Community Blog

I love comedies.  There’s no doubt about it, I enjoy a great laugh! This Friday (March12) She’s out of my league will premiere.  This movie looks hilarous, it’s storyline is typical but they seemed to have re-invented it.  An awkward lonely young man falls for a beautiful young woman and she’s falls in love with him in return!

As we all get older, people tell us “you’re going to lose your memory, and it’ll get hard.” The funny thing is, it seems to be true. I’ve seen it happen to my father, my grandmother and now my uncle. They begin forgetting appointments, events, where things are, just about everything. I personally would hate to lose my memory, I mean who would love it? I started doing some research on how to improve your memory. Apparently everyone was worried about the same thing (of course), because there’s a list of seven things you can do to improve your memory.

1. Walking- According to the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, Aerobic exercise is the number 1 thing you can do to improve your memory. Getting your heart rate up benefits brain health and increases attention span.
2. Routine- Break your routine one in a while. An author of the Brainpower Game Plan: Sharpen Your Memory, Improve Your Concentration, and Age-Proof Your Memory says that “neurobic activities” increase your brain’s ability to stay strong against age related damage. For example: Brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand.
3. Forget-me-not spots- We’re always misplacing items, like our phone, keys, sunglass…etc., because we’re leaving them in random places. If you designate a certain place to keep such things you’ll know where they are.
4. Names- Horrible at names? One thing you can do to remember names better is to repeat the name after you’ve been introduced, “it’s nice to meet you Betty.” Then makes a connection, “that’s my mother’s name.” Or, “she loves to paint.”
5. Eating- A healthy balanced diet can improve your memory. It also helps keep your weight in check. For specifics, eat plenty of dark vegetables that are leafy, blueberries and grapes.
6. Rest- Get proper rest, you’re likely to remember more with a well-rested mind.
7. Believe it- You have to believe you’re going to remember something in order to remember it.

I started adding exercise to my daily activities. I’m very proud of myself, I was very active in school and now with work and everything else I didn’t highly prioritize exercise. We all know that exercise is important and that we all need it but it is difficult to add in sometimes. If you’ve managed your schedule and have found a way to add some physical activity to your day; Great Job!

When you’re exercising you have to keep in mind that not every exercise is effective or safe for you. Everyone needs to be informed of these nine exercises that should be avoided.

1. Lat Pull-down BEHIND the head- Utilizing this exercise can lead to shoulder problems if done incorrectly.

2. Military Press BEHIND the head- This can also lead to the same problems as the Lat Pull-down.

3. Upright Row- This exercise can compress the nerves in your shoulders, impringing your shoulders.

4. Lying Leg Press with Knees Bent TOO deeply- The problem with this exercise is if you bend your legs too far you can hurt your back and knees.

5. Squats on the Smith Machine- If your feet are spread too far than recommended you can make matters worse to this already risky position.

6. BAD-form on Cardio Machines- Don’t hunch over the treadmill or use a hard grip on the handrails. It can throw off your alignment, messing with your spines, shoulders and elbows.

7. Exercising only ONE part of your body- You can strengthen and tone your body but you should not ancd cannot isolate one section of your body solely.

8. Using a WEIGHT Belt- Essentially your letting your core slack off when lifting weight if you use a weight belt. You need a strong core.

9. Exercising with the WRONG Shoes- If you’re doing everything else correctly and you’re wearing the wrong shoes it won’t help. You can really injure your joints if you wear wrong shoes.

I’m in the market for a new car and over the past few years I’ve liked what Pontiac had to offer, but being under a lease I couldn’t just trade cars.  So I’m looking now since my lease will be up in four months, and do you know what I find?  Pontiac is being “phased out.” I knew General Motors went under but I thought (like other dealerships do) that other brands under them would keep going.  No I was wrong and very much out of the loop.  Saturn has been completely shut down (I knew that) while Pontiac is being phased out and a few sold under Chevrolet.

