Tea Leaf Reading Symbol Dictionary – Letter L – An A To Z Blogging Challenge Post

This post may contain affiliate links

Matcha tea might be completely useless for tea leaf reading, but should be mentioned here anyway, not just because it
seemed to be a very trendy tea at the moment, but because it is rightfully so. With multiple health benefits, this green
powder is a powerhouse of the teas.

Here are just some of the health benefits of this tea. 

1. Improves mental alertness and clarity
2. Detoxifying
3. increases strenght of immune system
4. prevents and assists in bacterial, fungal and viral infections
5. assists with cardiovascular health
6. energy booster.

(Disclaimer: I am legally required to mention that Matcha tea has not been approved to treat any aillments by the FDA. Check with your health care professional for details)

What is exactly is Matcha Tea anyway?

Grown from the shade-grown tea leaf known as tencha, this green tea is powdered, and gets added to hot water while whisking it, creating a frothy type of beverage. Originally used for health purposes only, during it’s original time in China,
Japanese Monks realized the power of this wonderful tea, and cultivated the production of this type of green tea.

A word of caution
Matcha tea contains caffein, and also has been known to cause allergic reaction in some sensitive people. Also people with hypothyroidism should stay away from Matcha tea (as well as all black and green teas) due to its fluriod content.
Let’s get back to our daily dose of Tea Leaf Reading Symbol Dictionary! Today’s letter is L. Enjoy!

Letter L:

 

Ladder: Advancement. You are climbing up the ladder. Slow but steady process toward the successful end goal you are seeking.

Lamb: A surprising success is on its way. If you were doubting your path, it will become clear soon.

Lantern: A light shining through troubled times. Better times are on its way, just keep on going.

Leaves: Leaves speak of prosperity, as a result of your hard work and self-discipline. New connections and friends are on their way.

Leg: A motion forward.

Lettuce: Depression, and lack of energy

Lighthouse: A good sign of guidance, and reassurance. If the lighthouse is broken, do not trust the advice that was given to you – as there are troubled waters on the horizon.

Lightning: check out the location of the lightning in the cup. If it is anywhere but the bottom, it indicates bad weather, if it is on the bottom of the cup it indicates property and personal damage due to weather. Next to a human figure means that electrical problems and dangers are related to that person.

Lion: A very positive symbol of prosperity and power. You are about to enter a positive season of your life. If you are looking for recognition, it is on its way.

 

If you are looking for a high-quality Matcha tea  you can trust and enjoy, check out this Organic Matcha by Kiss Me Organics. A very high-quality green tea powder that is USDA organic certified, and has a strong, welcoming flavor, that Matcha tea should have. I love that  it is also guaranteed to be non-gmo, is vegan, and simply delicious. I am a fan of Kiss Me Organic products, and this Matcha tea is no different. Try it out! Available on Amazon now!

(Disclaimer: I was given Organic Matcha by Kiss Me Organics for free in return for an honest, and unbiased review).

Wordless Wednesday: Make Your Day Perfect

This blog post is a part of the following blog hops:

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesdays At 5 Minute Mom

Happy Spring! Wordless Wednesday 

Share With Me 

Be Inspired Blog Hop

 

 

Plan Ahead – Editorial Calendar And Marketing Planner For Creatives, Artists, Bloggers and More (Free PDF)

Creating relevant content for the upcoming months, means to be up to date on major and minor holidays. But it gets more complicated, when you add to these often celebrated holidays those minor and less often remembered celebrations, such as National Pancake Day or the Summer Solstice.

This information can be not only useful for bloggers, who can plan their content around those holidays, but also adds a volume of potential marketing possibilities for Product on Demand Artists, Photographers, Writers, Affiliate Marketers and other creative people who have an online presence.

In order to make it easier for you to plan your marketing strategies for this year, I have combined a list of strategies and lesser known holidays and celebrations, as a gift for you. Simply click on this link: Editorial Calendar And Marketing Planner Year  and download it, to print out to build your own strategies for the upcoming months.

Please do not alter this pdf  in any way. You may share the PDF with your friends, in a non-commercial setting, but only un-altered.

