Single! Young Christian Woman April 2010

single!

apr/1O

A P U B L I C AT I O N O F O N M Y O W N N O W M I N I S T R I E S

Young Christian Woman

5

Trouble

Sleeping?

Quick FIxes +

Sleep-Inducing

Desserts

I found

GOD in a village in Tanzania

7 Don't let your Job Own You!

Time Management Solutions

w w w. o n m y o w n n o w. c o m

TABLE OF 4 CONTENTS

STRAIGHT TALK FROM THE PROVERBS

DON’T LET YOUR JOB OWN YOU

6 8 12 14 16 18

By Donna Lee Schillinger

MOVING OUT

SEVEN TIME MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

By Kimberly Miller

SINGLE!

YOUNG CHRISTIAN WOMAN

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A publication of On My Own Ministries www.onmyownnow.com Editor in chief Donna Lee Schillinger www.twitter.com/D_L_Schillinger Contributors Debra Collins Kimberly Miller Katlyn Stephens Tamara Jane Keiki Hendrix Art Director Daniela Bermúdez www.twitter.com/donamexa

CENTER RING

I FOUND GOD IN A VILLAGE IN TANZANIA

By Katlyn Stephens

REBA RAY’S DOWN HEALTHY COOKIN’ FOR ONE ON A BUDGET

ROCK-A-BYE AND GOOD BITES

By Reba Ray

DEAR GABBY

GRANDMA’S BEING BAMBOOZLED!

By Gabster

SPARE CHANGE

TWEETING ABOUT CUPCAKES AND OTHER SOCIAL NETWORK SAVINGS

By Julie Ann

JUST WHAT YOU NEED

A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

By Donna Lee Schillinger

On My Own Now: Straight talk from the Proverbs for young Christian women who want to remain pure, debt-free and regret-free.

Now available at www.onmyownnow.com, at Amazon, B&N and a library near you.

Unconventionally conventional wisdom.

by Donna Lee Schillinger

straight talk

There’s

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something about spring that puts a little more pep in my step. As I emerge from my psychological hibernation of the dark winter months, I feel anew, like taking on the world. I may sign up for something new, volunteer to organize something and try out a new exercise plan, but the greatest risk of over-committing myself comes at work. That’s because I have overachiever tendencies. You too?

“ Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. ” Proverbs 23:4

On opposite ends of the spectrum of personal industry there are those who are in danger of never doing anything significant with their lives and there are those who are in danger of doing so many things that they bring themselves to ruin. We don’t want to be either. We want to find the middle way – the way of balance.

In our youth, we have a lot of energy and it doesn’t feel like much effort to work 12 and even 15-hour days. If we love our jobs and there is opportunity to advance, we overachievers are more than willing to work, we become almost possessed with work. Amazingly, overachievers often find just enough time to develop a love relationship, marry and procreate before we have to get back to work.

Then, this beautiful little family we’ve formed is like a plant in the corner that we dutifully dump a glass of water on every now and then to keep it alive. We love the thought of our family but don’t take much joy in it. We get more joy from our work. Our family loves and accepts us and we know and appreciate this about them. Isn’t it great? We’ve got it all.

Neglected families, like neglected plants, can live on for years, but what kind of life is it for them to be stuck in the corner? Our Heavenly Father wants more for them and us. Our familial relationships have so much potential for learning, character development and love. They should take priority over work in our lives. Even if we can’t give them as much time as we give to work – we can give them the best of us and let work have the rest of us.

This is agreeable enough if we’re talking about flipping burgers or answering phones at a call center. But what if we’re making the world a better place – working on a cure for some heinous disease or ministering to people in need? Our work, besides paying the bills, may be God’s work, as well. Maybe we have a job in the Heavenly Family business. Being called to work for our Heavenly Father is so exciting and that work brings true joy. But does that mean it should be a higher priority than our families?

My grandmother was called to work for God at an early age. I believe she spent every day of her life since age 11 in the work of the Heavenly Father. “Committed” hardly begins to describe her. Her faith was so strong – incredible faith. I really admired her and she has been a major role model for my life. However, I wouldn’t do everything just as she did. If you would ask her adult children what family life was like for them, you would get ambivalent answers. Though they are quick to acknowledge her love and good example, they also have to acknowledge her absence from the home, her preoccupation with work and the feelings of neglect they had.

