There are quite a few ideas out there for red, white and blue food to celebrate the Fourth of July, but so few seem actually healthy. And many of them contain Jell-O, which doesn’t work for a vegetarian (see why). So I trawled the tubes and found a few recipes that aren’t only delicious, but healthier to boot. Happy Fourth!
wake up to the sweetest alarm: my almost 4 year old daughter
enjoy a calm, un-rushed healthy breakfast with my whole family at the dining room table
work from home on my dream career: children’s photographer
am grateful for free part-time childcare from my parents and mother-in-law
eat a natural, whole foods, vegetarian dinner with my whole family at the dining room table
relax in my cozy home
read stories and snuggle with my daughter
go to sleep next to the love of my life in an always cozy bed
In addition, each Wednesday is family day with Jim and Syna.
Each Friday night is date night with my husband. (We’ve been together for 19 years.)
Each Saturday is family date night with Jim and Syna.
Each Sunday is family breakfast with my dad’s family (whoever decides to show – 4-15 people)
I have nothing to complain about. Truly. And I worry about others. Most of the world doesn’t have it nearly as good as I do. I feel extravagant, even when I appreciate what I have and do what I can to minimize my impact on the planet.
We’ve downsized to 1 car, we got rid of cable television, we compost our food waste (and it’s most of it since we’re vegetarian) and recycle to the extent that our family of 3 “throws out” 1 grocery bag of trash per week, we telecommute, we used cloth diapers for our daughter, we bring our own reusable bags to stores and purchase items with limited packaging, we switched our heating system to a high efficiency solution, we shower every other day… We’re conscious of many of our decisions.
And yet we use so much. We have so much. We are never even uncomfortable. We have heat in the winter, air conditioning in the summer, food available 24/7, constant electricity, transportation, money, instant communication devices, we’re safe. Even on the coldest/hottest days, if I travel, I walk 30′ outdoors to my garage protected car, start it up, turn on the heat/air and I’m comfortably on my way.
It has long been my belief that to truly help others I must start with myself.
To put the world in order, we must put the nation in order.
To put the nation in order, we must put the family in order.
To put the family in order, we must nurture our personal life.
To cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right.
- Confucius
But it doesn’t seem like enough when I have so much. And, really, it’s all by luck I ended up being born into my situation.
“There is no way to happiness; happiness is the way.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
How do I stay happy when I am aware of so much suffering?
In the states, the day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year. This year, take it easy; spend time at home relaxing with family and friends. Read more about the international campaign to curb consumption, Buy Nothing Day.
Also check out ☃ Simplify the Holidays for more ideas to help create a fun, festive, relaxed winter holiday season.
And if you’re looking for thoughtful personalized gifts to share with your loved ones, try some Homemade Gifts.
Then wrap them responsibly with Reusable Bags/Cloth Wraps. Each year billions of plastic bags end up as litter; reusable bags, such as furoshiki can help reduce the impact to our environment. Its versatility allows you to wrap almost anything regardless of its shape or size.
You’ve probably heard by now that the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home will be closing its outpatient clinic due to Governor Patrick’s veto of $500,000 worth of funding.
Now, you may think that it’s just a sign of these poor economic times; however, Gillette Stadium (of the NFL’s New England Patriots) just received $9 million for a footbridge. Really? That’s where our state’s priorities are?
Thanksgiving is all about family and food. Most families have recipe traditions that have spanned generations, and everyone looks forward to sharing the feast. Vegetarians and vegans can feel left out when those recipes have meat in them, and the cooks may not know what to make that will be cruelty free as well as satisfying.
The good news is that most of the side dishes on the Thanksgiving table are naturally meat free. Vegans usually have fewer traditionally made choices because of cream, milk or butter, but there are really tasty and readily available substitutes at most chain grocery stores.
Below you’ll find delicious vegetarian Thanksgiving menu with highly rated recipes including main dish, sides and desserts.
“Sexercise” makes a person slimmer – if you do enough of it. Combining sex and fitness is like killing two birds with one stone. Sex gets you fit. And being fit makes you want to have more sex. This is, in large part, because of all of the benefits a good sexercise routine offers, like: improved blood flow in strengthening your heart, better cholesterol, changing more of your bad cholesterol (LDL) to good cholesterol (HDL), weight control, better sleep and greater energy, including longer life and a better quality of life.
