photo credit: Ashutosh Khandha

There are

two

excellent theories

for

arguing

with women.

Neither one works.

photo credit: biffyboy

If you have been using Gmail as your email provider, like I do, you already experienced Google Buzz.

It sure was a surprise to me, when one day I noticed an unfamiliar icon named “Buzz” in my inbox.  I also noticed that there was a list of all my contacts who communicate with me through Gmail.  In addition to that, I found out that all the comments I leave on other blogs via Google Reader,  were also posted in the Buzz section, and visible to all my contacts.

This whole experience made me very uncomfortable, so I asked my son about it, searched the net for more information, and also came across a great article about Google Buzz , by Melanie Nelson, which provides further clarification about Google Buzz, and will share it with you, so please check it out if you are still searching for answers.

I also found an article which explains the three things everyone should know before they use or continue to use Google Buzz, so here is the list, but check out the post for more details:

1. The people you follow and who follow you back is made public by default.
2. You can expose private email addresses to everyone who follows you without meaning to do so.
3. Your Most Frequent Contacts In Google Buzz Have Access To Your Reader Contents By Default.

So those of you who have not heard of Google Buzz, you probably are curious to know what it is.

Here is Melanie’s description of Google Buzz:

“Over past few months Google has been trying to secure their spot not just as the go-to search engine, but as a real player in social media. Google Wave and the Google Nexus One phone were cool options to the norm and just last week Google unveiled yet another new social media tool: Google Buzz. Buzz is one more way to share your thoughts, pictures, favorite articles, etc. with your friends. Unlike Wave and Nexus One, Buzz has not been well-received for one reason: privacy.”

The most annoying thing about Google Buzz is the privacy issue.  I feel that Google should have given everyone the option of accepting or rejecting their offer of this new social media.  I definitely do not care for having it rolled into my email, so I was searching for a way to turn it off, to get rid of it, however the turn off button does not help much.

If you are in the same predicament, here is some help to check out for details, but I will just post the headings of the steps to disable your Buzz, to give you some idea of what it takes:

• Step 0: Don’t disable Buzz–yet
• Step 1: Purge your profile
• Step 2: Block your followers
• Step 3: Disable Buzz in Gmail

Hopefully you found my research helpful, and will be able to make a decision about keeping, or ditching, Google Buzz.

photo credit: FreeRangeLife

Mornings could be a very hectic time in any household, especially if everyone is on a very tight schedule, and in a hurry to get ready as fast as possible, and to move on.

It is even worse if you are not a morning person, and you have to drag yourself out of bed, even after the alarm goes off, and the snooze button is hit few more times (this is not a good idea).

Here are some of my suggestions to make the best of your busy morning, but it requires good planning the night before:

• Prepare a list of things to do in the morning, and follow it for a while until the routine is somewhat mastered by everyone  (This will work for  any household; singles,  married, families, or even retired couples)

• Keep the list  posted on the fridge, or any area in the house, where it can easily be viewed by everyone

• Delegating daily tasks, and engaging the whole family, is  another great idea to get tasks accomplished as a team

• Get as much accomplished as possible the night before (well began, half done…there is a lot of truth to that expression)

• Empty your dishwasher

• Fill it up with dirty dishes sitting around (much more pleasant to be greeted in the morning by an organized kitchen)

• Prepare the next day’s lunch bags, by at least putting in the drinks, snacks, and napkins

• You can even make the PBJ sandwiches, but spread both pieces of bread with PB then put the jelly in between the two, to prevent the bread from getting soggy

• Making a meat sandwich, place the meat on each piece of bread, then put the mayo or mustard between the meat, also to prevent the bread from getting soggy

• Check the weather forecast for the next day, and make sure everyone lays out their clothes out before going to bed  (this really cuts down on the morning confusion, not to mention the numerous outfits ending up on the floor)

• If you are sending off a child to daycare, pack their diaper bag and fill their bottle (store the drink it in the fridge of course),  and leave a reminder on your diaper bag to take the bottle

• Supervise your school age children to pack their school bags, special projects, instruments, sports equipment, before going to bed

• Replenish the water for your pet

• Schedule your children bedtime at least an hour or more before your own, to free up some time for yourself

