The Earth & Flame Magazine: Scribblings

Scribblings Issue No 7

MarChel — Sat, 07 Jun 2025 16:00:35 GMT

Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. Everything I recommend has passed the 'me test.' And I'm picky.

When chatting with someone about dealing with stress recently, they told me that they would like to meditate but they just can't get into it. They get so bored and fall asleep or their mind wanders and they go down the rabbit hole instead of meditating in the way that relaxes. I told them that if they were getting carried down the rabbit hole they were not meditating. And that got me to thinking. It is highly likely that majority of people don't know what meditating actually is. Other than just sitting on the floor with your eyes closed saying OM like a monk.

But meditation is actually a useful tool to help with stress, anxiety and even identifying the root inside a person of trauma. I don't mean the traumatic event itself but more like what that traumatic event made the person feel what ever way that made their brain hold on to said trauma. Many people do better with a journeying kind of meditation. That's when there's a purpose to your meditation. Like the RAIN meditation or like I did with my daughter, I had her go to a land with her favorite creature and describe everything she saw. How it felt in textures, how things worked, colors, etc.

On a separate note, we brought home the new puppy yesterday. We were going to name him one name but when we got him he seemed more like a Bear. So that's what we are naming him Bear. I think he's not going to be a fully long haired Border Collie but one with medium hair that sticks out everywhere. He's like a cuddly little teddy bear though twice as timid. He's been holed up in his crate with the door open, his cow hoof and his water in front of his door.

I did, however, come up with a good routine and food recipe for new puppies in the home. It helps settle stomachs, smells enticing and all while getting the pup to at least stay fed and hydrated. Oh, and he loved the Arcana puppy food with fresh or raw free run chicken and turkey, raw flounder and fresh eggs, our at Next to Nature friends in West Seattle recommended. After 2 feedings I'm happy with the puppy food too. Plus it's grain free so my Border doesn't get itchy which is common for Border Collies. Would my recipes for Bear be helpful to you too for your pet? I've already added some benefits to pets in posts but I'm sure I can get even more specific. Let me know in the comments if learning what I add to kibble may be helpful to you and your pet.

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Or you can just message me if you’d rather! ~MarChel Founder & Creator of The Earth & Flame

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Scribblings Issue No 6

MarChel — Thu, 29 May 2025 18:01:05 GMT

Yesterday got pretty busy. I did a bunch of research and found that my Solo and 1/2 Traveler concept is a pioneering endeavor. I called some travel boards in South Dakota and found that there really aren't that many options for kid inclusion. Under Canvas is still my top pick so far so I'm trying to see when we can schedule a visit to see how it holds up.

I found a lot of places do the kid stuff where parents are glorified babysitters instead of things being enjoyable for everyone. And that is exactly where I'm creating these travel series Map Runes and Travel Like A Local…With Kids! People, and parents most specifically, need to know where they can go or what to do when things might not be as “kid-friendly” or not as for adults as people would like.

When traveling I think families whether single parent or otherwise would like activities and stays that enable them to do things together. And offering options for parents to go do something without children would also be a huge attraction and benefit for their tourism economy. So I'm researching and seeing what options are. Map Runes will be about those domestic road trips where we can take the new pup with us too.

In addition, I upped my workout regimen back to more normal. The shoulder injury had the physical therapist saying rest for a couple months. It was awful. So back to weight training and my 30 minute run. It made me think about the different meal plans that I do that both my little guy and I like to eat and yet help my workout recovery. The chakra eating series contributes to that a bit as well since I use the herbs I grown to help with the fitness plan.

I may have to start playing around with different meal planners colors and designs and see what I can come up with. Would that be something that would help in your fitness program? I noticed quite a few fitness trainers and gyms don't have nutrition or what to eat for dinner after your work out. Let me know in the comments if what's for dinner could help you.

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Or you can just message me if you’d rather! ~MarChel

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Scribblings Issue No 5

MarChel — Wed, 28 May 2025 16:07:20 GMT

Ugh! My post yesterday didn't publish like I thought it was going to. So you'll get the Modern Apothecary post today. Just know it was yesterday afternoon's content. Makes more sense that way when you know that! (Laughs).

This morning, I was researching from bed before getting up for the day. Found out via email that Moo.com doesn't do the kind of printing I need for the chakra series. So I've come up with a couple options. Pike Street Press. They do a great job and from my neck of the woods in Seattle. Then when I get a feel if this is really going to work I'll offer it thru Barnes & Noble publishing. I looked at a ton of options. But I wanted something that was local, US printed and fits my brand. I already know Seattle printers fit the majority of my brand requirements. But Pike Street probably fits my aesthetical best. I'll call and see what I can set up.

Next was today's post. I'm thinking of doing the travel post today just because I've got a destination for the boy and I to go to already. A couple of stops and one being the puppy I want to start taking with us to places and things. I'm working on the Pinterest boards today so everyone can find out how we feel about different products we try along the way. Runyx will even have his own little section within some posts so those with dogs can also have fun and make your own pup comfortable and cool. A ton to do today as I have calls and sales to make.

