Posts Tagged ‘beauty’
Tips for Choosing Log Furniture
If you just love that rustic look, and are finally ready to finally buy log furniture for your home, there are a number of “rules of thumb” that can help you in making good choices.
Begin by considering the overall style of your home. Do you have a log home that is overwhelmingly rustic? Or are you seeking to add a rustic touch to one or more rooms of a more conventional home?
Size is Everything
Homes that feature large logs, spacious ceilings or are roomy in general require a different flavor of rustic furniture than their more conventional counterparts. If large logs make up the walls of your room, or you have a fireplace made from monster rocks from Montana, you’ll need a massive log look for your furniture as well. Otherwise, your log furniture will seem dwarfed and insignificant.
Even if the home for your log furniture is a cabin with 8-inch logs, a few large pieces of furniture will look better than many small ones. Larger furniture makes a room feel full without being cluttered.
If your bedroom has a high cathedral ceiling, a log canopy bed can help fill out the dimensions. There is also much you can do with artwork and lighting to make the best use of your space.
Types of wood
A variety of wood types are used to create rustic furniture. Following is an overview of several which are available on our website:
Steam-bent Hickory
Hickory is a very durable, flexible wood. Many a child has climbed to the top of a green hickory sapling to ride it down as it yields to the weight without breaking. When heated with steam for a period of time, Hickory poles can easily be formed into various unique pieces of furniture. The steamed poles are placed in a jig and left to dry. They will become very rigid and retain this shape when dry.
Steam-bent hickory is strong enough to be used for tools such as hammers and axes, and unpeeled hickory accounts for one of the best-selling lines of log furniture. The Amish use steam-bent hickory to make dining room chairs, as the legs for dining room tables, coffee tables, and rockers.
Northern White Cedar
Northern White Cedar grows in Northern Michigan and Canada. It withstands the abuse of seasonal elements without breaking down or rotting like other woods. It is a beautiful light tan color when freshly milled.
It turns silvery-gray with age, but can be treated with a good quality finish to help retain its color. You will notice cracks- some small and some larger in your rustic furniture. This occurs naturally in the drying process and adds to the rustic look of our products. These cracks do not diminish the function or design of our furniture. They are not a manufacturing defect, just a natural part of seasoning, enhancing the beauty of the wood.
Red Cedar
The most surprising thing about Red Cedar (also know as Aromatic Cedar) is that it is not a member of the cedar family at all, instead belonging to the juniper family. Everyone knows the deep aromatic smell of the red cedar. The wood is heavy, and naturally insect and rot resistant.
Clothes stored in a chest made of red cedar will be protected from moths. Red cedar has tight knots that add character and beauty. It is sometimes purple, but most often a brownish red that will in time become browner even when preserved. Furniture built with red cedar will last a long time and can definitely be handed down from generation to generation.
Shopping for Quality
Not all log furniture is created equal-no matter how stylish or comfortable it may be. The quality of the materials used in log furniture, and the craftsmanship employed, vary widely-and this is often reflected in the price. While there are always some bargains to be had, it is quite true that you get what you pay for in log furniture.
With this thought in mind, buy the best furniture you can. It will look better and last longer if you do. In addition, look for all-wood or solid-wood furniture (as opposed to veneered plywood or particle boards). Solid wood furniture tends to show less wear at the joints and fittings, and also reacts better to seasonal moisture changes.
Look for well-fitted, carefully crafted connections. Dove-tailed drawers are especially known for holding together well. If you want your furniture to be finished, look for a long-lasting, tough and evenly applied coating. A word to the wise: unless you are experienced in applying furniture finish, leave the finishing up to the furniture manufacturer.
Choosing a Log Furniture Store
Let the buyer beware-there is a wide variety of customer service between log furniture stores. If you are looking to buy on line, look for a store where quality furniture and customer service are both top priorities. I have seen log furniture manufacturers and stores that always deliver late, and I have seen some who deliver on-time with shoddy quality.
Look for testimonials on the site you are considering. Call and talk to a salesman at the log furniture store. A word to the wise-log furniture websites that merely drop ship log furniture have a lot less control over quality than those who building, finish and/or ship the furniture themselves.
The ideal online log furniture store has many repeat customers who not only purchase again from their store, but recommend them to others. Quality stores are interested in more than a quick sale. They understand the value of delivering top-quality log furniture-furniture that will last a lifetime and add a truly rustic touch to your home.
About The Author
Cari Haus has been successfully selling log furniture on the Internet since 1997. Copyright 2003 by Cari Haus, website http://www.newsletterjournal.com Permission is granted to reprint this article, either online or in written publications, as long as the copyright information, this paragraph, and a link address or a link to the Log Cabin Rustics website is attached at the end of the article.
Create a Spa Retreat at Home!
In today’s high-stress world, a visit to a spa can provide a much needed renewal for your mind, body and soul. If you don’t have the time and/or money to head to the nearest spa or resort, consider creating your own. Experience the benefits of a day at the spa by creating a near-professional spa in your own home. Here are some ideas for transforming you bathroom into a relaxing spa retreat.
SPA TREATMENTS
Widely used in spas, bath salts or salt scrubs made with sea salts are wonderful for their detoxifying properties. The Romans, Greeks and other European cultures have long believed in the benefits of healing through bathing in hotsprings.
