Simple Delights

Hello! I think that this contest is important. The human is always active, including your mind and never has real time to slow down and enjoy each and every moment as it worries so much. It proves that many people are very bad at self care but yet always are taking care of the peoples wishes around them. Taking care of yourself is as important art watering your plants, eventually if you do not feed them what it needs they will shrivel up, and with the human they shrivel up to be a hermit. But during these stressful times there are a lot of hermits. Taking care of yourself should not feel like a job or another chore, you should look forward to it. But by the end of the day nearly all of us do not feel like doing anything. These are some simple pleasures that help me suppress anxiety, there are so many other things I wish I could share but yet not enough time. Which is why we have to enjoy every moment as much as we can. The few things I have is a mandala stone, ginger lemon hot or iced toddy, and chocolate stuffed raspberries. The mandala stone is rock painting with dots, it helps your mind settle and concentrate on what is on front of you, not the past, future, just the present, which is why it is called the present. Ginger is great for immune support and lemon is great for cleansing, with this new recipe you can drink it in the heat or cold. And it has been taken to the extreme level, no not chocolate dipped strawberries, but chocolate stuffed raspberries!!! Chocolate has tryptophan which produces serotonin the happiness enhancing hormone, and of course everyone likes raspberries!!! Things to not need to be complicated to be delightful, some of the most pleasant things are the simple ones, Simple Delights!!!

For the stones:

• a smooth stone ( preferably black as it shows the paint better but any color will work great!!!)
• Paint
• Something to dot with, a paintbrush, marker, finger, etc. For the hot or iced toddy
• A bit less than a full shot of ginger water
• A bit more than half a cup of boiling water
• A spoon and a half of honey
• Half a lemons juice. For the chocolate stuffed raspberries
  
• However many raspberries you want ( a cup )
• A half cup of melted chocolate chips

Prepare your area with lined newspapers or whatever you have to protect it. Use the biggest dotter you have, you can use anything that is circular. Put it on the middle of the stone.

There are so many patterns to choose from, but I chose this one. With your second and first smallest dotter line the center dot.

Use a dotter about three sizes bigger than the last, space it out more evenly so you can put another set of dots between.

Add some big dots evenly distributed so that you can but tiny dots connecting them. Use another color and only outline the big dots.

Use the remainder of your colors around the dots and you are done!!! It will look bumpy but the paint will dry. Like my other one. I like to touch it and feel the texture of it, nice!!!

Boil the water and add it to the glass with honey. Combine well.

Add the ginger water and add a squeeze of lemon into the drink. If wanted hot stir and drink. If wanted cold refrigerate and ice. Enjoy!!!

Get your raspberries and rinse them.

Using a straw, dip into melted hot chocolate and stuff inside of a raspberry. If you are having them for yourself you can blow through the straw to let the chocolate out. Let rest and set.

I hope you take a moment of self care and enjoy these Simple Delights!!!