Be Healthy, Well, & Inspired

If you are looking for contact lenses online visit http://www.getlenses.co.uk.  They have a huge range of daily, monthly and even coloured lenses for the people who like to change their look every day.

Who uses monthly lenses?

If you have a problem with your eyesight, you have several options as to how to correct it. The only permanent solution is the most expensive – laser eye surgery, which although is increasing in popularity is still available only to a small percentage of people. The much more common methods of eye correction are of course glasses and contact lenses, both with distinct advantages and disadvantages. Some people reject glasses for cosmetic reasons, whilst others prefer them because of the way they look. Contact lenses are extremely popular because they do nothing to alter your appearance and can be worn in almost any situation.

For those who wish to avoid glasses the majority of the time, long duration lenses such as monthly lenses are a good and cost effective option. Monthly lenses require care and attention to make sure that they last for the advertised duration; every time you take them out you must be sure to carefully place them in a secure container with the appropriate protective fluid. However, in spite of the extra effort required to keep them in working order, in the long run monthly lenses used every day will prove much more affordable than dailies or even weekly lenses.

So, monthly lenses are ideal for those who prefer lenses to glasses. If you lead an active lifestyle, contact lenses allow you to perform athletic and sporting activities without worrying about losing or breaking glasses. They can also be a perfect choice if you find that you dislike glasses for cosmetic reasons and don’t like to wear them. If you choose to use monthly lenses, make sure to take proper care of them in between uses to ensure that you get lasting wear without the need to replace them. Choose the right kind of lenses to suit your lifestyle – there are many options out there, so research and explore what’s on offer before making your decision.

Tags: contact lenses

What is buildings insurance?

When looking to secure home insurance for your property, you
should know that there are two main types: buildings insurance
and contents insurance.

Buildings insurance policies deal with the actual house or flat
itself meaning the structure - the walls, floors, roof, windows
and the electrical wiring and plumbing of the property. In
addition to  this, the actual land that your property is
located on is covered as part of this type of home insurance.
There are variants on the basic buildings insurance policy –
for instance, some may incorporate outer structures such as
a shed, garage, greenhouse, fences and gates – and most will
include permanent home fixtures, such as kitchen and bathroom
fittings.

Essentially this type of home insurance policy covers
everything that is a permanent part of the home and would
not be taken away if the resident moved. If you choose a
comprehensive buildings insurance policy, you may also be
covered in the event of having to seek temporary alternative
housing, should your home suffer fire damage or some other
damage relevant to those areas described earlier.

How much cover will you need? 
It is likely that, if you take out a mortgage on your home,
the lender will require you to take out a buildings insurance
policy. During the process of securing a mortgage, your home
will be subject to a rebuild survey, designed to provide an
estimate of how much it would cost to rebuild the property in
the event of it being radically damaged.  It is the figures
from this rebuild estimate that will be used by your chosen
insurance company to determine the rate of your premiums.
Therefore, if you wish to take out a buildings insurance
policy but don’t have a mortgage, you will still need to
have a survey done.  This is necessary as much for you as
for the insurance company, as you  need an accurate estimation
of the amount of cover you will require in  order to provide
you with the appropriate financial support as and  when you need it.

Rebuild and market value differences

If your property is located in a particularly desirable
residential location, it is likely to have a high market value.
However, as the rate of your insurance will be calculated based
on the rebuild value, this is unlikely to be equal to the sum you
would get for selling the property.  Ultimately, whether you choose
separate buildings and contents policies, or a single home insurance
policy that covers both areas, can depend on the offers available
from insurance companies.  Separate policies can also make sense
for those renting out properties, as the contents will then not be
their concern.

Artiestenburo Helps you Arrange a Special Party

Are you sick of the same kind of parties with music, dance, drinks and food? Yes, it is quite tiresome to go to a party and find out the same kind gossips, music and food all the time. Well, it will be quite disappointing for you as well, when you get to hear the people discussing about your party in an irritating manner, because it got nothing new. Why don’t you go for arranging something new for the party this time? If you cannot think of anything exciting, contact an artiestenburo for your party arrangements. When you have the artist’s buro beside you, you can stay assured of the quality of your party, because it makes your party exciting and thrilling for the invitees with uniqueness.

No matter, whether it is your anniversary or birthday or a company gathering, artisetenburo makes it excitement for all the invitees. You can call them for making special arrangements for the events like: openings, receptions, parties, festivals, weddings, theme parties, company parties, etc.

What special they add in your party?

