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Grease is The Word and Good for the Soul

julie R | 02/25/2013 | No comments

While still basking in the afterglow of seeing Grease on Friday night, I find myself not able to sleep. I feel the need to share, which is unlike me .I don’t typically post mainly because I don’t think anyone would want to hear what I have to say (and I am certainly not an expert on anything!)… but I have the most inspiring friend who started this website and I want to make her proud and purge myself at the same time.

So where is this need to share coming from? Well, I saw Grease at the Regent Theater in Arlington on Friday night with two dear childhood friends (of whom I consider the sisters I never had). I have to say I literally smiled for two hours straight! Grease was my all-time favorite childhood movie (we’ll get to the irony of that in a minute). I must have seen it 300 times growing up, not to mention the fact that I produced, directed and starred in many a neighborhood production of the show (just ask my friends how much fun they had acting and singing under my direction) I even dressed as Sandy for Halloween probably 6 years in a row (each year switching off whether I would be “Good Sandy” or “Bad Sandy”).

The movie was slated to be a “sing-a-long” which I know sounds rather campy and downright silly. But I have to say it was pure joy! The nostalgia of it all coupled with the fact that I was spending time with my “sisters” made for a fantastic night! A stand out of had to be the young girl, probably 7 or 8 years old – just the age when I started to LOVE Grease as a child, who sang her heart out, gasping and sighing every time she said “Danny Zuko” when he appeared onscreen (because she just couldn’t help herself). She also said “THAT’S GROSS” when she witnessed Rizzo and Kenicke French kissing (rather sloppily I might add). This was clearly the little girl I never had!

What is more remarkable about this evening, is that it has made me look inside myself. It has reminded me of a passion that I have for musical theater. It has gotten my creative juices going. So much so that I have been tossing around ideas of how I could develop a real production of Grease in our schools (or not, if the powers that be would not allow). It is amazing how much a simple thing like this has done to impassion me. Having been through a divorce and more recently the dissolution of a relationship, I feel as if I have lost myself a bit. Unearthing any piece of me that makes me happy is like finding a hidden gem.

Now – here is the irony I promised to comment on. Seeing the movie again as an adult and now a mom, I could not believe how amazingly inappropriate it is for children and teens. Here are just a few of the vices portrayed that come to mind: peer pressure, bullying, unprotected sex / teen pregnancy, conformity. It actually seemed as if the underlying message of the entire film is that you should change yourself for the sake of a relationship! Think about if – Danny becomes a jock for Sandy, and Sandy becomes a hussy for Danny. For these reasons, I can certainly understand why schools would not be rushing to put on a production of Grease. Moreover, anyone who has ever made the mistake of changing themselves in any way for the sake of a relationship knows that it is doomed.

Which brings us full circle to my reason for this post. Not that I ever really “changed myself” for the sake of a relationship, but I certainly fell into the trap of failing to acknowledge and feed the parts of myself that made me happy. This, of course, can slowly lead to the same ultimate end result – losing yourself in a relationship. So, Grease really did feed my soul. I Just hope I can hold on to this momentum.

Category: Relationships, Wellness

Best Advise that I Try to Use

Nina B | 10/09/2012 | One comment

I am reading the October issue of Oprah and the whole magazine is devoted to the best advise that you have ever received. I know that I have read and heard many things over my life, however its impossible to remember them all. So I decided to list all the ones that resonated with me from Oprah. Here they are:

1. Relax, Daily stressors seem like the end of the world-dont let them cloud what is important- Sushman Subramanian.

2. Laugh. Its the perfect icebreaker. Ruven Afanador.

3. Be Patient-with others and with yourself.

4. Listen to others and yourself-Ellen Goodman.

5. Breathe. Deep breaths wont solve your problems, but they calm you enough to remember you will get by-Kate Rockwood.

6. What leaves you feeling bad do less of, What leaves you feeling good, do more of-Martha Beck.

7. When you dont know what to say, try the truth-Martha Beck.

8. Making time for yourself is not selfish-Dr. Phil.

9. Don’t ever confuse your life and your work. The second is only part of the first. -Anna Quindlen.

10. Follow your own advise-Belinda Whitmore.

11. Remember the days are long but the years are short-Elizabeth Cooperstein.

12. Don’t burn your bridges, you may need to cross them again-Marie Murphy.

There are hundreds of great tips and thoughts in this issue. I think I will print out the list and put it in my cabinet and hopefully I will remember and apply some of them. I know that we shouldn’t sweat the small stuff, live in the present and wear clean underwear in case we ever get in a car accident ( thanks Nana).

So my thoughts are this, try to think of the best advise that you ever received and write it down. Keep these nuggets of wisdom close for when you need to recharge your batteries. Keep them in a safe place and read them often. They will help you stay centered and as my father aka Dr. Silly says “dont take yourself too seriously.”

Whats the best advise that you ever received? Please share.

Thought for the Day- Dr. Wayne Dyer

Nina B | 09/21/2012 | No comments

These words really spoke to me. Being content is something that I don’t think we often think about. We are all so busy running and being busy in our lives that we don’t recognize where we are. Take a minute, be silent, and know you have all you need in that moment.

Category: Thoughts for the Day | Tags: Dr Wayne Dyer, thought for the day

Eating Paleo for A Day

Nina B | 09/14/2012 | 2 comments

I am on the continuous quest to find the most healthy way to eat, but my downfall is that I LOVE food! I have gained 30 pounds over the course of 8 years and that has really done a job on my self esteem and my body. The weight really just crept on over time, a little bit here, a small loss there and before I knew it my jeans were in the double digits.

I have gone to Weight Watchers, gotten a personal trainer, joined numerous gyms, small group training, no carbs, low carbs, pretty much everything in between. My reason for failure is definitely me, and one of these days I will find the perfect food/exercise combination that will work. Fingers crossed.

My girlfriend Cheryl whom has been my best friend since 6th grade is a fitness and nutrition guru and I really listen to her and take most of her advise. On a recent visit, she bestowed on me the greatness of the Paleo Diet. I am sure that you have heard of it in some form, but its basically eating what a caveman would have: meats, fruits, vegetables, little or no dairy and healthy fats such as olive or coconut oil. People swear by this way of eating, they loose weight, get more energy and feel awesome.

Since, I was on one of my many “today is the day” I will get fit and healthy routines, I agreed to eat Paleo with her all day. Here was the days menu:

Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled, with 1/2 bag of cooked california mix veggies and 1/4 of an avocado ( mine without avocado)

Snack: Fruit.. For the record I ate my lunch at 11a.m because I was famished. I guess I needed that slice of avocado.

Lunch: Small mixed salad with 3oz of turkey, cucumbers, tomato and dressing of olive oil and champagne vinegar ( did cavemen have that??)

Snack: Lara Bar ( people love these, it tasted like birdseed on a stick)

Dinner: Hamburger no bun and a side of broccoli.

Ok, all I can say was “I AM STARVING.” I am a big baby when it comes to eating and my body was going through a carb/sugar detox and I really didn’t think I could make it through. When we fed the kids lunch, which was a hot dog and fries, I would feel my mouth salivate just looking at the french fries, and when they had their ice cream sandwich at the end of the day all I wanted was a lick. Just one, but I showed great restraint.

My Kryptonite

The next morning, we enjoyed another egg/veggie breakfast, and we were off in the car. We had to make a pit stop along our 3 hour car ride and pulled off the highway. Right there was a M & M vending machine. Honestly I couldn’t jam my two dollars in there fast enough… Peanut M & M’s here I come. I was a sugar junkie needing a fix. It really was a horrendous sight. A middle aged woman scarfing down M & M’s on the side of the road, not to mention what a horrible example I was setting for my kids. Big mommy fail.

