Easter Lily History...

Native to the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan, and the islands of Okinawa, Amani and Erabu, Easter Lilies were introduced to England in 1819, and brought to America during the late 1880s from Bermuda.
History, mythology, literature, poetry and the world of art are full of stories and images that speak of the beauty and elegance the Easter Lily. For many, the beautiful trumpet-shaped white flowers symbolize purity, virtue, innocence, hope, and life.

According to Roman mythology, Juno, the queen of the gods was nursing her son Hercules, when excess milk fell from the sky. Part of the milk remained above the earth and created the group of stars known as the Milky Way while the remainder fell to the earth creating lilies. Another tradition has it that when Eve left the Garden of Eden she shed tears of repentance, and from those remorseful tears sprung up lilies.
The pure white lily has long been closely associated with the Virgin Mary. In paintings, the Angel Gabriel is pictured extending to the Virgin Mary a branch of pure white lilies, announcing that she is to be the mother of the Christ Child. Legend holds that when the Virgin Mary s tomb was visited three days after her burial, it was found empty except for bunches of majestic white lilies.

Often called the "white-robed apostles of hope," lilies were found growing in the Garden of Gethsemane after Christ's agony. Tradition has it that beautiful white lilies sprung up where drops of Christ's sweat fell to the ground in his final hours. Churches surround their altars and crosses with masses of Easter Lilies, to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and hope of life everlasting.
Whether given as a gift or enjoyed in your own home, the Easter Lily serves a reminder that Easter is a time for rejoicing and celebrating.

Have a Happy Easter,
Roger & Lisa Booth
Good Living Products

Finding Your Joy - Be Happy Every Single Day

Being happy doesn’t come naturally to everybody. 

Choose happiness every day.

Our lives are rich with potential sources of happiness, but sometimes we become victims of negative thinking because we believe that focusing on all that has gone wrong will provide us with the motivation we need to face the challenges of survival. When we choose to focus on what makes us happy, however, a shift occurs in the fabric of our existence. Finding something to be happy about every single day can help this shift take place. The vantage points from which we view the world are brought into balance, and we can see that being alive truly is a gift to be savored. There is always something we can be happy about—it is simply up to us to identify it.

On one day, we may find happiness in a momentous, life-changing event such as a marriage or the birth of a child. On another day, the happiness we experience may be a product of our appreciation of a particularly well-brewed cup of a tea or the way the sun shines on a leaf. If we discover that we literally cannot call to mind a single joyful element of existence, we should examine the cause of the blockage standing between us and experiencing happiness. Keeping a happiness journal is a wonderful way to catalog the happiness unfolding all around us so that joy has myriad opportunities to manifest itself in our lives. Writing about the emotions we experience while contemplating joy may give us insight into the factors compelling us to resist it.

Happiness may not always come easily into your life. You have likely been conditioned to believe that the proper response to unmet expectations is one of sadness, anger, guilt, or fear. To make joy a fixture in your existence, you must first accept that it is within your power to choose happiness over unhappiness every single day. Then, each time you discover some new source of happiness, the notion that the world is a happy place will find its way more deeply into your heart. On this day, find one thing to be happy about and let it fill your heart. 


Find your inner joy today!!
Roger & Lisa Booth
www.goodlivingproducts.com

 

Find Out Why It's Easy to Be Green

Here is an interesting article on a few things we can all do to be green. Easy stuff for sure.
by Denise Austin

Simple Steps

Have you "gone green" yet? There are many steps you can take to give back to the environment so we can all continue to enjoy our beautiful planet! Doing something positive for the environment is not as hard as it may seem. Here are a few simple ways you can show our planet your love — and save money and calories too!

Carry your own bags. Invest in solid canvas bags you can take

 with you on your weekly shopping trip so you don't have to
use paper or plastic. Some stores even offer a discount if you
bring your own bags.
 
Bring your own bottle. Instead of shelling out a buck or more for a bottle of water at the gym, fill up an aluminum water bottle at the fountain. Keep a mug or glass on your desk at work to refill at the cooler.

Pack your lunch. Cut down on restaurant take-out packaging by bringing last night's leftovers for lunch in a washable container. You'll save on calories, fat, and sodium, too!

Ride your bike — or walk! Save on gas and reduce emissions by biking or walking to work or to run errands. Public transportation is an environmentally friendly option as well. If you must drive, at least combine your errands so you can do them all in one trip. You'll save time too!

Wear a sweater. Turn the heat a few degrees lower in the winter — and a few degrees higher in the summer — to save energy. Stay warm — or cool — by dressing for the season.

Sort your garbage. Set aside paper, magazines, aluminum cans, and plastic and glass bottles for recycling. Contact your sanitation department to find out about pickup options or where to drop the recycling off. In many states, you can recycle bottles and cans at local supermarkets — and get back a deposit for each one!

