Extreme Self Care

Setting up a Home Office on a Shoestring BudgetWorking from home is becoming a more popular option with many in today’s workforce.
Whether you telecommute or have abandoned the rat race in favor of setting up your own home business, or just simply need a place to land to take care of the bill paying and the home organization chores, a home office has become a necessary space in many homes. Whether you set up a corner office in your kitchen, designate a guest room to double as your office, or set up a location in your basement, it’s crucial that your home office include all the elements that contribute to your productivity, efficiency and overall success.
But setting up a home office doesn’t have to break your bank account. Very few of us can afford the luxury of having a professional organizer devise an office system for us. Don’t despair; there are many creative ways to devise your space .
Maybe you are able to have a separate room for your office. If so, that’s great.
You’ll have lots of elbow room. But if you don’t, there’s lots of ways to utilize the space you can carve out for one. Whatever space you choose, make sure it’s a space that can be dedicated to your office, and doesn’t double as an arts and crafts table for your kids or a workbench for your spouse’s do-it-yourself projects on the weekends.
Take a look at your space and see what you can do easily and inexpensively to spruce it up and make it conducive to working from home.
Sometimes just a fresh coat of paint, some strategically hung pictures or some simple stencil work can brighten up an otherwise dreary corner.
Next, look around your house to see what furnishings you already have.
If there’s a small unused table that could double as a desk, use it. You’ve probably got a comfortable chair in your dining room that could work fine as an office chair. Look around your home for some useable pieces that can be brought together successfully to create a comfortable and relaxing home office environment.
You may also already have book shelves, bins, baskets, boxes and a filing cabinet that could also be incorporated into your office.
If you don’t already have office supplies available, visit your favorite office supply or discount store and stock up on a few needed items and get your space organized and ready to roll.

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Moving can be a very stressful and nerve-wracking experience. But with some careful planning and by thinking ahead a little, you can make the process go a bit smoother.
Create a simple record keeping system. Whether it’s computer-generated or hand written, be very specific when recording things on this list.
You’ll probably need many more boxes thank you think, and having enough boxes will make your life easier. If you go through a moving company, keep in mind that any boxes you purchase but don’t use can be returned for a credit or refund. Have at least ten boxes set aside to use for last minute items on moving day, such as bedding, clothing, and cleaning supplies. You’ll need strong plastic packing tape to close up the boxes securely. Use unprinted newsprint or packing paper or bubble wrap to wrap and cushion household good. Again, you’ll need lots more supplies than you think, so get extra. Moving companies will be happy to deliver boxes ahead of your moving day.
Designate a color for each room in the new home, such as yellow for kitchen, orange for dining room and so forth. Apply colored stickers on the box near the box number. In your new home, place a matching sticker on the door to each room. This is a simple way for the movers to know where to put everything when they arrive.
Insist on keeping things together when you or the movers are packing boxes. Keep bookends with books, light bulbs with lamps, and extension cords with appliances. Small, loose parts can be attached to the item they belong to with tape or placed in small envelopes — to keep picture hooks with pictures, shelf brackets with a bookcase, a special wrench and bolts with the wall unit.
Anything you can pack ahead will save you time on moving day. If it’s summer, get your winter clothes out of the way. If you must clean your old place after moving out, put together a kit of basic cleaning supplies and rags. Moving companies will not move cleaning chemicals, so plan to transport those with you in your vehicle or give them to a neighbor or friend.

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Today’s society is much faster paced that ever before. People have more stress problems which lead to more health problems, mental and physical. There are more concerns with toxicity in the food we eat and the air we breathe. Millions of Americans today live a sedentary lifestyle, which is associated with obesity. The body, the cavities of our soul, was not meant to deteriorate in such a way that leads to disease. Yoga was developed over 5,000 years ago in India and it included spiritual beliefs, physical techniques, and scholarly philosophy.

There is a growing trend to practicing Yoga for many different reasons, which include attaining the yoga body or physique, relaxation and peace of mind, or to prevent injury and ailments. Americans mainly practice Hatha Yoga, which focuses on postures and stretching the body.

Yoga, which is derived from the sacred Sanskrit language of India, meaning *union* or *to yoke or harness*. Yoga is a way or path to transcendence and liberation from the self and the ego by purifying the mind and body. Practicing yoga leads to a union with the mind and body or the individual and universal consciousness. In other words, yoga is the union with the Individual Self and the Universal Self. Yoga predates all other religions and has influenced and inspired many other traditions and philosophies. Yoga is better understood as a union of the physical, physiological, mental, emotional, and intellectual bodies, which leads to a purposeful and balanced life.

