Since we are getting to the final stages of our attic addition, the paint colors have been chosen, and now it is time to choose our lighting fixtures.  Murray Feiss are some of my very favorite lighting fixtures. 

I really enjoy choosing the items for the interior.  Fortunately, my husband couldn’t care less about the interior so it is entirely up to me.  I have no problem with that at all.  LOL.

One thing my husband doesn’t understand though…is that the same finish needs to be on each fixture within an area so that they coordinate?  There are so many finishes to choose from now.  I really like the nickel / pewter finish as well as the bronze finish.

I really think I want to try track lighting for the living area.  There are so many neat styles to choose from.  I really like the one that looks like a tree branch in bronze.  Happy shopping for me!!! 

There are so many different types of computer desks available today that it is hard to decide.  You may just be looking for a new way to organize your workspace or your child’s workspace.  Home Decorators has an extensive selection of computer desks. 

You may need a space-saving corner computer desk or prefer to hide all away in a computer armoire.  You may need more room to work such as a writing desk for your computer.  The Oxford Corner Writing Desk I is very pretty and is one I would certainly consider.

These computer desks would make great Christmas gifts.  It would be a very thoughtful and useful gift to give.

Because of the poor economy, many are not seeking medical treatment that normally would.  People just cannot afford to run to the doctor when they feel poorly.  I know that is how we are doing it in our family and I have insurance.  I even work for the hospital where we would be treated. We have to pay $1,000 for each diagnostic test such as a CT, Cardiac Testing, or an MRI.  Who has that kind of money? I certainly do not.  We also have to pay $1,000 for in-patient or out-patient surgery too.

Our insurance is so pitiful and expensive now, I cannot afford to go when I normally would have.  That is because not only do we have a bad economy to deal with, as an insured person, I am paying for those who are not insured, but run to the ER like it is their primary physician 2-3 times per week.  I kid you not.  Sad but true.

“The health care system was not in a good state really any time in the last five to 10 years. This has simply stressed it to a very severe degree,” said Dr. Eric Schackow, a family physician in Chicago. “It does become very disheartening and discouraging because we find ourselves with our fingers in the dike.”  It is not going to get any better in the near future. 

Hilary Clinton was the only candidate who knew and understood the problems with the health care system in the U.S..  Since she is no longer a candidate, we are back to square one on the hopes of any positive changes anytime soon.

 U.S. hospitals are reporting an uptick in emergency room patients, according to the American Hospital Association. Clarke said that includes a rise in uninsured patients with conditions that could have been treated elsewhere, and he expects that to increase.  This is already a bad situation.  Many give false addresses, names, and social security numbers making it impossible for hospitals to collect payment.   They also come in with bogus ailments seeking narcotics above all else.  This further increases the health care costs because of unnecessary tests ordered by doctors to cover themselves.  That is why insured people pay so much in premiums, out of pocket percentages,  and co-payments.

I have a friend with a baby who swears by Colic Calm.  I just wish it had been available when I had my first child.  He was colicky all of the time.  We rarely slept.  It was a very bad first year for all of us.  We were told to switch formula numerous times trying to see if that was the problem.  Nothing worked.

Colic calm was originally designed to treat colic in babies and gas but, many parents have also had great success in helping with baby reflux. Colic Calm does not alter the balance of babies’ delicate digestive systems. The best part is that the homeopathics in Colic Calm stimulate the body’s self-healing properties.  

Another great thing that Colic Calm does is to help a baby’s digestive system adjust to new foods, relieves hiccups and soothes stomach upset that often results from increased saliva production during teething.  Colic Calm is a 100% natural remedy and is an allergen-free formula.  My first child had hiccups in the womb and nearly every day for his first year.  It would have been a blessing to have Colic Calm!

The parent reviews on the website speak volumes about how wonderful this product is. 

Monterrey Chicken
Weight Watcher Friendly Recipe!

Points: 6 Servings: 4

4 (5 oz.) Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/4 Cup Barbecue Sauce
1/4 Cup Hormel Real Bacon Bits
1 Cup 2% Colby and Monterey Jack Shredded Cheese*
1 (14 oz.) Can Rotel (Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies), drained
Sliced Green Onions
Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pound out the chicken breasts to flatten. Season each with a little pepper.
Cook the chicken in a skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray over medium-low heat until no longer pink. Place each breast onto a baking sheet and top each breast with 1 tablespoon of barbeque sauce, 1/4 cup cheese, 1/4 cup tomatoes, green onions and 1 tablespoon of bacon bits.
Place into the oven and bake until the cheese has melted (about 5 minutes).

This link to sign the petition to release Ratchet from Iraq now worked!!

In case you haven’t heard Ratchet’s story…

In May, Army Spc. Gwen Beberg and another soldier saved the puppy from a pile of burning rubbish. Ratchet soon gained international celebrity when it was revealed military personnel are not permitted to care for pets in Iraq, according to the AP.

Beberg, who claims she wouldn’t have been able to pull through her 13-month deployment without the companionship of the dog, had all sorts of issues in her attempts to send the 6-month-old mutt home to Minneapolis.

But an online petition signed by 65,000 people urging the Army to let Ratchet go to America helps to illustrate the emotional cause, and last night Operation Baghdad Pups succeeded in loading the dog onto a charter flight to Minnesota, the AP reports.

The military had earlier permitted Ratchet to leave Iraq, but not on its dime or by it means. The rescue work came at a cost of about $5,000, according to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International, the parent group to Baghdad Pups.

Sure sounds like a lot of cash and effort, but it goes to show the extent to which dog fanciers will go.

