Design Credit: Enriching Life Designs
Did you say “I do” on Halloween? I know so many couples who have and they are my inspiration for this anniversary card. I couldn’t resist the couple or the chance to write a sweet verse!
To order go to Zazzle.com.
Reiki practitioners generally believe that all things are made of a form of energy. If that energy isn’t balanced, the person, animal, plant, or what have you, doesn’t feel right. That’s when a Reiki practitioner could be called on to help the receiver put the energy back into balance. I am also fond of calling it a relaxation therapy because that is the effect it has on me when I receive it.
A distance Reiki session can take place in person, over the phone, or even on the other side of the Earth with no physical contact between the sender and the receiver; which brings me to the subject of this post.
How well does distance Reiki really work? If you call me for help with something that is bothering you, whether the bother is a physical, mental, or emotional one, is there something I can do that will make a difference for you?
I have asked two of my clients to share their experiences with distance Reiki. This is what they had to say:
What do you experience during a distance Reiki session?
Client 1 answered: “Even when taking a distance Reiki session I can feel the energy surround me. It’s a wonderful relieving feeling to know that distant Reiki can really work.”
Client 2 answered: “Release of illness, burdens, fears, hate, anger, and many other unwanted feelings.”
How do you feel after a distance Reiki session?
Client 1 answered: “I feel very sleepy for about two hours then I start to clean my home and everything else I can. I also feel re-energized.”
Client 2 answered: “Light spirit, love, joy, peace, and a feeling of well being.”
Do you feel that distance Reiki “does” anything?
Client 1 answered: “Absolutely. It makes my world an even easier place to live in. I really can build up the stress level in my life.”
Client 2 answered: “Absolutely.”
Do you recommend distance Reiki to others?
Client 1 answered: “I have, yes. I usually tell people about it because of the way it makes me feel about myself.”
Client 2 answered: “Positively.”
How many distance Reiki sessions have you experienced?
Client 1 answered: “Wow! I’m really not sure, but I think I have received at least twelve.”
Client 2 answered: “Approximately 20.”
Will you use distance Reiki in the future?
Client 1 answered: “Only if I need it. I do a lot of meditating on my own time, plus yoga classes.”
Client 2 answered: “Without a doubt.”
Now for some background. Client 1 grew up in an extremely abusive home and experienced more physical, mental, and emotional abuse than I would have believed possible. Client 1 has, with the aid of Reiki and other practices, gone on to live what most people would consider a normal life.
Client 2 has experienced devastating losses including all siblings, three children, both parents, and a spouse of more than forty years. Client 2 lives what most people would consider to be a normal life. They would never guess at the levels of loss that came before they met.
Distance Reiki is one of the most miraculous experiences I’ve ever had. If you have the opportunity to receive it, I strongly encourage you to try it. The technique is taught during level II training.
Please feel free to share your thoughts with me in the comments below.
If you’re a Reiki practitioner, Level II or higher, and you would like to explore new techniques, check out my ART manual. Available on Amazon.com.
As always, thank you for the time we spend together.
Whether you’re looking for basic information about what an alkaline diet is or good soup recipes or a system to get your health back on track, we think you will be happy with the information in this book.
The recipes range between comfy old favorites like ginger carrot, minestrone, vegetable barley, and white bean and kale, to the unique green soup and farro chili.
Please note that you will not see food photos in the Kindle version. We don’t know if the print version includes photos or not.
Gina has followed the concept of the alkaline diet since she started studying at the Edison Institute of Nutrition in 2003, where she received her certificate in nutrition and Bachelor’s degree in Applied Nutrition in 2005. She worked in a day spa where the owner insisted that all nutrition plans follow the tenets of the alkaline diet, which taught her even more about the benefits.
From personal and professional experience, Gina can confirm that eating as recommended by the tenets of alkaline nutrition does make a difference for most of the clients she has coached. The why is simple: alkaline foods are mostly raw fruits and vegetables. If you increase the amount of raw fruits and vegetables in your daily life, you are greatly increasing your water intake, your enzyme intake, your fiber intake, your vitamin and mineral intake, and your antioxidant intake. There’s no mystery as to why that leads to helping you feel better.