Let me know in the comments if you’d like me to consider any spots so I can lead you to some of the more dog and kid inclusive spots. Do so love it when businesses and hospitality brands make taking everyone more fun and easy to do. Keep watching because that tent hotel I mentioned? That's what I'm seeing if it could be a possibility today. Or other options. Let me know what you think and if you have other travel suggestions! Love to hear them.

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Or you can just message me if you’d rather! ~MarChel

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Scribblings Issue No 4

MarChel — Tue, 27 May 2025 16:05:00 GMT

As a single mom, summer is probably the most challenging time. For all you moms, you know exactly what I’m talking about. No school and summer camps. Or, if you are like me and you have a 4 year old then the kids are just chillin at home with you. So being a single mom, running your own business and trying to get everything done…well there are bound to be things that aren’t as taken care of as usual. Maybe the clean clothes are still waiting to be folded in the laundry basket. Maybe the dishwasher takes a little longer to unload. The car needs to be washed and people are starting to write wash me on the back. There’s a whole slew of things that just aren’t quite as done as it normally would be. Schedules are nuts. Plus, then as a travel writer we actually have to travel too! So there goes the home schedules.

Granted I’m sure there are other things that get missed more easily during the crazy times. Christmas is the other busy season with all the holiday events and kid programs and present planning and decorating. Ugh! But it’s what we do for our kids. My other busy times are Halloween and Dr Seuss week. I’ve always done costumes and face painting and make-up that rivals a musical production. More ways for kids to have a blast! I think that was why I started creating things that made life easier for people.

Like my Not Your Grandmother’s recipe cards or the Chakra Eating ebook series and the upcoming Travel Like A Local…With Kids! travel guides. I like to make things easier and figured other people and most especially single parents would benefit from my work smarter not harder mentality. Not everything has to be so hard. It's all about changing your perspective or mindset.

For instance, who would be surprised if I were to tell you I don’t own a microwave? The last time I had one was at an apartment I had in West Seattle, Washington. It came with the unit and I used it for the time out timer! Otherwise I cook from scratch. No joke! There are a lot of negative health effects to using a microwave and I’ve heard horror stories like crazy. Plus, food just tastes so much better when you don’t reheat to rubber in the microwave.

AND, my from scratch cooking takes very little time and produces more than if you had bought the food at the store. I make life easier for myself and shop for products on Amazon so then the products just get shipped to me every week. Like flour, sugar, my favorite Madagascar vanilla extract, coffee I try and I’m thinking of starting my reviews again. I used to do coffee and other tasting reviews on my other brand. And that seemed to be an interest to people. I love my pour over too as a former Seattle barista. Is that still of interest to you guys?

Let me know in the comments if you’d like me to share any of these things. Plus, I’m thinking of adding an affiliates Pinterest board so you all can buy the same things I use for my own home cooking and wellness routines. Anything of interest please let me know in the comments. I’d love to try new things and see how they compare!

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Or you can just message me if you’d rather! ~MarChel

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Scribblings Issue No 3

MarChel — Mon, 26 May 2025 14:45:03 GMT

This morning after I posted my IG reel, I was looking around and noticed that there's a lot more pastels than there are my leather and guitars kinda style. Had to ask a friend if it was just me but I was told that it's not. That apparently, I really am just that edgy. I've never been accused of being normal anyway, so it's cool. Hopefully people are finding the content, design and products even more helpful as I try to make ancient techniques and practices that much more real, practical and relateable.

So today while those of us in the States remember our veterans, maybe we could think about what they might have taught us for better living? The old ways were often created to be real. For those who lived it. And practical so it could be passed down.

Yes, singing bowls are great for that sound vibration to help that chakra by pitch. But just as good is my guitar strum at the same pitch. Just different.

Happy Memorial Day!

~MarChel

Have anything that you do differently that you might have gotten from your ancestors? Something that helps your life now but is just a bit different because you're different? Let's hear it! Don't know about you, but I love learning new things!

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Scribblings Issue No 2

MarChel — Sun, 25 May 2025 18:43:03 GMT

Last night while I was chatting with some potential customers over Instagram, I came to some realizations, ideas. My Chakra Eating series can be further enhanced with mudras and sound. Even stones. The most common stone or element that helps with chakras is copper. My Dad uses copper when practicing martial arts. And one day he showed me how it works. He told me to put my arms out straight sideways from my body. Then he pressed down and said “See how it's a bit easy for me to move your arms and body with just a bit of pressure? Now put the copper bracelets on.” So I put the bracelet on and then held my arms out in the same position again as before. Dad went to press down all up and down my arm. He could not move me. Dad told me that copper magnetizes your body to the earth's polarity and helps to solidify your form. It's great for when you are training or in martial arts as you learn technique, for helping your body learn where it needs to be. Both in stance, devlopment and form. And really other stones do the same but activate different chakras and aspects of what you may need.

