Air Scense Blog

 

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Baby it’s cold outside! Winter temperatures can be rough, and for many of us it’s almost impossible to not get chilled to the bone from time to time, or even worse – catch a cold or flu. We feel your pain! Has Jack Frost been nipping at your nose, toes and everything in between? Could you use something to help defrost and revive you?  Did all your efforts to escape a cold or flu this season fail?  Do you wish there was a magic tonic to help with those aches, pains and sniffles?  In need of a little rejuvenation? Sounds like it could be time for a HOT TODDY!

Dishes in the sink, toys all over the house, dirty windows, icky grill and stinky garbage cans; this mess and clutter not only makes our homes look bad, it makes us feel bad, too.

spongResearchers at UCLA’s Center on Everyday Lives and Families (CELF) learned this when they explored the relationship between 32 California families and the thousands of objects in their homes. CELF’s social scientists discovered that clutter and mess affect our mood and self-esteem.

In fact, they discovered that women in particular associate a tidy home with a happy and successful family. And there’s a direct link between high cortisol (stress hormone) levels in female homeowners and a high density of household objects. More mess, more clutter equals greater anxiety for women. And you probably already know that high cortisol also causes us to gain weight? Yikes. We’ll pass.

dogbanner001You’ve heard the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” And while we agree, maybe the adage should have gone on to say… “A dog each day will keep the doctor at bay.” It’s true! Because dog owners not only visit the doctor less for minor ailments, but are less likely to suffer from heart disease, too! Lower blood pressure means dog lovers deal with less stress for an overall healthier and happier life.

Owning a dog refreshes (naturally) you daily on so many levels. Loyal companion. Lends that floppy ear. Faithful friend. Stress reducer. Happy mood maker. Loneliness alleviator. Barks incessantly at his archenemy…. the UPS delivery guy. Okay, scratch that last one! But with all that barking, no one around here bothers to lock any doors; so, add security guard to that list. What dogs ask from us compared to how much they give in return certainly tips the scale in our favor.

Sure, opposites attract, but it has been well-noted that it’s the compatibility aspect that makes relationships stand the test of time. So it was easy for us to pick Grandma Hoerner’s and her Big Slice Apples as they share our passion for purity. Just in time for back to school, her apple pouches serve as the perfect snack all by itself, with yogurt or mixed with granola. Juicy cooked apples loaded in wholesome ingredients all in a single serve pouch, they’re ready to eat when you are. Pop these pouches in your lunch or workout bag for a healthy, on-the-go snack!

slicesIn fact, we give Grandma Hoerner’s straight A’s for convenience, taste and nutritional value. High marks all the way around! Because you already know how vital diet and nutrition are in impacting a child’s ability to learn. And as is so often the case with food, it’s more about what is not in there. No corn syrup, Non-GMO, made with USA apples and naturally gluten free all in a 100 calorie pouch…what more could one ask for? Think stewed apples with a kick. No kid will be trading these at lunch. And what a great gift for the teacher because an apple a day…well, you know the saying.

Welcome to the New Year all! Ready or not….2017 has arrived. Over here at Citra Solv, we’re doing our best to make strides in the right direction for overall health and wellness. But you know the drill. Make your New Year’s resolutions on Monday only to find them already broken by Thursday if not Wednesday. Study after study indicates that most of us ditch our New Year’s resolutions within a week of making them. Yikes. So why bother at all you might ask?

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Maybe because New Year’s resolutions might help us relax - rejuvenate and ultimately - feel better. Because at the end of it all, shouldn’t that be our goal? With this mindset, we urge you to explore these three ideas that just might motivate you to set some solid and substantial goals for the year. Let’s kick start a healthy, helpful and happy perspective this 2017!

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Nothing beats waking up in the morning feeling electrified and ready to face the day. Don’t you want to feel naturally refreshed each and every day? We do! Sure, proper sleep is vital. But physical exercise and keeping that body flexible closes in on second. Yoga immediately popped up on our radar as we prepare to reap its noted and numerous benefits. Fortunately for us, we have a talented dear friend, Dr. Ellen Horovitz, a certified yoga therapist at our disposal. So we literally reached out to her to lean on her expertise. We were glad we did!

scentsoftheseasonBANNER001We can’t get the song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” out of our heads. No wonder. Whether at work, the grocery store or out holiday shopping; people are humming holiday tunes with a smile on their face. We just saw a YouTube video of a stellar soprano who broke out in “O Holy Night” in the middle of a crowded mall where the throngs of shoppers actually joined her in song. Womp womp. Could you please pass the tissues?

