This is essentially where I get to "blog," if you will, and write about topics that I love. I have a penchant for fashion, parenting, and health topics, so everyday I will have a new quote, informative paragraph, tip, or column on a new topic in these arenas. Enjoy!

Health/Fitness

We are always on the search for the next "lose weight fast" fad. In the quest, we starve ourselves, eat raw tree bark, drink concoctions the color of grass, and end up hungry and irritable, only to gain 10 lbs back overnight as soon as we are done eating tree bark squares for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Whatever happened to, eat right and exercise? Seriously, change from regular soda to diet, drink a fruit, yogurt and juice smoothie, instead of eating a snack cake, and without any other changes to your diet, you can lose a pound a week. What about exercise? We aren't talking marathons here. Just a 20 minute walk 3 times a week, improves mood, allows for a more restful sleep, and improves concentration and serotonin (the "feel good" brain producing hormone.) Alternate those 3 days a week, with 2 days of strength training with light hand weights, or pilates or yoga, and you will live a healthy and fit life. Sometimes getting back to basics is all we need to do. No deprivation. You want cake: eat it! Just have half the size slice you normally would. You get all the yumminess, and no deprivation. Enjoy your life, enjoy physical activity. Life is too short to be food/exercise obsessed. :) For more content and health/fitness articles and advice, please visit my Associated Content profile: I'm a frequent Content Producer, and love to write adn I would really appreciate your support and feedback! My Associated Content Profile/Content Page *****I'm not a big fan of "fad" diets or outrageous claims and products....but sometimes something comes along that is so "smack yourself in the face" easy, that you wonder why no one talks of it more! It's called "Fat Loss 4 Idiots.." I know, I know, one of those "dummy" things, again. Some of the best advice I have ever gotten and knowledge I have obtained has come from these "dummy" types of books. They contain no fluff and straight forward info. With Fat Loss 4 Idiots, you through out "low fat" "low cal" "low carb" and all those other dumb trend diets, and learn information that simply isn't out there, to truly lose 9 pounds in 11 days. Actually, they lied a bit. I actually lost 12 pounds, in 13 days....I'll take it! :) Click Here!

Parenting

We're talking potties today, people. How do you know when it's the right time or age to train your child? Don't let friends and family compare notes and decide for you. THE KEY is to let your CHILD tell you. How will they? If they start to show an interest in "the big potty" or begin to put or try to put things inside it, they are beginning to understand the concept, and at THAT time, you should introduce them to their very own potty! If you try to train them on their own, and often too early, it will only become a battle and the child will deem it as a punishment, rather than something fun! I did this with my son. He was my firstborn and I pushed and pushed him to try, and when I finally stopped pushing and bribing, sure enough, he started letting me know he wanted to go. He was almost 2 1/2. When my daughter was born, I waited until SHE was ready, and gave me signs. (Girls tend to be easier and are trained earlier, generally speaking) but she was potty trained by 1 1/2. As a general rule, once a child is potty trained during the day, there's a 2 to 3 month window where you should still have them in diapers at night. Check it first thing in the morning, and if they go 4 straight nights with a dry diaper, CONGRATS, goodbye $400 a pack diapers, and HELLO, cartoon character "big kid" undies! :) For more content and parenting articles and advice, please visit my Associated Content profile: I'm a frequent Content Producer, and love to write! My Associated Content Profile/Content Page

Fashion

Have you ever wondered how some of your favorite designers and fabrics are ACTUALLY pronounced? Does it really seem like you DO need to "learn to speak fashion" because of all the seemingly unpronounceable terms and design houses? I'm here to help. I'm going to give you a rundown of some of the most commonly mispronounced fashion labels, and fabrics. Now you can engage in fashion conversations with your friends, because you too, will know the "language of fashion." Here's a list: "crepe de chine" is pronounced as: "crape-duh-sheen"; "Hermes" is pronounced as: "er-mez"; "Burberry" is pronounced as: "Bur-Bur-ee"; "Givenchy" is pronounced as: "Zhee-von-Shee"; "Haute Couture" is pronounced as: "Oat Koo-tour"; "Yves Saint Laurent" is pronounced as: "Eve san lore-on"; "Charmeuse" is pronounced as: "Shar-moose"; "Tulle" is pronounced as: "Tool"; "Botkier" is pronounced as: "Bot-kee-yay"; "Cartier" is pronounced as: "Car-tee-yay" See, fashion really is a foreign language, isn't it?! :) For more content and fashion articles and advice, please visit my Associated Content profile: I'm a frequent Content Producer, and love to write, especially about fashion, since it is my passion! My Associated Content Profile/Content Page