Simple Living Guide

Hypnotic Marketing and Pomchi Ally

2008-06-27T21:11:00.001-04:00

Just a few hours ago, Dr. Joe Vitale

launched a new page on his website
and I was blown away! I've never
seen anything like this before...

===> HYPNOTIC MARKETING 2.0

After spending a little time watching
all of these videos, I came up with a
ton of new and fresh ideas on how I
could market my business, and I know
you will too.

/////:::::WARNING:::::\\\\\

Some of these videos will make you
laugh...

Some will make you cry....

Some will make you say WOW!...

Some will give you some BIG ideas...

And some will make you say, "What
in the &$#&%!!!!???? just like I did
when I watched the one on THIS page.

There are some creative people out
there, that's for sure!

***

Enroll - it's Viral!

2008-06-27T08:04:00.001-04:00

Something revolutionary is coming along.

Something that has the potential to

explode your Nitro Marketing commission

checks beyond what you may think is

possible.

Sound like hype?

Ha ha. No, not at all.

Just wait until you see the video...

We know that this is going to get very

big very quickly, so you will need to

move FAST.

For the first time ever, the market is

completely wide open...

Internet Marketers

Restaurant Owners

Bloggers

Lawn Care Companies

ClickBank Merchants and Affiliates

eBay Sellers

Retail Store Owners

Pest Control Companies

Printing Companies

Computer Repair Shops

Affiliate Marketers

Auto Dealerships

And thousands of others...

Anyone who owns a business and

has an Internet presence is a potential

customer.

There's a lot to it, so here's how you

can get in on the largest promotion

we're doing in 2008...

***

”Mom, I’ve Never Had a Sore Throat Like This Before!”

2007-09-13T12:00:00.001-04:00

That Thursday morning, I woke up my son at six o’clock in the morning as usual. Even in the dark of the room, with only little brightness from the night light in the hall, I noticed right away how pale he was. In the next moment he clutched his throat and could barely whisper: “Mom, I’ve never had a sore throat like this before!”

Read the rest of the story at:
http://www.dariasworld.info/never_had_a_sore_throat_like_this_before.htm

***

How Angelica Herb Got its Name in the Year of the Great Plague in 1665, London

2007-08-04T21:32:00.001-04:00

One of the greatest legends about angelica dates back to 1665, the year of the great plague in London.

In early spring of 1665 the number of deaths, caused by plague, was on the rise in poorer sections of London. Death rate escalated when the spring turned into one of the hottest summers ever. As the panic set in, the rich, followed by the merchants, lawyers, clergy and surgeons left the city.

By June, the gates of the city were closed and the only way to get out was to present “the certificate of health” which became much more valuable than gold.

In July, when about 1,000 deaths per week were reported, the rumors spread that cats and dog spread the disease. According to author of the “Journal of the Plague Years”, Daniel Defoe, about 40,000 dogs and 200,000 cats were killed.

However, the real carriers were fleas, which lived on rats as parasites. With all the cats and dogs in the capital gone, rats had even fewer natural enemies and the plague was spreading more and more rapidly.Doctors, nurses and inspectors, who were in constant contact with the victims of plague, were forced to wear colored staffs outdoors so they were easy to spot and to avoid.

The houses of victims of plague were sealed for forty days after the person recovered or died. In the meantime, the guard was watching the house to make sure no one got out. The imprisoned inhabitants became so desperate that they bribed the guard in order to get some food passed to them. In the worst cases the inmates broke through the wall of their home to escape or they hung the guard by lowering the noose through an attic window and over the guard’s head.

Even the letters from London were said to be treated as poisonous. On that behalf they were heated, scraped, soaked, aired and finally pressed flat to dispose of "pestilential matter".

In August of 1665, the death rate reached its peak - over 6,000 deaths per week. According to estimates, over 100,000 people perished until February of 1666, when King Charles declared that return to the city of London is safe again.

The legend says that in the middle of this true horror story, an angel visited a monk in his dreams and gave him a message that angelica could cure the Black Death (which was another name for plague due to the tell-tale black lumps on the bodies of the victims).

Some sources deny this particular healing virtue of angelica but the written historical sources are proof that angelica water became one of the ingredients in “the King’s Majesty’s Excellent Recipe for the Plague”. That was an official remedy for plague, published by the College of Physicians in London.

Angelica water, nutmeg and treacle were beaten together and then heated over the fire. Twice a day this medicine was given to those who suffered from plague.

Obviously, angelica herb had an important role in curing one of the deadliest diseases of all times and therefore deserves an ‘angelic name,’ whether an angel was involved or not, in carrying the message about angelica’s healing powers.

***

Disadvantages of Using Tap Water for a Drinking and Cooking Supply

2007-07-05T15:59:00.002-04:00

Water is the most abundant and the most important medium on Earth as well as in the human body. Because water is universal solvent, all the other substances are found in it, dissolved to different degrees and that is why pure water can not be found in nature. Mineral content of natural waters (and waters in our bodies) varies.

Water is fundamental to all the living creatures and in human body it is the primary component of every bodily fluid and involved in almost every bodily function.

Water requirements depend on our diet, activity level and climate in which we reside.
Regardless of our personal water requirements and geographical location of our residence - how to keep water clean and safe (how to heal polluted bodies of water) for human consumption should become everybody’s concern because there is no optimum health without clean water.

Most of the tap water in U.S. comes from surface sources (rivers, streams and lakes) and the rest is from groundwater (subterranean reservoirs). Water from both sources (surface and subterranean) most likely contains many environmental pollutants: animal wastes, local fertilizers (i.e. nitrates), insecticides, industrial chemicals and wastes, air pollutants (i.e. lead and radon), toxic organic chemicals, petroleum spills.

All the city tap water is treated in local treatment plants which in many cases use an obsolete process of settling tanks, filtration through sand and gravel and adding chemicals to purify the water for human consumption.

After the treatment our “drinking” water might contain all or most of the following, most likely hazardous chemical additives: chlorine (to kill the germs), fluoride (to prevent tooth decay), calcium hydroxide or other alkaline substances (to change pH of the water and prevent pipes from corroding).

Unfortunately, all of these processes may still not clean up the water of all the environmental pollutants.

To make things worse, chlorine and other chemicals are likely to react with other organic chemicals in the water and form new substances that may act as carcinogens. Even some water pipes might contribute toxic chemicals or metals.

It doesn’t come as surprise that bottled water is one of the fastest growing businesses all around the world. Anyhow, the synthetic materials, used for manufacturing of plastic bottles are also a growing concern, so - home-filtered tap water (using solid carbon filtration) is at the moment our safest source of fresh drinking and cooking water.

***

Bankruptcy: Adding Insult to Illness and Injury

2007-05-03T11:21:00.001-04:00

“Debt can feel like the heaviest burden in life.” ~ Suze Orman

Declaring bankruptcy is a very serious action with stressful consequences even beyond the challenges of life before filing for bankruptcy and credit repair after bankruptcy. Unfortunately, this still seems to be the only way out of debt for millions of American families every year.

It is especially shocking that the major cause of bankruptcy in the U.S. is medical bills. And even more shocking is the fact that most of those forced into bankruptcy by medical expenses actually had medical insurance!

Modern medicine is becoming more and more expensive for patients due to hi-tech procedures and methods of medication, vaccination, surgeries and diagnostics. In fact, it is becoming financially more and more difficult to afford advanced treatments for the majority of the population. In addition, many times unexpected or unpredictable side-effects are on the increase, which simply means extended care and more expenses.

Traps of Health Insurances

And if it is not enough to become seriously ill or injured, unable to work, with job and income in jeopardy, it also seems like the health insurance companies do not really stand by their clients’ side when most needed. Too many times an insured individual doesn’t even realize the extent of uncovered medical conditions until the doctor’s office/hospital checks the insurance policy and starts sending bills.

And it doesn’t really make any difference if you were paying your premiums for decades and never used your insurance to cover a medical bill before. Clever rules (hidden in fine print), including high co-payments and deductibles the health insurance companies use, are written not just to make a decent return, but to make vast profits for medical insurance providers, not to support the insured and their families in times of need.

At the same time, approximately 9 million children in the United States are uninsured. Parents do not take them to the doctor at the first signs of disease because they are afraid of the cost. In some cases, the child’s illness worsens to the point where the parent is forced to miss work or even quit a job to nurse the child until it gets well again.

Unfortunately, nursing a family member (by a family member) back to health does not help this family’s financial health in any way.In short, one can lose everything because of illness in the richest country in the world – and the only advanced country with no universal health insurance. That is not very likely to happen in Canada or Europe, where medical insurance is separated from employment.

Major Cause of Bankruptcy

Several studies show that medical expenses are a major cause of bankruptcy in the U.S. not just among the poor, but also among the middle and working class – families who often have medical insurance. For most uninsured the insurance premiums are simply unaffordable.