There is simply no other discipline quite like yoga because it utilized the body, mind and spirit, all in one practice. Yoga is indeed a spiritual path that is based on ancient sacred philosophy, but one does not need to make an ethical decision when practicing yoga, rather finding your own path is wholly accepted. The holistic benefits of yoga are suitable for the young or old, sick or well, with any religious background. The secrets of yoga are inwardness, concentration, and purification of mind and body with cleansing thoughts and food. Indian philosophy states that within man is the spirit that is the center of everything. *Internal equilibrium is the basis and the ground for the higher illumination,* The cultural Heritage of India (Vol. I) - published by The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Kolkata, India

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Whether you might be staying home with a new baby or working too many hours at the office, anytime is a good time for yoga. You can do yoga stretches and postures in bed or even while driving to work.

Hundreds of fitness seekers use their lunch hour to squeeze in exercise and take off extra pounds.

I occasionally use my lunch hour for Yoga, said John Ray White, 35, who works at the Arkansas attorney general’s office. Downward facing dog and sun salutation are two of the postures she practices every day.

Practicing yoga in the middle of day some people think is the break that they need to face the afternoon, said Ray.

Lunch-hour fitness routines become more popular in warm weather.

Kick Back Log-on Pose

Interlace your fingers behind your head. Relax your elbows and shoulders. Smile, breathe and stretch your elbows back. Let the tightness release slowly.

E-mail Meditation

While reading your e-mail, remember to breathe slowly and focus your attention on your breath. Make the out-breath two times longer than the in-breath. This will immediately calm you.

Photocopier Stretch

Place your hands on the edge of the copier. Stand back with feet apart. Drop your head and chest. Breathe and relax your shoulders.

Close-the-deal Warrior Pose

Raise your arms to the side with fingers pointed. Take a big step to the side, with your right foot out and knee bent, your left foot planted, left leg straight. Keep the upper body straight and strong, shoulders relaxed. Relax into the stretch — don’t hold your breath. Return to a standing position, switch sides and repeat.

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Millions of individuals and families retreat to their backyards. While backyards are nice all throughout the year, they are even better in the summertime. To make the most out of your next backyard adventure, you are encouraged to think about what foods, if any, you will have on hand.

When most individuals think of backyards and food, a backyard barbeque often comes to mind. If you and your family are interested in having a backyard barbeque, you will have to decide on the foods in which you would like to cook. If you have a large family or a few picky eaters, you may want to ask your children for suggestions. Suggestions will help to make sure that you have food that everyone will enjoy.

While many families have their own backyard barbeques, there are others who decide to turn their barbeque into a party. If you are interested in having a backyard barbeque party, you may have to purchase a large amount of meat. Whether you are cooking for your family or a large group of people, it may be a good idea to purchase your meats in bulk. Most supermarkets, in the United States, charge less for items purchased in large quantities. If you if you are unable to use all of the meat that you purchased, you should be able to use it on another occasion.

In addition to meat for the grill, it is also important to consider side dishes. If you are having a large gathering, you may find it easier to purchase your side dishes pre-made. Pre-made side dishes, such as macaroni salads and fruit salads, are available for sale at most supermarkets. The only problem that you may find is that pre-made side dishes tend to be more expensive, when compared to preparing them yourself. Therefore, if you are looking to save money or if you only need a small amount of food, you may want to consider preparing your own side dishes.

As previously mentioned, many families have a backyard cookout or barbeque party; however, not everyone does, especially all of the time. Whether you and your family are just interested in playing outside for a short period of time or you aren’t in the mood to cook a large meal, it may still be a good idea to have a collection of snacks on hand. On hand snacks are ideal during the summertime, especially for those who are actively participating in a number of outdoor activities.

Dry snacks are ideal for a number of different backyard activities. Most dry snacks are easy to eat on the go and they rarely ever leave a mess. The only downside to serving dry snacks is most snacks are unhealthy. If you are looking for tasty, but healthy snacks, you may want to examine foods that are low in sugar or low in fat. These items may include, but should not be limited to, fruits, vegetables, sugar free cookies, or low salt chips. Despite what you or your family may believe, many of these healthy snacks are just as good as those that are filled with unhealthy sugar.

One important thing that you must consider, whether you are barbequing or just having an outdoor snack, is water. Water is important, especially during the summertime. Water, unlike many caffeinated beverages and sugary drinks, is a great way to stay hydrated. Unfortunately, without water many children and adults become dehydrated. Dehydration is a dangerous problem. That is why it is important to have water and other beverages on hand. In addition to traditional water, you or your family may also enjoy the taste of flavored water. For many, flavored water is a healthy, but tasty alternative to traditional drinking water.