Same goes with mudras. Mudra, specifically hand mudras or yoga mudras. Where you touch the tip of your index finger to your thumb is called Gyan Mudra (or Chin Mudra), and it’s commonly used in meditation to promote concentration, wisdom, and calm. But each finger represents a different element or aspect of energy, and touching it to the thumb is thought to direct and balance that energy in your body. There are dozens of mudras, each with different purposes (healing, grounding, energizing, etc.) If you're just doing it casually in meditation, it's still called using a mudra. You're just not assigning a specific intention unless you want to. My daughter and I used to do this all the time when meditating with the monks at the monastery where we taught her how to meditate. The monastery had meditation classes on Wednesdays. We miss that so much. We'd get Hum Bao afterwards and we'd also light candles for Grandma and Grandpa there on the days of their birthdays and death there too.

So now I'm planning additions to the original chakra ebooks. Because not many know about these techniques that could really benefit not just your fitness routines but help you de-stress, help with anxiety, worry, stress eating, headaches before resorting to the asprin bottle and more. Even for trauma these skills can help significantly reduce aspects of trauma. Now that's not to say I'm any sort of doctor or that this takes the place of medically prescribed relief. But when appropriate these techniques have been helping people for centuries. So I thought maybe it's time we learn them. Then you have more power at home or in your car in traffic or taking that moment from parenting.

I was thinking not just mudras, but sound and like copper other elements that could assist in your wellness routines. I'll start with more infographics like I did the chakras and we can go from there. Ebooks and maybe even other food related journals, checklists and meal planners. I personally also play Japanese instrumental music that's just the flute or string. What can I say? There's Samurai heritage courtesy of my Dad.

~MarChel

If you can think of anything you'd find helpful with chakra work and food please comment and let me know! Would love to include it or just write about it to share.

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Scribblings Issue No 1

MarChel — Sat, 24 May 2025 16:21:08 GMT

I had this thought that I would start writing my thoughts, behind the scenes details and how I come up with things. Maybe even what I’m playing around with as the next project to tackle. Like a sneak peek but like a running conscious stream of thought. Don’t worry, it will be nothing as challenging as Joyce’s Ulysses. You’d need the annotated text that's larger than the book just to read his text! I remember that both with fondness and trepidation from college.

I’m fortunate that I’m a creative as well as an analytical thinker because I’ll complete and actually sell my creations. It’s often so hard for us creatives to finish projects let alone put things out for public view. I know so many that write a piece and it never sees the light of day. Many great writers have done that. So when I think about different projects like my chakra eating ebook series, yes that sounds like a lot of work but it is also extremely beneficial to people. And that helped me to finish it.

But the chakra series was 11 pages, then 2 more for the recipe, then all the design work. And it’s not like there are templates that fit my style. I've been told I’m “a very westernized Japanese girl.” Guess it’s a thing in Japan to like Scotch, leather, jade and guitars. And being from Seattle, Indie Rock. So the design work can be a bit more time consuming to fit the brand and style.

I have had some thoughts on upcoming projects, segments, series and other creations. First is that I’m looking at getting a puppy. I have one in mind and may go get him soon. A beautiful little Border Collie pup that’s mostly black with a little bit of white and long hair coat. We will name him Runyx “Rune” (sounds like roonix). The idea is to do some tent glamping and paddleboarding this summer. Then for those who are also outdoor enthusiasts and enjoy hiking, paddleboarding, road trips, tent camping, etc could also see what we do, what products help us have more fun and maybe I’ll even start a little section for Runyx and his products.

I’ve been toying with calling his area Runyx Prints and the series Map Runes. The series would also extend beyond the summer as we would continue going places. But the main thing is that we would want to take Runyx with us as much as possible and flights aren’t a good idea for dogs yet. So an additional idea would be to have little sections for when we do have flight travel to showcase pet spas and the things Runyx gets up to and enjoys while we are away. I’ve even been toying with the idea of making a deal with Ford for an Edge and how that would feature in our road trips and outdoor excursions with Rune. There would be excursions to some fun pet friendly hotels too though.

One that is already on my radar is the tent hotel in the Black Hills, South Dakota near Mount Rushmore. It’s a SLH (Small Luxury Hotel of the World) property and only a six hour drive for me. We could stop for a night somewhere else in between just to chop it all up and see something else more leisurely. I was also thinking of heading back to California for some beach fun. Maybe Santa Monica, Orange county, Sonoma and of course catching up with friends in Chico. Runyx is 4 months already so he’ll be full of energy when we get him.

I’m a huge Border Collie fan and have had about 20 Borders over the years. Some pups from litters our dogs have had. But they are so much fun to train and see what their personalities show for quirks. One of my pups I had named “Fuzz-a-Bear” aka Fuzz or Fuzzy because he looked like a fuzzball, little stuffed bear as a puppy. He was an exceptional dog. He got mad at someone who had kicked him in the face once and went behind that guy’s back and pooped in his slipper without hitting any of the edges of the shoe. Then butt scooted all of the room that guy used. Talk about getting even.

I’m open to any ideas from my readers too. If you have any good dog and kid spots to camp, hike, paddleboard or just travel to I’d love to hear them. I’m going to be posting a ton of UGC writing so that way people can see what actually works well. As a single parent I need things that makes life even more fun and exciting while also my life easier since there’s only one of me.

Please comment ideas for more dog and kid fun! Would love to hear it. ~MarChel

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Updated 27 May 2025