To come out from the traditional gossip and dance parties, they arrange special entertainment for your parties adding extra charms, like:

• A pop group performance
• Special entertaining programs for the children
• Drive in shows
• Mood setting charming acts
• Band performances of all genres
• Different walk acts
• Catering
• Other unique attractions

They are specialized in arranging special parties, where they call different artist for giving superb performances, so that the invitees can have a great time together.

Are you worried about the budget?

Well, this artiestenburo plan up the party according to your budget. Once, you contact them, the first thing they ask you, is your budget and plan up everything according to that, so that your efforts of arranging a special party for your friends and relatives do not go waste.

Where to find an artiestenburo?

Go online to find them at your ease.

Well, you would surely love, when the invitees after the party will come to you and great you for this charming event. So, what are you waiting for? Arrange a special party with the help of an artiestenburo at your ease.

{image: found via kind over matter, original by Parker Fitzgerald}

Prompt #18:  Ordinary Sparkling Moments

Reflect on the ordinary moments that bring you joy (e.g., the tea pot whistling, the sun setting). What moments would you like to relish in the coming year?

I’d like to relish in the everyday moments that brings me joy like getting a handwritten letter from an old friend or drinking hot tea on a cold day or even receiving a package in the mail.

Prompt #19:  Joy
What does a joyful life look like for you?

Joy is something simple to me, like everyday moments.

Prompt #20:  Community
Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2011? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2012? (Author: Cali Harris)

I discover community not only online but at my workplace. There is a sense of community and collaboration with my colleagues.  I also feel a sense of community from my Women Entrepreneur’s group at Tribber.

Tags: reverb11

Incorporating new habits into your daily life takes work, so aim for progress, not perfection! Start with small changes that you can easily fit into your daily routine and go a little further each week. Swapping a breakfast Danish for whole grain cereal, having water instead of soft drinks with meals, picking veggies as a side dish or trying fruit for dessert are all doable actions that will lead to long term results.

Look at your usual eating habits and commit to one “swap out” this week. Make sure your new habit is something that you can integrate seamlessly into your routine. Use your New Year’s momentum to consider other situations where you could easily make a change.

Tags: health tip

{image:  found via Etsy, original from honeytree}

Prompt #16:  Transitions
Over the past year have you experienced any major/minor life transitions? How has your life changed?

The transition that I experienced in 2011 is my job.  I started in a new department at the end of 2010 and had to adjust to a new work location and new colleagues .  I also became a freelance writer and had to adjust my job with additional freelance opportunities.

Prompt #17:  Bliss
What are three things that make you feel the most blissed out? What can you do in 2012 to invite more of that into your life?

1.)  Being recognized in the blogging ommunity

2.)  Making additional money with freelance writing

3.)  Building collaboration and community online

Tags: reverb11

 

As you know, Tropicana® Trop50® is an innovative line of juice beverages, delivering the goodness of fruit juice with 50 percent less sugar and calories, and no artificial sweeteners.

About Trop50

Trop50 got its name as a result of the marriage of Tropicana and “50 percent” less sugar and calories. Tropicana Trop50 is a breakthrough innovation from Tropicana that offers 50 percent less sugar and calories, and no artificial sweeteners. Trop50 is the first juice beverage to be naturally sweetened with an all-natural stevia-based sweetener. Trop50 is designed to help manage weight goals by offering reduced sugar and calories, without sacrificing great taste.

 At 50 calories per eight-ounce glass, Trop50 not only tastes great, but helps you feel good. Each 8-ounce glass of Trop50 squeezes in a full day’s supply of vitamin C and is also a good source of antioxidant vitamin E.

• Trop50 is available in Orange (No Pulp, Some Pulp and Calcium + Vitamin D), Farmstand Apple, Pomegranate Blueberry, Pineapple Mango, Lemonade and Raspberry Lemonade.
• Trop50 Orange juice beverages also are a good source of potassium and antioxidant vitamin A.
• Pineapple Mango provides a good source of potassium.

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I was able to review the above Trop50 orange juice. There are some pros and cons that I liked about this orange juice. The pros:

• no watery taste
• does not taste too sweet or sugary – because its 50% less sugar
• like the bottle – not paper
• easy to open cap
• great selection of different flavors
• tastes like fresh squeezed orange juice – I chose the one with some pulp

 The cons:

• Selection of flavors – I couldn’t decide – okay so this is not a true con but I couldn’t find any cons with the taste or flavor

I prefer Trop 50 than most other leading name brand orange juices. I am watching my sugar intake more and my body has gotten used to “healthier foods”, which means no sugar or salt for me.

