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Five Effective Ways to Beat the Pregnancy Blues

pregnancyresources — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:39:00 GMT

Are you emotionally low, anxious, and lethargic during your pregnancy? Do you feel downright unhappy with life? At least every one in ten pregnant women suffer from the above symptoms of depression accompanied by frequent mood swings, fatigue, restlessness, loss of interest, and sleep and appetite disturbance. There are several effective ways to combat these antenatal blues.

1) Exercise

Exercise helps energize and rejuvenate the body and mind. Regular walking, swimming or any other form of prenatal workout should be part of your pregnancy calendar (at least three times a week). Yoga and meditation offer benefits of improved breathing and concentration along with relaxation.

2) Diet

A healthy and balanced diet goes a long way for you and your growing baby. Avoiding sugar, chocolate and caffeine can help cope with mood swings. It is also a good idea to increase your calorie intake to fight fatigue. Stick to a suitable antenatal vitamin–mineral supplement regime to meet your nutritional needs. Try taking small but frequent meals throughout the day to ease digestion.

3) Pamper Yourself

Feeling good and looking good are like two sides of the same coin. Be it a day at the spa for a massage or manicure, a new hair style, or simply going out shopping, pampering yourself once in a while helps uplift your mood. Taking care of yourself by dressing up or wearing make-up during those expecting months also boosts your confidence level and improves your state of mind.

4) Share Your Feelings

Expectant women go through a lot of physical and hormonal changes consequently making them more emotional than they probably were prior to conceiving. Talking it out with your spouse or friend mitigates the anxiety within you. Writing a journal plays the role of a companion as well as helps to keep a record of your pregnancy week by week. Various parenting websites offer support to first time moms by providing relevant information and networking opportunities.

5) Therapy and Medication

In cases where prenatal depression becomes severe and has the potential to continue into the postnatal stage, psychotherapy or antidepressant medication may be recommended by your practitioner.

Research reveals that pregnancy blues triggered by high anxiety levels may result in low birth weight and pre-maturity. Hormonal or circumstantial, whatever be the reason for depression, it is advisable that pregnant women make an intentional effort to think and act optimistically, ruling out the possibility of postpartum depression. Enjoy the experience while it lasts. Be proud and appreciative of your journey to motherhood with an open mind and a forward looking attitude.

Different Pregnancy Stages

pregnancyresources — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 09:06:00 GMT

The Three Trimesters Leading to Motherhood

The blissful nine months that leads to motherhood can be grouped into three pregnancy stages. The development of the child growing up in the womb is generally divided into three trimesters. Each trimester is a period of three months covering the total nine months. The three stages help us to understand the development of the fetus as well as the bodily changes and sufferings that is experienced by the mother.

The first three months of pregnancy defines the first trimester. The fetus starts to grow very fast during the first trimester. Most of the organs develop during the first twelve weeks. The pregnant woman may suffer from pregnancy symptoms like implantation symptoms or cramping. Cramping is harmless if there is no bleeding. She may feel tired and exhausted. She may also suffer from morning sickness though some do not experience it. Multivitamins should be taken under medical guidance. The placenta also develops in this stage. It is responsible for carrying nutrients and oxygen to the fetus. It also removes the wastes from the embryo. Of the other pregnancy stages much care should be taken during this time as miscarriages occur more often.

The fourth to sixth month is considered the second trimester. The pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness or nausea go away. The movement of the baby can be felt from the 20^th week. The placenta starts to function fully and the fetus can be differentiated as a boy or girl. The pregnant woman becomes more energetic in this trimester and starts to gain weight. The uterus enlarges to 20 times its normal size. This is the most enjoyable time among the other pregnancy stages.

The third or final trimester is the period from the 7^thmonth till the baby is born. The fetus starts to move very fast in this stage. The pregnant woman gains most of the weight now. The abdomen starts to drop downward as the baby starts to take the downward position readying itself for birth. The fetus starts to grow very quickly. Each day it grows up to 8 gram. This stage of pregnancy can be really painful as the pregnant woman may suffer from back ache and may sometimes fail to control bladder. The fetus starts to roll at this stage. It results in severe pain in the back especially.

The three different pregnancy stages help us to know about the fetal development, the diet requirement, the bodily changes and the uneasiness that a would-be mother and her baby undergoes during this period of nine months. This division generally helps in grouping this period more specifically.