Grandma used to tell a story about a time when her son, then two, stepped on a rusty nail. A brownish streak ran up his leg and he got sick. But she didn’t take him to the doctor and didn’t even stay home from work to be with him. She had to finish proofing a newsletter or something.

She said it was the hardest thing she ever had to do – go back to work not knowing if her baby was going to die.

She prayed for a miracle as she worked on that newsletter. Well, she got one. When she went home that evening, her son’s leg was normal and he said he felt, “Alwite!”

This story was, for her, a witness to the healing power of God. However, to me, it revealed something that I need to be wary of in myself. What kind of person leaves their possibly dying son to stay on track for a newsletter deadline? In this case the scripture comes to mind in which Jesus says, “Whoever loves father and mother more than me is not worthy of me” (Matt. 10:32), note that in this context Jesus was talking about putting family above salvation, not above a periodic deadline. I believe my grandmother lacked restraint when it came to work.

We may never reach that extreme, but this story is a good reminder that even though we may have found our purpose in life, family comes above work. Most of the time that’s not so hard to keep in mind, but around deadline time, when we are just shy of our quota, or we’re about to land that big deal, things get crazy. Our houses get messy, we skip exercise or hygiene practices, we go to bed late and get up early. We become somber, if not downright cranky. Our greatest challenge is to remain civil when our blood pressure spikes at a half-dozen different things gone wrong at once.

Sadly, at those times, I can remain civil and even chipper with people on the other end of the phone – maybe even the very ones who are kinking my hose – but when my loved one is slow to move or asks me a redundant question, my tone of voice can be severe. What I feel for the hose-kinker is projected on to my loved one! This shows a lack of restraint in work, as well. On any other day, when the pressure is not on, I wouldn’t react that way. The difference is work, and it’s not fair, it’s not right – let me say it for what it is – it’s sinful for me to redirect the frustration I feel from work to my family. And it’s even worse to expect them to expect that from me when I’m under stress.

Whatever our industry – student, salesperson, teacher, researcher, missionary, customer service representative – we must control our work and not let it control us. Between us and work, we are the boss.

Hold this thought:

My closest family and friends deserve the best of me and work can have the rest of me.

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w moving out ... settling in One of the few things which helps me get up at 6 a.m. is

watching reruns of the goofy show “Saved by the Bell” on TBS. Yes, I know I’m dating myself as a child of the ‘90s.

If you’re at all familiar with the show, you probably remember the episode “Jessie’s Song,” in which Jessie was very stressed about studying for a geometry test and also finding time to sing with Lisa and Kelly in their new girl group “Hot Sundae.” For some reason, she resorted to an over-the-counter pill that “helps you stay awake,” even though Slater had warned her that they were addictive and harmful. Toward the end of the episode, Jessie has a breakdown and she cries to Zack, “Time? Time?! There’s never any time! I don’t have time to study! I’ll never get into Stanford! I’ll let everyone down! I’m so confused!”

Jessie, I know exactly how you feel. Not that I’m tempted to take energy pills, but I am in need of a breakdown.

Between planning a wedding, buying a house, working full-time, and all the extra-curriculars to which I have committed, I just don’t have enough time! And I’m pretty sure that isn’t how God wants His daughters to feel.

Shouldn’t 24 hours in a day be enough?

This is hardly the season for me to be giving advice on time management, rather, it’s when I need advice most.

So I’ll consider this as much for me as it is for you. When it seems we don’t have enough time to manage, here are some ways to maximize what we do have.

Keep a normal sleep schedule.

No matter how busy you are, you will never evolve into Supergirl by staying up late hours or getting up a couple of hours earlier. Our minds and bodies need rest, and we function much more efficiently and productively when we’ve had it – seven or eight consistent hours every night.

Make a list. However, it’s hard to keep that reg-

ular sleep schedule, if like me, there are so many things swimming around in your head: Sign this. Be here. Figure that out. Go there. Buy those. But when we put all that down on paper, a funny thing happens, our minds stop mulling it over and we can relax.

Prioritize. We can’t do everything at once, and

some things are more important than others, so we need to prioritize our daily tasks. What has to be done today?

What can wait until tomorrow? If we know what is most important, we know where to start.

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Learn to say “no.” I’m in over my head, but naturally it’s my own fault. I can’t say no to people.

I want to do everything with everyone and for everyone, and I can’t stand to miss out. But something’s gotta give.

Unlike Jessie, I won’t let everyone down if I don’t make it into Stanford; but I will have some major problems if we don’t close on this house in eight days. Go back to those priorities, decide what you really have to do and start saying “no” to some of the less important items.