Download it now!
Editorial Calendar And Marketing Planner Year

 

Because it is Friday, which on this blog means, it is time to talk about gratitude – I wanted to share with you what I am grateful for this week:

1. I am grateful that despite the fact that my husband was stuck in snow this morning, while traveling in Dallas, he was safe due to the fact that he had snowchains with him. Apparently everyone has been driving safely, because he has not seen an accident. That is a very good thing.
2. I am grateful that instead of being in snow, I am in Las Vegas to 85 degree weather. I will cherrish every moment of warmth today.
3. I am grateful that my daughter is feeling better after having had a cold. She was invited to a picnic last weekend, and got promptly sick, due to the fact that it was still a little bit more windy then everyone expected. But she is on the mend now.
4. I am grateful that it is Friday, which means it is bill paying day. It might seem a little weird to be happy about paying bills, but I am grateful that I can, when I know how many have to make decisions between eating and paying the electric. I am blessed in every way, and I am grateful for that fact.
5. I am grateful for the abundance of items I have on my list this week. I am exited to share with you those wonderful new products, and some special deals, which I have carefully weeded through. More on that over the next few days. (Some of these are for you pet owners out there)

What are you grateful for this week? Share with us here, or write a blog post, and join the many blogs that are participating in the following blog hops:

Thankful Thursdays

No Rules Weekend Blog Party

Winter Is Leaving

Share With Me Blog Hop

Be Inspired 

Celebrate The Small Things

Not Just For Families With Allergies: Happy Baby Home Party!

(Disclaimer: The following post contains affiliate links, see Disclosure page for more details)

If you have a family plagued with allergies, or just want to do your part for the environment by using clean, not tested on animal products, then I have an opportunity for you. Seventh Generation is giving away all that is needed to host a Happy Baby Home Party, and all you have to do is sign up for a chance to get selected!

What is a Healthy Baby Home Party?

Seventh Generation’s home parties are powered by people like you who are focused on creating a healthy environment for the next generation. Developed with input from non-profit partner, Healthy Child Healthy World, they are a great way to get together with friends, share helpful information, and make an impact!

Healthy Baby Home Party kits are provided to all selected hosts and are filled with educational info about our environment, helpful tips, a fun game, and samples and coupons from Seventh Generation and other favorite family-friendly brands like  bobble, Plum Organics, and Zarbee’s Naturals.

What is the Application Process?

• Sign up at generationgood.net to join the Generation Good community, or log in if already a member
  • Accept the Healthy Baby Home Party Application offer on your Generation Good dashboard and complete the application.
  • Applicants will be notified by end of March if they have been selected to host a party, via an email to the email address assigned to their Generation Good member profile.
  • All selected applicants will then need to confirm their participation by accepting the Healthy Baby Home Party Mission in Generation Good and confirming their shipping address.
  • 1,900 FREE Party Kits will be distributed in this round.
  • Hosting spots are open to US residents only at this time. Canadian parties are planned for later in 2016!
  • Full terms and conditions are available within Generation Good in the “Healthy Baby Home Party Application” offer.

So what are you waiting for? Sign up today!

Friday Gratitude: Family, Friends and Favorites

 

This blog post  contains affiliate links. See my disclosure page for more information

Do you have an attitude of gratitude? If you do, congratulations. If you are still wondering how to get one, and you own your own blog, I suggest partaking in the many wonderful blog hops that foster weekly listing of gratitude. Just check out the following list of blog hops that happen every week, connect with us, via their link and post your very own list!

Lexa Cain’s Celebrate The Small Things

Thankful Thursdays by Pepi Smart Dog

Thankful Thursday Link Up

What am I grateful for this week?

I am grateful for having such supportive and well-behaved children. Both of them are kind, loving and self-disciplined individuals who are slowly growing toward adulthood. I am proud to be their mother.

I am grateful for my husband, who work hard to make sure that no matter what happens, everyone is taken care off. He was not given anything by anyone, rather often neglected as the youngest in his needs and pursuits, yet he is the one with a thriving family. That is a testimony to his strength and commitment to us.

Dog Drinking Coffee Poster

I am grateful for all of the friends I have had along the way. The friends who were there to laugh and cry along with me, some of whom are far away, as we have moved and traveled not only throughout this great country, but also overseas. We made connections as far as Europe and as close as Las Vegas, and we cherish every single one of them. Oh, and I should not forget to mention those who I count as friends, even though we never met in person – from a Wedding Organizer in Dubai to a Kindle Publishing Writer in India.

My New Favorite Blanket “Millie Throw In Sky” by Joss and Main

I am grateful for my favorite things: coffee, thumbprint cookies, enthusiastic dog licks, vegan chocolate peanut butter, hiking shoes, flannel bed sheets, soft blankets, and books, always books.

What and who are you grateful for this week? Share in the comment section below, post your own blog post, and link up with us, or write it in your journal. Whatever you choose to do, be grateful!

Blessings!

Claudia

This blog post is also a part of the following blog hops:

No Rules Weekend Blog Party

Inspire me Wednesdays

Be Inspired! 

Time To Prep For The A to Z Blogging Challenge!

