Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘life’

The Perfection of the Imperfect

Posted in About me, Aging, Handcrafted Cards, inspiration, Photography, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on November 3, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Wabi-sabi is the quintessential Japanese aesthetic. It is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. It is a beauty of things modest and humble. It is a beauty of things unconventional . . . . It is also two separate words, with related but different meanings. “Wabi” is the kind of perfect beauty that is seemingly-paradoxically caused by just the right kind of imperfection, such as an asymmetry in a ceramic bowl which reflects the handmade craftsmanship, as opposed to another bowl which is perfect, but soul-less and machine-made. “Sabi” is the kind of beauty that can come only with age, such as the patina on a very old bronze statue. Reading those words on Wiki Wiki Web soothed the ever-shrinking perfectionist in me. As I’ve grown older and wiser, I’ve come to embrace the notion that some things in life are actually better when they are not perfect.

For example, rows of tiny striations marred the smooth surface of a pair of shiny, black, patent leather footwear I purchased six months ago. Noticing the striations, I became distressed. “How could this be? I’ve only worn them to work a few times! Is it too late to return these shoes? Can they be repaired?” were the thoughts making noises in my head. Knowing that the shoe manufacturer was a reputable one, I did a little online research. I happily found out that a warranty policy existed, but the manufacturer would need to inspect my footwear to determine whether or not the striations were a warranty-related issue. Emailing the manufacturer a close-up photo of the striations was a possible first step. Using my little point and shoot digital camera, I snapped several close-up shots. As the photos were downloading to my computer, I saw images of dark, blue-black ripples combined with rust-colored areas. Art can be found in amazing places! Upon closer examination, I liked how the dirt speckles gave the photo a feeling of texture and how the strong diagonal line created by the rough rubber sole and the horizontal line created by the suede stitching both led my eyes to the largest rust-colored image. You’ve probably guessed by now that the photo that many of you have been staring at for the last two weeks is nothing more than a close-up of the striations on my footwear and that the rust-colored areas are nothing more than the reflections of my hands holding the camera.

From comments I’ve received, I’m guessing this was a challenging mystery photo. Sorry, for some reason I thought this one was going to be easier than the last! But thanks to all of you who participated in the contest and submitted guesses. Without a doubt, I think my readers have some of the most creative minds out there. But alas, there can only be one winner. So without further ado, I would like to congratulate Ella L. for winning the Birthday Contest! Your prize, a set of handmade cards, inserts, envelopes, and adhesive, will be mailed to you soon! Hope you enjoy the cards as much as I enjoyed making them!

What about my footwear with the striations? Bowing to the philosophy of wabi-sabi, I respect the perfection of their imperfection and they’re still in my closet.

Read Full Post »

Friday’s Fresh Five! (10/29/10)

Posted in Handcrafted Cards, Health, inspiration, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 29, 2010| 2 Comments »

Happy talk, keep talkin’ happy talk,
Talk about things you’d like to do.
You got to have a dream,
If you don’t have a dream,
How you gonna have a dream come true?

Rodgers & Hammerstein

#1 – Habits of Happy People
What do happy people do to help them to stay happy? Read this article to learn about 21 habits of happy people.

#2 – Stories of Inspiration
Inspirational-Short-Stories.com focuses on brief stories that are intended to quickly inspire you. I’m big on positive affirmations, so here’s one that’s titled Words of Affirmation.

#3 – The Happiest Place on Earth
Test your knowledge of the Happiest Place on Earth. Take this Mental_Floss trivia quiz and find out little known facts about Disneyland!

#4 – Foods That Make You Happy
Can diet affect your mood and behavior? Read this article from Men’s Health about 30 foods that research shows will change the way you feel. You’ll be happy you did!

#5 – Definition of Happiness
Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.
Denis Waitley

Have a great weekend and a Happy Halloween, too!

