Secrets of the World Wide Sisterhood

The Christmas Sweater

I'm not a person who reads a lot.  I'll read a book about anti-aging or beauty or maybe about fitness.  But, very seldom do I sit down and read just for the pure joy of reading.  However, I heard Delilah on the radio talking about a book she read called The Christmas Sweater.  She talked about how the book was really good and heartwarming.  It sounded like it would be worth my while.  So, I got the book and began reading it on Christmas Day.  It was written by Glenn Beck.  I found it to be very easy to read and it held my attention (most books don't).  This book's setting sounded like the time period when I was growing up.  It never said, but he is probably around my age.  As you read this book, you stop and think of all the selfish things you have done and said to other people.  As kids, we all said hurtful things to our parents when we didn't get our way.  And, we never really stopped to think about what we had said.  And like, Eddie, in the book, you someday realize you can never take back what you have said or have done.  Eddie realizes that life isn't always perfect and everyone has to learn to "weather the storms," take what life throws at you, and in the end you will be a happier person.  I finished this book today, which is the last day of 2008.  I always feel a little sad to see the old year go......not knowing what the new year holds.  I feel really fortunate and thankful for what I have.  My parents are still alive, my brother and sister are alive and well, and my husband and children are healthy. My son, John, has a good job and has been successful and so has his wife.  Unfortunately the economy is uncertain and we can all only hope that things will get better and pray for those who have lost jobs or will be losing jobs in the months ahead.  Luckily, I have a stable job and I feel so fortunate for that.  However, I am constantly thinking about those who are less fortunate and I hope they can "weather the storm" as Eddie did.  As the year comes to an end, I think back on all my accomplishments.  I started this blog, I wrote a children's book, I've done a lot to help parents and children realize the importance of a good education, I have met new friends and reconnected to one of my best childhood friends (thanks to the internet) , I've increased my running distance, and most of all this has been a year for me to accept who I am, and enjoy my life and being in my forties.  Also, this year I had Lasik surgery.  I have worn glasses since 1st grade and couldn't remember what it was like to be able to wake up in the morning or in the middle of the night and be able to see.  Now, it is like a miracle.  The surgery was probably the best thing I've ever done for myself.  I've seen many of my parents' friends and some of my acquaintances pass away, and I've begun to realize how short life is.  My good friend, Lori, just lost her mother-in-law to cancer this morning.  My heart goes out to her,Brantley, and the rest of the family.  Please keep them in your prayers.  Debbie was just in her 50's.  Cancer is such a terrible disease that has no mercy.  We should all take the time to enjoy our lives and live each day like it is our last.  I'm going to try to make 2009 one of the best years yet and I hope you do the same.       

I Could Never Be Your Woman

Just when you start feeling good about being 40'ish, a movie comes out like I Could Never Be Your Woman.  The movie starts out showing women having plastic surgery or should I say "facial rejuvenation" and Mother Nature is talking about how horrible it is that women are trying to preserve their youth.  (It made me feel sort of guilty)  As the movie goes on, it keeps showing all of these younger people talking about older women being hags and just really ragging on us.  Michelle Pfeiffer stars in this movie as a 45-year-old woman who falls for a much younger man. The thing I thought was great, was the fact that MichellePfeiffer looked better than any of the younger women in the movie.  Saiorse Ronan played her daughter, Izzie.  She was really good in this movie.  She played a very believable character.  Overall, I didn't think this was a great movie, or even a movie I would want to see again.  But, after the movie was over, I started thinking, "I like being 43.  I'm glad I'm not in my 20's again.  I like Botox and Chemical Peels and all that stuff I do to look younger. And by the way, I'm using my LED about three times a week. My skin is looking better.  I'm not sure if it is the light, or something else. But....I'm not using a different product or anything.  I find it to be a challenge to look younger (and actually it is fun trying), but I'm happy with who I am on the inside and the person I have become as a 43-year-old woman."     

Vitamin B12 and Exercise linked to Dementia

I try really hard to avoid eating a lot of red meat.  I very seldom eat a hamburger.  But, new research now shows that people who had higher levels of vitamin B12 were six times less likely to experience loss of brain volume than those with lower levels.  David Smith and Anna Vogiatzoglou of the University of Oxford in Britain did not look at whether taking vitamin B12 supplements would  slow the rate of brain shrinkage, but they did suggest foods such as milk, dairy products, fish, meat, and fortified breakfast cereals to protect against brain shrinkage.  A smaller brain may be linked to dementia later in life.  Get at least 24 micorgrams of B12 daily from beef-which has 2 micrograms per 3 ounces-eggs and dairy.  So, go ahead and have that hamburger once in a while.  Now you have a good excuse.  In another study Drs. Arthur F. Kramer and Kirk I. Erickson found that aeorbic activity may reverse mental decline.  It may actually turn back the clock on aging.  Moderate physical activity, enough to make a person breathless, has been shown to boost not only the speed and sharpness of thought, but also, the actual volume of brain tissue and the way in which the brain functions.  So after you indulge in that juice burger or steak, don't forget to hit the gym or go for a jog!!!      