Sexercise: Spice Up Your Sex Life and Get Fit in the Process
Sexercise: Spice Up Your Sex Life and Get Fit in the Process
This raunchy new book from Ann Summers will show you how to get the most pleasure from sex, and feel great in the process! Sections include sex moves and fitness, exercises to promote sexual desire, genital exercises for heightened orgasm, and positions that get results. Not only will you and your partner spice up your lovemaking sessions, you’ll look and feel fantastic! Illustrated with sexy colour photos throughout, Ann Summers’ Sexercise puts the fun back into fitness.
Sexercise: Fitness Never Felt So Good!
Treadmills and Stairmasters can be cruel task masters. A great bike ride, a long walk, or run can get you a lot of sunshine and fresh air, but experts have a new suggestion for staying in shape, which has nothing to do with low carb diets, or eating more vegetables.
Instead of, or even better, in addition to, all those diets and hard work, medical researchers are now touting the health benefits of frequent sexual intimacy.
That’s right, “sexercise” can make a person slimmer, particularly if it is done on a frequent basis. Best of all, while sex can help to get you fit, being in great shape will help you to want more sex. The benefits of a regular sexercise program are pretty impressive. Here’s a list of six things that regular sex can do for you.
1. Improved blood flow, which is good for every part of your body.
2. Strengthens heart function.
3. Better cholesterol, in changing your bad cholesterol (LDL) to good cholesterol (HDL).
4. Makes weight control easier by burning calories and raising your metabolic action.
5. Improves sleep, thereby raising your energy level.
6. Increases longevity and improves life quality.
There are also specific benefits that directly impact individuals based on their gender and age. First, men 45 and older who have benign prostrate enlargement, very common into and through middle age, will experience improved urine flow, which can reduce or eliminate the need to get up during the night to use the bathroom.
That alone can dramatically impact and improve your energy as it helps you to get an uninterrupted night’s rest. Second, women will feel more attractive with increased sexual activity since they produce more estrogen and oxytocin. Third, both men and women will expierence shinier and smoother hair a healthier skin glow as pores become cleansed, thanks to regular and increased levels of perspiration.
If you’re sold on the benefits of sexercise, your next question might be, how do I get started? Well we don’t mean the how you do it, we’re assuming you know that part, we’re talking about the how long and how often.
Depending on your current state of health you may want to start by getting a physical, particularly if you haven’t done that in a while. Remember, you’re talking about a level of physical activity that you may not have attempted for a long period of time, such as accelerating your heart rate, pulse, and blood pressure. You’re also going to be testing your level of strength, stamina, and of course, flexibility. As with any form of exercise, you’re well advised to make sure that you’re good to go.
As for the frequency and duration of your sex, start with three times a week with an idea of building to four or five times a week. Aim for a duration of 20 minutes, and build to thirty or more. Generally this means a generous amount of foreplay, and for men in particular, pacing yourself. This may seem like a huge time commitment, but in reality it’s not. The average person spends far longer than that at night watching sitcoms, sports, news, reality shows, dramas, not to mention the latest DVD from Netflix.
Sex for 30 minutes burns up to 350 calories, depending on how physically active you are with your partner during intimacy. This is the equivalent of the calories burned during a half a hour at a moderate level on a Stairmaster or 60 minutes of walking at a brisk pace.
Sex five times per week can burn nearly 2,000 calories! The more active partner, generally the one on top can burn that or more. Smart sexercising couples take turns in a variety of positions.
In four weeks or less you’ll notice some nice improvements in the tone of your stomach, your back, butt, arms and legs. Keep your sexercise routine fresh with new positions and ideas, what you don’t want to do is fall into a routine that’s as boring as a treadmill.
After a good sexercise session you may want to pamper each other with a joint shower or bath, and before you’re done, maybe have one more tryst for good measure. If you do you can skip your next workout and treat yourselves to a second dessert.
Do you feel that it is time to change your Sex life and try something different? Are you lacking the time and or motivation to hit the gym as consistently as you would like? Are you wishing that you work out could bring you as much pleasure as having sex? If yes, we have the answer for you!
Sexy Balls is a book for everyday people who want the ultimate sex life. Sexy Balls explores sex in several positions, all with added intensity from a fitness ball. Everybody knows exercise is key to a good ticker and a more sleek physique.
Not only does the fitness ball provide extra ‘bounce’, you also get a better workout than any other sexual position. Inside the book you’ll find details of how many calories are burnt and which muscles are utilised in each Sexercise position.