Make your own gifts. For birthdays, holidays, and other occasions, create unique gifts at home instead of buying something (typically with disposable packaging) at the store. Bake or cook a special treat, give a nice piece of clothing or jewelry that you haven't worn in a long time, or write a poem on a homemade card — it's really the thought that counts!

Make it an Earth-friendly week! Try one of these suggestions on two days in the week ahead — or come up with more ideas of your own to protect the environment. The possibilities are endless!
Please check out our website @ goodlivingproducts.com.

Be well,
Roger & Lisa Booth
Good Living Products

Green Solutions for St. Patrick's Day

1. Use cast iron pans instead of non-stick.
2. To avoid chemicals leaching into food, go easy on processed, canned or fast foods and never microwave plastic.   
3. Buy organic, or eat vegetables and fruit from the "Clean 15" list. 
4. Pregnant women should use iodized salt to combat chemical interference from the thyroid.
5. Seal outdoor wooden structures. Order a test kit to find out if your wooden deck, picnic table, or play-set is leaching arsenic.
6. Leave your shoes at the door. This cuts down on dust-bound pollutants in the home
7. Avoid perfume, cologne and products with added fragrance. Search for personal care products that are fragrance-free, or check the products you're already using.
8. Buy products with natural fibers, like cotton and wool, that are naturally fire resistant. 
9. Eat low-mercury fish like tilapia and pollock, rather than high-mercury choices like tuna and swordfish.
10. Filter your water for drinking and cooking.
11. Learn your personal body burden. Take a step-by-step tour of your home to learn the toxic truth about how household products contribute to your body burden of industrial chemicals.


We can all work a little bit every day to do our part in keeping God's Earth green!!
Roger & Lisa Booth
Good Living Products

Kissing 101

"How did it happen that their lips came together? How does it happen that birds sing, that snow melts, that the rose unfolds, that the dawn whitens behind the stark shapes of trees on the quivering summit of the hill? A kiss, and all was said." ~Victor Hugo

Written by: Wendy Strgar of Good Clean Love
As a purveyor of love products, I have had my fair share of conversations about kissing as the gateway to intimacy. A little kissing know-how goes a long way because nothing will doom a relationship faster than a bad first kiss. Some of this is a biological imperative, because kissing is the human form of long standing mammalian behavior of smelling our mates to determine compatibility. The human art form of kissing has developed over millennia when our ancestors believed that the kiss united their souls, as they believed the spirit was carried on the breath.

The key to a good kiss comes from the power of your intention, which is translated as attraction and love for the beloved. Even the most technically skilled kissers often fall short when their kiss is insincere. Many people never learned the basics of a good kiss, in part because kissing is more an art than an education. A good way to approach both is to compare it to the art of a meaningful conversation. In fact if you think of kissing as a way of communicating in ways that words can’t come close, the subtlety of good kissing technique comes clear.

Being prepared for a kiss begins with basic oral hygiene. Kissing with onion or garlic breath is an immediate detractor, so brushing the teeth or taking breath mints or gum, is a fundamental. The three primary elements that turn on a kissing conversation are breath, lips and tongue. Although it seems like stating the obvious, breathe through your nose while kissing and let your slight pulling back to take a deeper breath help slow down and connect you while you kiss. Although a racing heart and gasping for air is not uncommon during intense kissing it can be a little off putting at the beginning of the interlude.

Whether the intended kiss is just a little peck or inviting a longer conversation with an open mouthed kiss, the way you hold your lips is critical. Our lips are covered with thousands of nerve endings and have the ability to communicate soft opening as well as firm control. Experiment with softening your lips even for a short kiss and see how that changes the dialogue. Hard kisses with tight lips can be overwhelming even in the midst of serious passion. Soft open mouth kisses invite your partner into a dialogue, which is the goal. Feel for her response. Open-mouthed kissing can teach you a lot about opening to relationships: about how to avoid forcing things, as well as giving both partners the opportunity to be active participants choosing their unspoken words.

The agile tongue can speak volumes in a kiss. Unfortunately, many people think the French kiss is as simple as basic insertion of their tongue in the mouth of their partner. Nothing can kill a kissing mood like a sloppy tongue in the midst of a tentative open-mouth kissing conversation. Consider the tongue like a diplomat, and just like in a good conversationalist, use the tongue judiciously to communicate interest, curiosity and intrigue. A light tongue tracing the lips, quick darting meeting of tongues in the center of open lips is incredibly exciting and will open the conversation to new levels.

Discovering the art of kissing takes time. The patient kisser has the time to experiment and demonstrate their sensitivity and understanding. Rushing in and trying to take control of the kiss screams amateur and pushes people away more often than pulling them in. Developing the artistic capacity to communicate without words will not only enhance the physical intimacy that you share but you will be surprised at how much safer and more open your verbal conversations will become.

Thanks Wendy!  A great reminder that we need to pay attention to those "intimate" kisses!  Remember - practice makes perfect!

We carry Good Clean Love products that will enhance your love life!

