Is Summer Vacation a Bad Thing? The Pros and Cons
Is summer vacation a bad thing? Well, that would probably depend entirely on whom you are asking that question. Ask any child and they will tell you that summer vacation is awesome. Ask any parent, and you might get a different answer.
Just like anything else, there are pros and cons to both sides of any given situation.
Summer Vacation: The Pros
There are so many pros to summer vacations that it is hard to pinpoint which are the best.
* Not having to get up in the morning
Is a Health-Conscious Career Profitable?
Are you wondering if a health conscious career is profitable? Chances are more than likely that yes, it is. Although traditional health careers are still profitable, the new trend is a wave that is leading toward health consciousness rather than treating illness after it arrives.
Stress is leading to more and more health issues and individuals are not willing to wait until a health crisis arises. Individuals today are more aware of the benefits of being a health-conscious individual and will turn to experts in the field for advice, guidance, and even accountability in this area.
Profitable and Financially Rewarding
As you open any magazine or read any article online pertaining to being health conscious, you will notice this not only to be a trend, but also a lifestyle nowadays. Entering into a health-focused career is profitable in that it is heading toward being an in-demand service. Not only is it an in-demand service – it is a rapidly growing demand at that.
Careers in nutrition, personal training, and holistic medicine are on the rise as people are sick of being tired and tired of being sick. Yoga, Pilates, and meditation instructors as well as whole-food and gluten-free food experts are in demand now more than ever.
Not only are these careers perfect for your average nine to five, they are also superb for making extra money. If you are an expert on gluten-free products and even perhaps a user of gluten-free products, you can speak at any number of seminars. Churches, schools and professional organizations are all looking for experts on subjects of health awareness.
Employers today know that a healthy employee is an employee who will show up every day and get their job done. It is in the best interest of today
Carrot and Coriander Soup
1 pound of chopped carrots
1 small, finely chopped onion
1 clove of garlic, crushed
3 1/2 cups of vegetable stock
1 tablespoon of freshly chopped coriander
6 teaspoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of crushed coriander seeds
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1/4 cup of chopped sultanas (seedless raisins, optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Place the olive oil in a large saucepan and heat it. Next, add the chopped onion, carrots and garlic and cook them gently for about 10 minutes. Add the crushed and ground coriander to the vegetables, stir and allow the mixture to cook for about 1 minute.
Add three quarters of the vegetable stock to the vegetables and cover the saucepan. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 15 minutes or until the carrots are tender when pricked with a fork.
Carefully pour the soup mixture into a blender or food processor. Puree it and then add the remaining vegetable stock, chopped sultanas if you are including them, and the salt and pepper.
Pour the soup into serving bowls, garnish with the fresh coriander and serve.
How to Grow Herbs Indoors
An indoor herb garden is within your reach! Herbs are remarkably hardy and tend to thrive in small spaces. And they can be very simple or elaborate. But where to start? Here are some tips on how to grow herbs indoors.
1. The Windowsill Garden
The simplest way to grow herbs indoors is to line up pots on a sunny windowsill. This simple, small garden works well for those with wide windowsills and the desire for just a few herbs. All you need to start are pots with good drainage. Simply fill pots with potting soil and place them in dishes or plates (to catch water). Then you can plant seeds or plant seedlings from your garden center.
2. Seasonal Indoor Herb Garden
Another approach is a seasonal indoor herb garden. This works great for annual herbs that are not cold-hardy. Simply bring them indoors when the weather starts getting cold (before frost), and set them up in a sunny window area. They can be on tables, plant stands, or whatever you like. Then out they go in the spring.
Just make sure to make the transition in and out gradually, or you’ll kill your herbs. To do this, move them indoors overnight only, then back out in the morning to start with. Gradually put the plants outside at a later and later hour until they are outside all day. Use the same technique for moving indoors.
