Feeling stressed or unhappy in your living area or work space? Try owning a pet plant!

I never used to be much of a plant person - mainly, I never really saw the point in buying a plant to "brighten" up my place (I thought my lights did a good enough job of that) nor did I think that they were worth the time.

That is, until I spent three years living wth my best friend, a self-proclaimed Plant Enthusiast. Throughout the three years that we lived together, she was constantly making trips to the local farmer's market, always returning with some new plant cradled in her arms. And every time I would say, "Another one?!" and roll my eyes. I mean, I didn't even see the point in owning one, never mind a couple dozen!

However...gradually...I found myself smiling with each new edition to our ever-growing "garden" (formerly known as our living room) and I began to realize that the plants (even the not so pretty ones without flowers) were making me happy. It felt nice to have some natural green scenery around and I felt proud that the care we were providing them was what nutured these plants and helped them grow. Which is why I wasn't terribly surprised to find out that, aside from keeping our air clean, research has shown that plants also help you feel happy and stress-free. :)

So go on, "brighten" up your living area or work space! Pet plants are easier to take care of than dogs!

Need a little extra help coping with some stress? Try webber naturals' B-Calm .

Image source: http://www.natsci.org/events/eventsnsc.html

Hooray! More reasons to love chocolate…

Ever since I was little, I’ve loved chocolate (and I mean loved it). As a child, I was always the kid who would gravitate towards the chocolate bar over the bag of 5 cent candy, and Halloween was truly my favourite holiday of the year. So you can only imagine how happy my adult self is whenever I’m informed of the health benefits, such as antioxidants, that come along with eating chocolate that contains higher cocoa content - as in dark chocolate (my fav!).

Which is why I am super excited to share some EXCELLENT news with all you chocolate fiends out there (a group in which I happily include myself): There are four new reasons to love cocoa. Yippee!

1. Cocoa is heart friendly – so go ahead and indulge in a piece of dark chocolate or try to incorporate some cocoa powder into some of your meals – it’s Heart Health Month, after all!
2. It helps curb your cravings!
3. Cocoa can make your skin glow! You won’t be eating the cocoa for this one, but making a cocoa mask and putting it directly on your skin can help repair skin cells.
4. It will make you smile :) Cocoa contains compounds that boost your endorphin and serotonin levels, helping you feel happier in no time!

So, indulge away…within reason, of course! I know I will.

Image source: http://www.dailyperricone.com/2011/08/beauty-secrets-a-sweet-treat-for-the-skin/