Since a bankruptcy stays on one’s credit report for a decade, it makes other payments like mortgage and car insurance more expensive or even out of the reach, and makes applying for another (much needed) job much harder. Many debtors continue having troubles paying their mortgage or rent and utility bills, all that mirroring in emotional and financial exhaustion.

“During the two years before filing 40.3 percent had lost telephone service; 19.4 percent had gone without food; 53.0 percent had gone without needed doctor or dentist visits because of the cost; and 43.0 percent had failed to fill a prescription, also because of the cost. Medical debtors experienced more problems in access to care than other debtors did; three-fifths went without a needed doctor or dentist visit, and nearly half failed to fill a prescription.” (David Himmelstein, Health Tracking Marketwatch)

The Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 was supposed to prevent abusive bankruptcies. What it really did was make the filing process harder. “Harder not just in terms of requirements, but in also that filing became harder to afford.” (Gayle Ronan, MSNBC.com)

According to Boohaker (bankruptcy attorney and a certified financial planner) ‘the biggest misperception surrounding bankruptcy remains that bankruptcy is a lifestyle choice overspending consumers use to absolve themselves of debt obligations so they can spend anew.’ She says that typically, ‘any excessive use of credit occurs after a catastrophic event like a divorce, job loss or medical issue sends them scrambling to pay bills.

’These unhappy events are not something anybody wants in their life but they do happen at least once in a lifetime to most people. Therefore, an act, even though it dictates protection in its title, is not really protecting or helping the ones who are unfortunate enough to need the help.

Alternatives

In Western societies most people believe that the health-care system is accountable for responding and taking care in times of uneasiness or disorder. These so-called modern civilizations were training their citizens for centuries to become more and more dependent on different institutions and medical care is no exception.

Luckily, there are still different choices available to anyone who is open for possibilities and willing to take charge and responsibility.Naturopathic and holistic health procedures are a lot more user-friendly and by far cheaper than traditional biomedicine’s ones.

They take into account the whole life-style (body – mind approach) which means the improvement of our eating and exercising habits, the elimination of addictions and the adoption of a healthier attitude toward life. This alternative approach to wellness can greatly reduce if not completely eliminate most disorders. It’s easy to find the best providers: just ask at your local health-food store.

For those who are ready to take charge of their lives completely, some more research in the area of ‘working with the Secret’ or the ‘Healing Codes’ would be something to look into. Choose to live your life the way you want and at the same time be happy and healthy, without being dependent on any-one or any-thing – whenever possible.

Sources:
1. Orman, Suze, The Ultimate Protection Portfolio – Credit: Cards, Records, and Debt. Carlsbad, California: Hay House, Inc., 2003. 45 pages
2. Mitchell, Stewart. A Practical Guide to Naturopathy. London, UK: Vermilion, 2001. 146 pages
3. Himmelstein, David. "Health Tracking Marketwatch." Health Affairs. 2 February 2005. Project HOPE–The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc. . 3 Jan 2007 .
4. Ronan, Gayle B.. "Bankruptcy is no longer a financial lifeline." MSNBC.com. 2 November, 2006. MSNBC.com. 3 Jan 2007 .

Which Water Filtration System to Choose?

2007-04-27T06:50:00.001-04:00

Necessity of Filtering

Most of America's tap waters are not very healthy. According to Elson M. Haas, M.D., "Many local treatment plants use a very old process of settling tanks, filtration through sand and gravel, and then chemicals to clean up the water so it is fit for human consumption."

Chemicals and minerals, used for "purification" by treatment plants, may not clear from drinking water pollutants like animal wastes, fertilizers and insecticides, chemicals from tons of drugs, flushed down the toilet, industrial chemicals and wastes, lead and radon - besides recent concerns: asbestos and uranium.

Unlike some other countries, in which the biggest threat is infectious water (polluted by bacteria), our main concerns are toxic chemical and farming wastes, and heavy metals - all the results of modern technology.

At the same time, adding fluoride (which does prevent tooth decay but also causes serious health problems), is still in use while European countries removed fluoride from water years ago, after studying the consequences closely.

Home Water Purification/Filtration

Water purification means removing of contaminants from water to produce drinking water. By law, "purifier" has to remove 99.75 percent of incoming bacteria. A few millions of home water filters are sold every year in U.S. alone and there are several different water filter systems to choose from.

Boiling of water destroys most of the microorganisms but does not remove technological wastes or heavy metals.

Different Kinds of Drinking Water Filters and what They (don't) Do

Granulated Activated Carbon (activated charcoal, active coal) has a large surface on which contaminants from the water attach themselves. Active carbon can only filter cold water and is relatively effective in removing larger bacteria and microorganisms, chemicals, and toxic minerals with higher molecular weights. Activated loose carbon filters are not very highly recommended by leading nutritionists because they might collect bacteria and dump them back into the water. Although granulated carbon filters are economical, they are short-lived and their safety uncertain.

Solid Carbon Block water filter does not breed bacteria and traps more pollutants than granulated carbon filter. To prevent dumping bacteria and chemicals back into the water, they need to be changed regularly. Solid carbon block purifiers are economical, effective and highly recommended by leading nutritionists also because they leave in the water natural trace elements, beneficial to our body.

Reverse Osmosis water filtration is considered by many to be the most effective way of purifying drinking water. The pores in special membranes let pass through water molecules but stop larger, organic and inorganic materials. This process under pressure is followed by carbon filter and basically all the organic particles are removed along with almost all the minerals.

Distillation means turning water into steam first and in the separate chamber cooling it down and turn back into liquid. This procedure supposedly removes all the chemicals, minerals and organisms from the water. Although, there are many concerns regarding distillation. One of them is that regular intake of distilled water can cause mineral deficiencies. In addition, pre-filtering by solid carbon is necessary - to remove evaporating chemicals. On top of everything, distillers are quite expensive and inefficient.

Clean water is the essence of life and our ultimate human right. Therefore, we should know what our drinking water contains to make quality decision about proper filtration or proper water source.

Solid carbon block filter seems like our best choice. It's cost effective and removes out of our tap water most of bacteria, chlorine and other chemicals. But only reverse osmosis also removes fluoride ions.

***

Mineral Waters – What Are They?

2007-04-26T06:27:00.005-04:00

In nature, most waters are mineral waters because they contain minerals. In sales, on the other hand, every country has its own regulations to define which waters can be considered and sold as bottled mineral waters.

Generally speaking, mineral waters contain different kinds of minerals, trace elements and gases. Minerals in water give it its taste and sometimes therapeutic value. Often, natural mineral waters can be effervescent which means that in water dissolved gas is escaping from the liquid with fizz. When this is the case, water is sometimes called sparkling mineral water or natural sparkling water.

Mineral waters can also be created, by adding minerals and carbonation. Seltzer is any water with added carbon dioxide. Club soda usually also has minerals added in addition to carbonation. Both are filtered tap waters.

Researches on heart diseases and cancer show that healthy water is the one that is relatively hard and high in total dissolved solids (TDS). Distilling, de-ionization and reverse osmosis units remove during the purification process the harmful agents as well as beneficial minerals.

According to Dr. John Sorenson, leading authority in the area of mineral metabolism, "Minerals in drinking water are more easily and better absorbed than minerals from food."

Minerals are essential in optimal mental and physical health but our body cannot make any. Wholesome foods, like fruits and vegetables, grown in rich soil containing all the nutritious minerals, are our best source, along with clean, hard water. Processed, hi-sugar and refined foods, caffeine and alcohol deplete body of its minerals.

Experts of course disagree about benefits of mineral water. One of the objectives is that minerals in water are not easily absorbed in the body. Also, the elements contained in every mineral spring water should be closely monitored for contaminants like asbestos and uranium.
Unfortunately, the existing labeling on water bottles does not yet give enough information to consumers.

While in U.S. advertising of mineral water as beneficial to your health is against the law, the story is way different in Europe. Mineral water spas have many centuries long tradition and they are used for therapy and rehabilitation as one's own choice as well as prescribed by conventional medical doctors (and mainly paid by health insurance).

The best and safest mineral water bottle is, like all safe containers, made out of glass.

***

The Role of Nutrition in Prevention of Illness and Health Maintenance

2007-04-25T06:42:00.000-04:00

"Given the history of Western medicine to date, many people seek empowerment in the health care of themselves and their families; nutrition is really basic component of preventive medicine and also an area that can be effective in corrective medicine for many common health problems." *

Nutrition is a basic element of health and should not be overlooked during disease. Some well renowned practitioners state that every disease is a result of improper dietary habits.

Because of the rapid increase in cost of medical care and desire to live longer and healthier, higher and higher percentage of the population is becoming concerned about nutrition and maintaining their health. Without a doubt, nutrition plays a big role here.

Proper nutrition and regular physical activity can help us avoid taking drugs or even have surgeries to correct the results of fast-paced, fast-food consuming, multitasking life with no exercising.

