Florida Creative Living Magazine by Florida Creative Living Magazine

September - October 2012

Florida Creative Living | For All Ages!

Creative Living Florida

September - October 2012 7th ISSUE

Sections

15 19 51

Front Cover Topics

15-17

Yoga for Lowering Stress: Benefits of Yoga

19-22

Motivation and the Power of Not Giving Up: Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Not Alone

Featured Business : And The Wiener Is

Social Networks: For Sports Fans : Are You In the Game? Stars & Stripes: Journalistic Freedom

In Every Issue

Artist Corner Artwork created by artist - pg 54 Band Directory List of Florida Bands - pg 54 Business Directory List of Florida Businesses - pgs 55-56 Chefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Delight Low-fat, Gluten Free, Diabetic, easy to make friendly recipes - pg 57

Community Spotlight Florida businesses news - pg 58 Va Memoirs Featured stories of Veterans - pg 65 4

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Cover Photo Provided By Robert Neff

September - October 2012

Florida Creative Living | For All Ages!

Kids & Teens September - October 2012 7th ISSUE

News Back to School Glow Tips to Revive and Refresh Post Summer Skin| pg 12

Sports How Can I Decide Between Two Sports? Expert Advice | pgs 25-26

4 Ways to Better Grades In School Tips for A Better Year! | pgs 13-14

Techno & Science Why Do I Yawn It Seems Contagious | pgs 26-27

Halloween Spooky Outfits Ideas | pgs 14-15

Why Does My Body Jerk Before I fall Asleep? Is This Normal? | pg 27

Healthy Habits Yoga for Lowering Stress Benefits of Yoga | pgs 15-17

Staying Safe When It’s Just You After School Playing It Safe Around the House | pgs 28-29

Being Afraid Everyday Worries | pgs 17-19

Doodle Corner Word Ladder, Crossword Puzzle, and More... Activity Center | pgs 30-33

Motivation and the Power of Not Giving Up You’re Not Alone! | pgs 19-22 Organizing School Work and Assignments Get Organized | pgs 22-25

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September - October 2012

Florida Creative Living | For All Ages! 7

Adult Living September - October 2012

7th ISSUE

News Fifth World Art Award Winning and Noted Artist | pg 38

Sports Social Networks: For Sports Fans Are You In the Game? | pg 51

Bailey’s Treasures Consignment Shop | pg 40

Crossword & Sudoku Fun Time for a Break! | pgs 52-53

And The Wiener Is Feeding the Homeless and Hungry| pg 42

Community Spotlight Happy Birthday Florida Creative Living Contest Winner| pg58

Home Wildlife Gardening with Kids Getting Back to Nature | pg 44

Technology Technology of Tomorrow | pg 60

Big Mistakes Job Seekers Commit Landing Your Dream Job | pg 46 Health The Benefits of Exercise for Seniors Living Longer | pg 47 Natural Home Remedies for Brown Spots Get Age Spots Free Skin | pg 49

Entertainment Tampa’s Arlington Road Band Land O’ Lakes, Florida| pg 62 VA Memoirs Stars and Stripes Journalistic Freedom | pg 64

Useful Tips to Relieve Bloated Stomach Identifying the Cause | pg 50

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September - October 2012

Florida Creative Living | For All Ages! 9

Creative Living Florida

A BRIEF WORD FROM THE PUBLISHER

f I was told a year ago that I would have an online publication I would of said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is no way I can do that, raise a family, and run my Graphic Design Firmâ&#x20AC;?!

Well, here I am, 12 months later and have just published my 7th issue. My dream that started six years ago has now became a reality. With hard work, determination, lots of late nights, and motivation from Family and Friends I was able to succeed. This next year, I expect that Florida Creative Living will continue to grow and became a household name that everyone can learn to trust to receive informative articles and find products & services from local Florida businesses. At Florida Creative Living we wish our readers a safe and a Happy Labor Day. For our trick or treaters, please visit page 14 for some creative spooky outfits for Halloween.

TEAM Susan Gulash | susan@floridacreativeliving.com Florida Creative Living is a full-size, full-color, bi-monthly, online interactive magazine published six times a year by Gulash Graphics. It is distributed free of charge and no content is allowed to be reproduced in whole or part without written permission from Florida Creative Living. This publication is not responsible for statements made by advertisers or writers and is not necessarily the opinion of Florida Creative Living. Typographical errors, and the accuracy of information supplied by advertisers, or the action of the advertisers are not the publication and its publisher responsibility. Editorial submissions are welcome. Publisher reserves the right to reject or edit for length and clarity all submissions.

Florida Creative Living

I am glad to welcome Terry Foster of Virtual Office Assistant/Social Media Management to our sales team here at Florida Creative Living. Terry Foster is a highly skilled sales and marketing guru who brings hard work, professionalism, people-skills and warmth to the team at Florida Creative Living Magazine. Please contact Terry at terry@floridacreativeliving.com for inquires for advertisement in our publication.

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Deadlines Oct 1, 2012 Dec 1, 2012 Feb 1, 2013 April 1, 2013 June 1,2013 Aug 1, 2013

s d i K s n e Te Section

Kids & Teens | NEWS

Back to School Glow Tips to Revive and Refresh Post Summer Skin

s summer comes to a close and a new school year unfolds, we often neglect the toile a fun filled summer has taken on our skin and hair. Exposure to longer hours of sunlight, surf and chlorine can lead to a dry, dull appearance. Start your schoolyear off with a glow using simple tips to revive and refresh post summer skin.

to dry and rinse with warm water.

Tip 1 – Exfoliate One of the fastest ways to revive and refresh post summer skin is to exfoliate. Often times, when exposed to environmental elements, the outer layer of skin cells can become tough and thick – leading to a dry, dull appearance. Exfoliation will reveal a healthy glow to your skin.

Body: For the body, try a new twist on moisturizing with a nourishing blend of botanical oils. Body Oils are rich in nourishing ingredients that feed the skin essential vitamins, minerals and fatty acids. Most formulas absorb quickly, while leaving skin with a luminous glow. Face: Tone and hydrate using a 2-in-1 product combination. These are usually a spray-on application and are extremely easy and effective to use. Once you have toned and hydrated, we suggest applying a serum. Serums tend to be a concentrated way to receive nutrients and moisture to skin without leaving a residue.

Feet & Body: Choose a gentle exfoliator such as a sugar scrub. Beginning with your feet, scoop a small amount of scrub and polish, moving up the legs until you reach your thighs. (be careful as your feet could be slippery) Continue to polish buttocks, back, stomach, and arms. Use brisk, flowing movements that aim towards your heart center.

Hair: A fast and easy way to revive and refresh your tresses is to do a hot oiltreatment. Many times your Body Oil can double as a hair distress treatment. Warm oil to a comfortable temperature and apply to the roots, working all the way to the ends. Place hair in a shower cap and wrap in a hot towel for 20 minutes. Shampoo hair a few times to ensure residue is rinsed.

Tip 2 – Moisturize After exfoliation, it is important to maintain a healthy glow by nourishing andmoisturizing the skin. Exfoliated skin is more readily available to absorb nourishing ingredients – resulting in a healthier appearance. Feet: We highly recommend concentrated body butters. Real body butters are thicker than lotions and tend to be packed full of nourishing ingredients that can heal and soothe summer worn feet. Before going to bed, slather a thick layer of body butter to each foot, place socks on both feet and go to sleep. In the morning, enjoy your soft pretty feet!

Tip 3 – Hydrate Finally, yet importantly is hydration. Drinking plenty of water is an essential step to keeping skin properly hydrated and maintaining your back to school glow. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times and try to drink at least 8 full glasses a Chest & Face: We suggest a clay-based day. exfolitor / mask combination. Begin by cleansing your face, neck and chest Enjoy Your Back To School Glow! then pat dry. Apply an even layer in circular motions to these areas. Allow By Brandy Zender

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September - October 2012

Kids & Teens | NEWS

4 Ways to Better Grades In School Tips For A Better Year!

ave you had one of those “Ah! I get it now!” moments recently? You know, the ones when you hear some piece of advice you’ve heard many times before, only this time it makes sense?

I find that many parents and kids have an “Ah! I get it now!” moment when they finally understand how other students get better grades.

kids start making the change right now. Here are four changes that can make a difference immediately. Tip #1 – Learn how to organize your materials. – Sounds simple, but all great ideas are. Notebooks for each subject, clear notes that are easy to understand later and an assignment book. Prepare like you want to be the best and you’ll see an immediate improvement. The students that get the best grades are those that have what they need to study at hand. Once they finish with one subject, it’s on to the next. No wasted time.

It’s not natural intelligence, better teachers in elementary school or a better seat in class. Higher grades come from following simple steps each time your child enters a class, does homework and later studies for tests. Tip #2 – Learn how to do homework – Too many kids come home and attack homework with the These simple steps help students get better grades, idea of finishing…not learning. This is a mistake. attend better schools and land better jobs when it’s Homework should be a time to clarify what you over. That’s how powerful they are. are learning; investigate how it ties into what And once they become a habit, they will last a you’ve learned so far; discover what you know lifetime. and don’t know. Yet, parents and kids need to be reminded from time This way, you’re organizing the material in your to time so that the , “Ah! I get it!” moment comes mind. You’re taking the first step to absorbing sooner rather than later. what you’ll need later for the test. And when that time comes, you’ll be better prepared. With competition for top schools and good jobs CONTINUE TO NEXT PAGE increasing each year, it’s critical that parents and September - October 2012

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Kids & Teens | NEWS Tip #3 – Learn to study – There are ways to study that every student should understand. Start with the most important material, classify and organize, summarize, learn to pick out important points. And most importantly, think about the material as you go over it. Make connections with other topics you’ve covered. You’ll begin to understand with less effort.