3. Year-Round Indoor Herb Garden
Like the two types of gardens above, you’ll need excellent drainage, a reliable light source (6 to 8 hours of light a day), and good soil. But for a year-round indoor herb garden, you might need a more elaborate set-up. Here are some ideas:
* Tiered herb gardens are fun. You can use a wire plant stand. Set it into a large plastic or rubber pan (shallow), and then when you water the top layer of herbs, the water will drain out and water the herbs beneath. Set this in front of a window and you’ll also create some privacy!
* Hanging plants are very attractive, especially if you choose vine-like herbs or trailing herbs, like mints or thyme.
* Groupings in windows are attractive. Use plant stands or pots turned upside-down to create various heights in sunny spots in your home.
4. Light and Water
No matter what method or arrangement you choose, light and water are the most important factors in a successful indoor herb garden. Soil should be well drained and watered frequently, and your plants should receive 6 to 8 hours of light a day. If you have a few hours of sun at one window and then a few hours at another, consider a movable arrangement like the tiered plant stand that you can move from window to window for optimal light exposure.
These tips should help you grow a successful herb garden indoors any time of year!
How to Make the Most of Your Summer Vacation – For Teens
Trying to make the most of your summer vacation for children of any age is difficult sometimes. It can be even more challenging when your children are teens. However, it does not have to be that way. Finding creative ways to keep your teens busy, active, and safe is certainly an achievable goal.
Good Old-Fashioned Hard Work
There are many ways to put a teen to work and those do not always have to be traditional jobs outside the home.
* Babysitting
How to Make Real Changes in Your Life for a Better You
There seems to be a new wave of energy these days where everyone wants to create a better lifestyle. However, thinking about this just is not enough. Deciding what changes need to be made, setting goals, and taking action steps are all required in making real changes that last.
Choosing What It Is You Want in the First Place
You cannot successfully make lasting change without choosing first what it is that you want. Take time to just let whatever your heart’s desire is come to you. You may need to go and meditate or go to a quiet place and center, or you may simply need to take some time practicing being quiet.
Learn how to spend quiet reflective time, keep a journal, and take walks. By doing this, you will open the portals of communication between yourself and your fondest desires and you will come to be acquainted with exactly what area of your life you wish to change.
Once you have established what it is that you want, the rest will fall into place.
Setting Goals
It is best not to set goals that are too big because the harder you set your sights, the harder you may fall. Set goals that are realistic so that you can easily achieve them. In this way, you can go on to set another goal that is a bit higher. For example, if you wish to lose weight, set a goal to start a healthier diet and let the rest fall into place. Do not set a specific number of pounds at first.
Setting a goal that is small and attainable will leap you into setting goals that are a little more difficult and will have better results.
Action Steps
It is essential to write down a clear path of action steps that you will take daily to achieve those goals. Even if it is something as simple as taking a walk, that will lead you into another action step such as taking power walks. Power walks will achieve more muscle tone and get your heart rate going. From there, if you wish, you can graduate to running.
No matter what you do, make sure you take at least one action step per day. It does not have to be a grand action step; it just has to be an action step.
Accountability
The most important thing about changing your life for the better is to make it known what you are setting out to do. Once you put it out in the universe that you are setting a goal and are clearly intentional about achieving it, you now have others you need to be accountable to other than yourself.
Also, pick one trusted person who will be responsible for asking you about whether or not you did what you said you were going to do. Knowing that you have someone to answer to is always a great way of following through.
With these tips, you can make changes that last and changes that will give you a better life.
Black Bean Quesadillas Recipe
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped
1 cup of finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon of canola oil
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup of frozen corn, thawed
1 15 ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/8 teaspoon of salt
10 6-inch flour tortillas
1 cup (4 ounces) of shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (or regular)
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Chop the yellow pepper, onion and garlic. Place it into a large non-stick skillet that has been lightly coated with cooking spray. Saute the vegetables for two minutes. Add the tomatoes and corn and cook for an additional two minutes. Add the black beans, salt and pepper to the mixture. Stir the vegetables and cook until they are tender. Drain the vegetables and set them aside.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and place the tortillas onto the baking sheet. Lightly spritz the exposed side of the tortilla. Try to divide the vegetable mixture into ten even spoonfuls. Place a spoonful of the vegetables onto half of the tortilla followed by a sprinkling of cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling. Continue filling the remaining tortillas.
