Thanksgiving is vastly approaching and so is the coming together of family. Oh the fun, laughs, food, and headaches. If your family is like mine, we all have different opinions of how Thanksgiving should be shared. In the end we always wind up together.
So what is the best way to spend Thanksgiving? There really is no right or wrong way. For some, volunteering to help feed the less fortunate is the way to go while others jet set across the world to spend this special day in a special place. For most of us it is either a toss up between staying home watching a football game and enjoying a home cooked meal or there are those who opt for going out to dinner. All of these hold special meaning and not because of the food, but because of the company.
This quote says it best " You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need" by Vernon Howard. Thanksgiving is all about being together, where you spend it together is not as important.
For more inspirational thoughts visit http://www.motivational-well-being.com/ .
Sincerely,
The Editor
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Cutting Back Saves
Fact, American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating 1 olive from each salad served in first-class. Have you ever thought what you could save by cutting one smal thing our of your life? As Americans we tend to over indulge whether it is food, clothing, automobiles, you name it.
A classic example of over indulgence are the portions of food we receive when we go out to dinner. Resturants load our plates filled with food and we eat until we are stuffed. They give us options of small, medium, or large, not to mentiontall, grande, or venti size coffees. Using myself as an example, I tend to cook for a family of 10 when there are only 2.5 of us and as a result we eat leftovers for several days before I freeze the last of it.
Ever heard of a clothes horse? You know the person who has no more room in the closet and is over flowing into other rooms with shoes, clothing, accessories....they have more then enough outfits yet you will find these people at the mall. In some cases, over indulgence turns to hoarding. Hoarding can be unhealthy in many ways.
A friend of mine who is a professional organizer worked for a client who held onto everything of her children. Every piece of paper, award, art piece, etc. This person had 18 boxes of stuff for each year of the child's life. Now it is nice to hold onto things, but there is a point where too much is obsesive.
My question to you, what is it you could cut back on to save your household money and how much would you really be saving? For me, my daily trip to Mickey D's for coffee ($1.49 x 360 days = $536.40 saving per year)
We would love to hear your ideas so send us an email.
Sincerely,
The Editor
A classic example of over indulgence are the portions of food we receive when we go out to dinner. Resturants load our plates filled with food and we eat until we are stuffed. They give us options of small, medium, or large, not to mentiontall, grande, or venti size coffees. Using myself as an example, I tend to cook for a family of 10 when there are only 2.5 of us and as a result we eat leftovers for several days before I freeze the last of it.
Ever heard of a clothes horse? You know the person who has no more room in the closet and is over flowing into other rooms with shoes, clothing, accessories....they have more then enough outfits yet you will find these people at the mall. In some cases, over indulgence turns to hoarding. Hoarding can be unhealthy in many ways.
A friend of mine who is a professional organizer worked for a client who held onto everything of her children. Every piece of paper, award, art piece, etc. This person had 18 boxes of stuff for each year of the child's life. Now it is nice to hold onto things, but there is a point where too much is obsesive.
My question to you, what is it you could cut back on to save your household money and how much would you really be saving? For me, my daily trip to Mickey D's for coffee ($1.49 x 360 days = $536.40 saving per year)
We would love to hear your ideas so send us an email.
Sincerely,
The Editor
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
What Are Blogs, Blogging, Bloggers
The latest craze is blogging, yet for some blogging is still a mystery. The question is what is the purpose of a blog and what defines a blogger. Here are the answers found on Google.
Blog (a contraction of the term weblog) is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blogging
Blog - read, write, or edit a shared on-line journal
Blog - web log: a shared on-line journal where people can post diary entries about their personal experiences and hobbies; "postings on a blog are ...wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
Blogger - a person who keeps and updates a blog....wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
Blogging - is the act of writing in one's blog. To blog something is to write about something in one's blog. ...codex.wordpress.org/Glossary
Blog (a contraction of the term weblog) is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blogging
Blog - read, write, or edit a shared on-line journal
Blog - web log: a shared on-line journal where people can post diary entries about their personal experiences and hobbies; "postings on a blog are ...wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
Blogger - a person who keeps and updates a blog....wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
Blogging - is the act of writing in one's blog. To blog something is to write about something in one's blog. ...codex.wordpress.org/Glossary
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Down Time Education
With a shortage of teachers, teacher aides, and funds operating a classroom can be challenging. Have you ever wondered how great teachers manage their students and become role models for their children? Barb DiMarco, founder of Downtime Educational Services has created a tool to help teachers connect better with their students by keeping them more engaged during down times. She helps teachers develope a student's wonder and sense of responsibility through building their 21st century thinking skills.
