Author Archive for Retreat Coordinator

Gardening Tips

By Retreat Coordinator · Comments (0)
Friday, May 9th, 2008

Gardens come in different varieties like the plants you find in them. There are several gardening tips that can be used for all type of gardens.

1. Mulching protects your garden topsoil from being blown away. It also provides nutrients as it decomposes and improves the appearance of your gardens. Mulching has other benefits and is one of the most recommended gardening tips by gardeners and farmers alike.

2. Healthy plants are more disease resistant. Plants are like people, a person with a strong immune system can combat diseases. A healthy plant does the same.

3. Pests can be eradicated by cleaning the plant with a watery solution of soap. Just make sure to rinse after. This gardening tip is best heeded for fruit bearing trees or edible plants.

4. Using compost fertilizers are a great way to have healthy plants. It is also a great way to save money on expensive fertilizers. Non -organic fertilizers also tend to leave chemical residues that can accumulate in garden soils and harm not only the plants but the gardeners as well. They cause toxins to go to the water supplies. Another gardening tip recommended not just by farmers and gardeners but also by environmentalists.

5. There are several plants that are only suitable for a specified climate, a certain kind of soil or can only grow with certain plants. You have to know what plant grow in the conditions you have in your area this is for you to avoid unnecessary purchases. This is a money saving gardening tip.

6. Landscaping is a good investment which can double the value of your home. This is one gardening tip that can earn you money.

7. Growing grass on bare ground is an easy way to make your home look better and appreciate in value. This is one gardening tip that promotes earning money while growing grass legally.

8. Aside from looking great in your home, trees also provide some sort of protection from direct sunlight exposure and strong winds.

9. Vines on the walls, fences and overhead structures also would offer some protection and would also look great.

10. Flowers are beautiful, but they are also expensive. Get one that is resistant to many elements. Flowers from your local community already have developed resistance to conditions present in your area.

11. For most gardens plants, their roots go only as deep as 6 inches. Putting fertilizer deeper than that would be a waste of money. Put them shallower as they seep down when the plants are being watered.

12. Earthworms are important to plants. They till and aerate the soil for the roots to breathe. Non-organic fertilizers can kill them. This gardening tip dates back to the old days of gardening.

13. Having several kinds of insects that are beneficial to your garden would be good. These insects can be encouraged to stay by having diverse plants in your garden.

14. Spot spraying weeds with household vinegar, instead of using commercial weed-killers, can eradicate them. This is another environment friendly gardening tip.

15. Avoid putting too much mulch on tree trunks; this would encourage unwanted pests to reside on them.

16. Use plant varieties that are common to your area or have been taken from an area with similar conditions.

17. Be sure to know the plants that are poisonous. If you are intent on growing them, make sure to have the necessary cure available in your household. Take note of this gardening tip, it can save your life.

18. The best time to water plants is during mornings.

19. Before planting a new plant in your garden, you must consider its height and size when it matures. This garden tip can help you save money in the future.

20. Newly transplanted plants may require special attention during its first week. This is to reduce the stress and shock it got during transplantation.

And last but not the least of the gardening tips…

21. Plants are living entities. If you want them to grow in your garden you have to treat them as such. They need to be taken care of. They are like your pets, you look out for them. In return you get that feeling of contentment watching them thrive.

A good way to take care of them is to consider that plants might have some feelings too.

About the Author:
Hege Crowton is an expert copywriter. She is known for doing in-depth research before writing her articles. Many of her articles are posted on www.submitcontent.com and she also does a lot of writing for www.CrowSites.com.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Comments (0)
Categories : Gardening
Tags :

Skillet Chicken

By Retreat Coordinator · Comments (0)
Monday, January 21st, 2008

Easy Balsamic Mushroom & Chicken 

Ingredients:

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
  • your favorite no stick cooking spray
  • 8 ounces white mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Parsley (optional, for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Heat skillet and spritz with cooking spray.
  2. Saute garlic and mushroom.
  3. Add and cook chicken over medium heat until no longer pink.
  4. Add chicken broth, thyme, pepper and vinegar.
  5. Simmer for 15 – 20 minutes.

**TIP: Be very careful not to add excess vinegar because the flavor from balsamic is very strong.

Raspberry Chicken Skillet 

Ingredients:

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or substitute 1 tbsp fresh thyme)
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion, diced
  • 8 oz raspberry fruit spread (no sugar added)
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • salt and pepper

Instructions:

  1. Season chicken with thyme and salt.
  2. Heat oil in skillet. Saute onion.
  3. Add chicken to skillet and cook until chicken is no longer pink.
  4. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.
  5. Add fruit spread, balsamic vinegar, and pepper to oil and onion in skillet. Cook until spread is melted and sauce thickens.
  6. Pour over chicken and serve.

