Month: January 2023

Our 10 Top Fitness Tracker Watches for Women

Posted on by James Miller

Here are our picks for the 10 top fitness tracker watches for women to help find the best one for you or that special woman in your life.

Which is the best watch for fitness tracking for women?

Women ask themselves this as they try to find out what the best fitness tracker watch for women is when they look for one for themselves or that particular woman they hold dear.

Unfortunately, getting the answer to that is easier said than done.

That’s because a lot goes into women’s fitness.

Most want to lose weight, but some also want help with upgrading their exercise routine, working out more, monitoring their health and keeping a healthy weight.

There are fitness tracker watches designed to achieve specific fitness goals, but narrowing the options down can be difficult since not all women have the same experience level.

So we took the guesswork out of the equation by listing what we found as the 10 best fitness tracker watches for women right here. We’re sure among these is the one with the features that will let you or your special someone crush your fitness goals.

Luxe with Special Edition Gorjana Bracelet

Fitness tracker watches usually feature silicone wristbands. That’s because such wristbands are durable, water resistant and easy to clean. But they aren’t exactly stylish. Not Fitbit’s Luxe.

This limited edition fitness tracker watch for women comes with a bracelet as its wristband, made by famed American jewelry retailer Gorjana, making it quite chic. But if you aren’t into that kind of look, you can easily swap it out for the pink silicone wristband the fitness tracker watch also comes with. If you don’t like that either, there are other options you can choose from.

To help you achieve your fitness goals, the Luxe can count the steps you’d take, track the miles you’d cover, log how many exercise sessions you’d do per week and more.

Battery life: Up to 5 days

Water resistance: 50 meters

GPS: Yes, connected to your smartphone

Find out more about Fitbit’s Luxe or shop it here.

Steel HR Hybrid Smartwatch

Since it looks just like a regular watch, you can say that the Steel HR Hybrid Smartwatch by French consumer electronics company Withings is the exact opposite of Fitbit’s Luxe. That makes it perfect for fitness enthusiasts who want a fitness tracker watch that’s a bit more low-key. But it’s no slouch when it comes to helping achieve your fitness goals. It has several features made specifically to let you do just that:

  • Tracks your activities, like the steps you’d take and distance covered
  • Measures your heart rate
  • Gives you a “sleep score”
  • Health Mate app that lets you dig deeper into your fitness stats

Battery life: Up to 25 days

Water resistance: 50 meters

GPS: No

Find out more about Withings’ Steel HR Hybrid Smartwatch or shop it on withings.com or Amazon.

Inspire 2

If you’re looking for an affordable, no-frills fitness tracker watch for women, Fitbit’s Inspire 2 could be right up your alley.

Its price ranges from $57 to $80, but it can do everything you need for basic activity tracking. It can count your steps, distance covered and calories burned, making it great for simple workouts, like brisk walking and cycling. To better track your activity, it also comes with a heart rate monitor.

Battery life: Up to 10 days

Water resistance: 50 meters

GPS: Connects to your phone’s GPS

Find out more about Fitbit’s Inspire 2 or shop it on fitbit.com, Amazon or Walmart.com.

Charge 5

Mental health has been a trending topic these past couple of years, with more and more people taking better care of theirs. If you’re looking for a device that can help you stay physically fit and improve your mental health, consider FitBit’s Charge 5.

Not only can the Charge 5 track your steps, distance covered and calories burned, it comes with an EDA Scan app that helps manage stress. Its other related features include:

  • Providing a Daily Readiness score, which tells you whether your body is up for a high-intensity workout or needs a break
  • Sending you menstrual cycle alerts
  • Letting you log your food and water intake
  • Robust sleep tracking

Battery life: Up to 7 days

Water resistance: 50 meters

GPS: Built-in

Find out more about Fitbit’s Charge 5 or shop it on fitbit.com or Amazon.

Vívoactive 4

Most probably brought about by people’s growing need to take better care of their mental health, there are those that try to use their phones less and less. If you’d rather not use yours while working out, the Vívoactive 4 by American multinational tech company Garmin will work just fine without it.

Apart from a variety of tracking capabilities, the Vívoactive 4’s features include being able to store up to 500 songs and having more than 20 preloaded sports apps.

Battery life: Up to 8 days on smart watch mode, up to 6 hours on GPS mode with music, up to 18 hours without music

Water resistance: 50 meters

GPS: Built-in

Find out more about Garmin’s Vívoactive 4 or shop it on garmin.com, Amazon or Walmart.com.