Patricia Beberg, the adoptive soldier’s mother, earns honors for quote of the week, as reported by the AP:

“He has been her emotional support, confidante, sanity-saver and a connection with something other than a war zone,” she said of Ratchet’s relationship to her daughter.

to read more about Rachet’s trip and arrival in the U.S. …click here

Did you know your favorite moisturizer or multivitamin has a markup of 700 – 1000%???? That is sad isn’t it?

OROVO was created to combat the supplement industry’s trend of concerning itself more with profit margins than with people. By cutting corners in the type and quality of their ingredients, these companies are able to create cheap products, market them under false pretenses, and ensure they see the largest, quickest profits they can manage.

OROVO is a ground-breaking company designed with a simple idea in mind: to provide top of the line health supplements and beauty products to consumers from all reaches of life. It all started with the release of our widely acclaimed Top 10 SuperFoods supplement called Orovo. With the success of this first product we have since expanded into creating a variety of health and beauty lines at the industry’s most affordable prices.

Interested in earning some extra income? Orvo has a great opportunity. Forget everything you think you know about home based businesses. OROVO has exploded the possibilities of what a home based business can be. Not only are we revolutionizing the health industry, but we are completely revamping the very model of what a home-based entrepreneur can accomplish.

 Whether you have a new car or an old one, if you have wheels you have to have them insured.  Car insurance is not only mandatory by law but also common sense.  If only we could make all people understand this fact.  Auto insurance is getting to be an expense that is always increasing, it may be too costly to afford but we can certainly not afford not having it.  Insurance costs go up because we have to pay for those who are not insured just like medical insurance.  So the only option left is to try and get the best deal for your dollar. Of course getting good vehicle insurance is not a straight forward job. You have to shop around and you have to be smart to get your money’s worth in coverage.

Car insurance companies these days have websites as well as offline presence. For those of us with time constraints, I recommend shopping online and looking for the best deals. The best way is to read their policies, look for the fine print as well. Remember that these companies exist in the real world and are bound by what they print online. This means they have to honor their word on what they say online; to be certain you can always pick up the phone and call them when in doubt.

Did you know that regular aerobic exercise can hold of the decline of brain function but can also push back brain aging?  It seems that the executive functions of the brain are most responsive to physical exercise. 

“ In people with or those without signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, regular moderate physical activity, enough to make a person breathless, has been shown to boost not only the speed and sharpness of thought but also the actual volume of brain tissue and the way in which the brain functions, Kramer and Erickson note (aerobic activity).”

In a 6 month study “adults ages 60 to 75 who walked briskly for 45 minutes a day three days a week not only improved their aerobic fitness but also their mental fitness — particularly their ability to perform executive function tasks – compared with a control group who engaged only in non-aerobic stretching and toning”(aerobic exercise). 

I found this information to be even more reason for me to make sure I exercise every day. 

Source:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081017/hl_nm/us_aerobic_activity_1

As an allergy sufferer, my two worst seasons are Spring and Fall.  I did not have allergy testing as a child, although I certainly should have.  After having my own children tested, I decided to be tested as well.  Afterall, we live in THE worst area for sinus and allergy problems.  Yay for me!

I was quite surprised to learn just what all I am allergic too.  It showed I am allergic to:  all grasses — especially ragweed, mold, dust mites, cats, and dogs.  As an adult, I had had several allergic reactions to medicines and contrast media used in radiology for CT scans. 

My son and I both have weekly allergy shots.  He has one shot and I have to have two shots each week.  It is not fun, but I can tell a big difference in how I feel now. 

Oh, I still have seasonal symptoms, but not nearly as bad as before taking allergy shots.  Since Fall is here, I thought it would be helpful to discuss ways to reduce problems from seasonal allergies.  I swear I am allergic to work! I sneeze my head off while I am at work. 

Get Tested!  One of THE most common errors made in the fall is mistaking allergies for a cold , and vice versa, especially when it gets colder.  A basic rule my allergist told me to live by is this:  if your muscles aren’t aching, it is most likely allergies — which means — don’t run to the ER for antibiotics.  They won’t help and it will reduce their effectiveness in the future. On the other hand, you still need to pinpoint what is causing your allergic reaction.

Avoid Certain Fruits & Vegetables:  Since one of the most common fall allergies is ragweed pollen (hayfever)  — my biggie — it is often helpful to avoid certain fruits and vegetables which may mimic the effects of hay fever.  The fruits, vegetables, and seeds you should watch out for are bananas, melons, cucumbers, zucchinis, and sunflower seeds.  Naturally, these are some of my very favorites.  I had no idea that these could cause problems for hay fever sufferers!

Stay Indoors in the AM:  Although it’s awfully tempting to enjoy the fall mornings outdoors, this is when pollen counts are at their peak. There is actually more pollen in the air between 10 a.m. and noon than at any other time of the day. Try to do any yardwork or outdoor exercise in the late afternoon or early evening.

Always Shower Before Bed:  Although this sounds like a given, your hair and skin are natural allergen attractors.  Many prefer to wake with a shower, but going to bed with allergens on your body will cause you further reactions.

Use a Neti Pot:  Try something a little more natural to clear up your sinuses.  What is a Neti Pot you might ask?  It looks like a small teapot and you fill it with warm lightly salted water (distilled is best).  Then you tilt your head to one side and slowly pour the mixture into your top nostril.  The fluid will come out your bottom nostril.  I know it sound weird, but millions swear by this homeopathic remedy.  It literally cleans out your mucus.  Give it a try.  It feels great once you get used to it.