The Three Trimesters Leading to Motherhood

pregnancyresources — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 09:06:00 GMT

Health Problems Associated to Food Deficiency

pregnancyresources — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:14:00 GMT

For any creature, adequate nutrition is extremely vital for a normal growth and life. Our system is a really complicated one which carries on too many activities. To continue, it requires food that is comprised of iron, calcium, vitamins, carbohydrates, etc. Many essential nutrients present in the food stuff help us spring up and live a sound regime. We to satisfy our body's daily needs. All the nutrients are needed in some amounts on day-to-day basis. If the expectations are not reached, the system expresses the paucity through certain symptoms. These symptoms take over the form of sickness, which we name as deficiency diseases.

Deficiency diseases can lead to too many health problems. The inadequacy of proteins leads to diseases like kwashiorkor and marasmus among children. Such children may also suffer from mental impairment. Calcium insufficiency causes rickets among children and osteomalacia in adults. Iron deficiency leads to anemia and paleness in the system. Those who are undernourished and don't get adequate zinc from the food, have retarded growth. Vitamin B, when is not given in required amounts, causes beriberi. Vitamin B3 deficiency leads to pellagra. insufficiency of vitamin C in the body/system, leads to scurvy. All these nutrients are extremely important as they keep us fine in life.

To keep these deficiency diseases at bay, one should have a healthy diet. Even too much of quantity of these nutrients may take heavy toll on one's health. Therefore, a sufficient quantity of everything should compose our routine diet. Also one should ensure that suitable hygiene is maintained while cooking. Only standard quality of food products are be bought. These days, impure food stuff are available in abundance therefore, one should make best efforts in avoiding them as they may cause food poisoning. Even little bit of such food may cause severe infections. A sufficient diet consisting of foods that are prepared under maintained hygiene can nourish you the way that you may need no supplements at all.

Diseases Pertaining to Dietary Insufficiency

pregnancyresources — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 06:03:00 GMT

For any living being, adequate food is very important for a normal development and life. Our body is a very complicated one which carries on too many functions. To keep going, it requires charge up that is comprised of iron, calcium, vitamins, carbohydrates, etc. Many vital nutrients present in the food help us arise and live a sound regime. We to satisfy our body’s routine expectations. All the nutrients are required in particular quantities on routine basis. If the needs are not satisfied, the body expresses the lack through certain warning signs. These symptoms take over the form of ailment, which we call as deficiency diseases.

Deficiency diseases can cause numerous health problems. The deficiency of proteins causes ailments like kwashiorkor and marasmus among children. Such children may even lose out to mental retardation. Calcium deficiency causes rickets among children and osteomalacia among adults. Iron inadequateness causes anemia and paleness in the body. Those who are undernourished and don’t get enough of zinc from the food, have disabled growth. Vitamin B, when is not given in sufficient amounts, results in beriberi. Vitamin B3 inadequacy leads to pellagra. inadequacy of vitamin C in the body/system, leads to scurvy. All these nutrients are very vital as they keep us stay fine in life.

To keep these deficiency diseases at distance, one should have a balanced diet. Even too much of quantity of these nutrients may take heavy toll on one’s well-being. Therefore, a sufficient amount of everything should compose our routine diet. Also one should confirm that proper hygiene is maintained while working in the kitchen. Only genuine brand of food products are be bought. These days, impure food stuff are available in abundance therefore, one should make best efforts in identifying them as they may lead to food poisoning. Even a bit of such food may cause bad infections. A adequate diet comprising of foods that are cooked under maintained cleanliness can nourish you the way that you may need no alternatives at all.

Insufficiency Disorders are caused because of insufficiency any of the nutrients. The problem can be taken care by means of a well-planned balanced diet.For serious cases, you can opt for nutritional supplements.

Governement 'Rescue' and Private Money in Florida

Dan — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:46:00 GMT

Is it possible that the government 'bailout' might actually be hampering the efforts of cash flush funds looking to buy in Florida? I don't know that there is a clear answer, yet. There are literally billions of dollars sitting on the side lines of Florida real estate waiting for an answer from Washington. Idiologically, wouldn't it be better for our government to let the free market run its course? This way the cash rich funds would pump money into our local economy and absorb lots of vacant product. Wouldn't Florida be stronger for it?

What are your thoughts?

