Wordless Wednesday: AKC Canine Good Citizen and Sandie on the Dunes

Sandie and her "Saturday Greenie"

Sandie and my husband at our house!

We live at the beach and take her on the Sand Dunes! This is her starting position!  

Now she's hiding in the reeds!

She's out of breath from playing CHASE with us!

Now she's coming down the Sand Dune to pretend that she's coming to us when called, but...

She's off to play CHASE again! (She really does come to me when I'm calling her and this is a day of play that you see and my husband is chasing her in this picture!)

Now she's coming to me!  That rascal!

This is the exit area from the dunes and now she does her last "marking" and then we go home!

Sandie has this award from her Obedience Lessons.  During this month of PET SAFETY we encourage you to look into this obedience class for you and your dog(s) and here is the information:  http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/program.cfm 

                          More links to PET SAFETY:


http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/adoption-pet-care/safety/

http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/pet-safety

http://www.petsafety.us/

http://www.blogpaws.com/2013/07/wordless-wednesday-fun-in-the-sun.html






Day 31 and I made it.  A blog a day.  Some days I did two entries to make up for the ones I missed.  Congrats UBC Bloggers!

Book Blog Tour: "If I Should Die Before My Dog"

The Authors and their dogs of If I Should Die Before my Dog

I would like to start a Book Blog Tour very soon for this book but so far I have only 2 people committed to the event.  It should start on Sept. 14th and run through Sept. 28th.  I have a group dedicated to the event that I'd like you to JOIN *if* you think you would like to read (the free soft cover book) and do a review and follow along with the activities of the Tour.  The book is If I Should Die Before My Dog and is not morbid but I believe every dog parent should have one.  It is filled with worksheets to fill out that answers questions all about your dog (or cat).  Here is the group to read about it:  https://www.facebook.com/IfIShouldDieBeforeMyDogBlogTour
 
The FaceBook group for this book and authors is here.

The SIGN UP form for this Book Blog Tour is here:

There will be other small tasks to do for the Book Tour and I will send them to this GROUP that you should join if you are participating in the Book Blog Tour!  You receive the book FREE of charge (soft cover) if you live in the US or UK.  Others can buy the book on Kindle!




Here is a view of the positions that I will be looking for.
https://www.facebook.com/IfIShouldDieBeforeMyDogBlogTour/posts/516476888424351


Thank you!!  Here is an outstanding review done by a great blogger for the tour that she was in with me:    http://twolittlecavaliers.com/2012/12/if-i-should-die-before-my-dog-book-review.html

Benefits of Good Health and Diet: CHIA SEEDS!

Dr Oz: Chia Seeds Absorb 9x Their Weight

Chia Seeds

While they are quite small in appearance, Chia Seeds offer big benefits to you and your body. The tiny kernels (or seeds) can absorb 9 times their weight, so when added to liquid they create a very thick gel and when this happens in your stomach, it will feel like it is very full.

Chia Seeds

What makes the Chia Seed the super food that many claim it to be?

• 30% of the chia seed’s oil is Omega 3 oil. 40% of its oil is Omega 6 oil. This provides the nice balance those who take supplemental Essential Fatty Acids are looking for. The chia seed’s substantially dense percentage in alpha-linolenic fatty acid also makes this seed a healthy dietary source of fatty acids.
• You do not need to grind the Chia Seeds to digest it. It is a relatively easy to digest seed, whereas flax seeds are not. Often, one has to grind flax seeds to be able to process them in their digestive system. That is not the case with chia seeds.
• The chia seeds are great for athletes because they are highly hydrophilic. Being hydrophilic means it absorbs large amounts of water. Chia Seeds can absorb over 10 times their weight in water making them a great enhancer in hydrating our bodies. They absorb the water we drink holding it in our system longer.
• Studies show that eating chia seed slows down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrate calories into simple sugars. This leads scientists to believe that the chia seed may have great benefits for diabetics.
• The chia seed gels when becoming wet and this gel, when in our digestive systems, helps prevent some of the food, hence calories that we eat from getting absorbed into our system. This blockage of calorie absorption makes the chia seed a great diet helper. Eating the seeds also helps dieters by making them feel fuller faster so they will be less hungry!
• Chia seeds provide antioxidant activity
• Chia is a great addition to a detoxification program. Chia seeds are high in fiber and in healthy oils making them an excellent addition to many detox programs.
• Mix Chia seeds into yogurt, sprinkle them on cereal in the morning, add to salads, or even add them to your baking. There are many ways to add chia seeds into your daily routine!

Read:

The Benefit of Chia Seeds
10 Top Benefits of Chia Seeds

 

Dr. Oz says Chia Seeds Stop Cravings

Dr. Oz challenged two self-confessed stress eaters who often grab unhealthy snacks throughout their day to try and satisfy their hunger to put Chia Seeds to the test. He asked them to replace their usual snacks with 2 tablespoons full of Chia Seeds in a glass of water.