**Garnish with fresh berries and parsley for added presentation.

Comments (0)
Categories : Poultry

Family Meal Planning Made Easy

By Retreat Coordinator · Comments (0)
Wednesday, January 16th, 2008

As moms, we have hectic lives. Whether we work out of the home, in the home or look after the kids full time, we definitely have our jobs cut out for us. We clean, chauffer the kids around, mend scraped knees, help with homework, do laundry and on top of all that we STILL have to figure out what we’re going to make for dinner each night.

Here are a few tips to take the pain out family meal planning:

First, choose a quiet time once a week when you have enough time to sit down and prepare your menu for the week ahead.

Look through your cupboards, fridge and freezer and make a mental note of all the food you already have in there.

Start with the food you’ll need for dinner. Plan your next weeks dinner menu around the food you already have. So for example, if you have pasta, simply add pasta sauce and ground beef to your list.

Plan as many dinner meals as you can around what you have in your kitchen already. Once you “run out” of meals then start planning new meals from scratch.

Once you have all your dinner meals then move on to breakfast. In my house this is fairly easy as my kids like to have cereal and fruit or toast and fruit (they’re not very adventurous at breakfast time!)

Once breakfast is sorted, then move on to lunch. If you have older kids who have school lunches you don’t really have much to worry about. If you have toddlers or younger children, a lot of the times they can actually have leftovers from the night before.

Lastly, add snacks, fruit, juice, milk and all those little extras we always seem to need.

Keep your weekly food shopping at that, once a week. Plan your weekly meals and do one shopping trip. If you have to keep going back and forth to the supermarket a few times a week, you can end up spending more money.

Stick your weekly menu on your fridge so all you have to do is glance at it in the mornings and take out whatever meat needs thawing and you can also make a mental note of how much time you’ll need to prepare dinner that night.

I guarantee if you take the time to do this once a week, you’ll actually save time and definitely save money. So it pays to plan ahead and be prepared.

With a little thought and planning ahead you’ll be on your way to hassle-free meal times… now if you could only get your kids to eat all their veggies!


Once a Week Cooking

Comments (0)
Categories : General Information

Beauty Secret: Self-Care Equals Stress Relief

By Retreat Coordinator · Comments (0)
Tuesday, January 1st, 2008

How well are you taking care of yourself? What is self-care? Self-care means getting enough relaxation, staying fit, maintaining a healthy diet, having fun doing activities you enjoy and spending time with family and friends. When you take good care of yourself you feel good, look better, enjoy life and are able to tackle everyday stresses.

Self-care is not selfish, as some people may believe. In fact, if you take good care of yourself are able to take care of others much more easily. Some people find taking care of themselves difficult and believe they are being self- indulgent. Always putting others first will take its toll on your health; will lower your self-esteem and damage relationships. Here are some self-care tips.

1. Have something pleasurable planned for yourself every day. Make time for relaxing activities. Take time to spend with yourself, reading, mediating, taking a walk in nature, getting a massage or whatever pleases you.

2. Don’t get involved with trying to solve other peoples’ problems. Be supportive and listen but don’t overburden yourself.

3. Take time to cultivate relationships. Studies show that having friends and a social network helps reduce stress. Friends offer us opportunities to talk about our feelings and they provide us with feedback.

4. Take care of your health by eating foods that are good for you. A balanced diet can lift your mood, give you more energy, prevent illness and will help you feel better to cope with life’s stresses.

5. Take time for hobbies and activities. Make a list of hobbies and activities you enjoy. It might be dancing, taking your dog for a walk, playing a sport, inviting friends over for dinner, hiking etc. Set time aside to do the activities you enjoy most. You will feel better because of it and so will those around you.

6. Keep fit. Regular exercise improves the efficiency of the heart, maintains good blood circulation and lowers blood pressure. During exercise the body releases hormones, which are natural anti-depressants. Regular exercise acts as a ‘time out’ and gives your mind a break.

7. Avoid tobacco, drugs and alcohol. Alcohol and drugs give a temporary relief from stress but will decrease the body’s ability to withstand stress and will cause long-term damage to the body.

© Copyright 2005 Sheila Dicks

(NOTE: This article has been reprinted from http://www.ArticleFeedster.com with permission.)

Comments (0)
Categories : Our Mind, Our Spirit
Tags :

Summer Fitness

By Retreat Coordinator · Comments (0)
Sunday, June 17th, 2007

Staying Fit for the Summer

While most of you have probably been working out all winter long through diet and exercise, the key now is to maintain both routines throughout the summer. Here are a few tips and suggestions on staying fit for the summer.

