25 Ways to Burn 500 Calories!

1. Fidget! fidgeting can burn up to 350 calories per day, just by being restless.  try it for yourself; move around while talking on the phone, tap your feet to music, etc.
2. Avoid eating too many nuts.  Although they have heart healthy fats, they are also high in calories (3 handfuls have 525 calories) if you really crave them, eat pistachios.  2 handfuls is just 159 calories, and shelling them will slow down your eating
3. Don’t eat in front of the TV, or you’ll end up overeating around 288 calories.  Instead eat around the table, and trade 1 hour of TV for a walk. 
4. Limit salad toppings! Cheese crumbles, caramelized nuts, bacon, avocado, dried fruit, croutons, and vinaigrettes can add lots of calories. Instead just have 1 topping, and use half the dressing
5. Eat on smaller plates, and you’ll end up eating 20-25% less while still feeling full because your plate will be full!
6. Skip on the whipped cream when eating dessert-coffee drinks (macchiatos, lattes, etc.) the drinks themselves contain about 600 calories for a large
7. Count your chips instead of eating from a bag.  Often you’ll end up eating twice the serving size on the nutrition label unknowingly
8. Avoid buffet-style meals at home; instead of letting people fill their own plates (and often going back for seconds), fill it for them before bringing it to the table
9. Instead of getting your cocktail with syrup, sugary juices, and creamy additions, add club soda or cranberry juice instead.  the former can make your drink up to 800 calories!
10. Eat less pasta! Especially at restaurants, which will often serve you 480% the recommended amount (about 1025 calories worth)
11. Eat with less people; studies have shown eating with 7 or more people can make you eat up to 96% more, that’s like doubling your dinner!
12. Don’t clean your plate; leave 25% left at every meal and save the rest as leftovers
13. Get mini versions of desserts if available (you can get them at Carabbas, Olive Garden, and P.F. Changs) so you can still get a sweet treat without all the calories
14. Avoid smoothies, they can often have up to 800 calories per 32 oz! instead try oatmeal or fruit to start your day
15. Beware of the “healthy food trap”.  people often think because food is healthy at restaurants that they can indulge in twice as much, so they end up eating the same amount of calories than if they had gone to a not so healthy restaurant
16. Beware of hidden oils; ask to have your food cooked with stock instead of oil, or order food steamed/poached to avoid the oil it takes to pan fry it
17. Get enough sleep! a lack of sleep makes people snack more according to studies, aim for 6-7+ hours
18. Be a hardworking dinner host! Grocery shop for 1 hour, cook a fabulous meal in 2 hours, and then toast yourself for your awesome 640 calorie burn
19. Stop drinking soda, each 12 oz drink has 150-180 calories, not to mention all the extra sugars
20. For breakfast eat 2 boiled or poached eggs (you’ll feel fuller throughout the day), and before lunch eat 1 cup of low cal soup (you’ll eat about 134 calories less at lunch)
21. Ditch the buttered popcorn at the movies, a large has around 1000 calories! Instead smuggle in your own air popped or butter-free microwave popcorn
22. Pay attention when you eat, listen to your body’s cues and put down your fork when you’re satisfied
23. Drink sugar free: a 20 oz tea with fruit juices can have as much as 400 calories! Choose sugar free and save more than 400 calories
24. Check the serving size when reading nutrition labels.  The entree you’re cooking may say it has 350 per servings, but there are probably 4 servings in the entire thing!
25. Get a small when buying ice cream.  Even if you get your favorite full-fat flavor, you’ll still save as many as 550 calories if you just get 1 scoop rather than 3

Marine Workout! From www.bodyrock.tv

Gotta do this in honor of MY Marine, who will be home in 21 days! :) 21 days of this... how good will I be looking for him?!

Workout Breakdown

Time: >25min.Workout Type: Interval Strength Training   Exercises: 17

• Part 14min. of interval training
• Sandbag Squat (right shoulder)max. reps during 20 second interval
• Plank Jump Push Upmax. reps during 20 second interval
• Sandbag Squat (left shoulder)max. reps during 20 second interval
• Plank Jump Push Upmax. reps during 20 second interval
• Part 2Time Challenge
• 10 Pendulumsfollowed by
• Roll overfollowed by
• 1 walking push upfollowed by
• Elbow Plank Jumps (side to side)Reverse the order of exercises
• This is one Set Complete 5 sets for time
• Part 34 min. of interval traininig
• Sandbag Mini Squat (right shoulder)max. reps during 20 second interval
• Super Girl Push Upsmax. reps during 20 second interval
• Sandbag Mini Squat (left shoulder)max. reps during 20 second interval
• Super Girl Push Upsmax. reps during 20 second interval
• This is only a half of the workoutRepeat all 3 parts one more time