Are you participating in the A to Z Blogging Challenge? If you have no idea what I am talking about, check out this website for more information on the Blogging Challenge for the month of April, that has many bloggers preparing ahead of time, contemplating their subject matter, and looking forward to connecting with the many (hundreds ) of bloggers participating each year.

In this challenge, we are called to write something about a particular letter of the alphabet starting with of course A and working ourselves through to Z. Not everyone chooses a topic, in my first two years of participating I did not either, but I began to do so last year, and will again this year.

Mixing Spices Available On Amazon

Last year my  topic was Herbs and Spices, because of the release of my book “Mixing Spices”

This year, because I am working on a book about tea and mindfulness, I chose the topic “Tea Leaf Reading Dictionary”.

Every single day of the month of April, (minus Sundays, because we all take a break on Sundays for this challenge), I will be posting a few symbol meanings specifically for Tea Leaf Reading, including some tips and suggestions on how you work your own tea leaf reading sessions. I will also talk about symbolism in general and how this dictionary will relate to divining dreams as well, with a few tweaks and considerations.

 

Loose Tea Sampler available at Amazon

I am so excited about this entire project. And because I love you guys and you all have been such amazing partners throughout this blogging journey for me, I am giving away the entire series at the end of the month as a PDF – just to say thank you.  There are more freebies to come in the coming weeks, so if you like free stuff (and who does not), come back often.

Oh, and for those of you who are not interested in Tea Leaf Reading and Tea, I will continue to post my regular stuff, like marketing tips for creative people, some design updates,  book reviews, motivational stuff, giveaways and product reviews.

After all, as a brand ambassador, NetGalley reviewer and a designer, I cannot and am not willing to neglect my regular duties, because of a mere challenge.

I am so looking forward to the crazy business.

At the end, an extended version of the PDF, which contains the  challenge content  will be made available on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.

Blessings!

P.S. Don’t forget to stock up on Tea!

Reading And Taking Action

Many of us have a to-read list for the months ahead. But you merely read or do you implement?

To me, reading lists and book implementation lists are two different things. A reading list is a book list of stories I read to entertain me. They do not necessarily have to be fiction to do so but are more likely to be. Those are the books that I approach with a different mindset than those on my implementation list.

Now, what is an implementation list, and what are these books?

Those books are volumes that I read with the intent not only to learn from them but with the direct intent to take at least one of the points presented and to actively try them out. I seek out these books because I want to learn something, but learning is not enough, it is doing that creates the results. And because I am living in a growth mindset (more on that another time), I am approaching these books with the up-most intend to take an active part from the lessons held within.

For a long time, I was like many people I know – I read, a lot (okay more than the average person), but I never truly followed through on the lessons presented before me. It was easy to say how interesting a particular chapter was but was it enough to change what I was doing, or add a new active perspective into my life? Not really. The truth is, that I meant to take these action, but never followed through.

“Always strive to be better than you were yesterday.” – Tom Bilyeu

But I made a promise to myself that this is no longer an option. If I read a book that has repeatable actions within them, and that I chose to learn something from – may it be because I read a review, found them on a list of a person whom I admire (like this list by Quest Founder Tom Bilyeu), or because its premise leads me to believe that there was value within the covers, I will take at least one of those actions and practice them. Now, I am not expecting to do that if I find myself in the middle of the book and it does not resonate with me at all, of course, but I will do this more often than not, and because I am already picky about what I add on my reading list, which is ever growing, that should not be a problem. Which brings me to my questions for you:

Which book have you read in the last year, and actually implemented something from it – may it be in your personal life, or in your business adventures? What made you take these actions, and why did you pick up this book in the first place?

As we are approaching the middle of January, I am in the middle of implementing some of the goals I have set for the year. I have been lucky to have been encouraged to create some more motivational designs over the last few weeks, and I am especially happy about my notebook collection that ranges from themes of courage to sharing your thoughts with those you love. So check out my truly unique custom notebook collection here. Absolutely, a reason to be grateful. 

It is my pleasure to serve you, so if you have any suggestions about notebooks and journals you want to see in the future, please let me know. I also accept custom orders – and can combine my art with specific messages for you. Simply drop me a line at claudiablanton@live.com or leave me a comment below.

Do It. Motivational Notebooks

I will not be stopped – Notebook

Mom, I want to thank you… Notebook

Meditation Journal

Soulmates – Romantic Notebook

 

 

Have a wonderful week!