Read Full Post »

Golden Beet and Pomegranate Salad

Posted in Parenting, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on October 25, 2010| Leave a Comment »

The bright orange color of golden beets combined with the rich red of pomegranate seeds make this salad a lovely fall dish, but mention beets and pomegranates to almost any mother and I bet her response will be “STAIN.” Both beets and pomegranates are well known for their stain-making abilities. Just ask my kids why for many years I wouldn’t let them eat pomegranates. Pomegranates are like piñatas – you have to work hard, before you are rewarded with a spray of treats! A spray, though, hardly describes the scene I found on what would be my kids’ last day of eating pomegranates in our house. Explosion is a far better word. As I approached my kids sitting at the nucleus of the explosion, my eyes took on a wild-eyed look that only a mother with three children who had just turned her white kitchen into a red polka-dotted one could have. I looked at them. They just sat there, looked back at me, and said, “What?” If not for a kitchen remodel that occurred years later, I’m sure I’d still find pomegranate juice stain somewhere in the kitchen!

Even if you think you don’t like beets, try this recipe. You might be pleasantly surprised!

Golden Beet and Pomegranate Salad
Recipe from Elise Bauer’s Simply Recipes

Ingredients:
3 golden beets
1 cup diced red onions
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chicken broth (or vegetarian broth for vegetarian option)
3 Tbsp Triple Sec or other orange-flavored liqueur
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 cup pomegranate seeds
Salt
2 cups arugula and butter lettuce leaves
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
1. Cook the beets – either boil them for 45 minutes or roast them at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour. Let cool. Peel and dice into 1/2-inch cubes.

2. In a medium skillet over high heat, bring diced beets, onion, vinegar, broth, liqueur, sugar, and orange peel to a boil, stirring often, until liquid is reduced to 2 Tbsp, about 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

3. Stir in pomegranate seeds into the beet mixture and salt to taste. Serve on top of salad greens on individual plates. Sprinkle with feta cheese.

Serves 4.

Linnell’s Notes:
The beet mixture could be made ahead. Before serving, stir the pomegranate seeds into the beet mixture. I added a little freshly ground black pepper to the beet mixture. For my greens, I mixed baby spinach leaves and a spring salad mix together. I plated this salad on a beautiful blue platter (complementary color of the orange beets) instead of individual plates. This delicious salad really does not require any additional salad dressing, but if you feel the need for dressing, either make a pomegranate vinaigrette or buy a good brand of raspberry vinaigrette.

Read Full Post »

Friday’s Fresh Five! (10/22/10)

Posted in About me, Health, inspiration, Recipes, Recycling, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 22, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Two little birds were delighting in a round of Birdie Hokey Pokey – jumping in out and shaking all about – in the bubbling water of my fountain. The sun was low in the sky when I stood under a tree in my backyard hoping to snap a photo of these bathing beauties. With their thirst quenched and feathers cleaned and fluffed, the happy pair ignored the clicks of my camera and quickly flew off into the autumn sky. I don’t know who enjoyed the bird bath more – me or them.

#1 – Don’t Forget to Guess!
Don’t forget to email me your three guesses for the Birthday Contest. Click here to view the mystery photo and read the contest rules. Remember, I only have a point and shoot digital camera, but have a great imagination! The Contest ends on November 1st, so don’t miss out on an opportunity to win a unique prize!

#2 – What’s Your FRAX?
Osteoporosis is a concern for both men and women. According to the latest edition of Nutrition Action Health Letter, “One in two women and one in four men over age 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis . . . . By the time you are 40, your body starts losing more bone than it makes. Losing just 10% of your bone mass can double your risk of fracturing a spine or hip.” The article provides information to reach a site where you can use FRAX (Fracture Risk Assessment Tool) to estimate your risk of fracture. Open the page, click on Calculation Tool and then answer the 12 questions. It immediately calculates your percentages. Supposedly, you can still use the FRAX whether or not you have had your BMD (bone mineral densit) tested. I was pleased to discover that the ten year probability of my fracturing a hip was 0.0 percent!

#3 – 9 Yummy Drink Recipes for Fall and Winter
Couldn’t pass up this one up when I read the title in Mother Nature Network. Pumpkin Pie Smoothie, Spiked Apple Pie Punch, Eggnog Latte, and Cranberry Martinis were some of the recipes that looked interesting enough to try. Check out the recipes here to see if you agree!