Forget your personal trainer. And while you’re at it, you might want to ditch the treadmill. According to Kerry McCloskey, author of The Ultimate Sex Diet, your man might be the only fitness resource you’ll ever need. Her philosophy is simple: More passion burns more calories. You and your guy can step up your fitness regimes simply by increasing the frequency and intensity of your lovemaking. We don’t know about you, but that’s a plan that we think we can stick to! Here, seven positions for workouts that are as pulse-pounding as they are pleasurable:
Crouching Tiger, Aroused Dragon
Both partners will quickly realize why the Crouching Tiger has great pleasure and orgasm potential. In this position, the woman does a sexy squat above the man %u2011- in a catcher’s position. This is the perfect chance for her to use her PC muscles to “catch” his member and clench him tight. The woman can then support herself by putting her hands anywhere on his body for support and then move herself up and down. It also allows the woman to have better control of the depth and pace of the penetration. She can even vary it to tease her partner a little and make sex more interesting. The up and down motion may create different sensations than the regular woman-on-top position in which she is lying down in a straddle, moving back and forth. Of course, she will be in better control of her orgasm. If she allows a deep penetration, she can stimulate her G-spot more often. More shallow penetration will touch the edge of the vaginal opening, which is still a pleasurable sensation. Additionally, if the woman leans back, her clitoris can be stimulated. In terms of muscle tone, this position will work her inner thigh and calf muscles. Meanwhile, to get a better view, the man should lift his head and contract his stomach muscles. Maintaining this position as long as possible will give his abdomen a hard workout. He should feel the tension and clench tighter as it starts to burn. He can even reach forward and caress his partner’s body and add to everyone’s pleasure.<
Down Doggy! Good Doggy!
This erotic, animalistic position is very similar to the usual doggy style, with a few slight changes. After the man enters from behind, as in the regular doggy position, the woman leans down and supports her weight on her elbows, rather than staying on all fours, while the man lifts one bent leg forward, rather than kneeling on both knees. This is highly erotic for the woman because it places direct pressure on her G-spot, which is on the anterior (tummy side) vaginal wall, intensifying her climax. The woman can also maneuver the penetration by slightly arching her back or raising herself a bit. Meanwhile, the man will feel extraordinary sensations in his private parts. This position is also appealing for the change of pace involved in not always looking at each other’s face. The woman will feel the tension in her triceps while making love in this position and the man will work his thighs when his leg stays raised. He should switch legs halfway through to hit the G-spot from a different angle.
Humpty Bumpty
In this position, the man is sitting up while the woman is sitting on him with her legs raised in the air in a straddle. She holds onto his neck with her hands while he maneuvers her back and forth. This will work the woman’s arms, stomach and legs. The man will tone his arms while moving the woman’s body, and will strengthen his legs from the support he is providing to his partner.
Wheelbarrow of Fun
The woman lies on her stomach on the bed with her legs slightly open and her knees slightly off the edge. The man stands behind her at the end of her bed and lifts her legs up toward him, until he is able to enter from behind. The woman then bends her legs and wraps them around him, locking her feet together at the ankles, while the man holds her with his hands and rests her on his thighs. This will tone the triceps and lower back. You can also try this on the floor. If you’re really talented, you can try walking around the room while in this position and think back to your days in summer camp during color war.
Fatal Attracting
This position is reminiscent of the scene in the move Fatal Attraction, when Glenn Close is sitting on the counter while she and Michael Douglas are engaged in wild sex. Doing it spread-eagle on the table while your man faces you to thrust from the front creates mega heat in a minimal amount of time. “He’s sure to come quickly because he plunges deep,” says Anne Hooper, author of The Great Sex Guide. “Plus, men get off on the novelty of doing it somewhere new to them, [since] out of the bedroom equals no-holds-barred.
Let’s Get Crazy
This position is a great workout for the woman’s stomach and buttocks. While lying on her back, the woman extends her legs straight in the air, slightly spread, with her rear lifted off the ground. The man bends down in a slight squat to enter her, working his quads, and when using his arms for support, he works his triceps.
T-Rific!
The woman lies on her side, while the man kneels and straddles her bottom leg perpendicularly (i.e., at a right angle to her, thus forming a terrific “T”) and then enters her. Her top leg remains extended upward, gently supported by the man. When done correctly, this can be a great position for deep penetration, while exposing the clitoris for manual stimulation. This double stimulation is very gratifying and can often lead to the big “O” very quickly.