Here's a good article: http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/707026.html

Good news for Florida: Citigroup and Wachovia

Dan — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:31:00 GMT

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080930/ARTICLE/809300379/2055/NEWS?Title=A_changing_banking_landscape

Importance and Precautions for Exercise during pregnancy

pregnancyresources — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:05:00 GMT

All experts, for the well being of the mother and unborn child always recommend exercise during pregnancy. There are various forms of exercise that one can follow, of which swimming; yoga and walking are most preferred.

It is important to have a proper exercise routine and follow doctor’s orders while taking required precautions. As they say, all things are good if done within controlled measures. A Few Precautions To Be Taken While Exercising Are:

1. A light routine should be followed, as heavy exercises can divert the blood flow from crucial areas, leading to complications.

2. Exercises that are strenuous should be done under expert supervision, such as Jogging, weights, cardio etc.

3. Intake of fluids, especially before exercising is necessary.

4. Over exertion to be avoided and any pain, especially pregnancy back pain with additional symptoms must be reported immediately.

5. Follow a nutritious diet, rich in Iron and protein.

6. Always maintain a proper posture and avoid slouching.

A very light routine should be followed, especially during the initial few weeks, as the body takes time to adjust to the changes that pregnancy brings.

A proper exercise during pregnancy regime is maintained, women not only find it easier to deliver, but also take care of issues like back pain, joint aches, lethargy etc. Most specialists recommend exercising 3 – 4 times, unless a medical condition exists.

Some of the Very Many Benefits Of Exercising During Pregnancy Are:

1. Exercising keeps your body healthy and indirectly takes care of your unborn child.

2. Studies have shown that various side effects of pregnancy like, constipation, headache, and fatigue are reduced by the regular exercises.

3. Better mental health and lower stress are some of the main benefits. It also makes the emotional health of the mother to be better.

4. The labor and recovery time is reduced, as stamina is increased.

5. It has been proven that exercises reduce the risk of premature births by almost 50%.

6. It helps in weight management, especially after delivery. A major concern area of postpartum weight loss is addressed.

7. Exercising is the most useful remedy for curing pregnancy led back pains.

Exercise during pregnancy helps strengthen the body and makes delivery and labor a lot easier. It not only helps the mother, but also benefits your unborn child. This, most would say could be strongest reason to support the cause of maintaining proper pregnancy health.

The Blue Whale

BioBlogger — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:15:00 GMT

I always like to start things off with a bang, so the first animal I will be discussing is the largest animal on earth. The Blue Whale weighs in at about 200 tons and can grow to 110 feet long. Its heart is the size of a car. It's tongue is as big as an elephant, and it has blood vessels big enough for a person to swim through.

Strangely enough, the biggest animal on earth feeds almost exclusively on tiny creatures called Krill. You can find Krill at most pet stores where they are sold as fish food. Blue whales pull huge amounts of water into their mouths and filter it back out through hairlike teeth called baleen. They can eat up to 40 million krill in a single day.

Blue whales used to be hunted in large numbers by the whaling industry. While this practice has been largely shut down, the blue whale is still an endangered species. It is now very rare to encounter them in the wild. You can see some great video footage of the blue whale here:

Visit the site to see the media.

Content courtesy of: Aqua Marine Discovery

Introduction

BioBlogger — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:06:00 GMT

Since the beginning of time, man has been fascinated by the world around us. We constantly probe and question everything wondering what it is and how it works. Biology is the scientific study of the world and how it works. The more I learn about science, the more it intrigues me. I hope to pass on some of that wonder to you. This blog will focus primarily on my main interest: living things. I especially love the ocean and the beautiful life within it. I also have a deep appreciation for plants and animals, and will probably go into some of the more interesting examples of those as well. So keep an eye out for more natural wonders as this blog develops.

The First Day

Desiree — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:06:00 GMT

I've always said that I am going to write a book. Said book will be titled "I Do It In Heels", and will be a young woman's guide to getting ahead in a man's world. Sort of an autobiography slash self help deal. Being a huge reader (yet seldom follower) of the self help genre, I have always thought that something written for 20-something woman, by a twenty-something woman, about real life, real problems and embarrassments and experiences would be useful and helpful. Only now am I realixing that twenty-something is slipping away quickly, and I haven't even begun the damn book!!