Cooking does change the pH (potential hydrogen) of foods but following an alkaline diet does allow for cooking vegetables. Good news, you don’t have to go raw unless you want to!
This book will definitely get you started or add to your recipe collection. Enjoy!
As always, thank you for the time you spend with us!
Gina and Nina
Specifically…
Gina’s answer to this question from her Reiki I class, way back in 2006, is two answers. We all know how much she likes and better than or. Her top two memories from the class were:
Nina says that her favorite part of Reiki I was taking the class with her cousin and the fascinating revelations Reiki brought while the class shared their attunement experiences and what brought them to Reiki in the first place.
We’d love to hear about what your favorite part of Reiki I was. Tell us in the comments!
We are taking names for our next Reiki I classes in the Dallas, Texas area.
If you are ready to start your Reiki journey, contact us here or through e-mail: thereikicafe@gmail.com for more information.
As always, thank you for the time you spend with us!
Gina and Nina
For the first time ever, we’re having a Back to School Sale with nearly ALL canned items on sale! Make your life easier with simple ingredients that are ready for that last-minute rush. And no worries, our cans are BPA free.
You can stock up on fruits, veggies, and Snackies that will have your kids asking for more. No squished peaches in the backpack and 50% off! Sealed cans have a long shelf life, with no nutrition or taste lost!
When: Sale begins for Consultants on August 22 at 9am MDT. Sale begins for all other customers on August 23 at 9am MDT. Sale ends on August 27 at 11:59pm MDT or while supplies last.
Where: On the picker page or Delivery Service, You will see the sale prices now, but remember that if you order before the sale starts you will pay current pricing.
Delivery Service customers with orders over $100 get free shipping!
If you are not signed up for delivery service, talk to us today to get set up so you can get these great deals shipped to you for free! Setup is free, there are no minimums, and you are completely in control of your delivery service options. We love free shipping!
What: Our most popular grocery items will be on sale plus sale-only variety packs you won’t want to miss! Check out the flyers below to learn more.
We’ll be offering a Back to School Sale-only product starting on Wednesday, August 22!
Strawberries and bananas that won’t turn to mush in their lunches. Or yours. Great for on the go, snacking, and to quell the hunger while you’re making dinner.
Pro tip: If you are excited about the deep discounts in these flyers be sure to order as early as you can on the first day of the sale, because the deep discounts run out FAST!
Questions? Please ask because we are happy to help. E-mail us: thereikicafe@gmail.com or comment below.
Thank you for the time you spend with us!
Gina and Nina
These beauties are a preview from our upcoming cookbook. They are gluten-free, dairy-free, made without refined sugar, 100% plant-based, and 100% delicious!
Thank you for the time we spend together!
Gina and Antonina
We ate blueberry muffins, peanut butter cookies, coconut cream pie, pecan pies, and more; all without refined sugar and totally satisfying.
Maybe you’ve heard of Larabar? They’ve been around for a long time, getting it just right.
You know how we love to pass on a good tip for living a healthy, balanced life. Today we have twelve.
We added Reiki to the bars before tasting. We know that made them even better!
Here are Antonina’s Larabar rankings:
Call me cheesy, but I feel like Larabars need commercials with us, the exhausted humans, wondering: what would be a quick, healthy snack? Enter the magical Larabar! There are Larabar commercials. I’ve seen them – they’re cute!
I grab Larabars (I keep them in the snack section of my pantry) for snack and for breakfast. I’ve tried an array of Larabars. Ones with added sugar, but most of them are added sugar-free. For this review we focused only on the ones without refined sugar.
Right on the package these gems say they are non-GMO, gluten free, vegan (big plus), dairy free, and soy free. That opens a pretty big market nowadays with special diets.
You can find them through our Amazon affiliate links here for you convenience (if one was available), or at a lot of chain stores like Trader Joes, Sprouts, Whole Foods, Kroger, Target, and even Walmart. I’ve been lucky to even find some boxes of them at the 99 Cent Only stores. GASP!
Here are my top 12 Larabars!
12. Blueberry Muffin
-Just 5 Ingredients: Cashews, Dates, Apples, Blueberries, and Vanilla Extract
This did not taste like a muffin AT ALL to me. My daughter seems to enjoy them very well.