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Want more information?  Follow Trop50 on Facebook

Trop50 True Resolutions celebrates the real reasons behind New Year’s resolutions. Share your secret motivation and you’ll earn a coupon for $1 off Trop50 for yourself and 50¢ off coupons for up to 50 of your friends. You can even submit incognito with a fierce disguise. Bonus: Whether you submit a resolution or not, you can also enter a sweepstakes to win a $1000 gift card.
We also have $50 Spa & Wellness Gift Cards by Spa Week® for you to give away to your readers.  I can offer you three gift cards if you run three separate posts about Trop50 True Resolutions. What a great way to keep your readers informed about your resolution progress!

Additionally, we are offering the influencer with the most social outcomes the chance to win a Grand Prize $250 Spa & Wellness gift card.  To qualify for the Grand Prize, influencers must post three times about the Trop50 True Resolutions Facebook app between now and January 31, 2012.

DISCLAIMER:  I received a free coupon for Trop 50 in order to write this review. I am not receiving any monetary compensation and this review is based on my own opinion.

Tags: healthy eating, Trop50

This photo project was left over from last year. I apologize for not keeping up with the project on my blog.  I will continue posting last year’s pictures until the 365 day in 2011.

Day 316 – Nighttime in Queens

Day 317- Renovation

Day 318 – Out with the old

Day 319 – My goody bag

Day 320 – Keeping my “SHAPE”

Day 321 – Cozy corner

Day 322 – Nature scene

Day 323 – Trees

Day 324 – My namesake

Tags: 365 Photo Project

{credit:  image}

Prompt #15 – Fear

The easiest way to overcome fear is to confront it. Rather than brainstorming reasons to avoid your “fear,” shift your attention to the reasons for confronting your fear. What fear would you like to overcome in 2012?

I wrote about my fears back in May 2011, an exercise when I took Liv Lane’s blogging class.  My fears are still the same and still there.

The fears I would like to overcome in 2012 is fear of public speaking. I’d like to see myself comfortably speaking in front of hundreds of people.  I feel at ease being in the center of the spotlight as I laugh and joke around with the audience.

The opposite of fear is courage.  I have the courage to change.

Tags: reverb11

{image:  credit}

I have a great guest post below from Rob, writer and owner of the blog Fatburning Reality.  I read some of Rob and Dave’s articles and quickly became interested.  I am in the process of losing weight and toning up my body, especially in the abdominal area.  Their website might shed some light if you are also “dieting” or trying to lose some weight.  And now here is Rob….

{image:  credit}

Throw Out the Scales!

When undertaking a new exercise and eating regime it is important to understand and know how you are going to measure your progress and success. Here I will have a look at the most popular way of measuring success and its major downfall.

 Now lets assume the person in question is a general fitness trainer and is looking for weight loss and muscle toning, the same as 99% of the population. The most popular way for measuring success yet at the same time the main reason why people quit trying to reach their goals and give up on the gym is the weighing scales.

 The weighing scales have been the number one measure of success for many many years and one which the majority of the population still use, even some gyms, as the main way to measure how well someone is doing on their quest for weight loss.

 Unfortunately the scales have a major flaw to them and as said above can destroy someone’s morale and motivation in a blink of an eye. Now let’s think for a moment of the exercisers and dieter in question, the day they decided they were going to get fit and eat healthy no doubt started with them standing in front of the mirror and seeing a wobbly stomach, flabby arms and saggy bum.

 So that was it, the wake up call, the moment that made them realize they must do something about the way they look and feel and its obvious what they need to do right? Lose weight! WRONG! They need to lose BODYFAT!

 This is where the main trouble with weighing comes in, the scales measure the weight of your entire body, bones, blood, skin, organs, ligaments, tendons, water and body fat, everything that you are made of it measured. But we want to lose body fat, we aren’t going to look better by losing blood and organs now are we?!

 The scales do not give an accurate idea of how much body fat you are losing, you could weigh yourself, go and have a pint of water then weigh again and you have put weight on! Is this bad/ is it body fat? No blatantly it isn’t.

 So why do people bother using the scales? Well people still continue to use the scales as it is what has always been done and they have never stopped to think about why or how the scales work. Even Doctors will weigh their patients to check how ‘healthy’ they are but how is some ones weight an indication of some ones health? Would a 20 stone bodybuilder be seen as unhealthy even though he has under 20% body fat and eats perfectly and exercises everyday? Well unfortunately yes he would under these circumstances.

 If people stopped to think for a moment what they are actually doing when they weigh themselves and have a few of the points above told to them then they would probably sit there and think “why exactly am I weighing myself then?” and the answer would be because its what’s always been done, but that doesn’t mean its correct or beneficial does it?