Forerunner 35

Is your preferred form of exercise running or biking? If you’re strictly a runner or cyclist, you’ll find everything you need from a fitness tracker watch for women from Garmin’s Forerunner 35:

  • Auto-records the details of each of your excursions
  • Tracks your heart rate, distance covered, pace, calories burned, etc.
  • Run/walk activity mode along with interval training options

Battery life: Up to 9 days on smart watch mode, up to 13 hours on GPS training mode

Water resistance: 50 meters

GPS: Built-in

Find out more about Garmin’s Forerunner 35 or shop it on Amazon or Walmart.com.

Apple Watch Series 7

The Apple Watch Series 7 is essentially a smart watch, but thanks to its many features, it can most definitely work as a fitness tracker watch for women. Its fitness-related features include:

  • A variety of exercise modes, including cycling, yoga and dance
  • Lets you create group exercise challenges with your family and friends
  • Can take an electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure your heart’s health and give you insights into how your body responds to stress
  • Menstrual tracking option
  • Tracks your heart rhythm, blood oxygen levels, sleep cycles and more

Battery life: Up to 18 hours, but its charging speed has been improved. For example, it can reach an 80% charge in about 45 minutes.

Water resistance: 50 meters

GPS: Built-in

Find out more about the Apple Watch Series 7 or shop it on Walmart.com or bestbuy.com.

Polar Vantage M

The Polar Vantage M by Finnish sports training computers and electronics maker Polar is touted as an all-around multisport watch. That’s because it comes with more than 130 sports modes to choose from—more than any of the fitness tracker watches for women on this list—ensuring you’ll get the support you need from it in the sport you prefer. The rest of its features are:

  • High accuracy heart rate monitor
  • Polar Flow, Polar’s online platform that provides detailed training data
  • Provides sport-specific feedback that helps you fine-tune your performance
  • Being customizable thanks to its wristband that can be easily swapped out

Battery life: Up to 30 hours

Water resistance: 30 meters

GPS: Built-in

Find out more about the Polar Vantage M or shop it on Amazon.

Sense

Fitbit’s Sense is loaded with features for a fitness tracker watch for women. Here are just some we think are worth pointing out:

  • Activity tracking with 20 built-in exercise modes
  • Stress management tools
  • Sleep monitoring
  • Lets you manually track your menstrual cycle and log your symptoms so you can predict the timing of your period and fertile window more accurately
  • ECG and electrodermal (EDA) scanning capabilities
  • Lets you control your music and receive notifications from your smartphone on the fitness tracker watch itself
  • Syncs with Fitbit Pay

If you’re looking for a fitness tracker watch for women that can give you everything you can possibly need to achieve your fitness goals, Fitbit’s Sense might very well be the one.

Battery life: Up to 6 days, but can only last 12 hours on continuous GPS mode

Water resistance: 50 meters

GPS: Built-in

Find out more about Fitbit’s Sense or shop it on fitbit.com or Amazon.

Versa 3

The Versa 3 is Fitbit’s latest watch. Just like the Sense, it’s also packed with features. But what’s surprising is that some aren’t found in the already loaded Sense. They include:

  • Large, “always-on” screen
  • Heart rate monitor
  • Access to Amazon and Google’s voice assistants
  • Tracks your heart rate at night
  • Apart from your steps, distance covered and calories burned, it counts your hourly activity, active minutes and floors climbed
  • Lets you set goals for yourself and see even more of your stats
  • If you forget to manually log your workout, it can detect your activity and input it automatically

Suffice to say, Fitbit’s Versa 3 has it all.

Battery life: Up to 6 days

Water resistance: 50 meters

GPS: Built-in

Find out more about Fitbit’s Versa 3 or shop it on fitbit.com, Amazon or Walmart.com.

References

Images Sources

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

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Our Top 10 Best Healthy Restaurants in NYC

Posted on by James Miller

Here are our picks for the 10 best healthy restaurants in NYC, where you and your loved ones can enjoy food that’s delightfully delicious yet good for you.

New York City (NYC) is known for many things.

NYC is the home of the Statue of Liberty. The robed, blue-green female statue towers more than 300 feet over Liberty Island in New York Harbor. She represents Libertas, the Roman goddess of Liberty. She symbolizes hope for all who see her, like the 3 million people who come to see her in all her glory each year.

NYC is where the Empire State Building is located. Standing over 1,400 feet tall, it was once the tallest skyscraper in the world. It’s among the world’s most iconic high-rises.

NYC also features Central Park. Not only is it one of the city’s largest parks—at more than 840 acres—it’s also one of the most well-known parks in the world.

And the list goes on.

