New Year?s Resolution: Love Your Body!

Ah, the beginning of a New Year. A time to reflect and start anew: new hopes, dreams, goals for yourself. Speaking of which, have you taken that all important inventory of your body, yet? Is this the year you're going to make the change?
Wondering how to begin? Read on?
Most people begin a new year in earnest; dreaming of building a shapely new body. However, by the end of January they are back to their same old habits. This year make it easy on yourself; simply commit yourself to building healthy body. The rest is easy: you'll need only to glean the proper education and time management. Here, I've outlined five basic steps so you can easily begin your commitment to a healthy, shapely new year:

Step One: Begin where you are. This sounds logical but it's true. All you really have is this moment; today. The past is behind you, learn from it, then let it go. Aim to be grateful for where you are right now, give thanks for who you are. You are unique and special. In fact, take some time to list all of your greatest gifts. Reflect on them and give thanks.

Step Two: Just as you must begin where you are, you must Love your body as it is right now. Perhaps you don't know this yet, but your body is perfect, healthy and whole just as it is. Even if it is not the image of what you define as perfection, inside you is the potential for health, beauty and well being. Give thanks for this beautiful machine! This beautiful body that is yours has the potential to do great things. At this moment: vow to take great care of this body and engage its natural ability to be healthy.

Step Three: Do more with less. You don't necessarily need expensive equipment or gym memberships to take care of your body, begin by getting yourself moving everyday and making some small changes to your diet. Here are some simple ideas: decrease your salt and sugar intake and take some long, leisurely walks. Embrace how good it feels to treat your body well and put it in motion. Form a habit of feeding your body better and get it moving. Soon you will work these efforts into a regular exercise and a sound nutrition program.

Step Four: Get support. There are many ways to get support in creating your Brand New Body: online and off. If you need to lose weight, Weight Watchers has built a community of like minded people that know how get the job done. You can find your local chapter or check them out online at http://www.weightwatchers.com/ There are also many communities that have group support check out: http://www.groupdiets.com/. They have an excellent community, specializing in weight loss, proper nutrition and exercise.

Step Five: Set a goal for the year, then break it down. Finally, set your big yearly goal! But wait--before you get intimidated-- break this big goal into 12 mini-goals; achievable things you can do each month. Next, begin to carve out specific "exercise time" in your day. Are you a morning person? Do you have most of your energy before bed? Be aware of these things when you begin to move into your exercise "habit forming."
Most of all make a motion to educate yourself this year. Yes you can, be Smart and Fit! Check out books on exercise (see Brand New Body ==>http://www.1brand-new-body.com) Finally, reward yourself as you progress through 2004. Instead of food, try a massage, a weekend trip to a day spa or just taking a day for yourself. Yes, sometimes beginning a new year can be daunting, but if you have a plan, support and a bit of motivation: chances are you will meet with success!
About The Author
Laura Turner, C.P.T wants to help you build a Brand New Body.
She is building an Online Fitness Community at http://www.1brand-new-body.com/. Set goals, Lose Weight, Get Fit and healthy. No more excuses! Start now.

