Happy Birthday Cam!

Today is my beautiful boy's 3rd birthday. I'm so grateful for all my boys. They are such a wonderful gift!

Love you Cameron!

Ready, Set, Recharge!

24 Ways to boost your energy and your mood!

1. Hang with happy people.

Just being near a positive person is enough to make you smile: Having a friend with a sunny disposition living within a mile of you increases the chances of your being happy by 25 percent, according to a study from the University of California, San Diego. Researchers suspect that happiness is contagious; glass-half-full types tend to be nicer to everyone around them, which makes those people pleasant, and so on. Catch the smiley vibe by regularly joining your most cheerful friends for a run.

2. Burst into action!
Don't just stand there waiting for the microwave to beep: Launch into a turbocharged set of jumping jacks. Or put the phone on speaker when you're holding for customer service and de-agitate with a few sun salutations. "These little exercise bursts improve blood flow to the body and the brain," says Geralyn Coopersmith, an exercise physiologist and author of Fit + Female. "Doing them throughout the day can really perk you up."

3. Stop stress
Savor the zesty scent of an orange and you could feel instantly relaxed. According to a Japanese study, the citrus fruit contains linalool, a compound whose odor has been shown to lower stress levels in animals.

4. Unplug
If you're on your third straight Law & Order episode, turn it off already! After analyzing data that spanned 34 years, University of Maryland researchers reported that people who described themselves as "somewhat happy" watched 10 percent more hours of TV than those who rated themselves "very happy." The theory: Being glued to your flat screen may temporarily entertain you, but it isn't particularly satisfying in the long run. Worse, the tube time takes away from more fulfilling activities, such as a yoga class and a picnic with friends.

5. Get firm and feel fab
Muscles move more efficiently when they're toned, giving you a spring in your step. No time for the gym? Do a speedy routine that quickly targets the most and the biggest muscles, says Michael R. Bracko, an exercise physiologist and director of Dr. Bracko's Fitness, a consulting service in Canada. Try a dynamic combo of squats (do them pressing your back into a stability ball against the wall) and dips (sit on a chair, slide your butt off it, and move your body up and down). Do three sets of 10 to 15 reps three days a week and you'll see and feel a difference.

See all 24 energy & mood boosters on fitnessmagazine.com!
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/health/stress-relief/get-happy/ready-set-recharge/?page=1

Get a FREE photo book from Shutterfly!! Offer ends Sept 1

Get a FREE 20-page 8X8 photo book from Shutterfly. Enter promo code: 8PBA91. Offer ends Sept 1, 2010.

I've gotten a couple of these and they are great!!

http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books?PH=1&cid=FOC_082610

Feelings...

Feelings.
Are they a trick of the brain?
They can certainly cause confusion.
They sometimes cause you pain.

Feelings.
Are they there to show you more?
To hold on to anger.
Revenge, to settle the score.

Feelings.
They can give you more of a high than any drug.
Surround you in comfort.
Wrap you in a forever hug.

Feelings.
We all have them but sometimes are kept concealed.
We all feel them, want them,
Need them to be revealed.

Feelings.
Such a powerful thing that effects each being.
They can engulf us with such love,
And even keep us from seeing.

Feelings.
Many different types, each a different motivation.
Do not shut them out.
They are such a beautiful sensation.

Healthy Food Swaps

Clean out those cupboards and start fresh! Here are a few healthy food swaps that will spice up your meals and help cut some calories:

Stock up on: Low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
Toss: High-sodium broth

Cooking side dishes with broth is a great way to amp up the flavor without adding a lot of fat or calories. But one cup of the regular stuff contains up to 40 percent of your recommended daily sodium intake. Choose broths that are lower in sodium -- 450 milligrams per serving or less -- and use them in mashed potatoes instead of butter or half-and-half; you'll save about 230 calories and 24 grams of fat per batch, says Jessica Fishman Levinson, RD, a nutritionist in New York City. Or swap butter or olive oil for broth in rice recipes and cut up to 36 calories and 5 to 6 grams of fat per serving. Broth also adds zing to steamed veggies. Just sub it for water and cook as usual.

