A House for Haiti

 

Last Friday night I spent a glorious evening constructing a house for Haiti.

How Does One Become a Butterfly?

"How does one become a butterfly?" she asked... 

When Life Throws You a Curve Ball - Throw It Back!

My goodness it's cold outside!  I think I've had enough winter now and spring is sounding better and better as each cold day passes.

The one nice thing about cold weather, is that it gives us the perfect excuse to sit inside beside a warm fire and contemplate the future, our dreams and our goals.

When Life Throws You a Curve Ball - Throw It Back!

I've read that some of the curve balls Life throws us are equal in stress to that of a death in the family.  If that is indeed true, then the past couple of months have dealt me with at least 4 deaths.

Tears are Beneficial

Have you cried recently?   I have.  I felt drained.  Devoid of emotions.

Find out what Dr. Oz says about tears.

"What's on Your Mind".....write a comment

I become rather impatient with Blog or Facebook comments that tells me about a specific feeling or event (like being bored at work) at a specific time in someone's journey.   So it's against my better judgment at what I am about to say!

But..............I just finished watching Dr. OZ's program on ABC.  OMG!  That program is loaded with information!

Heart Healthy Snacks

I just finished a healthy snack of unsweetened oatmeal with cinnamon.   Why oatmeal? 

The results of an extensive blood panel showed that my LDL (bad) cholesterol is too high.  My good cholesterol (HDL) is too low. 

How can a snack of oatmeal impact my cholesterol counts?

Mother Nature's Bountiful Clues

I just finished a handful of big luscious sweet red grapes.   Woo Hoo for me! 

Some days I have a hard time making good food choices.  My poor food choices just end up on my hips and backside.  Each time I put on clean jeans I want to believe that I left them way too long in the dryer.   I giggle.  Then I get real with myself.

This is the time of year that is really hard for me.   I love, love, love all those sweets.   My sister makes the best peanut clusters using almond bark, chocolate chips, M&Ms, marshmallows and peanuts, of course.   They are soooo good!  

But, I should be excited about all the fresh fruit and veggies that are available this time of year.   Just a few years ago you couldn't find fresh strawberries for sale at the end of the summer.   Strawberries had a short season of availability.   Not anymore.  Last week I bought a pack of lucious strawberries at the market.

Speaking of strawberries and grapes.   Have you ever associated the shape of strawberries or a cluster of grapes with a part of the human body?

6 Common Money Mistakes Women Make

We're savvy modern women.  We're successful.  We can do laundry, tend a childs ouchy, and pay bills all at the same time.  In short, we're amazing people!

Why then do we keep making money mistakes that could come back to bite us one day?

Here are  6 common money mistakes we women make, why they are blunders, and what we can do to fix them.

1.  You Leave the Family Finances to Your Husband or Significant Other

It's wonderful to have a companion in life, and it's especially delightful when you discover that he/she is willing to take over the family finances; pay bills, deal with insurance, credit rating, investments, etc.  It's all just so darn confusing and complicated, after all.

BIG MISTAKE!

Spring Forward Fall Back

"Spring Foward Fall Back" is easy to remember.   I think I have all the clocks in my home and car changed.   But, how do I get my internal body clock changed?   I'm sitting here this afternoon tired and crabby.  It's been a really loooong week for me.  I still don't know when to get up, when to go to sleep or when to eat.  

I attribute my sad state of affairs with the 'fall back' Daylight Saving Time that we just experienced.  The 'fall back' has always been harder for me than the 'spring forward'.   I'm experiencing a trend I don't like.   As I become older my body just doesn't tolerant these time changes; especially, the one we just experienced.

My productivity at work and home suffered, too.  I found an article that attributed $480,000,000 to lost productivity for the additional 16 minutes that it took to get started the Monday morning after.  What about Monday afternoon?   My body and mind shut down when I thought it was 5p.  But, the clock on the wall only said 4p!

How did the 'fall back' affect you?   Let us know.  

Living a WOO HOO life together.

