Time for Groceries? Read this tips before heading over the store

I am trying to get smarter about saving so I am more conscious about my spending in even basic stuff. However, I realized, I need to be careful to sacrifice quality to save some money, especially since junk food prices are the cheapest comparing to vegetables and fresh fruits. I found this information regarding smart shopping that can actually save you money:

1. Splurge on nutrition: Consider it an investment in your future. Suggestion: pack as much nutrition as possible into the foods you buy.

2. Eat before you shop: You will spend more if you shop with a stimulated appetite.

3. Check yourself out: Checkout lines are stocked with high-calorie sweets.

4. Learn the lingo: 
 “Whole grain” means the grains used haven’t been stripped of their nutrients. “Multigrain” just means that multiple grains were used, but it says nothing of the level of refinement. Remember this when you're starting your day with a slice of toast.

5. Fewer ingredients means healthier food: When you must choose between two products and you’re stumped, just pick the one with the shorter list of ingredients. It’s almost always the right choice.

6. Work the edges: 
In general, the healthiest food in the supermarket is found along the walls. The dairy case, produce, and meats and seafood are all found in the outlying regions of the market, while the inner aisles tend to be dominated by things that come in boxes, bags, or cans. Most of this vast nutritional dead zone is composed of highly processed foods--and the less time you spend in there, the better.

7. Brew your own coffee: 
Instead of buying coffee from Starbucks, McDonald's, or the cafeteria at work, brewing your own coffee can save you over $800 a year!

8. Avoid quickies:
 Instead, be thoughtful in your planning--keep a magnet-based notepad on your fridge and make notes throughout the week about what you need.

9. Bulk up: 
Discount clubs are great cost-saving alternatives, even if you have to pay a fee to join. Focus on items that you use a lot and that won’t spoil, like paper products and frozen foods. Some shopping clubs also offer discounted gas.

10. Stop the retail therapy: 
Sadness increased the amount of money that shoppers are willing to spend, according to a 2008 study in Psychological Science. Study participants who watched a sad film were willing to spend 4 times as much money for a product as those who watched a neutral film about nature.

Make Up tip: " The Accurate Amount"

If you apply too much base in our make up, we could be wasting money and also affecting our final look. Here are some tips about how much are the right amount:

• Facial Moisturizer : Two peanuts

• Foundation: A bottle cap



• Sun block: Three grapes




• Eye Cream: A pea


• Styling Cream: For fine hair a dime; for thicker hair, two nickels




• Shampoo: For long hair, one Oreo; for short hair, one Hershey's Kiss

• Under-eye Cream: A Tic Tac

Become Irreplaceable

" In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different."
~ Coco Chanel

Picture by realkuhl

Have you ever wondering how you can be different from your work peers, in your classroom, in your team or how can you made a difference? Most of us have had this experience, and it can be quite frustrating. While you know, you are special and bring a lot of assets in what you do, maybe you are not feeling like others are valuing you as you are expecting or maybe you just feel like you are not doing enough. Therefore, you feel unmotivated and unhappy.

Here is a list I am personally applying to overcome this situation & feeling:

1. Learn as much as you can: Not matter where I am, I am trying to learn something new. I love learning but I also do it because maybe some day I will need that knowledge for a great opportunity.
2. Define the result: What is it you would like to accomplish? Define your goals so you know what your target is. Define if there is any problem which is a measurable result rather than something vague and generic. . Perhaps you want to answer a question, “What are some projects I can work on?”
3. Write it down: Brainstorm on paper (or digital device). I’ve found that the moment I write an idea down, not only do I have a record of this idea, but more ideas will start to flow my way. Also, because I am the person who likes to check lists, I love the feeling of checking my list of accomplishments.
4. Brainstorming: It’s an effective tool for helping to remove the mental roadblock and come up with ideas and solutions. Brainstorming is a method of generating ideas that allows the brain to think freely and use both sides of the brain to ideally come up with creative solutions to difficult problems. Brainstorming can be used whether you’re sorting out what to do to being seeing as an irreplaceable, or resolving a personal relationship issue. Brainstorming can help you hone in on the problem and come up with creative ways to approach it.