I am, by all accounts,reasonably successful in my own way. I have a pretty good job; could be a career if I so chose, have a nice home, okay, apartment, and a few friends that do actually give a shit. Don't get me wrong, I have had more than my fair share of screw-ups, and with all of the money that I have made over the course of the past 10 years, I should by all means own a nice house on a nice piece of land that is filled with nice things with a nice car or two out front. But tell that to my 22 year old self and she would have laughed and told you that she had all the time in the world for that.

Instead, I have a bare (but cute!!) apartment, in the middle of the city, and a company car out front that I am really going to have to give back shortly. I have about negative $40 in the bank, and am smoking one of my last 3 cigarettes. Let me tell you, payday does NOT come often enough in these parts!!

SOOooo, the point of this whole diatribe, per the title, is the first day. Today is the first day of the rest of my life. Today I will decide where I am going in my life, what I want to see, where I want to work, to live, to travel. I figure out my budget and start planning the future!!!

As soon as Oprah is over.

The Many Masks of Mathias: Chapter 1: Space Truckin', and the Beginning's of a Low Sec Resident

Mathias Sinistar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:29:00 GMT

After the elevator ride however, my rise to the top of anything else but meteoric. My dreams of stars made of pure mercoxit, and battleships lying around to be boarded were... highly exaggerated. Instead, I found myself looking at what little isk I had scrounged together from my required service in the Republic Fleet in horror. My horror was overcome rather quickly though, and just as quickly I got myself a Hoarder, christening it Zorndyke after a character I had seen in one of the animated series they had in the holoreel archives back home, and began my life as a small time hauler. With my new rust colored space truck, I became very... very familiar with the whirring noise and nauseating sensation of jump gate travel. Hauling bits of robotics from Jita to Dodixie for a few million isk sounded good at the time, especially for a Matari who had been used to paying only about a few thousand isk a month for meals. However, pretty soon, something would change my perception of that entirely, and would end up becoming the second of many masks I've worn.

A short while into my hauling career, and I had already become sick of it. Sure, compared to my life planetside I was living the life of a king. But even at two million a day, I was making a paltry sum compared to the price I had to pay to fit and maintain my newfound hunk of bults. A million here for cargo extenders, a million there for the stuff I was going to haul, at the end of the day I was all but squeaking by. I needed a change of pace. And so, I bought a Rifter. A tiny craft, especially in comparison to the Zorndyke, it was a ship fit for one capsuleer pilot, and thats it. No crew to feed, no week long respite's from isk making due to large gashes in the hull, for if it got a gash, it could be fixed with a small repairer and a couple of isk for a cap recharge. A small, easily flyable and easily repairable ship. I named my first Rifter Thor's Hammer after the mystical god of the same name that I had learned a bit about during my schooling. It was a beautiful ship, almost all Rifter's are, and I quickly found myself fitting it out with millions of isk worth of modules and reading all I could about how to fly it. I did missions for the Republic Fleet again, the first time since my required stint. It was beautiful watching my trio of autocannon's rip into the hulls of frigates, tracking disruptor's keeping them from doing more then pinging against my shields.

Soon enough I found myself loathing the times I had to get my crew back onto the Zorndyke to haul another batch of Oxygen Isotopes just to pay to charge the capacitors and to perform general repair duties. And one day, I had just had it. I entered into my Rifter one morning instead of my Hoarder, much to the confusion of my crew, and flew off to my first expedition into low security space. Not even sure as to why, I wandered to the gate with a cross of excitement and sheer dread. Even though I had a clone back at the station, my instincts were still warning me against dying with every fiber of their being. Soon enough though, I hailed the jump gate, scrolled through and accepted the canned CONCORD warning that flared up on my HUD, and shot off into the next part of my destiny...

The Many Masks of Mathias: Prologue

Mathias Sinistar — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:11:00 GMT

Who am I? A question that has plagued the minds and scratched at the souls of people since the dawn of time. A question that has been shouted at the heavens, and held silently in the hearts in equal measure. The most obvious answer is your given name, the most worn mask in the play of life. To that end, I'll introduce myself. I'm Mathias Sinistar, a capsuleer, and a proud Minmatar pilot. I've lived planetside, stationside, ship-side, pod side, and left more then a few of my frozen corpses in the dead vacuum of space. I've made myself comfortably wealthy and uncomfortably poor, I've traded, pirated, mined, and flattered my way through life. Who am I though, truly? What is it that I do and how do I act? Hell if I know, I've worn more masks then most actors, though I plan to dust off as many of my old ones as I can, and record any freshly minted ones, to place here, for posterity, and possibly for people's enjoyment.