So the moral to my story is that Paleo is not for me, however it has prompted me to eat more salad and veggies. I do need carbs and other “treats” in moderation to feel satisfied. I just need to find a program that I can have my cake and eat it too.

Category: Family, Wellness | Tags: Paleo diet

Thought for the day-The Value of Time

Nina B | 06/04/2012 | No comments

Time is the coin of your life. It’s the only coin you have and only you can determine how to spend it.

-Carl Sandburg

I came across this quote on a blog Being Rudri and it really spoke to me. Sometimes we just see and read something that simplifies the most complicated of things. Time is one of those mysterious things. We all know that it passes, and the years go by, and then you say, where did the time go?.

I often scroll through my childrens pictures on my computer and with the drag of the mouse, my daughters grow in front of my eyes, yet I still don’t know how it all happened. Those subtle changes, so small, but as a whole turn into something wonderful. I wish I could relive many of those moments with them, experience their laughter, silliness, and to hear their tiny voices again. As they grow I really try to be present, in the moment, but the harder I try, the quicker it seems to pass.

Equating time to money, seems so easy. Something that is as precious as time, needs to be coveted and protected and enjoyed. So when you think of your time, how are you going to spend it? throw it away or savor it. The great thing about time, it that its endless, however we don’t know how much we have, so it makes it all the more precious.

Category: Family, Thoughts for the Day | Tags: family, savor time, time

Keep your Breasts Healthy

Nina B | 05/30/2012 | No comments

I had the joyful experience of my annual mammogram this morning. Something that I know I need to do, yet I am full of anxiety. A couple years ago I had a scare, that required a biopsy and thankfully it turned out to be nothing. However they keep a close look at you until you have passed the two year mark. So today, I had my heart jump yet again, as some additional images turned out to be cysts.

So as I lay waiting for the radiologist to walk back in the room, I could not stop thinking of the thousands of women who have breast cancer and are fighting it every step of the way. I knew I had to buck up and stop being such an emotional wreck. I can not pretend to know what these brave women go through or even try imagine it, but in talking to my girlfriend, she reminded me that at least we can be proactive with the disease.

She is 100% correct and I have been lazy about self breast exams. Its the strange thing we do as humans is try to ignore something, with the hopes that it will go away. So I am asking all the ladies out there, to do your monthly self breast exam, no matter how young or old your are.

There is some controversy about the effectiveness of the self breast exam, but I personally think that I keeps you in touch with changes in your breasts that you can bring to your doctors attention.

Click Here to learn the 5 Steps of A SBE

Susan G. Komen for the Cure® recommends that you :

1. Know your risk

Talk to your family to learn about your family health history
Talk to your health care provider about your personal risk of breast cancer

2. Get screened

Ask your health care provider which screening tests are right for you if you are at higher risk
Have a mammogram every year starting at age 40 if you are at average risk
Have a clinical breast exam at least every 3 years starting at age 20, and every year starting at age 40

3. Know what is normal for you and see your health care provider if you notice any of these breast changes:

Lump, hard knot or thickening inside the breast or underarm area
Swelling, warmth, redness or darkening of the breast
Change in the size or shape of the breast
Dimpling or puckering of the skin
Itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple
Pulling in of your nipple or other parts of the breast
Nipple discharge that starts suddenly
New pain in one spot that doesn’t go away

4. Make healthy lifestyle choices

Maintain a healthy weight
Add exercise into your routine
Limit alcohol intake
Limit postmenopausal hormone use
Breastfeed, if you can

Category: Wellness | Tags: breast exam

Thought for the Day

Nina B | 05/19/2012 | No comments

I saw this quote on MammasteMama and I loved it. I hope you do too.

In our most ordinary days we have moments of happiness, moments of comfort and enjoyment, moments of seeing something that pleased us, something that touched us, moments of contacting the tenderness of our hearts. We can take joy in that.

-Pema Chodron

Category: Thoughts for the Day, Uncategorized | Tags: Pema Chodron

10 Stress Relief Tips for National Stress Awareness Month

Nina B | 04/26/2012 | No comments

We must be seriously stressed out to have a whole month dedicated to this problem in our society. I have to laugh because it made me very stressed thinking what I wanted to write. I am a stressful person and have been described as dramatic, dealing with stress is something that I battle with all the time. I wish I had the magic bullet for stress relief, but the bottom line is that some stress is good for our bodies, keeps us sharp and motivated. However, sustained stress over a period of time and lead to a multitude of problems that you would be better suited without; depression,headaches, anxiety, fatigue and other metabolic problems. We need to be pro-active with our mental and physical stress and get in balance.

So short of leaving your job, trading in your spouse for an improved version and giving away your kids, here are some tips that I have read about.

1.Deep Breathing- this breathing technique is from Dr. Raymond Weil, he demonstrated it on Dr. Oz and I thought it beneficial to pass along. It is supposed to completely calm the nervous system.

This exercise is utterly simple, takes almost no time, requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. Although you can do the exercise in any position, sit with your back straight while learning the exercise. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.

Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
Hold your breath for a count of seven.
Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

2. Meditation- I have been trying to do this for a long time and the most successful way personally is to use guided meditations. I downloaded one from Depak Chopra from iTunes and have it on my music list. Put some headphones on and you are on your way to blissful relaxation.

3. Exercise- I know I wish it wasn’t on the list, but it does help a lot. Even squeeze in 10 minutes in your lunch break, or a couple loops around the neighborhood before dinner might just do the trick. Yoga is an excellent way to calm the body, if you can’t attend a class, get a DVD from the library or they have free sessions on demand with most cable providers. You know the rest, swim, bike, dance, walk, run, jog, Pilates, tennis, whatever makes you want to move.

4. Listen to music- putting on some really great music can be all it takes to put you in a better space. Update your music library and get some artists that inspire you.

5. Go on a media fast. Turn off all electronics and read a book that you have been meaning to get to.

6. Take up a hobby. Learning something new channels our brain to work in a different way. Maybe you want to learn to plant a garden, crochet, hip hop dance or sew. Find a class and get to it, putting energy into a new venture is always inspiring.

7. Play with your kids. Get on their level, and just be silly. I know that at times there are always a million things to do, but put all that aside and you may be surprised how much fun a tickle match can be.

8. Go out with some friends. Hanging out and having a good laugh is sometimes all it takes. Our lives get so busy that we never see our friends in person. Make a date and stick to it.

9. Prioritize your schedule and learn to say no. Do you really need to take your kids to three birthday parties this weekend? Try to select the things you want to do and make time for those.

10. My favorite advice that is from Bob Wiley from What about Bob?, is to take a vacation from your problems and use baby steps. He’s a genius and that movie cracks me up every time I see it, but he is absolutely right. Give yourself a break and do something that you love, or want to try. That might be all the stress relief you need.

One final thought is that my grandfather lived to 92 years old and drank and smoked like a fiend, but he was NEVER stressed. I asked him why, and his answer was that he just didn’t worry about anything- EVER. I think I missed that gene. So maybe if nothing on the above list works for you, try his approach. He might have been on to something.

Category: Wellness | Tags: deep breathing, exercise, stress relief

11 Sun Safety Tips-Best Sunscreen Report

Nina B | 04/16/2012 | One comment

Best Beach & Sport Sunscreens | EWGs 2011 Sunscreen Report | EWGs Skin Deep.

Now that that sunny weather is here, I go into panic to get sunscreen for the kids and myself. I would like to tell you that I have a favorite that I cant live without, but honestly I usually buy whats on sale and what is convenient.

However, now with all the buzz about safety in cosmetics in general, I have become much more concerned about what I am putting on my skin and especially my children’s. Our skin in our largest organ, and it is responsible for alot of functions: protecting us from bacteria, regulating temperature, ridding our body of toxins, protecting us from the sun to name a few.

