Busting Stress at Your Desk - Good Reminders

From Healthy Living with Ellie Krieger

No matter how calmly you start the day, stress at the office can send you into a tailspin. Stress often compels people to skip meals, overeat, and/or eat lots of sugary, fatty foods. Also, researchers are finding that chronic stress affects the hormones that make you more likely to gain weight around your middle and that may make it harder for you to shed pounds. But beating daily stress can help you improve your eating habits and lose weight.

How can you bust stress at work? Here are a few techniques you can try:

• Stretch. This stretch is an easy stress-buster you can do at your desk: Sit in a chair and slowly hang forward, letting your arms dangle loose. Hold the position for five full, deep breaths. This "rag doll" stretch helps release tension from the spine, shoulders, and neck and increases blood flow to the brain.
• Breathe. Regaining control of your breathing can also do wonders for alleviating stress. If you are feeling stressed out, try this simple exercise, which takes only five minutes. Sit comfortably, with your back straight and your eyes closed. Focus your attention on your breathing. Just pay attention as your breath goes in and out, and note its qualities. Is your breathing fast or slow, deep or shallow? If other thoughts come into your head, gently brush them aside. Continue this focus for five minutes. Practice this exercise daily at your desk to regain and maintain a sense of calm and focus.
• Sip. Brewing a cup of herbal tea may help calm you down — varieties like chamomile and mint can be very soothing. One study showed that chamomile tea may help relax the muscles and boost the immune system.

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

[Credit: http://knockoffdecor.com/slatted-sign-with-quote/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+KnockOffDecor+%28Knock+Off+Decor%29 ]

Pickle Jar Repurposed: Date Jar

I love going on dates with the man I married. It is the responsibility of married couples to be intentional about having fun together through the years. This creates an interesting life, shared memories, and playful times that keep a couple close in the midst of the demands and duties that fill most days. So, we schedule time for a date when we plan our week.

Then what? Often tired and not too creative by then about what to do, we are sometimes challenged to think of something to do. So now we have the pickle jar, washed of course. When we find ourselves "in a pickle" to think of a date, we dig in the pickle jar.

The pickle jar contains gift cards and coupons for movies and restaurants that come from various sources. Also, the jar contains many little pieces of paper folded to add an element of surprise. One day I sat down and brainstormed a bunch of activities we enjoy doing together. I typed them up, printed it, and cut them up.

After taking time to fold them and place them in the jar, the guesswork of what to do for a date we'd both enjoy is gone and the fun of surprise is in the making. Some of the suggestions are as easy as taking a walk for a cup of coffee. Yes, we live about six blocks from Starbucks. Some of the suggestions are a bit more adventurous, such as taking the train somewhere and back or going kayaking. But if we don't want to do a date we've selected from the jar due to time constraints, weather challenges, or budget constraints, we just drop it back in the jar for another day, and pick again.

If all else fails, a DVD and popcorn, relaxed on the sofa, works just fine. A lazy date has its place, too. Having fun together keeps a marriage strong.

Hot Cocoa Bar

Make any cloudy day into some yummy fun!

Thanks to this creative blog post: http://mrsdesignher.blogspot.com/2009/11/holiday-entertaining-hot-chocolate-bar.html

Some of the writer's ideas include:

 Hot Cocoa Bar How-To’s

• Use fancy mugs. This can be an fun, attractive way to tie in your colors.
• Have a few assortments of flavored hot cocoa. Some favorites that would also act as a perfect base for your guests’ creations would be peppermint, white chocolate, and dark chocolate.  Make sure the liquid starts out HOT.  The room temperature add-ins will cool the cocoa quickly.
• Finely chop your chunky add-ins so they will melt well.
• Have both liquid and dry options for add-ins.

Hot Cocoa Bar Add-Ins

• Marshmallows (what hot cocoa isn’t complete without this staple?)
• Peppermint sticks
• Flavored syrups
• Flavored whipped cream
• Cinnamon sticks
• Orange twists or rinds
• Chopped up candy bar
• Chocolate chips
• Chocolate truffles
• Caramel squares
• Candied ginger

Random Celebrations: Eleven Party

I love to mark random moments in life with a memory. That brings joy to living, and often a reminder to stay grateful for the good, since life passes quickly. Yesterday was 11-11-11, so we had to celebrate! We gathered a few friends, shared food and conversation, and cheered at 11:11 on 11-11-11. Some friends who were out-of-town texted me at that exact moment, too. They were unable to be at the party, so that was fun to connect through text. Here are some photo highlights of some of the party fun.

Pepperoni pizza with cheddar cheese and olives added

to create the face of a clock showing the time of 

(of course) 11:11. Yum!

"1" Foods

Other food that resembles a "1" - pretzel sticks, licorice, sour candy straws. Chocolate cupcakes...OK, no "1" shape there, but a party has to have some chocolate. The sprinkles on top looked like little "1s" - use your imagination.

People played UNO Attack - theme game. Friends brought the DVD...