11. Carrot Cake
-Just 9 Ingredients: Dates, Almonds, Walnuts, Raisins, Pineapple, Unsweetened Coconut, Carrots, Cinnamon, and Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.
This does taste like a carrot cake indeed.
10. Key Lime Pie
-Just 6 Ingredients: Dates, Cashews, Almonds, Unsweetened coconut, Lime Juice Concentrate, and Dried Lime Juice Concentrate.
I used to be a big fan of key lime pies, and this Larabar doesn’t exactly deliver on the flavor. If you like things that do taste like lime, I would still highly recommend this one. Green dye free besides the packaging.
9. Pecan Pie
-Just 3 Ingredients: Dates, Pecans, and Almonds
When I was a vegetarian I really liked those Two-Bite Brownie brand pecan pies. It took a couple more bites for me but the pie was decadent. This Larabar does not let you down. It is pleasantly moist and chewy. I’m not going to entirely say gooey but it is on its way there.
8. Chocolate Coconut Chew
-Just 5 Ingredients: Dates, Almonds, Walnuts, Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, Unsweetened Coconut. I would like to note that the cocoa is Fair Trade Certified by Fair Trade USA.
I am a HUGE fan of anything chocolate coconut. Anything Almond Joy please. Since I have kicked added sugar and kissed it goodbye I do not get the pleasure of indulging in anything chocolate coconut as often. Until the chocolate coconut chew came into my life. It sometimes has full almonds to munch on in there (yay good fats).
7. Cherry Pie
-Just 3 Ingredients: Dates, Almonds, and Unsweetened Cherries
Funny story about this one during a staff meeting. There was the question: “What is one thing you can’t live without under $10?” written on a white board. Everyone signed in and I wrote my name happily and “Larabars” next to it. My manager at the time had told us that some of us needed to explain what some of the things were because he didn’t know what a “Larabar” was. Immediate laughter but I was like “OMG! Let me show you!”…I slipped one into his locker after I discovered a box of the Cherry Pie Larabars with a note on it from him. <3. No, he never told me if he liked it or not! I really think these hit the flavor of cherry pie right on the nail. They can be a tad sour at times depending on how ripe the cherries were during production of the bar. I like it. One of my favorites!
6. Coconut Cream Pie
-Just 5 Ingredients: Dates, Unsweetened Coconut, Almonds, Cashews, and Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.
Let me just say this: with being vegan – there goes any chance of ANYTHING cream pie. Unless you get into your kitchen and whip up some coconut cream! We’re talking non-perishable here though. Probably a little bit of a hassle to make a vegan coconut cream pie. I would try it, but could I do it without added sugar? Something I would have to figure out. I was first eating this one on my way to work and a good quarter of it dropped on the floor in front of a group of people. I felt comical thinking I should have fallen to my knees and yelled “Noooo!”, but I resisted the urge. Nonetheless, it was a freaking good Larabar.
5. Lemon Bar
-Just 6 Ingredients: Dates, Cashews, Almonds, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Dried Lemon Juice Concentrate, and Lemon Oil.
I have always been a fan of anything lemon flavored or scented. The traditional baked dessert, the lemon bar, usually contains gelatin and powdered sugar. Not exactly compliant to my diet. Larabar to the rescue.
4. Cashew Cookie
-Just 2 Ingredients: Cashews and dates
This bar used to be my absolute favorite. I love cashew everything. Cashews, cashew milk, cashew cheese, etc. Until I found the cashew cookie Larabars. Yum! They even have the Larabar mini duo pack of cashew cookie and apple pie. Perfect for in my purse, going out to dinner with an empty stomach, and for kids.
3. PB&J
-Just 4 Ingredients: Dates, Peanuts, Unsweetened Cherries, and sea salt.
This is a whole new twist on fast and flavor. Don’t get me wrong, I love the occasional PB&J. It is comfort food and sometimes it is seen as junk food. I am ALL for the occasional vegan junk food. This bar manages the texture and flavor of eating a sandwich. I don’t know how, but it does. Great for your kids. Especially the ones that don’t like the crust.
