Green is the new black. Host a backyard barbeque in style with earth friendly products. Stylish and functional plates and bowls by VerTerra are made from fallen palm leaves with steam, pressure and heat. Pair them with cutlery from Aspenware or bring back the Spork! Add recycled cups to complete your dining set. Use a pretty, earth friendly picnic mat and a recycled vase with flowers or greenery from your yard to keep it simple. Find a yummy organic recipe to whip up, then enjoy a relaxing summer afternoon with friends. Being green doesn’t have to cramp your style!
Amazon has the To-Go Ware Two Tier Stainless Steel Lunch Box with Sidekick Condiment Tiffin for $24. How often do you find yourself tossing away food containers? Even if you pack your own lunch, are you reusing containers and packaging, or finding yourself creating more waste than you might like to . . .? The To-Go Ware 2-Tier Stainless Steel Food Carrier is a great way to take your food to-go. Stainless steel is highly resilient, so this carrier will be with you for a long time and it won’t leach toxins like many plastics can. Great for both hot and cold food; the two separate units allowyou to keep your side dish from running into your main course, and there is also a handy removable plate. Its sturdy handle and light weight make this item convenient and easy to carry. Take it with you to the office, to school, while camping or picnicking . . . why not bring it into your favorite take-out place and get it to-go in your To-Go Ware, rather than in a disposable container? Fair Trade product allows the artisan a fair wage to support their family.
The controversial question of health benefits and damages caused by consumption of alcohol has been
around forever. The truth, however, is in the middle (as usual).
AOL recently published an interesting article: "Four Healthy Changes Can Prolong Life 14 Years" written by Michael Kahn. Among other recommendations it mentioned "moderate drinking." I would like to add something else: moderate drinking of red wine will help you live longer. Dr. Rendall Holcombe from the University of California and his group of scientists conducted a study focused on health benefits of grapes. They were using a nutritional supplement derived from grape extract to prove that grapes can prevent development of colon cancer. To be exact, resveratol, a chemical found naturally in grape skins, wine and peanuts can prevent development of colon cancer. The necessary amount of this valuable component equals half a glass of wine or approximately a pound of fresh grapes daily.
It is important to remember, however, that the clue is in the "moderate wine consumption." But what is moderate and healthy? Where is the line? Harvard School of Public Health came up with a great response: no more than 1-2 drinks per day for men and no more than 1 drink per day for women (where 1 drink is about 5 ounces of wine that deliver 12-14 grams of alcohol). They also mentioned positive effect of moderate drinking on the heart and circulatory system, as well as possible protection against type II diabetes and gallstones.
So, go ahead and have a daily glass of wine with your dinner without feeling guilty.
And TheFind.com will make sure that you always have the best choice of wines and the most stylishwine glasses and accessories you will absolutely adore.
This story is brought to you by OlenaInStyle.com, Atlanta stylish boost online.
I watched the Super Bowl in it’s entirety this year. Typically, I only watch the ads, but I actually watched most of the game. I think I fell asleep before half time, there was so little activity. I was starting to wonder if the score would ever move again. Thankfully, the action started back up during the second half. I don’t recall if it was during third quarter or not, but I know that the fourth quarter was very exciting! I have to say, I was pretty happy to see the underdogs pull up and win it. That was really cool.
The real reason that I watch Super Bowl is for the ads, but this year was pretty disappointing. There were only about a handful of ads that were at all memorable and that also deserved to be aired during Super Bowl. I don’t know what happened, but it seemed like the ad writers went on strike along with the TV writers this year. Tragic!
For first quarter, the only ad that I really liked was the Bud Light flame thrower. Remember the guy that was allergic to the cat and started sneezing fire all over the apartment? That was pretty entertaining and Super Bowl worthy IMO.
During second quarter, I really enjoyed the Budweiser commercial featuring Hank who didn’t get to work with the hitch team, so he trains with the dalmation and gets in shape to join the team. So cute! The Tide to Go commercial with the talking stain was entertaining. I figured out what they were advertising early into the commercial, so that was cool. I also enjoyed the Bud Light commercial with all the guys with accents trying to pick up women in the bar. It was funny, but it wasn’t a new concept for Bud Light.