Oceans Eleven

Perfect movie for the theme, but we did not get a chance to view during the party.

The time came! 11:11 on 11-11-11!

I'd moved a digital clock to the mantle to mark the moment. I also stuck some #1 birthday candles in votive holders filled with sand. I lit the candles at the moment of celebration. Got to get creative in these non-holiday celebrations!

And so it goes. We celebrated an event that happens once every one hundred years. We enjoyed good company and tasty food. With friends and food, any day is a good day. Just one more thing. Attire for the 11-11-11 event. What else would one wear?

one.org

A great organization!

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."

-- Virginia Wolfe

Setting a Roman Table - WilliamsSonoma Style

The latest Williams-Sonoma catalog, Fall 2011, has great ideas, pictures, and recipes -- like a mini-magazine and foodie tour of Rome. I want to remember this quote: "The sense of community and family is evident at every meal in Rome. The food is amazing, but it's the time shared at the table that makes the experience so memorable." - Dawn Green, Food Development, Williams-Sonoma, September 2011, page 4.

I really cherish and enjoy the feeling of community and family that is to be found gathered around a comfortable table to share a great meal. One of the highlights of my life at this stage, mainly shared with a faithful small group of friends and at Milton House.

Fan of Fall Fun

Fall is on it's way! Hooray! I have a centerpiece and several other clusters of colorful school supplies and apples, including tiny ribbon-wrapped bouquets of pencils, decorating the house. Pennants cut from 25 cent scrapbook paper in gingham and primary colors make the hearth and kitchen window and front door look all festive, with a nod to football season. If it weren't 100+ degrees here each day this week, I'd be baking some apples. Can't wait to go get the Walnut Spice candle from Williams-Sonoma this weekend. Fall is on its way! Pumpkin Festival is on my calendar. Perhaps this will be the year I venture into a corn maze.

“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.” --You've Got Mail

Finding Small Pleasures to Stay Patient

We are stuck in bathroom remodel limbo...short on time and short on cash. There we hang. Projects came to a screeching halt. The beadboard walls to a chair rail height are incomplete, but promising. The floor is in various stages of major and minor disrepair. I have grown deaf to the parts that shout "Finish me!" But some days, like today, I become impatient with the process and tired of the waiting. I just wish the bathroom looked more like what it does in my dreams. That day is not in sight yet.

So today, I figured out some little steps I could take to make a big difference. These steps will buy me more time and keep me patient. I started by using frames I already own to display the California vintage postcards and orange labels we want to display in the bathroom. Two sets of four prints in brown frames are now ready to hang. They will look great, and personalize and warm up the space, adding some visual interest (and distract from the ravaged floor and partial beadboard walls). I'm excited about that.

Next, I took some birthday money and headed to the store. One of our two tan bath towels has basically shredded, giving me permission to replace it. I started out buying two new white bath towels. Finally! Towels that match the bathroom colors! I feel a sense of relief and simple style. White towels bring hotels and spas to mind -- a sense of ahhhhhhhhhh.

Then, I bought a white shower curtain -- again to match the bathroom colors. We currently have a tan shower curtain, and I cannot even remember why we thought that was the color direction we wanted to go. It just doesn't work. Anyway, the new white on white stripe curtain is classy, but too long. If my tall husband approves, we'll just raise the shower curtain spring-rod -- easy enough.

I also got two curtain rods, one for the door window, and one for the wall window. My mom and I made curtains on Saturday when I was visiting in Ohio. We picked out fabric and she worked her seamstress magic. I got the curtains I'd pictured in my mind -- simple, crisp, clean, private but letting in light. Very happy!

My mom is 87 and still sews like a professional and her mind works with measurements like an engineer. I feel the love come through in the projects with which she helps. The curtains cost less that $6 total and that beats anything I saw in catalogs. I had a hard time finding simple white cafe curtains in stores, so it worked great to make them.

So, just a few little changes start to tie the room together and help me gain a sense of hope and peace as I wait patiently for circumstances to change, permitting the room to be completed. Ah, the joy and challenge of caring for an old, charming home.

Farmer's Market Magic

My friend told me this week that the peaches are in at our local Farmer's Market. So, Friday, she and I paid a visit to our favorite peach farmer. I got enough peaches to try this recipe, Summer Peach Cake. Steps include roasting the peach slices and peach chunks to carmelize them. Another step includes tossing the chunks (that sounds bad, doesn't it?) in crushed Panko bread crumbs.

This afternoon, I'll attempt to make the Summer Peach Cake, using the recipe found in Cook's Illustrated magazine.

The Favorites Game

Surprised by how sometimes I know so very little about those I'm closest to, I played the "Favorites Game." Works really well while driving in the car. I recently asked my mom and dad what their favorites were in the following categories. I really enjoyed their answers, the conversation, and learning more about who they are as people. Categories: favorite color(s), scents, sights, sounds, and places they'd like to travel to. I should ask about favorite flavors, too. Next time.

A favorite smell...cinnamon bread baking...

So what are some of your favorites?