No matter what type of diet regimen you’ve been on, it may be a good idea to continue the diet until after the summer is over. Maintaining a healthy diet will enhance your ability to participate in all forms of sports and activities throughout the summer months. Also, your diet will afford you the opportunity to continue to eat light, healthy meals as opposed to fried, fatty, and heavy foods during the summer.

Summertime is synonymous with barbeques. No doubt you will have your fair share. Sticking to your diet will help you keep the pounds off, especially on those special occasions when outdoor barbeques entice you with foods and drinks which may add excess calories. Drinking your excess calories is usually the biggest culprit of weight gain over the summer. There are many calories in all the summer drinks. Whether it’s beer, mixed drinks or fruit lemonade’s.

Continue your exercise routine throughout the summer. During the hot summer months, your body will fair much better in the heat if you are in good shape. No doubt, you may engage in running, walking, or other strenuous exercises. Therefore, continuing your exercise program will only benefit you in the long run. Whether you spend time in your garden, swim, or bike ride – any physical activity will enhance your health.

No matter what form of physical activity you choose, whether it’s cycling, hiking, swimming, gardening or hitting the gym, make it enjoyable. In fact, turn it into quality time with family, or perhaps some quiet time to de-stress after a busy day.

Keep active and continue your diet regimen throughout the summer so that you will look your best at all those patio parties. After all, you’ve worked very hard over the long winter months to achieve your goals. Now is the time to stay that way.

Val Selby
Health coordinator
Busy Momma Wellness

Comments (0)
Categories : Our Body
Tags :

Homemade Chicken Strips in 3 Steps

By Retreat Coordinator · Comments (0)
Saturday, May 5th, 2007

by Kara Kelso

http://www.Idea-Queen.com

Homemade chicken strips can make a wonderful meal. Be sure you have a deep fryer handy before checking out these recipe ideas.

1. Plan Ahead
Before you even start, you’ll need to make sure you have the following ingredients:

Boneless Chicken Breast, cut in strips
Milk
Egg
Flour

If you plan to have a different type of strips (like spicy strips, sweet strips, etc), make sure you have the additional ingredients as well.

2. Cook
Preheat your deep fryer to at least 350* before you go any further. You’ll want to be able to immediately drop your chicken in a hot fryer as soon as you bread it.

As soon as it’s hot, place an egg and milk into a bowl to drop the chicken in. Pour your flour into a zip lock bag, and shake to coat the milk/egg chicken. Cook in fryer until chicken floats and is golden brown.

3. Add Sauces
Here you get to choose what type of dipping sauce you want with your chicken strips. Some prefer ranch, others with nothing, and many with just plain ketchup. You can also make a tasty honey mustard by mixing half mustard and half honey.

Variations:

Some variations of chicken strips include adding different spices to your flour. Garlic salt, onion powder, and other spices can make a spicy chicken that’s not too hot. Sesame seeds can also make a great addition to your chicken – just be sure to bake the seeds first so they don’t “explode” and pop.

Another variation is marinating the chicken first before breading. You’ll need to plan ahead at least a day with this option.

The sky is the limit with this easy recipe – see what you can come up with that’s in your own kitchen!

About the Author: Kara Kelso is the mother of two, and owner of many websites. For more fried chicken recipes and ideas, visit: http://www.idea-queen.com/fried-chicken-recipes.html

Comments (0)
Categories : Poultry, Retreat Cookbook
Tags :

Vegetable Garden Ideas

By Retreat Coordinator · Comments (0)
Sunday, April 29th, 2007

The first year I lived in a “real house” I was excited to get a garden started. I just couldn’t wait until spring when I could plant all kinds of veggies. While this seems like a good idea, it really wasn’t. Being a new gardener, I let my excitement get the best of me. Luckily, part of my family made sure I still had a very nice garden that year.

Here are a few tips I learned:

  1. Make sure you have enough room
    Some plants get bigger than others, and take up more space. Make sure you give certain plants more room than others, and plan enough sunlight for smaller plants. I’ve had smaller plans die in previous years because they eventually end up in the shadow.

  2. Start small
    Don’t plant everything you can find. Ask your local gardening supply store what will work best in your area for beginners. Tomatoes work best where I live, but don’t work well in other areas.

  3. Start with plants, not seeds
    Instead of throwing seeds in the ground, start off easy buying plants that are already started. They have been started at the right time of year by experts, and are much easier to grow.