Healthy dietary habits (the way we eat) are the foundation of healthy nutrition. Choosing nourishing (whole, unprocessed, without chemical additives) foods alone is not enough.
Simpler meals (with specific combination of foods for better digestion and absorption) are becoming the top-choice of many, who are oriented toward optimum health.

However, the factors that are often overlooked, but just as important in healthy nutrition are:

~the way our food is prepared and served,
~the time of the day when we eat,
~the setting in which we eat and
~how we feel when we eat.

The way of the Western world is that poor nutrition is readily available everywhere, any time and cheap. Farmers' markets and health-food stores, on the other hand, are harder to find in some areas. In the end, all comes down to common sense. Our body is sending us messages all the time and if we would only learn to listen to these messages again, there would be no need whatsoever for trying out all the countless diets which don't work.

So, even though our biofeedback is a perfect messenger, we tend to override the signals and follow heavily advertised addictions. This kind of behavior affects the way we feel now, as well as over the long term. Being overweight is mostly the result of poor nutrition and low activity level.

The only way to lose extra pounds permanently is to change the lifestyle. Choosing less fattening foods is a good choice, but not sufficient. Because certain emotions and fear of creativity and change also promote unhealthy (over)eating habits, we need to choose personal growth (over addictions), decide what we want and stay focused on our goals.

Dietary habits and eating patterns from our family's traditions affect us all in our young age. As adults, however, we are making our own choices and decisions and we should keep asking ourselves why we're doing the things we do - and keep the answers in our sight.

When body is in a detoxification stage (like during cold or flu when bowels, secreting cells and mucous membranes become more active), it is simply trying to eliminate the buildup of toxins we consumed throughout the longer period of time. Eating lightly (especially fruits and vegetables) and drinking more liquids (clean, fresh water and herbal teas), supports the cleansing process.

Our dietary needs are changing with the seasons of the year as well as with our age. Growing children need richer diet to construct and expand tissues. When we stop growing physically, we only need to maintain our body, which calls for lighter, fiber and nutrient rich natural foods. As we age even more and our metabolism slows down, our food requirements decrease further.

Just like fitness activity is equally important at any age, so is the low level of stress. While under stress, our body may not digest and absorb the necessary nutrients so well and sometimes the additional supplements are needed.

When we lose our appetite in response to the stressful situation, that is a very helpful reaction. As mentioned before, in stressful times our body does not process foods so well. Not eating will allow us to "hear" better what the only body we have for this life, is signaling us, and explore our feelings.

Human body needs food as a source of energy and as a fuel to maintain life. It is quite obvious that nutrition plays a major role in health as well as sickness. Fortunately, there are more and more practitioners available who are nutritionists. There are also more and more choices of wholesome, nutritious foods offered online and in the brick-and-mortar stores. Information is plentiful. But it's up to us to decide to do and choose what's best.

*Haas, M.D., Elson M.. Staying Healthy with Nutrition. 1. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts Publishing, 1992.

Internet Phone - Stationary Phones' Superior Phone Service

2007-04-14T06:24:00.000-04:00

I’ve been intrigued to write this article by our recent experience with a local phone service. In the area where our new home is located, there’s only one phone company available at the moment.

The day after we got our new phone number, the phone started ringing off the hook. Telemarketers’ offers and special deals for “new home owners only” were pouring in at an unbelievable pace, morning till night to the point when we simply unplugged the phone because that was a lot more than we would ever be willing to take.

The funny thing is that unplugging the phone was perfectly fine since we’ve never got a chance to notify anyone of our new home phone number. We were far too busy answering the “spam phone calls”.

Therefore, with access to hi-speed Internet (broadband Internet connection), anybody’s best choice in stationary phones is to do some research on Internet phone companies.

Why internet phone?

Five obvious reasons:

#1 Internet phone calls are reliable, in high quality

#2 Very likely, you Internet phone will be the cheapest phone service ever

#3 Unbelievably low international rates

#4 Internet phone service usually comes with an option to have a video phone

#5 Equally price and quality efficient for home or business

It is always smart to take some time, do some research and compare different providers side by side: their installation fees, price of subscription, the price of local and long distance calls, and especially international rates which have a tendency to sky-rocket your phone bill (with certain providers).

In case the content of this writing lured you toward checking the Internet phone services and providers out, packe8.net is the one you should certainly consider.

We’ve been using it for about three years and are more than happy to plug-in our phone again into their service, especially after we had a chance to compare their services and rates to the ones from a short relationship with a local phone company.

Copyright © 2006-2007 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

15 to 20 Minute Workout Versus Exercising for an Hour

2007-04-12T06:22:00.000-04:00

Long Workout

Exercise programs that last for an hour or even longer per session seem to be a waste of time for many people who try to establish their workout routine. Many get bored of their exercise machines and routines pretty soon and that is just one of the strong reasons to drop-out of the vast workout plan.

"Look, we've been led to believe that, for some unknown reason, a 'workout' needs to last an hour or it's not worth doing at all.

That's nonsense!

In fact, of the many thousands of clients that I've worked with personally or through my company, I've found that those who are investing this much time are very often getting LESS of a result than those who are training for shorter periods." (Dax Moy, UK's premier personal trainer)

As soon as your long workout program starts feeling like a chore, suffering, stale or plain boring, there's a good chance you'll start looking for excuses to skip your next training.

If, on the other hand, you're enjoying your chosen long exercising activities and they don't feel like an obligation, go for it - there's no need to limit your workout time!

Short, Intense Exercise Workout

To most people, not having time to exercise for an hour, sounds quite reasonable. May-be that lack of time is not even the real reason to avoid fitness activity. But 15 to 20 minute workout can not become a time concern.

Choose to exercise shorter, more intensely. Use different sets of exercises and switch them around to avoid getting bored of them.

It is possible to enjoy your home exercise without any exercise equipment or workout clothes!
This can be an entirely free workout routine because you can exercise in your jammies, at home.
A good set of exercises will stretch every muscle in your body and if you primarily train to lose weight, you might choose the meltdown exercises.

Short routine makes it easier to enjoy every move, to stay focused and to feel every muscle that stretches.

To make things even better, appreciate and be grateful for your every breath and every sip of clean, fresh water and you'll be well on your way to new you, fit and healthier.

Copyright © 2007 Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary, Sarasota - Florida

2007-04-10T06:13:00.000-04:00

How It All Started

Every caring person can make a difference. Even more powerful, a dedicated team of employees and volunteers in Pelican Man Bird Sanctuary is making a huge difference in the life of more than sixty thousand migrating and native birds and other animals of Florida's Sarasota Bay.

It all started in 1981, when Dale Shields found a pelican, lying on the beach. The bird looked dead. When it finally moved its eyes, Dale rushed it home. At the time, there were no organizations that would be able to help, so the nursing took place in Dale's bathtub until the pelican was well enough to be released back into the wild.

During this experience Dale developed a vision to create a Wildlife Rescue of Sarasota and succeeded after eight years, in 1989. The construction of the Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary began with the generous help from the City of Sarasota. Throughout the last year alone the Sanctuary has rehabilitated and released over 4,000 birds into the wild.

Injuries

Some of the common injuries for which the birds are treated in Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary hospital are: wing, eye, leg and feet injuries, and beak damage.

And reasons for most of these and several other injuries?

There are many of them, including the environmental issues like polluted water and traffic struck. Fishing line entanglement and fishing hooks cause lots of troubles as well. Therefore, all the fishermen should keep in mind not to cut the line when a bird swallows a fishing hook. The hook has to be removed. Lots of injuries are caused from predator attacks as well.

One of the most surprising common injury reasons are hits by golf balls. In particular Sandhill Cranes are the victims of golfing quite often.

Since the wetland and grassland areas are smaller and smaller every year due to drainage projects, agricultural development and logging, these sensitive to disturbance and very majestic birds are trying to survive and look for new feeding and roosting habitats which include margins of lakes and ponds. Two very important factors for nesting location of sandhill cranes are isolation and presence of water. No wonder we find them at the golf courses.

Hospital

The backbone of the sanctuary is of course the hospital in which on average fifteen patients per day are treated. Wildlife Rescue volunteers bring the birds in after caring people report injured, sick or orphaned bird.

All of the birds are supposed to be released back in the wild. Unfortunately, that's not always possible. Some of the injuries are so severe that a survival is endangered. For that reason some birds are given a permanent home in natural, spacious habitat at the Pelican Man's Bird Sanctuary.

And what better proves that this is a nice place to live than a choice of several wild birds to live and breed in or around the Sanctuary.

How You Too Can Help

Dale Shields passed away in 2003. His life was dedicated to wildlife despite his ill-health. But his vision survived. It is alive and growing with new areas developing in the Sanctuary and more being planned on.

If you, too, are concerned about the wildlife or just birds, it's easy to help this bird-and- visitor friendly and well maintained place. You have several choices and you can find one that suits your budget and interest with no hassle. If you are in the area, go visit and see the Sanctuary for yourself.

