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Temple City Dental Brings Serendipitous Smiles

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There’s nothing like a beautiful smile, and Temple City Dental Care is spreading them in more ways than one.

Now through June 30th, the team at Temple City Dental Care is offering Opalescent treatment, the best teeth whitening system available, at half off for only $150. Part of the proceeds will be donated to children through the Smiles for Life Foundation, and the other half will be shared with…The Foundation for Living Beauty!

Denise Williams-Jones, the office’s scheduling coordinator, first heard our Executive Director Nancy Davidson speak at a Pasadena networking event. “I was in tears. I knew we had to work with them. We’ve worked with different nonprofits over the years, and I knew we had to choose to support these women. Nancy really moved me to participate.”

Williams-Jones brought her story back to Dr. Von Bulow, who soon found himself enjoying lunch at the office while learning more about the foundation. “This is something that has touched everyone. We’ve been doing this program since 1998, and when we met Nancy, it was a no brainer to support these women.”

Adds Denise, “We have been asking, what do THEY need or want? And we’re making it fun. For every milestone in our fundraising, we’re going to spray Dr. V with a super soaker! Maybe we should pie him in the face…”

One loyal patient listened in the lobby, and shared that she in fact had already participated. “The same day they told me about this, I had a close friend get diagnosed. I felt I could do something in her honor this way.”

Serendipity.

Call 626.285.3161 to schedule your appointment, or visit templecitydental.com.

 

 

a group of women standing on steps in front of an arched doorway holding their hands in the air

Living Beauty Playlist

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As summer fades to fall, we all feel the need for a fresh new ratio of pep-to-step. We decided to search out an inspirational, bright playlist to share with our community. For music with spirit, we knew our Living Beauties had just the right advice. Here are their favorite songs, including some you can joyfully dance to and others you can use for peaceful reflection.

A special thanks to our incredible Living Beauties for helping us compile this great playlist! What is your ‘Fight Song’?

Gardening: Planting Seeds of Growth During Cancer

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Google “gardening and cancer“, and you’ll be amazed at the long list of overwhelmingly positive results. At FFLB, we love practices that restore peace to both mind and body. While the list of benefits named by cancer patients is endless, here are some of gardening’s most impressive accolades:

3 in 4 gardeners surveyed said that gardening helped them manage feelings of depression and sadness during treatment, while over half of gardeners in another survey found more energy as a result of gardening during treatment. A third of gardeners in that survey also noted that gardening helped them manage weight gain in response to treatment.

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Via weblogs.com/baltimoresun

The vast options for gardens’ contents also act as healing. If a patient doesn’t feel up to maintaining a full garden, a pot or windowsill box can still be beautiful daily treats. A garden might also act as a memorial for a loved one or friend. Whether you plant vegetables to encourage healthy eating or aromatic herbs to bring peace, gardens can provide something for every aspect of your journey with cancer.

If you don’t have a green thumb, gardening can still enhance your journey. Restorative gardens, sometimes specific for cancer patients, are designed using therapeutic techniques and activities. Patients and their loved ones can find mental peace in these gardens, often with opportunities like art therapy, meditation and yoga. Some gardens even have “plant-free” sections for patients who must avoid allergens. This article lists some of the best restorative gardens in the world. Nearby, be sure to try City of Hope in Duarte’s Argyros Family and Japanese Gardens. They look peaceful and calming! Although they aren’t specifically for cancer patients, The Huntington Gardens and Descanso Gardens make great healing spots right near FFLB.

City of Hope's Japanese Gardens

Want to plan your own garden? We suggest you plant lavender, rosemary, oregano, carrots, spinach or wildflowers. They’re all easy to maintain and beautiful, too!

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via Filcker/woodleywonderworks

close up image of a white origami crane against a whicker basket

Weekly Wednesday Inspiration: Paper Cranes

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Long regarded in Japanese culture, origami is a calming and meditative practice that produces some stunning, simple art. Often mimicking real life and nature, origami paper folds to create cranes, lotuses and other peaceful symbols.

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Cranes in particular have a special place in history as origami’s finest representative. Tradition holds that folding 1,000 paper cranes can bring good fortune and peace to many occasions. Couples often fold cranes before their weddings for prosperity, while the cranes can also be folded in hopes of healing from illness, giving congratulations on an anniversary or celebrating family.

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At FFLB, there’s always a lot to reflect on, especially around our tenth anniversary. We’ve introduced cranes as a meditative craft idea. Whether it be during a treatment or in hopes of uplifting another Beauty, folding cranes is a tradition with potential for harmony.

Thank you to our amazing women who have contributed cranes! We hope these stand as symbols for your happiness, well being and importance to our community. Interested in making your own cranes? We’ve hunted down some of the finest instructions on the web. Tavin’s Origami Instructions has a helpful video, and we also like this step by step diagram.

Let us know how your crane folding journey goes, or shoot us a picture of your success! Plus, watch for cranes on our Instagram, @livingbeautyorg.

an amber bracelet on a white background

Baltic Amber: Nature’s Ibuprofen

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Nature can have gentle, subtly healing elements- and they can also be an easy, everyday part of your style routine! After experiencing Hazelaid‘s hazel wood bracelets as helpful with skin ailments like eczema, we caught up with the company to learn about the potential benefits of their other stunning resource, baltic amber jewelry.

Baltic amber works like a natural ibuprofen, reducing inflammation and swelling while easing aches and pains. When in contact with body heat, the amber releases an oil called succinic acid, an alkalinizing acid that may lower the body’s acidity (and certainly doesn’t raise it). It’s a mild pain reliever, but the lighter and less polished the amber, the stronger it is. While not many patients have tried the amber to ease cancer symptoms, it is possible that stronger amber might be very helpful for pain issues that come with cancer. The amber does help on small levels to boost immune systems and energy levels, which is always excellent news!

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Hazelaid (along with FFLB) would love to know if and how our stylish Beauties find relief with this jewelry. In the course of our discussions, the company generously agreed to give away a free piece of jewelry to one lucky Beauty! Plus, a second Beauty will receive a 40% off code that can be applied in a transaction of up to three items from Hazelaid.

Even if you don’t win, or if you’re not a Living Beauty but have interest in Hazelaid, we have good news! All of our readers can get 10% off their purchases by using the code Foundationforlivingbeautiful10. Thank you to Hazelaid for joining our wonderful community of facilitators and sponsors. We look forward to extending more wonderful, holistic and fresh ideas!

To enter the contest, please email [email protected] with your own holistic tips and suggestions. Name a product, recipe, holistic expert or exercise that has helped you, and tell us how we can get more information! Your suggestions will help us continue building a forum to help other Beauties. Include your name and preferred phone number. Two winners will be chosen completely randomly after verification in our database. We also ask that our product winner keeps us posted on how the jewelry helps so that we can pass on the info!

Thank you for participating in a community of Living Beauty! Think this could help a friend? Pass it along and get them in touch with our staff. Feel inspired to donate? Check out how here.