Hodgepodge Wednesday

Posted on May 24, 2014 by blogqueendiane

OK, I’m trying something new and exciting – Hodgepodge Wednesday from a blog by Joyce Daley called From This Side of the Pond.

Here are my answers to her questions. Feel free to comment!

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1. Under what circumstances do you do your best thinking?

Definitely while driving the car. The problem is writing the ideas down, also while driving the car…

2. Are you a risk taker? What’s one big risk you’ve taken?

No so much. Starting a personal blog was the most recent risk. I created and manage the employee internal communications blog at work but didn’t have a personal blog.

3. Some of the most common phobias according to the National Institute for Mental Health are-fear of spiders (arachnaphobia), snakes (ophidiophobia), heights (acrophobia), fear of spaces from which escape is difficult (agoraphobia), fear of thunder and lightening (astrophobia), fear of dogs (cynophobia), injections (trypanophobia), social situations, flying (pteromerhanophobia) and fear of germs and dirt (mysophobia). True phobias affect only about 10% of adults, but of those listed which would you rate as your greatest fear?

Tidal waves or tsunamis. Used to have nightmares about them all the time. Maybe that’s because I live near the coast?

4. Are you settled or do you feel the need to move somewhere new?

Love my house and feel very settled here after 19 years.

5. What is something you find annoying when dining in a restaurant?

Crying babies and kids running around unsupervised.

6. Daffodil yellow, sunset orange, spring green, or sky blue…your favorite color this time of year?

The green leaves of the big magnolia tree in the front yard.

7. If you were going to take a holiday all by yourself, where would you go?

The Caribbean. On a cruise ship.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Hope I’ve done this correctly and it works out OK!

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Stand-up Computer Desks: Take a Load off your Seat

Posted on May 24, 2014 by blogqueendiane
Stand up Computer Desk

Stand up Computer Desk

Scientific studies have found that long periods of inactivity can cause physical problems for people, even if they exercise daily.

While sitting at a desk for hours on end working diligently can increase chances of getting a promotion — it can also increase chances of developing heart disease. Too much sitting can result in the accumulation of plaque deposits in arteries and the inflammation that accompanies it. In addition, it’s been linked to the development of insulin resistance associated with developing diabetes. The American Institute for Cancer Research links prolonged sitting with increased risk of both breast and colon cancers, and other studies have shown a correlation between prolonged sitting and depression.

Because the “sitting disease” is so prevalent, the American Medical Association — the nation’s largest physician organization — voted June 18, 2013, during its Annual Meeting to adopt a policy recognizing potential risks of prolonged sitting. Its members encourage employers, employees and others to make available alternatives to sitting, such as standing work stations and isometric balls.

Standing increases energy, burns extra calories, tones muscles, improves posture, increases blood flow and ramps up metabolism. However, standing for long periods of time can cause lower back pain and varicose veins.

When using a standing desk, it’s important to take sitting breaks, wear anti-fatigue footwear, stand on a padded mat to reduce stress on feet and legs, and place a footrest under the desk to rest one foot at a time on it to give each foot a break during the day.

If a standing desk isn’t a good fit, employees can buy and bring in devices to increase activity during the work day such as under-the-desk stair-steppers or cycles that allow lower-body movement while typing; or a stability ball to sit on instead of a chair, which creates movement by engaging the body’s core muscles. Setting a timer and doing periodic stretches or taking short walks also increases activity.

Although I still sit at a desk at work all day (I’m a writer), I bought a stand-up desk for about $200 a year or so ago for my home, and enjoying the benefits of standing while using it there in the evenings and on weekends. And — believe me — having to stand has cut down on my web surfing dramatically!

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To read posts about my other athletic activities, see:

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Taking a Photo a Day is a Fun Way to Document Life

Posted on May 23, 2014 by blogqueendiane

January2012_picadayI’ve been an avid scrapbooker for more than ten years and during the past few years documenting life by taking a photo a day has become extremely popular in the scrapbooking world. It can be done instead of traditional scrapbooking or in addition to it.

