Start your day with warm water and lemon!!

If You have ever done a cleanse  you know that starting your day with a glass of warm water and lemon is SO good for you.   I just finished a cleanse about a month ago but have kept the lemon water habit going.  Definitely something everyone should add into their day whether cleansing or not!

Here is an article I just stumbled upon that shares all the reasons why.  ENJOY

The way you start each day is incredibly important. Whether you’re a mom, a coach, a writer, a small business owner or a yoga teacher, what you do first thing in the morning matters.

According to Ayurvedic philosophy, choices that you make regarding your daily routine either build up resistance to disease or tear it down.

Ayurveda invites us to get a jump-start on the day by focusing on morning rituals that work to align the body with nature’s rhythms, balance the doshas and foster self-esteem alongside self-discipline.

Your mind may say you have to check emails, take the dog out, get the kids out the door, that you can’t be late for work or that you just don’t have enough time to cultivate your own morning rituals.

But, if you can only make time for one ritual that will improve your health, let it be this…..

Start the day out with a mug of warm water and the juice of half a lemon.

It’s so simple and the benefits are just too good to ignore. Warm water with lemon:

1. Boosts you’re immune system 

Lemons are high in Vitamin C and potassium. Vitamin C is great for fighting colds and potassium stimulates brain & nerve function and helps control blood pressure.

2. Balances pH

Lemons are an incredibly alkaline food, believe it or not. Yes, they are acidic on their own, but inside our bodies they’re alkaline (the citric acid does not create acidity in the body once metabolized). As you wellness warriors know, an alkaline body is really the key to good health.

3. Helps with weight loss

Lemons are high in pectin fiber, which helps fight hunger cravings. It also has been shown that people who maintain a more alkaline diet lose weight faster. And, my experience is that when I start the day off right, it’s easier to make the best choices for myself the rest of the day.

4. Aids digestion

The warm water serves to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and peristalsis—the waves of muscle contractions within the intestinal walls that keep things moving. Lemons and limes are also high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen ama, or toxins, in the digestive tract.

5. Acts as a gentle, natural diuretic

Lemon juice helps flush out unwanted materials because lemons increase the rate of urination in the body. Toxins are, therefore, released at a faster rate which helps keep your urinary tract healthy.

6. Clears skin

The vitamin C helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes. Lemon water purges toxins from the blood which helps keep skin clear as well.

7. Hydrates the lymph system

This cup of goodness helps start the day on a hydrated note, which helps prevent dehydration (obviously) and adrenal fatigue. When your body is dehydrated, or deeply dehydrated (adrenal fatigue) it can’t perform all of it’s proper functions, which leads to toxic buildup, stress, constipation, and the list goes on. Your adrenals happen to be two small glands that sit on top of your kidneys, and along with your thyroid, create energy. They also secrete important hormones, including aldosterone. Aldosterone is a hormone secreted by your adrenals that regulates water levels and the concentration of minerals, like sodium, in your body, helping you stay hydrated. Your adrenals are also responsible for regulating your stress response. So, the bottom line is that you really don’t want to mess with a deep state of dehydration!

Adopting just this one practice of drinking a cup of warm water with lemon in the morning for a month can radically alter your experience of the day. Don’t be surprised if you begin to view mornings in a new light.

Like I said, the recipe is really simple – a cup of warm (not hot) water and the juice from half a lemon.

THis was taken from a recent post on MindBodyGreen written by Ashely Pitman

Focus on the best parts of yourself

Read this article today.  Thought it was brilliant and worth sharing!  Enjoy!!    Originally on Positivelypositive.com

 

Many of us are raised to be anxious, fearful, insecure people. These emotional aspects have a lot of pull over us, and it feels like an uphill, losing battle when we try and improve. Eventually, we begin to believe that no matter how much we do, we just can’t change.

Hopelessness is created and sustained by self-bullying.

What if instead of exhausting ourselves with doubt, we listened to the parts of us that encourage? You know the ones. We forget them because it takes quiet and safety for them to come out, and bullying ourselves doesn’t make us feel safe.

But these benevolent parts do—very much—exist. And when they are heard, they’re powerful.