SPA TOOLS
If you’re giving yourself a body treatment, have a body brush, loofah or sponge within easy reach. One of the best ways to revive skin is to exfoliate before you get in the shower. The ancient spas of Japan were known for their dry brushing techniques. Gently brush your body using circular motions with a soft body brush, starting at the feet and working your way up. This light brushing technique removes dead skin cells while stimulating circulation.
DRY OFF
Pamper yourself with classic and elegant spa garb ? a luxuriously thick white terrycloth robe. If you don’t have a robe handy, find your fluffiest, softest towel. For an unmatched toasty treat, heat your robe or towel in the dryer before using.
MOISTURIZE
Water from the bath has a drying effect on the skin. To make the most of your skin replenishment, keep a special body lotion for spa days ? one with an aroma that you enjoy.
Chere Deshayes is the president of Bath Plantation, a company that specializes in handcrafted bath and spa products. Subscribe to her FREE newsletter at http://www.bathplantation.com/newsletter.html or visit her site at http://www.bathplantation.com.
Benefits of Soy in Facial Creams
Creams with soy are recommended around 40yrs and up or 30s if skin is dry, sun damaged or showing signs of ageing.
Soy is an incredible source of important nutrients providing the necessary ingredients to build protein in the body.
Soy proteins are rich in amino acids, vitamin E and many anti-oxidants, they assist the skin in retaining moisture, aid in eliminating free radicals and maintaining skin elasticity! They can help lighten dark spots and even out skin tone.
Soy lipids helps to regenerate damaged tissue and promote quick regeneraton of the skin cells. Soy also contains nutrients such as lecithin that are beneficial in repairing the skin, renew collagen production making skin soft and flexible, also helps tone the contour of the face therefore avoiding the natural process of aging.
Soy is rich in isoflavones which have estrogen-like properties, particularly valuable for mature women. Diminshes dryness, smoothes texture, improves radiance and firming. The soy’s role in skin is to stimulate, stabilize and influence production of collagen and elasticity.
Ageing Gracefully does not mean ignoring oneself and hope for the best, it means taking care of yourself the best that you can or know how and looking and feeling your best at any age or stage in your life with the use of good products and living a healthy lifestyle to prevent cosmetic/non cosmetic surgery in the future! An ounce of prevention will bring long lasting rewards!
You are never too young or too old to combat the signs of aging.
Linda
Professional Esthetician, Elle’s Esthetic Studio
http://www.ellesestheticstudio.com
Make Your Pores Behave
Smooth and soft skin, even tone, rosy glow, pores invisible to the naked eye… Perfect complexion. Isn’t that what we hope to see when coming to the mirror?
But the reality is harsh and mirrors don’t lie. The pores are there, perfectly visible, and seem to get bigger and bigger.
Why would Mother Nature put the most visible ones where you can’t hide them? Life would be so much easier if we could keep them out of sight (and out of mind). I bet Nature had no idea people would consider pores a problem and, of course, had the best reasons in mind.
Pores are tiny (oh well, comparatively tiny) passages for oil that is produced in sebum glands to reach the surface of the skin. There are approximately 300 000 oil glands in human skin, the highest concentration is on the face, chest and back. The glands produce up to one ounce of oil daily!
The oil forms a protective layer over the skin that prevents moisture loss and helps to keep the skin soft and resilient and prevent injury and environmental damage. Given the fact that skin on the face is thinner than in other body areas and is constantly exposed to sun, wind, cold and heat, we desperately need this protection.
The challenge is to maintain the right balance between the activity of sebaceous glands and the actual needs of your skin. Problems start when pores have to deal with more oil than they can handle. Pores expand under the pressure of excessive oil flow and become visible. Once they enlarge, they don’t shrink back. There are no muscles around pores that could contract and close the opening.
More and more pores can become visible with age. This is due to the loss of skin elasticity and sagging. As skin is drawn down by gravity, pores become more obvious.
Keeping pores clean is the first thing you need to do if you want to make them less noticeable and prevent their size increase.
When oil binds with dirt and dead skin cells, pores become clogged and – again – stretch. To prevent this, keep oil under control, use gentle and effective cleansers and exfoliate regularly.
After cleansing, use astringent toner. Astringents cause slight swelling of the top skin layer, which temporarily closes pores. There are two things to be cautious about. First, don’t overdry your skin or it will react by producing even more oil. Second, if your skin is sensitive, be extra careful as it might not tolerate some of the ingredients used in astringents.
Mature skin will benefit from thorough cleansing and gentle exfoliating followed by a face-lift mask. When done 1-3 times a week, this regiment will produce visible improvement in just a few weeks.
The pores don’t shrink permanently. We have to accept it, just as we accept that fair eyelashes can’t get dark and straight hair don’t curl. Yet, we learned to live with it and still get the look we want. The same thing is with pores: you can improve the way they look when and if you want to.
(C) Natalie Katsman, 2004
About The Author
Natalie Katsman is a co-founder of http://www.natural-aid.com, where you can find fine quality aloe vera products for beauty and well-being and subscribe to HealthySkin Newsletter filled with beauty tips, recipes and information on herbal healing, skin care and cosmetic chemistry.
Effects of Tanning Beds – Is it a Boon or a Bane?
Tanning beds – a boon or a bane? That is the million dollar question that’s uppermost on all tanning-interested people. The effect of tanning beds is not a subject that can be put to rest quickly as the pros and cons maintain almost a supernatural balance with each other. In the industry of tanning beds, tanning bed lotions, tanning bed pillows and other tanning bed accessories, the effects of use are either little understood or worse, suffer from total ignorance. Here, we try to articulate some basic facts about tanning.