Learn to say “yes.” It’s hard to accept

help because we don’t want to be a burden on someone else. Maybe we don’t want to admit that we can’t do it on our own. Well, newsflash: that’s pride, and it’s gotta go. Don’t take advantage of people, but when people sincerely want to help, we should take them up on it – and then return the favor when we can.

And saving the most important for last:

Put God First. When we get busy, overstressed and overwhelmed, we’re at greatest risk of doing the most foolish thing a person can do – neglecting our relationship with our Heavenly Father. If we think we don’t have time for quiet time each day with God, our thinking is distorted. The truth is that our time spent with God will multiply our time spent in other pursuits. Don’t you think the Creator of the Universe can smooth your path?

If you find yourself being frustrated in your efforts to accomplish something, could it be because you didn’t start your day out right? The right side of the bed is always the one you prop your elbow up on while you’re on your knees in prayer.

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Have you ever seen the object lesson about fitting marbles and a tennis ball in a jar? If you put the marbles in first, you can’t fit the tennis ball into the jar. But if you start with the tennis ball, the marbles fill in around it and there is room enough in the jar for all of it. Think of God as the tennis ball and everything on your “to-do” list as the marbles. If we focus on our marbles first, God won’t fit, but if we give our time to God and allow Him to rework our schedules, we’ll find that we do have enough hours in the day. Not to be Polly-Anna about the matter: we may still feel incredibly busy and race the clock all day, but with God as our time manager, we can be assured that there will always be enough time for what is truly important.

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center ring

Katlyn Stephens is a student at Liberty University. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, playing with kids and delving into a new novel.

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K Two days into a mission trip to Tanzania,

I found myself riding along bumpy African roads toward the village of Matangizi. Our purpose was to construct a roof for the village church, a small building with no door that sits beneath the brutal sun.

The entire village looked as if it has jumped from the pages of National Geographic. The ground was bone dry, scattered with scraggly shrubs, and barefoot children ran about beneath a huge, blue sky.

After working for a time on the roof, I understood that I am not the best at wielding a hammer.

I knocked a total of three nails into the boards! I worked for about three minutes pounding on one nail, until a Tanzanian man bent down, took my hammer, and whacked the nail in with six hits. He laughed, and I joined him – realizing that I obviously don’t have a career in construction. But where better to discover that than in Tanzania?

So to make myself useful, I went outside to play with the children. I could hardly look at their bloated stomachs, the flies swarming around their eyes and open cuts without tears welling up in my eyes. .

Their clothes were colorful, but I could tell that they had been worn to the extreme. Most of the children had no shoes, even while running through the hot sand. Some of the girls had their ears pierced, but a few had just a piece of string through the hole, which looked infected.

I greeted many of the children, but most times they looked at me oddly or snickered to their friends, probably at my Anglo accent in Swahili. Nearby, boys were playing soccer with a ball we brought for them. It was a real treat as they usually play with a “ball” made of plastic bags wrapped around each other. One of girls in our mission team had brought bright nail polish to paint the girls’ fingernails, and they loved it! Even a few of the boys wanted theirs painted! We played “bata, bata, kuka,” (duck, duck, goose), ring-around-the-rosy, red light green light, tic-tac-toe in the sand, and hop-scotch with dried reeds. A teammate and I taught a few girls “Miss Mary Mack” and they enjoyed clapping their hands to the English words.

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center ring After awhile we ran out of game ideas; not to mention some of the kids were looking tired. I wanted to tell and ask them so much and it was frustrating that I wasn’t able to with my limited Swahili vocabulary.

The only way we could think to convey our feelings was to hold them in our laps and rub their dry hands. I wondered how much physical contact the children got at home because the girls I held made no move whatsoever to get up. Many times the older women, possibly mothers, would tell the girls to get up or the women would come and take the younger ones who had fallen asleep in our arms. Maybe they thought the kids were a hassle to us, but I couldn’t think of any place I would rather be than in that Matangizi village playing with those kids.

The next day we returned to the same village to finish putting on the tin roof for the church. The children were waiting as we drove down the dusty path, anticipating the soccer ball and people to love on them. The missionaries we were working with brought a few more games for the children to play. We showed them how to play cat-and-mouse with a huge parachute, their joy was inexpressibly etched on their faces. It was so uplifting to hear their laughter and know that they experienced such happiness in their lives of poverty.