By keeping the above mentioned points and suggestions in mind, you and your family are sure to have a fun backyard experience, accompanied by refreshing drinks, great food, or tasty snacks. Whatever the occasion calls for, there are a number of different foods that can help make your next backyard outing one of the best.

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Speak Your Passion!

Sunday April 27, 2008 1-5pm

Foundation Coaching Group’s Unlimited Workshop Series

You and Your business have Unlimited potential!

Each Workshop is designed not only to give you more confidence in your own
skills and abilities, but also to give you the step by step actions you need to
take to become successful.

Speak Your Passion Workshop is your chance to learn how to create a amazing and
memorial presentation from the time your audience walks in the door to the time
you kick them out at the end of the event.

You will learn:

• Multiple strategies to get people’s butts in the chairs, and
  they are much easier then you think!

• Learn how to create a memorial presentation that really
  grabs your audience and has them waiting on baited breathe for your next
  event.

• Learn how to create more value for your audience members and
  more cash in your pocket with your “Back of the Room” Strategies.

• Learn very easy ways to stay connected with the audience
  look after the presentation and start creating amazing relationships.

Best of all you will spend 4 hours laughing and learning with
some of the Top Holistic Professionals in Alberta.

The workshop is going to be held at the lovely Rosemont
Community Hall, located at 2807, 10th St NW Calgary, overlooking beautiful
Confederation Park.

We have a limited Number of Seats available! Register Before April 23th!

What are you waiting for? Act Now to claim your chair!

Click Here

PS. Don’t Forget your Coupons!! Look
for the coupons created specially for Meetup, Alberta Wholistic Directory and
Body Soul and Spirit Expo!

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Each year, a large number of children play outside. Unfortunately, many of those children easily experience boredom. If you are the parent of one of those children, you may have searched high and low for the ultimate backyard experience. In your search, it is likely that you may have come across tree houses or forts. These structures offer most children an unlimited amount of fun. In fact, you may find that your child doesn’t want to leave their newly constructed tree house or fort.

While tree forts or houses are fun to play in, there is something that is even more exciting than playing in them. The process of making and designing a tree house or fort is something that you and your child will likely never forget. Therefore, if your child does not already have a tree house or fort, you may want to consider making one. To get the most out of this experience, you will want to make it together.

To build a tree house or fort, you may need to have a tree. While a tree is a vital part of a tree house or a tree fort, it is not necessarily required. If you only have small, unstable trees in your backyard or none at all, you can still build your child a fun play fort or house. Instead of building the structure in a tree, you will just have to build it on the ground.

The first step in building or designing your own tree house or fort is to familiarize yourself with all of your options. When making your child a tree house or fort, you can design the structure a number of different ways. Despite this freedom, you are advised to examine popular tree house or fort designs and plans. In addition to giving you structural ideas, you may also be provided with detailed construction manuals.

Perhaps, the easiest way to familiarize yourself with tree house or fort designs is to use the internet. By performing a standard internet search, using the words tree house deigns, you should be provided with a number of different links. These links should take you to a website that offers tips, detailed directions, or ideas for building a tree house or fort. If you are able to find the tree house or fort of your child’s dreams, you may want to print off all applicable information, including building guides or instruction manuals.

In addition to using the internet, to familiarize yourself with tree house or fort designs, you may also want to visit your local book store or library. There are a number of books and resources guides that are available. These resource guides, like the ones found online, should provide you with pictures and detailed directions. If your local book store or library does not have any tree house or fort books, you may want to search for books online.

Once you have found the tree house or fort that you would like to build, you will need to purchase building supplies. These supplies may include, but may not be limited to, wood, nails, screws, and other common tools. In most cases, you should be able to purchase the supplies that you need from your local hardware store. If your local hardware store does not carry all of the needed materials, you should be able to find them for sale online.

When it comes time to build your child’s tree house or fort, you will want to keep them involved in the process. While they may be uninvolved in actual building process, there are other ways that you can use their assistance. After you have reviewed the construction directions, you may want to have your child read you the directions as you go along or hand you the materials that you need. No matter how large or small their part is, your child will likely be happy that you involved them in the process.

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Many computer users around the world face the problem of back pain. Having your back against the wall usually means you’re in trouble. But for certain yoga positions, having your back firmly against a wall will aid health.