Tanning is a body reaction to ultraviolet radiation, typically of two types UVA and UVB. Both these types of radiation have been associated with side effects of tanning beds where the incidence of over exposure has occurred. The effect of tanning beds that worked on UVB radiation have been well documented, with skin burning being observed frequently. This phenomenon caused manufacturers to shift to UVA-type operation where the effect of tanning beds based on this technology was perceived to be low. However, over-exposure to UVA radiation has been suspected to initiate immune system destabilization. Popular knowledge tells us that over-exposure to the sun’s radiation leads to skin cancer. So sun screens are a must for protection, even in artificial tanning to negate any adverse effect of the tanning bed.
In a way, answering the question “Are tanning beds good for us” is analogous to answering the question “Are French fries good for us”. Puzzled? When you have French fries in the right amount, it’s a great in-between mealtime snack, but when you get consistent overdoses of it, you can be assured of the road to obesity. And so is the effect of tanning beds too! Take all steps to ensure that you are safe on the tanning bed. Do your research, ferret the internet and speak to your doctor if it means so much to reassure yourself.
Treat the tanning bed with respect and you will be rewarded with what can only be called ethereal beauty. Have a safe and enjoyable tanning time!!
Visit our articles section at Tanning Articles and Resources for more such practical tanning advice and tips.
© 2005,Yaksha Patel. This article is courtesy of Tanning Wonders – Making Tanning work for you!
You may publish it at no cost, as long as the links are left intact, made live, and this notice stays in place.
How To Completely Rehab Your Home In 10 Days!
This report is about taking a house and restoring it to an aesthetically pleasing dwelling that has reclaimed it’s functional utility. In effect, it is the anti-aging medication for bricks and mortar.
This report assumes that you have already or will soon acquire the proper house. The one that is in essence, ripe for rehab. Be selective and sure of the house’s potential to allow for a profit after all the hard work is done. I will help you find your house or houses.
In the proverbial nutshell, it helps if you choose a house from the start that has a sound plumbing, heating and electrical system.
? Plumbing
? Heating
? Electrical
These are things that are expensive to correct in relation to the value they return to you upon resale. Most often, people cannot see the inner workings of these systems and they take them for granted.
Very few buyers are going to give you an extra $15,000-$20,000 in your asking price because you have replaced things that they can’t see and already take for granted as just a basic component that is buried in the structure. Also, they assume these components to be warranted against defects by you.
After all, it is mandatory in most, if not all states that you fill out a disclosure form that tells the buyer of every defect that exists or ever has to your knowledge. So inspect the systems of your investment alternatives carefully, as they can be expensive to repair and replace, with minimum dollar return value being realized at the sale.
Along these same lines, you should also pay close attention to the following cash vacuums:
? Roof
? Foundation
? Structural Integrity
Here are a few ways to quickly gage a home from its appearance:
Stand across the street from it. Now look at the bones of the structure. Does it look like a sway-backed horse, with the roof sagging in the middle? Does it have flat areas in its design that don’t allow water to be drained away quickly?
Water, dampness and rot are the equivalent of cancer to the human body when it concerns a structure. Shingles can be replaced. That won’t necessarily stop me from buying. Usually I will use that old roof as a bargaining chip in negotiating the seller down to a lower price. However, if I crawl into the attic and see that the plywood has become rotted and truss members are also affected, it’s time to move on to my next potential deal. Life is too short and I will never rehab it in 10 days if I have to rip the roof off and rebuild it too.
Some other conditions, such as sagging eves, wavy roof surface, rotten fascia and trim pieces, and insect infestations can be deal killers too, if severe.
Solution: Get into the structural members with a long, sharp, sturdy, standard flat-tip screwdriver and attempt to penetrate structural components that are made of wood. You won’t hurt anything if there are no underlying deficiencies. However, if someone has freshly painted over or patched it, that screwdriver is one heck of a lie detector! Use it.
Now, I’m not saying people would do that. It may just be the termites have eaten everything but the exterior coating of the wood to conceal their activity whatever the case probe.
There are also tile roofs, metal roofs, cedar shake roofs, hot-rolled roofing, tar and gravel roofs and always a few new high-tech roof coatings. I feel my main concern is whether the decking or the roof support structure has been undermined by water, insects, rodents, poor materials, poor design or craftsmanship, a lack of fasteners, strapping, etc.
Shingles and coatings can be replaced. Just know what is underneath. That’s my criteria. Negotiate lower for needed replacement of roof coverings if you can. I dwell on roofs because it protects everything else!
Next on the list of deal killers is the foundation. The same thing applies to the foundation. I will start by standing back from it and looking at it from a distance. Does this place look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa? Or are the seams coming apart? Do the windows and doors look square? Are porches, stairs and additions on firm ground as well?
Block homes can tell you very quickly if they are stressed out just by the appearance of the mortar joints. Those giant unsettling cracks can and do tell a story. This does happen and mortar cracks maybe 10-years old. You need to investigate further.
Once again, water is a sign of trouble with foundations because it leads to erosion, rot, mold and mildew. It washes out foundation materials and slabs will crack. It rots sill plates and your walls are no longer firmly attached to a base.