 So I hear you say, how do I measure my ‘fat loss’? Well what was it that made most people start in the first place? They didn’t like the way they LOOKED! And that is what this is all about, how we look. Body fat is hard to measure but what we do know is it takes up a hell of a lot more room on the body than muscles do. So one of the very best ways to measure success is before and after photos and body measurements!

 They say the camera never lies, and this is very true we can also say this of the tape measure, it is unforgiving and won’t lie to you. So if you want to measure real success in your ‘fat loss’ regime from how to lose stomach fat to slimmer legs, then get your camera and tape measure out and take regular updates, every 2 weeks is ideal as the body often takes a while to adapt to exercise and healthier eating.

 So there we have it, that is why you should……throw out the scales.

Tags: fatburing reality, losing weight

How Much Do You Know About Your Body?

It’s amazing how some people can go through life without knowing how their body works. They will eat and drink whatever they want without a care in the world, until the day comes for them to change. At that time the realization hits them that they really should have looked into nutrition earlier. A great place to start is learning about Omega 3.

It’s a Serious Issue

Most people have heard of Omega 3, but don’t really know how and why it helps our body. This will usually mean it gets ignored, which can lead to serious health issues. A low level of Omega 3 in our diet holds a risk much similar to the intake of bad fats and the use of alcohol. Without the right amount of Omega 3 you may find yourself increasing the chances of heart disease and death.

Studies have shown that not only can Omega 3 help with heart disease, but it can also improve an abundance of health concerns. These range from improving the health of our eyes, to lubrication of the skin. And it’s not only physical. Omega 3s can also lift your mood and assist in the fight against depression.

How Does It Work?

While you might know that something works, it’s also important to know how. Our bodies are complicated systems of different organs and there are causes for all your health problems. These problems can be followed in a cycle.

For example, imagine yourself taking an omega 3 supplement. These supplements can help in lowering the levels of triglyceride in your body. These are a type of lipid which is closely linked to the development of atherosclerosis, or in simpler terms, a bad cholesterol build up. The omega 3 acts as a blood thinner and lowers the chance of a build up and in turn helps to prevent high blood pressure.

Helping with cholesterol and blood pressure isn’t the only advantage to omega 3 though; it can also help with inflammation. It does this by encouraging the production of inflammation-suppressing compounds in our body. These compounds remind our body to turn off inflammatory reactions when they are no longer needed; lowering the affect they have on our lives.

Where is the Omega 3?

There a different ways of increasing your intake of omega 3, but the first should be healthy eating. It can be found in a number of good foods, including walnuts, flaxseeds and kidney beans. But the options don’t stop there, omega 3 can also be found in fish, olive oil and tofu. The only problem is that sometimes buying these different foods can feel like a chore.

Instead of looking through your supermarket and at every nutrition label, you could just use nutritional supplements. Omega 3 can be found in a wide number of different pills, including krill oil, and will give you the right balance needed for a healthy lifestyle.

But taking supplements doesn’t mean that for the rest of the day you can eat fast food. The general health of your body is maintained with everything you eat and supplements are an added extra to help us where we fell short.

By understanding your body more you can lower the risk of serious health issues and improve your lifestyle.  It might be tough to stay on top of everything your body needs, but omega 3 is a great starting point. From here you can grow to incorporate everything you need.

Bio

Sandra Goldstein is an SEO writer for Everest Nutrition and specializes in Krill Oil. She likes to discuss the topic of vitamins, but in her spare time also enjoys annoying her cat and playing Angry Birds.

Tags: krill oil, omega 3

 Throughout the month of December 2011,  I am participated in Reverb11.  See this post for more information.  Since I did not have a lot of time to post all of the prompts in December, I decided to continue in January, since there were no rules.

Prompt #14 – Marvel

What have you done well over the past year—the little stuff and the big stuff? How do you celebrate the positives?

 What have I done well the past year in 2011? I think I was able to get to know all of the new people who started in 2011. I also, at least I want to think that I did, blogged and wrote better. I don’t rush with my articles anymore and think that my posts are high quality.

I celebrate the postives by writing in my gratitude journal and  tell ing all of my friends the postives in my life.

Tags: reverb11

Quote of the week:

“Without inspiration the best powers of the mind remain dormant. There is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks.”    -Johann Gottfried Von Herder

Health Tip:

Stress Tips: Take time out to relax and recharge your batteries. You will perform much better after a break and easily make up the time you used relaxing.       -http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health

Tags: health tip

Are you ready for a new look this New Year? Progresso®is excited to announce the return of their Souper You®Contest giving you the change to win an incredible makeover! By telling Progresso why you deserve a makeover and what you love about their soup, you could have the chance to win an ultimate makeover experience in Hollywood this Spring!

