All About You

Simple Recipes for Busy People

There are days when even the most organized person just doesn’t have much time to spend in the kitchen.

So what is one to do when the clock is nearing the mealtime hour, the family is asking “When will dinner be ready” and we are ready to drop? How do we manage to provide quick and easy meals that will taste good while keeping everyone healthy?

In this book, I am sharing with you some ideas for quick and healthy meals that I’ve learned through the years of raising a healthy family while growing several profitable businesses.All of them can be prepared quickly and easily. Most can be on the table within half an hour, a few may take a little longer, and I’m even including some really fast meal ideas that I probably wouldn’t resort to during the more leisurely times of year.

I’ve been there and have kept this in mind while putting together this collection for you. The ingredients are not exotic or ones that you’ll buy to use once in a recipe and then wonder what to do with the rest. They are items that you can pronounce and can usually be found in most basic kitchens.

In addition, I’ve included some tips and hints for speeding up meal preparation. This book ends the guilt while saving you time in the kitchen. Cooking doesn’t discriminate and neither does this book. It is for busy Mothers as well as Mr. Moms, college students with just a microwave and a tiny fridge, or singles cooking for themselves.

Buy Today for $9.95

Managing Electronics and Screen Time For Your Family

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Managing electronics and screen time can be a little tricky for some. Time flies when you are on the Internet talking with family and friends on Facebook. Playing games online or on the gaming systems takes up even more time. Add in computer time if you work from your home like I do and the better part of the day can be tide up using electronics. Add in the tablet and eBooks and you never have enough time in the day!

Yes, surfing the Internet is enjoyable and relaxing to many people. I try and not spend more time than I have to using electronics. I do find that if I am not online or working, I tend to sit in front of the TV with the kids. Can anyone say Netflix addict? I also love playing video games with my daughter. I think sharing screen time as a family is different than just letting your kids spend every waking minute locked in their rooms playing Mario…alone.

If you feel that managing electronics and screen time is need, then at some point you have to start saying “enough is enough already”.

There are several options when it comes to managing electronic and screen time. Some may work for you while others won’t, so it’s best to try each option for a little while and then make a decision.

However, if you see it’s not working right away, then it’s important to go ahead and move on to the next option. There is no point in wasting time on an option that isn’t working. The most important thing to know is to choose the method that works and stick with it.

Here goes…

Setting Rules

Setting the rules and guidelines with your children is important. When they know how you feel and what you expect of them as far as getting online and the amount of time they’re allowed, they’ll follow the rules. When you set these rules you’ll want to keep in mind there may be things that would require you to allow them to be online longer. Of course, homework would be one of those exceptions, but playing games would not be.

(We are homeschooling right now so electronics are a big part of our day since we have many books on Kindle and online)

Weekdays verses weekends are another exception to the rule for some families, but at the same time you need to put limits on the time. You need to make sure your kids are not spending every waking minute on the computer or other device. It’s important they get up and do things or get outside in the fresh air.

My kids know that family time is important and we never have a problem incorporating “we” time into our day.

Enforcing the Rules

Enforcing the rules can be one of the hardest things you’ll have to do. It’s not easy saying no to your children and it’s not easy telling them that they must turn the computer off. And it’s worse when they get upset with you; however, it’s important to keep your child’s best interests in mind and when you do this, you’ll find it’ll be a little easier to enforce the rules you have set.

Managing electronics and screen time could be important for your kids’ life, their well being, and their future. They need to do other things besides sitting in a chair behind a monitor. They need to be active for their health as well and learn that there are important things the world and life that does not include electronics.

Five Ways to Spend Less This Christmas

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Making the commitment to spend less this Christmas is easy. Sticking to that commitment is the hard part. In fact, everyone has probably considered the idea on more than one occasion but fallen short of the goal. No matter how good your intentions, once the season gets in full swing a frenzied momentum can take over. Before you know it, you have spent well over your planned Spartan budget, are nowhere near finished, and are forced to postpone your frugal goals for another year.

