2011 Winter Letter

By Stephanie Walker Tallent

Hello Everybody,

It’s finally official: Winter is in full force here in Tennessee. It may arrive a little later than in Minnesota and Michigan, but temperatures in the teens and single digits are still cold wherever they hit. This is the only time of year I concede to wearing socks around the house. Even so, my feet still become blocks of ice according to my husband, Steve. He’s the resident expert on my foot temperature since he’s the one who finally manages to warm up said blocks of ice when we go to bed (one of the many fine uses for a husband—I really love that man!) It still baffles me how someone as effortlessly skinny as he is and someone as effortlessly chubby as I am can have such opposite body thermostats. I want a refund on my fat—the guaranteed extra insulation factor doesn’t seem to work at all.

If you’re life me, you’ve made it through the holidays with just a few dietary regrets under your belt (okay, maybe more than just a few—a lot?) Although I’ve successfully stuck to the gluten-free diet necessitated by my thyroid problem, I’ve fudged (literally) on the no-sugar-no-sweets-no-caffeine guidelines. I comforted my brief spurts of guilty conscience with “That’s what January and New Years Resolutions are for!” Although I’ve never been one to jump whole hog (so to speak) on the New Year’s weight loss or eat-healthier band wagon, I’m going to give it a try in 2011. It can’t hurt, and sticking to strict food rules in January will certainly be a lot easier without the temptations of holiday get-togethers lurking around every corner.

Speaking of the holidays, ours was wonderful. We decked out a Charlie Brown-esque Christmas tree with miles of popcorn string and paper chains. Although my eyes prefer the aesthetics of white lights, the Doodles was enthralled with the liberal winding of colored lights we employed at Christmas. Family and friends came over to help decorate the tree and play what has become our traditional game of Dutch Blitz. If you’ve never played you should order a deck (some friends of ours sell it online at http://www.creativecountryliving.com ). Very family-friendly, group-friendly, and people of all ages can play.

Part of the post-holiday challenge for me is how long winter seems to drag on after the December festivities. I get an itch for spring about three weeks into January and emotionally done with all the miserable coldness and drab, dreary days. And nope, not even another cup of hot tea and a snuggle by the fireplace with fix it. This year, though, I have a battle plan. I’m going to combat my spring longings by attempting (yet again) to germinate some seeds indoors for an early spring garden. Also, our front porch is outfitted with hooks for hanging baskets (which I’ve yet to use in four years), and I shall attempt some hanging baskets of herbs. Hopefully my herbs-in-fern-baskets will do better than my poor herb garden of the past couple years. While I admit to some neglect (okay, a lot of neglect), my biggest problem has been the rogue mint plants that seem determined to take over the yard, starting with the herb garden. At least in baskets, the less aggressive herbs will have a fighting chance—and in baskets, the less aggressive herbs will have a fighting chance—and maybe they won’t over-bake like they did last year in my raised beds.

Other than hoping a few bright green seedlings tide me over till spring, I’m continuing to take lots of Vitamin D3. My health has stabilized appreciably since I started steady supplementation of this utterly marvelous vitamin. I can’t sing its praises enough. It’s especially crucial in the heart of winter when exposure to the sun is limited—whether by cloudy skies or heavy clothes that leave little skin to absorb sunlight and convert the rays into Vitamin D.

In Beeyoutiful news: We’re working to get Geranium, Clary Sage, and Ylang Ylang Essential Oils added to our line. We hope to have them available within a few weeks of this catalog arriving at your doorstep. To let you know exactly when, we’ll send e-mail notices to everyone who’s signed up for our monthly newsletter. So if you haven’t already signed up, now would be a good time! It’s the very best way to get all the latest Beeyoutiful news, to find out about sales, and to receive special coupons or offers. (Get your free newsletter subscription at www.Beeyoutiful.com.

I’m SUPER excited about Geranium Essential Oil. This oil is a gift to womankind—and because of the mood-soothing wonders it works, a gift to husbands, too, Steve is quick to add. If you’ve ever struggled with that “time of the month” we love to give Eve credit for—especially with moodiness or an extra sharp tongue—you need this oil! We’ll be posting some recipes on how to use it when we get it on our shelves, so keep a look-out. It’s been such a helpful little tool, Steve assures me that if I can’t convince women of the effectiveness of Geranium, he’d like to talk to you. He’s sure any married man will want this in the family’s arsenal of EWMS (Emergency Wife Management Supplies). We may have to let him write his own “for women only” article about this in the next catalog or newsletter.

Speaking of Steve and his excitement over certain products, we appreciate your overwhelming response to his special diffuser sale before Christmas. Many of you now have diffusers sitting in your homes that you might not have been able to afford otherwise. Look on page 25 through 28 of this catalog for oil blends to try. And, if you haven’t yet, consider getting the Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy on page 12 of this catalog. It’s an incredibly practical resource for anybody who wants to learn more about how to use essential oils. From down to earth cleaning recipes to what blend of oils to use for chicken pox to mixing your own perfume blend, this great book has it all. With more than 600 recipes, I have yet to exhaust the book as a resource after almost two years of using it at least every other week.

A highlight of our 2010 was attending the Weston A. Price Foundation Conference as a vendor. Held in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, the conference was Beeyoutiful’s first time to have an exhibitor table. It was exciting for Steve an dme to meet some of our long-time customers face to face and meet many new customers as well, and it was gratifying to hear stories firsthand of how some of our products have helped people. News like that is a resfreshing reminder of why we do what we do.

We’re planning to attend several more conferences in 2011 and will keep the www.facebook.com/beeyoutiful page updated with dates and locations so if any of you are close enough, you can stop by our exhibit. We would love to meet you!

Three of my favorite ladies in the whole world are the featured writers in this catalog, and I hope you enjoy and learn as much from them as I have. Please pay special attention to Nancy Webster’s contribution on gut health. If you’ve never recognized the connection between what goes on in the digestive tract and every other aspect of your health—including mental health!—her article may offer some of the most life-changing information you’ll discover this year.

I hope you’re staying warm and cozy and that you enjoy reading this issue of Beeyoutiful’s info-catalog.

Grace and Peace,

Steph Tallent

steph@beeyoutiful.com