DOWN TIME High School is a high school activity book offering exercises that will transform your classroom into a meaningful workshop on the spot! There are thirty 20-40 minute intriguing exercises developed by Barb DiMarco, a secondary school counselor who worked with at risk youth for 14 years. The exercises are designed to make students reflect and discuss topics such as:
• How to make good decisions
• How to communicate more effectively
• What risks are good risks?
• How do I set realistic goals?
• Leadership skills
• Teamwork
• Cultural differences
• Planning events
No preparation is needed and materials are listed at the start of each exercise.
Let your classroom become collaborative and meaningful when you have some “down time” –whether just off the computer, or before the busses come.. Make your class fun for you and for your students!
You can read about and/or order DOWN TIME High School on Amazon.com for 29.95 or if you would like to SAVE MONEY and buy in quantities of five or more, just send a check directly to the author for teacher work books at only $20.00 each; do not add tax. We will pay shipping and handling. Mail your check and your shipping address to:
Barb DiMarco
Downtime Eductional Services
2102 W. Knox Rd
Chandler, Az 85224
* All requests are shipped within two weeks.
For more information on how Down Time High School can help you, Write:
barbmazz@comcast.net
Sincerely,
The Editor
DOWN TIME High School is a high school activity book offering exercises that will transform your classroom into a meaningful workshop on the spot! There are thirty 20-40 minute intriguing exercises developed by Barb DiMarco, a secondary school counselor who worked with at risk youth for 14 years. The exercises are designed to make students reflect and discuss topics such as:
• How to make good decisions
• How to communicate more effectively
• What risks are good risks?
• How do I set realistic goals?
• Leadership skills
• Teamwork
• Cultural differences
• Planning events
No preparation is needed and materials are listed at the start of each exercise.
Let your classroom become collaborative and meaningful when you have some “down time” –whether just off the computer, or before the busses come.. Make your class fun for you and for your students!
You can read about and/or order DOWN TIME High School on Amazon.com for 29.95 or if you would like to SAVE MONEY and buy in quantities of five or more, just send a check directly to the author for teacher work books at only $20.00 each; do not add tax. We will pay shipping and handling. Mail your check and your shipping address to:
Barb DiMarco
Downtime Eductional Services
2102 W. Knox Rd
Chandler, Az 85224
* All requests are shipped within two weeks.
For more information on how Down Time High School can help you, Write:
barbmazz@comcast.net
Sincerely,
The Editor
Monday, November 9, 2009
Laminate Wood Flooring
The following was written by a dear friend of mine, Sharon Stover with Carpet Direct:
Today's laminate so closely resembles hardwood, you'll have trouble spotting the difference.
A tribute to modern manufacturing, laminate flooring continues to make innovative breakthroughs. It now conveys the authentic look of wood or ceramic tile. A variety of shades and finishes allows you to choose the wood look down to the species and now, laminates are mimicking hardwood even more.
Shaw's Touchable Texture laminates offer beveled, distressed, and highly textured options to give your laminate floor the look and feel of true hardwood, wood grain and all. Use texture to add a distinguishing touch to your home or choose a distressed look to provide affordable beauty.
Laminate is durable, affordable, and easy to maintain.
Laminate is constructed in layers to create lasting, affordable, beautiful floors.
Four layers of material, each with its own purpose, are fused together to create laminate flooring that is durable and will last for years to come.
Layer 1: A melamine backing layer provides a moisture barrier and structural integrity.
Layer 2: EnviroCore™ - Shaw's environmentally friendly coreboard - is the dense inner layer made of recycled wood fiber meaning fewer trees used with less waste.
Layer 3: Beneath the top layer is the decor layer featuring natural hardwood designs.
Layer 4: A melamine wear top layer offers a tough, beautiful finish.
