We are currently in the middle of a large retail campaign known as "Christmas in July". I am not exactly certain of its origin, but it appears as if it goes back to the 1940's when there was a film of the same name and the United States Postal Service promoted an early Christmas mailing campaign for soldiers serving overseas during World War II. Nowadays, "Christmas in July" means online retail sales galore and the Hallmark Channel running their original Christmas movies 24/7 to coincide with the release of the year's Keepsake Ornament in their stores. Amazon even gets a piece of the action since they schedule their "Prime Day" every year on the second Tuesday in July. Christmas in July may mean nothing more to you than thinking of snow and ice as a way to bring relief from the extreme summer heat. For the early shoppers among us, it is arguably "the most wonderful time of the year"! While I consider myself an organized and early shopper, July is a bit too early for me to have UPS stacking boxes on my porch that won't be needed for another five months! Besides, I am an Amazon Prime customer and since that means free two-day shipping and great prices, every day is Prime Day for me! This is exactly what made me think that we should apply this same PRIME DAY concept to the way we live our lives.   Read More

It’s an age-old question: How many times a week should I be exercising? Unfortunately, there’s no magic number or simple formula to find the answer. Just like with food, the concept of bio-individuality applies to exercise, and what works for one person may not work for another. Read More

Several international summits are now in our collective rear-view mirrors. There is no shortage of people offering their analysis of the progress that was made when the world leaders met behind closed-doors. I am not one of those people. My biggest take-away was when I heard the various country presidents referred to as "master disruptors." I realized that you do not have to wreak havoc on an international stage in order to bring disruption to the balance in your own life. Read More

It is get-away season. Perhaps you have already taken your vacation, are on holiday now, or are eagerly anticipating the day you will be loading up the car with your luggage, golf clubs, water skis, road trip snacks and the books you will be reading on the beach. My most recent trip convinced me that my next house needs to be a hotel! We were not staying at a five-star resort, however, the amenities made us feel pampered, relaxed and well taken care of.   There is something to be said about having the finest thread count sheets that money can buy. Years ago, when Oprah Winfrey was asked what her first big luxury purchase was when she "hit it big", the interviewer was surprised with the response that Oprah gave. She did not say "a big house" or "luxury car"....she said "expensive sheets and towels" Read More

From maple syrup to stevia to raw cane sugar, there are a wide variety of sweeteners out there that may have you questioning what’s best and where to use them. Most sweeteners are made with sugar – a simple carb that is quickly converted into energy and known for giving a quick boost of energy followed by a crash that often leads us seeking out another quick energy source.  Read More

It seems only fitting to be talking about staying COOL, CALM and COLLECTED since we are currently in the middle of a record-breaking heat wave. There have been no shortage of people weighing in on how to stay healthy, safe and cool during extreme heat. This is not, however, what prompted me to write this blog. I cannot stop thinking about the 12 young soccer players and their 25 year old coach who have been trapped in a cave in Thailand for nearly two weeks now. If you have been following this story as I have, then you know that the boys (ages 11-16) were on a team excursion when the entrance to the cave got flooded and they became trapped inside. It took 9 days for rescuers to find them and they are saying that due to the dire and dangerous conditions, it could be months before they are able to get them out and home safely. Despite the fact that they had been trapped 2.5 miles from the entrance to the cave in claustrophobic conditions without food, water, light and all of the other necessities, when the Thailand Navy SEALS reached the team, their spirits were high and their optimism was intact. Have you thought for a minute about how that is possible? Read More

If you think that "deadheading" has something to do with packing up all of your belongings and traveling cross-country to follow the rock band the Grateful Dead, then I know that you haven't planted any petunias, delphiniums or roses this year. Before I became a full-time homeowner and part-time garden tender, I had no idea what it meant to "deadhead" anything. Now it is something that I spend a lot of time doing...tidying up my flowering plants by picking off the dead flower heads. It never ceases to amaze me what happens soon after I pinch off the flower stem! It seems like almost immediately new flowers appear. The science behind the process is fascinating - the deadheading channels energy into the flowers, resulting in healthier plants and continued blooms. Read More

My second son recently turned 16 which means I now am teaching two teenagers how to drive. When you have been doing something for years, you may not remember what it's like to do it as a beginner. In the case of driving, I had forgotten just how many words of wisdom that need to be shared with the next generation of drivers. One of the things that I find myself saying quite often during our driving lessons is "stay in your lane." As you well know, whether you are turning left or right, you have to be sure to stay in your lane when you complete the turn. How about the "floaters" that you encounter on the highway? You know, the cars that are going back and forth between lanes and you find yourself screaming "pick a lane!" They are most definitely a driving hazard! They call into play your skills as a defensive driver and are another example of the importance of staying in your own lane. Read More

The benefits of the sun stretch far and wide – sun exposure is essential not only for vitamin D production but also for hormonal balancing, mood improvement, and even a strong immune system. Read More

We are in the middle of the NBA finals right now and there is a lot of excitement and buzz, despite the fact that it's the same two teams going head-to-head for the Championship title that have been in the finals every year since 2015 - the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. the Golden State Warriors. While I admit that I am not the world's biggest basketball fan, it is hard to not get caught up in the excitement of it all. As I am writing this, the Warriors have taken a 2-0 lead in the finals. Even if you are not an avid basketball watcher, you may have heard all about how game # 1 of the series ended. The Warriors pulled out a 124-114 overtime victory against the Cavaliers after Cleveland's JR Smith did something on the court which left a lot of people scratching their heads and extremely upset. The Cavs blew a golden opportunity to beat the Golden State Warriors in game one, when Smith mistakenly thought his team was winning the game. With seconds left on the clock in Game 1 of the NBA finals, and a tie score, JR Smith grabbed a key offensive rebound from a team member's missed free throw. With enough time left in the game, and a clear shot to be able to shoot the ball, score and win the game, Smith ended up dribbling away with the ball instead of taking the shot. The clock ran out and JR was seemingly unaware that the score was tied. After the game, Smith said that he had had a plan, but he never explained why his plan did not include taking what would have been the game-winning layup shot!     My sons no longer play organized basketball, but I use the famous quote "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" all of the time when I speak with them. While this can apply to basketball (and certainly it is very fitting with the JR Smith story that I shared), it was actually the famous hockey player Wayne Gretsky that coined the phrase. I think that "missing all of the shots that you do not take" is applicable to so much more than hockey and basketball. If you are 'sitting on the sidelines' of life, then you are missing out on so many valuable and potentially life-changing opportunities. Read More