• Insist that everyone places their dirty clothing in the laundry basket, not on the floor, after changing into their pajamas

• Everyone should have their own alarm clock set up with a wake up time. Best way is to get up as soon as the alarm goes off, rather than dragging it out and hitting the snooze button, as this may cause you to fall asleep again (you should try to get at least 6-7 hours of sleep, and 8 – 12 hours for children)

• Wake up time should be moved up, for days with inclement weather, which required earlier departure time, to allow for slower driving and traffic

• Don’t skip breakfast! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as it provides your body with needed nutrition to start the day, even if it is only a piece of fruit and a glass of juice, it is better than not eating at all

Also, just like breakfast gives you the energy to start your day, organized morning contributes to an overall better day.  Speaking of a better day, check out these suggestions on how to free up some of your time during the day.

I know, this looks like a lot to accomplish the night before, but these tasks require only few minutes each to complete.  But the key factor is the planning, organizing, and  delegating, which requires to select one person to be in charge of this.   You will be surprised how smoothly this whole process will proceed, and I assure you that there still will be free time for family fun, and less grumpiness in the morning.

I can speak from my own experience, as a morning person, if I don’t complete most of my unfinished tasks the night before, and especially select my next day attire, my morning is very unproductive, time flies by, and I end up leaving the house with breakfast on the go in one hand, and the car keys in the other, and no prepacked lunch.  Not to mention the mess I made of my closet, before I decided on the outfit for the day.

I am sure that many of you have lots of wonderful ideas of your own, and we all would love to hear about them, so please share and leave comments.

photo credit: berrimbillah

We are familiar with the expression that “Diamonds are woman’s best friend”, but I think roses also fall in the same category.

If you are thinking of buying roses, Red seems to be the most popular color for Valentine’s Day, however for other occasions you may want to select a different color.

I would like to expand your horizons about the different colors of roses and their symbolism.  So next time you are shopping for these beauties, you might want to think twice about the color you want to purchase.

Then again, you can always select a bouquet of mixed colors, which is just as beautiful.

Red rose is the traditional symbol of love and romance.

Pink rose is a symbol of grace and elegance, admiration and appreciation.

Yellow rose is a symbol of warmth and happiness, joy and friendship.

White rose is a symbol of innocence, purity, honor, reverence, marriage and new beginning.

Orange rose is a symbol of passion, desire, enthusiasm, fervent romance, excitement.

Lavender rose is a symbol of enchantment, and feelings of love at first sight.

I hope you don’t worry too much about the color, since women love roses, period!

If you know that the special person in your life loves certain colors, then it does not matter what symbolic meaning has been assigned to these colors, just go ahead and go for her favorite color.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!!!

photo credit: diekatrin

I already informed you about the Fat Smash Diet, introduced you to the book, posted the food list, and hopefully convinced you to join me, so we can have fun together.

So today is the BIG day, our first day of Detox, and as with anything else in life, first is always the most challenging.  It will get easier with each passing day, believe me, because you are building up your confidence, self control, and most of all, you begin to feel better and eat healthier.

I will not bore you with this every day, but today I will share my daily menu with you,  and I am looking forward to hear about yours.

I printed out my lists of Recommended and “DO NOT” foods, and posted it on my refrigerator.  My food shopping was done on Saturday, and on Sunday I jotted down my basic plan for my daily eating routine and a quick first day menu.

Since my morning starts at 5:15 AM everyday, Monday through Friday, my eating time might differ from yours.

6 AM- Breakfast

• 1 cup of cooked oatmeal with skim milk (please check out my Tip, below)
• 1 cup of OJ
• 1 slice of Low Fat cheese
• Multiple Vitamin
• Water

9 AM – Snack

• 15 grapes
• 4 saltine crackers
• Water

12 noon – Lunch

• Tossed salad with 1 Tbs. of light dressing
• 1 cup of Brown  Rice with sauted onions in 1 tsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt, pepper to taste
• Yogurt – Low fat
• Fresh Fruit
• Herbal Tea, no sugar (I do not like sugar substitutes)
• Water

3 PM – Snack

• 6 baby carrots
• 6 Almonds
• Water

6 PM – Dinner

• 1 cup Brown Rice with  1 Tbs. Soy Sauce
• Steamed vegetables, with pepper
• 1 cup Low Fat Milk
• Water

8 PM – Snack

• 1 cup herbal tea
• 3 saltine crackers
• Water

As you can see, my meal plan include 3 meals per day, plus 3 snacks.  This is more food than I normally would consume on daily basis.  The portions are the right size, plus the snacks in between, plus all the water I wish to drink, really is more than enough to keep me satisfied, and I never feel overly hungry.

