies at sometimes less than 50% of the ticket price! Ballet, comedy, concerts, musicals, first run movies...whatever you like, check with GoldStarEvents before you actually buy your ticket at the box office, many times you can find it cheaper there!

As an example, there is a fantastic theater right here in Topanga Canyon called Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum (remember him from the old days?), known for it's Shakespeare amphitheater. They also do 20th century comedies and this summer, they are doing Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit. Get a ticket from the box office and it's gonna set you back twenty five smackers, on GoldStarEvents, only $12.50!

Another great source of fun events for people of all ages is MyPeopleConnection. I have been a member in Los Angeles (free!) for several years and have really watched it grow. In this group, volunteer event coordinators ferret out the fun stuff to do in your area and put together a group outing, often with special treatment such as discount tickets, exclusive tours or first rate seating. Each week, you get an email that lists the coming events, that can be anything from a girl's pyjama party brunch to a visit to the wild feline sanctuary to roller blading by the beach. It's a great way to meet people! There is no extra charge for events, but if you become a member ($25/yr), you get first dibs on registering for events. There are also some great members-only parties that always sounded like fun. Here's a link to their FAQs.

What I like about both these resources is that there is no pressure. They are not singles events, everyone is welcome, regardless of your age, sex, marital status, etc.

One more resource (I couldn't resist) is Meetup.com. Do you know about this? It is an amazing website. Check it out, you can either find people in your area who have similar interests, or for about $15/month you can list your own event to draw others of common mind. They even have meetings and events listed in Canada, Australia and about 3 dozen other countries!

So if you are looking for something fun to do, check them out!

Remember, I am on your team!

..• ´¨¨))  -:¦:-
         ¸.•´ .•´¨¨))
       ((¸¸.•´  ..•´   Jessica -:¦:- 

     -:¦:-    ((¸¸.•´*

How to clean your garage-one man's journey from chaos to order

This great information came to me via the folks at unclutterer.com, one of their readers sent in this fabulous photo journal of his experience clearing out the clutter from his garage. Wow. I am impressed.

This is the type of job that we do at In Perfect Order, my organizing company, but this man undertook the task all on his own, rebuilding one of the walls in the garage so that it functioned better for him and he was able to store everything that was strewn around the space and make room for cars and even a couch for his wife to relax on! The most amazing part is he accomplished this in one day!

Take a few minutes and check out his step by step instructions:

Mike Hathaway's garage transformation

If you have performed anything like this recently and feel like crowing about it, I would love to see your photos and hear about your process!

Let's all celebrate and inspire one another together.

Remember, I am on your team!

..• ´¨¨))  -:¦:-
         ¸.•´ .•´¨¨))
       ((¸¸.•´  ..•´   Jessica -:¦:-

     -:¦:-    ((¸¸.•´*

Natural sunscreen and non-toxic bug spray with no chemicals (homemade)

It's blazing hot right now in most of the northern hemisphere. (Marcia, if you are reading this, I believe it's the dead of winter in S. Africa! Lucky you.) Going anywhere means you will likely have to deal with "that irritating light", the sun. (my friends and I still laugh about the time I was driving around Seattle and absent-mindedly wondered what that 'irritating light' was that was hurting my eyes. It turned out is was that unfamiliar old friend the SUN!)

I have always balked at applying commercial sunscreen to my skin and especially to my daughter's skin when she was a baby. It never felt like the right thing to do, as your skin is like your lungs, a respiratory organ and the way environmental elements pass in and out of your body. This can be a good thing (like essential oils or topical balms) or bad (like pollution or other toxins), depending on what you surround yourself with!

Just read the scary labels on any tube of sunscreen, even the so-called "natural" ones, and notice all the chemicals listed there. It makes me shudder. But on the other hand, I know the dangers of being unprotected from the sun. I always wondered how to find a win/win solution?

Well, as many of you know, a couple of years ago, I began using therapeutic grade organic essential oils to help my clients (and now my readers!) with their attention and focusing challenges. They have been such a blessing for so many people and they are completely gentle and non-invasive to your body.

Because I am a voracious learner, I am on several newsgroups about how to use the oils and today, I came across a recipe for a sunscreen/bug repellent that I know I can use. Hooray!

Here is the recipe from the wonderful Lori of Terra-Cotta-Pendants.com. It features the essential oil called Purification*, which is also great for ridding your space of mildew, bugs (ants, wasps, moths, flies, etc) as well as to rid the air of unpleasant odors such as cigarette smoke, mustiness or pet smells. (If you'll be traveling this summer, try putting a few drops on a cotton ball and sticking it in the vents in your hotel room to cleanse the air and freshen things up a bit).

Here's the easy recipe for natural sunscreen:
Sesame oil
Distilled water
Coconut oil
Several drops of Young Living Purification oil*
And one tiny glob of zinc oxide

Sesame oil can block or reduce about 30% of the burning rays, coconut and olive oils about 20%
and Aloe Vera also inhibits 20% of the rays of the sun.

Aloe vera gel can be used as part of the water measurement and you can add 5 drops of lavender and myrrh for a delicious scent.

[Here's a link to purchase Zinc Oxide, but you can find it at your local drug store.]

By the way, those Terra Cotta Pendants are a fantastic and inexpensive way to "diffuse" essential oils. You can just put a few drops in the morning on your pendant and you are good to go for several hours. A few more drops later in the day will freshen you right up. Check out the choices: Terra Cotta Pendants.

While we're at it, here's a yummy-smelling bug repellent that really works from someone else in the newsgroup:

Pour about a cup of distilled water in an empty spray bottle, then add the
following Young Living Essential Oils*:

Patchouli - about 10 drops
Lavender - about the same
Purification - maybe 15 drops

this recipe is so effective, you'll be amazed, but the great thing is, it smells delicious and you can spray it right on babies with no worries!

Don't forget that peppermint oil in a spray bottle with water is a great way to cool yourself off in the heat when you are at an outdoor concert or park. You can also put a few drops in your drinking water and feel how refreshed you are!

*If you feel drawn to hearing more about these transformative and healing oils, please contact me here.

Remember, I am on your team!

..• ´¨¨))  -:¦:-
         ¸.•´ .•´¨¨))
       ((¸¸.•´  ..•´   Jessica -:¦:- 

     -:¦:-    ((¸¸.•´*