Tip #4 – Learn how to memorize efficiently. – In reality, if you follow the first three tips, the memorizing part is basically done. You see, true memorizing strategies don’t occur the night before a test. They are part of the process of learning which, if done correctly, allow you to understand, retain and recall the information without a lot of hard work. You’ll need memorizing techniques at times but solid preparation is always the first step to understanding. By combining all four of these suggestions, your child will start to see better grades almost overnight. And the moment will come when you both sit back with smiles on your faces and say, “Ah! I get it!.” By Jim Sarris. Jim Sarris is the author of Memorizing Made Easy, a resource that helps kids learn to organize, study and process information so that memorizing occurs naturally. For more information and a free chapter, visit http://www.memorizing-made-easy.com.

n e e w o l l a

Spooky Ideas t i F t u O

oo! What are you going to be for Halloween? Sometimes, it can be fun to dress up as a group. Maybe your brothers, sisters, friends - or even parents - will want to join in the fun. Here are some costume ideas for groups of two or more.

• • • • • • • • • • • sun and moon • • winter, spring, summer, and • fall • salt and pepper shakers 14

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a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste cop and robber doctor and patient veterinarian and animal (dog, cat, or bunny) fireman and fire dog (dalmatian) fisherman and fish squirrel and nut teacher and student pilgrim and Indian (or turkey!) prince and princess (or king and queen) cowboy and horse (or cowboy and cowgirl) dog and bone (Arf! Arf!)

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• • • • • • • • • •

vampire and bat Kids & Teens | NEWS burger and fries peanut butter and jelly Santa and elf (or Mrs. Claus) And no matter what you macaroni and cheese dress up as, please be safe three blind mice while you’re haunting the three little bears neighborhood! three little pigs ©1995-2012. The Nemours Foundation/ Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail (from Peter Rabbit) KidsHealth®. Reprinted with permission Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, the Lion, and Toto (from the Wizard of Oz) Kids & Teens | HEALTHY HABITS • Sonny and Cher (ask your parents!)

Benefits of Yoga

Reviewed by: D’Arcy Lyness, PhD

for Lowering Stress

hy Yoga for Stress relief? Everyday issues

can add emotional stress, too — counseling a friend through a breakup, regretting a disagreement with a parent, weighing an important decision, or stressing over whether you’ll make final cuts for the varsity team. With lots on your mind, it’s easy to feel stressed.

Life can be stressful. For starters, there’s your busy schedule — waking up super early for school, studying late at night for tests, juggling sports practice, There are many different ways to cope with stress. Talking with homework, and meals. It’s a lot friends, exercising, and seeing a school counselor are just a few. Yoga to balance! can help reduce stress because it promotes relaxation, which is the CONTINUE TO NEXT PAGE

September - October 2012 Florida Creative Living | For All Ages!

Kids & Teens | HEALTHY HABITS natural opposite of stress. Yoga can benefit three aspects of ourselves that are often affected by stress: our body, mind, and breathing. You don’t have to wait to feel stressed out to do yoga, and you shouldn’t! People who do a little bit of yoga each day often find they’re better able to handle things when life gets a little crazy. Practicing yoga builds your ability to calm, focus, balance, and relax yourself.

Yoga Is More Than Just Stretching

Lots of people think of yoga as stretching or twisting the body into various impossible-looking pretzel shapes. But yoga is easier than it looks. There are simple poses as well as complicated ones, so there’s something for every ability. Yoga requires no special equipment, so you can do it almost anywhere. Yoga poses are good exercise and can help loosen up the tense muscles in your body. The areas of the body that tend to carry the most stress are the neck, shoulders, and back. But other parts of the body (like the face, jaw, fingers, or wrists) also can benefit from simple yoga stretches. Yoga is so much more than just physical exercise, though. The key to getting the best out of each pose is to focus not only on your body, but also on your mind and breathing. Getting the Most Out of Yoga When you’re in a yoga pose, think about 16

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how you can unite your body, mind, and breathing. Even a simple pose like mountain pose is a stress reliever when you focus on keeping your breathing slow and even, and visualize yourself as firm and steady as a mountain. Stay ‘in the moment.’ When we’re under stress, we’re often thinking about what we need to do in the future (“I have to cram for that test”) or what we could have done better in the past (“I wish I hadn’t said that!”). Instead of letting your thoughts wander as you do yoga, think about what your body and breath are doing in this moment. Notice how a particular muscle or area of the body feels. Focus on breathing in slowly as your body stretches tall, and breathing out slowly as you curl up. Being in the moment like this helps you build your ability to focus and concentrate, which helps in all aspects of life. Use your breathing when things get difficult. When a yoga pose feels challenging, imagine sending your breath to the area in your body that feels stiff or tight. Does it help? You can use this skill in the rest of your life, too. Whenever something challenges you — a tough homework problem, an argument with a parent — try to focus on your breathing. You may be surprised by how much better you deal with the situation.

When to Try Yoga

Try taking a weekly yoga class or using a yoga DVD to help you learn some yoga poses. There are classes as well as yoga DVDs created especially for teens. You can also incorporate mini-bits of yoga into your daily life to help you manage stressful moments. Here are some ideas:

Before a test. Do easy neck and shoulder rolls right at your

desk to relieve tense muscles in your neck, shoulders, and back. Also try squeezing and relaxing your fingers and hands. These exercises can take as little as 30 seconds, and can be repeated as often as you need!

While studying. Try a few simple yoga moves to help relax

any areas that may have become tense while studying.

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Neck and shoulder rolls can release tension in your back and shoulders. Forward folds and twists will relieve lower back strain. Give your face a minimassage to help loosen up a tense jaw. Balancing poses, like tree pose, can help focus your energy so you can concentrate on what you need to do!

Before bed. Do a few yoga

Kids & Teens | HEALTHY HABITS peaceful. Stay in a forward fold with all good things, the effects for 3 or 4 full, slowing breaths, of yoga need to build up over and allow your body and mind to time. relax.

Yoga and YOU

The best part about yoga is that it helps you discover more about your mind, body, and emotions. Yoga can help you become more balanced, calm, focused, and relaxed as you go through life’s usual ups and downs.

stretches before bed to help you relax — especially if you have a lot on your mind. Poses where you fold forward, like child’s pose, tend to be calming. They Of course, you won’t instantly feel allow you to tune out the rest more positive, calm, or energetic of the world and feel quiet and after doing a few yoga poses. As

But if you give yourself a half hour each day to do a few yoga poses, after a couple of weeks you should start noticing a subtle change. Keep going longer and yoga will become a natural part of your daily routine, ready to help you manage life’s stresses well into the future. ©1995-2012. The Nemours Foundation/ KidsHealth®. Reprinted with permission

Being Afraid

Everyday Worries Reviewed by: D’Arcy Lyness, PhD

ave you ver been afraid? Everyone announces a pop quiz, or your palms sweat when it’s your gets scared sometimes. Maybe turn to give your report in front of the class. Perhaps you thunder and lightning make your get butterflies in your stomach when you see the bully heart beat faster. Or maybe your CONTINUE TO NEXT PAGE mouth goes dry when your teacher September - October 2012

Florida Creative Living | For All Ages!

Kids & Teens | HEALTHY HABITS who picks on you.

Everyday Worries

We all have fears from time to time. That’s true no matter how big we are or brave we can be. Fear can even be good for you sometimes and even help you stay healthy. Fear of getting too close to a campfire may save you from a bad burn. And fear of getting a bad grade on a test might make you study more. Being a bit on edge also can sharpen your senses and help you perform better in a recital or during a track meet. Some people even enjoy being a little scared. That’s why they like to watch scary movies or go on roller-coaster rides.

What Happens When You’re Scared?

Have you ever wondered why being scared makes your heart beat faster and makes you breathe quicker? The body’s reaction to fear is called the “fight or flight” response. And people have had it since the beginning of time. Here’s how it works. Imagine you’re a caveman or cavewoman living 100,000 years ago — and you come face to face with a hungry saber-toothed tiger. You have two choices: 1) Run for it (that’s flight), or 2) pick

What Is Anxiety?

Usually, our bodies go into fight or flight only when there is something to fear. However, sometimes this occurs when there doesn’t seem to be anything to be frightened about. When you feel scared but there doesn’t seem to be a clear reason, that’s called anxiety (say: ang-

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zye-uh-tee). Other feelings might come along with anxiety — like a feeling of tightness in your chest, a bellyache, dizziness, or a sense that something horrible is going to happen. These feelings can be very frightening. Sometimes anxiety can interfere with things you need to do, like learning and sleeping. For some kids, feelings of anxiety or worry can happen anytime. For others, they might occur only at certain times, like when they’re leaving their home or family to go somewhere. In some people, this feeling of anxiety occurs almost all the time and gets in the way of doing what they want to do. Some kids may have a phobia (say: foe-bee-uh), which is an intense fear of something specific, such as being up high, getting dirty, the number 13, or spiders.

Why Do People Have Anxiety?

Anxiety can run in families. Or a person might develop anxiety after something terrible happens, like a car crash. Sometimes certain medical illnesses can cause feelings of anxiety. So can abusing alcohol or other drugs, like cocaine. Another part of the explanation has to do with the different chemicals in the nerve cells of the brain. How the chemicals in our brain’s nerve cells are balanced can affect how we feel and act. One of these chemicals is serotonin (say: sir-uhtoe-nun). Serotonin is one of the brain chemicals that helps send information from one brain nerve cell to another. But for some people with anxiety, this brain chemical system doesn’t always seem to work the way it should. Also, some scientists think that a special area in the brain controls the fight or flight response. With anxiety, it’s like having the fight or flight response stuck in the ON position — even when there is no real danger. That makes it hard to focus on everyday things.