  4. Know your time limits
    If you can only devote 10mins per day to your garden, make sure you only have a few plants. Pulling weeds can quickly become a problem, so if you have limited time don’t make a big area that will take a long time to weed.

I hope these ideas will help you this spring when you start your first garden!

About the Author: Kara Kelso is the mother of 2 and owner of several online businesses.
For more ideas like this, visit: http://www.idea-queen.com

Comments (0)
Categories : Gardening

Exercise – A Natural Insomnia Cure

By Retreat Coordinator · Comments (0)
Monday, April 23rd, 2007

We all know that exercise that can help you lose weight and get more energy, but what about helping you sleep?  Studies have shown that people, particularly women, who regularly exercise during the day, enjoy better sleep and sleep longer.  Before you reach for the sleeping pills why not try going for a run, taking a trip to the gym, or signing up for a yoga or pilates class?

Many people have trouble sleeping because they are overly stressed.  The worst part about this is that sleep deprivation can increase your cortisol levels, which makes you feel more stressed.  Cortisol is one of the hormones that is responsible for our flight or fight response to stress.  If the levels are not lowered then it can also make you irritable and less able to deal with stressful situations.  This is why most insomniacs have increased levels of stress hormones.  While exercise makes these hormones rise initially, after several hours the levels fall.  These hormone levels actually become lower than before you exercised and lower than they would be if you hadn’t worked out at all.  Regular exercise can end the vicious sleep-stress cycle once and for all.

Most insomniacs simply can’t clear their mind of their problems when they lay down to bed.  The stresses of the day run repeatedly through their minds instead of relaxing.  Exercise can be a time to escape the stressors around you and figure out solutions to your problems.  If you figured out what to do about your latest work crisis during your morning run, you don’t have to stress over it at bedtime.  This leaves your brain free to sleep.

Exercising also makes you need sleep more.  The more you work your muscles, the more they need to regenerate through sleep.  While you may think this is just going to make you more tired when you can’t sleep, it will actually help you have a deeper, more restful sleep.  Even if you can’t sleep more, you’ll sleep better and be more rested and energized in the morning.

An important part of using exercise to cure insomnia is timing.  As I already mentioned, exercise produces chemicals in your brain that make you feel more awake and energized.  This is why it’s not a good idea to exercise before bedtime.  But how close is too close?  It is generally recommended that you exercise more than four hours before you sleep; however, you may find you need a longer rest period.  If you find you’re not sleepy, start pushing your exercise earlier gradually till you find a good time.  Obviously, the best time to exercise is in the morning, and this will make you feel more energized all day long.  It will also help you to focus on all that needs to be done during the day.  Once you have set that routine it will help ease your mind in the evening.

If you absolutely can’t exercise during the day, there are things you can do at night instead (or in addition) to help you get to sleep.  Studies have shown that exercises as simple as stretching can help improve insomnia symptoms.  You can try doing stretches or yoga closer to bedtime to help you relax.  You can find books or join a class to learn specific positions and more to promote relaxation and sleep.  Definitely stay away from the computer and tv.  The bright lights will stimulate your brain and make it even harder to go to sleep.

While exercise helps you sleep more, it has other wonderful benefits.  Exercise helps you lose weight, feel great, and have more energy during the day (and so will sleep).  Before you try supplements, pills, or other crazy sleep solutions, try working out first.  It will cure your insomnia along with some great positive side effects.  And the best part of all is, it’s free!

Val Selby
Personal Trainer
Mom’s Online Retreat Wellness Coordinator
www.BusyMommaWellness.com

Comments (0)
Categories : Our Body, Our Mind
Tags :

Candle Aromatherapy for Concentration

By Retreat Coordinator · Comments (0)
Thursday, April 12th, 2007

We all know the benefits of aromatherapy for rest and relaxation. It seems like there are tons of scents you can choose from if you want to unwind at the end of a long, hectic day. Aromatherapy works quickly and effectively because, unlike other senses, scent is directly connected to your brain. You already know aromatherapy works great to relax, why not try it when you need to concentrate? Aromatherapy can be used to turn your brain back on, perk you up, and sharpen your thought process. Imagine the work you can get done with that extra invigorating boost. I know this won’t be a surprise to you, or you didn’t really believe that it relaxed you. lol

When it comes to concentration, there are many scents to choose from. There are minty, fruity, and fresh smelling varieties. This means that you’ll be sure to find one you actually think smells good. Stick to the outdoor type scents and you will hit it. Fresh smelling, awakening scents are the way to awaken the scents. Here are just some of the options available:

* Lemon
* Mango- this can also help to improve concentration by easing symptoms of depression.
* Pine- this helps to increase energy levels as well as concentration.
* Apple- this can also give you an extra energy boost.
* Rosemary-this scent promotes relaxation and alertness at the same time.
* Peppermint- this has always been recommended to me to improve alertness for long study sessions
* Eucalyptus- this can be used to provide a slightly different scent.