Recently constructed Heronry, the most advanced habitat at the Sanctuary for Herons, Ibis and Egrets, is focused on water and native wetland plants. This super-structure is designed for minimizing maintenance and disturbance to the birds. Any size of your help or donation improves the living conditions for all the birds that found safe home at the Pelican Man's.

Copyright © 2007 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Linden Flowers Tea for More Warmth in Your Body and Your Soul

2007-04-09T06:07:00.000-04:00

My grandfather was the biggest linden expert I’ve ever met in my life. In my memories, I can still see him, standing in the front yard, smoking his ever present pipe and looking with love and admiration upwards, in the greenness of the linden tree, growing above the road passing by, in the curve of the driveway.

After a few minutes of observation and several neatly shaped clouds of smoke, he would tell me how many days before the linden flowers are going to be ready for picking and drying - for year-round supply of delicious tea that (at least in my experience) provides more warmth to your body than any other herbal tea.

The picking of the linden flowers took a few days and he would always start on the south side, where the leaves reached that mature golden color which meant they were filled with sunshine to the max and ripe, first.

Drying was also a delicate process because my grandfather wanted to keep every fragile linden flower whole, without crumbling. Just with as much caring attention as he was paying to the linden tree before picking the flowers, he was now supervising the drying process.

I am quite sure that winter was my grandfather’s favorite time of the year. Small farm was a lot of hard work from dawn till sunset. Only in winter he was able to sit next to the welcoming wood-burning stove, smiling while reading an article about a distant country in the newspaper and enjoying a cup of his linden flowers tea.

This memory leaves me wondering if my grandfather was smiling like that because he was cozy and warm, because the newspaper story reminded him of something pleasant, or was it the mildly sweet taste of home-grown and home-made linden flowers tea that was making him feel so happy and relaxed.

Copyright © 2007 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

The Dawn of Pajamas

2007-04-07T07:14:00.000-04:00

Sometime around 1920s everything was changing rapidly in the world of lingerie. For the first time machine-made underwear became a lot more affordable price-wise while still being made out of the same fine and luxury fabrics as the high-end hand-made undergarments.

During the thirties, fitness became fashionable and under the pressure from the hungry-for-change customers, manufacturers finally started producing smaller, lighter and foremost - better-fitting lingerie.

At the same time new fabrics (nylon and elastane) were introduced and they were a perfect match for the rising era of new - fitted underclothes. Women wanted more flexible foundations and all the basics were transforming into their lightest form yet.

Sleepwear was changing as well. Made out of transparent fabrics, with round or V necks, night-gowns became narrower and more revealing. Fashionable Oriental kimonos had richly quilted cuffs and collars while dressing jackets were hip-level long but short-lived as the new star (pajama) took over the stage.

‘For years women have surreptitiously been stealing men's stuff... pyjamas are now by far the smartest form of negligee.' (Vogue, 1924)

Pajamas were made out of all kinds of fancy fabrics (satin, cretonne, velvet, crepe, lame etc.) in bright colors as well as pinks and flesh tones; some even stayed true to their Persian origins in coloring, print and metallic thread embroidery.

Probably the most unusual fact from this era when traveling was very fashionable is that couture houses (couture = dressmaking, sewing or needlework) of the time were making the complete bed-sets (sheets, cushions, sheets, coverlets and even sleeping bags) to match lingerie sets. In one of its issues from that time period Vogue stated, ‘The smart woman travels with lovely lingerie and amusing pyjamas in her train.'

That, of course, was just the beginning of the PJ's popularity. At first they only replaced the nightgowns since they were so much more comfortable and easy to care for. But soon after that the form of pajama was used for lounging, beachwear, evening wear and sportswear.

Today, PJ is just as popular as it was when first introduced decades ago. We have the bigger variety of materials available than ever before, more solid colors and prints than ever before, décor is only limited with the imagination of the designers, but the form remains - timeless.

Copyright © 2006 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

The Past Times and the Present of Fine Lingerie

2007-04-06T07:06:00.001-04:00

These days, fine lingerie is mostly advertised as a concept for seduction. Other (practical, health and hygiene) aspects of wearing silks and satins, stretch laces, micro fibers or simply - cotton, are greatly neglected.

Lingerie is not only a fashion statement but also plays an important practical and aesthetic role. That's exactly why it's so important to choose comfortable, perfect-fitting items, made of materials that feel good to the touch.

In 1920s boned and rigid corsetry started blending (for the first time in known human history) with soft and gaudy lingerie. The corset finally became softer (and more user-friendly), mostly due to the medical research which proved the damage (distort of the spine) that infamous 'S'-bend caused to the women's bodies.

Nevertheless, fashion dictated most of the changes in lingerie. Focused on a particular silhouette, all the underwear was designed to achieve the ideal look of the time.

Unfortunately, for about one hundred years the natural look has not been praised and the undergarments have been designed accordingly. At the end of twenties manufacturers finally became aware of variety in female figures and started producing lingerie tailored to different physical types.

This was a great move towards comfort as well as affordability. Machine-made lingerie was mass-produced and the invention (by Dupont) of revolutionary new fibers: nylon and Lycra (elastane) enabled increasingly better fit of the garments. Despite the prevailing philosophy that 'some constriction is supposed to be good for women' the armor-like pieces of underwear were banned forever.

Only, one deep scar remained. Almost a hundred years later, too many women are still trying to re-learn how to accept their bodies, how to feel comfortable inside them, how to love them and how to listen to them. Centuries long constriction was complete - and successful.

'Take for Granted' Meaning While Living In Abundance

2007-04-05T06:26:00.001-04:00

On Saturday morning I went to the farmers' market. Buying the usual weekly supply of fruits and vegetables, my last stop was at the pretty Chinese lady's stand where I was buying pounds and pounds of persimmons for the last few weeks. She was smiling at me as usually, recognizing my face and welcoming my interest in this extraordinary fruit, often referred to by Greeks as the 'food of the Gods' or 'kaki' in Japan.

While I was loading the fruits that looked the most ripe to me, the Chinese lady told me that the persimmons were now out of season and that this was one of the last days she was still selling them. I wasn't happy about hearing that. I got so used to have an abundance of persimmons on my kitchen counter week after week that I almost forgot that soon they wouldn't be available any more.

It has to be the nature of the human (or our ego) that we so easily take for granted everything that's available to us in bounty. We forget to be grateful (without even noticing it) and the biggest flaw is - we cease to enjoy all the plentiful goodies!

That is a shame because the persimmons aren't less sweet because I bought a few pounds of the ripe-tomato-like looking crop instead of a single fruit, and their nutrition value doesn't change with quantity available, either.

At first sight bad news about the fast approaching end of the season for one of my favorite treats, became unexpectedly a very beneficial reminder. When I started eating my first kaki this morning, I suddenly remembered that this might be one of the last of its kind until late next fall. Believe me, I enjoyed every bite of the ripe, nutritious fruit tremendously, appreciating the rich taste, the pleasing texture and the seasonal color, thanking God for everything good in my life.

Inspirational Message Mirror - An Art-Piece that Should not Miss in Anyone's Home

2007-04-04T07:47:00.001-04:00

For more than 25 years, Pamela and Charles Bogdonoff from Virginia have been creating stained glass mosaics. Their creations come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, as birdbaths, mirrors, tiles and stepping stones, sun catchers, wall plaques and table tops, as well as cabinet panels and transom panels.

Every single piece of glass used in laying pieces into mosaic pattern is hand-picked because of its exquisite color and quality. After that it has to be carefully cut and ground in fine detail of another admirable stained glass art product by Pam and Charley.

But that is not what's so special about their artwork they make with so much love and devotion. What really separates them from so many artists who use glass to express their creativity in glass are their Inspirational Message Mirrors. They were inspired by Charles being diagnosed with cancer.

Ever since that time, inspiring words like: JOY, LOVE, BELIEVE, FAITH, DREAM, IMAGINE and others are incorporated in their message mirrors to motivate and heal themselves and others who decide to enrich their living space with one of Pamela and Charles' Message Mirrors.

There's no shortage of shapes, sizes or motives in the selection of Message Mirrors from this husband-and-wife art-team. There's something for everyone. Besides, they are still healing and you should know in your heart that whenever you decide to buy one of their products, you not only make your home more delightful, but also acquire a gracious art piece and foremost, support Charley in his healing from cancer.

To see Pamela and Charley's art pieces, visit:
http://www.laughingglass.byregion.net

Copyright © 2006 by Daria Perse. All rights reserved.

Mini Garden - Terraria (Terrarium)

2007-04-03T12:37:00.001-04:00

According to dictionary.com terraria is "a small enclosure or closed container in which selected living plants and sometimes small land animals, such as turtles and lizards, are kept and observed."

If you are a busy or lazy plant lover, terrarium is a perfect way of keeping some live plants in your home. Miniature garden in glass container or bowl looks very decorative and requires no fuss the regular plants in potting soil do. Just remember to water every once in a while and take care of flowers that grow too big or die.