It is very important to stick to the recommended and excluded foods in each session, watch your portions, and exercise at least 45 – 60 minutes per day.  I take a 10 minutes walk after eating lunch, then walk again for at least 30 minutes after dinner, and climb the stairs 3-4 times after my last snack for the day.  Since I try to go to bed by10 PM, sleep is also very important to  good health, I still have enough time to settle down and relax my body after the “stair master” workout.

I alter my weekend schedule just a bit, since my day starts with breakfast around 8 AM, so I move my first snack to 10 AM, then follow the rest of the schedule as is.  I also take my long walk after lunch, rather than in the evening, and I think of house cleaning, or gardening, as an additional exercise.  It is… don’t you agree?

I am very diligent about following my eating schedule, as this is very important for the system to get used to, and help the metabolism.

For menu variation, I may use two poached or cooked eggs, but I only eat the whites, or just have a smoothie (click here for a recipe – but  do not add whey during the detox program), which I would split between breakfast and snack.  I also love veggie burgers, and use them for lunch or dinner, plus Brown Rice, which I never used until I started this program, and now prefer it over the white rice.

Here is my own testimony about the results of the Detox Phase.

Two years ago I tried this program for the first time, and after completing the 9 days of Detox, I started the Phase Two, at which time someone at work had a birthday and shared a chocolate chip cookie withe me, which I thought was OK to have one cookie.  Well, I thought it was OK, but my system did not care for it, and I experienced a very uncomfortable feeling in my stomach.  It felt as if I ate several of them, and over indulged. My body’s reaction really surprised me, but and at the same time it felt great knowing that my system was cleansed, and reacted so suddenly to the sugar and the fat in that one cookie.  This is why I am trying this program again, after slacking off for about a year.

My next post, regarding this diet, will publish on the 9th day from today, and I will provide you with the food list for the Second Phase.  Until then, enjoy your healthy lifestyle!!

Tip: If you plan to cook your Oatmeal in a microwave, you need to keep an eye on it, so it does not over boil and really mess up you microwave (Ive been there and done that…not pretty).

Here is how I do it:

1. Heat up 1/2 cup of water in a bowl,  for 1 minute.
2. Add  quick oats (I like it thick, so I use about 5 tsp).
3. Mix it in well.
4. Microwave again for 30 seconds.
5. Mix it up.
6. Microwave for additional 30 seconds, and this time keep an eye on it, because you might have to stop it sooner to prevent any overflow.
7. Remove (be careful, as the bowl might be hot).
8. Add some low fat milk (1/2 cup).
9. Mix it in.
10. Add some fresh fruits.
11. Enjoy.
12. Make sure you only consume 1 cup of it.
13. Any left over,  I use it in a smoothie for my mid-morning snack).

Did you also notice that I have WATER listed in every meal/snack selection?

You want to drink as much water as you can, since it will not only keep you feeling full, if needed, but also help you flush out the toxins from your body much faster.  I try to drink 64 oz of water per day.

As I mentioned to you in my previous post about the Fat Smash Diet, there are 4 different Phases you go through during this program, and each phase has a list of suggested and excluded foods.

Some of the excluded foods in one phase are being introduced back into your diet in the next phase, so for ideal success, you need to follow these food suggestions, eat 3-4 smaller meals per day, follow the same eating schedule, and continue to  exercise.

Just think, this phase is only 9 days long….you can do it!!

It is so worth it.

