You are here:
Home / Miscellaneous
Sometimes going to the gym can get a little boring. How many spinning classes can you really take before you start to burn out? Thankfully, instructors are developing all kinds of cool new programs that will get your body toned and healthy while also engaging your mind. Here are some of the most interesting new trends on the exercise scene.
Aerial Yoga – Yoga has been one of the fastest-growing fitness concepts for the last decade, and people are starting to branch out and combine the traditional poses with new experiences. Aerial yoga uses a ceiling-mounted loop of heavy-duty fabric to expand the repertoire, adding new resistance moves and ways to extend stretches.
Zumba – This aerobic dance program is sweeping the nation, and for good reason. It’s a pile of fun for all ages. Using Latin American rhythms and fast footwork, it burns calories like crazy and helps tone the entire body. Zumba also requires no special equipment to learn, and certified instructors are springing up everywhere.
Circus Schools – One popular exercise trend is circus performing. No, you won’t be putting on clown makeup, but rather learning some of the unique physical and gymnastic disciplines that acrobats and other performers use in their acts. Using a combination of stretching, balance, and strength exercises, you can swing on the trapeze, walk the tightrope and many other fun and challenging activities.
CrossFit – This intense strength training and conditioning program has taken off in recent years. It combines activities across ten essential physical disciplines to create a balanced body, and regulars boast of impressive results. This isn’t one for beginners, though, as sessions can become very intense.
The heart of the Appalachians, West Virginia is one of the most geographically diverse parts of the nation. It's an outdoorsman's paradise.
The Gauley and New Rivers offer the best whitewater rafting in the country, with challenging rapids and exciting high water. Raft rental companies will dispatch a guide with each group to keep you out of danger.
The New River also boasts one of the most impressive bridges in the world. The New River Gorge Bridge was, until recently, the largest steel-arch bridge in the world and remains the largest in the United States.
If you’re looking for a supernatural touch to your vacation, stop at the town of Harpers Ferry. Rich with Civil War history, this charming little town also has some of the most robust folklore in the region.
If you’re feeling like getting a little more urban, go to Charleston, the state capital. The city also has a booming arts scene and some truly fantastic restaurants.
Learn more: www.wvtourism.com
One of the most majestic states in the Union, Maine has been a popular destination for lovers of the outdoors for centuries. The state has over 5500 miles of coastline, making it a great choice for beach lovers. It also boasts spectacular mountains, historic villages, and more.
If you’re there in the summer, the beach scene in Maine is one of the best in the Northeast. Every day, hordes of sun-seekers flock to York Beach to tan, swim, surf, and generally appreciate the crisp, clean water and fine, white sand.
With beaches come lighthouses, and Maine is a mecca for lighthouse lovers. The state boasts more than sixty of them, including the Quoddy Lighthouse, located at the easternmost point of the continental United States, as well as the popular Cape Neddick Lighthouse. The state even has a lighthouse museum in Rockland. A number of other historic sites dot the state, from Civil War forts to ghost towns.
Maine's inland natural parks are equally beautiful, offering miles of hiking, mountain biking, and more. In the winter, the state’s mountains are flocked with skiers and snowboarders. While you’re there, don’t forget to sample the lobster – the best crustaceans in the States come from Maine. There’s nothing that beats a lobster roll on the beach.
Starting at a new school can be a scary experience for a child, but here’s how parents can help make the first day easier:
Before school starts, make sure that you’ve completed the necessary paperwork to avoid confusion or extra stress on your child.
Take your child to visit his or her new classroom, talk with the teacher and meet at least one new friend.
Make sure your child gets plenty of sleep. Begin moving bedtimes up a few weeks beforehand to make the transition easier.
Pick out clothes together the night before the first day, and make sure all supplies and lunches are packed and ready to go.
Provide a hearty, special breakfast on that first morning.
Drive your child to school instead of sending him or her on the bus on the first day. Or, arrange for your son or daughter to ride with a friend.
If your child is especially young, send along a family photo as a reminder of home.
Doing your part for the environment is easier than you think. A few simple changes in your lifestyle can help Mother Nature and save you money. The following tips will help you to live greener, richer, and feel better about the future.
Stop using paper towels. If possible, convert old clothes or bath towels into rags, or visit big box stores like Costco to buy an inexpensive supply of microfiber towels.
Stop drinking bottled water. Investing in a tap water filter and a stainless steel water bottle can save you hundreds of dollars a year, and it keeps all that plastic out of the environment!
Grow a vegetable garden. Even if your space is limited, growing veggies in a square foot or container garden can put yummy, organic food on your table. If you can’t start a garden, consider buying locally-sourced produce.
Start a compost pile. Pile leaves, grass clippings, fruit/vegetable waste and pet waste in a corner of the yard or plastic storage container. This reduces landfill strain and creates incomparable food for your garden.
Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. CFL bulbs are still more expensive than regular bulbs, but they can often be bought on sale. They last for a long time and use little power, so they end up paying for themselves.
Bring re-useable bags to the grocery store. Most large grocery stores offer canvas bags for $1, or even give them away for free. Some even offer discounts for bringing your own bags.
Enjoy those savings. Mother Nature thanks you!