If you have a crawl space, it’s time to get your coveralls on and get in there. Now, let’s use our heads here and I mean this! Before you enter a dark, supposedly uninhabited, infrequently entered, dark and restrictive to movement area, assess the situation. Ask someone who has knowledge of the dwelling if there has been any animal activity that they know of. You may also encounter bees, wasps, ants, spiders, snakes, slugs, mosquitoes, rats, mice and a host of other inhabitants. Beware and be prepared. It’s truly another world in some cases.
If you don’t want to do it, hire a professional and I do mean a pro, not some Joe who says he is one. For goodness sake, use a licensed professional home inspector to protect yourself in all areas if you’re just not sure!
OK, you’re a trooper and you’re going in. Good for you, Rambo! You’ll make it in this business because it takes faith, guts and determination. By getting into this type of situation, you’ll learn a lot more about every part of the homes you inspect.
You should have a strong flashlight, your trusty screwdriver, maybe some insect repellent and a safety observer standing at the access entry to give you piece of mind. Now you can go to the perimeter walls and inspect where the walls meet the foundation. Look for rot, misalignment, cracks, separations, water damage or any other condition that doesn’t appear normal.
While you’re down there, look at the other foundational supports, you will see pier blocks and posts, other concrete support pillars and walls, beams, joists and cross bracing, and the underside of sub-flooring. Check this stuff’s condition. Does it look original? Is it structurally sound? Or are there some discrepancies that need further investigation? Take a good look and smell!
Don’t leave yet. You also will want to look at all that plumbing and electrical that is there as well. Scan the perimeter. Do you see any sunlight coming in from where it shouldn’t be? That might be a hole that needs repair. This is common sense land, not computer a chip lab. You can inspect for general condition. Simply follow everything to its logical end, looking mainly at the condition of the different components.
OK, you’ve made mental and physical notes. Now dust yourself off and go inside the house if everything has checked out so far. So the roof and foundation have passed your keen eye. Let’s look at the rest of the house with respect to its structural integrity. More than half of your structural integrity check at this point is already complete as the roof and foundation are two of the most important components and those have been done. Now you are left with the interior spaces of the structure.
Here’s what I do once inside. I stand at the front door with a checklist in hand (www.inspectamerica.com) and I begin to scan the walls, ceiling and floors. I’m looking for water stains on all three surfaces, as well as patches that were used to repair or conceal damage. I go through every room and look for signs of damage or concealment.
Any flat floor is a good candidate for my scientific marble test. I’ll drop my marble; if it rolls to a corner, that floor ain’t level, Buckwheat. That’s a simple test but I do want to know that the under-layer or sub-flooring is sound and firmly attached to all those joists, and beams and trimmers and blah, blah, blah.
Soft spongy floors are of concern, creaky floors are annoying and rotten floors are another story. So once again, I’m looking at the structural support of the floors. I don’t care that the cheap, yellowed vinyl is coming up at the seams. I don’t care that the carpet is matted down or thread bare, and I don’t mind if the finish is worn off of hardwood floors or tiles are loose.
Floor coverings fall under the label of cosmetics. That’s such a pretty word and that’s what you want to concentrate on: cosmetics…more on that in a moment.
So the floors pass my test for sub-flooring and structural integrity is great. Now I can check that the walls are square because they are attached to that floor, and then I can check that the doors all operate properly and are square too.
How much more can there be than that, Dan? Well, let me tell you a few things that can bite you here. Let’s say the structure overall is good. By that, I mean you have a solid roof, a solid foundation and sturdy floors and walls.
What is behind those walls? The things that bite you aren’t usually seen until you get bit. One particular painful bite is finding out your wiring is not grounded or that the circuits are not properly protected. You’re looking for three-pronged outlets and modern plastic-encased wiring made of copper, not aluminum. You want circuit breakers, not fuses. What you really need here is a licensed electrician to do this more in-depth and professionally licensed review of the system.
I have seen more than one Joe Homeowner rehab go up in flames because of a lack of respect for electricity. Licensed electricians bring you up to code and protect your investment. Find a good one and make it a point to shower him or her with praise, attention and money well spent.
They will give you free estimates, so use them as a preliminary inspector with you. If you decide to buy it, use them to do the work that needs to be done.
Plumbers are a breed apart. You would think they use gold for soldering your pipes with the prices they charge. My grandfather was a plumber and I was on the truck with him at nine years old. A plumber may or may not give you a free estimate. With a little digging, it can be done. Just give them the work if indeed you do buy the house.
With plumbers, the only time you’re going to need one is if you are doing major system work or the once every ten year hot water heater job. Also the occasional clogged main sewer line to the street.
In today’s P.V.C. plastic plumbing kits world, you can hire just about any good all-around handyman to get the job done. If you have to tear through a wall to get at plumbing, building code inspector-man will say, “Get a licensed plumber.”
Heating and cooling: the air conditioning system, if the house you’re inspecting doesn’t have adequate heating and cooling, that can become expensive. Let’s say you have a flat roof home in a hot climate with window unit air-conditioners, and you intend on bringing this house up to what a modern day home dweller expects.
You may have a problem. Where would you put new ductwork if you don’t have attic space to house and route central heat and air? Once again, call in a pro if you need some advice. They do give free estimates!
Here’s a point for you to follow up on: the plumbing, heating and air-conditioning guys all drive service trucks. Be on the lookout for those trucks if they are your neighbors; go say “Hello” and introduce yourself.