Start your New Year's Resolution Early

I don't know why everyone waits until the New Year to start their New Year's resolution of losing weight and getting in shape.  I start feeling the need to lose weight immediately after Christmas.  I love to eat fudge and cookies and all of the sweets available during the holidays.  Even though I keep up with my workouts and running, I still put on a few extra pounds I feel guilty about.  If you need help losing those extra holiday pounds, here are some sites you'll love.....

Calorie Count Mobile-  Send a text with the word "food" along with the name of the item you want to eat, to 432584.  Within minutes you'll get a message containing the calorie count and a link to a more detailed nutritional breakdown.

mydigitallist.com- With this website you simply type a list at your computer of the foods you want to buy at the grocery store and then access it at the supermarket using your Web-enabled phone.  This keeps you from buying tempting foods.

habitchanger.com- Sign up for this monthly service ($15, after a free 10 day trial) and the site will send you videos, text messages, and e-mails showing you exactly how to create healthier habits and meet your weight-loss goals.  

weightview.com- Upload a picture of yourself, and within 48 hours, you'll virtually "lose" the pounds.  You will be able to see what you would look like 10, 20, or 30 pounds slimmer.  How cool is that??  That could really give someone the motivation to lose. 

Evis MD Platinum--Medical Grade Anti-Aging Red Light Therapy

I just got my Evis MD Platinum hand-held LED I wrote about in an earlier post.  I used it for the first time tonight.  Just looking in the mirror, I cannot see any results yet, of course.  Apparently you should have visible results within 4-8 weeks.  However, the booklet that came with it says that some people see results as quickly as 24 hours.  The EVIS MD platinum red light therapy provides lightwaves designed to penetrate deep into the skin to erase the appearance of aging skin, fine lines, wrinkles, crow's feet, brown spots as well as improve skin texture.  The energy delivered by the Light Emitting Diodes (LEDS), enhances cellular metabolism, accelerates the repair and replenishment of damaged skin cells, and stimulates the production of collagen- the foundation of smooth and healthy skin.  According to Dr. Michelle Abadir, Dermatologist and Cosmetic Surgeon, from New York, "With regular usage, LED light illumination on facial skin may be superior to injectable fillers for the treatment of the most superficial fine lines.  LED treatment can reach the upper most strata or levels of the skin.  The current available injectable fillers are too thick to treat the most superficial of facial lines and may leave visible bumps post injections."  The Evis MD Platinum is easy to use.  However, it is time consuming.  You must hold the light on each section of your face for at least 3 minutes.  Luckily it beeps to let you know the 3 minutes is over.  The panel is pretty small so you can't cover a large area of skin at once.  It took 18 minutes to do my entire face.  Then I also did my neck and chest.  I think it is most convenient to do at night while I'm watchin TV. If your like me, you'll have to make time to do it.  You should do it.  It is recommended to do a minimum of one treatment per week for 8 weeks. But, I'm sure I'll do 2-3 nights a week to begin with. You should continue treatments after the first 8 weeks to maintain results as you so desire.  It is totally painless.  If you would like to purchase one, you can find them on www.amazon.com.  The cheapest price on there is $250.  The Evis MD blue light is also available there and the cheapest price I found was $229.  I wish I could tell you I highly recommend it, but I don't know yet.  I'll keep you updated as the weeks pass. 

