Coloring…it’s not just for petites

Last October, Huffington Post published an article about how coloring can be used as a relaxation technique.  Since then the books that they showcased have sold millions of copies.  Carl Jung used coloring to help patients in the early 20th century using mandalas, this is not some new marketing thing, coloring is tried a true.

Sometimes being a mom or a dad, or just an adult is incredibly stressful, and often times we don’t make enough time for ourselves, or even pay attention when we are feeling overwhelmed and stressed out.  The reason why these books are so incredibly popular, is not, in my opinion because coloring is all of a sudden something people like to do, it is because as a society we are under quite a bit of stress on any given day.  Coloring is a stress reliever, so why not embrace it?  For about $12 you can have hours of stress relief?  So now that we’ve all admitted we’ve got some stress in our lives, let’s just go ahead and set some time aside for something cathartic, something that will relieve some of that tension.

I wanted to share with you a few of my favorites.  Of course, there are tons of coloring books at just about any price point out there, but these are simply stunning.

Secret Garden

Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book

Enchanted Forest

Enchanted Forest: An Inky Quest & Coloring Book

A delicious way to drink more water…just in time for summer.

Cucumber Basil Infused WaterI came across a picture on Pinterest a few days ago of a Ball Wide Mouth Water Infuser.  I immediately wanted one.  This is brilliant, we don’t normally drink out of mason jars in my house, but I have a ton of them from canning projects.  All I needed was to track down this infuser and lid.  I had been checking local markets and Target, but was out of luck.  I was at Walmart yesterday and sure enough in the canning aisle they had it.  It was $5.74.  Today I started to use it and am so incredibly happy I found it.

I don’t normally drink enough water, in fact I am pretty sure that I am dehydrated or close to it most of the time.  Having the opportunity to drink flavored water on a regular basis with items I have in my garden or fridge is just amazing and really cost-effective.  The Ball website even has suggestions for flavor pairings, today I have been enjoying cucumber basil and it’s amazing.  I wouldn’t have thought to pair those two together but it is really refreshing.  Here are some of the other options that they suggest:

Water Infusions

A couple of things, it doesn’t come with the jar, so you would need to have a wide mouth mason jar already or be willing to buy some.  Also, a rather fun note from Ball is that you can use the same fruits and herbs for up to 2-3 days as long as they stay submerged in water and you refrigerate when you’re not drinking it.

You can purchase these little beauties from Ball directly as well as Amazon, but they are more expensive than the one I purchased at Walmart yesterday.  Since the petite keeps taking mine when I am not looking, I suspect I will be buying another one soon.

Enjoy!

Erin