I found the Planters nuts commercial to be disturbingly funny. And I was sorely disappointed by JT’s Pepsi commercial. That ad received a lot of hype beforehand and I don’t think it delivered at all. So he did his own stunts, wow. I guess that was the big claim to fame for that ad!
For third quarter, I’d say that Vitamin Water with Shaq on a racehorse took the cake, along with the new ETrade baby – he was pretty cute. The Coca Cola ad with the Thanksgiving Day Parade inflatables was funny, but I thought the ending was a real let down. They could’ve payed that off in so many ways, but they just gave the Coke to Charlie Brown. What?!? I think I would’ve had a battle between the two inflatables end in one of them being impaled by a pole on a building or something exciting like that.
And finally, fourth quarter I thought the Toyota Sequoia ad with the big wheel races was lot of fun! And Amp Energy’s dancing car jumper was disturbingly funny (almost as disturbing as the Planter’s commercial). The Gatorade G2 commercial that had the really cute dog drinking out of the bowl left me asking WTH?!? Cute dog, but the commercial did nothing for me.
As far as the ads go, Bud Light wins the Super Bowl. Here’s my favorite ad this year:
So, that’s it. No gut wrenchingly funny ads this year. I hope that the ad superstars come back to play ball next year and make those multi-million dollar ad spots really pay off. It is the advertising Super Bowl, after all.
Super Bowl Sunday is fast approaching…are you ready? Whether you’re hosting a party or attending one, chances are great that you’re going to have to prepare food for the big event, not to mention you’ll be eating a lot of food as well. So, what’s it going to be?
- pizza - nachos - buffalo wings - fried chicken - 7 layer dip - chips and salsa/guacamole - potato chips and onion dip - popcorn - veggies & dip - fruit salad - spinach dip - hot dogs/polish sausage - pigs in a blanket - spicy meatballs - chicken & ribs - steak (steak sandwiches) - hamburgers - mini cheeseburgers - french fries - onion rings - pizza rolls - Bagel Bites - soft pretzels - taquitos - quesadillas - burritos - tacos - Chinese food - sushi
Ugh! Just looking at all the food on that list is giving me a stomach ache. What about dessert? Who’s in charge of dessert this year?!? Some faves…
Do we really need more than that? Probably, but that’s my contribution for now. And finally, drinks:
- BEER - soda (variety) - margaritas - water
Did I cover it all? Is there anything else that anyone in the world needs in order to enjoy Super Bowl? If so, please let us know! I’m dying to know if there are any other Super Bowl faves out there.
I don’t know about you, but I’m ALL about the ads during Super Bowl. I was very happy to hear that there won’t be any political ads this year. Thank goodness! This is the time for advertisers to shine and show their best and sometimes craziest stuff. It’s the Super Bowl of advertising and I can’t wait.
It’s January, it’s cold, it’s raining outside and shopping has never been better! What can I say, it’s after Christmas and I have a wad of gift cards burning a hole in my pocket. Wandering through the mall, you find sale after sale after sale. The Spring clothing lines are making their way onto the racks and the Winter fashions are being shoved to the clearance racks — SCORE!!! How cool is it that it’s still dreadfully cold out and all the Winter gear goes on clearance?
In addition to all the clearance fun, there’s also an overwhelming amount of Valentine’s day gifts and decorations throughout the mall. Many of us will argue that Valentine’s day is one of those "holidays" invented by Hallmark, but I have to admit that some of the stuff they sell for Valentine’s day is really cute. All the corny little heart shaped things, funky candles and cupid laden gifts. You gotta admit that some of it is just adorable.