The lowest maintenance kinds of mini garden are the tall, lidless ones. Plant growth is slower in them. Another choice is the glass container with a lid which makes a stylish centerpiece on your coffee table. Just remember to clean the algae buildup from the glass when it appears.

The most decorous terrariums are the ones designed on a certain theme: bottom of the ocean, ancient civilization, mini landscape etc. If you decide to create one by yourself, don't forget to put some pebbles or aquarium charcoal on the bottom first or your plants might start rotting in standing water. Small orchids, begonias and air plants are excellent choice of species for glass environment.

If not, the comfortable, easy way is to purchase terraria in a specialized store. Then, all you need to do is -- to pick a perfect spot and enjoy watching this wondrous mini nature for months... until some rearranging is needed.

Easy Garden - Sunflower Spacing

2007-04-02T16:54:00.001-04:00

Easy Garden - Sunflower Spacing

Seed spacing is important for several reasons. Whenever we are trying to achieve the best performance of a certain plant, the best way to go (before starting the seeds) is to check and use the instructions on the seed packages. They will usually tell you the exact perfect distances between the seeds and plants.

Reason #1: Every plant needs plenty of room to grow, sunflowers especially. If their seeds are planted too close together, they won't reach their full potential. Their heads will be smaller. The cut flower growers use that to their advantage. They want to grow petite blooms that are not too heavy; therefore they crowd the plants closer together. But when you grow sunflowers in your garden, give them extra space. They will thank you by growing the biggest and most beautiful blooms possible.

Reason #2: Sunflowers that are spaced correctly are much easier to maintain. Every single plant will be easy-accessible, which means easy weeding, watering, fertilizing and pruning. About once a week cut the spent flowers from the poly-headed sunflower species. That will promote more blooming. Also, plenty of space means abundance of sunshine for each plant. When lacking sun, sunflower stems grow frail; they might even collapse in effort to reach for the sun.

Reason #3: The roots of sunflowers excrete toxin (not harmful to humans and pets) that prevents seeds from sprouting and seedlings from growing. The toxin is biodegradable but in the growing season it just might affect another sunflower shoot when planted too close together.

Sunflowers are easy to grow and not fussy about the soil. Just give them plenty of space, sun and good drainage and you'll be able to enjoy their happy faces throughout the season.

Clean, Fresh Water – Essential Nutrient for Life

2007-03-30T14:35:00.000-04:00

By far the largest percent of human body's volume consists of water, which is also the solvent for all soluble essentials that maintain life and enable cell and tissue growth. Water is present in almost every process in the body, helps to eliminate toxins out of your body, helps regulate the temperature of the body, lubricates and cushions joints, keeps our skin healthy and more.

Water requirements are different from person to person. It's obvious that we need more water when engaged in physical activities or if we live in hot climate. The quantity of water our body needs also depends on our diet.

The rule of thumb used to be eight (8 oz.) glasses of water per day or 1 quart (1 liter) for every fifty pounds of weight. Lately, Dr. Mercola and other practitioners recommend obeying your thirst and watching the color of your urine, which is supposed to be very light-yellow (unless you're taking riboflavin - vitamin B2).

Clean water is a must for optimum health and bottled water recently grew into a major industry. Consequently, several companies are competing in offers of designer waters, fluoridated waters, spring waters, flavored waters, juice waters, vitamin enriched waters and the list goes on and on.
It's no surprise that consumers are confused and many times choose (in good faith of buying healthy liquid) waters that might do more bad than good to their body.

Like, for instance, fluoridated water which causes fluorosis (excessive fluoride gets incorporated in the structure of the bones and teeth), especially in children. Or water bottles made of polycarbonate plastics which can leach an unsafe chemical called BPA into supposedly clean water - to mention just a couple.

So, what is the safe, healthy solution?

The only water we should be drinking is clean, spring water and filtered water. When bottled, glass bottles are the best. At home, home filtering system is the most cost effective and safest way to provide good drinking water. Well water source should be analyzed for bacteria, minerals and organic chemical pollutants before using it freely, with no filtration.

A Cup of Tea to Nurture Your Body and Lose a Pound or Two

2007-03-13T18:56:00.000-04:00

Even though a soothing cup of tea is a perfect treat any time of the year, the beginning of the season of the cold, short, sun-lacking days is especially good time to pamper yourself with a cup of hot tea and even better, try a new taste.

Think of it not just as an intake of hot liquid but more as a relaxing therapy, which will feel good to your body with the welcoming warmth, your mind because you're doing something kind for yourself and taking some quiet time off, as well as your soul. If you're not able to quiet your mind's chatter and completely and exclusively enjoy the aroma, color and taste of your chosen tea, then try to smile and recall a pleasant memory.

Another smart benefit of enjoying a cup of tea is here for you to use if you don't mind losing a pound or two. When you feel hungry, brew a cup of your favorite tea, sit down and enjoy it as described in the previous paragraph. For a few minutes stop working, talking on the phone, answering emails and foremost, thinking angry or any other negatively-charged thoughts. If you really have to think, at least focus on what you really want in your life.

However, it is very important that you really enjoy your cup of tea or you might not even notice that you've consumed anything. On the other hand, if you pay attention, that one cup of pleasantly tasting, warm liquid will feel you up and you can go on for a few more hours doing what you're doing without stuffing your body with some highly processed boxed-or-bagged food that lacks all of the nourishing ingredients.

Naturopathy - The Five Basic Principles

2006-11-20T15:26:00.000-05:00

Advantages and Disadvantages

The basic principles of naturopathy are slightly different than other common recommendations for healthy living. Naturopathy was rediscovered in 19th century by the people who couldn't agree with traditional medical practices. At the time, regaining health with the minimum of doctoring, using diet, exercise, bathing and massage was officially declared as ‘ungodly' or ‘unscientific'...

Modern medicine evolved relatively recently in the evolution of mankind. Its therapeutic goal is to eliminate the symptoms. Decidedly, in this short period of time of its existence, it became so influential that is now the conventional way of healing all around the world.

This modern (biomedicine) approach assumes that one's body becomes ill because of outside virulent attacks and uses medicines, vaccines, surgical and other hi-tech procedures to fight and remove the symptoms.

In spite of all the sophisticated technological methods of diagnosing and treating diseases, the lifestyle disorders are becoming a major health issue and modern medicine appears to be ineffective and even handcuffed in addressing them.

Therefore, public's leaning against more natural methods and taking charge of responsibility for one's own health is about to become prevailing.

Five Basic Principles

*Healthy Eating
According to the philosophy of naturopathy, our health is determined by nutrition. Failing to thrive in gardening, caring for domestic animals and farm livestock is also an outcome of unfit nourishment.

*Fasting
Reducing our concentrated (energy) food intake completely or partially when we feel ill is supposed to have several benefits. The strength gained from fasting is hormonal - a natural anti-inflammatory response. Fasting helps increase the hormonal strength (body's natural anti-inflammatory reaction). Drinking easy digestible raw food juices is recommended.

*Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy is the external use of water to treat injury and illness. For example: bathing hands and feet in cool water might help you become more relaxed for sleep.

*Self Massage
Daily self massage of face and abdomen is easy to do and pleasing. You can trade the lower back and shoulder massage with a friend or spouse. For muscle and joint disorders, seek professional help.

*Gentle Exercise
Naturopathy states that problems of pasture and movement are mostly the result of underuse or abuse. Gentle exercising like yoga is beneficial both physically and mentally.

Being well is an intimate sensation and taking care of our wellness should start on a personal level. Instead, we became so dependent on the health-care system that we simply expect an institution to take-over and fix the problem almost every time our organs communicate disarray - without even considering other options.

But I firmly believe that in the future more and more people will be turning to their inner selves, learn to love and respect their bodies, listen to their bodies and take proper care of them, enjoy healthy foods and re-discover how to shine and express their individual uniqueness in contribution to the world.

Skin: An Important Ingredient of Your Daily Facial Care

2006-11-07T11:52:00.000-05:00

What do you ache for these days? Antioxidants? Firming ingredients in your day-time-moisturizer? Vitamins and minerals? Or maybe something that's been a beauty secret of the famous-pretty-face centuries ago...?

A lot's been written and said about all the ingredients that are supposed to effectively erase or conceal all kinds of unwanted signs, lines, and discoloration from our faces, hands and bodies. New potent ingredients are discovered and rediscovered every day. As a result, the beauty-care-industry is flourishing (on our wallets!). And you are the lucky one if you manage to find the product that your skin really likes.

Whatever your perfect-potion-search mission is, I'm not trying to stop you. I sincerely hope you find one and really enjoy it until finding the replacement. However, there's an ingredient in our daily skin-care routine that's ignored or forgotten far too often. Moreover, in my opinion it's considerably more important than most people realize. Besides, the best things in our lives are quite often for free.

Pamper and caress - not torture your skin while cleansing, applying serums and moisturizers (or any other kind of product). Glide over your skin as lightly as the wings of the butterfly, dab lightly and gently.

