Renewal

Renew Your Mind:
This morning as I was reading a quick devotional for the day, it really meant a lot to me.  It spoke about making sure that we keep our thoughts in check.  It's easy to allow our stress or worries to consume us and then before you know it you are thinking more about what might go wrong than about what God has promised in the Bible for those who love Him.  So the next time you're thoughts are running away with you, remind yourself of things that God has done for you in the past and remind yourself of all of the promises that He has given you for the future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Renewed Wellness: Here are a couple of key things to make sure you keep yourself and your family well all winter long.  Keep in mind germs from coughing with uncovered mouths travel 6 to 8 feet!

• Eat Bright Colors: Eat the brightest and most colorful fruits and veggies.  They are packed with the most vitamins and nutrients that boost your immune system.  Add as much color and variety to your meals as you can.
• Sleep Deep: Research suggests that only about a third of Americans get the seven to nine hours of shut-eye required to help keep their immune systems operating at full throttle.  Those who averaged fewer than seven hours a night were three times more likely to catch a cold than those who clocked eight or more regularly. We produce the hormone melatonin during nighttime sleep, which prompts a key type of immune cells to destroy infected ones. Over time, less sleep leads to  a subpar immune system.
• Eliminate Stress: Our immune systems are highly sensitive to stress. A study in Health Psychology suggests that chronic stress, or intense pressure lasting a month or longer, can make you more than two times as likely to get sick when you’re exposed to a cold virus compared with someone who isn’t overstressed.
• Scrub and Sanitize: Common knowledge, but the CDC says that in order to kill germs, you’ve got to be thorough. Lather up and scrub every crevice, including between your fingers and under your nails. Take your time, at least 20 seconds before you rinse and dry.  Wash your hands, door knobs, phones, counters, and anything else that could be contaminated by cold germs. 
• Travel Wisely: Confined space, lots of people, and dry air.  Cold viruses thrive in this environment.  According to a study from the University of Nottingham in England, those who took public transportation were six times more likely to suffer from respiratory infections than those who didn't.
• Turn off the Heat: Finishing a warm shower with a blast of chilly water may create a reflex action that supports immunity by stimulating lymphatic circulation.     Article Referenced

 New Hope:  With just a couple of days left of 2011, it's a good time for reflection, but it's also a good time to build up a great expectation for what God has for you in this New Year.  If this has been a great year, give God praise.  If it's been a difficult year for your family.  Hang in there. God has a good plan for your life, and always completes in us what He has started.  Phillippians 1:6 says, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Lets look forward to good things together! 

Get Fit Trends for 2012

Fitness Trends for 2012

This morning I mentioned that those who have added Fitness to their New Year's Resolution lists can expect some new trends in 2012.  It looks as if health and fitness experts will be working hard in the New Year to make getting fit easy & affordable for everyone. 

Here's some things that will be Trending in 2012:

• Lower Cost Health Clubs & Gyms:  Expect some quality low-cost gyms monthly fees to dip as low as $10 a month.
• High Intensity At-Home Programs:  Specialized circuit-trainint programs will be more readily available for seasoned excercisers who want to work out at home or on the go.
• Streaming Workout Videos:  More workout content providers are starting to offer subscription-based streaming of their workout videos offering fitness lovers more variety for their workout.
• Unique Training Tools: like TRX suspension training systems are becoming more popular gym features.
• Use of Technology:  Fitness apps, Nike+ Pedometers/Running Technology, Online food journals, Social Networking sites, and emails.  Technological advances make it easier that ever to track your progress, keep food journals, and seek motivation on your fitness journey. 
• Small Group Training: Jam-packed fitness classes leave beginners feeling lost and everyone else feeling like you aren't getting enough personal attention to spurn your maximum progress.  Small Group Sessions of around 6 so that everyone gets attention they need.
• New Approach to Goal Setting: Strong is the new skinny.  Fitness goals are being set with strength in mind instead of focusing solely on losing weight.  Article Referenced

Mirror Mirror
In the image driven world we live in, it is easy to lose perspective of who we really are.  More people than ever seem to be dealing with problems with their self esteem.  Yesterday, I was reading a story written by a lady named Noelle and she was describing an encounter that she had with a friend of hers.  She noticed over tea that her friend had a photo of her on her bulletin board in her kitchen for everyone to see.  When she saw the photo she found herself cringing.  She thought that the image was horrible, and felt humiliated to have it displayed.  Noelle told how she began making negative comments about her appearance.  She thought her face was too round, her smile was all wrong, and she hated her nose crinkles.  Her friend then began to explain why she loved the picture.  She told her that she has a way of laughing that makes her whole face light up, and that she loves that about her.  Noelle described how her other friends all had similar photos of her laughing posted in their homes.  She went on to talk about how her friends showed her some things about herself that she'd never seen before.  Next time you are tempted to look at part of your image or personality negatively, remember that like Noelle you aren't seeing all of the wonderful things about you that everyone else finds so very special.  You are valuable.  (Psalm 139:14).