"Sometimes, being unique and special means more than blending in. This rock that I found on this deserted beach that few would ever stop to walk came from many miles to the South..... but fits perfectly into making this a much more beautiful place than if it was not here....."

~by realkuhl

"Balance between Soul, Mind and Body"

"The most important relationship you have in your life,

is the relationship you have with yourself"

~Diane Von Furstenberg

Hi Dear Readers,

In this post I wanted to share with you my journey of self-developing process. But first, let me explain where I was and where I am now...

On December 2008, I was 27 years old decided to leave my five years full time job and dedicate 100% to finish school and my self-development. The decision was tough and I am sure you can understand this, because I pay my own expenses, it was my first professional job; I was alone in this country.

My body and mind were screaming to me; asking me to take this decision. I couldn't handle this lifestyle anymore. For almost three years I was working and going to school in the same time. I guess things were going acceptable in both places. At school, I was obtaining average good grades and at work, I was obtaining promotions. However, one day when things went worst after finding that someone that I love in my family was really sick.

I remember really clearly how that day, the left side of my body was dumb but I didn’t stop and instead, I was trying to finish work and going to school for night classes. I realized that couldn't find me anymore, I didn’t know who I am; I was like a zombie walking for one place to another. I took vacations to visit my family who lived in another country (I moved to this country by myself) but this couldn’t help the feeling of unhappiness and emptiness I had.

Many people were keeping reminding me to take care of myself because even under my eyes were forming puffy purple bags. To make it worse, I was not happy of how I look and how I feel. I didn’t want to see myself in the mirror because I knew I was neglecting taking care of myself. Thus, I took the tough decision and left my full time job.

Since my decision to quit my job, things are much better but I am still in the process of recovery. Currently, I am still in school really close to graduate. I went for 3 months to Europe to study abroad and also took the opportunity to backpack around Europe. On the beginning of this year, 2010 I decided to participated in a 6 months co-op internship within my career field.

Regarding my mind and body, I don’t have the puffy purple bags anymore, I feel like smiling instead of crying from the nothing, I am starting practicing yoga and running at least 3 times a week. I am still in the fight to loss all the weight I put in the 5 years of work/school. I feel more motivated to live, creative, special and of course happier than ever.

Something that is still a challenge is to be more open and friendly to people. I used to be a social butterfly but I lost that on me. However, I am working on bringing this back and I can see in small steps that I am going in the correct path.

I am reading many self-developing books to help me in this process, reading magazines, attending seminars, watching videos, talking to different key people and writing this blog to help me in this process. I wish I can help others with my experience.

In a few words: “I am working hard to find the balance between my soul, mind and body”

Follow your Passion

"People who consistently achieve outstanding results all have this in common: they are passionate about what they do. It’s no longer work, but an active participation of joy and creativity."

Here is a Lyrics of the song "She works hard for the money" which is related to what most of us are doing every day:

She works hard for the money

So hard for it honey

She works hard for the money

So you better treat her right

Nine a.m. on the hour hand

And shes waiting for the bell

And shes looking real pretty

Just wait for her clientele

She works hard for the money

So hard for it honey

She works hard for the money

So you better treat her right

Twenty [nine D:] years haveCome and gone

And she seen a lot of tears

Of the ones who come in

They really seem to need her there

Its a sacrifice working day to day

For little money just tips for pay

But its worth it all

Just to hear them say that they care

She works hard for the money

So hard for it honey

She works hard for the money

So you better treat her right

We Create Our Universe

From the works of Enlightened Master Paramahamsa Nithyananda. Here Nithyananda explains that we shouldn't think that we can think what we want in our inner life and not see it manifests in the outer life. ...

Inspirational Video

You are not an island. Your outer life and inner life are very deeply connected. If your inner space changes, if your thoughts change, the whole universe changes. The whole universe responds to your inner space. You are part of the whole. You are not alone. Your inner space has the quality to create miracles in your life.