Place the prepared quesadillas into the preheated oven and bake for about 6 minutes. Carefully flip the quesadillas and then bake them for an additional 4 to 7 minutes or until the cheese has begun to melt.
How to Create a Container Herb Garden
Are you short on space, but you’d still like to grow some herbs? You’re in luck – many herbs do very well in containers. Patios, decks, and porches are ideal for container gardening. Herbs in containers are also ideal if you have a small yard with poor soil. And if you have spotty or limited sunlight, you can move the containers to get the ideal amount of light.
Here are some suggestions and tips on how you can create a container herb garden.
1. Survey the Scene
First, take a look at your outdoor area. Over the course of 24 hours, observe how much sun the area gets. Most herbs need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day, but if you get less than that, you can choose shade-loving herbs. That’s why determining how much sun the area gets is so important for success.
2. Consider Your Herb Needs
What do you want out of an herb garden? Are you interested in medicinal herbs, or would you like to grow them for drying, tea, scent, or for cooking? There are so many uses for herbs! Think for a bit about what you’d like to accomplish with your herb garden. This is another step toward determining what you’ll grow. While you’re thinking along these lines, here are some suggestions for various herbs that grow well in containers:
* Tea: members of the mint family (bee balm, spearmint, lemon balm, mountain mint, etc.), lemon grass, lemon verbena, chamomile
* Cooking: sage, oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley, chives, basil, tarragon, cilantro, chervil, mint
* Scent: lavender, lemon balm, thyme, basil, rosemary
* Flowers: sweet woodruff, lavender, pansies/violas/violets (you can eat these in salads, too!)
* Dried: mints, chamomile, lavender, sage
* Medicinal: lemon balm, chamomile, sage
3. Choose Containers
Think about how you want your patio garden to look, and the height of the herbs you’ve chosen. Low-growing herbs can be in low containers and placed in the front of your arrangement (more on container placement below). Herbs with shallow root systems can be grown in shallow containers, round or square. Herbs with deeper roots need taller, deeper containers. So learning how your herbs grow is another important step in successful growing.
Whatever containers you choose, make sure they have good drainage.
4. Container Arrangement
Before putting any soil into your containers, consider how you will arrange them (once you put the soil in, they get really heavy!). Use small tables or plant stands if you like. The idea is to make some use of vertical space as well, and grow taller herbs toward the back and shorter ones in the front. You can create various groupings around your patio.
5. Soil
Use a high-quality potting soil for your herbs. It should have plenty of composted matter and/or peat, and be light and well-draining.
6. Seeds or Seedlings?
Depending on the timing and variety of herb, most of the time the choice between seeds and seedling plants is a matter of cost, convenience, and assurance. Seeds are less expensive, but less reliable; seedlings are costlier, but more reliable.
Designing and growing a successful herb garden does not have to be difficult. It may take some tweaking over a few seasons, but there’s no reason why you can’t go for it and enjoy fresh herbs without a big garden bed.
Health-Conscious Careers You Can Have without a Degree
Everyone and anyone knows what is happening in our country in regard to obtaining a degree, and more importantly how many unfortunate college students are facing long-term debt with little or no work found.
One of the best things to do in today
Gadgets and Online Programs That Can Save You Time
Ask anyone you know and they will say that saving time is equally as important as saving money. However, sometimes saving time is something that requires a little gadget or an online program to make it worth its while.
Not everyone is technologically advanced, but technology can be your friend if you learn how to use it and learn how to trust it. While some programs may not be right for you or for your needs, other programs will make you wonder how you made it this far without them.
For Images
Picasa is a great way to save and organize your images. Almost everyone has a need to organize their images, and Picasa lets you view, organize, and edit your images in no time flat.