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Dealing With Anxiety

Anxiety can be treated successfully. Tell your mom or dad Kids & Teens | HEALTHY HABITS if find yourself more scared than you feel you should be or if your anxiety becomes strong and is getting in the Of course, if you do come face to face with a way of what you want or need to do. hungry saber-toothed tiger, there’s just one thing you should do . . . RUN! Your parents might take you to a doctor, who can help find out if a medical problem is making you feel anxious, or to a therapist, who can help find a way to lessen the ©1995-2012. The Nemours Foundation/ anxiety through talking, activities, relaxation exercises, or KidsHealth®. Reprinted with permission. medication (or a combination of these things).

and the Power of Not Giving Up

Reviewed by: D’Arcy Lyness, PhD

ave you ever set a goal for yourself, like getting fit, making honor roll, or being picked for a team? Like lots of people, maybe you started out doing great, but then lost some of that

drive and had trouble getting motivated again.

You’re Not Alone! Everyone struggles with staying motivated and reaching their goals. Just look at how many people go on diets, lose weight, and CONTINUE TO NEXT PAGE

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Kids & Teens | HEALTHY HABITS then gain it back again! The reality is that refocusing, changing, or making a new start on something, no matter how small, is a big deal. But it’s not impossible. With the right approach, you can definitely do it.

Getting Motivated

So how do you stay motivated and on track with your goal? It all comes down to good planning, realistic expectations, and a stick-to-it attitude. Here’s what you need to do:

you try to run the entire distance of 26.2 miles tomorrow without any training, you’re unlikely to succeed. It takes the average person 4 months of training to run that far! But the bigger risk is that you’ll get so bummed out that you’ll give up your marathon dreams — and running — altogether. Part of staying motivated is being realistic about what you can achieve within the timeframe you’ve planned. Competing on the Olympic ski team is a workable goal if you are 15 and already a star skier. But if you’re 18 and only just taking your first lesson, time isn’t exactly on your side.

Write it down. Put your specific goal in writing. Then write

it down again. And again. Research shows that writing down a goal is part of the mental process of committing to it. Write your goal down every day to keep you focused and remind you how much you want it.

First, know your goal. Start by writing Break it down. Making any change takes self-discipline. down your major goal. Your major goal is the ultimate thing you’d like to see happen. For example, “I want to make honor roll,” or “I want to get fit enough to make the cross-country team,” or even, “I want to play in the Olympics” are all major goals because they’re the final thing the goal setter wants to see happen (obviously, some goals take longer and require more work than others). It’s OK to dream big. That’s how people accomplish stuff. You just have to remember that the bigger the goal, the more work it takes to get there.

Make it specific. It’s easier to plan for

You need to pay constant attention so you don’t get sidetracked. One way to make this easier is to break a big goal into small steps. For example, let’s say you want to run a marathon. If it’s February and the marathon is in August, that’s a realistic timeframe to prepare. Start by planning to run 2 miles and work up gradually to the distance you need. Then set specific daily tasks, like eating five servings of fruit and veggies and running a certain amount a day. Put these on a calendar or planner so you can check them off. Ask a coach to help you set doable mini-goals for additional mile amounts and for tasks to improve your performance, such as exercises to build strength and stamina so you’ll stay motivated to run farther.

and master a specific goal than a vague one. Let’s say your goal is to get fit. That’s pretty vague. Make it specific by defining what you want to achieve (such as muscle tone and definition or endurance), why you want to get fit, and by when. This helps Reaching frequent, smaller goals is something to celebrate. you make a plan to reach your goal. It gives you the confidence, courage, and motivation to keep running — or doing whatever it is you’re aiming to do. Make it realistic. People often abandon So reward yourself! their goals because their expectations are unreasonable. Maybe they expect to get Check in with your goal. Now that you’ve broken your ripped abs in weeks rather than months, goal down into a series of mini-goals and daily tasks, check or to quit smoking easily after years of in every day. lighting up. Let’s say you want to run a marathon. If 20

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It helps to write down your small goals in the same way you wrote down your big goal. That way you can track what you need to do, check off tasks as you complete them, and enjoy knowing that you’re moving toward your big goal. As you accomplish a task, check it off on your list. Tell yourself, “Hey, I’ve run 10 miles, I’m nearly halfway to my goal!” Reward yourself with something you promised yourself when you set your goal. Feel successful — you are! Now think ahead to accomplishing the rest of your goal: “What do I have to do to reach 26 miles? How am I going to make the time to train?”

Kids & Teens | HEALTHY HABITS temper growing out of control.

Keep a stick-to-it attitude. Visualize yourself achieving your goal: a toned you in your prom dress or a successful you scoring the winning soccer goal. Selfvisualization helps you keep what you’re trying to accomplish in mind. It helps you believe it’s possible. You can also call up Writing down specific steps has another advantage: If you’re your mental picture when willpower and feeling weak on willpower you can look at your list to help motivation are low. you refocus! Positive self-talk also boosts your attitude Recommit to your goal if you slip up. If you slip up, don’t and motivation. Tell yourself, “I deserve give up. Forgive yourself and make a plan for getting back to make the honor roll because I’ve really been working hard” or “I feel great when on track. I swim — I’m doing well on my exercise Pat yourself on the back for everything you did right. Don’t plan!” beat yourself up, no matter how far off track you get. Most people slip up when trying to make a change — it’s a natural Share with a friend. Another boost is having supportive people around you. part of the process. Find a running buddy, a quit smoking Writing down daily tasks and mini-goals helps here too. By buddy, or someone else with a similar goal keeping track of things, you’ll quickly recognize when you’ve so you can support each other. Having a slipped up, making it easier to refocus and recommit to goal buddy can make all the difference in your goal. So instead of feeling discouraged, you can know times when you don’t feel motivated — like getting up for that early-morning run. exactly where you got off track and why. If you’re not getting support from someone when you really need it, you may need to take a break from that friendship and surround yourself with people who want to help you succeed. For instance, if you’ve been going to your friend’s house to study together every Thursday after school, but now your pal is turning on the TV, texting View slip-ups as lessons and reminders of why you’re trying friends, or gabbing on the phone and to make a change. When you mess up, it’s not a fault — ignoring your pleas to get down to work, it’s an opportunity to learn something new about yourself. it’s time to find another study buddy. You Say your goal is to fight less with your brother or sister. You may learn that it’s better to say, “I can’t talk about this CONTINUE TO NEXT PAGE right now” and take time to calm down when you feel your What if you keep slipping up? Ask yourself if you’re really committed to your goal. If you are, recommit — and put it in writing. The process of writing everything down may also help you discover when you’re not really committed to a goal. For example, perhaps you’re more in love with the fantasy of being a star athlete than the reality, and there’s something else that you’d rather be or do.

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Florida Creative Living | For All Ages!

a new, exciting one is all about taking responsibility for our lives. Finding the motivation to do it isn’t necessarily easy, but it is always possible. You can stay motivated by writing can’t stay focused on your goal if your down your goals, sticking to your schedule, and reminding friend doesn’t share that goal — or, even yourself of what led you to set your goal in the first place. worse, is trying to hold you back. Seek out Change is exciting — we’d all be very bored without it. others who are on the same path you are and work with them instead. Good luck in reaching your goals!

Kids & Teens | HEALTHY HABITS

Don’t Give Up!

Ending an unhealthy behavior or creating

Organizing School Work & Assignments Get Organized

Reviewed by: Chris Cortellessa, M.Ed, NCC

earning how to focus and get something done is about more than just good grades — it’s the foundation for success in life. Mastering the skills of getting organized, staying focused, and seeing work through to the end will help in just about everything you do.

Get Organized

Organization is the first step. It makes everything else a little easier.

Keep your assignments and class information together in binders, notebooks, or folders that are organized by subject. You might want to set up a file drawer at home to keep track of research, You probably know the basics by returned assignments, and other now, but here’s a helpful refresher. things you want to hold on to.

If you find yourself stuffing loose papers in your bag or grabbing different notebooks for the same class just because they’re close at hand, it’s time to stop and regroup. Take an evening to get things organized again. Maybe you can’t carry different spiral-bounds for every class. One solution is to carry a binder that has separate CONTINUE TO NEXT PAGE

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September - October 2012

sections. Another idea is to take notes in one notebook and at the end of each day rewrite them in a separate binder. This takes more time, but it is a great study skill because it allows you to read, write, and hopefully summarize all that was important during the schoolday. The more you review material, the more likely you are to remember it. Whatever you choose, your system has to work for you. If it doesn’t, change it until you find what does. It’s a great way to learn about yourself and what works for your unique needs.

Plan Ahead

Most likely, you’re on your own when it comes to progress and work on assignments. It can feel great to be your own boss, especially if you’re a good one. Don’t leave things until the last minute, though — you’ll only end up working twice as hard to do half as well. Nerves and anxiety make it hard to stay focused and do a good job.

Set deadlines. At the beginning of

each semester, make a calendar of due dates. Be sure you know what the main assignments are (if the teacher doesn’t mention them at the start of the semester, ask) and what format they will take (a report, presentation, group project, etc.). Set clear goals. Keep these questions in mind when organizing your calendar: What’s the final product? When do certain components need to be completed? Answering these questions allows you to prioritize assignments by due dates, level of difficulty, and completion time. Include nonacademic commitments on your calendar, such as team practices, drama rehearsals, etc. This will help you see when things might hit crunch time later in the semester. Give yourself mini-deadlines for the stages of each project — planning, research, drafting, revising, and creating a final product.

Kids & Teens | HEALTHY HABITS deadlines. For example, will you reward yourself for meeting them? Ask your friends or parents to check in with you about your mini-deadlines so that you don’t put them off. (Watch out if you ask parents to help, though. When they do, remember that they’re not nagging you — you asked them to check in!) If you have difficulty meeting deadlines but are attempting to improve your study skills and organization, talk with your teacher. He or she can help you to create reasonable short-term goals for a particular project or test. Oh, no! That’s due in 2 days! If something slips by and you find yourself surprised by a due date or stuck with very little turnaround time, try not to freak out. Do a breathing exercise to feel calm and focused. Then outline an approach to tackling the work. You can make an hourly or daily calendar of deadlines if that helps you structure your time. If you’re a perfectionist, it helps to remember that everyone can lose track of something once in a while. If this happens a lot, though, you need to get more organized.

