Lauri Ann's New Life

Always January 17th- I love this! I think everyone should have a "plan B". I don't have any to ditch today, even tho one of my resolutions is to quit smoking (I don't know if there's enough drugs in the world), but it is to 'quit smoking this year' so I still have plenty of time to work on it. LOL.

For those of you who would like some inspiration for your resolutions outside of the normal “Top 10”, here are some we should all probably consider. It is never too late or never too early to make a fresh start.

1.) Call an old friend you haven’t been in touch with for awhile. It’s amazing how people love to know you’re thinking of them. Heck, call more than one.

2.) Stop and tell the people the people you love, you love them, or how much they mean to you. It’s so easy to say “I love you” automatically. Instead, take the time to actually say it so you know they feel it. We have a tendency to take so much for granted.

3.) Don’t blow molehills into mountains. As they say “this too shall pass”, (whoever “they” is). We all have challenges. Sometimes it’s the way we think of them that make them large or small. Keep moving toward the light at the end of the tunnel.

4.) Grow your sense of humor, it’ll help with #3 above. Remember what it was like the last time you really laughed? Try looking at things from a “funny side”.

5.) Be encouraging to yourself and those around you. It’s so easy for us to be discouraging, sometimes without even knowing it. Try looking at things like a child who believes anything is possible.

And for those who are hell-bent on keeping some resolutions, here are a few that would be easy to keep. (Some of these are sort of ‘borrowed’ from Mike Douglas over at Buzzle.com, with my commentary thrown in).

1.) I want to be plump, beautiful, and look like the actresses of yesterday instead of the anorexic Barbie dolls of today.

2.) Assert yourself. Never surrender the control of that TV remote to anyone in the house.

3.) Be more self-absorbed: All me, all the time. (How To Win Friends and Influence People) LOL

4.) Buy your husband a cookbook. One can't always eat in a restaurant. It’s time he learned how to cook some decent food. His cooking was hopeless last year. (If you’re a man reading this, it’s probably not that she can’t cook, she probably just doesn’t want to).

5.) Procrastinate forever. Why do today what you can postpone for how long?
(I know this is 6, so this isn’t ‘symmetrical’, so to speak, but I had to add in my favorite)

6.) Last but not least, get your husband or boyfriend to take on exercising in a big way. You deserve someone hung like Brad Pitt. (Once again, if you’re a man reading this, don’t try it the other way around. No matter how hard you try, you’ll never turn us into all boobs and butt and no mouth). LOL

I think that’s enough to think about the New Year for now. Have a great day and “get rid of the guilt”.

When : Always January 17th

Yep, believe it or not they have come up with a day to help us out of our New Year’s Resolutions. You read that right. It’s “help us out of” not ‘keep our’ resolutions. For many of us, even tho it’s barely 2 weeks after New Year’s, there are probably a few resolutions we made that we have broken and feel guilty about already (especially if they were made after a few glasses of champagne). If you haven't accomplished, broken, or given up your New Year's resolutions, tomorrow is your chance to get out from under them.

In honor of the day, I thought it would be fun to pass on this bit of New Year’s Trivia.

These are the ‘Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions’ people make. Any of these look familiar?

Lose weight

stop smoking

stick to a budget

save more money

get a better job

get organized

exercise more

be more patient at work/with others

eat better

be a better person

New Year’s Eve Tradition Beginnings


The first New Year’s Eve ball to drop in Times Square happened in 1907.
The New York's Waterford crystal ball is 6ft dia. and weighs 1070lbs.
Did you know that in Flaggstaff, AZ they drop a pinecone on New Year’s Eve?
Bangor, Maine dropps a purple beach ball decorated with Christmas lights.
Seattle, WA. does their countdown with an elevator.
The first ‘Tournament of Roses’ parade was in 1890.
The baby to signify the New Year was first used in Greece in approx. 600BC

If You Want An Extra Special New Year’s Eve


The largest annual New Year's Eve celebration happens in Sydney, Australia.
The Aussies set off approximately 80,000 fireworks off of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. (if you decide to go, don’t forget to book online thru All About Travel).

For Celebrating With Our Jewish Friends
I must admit, I am not Jewish and do not know a much about this. If anyone would like to add something, please feel free to comment.

The Jewish New Year is called Rosh Hashanah. While most of us know that much, did you know that Rosh Hashanah means “head of the year”?
Apples and honey are eaten to symbolize a “sweet new year”.
Rosh Hashanah, which actually lasts for 2 days, is considered to be ‘one long day’.
For 2008 Rosh Hashanah begins from sundown Sept. 29th and ends at night on Oct. 1st.