Here are five ways to spend less this Christmas

1. Don’t go window shopping at the mall. Better yet, don’t go to the mall at all, if you can help it. Marketing execs are paid the big bucks to make you forget your ambitious plan. In fact, they spend money to learn which techniques will make you spend yours. Online shopping still pressures you into buying what you don’t want or need but it is much easier to say no from the comforts of your own living room.

2. Set a budget. This is sometimes easier said than done. Be strict with yourself. Take cash out of the bank and put that exact amount you want to spend on each person in a separate envelope. You can have a separate envelope for expenses such as stamps, wrapping paper, holiday cards, shipping costs – just don’t forget to budget for them.

3. Accept the fact that you are not perfect. Know that there are exceptions too every rule. If you see the ultimate, dream gift for someone (& can afford it), go ahead. Do not make the mistake of thinking that you need to do this for everyone, no matter how much you are tempted. You can explain that this gift is a birthday/Christmas/every-holiday-for-the-rest-of-your-life gift.

4. Don’t feel pressured to get involved with every gift giving arrangement at the office. Practice saying, “My family is really focused on not buying gifts this year”. Most people will understand. If all else fails, announce that you will be baking several dozen cookies or your grandmother’s famous fill-in-the-blank and bringing it to the office. Leave a note that reads, “Happy Holidays from the Smith Family” and make sure everyone can see it. Food always does the trick.

5. If you feel weak in the knees and don’t think you can stand up to the pressure, turn to gift cards. You can purchase them in specific dollar amounts that are within your budget and then tell everyone that you are done shopping.

Hopefully these tricks will help you avoid overspending this Christmas and finally reach your goal of spending less (much less) this holiday season.

Cognitive Bias Modification Positivity Training – Could It Work for You?

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Whether you’re a glass is half full or a half empty kind of person, everyone could use a bit more positivity in this sometimes bleak world in which we live. Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM) positivity training could make the difference in your life.

Do you ever find that you open the newspaper and only read the negative articles? Do you focus on things that went wrong in your day, the driver who honked at you, or that negative comment in the meeting? CBM, works to train you to look for the positives.

Mr. Rogers famously advised children that when something awful happens like 9/11 or the Boston Bombings, always look for the helpers. Picasso painted the terrible Guernica bombings, but also put a flower in the center to symbolize hope. Focusing too long on the negatives of life can cause numerous problems. Pessimistic people tend to remember the negative things, and dwelling on the negative can lead to extreme pessimism, depression, stress and anxiety.

Some of the programs Cognitive Bias Modification offers allow people to practice focusing on the positives. One experiment features a grid of faces. For a specified time, participants stare at sea of mostly negative expressions on people’s faces until they can spot the person whose face appears to have a happy or positive expression. Click on that image, and then a new grid of the same people appears, scrambled. Once again the grid features a slew of negative expressions and one positive person.

Participants continue with this exercise for several minutes and the idea is that with practice, they’ll train themselves to look for the person with the positive expression as quickly as possible, ignoring the negatives. The idea is that this can translate to thinking more positively and focusing less on all negativity in life.

This could help in many areas. Are you a creative person who frequently encounters rejection? This exercise will help you focus on the positives in your life and the people who do appreciate your work. Are you in a job search? This will help you focus on the positives — the fact that you have an interview rather than the fear of flubbing it. Even for people simply new in town who literally need practice in finding a friendly face, whether at school or work or a place of worship, this exercise can help.

Studies show that focusing on positives and shifting negative biases can help people better cope with stress. Finding ways to cope with stress can lower rates of depression, improve health, give you greater resistance to the common cold, give you a better psychological and physical well being, improve overall outlook, give better coping skills during hardships and times of stress, and reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. It can also help with weight loss.

So whether you’re a full-on pessimist or simply someone who occasionally focuses on that negative comment at work rather than the scores of other positives that happened throughout the day, Cognitive Bias Modification positivity training might make a big difference in your life.

Aerobic Exercise – Are You a ‘Non-Responder’

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Are you a non-responder when it come to aerobic exercise? Face it, we have all come across that one person who eats whatever he or she wants and does not gain an ounce. We all also know how we feel about those individuals – a little resentful and perhaps a lot jealous.

Many of us know people who can exercise for hours on end and not lose an ounce as compared to someone who can simply take a walk around the block and drop a few pounds.