Phase One –Detox

Suggested Foods:

( in daily maximum quantities)

• All fruits in any quantity.
• All vegetables in any quantity, except:
• No white potatoes
• No Avocados
• Good sources of protein:
• Chickpeas
• Beans
• Tofu
• Lentils
• Brown Rice -  2 cups of cooked rice
• Low-Fat or Skim milk, or Soy Milk – 2 cups
• Water – as much as you like
• Oatmeal – 1 cup
• All herbs and spices
• Low-fat Yogurt (no fruit on bottom) – 2, 6-oz cups per day
• Egg whites – 4
• Herbal tea – 2 cups
• Freshly squeezed fruit or vegetable juice – 1 cup
• Low-fat cheese – 1 ½ slice, or 1 Veggie Burger without bread
• Sugarless chewing gum
• Low-fat Mayo – 1 tsp
• Salt – 1 tsp
• Butter – 1 tsp
• Mustard or Ketchup – 1Tbs
• Soy Sauce – 2Tbs
• Teriyaki Sauce – 2Tbs
• Sugar substitute – 1 tsp

Snacks:

(Choose one snack for the allotted snack period in your eating schedule)

• Low-fat yogurt dip  - 1/3 cup, and  2 cups raw vegetables
• Cashews – 10 pieces
• Low-fat Granola bar – 1
• Grapes – 15 pieces, and ½ cup of low-fat milk
• Plain Low-fat Yogurt – ½ cup
• Baby carrots – 1 ½ cup
• Almonds – 10-14 pieces
• Jell-O Smoothie snacks – 1 snack
• Popcorn, air popped – 3 cups- NO butter
• Saltine crackers – 7
• Medium banana – 1 frozen
• Sunflower seeds – 2 Tbs

EXCLUDED FOODS:

• Peanut butter/jelly
• White Rice
• Meat
• Fish
• Full-fat cheese
• Bread – all types
• Raisins
• Dried or preserved fruits
• Candy
• Ice cream
• Alcohol
• Soda – regular or diet
• Coffee and all coffee drinks
• Sports drinks
• Milkshakes
• Whole eggs or yolks
• Fried foods
• Fast food

All the holiday parties are over, all the cookies and chocolates are gone, but unfortunately what stayed with me, and perhaps with you, are a few extra pounds (according to that darn bathroom scale), and a few inches in the waist line.

Oh well, at least we all had fun, and got carried away a bit, but it is all fixable with some determination and will power.  Here comes the dirty word…Diet…, and I am about to introduce you to a very relaxed way of getting back into shape, by learning to eat healthier and to keep your body moving.

Personally I don’t even like to think about being on a “diet”, since I am not one to count points, weigh my food, live on pre-measured and pre-packaged meals, or stick to high fat foods without any carbs, or indulge on some sort of a cabbage soup, etc.  I have heard about all of these from my family and friends, who experienced all of the above, and yes, some were quite successful, but it’s just not for me. I also am not a “gym rat”, but I do enjoy swimming and walking (mostly walking, since it is the easiest thing to do anywhere ,even at the mall while shopping…).  Does lifting and carrying around my 25 lbs. granddaughter count as “weight lifting”??..if so then I do that on a very regular basis, with love I must add.

A couple of years ago, a co-worker told me about the Fat Smash Diet book, written by Dr. Ian K. Smith.   I looked through her copy, and liked what I learned, so I bought my own copy (it was only $12.95, unless you select the newer version which offers a larger selection of recipes), and decided to give it a try.

The Fat Smash Diet is about smashing the bad habits, and learning the principles of healthy eating, plus physical activity to maintain a healthy life.

This program consists of 4 phases, and there is a list of suggested foods for each phase, as well as a list of foods to avoid during a particular phase.  Each phase continues with the same foods from the original list, plus a gradual introduction of additional foods.

I am beginning my Phase One, on Monday, February 1st (after a weekend, of course), and if you would like to get this book and familiarize yourself with it, and join me (misery loves company…it’s not really misery… it’s actually fun, but more fun with a fan club), that would be great.

Either way, I will post the list of suggested and excluded foods for each phase, so you can be creative with incorporating these into your menu planning.  Believe me, there are lots of choices, many more that I normally would need to stay satisfied.

It is suggested to have 4-5 meals per day, in moderate portions of course, and at least two snacks.  So wouldn’t you agree that there is no way to be overly hungry, and better yet, you eat the foods you are use to.