Kisses!  Roger and Lisa Booth of Good Living Products  
Yep, that's Roger and Lisa in this picture!!!  Practice, Practice

Guaranteed Weight Loss!!

A man calls a company and orders their 5-day, 10 lb. weight loss program.

The next day, there's a knock on the door and there stands before him a voluptuous, athletic, 19 year old babe dressed in nothing but a pair of Nike running shoes and a sign around her neck.

She introduces herself as a representative of the weight loss company.

The sign reads, "If you can catch me, you can have me."

Without a second thought, he takes off after her.

A few miles later huffing and puffing, he finally gives up.

The same girl shows up for the next four days and the same thing happens.

On the fifth day, he weighs himself and is delighted to find he has lost 10 lbs. as promised. 

He calls the company and orders their 5-day/20 pound program.

The next day there's a knock at the door and there stands the most stunning and beautiful woman he has ever seen in his life.

She is wearing nothing but Reebok running shoes and a sign around her neck that reads, "If you catch me you can have me."

Well, he's out the door after her like a shot.

This girl is in excellent shape and he does his best, but no such luck.

So for the next four days, the same routine happens with him gradually getting in better and better shape.

Much to his delight on the fifth day when he weighs himself, he discovers that he has lost another 20 lbs. as promised. 

He decides to go for broke and calls the company to order the 7-day/50 pound program.

"Are you sure?" asks the representative on the phone. "This is our most rigorous program."

"Absolutely," he replies, "I haven't felt this good in years."

The next day there's a knock at the door; and when he opens it he finds a huge muscular guy standing there wearing nothing but pink running shoes and a sign around his neck that reads,"If I catch you, you are mine!!!"

He lost 63 pounds that week. ;-)

Hey! Finally something that really works!  

Smile - it's good for you,

Roger Booth

www.goodlivingproducts.com

Is Your Home Safe??

Here is a product line that we carry from Herb'n Organics. I wanted to share this interesting article on products that we use day to day and don't realize what harm they can be causing. I personally use all of their products and just love them. They clean amazingly, smell great and healthy for the environment and your family!


It's all around us, often disguised in pretty packaging, catchy commercials and attractive coupon offers in your Sunday paper. "It" is all of those many products we use in our everyday lives to get things clean. Consumers are becoming more conscious. The term "clean" is thankfully being redefined by many people who have personally experienced the dangerous effects that common household chemicals can wreak on our bodies and those of our families. In that light, here is a Top 10 on some products you should permanently cross off your shopping list:

1. Non-stick cookware
2. Plastic Bottles
3. Conventional Cleaning Supplies*
4. Chemical Insecticides & Herbicides
5. Antibacterial Products
6. Chemical Fertilizers
7. The Non-CFL Lightbulb
8. Air Fresheners
9. Flame Retardents
10. Plastic Shopping Bags

Click here to read up on all the dangers and suggested alternatives.
*Solution: Herb'n Organics Non-Toxic Cleaning Supplies!

Bleach & Ammonia: Asthma Triggers in the Classroom

CDC surveys have detected a dramatic increase in childhood asthma across the country in the span of just a few decades. At present, nearly 1 in 10 children has asthma in the U.S. Nationally, asthma is the leading cause of missed school days due to a chronic illness. Many ingredients in conventional cleaning supplies cause asthma in previously healthy people, according to the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC), the leading international body concerned with the link between chemical exposures and asthma.

* Asthma affects 1 in 4 school children

* Asthma is increasing in prevalence especially in young children below the age of 5

* Asthma can kill if left unattended

* Asthma is a major cause of childhood admissions to hospital

* Recognize the signs of Asthma: lethargy, tiredness, decreased motivation and inability to concentrate,
                                    ear and stomach aches
School children spend a large part of their day inside classrooms cleaned with chemicals that can cause or exacerbate asthma, and breathe in a complex set of indoor air contaminants with lungs that are still developing.
Click here to read more....

Bathing Your Pup with Go Green Dog

We all know how great it feels to take a nice warm bath or shower and come out feeling all clean and refreshed. Well, your favorite family pets love it too. You can tell. It's written all over their cute lovable faces after a good toweling off after a bath. We love our pets just as much - see precious Emma pictured right

so we had to create our Go Green Dog line of shampoo and dog crate/bed spray.

The secret of our Go Green Dog shampoo is rinse-ability! You'll get that soap off your pal quickly and thoroughly and Go Green Dog leaves your dog's coat soft, shiny and clean. This is a low-lather shampoo, so work it in to the moistened coat sparingly rather than pouring it on. Your dog gets a good massage and a good cleaning!

Ingredients are pure & simple:
Vegetable Glycerin, Vinegar, Castile Soap, Filtered Water, Lavender Essential Oil, and Peppermint Essential Oil.
Please check out our website for Herb'n Organic product line. You won't be dissappointed.
Click here to get some!

Take Care,
Roger & Lisa Booth
Good Living Products