Optimism and other Boosts for your Mood:

Optimism and other Boosts for your Mood:

As we transition from Christmas to the New Year, here are some tips for staying Optimistic and keeping your spirit up throughout the season and into the New Year.

• Quiet Optimism: Did you know that taking time for yourself is linked to having a more optimistic outlook? If one of your goals is to be more optimistic this year, then studies show that you should spend time in quiet thought or prayer. Even if you only have a few minutes spent in quiet contemplation you will see noticeable benefits. The group of adults studied spent an average of six hours and 13 minutes over the course of five weeks  which translates to a couple of minutes a day.  The study showed patterns of brain activity typically associated with positive moods increased. 
• Breathe Easy: The short, shallow gulps of air most of us take when we're tense make us light-headed and even edgier. That's why Robin Ehrlich, director of New York City's Eastside Massage Therapy Center (and just about every other stress expert interviewed), suggests that when you're feeling frantic you should stop, close your eyes and refocus your breathing pattern. "Shifting to deep breathing will soothe your nerves, send oxygen to your brain and refresh your mind," she explains. Inhale slowly through your nose to the count of eight. Fill your belly—not your chest—with air. Exhale through your mouth to the count of 10 to 16. Repeat five to ten times, until you feel calmer.

Unusual Uses for Salt

This morning's Fact or Fiction was all about Salt.  With winter creeping in and snow fall likely we all know that salt helps whisk away unwanted snow driffs, and that salt is an excellant seasoning.  Here are some of Salt's lesser known uses that may be useful around your home.


NOTE: I have not personally tested these.  They are from the article referenced below except for the first three.

• Remove stains from your coffee pot: Fill the coffee pot with 1/4 cu of table salt & a dozen ice cubes.  Swish the mixture around then let it sit for 30 mins; then fill the pot with cold water rinse.  Your coffee pot will look brand new.
• Remove unwanted grass and weeds growing in the cracks of your driveway by sprinkling salt on the grass then pour very hot water over it.  Not only is this highly effective way to kill weeds, it's also eco-friendly & cheap.
• Remove onion smell from your hands: After cutting an onion rub your hands with a salt scrub from your favorite beauty item store or soak your hands in warm salt water. 
• Drip-proof candles: Prevent your candles from becoming a drippy mess by soaking new candles in a strong salt solution for 2-3 hours.
• Clean smelly food spills: A little cinnamon in a pinch of salt will make dripped-on messes in the oven easier to clean, and prevent them from stinking up the house. Sprinkle the mixture onto the drip soon after it occurs, while the oven is still hot. Once it has cooled, brush away the salt and the mess will come with it.
• Test egg freshness: Add two teaspoons of salt to a cup of water, and drop in the egg. If it’s fresh, it will float; if it’s past its prime it will sink right to the bottom.
• Sanitize sponges: Used sponges harbor bacteria. To restore them and kill some of those germs, suds them up, rinse them thoroughly and then soak them in cold, heavily salted water for an hour or two.
• Kill poison ivy plants:  Three pounds of salt mixed with a gallon of soapy water, applied to the leaves and stems of poison ivy with a sprayer, will kill this tenacious pest of a plant.
• Extend broom life: Natural fiber brooms can last a lot longer if you use this easy trick: soak them in hot, salty water before their first use.
• Soothe a bee sting: Remove the stinger, wet the sting and immediately shake on a paste of salt and water. Let it dry, and it will reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
• Remove soot from chimney: A handful of salt thrown onto the flames in your fireplace will not only produce pretty, vivid yellow flames, it will help loosen soot in the chimney, preventing chimney fires and improving air flow.
• Relief for canker sores: A saltwater gargle will take the bite out of a toothache and ease the pain of canker sores and sore throats. Dissolve two teaspoons of salt in 1/4 cup of warm water and swish it around in your mouth for at least 20 seconds, gargling if you have a sore throat. It will likely burn at first, but it works.
• Keep clothes from freezing on the line: Add a little salt to the rinse water when washing a load of laundry to keep the clothes from freezing stiff on the clothesline. Soaking the clothesline in salt water will also prevent clothes from sticking to it in cold weather.
• Restore artificial flowers: Just toss the flowers in a gallon-sized zip-lock bag along with about a cup of salt. Shake the bag well, and the salt will whisk away the dust and debris.
• Keep milk fresh: Sour milk is the worst, especially if you don’t realize it’s gone bad until you’ve already poured it into your cake batter or coffee mug. Keep it fresh longer by adding a pinch of salt to the carton, pinching the spout closed and gently shaking to mix.
• Make coffee less bitter: Over-brewed coffee that has taken on a bitter taste can be much improved with a tiny pinch of salt, which will also enhance the flavor.
• Remove stains: Blot up spills and then pour salt on top to absorb what’s left, pulling as much of it out of the fabric as possible. To remove perspiration stains from clothing, dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a cup of hot water and sponge it on.
• Prevent sliced fruit from turning brown: Dip sliced apples, pears and other fruits susceptible to browning in lightly salted water to preserve their fresh look. If your apple slices have withered, salt water will also perk them up.
• Keep windows frost-free: To keep frost from accumulating on the windows in your home and your vehicle, dip a sponge in salty water and run it over the inside and outside of the glass, then rub dry with a soft cloth.
• Deodorize shoes: Zap the stink-worsening moisture out of canvas shoes by sprinkling a little salt inside them and then wiping it out. NOTE: Don’t use this trick on leather or synthetic shoes, as it could dry them out too much and cause them to deteriorate.
• Reduce eye puffiness: Mix a pinch of salt in a little hot water and applying it to puffy, swollen areas around your eyes with a cotton pad. The salt will help draw out the moisture and tighten the skin.
• Give your skin a glow: Massage a mixture of salt and olive oil into your skin in circular motions, leave it on for a few minutes and then wash it off. The massage increases circulation to your skin, the olive oil moisturizes and the salt buffs away dead skin cells.
• Brighten yellowed linens: Dingy whites can be brought back to their crisp, white best without the use of bleach. Boil cotton or linen items in a big pot of water with a few tablespoons of salt plus a few tablespoons of baking soda.
  
