Today is Gratitude Day!

Continuing my list of '100 Gratitudes', I am grateful for...

73. Tea Tree oil - I get cold sores. Something I am most definitely not grateful for. I hate them. I wish they didn't exist. But I have found that tea tree oil is the one thing, when applied directly to the spot, can stop a cold sore developing (if I catch it early enough). If not, I still apply the tea tree oil regularly throughout the day and it dries that cold sore up quick smart. Of course there is no way to avoid the unsightly scab, but all things heal in time. I just call myself scab face to add a little humour to the situation. ;-) Tea tree oil is nature's antiseptic - now, that's pretty cool; another example that nature provides everything we need to survive on this planet! And you know the other great thing about tea tree oil? It's native to Australia. Like me. Love it!

74. Essential Care - while I'm on the topic of tea tree oil, I have to mention the organic company that produces my face cleanser. Essential Care is a small family-run business who make skin care products from almost 100% organic ingredients. I swear by their Lemon and Tea Tree Facial Wash - it keeps my skin clear and I feel fantastic knowing I'm putting only natural, organic ingredients onto my face.

75. Aloe vera - if I'm talking about nature's gifts I have to include aloe vera! Ohh the amount of times aloe vera gel has soothed my fiery sunburn! Yes, that's right - I did grow up in one of the sunniest countries in the world (so you'd think my skin would be tough!), but my skin is still susceptible to sunburn. (Of course this can always be avoided by simply wearing sunscreen, something I admit to forgetting most of the time. oops!) The wonder of aloe vera is also the main ingredient in my favourite lip balm; which is another product I use to ward off those dreadful cold sores. So aloe heals me again and again - gotta be grateful for that!!

76. the organic movement - I know that everything organic is big business these days, which is, ironically, the opposite of what the movement stood for when it began. But I have to be grateful for what the movement brought to me - a new way of viewing the world and our interconnectedness to all things. It has raised my awareness and reminded me that I want to live as natural a life as I can.