#4 – Reusing Plastic Bottles and Caps
Thanks to those of you who sent me emails with this tip. With a sharp pair of scissors, very carefully cut off the “neck” of a plastic bottle (one with a threaded cap such as a water bottle or a soda bottle). Make sure to cut it so that no sharp or jagged areas remain that could possibly inflict injury. Recycle the bottom part of the bottle, but save the “neck” and cap. After rinsing and drying these parts, they can be used to seal plastic bags. Insert a plastic bag through the bottle neck, fold over some of the bag and then screw the cap back on. I found this worked better with thinner plastic bags such as produce bags. This idea didn’t work well on thick or stiff plastic bags such as cereal bags, but nonetheless, it’s a great idea and worth experimenting with larger plastic bottles and caps.

#5 – Don’t Underestimate Your Power
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
Leo F. Buscaglia

Enjoy your weekend!

Read Full Post »

Shrimp and Bean-Thread Salad

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , , , on October 20, 2010| 2 Comments »

Picnics or parties, that’s how versatile this easy do-ahead recipe is. It makes a great main lunch dish or a delicious dinner side dish. Bean threads are also referred to as cellophane noodles, Chinese vermicelli, crystal noodles, or glass noodles. They are transparent Asian noodles usually made from mung bean or yam starch. The dried form can be found in many grocery markets now and after reconstituting them with boiling water, they can be used in soups, stir-fried dishes, and spring rolls. Do not confuse bean threads or bean vermicelli with rice vermicelli, which are made from rice and are white in color rather than clear.

Shrimp and Bean-Thread Salad
from the Noodle Shop Cookbook by Jackie Passmore

Serves 4, or 6 to 8 sharing dishes.

Salad ingredients:
5 ounces bean-thread vermicelli
12 medium shrimp, in their shells
2 teaspoons nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon palm or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped whole scallions
1/4 cup finely sliced straw mushrooms
1/3 cup sliced water chesnuts
1 cup fresh bean sprouts, roots and seed pods removed
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and julienned
1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro (Chinese parsley) leaves
1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves
1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Salad Dressing:
1-1/2 tablespoons nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon palm or dark brown sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons corn oil or other flavorless vegetable oil
2 teaspoons Thai sweet chili sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)

Soak the vermicelli in boiling water for 1-1/2 minutes. It will be semi-transparent and crisp-tender. Drain in a colander and cool under running cold water. Use kitchen shears to cut into 3-inch lengths. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

Combine the dressing ingredients. Pour half over the vermicelli, mix well, and set aside.

Shell the shrimp, leaving the last segment of the shell and the tail in place (reserve heads and shells for stock or bisque; they can be frozen until needed). Make a deep cut down the center of each shrimp’s back and pull away the dark vein. Press the shrimp open. Place in a dish and season with the fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar. Set aside.

Prepare the remaining ingredients, except the oil, and add to the vermicelli in the bowl. Mix in evenly.

Heat the oil in a small pan over high heat and stir-fry the shrimp until they turn pink. Remove and add to the salad, along with the reserved dressing. Toss for a few moments to thoroughly combine the ingredients and moisten evenly with the dressing. Pile onto a platter and serve.

Do-ahead note: The salad can be made ahead, covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerated for several hours before serving.

Linnell’s notes:
The salad dressing recipe made a very small amount. I was skeptical that this would be adequate, especially since the bean threads would continue to absorb the dressing as it sat in the refrigerator. I doubled the dressing recipe and was glad I did. Although the minced garlic is optional in the dressing, I would include it. Don’t skimp on the herbs, either. They bring a wonderful fresh flavor to this salad. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Friday’s Fresh Five! (10/15/10)

Posted in About me, Helping Others, inspiration, Photography, Recipes, Recycling, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 15, 2010| Leave a Comment »

The days are noticeably shorter now. How can these lovely fall days have the same number of hours in them as those hot summer days that seemed to stretch on forever. If each day has twenty-four hours, why do I feel like I’ve lost time lately? With the waning daylight, so goes my ability to accomplish everything that needs to be done. Interesting, isn’t it?

