5 Ways to Improve Your Kid's Childhood Experience, and Teach Kindness

Everything I have learned in life has been a stepping stone to my current state of well-being, prosperity and balance. I am a constant learner, and am always open to self-improvement, even now, as an adult. Children get most of their ideas about themselves and the world around them by what the adults in their life say and do, so it is important to be fully aware of the message you are giving to your little ones. In this short blog entry, I will give you some wonderful ways to nourish and encourage your children's creativity, promote kindness, and engage in positive activities that you both will enjoy and treasure as cherished moments! I do these activities now, as an adult, so this will be excellent advice for people of all ages.

1. Cook Something Healthy

Making healthy food daily is an absolute must in my life - my food nourishes my mind and body. Give your children a chance to participate in food preparation, and they will take responsibility and pride in their task. Small tasks such as washing the veggies or ripping lettuce leaves for the salad allow your kids to feel like they have contributed to making the meal, and teach them how to become efficient and autonomous. Sharing food is a beautiful way to show love and care, and I often make enough food for my family, as well as the neighbors. My neighbor is a doctor, and works late, so I often invite her for dinner. I also have an elderly woman on the cul-de-sac, and I feel that it is a privilege for me to bring her food. A wonderful weekend activity is making sandwiches for the homeless, and passing them out. Make food with love, share food with loved ones, and teach your children to share and care.

2. Make Bird Friends

I currently live in a house with a large back yard, but I have grown up in an apartment, and have learned to live comfortably and efficiently in a small, urban space. I have a dog and a cat whom I love very much, but if your living conditions don't allow for pets, this advice will be wonderful. It can be challenging for parents to tell their kids they can't have pets because of space or time constrictions, so a great alternative is to hang up hummingbird feeders filled with nectar, and watch these lovely beauties come to sip their sweet nectar. Here is a photo I took yesterday of the bird flying up to drink - they are truly majestic, and therapeutic. Making the nectar is easy - it's a 1-cup sugar to 4-cup water ratio. Simply bring this mixture to a boil, cool, and pour into the feeder. I make enough for the week, and store the rest in the fridge - it's much more convenient, also. This is a wonderful activity to do with the kids - they will love it! Another great idea is to put out feed for the larger birds, especially if you have colorful birds in your neighborhood, like I do. I buy bird feed in bulk, and put it out for them in the flat bowl feeder I have in the back yard. It's great to know that even little creatures can benefit from your kind gesture.

3. Grow Something
Buy a plant that the child will have the responsibility to water. If you have a chance to start a small
garden together, there is nothing more fun than digging in the dirt while taking care of your vegetables or flowers! Children will take great responsibility in doing their part to water veggies, or flowers, and proudly display their labor when it is time to harvest! This is a great activity that will beautify the home, and will also teach the child the values of farm-to-table lifestyle.

4. Volunteer
Lending a helping hand to others is a divine privilege, and a task that will not only fill your children's heart with joy, but will serve as a wonderful reminder of how important each and every one of us is on this planet. I've been caring for my grandmother for the past few years, and one day I thought of
the countless number of elderly people who spend their lives at retirement homes, and rarely get visitors. I went to the dollar store, and picked up puzzles, coloring books, crossword puzzles, crayons, beads, glue, and a couple of poster boards, and showed up at a retirement home. The feeling of joy these wonderful elders experienced made me so happy! Your children will enjoy interacting with elders, and vice versa! I volunteer with kids at an orphanage in Mexico, and the days spent with them have been as rewarding for me, as they have been for them. Gratitude and appreciation creates children who mature into appreciative and self-sufficient adults.

5. Help the Homeless

Vacation season is approaching, and many of us will travel with our families. I frequently travel for work, and spend a third of the month in a hotel room, but since my company manufactures skincare, I bring my own products with me.  Did you know that you are paying daily for the toiletries in your hotel room, and they are yours to use and take? Give your children the task of collecting all unused shampoos, conditioners, soaps, and small toothpastes each day, and putting them away into their suitcase. In six months to a year, the child will have a large box of travel-sized items to donate to the local homeless shelter/mission. These small toiletries may seem like meaningless items to most people, but every little bit counts for the less fortunate. I regularly send monetary donations to charities, but since children don't have the financial ability to help, teaching them to help in this way will get them on the path to sharing and giving. When generosity becomes second nature, so do gratitude and abundance.

Be well, live abundantly, and give abundantly!

Microbeads and The Environment

Have you heard about microbeads? If not, I'd like to educate you on these little plastic culprits, and make sure you stay away from face and body scrubs which list them as an active ingredient. 

1. What are plastic microbeads and why are they commonly found in skincare products?

Microbeads are tiny round plastic beads that are found in some exfoliating products, and they are causing quite a stir in the environmental world. The plastic waste caused by these microbeads, which are not filtered out during sewage treatment, is damaging water ecosystems and killing marine life. 