For Those Who Celebrate the Chinese New Year, Gung Hay Fat Choy!

The Lunar New Year’s first cycle of the Chinese zodiac dates as far back as 2600BC.
The first day of the year can fall anywhere between late January and the middle of February.
In 2008, on the Western calendar, the start of the New Year falls on February 7th.
This year is The Year of the Rat, and if you were born in 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, or 1996 you were born under this sign. If you weren’t born in these years but would like to see what Chinese Zodiac Sign you were born under, go to http://www.chinese.astrology.com/

And Last But Not Least

Did you know that a raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top?

I am one for making New Year's Resolutions. We all usually pick the things we dislike about ourselves and try to give it up (sort of like 'lent' only instead of 40 days, we hope it's permanent). Before I make my resolutions, I like to look at last year's and see how I did and what I still need to work on, sort of my own "2007 in Review". I thought I would post the following "2007 in Review" for you. No, it's not my year in review, but I think you'll enjoy this much more! A special thanks to our friends at 'Jibjab.com'.

I don't usually do much 'internet business' stuff on my blog, but you may have noticed this poor baby has gotten a little neglected while I pay closer attention to other pages on my website
http://www.productsandservices.com . A very good teacher that I have taken some classes from as I start my new life transition from brick and morter to cyberspace has developed a new course on blogging. (Hopefully help make mine more informative and better reading. LOL.)

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

I think by the time you get to be my age, you have probably lost at least one friend or a relative sometime around the holidays. Personally, I always thought suicide rates were definitely up this time of year due to people getting so depressed and stressed. Not enough money for gifts, too many bills, loneliness, etc. The holidays have a way of accentuating all of these.

Some think it's due to the colder climate. Shoveling snow is definitely not a year round exercise!

Then there's always the alcohol related auto accidents resulting in highway deaths. All the holiday parties, people drinking more due to depression, etc. Although this time of year is know for excess food and alcohol, the following may surprise you. It did me.

1. National statistics show that suicides are actually lower during the holiday season, while deaths due to heart disease go up.

2. Climate has little if anything to due with death during this time of year. Dr. Robert A. Kloner, a cardiologist at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, and his research team examined L.A. County death records of 220,000 people who died of heart disease over a 12-year period. In a paper published in the journal Circulation, they reported that heart disease deaths were 33% higher in December and January than they were from June through September -- even in Southern California's consistently mild climate.

3. Despite the winter holidays' reputation for revelry, more people die on our nation's roads due to drinking and driving during summer holidays than during those during the colder months, according Dr. Michael Garr, associate professor of sociology at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Ironically, the holiday most noted for drinking -- New Year's -- has the smallest number of alcohol-related deaths at 61 in 2001. Thanksgiving and Christmas had significantly fewer deaths, too, only 77 and 81, respectively.

I find the information above so totally shocking compared to what we normally believe. Come to find out the biggest culprits in the Holiday Death Toll, may be ourselves and the very medical facilities we count on to save our lives. It turns out that during the holidays, besides the fact that we eat and drink too much and exercise less, we tend to put off going to the doctor for what ails us. We tend to get so busy and just figure we will visit our friendly M.D. after the holidays are over and things start slowing down. For many, that's too late.

We also have a tendency to have so many things on our minds, that many forget to take their medication. This can have dire consequences in some cases because many medications have to be discontinued a little at a time. Quitting medications all of a sudden can actually bring on the very thing they are meant to protect us from.

Due to the above and the consistent spike in deaths, doctors have labeled Christmas, the 26th and New Year's Day the "Holiday Effect" or "Merry Christmas Coronary" and "Happy New Year Heart Attack."

The second culprit according to studies, is the quality of care we get if we have to go to a hospital over the holidays. According to Duke University Medical Center researchers, heart attack patients admitted to U.S. hospitals during the winter holidays have higher mortality rates than those admitted during the rest of the year. The researchers found that during these holiday hospitalizations, patients were less likely to receive the same care they would normally receive if they were admitted any other time of the year. Patients were less likely to be prescribed aspirin as well as beta blockers at admission and/or at discharge. They also were less likely to receive major procedures necessary to open blockages, etc.

To make sure you're around long after singing "Auld Lang Syne" I offer up the following tips.