So where did I come from? What could make a seemingly average Minmatar take to heavens with starry-eyes? Simple really. I came to space for the same reason that many people do, especially those of the Matar. The promise of riches and freedom, a drive that has lead humans into many places, good and bad. But, the best starting place is always the beginning...

I was born the son of two Sebiestor's. My father used to work as a crew member on Capsuleer's mining vessel, making sure the strip miners were kept in relative repair, and helping pack the ore into the hull of the Hulk, or jettison it, whatever was necessary. Unfortuneatly the Hulk was brutally attacked during a low security mining operation, and was nearly destroyed. While the capsuleer took the time to replace the crew and fix up the mining crew, my father couldn't go on ships again for the rest of his life, instead deciding to settle down in a low security system in Metropolis by the name of Auner. There he met my mother, a cabaret dancer, who had never really been one for commitment. In the end, I was a "happy accident," like many of the sons and daughters in the slums of run down planet in low security space.

I grew up an anxious child. Listening to my father's tales of space travel, even his tales of the excrutiating duldrum of an average mining operation, I marvelled at what could be up there. Outside of the gravitational pull of this hell hole of a planet, I imagined the stars lined with gold plated mercoxit, every asteroid holding riches beyond my wildest dreams. My father tried to quell these rampant dreams of mine, but every chance I could I snuck off to holovid theaters to watch and rewatch old ISD footage of the Gallente-Caldari War, or the aerial ballet on display in the Alliance Tournaments.

Eventually, my wildest dreams would be realized. An entourage of the Republic Fleet came to the planetside of Auner for supplies that the nearby space stations didn't have. Foodstuffs mainly. In the meantime, they decided to hold an open recruitment for capsuleer pilots. Apparently, unbeknownst to me, not everyone could become a capsuleer pilot. Anyone with a sound mind and good sense could be a space pilot, sure, but a capsuleer took a specific talent that not many people had. Obviously, my dreams got the better of me. I snuck off, once more without my father's permission, and, at the ripe age of 19, took the Republic Fleet's test... and passed.

I was ecstatic, obviously .I was going to be a member of the Republic Fleet! I was going to space at last! I was going to shoot at Amarrian's, race through asteroid belts, and make a fortune for me and my family! Course, it didn't really turn out like that, but thats what I was thinking as the thousand some new recruits, not all future capsuleer's, mind you, huddled onto a series of Ground-to-Space craft, and made the first wonderous explosive lift off into a new and awe inspiring world...

how much fruit or vegetable is in a serving of fruit or vegetable?

emcee christmas — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:45:00 GMT

i've been feeding myself successfully for long enough that i rarely give much thought to things like "food pyramids" and whatnot, but recently i revisited this middle school health class favorite after a friend of mine began talking about struggling to get enough protein in her vegetarian diet. since i was raised vegetarian and continue to follow a vegetarian diet with no detectable protein deficiency, i decided to start keeping track of the protein in my diet to see where it comes...(read more)

Waste Less Wednesday in the Kitchen

Romo — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:02:00 GMT

Last night I had to throw out some spoiled food. There was no good reason for letting the food go bad. A while back I made potato salad for a beach picnic and there were leftovers--maybe enough to eat as a side for one meal each night for a week. Well, I don't like potato salad that much and potato salad doesn't freeze well (or rather, doesn't thaw well!), and I never got around to inviting someone over to help eat it, so it sat until it was too far gone to eat. Then there was the last couple servings of spicy red beans that I just... forgot about. I love beans, so I'm not sure how that happened. There was also some celery, and this came as no surprise to me since probably half of all the food I throw out is celery. Even though I like "ants on a log" for a snack, somehow, I never use celery unless I need it in a recipe. And I don't favor recipes that call for celery.

Growing up, my mom never had to use that cliche phrase about starving children in Africa (note, the phrase--not starvation itself--is the cliche). I loved to eat the food on my plate. And it's always bothered me to see people throwing away food they could save and eat later. So on the occasion when I let food go to waste I feel bad. I feel bad enough that I use tricks to keep it from happening.

--If I make large batches of something freezable, I freeze portions in smaller containers to use for lunches later.

--I pay attention to what amount of food I can reasonably expect to eat in two meals before I start cooking.

--When I'm thinking about what to eat for supper I take stock of leftovers first.

--I grocery shop with a list, and part of my list is always built around what is already in the fridge and waiting to be used.