What makes some individuals so special in the world of exercise? Perhaps it is not luck, how much they exercise, or what they eat. Perhaps, it is simply what their gene pool is made up of.

According to a study performed by the physiologist Dr. Claude Bouchard and his team at Louisiana State University, there are several different types of “responders.” There are low-responders, high-responders, and non-responders.

Over a period of approximately 20 weeks, Dr. Bouchard and his team made the discovery that certain individuals react differently to the same exercise regimen.

The experiment, involving the monitoring of hundreds of volunteers that were typically used to leading a sedentary lifestyle, told the tale. Monitoring the volunteers for how they processed oxygen and pumped blood throughout their bodies, as well as testing things such as pulse and blood pressure, were a big part of the experiment.

The experiment resulted in the discovery that somewhere between 10 and 15 percent of the volunteers did not respond to aerobic exercise while others had moderate success and yet others had a high degree of success. Doing further research will discover which gene could possibly be responsible for the outcome.

We all know that everybody has a different metabolism as well. Therefore, if you have been trying aerobic exercise with little or no results, it may simple be because you are genetically programmed to not respond to those types of activities.

While these studies showed physical improvement in the volunteers, some simply did not respond to the aerobic exercises the way that others did.

It is important to note that with any exercise routine, the advice of your physician and the training by a professional will go a long way toward seeing you reach your goal. Exercise, at least in the early stages, is not something you should approach on your own. Getting the help of a professional trainer is the best way to work around the non-responder in you when it comes to any form of exercise.

Could You Be Deficient In Vitamin D?

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Could you be deficient in vitamin D? It is a question that no one is asking. You feel lethargic and running on empty. Work could be tiring you out but the answer might also be something else. I had know idea that I was deficient in vitamin D until my doctor ran a test for it. I was dangerously low and had to take mega daily doses of vitamin D for three months to replenish my body. Here is information about this important vitamin D–what it is and why you need it.

What Is Vitamin D?

You read it on the milk carton, but what is it really? This vitamin is produced in the body as a result of exposure to sunlight. When you get outside and soak up some natural rays (not too many), they are absorbed through the skin where a chemical reaction takes place and vitamin D is formed. That’s why it is referred to as the “sunshine vitamin.”

You can also find this vitamin in foods. One biggie is milk. Most, if not all milk contains added vitamin A and D. Naturally, it is found in fish liver oils, some fish and eggs. Many food producers today are adding this vitamin and others as a way to increase consumption of necessary nutrients. You may read of its inclusion in cereals, juices and whole grains.

Why do you need vitamin D? It is essential for strong bones and teeth. Calcium keeps bones strong, it is true, but vitamin D is vital because it enables the body to utilize the calcium it receives through food and supplements. As you get older, lack of calcium can lead to osteoporosis and other skeletal problems. It isn’t just a matter of calcium but also vitamin D.

Symptoms of Deficiency

How do you know if you are Vitamin D deficient? Here are some of the signs that your levels are lower than need be.

* Fatigue – You are always tired even when your work day isn’t so strenuous.

* Body aches – Bone pain is a common sign of vitamin D deficiency. Muscle aches can also fall into this category.

* Weight issues – It may be harder to get your weight under control when you lack sufficient amounts of vitamin D in your bloodstream.

What Puts You at Risk

What could put you at risk for vitamin D deficiency?

* Obesity – Fat cells are used to remove vitamin D from the bloodstream. Too much fat can result in lower levels of the vitamin in the body.

* Ethnicity – Darker skinned individuals have melanin pigment in their skin, making it harder to absorb the vitamin D. Longer exposure to the sun can fix that.

* Limited sunlight – Living in an area where the sun rarely shines greatly inhibits the intake of vitamin D.

* Limited diet – Lack of the foods that contain vitamin D in your diet can also lower your overall daily intake.

* Digestive issues – Conditions like Crohn’s disease reduces the ability of the intestines to absorb the needed vitamin D.

If you are not sure about your vitamin D levels or if they are low enough to cause problems, see your doctor and have your blood drawn for testing. I am glad I did!