What NYC isn’t so famous for is healthy food.

It’s known for its pizza, bagels and cheesecake—food that isn’t exactly considered healthy.

But there are restaurants here that offer food that is as healthy as it is delicious.

To help you find the places to go for the best and healthiest food in the city, here are our 10 top choices for the best healthy restaurants in NYC.

#10: Avocaderia

Avocaderia pride themselves as being the world’s first avocado bar. They offer seasonal, nourishing and uniquely crafted salads and bowls made by chefs who use nothing but “non-invasive cooking techniques” to make sure their customers can enjoy fresh and healthy meals. To let even more people enjoy their uniquely delicious food, they now offer specialty catering for events of all sizes, from team meetings to corporate conventions and everything in between.

Learn more about Avocaderia here.

#9: BareBurger

Who says burgers can’t be healthy? BareBurger is proving that you don’t have to choose among being healthy, protecting the environment and eating mouth-watering burgers—you can have it all. This burger joint’s menu starts with fresh, clean, sustainable, organic and all-natural ingredients sourced from like-minded purveyors and farms. They then let their customers choose according to their preferences. For example, for vegans, they have “meatless” burgers. For picky eaters, they have the “be my burger” option that lets them customize. They even have salads and kids’ meals.

Learn more about BareBurger here.

#8: Inday

Indian cuisine is known for being healthy, heavy on vegetables and light on meat. Inday exemplifies this. Founded by a native New Yorker whose Kolkata-born mother and Hyderabadi father instilled traditional values and ancient practices in him and his life, this fast casual Indian restaurant celebrates the beauty and breadth of Indian cooking. Their approach to this is guided by ancient Ayurvedic philosophy, enabling them to focus not only on sustainable sourcing and healthful cooking but also on daily rituals and mindfulness practices that benefit their well-being.

Learn more about Inday here.

#7: Dimes

Dimes is an eclectic and imaginative restaurant offering healthy, California-inspired food. For breakfast, which is served till 4 PM, the options include strong Counter Culture coffee, fluffy eggs on a breakfast sandwich and Magic Toast topped with tart mandarinquat and permission compote, goat cheese and mint. For lunch there’s bánh mì, BLT and kombucha on tap. There’s also spicy quinoa with various veggies, roasted chicken, carrot cake, creamy pot de crème and some organic and sustainable wines.

Find out more about Dimes here.

#6: The Butcher’s Daughter

The Butcher’s Daughter is a “plant-forward” restaurant, café, juice bar and “vegetable slaughterhouse.” That means they’re a 100% vegetarian joint with many vegan and gluten-free options except they don’t treat fruits and vegetables the same way most vegetarian eateries do. They treat them as butchers typically treat meat: they chop them up, fillet them and carve them into uniquely scrumptious vegetarian dishes.

Check out what The Butcher’s Daughter has to offer here.

#5: The Little Beet Table

The Little Beet Table is a “vegetable-forward” restaurant that offers seasonal, locally sourced and carefully thought-out yet wholesome meals in a relaxed, rustic setting. Options include:

  • Roasted chicken with Tuscan petite potatoes and roasted carrots
  • Crispy salmon with quinoa, asparagus and roasted tomatoes
  • Rigatoni with arugula pistou, butternut squash, roasted mushroom and Parmesan
  • Sunflower hummus with grilled pita bread

Learn more about The Little Beet Table here.

#4: abcV

While it’s one of the many restaurants around the world operated by renowned restaurateur and businessman Jean-Georges Vongerichten, abcV is the one focused on the plant-based movement. The vegetarian, vegetable-forward restaurant features a bright and airy cafeteria-like setting, an open kitchen and pristine white and green decor that all highlights the creativity of their dishes. They include:

  • Warm sunchoke puree
  • Roasted beet salad with avocado puree, chili aioli, pickles and lovage
  • Spinach spaghetti with broccoli, kale, preserved lemon and Parmigiano
  • Beluga lentils with yams and broccoli stems

Learn more about abcV and Jean-Georges Vongerichten here.

#3: Loring Place

Loring Place describes itself as a celebration of New York and all things local. It’s a restaurant that offers farm-to-table dining through the delicious, market-driven dishes created by Dan Kluger, an award-winning chef whose successes and accolades include working as the Executive Chef of ABC Cocina and ABC Kitchen, which was named Best New Restaurant 2011 by the James Beard Foundation. Named after the street in the Bronx where Dan’s father grew up, Loring Place’s fare includes pastas and pizzas made of ingredients sourced from nearby Union Square Greenmarket.

Learn more about Loring Place and Dan Kluger here. 

#2: HanGawi

HanGawi is a Korean restaurant that touts itself as a “vegetarian shrine in another space and time.” True to form, you’ll need to take off your shoes before you can enter its serene, Buddhist temple-like interior and enjoy its simple yet beautifully prepared vegetarian dishes. Some of them are based on the food Buddhist monks actually eat.

See what HanGawi has to offer here.

#1: Dirt Candy

Dirt Candy is one of the pioneers of the vegetable-forward movement. Its team calls it NYC’s only vegetable restaurant. That’s because they serve nothing but vegetables. But that doesn’t mean their food is bland. Their goal is to make them taste better than anything their customers have ever had before. They achieve this by treating their kitchen as a laboratory, where they push veggies further than anyone. They’re led by Amanda Cohen, a James Beard-nominated chef and the owner of the restaurant. Having such a passion for vegetarian cuisine enabled them to become one of the two vegetarian restaurants in NYC with a Michelin-star.

Learn more about Dirt Candy and Amanda Cohen here.

References

Images Sources

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

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Our 9 Top Self-Care Gifts for Men

Posted on by James Miller

Here are our 9 top self-care gifts for men to give you great men’s self-care gift ideas for the special guys in your life.

Men are notoriously hard to shop for.

Why? We don’t make it easy.

Think for a minute about the guys in your life and see whether you can easily come up with gifts for them.

Let’s start with your dad.

Let us guess. He doesn’t want anything.

Then there’s your husband.

He probably told you he’s good and doesn’t need more gifts.

Or maybe you have a boyfriend.

We’re sure he left it all up to you.

The same goes for your brother/brothers, cousin/cousins, uncle/uncles, grandpa/grandpas and guy friends, coworkers and/or classmates.

Yeah, it’s a pain.

But don’t worry. We got your back.

Why not give them self-care gifts for men?

More and more people have started prioritizing self-care. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) started Self-Care Month on June 24 of 2022 in order to encourage everyone to celebrate self-care and how it can make a difference in all our lives.

With self-care having become even more important to everybody, giving your men self-care gifts shows just how much you care for them.

To save you the headache of figuring out which ones would suit them, here are our 9 top picks for men’s self-care gift ideas that any guy would like.

Williams Sonoma’s Ember Mug 2

Williams Sonoma is an American retailer of kitchenware, appliances and home furnishings. Their Ember Mug 2 is the world’s first temperature-controlled mug. Its state-of-the-art mobile app gives you full control over how you enjoy your coffee. It lets you adjust the temperature, add customized drink presets and more.

The rest of the Ember Mug 2’s features are:

  • Convenient charging coaster for all-day use
  • Smart LED that lights up when your coffee’s ready
  • Built-in battery that can maintain your preferred sipping temperature
  • Auto sleep function that can sense when to switch the heating on or off

The Ember Mug 2 is available on Williams Sonoma’s official website.

Moleskine’s Smart Writing Set

Moleskine is an Italian company best known for making high-quality notebooks that have been used by celebrated writers and artists throughout history, including Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gogh.

Moleskine’s Smart Writing Set features include:

  • Smart notebook with the classic Moleskine notebook shape and Ncoded ivory-colored pages
  • Smart pen
  • Notes App
  • Magnetic charger
  • Pen tip ink refill

Once you download the Notes App for free from the App Store or Google Play and start using it, the smart notebook and smart pen will let you create a digital copy of every page instantly—taking your writing projects to a whole new level.

Moleskine’s Smart Writing Set is available on Moleskine’s official website.

Courant’s CATCH:3

Courant is an American maker of tech accessories. They design their products in-house at their office in Soho, New York City (NYC), but they source their materials from craftsmen based in Italy. Such fine craftsmanship can be seen in everything they make, like the CATCH:3 wireless charging tray. An exquisite and seamless marriage of modern technology and classic design, the CATCH:3 is just the thing for tech aficionados with discerning taste.

Courant’s CATCH:3 is available on Courant’s official website.

Meridian’s The Trimmer Plus

Meridian is an American designer of premium grooming products. One of them is The Trimmer Plus, a body hair trimmer designed specifically for effortless yet precise trimming. Its features are:

  • 5 adjustable settings that all guarantee a gentle glide
  • Anti-nick shaving guard
  • Replaceable ceramic blade
  • Cleaning brush
  • USB-C charger and charging dock

The Trimmer Plus is available on Meridian’s official website.

Solgaard’s Carry-On Closet

Solgaard is an American maker of sustainable travel gear. Some of their most innovative designs include the Carry-On Closet, their award-winning suitcase that folds out into essentially a portable closet. Its features include:

  • Solgaard’s patented built-in shelving system
  • “Indestructible” polycarbonate shell
  • Integrated USB charging port

No matter where you go, Solgaard’s Carry-On Closet will keep your things so organized, they’ll look like they never left your closet at home.

Solgaard’s Carry-On Closet is available on Solgaard’s official website.

Goal Zero’s Nomad 10

Goal Zero is a Massachusetts, Utah-based developer and retailer of portable solar power systems. Their Nomad 10 was made to be used and enjoyed by backpackers, hikers and travel enthusiasts. This solar panel is foldable, light enough to be hooked to your backpack and comes with its own adjustable kickstand—making it the perfect companion for nature lovers who want to enjoy the outdoors without leaving the convenience modern technology provides at home.

Goal Zero’s Nomad 10 is currently available on Amazon.

Therabody’s Wave Solo

Therabody is a Los Angeles, California-based wellness technology company known for making cutting-edge therapy devices and natural solutions for everyone. One of their most unique products is the Wave Solo. This “ultra-portable smart vibration therapy device” can deliver pinpoint, soothing pressure and vibration to any area of the body in order to reduce tension and improve movement.

The Wave Solo is available on Therabody’s official website.

GSI Outdoors’ Santoku Knife Set

GSI Outdoors is a Spokane, Washington-based designer, maker and retailer of outdoor cookware and gear. Their passion for great food and the great outdoors is clear to see in their Santoku Knife Set. It includes:

  • 4″ paring knife with sheath
  • 6″ chef’s knife with sheath
  • 6″ serrated bread knife with sheath
  • Foldable cutting board
  • Soap bottle
  • Dish cloth
  • Ballistic nylon case

Whether for camping, the beach or just good old backyard cooking, GSI Outdoors’ Santoku Knife Set is the ideal outdoor gourmet prep set.

The Santoku Knife Set is available on GSI Outdoors’ official website.

BioLite’s Campstove 2+

BioLite is a NYC-based startup that produces off-the-grid energy products for outdoor recreational use and emerging markets, like most of Africa. Some of their most cutting-edge designs include the Campstove 2+. This device is basically a portable campfire that can generate electricity. The size of a wide-mouthed water bottle, it lets you cook your meals and charge your gear all at the same time.

  •  

The Campstove 2+ is available on BioLite’s official website.

 

References

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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10 Inspiring Self-Care Quotes for Moms and What They Mean

Posted on by James Miller

Here are our 10 top quotes about self-care for moms and the meaning behind each to inspire mothers the world over.

There are those who would say December is the time of year moms are busiest. Aside from work and taking care of their families, they need to find the time and energy to prepare to celebrate the holidays. That means decorating their houses, making the food and getting everyone ready for the relatives to arrive.

It’s lovely—no matter how tiring it is—especially when you see the joy on your loved ones’ faces as they enjoy everything you’ve done for them. But it can be really draining. Some even forget they need to keep practicing self-care no matter how busy they get.

Self-care is when you take time to do things that benefit you emotionally, physically and mentally. Those include getting enough sleep, eating healthy and exercising.

We know you have responsibilities as a mother, but that’s no excuse not to take care of yourself. So you always remember, here are our 10 picks for truly inspirational motherhood self-care quotes and their meanings.

“Self-care has become a new priority – the revelation that it’s perfectly permissible to listen to your body and do what it needs.” — Frances Ryan

Frances Ryan is a British journalist, author and activist for people with disabilities. In 2021, the charitable organization Shaw Trust named her one of the UK’s 10 most influential disabilities activists. Global Citizen, an advocacy organization dedicated to ending “extreme poverty” by 2030, called her “a prominent voice for people with disabilities in the media.”

Frances tells women not to be ashamed to tend to their needs. Nothing is more important than making sure their well-being is taken care of. Who better to do so than themselves?

“Self-care is never a selfish act—it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others.” – Parker J. Palmer

Parker J. Palmer is a prolific American author, educator and activist focused on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality and social change. He has published 10 books and many essays and poems. He’s also the founder and senior partner emeritus of the Center for Courage and Renewal.

Some women think taking care of themselves is selfish. They believe doing so makes them appear as if they’re more important than others. Parker debunks this. He rightfully says they themselves are the best gift they can give to others, so they must take care of themselves.

“Learning to love yourself is like learning to walk–essential, life-changing, and the only way to stand tall.” — Vironika Tugaleva

Also known as Vironika Wilde, Vironika Tugaleva is an Ukranian poet, spoken word artist, life coach, visual artist and vocalist. She is also the author of the award-winning book The Love Mindset and The Art of Talking to Yourself.

Instead of being ashamed to take care of themselves. Vironika tells women to be proud. Not only is it necessary, it can even change their lives for the better. Once they learn how to take care of themselves, their quality of life will surely improve.

“You are beautiful and worthy of good things, and if you don’t believe that, nobody will.” — Rachel Hollis

Rachel Hollis is an American author, blogger and motivational speaker. She has written 3 self-help books, including Girl, Wash Your Face and Girl, Stop Apologizing.

Some women are so ashamed to take care of themselves they think they don’t deserve any kind of help. Rachel assures them they are. In order for others to realize this, they need to show them by taking care of themselves. Only then will others realize they’re worthy.

“Be kinder to yourself. And then let your kindness flood the world.” — Pema Chödrön

Pema Chödrön is an American Tibetan Buddhist, an ordained nun and the principal teacher at the Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia. She has written several dozen audiobooks and books, including How to Meditate: A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind and Living Beautifully: With Uncertainty and Change.

As Pema so succinctly put it, true kindness comes from within. It can only manifest if we take good care of ourselves. Only then can we be kind to others.

“You aren’t doing “nothing” when you choose to put your wellbeing first. In fact, this is the key to having everything.” — Brittany Burgunder

Brittany Burgunder is a certified professional life coach (CPC), specializing in eating disorders (ex: anorexia and bulimia). She is also a best-selling author. She wrote Safety in Numbers: My Battle with Eating Disorders, her first book published in 2016 that chronicles her struggles with having had an eating disorder and recovering from it. Her book is proudly included in the Gurze Salucore Eating Disorders Resource Catalog, the most widely used resource in the eating disorder field since the 80s.

As Brittney’s life experiences prove, women need to safeguard their health. The only way to protect it is by taking care of it.

“You are worth the quiet moment. You are worth the deeper breaths and you are worth the time it takes to slow down, be still, and rest.” – Morgan Harper Nichols

Morgan Harper Nichols is an American Christian musician, songwriter, mixed-media artist and writer. Although she’s autistic, she has positively influenced people all over the world with her art.

Living in such a fast-paced world, many think we need to keep up to do well or not be left out. Morgan makes us realize we don’t have to. There are things in this world that can only be appreciated by taking a break from time to time. Don’t get so caught up with the hustle and bustle that you can no longer experience the simple joys of life.

“There is enough time for self-care. There is not enough time to make up for the life you’ll miss by not filling yourself up.” — Jennifer Williamson

Jennifer Williamson is an accomplished political figure. She is an American attorney and a former Oregon state representative. She served as Majority Leader from 2015 to 2019.

Despite working in such a demanding field, Jennifer makes it a point to practice self-care. As she pointed out, all women can do it if they want to. They’ll never be able to make up for all the times they didn’t otherwise.

“In my own deepening understanding of myself, I find my capacity to serve others is deepened as well. The better I am at self-care, the more genuinely nurturing of others I am able to be.” — Mary Anne Radmacher

Mary Anne Radmacher is an artist and a writer. She has been writing since she was a child. She conducts workshops on living a “full, creative, balanced life.” She teaches internet writing seminars and works with individual clients.

Since she educates people, Mary Anne understands she needs to be nurturing to make her students’ minds and hearts open up to her. She has found that she needs to take good care of herself to do so. Women will become better at taking care of others by doing the same.

“Taking care of myself doesn’t mean ‘me first.’ It means ‘me, too.’” – LR Knost

LR Knost is an award-winning author of several books on “gentle parenting,” including Two Thousand Kisses a Day: Gentle Parenting Through the Ages and Stages and The Gentle Parent: Positive, Practical, Effective Discipline. She is the founder and director of Little Hearts/Gentle Parenting Resources, a children’s rights advocacy and family consulting group. She is also the editor-in-chief of Holistic Parenting Magazine.

Care shouldn’t just be given to others. Like LR said, women should also include themselves. That’s the only way everyone can be taken care of.

References

  1. “50+ Mom Self Care Quotes That Are Inspiring and Uplifting,” I AM STYLE-ISH by Tiffanyish
  2. “30 Self-Care Quotes for Moms” by Hermoine M. for WomenH

Image Source

Edward Cisneros on Unsplash

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Why Making New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work and What to Do Instead

Posted on by James Miller

Whenever it’s a New Year, many of us try to come up with New Year’s resolution ideas. We ask ourselves, “What should be my New Year’s resolution?” We try to figure out what would be a good New Year’s resolution or maybe even the best New Year’s resolution for us, hoping it will make next year turn out great.

What do most people usually choose as their New Year’s resolutions? They decide to lose weight, make strides in their career, pay off their debt, get organized or be more healthy. Any of these are great promises to make to ourselves. Achieving them greatly improves our quality of life. Yet, somehow, many are unable to do so.

A study conducted for two years found that nearly a quarter of people quit after just one week, and only 19% are able to keep going.

Does that mean we can’t ever hope to better ourselves?

Of course not!

We can improve, but not through the usual way we make New Year’s resolutions.

To discover how to stick to your New Year’s resolutions, we explain what a New Year’s resolution is, why we make New Year’s resolutions, why we fail to keep them and what we can do to actually make a change in our lives below.

What’s a New Year’s resolution?

A New Year’s resolution is a holiday tradition where we make a promise to ourselves around December or early January that can have a positive effect on our lives.

It’s usually a choice to either start doing something good or stop doing something bad.

An example of something good for us that could be our New Year’s resolution would be to exercise more. The more we work out, the healthier we’ll be.

Something bad we ought to promise ourselves to stop doing as our New Year’s resolution could be smoking. Once we quit, we’ll no longer suffer the side effects, making us feel a whole lot better.

Why do we make New Year’s resolutions?

For most of us, New Year’s Eve is more than just a holiday. We see it as a fresh start. When we throw out our old calendars or planners and replace them with new ones, we see the next 365 days laid before us, full of possibility, giving us a chance to make a change.

This sense of having a clean slate, coupled with the high from last year’s celebrations, encourages us to improve ourselves or make improvements in our lives.

A year might not seem like enough time for some to make good on such promises, but the positive vibes usually all around us this time of year boost our chances of seeing them through and reaping the rewards.

Why do we fail to keep our New Year’s resolutions?

There are various reasons many aren’t able to keep their New Year’s resolutions. Those include how healthy they are, their environment, their financial status and the company they keep. But the most common ones usually come from within.

5 Common Reasons New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work Out

 

Not Having a Plan

It was Benjamin Franklin himself, one of the Founding Fathers of the US, who said, “By failing to plan, you are preparing to fail.”

How can you keep your New Year’s resolutions if you don’t know how?

Instead of just winging it, you need to find out the steps you need to take.

Being Overconfident

There’s nothing wrong with believing in yourself. You need to in order to achieve something. It will give you that push you’ll need to keep going when the going gets rough.

Being confident becomes a problem when you become too confident.

Doing something new is never easy, no matter how easy it seems. You’ll run into obstacles you would’ve never expected. If things turn out harder than you thought, you might lose your drive to stick to your plan and fail to make your New Year’s resolutions a reality.

Accept that you have weaknesses that could cause you to struggle. The more realistic your expectations are, the more emotionally prepared you’ll be when challenges arise.

No Accountability

Striving to become better is great and all, but having no means to monitor your progress is a recipe for disaster.

That’s why fitness apps work. Showing you that you’re making progress keeps you motivated. If it shows you’re slipping, that very same motivation will compel you to get right back on track.

Monitor your progress towards making good on your New Year’s resolutions or ask someone to help you to keep your eyes on the prize.

Unwilling to Make Sacrifices

No great thing was ever achieved without giving something up.

Want to get fit? You need to start exercising or exercise more, eat healthy or healthier and consider going to the gym.

These aren’t things most people are willing to do, so you need to commit in order to do them.

It’s the same for any New Year’s resolution. Find out whether you need to get rid of certain things in your life in order to achieve yours. If there are any, ready yourself to make the needed sacrifices and let go.

Not Really Ready to Change

It’s easy to make promises if you aren’t serious about keeping them. They’re just empty words with no meaning. But how are you supposed to enjoy the benefits?

So you can keep your New Year’s resolutions and make your life better, you need to be ready to change your life accordingly. It won’t be easy, but know it will be worth it.

What to Do Instead of Just Making New Year’s Resolutions

To experience meaningful change in your life next year, you need to set goals. Unlike New Year’s resolutions, goals consist of concrete steps you need to take in order to achieve them. Knowing exactly what you need to do gives you the best possible chance at success.

Steps to Set a Goal

  1. Decide on what you want to do.
  2. Commit to it.
  3. Plan on how to achieve it.
  4. Take action.
  5. Monitor your progress.
  6. Keep at it even if it gets hard.
  7. Celebrate when you succeed.