#1 – Share Our Strength
The statistics tell the story: nearly one in every four children in America face hunger. Share Our Strength is an organization whose goal is “to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry.” Helping can be as easy as hosting a bake sale. Check out how you can participate in the Great American Bake Sale.

#2 – Sharing Smoothie Recipes
Do you like to drink smoothies, but are bored making the same ones over and over again? Need a little creative boost? Here’s a collection of healthy smoothie recipes from Men’s Health Magazine.

#3 – Borrow, Share, Trade or Barter
Sometimes it doesn’t make any sense to buy something you’re only going to use once, so maybe it would make more sense to borrow it from someone else. Or perhaps you have an extra saw in your garage and would like to trade it for someone’s extra hammer. With the struggling economy, websites that promote borrowing, sharing, trading, bartering, or just plain giving away are popping up on the internet. Check out these sites:
NeighborGoods
Freecycle
Share Some Sugar
Snap Goods
Trashbank
U-Exchange
Care to Trade
Trade a Favor
Joe Barter

#4 – Sharing Fabulous Photos of Faraway Places
Photographer Steve McCurry is probably best known for the photo he took of an Afghan refugee girl whose story was told through her piercing green eyes and whose portrait graced the cover of National Geographic magazine twenty-five years ago. Referring to his body of work, Mr. McCurry says, “Most of my images are grounded in people. I look for the unguarded moment, the essential soul peeking out, experience etched on a person’s face. I try to convey what it is like to be that person, a person caught in a broader landscape that you could call the human condition.” Kodak gave Mr. McCurry the last produced roll of Kodachrome film. The photos he captured on this roll will be the subject of an upcoming National Geographic documentary. View some of Mr. Curry’s photographs on his website – they’ll make you want to grab your camera and travel.

#5 – Stop to Enjoy Happiness
“Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn’t stop to enjoy it.”
William Feather

Share some happiness this weekend!

Read Full Post »

Happy First Birthday!

Posted in About me, tagged , , , , , , on October 12, 2010| 6 Comments »

David M. Schwartz, the author of popular children’s books, once told me, “There are numbers in stories and stories in numbers.” Over the years I have come to appreciate how numbers tell stories. So what kind of story do the numbers 1, 149, 433, 680, and 16,584 reveal? They tell an immensely satisfying story about this blog.

One year ago What About This? or W.A.T? was born. In many ways its creation was similar to having another child. Creating a platform for my creative endeavors and helpful ideas was a notion conceived in my head and thanks to my husband’s technical assistance, delivered into existence. Akin to nurturing a child, a blog requires constant tending. For blogs to grow and develop, they need to be continuously fed ideas and thoughts. For them to thrive, they need love and the constant support of others.

Like a child, W.A.T? has experienced growing pains, but has also reached some incredible milestones. For someone who did not consider herself a writer and who never wrote on a regular basis, I’ve managed to find enough words to write 149 posts thus far. The diversity of topics that’s been covered on W.A.T.? is well represented by the number 680 – the current count for the number of tags (searchable topics) I have entered. Because W.A.T? is not a typical blog, in the sense that the subject matter cannot be categorized under one main subject heading, it may never reach astronomical readership numbers that pure food blogs, pure craft blogs, pure gardening blogs, etc. can reach. Life cannot be put into neat little categories, so I’ll never be able to restrict myself to writing about one subject matter.

As my baby grew, amazing things occurred. On January 21st of this year as I reviewed W.A.T?’s daily stats, I could not believe my eyes. The computer graph, representing the number of views for the day, had spiked to a high of 433! That number represented evidence that people were starting to discover What About This? It was also proof that my husband was not sitting at his computer all day long, clicking on my site multiple times just to make me happy!

What’s a birthday without gifts? W.A.T? has presented me with many unexpected gifts. I would sincerely like to thank all who have either just dropped by for an occasional visit or who have loyally followed my journey throughout the year. Your visits to my blog have been gifts of joy to me. As of this minute, What About This? has been viewed over 16,584 times, a number that has far exceeded my dreams. When first starting this blog, I had no expectations whatsoever. I assumed I would always have at least one reader – my husband – so any number above one would be a bonus! In addition, researching topics, photographing subjects, reflecting on my life and feelings have helped me to grow intellectually and emotionally. Readers’ comments about posts have validated my feelings and lifted my spirits. Unanticipated links to people, some newly made connections and some re-connections, have made my life fuller. I am so appreciative of all of these gifts.

