By Cindy Patierno

Ylang Ylang (pronounced ē'läng-ē'läng), meaning “flower of flowers”, is one of the lesser known essential oils out there, but by no means is less powerful. This luxuriously exotic oil comes from a South Asian tree, also called the Perfume Tree (Cananga odorata).

By Charlotte Keesey

“Uh-huh, that sounds good...,” my voice trailed off distractedly as I stared into the cool spring evening. My long-time friend and neighbor, Lisa, tapped her fingers against a cool lemonade glass.

From the loan of a friend's car to a door held open for us by a stranger, we remember to say thank you for most things. We dash off a note when we've received a gift. We never arrive for a dinner invitation without bringing something for the hostess. What more can we possibly do to show our appreciation?

In this day and age, most of us are too busy to recognize the small things in life that bring us the most happiness. We are too quick to see the negative side of things as opposed to the positive. This section is dedicated to bringing these otherwise insignificant daily happenings to the forefront with the intentions of encouraging humankind to stop and smell the roses. These little things should not be, but often are taken for granted. Sometimes it’s ok to see the world through slightly rose-tinted glasses. We’d probably all be a lot happier if we did.

How many of you talk about what
you love most about yourself?

I'm sure most of us don't stop by the mirror each day and say to ourselves what we love about ourselves. Why not start and end your days saying, "I love my...." Change it up, too! Each day find something different about yourself that you love.

 Let's have a Laugh..

Who doesn't enjoy a giggle here and there? Laughing is the best medicine. Check out our reader-submitted jokes.  Feel free to send in jokes that make you laugh. Share that laughter with the rest of us! After all, laughter is contagious...