PicPick is a superb gadget to organize your digital pictures. PicPick has a full view screen capture, color picker and palette and a pixel ruler – just to name a few of its features. With its innovative image editor, PicPick is a great pick for gadgets that save you time.
Gimp is another great online tool for saving time. With Gimp you can retouch photos or use it for simple paint processes. Image format converting and image composition are other features making it a useful, creative, and time-saving bonus.
Paint is a free graphics painting resource, which usually comes with your personal computer. If you have never used it before, it is a good idea to take the tutorial and learn how to use this creative tool.
For Programming Languages and the Written Word
Notepad Plus is a great editorial tool for many programming languages and other scripting language.
Open Office is similar to other well-known popular word processing programs. It also offers PowerPoint and Excel and is free of charge. There is no need for expensive programs of license and agreements with Open Office.
Phase Expresss is a superb way of taking shortcuts when typing. It is similar to using macros in that you can type a certain set of keywords for repetitive words or phrases and Phase Express will automatically set up the text.
There are several more gadgets and online programs to make your life easier and speedier. These are just a few of the top gadgets and online programs that can save you time. After all, isn
Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
8 cups of 1-inch-thick sliced cauliflower florets
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup of finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Begin by preheating your oven to 450°F.
As the oven preheats, toss the cauliflower, oil, marjoram, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Try to get the seasoning as evenly mixed as possible.
Spread the seasoned cauliflower on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast the florets until they begin to soften and turn brown on the bottom, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the florets from the oven and toss the cauliflower with vinegar then sprinkle them with cheese. Return the florets to the oven and continue roasting them until the cheese is melted and any moisture has evaporated, which will be 5 to 10 minutes more.
Serve the cauliflower while warm.
10 Mascara Do’s and Don’ts
Are you tired of everyone else having long, beautiful eyelashes while yours look like throwbacks from the Tammy Faye era? The secret to having long, luxurious Diane Kruger lashes is all in the mascara application.
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10 Tips For Frizzy Hair
Long hair, short hair, wavy or straight; no matter what kind of hair you have, you
8 Steps to Glamorous Evening Eyes
Eyes are the windows to a person’s soul, as the saying goes. They can speak volumes, so it is important to make them look their best. It doesn’t matter if you’re 20, 40 or even 80, there’s no reason you can’t have glamorous, evening eyes without a lot of work.
Get gorgeous peepers every time by following the eight steps below.
Step 1: Prepare the lid for color. Add concealer to mask dark under-eye circles and imperfections. Apply 3 dots of concealer underneath each eye; at the inner corner, beneath the pupil and finally at the outer corner. Using the soft pad of your finger pat
Tart Lemon Squares
For the crust:
1 cup of sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of butter
For the filling:
1 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/8 teaspoon of salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoon of lemon juice (fresh squeezed, if possible)
Glaze:
1/2 cup of sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of melted butter
In a medium bowl, add the ingredients for the crust except for the butter. Stir them well. Then cut in the butter until it makes a crumbly mixture. Press the mixture into an 11 x 7 baking pan, which has been lightly greased. Bake the crust for 15 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the edges are beginning to turn golden brown. Remove the baking pan from the oven and set it aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients for the filling. Mix them thoroughly and then spread the mixture evenly over the baked crust. Return the baking pan to the oven for an additional 25 minutes. Remove the baking pan from the oven and allow the pan to cool on a cooling rack.
Make the glaze by combining the above ingredients and blending them until it is smooth. When the bars have completely cooled, spread the glaze over them. Cut the bars and serve them.
Why Choose a Health-Conscious Career
When considering what to do as a career, there are many things to take into consideration. There are issues of location, job demand, salary, and of course purpose and fulfillment. Choosing a health-conscious career offers you the opportunity to fulfill all those requirements and more.
Job Demand in the Health-Conscious Field
Health and wellness are such vital and important subjects in today