Swimming Benefits!

While swimming for me has always been for pleasure I’m thinking of swimming for exercise. I’ve always been a “water baby” so why not swim for exercise?

Swimming has some great benefits for the body. It’s better on the joints and I have to say there’s more pleasure in it.

Carlyle Station Apartments has a great Jr. Olympic Sized Pool with an outdoor hot tub. I can swim my laps for about an hour then jump (ease myself) into the hot tub! What do you use the pool for at Carlyle Station Apartments; leisure or exercise?

Keeping those Portions under Control!

Since I’ve moved into my apartment at Carlyle Station Apartment Homes I’ve really tried eating healthier. I’ve bought more fruits and vegetables also I’ve been using better techniques when I cook (grilling, steaming, etc.).

Eating healthy doesn’t always include eating healthy foods. One needs to remember to keep their portions under control. You can trying having “6 small meals” throughout the day but if you overload yourself 6 times you’re not eating healthy.  You could also try for 3 meals only but if you do the same by overloading yourself, what’s the point?

I’ve found a great reference for portion control that you should try!

• 1 teaspoon = tip of your thumb
• 1 tablespoon = 1/2 ping pong ball
• 1/2 cup = 1/2 baseball or rounded handful
• 1 cup = about the size of a closed fist or baseball
• 1 to 2 ounces of nuts or snack food = one handful
• 1 ounce of cheese = size of your thumb or four dice
• 3 ounces of meat = a deck of cards, a cassette tape or the palm of your hand
• 1 medium piece of fruit = tennis ball or your fist
• 2-inch slice of melon = width of three fingers
• 3-ounce bagel = hockey puck

Photo by cproppe

Do you like Tiger?

This topic has been a hot conversation in the last week. A commercial from Nike aired on Wednesday with Tiger Woods looking at the camera with a sad look on his face, and his deceased father – Earl talking to him. Earl keeps asking questions to Tiger. I am not sure I agree with the video, because it’s bringing work and his personal life into the picture.

Are you a fan of Tiger Woods latest commercial? See the commercial and tell us what you think:

*Please remember to keep this PG

Pure Talent

Last night Macy’s Stars of Dance did a tribute for the victims of Haiti on Dancing with the Stars. It was very touching and the dance performance was intense. How do they move their hips like that?These dancers had so much talent.

Were you surprised Shannen went home? I was shocked because she had better scores than the other contestants. I guess the viewers votes count! Who are you cheering for?

Let Your Health Bloom

Chinese teas are popular for keeping a healthy immune system! Chrysanthemum tea has been around for centuries and it helps me with migraines. Who knew a pretty little flower could do so much? Allergy season is coming and drinking this tea helps head congestion, relieves dryness, and itching. Migraines are popular in my family and this remedy has  reduced the amount of  headache pills I take. . .

The high points of drinking the flower from TeaBenefits.com :

• Treats  skin problems as acne, boils and sores
• Provides clear vision
• Alleviates  dizziness
• Contributes to alertness
• Fights against migraines and headaches

How to Become a Morning Riser

6:30 AM hits and I keep hitting snooze until 6:50. I’ve become an expert in sleeping in til the last minute. Unfortunately, I need to wake up a little earlier because I need to walk my dog in the morning. How do you become a morning riser? My best friend is definitely a morning person and passed on a few of these tips to me:

• Get out of the bed as soon as your alarm sounds off. If you allow yourself to go back to sleep you won’t get up.
• Avoid drastic changes. Start off slow and wake up 10 minutes earlier and gradually do this – it makes the process easier.
• Make sure the alarm is far from your bed, it will make you get up to turn it off.
• Make sure you sleep in once a week to catch up on sleep .
• Reward yourself with waking up: breakfast, cup of tea, or reading the paper.

What are you going to do now that you’re a morning riser? Since Spring weather is coming, I want to try to workout. 5:30 AM here I come!

See the Stars!

The Bachelor maybe over, but in a few weeks ABC starts off Season 10 of Dancing With the Stars. This season has quite the cast with: Olympic medalist, ESPN star, actors and actresses, an astronaut who stepped foot on the moon, and even a football star!

Here’s the pairings of this season:

• Astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Ashly Costa
• Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson and DWTS newbie Damian Whitewood
• ESPN’s Erin Andrews and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
• 90210 star Shannen Doherty and two-time winner Mark Ballas
• TV mom from John & Kate Plus 8 Kate Gosselin and Tony Dovolani
• NFL star Chad Ochocinco and two-time winner Cheryl Burke
• Olympic gold medal figure skater Evan Lysacek and Anna Trebunskaya
• All My Children star Aiden Turner and Edyta Sliwinska
• Nicole Scherzinger and season seven champ Derek Hough
• Reno 911 star Niecy Nash and Louis Van Amstel
• The Bachelor: Jake Pavelka and Chelsie Hightower

I’ve got a feeling it will be between Evan Lysacek and Nicole Scherzinger. Who do you think will win? Great job in pairing ABC, I cant wait for March 22nd!

The Healthy Budget

Remember when your parents said, “Don’t forget to eat your vegetables?” They weren’t lying, because veggies are good for your diet.  Living on your own gives you the freedom to buy whatever you want. No one holds your hand and says, “It’s not good for you”, “We’ll get that next time.”, or “It costs too much.”  It’s important to eat healthy, but everyone says it’s expensive which is not true!

Here are a few ways to save your grocery budget and still manage to eat right:

1. Blanch Veggies – It helps preserve the flavor and easy to do!
2. Drink H20 – Healthy & Cheaper… Remember you’re suppose to drink 8 cups of water a day!
3. Eat Eggs- They have protein, they’re cheap, and have a lot of vitamins.
4. Tuna – Canned tuna is cheaper and contains as much protein as meat.
5. Frozen Veggies – Cost less and easy to prepare.
6. Fruits Gone Bad – Throw them in the blender and make a smoothie.
7. The Generic Brand -  Saves you money and tastes like the name brands.

Remember your coupons when you go to the store, avoid impulse buying (bringing your grocery list will prevent this from happening), and buy everything from one location. Using these tips will save you money and prevent you from buying the foods you don’t need!

Defeating the Maples…

Who would’ve guessed it? Most expected a loss, but more were surprised of this victory.  Team USA defeated Canada last night in the Vancouver Winter Olympics with a  5-3 win! USA’s team, filled with new players, shocked everyone with expectations on Canada to defeat the US.

Demonstrating true leadership, Brian Rafalski scored 2 goals in the first period. Ryan Miller, the best goalie in the Olympics, was a major component to USA’s victory. USA had not beat Canada since 1960.  Canada must win on Tuesday against Germany to play in the quarter finals… The Canadians will really need to fight to win their chance of a gold medal on their home turf. Read more details from the Chicago Tribune on last night’s win.

Way to go Team USA – we’re cheering for the gold!

Let’s Fight Together

Today is World AIDS Day.  A day to take a stand and to educate and get educated on this epidemic that is taking over.  As you go about your day, please keep this quote in mind:

Education is the movement from darkness to light.  ~Allan Bloom

Alicia Keys will be performing live tonight on Youtube.com at 8pm.  She is also giving five people the chance to get educated in Africa.  Alicia Keys and her charity, Keep A Child Alive, will be taking five lucky people to experience what she experienced on her first trip to Africa.  She recalls that it was so enlightening and eye opening.

Watch her performance tonight and take a stand.  You can enter the contest online or by texting for $5.  The money collected from the contest will be donated to her foundation.  That way, even if you don’t get a chance to go, you have helped a child in Africa.

Alicia Keys and her stand.

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