Regardless, I have always done this and what I am saying is this: these guys most always work on the side and that means half price. You may have to pull a permit as a homeowner but the savings is substantial. Develop a network of these blue-collar geniuses. They are the guys who will transform your investment fast!
So now you have a solid house. By that I mean, plumbing, electrical, heating and air-conditioning, roof, foundation and overall good structural integrity.
So what’s left to do? Call in your army of carpenter ants, from painters to carpenters and flooring installers, yard maintenance and tree trimmers, and handymen of all sorts.
This is the whirlwind tour. Let the demolition guy in first. Order a dumpster for the next ten days. Order demolition man to throw out everything including the kitchen sink. What I am out to do at this point is to clear the decks.
A blank canvass is created for the painters to perform the transformation. They come in at this point and patch and paint. Let them blast the place with their airless paint-spraying arsenal inside and out. Give them 3 days and you have just added a huge improvement to your investment. This is the biggest dollar-for-dollar return you can make.
One cautionary note here: Make absolutely sure that quality paint is used. When it comes to painting, it’s the labor that kills you, not the material. I insist on Sherwin Williams Super Paint. It is a miracle formula that I am convinced could cover up bullet holes without any patching compound and it lasts forever. It’s worth every penny; insist on it!
So my idea of finding the ideal fixer upper is to find those where the structure and systems are fine but it still needs demolition man and the paint brigade. Everything up to this point has been inspection and appraisal of the situation. Once I’m satisfied that it is a cosmetic rehab and not the expensive money pit, I send in my cosmetologists.
I wouldn’t call these guys that to their face but these are normally men adding residential make-up to the bricks and mortar. Once the painters leave, the flooring guys are right behind them, laying tile and carpet. These guys are out in 2-3 days and my cabinet and handyman plumber are attacking.
Light fixtures, vanities, toilets, sinks, doors, switch plates and outlet covers?wham, ten days are up and this house is either held out for rent, lease-optioned or sold for a whole heck of a lot more than the ten grand I put into it, if that much.
You must be somewhat of an appraiser and deal finder. It takes time to recruit your cosmetologists, but you will run across them in your travels. Friends and family usually can provide you with some serious leads. Start networking and talking to tradesmen. Get their numbers and schedule them to descend upon your ugly duckling at certain times and watch the transformation begin.
It took me years to learn these tricks. I did it all myself for years and it always took three months when I did it myself. The sad part is that I thought I was saving money that way.
Can you see how much I actually lost? Here is a quick example. I bought a house for $55,000. Its deficiencies were purely cosmetic. I used other people to do all the work and I pitched in to keep them organized. Ten days later, it was done. I spent a total of $5,000 on materials and labor and it appraised at $90,000 in 10 days!
That’s $30,000 in 10 days, not 3 months. Now marketing time would take 45 days but I know how to do that too, and I will also show you how you can do it too.
There is no doubt about it. This can be done and you can do it. In all honesty, it may take you 30 days to achieve a completed house. That’s may be 3 times what it took me but I am experienced.
Here’s a pretty neat way I figured out how to find good cosmetologists (tradesmen). If I know relatively no one in the area, I will ask a local appraiser to suggest who he would use if he were me.
This is an intelligent way to ask that question. I ask it in this form: “If you were me, who would you use?” Now that triggers a self-preservation mechanism in their brain and they give me excellent people, who are very good at what they do! Try it; it works.
I went to appraisal school and learned a lot. Believe me, appraisers are underrated and treated poorly. They truly are experts at discerning quality and value. They know whom does quality work. Make friends with a competent appraiser and the lenders that accept their appraisals. Hint: You’ll get very fair evaluations and their lender approves them.
Marketing, hunting, finding and capturing the “ripe for rehab houses” is another book entirely. However, don’t lose faith because I have written that book for you as well. Here is an excerpt from my other book. It is called Magic Bullets In Real Estate.
There are 4 phases, or lifecycles, to real estate and here is how it often goes.
Phase 1 You will see new construction, bright shiny homes popping up,
landscaping contests, baby strollers and tricycles in the neighborhood.
This is probably going on in the suburbs of the city, as new growth tends
to radiate out at a pace of one mile per year from growing and
prosperous cities.
Phase 2 The same neighborhood now 10-15 years later has aged a bit and
now you see basketball hoops and 2-wheel bikes, as the kids are older
and want more mobility.
Phase 3 The kids are grown and gone with families of their own and now the
parents are riding their own 3-wheel bicycles, trikes to the hip grannies.
Here in Phase 3, you’re looking at 25-35 year old homes, where some
people are passing away. Others are just hanging in and some are
moving in with the kids or going to an A.L.F. (Assisted Living Facility).
No doubt, you have outdated homes, deferred maintenance and some
repairs to be made. Here is the beauty of this whole thing. These are my
cosmetology candidates. Here’s why! The formally elder owners lived
there and they needed everything to work. They didn’t update it. They
just fixed things that needed repair in order to maintain a level of
comfort. They had pest control and the Sears man come annually and
piddled around. So things were kind of looked after in that manner. Buy
here!
Phase 4 Revitalization ? That’s what happens as a result of you buying your ripe-
for-rehab fixer-upper in Phase 3 neighborhoods. Odds are, you will rent
it out, lease-option it or sell it to a young family when it does sell, and
guess what? Yep, out come the tricycles and baby strollers and it starts
all over again.
