Support for Great Women

I called my sister today to see how she was doing. She is in the middle of a huge project (ourvsn.com website launch). She said it has been stressful but that she really appreciated the support I've given her. I told her we needed to support all the women we knew that are working hard.
Later today I was in a gift shop and saw a sign about women with a clever saying:

"Here's to great women.

We need to know them.

We need to be them.

We need to raise them."

I know many great women in my family. I know many great women in the education field that I am in. I know many great women as friends. As a mother I can say that I have raised two very great women. As a grandmother I can say that I see my two granddaughters being raised to become great women.

There are days when I really don't see myself as being a great woman. Daily stresses at work, in my small business, in my personal and spiritual life seem to point in the other direction. That's why I think it is important to have a network of great women that can mentor you, pray for you and lift you up when you are down. I'd like to say a huge THANKS to all the great women in my life! Some of them I need to thank personally. What about you? Who are the "great women" in your life? Have you thanked them lately?

New Website Published By My Two Sisters!

My two sisters, Dr. Annie Becker and Dr. Mary Minser have collaborated on an amazing project! They have launched a new website called OurVSN.

"OurVSN.com is a social network bringing families together to promote shared caregiving and aging independently. Unpaid caregivers and their families in a virtual support network can track the personal health of every member. OurVSN offers a simple way of tracking health for oneself and loved ones. Because families are better informed, they are more likely to assist in caregiving activities."

Our family has been using this website for some time. I have aging parents and siblings that live in other states. It has been a great way for all of us to keep track of mom and dad's health no matter where we live. My parents are pretty computer illiterate yet they can use the simple commands of Our VSN to fill in data about their blood pressure, how they feel each day and activities they participated in. This data can be specialized for each family member.
If you have family members that you would like to keep in touch with, I highly recommend using this site. It is free and very user-friendly! Go to OurVSN.com or check out PRWeb.com for more information.

Start the Day Right!

Now that summer is over and I am back in the classroom I have to get up at the crack of dawn. (I have a 35 minute commute and have to be at school by 7:30. I usually get there earlier.) My mornings have gone much smoother since I started using these tips...
*Eat breakfast. A healthy breakfast regulates blood sugar levels and gets your body ready for the stresses of the day. Choose a combination of protein and fruit rather than caffeine and carbs.
*Listen to Music. Hearing a few tunes first thing in the morning can energize, refresh, soothe or get you motivated. Research suggests that music can reduce stress and improve your overall health.
*Stretch in the shower. Stretching helps relieve tension and gets your muscles ready for another day. An added benefit is not water loosens mucles for a better stretch.
*Take a walk. Walking first thing in the morning can help you feel good all day. Walking can help you sleep better at night, helps control blood pressure, lower weight and stress and can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.
*Practice yoga. Yoga uses a variety of stress management techniques. A 10-15 minute routine can center you for the day ahead.
*Prepare ahead of time. This is especially important if you have kids. Don't leave everything until morning. Pack lunches, even your own, decide what to wear, coordinate bathroom schedules the night before. You'll have more time in the morning to eat breakfast and leave the house much more relaxed.

Teach an Old Dog How to Twitter?

I have been trying to come up with some creative ways to promote my small business--Gathered From The Garden. One way someone suggested was to use Twitter. So I signed up and am now "Tweeting". I have a few followers and I am following only 3. When I look at some of the other "Tweeters" they have hundreds of followers and they are following hundreds!How do they do this?
So I thought I was being pretty techie. Then I found out that you can't just Twitter. You can Twirl, Twellow, you can Twittersearch. There are Twitterpacks and widgets that you can add. It's enough to make my old head spin.
And if that isn't enough, I could be using Plurk, StumbleUpon,Digg,You Tube, Slideshare, Friend Feed, My Space and Facebook. I've probably missed some others. There aren't enough hours in the day to keep up with all of this, blog,work a regular job, eat, sleep,make products and maybe relax a little! So which of these are really worthwhile using?
A little help from those in the know would really be appreciated. I can't be the only "mature" person to feel a little out of the loop. Can you help? Post your recommendations or opinions PLEASE!! Maybe it would be possible to teach an old dog to do more than just Twitter!!