2. Peanut Butter Cookie
-Just 3 Ingredients: Dates, Peanuts, and Sea Salt
I am so guilty of that occasional peanut butter spoon at midnight. I used to stir a spoonful of peanut butter into chocolate non-dairy milk and eat it that way. Then I would drink the rest of the glass of the chocolate milk. Full of sugar. Both the peanut butter and the non-dairy chocolate milks are full of sugar. I haven’t looked for an unsweetened non-dairy chocolate milk. I love the peanut butter flavor I get when I take one bite of this bar. Yummy in my tummy.
1. Apple Pie
-Just 6 ingredients: Dates, Almonds, Unsweetened Apples, Raisins, and Cinnamon.
Holy crap! The stories I have to choose from to put into a review that will be posted on the internet. I will pick the one that is the funniest. About twice a year I go through airport security with my daughter when she goes to and from her daddy’s house. The last time, I hadn’t entirely planned to go through airport security, but they had granted my mother and me with gate passes. I was worried about the sensible things that TSA would take. My Flonase? My food? Yes, they will take your snacks. I had Larabars in my purse. My mother had Larabars in her purse. I ended up sharing one with my daughter and then giving the rest of mine to my mom who had agreed to stay behind because there were several things to not take into security in both of our bags. The bar that I ate was, you guessed it, apple pie. The blend of apples and cinnamon makes it taste like a baked apple pie.
There you have it! Just in case you wanted to know what I, Antonina, thought of the Larabars. Hope to write more about other things soon for you. Until then, peace, love, and happiness.
Thanks, Nina! Now here’s my top twelve Larabars!
12. Blueberry Muffin.
The bar totally tastes like blueberries and is one I will grab when I’m craving blueberries and have to run out the door.
11. Carrot Cake.
Really reminds me of carrot cake! Sweet, cinnamon, and chewy. It would rank higher if number one wasn’t so amazing.
10. Cashew Cookie.
I much prefer the peanut butter cookie, but this one is a must for Antonina and Lilli. The cashew flavor is mild and a little one note.
9. Cherry Pie.
Totally reminds me of a cherry pie! When I’m in the mood for one, this is what I reach for.
8. Chocolate Coconut Chew.
It is chewy and there’s lots of chocolate, but if you’re looking for the classic candy pairing of these two flavors you won’t find as much coconut. Still, good for a chocolate fix.
7. Key Lime.
I like this better than key lime pie. Seriously. Tangy and fun to eat.
6. Peanut Butter & Jelly.
What a pleasant surprise! This is one of the rare Larabars I didn’t know about before our taste test. It has tart cherries and sweet peanut flavor. So yum!
5. Apple Pie.
Cinnamon and apple. Who could ask for more? We always have these on hand. Well, we try to but they disappear pretty fast!
4. Coconut Cream Pie.
Looking for coconut flavor? You’ll find it right here. So good! These do not last long!
3. Lemon bar.
It is as close to a lemon bar as I can imagine without adding powdered sugar to it. Tangy and sweet. I love the texture.
2. Peanut Butter Cookie.
This bar is exactly what you expect from it – loaded with peanut butter flavor.
1. Pecan Pie!
It’s my favorite by a fair margin. Sweet, gooey pecan flavor. Now you know how to bribe me!
Thanks for reading, and we’d love to hear what your favorite Larabar is!
Gina and Antonina
Here’s the answer to one of the most common questions I am asked – what water do I drink. Here’s the super easy answer – I use this pitcher filtration system.
It’s so awesome I gave one to my daughter for her place and she loves it, too.
The features I like best about this pitcher are the most important to me: the water tastes clean and the filter is easy to use. I change it once and month since it’s mostly just for me and Lucy. My next favorite feature is how fast it filters. Bonus, it looks good enough to sit on the counter or the table.
Here is my amazon affiliate link for the pitcher, which comes with two filters.
Here’s my amazon affiliate link for a two-pack of replacement filters.
Drinking a minimum of 50 ounces of water daily is important for my health.
Do you drink enough water?
As always, thank you for the time you spend with me!
Gina
P.S. You know what else helps with living a balanced life? This book!
Nina and I have been working ,yeah ok, playing, with cover ideas for our upcoming recipe book. We’d love to know what you think of these so far!
Which one do you like better? Your input is greatly appreciated!
As always, thank you for reading,
Gina and Nina
Contains amazon affiliate link