Today's the Day

The giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who entered!

Today, I am walking in the Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk®. It is the largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer's in the nation.

I've told you all about my Grandpa Jack, and why I'm walking. So this morning, perhaps even as you read this, I will be walking a 5K (That's 3 miles), along with my sister, my step-mother, aunt, cousins, friends. This is the largest team we have had, and I'm hoping that Grandpa Jack is proud of us. But mostly, I just hope that he knows how much we love and miss him.

I'm not going to bore you with statistics and facts today - I've already written all of those here and here. Today, I just ask that you spend a moment thinking a good thought for us. I will be donating all revenue for the month of October to the Alzheimer's Association This may not be much, but they're getting it all. I really hope that you will consider taking some of your time (today, tomorrow, sometime this month) to click through. It won't cost you a thing, except time, and it really is for a good cause.

And, if you would like to donate to the Alzheimer's Society, I ask that you consider supporting me in my walk today...

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Now...

Today is also the one year anniversary of my blog. (Technically, it's tomorrow, but then I would have to write two weekend posts - when I normally don't even write one, and... Oh sorry, back to the good stuff) It doesn't really feel like it's been that long, but here we are - one year later!! To celebrate, I am giving away a $25.00 gift card to JCPenney. It's not much, but it's yours, if you're the lucky winner.

Here's how to enter:

1. Post a comment on this post before October 31, 2008. I normally wouldn't make it this long, but since I'm having the contest in conjunction with my Alzheimer's fundraising efforts, the 31st it is. (Don't forget to leave an email address, so that I can notify you that you have won.) **EDITED TO ADD: Contest will close at 12:00 noon on Friday, October 31st.**

2. For two extra entries, write a blog post linking to today's post and this one, and leave the link in a comment.

3. Stumble this post for another extra entry.

(In fact, if you leave all that stuff in ONE comment, that will really help.)

One entry per person, the winner will be chosen at random ('cause I'm ALL about the random), and will be notified by email. I will also post it here. If the chosen winner does not respond in 3 days, I will choose another winner.

Sound fair? If you have any questions, email me (the address can be found on my profile page)

Thank you all for a wonderful year...

Fightin' It

I'm taking the

Sleep-in challenge. At least, I'm trying to. (For more info, click the picture above)

Select Comfort is encouraging everyone to get an extra hour of sleep per day. They're also have a sweepstakes.

In honor of the contest, I am re-posting a previous Fight the Frump entry, regarding sleep.

An interesting tidbit I haven't shared, is that this post, the one I'm about to re-share, is responsible for my choice of topic for my research paper, which will be due at the end of this term. Since I had already started the research, I decided to delve a little further into the discussion of the importance of sleep with regard to health and wellness. More specifically, for women, the health and beauty aspects related to getting enough sleep.

I chose this topic, because as a mother and a woman, sleep, more specifically, the lack of it, is an important issue in my life. As a woman in my 30s, I have become increasingly concerned with the effects that lack of sleep are having on my health, wellness and beauty.

So, here is my re-posting of Beauty Sleep: Fighting the frump

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Beauty sleep.

I need it. Desperately.

I've read so many interesting facts today about the benefits of a full night’s sleep – and the consequences of deprivation. Even denying yourself one hour a night for a week can lead to decreased speed in reaction time, mathematical problem solving (although, let’s face it – most of us don’t do a lot of mathematical problem solving everyday) and “cognitive work requiring simultaneous focus on several tasks”. In other words, you won’t be able to walk and chew gum at the same time when driving, for example, accidents increase as your total sleep decreases. Missing out on three hours per night for a week can show a marked decrease in speed and accuracy.

Good nutrition and exercise are important for our health and beauty, but sleep is crucial, too. Sleeping provides your body with more than just rest. When we are sleeping, our body is healing and repairing itself. Experts say that you need eight hours of sleep a night. This helps prevent a washed out complexion, puffy bloodshot eyes and dark under eye circles (like the permanent ones living on my face). Getting enough sleep also helps ensure that you will have peak alertness and energy.

A good night’s rest has always been called beauty sleep—and it is no myth. New research shows that individuals who are not sleep deprived have an increased capacity to lose weight and keep it off. Poor sleeping habits also cause you to age at an accelerated rate, both physically and metabolically.

LOSE WEIGHT? Did they just say lose weight? I'm listening!