2. What are some negative effects of these plastic microbeads?

A 2013 research at the University of Wisconsin-Superior showed that there were 1,500 to 1.7 million plastic particles per square mile in the Great Lakes! Not only are the beads damaging to fish, they are also bad for your face - microbeads can cause eye irritation, and promote rosacea and couperose. It’s no wonder that Illinois was the first state to ban the use of microbeads in June of 2014, and I sincerely hope all other states will quickly follow.

3. What are some alternatives to these plastic microbeads and how are they better for the client and the environment?

Instead of using plastic beads, consider other natural options like scrubs with ground up seeds and stone pits from apricots/peaches, crushed walnut husks, oats, coffee grinds, salt, and sugar. I especially recommend sugar for clients dealing with eczema since it’s non irritating on broken skin, and sea salt for psoriasis sufferers, but not more than once a week. All other scrubs can be used 3 times a week, but not more - our skin needs adequate time to amass dry dead cells, and you definitely don’t want to over-exfoliate!

4. How can skincare companies make clients aware of the issue and the benefits of using products that contain safer plastic bead alternatives?

Companies can provide the full list of ingredients on their packaging, and encourage the use of natural, biodegradable ingredients with explanations in their ads. Educating the consumer is the best strategy for forming a long-term honest relationship!

Sorting Out Your Priorities

I'm always amazed at the number of people I constantly meet, who feel drawn to my ideas! I just returned from Miami, this weekend I will be teaching in NY, and everything I put my mind to is a success because of one simple reason - I have my priorities sorted out correctly. 

So many people live their lives in constant stress, because money is their main priority. Getting more money, spending more money, having money only to help others, having money only to show your status, spending money on others because they have spent on you, believing money is difficult to come by, etc. 

Are you allowing yourself to have fun with your money? Why not? It's just a means of exchange, that's all it is. This constant stress is what I feel, has created cancer in my mother's perfectly healthy and beautiful body, and (adversely) has helped me realize how to set my own priorities. For the past 2 years that I have been taking care of my mother and grandmother, while running a corporation, I have realized that prosperity thinking has nothing to do with marketing, making money, or having any special system of living. Prosperity comes when we realize that we are stable and have all the wealth we need when we know our next breath is provided for us. Just in the same matter, if your bills are paid, and you are safely asleep in a comfortable bed at night, trust that your stress will not aid you to make more money. 

I am completely aware that I don't have the ability to cure my mother's cancer, and this doesn't mean I have to break down and mourn her illness. Having my priorities sorted out, means that I take care of my family first, uphold the integrity of my business, take care of my own mental state by releasing anxiety, engaging in positive activities, helping the less fortunate, and doing my best not to project into the future. Who knows what is going to happen next? Just make the best of the time and sort out your priorities.

Botanicals!

I love natural ingredients, that's why today, I'd like to mention 3 botanical ingredients that I think are extremely important in skincare! What do you think of these 3?

Three of the most potent forms of Vitamin C available on the market today are Ascorbyl Glucoside, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, and Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate. This powerful antioxidant combination in a serum fights free radicals, stimulates collagen production, nourishes the skin, reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and brightens skin tone while keeping stable.

Enzymes are a wonderful way to safely exfoliate the skin - this has been my favorite method for years! An enzymatic exfoliation is a good natural way to clean out the pores, get rid of excess oils, slough off the dry and dead skin for a healthy cell turnover. Fruit enzymes, such as Bromelain (from pineapple) and Papain (from papaya) eat away at the oils and dry skin, to expose a refreshed, clear complexion. A good natural enzyme mask brightens the skin, activates cellular function, increases circulation, fades discoloration and leaves the skin feeling and looking fresh, smooth and healthy. 

Marine Collagen is a form of collagen that derived from an assortment of sea algae species Laminaria and Padina. This Marine Collagen Polypeptide is designed to stimulate type III Collagen deep down within the skin. Collagen is a large molecule that alone cannot penetrate into the skin - so scientists found that polypeptide technology can actually stimulate the synthesis Marine Collagen in the skin. This new technology allows the skin to open up and allow the collagen through, because the regular molecule is too large to get in. Combination of marine collagen with polypeptide technology, will help our skin by stimulating collagen production, and elastin collagen thickening, encouraging skin renewal and minimizing muscle contractions, reducing the appearance of deep wrinkles and fine lines, helping provide long-term improvements in deeper wrinkles, helping prevent collagen and elastin breakdown to firm the skin.

Simple Buckwheat Pancakes

I grew up in Russia, and buckwheat is a grain we eat daily. Russians make buckwheat "kasha" for breakfast, and enjoy it with milk and a sprinkling of sugar (just like cereal), they make it as a side for meat and eat it for lunch and dinner. It is a relatively inexpensive grain, and our National staple, even more so than potatoes.  You will be surprised to know that buckwheat used to be in deficit during the communist times! My mother used to have to wait in line and purchase her ration with a coupon, and the only people who were given access to it were diabetics, since this was the approved low-sugar food they were allowed to consume to stay stable, and not spike. 