  
  Article Referenced

Money Saving One-Day Shopping Tips

If you didn't finish all of your shopping on Black Friday, there are still plenty of shopping days til Christmas including Small Business Saturday (today) and Cyber Monday.  This morning I found some tips on how you can maximize your shopping trips and maybe save a little money while you are at it.

Before you leave the house:

• Eat a good breakfast that includes energy boosting protein, fiber, and healthy fat.  It will help you think clearly, shop sensibly and negotiate the best bargains.
• Nix the comfort clothes if you end up feeling blah in them.  Studies show that if you dress in something stylish your confidence will get a boost and you will be less likely to give into pushy sales tactics.  Darren Dahl, a professor of applied marketing research says that when people feel insecure they buy more.
• Listen to your power music.   The music in your favorite store may sound nostalgic and festive, but it is designed to make you feel warm, fuzzy, and linger in their store.
• Download free apps offerend by your fav stores for web announcements, coupons, and the latest info on sales.
• Look for online discounts and coupon codes
• Cash in your rewards.  If you are eligible for reward programs consider using your points to buy gift cards or make online purchases through the rewards site for potential discounts or more reward points.
• Buy toys online a lot of retailers offer the same discounts and free shipping saving you time and the frustration of visiting multiple stores for this year's hot toy.
• Go solo.  I know it's not as much fun, but if savings are your intent leave your pal behind.  Subconsciously we mimic others shopping habits according to Martin Lindstrom, the author of Brandwashed.  This means that if your friend stocks up on a particular item you are more likely to as well.

On your way

• Stop at the bank.  You will curb your impulse buys by leaving your credit cards at home.  According to Martin Lindstrom, shopping with cash cuts your overall spending by 23%.  Also, if you withdraw cash at the teller and request larger bills (ie. 50s or 100s), you will be less likely to break them on unnecessary purchases.

At the mall

• Avoid the main entrance and any lavish displays designed to entice you.  Side entrances or the food court entrance will help you bypass unneccessary temptation.
• Buy your less expensive items first.  Scott Huettel, Associate professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University, says that once you spend money on something costly your brain loses perspective on what is a good price.
• Eat Lunch.  Don't forget to recharge with a protein-rich lunch if you are planning an all-day shopping trip.  It will keep your energetic all day.
• Perk yourself up after a few hours by taking a music break or grabbing a cup of coffee.  Paul Herr, professor of Marketing at Virginia Tech says you are more likely to make good buying choices if you stay in a pleasant mood, because you will more carefully consider pros and cons before making your decision.
• Skip lines.  Whenever possible, pay for purchases in less crowded areas of the store.  The less you linger in the line, the less likely it will be that you will pick up extra items on a whim while you are waiting.
• Don't linger at sales counters.  The longer you listen to a sales pitch, the more likely you are to buy something.

Article Referenced