Claudia

 

This post is a part of the following blog hops

Thankful Thursday at Pepis Smart Dog

Thankful Thursday Link Up 

No Rules Blog Party 

Reasons To Be Cheerful

Be Inspired

Coffee, Vegan Nutella, Gratitude And A Story

Morning Flower by Claudia H. Blanton

Hey, good to see you! I just made coffee, and I have fresh bread rolls that are still hot from the oven, ready to be topped with delicious jam or some homemade vegan Nutella. How to make homemade Nutella, you ask? Rather simple:

Take 1/4 cup of hazelnut butter (you can use peanut or almond butter, but trust me it is not the same then using the real hazelnut butter stuff), put it in a bowl, add 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons of raw agave nectar, and a tablespoon of cocoa powder. Mix it well. I recommend doubling the recipe though because most of the time someone else will want some too. Just like the real thing, this stuff is addicting.

Drinking our hot beverages, I would tell you that I am still not fond of the weather here. Way too cold. I am hiding under my blanket with a space heater next to me, simply because I like it cozy. If it gets too warm for you, let me know, and I will turn it down.

I was looking through my older stories, and found the following Flash Fiction again, and I wanted to share it with you. It is called, “A New Friend” and I hope you will enjoy it.

 

A New Friend

He wasn’t such a scary fellow. Ugly maybe, but who was I to judge him by his looks? Too many people tended to judge people by their appearance. But I knew better.
His eyes, not meeting mine for more than a second at a time, where big and full of mistrust. Hair, thick and unkempt, covered up most of his distorted face, his body bent forward in a mixture of agony and malformation. As he reached for the spindle, his broken left hand was surprisingly capable of doing the deed in front of him. Again he glanced, and again the glance ended as quickly as it had begun.

“I will do what you asked for.”
His voice, as broken as his body was soft, but determined.
“I am sure you will.”
“And you will do as promised.”, he demanded.
“As I always do.”
He paused, then nodded, continuing to work the spindle, swiftly, with a confidence that defied his outer appearance and demeanor. Two minutes later, he stopped, his crackling voice echoing through the silence “Why?”
“Why, what?”, I answered.
“Why do you watch?”
“Because I am curious.”
“Ahh”., he murmured, beginning to move again, repeating the motion that was so hard for able body me, and easy for challenged him. Another two minutes passed in utter silence. Stopping as suddenly as the first time, he glared at me longer, his green eyes darkening, as they penetrated through me, to my core.
“Why?” he asked once more.
“Why, what?”
“Why do you care?”
“Because you are interesting.”
“You have no fear?”, he questioned, surprised
“I feel no reason to fear you.”

He stroked his hair away from his misshapen cheek bones, pinning it behind his large ears, nodding, then with what was a twisted smile, that despite its broken shaped showed a kindness, apparent and deep.
“Then forgive me, my Lady. You have nothing to fear. And you owe me nothing for my work.”, his voice stronger this time, as he straightened as much as he was able to.
I smiled back at him, stretching my hand toward the old figure in front of me.
“So I shall give you my friendship, dear Sir, if you wish.”
“I would be honored indeed.”
We shook hands, swiftly, with the same efficiency, with which he had moved the spindle.
“What may I call you Sir?”, I dared to asked?
Rumplestiltskin.

___________________________________________________________

 

 

Don’t Let Them Tame You By Claudia H. Blanton

I did not write my gratitude lists on  the blog this week, not for Thursday, Friday, nor Saturday but I am using Thanksgiving as my excuse. Those three days belonged to my family. I hope you had a wonderful celebration, and were able to connect with your loved ones.
Because of this, I am going to share parts of my gratitude list with you today, and hope you will take a moment to reflect upon what you are grateful for as well.

1. I am grateful for my oven, which has been and will continue to be used in over-abundance until
   all of the winter holidays have left us. I might gain some weight, as a result, but that is what new years resolutions are for.
2. I am grateful for my husband’s business partner (and who happens to be my boss), who send me a pretty nice text message out of the blue on Thanksgiving, saying how thankful he was, that we are helping him with the business. It is nice to be appreciated.
3. I am grateful for Canva and Picmonkey, which I used to make the typography throughout this post. Both have free versions (I use premium on both), that are wonderful for bloggers, especially now that my computer is acting up. I really do not want to fight with any more complicated programs, like Photoshop or Illustrator, when I have a laptop complicating things.
4. I am grateful for that adorable not so little dog, with white eyes, who seems to have taking a liking to me. It belongs to a neighbor, but every time she sees me, she acts like my dogs do, after I been gone for a couple of hours. That is so cute. I tried to take a picture of her, but she is too hyper to hold still long enough I think she adopted me.

 

This has turned into a much longer conversation than intended. I am going to let you go, but not before telling you to take some of that Nutella – of course, I made extra.

Blessings!