Tips Before making your next "Vegetables and Fruits Shopping List

Shop for color

Antioxidants are those chemicals in foods that give tomatoes their bright red sheen, broccoli that lush green color, and eggplant its deep purple skin. More important, they're the compounds that keep lines from creeping onto your face and cholesterol from clogging your arteries. And they take the prize when it comes to stiff-arming the aging process. These nutritional superheroes neutralize cell-damaging free radicals, which have been linked to everything from wrinkles and age spots to cancer and heart disease. "In addition to staving off the visible signs of getting older, antioxidants can go as far as to actually reverse age-related cell damage," says Bonnie Taub-Dix, R. D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. What's more, research also points to a compelling connection between eating foods that are loaded with antioxidants and living a longer, healthier life.

Because different antioxidants tackle different aging concerns, your best bet is to get a variety of them. The easiest way to accomplish that is to eat fruits and vegetables of many colors, as each hue signifies a separate health benefit. For example, the antioxidants in berries help maintain cognitive and motor functioning, those found in pomegranates have been found to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, and broccoli and brussels sprouts contain compounds that help prevent breast cancer.

When Adversity Comes

"Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are." ~Arthur Golden,Memoirs of a Geisha

Hi Everyone,

Last weekend weekend I went to a beutiful place around Pensylvania to cheer a friend who was running for a marathon. While I was waiting for her to finish, I decided to run a couple miles around the farms. The view was a breath taker and I couldn't avoid taking pictures of this magical place. The picture in the top of this post is the "special one". It brought me the inspiration for this post.
I would like first for you to take a look on it and think what it means for you?

Have you going through those really tough moments where you feel that you dont have more energy to continue, more motivation or desire; where everything that you do goes wrong and nobody can understand you. You feel alone and to make it worst, you dont even can understand yourself?

There are times were we are looking for the light but we can only see the darkness and the winds are shaking us over and over. There are those times where we need take a break and "re-evaluate who we are, what we want and why". The goal is to see who we really are!

Here are 7 steps to overcome those challenging times:

• Get Disturbe: Get honest with yourself, you have to be truthful. It can be painfull however there is a quote that says " Pain is your friend if you use it as your drive"
• Make a Real Decision: If for instance you say: I am going to run 22 miles. This is a wrong way to make a real decision, because to make it happen, you need to have a reasons why you want to do it. Therefore, you need a plan," Massive Action Plan", you need to answer these questions: " What do you want" and Why you wanted"
• Real Plan: Make a plan that its under your control. Brainstorm all the things you could do and then divided by "Must do" and "Can do". Put deadlines, the reasons why you are doing it , action plans, and the little things you can do it inmediatly. "Do things that really commit you, and be specific"
• Change on Limited Beliefs: If you are certain of something, you are going to succed because you believe on it and you will work hard not matter what to going towars your goal. "Whatever you are doing and feeling its depending on your believes"
• Set up the Game to Win: Create a plan in a way that its enjoable so you do it. For example,if your plan is to loose weight, make sure to combine your exercise rutine with something you like to do. For me is reading and music so I make sure to have a book with me when I jump on the treadmill so while I am warming for 5 minutes, I am reading a couple pages. Also, I am experimenting uploading new music or oganizaning my music every week so it can keep me moving.
• Take Massive Action: Do it now, hire a trainer, call your friend or significant other and tell them your plan, but do something right now. Do something you will normally never do. Its a new beginning!
• The Power of the Environment: You need to raise your standards and if you want to acomplish something, you need to be in the right environment with the right people who motivate you on it. I am not saying to forget about your current friends or family, you love them , keep it that way. But go after meeting new people or maybe reconect with friends who you know are going to help you or inspire you to achieve your goal.

I hope this tips help you. I am applying in my life and its changing the way of my living. I see myself achieven more goals. Its not easy but I am working to be better and to suceed I have to pay the price right? =)

Power of Assertive Communication

Hi Everyone,
In my experience of going throug being a student to an employee; I learned that one of the things that is most important is the power of knowing how to communicate while being confident and assertive.

The fact that I am in a different country from where I was raised, makes it more challenging regarding communication. The interaction with people from different parts of the world and how can you make your point across its challenging but essential.