Use the tips of your fingers (tips of your ring fingers around your eye-area) instead of your palms. Benefits are obvious: the treatment of your face is much more tender this way and there's no wasting of product on your hands.

Furthermore, avoid stretching, pressing and hitting too hard. Your skin will be greatful!
While paying attention to what you're doing, you're expressing love and care for your facial area. In doing so, there's a chance that you won't have to run out anymore to buy every single new beauty product on the market. Instead, you can carry around magically happy and glowing face.

Simple Living Guide: Healthy Priorities and Healthy Finances

2006-11-03T10:34:00.000-05:00

I’ve never been a financial expert and I have serious doubts that I’ll ever have time to become one (with all the things that interest me). But this morning I all of a sudden realized how the foundation of healthy personal finances starts with setting the healthy priorities.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a person entering the second half of your life, younger or older, the quality of life and priorities are something we should all be thinking about. Quality doesn’t necessarily mean luxury or expensive things. Little things that make us happy every time we see them or use them and things that make us feel better add to the quality of our life so much more than the shiniest car, a fur coat, or a piece of jewelry. Wait, I’m not saying that we should give up the material possessions to become happy... No, we deserve all the best! But we should cover the basics first.

Maybe you’re upset about how much it costs you to take your kid to school (and back home) every week. Maybe you’re complaining how expensive the schools are. For our own good we should not classify the cost of the education under the expense category. Because learning is always an investment into everybody’s better future: your kid’s, yours and better future of this whole planet.

Maybe you’re fine with the school cost but you’re paying a lot (to rent or own) a big screen TV when at the same time you’re short on money when you need an herb remedy from the health food store which would really make you feel better. In my personal opinion, TV is something that we all have but we could leave just as happily without it and small screen is big enough to see the shows we really enjoy.

On the other hand, something like natural progesterone lotion, tea tree oil, black cohosh root pills, herbal tea that you find beneficial or healthier fruits and veggies from the local farmer’s market. will definitely improve the essential quality or your life.

To satisfy this kind of basic needs of your body and everyday living means a big improvement in excellence of your life, healthy priorities and in the aftermath - healthier finances.

Simple Living Guide: An Essential Ingredient of Healthy Dieting

2006-11-02T12:51:00.000-05:00

It happens to be quite overwhelming nowadays to choose the right diet for ourselves when we start to feel like we need one. There are so many offers out there (diets are obviously a big business) that one can easily feel confused and lost among the loads of information bombarding us via all sorts of media’s advertising.

This writing is not a dieting tip and does not recommend a new (or tested) dieting program. I am not here to persuade you how a certain dieting food works great for weight loss dieting, in case of weight-gain caused by hormonal imbalance or even explain what a healthy dieting is.

Personally, I prefer natural methods and natural foods (my ideal is to grow and eat my own home-grown fruits and veggies). But even in the area of more holistically-oriented pursuits, there are different trends, healing methods and philosophies. Luckily, the natural methods don’t differ that much and have some basic principles in common.

My gut’s feeling tells me that we should learn from the famous physicians and researchers, their studies and experiences with the patients. But at the same time, whatever diet or detox program we decide on, it’s best when customized for us and especially - is user-friendly.

Whenever we introduce some drastic changes to our eating habits that better be done under the professional’s supervision. The step-by-step changes like staying away from sugar, alcohol or cigarettes (one at the time) are safe to try on your own. However, any support you can get in breaking these kinds of addictions might greatly improve your chances for success.

So, no matter what kind of diet and nutrition you choose for yourself, there’s one essential ingredient of every healthy dieting and applies to any kind of dieting: Always listen to your body.

Since there is no such thing as universal cure or universal diet, the smart choice would be to use your body as a guide. According to Deepak Chopra, M.D. the Eskimos get rotten teeth, hardening of the arteries and bad tempers if you give them fruits and vegetables (considered the healthiest foods in western societies).

Your body is your best friend, teacher and guide. It keeps "talking" to us, using the variety of sensations. It keeps teaching us what’s good for us - if only we would listen… Nevertheless, there is one simple, two-step way to start listening (and act accordingly) again:

1. Simply pay attention to how you feel an hour or two after eating a certain food.

2. Observe how you feel in the morning when on a new diet.

Paying attention, listening and observing to what our body is communicating to us is the most reliable way to avoid the dangers of dieting whether you adopt the blood type diet, famous "Shore" one, "Jessica’s" or any other. The one rule to follow in decision-making is: select the diet program that is tolerable in your current situation, lifestyle and wellness.

Simple Living Guide: Post Office Services from the Comfort of Your Home

2006-10-30T10:08:00.000-05:00

When was the last time you’ve visited the official USPS webpage www.usps.com?
If it’s been a while, it’s time to pay a visit a gain! There were quite a few changes and improvements introduced lately. Plus, the webpage offers more and more services you can use from your computer - in the comfort of your home. This conveniently means: no driving to the post office, no standing in line - and more.

The variety of actions you can take from "the post office in your home" is growing. All you need to do to get the access to entire commodity is - to open an online account - and you'll be ready to go!

Following is the list of services that are really useful: they can save a lot of time (and gas):
· Buy stamps online: For a flat S&H charge of $1.00, you can have any quantity of stamps delivered to your door via priority mail. What I personally like the most about shopping for stamps online is - USPS online store has the most complete selection of all the stamps issued. You can buy different stamps every time or even match the stamp theme with the nature of your mailing.

· Are you moving? In that case change your address online. You can also arrange the holding of your mail if you’re going away for a while.

· Check the rates and compare the services: If you happen to have a postal scale at home, it’s really useful to use the "Calculate Postage" link from the USPS’s home page. You can get the exact price and all the services offered. After you decide which service you need, check out the special services if you feel like you need some extras to guarantee the delivery.

· Order your shipping supplies and forms: If you’re mailing frequently, using the same forms and shipping supplies over and over again, order them online. All the forms are free and so are some shipping supplies (like priority mail envelopes and boxes). Although the delivery is also free of charge, count on about five business days before you receive your order.

· Print postage and labels online: Click-N-Ship® is one of the newest services offered by USPS. It’s convenient and there’s no monthly fee for using it. The downside is that it only includes certain more expensive services (for example: Priority Mail®, Express Mail® etc.).

Maybe you don’t mind going to the post office whenever you need to. Particularly if one’s close to your home or work. But even if that’s true, you might want to check out the new issues of stamps every now and then at USPS.com.

Easy Garden: Propagate Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) - 3 Easy Ways

2006-10-24T13:25:00.000-04:00

This perennial is easy to grow in full sun and well drained, light soil. Three ways to propagate rosemary are: from seeds, from cuttings and by layering.

1. From seeds: germination of the rosemary seeds is extremely slow and so is the growing of the tiny seedlings. That’s why this is the least favorite of the three choices. Although, if you have patience and want to try and grow your own seedlings or test different species of Rosmarinus, go ahead and give it a try. Just make sure you follow the instructions on the package.

2. From stem cuttings: cut the soft wood at the tip of the branch (2 to 6 inches long). Remember that shorter cuttings mean more compact plants. There are two more basic rules that should not be ignored: use a clean, sharp knife to cut and the mildest strength hormone rooting powder for softwood cuttings (if any). The material for rooting should be sterile (perlite, washed sand, powdered styrofoam, vermiculite, or a mixture of any of those in equal proportions). Do not pack the material tightly around the stems to prevent damaging during removal of the rooted cuttings. Before planting the cuttings, strip at least half of the leaves from the stem. Insert into a rooting material about half stem deep, angled at about 45 degrees.

3. Simple layering: is the simplest way of propagation with rosemary. It almost never fails. Simply choose the branch that will bend easily to touch the ground. Dig a small hole and press the branch in it. Fill the depression with soil and firm well. To keep the branch in place and preventing the new roots from being lifted out of the ground put the rock or a brick over the buried branch spot. See the photo at: http://www.thesunflowergardens.com/page/page/3768454.htm/ Water well. Six to eight weeks later your new plant should have enough roots for the attachment to the parent plant to be cut. Young rosemary is now ready to be transplanted to a new spot.

In a warm, sunny climate your rosemary will grow fast and year round. You will have plenty for flavor in the kitchen as well as aboundance of cuttings to put it in the vase and have that naturally fresh and clean smell in your home.

Herbs: Her Majesty - The Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

2006-10-23T11:32:00.000-04:00

To me, rosemary is mostly about memories. Its distinctive smell teleports me straight to the ranch-type, yellow painted vacation home with the rosemary hedge around on the beach. All that is far away and far back in the past of my childhood. But without a mistake, this time travel happens to me every time I slide my hand over the rosemary bush in front of my house. The magical smell fills up my nostrils and the pleasure of innocent childhood happiness starts rising in my body…

Not only is the aroma, rosemary’s taste is also distinguishing. That’s a good reason to be conservative whenever using it as a spice. A fresh sprig of rosemary makes a nice decoration with many foods, especially fish. Just don’t try to put it in your mouth and chew on it.