Aside from all the Valentine’s day cuteness, my favorite part is the vast variety of chocolates! You know by now that I’m a total shopaholic, but you may not realize that I’m also a chocoholic. If I haven’t admitted it before, I can honestly tell you that shopping and chocolate are my only two vices. That’s not bad, considering that I could be an over-caffeinated, smoking, alcohol drinking machine. But, I’m not! Just take me to the mall and feed me some chocolate and I’m good to go!
Or, change the scenario up just a bit…give me a nice red, heart-shaped tin of Mrs. Field’s premium assorted chocolates and a computer to shop online with and I’m also a very happy camper. I don’t discriminate when it comes to shopping in a mall vs. shopping online. I’m just as happy with instant gratification as I am having brown boxes show up on my doorstep. It’s all good fun to me!
Okay, so I ratted myself out. I stumbled upon a box of Mrs. Field’s premium assorted chocolates the other night; promptly bought them; went home, got into my pajamas and shopped online while indulging in the chocolates. Mmmmmmm…now that’s what I call a great night!
Winter is a time when people tend to feel blue (aka depressed). While it’s often not a clinical depression, the happiness that many of us know when the weather is great tends to slip away when the skies are gray and cloudy. It’s cold outside, sometimes rainy or snowy and exercise may subside during the colder months. With all those agitators, who wouldn’t feel a little blue?!?
Combat the blues by dressing to impress! You don’t need somewhere special to go in order to dress impressively…dress for yourself! When you’re feeling blue, skip dark and drab colors. Go for bright yellows, pinks and reds to liven up your day. Put on clothes that fit you well and make you look your best. Somehow wearing bright yellow sweats won’t make you feel better. Pair a brightly colored top with your best fitting jeans or skirt, a cute pair of shoes, some flashy accessories and you’re good to go. If
you need a little attention once you’re dressed to impress, take a trip to your local mall and watch heads turn as you go by. That will definitely put a smile on your face and warm your heart. While you’re there, buy yourself something cute! A little retail therapy goes a long way.
For dinner, cook up your favorite meal or go to your favorite restaurant. They say that a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, right? Well, if that’s true then you should be able to brighten up your day (or someone else’s day, for that matter) with a great meal! Just avoid turning to a pint of ice cream. It really won’t make you feel better. On the converse, it will probably make you feel sick! But I’ve digressed.
Finally, call a close friend or family member who you haven’t touched base with for a while. Bridging the gap in time since you last spoke is sure to warm your heart and make you feel good. Good friends and close family members are great for making you forget your problems. And to me, feeling blue is a big problem! Even if it is only temporary.
I didn’t think it would happen, but I have fallen in love with the cupcake craze! I was at a party early last year and a friend of mine was talking about cupcakes and how crazy she is about them. Not only the actual cake-like replicas, but anything and everything cupcakes. I thought it was kind of funny at the time, but I have since joined the cupcake craze. Is that crazy?!?
I really enjoy baking (when I have time) and have found that baking cupcakes is a really fun creative outlet. You can create many flavors and varieties in one batch and you can decorate each cupcake any way you want to. I find it very satisfying to be able to make such a wide variety without making multiple batches of cake mix. Could you imagine the mess if you made six cakes in one day all because you wanted to decorate six different ways. Or, maybe you couldn’t make up your mind on cake flavor and fillings, etc. I don’t know how things are at your house, but people get grumpy at my house if there are too many sweets sitting around. So, I try to be respectful of everyone’s waistlines and experiment several different ways with one batch of cupcakes. My favorites are the jumbo cupcakes. Due to their size, they allow for a lot more room for creativity.
I recently discovered this cool super duper cupcake cake pan. I’m definitely going to buy it because it’s just too darned cute to pass up. Once in a while you just have to go for it and make a full-sized cake, right? So, why not make one that looks like a cupcake?!? It’s too perfect, really.
Outside of baking cupcakes, I found this really cute cupcake necklace that I’d love to have. It’s too bad I didn’t find it before Christmas. I could’ve put it on my Christmas list. That’s alright, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! I’ll just email it to my Sweetie so he doesn’t have to guess what to get me. I wonder if I’ll have to spell out that this is what I want for Valentine’s Day. Yep, I better label it just to be sure.