They give you energy, rather than make you spend it. You feel nourished, not judged. Sustained, not drained. They show you that you’re all right—maybe even good. You’re at ease, able to pause instead of quickly reacting. They show you that you may even be mostly kind and honest.

Discover your best parts

You may have felt these parts when you’ve:

• supported a friend even if he’s disagreed with you
• expressed patience with a challenging colleague at work or school
• allowed yourself to smile at someone despite your angry, defensive mood
• laughed so hard at a joke that you remembered it all day and laughed every time
• asked someone else how they were feeling even though you felt extremely sad
• paused and noticed if you were about to create unnecessary personal drama
• had a good idea for a project that you didn’t care if others approved of
• written something—a line, an article, a blog post, a note to a friend that made you smile
• held back and given guidance only when your child asked for it
• pushed yourself to learn something small you didn’t think you could learn
• felt the sincere kindness of a stranger that made you feel grateful
• went to a meeting even though you felt nervous to contribute
• walked outside in the cold in a big puffy cozy coat alone or with your dog
• completed a task that weighed heavy on your mind for weeks
• had a memory of someone you once loved who taught you something about yourself
• washed the dishes or made dinner even though you really didn’t want to
• stayed calm for even a minute during an intense situation or conversation
• felt lonesome and sad and instead of drinking beer or smoking, ate carrots
• shared your second idea even though everyone hated the first one

Sometimes you really make an effort and things work out great. Other times things turn out only okay. That’s fine. Even though you may feel like a hopeless, sleepwalking, nervous fool, these parts show you are not. You are not. They are proof.

You are more than your hungry, habitual parts. Remember that one time you did that one thing? You were super strong and kind and creative and powerful then, so weknow  what you’re made of.

These parts show you the fresh reserves of strength, tact, and wisdom hidden behind your fear.

Before we go deaf listening to the noise, let’s realize the power in listening beyond our fear to the parts of ourselves that matter. Today, take a moment to pause and listen to your special, good parts since they’re there.

If you don’t listen, who will?

---

Ishita Gupta is the publisher of fear.less magazine. She worked at The Domino Project, runs the Potential Project, and helps people overcome fear and design their best lives. She also consults for authors and businesses on marketing and publishing.

TRUST …

I am embarrassed!  Tomorrow it would be a month since my last post!  Alot has happened in my life in a short amount of time, hence my silence.

I am still searching for solid ground to land on.. in the meantime I wanted to share this post I came across today.   Hopefully it will help one of you as it has me!!

More soon…

Trusting that the universe is on our side is sometimes difficult to do. Here are five tips to help you out:

1. Pretend you don’t know it all. Be like a kid again and look at the world with awe and wonder, be curious with the little things and how things work. Avoid saying ‘oh, I know that’.

2. Suspend your judgement. If something isn’t going your way, just step back and avoid getting mad and frustrated and think to yourself, ‘there’s something much bigger happening in the background that I can’t see’.

3. Be open to the magic of life; be open to what’s going on around you without judging it as good or bad. By doing this you’ll start to see the synchronicity between events and things, and have lots of those little beautiful ‘aha’ moments.

4. Put worry aside. Worry only causes us to feel awful. How many times have you been so worried or stressed about something only to have it turn out ok? Remember that and trust everything will turn out OK again and again.

5. Don’t hold back on enjoying life because you’re waiting for some reason to enjoy it. The universe wants you to be happy now, so give up waiting and simply enjoy life. Trust the universe, that magical unseen force, is helping you all the time. Lie down on the grass and know that you are supported.

massaged kale salad with quinoa and roasted squash

Last night I was craving 3 things.  Kale, quinoa and roasted squash.  I scoured the internet for the perfect recipe which I couldn’t find.  I decided to take matters into my own hands and combine a couple to make my own!

1 bunch of Kale  stems cut off and sliced into thin strips

1 lemon

1 cup quinoa cooked

1 butternut squash cut into cubes and roasted

3 artichoke heart, chopped

1/2 cup lowfat feta cheese, crumbled

grape tomato

1/3 c. diced red onion

dressing:

Extra virgin olive oil

balsamic vinegar

seasonings of choice

s/p

cook the quinoa as directed.  Put cubed squash on baking sheet roast at 400 to your liking.  (I like over cooked and brown!)