Some sources mention the use of rosemary essential oil as a cure for stomachaches and to stimulate the blood circulation. Other natural healing uses: eyestrain, for shiny dark hair, headache, as cellulite eliminator, as pain relief. Only, I’m not a doctor and can’t prescribe you anything.

For now, plant rosemary in a sunny spot somewhere around your home. It will also grow in a pot. Rosemary plants prefer fertile, well drained soil. Different kinds of rosemary are hardy in different zones. If you’re not sure, bring it in the house before freezing. In case you have several plants, leave one or two established plants outside and see if they survive.

Rosemary twigs look great in vases (see the pictures at: www.TheSunflowerGardens.com) plus, they make the inside of your home smell fresh. Every rosemary bush can be pruned to a desired shape. Another attribute of rosemary’s aroma is - it keeps the rodents away!

As soon as I’m done typing this article, I’m going out. There’s a rosemary bush in front of our house. In less than two years it grew from a tiny plant from the nursery to the size of about a yard across. I’m going to brush the top with my hand, close my eyes and spend a few moments on a beautiful distant beach…

Why a Card? 10 People You could send a Thank You Note to - Today

2006-10-20T11:00:00.000-04:00

We live in this fast paced world, snatching at some things that seem important at the moment, but don’t really add to our happiness; longing for goods or relationships that shall bring us bliss.

We are focused on everything we lack in our everyday life and forget to appreciate all the good stuff. Instead, we take the good things for granted. Even more so, we don't have time to appreciate the people and the relationships.

But today can be different. We can make someone’s day - it’s not all that difficult. Here’s and idea! Pick up a thank you note and send it to someone, who made your day one way or another; to someone who made you laugh; to someone who made your life feel brighter, sunnier or different; nicer on a single or several occasions.

Send a thank you card to someone who has done you a favor when you hadn’t even asked for one.

Send a greeting card to your mom for whatever good she did for you (and forgive all the times when she was negative).

Send a thank you quote to your dad for something nice you did together (and stop grieving about the things you expected and never received)…

Send a thank you note to that aunt who winked and understood - when no one else in your family did…

Don’t forget your child who made that precious drawing or a favor to you - which was a pure gift of unconditional love from the innocent heart.

You might all of a sudden feel a need to thank a dear friend, your neighbor, coworker or a relative for a special moment you had together or simply - for being themselves.

You can certainly make anyone’s day by sending a thank you note. It just might bring a smile on addressee’s face or even a tear in someone’s eye. Your card will plant a seed of happiness in recipient’s heart; this human being will go out and shine the love to the world.

Every act of kindness will come back to you ten fold. We still harvest what we sow. Hence, start planting some happiness, light, hope and love - today.

Easy Garden Tips: Plants in Pots and Burning Heat

2006-10-18T11:36:00.000-04:00

If you’re a user (and a fan) of regular pots, planters, containers or window boxes (instead of self-watering ones), here’s a useful tip, custom made for your needs. How to get your beloved plants through the hottest weeks of the summer -- safely and successfully, is probably one of your main concerns.

It’s getting harder and harder to keep the container plants from wilting or dying out in the burning heat of the hottest summer days. Did you try different things to improve the matter but nothing really worked both ways (for good drainage as well as for keeping the moisture in the soil)? So did I. In Southern Florida, nothing seemed to be effective enough.
Containers along the driveway and in sunny front of the house need the most water. One just can’t water enough!

Ice cubes work well (instead of watering). They melt slowly and really soak the soil (while the water quickly runs through, leaving the roots thirsty still). The problem is that for a lot of pots you need a lot of ice…
Packing peanuts at the bottom of the container work great for too much rain or watering. They also make the large planters easier to move since they are light weight. But at the same time, after only a few months, the growing plants don’t have enough soil any more and the roots caught in the peanut-layer start drying out.

Rocks or pebbles at the bottom of planters don’t do anything good for the weight of the planters, especially not the bigger ones. They work for drainage, but do nothing to keep moisture in the soil.

Color of the pots is quite significant. Avoid black containers whenever possible. In the heat of the summer they consume the heat much more effectively than the light-colored planters. That just dries out the soil even faster (and overheats the roots).

Mulch and compost work sufficiently for keeping away the weeds and preserving the moisture in flower beds and not that much in planters.
So, what’s the solution?

It’s either slaving away watering twice a day, give all the plants away and forget container gardening, or find something that would actually work.
I found an answer more by accident. One day I picked up a bag of sphagnum moss to block the drains from washing the soil out of the pot. While planting, an idea crossed my mind. I filled the big containers up to one fourth to one third of the height with the sphagnum moss instead of soil.

Months later, I am very happy with the results. The drainage is still good. The pots are lighter when I’m carrying them from place to place. At the same time, I’m not watering twice a day anymore. The sphagnum moss keeps the soil moist enough for a few days instead! And the best of all: my plants are growing and flowering like never before!

Note: This article is a result of my personal experiences; no scientific research backs it up. Your results may vary.

Skin: How to Take Care of Feet

2006-10-12T09:11:00.000-04:00

Taking care of feet is often a neglected area of our daily body-care routine. These great parts of our bodies are carrying us around (no matter how heavy we are) all day long and all we want them to, frequently in very uncomfortable shoes and some socks that don’t even breathe.

When our feet get tired, we feel fatigued overall. If that happens to you a lot, it’s time to apply some benefits for your much needed and valuable - feet.

First of all, wear comfortable shoes. I don’t know which ones are best for you. Find a pair in which your feet feel natural. That alone will make a huge difference in the way you feel.

Second, whenever you’re wearing socks, they should be made out of a breathable material. Otherwise, your feet feel like your hands do while wearing latex gloves for a long time.

Third, your feet, just as every part of your body, deserve some loving care. At night, just before you go to bed, put some lotion or cream on your dry and clean feet. It doesn’t have to be any special kind (as long as there's no troubled areas on your feet); almost any hand cream or regular body lotion should do.

The important thing that trully makes a difference is: don’t just apply. Take a minute or even better - two and massage the entire feet area (don't skip a pinky toe!), apply as much lotion as necessary, and enjoy the refreshingly energizing sensation of your tiredness departing your body.
If nothing else, your hills won’t be all that dry anymore. Plus, it’s going to be so much easier to go to sleep.

Nutrition: Nourish Your Body and Reduce Digestive Problems - 4 Basic Principles

2006-10-10T15:18:00.000-04:00

An easy plan can implement your everyday eating habits and greatly improve the whole eating and digesting experience:

1. Take your time and focus on the food you're eating
2. Enjoy your food no matter what it is
3. Take really small bites and - finally -
4. Chew well

Even if you spend a really short time for your meal, paying attention to what you're doing/eating is very important. All of a sudden you will notice that what you're consuming actually has a taste, a smell and a texture. While paying attention, try to notice the aroma and the colors of your dishes. Go ahead and relish every single quality that's offered to you in a form of a food.

Taking small bites definitely means that you'll eat less than you would while stuffing yourself somewhere on-the-go. This way of eating makes you feel full faster. If you’re trying to lose weight, maybe you should consider small-bites-idea before trying-out countless diet plans. Another great thing is that small bites do help the chewing job.

Chewing well will greatly assist your digestion. It will make your stomach's chore easier and shorter. The intake of nourishing elements into your body from the food you consume will be far greater. Benefits are countless (and too many to be mentioned in one article).

I'm not saying that these four improvements can make an overnight miracle and simply erase every single trouble you've ever encountered regarding food and eating. They can't! But they are a smart start to the healthier direction of nourishing and appreciating your figure.

By adopting a few small positive improvements in eating habits, your body is going to repay you in a very pleasant way - by serving you better.

Environment: Ways to Recycle Water in Your Kitchen

2006-10-09T10:32:00.000-04:00

Water is getting scarce, especially the clean, drinking one. Pollution and extreme weather conditions don’t help to improve the matter in any way.

Recycling is a great way to protect the environment. It’s not always simple, though. Some cities and towns collect only certain kinds of recyclable materials and we have to change our "trashing habits" to "recycling habits" when handling empty packaging.

Here is and idea about how to use the recycled water straight from the kitchen sinks - for all you gardeners out there. With almost no effort we can catch and reuse some of the water we exploit in our homes on a daily basis.

All the lucky home keepers who hand-wash the dishes, you can have plenty watering liquid by collecting the rinsing water (while rinsing the dishes). Even if you use the dish washer, you still wash your hands - most likely pretty often and that’s the kind of water that can be used for watering also. Just put a plastic bowl in a sink.

Before using the collected water for watering, make sure it is not greasy. Add a few drops of lemon dish soap or even better, a few drops of baby shampoo to the water. This will not harm the plants but will protect the nature. A drop of fat ruins many drops of drinking water.