This blog post is a part of the following blog hops

Weekend Coffee Share

Celebrate The Small Things

No Rules Weekend Blog Party

Reasons To Be Cheerful

Thankful Thursdays

Masks

Masks by Claudia H. Blanton

Hide

your colorful masks
empty of real expression
hide the pain inside

 

We all pretend. Sometimes in social media, this pretend leaves me with a feeling of disconnect. I don’t mean that we purposely pretend to be someone else we are not. I do not believe that. But because social media and blogging (as well as art and writing) can leave the creator vulnerable, we hide behind our masks of our own creation.

How much should we share? How will what we share affect those we love, and how does the parts that we do choose to show influence what others think of us?

Many bloggers choose to share quite a bit about their lives. Cautiously, they write about their depression, struggles, obstacles and dreams. This raw openness takes courage. Artists and writers do the same, through their creation and stories – even if it is not as recognizable at first glance as it is in the platform of a blog about someone’s life. The message and vulnerability is the same.

It is that what attracts me to those creatives, and the fact that the opposite is often the truth in social media channels and that pushes me away. Where is the real person behind the twitter feed, the emotion behind that snarky comment, or seemingly open attitude? We get snippets, not stories, little glimpses of masks, rather than the true person behind.

It is not to say that we should share more, indeed I think that sharing more on those open platforms can be too dangerous to consider it. Yet, I miss that more and more today. And within that lies my love/hate relationship with social media.

Question: What parts of yourself do you share openly on social media, and which ones do you choose to hide? Is that a concious decision you make, or is it an instinctive holding back?

“Masks” is available on RedBubble as a canvas print, poster or a framed art piece.

 

This blog post is a part of the following blog hops:

Elizabeth And Co Link Party

Together On Tuesdays

What Are You Doing? Blog Hop

Amaze Me Blog Hop

Share With Me

Releasing Anxiety – Learning To Say No

Overwhelmed, and over-stressed, not just something must of us only suffer throughout the holiday season, but rather all year long. No matter if you are your own boss, an artists trying to create on your time off, or work in your dream job, stress catches up with everyone of us at least every once in a while.

I am not an exception. But I am thankful that I have come across a little trick to keep at least some of this stress at bay – saying no. Not just to what others want me to do. Yes, that is important, because the demands of others upon our time and energy can be draining, but I am also saying no to myself.

There are always so many things I want to do, accomplish and create, that it  can feel like I am drowning in want to do lists, and should do lists. But there is no way I could ever create EVERYTHING I have on those lists, so I learned to tell myself no.

Floral – by Claudia H. Blanton

I gratefully said no to the following items on my want-to-do list

1. Post every day on this blog (heck, I had the Flu, work almost full-time, and run my own business, there is simply not enough time in the day)
2. Participate in NaNoWriMo.
3. Bake multiple batches of cookies during the week – I limited myself to once a week baking.
4. Have all holiday shopping done by end of November. No one will care when I bought them their present.
5. Work on multiple book projects simultaneously. I am finishing up my Flash Fiction book, publish it and then work on the next project.
6… and many more

This was an important decision to make, one that kept me from re-living those anxiety-filled moments, where I constantly worried about not doing enough. Those moments stole my sleep, and any type of ability to relax, and stay focused upon the most important aspects of my life – my family. It is hard to enjoy someone’s company, I realized, when their attention is on what he or she should be doing instead, making those around us feel like they are not as important.

Taking charge, and saying no to myself allowed me to make that healthy shift from anxiety to true productivity.

Do you feel overwhelmed with responsibilities at times? Are there any items on your list you could let go off?

Christmas Cheer Postcard

One thing I do not let go off, are my gratitude lists. And because it is Friday, I am adding 5 things I am grateful for right now, to this post:

1. My thick red favorite sweater. That piece of clothing has become my best buddy over the last few weeks. I just wish I had multiples of the exact same one – warm, soft and cozy.
2. Coffee – of course. I am always cold – see above – so a hot cup of coffee is always by my side.
3. The loudest cat I have ever met, but who happens to have chosen us as his family. My goodness, I have had many cats, but never one as demanding and loud as this one. He talks. To me, the dogs and whoever is willing to listen.
4. Sleeping in – I was actually able to sleep in a little yesterday, which has been rare lately. That felt good
5. Silence – at this very moment, it is absolutely quiet in here – no barking, no talking cat – he is asleep – the kids are quietly busy, and the phone is not ringing. Ahh, this is nice!

I hope you have a lot of things to celebrate and be grateful for as well.
Today’s post is part of the following blog hops:

Friday Finds

Share With Me

What Are You Doing – Blog Hop

Inspire Me

Celebrate The Small Things