'Til next time.  Believe.

Giving Yourself Permission

Cancer affects so many people.   I know.  My husband of 12 years died from a form of leukemia some 22 years ago.   The life that we had dreamed about and planned for ourselves and our four sons abruptly ended one day in April.   April 1st to be exact.  

Home Remedies - What'sYour Poison?

• fever
• cough
• sore throat
• runny or stuffy nose
• body aches
• headache
• chills

I received an email from a co-worker this week, offering me a 'home remedy' for a cough.  Now that I think about it, my coughing was probably getting on everyone's nerves.  For some reason, the annoying cough is always the one flu symptom that hangs on forever.

Supposedly, my co-worker's grandfather would slice onions in a bowl and then sprinkled them with sugar.  The 'syrup' created from the onion juice and sugar was then used to treat a pesky cough, and according to the email, it worked.  The added benefit was that it could be taken as often as needed without fear of over-dosing the patient.

The Old Man is Snoring...

It's raining, it's pouring
The old man is snoring,
He went to bed and he bumped his head,
And couldn't get up in the morning.

The reason the old man couldn't get up in the morning wasn't because he hit his head, it was because of his snoring!

Sleep apnea is reported to effect more than 18 million American adults, and 1-10% of children.

Why Are You Feeling So Tired?

Have you been feeling sluggish lately, but you don't know why?  Is your skin dry? Are your fingernails brittle?  Are you experiencing a lack of concentration &/or feelings of depression? 

Have your eyebrows begun to thin and is your hair falling out?  Unexplained weight gain?

If you answered 'yes' to two or more of these questions, you may be experiencing low thyroid levels, or hypothyroidism.  It's estimated that over 12 million people suffer from thyroid disease, many of whom have yet to be diagnosed.

Breast Health-Just a Click Away!

Dear Sisters in Health,


Luckily, I have never had a scare after a mammogram.  I have been fortunate with my breast health.   So far, a few days after my mammogram, I receive my own hand addressed envelope from the clinic telling me that the results from my mammogram are normal.

Do You Know the Facts?

The National Breast Cancer Foundation estimates that each year, over 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and over 40,000 die. One woman in eight either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Approximately 1,700 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 450 will die each year.

If detected early, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer exceeds 96%. Mammograms are among the best early detection methods, yet 13 million U.S. women 40 years of age or older have never had a mammogram.

I am also fortunate to be working for a small company that provides a health insurance plan that I can participate in each month. My breast exam and annual physical is considered 'preventative care' and the expenses are covered in full by the policy. 

But what about our sisters over 40 years old that have never had a mammogram because of their financial circumstances?

How You Can Help Every Day

The Breast Cancer Site provides an excellent way for us to help our less than fortunate sisters.  All that is required from us is our time.

Click to Give a Free Mammogram

Check it out!   Be sure to sign up for your daily reminder via email.   Every day I just open the email remainder and click on the URL address provided.  How easy is that?!

Living a WOO HOO life, together!

'Til next time.    Believe.

Breast Cancer Awareness: Spot Compressions

"This message is for Sheree'.  Sheree', this is Patty calling from the Radiology Department. Would you please give us a call at 930-xxxx?"

I felt the fingers of fear begin their dance up my spine. I had to listen to the message three times before I was able to write down the full phone number.

"Hi, Patty.  This is Sheree', returning your call."

"Hi Sheree'.  Yes, the radiologist saw something on your mammogram films and would like you to come in this Friday at 10:00 for spot compressions.  Will that work for you?"

Join Us - October is Health Month!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month - and definitely something Carolyn and I take seriously, as well the many other health issues we all face on a daily basis.

In October we'll provide you with a link that will allow you to help your 'sisters' who can't afford a mammogram, we'll discuss Spot Compressions and share personal experience.

In addition, we'll be discussing Hypothyroidism and Sleep Apnea.
There will be a poll about H1N1, as well.

If there are health related items you're interested in sharing or some you're interested in learning more about, we'd love to hear from you!

5 Simple Rules To Being Happy

I had several new additions to my email inbox today; those funny, cute or thought provoking little tidbits forwarded from friends and family on a fairly regular basis, author unknown.  After a quick scan of the day's entrants, there was one in particular that caught my eye.

It was a story about an elderly gentleman who was being admitted to a nursing home and was delighted with the prospect.  He walked in the front door for a tour of his new home with a geat big smile plastered upon his face.  The lady assignd to escort him was curious why he was so happy, this was not typical, especially given the fact that he hadn't seen his room yet.  As she showed him around the facility, his smile never waivered.  Her curiosity got the better of her, so she asked him why he was so happy, to which he replied, "Every morning I get up and decide to be delighted with everything that comes my way."

His escort was intrigued with his answer, and when asked how he was able to be so positive each day, he responded with these 5 Simple Rules To Being Happy:

1.  Free your heart from hatred.

Hatred, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is an intense hostility, an aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury.

At one point in my life, there was a person who evoked feelings of intense dislike within me, to the point that my anger and 'hatred' became almost cancer-like in its ability to consume me and my ability to think rationally.  I don't think anyone particularly enjoyed my company during that period, heck, I didn't even like myseslf! 

Luckily, I tired of my justified anger and resolved to move forward.  It wasn't easy.  It took a considerable amount of time and energy and was a difficult lesson to learn; one I've never forgotten, and one I'm determined never to repeat.

2.  Free your mind from worries.

"Yea, right." How does one go about that you ask?  It seems to me that you are either a born worrier or you're not.

If you fit into the worrier category, there is hope.  It's as simple as admitting to yourself that the thing you are worrying about isn't affected, for better or for worse, by your worrying.  It is what it is. 

Think about it.  Can you remember a single instance when something you were worrying about, resolved itself as a direct result of your worrying?  No, of course not.  It's your actions that resolve situations.  Let the worry go!  All worrying ever did was raise your blood pressure, generate a few more gray hairs, or at best, give you an upset stomach to deal with.

There is a strong belief, in many circles, that our thoughts are energy, and thus attract like energy.  With that being said, if you're a worrier who is always fretting about one thing or another, you're only attracting more things to worry about into your life.  Let the worry go!

3.  Live simply.

Living a simple life means different things to each of us.  My personal philosophy of living simply is to reduce, reuse, and recycle.  Do I really need 3 pots of the same size in my kitchen cabinet?  Can that old armoire be refurbished to provide a handy organizing solution for my crafting supplies?  How do you define living simply?

4.  Give more.

There are always Girl Scout cookies and Boy Scout popcorn to buy.  Each year there are school fund raisers and your favorite charities to support.

Give a friend a hug, forgive your sister/brother/parent for the 'thing' they did, read a story to a child in the hospital.  Is there an elderly or sick neighbor who could use a hot meal or help with raking leaves?  There is an endless list of ways to give more, and the cost will be no more than a little of your time.

5.  Expect less.

My greatest disappointments, and heartaches, have come as a direct result of expecting more from others than they were able or willing to give.  Because of this, I have learned to expect less.

That's not to say that I'm a  pessimist, quite the contrary.  It's simply that I've learned that holding others to my expectations is unrealistic, and perhaps even a bit egotistical on my part.  Expecting less is actually less stressful, and more enjoyable.  Give it a test, what have you go to lose?

Five little  rules - I think I can do this, what about you?  All we have to do is decide that today we're going to be delighted with everything that comes our way!

ree'J

Are You Making Time for Yourself?

When a long weekend comes around, like the Labor Day Weekend we just enjoyed, what do you typically do with the extra time off from work?  Do you spend it catching up on sleep, or housework, or running errands?  Or do you take the opportunity to do something just for yourself?

If you're like me, the first thought that runs through your mind on any weekend, but especially a long weeend, is "I get to sleep in!"  What usually happens, of course, is that I wake up at my regular time and can't go back to sleep.