It was easy to recognize many of these children because they were wearing the same clothes as the day before. The boys playing soccer would often share a pair of shoes to kick with or just use them to mark the goal. We put crayons, a coloring book and a toothbrush in bags for the children which the mission-

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aries gave out during a health promotion.

While the men were finishing up the church, our team leader went in groups of four to the houses in the Gogo tribe, scattered throughout the village. We invited them to church—“Karibu kanisani kesho san ne.” The people were so welcoming; one woman hugged each of us and dragged us into her home to meet her family. A few of the children led us along the barren path to the next home. We saw huge holes in the ground — wells from which the Matangizi village draws their water.

The water was so dirty that it was no wonder I hardly saw any of the children drink water. The missionaries told us that they have grown used to drinking scarcely anything.

It was eye-opening to contemplate not being able to go to the sink and get a glass of clean water.

After inviting a few more people to church, we began walking back, except we weren’t quite sure what direction we were heading. This could have been a slight problem in the middle of a dusty plain in 90 degree heat with no water. But we didn’t panic and trusted that the children leading us understood that we needed to head back. And they did know exactly where they were going.

The hardest part of the day was handing out water bottles to the children. We had a lot of plastic bottles with a little water in them, but not enough to go around. I had bottles to give away. This was one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to do – deciding which child should get the water, looking into their big eyes, knowing that I would crush

some of their hopes. At the same time, I was giving two children such a precious gift here, but something I would never think twice about at home.

I watched them swallow what little water was in the bottles, cherishing every drop of it. Remembering the dirt brown water that some of the kids brought from the well, I will always appreciate the clean, pure water that I am privileged to drink in America.

Tanzanian culture doesn’t center so much on time, as it does on relationships.

Tanzanian culture doesn’t center so much on time, as it does on relationships. When we arrived at the Matangizi church for the Sunday service, we had to wait an hour and a half for people to greet one another before the service began. We sang songs outside with a band of women playing handmade drums and shaking tambourines. Then everyone filed into the tiny chapel.

What a sight! The children outside were poking their heads through the windows to listen to the pastor’s message because there was no room left inside. It was incredible to know that I was worshipping God in this little, remote church, unknown to the rest of the world, while my family was on that same day in a beautiful church building praising the same God. The Lord can hear our worship no matter where we are.

K After the church service we had to say goodbye to the village of Matangizi, a place where I discovered God lives despite the poverty, unsanitary conditions and lack of food and water. As we drove down the dusty path for the last time, we looked back to see the Gogo tribe waving and smiling. Even though our purpose was to minister to them, the people of the Matangizi village min-

istered to my heart in those three days that I was privileged to be a part of their lives, opening my eyes to the world for which Jesus died.

Even though our purpose was to minister to them, the people of the Matangizi village ministered to my heart in those three days that I was privileged to be a part of their lives, opening my eyes to

the world for which Jesus died.

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f Reba Ray´s down home healthy cookin’ for one on a budget

Trouble sleepin’?

Food can help – or it could be the culprit. Too much fat and a heavy meal before bedtime can deprive ya of a good night’s rest. If it’s been three or more hours since yur last meal, you need about 200 calories in yur tummy to take off that hunger edge. Here are a few simple recipes, usin’ proven sleep-inducin’ foods that work like a dream.

Nanner* Milk

Nanner Toast

Nanner Instant Oatmeal

Chantilly Nanner

In yur smoothie maker or blender, combine: ½ cup milk ¼ cup vanilla ice cream or vanilla yogurt one ripe nanner – overly ripe nanners’r good for this recipe ¼ tsp. vanilla 1 teaspoon of honey, molasses or brown sugar a dash of cinnamon – optional Push one of ‘em buttons on the blender for about 15 seconds and yur done!

Now you know I don’t normally adhere to instant oatmeal, but we’re ready for bed, dern it, and who wants to cook oats! So just for a bedtime snack: One package instant oatmeal – maple and brown sugar flavor is the best One ripe nanner, smushed to smitherines ¼ c. vanilla yogurt Cook oatmeal, usin’ milk instead of water, about 15 seconds more in the microwave than the directions say. Now cool it down with the smushed nanner and yogurt. Belly warmin’!

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Are you beginnin’ to see a pattern here? Don’t worry, if you don’t like nanners, you could make this without – same for the oatmeal – because oatmeal and toast are also good sleep-triggerin’ foods.