Set Your Space

You need a good workspace — someplace clean and orderly and quiet enough to focus. (If you can, avoid trying to study in

Enforce deadlines. Decide how you’ll enforce your September - October 2012

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Florida Creative Living | For All Ages! 23

Kids & Teens | HEALTHY HABITS places that are the center of activity, like the kitchen.) It helps to have a specific place that’s set aside for homework so that when you sit down, your mind knows you’re there to work and can help you focus more quickly. Your bedroom, a study, or any other room where you can get away from noise and distractions is an ideal place to focus. It’s best to study at a desk or table where you can spread your work out. You’ll also need a chair that’s comfortable: It should support your lower back and allow you to keep both feet on the floor in front of you. To make studying less of a strain on your eyes, be sure you have enough light. Finally, make sure the room you’re in is comfortable. This sounds basic, but if you’re too hot, too cold, or distracted by your pet hamster spinning on his wheel, you won’t be able to concentrate as effectively.

Have resources handy. What do

you need in your work area in order to avoid interruptions? Books, supplies, notes, research sources? Keep these in one place so you don’t have to go off in search of printer paper, a stapler, or a book you know you just saw around here somewhere.

you head to the library or elsewhere to work on projects and papers. And each night, check that you’ve packed everything you need for class the next day — including assignments to turn in.

Get Focused

Think multitasking is a useful skill? Think again! A March 2005 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that nearly a third of students ages 8 to 18 don’t concentrate on their homework alone. Instead, they “multitask” by talking on the phone, listening to music, watching TV, and IMing friends. Studies show that when people do lots of things at once they tend to do a worse job on all of them than if they’d focused on just one thing at a time. So when you multitask as you study, you’re less likely to absorb and retain the information you need to do well on that test. This doesn’t mean you have to study in total silence. Things like TV are bad distractions that you’ll want to avoid. But listening to music can actually help some people concentrate — especially if they have to study in a noisy environment. Just be sure that you tune in to good study music that isn’t going to sidetrack you into singing the lyrics and dancing all over your room when you’re supposed to be focused on the French Revolution. If you find yourself reading the same page over and over or fixing mistakes that you made as you worked, these are clues that the music isn’t helping. Chances are, you’ll use the computer for papers and the Web for research while you’re doing homework. This makes it hard to avoid temptations like IM and surfing. Set aside separate time just for IM and email so that when it’s work time, you can shut them down and focus. (It’s hard, but there’s nothing like the little ding of a new message to take the focus off of what you’re trying to do — especially if it’s

Be sure you have what you need before 24

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not your favorite subject!)

Kids & Teens | HEALTHY HABITS

Stay focused. One way to keep your concentration is to take

breaks — but make sure they’re scheduled ones. Building a • DO include social events on this calendar for time management. 15-minute break in after 45 minutes of studying can help • DO understand the assignment and your mind stay fresh and focused. expectations. Get a change of scenery by leaving the room you’ve been • DO give yourself a quiet place to study with all the materials you need. working in. Exercise is a great way to clear your head and allow the mind to absorb what you’ve just studied. So now’s • DO give yourself brief breaks. the time to put on that song that makes you dance and sing! • DON’T put work off until the last minute; you’ll be too frantic to focus. Do some stretches, walk the dog around the block, kick a ball in the backyard, or call a friend. Just make sure you get • DON’T do your homework late at night or in bed. back to your studies when your 15 minutes are up. • DON’T let yourself be bored; find the aspect of the project or paper that It’s normal for the mind to wander occasionally. If you find interests you — if you’re dying of yourself getting distracted and thinking about other things, boredom, something’s not right. pull your attention back into a study groove as soon as

possible. If daydreaming and fantasizing seem to take up too much of your work time, set aside a separate time to If you need more tips on staying focused, write in your journal or write fiction. That’ll give you another ask a teacher, school counselor, or a parent for help. It’s their job to assist in incentive to get your homework done. your learning.

Get It Done!

In summary, here’s a quick checklist of things that can help you focus:

• DO know your deadlines. • DO make a calendar of stages and final due dates.

Kids & Teens | SPORTS

How Can I Decide Between Two Sports? Expert advice Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD I am trying to decide between two sports. One sport I’ve never played, and the other is track so it’s simple. I do not enjoy track, but I am very good at it. I want to play lacrosse, but I’ve never played it before. I am very athletic, so I think I would

get the hang of it and could make the team because they are low on players. But I don’t want to disappoint my track team. Also, I play soccer later on in the day twice a week. What should I do? - Kaz* CONTINUE TO NEXT PAGE

September - October 2012

Florida Creative Living | For All Ages!

Kids & Teens | SPORTS First, congratulate yourself for considering a switch. In today’s sports culture, people are often more interested in being good at a particular sport than they are in learning new talents. Some people stick with a sport they no longer enjoy simply because they’re afraid to step outside the winners’ circle. Like anything in life, it’s essential to love the sport you play. Enjoying a sport is about more than just mastering the skills of the game. It’s also about the playing environment: Some people like to be part of team

that works together on the field as a group. Others prefer a sport that’s more solo. Some are drawn to sports that involve a lot of strategy, like baseball. Others choose fast-paced action like basketball. It’s also important to feel challenged by the sport you choose. If track feels too easy, it may be time to give another sport a try. In addition to mastering new skills, a sport like lacrosse will let you use your upper body more — a nice balance to the lower-body workout you get from sports like track and soccer. Plus, your track skills will come in handy for lacrosse and, if you find you don’t enjoy it, you can always return to track. It can be hard to let down your teammates, but they should understand. Explain that you like them, but you’re looking for new sporting challenges. A willingness to be flexible about sports is good for your future, too. As our lives change and we go from school to the working world, we often need to experiment with new ways to stay fit.

Kids & Teens | TECHNO & SCIENCE

Why Do I Yawn! It Seems Contagious Reviewed by: Kate M. Cronan, MD

we can’t really control) to help us control our oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. Sounds good, but other studies have shown that breathing more oxygen does not decrease yawning. Likewise, breathing more carbon dioxide does not increase yawning. Hmmm. One is that when we are bored or tired, we just don’t Now what? breathe as deeply as we usually do. As this theory goes, our bodies take in less oxygen because our breathing has Another theory is that yawning stretches the slowed. Therefore, yawning helps us bring more oxygen lungs and lung tissue. Stretching and yawning into the blood and move more carbon dioxide out of the may be a way to flex muscles and joints, blood.

verybody yawns — from unborn babies to the oldest great-grandparent. Animals do it, too. But why, exactly, do people and animals yawn? No one knows for sure. But there are many theories (ideas) about why people yawn.

Yawning, then, would be an involuntary reflex (something

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increase heart rate, and feel more awake. Other people believe that yawning is a protective reflex to redistribute the oil-like substance called surfactant (say: sur-fak-tint) that helps keep lungs lubricated inside and keeps them from collapsing. So, if we didn’t yawn, according to this theory, taking a deep breath would become harder and harder — and that would not be good! But there is one idea about yawning that everyone knows to be true. It seems contagious. If you yawn in class, you’ll probably notice a few other people will start yawning,

Kids & Teens | TECHNO & SCIENCE too. Even thinking about yawning can get you yawning. How many times have you yawned while reading this article? We hope not many! ©1995-2012. The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth®. Reprinted with permission.

Is This Normal? Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD

ou’re just about to drift off into a deep sleep when suddenly you feel like you’re falling or rolling downhill on a roller coaster. Then your body jerks suddenly and you’re awake. Weird! What’s going on?

gets confused, and, for a minute, thinks you’re falling. In response, the brain causes your muscles to tense up so you “catch yourself” before you fall down.

These jerks can wake a person up, or the person This body movement, also known as a sleep start, is might just keep on sleeping. They’re nothing to what doctors and scientists call a hypnic (say: hip-nik) worry about, so if one of them wakes you up, or myoclonic (say: my-uh-klah-nik) jerk. snuggle back under your quilt, and try to catch some more ZZZs! These jerks usually occur before you enter the deeper stages of sleep and are completely normal. Doctors and scientists aren’t really sure why they happen, but they have a few theories. One theory is that your brain misunderstands the sensation of your muscles relaxing as you drift off to sleep. It’s normal for the muscles to relax, but the brain

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Florida Creative Living | For All Ages! 27

Kids & Teens | STAYING SAFE

When It’s Just You After School? Playing It Safe Around The House

Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD

id you ever see the movie Home Alone? The lead character, a young boy, gets left behind while his parents go on vacation. Now, that’s not too realistic, but plenty of kids are home alone after school until their parents get home.

or latch.

