Cyber Monday ShopVintageous deal-50% off

Posted on December 2, 2013

Reblogged from Shop Vintageous; Vintage Clothing, Accessories, Home Decor & More :

Use code CYBERMONDAY for 50% off any item above $40 on www.ShopVintageous.com, and still get free shipping! Vintage items make for great one of a kind Christmas gifts!

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Show Up & Just Do It Already!

Posted on July 17, 2013 Updated on October 1, 2013

Guest Post by Maya from PetsandPests.com

Before I sat down to write this article, I did a lot of thinking about it. I thought about what I wanted to say, about how I was going to say it, where I wanted to be when I wrote it, and how much time I wanted to give myself for it. All this thinking about it, agonizing, and angst meant that it took me longer than it should have to actually “Just do it!”

I wear a navy Nike baseball cap sometimes, and I constantly hear the voice of a long-ago basketball coach who loved to remind us all of Woody Allen’s saying “80% of success is showing up,” but I still let the thinking sometimes overcome my ability to actually accomplish anything.

The First Step is Always the Hardest

This personal weakness is most apparent, of course, in my exercise routine. I recently began a more rigorous exercise schedule. While it’s more than just walking the dog, calling it a “schedule” is somewhat of a misnomer. Lately I’ve been getting into the 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels. I recently began Level 2, though I don’t think I’ve done more than 5 consecutive days. The perk of the 30 Day Shred is that it’s easy! Okay, it’s not physically easy, but it only takes 25 minutes, 30 minutes if I’m slow putting my exercise clothes on. I can do it right in my living room. Plus, I feel great after! Like I’m a strong, fit woman.

So why do I always put it off? Why do I deny myself the opportunity of 20 glorious and excruciating minutes with Jillian?

The main reason is inertia. Once I’m doing it, doing another repetition of squats or plank-jacks or whatever is easy compared to actually turning off the television, getting off the couch, and putting my running shorts on. Just getting started is the hardest part. But the main trick is just getting over that hump and doing it. Which, if the past 3 days of Jillian have been any proof, I hope I’m getting better at the just-do-it mentality.

Stop Making Excuses and Find the Right Time

The other main reason for my undisciplined exercise is timing. Theoretically, I’d like to exercise at a set time every day. But I’m starting to think that having a scheduled exercise routine – along with two young kids and a career – is a totally unrealistic fantasy. Phone calls and urgent emails from work burble up at unexpected times. Kids get sick, can’t sleep, won’t eat their pizza or French toast or stew for dinner, and need to be driven to all kinds of activities. The dog needs at least one daily trip to the dog park along with at least a couple other good walks, and the husband needs the odd moment of consideration, too. Amidst all this, setting an exercise routine seems preposterous.

So I’m staying open-minded, yet proactive. I’ve given up on setting aside time and waiting for that moment to come, especially because when my “exercise time” finally came, I’d make an excuse not to work out. Now, instead, if there’s a moment in my day that I think might last more than 5 minutes, I bite the bullet, remind myself of Woody Allen, and turn Jillian on.

She tells me that I’m strong, powerful, and that I can eke out five more reps. And working out has made me feel stronger and more capable in the face of the simple, everyday conflicts that come up. When my son fights with my daughter and one of them starts crying for one reason or another, I remind myself that if I can get off the couch and do the 40^th rep of the shoulder-raise-side-lunge move, I can do anything.

Author bio: When Maya Rodgers isn’t thinking about writing, exercising, or her family, she consults primarily for termite treatment, which she loves, but which can also be difficult to “Just do!” In pretty much every area of her life, she’s recently resolved to get over the starting hump and build her momentum faster. To see whether she succeeds, find her at www.petsandpests.com.

Keep it healthy!

Posted on March 8, 2013 Updated on April 2, 2013

Keeping a Healthy Body Despite Busy Schedule

It seems that in today’s world, not one person is immune to the hustle and bustle of everyday life. People find themselves to be busier than ever, and possibly as a correlation, decreasingly healthy. The level of obesity throughout the world is ever-increasing, and people are looking for more and more ways to integrate healthy into their busy schedules. Although it may seem difficult, following these tips will allow busy individuals to find time for healthy practices.

1. Eat a healthy breakfast every morning: The cliché that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” may actually help kick-start your morning in a healthy way. Although you may say “I am not a breakfast eater and therefore will not do so”, you may want to rethink this choice. One great benefit of eating breakfast in the morning is that it will start your metabolism going, allowing your body to more actively start to burn calories. If you are sure to choose healthy breakfast selections, you will also feel more motivated to make healthier decisions throughout the day.

2. Make fidgeting a daily habit: Some readers may feel that they do not have time to get a workout in because they are too busy. Are we also too busy to fidget? No, we are not! No matter what you are doing, whether you are sitting at your desk for work, driving to the grocery store, or sitting and folding laundry, you can be burning extra calories at a time that you would otherwise be largely idle. This will increase your metabolism while also burning extra calories throughout the day.

3. Always carry your water bottle with you: Water is arguably the basis of life. We need it to live, and we also need larger quantities of it if we want to be healthier. No matter where you go, always make sure that you leave one destination to go to another with a full water bottle. There are several advantages that are associated with drinking large amounts of water. The first is that drinking large amounts of water will increase your metabolism and burn more calories throughout the day. It will also make you feel fuller, which will in turn make you less inclined to eat junk food to fill your stomach. Lastly, it make skin look clearer and fresher. It will help to rid your face of acne and other blemishes that would otherwise intrude your pores.

4. Make time for your health: As much as we all think that we are too busy for the things that aren’t necessary, you can make time for those things that you make a priority. It is unlikely that anyone would argue that your health should not be a top priority, and therefore it is important that we make time for our health. Take anywhere for a half hour to an hour each day to spend exercising. This can be done at the gym, outside, or in your living room doing body weight exercises. No matter what form of exercise you choose, make time for some.

Author Pam Johnson is a nurse who uses her knowledge of health to keep herself fit in spite of the hectic work schedule that comes along with nursing. Pam obtained her degree from one of the many Accelerated Nursing Degree Programs