Instructions:
This workout has 3 parts and it will be at least 20 minutes long. It depends how fast you can be with the time challenge. I completed this routine in 26 minutes and 2 seconds.
The first part is 4 minute long interval training. Set your timer for 8 rounds and two intervals – 10 seconds and 20 seconds. You will be doing Sandbag Squats and Plank Jump Push Ups. It will look like this:
10 seconds of rest – beep!
Sandbag Squat (sandbag on your right shoulder) and go for maximum reps during the 20 seconds – beep!
10 seconds of rest – beep!
Plank Jump Push Up – beep!
10 seconds of rest – beep!
Sandbag Squat (sandbag on your left shoudler) go for max. reps during the 20 second interval – beep!
Plank Jump Push Up – beep!
Repeat the whole thing one more time – beep! – done.
The second part is a time challenge and you will be doing 10 Pendulums – Roll Over – 1 Walking Push Up – 10 Elbow Plank Jumps (side to side with your feet together) – Roll Over – 1 Walking Push Up – 10 Pendulums
This is one set.
Complete 5 sets as fast as you can. You will have to set your interval timer as a stop watch for this challenge.
The third Part is another 4 minutes of interval training. Set your timer exactly the way you set it for Part 1. You will be doing Sandbag Mini Squats and Super Girl Push Ups.
REPEAT ALL 3 PARTS ONE MORE TIME!
All of the exercises are explained in the instructional video above so check it out.
My Scores:
round 1
Sandbag Squat (right shoulder) – 12 reps, 12 reps
Plank Jump Push Up – 10 reps, 9 reps
Sandbag Squat (left shoulder) – 12 reps, 12 reps
Plank Jump Push Up – 9 reps, 8 reps
Time Challenge: 4 minutes 39 seconds
Sandbag Mini Squats (right shoulder) – 22 reps, 23 reps
Super Girl Push Ups – 5 reps, 6 reps
Sandbag Mini Squats (left shoulder) – 22 reps, 21 reps
Super Girl Push Ups – 6 reps, 5 reps
round 2
Sandbag Squat (right shoulder) – 12 reps, 9 reps
Plank Jump Push Up – 9 reps, 6 reps
Sandbag Squat (left shoulder) – 10 reps, 8 reps
Plank Jump Push Up – 7 reps, 6 reps
Time Challenge: 4 minutes 23 seconds
Sandbag Mini Squats (right shoulder) – 24 reps, 20 reps
Super Girl Push Ups – 6 reps, 5 reps
Sandbag Mini Squats (left shoulder) – 22 reps, 20 reps
Super Girl Push Ups – 6 reps, 6 reps

14 Creative Ways to Say Thank You - THANK YOU to www.tipjunkie.com :)

Thank You Very Much

1. DIY Paper Vase Favor Bags would also make a darling thank you gift packaging idea.  Why not take the time to package up some goodies up in the bags above to pass out as affordable, party favor.

How To Say Thank You

2. How to make a fabulous burst box that would work as a party favor or fill with treats as an impressive thank you very much packaging idea!
3. First Aid Kit & Free Printables - “Thanks for coming to our AID” and the back says “We appreciate all you do.
4. Simple Thank You Note with Buttons -  If you want to make this easy note card, download the PDF template and print it out and glue on some buttons.
5. Thanks You’re Sweet Free Printable – Amy made these for the leaders of her MOPS group. An easy and cute gift! These are 7″ wide to fit the size of a sandwich baggie.

Thank You Candy Grams

6. Extra gum – The difference between ordinary and EXTRAordinary is the little extra.
7. Lemon Drops – Giving thanks to someone who always makes lemonade out of lemons.
8. Swedish Fish - It’s o-FISH-al:  I’m casting out a line of Thanks!  Hope you catch it!
9. Coffee Shop Gift Card - Thanks a ‘Latte’ for everything you do!

Thank You For

10. Printable Party Bag Favor - A quick and easy way to decorate a plain paper sack as a fun party favor or gift.
11. Handmade Bookmarks {Thank You Gift} – These beautiful fabric bookmarks are easy and inexpensive to make, a great project for your beginning sewer to work on, and a wonderful gift for  your teacher during Teacher Appreciation Week.
12. Emily made this darling thank you for teachers that’s a pocket that holds a packet of microwave popcorn and a gift card to Blockbuster.
13. Darling Thank You tag with a video how-to that you can quickly attach to any gift or edible present.

Thank You Note

14. A tutorial on how to make this darling Thankful 4 You card.  BasicGrey’s Pyrus collection is filled with gorgeous autumn colors (I used the 6×6 paper pad), and I thought it would be a perfect fit. I also use some Subway Thickers from American Crafts.

Dr. Oz's Weigh-Orade - From www.amy-newnostalgia.blogspot.com

I made this great recipe after I saw a similar one on the Dr. Oz show.  He featured a recipe for Tangerine Mint Green Tea as part of a series of foods that help one lose weight.  He called it Tangerine "Weight-Orade."  I will share his recipe below. It looked so refreshing on his show, and I knew I should be drinking green tea due to my history (I LIKE saying "history" :)) with breast cancer.  Green tea is rich in catechins, which reduce growth of blood vessels needed for tumor growth. 

A study published in 1998, Japanese researchers investigated the effects of drinking green tea on the progression of breast cancer. The study involved 472 patients with stage I, II, and III breast cancer. The results showed that increased consumption of green tea was linked to a decrease in the spread of breast cancer in premenopausal women. In a follow-up study, the researchers found that increased consumption of green tea was correlated with decreased recurrence of stage I and II breast cancer.