I participated in a webinar regarding the Power of Assertive Communication and the following is what I got from it:

Assertive Communication is the way of communicating respecting people and ourselves. When we don’t want to be aggressive when we try to share, ask or provide information to others but in the same time we don’t want minimize ourselves when we communicate. For instance, if someone is asking us to do something that we are not able to do for things out of our control. We need to send a clear message saying “No” but professionally.

There are three common types of ineffective communication:
Passive Communication: A person who doesn’t respect themselves and let other people to take control of their own time, life, etc
Passive Aggressive: An example of someone Passive Aggressive is when someone uses sarcasm to get what he/she wants.
Aggressive: Someone who doesn’t respect others to get what he/she wants.


Tips to avoid failing in these common types of ineffective communication:

Write a Personal Mission Statement: It will help us to remind us what is important to us. Many of us grow up in a environment where we were taught to please people not matter what and make others happy. But there is a balance that we need to make sure to include in this lesson.
Habit Breaks:
Words that takes away our message:
“Sort of”, “Kind of”
Minimizers:
“Just”. “Little”
For example, have you hear people asking: “ Can I use a little bit of your time?” , this question is an indicator that its not going to take too much time but maybe the real message is “I need your help” or when we use “ Its just a little problem”
Ending Statements with Question:
“Don’t you think?” here is a message of trying to look for approval. However, it can be use an strategy to engage people .
Words to Lose:
“Sorry”, its good to be polite but the over use of this word can affect the messages you are trying to provide.

Put the Subject of the Sentence First:
Instead of: “ I have a problem with John getting to work late”
Use: “ Jane comes to work late and it’s a problem”

How to say “No” and still come across as a team player:
Acknowledge the request (shows empathy)
Decline (clear)
Give a reason (brief)
Suggest alternatives.

Example:
“I recognize this is important and that you could use assistance. Under normal circumstances, I would stay. Today, however, I am not able to because a previous commitment and unable to break. I will definitively come tomorrow morning and make it my top priority.”

Sacrifice Comfort for Style?

I took a road trip to Montreal-Canada for ester weekend. I thought I went prepare with some nice flat shoes, boats and tennis shoes (for running) but seems like I was not prepared enough for it.
Due to long walks, my flat shoes were killing me so I ended up buying new stylish sandals. Seems like people from Montreal really care about fashion no matter how hot or cold it is. We were in average 70 F degrees and because of this nice weather giving the welcome of spring, many people went out to enjoy the weather while doing some shopping as well.
What I learned from this trip regarding fashion is that “You don't have to sacrifice comfort for style” but how to avoid their threatening injuries?

• High Heels: For sure, it makes us look sexy, but they can cause a lot of damage too. You can easily sprain an ankle or develop heel pain, plantar fasciitis. "We see heel pain often when changing from high heels to flats, but you can avoid this by doing stretching exercises after wearing heels," Also the recommendation is to limiting heel height to 2-3 inches, and buying shoes with a rubber sole or pads in the ball of the foot.


• Oversized Purses: They are very popular because they can house an endless amount of stuff. But toting around a heavy bag can lead to postural imbalance and other back-related ailments. What you lug in your purse and how you carry it makes all the difference
  Large Carry-All"A large bag slung over one shoulder is a neck problem in the making,” To combat this you should continually switch shoulders and look for bags with adjustable straps. "An adjustable strap is great because you can carry it on either shoulder or across the body. Doing this will use different muscles and reduce the chance of aches and pains from overuse


• Small Tote (worn at the elbow): Another common trend is to hold your purse perched at the elbow. Doing this can cause a lot of strain on your forearm.
  Messenger BagThe mailman-inspired bag is a huge fall trend and, luckily, a better option. A well-designed one keeps the weight close to your body and prevents you from raising your shoulders unevenly.


• Dangly Earrings: Wearing heavy earrings can damage the ear lobes and, in some cases, lead to tears and surgery. "Any dangling type of earring that pulls down on the earlobe--especially if it distorts or lengthens it--is too heavy to use,"
  If your pierced hole starts to sag, there are surgical procedures to repair it, but that should be a last resort. Don't write off dangly earrings altogether, but limit them to an hour or two, as long as they don't cause you pain.