Throwing an Anniversary Party to be Remembered

Throwing an Anniversary Party to be Remembered

Anniversary parties are a wonderful way to celebrate
two people who have been together for a number of
years. The most common anniversary parties are for 25
years and 50 years. There are many things you can do to
make this day special for not only the couple, but all
of their family and friends as well. Many people have
shared in the joys and sorrows of the anniversary
couple and they help to make this a special day as
well. Planning an anniversary party is a huge
undertaking, sometimes almost as big as a wedding.
Silver or Gold?
An anniversary party theme is fairly simple to
determine. Unless the couple or their immediate family
has requested a particular theme (this is unlikely),
you should plan a fairly traditional party. A 25th
wedding anniversary is traditionally silver, while a
50th anniversary is gold. Use this to plan the majority
of your party, everything from invitations to
decorations.
Who to Invite
An anniversary party can be as big as a wedding. While
many people opt for a small get together consisting of
family and close friends only, others look forward to a
huge celebration with everyone who has touched their
lives in past years. 25th anniversary parties tend to
be of the smaller more intimate variety, whereas 50
years together definitely deserves more of a to-do.
If you're planning a huge bash, it may take quite a bit
of time to come up with a guest list. If the happy
couple knows about the party the easiest thing to do is
ask them who should be invited. Family members and
close friends are fairly obvious, but in addition you
may want to invite old coworkers, church members, old
neighbors, and the list can go on. If you are planning
a surprise party for the couple, this can be a little
tricky. Rather than getting the input of just one
family member, send a tentative guest list to several
family members and ask each for additions and
deletions. This will help make sure no one gets missed.
The Invitations
If you're throwing a huge anniversary party, sending
out invitations can be quite the task. If the party
budget allows for it, get them custom made. You can
order the invitations online and get everything shipped
to you and ready to go. This will save an enormous
amount of time. If the party budget is tight and that
money would better go to use elsewhere, making your own
invitations can actually be quite simple. All you need
is a computer and a printer. You can download some
great invitations templates that are simple enough to
put together. All you need to do is add all the party
information and perhaps a beautiful quote on the front
and voila your invitations are ready to go.
Setting the Scene
Decorations for the party don't have to be hugely
extravagant, but by adding some special touches you
will help make the night even more special for the
happy couple. Use the anniversary color almost
exclusively; this will help make a great effect. Some
ways to use either silver or gold are:
- Use gold or silver pen or ink for place cards, menu,
and any other written items
- Gold or silver balloons make a beautiful yet
inexpensive decoration
- Add gold or silver placemats or doilies at each place
setting
- Gold or silver candles and or candle holders make a
great centerpiece
- Dinnerware and barware should have gold or silver
accents
There are many other ways in which you can incorporate
these colors into the party. Just be sure not to overdo
it since this may actually have a night club-ish tacky
sort of look to it. Add plenty of white to balance it
out.
Favors to Remember
Many couples will want to send their guests away with a
little something to remember the night by and as a
thank you for attending. One of the best favors ideas
is a small picture frame of the couple. You can use
pictures from their wedding day or a more recent photo.
If you can find picture frames that hold two photos a
nice idea is to add both a picture of their wedding day
and a recent one. Friends and family of the couple will
love taking this beautiful keepsake home.
Another great idea is a CD of songs form the era that
the couple met and was married. This will bring back
great memories for many of their family and friends and
is probably one of the most useful favor possibilities.
Be sure to check with local copyright laws to determine
what type of fees apply to creating and giving away a
music compilation. Make sure that all the music on the
CD gets played throughout the night to really give
guests something to remember.
A Night of Nostalgia
A great idea for any anniversary party, big or small,
is a slide show. Start the show of with pictures of the
couple when they first met and progress through the
years of children and grandchildren. Don't be surprised
to see a few eyes get misty during the show. Add some
memorable quotes throughout the show, and play some
touching music that reminds them of certain times in
their lives.
If you want the slide show to be a surprise, you can
ask family and friends for their favorite pictures to
add to the show. You'll probably end up with more
pictures than you'll know what to do with so don't
worry if you can't get any of the couple's picture
albums.
As you can see, planning an anniversary party can take
a lot of time, so start planning as soon as possible.
Since you could be inviting well over 100 people,
starting a year in advance isn't too soon. Don't try
and take this task on by yourself, you'll probably have
plenty of offers from friends and family to give you a
hand; definitely take them up on their offer. This will
be a night for everyone to cherish and remember, and
the happy anniversary couple will be on cloud nine
after seeing how much they mean to everyone in their
lives.
John Lenaghan writes about party planning and other
tips for the Party Ideas 4u website, where he provides
valuable tips and advice about Anniversary party ideas,
birthday party ideas and other party planning topics.

Spice Up Your Life with an Adventure Holiday!