Not only is buckwheat a delicious, fluffy, and warm comfort food, but it is also good for you! Did you know that buckwheat is one of only few alkaline grains? This means that it won't feed candida, and won't cause inflammation and acidity imbalance in the body. This recipe will not only satisfy your taste buds, but will keep you full without spiking your blood sugar - so it's low on the GI (glycemic index) and absolutely satiating. 

Ingredients (I only use organic):
1 cup soy milk
2 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
2 medium eggs

2 drops of vanilla extract

I learned how to make crepes years ago from Jamie Oliver, and his best advice has been to separate the egg whites from the yolks, and beat them just until fluffy, before adding to the rest of the ingredients. After doing this, combine all ingredients in a big bowl, and mix well. I preheat and grease my cast iron skillet with a bit of coconut oil, and pour the pancakes. Once I see that they become porous all the way through, I flip them, and remove from the skillet just seconds after that. You will easily get the hang of it - nothing too complicated! 

A great way to eat these is with a drizzle of raw honey and some organic berries, but you can also have them with anything your heart desires - peanut butter, yogurt, anything! You will love these, and make them often. Enjoy! 

Book Review: "The Paris Architect" by Charles Belfoure

Those who know me, usually see me carry 2 or 3 books in my purse... Last month I switched books, leaving "The Paris Architect" on my nightstand, but I revisited it, and finished it in two days! Belfoure's heart wrenching novel so intensely drew me in, that I couldn't put it down, no matter how much I tried. 

This book is an incredibly intense, heartfelt story set in wartime Paris, of a young Frenchman who didn't consider himself a good Christian, but agreed to conspire in a plot to hide Jews from the Gestapo.  The dangers Jews faced, the conditions they had to live in, the persecution, the pain of families being separated, and the courage of the gentiles hiding and rescuing people they hardly knew just because they were fellow human beings. This book will open your heart, and prove that people are inherently good, they can nurture, love and care for others, no matter the religion. Tears rolled down my face as I read the last chapter, and a warm feeling of pride for the human race came over me. Who could have known that an architect could write in such a genius manner. Bravo, Mr. Belfoure!

Home Is Where the Peace Is

"Wow! That's quite a lot of books you have there!" - exclaimed my friend as she sat in my car. I looked back, and giggled - I had almost forgotten that the back seat of my car looked like a bookshelf- I'd gotten so used to it over the years. I carry a book in my purse, I keep another book on my desk at work, and you should see my bed stands! Books have a very special place in my heart, because they come from a place of love, and carry associations that warm my heart.

While my mother was getting adjusted in the USA, I was raised my my grandmother, my father's mother, in Moscow, Russia. As you can imagine, the only ladies who ever came into our house were in their 60s, just like my grandmother, and (since fancy candy was scarce, and they were all engineers and abhorred pointless dolls) I always received books as gifts. My birthdays were filled with books, all signed by friends and classmates, and those gifts were all carefully arranged in the "library" that my grandfather built himself in one of the hallway hollows. This was a miniature room with a chair, and bookshelves that towered from floor to ceiling. Yes, I was the youngest proprietor of a library, and that was my safe haven.

I had severe problems with my kidneys when I was a child, so I spent a lot of time in and out of the hospital. I remember my hospital roommates always being rude, so I tried not to leave my room for a long time. My roommates had stolen from me, destroyed my belongings, and eaten the food my grandmother had so lovingly prepared for me, so instead of leaving the room  to play, a stayed and read. I read about Egyptian pharaohs, about the Incas and Mayas, I read all of Chekhov and Pushkin, Lermontov and Grimm brothers. I loved Dumas, and imagined the 3 Musketeers fencing their nemesis with épées in my hospital room! 

My days were filled with inpatient appointments, and reading, and one day, my grandmother came in the evening and announced that we were going home! I was discharged, and I could sleep in my own bed! It was about 7pm, and already dark outside when we left, and I remember how the snow crunched under my boots, and how great the fresh, cold air felt inside my nostrils! It was freezing cold, but all I wanted was an ice-cold can of coke and real food. Everything tasted delicious when I was home - even the air had a different taste, and it was amazing! 

Years later, I am re-living my hospital experience with my mom. While she undergoes her doctor's visits, lab work,  MRIs, avastin infusions, ultrasounds, and chemo preparations, I read, and float away on the loving clouds of books. We typically spend 2 to 5 hours a day at the hospital, about 3 times a week, and there is no better time than the moment we both know we are done for the day, and are going home! That moment that she tells me what she feels like having for dinner, and how extremely famished she is (and there is no way she is eating anywhere other than home!) 

There is no place like home. No place that can comfort you, and make you feel well and healthy. That's why home is where our peace is. I sincerely hope you all have spent a beautiful Holiday with your families, and give gratitude for your home today, and every single day you have the privilege of sleeping in your own warm bed, and making yourself a meal in your own cozy kitchen.

On Growth and Learning

Accept the possibility of learning from others, from nature, from your mistakes, and from your victories. Relax, and release your attachments from prejudices, and preconceived notions. Be open to everything.