Today, it’s common for both parents to work or for kids to live with just one parent, so a new generation of kids is spending some time alone after school. Many schools now have afterschool programs, but some don’t, and in some The boy in the movie had many different feelings about cases, families may not be able to afford the being alone. Sometimes he was happy about having the extra expense. house to himself. Sometimes he was lonely and missed his family. Sometimes he was afraid. And sometimes Ground Rules he was just plain bored. So you and your mom or dad have decided you’re mature enough to take care of yourself Latchkey Kids after school. Every weekday, you’ll come home, Are you home alone after school? No one knows how let yourself in, and then what? Good question! many kids are home after school without an adult, This is why you’ll need to set up some rules — but they know the number is in the millions. Kids who before you’re home alone. regularly take care of themselves are sometimes called “latchkey” kids. Some families put up a list of rules where everyone can see them, like on the refrigerator This nickname got its start in the 1940s, during World door. Other families write out a contract and War II. The men were away at war, so many women had have each member sign it, saying they agree to take jobs in factories to keep the country going. With to the rules. Or a family might just go over the both parents away, lots of kids went home to empty rules out loud. houses after school. Latchkey kids wore a house key around their necks and this key opened the front door 28

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But whatever method you use, there are a lot of questions to talk about, like:

Kids & Teens | STAYING SAFE

• Should you call mom or dad as soon as you get home? • Are you allowed to watch TV, DVDs, and videos, or play computer games? If so, which ones and for how long? • Should homework be done first, even before chores? • Can friends come over? If so, how many? • What can you eat if you want a snack? • Can you go outside, and if so, where? • Which appliances can be used? (microwave, computer, etc.) • Which chores need to be done and by when? • Should your parent call home just before leaving work each day? For example, would it help to have a heads-up in time to finish any last-minute chores before they arrive?

dad works • the name, phone number, and address of a trusted neighbor • the name, phone number, and address of another emergency contact person, such as a grandparent or family friend

A Little Lonely

It’s a good idea to talk with your mom or dad about how you feel about being home alone, especially if you feel lonely or scared when you’re home alone. They might be able to give you Once you’ve decided on the rules, you and your parent may some ideas or solutions that will make find it helpful to make a schedule. That way, you’ll know what’s you feel more at ease. Maybe you can expected of you each day. A schedule might look like this: go home with a friend once a week or a neighbor can start checking on you. • 3:30-3:40 — Call Mom or Dad. Sometimes a kid just isn’t ready to stay • 3:40-4:00 — Change clothes and have a snack. home alone and other arrangements • 4:00-4:45 — Do homework. need to be made. • 4:45-5:30 — FREE TIME! • 5:30 — Set the table for dinner. Keeping busy with homework, chores, • 5:45 — Mom or Dad is home. and play can make your “home alone” time go quickly. But you might find Staying Safe yourself wondering what to do next. Knowing how to stay safe is just as important as knowing the The trick is to think about your choices family rules. Again, this is something you need to talk over ahead of time. You might even want to with your mom, dad, or both of them. Go over safety rules for keep a list of stuff you like to do. Need the kitchen if you’ll be doing any cooking while you’re home some ideas to get you started? alone. It’s a good idea to practice what you would do in a real emergency, just in case anything ever happens. • Read a book or magazine. • Work on a hobby or try a new Kids who are home alone might worry that someone could one. break into the house and hurt them. The good news is that this • Listen to music, sing, or play an is very unlikely. But keeping the doors and windows locked will instrument. help you to stay safe. • Write a letter or an email or phone a friend. Decide with your mom or dad what to do if the phone rings • Write a story full of made-up or if someone knocks at the door. It’s never a good idea to tell adventures of what happened to someone that you’re home by yourself. And if you get home you when you were home alone — and the door is open or a window’s smashed, don’t even peek and don’t forget to give it a happy inside. Instead, go to a neighbor you trust for help. ending! Other kinds of emergencies could come up, too, like a toilet overflowing, a fire, or you or a sibling might get sick or hurt. Just in case, you’ll want to know:

• how to dial 911

• your address and phone number • the name, location, and phone number where your mom or

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Florida Creative Living | For All Ages!

Kids & Teens | DOODLE CORNER

Bats to Moon Word Ladder

Directions: Make your way from BATS to MOON by changing just one letter on each step to make a new word! There are 5 steps in this word ladder.

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B A T S __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ M O O N September - October 2012

Flying mammals. Little pieces. Acronym: basic input/output system. Plural: ghost speech. Plural: cow speech. Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s satellite.

Kids & Teens | DOODLE CORNER

Creepy Crossword Puzzle

ACROSS

Down

5. Creepy crawly with lots of legs. 7. Don’t cross their path! 8. They can’t scare you too much when they are made of stone!

1. Dracula’s best friend 2. They howl at the moon. 3. Hoot! 4. You wouldn’t want to eat their dinner. 5. Creepy crawly with no legs at all! 6. These birds are easy to scare!

September - October 2012

Florida Creative Living | For All Ages!

Kids & Teens | DOODLE CORNER

Halloween Monsters Monster Word Search

Dracula Witch Mummy Frankenstein Vampire

For All Ages! |

Wizard Werewolf Skeleton Sorcerer Ghost

Florida Creative Living

September - October 2012

Doodle Pad

Kids & Teens | DOODLE CORNER

Fall Memories!

Draw your favorite part of fall in Florida. Email your pictures to doodlepad@floridacreativeliving.com to be featured in our website Kids & Teens section.

September - October 2012 Florida Creative Living | For All Ages!

For All Ages! |

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September - October 2012

Adult Living Section

November - December 2011

Florida Creative Living | For All Ages!

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Florida Creative Living | For All Ages! 37

Fifth World Art | Tampa, Florida

Adult Living |NEWS

by Robert Neff

View pg 39 for Fifth World Art’s ad.

Contact: Robert Neff| Email: rob@fifthworldart.com| Phone: 727.421.8150| Website: www.FifthWorldArt.com

obert Neff is an award winning and noted Tampa Bay artist. He is an accomplished photographer, photo essayist, contemporary artist, writer and social media enthusiast. His work has been described as “Cutting edge!” and may be viewed at Fifth World Art, http://www.fifthworldart.com. In just over thirteen months his work has had over 300,000 views on Flickr.

with his photography.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Robert also uses social media to capture life and share his work. Follow him on Twitter, @5wa, where he uses a smart phone to document adventures, walkabouts and thoughts on life in general. He has organized large-scale social media events for the Dali Museum, Honda Grand Prix St Petersburg, World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament and PHOTOGRAPHY: His photography provides “An ‘eye’ supported several non-profit efforts: Heart Tampa Bay & for the unique and interesting” and connects with your Surfers For Autism. eyes. His portfolio contains a broad range of views, such as reflections, detail or perspective. His subject matter DRIVING THE DIVAS: This October follow along as he idrives varies from street, grand prix, land and cityscapes, sailing, two 89 and 90 year young sisters across country to attend a models, sunsets and sunrises. He has photographed travel wedding in Napa Valley. The sisters want to see the country ranging from California to Europe that includes Key West, and Robert has created a twitter profile, @DrivingTheDivas, to Florida, St Petersburg and Texas. track the adventure. One of the sister’s daughter has a travel business. Now, they are combining their business and social CONTEMPORARY ART: Robert’s contemporary art draws media contacts to plan a little excitement along the way! the viewer into the work and its perspective changes with distance. The work pops and covers a dynamic range of The itinerary include Atlanta, Nashville for the Grand Ole color. The visual impression ranges from powerful to soft Opry and Frisk Museum, lunch in Memphis at Rendevouz and and is perfect for the office, home or fabric. Some of the visit to Graceland, Arkansas for President Bill Clinton Library work has been compared to William Morris, the English and Wal-mart’s museum Crystal Bridges. Next up is Yosemite textile designer, artist and then enter Napa through Tioga Pass. The wedding is on Halloween and masks are COMMISSIONED WORK: He also provides custom required at V. Sattui Winery. commissioned art. He has just completed 30 custom After the wedding, drive down works of photographic art for a new corporate office to San Diego and spend time in downtown St Petersburg, Florida. with more family. Then back to St Petersburg, Florida with WRITER: He is a published writer, essayist and poet stops in Sedona, San Antonio and has contributed to many blogs and journals. He and New Orleans. plans to publish a book of poetry this fall. To the right is an example of where he blends his words

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Florida Creative Living | For All Ages! 39

Adult Living | NEWS

Bailey’s Treasures | Merritt Island, Florida

Contact: Dana Zygmont | Email:baileystreasures.1@gmail.com| Phone: 321.305.5983| Hours: Tues -Fri : 10 -6pm, Sat: 10-4pm

y Name is Dana and I am the owner of Bailey’s Treasures. A new Consignment shop located on North Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island. My husband Rick bought me the shop back in June from a previous resale shop and we renovated the space, went thru the inventory (cleaned o u t , washed a n d ironed) a n d reopened

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July 7th as “Bailey’s Treasures” which I named after my 5lb yorkie, “Bailey”. I have been married to Rick for almost 2 years and I have a 21 year old son, Travis. We moved here from CT in January. B a i l e y ’s Tre a s u re s carries a wide variety of items such as handmade jewelry, doggie clothes and other gift items that I make as well as my own private label

September - October 2012

bath products. New and nearly new clothing in sizes from Infants to Women’s Plus and Men’s. F a s h i o n Accessories including shoes, handbags, wallets, hats, scarves, belts, etc. and other home décor items. All clothing is washed and ironed before it is put on display so when you purchase from me, you can take your items home and put them right away. I feel that I have made my store to feel like a boutique but not have the boutique prices.

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Florida Creative Living | For All Ages!

Adult Living |NEWS

And The Wiener Is | Tampa, Florida

View pg 43 for And The Wiener Is ad.

Contact:Darryl Williams| Email: xspence416@yahoo.com | Phone: 813.781.4246 | Website: www.andthewieneris.com

n 2004 my wife and I, had the responsibility of hosting a weekly Bible study in our home. One of the activities was of course, providing a snack for the people that attended. Consequently, as the Bible study grew and progressed, our talent for creating menus, and putting together last minute meals prepared us for our present day occupation.