Eva Longoria Parker likes being tied up during sex. … I have sex with him five times a day – maybe that has something to do with it. I have to admit, I’m a nymphomaniac with him. It’s sexercise!” How to spice up your sex life
Forget skimpy lingerie or female Viagra, the secret to spicing up your sex life lies in sexercise. As from next month, London-based fitness chain Gymbox … Having a good old-fashioned orgasm could save your life
Top of the list is sexercise the idea that horizontal jogging is a proper workout. Take more exercise is something doctors are always banging on about …
Partner Yoga for Friends or Lovers
Lovers’ Yoga: Soothing Stretches for Two
Lovers’ Yoga: Soothing Stretches for Two
Best-selling author Darrin Zeer knows it takes two to tango-and two to yoga! His latest winner, Lovers’ Yoga, shows how easy it is for couples to indulge in nurturing, soothing partner exercises to relax, rejuvenate, and create deep, lasting bonds. Delightfully illustrated, this little handbook outlines 60 surprisingly simple stretches organized into five chapters-Playful, Powerful, Peaceful, Patient, and Passionate. The exercises build on one another, so couples can indulge in one stretch, a chapter sequence, or the entire book from beginning to end. Whether time allows for a few minutes or a few hours, Lovers’ Yoga aims to renew the connection and reignite the passion.
Mission: To facilitate a massive
“Thank You Michelle Obama for
Planting the White House Kitchen
Garden campaign.” We need letters
from young people (and people
young-at-heart) who appreciate
the First Lady’s commitment to
healthy food and healthy citizens!
Check out how the White House organic garden is growing:
The White House Organic Garden Michelle Obama dug up a patch of the South Lawn to plant a vegetable garden, the first at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt’s victory garden in World War II. There will be no beets – the president does not like them – but arugula will make the cut.
Or better yet, become a weekday vegetarian. I’m not expecting everyone to give up meat all together. If you enjoy meat, eat it. All I’m asking is that you look into what you’re eating, how it effects the planet and it’s inhabitants, and to consider making a small change with a big impact.
“According to a report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalent – 18 percent – than transport. It is also a major source of land and water degradation.”
“One day is for amateurs. Grist is your resource for making every day earth-tastic, and this year we’re offering an exclusive free download of our award winning book, Wake Up and Smell the Planet. All you have to do is register for a Grist account (also free!)between April 9-23. Not enticey enough? You’ll also be entered for a chance to win tickets and airfare for two to the 2009 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, TN June 11-14.”
The White House Organic Garden
Michelle Obama dug up a patch of the South Lawn to plant a vegetable garden, the first at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt’s victory garden in World War II. There will be no beets – the president does not like them – but arugula will make the cut.
and a related site: The New Victory Garden
You’ve heard of the Victory Gardens and rationing during WWII and how vegetables grown at home helped families and the war effort. Now, amidst a bleak economy and mechanized, nutrient and soil depleting agribusiness, many people are thinking about growing some of their own veggies but are unsure of how to get started. This site aims to be an inspired guide to resources in starting and maintaining a bountiful organic garden for any level of grower throughout the year.
Heather Katsoulis - Google Profile
In the states, the day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year. This year, take it easy; spend time at home relaxing with family and friends. Read more about the international campaign to curb consumption, 
Update: 
Thanksgiving is all about family and food. Most families have recipe traditions that have spanned generations, and everyone looks forward to sharing the feast. Vegetarians and vegans can feel left out when those recipes have meat in them, and the cooks may not know what to make that will be cruelty free as well as satisfying.
“Sexercise” makes a person slimmer – if you do enough of it. Combining sex and fitness is like killing two birds with one stone. Sex gets you fit. And being fit makes you want to have more sex. This is, in large part, because of all of the benefits a good sexercise routine offers, like: improved blood flow in strengthening your heart, better cholesterol, changing more of your bad cholesterol (LDL) to good cholesterol (HDL), weight control, better sleep and greater energy, including longer life and a better quality of life.
The Ultimate Sex Diet: The Secret Formula for a Slimmer, Healthier, More Passionate Life
The White House Organic Garden
Skip the Meat One Day a Week
“One day is for amateurs. Grist is your resource for making every day earth-tastic, and this year we’re offering an exclusive free download of our award winning book, Wake Up and Smell the Planet. All you have to do is register for a Grist account (also free!) between April 9-23. Not enticey enough? You’ll also be entered for a chance to win tickets and airfare for two to the 2009 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, TN June 11-14.”
The New Victory Garden