-The New Encyclopedia of Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements and Herbs by Nicola Reavley

Green tea has been cited to be beneficial when it comes to all kinds of disease, from heart disease to Alzheimer's, to many types of cancers.  Read more on the benefits of green tea, at the World's Healthiest Foods website.

Iced Tangerine Mint Green Tea

~4 organic green tea bags

~1/2 tangerine, sliced

~fresh mint leaves

~honey to taste

~water, just boiling

~ice

While water is heating, prepare the rest of the ingredients.  

Here is what I do:

~get out 2, 32 oz mason jars

~fill one with 2 cups of ice

~unwrap 4 green tea bags and put in the second jar

~slice tangerine

~rinse mint leaves

My electric kettle in the above picture is one of my most favorite and well used kitchen appliances. It heats water to a boil in minutes, and keeps the water hot for a long while.  In the winter, I will press the button throughout the day to keep hot water ready at all times for tea or hot chocolate.

Mine is the Hamilton Beach 10 Cup Kettle.  I love it!

Pour hot water over the tea bags, fill the 32 ounce jar to the top.  

Steep according to package directions, usually 3-4 minutes for green tea.

I use a slotted spoon and a regular spoon to squeeze every bit of goodness out of those green tea bags.

 

Add honey to taste while tea is still hot, honey will dissolve much better in hot tea.

Add mint and tangerine slices to jar of ice.

The mint is very subtle in this, but if you are not a mint lover, you can skip it.

Let the tea cool a few minutes, then pour over the ice in the prepared mason jar.

Store the remaining tea in the refrigerator to

refill and drink over ice throughout the day.

So refreshing! Enjoy!

**Tea lovers, check out this recipe for Easy Iced Tea Concentrate In A Mason Jar

-----------------------------

• Dr. Oz's Tangerine Weight-Orade Recipe
• For a powerful metabolism-boosting drink, try Dr. Oz’s Tangerine Weight-Orade. It contains: green tea, shown to boost metabolism 12% by drinking just one cup; tangerine, with a chemical composition that increases sensitivity to insulin and stimulates genes that help to burn fat; and mint, a calorie-free flavor enhancer.
• In a large pitcher, combine:
• 8 cups of brewed green tea
• 1 tangerine, sliced
• A handful of mint leaves
• Stir this delicious concoction up at night so all the flavors fuse together. Drink 1 pitcher daily for maximum metabolism-boosting results.

17 Tips to Make Your Life EASIER!

Check this out! http://www.aimlessdirection.com/2008/17-tips-to-make-your-life-easier/

Poignant Pics from www.thegodarticle.com!

The question is not what to do but how to see. Seeing is the most ­important thing -- the act of seeing.   I need to realize that it is truly an act, an action that brings something entirely new, a new possibility of vision, certainty and knowledge. This possibility appears during the act itself and disappears as soon as the seeing stops. It is only in this act of seeing that I will find a certain freedom.   So long as I have not seen the nature and movement of the mind, there is little sense in believing that I could be free of it. I am a slave to my mechanical thoughts. This is a fact. It is not the thoughts ­themselves that enslave me but my ­attachment to them. In order to ­understand this, I must not seek to free myself before having known what the ­slavery is. I need to see the illusion of words and ideas, and the fear of my thinking mind to be alone and empty without the support of anything known. It is necessary to live this slavery as a fact, moment after moment, without escaping from it. Then I will begin to ­perceive a new way of seeing. Can I accept not knowing who I am, being hidden behind an imposter? Can I accept not knowing my name?   Seeing does not come from thinking.    It comes from the shock at the moment when, feeling an urgency to know what is true, I suddenly realize that my thinking mind cannot perceive reality. To understand what I really am at this moment, I need sincerity and humility, and an unmasked exposure that I do not know. This would mean to refuse nothing, exclude nothing, and enter into the experience of discovering what I think, what I sense, what I wish, all at this very moment.   Our conditioned thought always wants an answer. What is important is to develop another thinking, a vision. For this we have to liberate a certain energy that is beyond our usual thought. I need to ­experience “I do not know” without seeking an answer, to abandon everything to enter the unknown. Then it is no longer the same mind. My mind engages in a new way. I see without any preconceived idea, without choice. In relaxing, for example, I no longer choose to relax before knowing why. I learn to purify my power of vision, not by turning away from the undesirable or toward what is agreeable. I learn to stay in front and see clearly. All things have the same importance, and I become fixed on nothing. Everything depends on this vision, on a look that comes not from any command of my thought but from a feeling of urgency to know.   Perception, real vision, comes in the interval between the old response and the new response to the reception of an impression. The old response is based on material inscribed in our memory. With the new response, free from the past, the brain remains open, receptive, in an ­attitude of respect. It is a new brain which functions, that is, different cells and a new intelligence. When I see that my thought is incapable of understanding, that its movement brings nothing, I am open to the sense of the cosmic, beyond the realm of human perception.