This is exactly what is so special about this time of year. The season seems to bring out the best in humanity. Open hearts and open minds equates to giving, love and compassion for all. People volunteering their time and efforts to assist those less fortunate. Rimed barrels filled to the brim with donations of toys for tots. Extra donations being made to stock the local food pantries. The compassion shown by the dropping of change into the buckets of the bell ringers. Our hearts are lifted in unison by these simple acts of kindness.

And what rings a bell for us over here? Sure, we love the holidays for all these reasons too, but as you might expect – we also get excited about the “scensational” scents of the season!

As you’re whistling that Andy Williams tune think about all the wonderful aromas you associate with this festive time of year. Already feeling a bit nostalgic? You don’t even have to celebrate a holiday to be able to enjoy some of the scents that accompany it. For instance, you may not put up a Christmas tree in your home, but starting around Thanksgiving you are usually greeted with the fresh smell of pine when you walk into your grocery store. Peppermint smells deliciously refreshing whether it is wafting from a mug of hot chocolate or hanging on the tree. And who doesn’t love the smell of a kitchen that is filled with the scent of vanilla?

With visions of these delightful scents dancing in our heads – we sprang to our sleds as our team gave the whistle (sorry…couldn’t resist that one.) Okay, so what we really did was come up a list (and checked it twice of course) of our favorite holiday scents and then “cooked up” some fun ways to help you refresh naturally - while you indulge in the spirit of the season. Full disclosure – we might have gotten into the “spirit” a little ourselves…

So, during the hustle and bustle of this holiday season – we encourage you to take some time to be good to yourself! Here are some seasonal scented treats that we hope will indulge your senses and soothe your soul, too!

changeurwords02It’s no wonder that we equate words with power. Laden in meaning, they have the power to uplift, console, give hope and even heal. 

Motivational guru, Tony Robbins is well-known for teaching us how to empower ourselves with his mantra “Change Your Words, Change Your Life: The Simplest Tool I Know for Immediately Transforming the Quality of Your Life.” 

Tony’s take-home message here is clear for all of us. Referring to the spoken word, he suggests that just by choosing the words you use carefully, you can affect your interpretation of an experience. Wow. We’re in. So approaching life with a positive attitude using the right words will lead to a more positive outcome. We decided it was time to apply his savvy technique in our quest to refresh. 

Are you celebrating a big win this Thanksgiving? Did the game strategy pay off? Were extra points scored and fumbles avoided? Was there enough man coverage – or was the day filled with too much rushing and interference? Any hopes for a fourth down conversion? How many Hail Mary’s were thrown out before the two-minute warning was given? Were you sitting on the sideline at kickoff – or on the playing field waiting for the handoff? And now the real question - was the game this year played out while sitting on the couch in front of the TV or while trying to make forward progress in the kitchen?

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If you answered the kitchen - was it you that prepared the turkey? Or did you handoff that task to a family member while your goal was to tackle a delish dish off Pinterest? We were at one of those 24-hour emergency clinics and guess what we learned? Personnel told us that the number one crises they see this week is foot injuries. The cooks who actually drop the Thanksgiving turkey on one or both their feet while attempting to take the bird out of the oven. Fumble! Yellow flag down. We hope you remained in full possession of your turkey this year.

It seems as though the kickoff for the holiday season just flew by this year. Right? Did you make it through Thanksgiving dinner without the need of a referee? Or did your family just run out the clock choking down that turkey and stuffing. We find we prefer a neutral zone just on that topic of cell phone usage at the Thanksgiving table alone! It’s the older verses younger generation on that one. You guess which group is on the sidelines there.

So even if the game strategy payed off and you ended the day victorious, there are no doubt some losses too. You might have woken up this Black Friday – not feeling all that great! Sore leg muscles from standing all day cooking and cleaning (believe it or not, sitting all afternoon can leave your legs feeling a bit cramped, too.) Dehydrated from all the salty foods, or perhaps a few too many beers downed while cheering on your team. Your skin might be feeling blitzed from all that dishwashing and standing over the stove top. Even your pots and pans suffered a hit, right? Time to huddle up and come up with a few refreshing (naturally) ideas to get you back in the game.

Who’s Got Your Back? ~ We do!

Summer may be soaring by but the hot days keep slamming us right into September. Sure, you can always seek solace under the shade of an outdoor umbrella for relief. But what if you’re on-the-go? What then? We’ve come up with a spot-on solution.

group photo1The parasol! The parasol dates back 4000 years to ancient China, Egypt and Assyria. The first ones were made from

natural resources (you know this caught our attention) palm branches, large size leaves, etc. - but as time went on were fabricated using man-made materials. They remained popular until the beginning of the 20th century; until it became fashionable to be seen with a dark tan; proving that you could afford to spend time sunbathing at the beach.