Stock up on: Buckwheat noodles
Toss: Refined pasta

Trading up from white pasta to whole wheat is good, but choosing soba, made with buckwheat, is even better. These noodles are high in fiber (3 grams per 2 ounces), and they're an excellent source of plant protein (about 8 grams per cup cooked). "Buckwheat noodles are so filling and satisfying, you're less likely to eat oversize portions," says Tanya Zuckerbrot, RD, author of The F-Factor Diet. They're also loaded with magnesium; choline, a mineral that helps keep your brain healthy; and antioxidants, including rutin, which may lower blood pressure.

Stock up on: Hearty whole grains
Toss: White rice

During processing, white rice is stripped of up to 90 percent of its B vitamins, 60 percent of its iron, and most of its fiber and essential fatty acids, Zuckerbrot says. Eating whole grains will provide you with as much as 8 grams of fiber per serving and can reduce your risk for heart disease by roughly 20 percent. Bust out of the brown rice rut with bulgur, wheat berries, and farro. Cook these grains as you would rice (simmer, covered, over low heat) and add them to soups, salads, and stir-fries.

Store It Right
Make a clean sweep. Wipe or rinse cans, jars, and bottles to reduce the chance of harmful bacteria sneaking into your food. (Only about one-third of us do so, according to Joan Salge Blake, RD, professor of nutrition at Boston University.) If a can has dents, cracks, or a bulging lid, throw it out.

Stock up on: Panko bread crumbs
Toss: Regular bread crumbs

Not only do they contain half the calories of the Italian kind -- 110 versus 220 per half cup -- but "because panko bread crumbs are lighter and coarser, they tend to absorb less oil and fat," Levinson says. They also stay crisper after cooking, making them perfect for breaded chicken, meat, and fish dishes. Plus, panko has about one-tenth the sodium of many regular bread crumbs.

Stock up on: Salsa verde
Toss: Ranch- and onion-dip mixes

Each half-cup portion of this salsa contains just 60 calories and counts as a serving of vegetables. It's made with green tomatillos, a great plant source of the B vitamin niacin, which helps keep your cholesterol low.

Stock up on: Cocoa powder
Toss: Chocolate chips

Sweet treats don't have to be off-limits, even if you're on a diet. Instead of high-calorie, high-fat chocolate chips (a half cup has 560 calories and 32 grams of fat), add 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder to cookie, cake, or muffin batter before baking. Voila, the chocolaty flavor you crave for just 37 calories and 2 grams of fat.

Stock up on: Artichoke hearts
Toss: Green olives

Eat just four olives and you've consumed about 2 grams of fat. Artichoke hearts give you a hint of the same salty flavor with zero fat. Ounce for ounce, they contain more antioxidants than any other vegetable (and about 50 percent more than blueberries). They can taste briny straight from the can, so rinse first. Put them in salads and stews and on pizzas, says Jody Adams, chef and owner of Rialto Restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Or add artichokes to a fresh tomato sauce and serve over pasta.

For more ideas, check out:

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/smart-shopping/11-healthy-food-swaps/?sssdmh=dm17.466157&esrc=nwffood&email=1501870633

Brand new day

Good Morning!
My middle son, Cameron, woke up this morning and said, 'Look Mommy, a brand new day!'. He'll be 3 next week and he already gets it. Each day is new, a fresh start, a blessing and we should appreciate each and every one we get.

Have an amazing day!

Welcome!!

Welcome to my blog site! This is incredibly new to me and I'm hoping it goes well. To anyone who's interested, come follow my site. I'll be doing reviews of products, news about movies, music and other stuff going on in the world, stuff about my family and other random things. So come check it out! :)

Duggar pox

So apparently 12 of the 19 Duggar kids have all come down with chicken pox.... I don't know about you but this video just terrifies me.

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2010/08/exclusive-video-12-duggar-children-get-chicken-pox-same-time

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

So I've been hearing about this book everywhere, yet I have absolutely no clue as to what this book is even about. I got curious and went to the library to check it out....turns out I'm the 97th person to do so as I'm in that position on the waiting list. So any thoughts out there? A good read?