--If I can't think of something I want to make with something that needs to get eaten, I look on the internet for new recipes to try.

I like to remind myself that I don't throw out that much food after all. And of course, I feel good knowing that when I do have to throw the celery out, it goes into the compost bin rather than the landfill. But even so, I'd like to reach the point of never throwing away food. One thing I've seen people talk about on their blogs is talking pictures of the food they throw away and then reviewing them periodically! Wow, that would really make me feel accountable. I already have a bad conscience about it, so maybe this is just the sort of thing I need to shame me into zero food waste compliance!

Waste Less Wednesday: Junk Mail

Romo — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:38:00 GMT

You know junk mail can be annoying. You might have heard junk mail creates opportunities for identity theft (those pre-approved credit offers can provide a scammer with just about everything they need to get moving on a new line of credit in your name). Either of those alone are two good reasons to stanch the tide of junk mail in your life.

But did you know junk mail is also an ecological hazard? According to the Smithsonian, millions of trees and billions of gallons of water are used annually to produce that unwanted mail. Further, they claim the majority of junk mail is collected as trash rather than as the recyclable material that it is.

Easy ways to break the chain:

Have you name removed from national mailing lists. (You must renew your registration on this list every five years.) Send your name, address and signature to:
    Mail Preference Service
    c/o Direct Marketing Association
    P.O. Box 643
    Carmel, NY 10512

Have your name removed from pre-approved credit offer rolls. Call the opt-out line at:
888-567-8688

Notify your current financial institutions and credit card companies that your name is not to be sold or rented. Often they will provide you with a form to do this; if not, call or email.

Many subscription to magazines, catalogs, and organizations offer an easy way to notify them that you do not want your information shared, rented, or sold. If you don't find this option in the enrollment materials, notify them by phone or email that you do not want your information shared, rented, or sold. You can do the same with warranty cards and contributions to causes.

marjane satrapi's persepolis

emcee christmas — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:12:00 GMT

during the achaemenid dynasty, persepolis was (as you may recall from high school world history class) the ancient riverside site first chosen by cyrus the great and then built up by darius the great to stand as the center of the persian empire. fastforward a couple thousand plus years, and persepolis is the name of the animated film that won the 2007 cannes film festival jury prize. based on a autobiographical graphic novel by marjane satrapi of the same name, the film covers her childhood and teen...(read more)

The Hood

WomCub — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 06:04:00 GMT

Greetings to all,

As promised, we added 18 photos of our neighborhood to our photo gallery. Thanx Mike, for your help with setting it up.

You can see our apartment building, the street we live on, a view of a small part of the yarkon park across the street from us, some roads/buildings in the area, the small zoo just inside the park area, and even some Israeli flags hanging out of some windows in an apartment building in the area (photo #17).

The series is titled ORhood for Orly & Reuven's Neighborhood.

We think that we are blessed to have such a nice surrounding within such a big city.

It's summer here now and it's hot. The humidity is on the rise, but the parrots outside seem to love it.

I (Reuven) don't like the heat at all, but on the other hand, don't miss the blizzards of New York either. I remember days that were so cold there that not even two pairs of gloves, long-johns, and boots would help. I guess between the heat here and the freeze there you might say I haven't found my paradise, weather-wise, yet ...

And on that note, we hope your summer will be great.

Cheers,

O & R

lol

emcee christmas — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:05:00 GMT

i just got an email from my brother that was intended for our mom (backstory: my mom is organizing and hosting an all-family birthday party for my grandpa the week of thanksgiving. and between all the grandkids scattered around, there are thousands of airfare dollars being spent. and, because no one is rich, people like my brother are trying to figure out accommodations and whatnot). anyway, from bro: "i was wondering about in-town transportation--should i plan to rent a car?--and where i will...(read more)

Timeshares

Cae — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:43:00 GMT

In researching places to stay for an upcoming Hawaii vacation, friends and I went with the option of using a timeshare, which will be a huge money saver. However, I don't know exactly how timeshares work. From what I do know, it's a network of places that many people "own" and share at different times. I've been on another trip where we used a timeshare and it was like a personal home, with bed linens, cooking tools, etc. We simply brought our own food and personal items. I've been interested in this idea for my own family and was wondering if anyone has more information or tips about timeshares. Is it very expensive? Is there a certian company/organization you would recommend? (Or not recommend.) I can find plenty out from Google, but I'd also like some personal experience and advice. Not to mention going through everything on Google would take eons! I'd appreciate any feedback! :-)

