I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

This is a land where entrepreneurs are encouraged and youth are inspired to get involved and make a difference at whatever level they are at.  This is a country where we can encourage our children that whatever they want to accomplish in life they have a fighting chance here in America.

I am proud to call this place home.  I want to honor and remember the people who’s lives were taken too soon.  I am sending out love and peace and lots of hope to their families and friends.  Thank you for those who sacrifice their lives every day for the sake of someone else.  Thank you that we have victory and freedom to celebrate here.  That we are the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.  And we have water, food, housing, safety, opportunity, and hope.
Maybe this year in honor of those we lost and those who helped to hold us together at a very vulnerable and tragic hour that is remembered as 9-11; maybe just maybe we can all find a way to serve someone who needs us.  Help our neighbors whether they are homeless or need help in some other way.  Lets remember where we are.  This is America people and with this much abundance comes great responsibility.  God bless this nation and everyone who took the time to read this article and remember.

Ok so maybe it’s not everyone’s  top priority or concern.

My 4 year old son starts preschool today. And as I was listening to the radio the other day I actually heard a commercial stating the devastating number of children also starting school; children now living on the streets. They may not even know where they will be sleeping tonight let alone where their next meal will come from.

Because our children are precious and they really are our future this story I heard on the radio just keeps tugging at my heart.  So this article is just to help bring awareness of that fact and talk about how we can help change it.

FACT: U.S. residents throw away nearly 1 billion pounds of food every year. (That’s almost 3,000 pounds per second)

FACT: That would be enough to feed 60 billion people

FACT: At the same time over 35 million Americans are hungry or on the edge of hunger.

FACT: Greatest at risk families include those with children, single women or single parent families, and those with incomes below the poverty line.

FACT: We as a nation have an over abundance of food, we just waste a lot of it.

FACT: We recycle half of all used paper, a third of all used metal, but only 2 percent of leftover food.

Important to note ~ There is a 1996 law that protects donors from liability for tainted food in the spirit of encouraging food recovery rather than waste. Go to usda.gov and type in good samaritan food donation act into the search box.

What Can We Do?
Cook with leftovers. There are many recipe collections, such as The Use It Up Cookbook by Catherine Kitcho (Cumberland House, 2003), that have great ideas.

Buy Fresh Food More Frequently
Learning to utilize your freezer better and buying smaller amounts that will not spoil in the fridge is a great choice.

Spread The Word
Talking to your local merchants in stores and restaurants pointing them toward the EPA’s publication “Waste Not/Want Not” (epa.gov). This is filled with information on food recycling options.  In nearly every case it’s cheaper and more cost effective to donate leftover food rather than pay someone to haul it away.

Here’s a small list of who’s Helping
FeedingAmerica.org
replate.org
rockandwrapitup.org
foodnotbombs.net

Don’t just read this and forget, do something to get involved. Thank you!

“how to create a blog post”

Whether you are just getting started blogging or a problogger here are some keys to think about as you create a blog post:

1. Come up with a Topic – Take the time to think about your target audience and what they want and focus your energy on providing a solution to their problem.
2. Creating a Title – this is the most important aspect of the post because you must capture the attention of your audience and compell them to read your article.
3. Opening Line – first impressions make or break your readers desire to dive deeper into the blog post.
4. Go straight into the point of the article – if you want your blog post to go viral and get traction you must have a point or points for writing it.
5. Call to Action – this helps make a deeper connection with your readers and engages them to do something which plants a post in their mind.
6. Dig Deep – before publishing your post ask yourself how you could add depth to it giving your readers more value – making it more user-friendly.
7. Fine Tune your Posts – Do NOT forget to fix errors using spell check or other tools.  Take your article to the next level by making sure it looks good and is easy to read.
8. Publish Your Post at the Right Time – this is key to maximize the reach of your target audience.
9. Promote Post – after publishing your article use a few strategies to market your blog posts.  This will increase the exposure it gets exponentially.
10. Interact with Your Readers – have conversations with your readers and other bloggers by replying to comments and emails. Taking the time to connect can be very rewarding for both you and your readers!

“natural mosquito repellent”

If you don’t like using those chemical mosquito repellents that absorb into your bloodstream and can actually cause brain cell damage.   Specifically I am referring to products that contain DEET.

Well neither do I.

So here are some natural alternatives to chase away your mosquito blues.

Garlic~ Eating garlic whether fresh or cooked is an easy way to keep them at bay.  Or even setting it on the table when you’re outside eating works.

Neem oil~ This oil is extracted from a plant grown in India.  And according to researchers at the Malaria Institute there, it has been found to be more effective than even DEET in repelling the little guys.  This has been confirmed by both the American Mosquito Control Association and the US National research Council.

Citronella~ More mainstream and typically available anywhere outdoor home and garden supplies are sold.  Just by some candles or citronella oil.

Catnip~ A lesser known weapon is just growing catnip in your outdoor eating or lounging areas.  It’s been found by an Iowa State University research group to be 10 times more effective than products containing DEET.

Lavender~  Whether you have sachet containing the dry herb, you have it growing around you outdoor lounging area, or you bring out some essential oil of lavender.  It is a tried and true, great smelling way to detour mosquitoes.

Soy Oil~ This is also highly effective.  Soy oil is easy to find and inexpensive making it another great natural alternative.

Although it may seem convenient to just grab and go when it comes to purchasing mosquito repellents I would definately think twice.  With all the research out there revealing the health risks and dangers of using products containing DEET it is definately worth your time to find yourself a healthy alternative.

