Archives for January 2014

3 tips to Healthy New Year

Now the New Year is here, its time to buckle down and start hitting those resolutions.  One of the biggest for many people is to get more fit.  There are quite a few ways to do this, we will explore 3 of these.

1) Healthy Eating – This is one of both the easiest and most difficult at the same time.  Eating healthy isn’t something that can be taken lightly.  It involves changing your mind set.  Going from cookies and chips to vegetables and fruit can sound very difficult, but when you are the main grocery shopper it can be easier.  Instead of getting two packs of cookies, just grab one.  Start slowly and steadily working in more and more healthy snacks and less not so healthy ones.  Find out what you crave about those snacks.  Do you love the crunch of chips?  Grab some baby carrots.  Does your sweet tooth seem to be the only tooth you have?  Why not grab a hand full of berries?  Another trick is to fill up on water.  Before sitting down to a meal, have a big glass of water.  This will help trick your stomach into being full quicker, so when you do eat things you probably shouldn’t you’ll eat less of them.

2)Exercise more often – Exercising can be difficult to schedule into our busy days.  But who says it has to be scheduled?  Instead of taking the elevator at work, take the steps.  Take the long way when walking from one place to another, no more short cuts.  It may not seem like much, but these steps add up day by day and soon enough you’ll notice definition forming in your legs and some of those bulges will become leaner.  Spend an hour a half hour outside with your kids every day.  You’d be amazed how many calories can be burned chasing after a little squirt.  As an added bonus you are spending time with your kids AND teaching them how to be healthy.
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Avoid being scammed when buying a ‘new to you’ car

When you buy a used car rather than a brand new one you are making a smart financial decision. Brand new cars depreciate in value the minute they are driven off the forecourt and for anyone concerned with what they spend their hard earned cash on, you would be better to wait and buy a model that is a couple of years old as you will get much more for your money.

However, buying a used car doesn’t come without it’s challenges and potential pitfalls meaning it can be a scary prospect for anyone who isn’t a car mechanic! You want to avoid looking like a complete novice at the car garage but how do you know what defects to look for in order to avoid making a very costly mistake?

For anyone about to purchase a ‘new to you’ car from either a private seller or garage, take a look at the following guidelines to avoid inheriting a money drain:

Stick to a budget

Before even thinking about which car to buy, you need to know how much you have to spend. Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Do you have a car to sell
  • Will you be taking out car finance
  • How much do you have available each month to cover fuel

In addition, you must remember to factor in the cost of insurance; it would be silly to purchase a car at the top end of your budget, only to realise your insurance premiums will financially cripple you. Take five minutes to perform a quick check on an insurance comparison site like Captain Compare for a range of  vehicles.

Research for the ‘right’ car

The next step to take in this process is to spend a little time researching the right car for you and your needs. Think about what you’ll be using the car for and work out your priorities from there.
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Fruit of the Loom Weekend Wear

Disclosure- I received the below in order to facilitate my post. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.

Fruit of the Loom have been known as the makers of underwear and undergarments for men, women, and children.  Soft where you want it to be and supportive where you need it to be.  Not only is their clothing of good quality, but also classic which can be used to accentuate other pieces or worn together in a casual setting (perfect weekend wear).  Sweat pants and sweat shirts may not make appearances on French runways or fashion shows, but on a chilly day, nothing beats them when paired with some fuzzy slippers.  They also make perfect clothing for working outside or doing some computer work such as layering up before playing in the snow or digging out after one of those wonderful snow storms (that we are beginning to get accustomed to unfortunately).

 sweatshirt

Fruit of the Loom makes active wear for everyday living, including t shirts, muscle shirts, fleece and sweats.  These last two categories are particularly important in the winter and fall.  All can be used to layer up for additional warmth with the convenience of peeling off layers when not needing.  The sweat pants and sweat shirt come in six colors including black, grey, and duffel bag green.  The green is very interesting but my personal favorite is grey.  The newest addition to the zipper down Fruit of the Loom sweatshirt is a media pocket.  In addition to the two large side pockets there is now a smaller vertical pocket which can fit a classic ipod or smart phone easily and is deep enough for the electronic device to stay put.