Known by several different names — Project 365, Photo a Day, Project Life — there are a number of approaches. Many people, like me, take photos to capture what they did, what they saw, who they were with or where they went each day (sort of a photo journal). Others pick themes each week or month, or use a list of prompts to determine the photo they shoot that day.

I’ve done this project for 4 ½ years, and it’s been a lot of fun. Looking back through my photo collection makes me smile and reminds me of good times and interesting activities.

Although I carry a camera and shoot photos everywhere, not every photo is a “winner.” In fact, on a number of occasions it’s been 11 p.m. and I resorted to taking a photo of my refrigerator, shoes or mailbox – but that’s part of what makes it interesting. When would you normally take these kinds of shots? Someday you may be grateful to have a record of everyday, mundane things that don’t normally make it into your best photo albums.

Participating in this project gives you a fresh outlook on the world, since you’re always looking for that elusive but interesting photo to commemorate the day. I’ve taken photos of cars with antlers at Christmas time, my doctor, street signs, the cover of every book I’ve read during the last 4 ½ years, and much, much more. The possibilities are endless.

Ready to give it a try? Or are you already doing it? Write and tell me about your experiences!

Posted in fun, journaling, life, memories, photo a day, project 365, scrapbooking | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Fitbit Fitness Fun

Posted on May 22, 2014 by blogqueendiane

I’ve always heard the advice that walking 10,000 steps every day is really good for your health. Although I’ve worked out at least three times a week for more than 30 years (Body Pump, Zumba, treadmill, etc.), I’m a writer and sit at a computer all day at work. (And until I bought a stand-up workstation for my house, I often sat a few hours at night surfing the Web!) Read on to learn about Fitbit fitness fun! Continue reading →

Posted in accomplishments, fitness, fun, gifts, goals, health, life, miscellaneous | Tagged , , , , | 21 Comments

10 Reasons to Keep a Sentence-a-Day Five Year Journal

Posted on May 21, 2014 by blogqueendiane

10 Reasons to Keep a Sentence a Day Five

Many of us kept diaries as teenagers and enjoy looking back on our record of the things we did and the friends we had — and laughing about how we’ve changed.

Today, our lives are busy and there’s no time to indulge in detailed recordings. The perfect solution to keep a record of memories is a sentence-a-day five year journal, such as The Happiness Project One-Sentence Journal pictured here.

The following benefits result from keeping the journal next to your bed and investing two minutes each night noting the highlight(s) of the day:

1) You have a succinct record of every day

2) You can compare what you did on the same date for five subsequent years (“Wow! I can’t believe it’s been a year since….” or “Last year on this date we did….”)

3) You can see at a glance how life has changed from year to  year — and how it’s stayed the same

4) You’ll enjoy flipping through the pages years down the road (and your children and grandchildren may, too); because each entry is a mere sentence or two, you probably won’t be revealing your most intimate secrets, resulting in a “G” rating

5) You can reminisce about the past without having to go to any other source; every day you get to see what you did a year ago, two years ago, etc.

6) It’s fun

7) It’s easy

8) It’s rewarding

9) It only takes two minutes a day

10) It’s a good way to end your day on a positive note by asking yourself, “What is the best thing that happened to me today?” and writing about that in the journal

Related blog posts:

Three Good Things — A New Twist on a Gratitude Journal

Victory Log — List Today’s Accomplishments, Gain Satisfaction

Create a Happiness Jar — and Enrich Your Life in Less Than a Minute a Day

Feel-Good Way to Start 2015: List 200 Accomplishments

December Daily — a Fun Way to Document the Holidays

You Can Make Someone You Love the Best Gift Ever — at No Cost

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Posted in accomplishments, five year journal, fun, gratitude, journaling, life, memories, miscellaneous, sentence a day journal, The Happiness Project one sentence journal | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Simple Life Goal

Posted on May 20, 2014 by blogqueendiane

“The love of family and the admiration of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege.” – Charles Kuralt

This quote, I believe, provides a basic goal for most people’s lives: to gain and sustain the love of family and the admiration of friends.

If you post this quote somewere visible and look at it often — no matter how bad your day has been, it’ll bring you back to the basics of life, put everything in perspective and let you know you’re doing all right!