Be GONE, mosquitoes, Part 2

Cae — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:04:00 GMT

In my initial blog, "Be GONE, Mosquitoes!!!", I explained how I'd come across a natural solution to warding off mosquitoes by taking a bit of apple cider vinegar each day. Well, I found out the hard way that missing a day can have biting consequenses. Literally. For a couple of days I'd been fighting an ear infection and hadn't been out, so I hadn't been taking the vinegar each day. After a I began feeling better, I went out, totally forgetting about the vinegar before I stepped foot outdoors. What a mistake! I ran into a neighbor on my way out and we chatted for about three minutes - in which time I got two huge golf-ball-sized welts on my leg from these evil mosquitoes. Next thing I knew, I was trying to be coherent in our talk while not looking like a complete lunatic, swatting everything coming my way. Do I have a mosquito pinging device hidden on me or what?? They always find me, as if they're just buzzing right outside my door, waiting to chomp away. UGH. I won't be forgetting that vinegar anymore!

PS - I've heard there are vinegar tablets, although I haven't come across them yet. Now that's a better way to take it! If anyone else finds them, let me know!

good reading choice

emcee christmas — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:04:00 GMT

i recently finished poet mary karr's memoir the liar's club and i'm writing to let you know that i liked it. this is exactly the kind of book you need if you want something literary but not plodding, non-fiction but narrative based, and fast paced but deep. and darkly comic. the story covers a series of iconic memories from a year during which karr is about 7(?) and living with her 9 year old sister, mom, and dad, in an oil town on the texas gulf coast, another year two years later in...(read more)

Waste Less Wednesday: Paying Attention to the Weather

Romo — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:44:00 GMT

The other day the ambient air temperature in Tallahassee dropped to a pleasant sub-80s in the middle of the day--did you catch that? Well, upon walking in to the house, I noticed that not only was it cooler outside than inside, but the a/c was running. I realized, likewise, that it is nearly always under 80 out by the time we go to bed at night, too, and yet we keep the windows and doors shut and leave the a/c on. Meanwhile, we occasionally bemoan the lack of fresh air circulating. Hence, my latest tip. Pay attention to the weather! If it's cooler outside than inside, consider shutting off the a/c and opening the windows! Simple!

And, on the topic of cooling--we keep the thermostat set at a slightly warm 80 F while we're home, 84 while we're at work. This is per the power company's instructions on how much you can let it warm up over the work day and still see a net savings in electricity usage (taking into account the extra power it takes to reduce it to--as opposed to maintain it at--your desired temperature). I haven't seen enough summer time utility bills since I've lived here to corroborate this, but I have used the same premise for winter time heating in cold climates and it proved to save a good 10% on the heating bills. If you're serious about this method of using less power--for your budget or for the environment--it may pay off to invest in a digital programmable thermostat (in some areas, utility companies subsidize this--my old house was able to upgrade to one for about $50).

Summer!

Romo — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:58:00 GMT

It's almost time! At 8 tonight (Eastern Time) the North Pole will be closer to the sun than at any other time this year! Known as the Summer Solstice, this relative position of Earth to Sun heralds the official beginning of Summer.

Of course, if you live here in Tallahassee, it seems like it already started and tonight is more of a symbol or reminder than anything else... But growing up, I lived in a climate where the rains didn't end until around the 4th of July (and picked up again in time for Halloween for another nine full months of misty cloud cover and intermittent rain), so the first day of summer was more like a promise and it meant a lot. There, real summer was the time when the winds picked up heavy from the north and the sun came out at least half the days. As much as I can tell so far, summer here is the time when, um, it's really hot and there are a lot of crepe myrtles in bloom, fleas invade, and the water in the Gulf is too hot to swim in. But as of yet, I still think this is a fair trade for a winter sky full of sun.

speed scrabble

emcee christmas — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:18:00 GMT

once a week me and my friends get together to play scrabble, but sometimes we have to postpone our games till the weekend because scrabble after dinner makes us stay up too late. but we finally figured out a possible solution, which we tested out this weekend: speed scrabble. we all agree ahead of time to focus on speed rather than points. we use a minute timer. shockingly, though, our scores are still in keeping with our averages. apparently the issue isn't that we take a long time to make words...(read more)