Take the lemon and squeeze over the kale.  Drizzle a bit of evoo.  Massage it for a good 5 min.  Really work it with your hands until it starts to break down and become wilted.

Add all the ingredients to the bowl with the kale in it.  Mix tot combine.  Whisk the dressing together pour over the salad.  I like to top it with nutritional yeast for added flavor and benefit!  SOOOOO goooood!

the art of letting go

This is an article I recently stumbled upon.  Every time I read it, I get more out of it.  I hope you do too!

“If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.” ~Proverb

I’ve noticed that things go much more smoothly when I give up control—when I allow them to happen instead of making them happen. Unfortunately, I’m terrible at this.

Although I’m much better than I used to be, I’m a bit of a control freak. I often use perfectly good energy trying to plan, predict, and prevent things that I cannot possibly plan, predict, or prevent.

For example, I wonder if my baby is going to get a proper nap when we travel and, if not, just how crabby she might be. I think through her travel and napping patterns, attempting to figure out exactly what we’re up against, as if her sleep is something I can control.

I also think about the weather a lot when out-of-town guests are visiting. I spend my already-limited time planning for every possible weather/mood combination when considering our itinerary.

Like most humans I know, I spend a lot of time in business that’s not mine. The baby’s business, my friends’ business, Mother Nature’s business.

As a recovering control freak, there are three things I know for sure about trying to control things:

1. We try to control things because of what we think will happen if we don’t.

In other words, control is rooted in fear.

2. Control is also a result of being attached to a specific outcome—an outcome we’re sure is best for us, as if we always know what’s best.

When we trust that we’re okay no matter what circumstances come our way, we don’t need to micro-manage the universe. We let go. And we open ourselves to all sorts of wonderful possibilities that aren’t there when we’re attached to one “right” path.

3. The energy of surrender accomplishes much more than the energy of control.

I suspect it’s slightly different for everyone, but here’s what ‘control mode’ looks and feels like for me:  My vision gets very narrow and focused, my breath is shallow, adrenaline is pumping and my heart rate increases.

My mind shifts from topic to topic and from past to future very quickly, and I have little concentration, poor memory, and almost no present-moment awareness.

In surrender mode, I’m calm, peaceful. Breathing deeply, present in the moment. I see clearly and my vision extends out around me, allowing me to (literally) see the bigger picture.

So the great irony is that attempting to control things actually feels less in control.When I’m micro-managing and obsessing over details, I know I’m in my own way.

 

The Art of Surrender

Surrender literally means to stop fighting. Stop fighting with yourself. Stop fighting the universe and the natural flow of things. Stop resisting and pushing against reality.

Surrender = Complete acceptance of what is + Faith that all is well, even without my input.

It’s not about inaction. It’s about taking action from that that place of surrender energy.

If letting go of control and surrendering not only feel better, but actually produce better results, how do we do that?

Sometimes it’s as easy as noticing that you’re in control mode and choosing to let go—consciously and deliberately shifting into surrender energy.

For example, when I become aware that I’m in control mode, I imagine that I’m in a small canoe paddling upstream, against the current. It’s hard. It’s a fight. That’s what control mode feels like to me.

When I choose to let go and surrender, I visualize the boat turning around, me dropping the oars, and floating downstream.

I’m being gently pulled, no effort necessary on my part. Simply breathing and saying, “Let go of the oars” is usually enough to get me there.

Sometimes it’s a little harder to make the shift from control to surrender. Here are a few questions that can help:

1. What am I afraid will happen if I let go of control?

When you pinpoint the fear, question its validity. Ask yourself, Is it true? If you’re afraid the night will be ruined if your boyfriend doesn’t remember to pick up eggplant (and you’ve already reminded him 14 times), question that assumption.

Can you really know the night would be ruined without the eggplant? And if it would be ruined (by your definition, anyway), what’s so bad about that?

2. Find out whose business you’re in.

Your business is the realm of things that you can directly influence. Are you there? Or are you in someone else’s business? When we’re trying to control things outside of our own business, it’s not going to go well.

3. Consider this: Would letting go feel like freedom?

It almost always would. Let that feeling of freedom guide you toward loosening your grip.