One more way to increase the savings is to catch rain water. Unfortunately, you can only do that if you live in a house.

Earth is the only planet available to the human race for living our lives right now. Whatever damage we cause today, our children will inherit the consequences. Every environmentally conscious act makes a positive difference. Contribute your good deed today!

Simple Living Guide: Growing Up At 40 +

2006-10-04T14:06:00.000-04:00

Lately, I am studying Sylvia Browne's books. If you've never heard the name – she is »One of America's Most Successful Clairvoyants« as stated on the front of her book Adventures of the Psychic. In my opinion, she is a lot more than that! I admire her (and her work) tremendously and I'd really like to know her in person.

As a result of my studies, I kind of signed »peace treaty« with my life and everything that's happening to me, with all the tough circumstances and events that were making me wondering for years, »Why me? Why do I have to go through so much? How did I deserve all that? Am I really such a bad person – or I was in a previous life???«

While questions like these and similar were constantly on my mind, I was probably missing the real purpose of my present earthly experience, which is learning and growing up – or - becoming a better soul…

One story from that same book (mentioned above) left me exceedingly amazed (and with a new question, of course). I know I am too tough on myself a lot of times… It made me very angry that I couldn't apply her discovery to my own problem and solve it instantly…

Anyway, Sylvia's problem was on and off inflamed bladder – for years. She couldn't understand or find the reason for it until mentioning it to her friend and saying how »her mother really pisses her off«… It always works like a magic. As soon as we understand the reason, the problem is not needed any more and the healing takes place instead.

In the last couple of months my most unpleasant concern was my body, gaining weight. Slowly, but steadily. Not being a kind of person that uses the personal scale, I have absolutely no idea how many pounds heavier I became. But when my clothes become too tight and I don't feel comfortable wearing them anymore, I get really upset. Since I don't eat that much too much, hardly any fast food, and had never had a serious weight problem in my life, the only answer available to me was the whole estrogen-hormonal period of my life. Some TV commercials keep »promoting« hormonal weight gain in women all the time, swearing it's the only possible reason for weight-gaining after you reach the magical age of thirty…

For some reason this answer didn't satisfy me and I kept wondering… Until a few hours ago. I erupted like a volcano and couldn’t stop saying things that really bother me in my relationship, in my everyday life. I felt very unhappy about certain things but kept them inside, not saying a word to a living soul.

Soon after losing the heavy load of unhappiness and suppressed thoughts, I realized that by letting go of my feelings, I will not gain another pound! If you have any doubts, ask me in about a month from today, if my clothes are still too tight…

Simple Living Guide: Possible Cure for Messy Toothpaste Disease

2006-10-02T10:27:00.000-04:00

Is a messy toothpaste tube driving you crazy?

Let me tell you - you’re not the only one. I’m quite sure that toothpaste has been a popular reason for fights between spouses or family members since its appearance in our daily routine which (at least for some people) happened a long time ago…

Toothpaste History

3000 to 5000 years B.C. the Egyptians were already making a dental powder/crème out of powdered ashes of oxen hooves, myrrh, burned egg shells, pumice and water. This powder or paste was probably applied onto the teeth by fingers since the toothstick (predecessor ot the toothbrush) had not been invented yet.

Persians chose different ingredients in about 1000 B.C. Burnt shells of snails and oysters with gypsum were their magic formula.

Romans improved the recipes by adding (among others) some flavoring agents, which also counteracted bad breath.

Half a millennia later, around 500 B.C., we find records of toothpaste use in China and India as well.

Modern toothpastes appear in 1800 A.D., developed by doctors, dentists and chemists in Britain. They contained some very abrasive substances (brick dust, crushed china, earthenware, cuttlefish) and even sugar. The poor still rubbed their teeth using fingers and for the rich toothbrushes were available.

Mass production started in 1873 (by Colgate). Toothpaste was packed in a jar and for the first time in history it smelled good. U.S. Army included the brushing of teeth in their standard hygiene procedures in 1941.

Toothpaste Today

Nowadays, toothpastes come in a variety of colors, flavors, aromas, with fluoride or without it, with synthetic or natural ingredients, packed in plastic or tin tubes, dispensers etc. There’s one thing that hasn’t changed, however. Some people simply don’t mind spreading the toothpaste not only onto the toothbrush but all over the dispenser, the sink and probably other places also. Uppermost, they probably forget to put the cap back on the tube after use…

These sorts of (bad) habits can become a serious problem when such person shares the same bathroom with another kind of person who prefers toothpaste in a tube (always with the cap on when not in use) and on the toothbrush only.

Until today, I haven’t heard of any cure that would heal the "messy toothpaste disease". But I’ve had a chance to learn about an interesting and at the same time amusing method a young lady just started using in her bathroom. We’ll call it "Doro-Method". It involves putting up conspicuous post-it stickers with instructions around the area in question. By "conspicuous" I mean the size, the color and the wording you really can’t miss or disregard easily. And she’s told me so herself - it’s been working so far…

There’s no guarantee that the "Doro-Method" will work for you. In that particular house nobody ever comments on warnings or directions but they are being followed by every member of the household without exception.

See the photos of the "Doro-Method" used on toothpaste at: http://www.greetingcardservice.citymaker.com/page/page/3846992.htm

Simple Living Guide: Plant your Plants in the Cheapest Planters on the Planet

2006-09-29T09:31:00.000-04:00

Here’s the thing: I honestly can’t get out of my skin and have to be practical all the time. It must be a curse or something... Not being able to stay away from the flowers and herbs and veggies, I keep running out of planters over and over again. Unfortunately, the nearest store is not right across the street and as it’s really urgent to plant some new seeds I’ve just received in the mail (now!), I am forced to use my creativity.

First I realized how any kind of basket, made out of natural material is a great looking and useful planter. You probably have some around the house and have nothing to put in. Try to turn them into pots. Protect the inside with a plastic shopping bag (cut away the access on the top and punch a couple of holes in the bottom), fill up with potting soil and you have a new planter.

If the plastic bag showing around the rim of the basket bothers you, there’s an easy solution for that as well. Spread any kind of moss as mulch around the plant and your planter will have a perfectly natural, unique look. Rocks or pebbles make a nice (concealing) decoration, too. Besides, dollar stores are a rich source of the baskets of all sizes, shapes and materials.

On another occasion I needed considerably bigger container to plant some kind of a vegetable that grows roots deeply. Looking around desperately for something that could serve the purpose, my eye caught a styrofoam packaging from the meat I ordered online a little while ago. That was one happy discovery for me! With the small screwdriver I poked a few holes in the bottom and my perfect-size-container was ready to become a new home for my mini garden.

The third thing that’s probably lying around your storage room or basement is a styrofoam cooler. That one also makes a great planter. The big ones are large enough for planting a bush with some ground cover flowers around. Be careful when moving it from place to place, though. They break easily if you squish them from the side too much.

All three kinds of cheap (or free) planters described above should last at least a couple of seasons if you treat them right. If you don’t like the look of styrofoam, put this kind of container behind a nicer one or plant some hanging plants around the edges and your gardening success and happiness are (almost) guaranteed!

Simple Living Guide: Break Sugar Addiction

2006-09-28T12:38:00.000-04:00

Sugar became (according to many sources) the most common addictive food (drug) worldwide. Sugar in any form weakens the health of body tissue and decreases immunity. Since the microorganisms love simple sugars, sweet diet suits them perfectly. Bacteria, fungi and parasites have a paradise to grow and thrive…

When sugar is consumed as an occasional special treat only, that does not count as an addiction and can’t cause much damage. The problems arise when sugar starts replacing wholesome meals and nutritious foods. As a result of sugar abuse many people suffer for nutritional deficiencies, hypoglycemia and even "sugar diabetes".

There’re many theories around about how to break the sugar addiction. Studies show that vitamin B, vitamin C, zinc and chromium can help to reduce the craving for sugar. But since I’m always searching for natural methods without harmful side effects, I’m happy to tell you about this one.

Barbara Flores in her book The Great Sunflower Book claims that eating sunflower seeds instead of sugary snacks can help you break the sugar addiction. You have nothing to lose if you test this theory yourself. Raw sunflower kernels are the most nutritious and the toasted kernels are more flavorful (they have nutty taste).

A word of warning:
· One half cup of sunflower seeds has about 400 calories. Keep that in mind if you’re trying to lose weight.
· For the people with high sodium levels it’s important to stick with unsalted seeds.

John Douglas, M.D. recommends sunflower seeds to many patients with cardiovascular problems or high blood pressure and occasionally even to reduce allergic reactions - all with great success.

There’s one more interesting fact I came across while researching the sugar addiction. According to the traditional Chinese health system the craving for sugar (sweet taste) is considered as a craving for female energy (yin) - longing for comfort and security. A need for spicy, salted foods, on the other hand, means lack of the male energy (yang) - strength.

With that being said, it might be a good idea to have a closer look at our living and find out what causes the cravings - while munching on sunflower seeds…