Home Made Sweeter: Weekend Edition

Product Love: SOS Cleaning Pads

This product is an oldie, but goodie, as they say. Beloved by my mother and grandmother SOS pads have remained virtually unchanged since they first hit the market in 1917. Since it is an older product, a lot of modern home-keepers may be unaware of this kitchen lifesaver, so I thought they deserved a spotlight. They are basically small pads of steel wool infused with a foaming soap and they are scrubbing dynamos. They are perfect for baked-on messes that won’t soak away. I find myself using them frequently as of late, since my less-than-stellar dishwasher often leaves stuff behind on my dishes that won’t come off easily until I dampen an SOS pad and rub lightly. The pads are quite large, and since they are made of steel, are prone to rusting if left wet on the side of the sink. I solve this problem by cutting each pad into halves or even quarters as needed with a pair of kitchen shears. My mom swears by wrapping used pads in foil and tossing it in the freezer to prevent rusting.

Music Love: Florence & the Machine

I’m digging Florence & the Machine lately. The dreamy vocals and catchy melodies are  heavily atmospheric and often have a dark edge to the lyrics, yet somehow leave you feeling strangely buoyed up .  The “Florence” of Florence & the Machine is Florence Welsh, an English songbird with a powerhouse voice. Her video for “Cosmic Love” is beautiful and haunting. If you want something a little more upbeat, give “Dog Days are Over” a listen. Or, for sheer rock-n-roll that will make you get up and dance, try “Kiss with a Fist” — the videos are great too.  Either way, you won’t be disappointed. And by all means, let me know what you think or let me know what music you are loving lately.

Yoga Love: Virabhadrasana I  (Warrior Pose)

photo courtesy of www.yogajournal.com

Warrior pose is strongly grounding pose that strengthens your legs, shoulders, arms, and back, challenges your balance, and stretches your  hip flexors. To move into Warrior 1, start out in Tadasana, inhale deeply. As you begin to exhale, place your hands on your hips and  step your left foot back 3-4 feet, turning the toes of your back foot forward at a 45-degree angle. Your front toes should point straight ahead. Make sure that your weight is centered evenly on both feet and the the front leg is bent in a deep lunge, bringing the thigh bone as close to parallel with the floor as you are able.

Glance down at your front knee and make sure that it is not rolling inward, but that it is staying stacked directly above your ankle. Also check to make sure that in your lunge, the knee is not extending past the ankle joint. If it is, this will put undue pressure on your kneecap and could lead to a knee injury. Correct this by widening your stance. Next, draw your attention to your back foot and press down with the outer edge of your foot.

Next, check your hip alignment. Both hips should be facing squarely forward and even with one another. With hands still on hips, pull the right hip (or left hip, if the left foot is forward) back gently until it aligns with the left. Another good way to tell if your hips are squared is to visualize which way your belly button is pointing. It should be pointing straight ahead rather than diagonally off to one side. If you are having difficulty squaring the hips, try stepping the front foot over to the right an inch or two. (Or to the left when the left foot is forward,)

Finally, inhale deeply as you fully extend your arms and raise them above your head, alongside your ears. Take a moment to make sure your shoulders are not coming up to the ears. If they are, relax the shoulders and draw the shoulder blades downward. Extend strongly through the arms all the way through the fingertips. If you find that raising the arms creates tension in the neck and shoulders, feel free to modify the pose by returning the hands to the hips. Yoga should be a  means of releasing tension in the body, never creating it.

Hold Warrior 1 for 5-6 full breaths. When you are ready to come out of the pose, return the hands to the hips on an exhalation. As you inhale, step the back foot forward to meet the other. Repeat on the opposite side. End your micro-session by adjusting your alignment in Tadasana and taking several deep breaths, ending with a final exhalation through the mouth, like a sigh.

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