Now that the ball has dropped and the confetti has settled, it´s time to consider how you will stick to your resolution for the New Year and maintain your weight management plan, without sacrificing on variety or the taste of foods you love. Thanks to Progresso®, you can have your soup and eat it too!

With 40 delicious soups with 100 calories or less per serving, Progresso Soup has a variety of offerings that help you beat diet boredom and satisfy your taste cravings, while helping you stick to your weight management calorie goals. Progresso soups are packed with hearty ingredients like pasta, beans, rice, meat and vegetables that suit your taste buds and make you feel good about including it in your meal choices.

This year, the Souper You® Contest will provide three lucky winners with an ultimate makeover experience in Hollywood; this includes a trip for 2 to Los Angeles, California where the winner will receive a head-to-toe makeover including hair and makeup, guided shopping spree with a $1,000 fashion retailer gift card, $1,000 spending money and 2 tickets to this season´s live finale of NBC´s The Biggest Loser

Progresso is asking fans to visit www.SouperYou.com and submit their photo with a brief essay about why they love Progresso soups and why they deserve a makeover, by no later than February 22nd

Fans can check back on March 12th for the announcement of the top ten finalists, and to vote for their favorite finalist until March 25th

In addition, visit http://bit.ly/ProgressoCoup to download a printable coupon for $1.25 off the purchase of four (4) cans of Progresso Soup today, and feel free to share with your blog readers so they can take advantage of the savings as well

Also, tune into The Biggest Loser on NBC Tuesdays at 8/7c

Click to see the Progresso Souper You 2011 Contest Winners  and watch this amazing video of the 2011 winner experience.

DISCLAIMER:  I received the contest information and Progresso coupon from My Blog Spark.

Tags: Progresso

Attention ShopRite Shopper! You could have the chance to win a ShopRite gift card with a value of up to $150, just by sharing some exciting news from your favorite grocery store with your blog readers, family members and friends! As a member of MyBlogSpark, you are eligible to be entered into the ShopRite “Cans for Fans” Sweepstakes where you can win one of three prepaid ShopRite gift cards for $50, $100 or $150!

About the Can Can Sale:

In 2011, ShopRite donated 40,000 cans of food to local food banks in commemoration of 40 years of Can Can savings by way of its famous, annual Can Can Sale. Now in its 41st year, the Can Can Sale has become extra special with the “Cans for Fans” Facebook program, which enables fans to get involved in the fight against hunger. During the 2012 Can Can Sale (1/5 – 1/21), ShopRite will donate one can of food (up to 50,000 cans) to local food banks in the communities it serves, on behalf of every new ShopRite Facebook fan.

• Like Shop Rite on Facebook;  the official Facebook fan page; the more “Likes” that ShopRite receives, the more cans it will donate to those in need – it’s that simple!
• Visit ShopRite’s “Get Can Canned” website at www.ShopRiteCanCan.com, to upload a personal photo and become a virtual ShopRite Can Can dancer; the image can be emailed to friends, shared via your personal blog, Facebook or Twitter account, or posted to ShopRite’s official Facebook page
• Visit www.ShopRite.com for the Can’t Can’t Wait Sale Preview on Sunday, January 1st

DISCLAIMER:  This contest, content and image are from My Blog Spark.  I am not receiving any monetary compensation from My Blog Spark or from Shop Rite.

Tags: Shop Rite sweepstakes

Avocados are packed with nutrition. They are high in vitamin K, fiber, potassium, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and copper.  They also contain oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that may help lower cholesterol.

Tags: health tip

I haven’t had much time this week to blog.  I am taking this time to reflect and answer some Reverb prompts.  I started Reverb11 in December 2011. Throughout the month of December 2011,  I participated in Reverb11.  See this post for more information. 

 My schedule was too hectic for me to post everyday and since there are no rules I decided to continue. 

Prompt #13 – Love

What are the things (or people or animals) in this world that you love the most.

{image:  found via kind over matter, original by Lesley Myrick}

I love my family, friends, and significant other the most in this world.  I love these people in my life unconditionally. Through the years, I learned about unconditional love. I grew up thinking that people loved me when I acted a certain way or if I did something nice for others.  As I got older and wiser, I realized my family and friends still loved me no matter how I acted, what I said or if I helped them.  There are no conditions to love.

Tags: reverb11