A favorite sound...

A favorite sight...sailboats on the ocean, especially tropical waters...

A favorite flavor...vanilla ice cream

A favorite touch...petting a puppy, especially my dogs...

And finally, a place I'd like to travel: Prague...

The Great People Game (a.k.a. Conversation Starter)

Once upon a time (or "once a pond a time" as one of my 4th grade students once wrote), I was encouraged to invite loved ones to share about great people who has influenced their lives. The person who encouraged me to have this conversation asked me if I could name ten people who were a good influence on my own life. It did not have to be people I knew personally. It was a fun challenge to pause and reflect on who would go in my "Heart Hall of Fame." This was another simple, yet profound conversation starter that gave great insight into the hearts and minds of those I engaged in this topic. I learned so much, and it felt like a tribute to those influential people in even simply speaking of them and their impact on a life. When I asked my parents, I attempted to write down their answers, but it was tough to keep up. Such an interesting conversation and rich opportunity to hear stories of their important people. Someday as was suggested, in my spare time, I may even sit down and make a short photo album with faces of my choices and a statement of their impact.

I'll start with these two:

If It Is July, I'm Watching the Tour de France

The Tour de France started today.

With almost daily stage races for a world of professional cyclists, it is part of my daily July routine to at least watch the highlights. I love the competition, the countryside and various cityscapes.

I love the strategy, the weather, turns and climbs and sprints, fans, and fields of flowers.

I love it when cows come to watch...or ignore. Dogs often appear, too, and hopefully no one is hurt if they run across the road at the wrong time.

...and creative sculptures and tributes along the way.

Those fans -- crazy, crazy fans. What can I say! They add that circus feel. And every year, if you are watching carefully, you may regret it because you will see the Tour de France daytime "moon" of the naked fan running alongside the riders. The camera crew is always catching that from behind, no pun intended. Don't worry. I did not include a photo here.

I also enjoy the broadcasters, Phil, Paul, and Bob.

It is not all a joyful time for me though. Certain things make me very anxious: how fast they ride downhill, tight corners, the cobblestones, and, of course, the crashes.

I have no favorite team this year. I do have favorite cyclists. This year, I want Andy Schleck to win. He's talented and I want Cantador to take a seat on the sidelines. Besides, to me, Andy resembles my youngest nephew, an avid cyclist.

I also am a fan of Dave Zabriskie, Mark Cavendish, George Hincapie, Tyler Farrar, Andy Schleck, Chris Horner, Levi Leipheimer, Thor Hushovd, Christian Vande Velde, Tom Boonan, and I am sure I forgot some. You can include any American. I usually like it when they do well. And with this many favorites, it is always fun to watch the Tour de France.

Beautiful Backyard Bash

Someday, I'd like to host a pretty little party in our yard at night to celebrate and for the fun of decorating in dramatic and lovely ways with simple touches. That simply must include a delightful luminaria pathway, tree lanterns, and more.

A fabulous pasta bar buffet and bouquets of the tallest bread sticks I can find...

Simple and glittery table seating...

My husband is so gifted at lighting the backyard with random table lamps to add more warmth and interest to an evening gathering. I'd ask him to help create more ambiance.

And at the end of the evening, though our urban backyard would not have room, launching sky lanterns with friends would be a fun finale!

Maybe we could all walk a few blocks to the park and fill the night sky with magic!

My Kind of Jewelry

This is beautiful, by Nina Bagley, I believe. I don't think it is for sale, but I'm sure I couldn't afford it anyway. I like the words hammered in the silver. I love the phrase. The cloudy smoothed beach glass is beautiful. The twisted wire is so rustic.

Oh! And the compass! It simply triggers my wanderlust. Sigh.

Snow Angel Joys

I made many a snow angel back in the day. Now I live in Southern California, so opportunities are few and far between. I did make snow angels with grown-up friends from college in March a few years ago, while visiting in New Jersey. I think I'd call it snow angel therapy. Getting down in the snow, resting on my back, staring into the cold, blue, wintery sky, making a sweeping motion with my hands and legs, and touching a childhood memory deep in my heart -- all combine to make for a playful release of the stress of adulthood, if even for just a moment. Love it! Never too old, I hope!

An activity just right for flakes like me!

Passion to Push in the Face of Misery

My brother-in-law took this photo. For me, it symbolizes determination in discipline, and commitment to passion in the face of misery and discomfort. Inspiring! Makes my demanding tasks look a bit easier.

Muppet Motivation

I just really want to ride my bike more often and with more confidence! It has been so long since I've been for a ride, I'm a bit wobbly, nervous, and unfamiliar with the why and when of gears. When I was a confident rider, helmets were not required, so that tells you it is a few years ago.

Today, I derive inspiration from some of my favorite characters. If these guys can take a cycle for a cruise in the park, so can I!

And I simply must cling to the goodness in life, when it gets overwhelming to ride well, build up endurance, stay out of traffic, and seek out hill-free trails. A cupcake is a good reward for effort!