They both explained how full and satisfied they felt, with their craving for the unhealthy stuff completely gone. They were both especially pleased that they even felt full into the late evening hours when they are both more apt to snack.

Whole Raw Chia Seeds

• Consume 2 Tablespoons of Chia Seeds after Breakfast and after Lunch
• When purchasing Chia Seeds look for “Whole” or “Raw” on the package
• Cost is about $6 per bag

Benefits of Chia Seeds
http://www.drozchiaseeds.org/tag/benefits/

I'm not the biggest Dr. Oz fan because I felt that the first years of his show were more like "Dr. Oz says this and so it must be true!"  But this show about Chia Seeds is correct!  The second article there is peppered with Dr. Oz's name before Chia Seeds as if this person is getting paid to do this and they are selling Chia Seeds. 

Read:

Recipes made of Chia Seeds!
http://chiaseedsorganic.org/tag/chia-seeds-dr-oz/

 Photo Credit: http://chiaseedsorganic.org


Around for centuries, the chia seed in only now starting to gain recognition as the super food that many health gurus have always known it to be.

Will this be a short lived health fad or will the chia seed become common place in the household cupboards of the 21st century?

Day 30

HUGO THE HAPPY STARFISH “THE LAST BULLY” Review and Giveaway!

HUGO The Last Bully is one book in a series written by Suzy Liebermann

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."


 

About the Author

A native of Germany and former resident of the Dominican Republic, Mexico, the Islands of the Bahamas and Switzerland, Suzy Liebermann--now living in the USA--has traveled the world in pursuit of language, art, and culture.
Having found it, she now shares it with the world's teachers, parents, and children through educational literature. Leveraging her decades of global experience teaching in German, Spanish, French, and English with a degree in foreign language translation and a master's degree in business management and international business, she launched Happy Language Kids Publications in 2010 as an interactive language learning program for children and their young-at-heart elders.
This program is particularly aligned with the aims and values she upheld as a teacher of cultural art and foreign language at a prestigious International Baccalaureate World School.
Character Development for Children
Believing that happiness can be learned, feelings can be understood and that building character based on a positive attitude leads to happy, content, self-confident and successful human beings, I have created this exciting series of charming books about HUGO THE HAPPY STARFISH.
The series of books on character education aims to help educate children about their feelings, their attitude, their choices and the consequences that follow and includes an introduction to the Spanish language, lessons of character, ecological alertness and life skills--all amid a backdrop of a colourful island and mystical underwater world.
I have always had a love for teaching and helping others. Being able to share the wisdom of the right attitude through my stories gave my life a new goal to make a difference in the world.
Today I live my dream of helping others to find the right attitude for life - because life gets so much easier with the right attitude. We might not be able to control life's circumstances or other people's actions however we can control our attitude towards them.
With lots of LOVE and HAPPINESS,
Suzy Liebermann

About the Book

"ENGLISH EDITION with INTRODUCTORY SPANISH VOCABULARY

Come on a sea adventure with HUGO THE HAPPY STARFISH as he finds out that HAPPINESS STARTS WITH RESPECT.

THE LAST BULLY is a great tale to teach a lesson about one of the biggest issues around.
The story contains a great educational lesson about BULLYING which parents will love while children will be intrigued by the inspiring characters and power that teamwork can have.

In Hugo, children, parents, and educators will discover a lovable and engaging role model with whom they can identify.

The story consists of 27 gorgeous illustrations showing a colorful and magical underwater world.

Children will laugh at the delightful characters, hold their breaths in suspense and love to read this story over and over.

The book is suitable as a read aloud book for preschoolers or a self-read book for older children.

The book comes with a number of worksheets which are downloadable at no cost on our website. It also offers a number of Spanish words as an introduction to the Spanish language.

There are more HUGO THE HAPPY STARFISH stories waiting to be discovered. Make sure to read THE SECRET TO HAPPINESS.
Through his adventures, Hugo learns many valuable lessons of character, life skills, and ecological alertness – all amid the backdrop of a magical underwater world and mystical islands.
The stories were developed in conjunction with the author’s teaching experience at an International Baccalaureate® School and they support the different learner profiles and attitudes of the IB PYP curriculum."

My Review:

I am a Curriculum and Instruction graduate and I am always looking for the opportunity to review interesting and innovative books and curriculum for the student, child and parent. When the opportunity arose to receive this book and review it, I jumped on it like wildfire!  I am going to be sending this review and information about the book to many schools, home- schoolers and parents that I interact with on a daily basis.  I would rate this book a 5 out of 5!  

The book is very appealing to parents, teachers and students because the book is written from the heart and is endearing.  The book is Character Education for children.  

As a teacher for 17 years I found that the parents of ESL and Challenged students felt as though they didn't have a voice in the classroom.  So I made it my goal to find books that were written for those students as well as the other children in the classroom.   I wish this book would have been in print way back then (I'm disabled now and have not taught in 16 years!) but that hasn't stopped me from using my graduate school education to do the work that I do.  I'm able to work from home and accomplish much!

Happiness Begins With Respect

"Hugo is a little starfish and so it's not surprising that in this story he comes across several bigger fish in the ocean. Sadly, they are bigger fish with the wrong attitudes – they're bullies! After seeing his friend getting bullied, Hugo decides enough is enough. He forms the Anti-Bully Club and teaches the bullies a valuable lesson about respect.

By working together as a group, Hugo and his friends manage to show the bullies that there's always a bigger fish in the sea and that happiness comes from respecting others, not bullying them.

‘THE LAST BULLY’ is a confidence-boosting book for children, showing them that being different is OK and the best way to deal with bullies is to tell someone about it.
This tale is a great way to deal with one of the biggest issues around.

A fabulous book to teach RESPECT."

Where to Purchase the Hugo Series

• Website
• Amazon

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Other posts written by me regarding bullies:   http://conversationswithcarolyn.blogspot.com/2011/09/stop-school-bullying.html

a Rafflecopter giveaway

National Days of the Year, Month and Day!

July 27th, 2013  WALK ON STILTS DAY!

Today is  WALK ON STILTS DAY and a number of other special events for the day!  Today is also MILK CHOCOLATE DAY!

More to read, right here:  http://news.yahoo.com/july-27-walk-stilts-day-houseplants-walk-day-161100963.html
and here:   http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/July/milkchocolateday.htm

Here's an ad:
"A day to walk on stilts, providing a chance to develop self-confidence through mastery of balance and coordination. A chance to enjoy the challenge of childhood no matter your age. A celebration of daring accomplishments at homes, circuses and theme parks everywhere. For info: Bill “Stretch” Coleman, 930 S Decatur St, Denver, CO 80219. Phone: (303) 922-4655. E-mail: stretch@stiltwalker.com. Web: www.stiltwalker.com. "

Today is also National Milk Chocolate Day!  Chocoholics everywhere can join together and celebrate their love of milk chocolate for a day without feeling the guilt of indulging their sweet tooth.

Out of the three main types of chocolate: dark, milk, and white; milk chocolate is one of the most popular favorites of everyone that lives in the United States.

http://www.oldtimechocolates.com/chocolate-holidays-2012/

The MONTH of AUGUST is located here: http://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/2013/08/




What do you like BEST about this DAY, or NEXT MONTH?  Tell me a little bit about why you like it, thanks and please use the comments!  I'm interested in what you think!  <smile> 

Day 27

Shared Article: Recipe Makeover for the Mocha Frappuccino by Lemon Bowl

Coffee and chocolate are a flavor match made in heaven which is why it is no surprise that the Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino is so popular. Cool, creamy, rich and chocolatey – what’s not to love?

Confession: I’ve never actually ordered a Frappuccino at Starbucks before. While there are many unhealthy foods I can’t resist, Frappuccino's fall into my “off limits” category which means I never order them. The same can be said for a McDonald’s Big Mac, General Tso’s Chicken at a mall food court or a donut from Dunkin’ Donuts.

It all goes back to my 80′s childhood during the fat-free craze followed by my overweight adolescence in the 90′s/00′s. I didn’t grow up eating these heavy foods so to eat them now would pretty much be a guaranteed stomach ache. Psychologically, consuming them would immediately bring me to a dark place so for these reasons, I avoid them.

The fact is, I’ve worked too hard to achieve weight loss success and I’ve also learned a lot about making smarter food choices over the years. By using ingredients I can pronounce such as cocoa powder, half and half and strong coffee plus a few drops of my favorite chocolate stevia, I end up with a frothy, decadent frozen drink that is sheer perfection. If you don’t have liquid stevia, honey or pure maple syrup work just as well.
Your straw is waiting.



From Carolyn:  I DO work hard to continue weight loss and it doesn't come easy.  I have a SWEET and SALTY tooth so I have been working hard on doing my own RECIPE MAKEOVERS so that I can enjoy the same foods without all the calories and fat and salt!   I figure I am going to release all of mine in a recipe book next year.  I don't always put them on my blog so that other people won't steal the recipe and write their own recipe book!  <wink!>   That's why I love SHOWCASING other recipes out there that work toward the good of everyone!

Question:  What are some foods that you would like to see a RECIPE MAKEOVER for and what is your contact info?  I will write to you and ask you your likes and dislikes and any medical condition of which I should be aware.  Thanks!

DIY or Buy: 10 Healing and Detoxing Baths for those with Chronic Illness and Chronic Pain

Enjoying a warm bath!

A bath of warm water on it’s own is very healing and can help reduce pain.  Warm water temporarily increases blood flow and can help ease stress as well. Did you know that there are natural herbs, minerals, and essential oils that you can add to your bath that promote healing, wellness, and decrease pain? Here are ten of them!




 

Epson Salts

Epsom salt is a combination of magnesium and sulfates. There are many benefits of Epsom salt baths. Soaking in a bath of Epsom salt can relax your muscles, reduce inflammation, minimize pain, fade bruising, aid digestion, relieve stress and tension, and detoxify your body.



Lavender

This is one of the most common herbs used in herbal baths. It is used to fight depression and relieve tension and stress. Lavender’s name is derived from the Latin verb “to wash.” Romans and Greeks used the herb for its fresh aroma
which has both an uplifting and balancing effect.



Turmeric Bath

This antioxidant, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory spice is not just popular in India. In Japan, they’ve learned that turmeric helps with arthritis by soothing joints  and it’s even been shown to promote weight loss. Just add a half-cup of turmeric to a warm bath.



Baking Soda

This alkalinizing and detoxifying bath can help calm allergic reactions, chicken pox, eczema, hives, itchy skin, insect bites, poison ivy, sunburn, and fungal infections. There are two methods of making a baking soda bath which are very popular , one involves purely baking soda itself and the other involves mixing the soda with sea salt. 

If you are using just baking soda then start running the hot water first then after a couple of minutes add about
3 pounds worth of baking soda to the water. I find it’s better to do it this way as it dilutes into the water better.
The alternative is to mix about 2 pounds of sea salt with 2 pounds of baking soda , again adding the water first.

Oatmeal

Because oatmeal has anti-inflammatory properties, it can soothe the inflammation that results from your body’s reaction to allergens. Oatmeal baths are also a popular remedy for sunburns, dry skin and conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. Itchy, dry skin often has a high pH level, but oatmeal can help normalize your skin’s pH, which can relieve itchy, uncomfortable skin. Oatmeal baths also soften and moisturize your skin, which helps lock in moisture and protect skin from exterior irritants

Apple Cider Vinegar

 This helps relieve sore muscles, itchy skin, and sunburn. Vinegar helps draw pollutants out of the body. It is an acid medium and contains alpha hydroxy acids. It is also mildly antiseptic, antifungal and naturally deodorizing.

Yam

Oriental wild yam is a natural pain reliever used in herbal baths to relieve stress and prevent health problems in women.

Eucalyptus Oil

This oil is well known to give relief from sinus infections, blocked nose, common cold, bronchitis, flu and other
respiratory diseases. To treat these health conditions, apply a few drops of eucalyptus oil on the handkerchief and inhale it at regular time intervals. Another best way is to put a few eucalyptus oil drops in the bath water. Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to other massage oils to have a calming effect on the mind and body. Its rejuvenating properties aid in getting relief from sluggishness, muscle pain, exhaustion and mental fatigue.

Rose Oil

Rose oil is effective in treating depression, insomnia, impotence and for maintaining healthy skin.


Peppermint oil

Diluted in a bath peppermint oil can assist in nervous disorders and is dramatically effective in stimulating the mind and focusing concentration, for treating the respiratory tract, muscular aches and pains and for some skin problems.


I make my own salts from essential oils that I buy online.  I have some great sellers on etsy!   Do you make your own bath salts or essential oils?  Do you have fibromyalgia?  Sore muscles?

Day 25

Why be kind?

Recent research into brain functioning has confimed that we are hard-wired for love and compassion. So it's not all chasing about individual success - our communities and society flourish when people look out for each other.

When we're kind to people we know it strengthens our connections with them and provides a source of support. Research shows that we may benefit from giving support more than those receiving it - and we're also more likely get support in return when we need it. This may not be like-for-like support, or even from the same person, but being kind to others builds a wider support network which increases well-being all round.

Doing kind things for strangers helps build co-operation, trust and a sense of safety in our communities. It also helps us to see others more positively and empathise with them. These are the foundations of a thriving local community and a flourishing society - one which builds well-being all round.

 

 

Wordless Wednesday: Surfing here on our beach!

Our beach

Surfers in the ocean

Surfers waiting for the big wave!  The Channel Islands (Calif. USA) in the background!

Catching the wave! 

Back out again to get the next wave!

 WANT TO SEE ALL OF THIS A BIT CLOSER?

Surfers in a boat!

The ocean is showing bigger waves now!

The CALM

Getting rougher, a surfer's dream!

Crashing waves!

The swirl of the ocean!

Surfers going back out

Waiting for just the right wave

A surfer who took a smaller wave in and is recovering

Excellent ride by this surfer

The waves as we walk back home.

Do you live near the beach?  Do you surf?  Body or Board...   If not, what do you like to do at the beach?  We're so fortunate to be living here for the rest of our lives (Lord willing!)

Day 24!