However, as with any changes you plan to make to your system, you might want to consult with your physician, and do not give up those daily vitamins.

These are the Four Phases:

Phase One – Detox -  9 days.  It cleanses your body of all the toxins you filled it up with, until now.  It is
much more pleasant than it sounds.  I love the fruit and yogurt smoothies!

Phase Two – Foundation – 3 weeks.  You still continue with the foods in phase one, plus
you begin to add few additional ones.   Most of these foods were already part of your
diet, but now you are learning how to make healthier choices.

Phase Three – Construction – 4 weeks.  Here again you continue with foods from previous phases
and introduce some additional ones.

Phase Four – The Temple – lesson for LIFE.  Now that you have learned all the basics, all you have to do
is to apply your knowledge , enjoy your food in moderation, and keep your body moving.

Throughout all the phases, you are required to stay physically active, and the book lists several  exercise suggestions for you, but all I was doing daily, was walking briskly 10 minutes during my lunch time, plus at least 45 minutes after work, plus making 3-4 rounds of stair climbing at home in the evening…no biggie, and quite doable.  If you already have your own daily exercise routine, that might work for you as well.

During the 90 day period, my body felt so much better, I lost 15 pounds, and brown rice and I became best friends for life.

I have slacked off during the past year, so of course, I gained back few of those pounds, but am still ahead, so it’s time again to practice what I preach.  If your goal is greater than mine, have no fear, you can easily achieve it by increasing your daily exercise routine, and sticking to your routine and schedule.

I would love to know how many of you plan to join me on this mission.  The more the merrier!!

In my next post I will provide you with the food list for Phase One, in case you did not get a chance to buy the book, or you are not ready to join me at this time.

Tip: On my first day of this program, I weigh myself very early in the morning, just before jumping in the shower.  It gives me a good start, and it’s a motivating factor for me. After that, I try to check my weight every Monday morning.

photo credit: Alex E. Proimos

I came across this article about women and retirement, so of course I had to read it, and then needed to vent a little.

It is still men’s world out there… women came a long way, but not far enough…yet!

I commend young ladies who value education, go on to college and become professionals, and are easily self supporting, if needed to, then also start families and continue the traditional life cycle.

It is not easy to be a woman these days, since besides having a full time professional job, she still has to be the glue that holds the family together, the organizer, the planner, the wife and mother, the cook, the chauffeur,  the teacher, and so on, and on, and on.

I know that more and more men share the household chores with their wives, but there still is the reality of the ever so famous quote “go ask Mom”, just to pass yet another responsibility to mom.

I really did not plan to talk about family life, but rather about women and finances. Even though women are very engaging in so many aspects of the daily routine, many of them are not interested enough in financial matters of the family.  Most women still feel that this is a job for their husband, and there is nothing wrong with that, until that husband is not there to carry on.

This scenario may happen sooner than any woman may dream of, since it could be spurred by various factors, such as a temporary employment assignment away from home and family, serious illness, separation or divorce, or even a premature death.

At any rate, life must go on, and the financial responsibility requires the woman’s involvement, thus one has to be ready to carry on.  Even if you think you would hire a professional to do it for you, your still should understand what is going on.  I can’t believe how many women out there are still not interested in knowing how to balance a checkbook, how to pay bills, who is their insurance carrier or investment broker, plus so many other things of this nature.

To prevent unnecessary stress and disaster, women should be equally involved with their husbands in financial planning and decision making process throughout their life, just to be ready in time of need.

I was always told that “it is good to know everything, but not always good to do everything”, and this could not be more true about finances and decision making.  Not that I totally practice what I preach, but I am trying to know and do as much as I am able to, so if life draws me a short straw, I am not stuck in such a situation.

There are so many websites on this topic, community colleges are always offering non–credit courses on various money matters, and what better way to learn than by sitting down with your husband while he is involved with this task on regular basis, and offer your assistance, thus learn by doing.

If you still are not convinced that you should get involved, please click on the highlighted words, to expand your knowledge on the subject of money and finances for women, and let me know if you found these posts helpful and encouraging.

Also, tell us that you decided to get more involved in your family’s finances and financial planning.