An indulgent delicacy that’s delicious and offers health benefits? It’s got to be too good to be true, right?
Wrong. Dark chocolate has been treasured by dessert connoisseurs for centuries, and now scientists insist that this taste sensation has much more going for it than just its creamy, delicious flavor.
According to a slew of recent studies, dark chocolate is actually good for you when eaten in moderation as part of a healthy diet.
Researchers say that dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants, a miracle compound that can help reverse high blood pressure and beat back common ailments associated with aging. The flavanoids found naturally in cocoa can help boost heart health, as well.
What’s more, this decadent treat is actually surprisingly low in sugar, carbs, and calories, particularly when compared to flour-based pastries, cakes, or cookies. A 2-inch-square serving of the most widely available brands of dark chocolate often clocks in at fewer than 100 calories.
Some people say that dark chocolate is an acquired taste, and this may be true, particularly if you are sensitive to strong flavors. Start by sampling small pieces of chocolate in the 65% to 70% cocoa range, and gradually work your way up to the bolder blends in the 80% to 90% range.
Dark chocolate can be great for baking, too. You’ll find plenty of inspiration here in this recipe collection from Better Homes and Gardens.
Keep these classic board games on hand for holidays, rainy days, or any time you want to get the family together for some fun. They’re simple enough for the kids but they’re sure to bring out the kid in you, too. You just might get hooked!
Battleship. Conceal your ships, sink the enemy’s ships . . . the thrilling cat-and-mouse game of naval strategy.
Clue (also available in kids’ edition). There’s a different guilty party each time you play this addictive whodunit.
Connect Four. Similar to tic-tac-toe, the object is to drop four checkers into a row while preventing your opponent from doing the same. It’s simple, fast, and raucous.
Scrabble (also available in kids’ edition). Big words win the day in this crossword-style game. How better to teach your kids vocabulary?
Pictionary (also available in kids’ edition). Kids love the energetic and hilarious game where you pick a card, draw the word on it, and watch your team try to guess the answer.
The weather is getting warmer and love is in the air. These new romances are more than just ripping yarns—they offer complexity, humor, and a blissful good time.
The Ninth Wife by Amy Stolls. Bess is stunned to learn that the man she is about to marry has eight ex-wives. So she sets out on a cross-country journey to meet them—a ride that will open her eyes to who she is and what she truly wants in life.
Follow My Lead by Kate Noble. Being the most sought-after bachelor in London can be trying. The Duke of Rayne should know. But when he winds up an unwilling escort to headstrong Winifred Crane on a trip across Europe, he realizes he'll do anything to keep her safe—even if it means marrying her.
Love Drunk Cowboy by Carolyn Brown. When Austin Lanier inherits a watermelon farm, all she wants to do is get rid of it and get back to city life. But rancher Rye O'Donnell has other ideas—for both the farm and Austin.
Dangerous in Diamonds by Madeline Hunter. When he inherits a flower business called "The Rarest Blooms," the outrageously wealthy Duke of Castleford is stunned when the shop's beautiful and mysterious proprietor rejects his advances.
If you're looking for a healthy yet flavorful fish dish for any night of the week, try this Mustard-Crusted Salmon recipe from EatingWell.com! A meal that's easy to make, it's also filled with omega-3 fatty acids (which reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke as well as having many other health benefits). It only takes 10 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to cook, so you'll have dinner on the table in no time. Here are the ingredients:
1 1/4 pounds center-cut salmon fillets, cut into 4 portions
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons stone-ground mustard
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Lemon wedges
Directions:
1. Preheat broiler. Line a broiler pan or baking sheet with foil, then coat it with cooking spray.
2. Place salmon pieces, skin-side down, on the prepared pan. Season with salt and pepper. Combine sour cream, mustard and lemon juice in a small bowl. Spread evenly over the salmon.
3. Broil the salmon 5 inches from the heat source until it is opaque in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.
Click here to see the full recipe with nutrition facts—this dish is great served with a side of steamed vegetables and wild rice.
Romantic comedies and tearjerkers are a dime a dozen, but these 5 films are guaranteed to make you cuddle a little closer to your sweetheart.
1. Casablanca (1941). The grandaddy of them all. This classic about lovers (Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman) sacrificing themselves for a noble cause is arguably the greatest screen love story.
2. Gone With the Wind (1939). This Civil War stunner is so torrid, ardent, and epic that more than 70 years later, we’re still wondering what happens to Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) and Rhett Butler (Clark Gable).
3. Dirty Dancing (1987). A wallflower (Jennifer Grey) falls in love with her bad-boy dance instructor (Patrick Swayze) against her father’s wishes. The archetypal summer romance of our dreams.
4. Forest Gump (1994). The iconic film about a sweet Southern boy (Tom Hanks) who keeps walking backward into success. But no matter what happens, he never lets go of his star-crossed childhood sweetheart (Robin Wright Penn).
5. An Officer and a Gentleman (1982). The sublime modern fairy tale about a handsome man in uniform (Richard Gere) sweeping a common girl (Debra Winger) off her feet and lifting her up where she belongs.
« Previous Page — Next Page »
Loading ...
Equal Housing Opportunity