Be sure that you choose an aluminum oxide finish since this lasts nearly 7 times longer than other finishes.
Follow routine maintenance guidelines to clean your laminate flooring
Use a damp cloth to blot up spills as soon as they happen. Never allow liquids to stand on your floor.
For tough spots, such as oil, paint, markers, lipstick, ink, or tar, use acetone/nail polish remover on a clean white cloth, then wipe the area with a damp cloth to remove any remaining residue.
Sweep, dust, or vacuum the floor regularly with the hard floor attachment (not the beater bar) to prevent accumulation of dirt and grit that can scratch or dull the floor finish.
Periodically clean the floor with cleaning products made specifically for laminate floor care. For optimum results, we recommend Shaw's R2X Hard Surfaces Flooring Cleaner.
Do not wash or wet mop the floor with soap, water, oil-soap detergent, or any other liquid cleaning material. This could cause swelling, warping, delamination, and joint-line separation, and void the warranty.
Do not use steel wool, abrasive cleaners, or strong ammoniated or chlorinated type cleaners.
Do not use any type of buffing or polishing machine.
For spots such as candle wax or chewing gum, harden the spot with ice and then gently scrape with a plastic scraper, such as a credit card. Be careful not to scratch the flooring surface. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.
A more frequent dust-mopping or vacuuming schedule may be required in very sandy areas such as a beach home.
Entry mats will help collect the dirt, sand, grit, and other substances such as oil, asphalt, or driveway sealer that might otherwise be tracked onto your floor
Use floor protectors and wide-load bearing leg bases/rollers to minimize the chance of indentations and scratches from heavy objects. As a rule, the heavier the object, the wider the floor protector.
Maintain a normal indoor relative humidity level between 35% and 65% throughout the year to minimize the natural expansion and contraction of the wood.
For more information, contact SharonStover with Carpet Direct at (480) 982-2457.
Sincerely,
The Editor
Today's laminate so closely resembles hardwood, you'll have trouble spotting the difference.
A tribute to modern manufacturing, laminate flooring continues to make innovative breakthroughs. It now conveys the authentic look of wood or ceramic tile. A variety of shades and finishes allows you to choose the wood look down to the species and now, laminates are mimicking hardwood even more.
Shaw's Touchable Texture laminates offer beveled, distressed, and highly textured options to give your laminate floor the look and feel of true hardwood, wood grain and all. Use texture to add a distinguishing touch to your home or choose a distressed look to provide affordable beauty.
Laminate is durable, affordable, and easy to maintain.
Laminate is constructed in layers to create lasting, affordable, beautiful floors.
Four layers of material, each with its own purpose, are fused together to create laminate flooring that is durable and will last for years to come.
Layer 1: A melamine backing layer provides a moisture barrier and structural integrity.
Layer 2: EnviroCore™ - Shaw's environmentally friendly coreboard - is the dense inner layer made of recycled wood fiber meaning fewer trees used with less waste.
Layer 3: Beneath the top layer is the decor layer featuring natural hardwood designs.
Layer 4: A melamine wear top layer offers a tough, beautiful finish.
Be sure that you choose an aluminum oxide finish since this lasts nearly 7 times longer than other finishes.
Follow routine maintenance guidelines to clean your laminate flooring
Use a damp cloth to blot up spills as soon as they happen. Never allow liquids to stand on your floor.
For tough spots, such as oil, paint, markers, lipstick, ink, or tar, use acetone/nail polish remover on a clean white cloth, then wipe the area with a damp cloth to remove any remaining residue.
Sweep, dust, or vacuum the floor regularly with the hard floor attachment (not the beater bar) to prevent accumulation of dirt and grit that can scratch or dull the floor finish.
Periodically clean the floor with cleaning products made specifically for laminate floor care. For optimum results, we recommend Shaw's R2X Hard Surfaces Flooring Cleaner.
Do not wash or wet mop the floor with soap, water, oil-soap detergent, or any other liquid cleaning material. This could cause swelling, warping, delamination, and joint-line separation, and void the warranty.
Do not use steel wool, abrasive cleaners, or strong ammoniated or chlorinated type cleaners.
Do not use any type of buffing or polishing machine.