1). While holiday eating and drinking are especially pleasant this time of year, use some control and common sense, especially if you normally follow some special diet (low fat, low cholesterol, etc.). Don't use the holidays as an excuse to blow off your exercise program. With all the stress and busy-ness during this time of year, use it as "Me Time", giving yourself a chance to regroup.

2). If you are feeling bad or something is "out of whack" see your doctor. There is nothing so important to do this holiday season if you're not around to see another one.

3). Make sure to keep up with all medications. Enough said. I don't think the prescription said "take a break from these for as a Christmas Present". LOL.

4.) If you're going to be traveling, make sure you know where to get medical care if necessary at your destination. Studies show the exceptions to the "holiday effect" seems to be during the years of 1973 and 1981. Holiday travel was down during these years due to an embargo in 1973 and a recession in 1981. Once again, don't put off seeing your doctor before you go. He's familiar with your history and may be able to help you have a safer and much more pleasant trip.

I think we all agree Christmas gets more commercialized every year. They’re putting Christmas items in the stores before we’re even thru with Halloween. They’re playing Christmas Music before Thanksgiving, and the stores are so worried about the bottom line, they’re opening at midnite and 4 am the day after Thanksgiving. This year the “Christmas Sales” were starting in October. More and more of us hate Christmas every year due to the stress of making everything perfect for every one around us.

Christmas giving should be a time of joy and happiness. Instead it’s so easy to fall into “the trap”.
We’re running all over trying to find the perfect gift for those we love, spending more and more that we can’t afford. The credit card companies love us! Then there’s the feeling of embarrassment when someone gives us an expensive gift and we cannot reciprocate in kind. The mothers and fathers are both working, and the children only know what they see on TV. As parents work longer hours to pay for just the necessities, our children don’t learn what it’s like to bake with there mothers and give to the neighbors. Heck, a lot of us don’t even know our neighbors unless our children go to school together.

I would say we all need to get back to the ‘true meaning of Christmas’, but we all know what would happen if there were absolutely no gifts involved. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure the Whos in Whoville are the only ones in the world that can have all their Christmas trees and Christmas gifts stolen by the Grinch and still sing. LOL.

This year let’s see what we can do to bring back the love of Christmas, the quality time we spend with loved ones, and remember how much fun it is to give with thought more than money.

If you’re considering popping microwave popcorn this holiday season for stringing on your Christmas Tree, you might want to think about what you’re doing. There’s been quite a lot of buzz in the news, etc. lately about how such a simple snack can be so dangerous to your health.

First up seems to be the bag you pop it in, the one it comes in. The popcorn bags are made out of paper that has to be coated with a substance to repel grease and moisture so the bag doesn't become soggy and rip while you‘re heating it up. The chemicals used to coat the paper break down when heated in to a substance called perfluorooctanoic (PFOA). The Environmental Protection Agency has identified PFOA as a "likely carcinogen." While they don’t know how much actually seeps into the popcorn, they think it is a “small amount”. So my questions would be “how small an amount” and “how small is still too much”?

Next up comes that great buttery taste we all know and love.

Consumers may be in danger of contracting "popcorn lung disease" from diacetyl fumes created while microwaving popcorn. Diacetyl is a component of the artificial butter flavor. It is used for aroma and taste in butter, some cheeses and snack and bakery products. In tests at NIOSH, laboratory rats that breathed high concentrations of vapors from butter flavoring, including diacetyl, developed significant airway damage.

In a July warning letter to federal regulators made public on September 4, 2007, Dr. Cecil Rose of Denver's National Jewish Medical and Research Center says doctors believe they have the first case of a consumer who developed lung disease as a result of repeated daily exposure to fumes from microwaving popcorn. According to an ABC News story dated May of this year, “Connecticut state Rep. Rosa Delauro is asking the FDA to ban the chemical until it can be proven safe to consumers.

"We need to revoke its designation, test it further and protect the public health," Delauro said.
Flavoring manufacturers have paid more than $100 million as a result of suits brought by workers affected by popcorn lung. In California, a bill is being considered to ban its use in the state.

OSHA has been looking at this since 1999 and done little.There is no published research on the exposure of consumers to the heated vapors of diacetyl and other chemicals released when microwave popcorn is popped. In the middle of 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that a study on the chemicals released in the popping and opening of packages of microwave popcorn was underway and was expected to be completed by the end of that year. The EPA has yet to disclose the results of that study.

As for me and the little ones, I think I’ll pop corn the ‘old fashion way’.
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