Tricycles
Bicycles
3-wheel bikes (buy here!)
Revitalization
Determine what cycle different neighborhoods are in! Follow cycle #3.
Isn’t that a beautiful story; isn’t that the truth? Think about your own parents and your own childhood. Now I also want you to think about that brand new young family that is counting on you to treat them fairly and give them a trouble-free home when they buy or rent from you.
The harder and smarter you work, the better quality and value you can provide to others. Don’t rip them off. Don’t take advantage, don’t scrimp and for Pete’s sake, do your best to do your level best. You need education and help from others to achieve these heights of excellence.
Dan Auito is a dual-licensed real estate agent and appraisal assistant. In addition to being a 20-year veteran of the United States Coast Guard, Dan has also founded a non-profit drug prevention corporation, a real estate consulting group and is the author of “Magic Bullets in Real Estate.” This 300-page power-packed book (due out in Sept 2004) comes with a website (on line in Sept 2004) that further supports its readers. Please visit with the family at http://www.newsletterjournal.com we look forward to seeing you!
Loving Every Phenomenal Part of You
Have you ever wished yourself away? I am not referring to leaving your precious life on this Earth; but rather, just wished you weren’t a certain way or did not have some particular qualities and mannerisms that were so apparent to you. I know I have.
In the past, I’ve had a very difficult time when others would point out my weaknesses to me, either constructively or not-so tactfully. I would think, ” Wow, not only do I think these are big problems I have, but now everyone else sees them as well.” I would hope and pray that these parts of my personality would disappear into the deep character trait abyss. I would pretend to myself they weren’t present or I would try my hardest to cover them up. I spent a lot of time and energy on hiding these areas that I wanted so desperately to vanish.
A big first step in learning to love oneself and in self-forgiveness is accepting every part of you as the unique person that you are. All of your so-labeled liabilities can be tweaked into assets, but they must first be accepted. Otherwise, you are pushing against the grain and not being authentic to your true self.
Let me give you an example of what I am talking about. In all of my past serious relationships, I have loved very passionately- so much so, that I’ve depended on the other person in the relationship for my happiness (what is commonly referred to as co-dependence). My moods depended on their moods, their well-being, or were correlated to the way they were treating me at the time. One can argue that this is not really love. I feel it was love, but with a very important component missing-that passionate love for myself? With it, the “dysfunctional” one-sided relationships may have flourished or an even more likely scenario~ I would have probably not attracted them in the first place (but that’s a topic for another day). Once I accepted this as a part of my unique persona I was able to direct it in a more healthy manner-passionate love for my child, my work, my family, my faith, and most importantly, myself.
You may find your dark sides in anger, co-dependence, low self-esteem or a combination of these or other perhaps not so desirable traits. We are missing a part of us by wishing these traits weren’t ours and not owning up to every inch of them. If we are only loving a part of ourselves or of others, we are not fully engaged in the experience of love. You know that feeling of being in a relationship where the other person may “kind of like you” or you “kind of like them”. It doesn’t flourish, and neither party is truly happy. It has been said by finding an area in which you have found the most struggles, therein lies your true purpose. These are gifts for us to embrace; lessons are presented for us to learn. Think of one of your greatest challenges-has that not shaped who you are today? When you are in the midst of it, it can be difficult; but when you step back, you see the beauty of it all.
Accept your yin and your yang. Accept your dark and your light. Accept your failures and your successes. I am not suggesting that we use this as an excuse to not participate in personal development or self-care, or to neglect to learn those lessons that are often presented to us throughout our lives. Instead I am suggesting that we embrace our unique selves and know that we are not on this Earth to take up space but rather to fulfill a beautiful life of our dreams in our own special way~ every valuable bit of us.
“If you can’t accept yourself, then certainly no one else will.” ~Author Unknown
Copyright 2005~Deborah Shipley is a registered yoga teacher, publisher of a free monthly e-zine on self-esteem, and an e-book author. This article may be distributed provided the author’s information is included in its entirety. http://www.tipsforinterpersonalskills.com
Aerobic Training
How to start your aerobic training program:
Consider first setting your goals for sometime in the future; make sure they are realistic. Start easy, be kind to yourself. Many of us start out joining a gym and telling ourselves that now we will train every day! Six out of ten people going to gyms drop out in the first month. That’s a staggering 60% of the people. The numbers are just as high for those that buy exercise equipment and don’t use it. So you need several ingredients, not necessarily in order of importance, but because you want to be successful in your training.
1. Desire or motivation that is from who you are, not to get something.
2. Energy: This means you need to start thinking about eating better. No matter where you are with nutrition you can always improve (see nutrition for details). You need nutrients as well. Vitamins, power foods, high technology nutrition is available; you just need to make the effort. Without good fuel it’s hard to get the energy to train.
3. Set your goals within yourself and make them realistic. Remember, there is no cause and effect so you can’t cause health; you can only live it.
4. Make the time, create a loose schedule with alternatives, if need be.
5. Stick to it. Remember, consistency is more important than intensity.
6. Understand the basics of bio-mechanics, even for walking (posture, the muscles, the stretching, the meditation and imagery) to get the most from your efforts.
7. If you are in a family or a relationship, you need support and encouragement, not grief for leaving them alone so often. Get them to start with you (that’s really tough sometimes). It’s always easier if your partner is doing a similar program with you.