If you want to use aromatherapy to help you concentrate, there are several options for helping the scent reach your nose.

* Aromatherapy candles. These are an easy and simple way to help spread your favorite invigorating scents throughout the house. They are slightly less concentrated, but they still get the job done. Just buy the scents you want and light them whenever you’re studying or just need a mental boost. Soy candles are so much better for our environment, so please check out our candle facts about burning them. Our candles are 100% soy and come in many scents. If your scent isn’t available, then please email us.
* Humidifier. Simply find the oil form of the fragrance you want, put a few drops in your room humidifier and let it work. As the water gets put into the air, the oil gets taken with. When the droplets evaporate, the room is filled with your favorite refreshing sent. They also make devices now that use water to disperse scent and clean your air at the same time. Please make sure that it is not a scent you are allergic to first.
* Rub on oil. Instead of using the oil in your humidifier, just rub it onto your chest or under your nose. It works like VapoRub by sending invigorating vapors right up to your nose. Just be careful, many of the oils can be harmful, so you’ll have to mix a few drops with a carrier oil so you don’t hurt your skin. A carrier oil can be baby oil or mineral oil. Just something to mix with.

If you want to study, concentrate more on work, or just feel energized and alert at the end of a long day, you should try one of these fantastic aromatherapy scents. It is a great way to work more in without caffeine. But make sure that you are not messing with your normal sleep patterns. We need to set normal sleep and awake patterns to be more productive.

Val Selby

Mom’s Online Retreat Coordinator

www.BusyMommaWellness.com

Comments (0)
Categories : Mom's Well-Being, Our Mind, Our Spirit
Tags : ,

Is Your Life Balanced?

By Retreat Coordinator · Comments (0)
Monday, April 9th, 2007

by Jenn Givler

Is your life balanced? Your life may be out of balance if you feel overwhelmed by the number of items on your to-do list; if you feel like there are so many things you want to do, you’ll never be able to do them all; if you feel like if one more person asks you to do something, you’ll scream.

A balanced life is one in which we are the master of our schedule, we do only what we want to do, and we are in control. A balanced life is having the time for all the things that have meaning to us. Sound impossible?

Here are three tips to start balancing your life:

1. Figure out where your time is going. Before you can create balance, it’s important to know what activities are zapping time out of your schedule. For two days, keep a time journal.

Write down every task you do, and how much time you spend on it. Don’t cheat! If you spend an hour surfing the net, write that down. The point of this exercise is to take an honest look at what is draining your time.

2. Determine what activities really feed your soul. Activities that feed your soul will make you come alive. They will feel fulfilling to you, and you will genuinely enjoy them. There are things we all do that drain our energy. These are activities you feel obligated, or pressured to do, or they are “mindless” activities that you might do to avoid something else.

When you’ve completed your time journal, go back and look through the activities that you spent time on. Think about each one, and mark next to it whether it was fulfilling or draining.

Now, begin the process of weeding out the draining activities. It may take a few weeks to get through what you’ve already committed to, and to break habits – like surfing the net when you should be working on a project. But, when scheduling new activities, or, when you’re on the brink of starting something that’s a draining activity, really think about how it’s going to serve you and if you truly want to engage in it.

3. Say no. You do not have to accept every invitation, you do not have attend every gathering, or accept every project. When someone asks you to be involved in something, tell them it sounds interesting, and you’ll check your schedule and get back to them.

Take some time to really think about how the project would serve you and what your intentions for participating would be. If you feel yourself only wanting to accept the project to make someone else happy, it’s a good sign that this is not the project for you. Graciously thank the other person for thinking of you, and simply let them know you can’t commit to it at this time.

Saying no is not an easy thing to get used to. But, you can do it in a way that is loving, and that is not adversarial.

Changing your life so that it is more balanced will not happen over night. It will take some time to get used to cutting out activities that drain you. But, once you feel how wonderful it is to have control of your schedule, and to only engage in activities that feed your soul, it will become easier and easier!

Jenn Givler is a Business Empowerment Coach. She specializes in teaching new entrepreneurs how to get started in their business. Jenn can help you find your passion, create your business plan, and begin effectively marketing your business. For weekly business tips and advice check out her e-zine: http://www.jgivlercoaching.com/newsletter.html

Article Source: Wahm-Articles

Comments (0)
Categories : General Information, Mom's Well-Being
Next Page »