A Friendly Universe

Einstein said, “The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe.”

I believe in a friendly universe.

Being receptive and allowing things to happen is a skill that can be practiced and improved upon. It helps to believe in a friendly universe—one that is supporting you at every turn so that you don’t have to worry yourself over the details.

We can always choose to do things the easy way or the hard way. We can muscle through, or we can let go of the oars and let the current carry us downstream.

There is a peaceful, yet focused energy that accompanies holding the intention of what I want, but not forcing myself to do it. That energy is magic. I’m still a work in progress, but I’mallowing it to become a habit instead of making it a habit.

power house salad

This has been my go to salad of late.  I make a big batch on the weekends to have on hand to bring to work.  You can add a hard boiled egg, tempeh, or any other protein source for extra oomph to get you thru the day!  Loaded with good for you ingredients this salad ROCKS!

1 cup dry wheat berries, cook and drain excess water

1 can cannelini beans rinsed

1 cucumber diced

1 red pepper diced

1 cup grape tomatoes sliced in half

1 sweet potato sliced thin, roasted , diced

3 artichoke heart’s, rinsed and chopped

1 cup fresh parsley chopped

4 scallions thinly sliced

 

DRESSING

• 1/4 cup Tahini
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 1/4 cup Nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 3 tbsp water, or as needed

directions:

1.  3-1 ration cook wheat berries in water for roughly 1 hour till most water is absorbed and they have “popped” a bit.  drain and cool.

2.  In large bowl, mix all the diced veggies ( cucumber – scallions).  Add the beans stir to combine.

3.  In small bowl, mix dressing. (Works really well to mix in food processor if you have one.)  Set aside.

4.  Once wheat berries are cool stir into the veggies, add dressing.  Stir well and season with salt and pepper if you desire.

5.  ENJOY!

 

thoughts on resolutions

Here is a great article that got my resolution juices flowing!!!  Hopefully it will give you something to think about as the year winds down this week!~

 

How to set goals you will actually attain.

(Photo: SimplyEighties)

 

So, you’ve started thinking about New Year’s resolutions. This is the year. This is the year you practice yoga daily, lose ten pounds, stop procrastinating, get to bed earlier, get up earlier, meditate more, be nicer, save more money, stop drinking coffee, get your dream job  and learn how to leap tall buildings in a single bound. 2012 is your year. I have some unfortunate news for you:

No. It’s not.

Here’s the thing, unless something has radically changed for you recently, you probably aren’t going to make any radical changes. Ironic, huh. In fact, Einstein said that this is the definition of insanity:  doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

The clean slate of a new year is seductive. We want to overhaul everything we perceive as imperfect or flawed about ourselves and the blank new calendar feels like the perfect opportunity. So how does it work? How can you make resolutions that you’ll keep past February and have meaningful change in your life?

 

A few things to consider:

1. New Year = New Resolutions. If you’ve had it on your list for the past 5 years and you haven’t done it, why will it be different this year? In fact, if you haven’t successfully made the change, maybe it’s time to reevaluate whether or not it’s something you actually want. Many people carry an idea of who they are supposed to be that’s left over from college (or high school–or earlier still.) Who are you right now? What do you like about yourself? About your life? What do you want more of in your life? What are you ready to leave behind?

2. Know your “whys.” Are these changes things that you actually want? Are they someone else’s goals that sounded like a good idea? Knowing why you want to make a change in your life is significant. Wanting to drink less coffee because it’s affecting your sleep quality is an internal motivation. In terms of a goal you’ll stick with–that’s a very good thing. Wanting to drink less coffee because Dr. Oz said you should…not so much. It’s great to look to friends or role models for inspiration, but in order to set a goal that you will reach, the motivation needs to come from within.

3. Build on a current positive behavior. I’ve been gradually moving from vegetarian towardsvegan. A good example of building on a current habit might be for me to move to eating dairy once a week or every other week. If you meditate for ten minutes in the morning, try for 15. This is a good area of your life to consider when choosing resolutions. What choices make you feel proud? How can you build on them?