One piece of toast 1 tbsp. peanut butter One ripe nanner, sliced in ¼-inch rounds Assemble in that order and drizzle with honey, if yur feelin’ crazy.

This is so easy, I’m not even gonna put it in recipe form. Just peel a nanner and shoot a dollop of whipped cream on each bite. Mmm Mmm! Be sure to use real whipped cream in a can.

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by Reba Ray

Cherries Royale Crepe

cent power for 45 seconds - just until it’s warmed through. Take that pancake mix and add enough milk so that it’s a little on the runny side for pancake batter. Now heat up a 6” nonstick skillet and spray it with cookin’ spray. Pour in just enough batter to coat the bottom of the pan. Flip the crepe when ready, cook the other side and then flipp’er out of the pan, onto a plate, then under a cloth napkin or clean towel. Don’t worry, you’ve got enough batter here to mess one up learning the ropes. Spray yur skillet and go again – until all the batter is gone. Should just make a few crepes. Now assemble by dividing your cherry/yogurt mixture evenly between the crepes. With the crepe laying flat, plop some innards on it, then roll it up and leave it layin’ on the seam so it dudn’t flop open on ya. Shoot those suckers with some whipped cream on top – take a picture to share on Facebook or Twitter – and then dig in.

“Reba,” ya say, “What’s up with endorsin’ all this processed food? That’s not like you!” Oh, you know me so well! I surely don’t like to use a boxed mix or cream from a can, but let’s be real, Girls, we’re talking one hour before bedtime. Reba’s exhausted. Kitchen’s already been cleaned. We need to cut to the chase here. I’m big enough to admit that there are times when the processed stuff comes in handy – and this is one of ‘em.

Nighty-night, Girls!

Who’d thought cherries could help a person sleep?

But get a load o’this. According to MSN’s Health page: “Fresh and dried cherries are one of the only natural food sources of melatonin, the chemical that controls the body’s internal clock to regulate sleep. Researchers who tested tart cherries and found high levels of melatonin recommend eating them an hour before bedtime or before a trip when you want to sleep on the plane.” Well, cherry-o!

Bring ‘em on in this elegant, yet healthy dessert. ¼ cup fresh, pitted cherries – or dried cherries, microwaved in ¼ cup water for one minute, then drained ¼ cup vanilla yogurt ¼ cup pancake mix (the kind you only need to add water to) milk Whipped cream (the real stuff in a can)

Mix yur cherries and yogurt together in a small bowl. Stick it in the microwave and heat on 50 per-

*Also known as

bananas in some circles

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Dear Gabby

dear gabby: I live near my grandmother who is pretty wealthy. Gram has this

thing about sticking a $20 or $50 in my pocket after we visit her – depending on her mood or how long we stay. Sometimes we play

cards, sometimes we just chat. I guess it's her way of saying

thanks for visiting and I love you. I've always been psyched to get a

little something at these visits but that's never been the reason for

the visit! The problem is that my cousin, who also lives nearby, has

never gone to visit Gram. Her mom doesn't like Gram. Never has.

But when “Abby” overheard my sister joke about visiting the Bank of

Gram, Abby started "popping in" to say hello to her. I just know she’s

using Gram and it makes me sick. I feel like I should say something.

Or should I?

- Wondering in Washington, D.C .

Living a conundrum? Trying to make two wrongs a right?

Threw the baby out with the bath water?

Dear Gabby can help! Send your questions now to

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thegabster@onmyownnow.com

“

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. ”

Psalm 37:6

Dear Wondering, The song you’re singing is an old, old tune. And just about every family has sung it at some time or other – and no – it’s not very pretty. Gabby will tell you that almost certainly your instincts are spot-on. It sounds exactly like Abby is using Gram for the cash rewards. But Wondering, do you think your grandmother knows? If she doesn’t, then maybe she’s just happy that a lost lamb has come back and that she gets to spend some time with a grandchild she hasn’t reasonably gotten to know very well. Would that be so bad? And what if she does know? Gram is probably just as astute as you. After all, how many times do you lose to her at cards? She’s raised children so Gabby’s pretty sure that Gram knows young adults aren’t unaffected by a little extra pocket money. That’s why you and your sister get a little something for your time. And like training any animal, humans included, thinking creatures respond to positive reinforcement. Gram knows that grandchildren will make a positive association of seeing grandma and receiving a reward. Is this bad?

Not really. She gets to spend some quality time with you and you get to spend quality time with her. You get some spending money and she gets to feel like she gave you some pleasure. Is anyone hurt by this? No – not so long as she can honestly afford these little gifts and the visits are done freely and genuinely.

However, if you feel that Gram may not always be in command of her mental faculties or may be losing control of her finances, then you would have to reconsider this practice – even for yourself.

Like we are reminded in Psalms, God knows everything that goes through our hearts and minds. He knows exactly what you and your cousin are thinking.

But if you commit to a loving, trusting relationship with Him, God will make your righteousness shine for the world to see. I take this to mean that everyone involved – including Grandma – will understand at some point the difference between Abby’s visits and yours.

- Gabster

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Z Spare Change

If you have been reading this column for awhile you probably noticed there has been a change in Spare Change. Paola has cashed in and now I’m going to be providing tips for thrifty living, sharing my experiences as I pinch pennies and manage money and hopefully bringing out the fun in frugal. By way of introduction, I would like to share the top three money-saving tricks I use, along with some examples to help you discover who I am.

One of the first things you should know about me is that I am obsessed with Twitter. Yes, it’s true that most tweets are 140 characters of complete worthlessness. I’ll admit that I have been guilty of “TwitPicing” strawberry waffles I was about TO eat and clouds that look like shapes. However, I have found that if you follow the right people or companies you can score some pretty good deals. For example, I’m a huge Christian rock music fan and I “follow” a lot of artists I like.

One of those artists is Jeremy Camp. Last fall he was coming to my town for a show and since I go to every show I can within a 200 mile radius, I wasn’t about to miss this. One day Jeremy Tweeted a special Labor Day promotion for half-price tickets if ordered over the

I’ve gotten quite a few notices of special sales and dicounts codes from Twitter.

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holiday weekend. The night of the concert I felt pretty good standing in line with my half-price tickets. That’s just one instance but I’ve gotten quite a few notices of special sales and discount codes from Twitter. Just last week I scored a download of an entire album for free.

Follow me on Twitter (kalana1338) and I’ll be sure to re-tweet any deals that come my way and I’ll try not tweet 15 times in a row on how much I love cupcakes.

Speaking of cupcakes reminds me of another great social network deal I got in on. Maybe you aren’t into Twitter, but do the Facebook thing instead.

If that’s the case, consider becoming a fan of people, companies or products you use. I’m a huge Little Debbie snack cake fan. I’ve had to create a rule for myself that I can only eat them when traveling lest I become a literally huge fan. A few months ago, Little Debbie had a contest to give away a million boxes of cupcakes.

So of course I signed up because, hey, free cupcakes are the best cupcakes. Needless to say I was super excited when I was one of the (million) winners. Yes, I even tweeted about it and my co-workers were grateful when I brought my box to work to share. I’ve probably saved a couple hundred dollars from connecting with people, companies and products on social networks.

Obviously, from my social networking habits, I’m online quite a bit and do a lot of online shopping. When ordering, I always try to find a site that offers free shipping or another discount of some sort. Sometimes I actually spend significant time writing down product prices and shipping costs and then doing the math to

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find the best deal. When ordering online I always run a search for coupon codes before I place my order. For example, one of my favorite online stores is c28.com, which sells edgy Christian t-shirts, accessories, music and more. Before placing my order I pull up a search engine and input “C28 coupon codes.” For C28 about

I never drink my money or my calories.

42,000 links come up, but you should find results within the top ten. Most sites will provide a success rate based on feedback from other users who tried the code. Currently, for a C28 purchase I could use codes to save a percentage or dollar amount depending on the purchase total. Once you find a coupon code site that provides good results, add it to your “Favorites” to save time in the future. And remember, there comes a point when it becomes counter-productive to keep searching without results, so set a time limit or only check out a certain number of links.

except for special occasions. I also haul my own water (filtered through a pitcher in my refrigerator) to the gym and to work in a reusable bottle (extra bonus for being green!) Cutting down on fancy drinks also saves me a ton of calories, and being the big Little Debbie fan that I am, I can use all the calorie cuts I can get! Decide what beverages you can live without and cut them, learn how to make your own fancy coffee at home and ditch the expensive bottled water for filtered tap in a reusable bottle. Figure out how much money (and calories) you are saving in a week and you’ll be shocked. It’s the small things that make the biggest difference over time.

These are just a few of the things I do to save money and I’ll share more as time goes on. My challenge for you today is to take a look at what your spending habits say about you. You might be surprised at how much you learn. I know I have been.

The final thing that I do is kind of a small thing, but it definitely adds up over time and has greater benefit than just saving money: I never drink my money or my calories. The money we spend on beverages can add up in a hurry when we are shelling out four bucks for gourmet coffee here, a buck fifty for a restaurant soft drink there and a few dollars for bottled water. I save the gourmet chain coffee for an occasional treat and I order water at restaurants

Follow me on Twitter: @kalana1338

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good

night’s sleep

Is there anything more frustrating than lying awake when you desperately need to get a good night’s sleep?

Sleeplessness is usually a result of one of two types of things: 1. Over-rest or stimulation, such as napping or drinking a caffeinated beverage in the afternoon or evening; or 2. Something bothering you. If it’s the latter, why toss and turn for half an hour wishing it away? Get up as soon as you notice it and address it with one of these quick and simple solutions for common sleep robbers.

Headache? A pill will work in about half an hour, but for instant relief, use acupressure. For pain in the temple region or sides of the head: Put your hands on your head and use your thumbs to locate the depressions at the base of your skull, about 6cm (2 inches) out from the middle of your neck. The points are just to the outside of the large muscles running down the side your neck. Press your thumbs in and slightly upward in the direction of your eyes. Press until you feel no more than a comfortable pain, then hold the pressure while you knead the points in very small circular movements for 1-2 minutes. Close your eyes and focus on the points as you press them; if the points are very tender ease off the pressure a bit.

For a general headache or sinus pain: Use one hand to locate a pressure point on the opposite hand about 1.5 inches in from the edge of the webbing between your thumb and index finger. Put your thumb on that point and your index finger on the underside of the webbing to create a pinching technique. Squeeze and massage the point in very small circular movements for 1-2 minutes. Repeat on the other

by Donna Lee Schillinger hand. These techniques will make you a believer in acupressure. For a quick video demonstration, visit Chinese Holistic Health.

Feet Cold? Research has actually shown that having warm feet helps people sleep better. The easiest fix for cold feet is sticking one foot behind the knee of the other leg, then bending the knee. That spot is one of the warmest your toes can reach – and maybe just a few minutes there will do the trick. The next level of intervention is to get a clean pair of socks. Socks you have worn earlier have humidity in them and actually make your feet colder. If five minutes in clean socks doesn’t warm your tootsies, it’s time for a major intervention. If you are the least bit drowsy, this will wake you up for sure, but it also solves the problem that’s keeping you from sleeping, so it’s worthwhile. Soak your feet in the tub with warm water. Or, if you have a shower only, run warm water over them. As soon as you dry your feet, pop some fuzzy socks on and you’re good to go… to sleep! Learn more feetwarming techniques at Suite101.com.

Hungry? Have you ever noticed it’s hard to fall asleep when you’re hungry? Besides stirring in you a compassion for the millions of people worldwide who have no remedy for this, your hunger should spur you to get out of bed and get a bite to eat. Don’t just shove anything in your mouth though.

You need something that induces sleep without turning you into a sumo wrestler. Though modern science has yet to establish a good reason, a glass of warm milk does seem to help people sleep. Whether it transports us back to the days of nursing a bottle before our beddy-bye time, or because it contains the amino acid L-tryptophan,

JUST Wyou HAT NEED which turns to 5-HTP and releases relaxing serotonin, a warm glass of milk before bedtime is the stuff of sweet dreams.

Try adding a teaspoon of honey or brown sugar to the milk, or drink hot chocolate made with milk if warm milk alone makes your skin crawl. For other sleep inducing bedtime snacks, check out Reba Ray’s Down Home Health Cookin’ for One on a Budget (p.12).

Too much on your mind? Lastly, if that something bothering you is not physical, you need to put it aside for the next eight hours. If you’re running a to-do list in your head, just get up, go write down everything you’re trying to remember to do and be done with it. Take the pad and paper to your bedside to jot down anything else that pops into your mind. If it’s not as simple as putting it on a to-do list, it’s time to count sheep.

A variation of this that works for me is starting at 100 and slowly counting backwards. Focus all your thoughts on counting backwards. Don’t let your mind stray. If you are indeed sleepy, soon enough you’ll find that instead of counting you’re half-dreaming.

You may drift in and out of semi-consciousness several times before you fall out completely. Each time, resume your count. I have never made it to zero with this technique.