But as the health risks of sun exposure to skin surfaced, the parasol has been making a bit of resurgence. Personally, we love strolling through the Chinatown section of New York City and seeing all the ladies elegantly carrying a parasol to protect their delicate skin. We’re ready to mimic their style. Now this is a change we can get behind…or rather under! Such an easy way to refresh naturally.

After a tumultuous political season, Thanksgiving can’t come quick enough! Just in time to remind us all what should be cherished - our friends and family whom we hold so dear. People with varying backgrounds, beliefs and core values. And don’t we all have so much to be thankful for? Our hearts are overflowing with gratefulness this year! We are so blessed. The holidays can be a jubilant time, setting aside small differences and embracing each other just as we are. How we look forward to relaxing with our loved ones over a warm fire sipping some mulled wine or cider.


But despite all these blessings, you know how the holidays can make you feel. Exhausted! You wake up early on Thanksgiving morning with a chore list a mile long. Forget about watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or fixing your hair. You have work to do. The prepping process can put even the most laid-back individual on edge. The cooking, the shopping, the baking, the planning, the cleaning…where does it end? So, when your energy is zapped and you’ve hit that low, don’t you think it would be nice to have your own personal fairy godmother to lend a hand on the big day? (Although you can lean on us for the cleaning bit as we volunteer to be your fairy godmother for that bit.)

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After all, look what the fairy godmother did for Cinderella. Fancy coach, glass slippers, smashing dress and hair done to perfection. This got us scratching our heads and thinking, what else could that fairy godmother whip up with that pumpkin? How about something naturally refreshing that restores our energy and refuels us as we plow through that to-do list! How about a little pampering during the holidays when you least expect it? Sounds like the fairytale ending we’ve all been hoping for. Time to channel our inner fairy godmothers to help you out.

And you know us. We love a challenge – and the opportunity to test out new recipes. Plus, we also have several pumpkin addicts amongst us; good thing as pumpkin not only tastes yummy but it also happens to have a lot of health benefits, too

To express their carefree and laid-back attitude, many in the Caribbean say they're “liming” or suggest “let’s go lime.” Those of us in the USA say the exact same thing when we’re “chilling and grilling.” The vibes the same. And nothing evokes more of that beach vibe that the scent of fresh lime. That’s just one reason Air Scense uses lime as one of the inspirations for our home sprays - to keep your sense of smell satisfied. But we decided to kick it up a notch and uncovered three ways to tickle your taste buds with this zesty little fruit.

No doubt you have been grilling and chilling this summer. Bored yet with the same old? Maybe it’s time to give a new, tangy and refreshing marinade a whirl. We took the trial and error out of the process and concocted one “liming” marinade sure to please the crowds. Our taste tests used chicken, but we’re sure you could pair this recipe with steak, fish and even veggies! Here’s the lowdown…

Fess up. How much time do you spend on Facebook? How about surfing the web or watching a favorite TV show? And you’re probably listening to your favorite playlist on Pandora right now cell phone in hand. Why do we spend so many hours on entertainment? No doubt for our amusement. And these days you don’t have to look very hard or go very far to find something entertaining to revive, rejuvenate and revitalize you! Refreshment is only a couple of clicks away. Just think what the comedy channel does to alter your mood.

YouTube icon full colorBad day at work (not us…gasp) and just want to be left alone? Renew! Try listening to music on the drive home to help you forget the past 8 hours. Recharge! Feeling exhausted and depleted from a day of carpooling, grocery shopping and listening to everyone else’s complaints? Losing yourself in a bit of TV can help you get you ready to face tomorrow’s to-do list. Refresh! Halfway through studying for a big exam and your brain is ready to bust? Waiting for you on Facebook are numerous YouTube videos to give you just the break you need before hitting up the books again. Tell us you saw the alpaca who acts more like the family dog than, you know, an alpaca. Made us laugh out loud.

Speaking of YouTube video’s, there sure are tons of them. And as they say, “laughter is the best medicine” so we decided to zoom in for a closer look at those clips that tickle your funny bone and boost your silly side. Top of the pack? Cat videos!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdJuZvilcYE&feature=youtu.be

With a blink of an eye…the Summer Games are here. So thrilling to be on the sidelines rooting for our “Team!” Seeing those athletes compete on t.v. begs the question…how do they do it? Their drive. Determination. Diligence. It’s marvelous. Around here, we’re exhausted just watching them go go go as they push their bodies to their physical limits. 

Thankfully, most of us don’t have to work quite that hard as we participate in

bootifulWith Halloween peering around the corner, it seems like many get into the spirit of things by decorating the exterior of their home. Have you noticed the orange, purple and black outdoor lights this year? Darker yet – are the ones with cobwebs, gravestones and bat decor. More and more homeowners are getting the skeletons out of their closet, that’s for sure! Heck, we even love the black cat and ghost inflatables. But we draw the line at the neighbor who plays the eerie music 24/7 out of a vintage boom box. We’ll pass. And while it’s spooktacular for the outside of your home to be scary, the same shouldn’t apply to you, your skin or your hair. After all, you want to leave your house without causing a fright.