 

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Victory Log: List Today’s Accomplishments & Feel Good About Them

Posted on May 19, 2014 by blogqueendiane

Victory Log – List Today’s Accomplishments, Gain Satisfaction

Did you ever have a day when you thought “I didn’t get anything done today!”?

Taking two minutes to do the following activity will change your mind every time! Continue reading →

Posted in accomplishments, efficiency, gratitude, journaling, life, miscellaneous, stress relievers, Uncategorized, victory log | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Singing the Blues – to Lighten Up and Relieve Stress

Posted on May 18, 2014 by blogqueendiane

Loretta LaRoche, author of “Ten Simple Truths That Lead to an Amazing Life: Life is Short – Wear Your Party Pants”says one of her favorite ways to get people to see how they’re distorting things and get a handle on their stress is to give them unconventional ways to articulate the things that bug them. One of the most entertaining is to have them sing a blues song about whatever’s bothering them.

She says it lessens the anxiety, reduces the emotional edge and changes the person’s outlook.

Blues songs often start “Woke up this morning…” and then launch into a litany of pain and suffering the person has to deal with. For example:

Got up this morning
My clothes were too tight
The house is a mess and
My hair is a fright
I’ve got the Monday morning blues…

I thought it was a novel way to whine for a while and get your problems off your chest (no limit to the number of verses you can add!). After you did that, you’d almost have to end up laughing and feeling much better about life.

Try it and let me know how it goes.

Posted in gratitude, life, problemsolvers, stress relievers, thoughts tips and tales | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

“I’m Baaaaacccckkk!” — Being Grateful

Posted on May 18, 2014 by blogqueendiane

Loretta LaRoche, author of “Ten Simple Truths That Lead to an Amazing Life: Life is Short – Wear Your Party Pants” writes about spending too much time using our hopes for the future as a way to take us away from the realities of the present. She suggests a simple exercise to do when you wake up every day: shout “I’m back!” as soon as you wake up.

I gave it a try yesterday on awakening and it made me start the day with a giggle. (And it also reminded me to be grateful for the fact I was alive and back to live another day.)

Try it – and let me know what you think.

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Clean Shirt or Bust (Bib) — My Slightly Eccentric Solution to Keep Clothes Clean While Eating Breakfast in the Car on the Way to Work

Posted on May 16, 2014 by blogqueendiane

Like many people, I’m into multi-tasking and like to sleep until the last possible minute before heading to work each day. The perfect solution is to toast a bagel with peanut butter and fix a large Crystal Lite drink with ice, and enjoy these in the car on the 20-minute drive to work.

It works well. The drive is enjoyable, the food is pleasant, and I get to sleep that extra few minutes instead of wasting time sitting at the kitchen table and eating. I grab my toothbrush at work, run in and brush my teeth, and am ready for the day.

Adult bib available on etsy.com from nonyourmamaskitchen at http://www.etsy.com/listing/129088579/new-pink-sweetflower-oil-cloth-adult?share_id=20916222&hmac=c515fe4e550246bb47da22dce90f17a251f7f631&utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share

Adult bib available on etsy.com from nonyourmamaskitchen at http://www.etsy.com/listing/129088579/new-pink-sweetflower-oil-cloth-adult?share_id=20916222&hmac=c515fe4e550246bb47da22dce90f17a251f7f631&utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share

The only flaw is that often I look down and find peanut butter (or worse – raspberry Crystal Lite) on my clothing (and the red drink always falls on a white shirt!) The perfect solution was to buy an adult-sized terrycloth “bib” that buttons behind the neck and wear it over my work clothes. Once done eating, voila – fling it it off and everything is clean.

Have you ever tried this? Do you have any alternative solutions?

P.S. Now, if I had only … Scotchguarded the carpet on the floor of the car or covered it with extra layers of mats to protect from the multiple Crystal Lite splashes and spills from the drink cup holder over the years. Whoever buys my car next may wonder why the floormats are dark red and the rest of the upholstery is beige…

 

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Posted in efficiency, food, life, miscellaneous, problemsolvers, timesavers | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment