You Want to Know What?

(Microsoft ClipsOnLine)

Toddlers, older kids, teens, adults, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, friends- Whew! Now that's an exhaustive list of people!  What questions appeal to all of us?

Take, for example, some info that you or your children and grandchildren might like to know:

•   What is an aurors?
•   Sponge Bob's house is not a pineapple. 
•   Medicine's future-There's an app for that.
•   If superheroes were real:  Invisibility, immortality, super speed, super strength. 

Or how about...

•   How two decisions led me to Olympic glory:  Steve Mesler 
•   Animation basics 
•   Superhero science 
•   The big questions 
•   Math in real life 
•   Questions no one (yet) knows the answers to 
•   How big is the ocean? 
•   The contributions of female explorers 
•   The Writer's Workshop
•   What color is Tuesday: Exploring Synesthesia 
•   The perils of plagiarism   

      And TONS more!  Just go to   ed.ted.com .   Browse the categories or

              type in a word. (Typing in 'games'  brought up the video on the Olympics.)

              It's a fantastic site for all of us to bookmark.

(Thanks to Penny for directing us to this resource.)

The Best Way to Decide on Marriage Material: Ask the Kids!

                                                      WE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN!

(Microsoft ClipsOnline 

(Microsoft ClipsOnline)

                                                       
    

-You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.  -Alan, age 10  -No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.  -Kristen, age 10 2. WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED? Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.   - Camille, age 10 3. HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED? You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.   -Derrick, age 8 4. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON? Both don't want any more kids.  -Lori, age 8 5. WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE? -Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.  -Lynnette, age 8 (Isn't she a treasure!) -On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.  -Martin, age 10 6. WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE? -When they're rich.  -Pam, age 7 -The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.  -Curt, age 7 -The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry  and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do. -Howard, age 8 7.  IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED? It's better for girls to be single but not for boys.  Boys need someone to clean up after them. -Anita, age 9 (Bless you,Child ) 8.  HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED? There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there? -Kelvin, age 8                                       And the #1 Favorite is... 9. HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK? Tell your wife that she looks pretty,Even if she looks like a dump truck.-Ricky, age 10 (Thanks to Bob A. for forwarding this gem!)

A Few Beauty and Fashion Tips

Beauty Tips

1.  Once you wash your face, the window of opportunity for retaining as much moisture as possible is 2 minutes.  So apply your moisturizer withing that 2-minute time limit.

2.  Making lips look better:  Those nasty lip lines arrive at some point in all of our lives-earlier if we smoke.  Lip balm made with beeswax seals in moisture.  And, if you're a lipstick woman, it forms a barrier to prevent the color from bleeding.

3.  Would you like fuller lips, but don't want the brown lip-liner look? Tim Quinn, a makeup artist, recommends " applying lipstick with a brush. A dab of gloss in the center of the lower lip grabs the light, making fat pad appear  fuller. Finish by tracing a bit of concealer just below the lip line and at the cupid's bow."  He indicates that "the lighter color creates a 3-D effect and gives the illusion of puffier lips that are more pronounced."

Fashion Tips

1.  Lots of us think that, if we wear bigger garments, we'll appear thinner.  But celebrity stylist, Robert Verdi, observes "Everything should be body skimming.  Wear lightweight vertical pieces(think long cardigans, scarves, and necklaces) to build a body-lengthening look without the bulk."

2.  When we tuck in blouses or tees, we emphasize belly fat/exaggerate a somewhat plump posterior. Better?  "Wear a blouse with fitted seams over slim pants to give you the illusion of shape in your middle. Or pull a tailored tunic on over slim jeans for a flattering, streamlined  look."

3.  Wear 3/4 length sleeves or roll up your sleeves.  "Exposing the thinnest part of your arm (from your elbow to your wrist) not only says young and stylish but also gives the illusion of a slender shape," says Kim Johnson Gross in What to Wear for the Rest of Your Life.  She also recommends that a woman  turn up her collar.  "An upturned collar elongates your frame and de-emphasizes a double chin." (collar width-no more than 3 " and with some weight).

4.  Kristen Rawson, Style Director of Ann Taylor, recommends that we "lose the pleats.  Flat-front pants slim your tummy and lengthen your legs, so you seem taller and better proportioned."

Some of these we knew; some we didn't.  All are taken from the "Fresh Face"(8-9) and "Well Dressed"(16) sections of  The Two-Day Diet Reports, Rodale Press, March, 2013).

apps You Might Find Useful for Exercise, Healthy Eating Choices, Stress Relief

apps For Exercise, Healthy Eating Choices, Stress Relief

1.  We're all trying to fit in some exercise each day-or wish we had at the end of the day.  Here's an app to help with that motivation.