For spots such as candle wax or chewing gum, harden the spot with ice and then gently scrape with a plastic scraper, such as a credit card. Be careful not to scratch the flooring surface. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.
A more frequent dust-mopping or vacuuming schedule may be required in very sandy areas such as a beach home.
Entry mats will help collect the dirt, sand, grit, and other substances such as oil, asphalt, or driveway sealer that might otherwise be tracked onto your floor
Use floor protectors and wide-load bearing leg bases/rollers to minimize the chance of indentations and scratches from heavy objects. As a rule, the heavier the object, the wider the floor protector.
Maintain a normal indoor relative humidity level between 35% and 65% throughout the year to minimize the natural expansion and contraction of the wood.
For more information, contact SharonStover with Carpet Direct at (480) 982-2457.
Sincerely,
The Editor
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Holiday Eats
Every year I try to plan a balanced meal, but somehow I always wind up adding dishes that are saturated in fat, high in calories, and are stocked full of sugars. This year I decided to break the routine and I found an interesting article at http://www.livestrong.com/article/27532-top-holiday-foods/ and thought I would share it with my readers.
Turkey
Turkey is the meat of choice for almost all Thanksgiving and many Christmas dinners. It is rich in lean protein but offers less than half of the saturated fat of beef. Turkey is an excellent source of the trace mineral selenium. Selenium works as an antioxidant, helping to strengthen the immune system and may help prevent prostate cancer according to the National Cancer Institute's Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) as well as numerous research studies published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Turkey is an excellent source of niacin and vitamin B6, both essential vitamins for energy metabolism. Vitamin B6 is necessary for the synthesis of important brain chemicals, or neurotransmitters, which regulate mood and behaviors.
Cranberries
Whole cranberries are extremely nutritious. There is strong scientific evidence suggesting that cranberries and cranberry juice helps to prevent and tract urinary tract infections according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Cranberries are rich in a phytochemical (disease-fighting chemical found in plants responsible for the colorful hue of fruits and vegetables) group called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins promote healthy circulation, nerve function, and offer protection against the development of cancer. In addition, cranberries may lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a nutritious root vegetable qualified as an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), a very good source of vitamin C and manganese, and a good source of dietary fiber, copper, potassium, vitamin B6, and iron. Vitamins A and C act as antioxidants, preventing free radicals (charged oxygen particles) from damaging healthy cells which is associated with the development of heart disease and cancer. These nutrients may offer anti-inflammatory benefits, which is beneficial for conditions such as asthma according to dozens of clinical studies, including one authored by AR Ness et al., and published in 1996 in the European "Journal of Clinical Nutrition" entitled "Vitamin C status and respiratory function" as well as a research study authored by I Neuman, et al., and published in 1999 by the "Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology" entitled "Prevention of exercise-induced asthma by a natural isomer mixture of beta-carotene."
Yams
Yams are another nutritious root vegetable popular on holiday dinner tables. They are an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber, and a very good food source of vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is necessary to break down a toxic substance in the body known as homocysteine. According to the American Heart Association, as well as other authorities, when levels of homocysteine in the bloodstream are too high, direct damage to blood vessel walls may occur, resulting in stroke or heart attack. Yams are also potassium-rich. Potassium plays an important role in decreasing blood pressure (along with calcium and magnesium).
Green Beans
Green beans, or string beans, are loaded with nutrients but very low in calories, which makes them an excellent choice for weight control. They are considered an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K (important for bone health and proper blood clotting) and manganese. They are a good source of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), dietary fiber, potassium, and folate. Like sweet potatoes, green beans are rich in the antioxidant vitamins A and C, which may protect against the development of cancer, heart disease, as well as helps to boost the immune system according to the National Cancer Institute.
Enjoy!
The Editor
Turkey
Turkey is the meat of choice for almost all Thanksgiving and many Christmas dinners. It is rich in lean protein but offers less than half of the saturated fat of beef. Turkey is an excellent source of the trace mineral selenium. Selenium works as an antioxidant, helping to strengthen the immune system and may help prevent prostate cancer according to the National Cancer Institute's Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) as well as numerous research studies published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Turkey is an excellent source of niacin and vitamin B6, both essential vitamins for energy metabolism. Vitamin B6 is necessary for the synthesis of important brain chemicals, or neurotransmitters, which regulate mood and behaviors.