“how to get rid of black mold”

The truth is you could literally fill a library with the books and official research reports written on the subject of toxins in your home.  If you or anyone in your family suffers from allergies or any other unexplained physical symptoms this could be why.  Many popular building materials, including plywood, particle board, treated lumber, adhesives, paint, paint thinners, insulation, paint strippers, carpets, and carpet pads-even decorative paraffin candles-contain highly toxic materials such as formaldehyde, chloroform, lead vapor, arsenic, and countless other toxins.  They can enter your living area as gaseous vapors and increase the toxic load of the body.  Add to that the problem of toxic black mold, and you have a very toxic home.

Mold is a serious problem that can have devastating effects on our health.  It thrives in damp and humid environments.  So the best way to keep it at bay is to keep your home as dry and ventilated as possible.

Here are 10 easy ideas on how to get rid of black  mold:

• Check your closets for items like shoes that retain moisture.
• It’s important to use an exhaust fan in kitchens and bathrooms to pull out excess moisture.
• Use a disinfectant or bleach to clean window-sills, bath tubs, showers and shower curtains at least once a month.
• Be sure to keep your house dry and well ventilated.
• In more humid areas use a dehumidifier to keep the humidity levels inside your home below 50%.  Mold increases in higher humidity.
• Seal off and dry out damp areas, such as attics, basements, and crawl spaces.
• Be sure your clothes dryer vents moist air to the outside.
• Store fire wood outside the home.
• Check under sinks and around plumbing for leaks and repair any water-damaged areas from leaking roofs to basements.
• Remove carpeting from any concrete floors, especially in the basement.

Because leadership is a responsibility that should not be taken lightly it is important to recognize what is contagious and therefore replicated or followed and what is not.Experience is NOT contagious.  Talent is not contagious.  A willingness to put forth effort or practice is NOT contagious.  So even if you are super talented or willing and everybody knows it, that in itself will not produce a bunch of talented or willing individuals.

This is where attitude stands alone.
In life wherever you happen to be you will find yourself around two different
kinds of people.  The polluters and the purifiers.

Polluters are the ones who continually breath out their negative toxins and bad attitudes; contaminating the minds and destroying the creativity of those around them.

While the purifiers on the other hand actually improve everything and everyone around them.  They take in all the same junk as everyone else but they filter it before releasing anything back into the atmosphere. They are known for their humble and teachable spirit.  They radiate with positive affection for life in general.  And this is absolutely contagious!

It doesn’t take people very long before they begin raising the bar in their own
attitudes wanting to exhibit these same character traits.

How do people respond to you?  After spending time with you do they walk
away feeling better or worse?  Do you give them a bit of fresh perspective
and positive encouragement?

Bottom line pessimists and optimists usually always get what they expect.
You only increase your chances for success by believing in yourself and
others.  Not to mention when you’re positive with others they are more
likely to be positive with you.

Just remember it’s your positive attitude that will impact, challenge and empower you and those  around you!

Sea vegetables offer so many wonderful benefits to human health.  They increase metabolism , purify blood, improve joint flexibility, help break down fat, and help heal mucous membranes.  They are naturally alkalinizing, anti fungal, antibacterial, and antiviral.  They also strengthen and beautify skin and hair.

In addition sea vegetables contain alginic acid, a compound that binds in the body with heavy metals, environmental toxins, and other chemicals, and then carries them from the body through the stools.

Lets face it, who couldn’t benefit from adding this element to their diet?

Lets take a moment to recognize the absolute awesomeness of our own DNA. The building blocks of our life.

“A three-hundred-billion base sequence!”  “A unique program perfectly adapted to each aspect of our race- making up the human genomic code….”  “The instruction set that carries each person from one-cell egg to adulthood…”  “Ten times two-point-four times ten to the ninth power possible sequences of nucleotides,”  “…all of which would lead to complete biological malfunction.”  “Except for this very one.”  “The human construction book, or an instructional manual if you like…”

Imagine if you will you are holding up a DNA fiber in your fingers,…  “Amazing-two millionths of a millimeter thick.”  “Yet the amount of information contained within it is so immense that in the case of human DNA, if the tightly coiled strands inside a human adult were unwound and stretched out straight, they would cover the distance from earth to to the moon a half a million times!”  “And when coiled, all the strands could fit inside a tiny receptacle the size of a teaspoon.”

Now lets talk alpha lipoic acid.  Besides the fact that our bodies require alpha lipoic acid to produce energy and also plays a crucial role in the mitochondria, our cellular energy-producing structures.  Foods contain only tiny amounts of it, so supplementation may be beneficial.  ALA is very unique compared to other forms of antioxidants because of its versatility-it helps deactivate a wide array of cell-damaging free radicals in many bodily systems.

What many scientists consider the most important benefit of ALA to be is it’s protection of the body’s mitochondria and DNA.  It’s nice to know we can help out the health of our DNA.  As we age, mitochondrial function is impaired, and this may be an important contributor to some of the adverse affects of aging.

These goji berries contain the same polysaccharides believed to be powerful secretagogues,which are substances that stimulate the secretion in the pituitary gland of human growth hormone (HGH), a powerfully innate anti-aging hormone.

Pure goji juice is also the richest source of carotenoids, including beta carotene (even more than than carrots) of all known foods or plants on earth.  Because of the powerhouse of antioxidants its very helpful in fortifying the body against disease and provides the energy needed to overcome difficult obstacles in healing.

Well here is a list of just some of the incredible benefits of this mighty berry.

• anti-aging
• liver support
• look and feel younger
• better sleep quality
• DNA protection
• improved immune response
• improved digestion
• improved memory
• stronger heart health
• combats lethargy and fatigue
• balance and support healthy blood sugar levels
• support healthy blood pressure levels
• support healthy cholesterol
• support kidney health
• enhance libido and sexual function
• combat inflammation and joint problems
• helps to reduce and alleviate stress and anxiety
• enhance and support a healthy mood and brighten your spirit

With all that available in one little berry its easy to see why goji berries are so good for us.