In Hatha Yoga, the practitioner forms what Swami Gitananda calls body geometry–triangles, straight lines, circles and parallel lines. When you do a posture, always stretch your body to its utmost limit and then hold it there for a slow count of 10, gradually building up the time, until each posture can be maintained for 30 seconds. Holding a posture is essential to yoga because it gives the body a chance to settle into the stretch and loosen up. Then each time you stretch it will be just that little bit farther.

Many of the sideways, or lateral, stretches in Hatha Yoga require that the body face forward, with hips level and back and spine tilting neither forward nor back. Beginners tend to lean forward to increase the stretch. But leaning forward is wrong and will actually detract from benefits and possibly cause harm. To perform these stretches properly, make sure to keep your spine firmly against a wall. The wall acts as a prop. Even those who have practiced yoga may find that they cannot bend as far as they thought they could when they do the postures properly. The extra time spent in forming careful postures will pay off: Your body will gain excellent flexibility and strength.

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We’re probably all guilty of having at least one junk drawer somewhere in our house. This is the drawer that started out as a helpful drawer that kept all the handy items in one place like tape, tacks, buttons, safety pins, and so forth in one central location, but turned into the drawer where other things manage to accumulate when people don’t know where they go or don’t feel like taking the time to put them away properly. Get this drawer (or drawers) back into useful mode again by using a few simple steps to bring things back under control.
First of all, in order to clean it out, you’ve got to empty it out. Remove everything. Place a piece of paper or tea towel down to protect your countertop or table surface, and literally dump the drawer on top if possible. Otherwise make sure all items are placed on this protected surface.
Once it’s out of the drawer, it needs to be sorted. Group all similar items together, and if you can’t determine what something is or if it’s needed after consulting with others in your family, get rid of it. If there are things in this drawer belong in another location, be sure they are put away promptly. Clean the drawer completely and wipe dry. Afterwards, lay a fresh drawer liner or contact paper inside.
The next trick is devising a simple, workable organized system that everyone in the family can use. Ice cube trays, egg cartons, small boxes or even 35-mm film containers work well to store small things in. If you cannot see into it to determine its contents, make sure it’s clearly labeled. Small plastic sandwich bags are ideal for organizing and storing rubber bands, thread, and string. If you store glues or other adhesives in this drawer, make sure they have lids that are secured. It might also be a good idea to get into the habit of storing them inside a plastic storage bag in order to avoid a mess down the road should the lid become unsecured in the shuffle or is not properly tightened after use.
Most importantly, encourage your family to keep the drawer organized and neat. If it’s properly maintained, there should be no need to shuffle through the drawer looking for things, creating an even bigger mess to clean out yet again in a few months.

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There are many great reasons for having a yard sale.  Some people have yard sales before they move so they don’t have to pack and ship belongings they aren’t using.  Sometimes they are updating the look of their home and sell their old belongings to make money and room for the new ones. Sometimes your children just grow like weeds and rapidly outgrow both their clothes and their toys. It could also simply be the desire to purge all those items you’ve held onto for so long, thinking you’d find a use for them but never did. No matter what your reason, having a yard sale is a relatively easy goal to achieve and requires just a few hours of preparation and a few more hours actually selling your wares.  You’ll reap both financial and emotional rewards from it. 

Decide on a date for your yard sale, then get to work surveying the items you have.  When you’re going through your house deciding what to sell, you’ll have to be brutally honest with yourself.  If you haven’t used it, don’t like it, don’t see yourself using it or don’t know of anyone personally who could benefit from it, then it’s a yard sale item.  Sort through every dresser and kitchen drawer, every clothes and linen closet, every cupboard and toy box you have in your house.  Don’t forget your basement, attic, pantry, entertainment center, buffet and outdoor tool shed as well. If an item belongs to a family member, don’t make the decision for them. Get their input before placing an item in your yard sale box.  Regardless of the time it takes to sort through all your items, make the commitment to stick with it and remind yourself on a continual basis the monetary profit and emotional relief you’ll feel once your clutter has been cleared from your home.

Once the sale is over, make another commitment to yourself not to bring the unsold items back into your home.  Make arrangements with your local rescue mission or charity thrift store to donate the items.  Most will be happy to make arrangements to pick up large donations as well as provide you with a tax receipt reflecting your generous donation.

Once it’s all said and done, you’ll have some extra pocket change, and can breathe an emotional sigh of relief that the clutter that’s been weighing you down for so long has been purged from your home.  Renew your commitment to remain organized and to combat the clutter demon on a continual basis.�

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