8. If you smoke, start making an effort to cut down, if that’s really what you want to do. If not, it will not make a huge difference so much as your attitude towards it will. Use coltsfoot, an herb you can buy in health food stores and smoke it. It will cleanse your lungs, and help you to get off tobacco. You will find the desire will slowly fade away as you get healthier. We don’t need to harp about it. JUST DO IT! QUIT.
9. If you eat more than a plate at a sitting, just start eating less, and limit snacks to fruit.
10. Maybe it’s some of the food you eat. Cut down on fats, sugar, liquor, canned food, and packaged food full of hidden fats and sugars. I’m sure you already know the stuff that doesn’t really help your body.
11. Eat more of the good stuff: fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole foods, grains, etc.
12. Drink more water, read more books, and have more fun in your life. Why not?
Of course there is more, but this would be a great start. Remember that when you work holistically you have a better chance at success. You will be working on several levels of health at the same time.
A few days you make it, then you miss one, and eventually another. I know, and I’m a professional trainer, it happens to me. Life is always changing, that’s the beauty of it. That does not mean we give up; just go with the flow. Set some realistic goals, and know that you will miss some days. Make it up again, and don’t beat yourself up about it.
The majority of people drop out of their health programs primarily because it is very hard to get motivated. There are a few myths about motivation for working out — that knowledge will do it, or maybe we feel guilty because we are overweight — but the key is if you don’t have the energy none of that will matter. It’s really about metabolism. Once you get older if you don’t exercise, your own body will start to think you don’t need the hormones and energy. Basically, it starts to shut down. When you do exercise, it’s hard and your body feels like it’s really stressed. It’s not very pleasant, in fact, it hurts many times when you start to train.
To really increase the energy level and have your body and brain work with you, you need to take the nutrients to get your body working again. The food you eat needs to be better quality with more servings of natural fruits and vegetables. If you are eating junky food there is no way your body will be able to have more energy.
You need to consider antioxidants, vitamins, and some form of growth hormone like DHEA or Deer antler extract which is natural (IGF1 which is a pre-curser to HGH). Take care with Human Growth Hormon always consult your doctor. I personally don’t recomend HGH, because if you take it your body stops producing it, there are alternatives. You can’t take very much of this as it turns to testosterone and so you need to consult a doctor for medical advice. (see my web page for more information about this along with other nutrients). Most doctors don’t recommend very high doses of either of these nutrients, so get professional advice. A small amount can do wonders for the human body. These nutrients increase metabolism, build muscle, and help the body to become anabolic (for building and repair of tissue). This is important: to not be catabolic (destructive down cycle) any longer. If you can use these health products, they are the best.
The research necessary to take the vitamin and nutrient business to its highest level is being done with these products. Your success in a fitness program is dependent on your nutrition program.
The minimum goal for an aerobic activity is five times a week for over thirty minutes each session, and even up to sixty minutes if you are only going to walk. Five times a week, not three times as we have heard. That doesn’t mean it has to be all running or all walking. You can play tennis, golf, and walk briskly, or take a nice walk with the family. Families that train together, stay together. Play ball with the kids, for this to be effective and considered an aerobic activity, you need to do it over a half hour and get your heart rate up about 60 to 70% of your max. By then you start to burn some fat. As you increase this ability to burn some fat your brain says “Hey! This person is active. Let’s improve the metabolism.”
As you exercise you also decrease your appetite so you eat less. This is when your body will start to create more hormones, endorphins, and pain-reducing substances called antefolins, which will help you to feel better. Remember, you have to get over the hump before you feel good from exercise. Then weight is not a big problem and you will slowly and naturally level off to your natural weight. This all helps to reduce your stress as well as helping you to feel more successful and some enhanced self- esteem. Balancing your body this way also helps reduce the risk of heart disease as well as diabetes. It helps you create more of HDL, which is the good cholesterol, and reduces the LDL & VLDL, the bad cholesterol.
A moderate exercise program always helps you sleep better. It enhances the digestion and the lymphatic systems (the cleanser of the body tissues). All this helps your body to work at the ultimate level. Remember, this is going to take time. Diets or any fast way will not last. We know now that when you diet or change anything too drastically your body goes into shock. Then the next time you eat, it holds on to it. You gain all the weight back, your body just needs to know you are not a couch patato.
So it’s best to not focus on the weight. When your body is operating at its optimal level, you will be at your correct weight eventually. It all depends on your body type, anyway. You could still be heavy and be incredibly fit and healthy. Isn’t that the purpose of all this?
A sample schedule for the beginner fitness enthusiast: Note you can replace walk for run- if you have been a runner, if not don’t start running unless you are prepared to find all your sore, and injured places coming to the surface.
Day One.
Take an easy twenty-minute walk at a nice brisk pace. (Walk ten minutes from your starting point and turn around.) Find a nice place to walk, away from lots of cars. If your neighborhood is good place well, great. If not, take the extra time to drive to a park, beach, pasture or the country. No sense huffing and puffing more carbon monoxide. (Living in Los Angeles is like smoking ten cigarettes every hour. Cherniscki). You need to be able to keep up a conversation. If you are in oxygen debt you won’t burn calories as well so take it easy at first. Upon returning, spend about ten or fifteen minutes stretching.