4. Add habits instead of removing them. If you’d like to drink less coffee, start by adding more water or green tea. If you want to quit smoking, add a short walk at a time you normally smoke. It’s human nature to rebel. The minute anyone tells you that you can’t have something it immediately becomes more attractive. Add in positive behaviors that make the negative ones less comfortable.

5. Think mantra rather than makeover. Every year for the past ten years or so, I’ve found a word or mantra emerges that affects my year. Last year, it was “surrender.” I’m still working on it. Sometimes a word or phrase can be very instrumental towards positive change. Find a quote, or even a single word that moves you. Write it up. Paint it. Put it where you see it often.

6. Focus on internal versus external needs.  “I want to save more money every month” might actually mean “I want to feel secure.” “I want to lose weight” might actually mean “I want to love the way my body looks.” Saving money might make you feel more secure. Losing weight might make you feel better about your body and improve your health. Addressing your internal needs will create more meaningful, lasting change, regardless of external outcome. Peeling the layers away to figure out what it is you actually want will definitely make a difference in your year.

7. Be specific. If you did the last part, this should be easy. “I want to go to yoga more often” is vague. “I want to go to the 6 am yoga class Mondays and Wednesdays” is specific. A specific, quantifiable goal is less likely to get lost in the shuffle. Being specific also helps you choose an attainable goal. I want to clean up the Earth; I can start by remembering to bring out my compost bucket every day.

8. If none of this helps, forget resolutions altogether. Forget all of it. Stop worrying about it. And not in a “I’m just going to think good thoughts and wish it all better” kind of way. Let it go and take a cue from Walt Whitman instead:

“This is what you shall do; Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches,

give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy,

devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants,

argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people,

take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men,

go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families,

read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life,

re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book,

dismiss whatever insults your own soul,

and your very flesh shall be a great poem

and have the richest fluency not only in its words

but in the silent lines of its lips and face

and between the lashes of your eyes

and in every motion and joint of your body.”

letting go..

The theme “letting go”  keeps coming to me through various articles at this point in time and I thought this one was a great “food for thought” one to pass on as we enter the last few days and week of 2011.  Read, ponder and share what you are going to let go of as we enter the year of change 2012~~

6 Tips to Let Go of the Old & Bring in the New

By Chloe Park

One of the most common challenges amongst human beings is the concept of “letting go.” Whether that be in relationships, memories, things we don’t use anymore and even articles of old clothing—things we haven’t worn in years, sometimes even decades. For some reason, death is a feared concept. Isn’t death just as natural as birth? Isn’t letting go just as important as bringing in? Here are some tips on how to practice “OUT with the OLD and IN with the NEW.”

1. First of all, you gotta make space. If you’re cramped with “stuff” all up in your grill, you don’t even have the room to bring anything into your life. It’s a simple concept. Say good bye to anything in your life that does not serve a purpose. What doesn’t serve a purpose is stagnant. What is stagnant around you also keeps you stagnant. It sounds harsh, but it’s true. If it doesn’t serve you, your being-ness, your life, your growth, your well being in any way, let it go.

2. Take inventory of what you need and what you don’t need. You know how shop keepers “take inventory” on their stock so they know what to order for their next purchase? They do this to supply for the needs of their customers. Do this in your own life. What are your needs? What do you need to nurtue? What can you let fall away? The more you let go of unnecessary baggage that is just taking up space in your life, the more you can direct your energy towards what needs nourishment, sunlight and fuel. It’s called knowing where to place your attention with organization and clarity. If baggage has a purpose, it won’t be over weight. Travel light.

3. Ask yourself the question, “How does (insert person/place/thing here) enhance the well being and state of my life?” If the answer to this question is anything other than positive, you should probably let it go. Let it go meaning drop it, leave it, walk away, be done with it. So often people stick with ( _____ ) because they are afraid of what life will be like outside of what they’re comfortable with and what they already know. Take a chance. Trust your instincts to serve you in the quality of your life. Take refuge in the unknown to give you something better. Trust in the void of potentiality. Give yourself the opportunity to make your life bigger than what you already know.