To celebrate this special occasion, I’m posting another challenging Mystery Photo Contest! Get the scoop on the contest and read about the prize in an upcoming post. Stay tuned!

“Sharing and encouraging joy in life” is my tag line for What About This? Stay with me as I continue my journey and help me spread the joy by sharing What About This? The best is yet to come!

Read Full Post »

Friday’s Fresh Five! (10/8/10)

Posted in Health, In The Kitchen, inspiration, Photography, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on October 8, 2010| Leave a Comment »

18,969 was the number displayed on the screen of my pedometer yesterday. My goal of walking 10,000 steps every day has been made so much easier by the delightful fall weather we’ve been experiencing. Some people run for fun, but I walk to talk. Walking with my husband or my friends is amazingly therapeutic for me and it’s provided me with some of my best brainstorming, problem-solving sessions yet!

#1 – Pictures of the Week
The adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” was never more true than in this collection of photos posted by the Denver Post. The site reads, “Each week, the Denver Post compiles some of the week’s most poignant photos from around the world.” They indeed will tug at your senses and are most definitely worth viewing.

#2 – Black is the New Brown
We probably all know that brown rice is more nutritious than white rice, but now brown rice is being bested by the antioxidant-containing black rice. Not my usual source for health information, but according to an article in Elle Fashion, “black rice may be the next big superfood, boasting more antioxidants, fiber, and Vitamin E than blueberries.”

#3 – Boost Your Brain Power
“Researchers found that a woman’s memory can be impaired for at least a year after giving birth, although the effects are minor.” Well, too bad my kids are beyond the age where this excuse could work for me! In an online article titled, 14 Research-Proven Ways To Boost Brain Power by eMedExpert, I learned a few new things about keeping my brain “nimble.”

#4 – More Games
Speaking of brain power – the Bitsong site has some interesting activities to play at your computer while you take a short break. Some are more of the relaxing-distracting type and others are the brain-boosting sort. Some of the activities have music (think harp) or sound effects, so turn down the volume if you don’t want people to know you’re playing games instead of working or studying! Instead of writing this post this morning, I played these: Star Rescue, Sunroom, a flower arranging activity, and Match Flowers, a concentration-memory game.

#5 – The Purpose of Life
“I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. It is, above all to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all.”
Leo Rosten

Make a difference to someone this weekend!

Read Full Post »

My Grandmother’s Teacup

Posted in About me, tagged , , , , , , , , on October 4, 2010| 2 Comments »

All that was left of my grandmother’s teacups were an odd few. One-by-one each of her teacup and saucer sets had been adopted and taken home by relatives. Of the thirteen grandchildren, twelve of them being girls, I lived the farthest away. If not the very last one to choose, I was close to being one of the last ones to make my selection. As my eyes surveyed the shelf of the remaining teacups and saucers, I spied an elegant porcelain teacup sitting off to the side. Of the few teacups that I could have chosen, I was drawn to the imperfect one.

No saucer accompanied the eggshell-thin teacup, but it was still pretty enough with its softly painted flowers in full bloom and it’s dainty little pedestal. My mom remembered that at one time there was a matching saucer to the teacup, but thought it must have broken over the years. She asked if I was sure about my selection, since there were complete sets to choose from, but I said yes, I was sure.

I took the teacup home and stared at it. What in the world made me choose this one? It was very unlike me, a middle child who tried so hard to be perfect, to pick out something “defective.” I cherished the teacup, but felt sad for its incompleteness. I realize now it was the part of me that had hope – hope that I could find a matching saucer. Somewhere in this world was a cup-less saucer waiting to be reunited with its cup! So began my quest. As my husband and I browsed through antique stores, he would always find me in the back corners searching through stacks of odds and ends saucers. Then when eBay came into being, I scoured the offerings to see if there was a match. Finally I gave up.