Are you bored with the routine of city life? Do you
yearn for a getaway from the hustle and bustle and put
some excitement into your life? Do you hope to visit
the places that have been aired over National
Geographic Explorer and experience it for yourself? If
your answer is yes to these questions, then adventure
travel is just the thing for you!
Defining an Adventure Holiday
Ok, so you've decided that you want an adventure
holiday. This leads you to the next question ? what
type of adventure holiday do you want? There is just so
much variety and different perceptions of the word "
Adventure" that people have come up with all sorts of
activities to define this word. For example, there's
the nerve-wrenching bungee jumping sport with locations
available to do this all over the world. If you are
into water adventures, then white-water rafting may
just be right for you. For mountain climbers, they can
scale any mountain in the world, each providing the
mountain climber distinctive challenges and excitement.
On the other hand, some people may consider watching a
cultural parade in an exotic country as an adventure.
For example, the annual carnival at Tobago offers an
opportunity for visitors to join into their
celebrations of street parties and multi-colored
parades. Perhaps a cruise to Alaska to watch seals and
whales is an adventure to some, while others may prefer
a hot air balloon ride amongst the clouds. Those with
an archeological spirit within them, may desire to
visit the ruins of Anchor Wat or the Pyramids of
Kulkulcan and call that an adventure.
Well, the possibilities are just endless. And the
definitions are wider. In the end, as long as you had a
good time, experienced a great getaway and have opened
your eyes to new sights and sounds, your objectives
would then have already been met.
Preparing for your Adventure
Once you have made your decision on your destination
and activity, the next step that you need to take is to
gather as much information as you can on your
destination. Things like health warnings, local
hazards, visas and weather conditions are just some of
the few things that you need to take note of. It would
be advisable to join a forum to get to know others who
have gone to the same location and have done the same
thing, in order to get advice beforehand on things that
you need to watch out for.
If your trip requires physical exertion, for example
activities like mountain climbing, trekking, whitewater
rafting or even bungee jumping; you will need to get
yourself physically ready. Cross-training and focused
exercise is advisable so that you don't break down or
sustain unnecessary injury during the course of your
trip. Also, get a medical check-up before you go, to
ensure a clean bill of health and fitness before you
embark.
Finally, adventure travel is no doubt a great deal of
fun and also a necessary ingredient to add variety to
your daily routine. Once you have had a taste of a
great adventure, you will no doubt look forward to your
next adventure holiday! For more information and
bookings on adventure travel america and overseas visit
http://www.adventuretraveltips.com/
Loreal Oliver is an advanturous traveller and preety
crazy too. He travels extensively around the world
since the age of 17 years and never gets tired. There
is few places unexplored by him and he is always ready
for another venture. He loves Photography and reading.

Tools and Tips for Keeping the Holidays Organized

It's November 1st. You've walked into your favorite
store to buy half-priced Halloween candy and what do
you see? Christmas decorations! "Oh, no!" you think to
yourself. "That can only mean one thing..."
The HOLIDAYS are coming!
Don't stress-you're going to start early and be more
organized this year...Here are some tools and tips for
staying on top of the busy and sometimes stressful
holiday season.
TOOL #1: Lists
Why keep lists? Whether they are written on paper or
typed onto your computer, a list allows you to do a
sort of 'brain dump' of everything you need to recall
at a moment's notice. There are so many different
things to remember when it comes to holiday time: Your
husband's shirt size, the spices you need for this
year's stuffing, what store has gift wrap on sale, etc.
Unless you have an incredible memory, keeping lists
will help get you through some of the stress of the
holiday season.
Some examples of list topics you may need during the
holidays are:

food shopping list
lists of dishes to prepare when entertaining
gift list
invitation lists

TOOL #2: Calendar
This may be the most important organizing tool you use
this season. Why use a calendar? A calendar is a tool
that helps you plan what you need to accomplish in a
day, a week, or a month. And boy, is there a lot to
accomplish during the holidays! As opposed to just
making to-do lists, sometimes seeing time in visual
blocks on paper (or electronically) helps one to manage
their time more efficiently...
Examples of activities to be scheduled during the
holidays are:

food shopping
gift shopping
cooking
wrapping gifts
trips to the post office
holiday parties (whether hosted by you or someone else)

Become a 'Master of Time Management.'
How will you know how much time to put aside for each
task? Work backwards from the day or time that a task
needs to be done by. Estimate how many hours/days it
would take to complete the task. Schedule the time and
and mark your calendar accordingly.
For example:
Task:
Cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving (to be ready by
Thursday at 5pm)
Steps:

Purchase turkey at least one week before Thanksgiving
(enter task in calendar for the week before
Thanksgiving)
Defrost turkey 2-3 days before Thanksgiving depending
upon size (calculate defrosting time and enter task in
calendar to be started on Monday or Tuesday before
Thanksgiving)
Cook turkey. This can take 3-6 hours depending upon
size (calculate cooking time and write on your calendar
for Thursday what time the bird needs to be in the oven
by in order to finish cooking by 5pm)
A schedule is a guideline and should be flexible. Try
to schedule tasks to be completed ahead of deadline.
This allows for any problems or emergencies that may
arise.
TOOL #3: Quality Storage Containers
Dishes
Are your holiday dishes in a box in the attic? A great
product for protecting and storing your holiday (or any
type of) dishes are China Keepers. They are padded/
quilted, made of either cotton or vinyl and come in
different shapes and sizes depending upon your storage
needs.
*Lillian Vernon Online sells them in six different
patterns including one set decorated for the Christmas
season (http://www.lillianvernon.com/).
Holiday Decorations
Some people decorate their homes only in the winter and
some people choose to decorate for every holiday in the
year. Whichever person you claim to be, it is important
to keep your decorations from being ruined due to
improper storage and care. A few options are:

large plastic bins with ornament dividers
ziploc bags for small items such as ornament hangers
and anything small enough to get lost in a big box
small plastic bins for lights, candles, and the ziploc
bags of smaller items
wreath boxes specially designed for wreath storage (
found at http://www.organizes-it.com/)

*Label everything so you can find it easily next year.
Leftover Food
Wrapping leftovers in tinfoil might be a quick way to
get them from frying pan to fridge but you'll be
spending a great deal of time figuring out what's
inside of them. Use food containers such as those made
by Rubbermaid or Tupperware or 'disposable' containers
such as ones made by Glad and Ziploc. They're found in
most supermarkets. They stack well and if you want to
give out leftovers to your guests, they're not very
expensive to replace.
Tips for staying organized throughout the holiday
season:

Wrap gifts and write holiday cards as early in the
season as possible. I don't know anyone (including
postal employees) that want to be in the post office
around the time of December 25th...
Shop early in the season, at off-peak hours or online
if at all possible
When storing ornaments, group them by theme. This will
make it easier to find exactly which ones you want.
After the holiday, sort through ornaments, wall/door
hangings, linens, etc. and purge anything that you do
not need, want, or is beyond repair.

Above all, remain calm. If you stay organized, the
holidays will be less stressful and you will enjoy
yourself even more. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
About The Author
Stacey Agin Murray, professional organizer and owner of
Organized Artistry, LLC, transforms 'mess' into
'masterpiece' with patience, organizing know-how, and a
sense of humor. For more articles and to get your FREE
e-list of 'Top Ten Tips for Organized Living' visit
http://www.organizedartistry.com/;
stacey@organizedartistry.com