The Christmas Shoes/The Christmas Blessing

One of my favorite movies to watch during the Christmas season is The Christmas Shoes.  It's one of those movies that makes you cry every time you watch it, so I don't know why I like it so much.  It makes you miserable!!  But, it is such a great story and the acting in the movie is really great.  Kimberly Williams-Paisley is really good in this movie.  She is one of the main characters.  Also, Rob Lowe does a super job, as do Max Morrow who plays the little boy, Nathan, whose mother is dying.  This is a movie that makes you stop and look at your own life and where your priorities lie.  This year my secretary, and good friend, let me borrow her movie The Christmas Blessing.  It is the sequel to The Christmas Shoes.  Nathan (Neil Patrick Harris) is all grown up and is now a doctor.  He meets a woman Megan, played by Rebecca Gayheart, and also a little boy, Charlie, played by Angus T. Jones, who does not have a mother.  He is curious about her because according to the boy's father, she left them when Charlie was little. The red shoes Nathan gave his mother in the first movie, come into play in this movie, also.  Rob Lowe was in the sequel and so was Hugh Thompson who played Nathan's father in the first movie. This movie was good, but I didn't think it was as good as the first one. I didn't cry as much---just a little.  You can get both movies at www.amazon.com.  They are very inexpensive.  Neither are over $10.  This would be a good gift for someone, or a good movie to put away and watch next Christmas.     

Hanny Bonz Leaves the Farm

I've got a great gift idea for your child or grandchild.  It's a children's book titled Hanny Bonz Leaves the Farm.  You haven't heard of this book??  Well, probably not because it was written by Me!  My first children's book has just been published.  I wrote this book about my dog, Hannah, and how she became a member of our family.  Hannah is a ten-year-old basset hound that I've had for almost as long as I've been married.  She was given to me by my husband as a Valentine's Day gift.  She was actually my first Valentine's Day gift from my husband--as my husband.  She is the greatest dog and she is so special to me. She is really adorable and has the most remarkable personality.  I wrote this book with the intention of doing a series depicting the life of Hannah as she has grown from a puppy to an adult dog.  This first book was meant to be her introduction and the books that follow (if I actually get around to doing them) will be the hilarious events that have taken place since she has been in our lives.  If you would like a copy, you can click on the ad in the right column of my blog.    Thanks for buying a copy of my book and supporting my first real writing project!!!  There is an actual picture of her on the back of the book........You will love her!   

Invest in Yourself

Just because the economy is in a slump, doesn't mean that you have to be.  Money is tight for just about everyone right now, and people all over the country are stressed out over their financial problems.  Keep in mind the importance of staying fit and healthy through tough times like we're having now.  If you're not healthy, the effects your feeling from losing a job, losing money in the stock market, or taking a cut in pay due to the falling economy, will seem even worse.  You've got to be in tip top shape to help yourself pull through.  Make sure you are getting enough rest and eating healthy.  You need extra energy if you're going through tough times.  You might be cutting back at the grocery store.  Try to eliminate the junk food that you sit around and nibble on when you're depressed.  You would be amazed at the amount of money if you stop buying all those snacks! You may have had to cancel your gym membership.  That doesn't mean you can't walk or run to get some exercise.  You may also want to buy a few exercise videos.  They are much cheaper than going to the gym for a class and some are really good.  You can purchase online videos at www.collagevideo.com.  It is a great place to get them because you can get really good descriptions and reviews.  We all need to try to remain positive and hope that things will soon get better.  Try to make 2009 a good year for yourself despite the predictions we've all been hearing about the economy.  There are a lot of ways to cut back on your spending, but don't short change yourself.     

Elf Yourself

My friend, Lori, sent me this link.  It is really cute.  You can go on this site and download a picture of yourself and create an "elf" of yourself.  It is put to music with a dance and you can email it to your friends and family. They'll  love it!!  Go to www.elfyourself.com and have fun!!!

Eco-Friendly Beauty

If you're an eco-minded person and are looking for skin care products that contain no endangered plants, genetically modified ingredients, petrochemicals, paraben preservatives or synthetic fragrances, you need to check out Stella McCartney's line of skin care products called "Care."  The products contain 100% certified organic active ingredients.  The products are on the expensive side, but they are high-end products.  There is a great moisturizer that has skin-nourishing grape seed oil.  It is 5 Benefits Moisturizing Cream.  You can purchase it and other "Care" products at www.sephora.com.  If "Care" is a little too much for your budget, there are other eco products out there that are less expensive. You may want to try ShiKai Moisturizing Shower Gels.  They are paraben free and smell great.  For an all- natural lip gloss that gives you a really nice sheen, try Korres Cherry Full Colour Gloss in Light Pink.  For a nice lathery organic shampoo, John Masters Organics carries a great Evening Primrose Shampoo.  You can find all of these products on amazon.com.  Just click on the add on my sight and start shopping.  If you want to read more about eco-beauty, get the book "The Green Beauty Guide: Your Essential Resource to Organic and Natural Skin Care, Hair Care, Makeup, and Fragrances" by Julie Gabriel also available from amazon.com.