Vitamin A

Health Benefits!

Do you take vitamins on a daily basis, or get enough Vitamin A?


There are so many assorted vitamins to choose from now days taking a multivitamin can be very beneficial, however some people only need various vitamins and not the whole.

I've been taking Vitamin A for sometime now, because I read through the Murad (skincare) pill ingredients and noticed that Vitamin A, and Zinc were in there. So... I've been taking both of these, and just ran out of my Vitamin A =(. I've been wanting to share for some time now the great benefits of VA!!!

It's great for skin, nails, hair, eyes, and our health in general!
More useful information can be found at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_A

SMILE!

There are so many different languages,
but a smile speaks every single one!
:] :) :} :P :D ^_^ ^_~
Have you ever noticed how a smile can be contagious?

Sometimes work, or various environments can be degrading when you feel like you're constantly being trampled on by negativity... I've come to realize through psychology, and just personal experience that a smile is truly contagious. When someone beats you with rudeness kill them with kindness! It works! It may not make you happy, but you can be happy with yourself knowing that there's nothing more you could have done and that you weren't rude. This way you can't lie to yourself, or feel bad about how you may have treated someone. If anything maybe the angry person will walk out of the store, and realize what a rude person they were, and then again maybe not. Sometimes people just go through phases, or something bad has happened to them, and they believe the world owes them something. Nobody is ever owed anything, we all breath the same are and are born the same way. Nobody really enjoys being mean it seems, however different paths we walk in sometimes are covered in rocks, or debris, so in order to achieve a clear path sometimes individuals get frustrated and take their aggressions out on the wrong entity (you, or me!). I was reading an article that I found online that was quite informative on happiness:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97848789

Smiling creates happiness...
And Happiness is contagious!!!!

So... SMILE! It's good for you, and the world.
Remember when you smile someone will 99.9% of the time smile back!<3

Counting your calories...

It's been a while, but I'm back...!


Counting your calories is something that's just hit me in the head. Today I've noticed my intake was probably over a 2,000 limit (lol). I'm pretty athletic, tall, and slender. If anything I'm underweight for my height, and work out so much that I'm a bottomless pit at this point.
The main point in this post tonight is that it's important for us to count our calories regardless of any body type we may have!

It's simple to do: If you're on the go keep a small journal with you, and write down anything you eat. If you have a smart phone there are also many new applications out there that can practically do the work for you. I had a body program application on my iPhone before, and loved it (but no longer can afford an iPhone!) So I'm going to start keeping a log about what I eat on physical paper.

This is not only beneficial to your body, but to your mind as well!
So keep in mind the next time you go out to lunch, or dinner and order that 4,000 calorie item maybe cut it in half with a salad, or something not as heavy. A process my friend has been doing is just cutting her portions in half. You'd be surprised when eating, and chewing slowly how much fuller you feel with a glass of water also. Summer is coming, and health lasts a life time, so my advice to all of you is to keep a food journal and keep calories in check before they check you!

Go green! (even with your dog toys)

One of my dogs favorite toys, and I myself also I must admit, is a Hedgehog that makes the most strange, and unique sounds that intrigue him for hours on end. I have already purchased two, not to say they aren't durable, but because he simply can't get enough of it non-stop. He tries to bring this toy outside to come in the car with us, and to bed at night. He licks it, chases it, bites it, plays with it,and just simply LOVES it.

It rattles, it makes some weird variety of noises, and it also has a squeaker on one side, incase your animal is as crazy for squeaks as mine is...

Plush Puppies- Hedgehog
http://www.alphadogtoys.com/plush_puppies_grey_hedgehog_dog_toy_large_small_grunt_squeak_rattle.html
is one website you can purchase this item from, or petco.com or petsmart.com
most retailers have it online, but I'm sad that it's not available at some local petshops in town near me... humm..
Anyways:
"Now they are made GREEN - environmentally friendly and responsible. The poly fiber fill stuffing inside these toys is made from post consumer recycled plastic bottles. This does not sacrifice our high standards for quality and safety yet, it greatly reduces the number of plastic bottles that go to landfills each year!"

Dog wont go out when its wet? Dog boots that work!

IF your dog is anything like mine, he/she simply will not 'go' outside, because the gravel/ grass/ pavement is wet from rain, or something...

Here are some Natural Rubber boots for dogs that actually work.

PAWZ - Natural Rubber, Waterproof Dog Boots

My Basenji went outside with these on, and continued to want to walk even though it was sprinkling out, and the gravel was soaked. I have never in the 9 months of owning him had such a great success with him willing to go outside when it was damp.

Although the boots can wareout, they are surprisingly cheap, and the package comes with 12 boots. They are not made for running a marathon, but they sure do the job right! A simple walk around the block, or just going outside and don't want muddy paws again? Use these boots, and I'm sure you'll be a customer for life, such as, myself.

PAWZ boots range in a variety of sizes, and most likely your local petshop, or retailer will carry these! :)

Surprising Allergies!

Allergies always seem to get the best of me, and without having insurance with a doctor right down the street, I had to do the next best thing... *Research online* & *Back tracking recent eventful days*

So I've been backtracking a few days for some time now, and have come to the conclusion that it must have been the facial I had last week that made my face break out in hives all over. Why? I'm allergic to metal, and the Aesthetician used a metal extractor on my skin... Talk about uncomfortable.

Tracked: What I ate, what I wore, and what I did...

Working out the night of, and then taking a hot shower only made it worse. I thought I was 'just breaking out' how I normally do after a facial... But not this time, and is finally starting to go down with some Benadryl (Diphendramine HCI) aka: antihistamine.

ZZzzZZSleepyZZzzZZ
side effects, and some cortisone cream later the swelling has gone down immensely!

below: is some helpful information to help you target your allergy problem that you cant seem to get a finger on...
"

Summary from http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/metal-allergies.html

Metal allergies are among the chief sources of allergic contact dermatitis. Nickel, cobalt and chromate are among the metals most likely to trigger reactions. Symptoms include a skin rash that can develop into blisters and damaged skin. People are most often sensitized to metal from wearing costume jewelry, which frequently contains nickel. This problem has gotten worse as body piercing has grown more popular. Other sources of metal allergy include everything from soil and seawater to cement and shoe leather. A metal allergy can be diagnosed by having a physician conduct a skin patch test, which introduces various allergens to a patient’s skin to see if a reaction occurs. Once an allergy has been diagnosed, patients should try to minimize exposure to the metal triggering their symptoms.

"

Worn out tires-

It occurred to me this morning as I woke after a restless night of sleep:
that I do not know one thing about car tires.

After some research, because I have a flat tire, I discovered that there are many different kinds of tires out there.

First I googled where to buy tires in the town I live in. Next I called them up after going out in the cold to read about what kinds of tires I currently have on my car. I didn't know you could have different tires on he front and the back, so instead of replacing all 4 tires, at times you can move the back tires to the front, and just replace the backs... Sounds fair enough right?

I was told that tires can look old, and that it really doesn't matter what they look like. The threading is what matters, and supposedly mine are pretty warn :). I'm a girl though, I don't really know these things. I guess I really can't use my gender as an excuse, because some girls are educated in this department, but in this case I'm surely not! Ha.

Here is a website that can help on learning about Tire safety:
http://www.rma.org/tire_safety/tire_maintenance_and_safety/how_to_take_care_of_your_tires/

Remember to shop around for tires, check online prices, and compare prices for all 4 tires, or just getting 2 tires, and moving the back ones to the front if possible.

Be sure to check your tires before the rainy season friends :)!!!