Although I gave up actively searching for a matching saucer for my teacup, I did not give up hope. I had, however, reconciled myself to the fact, that if I never found the saucer, I would still be happy with the delicate porcelain reminder of my grandmother.

One day when I was visiting my parents, my mom pulled out a brown paper bag. She knew of my quest. “I found this in some of grandma’s stuff,” she said to me as she handed me the bag. I opened it slowly. Having grown up during the Great Depression, my grandmother threw away nothing. After she passed away and the family was going through her possessions, we found a bundle of pantyhose packages tied together neatly with string. Attached to the string was a note scrawled in my grandmother’s tiny, Parkinson’s-affected handwriting, “crotch too short.” As I gazed at the contents in the little brown bag, I thanked my grandmother for being the pack-rat she was. For inside the bag was the saucer I had spent years searching for – she had kept the saucer all those years even though it was broken into four pieces!

After my husband lovingly glued the pieces back together, I put my grandmother’s teacup and saucer in a glass curio case along with all my other teacup and saucer sets. As it turns out, in my search for the missing saucer, I never went home empty-handed. I managed to accumulate quite a nice teacup collection of my own to pass down to my grandchildren. So thanks, Grandma, for saving the dainty teacup, even though it had a broken saucer, and thanks for saving the broken bits of saucer, too. We never gave up hope, did we?

Read Full Post »

Friday’s Fresh Five! (10/1/10)

Posted in Health, Helping Others, inspiration, Recycling, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on October 1, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Does the image above have a cartoon-painting-like quality to you? It did to me when I snapped a photo of glass flowers in a nursery. With the bright sun hitting them at just the right angle, they looked like a piece of art through my viewfinder. That is the joy of photography – seeing masterpieces in everyday life and capturing them!

#1 – Inspiration from J.K. Rowling
I came across the text of J.K.Rowling’s commencement speech that she gave to Harvard’s graduating class of 2008. Although, it may seem untimely for me to post this now – since most of us have just sent our kids off to school – her thoughts about failure and imagination are worth reading anytime of the year.

#2 – Hotel Sundries
To take or leave, that is the question. I read some controversy over whether it’s okay to take the unopened “complimentary” sundries from hotel rooms when you leave. Of course, I’m speaking about the travel-sized bottles of shampoo, lotions, soaps, etc. and not the rolls of toilet paper and towels! By taking them are we driving up the costs of hotel stays for everyone? Do maids have to spend time inspecting these products after each guest leaves to check for tampering? Don’t laugh – imagine if someone put Nair into your shampoo bottle! If so, by leaving them, are we adding to hotel waste if these consumable goods are disposed of after each guest?  I don’t know what the politically correct and environmentally correct answers are, but here are a few thoughts:

Reuse: If you use hotel sundries and have half-used bottles of lotion and shampoo and partially used bars of soap leftover, take them home so they are not wasted. In addition, used hotel shower caps make great shoe covers for travel! No more worries about your shoes soiling your garments when they are packed together! Flannel mitts used for polishing shoes can be washed once home and make good jewelry storage pouches.

Donate: If you collect these travel-sized sundries, donate them to various charities. Do a Google search to find out which charities or shelters are in need of these types of donations. I read that some local fire departments collect these items to make kits to pass out to those in need.

Refuse to Use: Don’t use any hotel sundries and pack your own sundries in small refillable containers.

#3 – One Meal’s Damage
The most recent edition of Nutrition Action Health Letter points out an ABC news segment that shows the damage one unhealthy meal can cause to our bodies. After having blood work and other diagnostic tests done on their blood vessels, a reporter and her producer sat down and ate a meal consisting of deep-fried macaroni and cheese from the Cheesecake Factory, a bacon cheeseburger wrapped in a quesadilla from Applebee’s, and a giant cookie covered with ice cream from Uno Chicago Grill. This meal provided each of them with a whopping 6,190 calories and 187 grams of saturated fat! To see the results of their posttest and find out what immediate damage was caused, watch the 2-1/2 minute video by clicking here.

#4 – Makes Me Think
This site collects thought-provoking entries about life. Some will make you smile and some will make you sad, but either way they will make you think.

#5 – Happiness
“Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.” Unknown

Have a happy weekend!

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »