Community Blog

Want a special fruit treat for Spring? I love this healthy snack from Rachael Ray and it only takes 10 minutes to prep!

Here’s what you need:

• 2 ripe peaches, halved and pitted
• 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• A couple sprigs fresh mint, leaves finely chopped, optional
• 1/2 pint raspberries
• 2 small cantaloupes
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream or lemon or raspberry sorbet

Directions:

Slice the peaches and add to a medium bowl. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of lemon zest, a couple of tablespoons lemon juice, and sugar. Let the peaches sit for 5 minutes, then gently stir in the mint, if using, and the berries.

Halve the cantaloupes and trim the bottoms so they sit flat. Scoop out the seeds and fill with ice cream or sorbet and the Melba topping.

Enjoy and post your pictures!

DDR (Dance Dance Revolution)? What is the deal with this product? Everyone is obsessed with it, but I tried it and love it! Unfortunately, my DDR moves got a little out of hand… I found this story and could relate to it:

This was three years ago and it was the first time I had ever lived away from home. I was all about getting rowdy and exploring my new, fantastic sense of freedom! Have you heard of DDR? Dance Dance Revolution. It is a video game with floor mats for controllers and you use your feet (by stomping…I mean, dancing…) to control and play the game. This game is wicked fun if you purchase more than one mat, or if you’re trying to get a good workout…or if you’re trying to really tick-off your downstairs neighbors.

This sounds like I am leading up to a really bad story, but it actually didn’t end as terribly as it should have. Let me explain. There was a middle aged couple that lived below me, they were super quiet and kept to themselves, so I didn’t have much of an opportunity to work my charismatic magic on them. One of my party nights I had a few friends over and we kicked out some hard-core DDR. In the morning, my muscles were sore from a nights worth of dancing and I found a note on my door. It was a page copied from the apartment complexes handbook on their ‘friendly neighbor’ policy. there were big highlighter circles around the noise control section. I knew which neighbor it was because the space on either side of us were empty. I was tempted to apologize next time I saw them, but literally five days after our DDR extravaganza they had moved out!

I realize I got lucky and it could have turned out a lot worse. So, have any of you had any close calls with your neighbors? Found any nasty notes on your door? I’m so curious.

Has this happened to you? Share your DDR experiences!

Today, I want to make a special shout out to “Mothballs”. These are toxic for your home and not healthy for you. Instead, replace mothballs with cedar, cloves, rosemary, and other natural remedies to help protect your clothes.

Did you know the main ingredient in mothballs is a pesticide? Brian Clark Howard from The Daily Green shares the side effects with mothballs:

The EPA links short-term exposure of humans to naphthalene to cataracts, liver and neurological damage. The agency considers the chemical a possible carcinogen.

The EPA warns that short-term exposure to paradichlorobenzene can cause nausea, vomiting, headaches and irritation. Long-term effects include anemia, skin lesions, appetite loss and liver damage. See why it’s so important to keep mothballs out of the mouths of children and pets? Many trips to emergency rooms have been the result.

Next time you need to store your clothes forget the mothballs and protect yourself by storing your clothes in a cedar closet or chest.  Besides, who really likes the smell of mothballs?

Is your bedroom a safe haven for you? Do you have too much stuff in your room or can’t relax? How bout giving your room a little “Feng Shui.” Simple steps of changing the colors, lighting, positions of the furniture, and fabrics can bring you ease at night.

Try these steps:

1. Keep the World Out – Use your bedroom as a place to rest. Leave the work, exercise, and drama at the door!
2. Bring in the Tones -Use of welcoming and calm colors bring a sense of healing to your bedroom.
3. See the Beauty- Tie in art with your dreams! Most people will put their favorite piece of art at the opposite side of their bed, so it’s the last thing they see before they go to sleep.
4. Keep the Bed Away- Be sure to place the bed away from the door. It gives you a sense of safety at night and helps keep the stress down.
5. Got Junk- It’s time to sort through and get rid of the clutter because it is not necessary for a peaceful bedroom. Clear your nightstand and keep it with the essentials (lamp and vase of flowers).

Spring cleaning is about to start, so give your bedroom first priority! I gave my bedroom a little “TLC” (Tender Love & Care) and I already feel the difference.

Why Twitter? How can a 140 character tool do so much? Twitter gives companies and people the opportunity to engage in conversation. It allows them to connect with your brand to build a relationship. To stay on top in this competitive market, it’s important to be in the conversation and respond!

Read TwitTip’s “7 Effective Marketing Tips for Twitter“ as it explains the best ways to market your brand on Twitter.

• Know the Rules: You need to understand your neighbors.
• Twitter is Person to Person: Forget the brand, they want someone to relate too!
• Create the Conversation: Listen to your customer first, then respond!
• Promote a Dedicated Ambassador: Choose someone to represent your brand and set the rules for engagement.
• Have Something to Offer:What can you offer to your customers that nobody else can?
• Twitter+Your Website:Twitter makes it easy to spread your message through several platforms (facebook, blogs, and RSS feeds)
• Tracking Conversations: Monitor the conversation and respond!

Twitter is easy to use, free, and one of the best ways to create a presence! Feel free to share your experience with Twitter….

Wouldn’t it be great if you could dance like nobodies watching? At Zumba class you can….

I’m sure you’ve heard of this workout, but did you know you can burn 1200 calories from one class? I started taking this class a month ago and honestly it’s changed my perception on life. I feel better about myself, shed a few pounds in 2 weeks, and even enjoy going to the class. I’ve never been the athlete, but Zumba is addicting and doesn’t feel like a workout. You get the opportunity to dance to current pop songs, Latin music, and other genres depending on the instructor.  You can learn the salsa, cha-cha, and other dances to keep you going at any party!

You’ve got to join this party of Zumba! Find the closet Zumba class to you today.

Do you need a shoe makeover? Have a special event that you need something to match your outfit? Or want a new pair of sneakers?  Visit the best shoe store: endless.com.

There are a lot of people who say, “I need to physically see it or try it on before I buy it.” Well, Endless allows you to do that! Their site offers a great zoom technology (where  you can see every part of the shoe without physically holding it), have informative reviews from customers on shoes, detailed entries about each shoe,  and even let you return the shoes with free shipping and 100% price back guaranteed if you don’t want them.

This site can really save you time and money, and it’s fun. They sell thousands of name brand shoes, styles, and prices.

Did I mention that Endless offers free overnight and 2 day shipping? You definitely need to check out this site!

Having a hard time falling asleep at night? A little yoga exercise will do the trick…

• Short meditation: Sit up straight with your legs in your lap. Close your eyes, release any tension, and focus on  your breathing.
• Seated twist: Stretch your waist by staying seated in your position and turning your upper body toward your bed frame. Remember to breathe as you twist from side to side.
• Easy bend forward: Stretch out your hips and back as you sit in position and straighten out your arms.
• Legs extended forward bend your flat back: Bend and flex your knees with a flat back – it will stretch your hamstring.

Is this putting you at ease? Read the rest of “Yoga for Bedtime” !

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