For the runners, hikers, elliptical trainers, bikers and those who find the best exercise is just walking the dog, Kim McM shares her impressions of Runkeeper (a free app from FitnessKeeper, Inc. for the iphone):

"I do really love this app! I use it whether I'm doing training runs, gym workouts or even walking the dog! There is something about tracking the miles you put in! The other thing that I really like is being able to track my elapsed time and distance. Although my running buddy and I aren't training to "win" a marathon, we do keep track of our pace and try to better ourselves! I've recommended RunKeeper many times and will continue to do so!"

2.You can make healthier packaged food choices at the grocery store when you know whether and to what extent nutrients are included.  On the other hand, you can determine what suspect additives like high fructose corn syrup, unhealthy fats might be lurking among the ingredients.  The app allows you to scan the product; then it rates the packaged food from A to D according to its healthiest or unhealthiest content.  Fooducate (a free app available for smart phones from Fooducate,Ltd. ).

3.  Is it hard to pick restaurants offering healthy choices for your family or for restrictions that your doctor has suggested you follow?  Are you trying to avoid salt?  Maybe your specific focus is on gluten-free choices, or you're trying to stick to a certain type of diet. Eating out might be easier with HealthyOut, another free app for the iphone.  It uses your location to list any restaurants or even specific dishes you can find near you. 

3.  So, on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you describe your stress level?  If it's in the "It exhausts me!" or "All the time!" range, you might consider an easy strategy to ease up on that frazzled state. It seems silly, but it must not be since Buddist monks have used it to promote "mindfulness" for centuries. What part of the normal work day seems to mark your exhaustion high points? This app allows you to set your phone at certain times of the day, and it "dings" to remind you to step back, take some deep breaths and regroup.  The Mindfulness Bell is a free app to try (as listed in Prevention, May 2013, 139.)

(Thanks to Kim for the exercise suggestion. By the way, if you're in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, check out Kim's business,  Elegant Design, located in Fort Worth. )

Battling Those Pesky Wasps and Flies: A Really Cheap Fix

(Microsoft ClipsOnline)

Battling Those Pesky Wasps and Flies:  A Really Cheap Fix

 " We went with friends to a restaurant on Sunday for lunch
 and sat in the patio section beside the store. We happened
 to notice zip lock baggies pinned to a post and a wall. The

 bags were half filled with water, each contained 4 pennies,

 and they were zipped shut. Naturally we were curious!

 The owner told us that these baggies kept the flies away! So naturally we were even more curious! We actually watched some flies come in the window, stand around on the window sill, and then fly out again. And there were no flies in the eating area! This morning I checked this out on Google. Below are comments on this fly control idea.  I'm now a believer!

 #1 says: I tried the zip lock bag and pennies this weekend.. I have a horse trailer. The flies were bad while I was camping. I put the baggie with pennies above the door of the LQ. NOT ONE FLYcame in the trailer. The horse trailer part had many. Not sure why it works, but it but does!

 #2 says: Fill a zip lock bag with water and 5 or 6 pennies and hang it in the problem area. In my case it was a particular window in my home. It had a slight passage way for insects. Ever since I have done that, it has kept flies and wasps away. Some say that wasps and flies mistake the bag for some other insect nest and are threatened.

#3 says: I swear by the plastic bag of water trick. I have them on porch and basement. We saw these in Northeast Mo. at an Amish grocery store & have used them since. They say it works because a fly sees a reflection & won't come around.

 #4 says: Regarding the science behind zip log bags of water? My research found that each of the millions of molecules of water presents its own prism effect and, given that flies have a lot of eyes, to them it's like a zillion disco balls reflecting light, colors and movement in a dizzying manner. When you figure that flies are prey for many other bugs,animals, birds, etc., they simply won't take the risk of being around that much perceived action.  I tried it and it worked immediately! We went from hundreds of flies to seeing the occasional one, but he didn't hang around long"

(Thanks to Joan H. for forwarding this tip.)

Bungee Jumping? Seriously? A Little Humor for Your Day

                                              Subject: Don't Bungee Jump Naked
As posted by jk:  

"Do watch this, it is so funny! It gets even funnier toward the end so be patient! It is a great giggle--turn on your sound and click on the link below. Her comedic focus is for seniors. She is HILARIOUS and her humor is clean. She calls her husband 'Left Brain', so you will know who she is talking about. She was Miss North Carolina in 1963, and she is still beautiful! jk"

Click on link below

Don't Bungee Jump Naked!  http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=L1_W0LCHwK4 (Thanks to Joan H. for forwarding this YouTube clip.)