Your summer glow has faded and the dryness of fall has wreaked havoc on your body. When you gaze in the mirror, does your skin look like it just rose from the dead? Peeling, flaky, dull and lifeless? Do you ever wish masks were more than just on Halloween? While strolling about the mall do you actually feel like you should be in a zombie walk instead? Is your hair a frizzy, dry, brittle disaster? We shudder at the thought! Heading to the gym after indulging in all those Kit Kats in your car or on a broom? Sure, we love the witches from the movie Hocus Pocus as much as you do, we just don’t want to mimic their spooky style! If you answered yes to any of the above - then we dare you to continue reading.

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Nothing beats soaking up rays on the beach, listening to crashing waves and even hearing those squawking seagulls overhead. The problem? The rejuvenation sensation doesn’t seem to follow you home. While a day at the beach will relax you in the moment, it leaves other parts of your body feeling quite “burnt out”…..literally.

Here we are in the midst of another hotly contested political season; it’s nearly impossible not to feel the tension in the air. Recently, we started to ponder this thought:  Are there really lukewarm voters out there who are still on the fence? Is it reasonable to switch sides this late in the game? It seems like we all have our biases.  

Yet one fact is just unavoidable. There you’ll be sitting down to dinner and before you can even savor that first fork full of food, you’re drawn into the great debate. Uncle Jimmy will be hammering you with all sorts of questions…which candidate is better and why? When it comes down to it, which will you ultimately choose?

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outdoorYou’d have to be out of the loop to not have heard about what is sure to be “etched” into history years from today – Pokemon Go.  Whether you have become a participant in this newest obsession – or sit on the sidelines “not quite getting” the fascination – we all can agree that motivating people to get out and walk is positive for all! 

evospray02We love putting a healthier spin on your food and drink, it makes us happy! (You did catch last week’s pumpkin spice latte post- yes?) So we are jazzed up today about our most recent find - avocado oil. Yup, just as the name suggests, it’s squeezed right from the pulp of an avocado. And it gets even better. Three very lucky and loyal readers will each win 2 EVO sprayers to spritz their oil…on us! It’s a unique non-aerosol oil sprayer that you can use for coating cooking surfaces or even spray directly onto foods to rev up the taste. So keep reading to learn more about avocado oil and how to win this stellar sprayer.

 FullSizeRenderWater. It’s under-appreciated. Yet our bodies are made up of 60% water. And it’s essential to keep well-hydrated to ensure that we look and feel our best. Are you drinking 8 - 8 ounce glasses of water each day? If you’re anything like us, the answer is probably no! It’s hard to find the time.

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So have you burnt that that first fall candle yet? Guilty is charged here. We went with pumpkin pie soy candle. And no doubt you’re starting to notice hints of color creeping into the fall foliage. Is it just us or is there a sudden “crispness” in the air? A pleasant change from the recent heat and humidity. So bring on fall with comfy sweaters, toasty fires, warm soups, crunchy leaves, snuggling up to Hocus Pocus on t.v. (Bette Midler cracks us up!) and pumpkin scented just about everything.

Speaking of tantalizing fall scents, we came up with at least 10 wafting whiffs to help us welcome fall including apples, pumpkin lattes, maple, Autumn leaves, candy corn, bonfires, caramel, hot apple cider, mulled wine and cinnamon! Immerse yourself in all the sweet scents of fall as part of your quest to refresh.

Just thinking about cinnamon made us get down to the grind to do some fact checking. And guess what we learned? Cinnamon helps improve blood sugar levels. So while your indulging in all the sweet treats of fall, the added sprinkle of cinnamon helps stabilize your blood sugar. The perfect marriage between taste and a natural blood sugar reducer. Spectacular!

naturalrefreshinstaver3For 20 years we’ve been refreshing homes with our line of plant derived air fresheners ~ Air Scense! Recently, we asked ourselves, how else can we help our wonderful customers enjoy an even more refreshed lifestyle? After all, everyone could use a little revitalizing – from top to bottom and inside and out! And of course, it would have to be natural! What could be a more worthwhile endeavor? So let us help you ~ help yourself as we explore together vital ways to revive. Maybe it’s steeping that perfect cup of mint tea, perfecting a few yoga moves, or infusing a bottle of vanilla honey. How about a natural hair moisturizer, soothing hand cream or a good soak remedy for sore feet? Even revamping the house and garden by minor DIY projects that pave the way for a more relaxed aura. Perhaps it’s just giving you that much needed laugh for the day. The possibilities are endless.

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