Missed Opportunity
I was catching up on my reading today. I had the August issue of Redbook magazine and I came across an article about change. It suggested going to first30days.com if you needed tips to help you get through any life change.
It sounded interesting so I did check it out. I found out that today was a day to pray for change... Ever wonder what would happen if everyone in the world joined hands and said a prayer for peace at exactly the same time? We can only imagine, but it would have to generate some seriously positive energy!The closest we may ever come to this type of worldwide prayer is the Earthdance Global Peace Festival. This year, participants were supposed to unite in their annual Prayer for Peace at 4PM Pacific Daylight time. In an effort to promote peace and humanitarianism, Earthdance events ranging from living room gatherings to huge concerts were going to take place in 60 countries.
This sounds so great. But alas, I didn't read it until way after 4pm Pacific time. I sure would have liked to have hosted some type of prayer gathering. I am going to mark it on my 2009 calendar and hope that it takes place next Sept.13th! And instead of the gathering, I'll just say my own prayers for peace. Join me?

A Beautiful Mind

Looking after the health of your mind is an important part of your road to balance and well-being. Maintaining mental health is extremely important. Here are some ways to make your mind beautiful to match your beautiful body.
Improve your diet: What you eat and drink can protect against feelings of anxiety and depression. Cut back on refined sugar, white flour and alcohol.
Maintain friendships: Just listening and talking to friends who are feeling down can make a huge difference-for you and for them. With email and cell phones you have no excuse not to!Exercise: The effects of exercise on mood are immediate. Whether it is a workout in the gym or a simple walk or bike ride, exercise is uplifting and a can be a great social activity.
Rest: Sleep is essential to our health. Sleeping is the time when the body can renew and rebuild its physical and mental energy. If you have problems relaxing and falling asleep, perhaps our Sleep Well Blend (essential oils) can help you find your peace.
Laugh: A good laugh does amazing things for the mind and soul. Cry: It's good to let everything out of your system and to release pent up feelings. Most of the time, we feel much better after we have allowed ourselves to cry.
Take a bath: The mental health benefits of a comforting bath are well known. Allow yourself to escape in a soothing aroma infused bath. It will help you reset and re-energize. Try our Stress Relief Blend in your ritual and experience the power of the bath.
Make time for you: Make time for your hobbies and interests. Scheduling time for yourself is sometimes hard, but it will increase a positive attitude and self image. Remember, work isn't everything!
As I head back to my classroom, I’ll try to remember that!

Go Ahead, Save a Tree
Delicious Living magazine says that in 2008, each office worker living in a Western Country will use more than 10,000 sheets of paper. Doesn't that seem incredible? That's about 1.2 trees per person, per year. Maybe that doesn't seem like much but think how long it takes a tree to mature!
The magazine also lists some tips for us to cut down on our paper usage. Here are a few of them:
*Print only when necessary.
*Use 100 percent recycled paper when possible.
*End the flow of junk mail by registering on greendimes.com or catalogchoice.org
*Learn which paper-product companies use sustainable practices at nrdc.org/land/forests/gtissue.asp
What do you do with used wrapping paper, cereal boxes and magazines? I reuse wrapping paper whenever I can (much to the chagrin of my family). We recycle cereal boxes and other cardboard. Our library has magazine drop boxes. You can drop off your magazines and pick up ones that others have left. This is great for me. I love to look at magazines! This way I don't have to subscribe to a ton yet I can read lots!
Here at Gathered From The Garden we are trying to cut down on our paper use too. We get many cardboard boxes. We reuse them to pack bigger orders. Like most of you, we are trying to be ever earth friendly.

Monday Mornings


Check out this website : everymondaymatters.com It will give you a list of something to think about or work on for the 52 Mondays in a year. Since today is Monday I decided to give it a try. This is the 32nd Monday of the year so the topic for today is Safe Driving-Slowing Down. Here are a couple of statistics they list on their website:

The #1 killer of people ages 4 to 37 is car accidents
75% of drivers admit to driving over the speed limit
Over 43,000 people die in car accidents each year, and 2.7 million are injured.

I am usually pretty good about following the speed limit when I drive around in town. When I am driving country roads on my commute I tend to have a little heavier foot. I am going to really try to slow down and use my cruise control more.

On Monday's website they tell us that "You can’t get a speeding ticket if you don’t speed. It costs you nothing to slow down, and you might even save money on gas and brakes. Also, you set a good example for other motorists and for anyone who is in the car with you. The accident you prevent or the life you save just may be your own."

Be Your Own "Safe Driving" Diva! Slow down, obey posted speed limits and leave early to allow yourself more time. With all that extra time you can check out Gathered's new aromatherapy blends on our website: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com