Over the Labor Day weekend, my office was closed from Friday-Monday, which made it feel like a mini vacation.  Four whole days of freedom!  Four days, surely, would be more than enough time to get everyting in that I wanted to do.

I had the days all organized.  Friday morning I was going to get up, clean the house and then try out my new toy - the carpet shampooer. Later I planned to watch a movie or two on pay-per-view.  Saturday was going to be the day to pay bills and run all those pesky errands and maybe have a nice lunch out - Mexican food was calling my name.  I scheduled Sunday to make some potato salad to go along with the steaks I planned to grill, and to spend some time working on Living a Woo Hoo Life!  That would leave me Monday free and clear to do whatever I wanted, and what I wanted in the worst way, was to paint.

Well, hubby had other plans on Friday so we spent the day out running around the mall and every other store on the planet.  The day wasn't a total bust; I did get my Mexican food.  Woo Hoo!  I spent Saturday cleaning the house (only half of the carpet got cleaned, however) paying bills and watching college football.  Sunday I finished up the carpet project and then ran out to the grocery store, again, and was able to get the eggs boiled and the potatoes cooked for the salad.

This left me with one day, Monday.  The one day out of the long wekend set aside for me and me alone - to paint to my heart's content.  Instead, I finished up the potato salad, grilled the steaks, and folded laundry. 

While I didn't pick up a paint brush all weekend, I did spend an enjoyable few hours working on Living a Woo Hoo Life! - a great sustitute for a paint brush.

As women, this is a pretty typical weekend.  We spend so much of our time and energies taking care of everyone and everything, that there is little time left over for us.  If you're not sure if you're making enough time for yourself to relax, regroup and renew, then check out this quiz at iVillage

Bottom line - making time for yourself, doing the things that feed your soul, whatever they may be, are essential for good health, spiritual peace and happiness. 

Chinese Proverb:  Tension is who you think you should be.  Relaxation is who you are.

ree'J

Welcome to Living a WOO HOO Life!

Welcome to our premier blog!  This venture has been months in the making and now that the day is finally here, we couldn't be more thrilled!

Carolyn and I have discussed a variety of possible business opportunities and ways we could use our creativity, over the past two years.  At one point, we had half a dozen possible ideas swimming around in our heads.  The days passed and one idea after another was shelved; one was going to be too time consuming with our full time jobs, another just wasn't all that interesting after we thought about it, and yet another's longevity was questionable.

The one idea that seemed to consistently come to topic was blogging.  All we knew about blogs, however, was that you could google any subject and find one.  Pretty pathetic, I know.  I think we were just a wee bit intimidated by blogs, but thankfully our determination was far greater than our anxiety.

We bit the bullet and began our research.  We read anything and everything we could find about blogs and blogging.  And yes, we even bought Google Blogging for Dummies. Which by the way, became the greatest weapon in our arsenal; it shed so much light on blogging that our fears turned tail and retreated to parts unknown. 

It was decided that we were going to tackle blogging, but what kind of blog?  A couple cliches came to mind as we mulled around ideas.  You're probably familiar with the old cliche, "early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise".   While the 'early to bed' sounded pretty darn good most days, rising early is a must, not a choice.  But being 'healthy, wealthy and wise', was definitely something we could work with.  We started thinking about life; where were we and where we want to be in a few years.

The cliche. "it's not about the destination, it's all about the journey" brought home that point.  Up until now we had been primarily 'destination' driven...so, if it's all about the journey, what did we want our journey to look like?

After a few moments of quiet thought, we turned and looked at each other with grins on our faces and twinkles in our eyes, and shouted "WOO HOO!"  So, there you have it.  A blog was born, Living a Woo Hoo Life!...becoming, healthy, wealthy and wise.

We intend to put the excitement back into life while searching for things healthy, wealthy and wise along the way - with a little artistic creativity thrown in for good measure!

We're busily working behind the scenes to get everything up to speed - stay tuned, you won't be sorry!