Shortly thereafter, we had an opportunity to set up shop at one of the local churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outreach events, which served to solidify and confirm our passion for bringing delicious hot dogs to the people. By this time, the construction work picture had changed once again, and after a lot of prayer,and soul searching we set our sights on Florida. My paternal roots are in Florida, so I am no stranger to the Sunshine State. Once again we found ourselves packing after five years in Nevada, we were ready for new and exciting challenges. Shortly after we moved to Florida in September 2011, our first hot dog job was the Tarpon Springs Now, as time moved forward Music Festival, which got the ball rolling. The I found myself traveling Gasparilla Knight Parade, along with working much more for my electrical the lots outside of the Tampa Bay Times construction job, and as I Forum for Lightning games ,and alongside stayed in San Antonio, and in Raymond James Stadium for USF and Bucs Dallas. I found myself longing games are just a few spots where our jumbo to do something that I was hot dogs have been sold. As of early 2012, very passionate about, which the Walgreens on Hillsborough Avenue and was opening my own hot dog CountryWay allowed us to serve hot dogs stand. to their patrons, and as a result, we took a portion of our proceeds and donated it to the In November of 2010, what Trinity CafĂŠ organization, which in turn feeds had been so passionately burning, inside of me the homeless people of the Tampa Bay area. came out. I finally vocalize that I wanted to own and operate a hot dog cart. Now, after much One of our most recent locations is at Hillsborough Avenue and research I decided to dive in, and not look back. Ambassodor Dr. which gives us high visibility into the Town and Country By this time my job had taken me to Las Vegas, community, has given us an excellent opportunity to bring our delicious Nevada. I was so fortunate to meet the owner of all beef jumbo hot dogs, Sabrett hot dogs, and turkey hot dogs to the La-Z Boy furniture, Steve Heufle and he had an neighborhood. annual event that was coming in the Spring of 2011. The plan was to give away free hot dogs at The driving force behind our company is to feed the homeless and the the three store locations to potential customers hungry, and it is our intent to do it one delicious hot dog at a time. that came out over the three day event. Hence, AND THE WIENER IS, was born April, 2011.

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Adult Living |HOME

Wildlife Gardening

with Kids Getting Back to Nature By Lisa Burns, Backyard Getaway Contact:Lisa Burns| Email: lisa@backyardgetaway.net | Phone: 941.752.7663 | Website: www.backyardgetaway.net

eems kids today are spending more time inside on computers and playing video games, instead of playing outside in nature. It is increasingly difficult to get them outside especially now that school is back in session. What if you had a project that would get them outside, allow you to spend time together as a family and teach them about wildlife and nature all at the same time? There is such a program. The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and the Florida Wildlife Federation (FWF) have wonderful tips on how to create a wildlife habitat. Both offer wildlife certifications if you follow their guidelines and FWF offers a kids habitat contest.

It doesn’t matter if you live in an apartment; have a small yard or 5-acre property. You can easily create a native wildlife garden that attracts butterflies, birds, frogs, squirrels and other native wildlife. Your habitat should provide food, water, and shelter for native wildlife. Replacing a portion of your lawn with native flowers and plants or a water garden will give the added bonus of beautifying your property while conserving water and energy. Creating a habitat with your children will teach them respect for wildlife and nature and will show them that you care about the earth. How about sharing with more than just your own children? School habitats are becoming more popular with some schools taking it a step further creating sustainable gardens planting herbs and vegetables too. Backyard Getaway is a part of one such program. We work together with a local artist to teach students through

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hands on classes how to create native wildlife habitats partnered with unique outdoor art. The teachers are able to utilize the habitat through out the school year with the students existing math and science curriculum. To create your habitat follow these basic guidelines: • Provide Food for wildlife: Everyone needs to eat, plant native plants & trees to provide nectar, pollen, berries & seeds or provide bird feeders. • Provide Water Source: Wildlife need sources of clean water for drinking, bathing & reproduction. A pond or water feature, birdbath or small dish with water works great. If you are concerned about mosquitoes there are natural products available to keep them from breeding • Provide Cover & places to raise young: Wildlife need a place to hide to feel safe from people, predators & bad weather. Shrubs, trees, brush piles a hollowed out log or a couple of tipped terra cotta pots will do the trick. Bird houses, butterfly houses and bathouses can also be used. • Go Green to Conserve Water: Add mulch, reduce lawn areas, use rain barrels & remove invasive plants to help conserve water. • Certify your habitat with FWF or NWF! To learn more about the available programs visit: Backyard Getaway’s School habitat projects: http://backyardgetaway. net/schoolproject.html FWF habitat programs: http://www.fwfonline.org/Habitat/WildlifeHabitat-Program.aspx NWF habitat program:http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/OutdoorActivities/Garden-for-Wildlife.aspx

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Florida Creative Living | For All Ages! 45

Adult Living |HOME

Big Mistakes Job Seekers Commit Landing Your Dream Job

istakes happen, and even the best person has made faux-pas. After all, humans learn by experience, so a few errors helps us be better people in the end. One moment in your life that you don’t want to be in a learning curve is when you’re out looking for a job - a mistake during an interview or on your resume can cost you the chance of applying for a position you really want.

sense about experiences that you glossed over or were dishonest about, so it’s best to try and put a positive spin on resume blemishes. Show that you’ve learned something from the experience or play up important parts of the past job rather than trying to cover up a bitter relationship.

Never assume that simply applying for a job is enough. Because of mass communication and Internet resources, employers receive a record number of applications for every job. Sadly, employers even have to sort through many false applications sent in only to fulfill welfare programs. So it’s important to let them know your application is a genuine application and that you want the job.

Strive to achieve a balance of professionalism and ease of reading when you write. Try to balance friendliness with professionalism when writing your resume or cover letter. Avoid using slang or buzzwords and focus on using appropriate tone, because the right tone will get results.

It is best to find a traditional way of phrasing your strengths, as buzzwords can be confusing. Another thing to avoid is the use of words that are too logistic and lack spark, which is the opposite of using too many overly hip or trendy words. You should keep these same rules in mind when writing cover letters also.

There are many more mistakes people tend to make when searching for a job or attending an interview meeting. Some of the worst errors are eating during an interview or making crude jokes about someone’s race or gender. Of course, there are many small, subtle mistakes people make when job seeking as well, and those are often unconscious. So if you want Employers have to carry out a lengthy an extensive list of what not to do when trying to land a job, look up the screening process whenever they fill a information on the internet. position, so it is important to show your interest in the job by making contact with About the Author the employer through telephone, email, Grant Kretzer, a recruiter for a large computer company based in Southern or, best of all, a personal meeting. Personal California contacts each Los Angeles staffing agency to see if they have any contact shows your genuine interest in the potential IT personnel for a full time hire. He then uses these temporary job available. employees for a while to see their performance. He looks at Encore Staffing for Los Angeles information technology jobs at first. One major mistake many people make is lying about a past job if you left on bad terms. Potential employers seem to have a sixth

For All Ages! |

Florida Creative Living

September - October 2012

Adult Living |HEALTH

Living Longer hen we select a workout program and try to follow it religiously we tend to ignore the finer points and the import of the workout regimen in its totality. Most people concentrate onlosing weight, some try to build muscles, and some would exercise simply to remain fit. What is ignored is that any exercise regime will not be completely beneficial unless it is followed in a manner to derive maximum benefit.

accustomed to during our prime years. A regulated dietand a typically supportive lifestyle complement exercise and stand in good stead when it is time to convert to a seniors exercise regimen.

Strenuous exercise by itself does not give optimum results. Any exercise procedure should include a controlled and monitored diet. If you are exercising daily and eating junk food without giving any thought to the calorie intake, the benefits derived from exercise is bound to be nullified. More than that, exercise and healthy diet need to become a way of living rather than means to only build muscles orlose weight.

Many places, like YMCAs have separate sections for seniors exercise . They take special care by providing them with swimming pools, sauna baths, and hot tubs, which are more suitable for seniors than an exhausting workout. Seniors exercise coupled with some multivitamin tablets and sufficient water intake is more than enough for seniors. At their age, seniors cannot be expected to undergo the stress of a 15 mile treadmill run or a bench of 350. The idea of a personal trainer at that age is another option that should be considered if it is affordable. A personal trainer for seniors exercise will guide you through with his expertise.

Exercise will help you to keep fit but it is no guarantee that you will remain fit always. Exercise and diet should go together to make it a lifestyle which can last long. Once that is accomplished, both become a habit and help in old age.

Fact is as we grow older, we need to keep in shape more than the younger generation. With age the capabilities of the entire body system, muscles, organs, and mind, deteriorate and need more care than before. The changed lifestyle that you adopt in younger age comes in handy later in life. It then becomes simply a matter of shifting from the earlier exercises to a seniors exercise regime.

When we are young we feel that all talk of a regulated diet, change in lifestyle is irrelevant. We ignore it at a great cost to us. The realization comes when, as seniors, we find it difficult to even do the simplest of exercise which appeared mundane earlier.

Moreover, as age catches up on us we need different exercises, say, seniors exercise, than what we are

September - October 2012

Florida Creative Living | For All Ages! 47

For All Ages! |

Florida Creative Living

September - October 2012

Adult Living |HEALTH

Get Age Spots Free Skin

ge spots mostly appear in areas consistently exposed to sunlight (the face and backs of hands, for example), although they also are occasionally found on less exposed areas. Ultraviolet (UV) light accelerates the production of melanin. Melanin is the dark pigment in the epidermis that gives your skin its normal color. The extra melanin is produced to protect the deeper layers of your skin— creates the darker color of a tan.

melanocytes will be produced in a higher extent. This causes in the appearance of brown, black or gray spots on your skin, which are popular as age spots. These age spots appear on every body area exposed to the skin, and they are more on your face as it is more exposed to sun than any other part. Home Remedies to Treat Brown Spots: Keep in mind that these brown spots, thought to be caused by sun damage or a nutrition deficiency, took years to form. A variation of this remedy is to rub on castor oil and take the vitamin E orally.