4. Switch the thought around. Instead of asking yourself, “How do I let go?” ask the question, “What do I choose to hold onto?” It’s a way more empowering statement and forces you to take responsibility in all areas of your life. What are you choosing to have close to you? What relationships are you choosing to show up in? What career are you choosing to spend your time mastering? What activities do you choose to engage in and spend your time doing? What and how do you choose to spend the moments and minutes in your day? What are you choosing to do? At the end of the questioning, you’ll see that your own finger is being pointed right back at you.

5. Study nature. The process of letting go is happening all around us. Look at a tree for example. The tree outside your window that’s been there for at least 73 years has endured the hardship of winter as well as the flourishing abundance of spring. Its arms lay barren as the leaves prepare for their death during the transition into fall. In winter, completely falling off its branches and disintegrating into the soil where the roots lay. Spring brings forth life to the tree with the budding seeds of potential growth. What blooms forth are the colors and shades of life for the bustling activity of the summer. Fall comes again and the cycle then repeats. Get used to this. The cycle is the only thing we can truly count on not to change.

6. What doesn’t change is actually change. That’s the one thing we can really depend on—that change is happening, whether you like it or not. It’s ever evolving and constant. The sooner you accept this and hop on the ride the easier it gets. If you want any type of growth or enhanced or evolved state of living, you have to practice letting go. If you hold onto things and grasp onto life that carries no life, your soul will be bleak. Your soul will be very sad. When our soul is sad, life becomes miserable and monotonous. When life becomes monotonous it’s flat. Flat like old soda pop- zero carbonation, no buzz, no tingle. Life is meant to be tingly. Life is meant to be lived! With a high vibration and a great throbbing pulse. Let go and let live. BE FREE! Practice letting go. Be shocked and pleasantly surprised what life starts to bring into your direction. It will only get better, I promise.

Published December 21, 2011 at 3:30 PM

About Chloe Park
Chloe Park is an artist, healer and teacher. She is currently traveling the world to share her message: love and healing. She uses the medium of writing, craniosacral therapy, yoga and meditation to help all those along the path to find harmony between mind, body and spirit. Her intention with her writing is to offer Q and A for all those who are engaged in the dialogue. May we all wake up together.

Website: chloeparkhealing.com
Facebook: chlodactle

broccoli and apple slaw

 

Lucky me!  I am not hosting Thanksgiving and only have to bring a side and a dessert!   My side is going to be this creamy broccoli and apple slaw.  Healthy and delicious..all the ingredients of a yummy fall dish!

1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt

1/4 cup mayonaise

1Tbl. apple cider vinegar

1 chopped shallot

salt and pepper

1/2 bunch finely chopped broccoli (3cups)

1/2 finely chopped apple

1/4 cup dried cranberries

2Tbls. toasted pine nuts

 

in a large bowl mix together the first 4 ingredients.  Season with s/p.  add the chopped broccoli thru pine nuts.  Toss to combine. EAT!

Make a few hours a head of time so the flavors can meld together.

what’s a super easy, healthy and yummy dish you are making this holiday?

Best water bottle ever

I have to share my new favorite product.  I drink lots of water.  I am always carrying it around with me.  Trying to be environmentally correct I use reusable bottles.  Because I have been on the hunt for the “perfect” one, I have roughly 10 of them.  Well folks, I am here to tell you I think I have FINALLY found it!!

Presenting Kleen Kanteen wide mouth INSULATED water bottle!!!

These bottles are the absolute BOMB!!  See, I love water,,, but I REALLY love cold water.  Most bottles do not keep water cold,, even if you add ice, it melts.. or the bottle sweats and makes a mess.  Not good.  Especially if you are taking it into a warm or hot yoga class.  This water bottle keeps the water cold ALL DAY.  It will still have ice in it 10 hours later.  The best part is it doesn’t sweat!  I had mine in a yoga room that was 85 for over 3 hours and not a drop of sweat, yet the water was icy cold!! HEAVEN!

They can also be used as a coffee mug.  There is a separate lid you can buy to make it like a coffee lid.  The bottle does not get hot on the outside.  I don’t know how they do it.. but this is damn near perfect!  My only request would be for a bigger one.  The largest size is 20 ounces at this point.  For now, 20 oz. will do, but I am hoping they will come out with a bigger one soon.  I will definitely purchase if they do!

Have you ever tried this bottle?  What are your thoughts?  What makes or breaks a bottle for you?