Conclusion

Even though they’ve been done for as long as anyone can remember, making New Year’s resolutions doesn’t always work for everyone. But we can still work towards something better for ourselves when the holidays come around. As long as we go about it the right way, there’s no telling what we can achieve.

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10 Christmas on a Budget Ideas Most People Miss Out On

Posted on by James Miller

Check out these 10 Christmas activities on a budget you and your loved ones will love that many typically forget about.

How to have Christmas on a budget. It’s on most people’s minds once December rolls around.

Everyone wants to have a memorable Christmas. It only comes once a year. But it isn’t always easy, especially if you’re on a tight budget.

There’s decorations to put up, food and drinks to prepare or order, family and friends to invite over and, who can forget, the gifts to give them all.

There’s so much to do that you can go way over budget if you aren’t careful.

Good thing it doesn’t have to turn out that way.

There are things you and your loved ones can do that don’t cost much but can teach you how to have a great Christmas on a budget.

Ready to learn how to celebrate Christmas on a budget? Here are 10 Christmas budget ideas you might have missed that can surely make you have a merry Christmas.

Pick Names Out of a Hat

Ever did Secret Santa at work, where you and your coworkers wrote your names on strips of paper that you dropped into a hat or some container and picked one from to give a gift to on Christmas? You can also do that at home with your family. Each of you will have to buy only one gift, drastically reducing how much you usually spend on presents each year.

Give Gifts as a Group

Next are your relatives. Secret Santa might not work with them as they might live far away or there might be a lot of them, so you need to get a bit creative. Why not give them gifts as a family instead of each of you giving them something individually? For example, if your mother-in-law likes wine, you can give her a nice vintage and tell her it came from all of you.

Give Your Time as Your Gift

Getting material things as gifts is nice, but they don’t always have to be the go-to when it comes to Christmas presents. If you really want to show your family and friends how much you truly love them, why not spend time with them as your gift?

We’re not just talking about hanging out. We’re talking something they’d really appreciate. If you’re married, you can give your wife or husband a sensual massage. If you got a younger sibling, you can take him or her ice skating or to the park to play some basketball. Make sure it’s something they like so they’ll always remember it.

Make Your Own Gifts

Who says gifts always have to be bought? Instead of gifting something from some faceless corporation, make your loved ones something on your own.

Say your family loves cooking together. You can buy some fabric and turn it into cute aprons. You can make the aprons Christmas-themed, getting all of you in the holiday spirit.

Wrap Your Gifts Using Recycled Materials

It’s not just the gifts themselves you can find ways to save on. You can also cut costs with the wrapping. But don’t just go with any old stuff you have lying around the house. It’s for Christmas, so you gotta make it special.

For ideas, visit your local thrift store. Look for magazines, comic books, sheet music or old maps. Any of these will make your gifts stand out without burning a hole in your pocket.

Have a Homemade Christmas

Have you seen one of those memes showing a house literally covered with Christmas decorations? It’s nice and all, but we can only imagine how much it must have cost, let alone the electricity bill to light them all up.

You don’t have to get in debt just to dress up your home all nice for Christmas. Instead of buying Christmas decorations, you can make them yourself. Not only won’t they cost as much, you and your family could make them, giving you more time to bond.

Do Something Fun as a Surprise for Your Loved Ones

Most people go out to celebrate Christmas. They eat at a nice restaurant, watch a movie, or go on a shopping spree. That’s fun and all, but the cost and having to make your way through crowds of people celebrating the holidays just like you will have you thinking twice if it’s really worth it.

Why not stay at home and do something special instead? You can pop some popcorn, buy the kids some candy and bust out the wall projector so you can have a family movie night. It’s cozy, fun and not something they’d expect—making your Christmas even more memorable.

Staycation

There are those who travel to celebrate Christmas if they have the time and budget. They fly to another country or go to another part of the US. You and your family don’t have to miss out on this, even if you stay home. You can have just as much fun except with a few creative flourishes.

It’s called a staycation. You can either stay in a nice but affordable hotel nearby or make your house extra nice. Either way, it almost feels like a change of scenery, making it seem like you really went on vacation.

Do Charity or Volunteer Work

Christmas is the season of giving. But not just for those close to you. You also need to spread goodwill to your fellow man. That includes the less fortunate.

To really do some good on Christmas, help out at your local soup kitchen or food bank. You’ll be doing something nice for others and making yourself feel good without spending a single dime.

Enjoy Free Events

Most communities celebrate Christmas together in order to grow tighter as a group. They hold all sorts of events, like block parties and concerts. Aside from being loads of fun, they’re usually free. Take your family to the one your neighbourhood will have to get in on the festivities without breaking the bank.

References

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