Consistency is more important than intensity. If you don’t do it regularly the brain thinks “well, this body doesn’t need much energy so we can store all these extra calories in the thighs or butt.” But if you start with some regular activity, just everyday stuff can contribute the message to the brain saying “hey we need more energy.” The brain begins to think this body is active and needs to increase the metabolism. Every two hours do something for at least ten minutes is another technique. Then your brain will take you to a higher metabolic level. As you increase your exercise program you will have more byproducts called free radicals. This is more reason for us to work with nutrition as well, because you need to increase the antioxidants to keep the body healthy from the free radicals.
Day Two
Just stretch for ten to fifteen minutes. If you are near water, maybe swim for ten to fifteen minutes. Or do a more easy walk if you are sore.
Day Three
Walk briskly for twenty-five minutes. Stretch for fifteen, or if you have it down, it could only take ten minutes to get a good stretch.
Day Four
Swim and stretch for at least twenty minutes and ten, respectively.
Day Five
You might miss one. . .Or walk maybe longer and easy or hard depending on how you feel.
Day Six
Walk a good deal faster for thirty minutes. If you feel tight walking, stop after you break into a light sweat and stretch for a few minutes. Regarding the legs and gluteus muscles. Then continue, finishing up with a good ten minute stretch.
Day Seven
If you didn’t miss one day, take an easy walk, swim or stretch, maybe do something with family or friends. If you got sore at all during the week, then rest and just stretch or swim. Note: I like to add crunchies to all my workouts, strengthen the abdominals is a good way to trim the belly.
Continue this program until you can walk thirty minutes without losing your breath at all. This can take two weeks for most people and up to four weeks for others. If it takes you longer, stay with twenty-five minutes for two months, and then move into the next level. If within two weeks your body serves you well, you can proceed with the next level.
We will have an easy day and then a hard day for the rest of the training. If you miss an easy day, don’t worry about it.
Continue on the following day with a brisk walk for thirty minutes. Now we will start to burn some fat. From now on, you workouts should last about forty-five minutes. So give yourself an hour to work it into your daily routine, if you don’t feel like training don’t know that you can do something easy.
As you get stronger, your easy days become more like your hard days when you first started. Walking can increase to five times per week within the first few months, depending on your body. You have to listen to it and pay attention. If you can get the advice from a certified personal trainer, please do. It never hurts to have more information. At this level it’s not as critical as it will be when we start the strengthening program using weights, running or strengthening exercises.
Six to Eight Weeks
Most bodies will start to enjoy working out from here on out. After six or eight weeks, start your strength-training program. Once again, listen to your body. If you don’t feel quite ready at six weeks, take eight. What’s the rush? You have your whole life ahead of you. At this point is when I recommend the use of a certified personal trainer.
You can go in either of two directions with this addition to your program, with various levels of intensity depending on your body and your abilities.
If you are able and willing to run for your particular goals, you may now start to run. Start with easy jogging for twenty minutes every other day, and weight training every other day. Running at this time should be at least three days a week, the same for weight training. There is some evidence, however, that we could get by with two days of weight training (solid whole body sessions) and still do okay. Include one day of rest. The day you rest could be a very easy workout, either stretching, swimming or family fun.
For weight training we need to start just as easy. Many of us think that weight training will build large muscles. We see all these big bodybuilders, and although some of us admire the dedication it takes to build that kind of body, it is not necessarily true that weight training builds large muscles. It all depends on how you train, how much you train, and your age as well as the system of training. We know that by stressing any muscle naturally (exercises) or unnaturally (weights) we work with the law of irritation and adaptability to produce the result we want.
Basically, this means the body will adapt to irritation. Adapting can mean for size of muscle as well as for the functioning of the muscle. Adapting also can mean the heart and lungs adapting to more stress and improving the functioning of this system (aerobic conditioning). The irritation could be considered the stress exerted on the body (heart and lungs) by running or walking more and increasing time and duration. Then we consider strength in the muscles by more and more progressive exertion (making the body work progressively harder). This can be achieved by doing more and more pushups or other exercises. Using weight training for increasing strength, as well as burning more calories, we would have to build by lifting more times and more weight.
There is another way to use weight training to develop strength as well as endurance. This system works on the premise that using progressively more weight builds size and strength. Starting with more weight and then progressively reducing the weight with longer repetitions, we build endurance in the muscle instead of bulk. This is a good way to shape the body without building mass.
It’s widely known now that for older women weight or resistance training is beneficial to stave off osteoporosis.
Please note: This section is not to take the place of medical advice. I recommend that you speak to your doctor before undertaking any kind of exercise program, especially weight training. See a professional; it will be a good investment in your body.
see web pages http://www.molinamassage.com or http://www.betterbacksystems.com
Othon Molina Ph.d. c LMT has been involved in the health field as a manual therapist and personal trainer for over thirty five years. He has studied with some of the top doctors and healers of our times. His specialty is treating sports injuries, back problems, and teaching others how to improve their health or athletic competition using nutrition and fitness technologies.
One of his specialties is Kinesiology. He has been a runner all his life, and competed in many triathlons, 5k’s, 10k’s and marathons. Competing at an elite level gave him the experience to help train others. Recently he coached and worked with the female champion of the German team of triathletes.
Some of his clients include: Bob Hope, Jane Seymor, Essam Kashoggy, Jim Nabors, Tony Robbins, Mark Victor Hansen, Carol Burnett, San Francisco Ballet, Allvin Alley Dance troupe, some of the top Olympic and international elite athletes, team doc and new trainer for the German professional triathletes. He also trains massage teams worldwide, as well as health professionals in Hawaii.