Lemon juice is a tried and tested remedy for treating freckles. Apply lemon juice with your fingers on the affected area; lemon juice Age spots are harmless. Age spots bleaches the dark spots. range from freckle-size to more than a centimeter across and can group together, To remove freckles. Blanch and grind two almonds, mix it with white making them more prominent. Often, age of an egg and half teaspoon of lime juice. Spread the mixture on the spots are accompanied by other signs of face and leave it on till the skin feels dry. Then, wash off first with sun damage. Symptom is a skin lesion warm water and then with cold water. that is a painless, flat patch or macule (area of skin color change). Liver spots are Another home remedy for facial brown spots is to make a paste of the result of a “ceroid” pigment build up different plants cobinations and apply it to your face. Grind about in the skin of older people. These latter 100 grams of dried basil leaf, neem leaf (from the tree the Indians spots are the outward signs of free radical call “Nature’s Drugstore) and mint; add some turmeric powder. Put destruction within the body. There is pre- in enough rose water to make a paste. Apply this to the age spots on oxidation of fats—in the cells instead of the face. Also , a paste of saffron and honey can also help remove in the liver. Free radical damage produces dark spots. waste materials in cells throughout the body, including the brain and liver. Liver Buttermilk Dab buttermilk on the spots. The lactic acid and other spots do not become cancerous. ingredients in the milk are beneficial to the skin. Buttermilk has been used for generations as a skin cleanser and as a beauty aid. What causes age spots? When you are exposed more to the sun your skin produces cells called About the Author melanocytes. These cells produce a dark Peter Hutch is the author on Home Remedies. brown pigment called melanin, because of which your skin turns darker. When you are overexposed to sunlight, the September - October 2012

Florida Creative Living | For All Ages! 49

Adult Living |HEALTH

e v e i l e R o T s Useful Tip

h c a m o t S Bloated Identifing the Cause

loating is not a disease by itself. It is more of an indication of some other serious underlying medical condition related to digestive disorders such as indigestion. Nowadays with introduction of prepacked foods, fast food and ready made food, people are opting for these kinds of food due to their hectic life style and constraint of time which in turn is causative factor for digestive disorders such as bloated stomach, trapped wind, indigestion, etc. Also irregular and unusual eating habits are other factors for bloated stomach.

• Painful Stomach Cramps • Bloated Abdomen • Feel very uncomfortable with tight clothes Identification of the causative factor is the key element for proper dianosis and remedy. As discussed above, pre-packaged food, ready made food contain chemical additives in small quantities which are quite harmless, but over a period of time, they build up in the body and become causative factor for bloated stomach. To identify these additives, a technique known as flat stomach can be very helpful. You can identify the cause by reducing the particular kind of food which you feel is causing the bloated stomach and once you have identified it, avoid that food and get rid of it.

If you are taking Buffalo milk regularly, it is time to minimize its intake. Buffalo milk is deficient in Lactose. Lactose is an enzyme that helps Stomach bloating is when the abdomen in digestion of milk by breaking glucose. As matter of fact 1 ounce feels full and tight, even when you have of undigested milk produces one gallon of gas, hence reduction of not just eaten. It most often occurs in the buffalo milk can prevent bloated stomach to an extent. small intestine rather than the stomach, as most people believe. And the most Consumption of excess wheat also produces lot of gas. A protein common cause is irregular digestion that called gluten is responsible for production of gas. produces gas at a higher rate than normal. Some of the causes of bloated stomach Other factors responsible for production of gas are antibiotics, are; eating too fast, swallowing air, eating sweets and salt. Excess consumption of these items results in excess food too fast, lactose intolerance or production of gas; avoid eating lot of sweets and foods containing certain food intolerances. high salt. Females generally suffer from a bloating In nut shell, proper kind of diet, consumption of wholesome food and known as pre-Menustral bloating. This proper exercise can prevent bloated stomach. usually occurs during the pre- Menustral cycle where legs and hands swell up. About the Author In Medical parlance, bloated stomach is Kiran Tamada is the author on tips to relieve digestive disorders and defined as excessive gas in the stomach. for more information about bloated stomach please visit our site If you are suffering from it or not, you www.digestivecare.co.uk - bloated stomach can identify the same using the below guidelines: • Passing of excessive gas/wind 50

For All Ages! |

Florida Creative Living

September - October 2012

Adult Living |SPORTS

Social Networks: For Sports Fans Are You In The Game? re you die-hard Sports Fans? Would you like to share your sports knowledge with other like-minded people? If yes, then quickly register on to the sports social networking medium. Sports social networking medium is growing by leaps and bounds. You all would agree with the fact that by and large, the social networking has impacted the entire human race. For most people, life without social site is unimaginable. Right from hunting a soul mate to clinching business deals, most people are relying on these social mediums. With the numbers thriving, people all across are getting acquainted with each other and interacting on various topics of their interests.

Today, these medium are leading businesses and are popular around the globe. Many Sports Fans social networking sites are developed by many webmasters. Sports social network is an extensive medium for all sports enthusiasts who just cannot get sports out of their minds. This medium is designed especially for them to share sports wisdom with the world. Besides, they can connect and build relations with other sports

freaks. This is how they can discuss various games, players and be abreast in regard with the world of sports.

mode for sports participants, teammates, challengers and organizers to find each other online. Along with joining your favorite team, you can join groups and plan any small time Whether you are College Football sports event in the city with other Fans or College Basketball Fans, you members. can easily join Sports Fans social medium. On various columns of Furthermore, you can discuss sports social media, you can pick hordes activities and gather to play the of games, and share information sport activity. In addition to this, a and content about any sports. On sports freak can talk on the forums the social site, every sports lover through Sports Fans social media. can challenge any team and play As a matter fact, these social media along with joining and creating can be termed as the mini news team as well. You can even create sports channel. Here, you can get and customize your sports profile all the latest happenings about the unlike conventional social sites. sports world. As sports lover, to be Yes, you can upload your favorite in tune with the trends, join such sport teamsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; videos, photographs social site, here your voice will not be and write blogs too. overpowered by a screaming crowd and you will feel pepped up all time. Do you belong to Arizona and have Join such a sports social site where a strong liking for Arizona Football people come to with one purpose in and Arizona Basketball teams? If mind and one purpose is to just talk yes, then wait no more, you can about sports. An apt research can voice your opinion on Sports Fans land you onto the best sports social social site. Through this medium, site. So, hurry up and express your Arizona fan can share just about love for sports now! any minute detail about the state. Yes, this sports medium is open About the Author to wider varieties of information. Matt is the author of this article on They are a wider and easier Arizona Football. September - October 2012

Florida Creative Living | For All Ages! 51

Adult Living | CROSSWORD & SUDOKU FUN

Across

Crossword Puzzle

1. Ballroom dance 6. Fuss 9. Leading actor 13. Ablaze 14. Whelp 15. Physical energy 16. Large bird 17. Witness 18. Decorate 19. Act as president 21. Connected 23. Pig pen 24. Sodium Chloride 25. Seafarer 28. Indirect suggestion 30. Felt hat 35. Musical work 37. Close 39. Push back 40. Part of the neck 41. Complete range 43. Strain 44. Avarice 46. Roofing material 47. Leg joint 48. Three-dimensional sound effect 50. Tide 52. Make a mistake 53. Supplication 55. Drunkard 57. Poisonous organic compound 61. Withdrew 65. System of reasoning 66. Fish eggs 68. Nimble 69. Representative 70. Anger 71. Taut or rigid 72. Walk through water 73. Snakelike fish 74. Command

Down

1. Bend out of shape 2. A great distance 3. Exist 4. Braid 5. Celestial point opposite the nadir 6. Part of a church 7. Owed and immediately payable 8. Musical drama 9. Pop 10. Slow running pace 11. Unit of area 12. Rip 15. Waver

20. Perishing 22. Kind of fairy 24. Staying power 25. Holding device 26. Separated 27. Currency of India 29. Orderly 31. Writing table 32. Speak up 33. Cite 34. Change 36. Oracle 38. Reign 42. Annoy persistently 45. Portray

49. Past times 51. Edible tuber 54. Spooky 56. Large feline 57. Talon 58. System of exercises for body and mind 59. Matured 60. The cube of three 61. Highland dance 62. Peel 63. Additional or different to this 64. Cervid animal 67. Metal-bearing mineral

View our next issue for the correct answers to this Crossword puzzle. 52

For All Ages! |

Florida Creative Living

September - October 2012

Sudoku

Adult Living | CROSSWORD & SUDOKU FUN A sudoku puzzle is a logic puzzle which is solved using logic and reasoning. Though the number of squares in the grid may vary, a standard Sudoku puzzle is a 9x9 grid divided into nine 3x3 blocks in which some of the numbers are given. The object of the puzzle is to fill in the rest of the grid using only the numbers 1 through 9 so that no number repeats in any block, row or column. The difficulty is determined by how many and which numbers are given and where they are placed in the grid and can range from very easy to extremely challenging. Though sudoku puzzles generally use numbers as symbols, no mathematical skills are required to solve the puzzle. View our next issue for the correct answers to this Sudoku puzzle.