We’ve all experienced some cold weather and it can be really rough on us. I’ve been trying our several things to stay warm. I bundle when I go outside, I bundle when I’m inside. My heating bill is starting to rise because of this weather. What I realized was that to stay warm you need to start from the inside. I tried this recipe for chili from Allrecipes.com and it was so great! I’m warmer in the cold weather and full!

To find more recipes click here

Ingredients
” 2 pounds lean ground beef
” 1 (46 fluid ounce) can tomato juice
” 1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
” 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
” 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
” 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
” 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
” 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
” 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
” 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
” 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
” 1 teaspoon salt
” 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
” 1/4 cup chili powder

Directions

1. Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and crumble.
2. In a large pot over high heat combine the ground beef, tomato juice, tomato sauce, kidney beans, pinto beans, onions, bell pepper, cayenne pepper, sugar, oregano, ground black pepper, salt, cumin and chili powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. (Note: If using a slow cooker, set on low, add ingredients, and cook for 8 to 10 hours.)

We know our dogs can all be silly. They get scared of the littlest things, they hear unknown sounds and they bump into things sometimes. A pet can be a great companion to us and bring joy into our lives. Dogs are my personal favorite and from time to time I look at videos of dogs for a laugh. They can be so funny and entertaining. I found this video of a Great Dane, it explains their personality perfectly. They are large lazy couch potatoes that love their owners.

Wondering what to do tonight? At 8:00 p.m. the Liddy Doenges Theatre is presenting I love you because. Catch this funny show where they break down the rules of dating and relationships. They go as far as to question what it really means to love someone and loving them for who they really are. They are in their last days of showing this hilarious performance, tomorrow night (Saturday 2/20) is their last show. It’s been compared to as a modern day Pride and Prejudice, where four young people are in the search for love.

To get tickets and more information click here!

Getting a new dog can be very exciting for people. It’s a big emotional investment and a lifestyle change. Owning a dog should not be taken lightly, it’s a large financial commitment as well as an emotional one. In order to be a responsible dog owner there are a few things to ask yourself before you own a dog.

One of the first things to do is to evaluate your life before the dog. Are you athletic, are you neat, what are your hobbies, what’s your personality like…etc. You need to ask yourself these questions before you begin thinking about a dog, answering these questions will also help determine what kind of dog you wish to get. After asking yourself those questions determine what kind of dog you might enjoy, you have to determine the breed and the breeder.

Wait, have you thought about getting an older dog, how about a rescue dog? Getting a puppy is great but there are so many older dogs that could use a home as well. These are just a few things to think about when getting a dog…for the full list click here.

It can get difficult deciding what to do for Valentine’s Day. You want to do something extra special but not too cliché. Don’t fret too much over it; you have to remember to just spend it with your loved one enjoying what you have together.
Whether you choose to spend it staying at home or going out, Valentine’s can be an easy enjoyment. Over the past few years I’ve done many things for this day of love. Here are some of the things I’ve done in the past for V-day.

- Making a special dinner at home
o It’s something special when you’ve made the meal
- Going to a new restaurant for dinner
o Trying something new with your loved one is a great experience
- Finding free things to do around town
o It’s fun and FREE
- Finding the Valentine’s Specials that are promoted
o You can find some great promotions for this day of love
- Renting love comedies and ordering take-out
o Just relax and cuddle up to your loved one
- Having a vacation in the city (book a hotel for the night)
o Experience a vacation get-away while you’re in town

No matter what you do, or who you choose to spend it with, enjoy it!

We all know that going green is a great thing. But do we all do our part in going green? It’s okay to admit it, it’s does seem like a big obstacle. But it’s actually pretty easy, you can go green with the simplest things and it can save you money! I never thought it could be simple as turning my computers off at night or not buying bottled water but it is.

Here are a few general tips on Going Green click here for the full list!

• Change to fluorescent bulbs
• Don’t Rinse your place before you put them in the dishwasher
• Hang your clothes out to dry
• Turn off your computers at night
• Use both side of the paper
• Get rid of bathing, just shower
• Don’t get bottled water, get a reusable container
• Turn off the water when you brush your teeth
• Recycle glass
• Turn off your lights

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