Comfort Food on a Rainy Day

Rain is predicted for today here in Northern California. A good day to make soup. Making my own soup is one of the easier ways to eat healthier and get a little comfort food. One of my favorite childhood memories is coming home on cold days and smelling split pea soup or bean soup simmering on the stove. Not to disparage anyone’s favorite store bought soup! It is just that I know what is in my soup. I control the amount of salt and no sugar, of course. And, as a vegetarian, I like being sure there is no meat broth hidden in the fine print.

Split Pea Soup Recipe

Yup, nothing beats soup for warming the bones . . .

According to Harris Interactive, 23% of adults say they pay bills late (& thus incur unnecessary fees) because they loose them. The systems you use (or don’t use) can make or break your financial situation. Here are some tips to begin the organizing process in the new year.

• Receipt Box – get in the habit of asking for a receipt for all your purchases.

When you arrive home, empty those receipts into this box.

Every two weeks, categorize and enter these receipts in a simple Excel program according to type (or use an actual accounting program like Quicken or Quick Books).

You’ll soon see exactly how you are spending your money and, if necessary, where you can make changes.

• Simple Bill Paying – if you use Quicken or Quick Books, easy.

Just go to the bill pay feature once a month, click on the bills you want to pay – done (of course, a little set up is required!).

Otherwise, when bills arrive, remove them from their envelope, write out the check for payment (dating it several days before its due), place it in an envelope for mailing and where the stamp goes, write the date to mail it – on mailing day, the stamp covers up your note. Keep these in a ‘hot file’ on your desk in date order. Mail when due. Voila! done.

• Filing – since we all have different ways to retrieve things, set up a filing system that fits you.

Whether it is alphabetical, by month, or by category – use what works for you.

Just remember, at the end of every year and taxes are done, file bills paid alphabetically in a storage box AWAY from your desk/office since you will rarely need to reference these items again.

Purge periodically based on your tax professionals’ advice.

January is National GET ORGANIZED month – decluttering your finances can be your first step toward a more organized home.

from boxes to dinner parties in 48 hours! PHA wants you to be moved….

PHA – Affordable, Sophisticated Home Decorating & Staging, Moving & Relocation and Organizing Services.

World AIDS Day

In 1985, December 1st was designated as World AIDS Day. More than 20 years later, we continue to struggle with this devastating pandemic.

World AIDS Day is about people getting the facts about HIV and AIDS. By becoming informed, we can make safer choices about our behaviors and options.

• If you are sexually active, use a condom.
• Get tested, know your status.
• Facilitate frank and honest discussions with your partner(s). Don’t assume anything.
• If you are infected, there are treatment options available. Talk to your doctor, visit one of the websites below or call an AIDS hotline. There are no stupid questions.
• Help others in the process: Volunteer on a hotline. Deliver meals. Support one of the many wonderful organizations providing preventive education and condoms, as well as client service to those in need.

For additional information – these are but a few of the many wonderful organizations fighting the AIDS battle:

UNAIDS – The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS, is the main advocate for accelerated, comprehensive and coordinated global action on the epidemic.
http://www.unaids.org/en/default.asp#

Stop AIDS Project – Internationally recognized as a successful model of grassroots prevention and support, STOP AIDS brings diverse groups together to talk about the challenges and issues posed by HIV/AIDS through neighborhood outreach, workshops and community forums.
http://www.stopaids.org/

amfAR – amfAR’s mission is to prevent HIV infection and the disease and death associated with it and to protect the human rights of all people threatened by the epidemic of HIV/AIDS.
http://www.amfar.org/cgi-bin/iowa/index.html

Test Positive Aware Network – TPAN empowers people living with HIV through peer-led programming, support services, information dissemination, and advocacy. They also provide services to the broader community to increase HIV knowledge and sensitivity, and to reduce the risk of infection.
http://www.tpan.com/index.shtml

We are seeking submissions of images representing our community, then and now. We want to celebrate the joy, the fun, and the vitality that can be found in a rustic world.

We want you to find your favorite holiday picture. You know the one where your brother had shaved your eyebrows or your Mom cut your bangs . . .

Scan it and send it along with a current picture. We will then post the top ten and see if our readers can match the then to now.

Diabetes is caused when the body is unable to produce insulin (type 1 diabetes) or can’t properly use the insulin it produces (type 2 diabetes). Each day approximately 2,700 people learn that they have diabetes.

Recent studies have shown that healthy food choices, weight management, activity, and stress management can all contribute to a prevention of diabetes. These same factors also help individuals who are already diagnosed with diabetes to better manage their condition.

To learn more about diabetes and your health, visit The American Diabetes Association.

The last few weeks sure have been bumpy.  With presidential politics hitting a frenzied pitch and "market analysts" trying to figure out "how bad is it?" – The rest of us are just left frazzled and worried.

We can’t tell you where the economy is going to land or how hard the landing is going to be, but we can offer you a little relief for your holiday shopping. We are offering 15% off all our Big Sky products including bear ornaments and holiday figurines. These include brand names like Bearfoots, Brushwerks Bear, Maskwa Ridge and Big Sky Christmas

When you check out simply enter the code "fallbears" for your discount.  This offer is good through November 15th.

Hollywood and the fashion, cosmetics and diet industries work hard to make each of us believe that our bodies are unacceptable and need constant improvement. Print ads and television commercials reduce us to body parts — lips, legs, breasts — airbrushed and touched up to meet impossible standards. TV shows tell women and teenage girls that cosmetic surgery is good for self-esteem. Is it any wonder that more than 80% of fourth-grade girls have been on some form of fad diet?

Women and girls spend billions of dollars every year on cosmetics, fashion, magazines and diet aids. These industries can’t use negative images to sell their products without our assistance.

Together, we can fight back.

Love Your Body Day 2008 is October 15

According to the University of Washington . . . Plus-size women have a 20% greater risk of receiving a false positive on mammograms. This can lead to unnecessary and invasive follow up procedures.

Tip: Have mammograms performed at the same facility each year so that you can establish a baseline against which the radiologist can compare each test.

In an effort to encourage you to Live Life Fully, we want to remind you of the importance of early detection through annual mammography screening for women over 40. Mammography screenings are a woman’s best chance for detecting breast cancer early. When coupled with new treatment options, mammography screenings can significantly improve a woman’s chances of survival.

Not just for the ladies – There can be similar problems with sonograms in many parts of the body for plus-sized people. The sonogram technition should know to apply extra pressure and to take images from multiple angles.

Some additional resources:

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation is dedicated to education and research on breast cancer causes, treatment and the search for a cure.

Breast Cancer Information from National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc
Information on Breast Cancer. Saving lives by increasing awareness through breast cancer education and providing mammograms for those in need. ]]> http://bearathome.com/wordpress/2008/10/08/national-breast-cancer-awareness-month/feed/ 0 http://bearathome.com/wordpress/2008/10/04/fall-organizing-tips/ http://bearathome.com/wordpress/2008/10/04/fall-organizing-tips/#comments Sat, 04 Oct 2008 20:00:24 +0000 BearatHome http://bearathome.com/wordpress/?p=66

As you get your home ready for winter, we thought we’d pass on these organizing tips to make your life a little easier . . .     

 Happy Autumn!

PHA – Affordable, Sophisticated Home Decorating & Staging, Moving & Relocation and  Organizing Services.

Hollywood and the fashion, cosmetics and diet industries work hard to make each of us believe that our bodies are unacceptable and need constant improvement. Print ads and television commercials reduce us to body parts — lips, legs, breasts — airbrushed and touched up to meet impossible standards. TV shows tell women and teenage girls that cosmetic surgery is good for self-esteem. Is it any wonder that more than 80% of fourth-grade girls have been on some form of fad diet?

Women and girls spend billions of dollars every year on cosmetics, fashion, magazines and diet aids. These industries can’t use negative images to sell their products without our assistance.

Together, we can fight back.