The clothes themselves are built to last with strong stitching and quality materials.  The sweat shirts retail from 12.99 to 14.99 depending on style and size.  The sweat pants retail from $10.99 to $12.99.
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Maleficent Dream Trailer

Award-winning, American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey has recorded a unique reimagining of the renowned fairy-tale tune from Disney’s classic animated film “Sleeping Beauty,” which will feature in the end credits of the upcoming Disney film.

Lana Del Rey’s “Once Upon a Dream” is free for a limited time, only on Google Play, Google’s online store offering digital music, movies, books, games and more. The song was made available as a free download today and will be available exclusively on Google Play through Monday, February 3, 2014.
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Spicy 3-Bean Chili

 

This super-simple chili cooks relatively fast in just one pot. Leave the seeds and membranes in the jalapeño for those who like their chili spicy, or remove them for a milder chili.

spicy chili

Makes 10 servings

Hands-On 20 min.

Total 1 hour

 

Ingredients

 

2 lb. extra-lean ground beef

Vegetable cooking spray

1½ cups chopped onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup salt-free taco seasoning

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

½ tsp. black pepper

¼ tsp. table salt

1 jalapeño pepper, minced

1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 (15-oz.) can reduced-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5-oz.) can reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth
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Adventure Time Explore the Dungeon Video Game

Disclosure- I received the below in order to facilitate my post. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.

adv time

Adventure Time is the hit animated show about Finn the boy and Jake the dog who live in a land of Ooo which is full of adventure and oddities.  The game based on the animated show is zany, fun and a great co-op game for the whole family.  The story goes you have to explore the Secret Royal Dungeon for Princess Bubblegum and save the Candy Kingdom.

Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon because I DON’T KNOW! is a role playing hack and slash game where players pick a character from a group of favorites including Finn, Jake, Marceline, Cinnamon Bun and more.  After picking your character, its time to explore.  There are 100 floors of dungeon to explore each full of enemies from the show.  Each character is able to level up and get stronger as they progress through the floors.
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Healthy Living With Whole Foods

Disclosure- I received the below in order to facilitate my post. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.

Looking for new foods to add to your diet to improve your health and wellness this year?  Check out what Whole Foods has to offer.

organic foods

·         Reserveage CocoaWell Cocoa Powder – Unsweetened, 8 oz (*Suggested retail price: $19.99)

This mixable powder can be added into a hot or cold drink to offer delicious nutritional supplements to support health, energy and body wellness. CocoaWell by Reserveage Organics takes its inspiration from one of the world’s healthiest cultures – the Kuna indigenous people of coastal Panama. Last year, the Kuna chiefs and CocoaWell signed a landmark sustainable business agreement – the first in the Kuna’ s history – to assist CocoaWell in promoting their sacred cocoa tradition.

This is more bitter then typical powdered chocolate drinks. It was good, but know that it is not the same thing- it would be like comparing yogurt to ice cream.  Both are good in their own rights, but you don’t want to eat one expecting the other  🙂

·         Spectrum Essentials Ground Flaxseed Orchard Fruit Blend *NEW*

Spectrum Essential’s popular ground organic flaxseeds now include a delicious blend of orchard fruit apples and peaches with the spice of cinnamon. Known to support digestive health, this product adds a great flavor to many meals.
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Fun in Philly- Celebrate the Year of the Horse

 

Chinese New Year: Year of the Horse

January 31, 2014 will ring in the new year in the Chinese calendar. To celebrate and learn more about this holiday, take a stroll through one of America’s oldest cities- Philadelphia! Why Philly? It’s a great city, with one of the largest and most active Chinese communities in the USA, as well as one of the biggest Chinatowns, making it the perfect place to steep yourself in the culture while staying on American soil).
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