Answer Guide

July - August Issue

Crossword Puzzle

Sudoku

September - October 2012

Florida Creative Living | For All Ages! 53

Adult Living | ARTIST CORNER Terry Pivinsky

Terry Pivinsky

Artwork Title: Dali Museum Size: 11” X 14”, framed Price: $75

Artwork Title: Deco Train Size: 11” X 14”, framed Price: $75

To purchase, please contact Terry at: 727.481.1196 Email : turhan@webtv.net

Terry Pivinsky

Artwork Title: Frankenstein Size: 11” X 14”, framed Price: $75

Artwork Title: Marilyn Size: 11” X 14”, framed Price: $75

To purchase, please contact Terry at: 727.481.1196 Email : turhan@webtv.net

Location: St. Pete., Florida

Adult Living |BAND DIRECTORY

Location: St. Pete., Florida

Bradenton, Florida Bankers Life & Casualty Company

Adult Living | BUSINESS DIRECTORY Lutz, Florida

Myakka, Florida

Bradenton, FL Insurance

O: 941.730.8243

Gulash Graphics Foral, Florida

Lutz, FL Design Firm

O: 813.994.5110 C: 813.458.1098

www.gulashgraphics.com

Backyward Getaway Myakka, FL

Landscaping

O: 941.752.7663

www.backyardgetaway.net

Simply Caprine Floral, FL Shopping/Retail

O: 352.344.5103

New Port Richey, Florida

www.simplycaprine.com

www.facebook.com/simplycaprine

Gulf Port, Florida Pia’s Trattoria

Motorhead Mobile Mechanic

Viktoria Richards Chocolates

O: 813.458.0334

O: 727.845.1531

Lutz, FL Mechanic

New Port Richey, FL

Food

www.motorheadmechanic.com

www.vrchocolates.com

Gulfport, FL Italian Restaurnat

O: 727.327.2190 www.piastrattoria.com

Riverview, Florida

Sea Breeze Manor

MJ Real Estate

Gulfport, FL Hotel

O: 813.948.6814 C: 813.376.8646

Bed and Breakfast Inn

O: 727343.4445 www.seabreezemanor.com

Land O’ Lakes, Florida Sweet Whimsy

Land O’ Lakes, FL Custom Pendants

O: 813.244.3582 www.oursweetwhimsy.com

Lutz, FL Real Estate Agency

gatica6@hotmail.com

Merritt Island, Florida

Your Travel & Cruise Concierger, LLC Riverview., FL

Travel/Leisure

O: 813.444.3238

www.facebook.com/YTACC

Saint Pete., Florida

Salon Lotus on the Island

Accessoreez

O: 321.305.6996 www.facebook.com/salonlotus1

www.accessoreez.com/ Facebook page

Merritt Island, FL

Salon

September - October 2012

St. Pete., FL

Shopping/Retail

O: 727.823.8885

Florida Creative Living | For All Ages!

Adult Living | BUSINESS DIRECTORY Saint Pete., Florida Fifth World Art St. Pete., FL

Photography

O: 727.421.8150

www.fifthworldart.com

Main House Antique Center St. Pete., FL

Shopping/Retail

O: 727.552.2492

www.mainhouseantiques.com

Tampa, Florida

WESLEY CHAPEL, Florida

And The Wiener Is

Fashion Outlet Center

O: 813.781.4246 www.andthewieneris.com Facebook Page

O: 813.404.3104

Tampa, FL

Food

Lindt Chocolate R.S.V.P. - Lindy Long

Tampa, FL Food

O: 727.637.1815

www.mylindtchocolatersvp.comLindyLong/

No Name Java St. Pete., FL

Wesley Chapel, FL

Jewerly

www.shopfashionoutlet.com www.facebook.com/ ShopFashionOutlet/info

Mary Kay - Nelly Wakim Wesley Chapel, FL

Beauty Products

O: 813.404.3104

www.marykay.com/nellywakim/en-US/_ layouts/MaryKayCoreLocator/ContactMe. aspx

Coffee Shop

O: 727.741.2249

www.facebook.com/ NoNameJava

Wellington, Florida Romantic Chic Style Furniture & Decor St. Pete., FL

Shopping/Retail

O: 727.552.2492

Touchstone Crytal

W4CY Radio

O:813.728.3051

O: 561.506.4031 www.w4cy.com

Tampa, Florida Jewelry

www.mytouchstonecrystal.com/ pws/tampa/tabs/home.aspx

Wellington, FL Internet Radio

www.mainhouseantiques.com

Trinitiy, Florida The Yellow House St. Pete., FL

Event Venue

O: 727.251.5493 Facebook Page

For All Ages! |

Scentsy Wickless Candles Trinity, FL

Shopping/Retail

O: 727.922.0170

www.comcosmicscents.scentsy.us/ Scentsy/Home www.facebook.com/cosmicscents

Florida Creative Living

September - October 2012

Atlantic, Georgia Gracefully Aging, LLC Atlantic, Georgia Beauty Products

O:404.949.9246 www.gracefullyaging. myrandf.com

Adult Living | Chef’s Delight Ingredients 6-10 eggs 2-3 cups grated cheddar cheese 6 slices bread, cut into cubes 2 cups milk Salt Pepper Additions 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms 1/4 cup sliced green onions 1 cup cubed ham and/or cooked Italian sausage A few slices cooked bacon, chopped 13 x 9 inch casserole dish Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Mix in the milk and cheese. Add the bread and carefully stir until all pieces of bread are moistened (don’t over mix or the bread may disintegrate). Add additions. Add salt and pepper to taste (if using Italian sausage, you won’t need either.) Butter a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish. Pour mix into casserole dish. 2 Bake in oven for 50 minutes to an hour, until the top is browned and the center springs back when touched. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Ingredients 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 1 rib of celery, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 2 Tbsp butter 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, chopped 1 tart green apple, peeled, cored, chopped (squash and apple should be at a 3 to 1 ratio) 3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth if vegetarian)* 1 cup water Pinches of nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper *If cooking gluten-free, use gluten-free broth. Instructions 1 Set a large saucepan over medium-high heat and heat the butter for 1-2 minutes. Do not let it turn brown. Add the onion, celery and carrot and sauté for 5 minutes, taking care to turn the heat down if the vegetables begin to brown. 2 Add squash, apple, broth and water. Bring to boil. Cover, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until squash and carrots soften. Puree, and return to a clean pot. 3 Add salt and spices to taste, and garnish with chives or parsley.

Adult Living | COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Florida Creative Living Our Contest Winner Christine Freeman

by Christine Freeman Contact: Christine Freeman | Email:salonlotusofcocoa@hotmail.com| Phone: 321.305.6996| Facebook: www.facebook.com/salonlotus1

go up to $50, but I also have a program called “Mom’s on a Budget” that offers lower priced services for women looking for work, single mom’s looking for work or that are students or anyone in transition looking for work. I still offer my “W.I.N.” program, “Women In Need and Transition”, which I have helped many women in the past from 2008-present get them the beauty services they so much deserve. At this time, Salon Lotus is offering a essay contest and we have received several entries. We will be announcing a winner soon and the winner will receive a beauty package worth over $200 and a free 1 hour photo session by a local photographer who is donating $100 Many of my clients lost their homes and I knew it was time in her services for this contest. to get involved in the community and lend a helping hand. I closed my salon in October 2011 and took the time to reach out Salon Lotus also has a small color bar and my salon guest’s love sitting in the hard hit disaster areas to do as much as I could collecting at the “bar” while their services process. From the music played to donations and distributing them in the Shickshinny, Pa areas. the way I treat my salon guests, they are the most important reason With just one story in the local newspaper, we got over 200 why I am there and every person that walks through my door is calls in 2 days. I collected over 100 bags of donations and my treated with respect and a peace of mind that when they leave, they daughter and I packed up my SUV and went on foot through will be very happy and will return. the disaster areas. We even got a call from a man willing to fix a family’s home and furnish it FREE. I learned through this, never My salon guests almost always compliment me on how I do not over think just because you are a small team of 1 or two people you book or take walk in’s while their color processes. I cannot believe cannot make a difference…you can! I will carry this on with my how many new people I have now that have said the left their last salon here in Florida, always making an effort to be there in salons because of being rotated back and forth from chair to chair situations, whether people needing help that have cancer or while they had bleach or chemicals on the hair. I feel so honored that illness, the individual that needs help with hair services and is these people have entrusted me with their hair. seeking work or the helping in the community when needed. I would be honored to be chosen for your winning business, as I Salon Lotus will be there. have strived to be the best in all I do but my main reason for being I was featured in the local newspaper after they found out what in the salon industry is not just being self-employed, but the fact I my daughter and I was doing and followed us on a journey of have the freedom to give back to my community and now have an helping flood victims. In September, I closed the salon for 5 opportunity to do it again living in Florida. I love having the freedom weeks to help out in the area. My father in law died the day we to do any events at any time for any reason without having to get were evacuated, September 10th, 2012. I felt that I still needed “permission” as I once did working for corporate salons in the past. to help the flood victims, even dealing with my own situation. My attitude of helping others whether a group of 1 or 2 people or My then 9 year old daughter helped me on foot, going from hundreds is that no matter how small you are or how big you are, you can make a difference! house to house to distribute items needed. 5 years ago I never knew my career would take me to the heights that is has, the opportunity to meet so many incredible people and the honor of helping people in crisis situations. I had the opportunity to open a salon in Cocoa, Florida after moving from Pennsylvania in January 2012, after our area was hit hard by flooding, declared a disaster area from September 2011-October 2011 and many areas are still trying to rebuild. I owned a salon called Ciao Bella, located in Hanover Township, Pa.

I never thought I would have a second chance at having a salon and took a risk by opening one again, but through Faith and prayer, Salon Lotus opened on June 20th 2012. My salon caters to clients that desire privacy and “one on one service”. I am a 1 chair, private hair studio. I do not over book, PowerBook or do multiple people while my salon guests process with chemicals. I wanted to have a different approach in my area and offer something to people that are “hair shy” or people that just want excellent customer service without the hype of the day spa atmosphere. My prices for a cut start at $39 and

For All Ages! |

Florida Creative Living

I feel Salon Lotus should be chosen because my salon is offers a different atmosphere for salon guests that otherwise cannot find private one on one service elsewhere. Our salon is involved in helping the community with current contests, giveaways and has given away almost $1500 in salon services since we opened in June 2012. I do not have any help in my salon…I DO EVERYTHING! I am the person the that my salon guest sees from start to finish. No shampoo girls, assistants or receptionists. Clients LOVE IT. Thank you for your consideration in this contest.

September - October 2012

Florida Creative Living | For All Ages!

Adult Living | TECHNOLOGY

The Technology Of TOMORROW BlackBerry Peer

The BlackBerry Peer is a phone intended for children. More like a lifestyle accessory, considering these young consumers are initiated to the gadget world from the word go. It features a smart camera and myPeer app that comes in handy when traveling and taking photos. It even doubles up as a GPS locator, allowing parents to keep a tab on their kids in crowded tourist spots. The Peer records videos, takes pictures and allows image editing in realtime using add-on effects. Basically, a communication device with loads of cool stuff that can be monitored by parents! Designer: Felix Lorsignol