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Posts Tagged "lifestyle"
As a wedding consultant, I have seen how full figured brides psych themselves out.
Many believe couture is something reserved for the rich and thin. However, this simply isn’t the case. Curves and couture make perfect partners and judging [...]
My experiences managing fear.
I was eighteen and I was going to the main campus at Penn State to start college. I really wanted to go to Penn State however the odds of me succeeding were against me. First, I knew that it was very hard for a [...]
You don’t have to be the perfect size to find romance or the perfect wedding gown.
Of the 2.4 million weddings in 2011 approximately 36% brides were considered curvy (sizes 12, 14 16 and up). The number is expected to increase in the next [...]
Ancient Greece featured Aristotle and Socrates.
It enthroned its mightiest warrior in Achilles who overthrew Troy with a Trojan horse. The Parthenon boasts the grandest architecture of the Greeks from 776 B.C.. But nothing beats the mystical [...]
I struggled with fear and anxiety for over 20 years and there many times I felt like giving up.
There were times I was at the end of my rope and I did not know what to do. There were times that my fears, anxieties, and depression were so much [...]
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
SAD sign #1: If you have difficulty concentrating, processing information, and completing tasks during the winter, this may be a sign that you are experiencing a common disorder called Seasonal Affective Disorder [...]
Want to give something up for Lent, but not sure what? Might I suggest giving up complaining?
I took a workshop several months ago sponsored by an amazing nonprofit called A Complaint Free World (www.AComplaintFreeWorld.org).
The organization’s [...]
Are you tired of finding Mr. Right turn into Mr. Wrong?
Spending too many Valentines days eating Haagen Dazs ice cream by yourself? The answer to finding your “love at first sight” is birth order.
Valentines day brings up the question, [...]
A story of teamwork, persistence and creativity.
On a cold, winter day when a mean wind blows and icicles hang from the windowsills, little Pauline looks out the window and has an idea. “Let’s have a lemonade stand!” Her parents are unsure [...]
Once upon a time, I not so brilliantly suggested getting married on Valentine’s Day.
He thought that was an awesome idea, because then he only needed to remember one date – February 14th. We’ve been exes for a decade now. Needless [...]
Friends and professionals.
Throughout my 20 years of personal experience in dealing with fear and anxiety, I had a challenging time in getting my friends to understand my issues with fear, stress, and anxiety.
Most of my friends and relatives [...]
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.
Many of you remember the tragic death of University of Virginia Lacrosse Player Yeardley Love who was murdered by her boyfriend a few years ago. Her family founded joinonelove.org in her honor, [...]
Coffee is a love affair for me.
I love the smell, I love the flavor. I love the ritual enjoyed daily making my sacred cup.
But like all love affairs, my obsession with coffee has its dark side, and I’m not talking a roast choice. Coffee, [...]
Getting help.
When I began my struggle with fear and anxiety, the first thing I did was to seek help from a mental health professional. I realized that in order to deal with my fears effectively, I had to educate myself on the techniques that [...]
How NOT to become a victim:
I was a stalking victim for over 15 years, and in that time there were no laws on the books that made this behavior a crime-actually the word “Stalking” didn’t even exist. In that time I had to learn [...]
As the author of a book on managing fear, I have struggled with fear, anxiety, and stress for over 20 years.
During this time, I have talked to various professionals in the counseling fields, read many books, and researched many ways on how [...]
Adventure is not always comfortable; however, it’s still adventure.
It’s not always safe, either. Whatever it is, adventure in the wilderness beats a weekend of sitting in a Barker Lounger watching inane television shows that you will [...]
Feeling defeated is effortless.
On the other hand, seeing the progress I am making, or remembering the achievements that are mine to claim as I push forward toward my dreams, when I am in the thick of going for my goal, is often impossible. [...]
We live in a society built not on liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but on should.
As in: “You should send a thank you note to your Aunt Mabel for that lovely ceramic Jesus she sent you,” or “I should fire you for single-handedly shutting [...]
A quote.
“Courage is one thing. A sense of purpose another. When you put them together in one human being, the world can be changed.”
John Brown
That first morning, I pedaled through heavy traffic for the beginning of my coast-to-coast [...]
There is a common phrase, “Two LEFT feet.”
Usually this phrase refers to an inability to dance or clumsiness. What it means to me is that sometimes things just don’t go RIGHT.
Recently my friend, Nancy Weil, Founder of the Laugh Academy, [...]
It’s all over the news: Lance Armstrong mea culpa for his doping habit in a taped interview with Oprah.
Sounds like it might be a hollow apology doesn’t it? Some have said it’s likely some kind of publicity stunt. Others [...]
I might just get the hang of my New Year’s Resolutions in 2013.
That’s because I didn’t make any!
Instead, I read ONE WORD THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE, by Dan Britton, Jimmy Page, and Jon Gordon. They promise it will take you forty minutes [...]
Luna and her best friend (polar) Bear belong together like peanut butter and jelly.
They do everything together. They skate, and play and laugh. Luna’s smile sparkles like the snow. Then one day Bear picks a sunshine-yellow flower to give [...]
I think circumstances that find us at our most alone, while they may be pitch black dark, can be such a blessing.
Is that an odd thing to find? Ok, possibly so. My point is, and I am thinking about my own experience from 2009, that once we [...]
Great moments.
Times like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, New Year’s, 4th of July and other special events present you with markers for new beginnings. So much of this culture wraps around traditions that revitalize your mind, heart and [...]
As I read a lot of quick-fix New Year’s Resolution articles, I’m struck by how generic and often glib they seem.
As a writer, I try to re-energize and refocus on goals just like anyone else, but instead of resolving to chase the [...]
Police tell us that public safety is their top priority.
However, many police departments are cutting back due to budget cuts. This is a wake up call that we all need to be better informed on how to keep our families safe.
Most Americans have [...]
The Time Keeper By Mitch Albom
If you live by your to-do list, it might be a good idea to put Mitch Albom’s The Time Keeper on that list. It’s a fast, soul-encompassing read.
Time is in charge, isn’t it! And, we never have enough [...]
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Snowmen At Work is the latest in the “snowmen” series by husband and wife team Carolyn and Mark Buehner. In this installment, a boy builds a snowman, then goes inside for the night.
When he awakes he [...]
This Christmas
I turn my quill to a happy story about the endless joy and amazing experiences that await all of us wherever we may roam on this planet. From “Bikes in bloom” to “A moment frozen in time”, let us rejoice life and all [...]
Ring in the holidays as you ring out the old.
This festive time of year includes parties, or celebrating quietly or the enjoyment of listening to some fabulously uplifting music.
Whether you’re more introverted or not, music has many benefits [...]
The Spirit of Adventure.
Emerson said, “God laughs in flowers.” On a bicycle journey across America, you pedal through, along and past billions of flowers of every color, shape and description. God’s laughter speaks to your visual [...]
Happily-ever-after books.
I love them. I fell head over heels with A WINTER DREAM by Richard Paul Evans. The 266-page novel is so fast-paced, I whipped through it on the treadmill in seventy-minutes. I also displayed the full spectrum [...]
Best Picture Books of 2012
2012 was a great year for picture books. There were some familiar faces, some new voices, and of course lots of brilliant artwork (I’d especially like to point out the heartwarming illustrations of my partner on [...]