So what about you? Has the cupcake craze hit your or is it just a passing fad that you’re going to let pass? I’m totally on board and having fun baking crazy creations! Whatever your passion, I hope you have lots of fun with it.
I find family holiday stories to be both enlightening and entertaining at times (depending on the story, of course). There are some families who get together for the holidays, have a proper meal or meals together, exchange gifts and leave happy. There are other families who get together for the holidays, have a proper meal or meals together, exchange gifts and a whole lot of drama! So, which family do you belong to?!? Are you brave enough to admit it? )
My family typically falls under the second category, but we usually have *interesting* drama. The holidays tend to go one of two ways…a few people drink too much and all the old stories come out. Once the stories hit the table, the room gets loud as people debate and argue over what really happened Christmas of ‘86 (or whatever the topic may be) when the Christmas tree caught fire. What happens more often is that a few people drink enough to be silly and that’s when the fun starts: Grandma sings in Spanish (note: we’re not a Spanish speaking family); we have contests to see who can hang a spoon on the end of their nose the longest; we have dessert eating contests: who can eat the most or the fastest. It’s all very silly, but it’s fun and makes for some good memories.
Thankfully, we don’t have a rogue <insert relationship title here> relative who shows up drunk with a six pack in hand who’s slinging put-downs the moment he/she walks through the door. We used to have someone like that around, but she’s since been disowned. I know, that sounds bad, but there’s something to the old adage that "family is what you make it." It’s true, you can’t choose the family you’re born into, but you can certainly make alterations to the cast of characters. Unfortunately, that means that sometimes you may lose a few that you wanted to keep, but there isn’t a whole lot you can do to control that. Sometimes you do what you gotta do to live a sane life and be happy, right?
Or, what about the relative who shows up to every holiday function with a different date?!? Do you have one of those in your family? I suppose there’s nothing really wrong with it, but it’s a family function and these occasions should be reserved for family and really close friends, etc., not the "flavor of the week." I don’t know, what do you think?
Overall, I would say that my family is nice during the holidays. The real drama quotient is typically low and we have fun together. Chime in and tell us about your family!
How do you get through the holidays without gorging and gaining weight? It’s not easy, but it is doable. Here are some tips and tricks that can help you enjoy the temptations without going wild!
1. Before going to dinner or attending a party, indulge in a salad or eat an apple. Give your body some good nourishment and some fiber to fill you up some.
2. Control your portions! a. Don’t grab food off every tray that passes by as you’re chatting with people. Pay attention to what and how much you’re putting in your mouth. It’s easiest to monitor if you put a few snacks on a small plate and then leave it alone.
b. If you’re sitting down to dinner: fill half your plate with vegetables (salad, side dishes, etc); reserve one quarter of the plate for protein (meat, fish, beans); and reserve the other quarter of the plate for carbohydrates (rice, potatoes, pasta). This allows you try lots of dishes without getting up for seconds and thirds and over doing it.
3. Wear tight fitting pants or belt. I know, it sounds funny but you’ll be very aware when your stomach expands. And guess what, it’s definitely time to stop when that happens.
4. Share food with a friend or loved one. Rather than indulging in whole portions, cut them in half and share. This way, you can sample more foods without taking in all the calories.
5. If you can’t say no to sweets, fried food, butter, cream sauces, salad dressing, and gravies, then do your best to control your portions (once again). Eat one fried shrimp instead of five. Skip the butter and dip your bread in the gravy that you’re already enjoying on your potatoes. Ask for salad dressing on the side and dip your fork in it before spearing your salad. You get the idea, right?
6. Get moving! If you’re not currently exercising, start a walking program for yourself (take your dog, if you have one). If you are currently exercising, add more cardio fitness to your workouts during the holiday season.
Hopefully, one or all of these tips will help you get through the holidays without gaining weight. If you have any other tips or tricks, please let us know. We’d love to hear more ideas!
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