Create Warm Memories with Holiday Traditions

I remember just a handful of the Christmas presents I
received as a child: My first Barbie doll with her
skinny black sequined gown. My soft, pink Pat-a-Burp
doll. The microscope I got in second grade.
But I have many, many memories of our holiday
traditions. The lovely aromas of holiday ethnic food.
Riding the South Shore train into Chicago to visit the
"real" Santa. Using a paintbrush to decorate sugar
cookies with colored frosting. Setting up our manger
scene.
Traditions add so much joy to the holidays. Traditions
give a child a sense of belonging and identity. They
strengthen bonds across generations and live long in
memory.
A family rich in traditions has a powerful antidote to
commercialism. The more focused you are on pleasures
that cost little or nothing, the more all the gifts
tend to stay in their appropriate place.
Best of all, many traditions are perfectly suited to
today's busy families. Here are a few favorites:
SIMPLE PLEASURES
Light candles at dinnertime. If December mornings are
dark where you live, light candles at breakfast, too.
Take an evening stroll or car ride to look at Christmas
lights.
Serve warm chocolate with candy canes for stirring.
THE JOY OF GIVING
Let your kids in on the excitement of finding and
wrapping gifts for those they love. Compliment them for
being big enough to keep the surprise a secret.
As a family, decide on a charity and make a donation.
Our favorite is Heifer International (http://www.heifer.org/).
Take a plate of cookies or other holiday treats to a
homeless shelter or to a police or fire station.
GRATITUDE
Give family members strips of paper in holiday colors.
Let everyone write or draw something they're thankful
for on each strip. Link the strips into a chain and
hang as a decoration.
Write thank-you cards to each other. Decide together
when to open them.
CONNECTING GENERATIONS
Interview grandparents, aunts, and uncles about holiday
traditions they remember from their childhood. Adopt
any traditions that fit your family.
Ask relatives for holiday recipes that have been handed
down in your family. Or, search the Internet for
holiday recipes related to your ethnic origins.
NEW YEAR'S EVE
If your kids are little, it works fine to celebrate the
new year at 9 PM instead of midnight!
Pull out photos and videos from the past year and share
your memories.
Keep a box of inexpensive noisemakers and party hats
that you can re-use each year. The kids will enjoy
pulling out their old favorites.
NEW YEAR'S DAY
Decorate a box in which you'll put photos, ticket stubs
and other souveniers of the coming year. Talk about
your hopes and wishes.
Let each family member put New Year's resolutions into
their own envelope. Author Mimi Doe ("Busy But
Balanced") has a tradition of sealing the envelopes
with wax -- a nice, magical touch.
(c) 2004 Norma Schmidt, Coach, LLC
Norma Schmidt, Coach, LLC, specializes in helping
working mothers create balance. She offers workshops,
teleclasses and individual and group coaching. Her free
e-mail newsletter, "The Balance Point," is published
bi-weekly. Visit http://www.normaschmidt.com/

Celebrate Parks Day, Everyday this Summer!

Canada's Parks Day falls on July 16'th this year. First
celebrated in 1990, Parks Day is an opportunity for
individuals to participate in hundreds of unique and
fun events taking place in sites from coast to coast.
Events are organized in national parks, national
historic sites, provincial parks, and territorial
parks, as well as in community and regional parks
across the country.
Increasingly regulated and restricted, the dwindling
islands we like to call parks are more precious than we
could possibly realize. Although having a special day
to honor them is fantastic, there really should be a
year-round awareness to maintain and keep them clean
and garbage free. When we make an effort to keep trails
and waterways clean we see measurable results in a
healthier and safer environment for wildlife and humans
alike to enjoy. Many communities rely on tourism and a
clean pristine park will entice tourists to return and
mention it to others.
Parks and trails with trash bins are less likely to
have litter lying around the grounds. Get in the habit
of always packing a supply of bags to pick up any stray
litter you might find along the way. Rather than
walking by trash and fretting about it ? pick it up and
be proactive! It is surprising how good it begins to
feel when you make a difference.
Eighty percent of the waste found in waterways (
streams, creeks, rivers, swamps, lakes and oceans)
originates from inland sources. Rivers act like a
vortex pulling in debris through air and water currents
and can carry it thousands of miles further along its
path. Cities on or near these waterways have a
responsibility to be even more diligent of pollution as
they are more likely to 'share' with unwilling
populations downstream of them.
Highways and roads are also convenient corridors for
loose garbage to travel upon. Natural wind and breezes
caused by traffic can pull in a vast amount of junk. We
can take action and help to decrease this. Starting in
your own yard, do you see loose garbage along your
street and alley bordering your yard that needs to be
cleaned up? Also, encourage friends, neighbors and
businesses to keep garbage bin lids securely closed to
prevent litter escaping to the wind. When carrying
loads in vehicles, make sure the load is covered so
debris does not fall out along the way. Another pro-
active option to consider is stream and swamp clean up
projects in urban areas. These are often supported by
businesses and cities through the donation of garbage
bags, supplies, media coverage, trash removal and
occasionally, volunteers.
Maybe if there were enough of us continually cleaning
up the areas we inhabit, the whole world would resemble
a park. Happy Parks Day?
Written by Dave and Lillian Brummet based on the
concept of their book, Trash Talk. The book offers
useful solutions for the individual to reduce waste and
better manage resources. A guide for anyone concerned
about their impact on the environment. (http://www/.
sunshinecable.com/~drumit)