The same suggestion goes to the husbands, to encourage their wives to be involved in family financial management, rather than being distanced from it.

photo credit: Photos8.com

If you are just like the rest of us, you are dreaming of financial success, and you want it to happen ASAP, or at least for it to start in 2010.

I have some ideas for you, which I found on Getting Rich Slowly, and will give you a short outline to refresh your memory about your plan (maybe), but if you are interested in expanding your knowledge further, please follow the link for more details.

These are their 10 suggestions to get you started, plus my 2 cents of advice:

• Track every penny you spend - nothing better than being aware where your money if going

• Develop a budget - best way to keep track of your cash flow

• Review your accounts (and ask for discounts) - that would be all accounts, incoming and outgoing of your funds

• Optimize your accounts – always a wise idea to analyze your financial position on regular basis

• Start an emergency fund – one should always be ready to survive for a 6 months period during those “rainy days”

• Get out of debt – it is best to consolidate your debt as much as possible, and look for best rates

• Fund your retirement – we all will need this one some day (sooner than you think)

• Automate your finances – not very difficult with all the nowadays technology

• Earn extra money – if there is a will there is a way

• Educate yourself – knowledge is power

All of the above are very valid, and common sense points, wouldn’t you agree?

Nobody said it will be easy, but you have to start somewhere.

One thing you have to remember, is that you can’t spend more than you make (many do just that), so you have to really watch where your money is going, and there is no better way to keep track of this than writing it all down, and review it weekly, or at least monthly (hopefully my children are reading this and taking my advice).

You must be very diligent about it, so no slacking off, even if you spend 75 cents in the vending machine for your daily snack, this will amount to $3.75 per work week, or $180 per work year.

Pennies make dollars, so every penny counts, if you really want to be accurate and learn where to cut corners.

Another important point is to educate yourself about finances, so even if you don’t make or have lots of money, you learn to use it wisely, to stay out of debt, and perhaps even start building up your savings or a retirement fund.

If you have other ideas for financial success, please share them with all of us.

photo credit: Ryan Somma

Ever since my daughter was in 6th grade, I became so much more conscientious about our environment and still continue to do all I can to support the “Green Team”.

It started one day when she asked me to stop packing her school lunches in brown paper sandwich bags, and suggested to buy a cloth reusable lunch bag with a logo “Save Mother Earth”.  She used that bag for a couple of years, until she made one of her own, in her Home Economics class.  She still is an excellent supporter of the Green Team, and a constant reminder for me to do the same.

Hopefully all of you are already faithful supporters of “living green”, and one of your New Year’s Resolutions is to continue your loyalty throughout 2010,  onwards.

I actually found a very useful website, about living green, and became a subscriber to their newsletter, which keeps me up to date with their news, ideas, and numerous tips.  I have been saving many of these tips, and will make sure to post several every month, to help you to be a wiser consumer, more aware of the environment, and an active contributor to “Save Mother Earth” .

Today I will share a tip with you about cutting down on the numerous  pieces of  unwanted “junk mail”, which comes to your mail box, and mine, and how to put a stop to that, and at the same time save thousands of trees from being destroyed to produce this wasted paper.

You can accomplish this by some help from Catalog Choice – a free mailbox clearing service!

Catalog Choice will help you stop junk mail from continuing to fill up your mail box, and your recycling bin.  They will do it with such ease, as you will never have to be put on hold by a customer service representative to get your name off the numerous mailing lists, they will do it for you.

The most favorite feature of Catalog Choice is that once you have created an account with them, they keep track of your selections of unwanted mail, and provide you with details on the progress of your request to be de-listed.

Now, all you have to do is to sign up with Catalog Choice, lay back, and figure out how will you utilize the extra time you will be saving by not reviewing your junk “snail mail”.

Also, to keep the ball rolling, please make sure you forward this information to your family and fiends, as the old saying goes:  “The More The Merrier”. Remember that we all live on the same planet, breath the same air, and it takes a village to accomplish something worthwhile.

Better yet, forward them this article so they subscribe to suburbangrandma.com and stay informed with all the “ecomii tips” I have saved and will be sharing in the future.

Thank you for supporting The Green Team and our environment.