The majority of sun damage we get is usually done before the age of 18, however it is NEVER too late to start protecting your skin. Anything you can do now to reduce your exposure over the long term is good for your health. When I think how in my teen’s we used baby oil and would sit in the sun for hours makes me cringe. Hey, we thought we looked pretty good, sadly we didn’t have the information that we now have about how damaging the sun can be.

If you are concerned about not getting enough vitamin D, get your levels checked and take a supplement if needed.

So I am going to run down a list here of things you want to consider before you jump into the sun.

1. Plan ahead. Keep sunscreens and hats and sunglasses in multiple places, so you have it when you need it.

2. Always wear sunglasses. They protect your eyes from the UV rays which can cause cataracts when you are old. I wish I knew this when I was younger, as I never wore sunglasses until my 30″s as I thought I looked awful in them.

3. Take Cover. Hang out in the shade, or use a beach umbrella. Make sure you wear a hat.

4. Avoid the sun’s harshest rays. Stay out of the sun from 10-2pm.

5. Choose a broad spectrum sunscreen and reapply often. That means every couple of hours. If you are swimming and in water, it may be more frequent.

5. Choose a sunscreen from an SPF 15-50. You dont need anything higher. Just remember to put it on.

6. Use a separate bug repellant. Don’t get a sunscreen with a bug spray in it. Use two different products.

7. Ingredients matter. Avoid the sunscreen chemical oxybenzone, a synthetic estrogen that penetrates the skin and contaminates the body. Look for active ingredients zinc, titanium, avobenzone or Mexoryl SX. These substances protect skin from harmful UVA radiation and remain on the skin, with little if any penetrating into the body. Also, skip sunscreens with insect repellent – if you need bug spray, buy it separately and apply it first.

8. Test. If you are using a new sunscreen on a child and you are concerned about allergies, always to a test on the inside wrist first. If there is no reaction in 24 hours you are good.

9. Apply generously. You don’t miss some really important areas: toes, neck, ears, top of head, top of nose, lips and chest. These areas can get really burned and application should be done one area at a time, as not to miss any spots.

10. Apply Daily. Use sunscreen even on cloudy days.

11. Apply to your kids before school. So many schools do not have shade in their playgrounds, and many schools do not have a sun policy.

The report from EWG is excellent and you should take some time to look at it and find a sunscreen that you like and one that has a good safety ranking. Besides reducing the number of wrinkles you will have when you are 80, you will also hopefully avoid the more serious consequences of the sun. Even though your makeup may have sunscreen in it you still need something in addition too it. I use the Neutrogena Daily Defense, but for the beach something even heavier. I will be testing a few from the list and will report back in.

If you have a product that you like, please share.

Category: Beauty, Wellness | Tags: 11 sun tips, best sunscreens, EWG report

What I Know About Beauty Now That I’m in My 40s

Nina B | 03/30/2012 | No comments

online-yoga-classes-simple-effective-wellness

Shannon Bradley-Colleary: What I Know About Beauty Now That Im in My 40s.

This is a great post, I wish I had written it myself. Lots of truths, and many that I had forgotten. As of today I have now added a +1 to that 40 and felt like I woke with a few more aches and cracks in the knees. I know we need to accept aging as the natural and expected course of life, but seriously now that 40 is the new 30 we are expected to look like Jennifer Aniston. Can CVS pharmacy help me do that?

I know that I need to eat better, exercise more, find a substitute for chocolate and get enough rest.- Will I look like her then? So today I am just going to embrace my age, knowing that there is nothing better than getting breakfast in bed and your kids jumping on you. A husband who knew exactly what to get you for your birthday ( a Bret Michaels t-shirt) and relish in the fact that we are the youngest we are ever going to be, so enjoy the day!

Category: Wellness | Tags: 40 Year old women, beauty, Women

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