Cranberries
Whole cranberries are extremely nutritious. There is strong scientific evidence suggesting that cranberries and cranberry juice helps to prevent and tract urinary tract infections according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Cranberries are rich in a phytochemical (disease-fighting chemical found in plants responsible for the colorful hue of fruits and vegetables) group called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins promote healthy circulation, nerve function, and offer protection against the development of cancer. In addition, cranberries may lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a nutritious root vegetable qualified as an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), a very good source of vitamin C and manganese, and a good source of dietary fiber, copper, potassium, vitamin B6, and iron. Vitamins A and C act as antioxidants, preventing free radicals (charged oxygen particles) from damaging healthy cells which is associated with the development of heart disease and cancer. These nutrients may offer anti-inflammatory benefits, which is beneficial for conditions such as asthma according to dozens of clinical studies, including one authored by AR Ness et al., and published in 1996 in the European "Journal of Clinical Nutrition" entitled "Vitamin C status and respiratory function" as well as a research study authored by I Neuman, et al., and published in 1999 by the "Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology" entitled "Prevention of exercise-induced asthma by a natural isomer mixture of beta-carotene."
Yams
Yams are another nutritious root vegetable popular on holiday dinner tables. They are an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber, and a very good food source of vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is necessary to break down a toxic substance in the body known as homocysteine. According to the American Heart Association, as well as other authorities, when levels of homocysteine in the bloodstream are too high, direct damage to blood vessel walls may occur, resulting in stroke or heart attack. Yams are also potassium-rich. Potassium plays an important role in decreasing blood pressure (along with calcium and magnesium).
Green Beans
Green beans, or string beans, are loaded with nutrients but very low in calories, which makes them an excellent choice for weight control. They are considered an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K (important for bone health and proper blood clotting) and manganese. They are a good source of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), dietary fiber, potassium, and folate. Like sweet potatoes, green beans are rich in the antioxidant vitamins A and C, which may protect against the development of cancer, heart disease, as well as helps to boost the immune system according to the National Cancer Institute.
Enjoy!
The Editor
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Save Money and Reduce Stress on Black Friday
This year has been stressful enough without the added stress and out lay of money on Black Friday. Consider alternative solutions to beating the shortage of money and avoiding stress by turning to the internet for all of your holiday bargains and shopping. The internet is proving to be the way of researching and finding the answers to the questions you have, so why not turn to the computer to help save yourself.
Retailers often times post instant coupons on their websites. Others tend to offer online sales ads for you to look at without killing another tree. While many retailers have gotten smart and ask for subscribers so they send them up to minute notification on sales and discounts. Although seeing 10% off or items below $10 looks or sounds great, always do your research to see if it is really a great deal. Obviously any discount will save you money, the question is how big of a savings is it for you?
Shopping from your computer helps to reduce the stress of standing in long lines, fighting over parking spaces, even running through the aisles bumping the person next to you. Online shopping gives you the flexibility to shop at times that are convenient for you. You can see items and product specs up close, you simply point, click, type in your payment information, and push send. Items are shipped direct to your location. Many retailers even offer specialty wrapping for a nominal fee again saving the stress of you wrapping your presents.
So ask yourself why is it you want to battle Black Friday again?
Retailers often times post instant coupons on their websites. Others tend to offer online sales ads for you to look at without killing another tree. While many retailers have gotten smart and ask for subscribers so they send them up to minute notification on sales and discounts. Although seeing 10% off or items below $10 looks or sounds great, always do your research to see if it is really a great deal. Obviously any discount will save you money, the question is how big of a savings is it for you?
Shopping from your computer helps to reduce the stress of standing in long lines, fighting over parking spaces, even running through the aisles bumping the person next to you. Online shopping gives you the flexibility to shop at times that are convenient for you. You can see items and product specs up close, you simply point, click, type in your payment information, and push send. Items are shipped direct to your location. Many retailers even offer specialty wrapping for a nominal fee again saving the stress of you wrapping your presents.
So ask yourself why is it you want to battle Black Friday again?
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