I read the reasons. A good night’s sleep reduces stress levels, which reduces the stress hormone cortisol, and there's something there about ashwagandha and phosphatidylserine, blah, blah blah. The point is who CARES how it works, as long as it works??

More wonderful things about beauty sleep:

Studies show that skin cells regenerate slightly faster at night than during the day. All the more reason to make sure you get your beauty sleep. Here's another tidbit of information.

Cosmetic chemists know, for example, that many anti-aging ingredients stay active longer when they're not exposed to sunlight. Retinoids, which speed cell turnover, "can break down chemically with light exposure and become ineffective," says Julian Omidi, MD, a dermatologist in private practice in Los Angeles. Other "anti-agers"-- such as topical vitamins, including C and E--don't hold up well in sunlight or air. They're in both day and night skin care products, but you probably get more antioxidant bang for your buck when you apply them before you go to sleep.

YAY! Considering how much some of those products cost, more bang for your buck is a good great thing.

What we all know is that, with a good night's sleep, everything looks and feels better in the morning. Both the brain and the body are refreshed and ready for a new day.

Here are three beauty tips for skin care in your sleep to add more beauty to your sleep:

Sleep flat on your back: Smashing your face into a pillow creates fold lines that eventually become permanent if they're repeated every night. Spending time on your back also helps counter the effects of gravity that accumulate during the day. In a recent study of 38 women and men, Japanese researchers found there was greater wrinkling in the afternoon than in the morning; they concluded that the face literally falls with gravity as the day progresses. At night, you get a chance to reverse that.

Stay hydrated: "Keeping skin moist from the inside out is a simple, relatively inexpensive, and quite effective moisturizer," says Pinnell. Drink six to eight glasses of plain water throughout the day and include omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish and nuts) in your diet, says Dale Prokupek, MD, a Beverly Hills internist and an associate professor of gastroenterology and nutrition at UCLA. To help avoid moisture loss from the skin while sleeping, turn on a humidifier. "I used one in my bedroom for a dry throat problem and soon realized my skin never looked better," he says. (Be sure to clean the humidifier often, especially if you're prone to allergies.)

Use a moisturizer after bathing: Seal in the moisture that the topmost layer of your skin has absorbed with a hydrating body lotion or cream. Because you're going to bed--not pulling on a silk blouse or cashmere sweater--you can try a body cream that's richer than you would feel comfortable wearing during the day, such as Nivea Body Renewal Night Cream ($10; drugstores). Just before bed is a perfect time to slather your feet--especially dry heels--with a healing, hydrating cream such as Aveeno Intense Relief Foot Cream ($6; drugstores). And a sweep of Sally Hansen Beyond Perfect Healing Cuticle Oil ($5; drugstores) on your nails will keep the cuticles soft and prevent tears. For a final moisturizing touch, massage your hands with Dove Regenerating Hand Cream ($6; drugstores). (** I have not personally tried these products, and have heard neither good nor bad things about them or their performances)
The following simple tips are helpful for sound sleep:

• Create a bedtime routine. Make an effort to rearrange the pattern of your evenings.



• Limit your tea and coffee intake to five or six cups a day, and don’t drink any within an hour of your bedtime.
  


• You spend a sizable time of your life sleeping, so don’t economize on the mattress and bed you choose. Buy the best. Always use cotton bed sheet while sleeping and your pillows should give enough support to your weary head. Wear loose cotton dress while going to bed.
  


• Allow yourself a clear half hour to unwind, bathe, have a warm milk, cleanse your face, brush your hair and teeth – that way, you’ll prepare yourself mentally for sleep. Cleanse your face every night no matter how tired you are with a gentle cleanser.
  


• Close your eyes and breathe in very deeply, concentrate on the days pleasant happenings.
  


• Relax all your muscles, simple meditation techniques helps in inducing sleep.
  


• If your mind seems to be obsessed with any particular problem and keeps reverting to it, try remembering the happy memories. Listen to music.
  


• Try taking a gentle walk after dinner. Vigorous exercise late at night is not good, but a quiet stroll can get you in the mood for sleep.
  


• Try having at least one early night every week when you’re in bed by 10 at the latest.

Oh, and an added bonus: Children learn what they see. Set a good example for your kids. Show them just how important a good night sleep is for them! http://www.sleepforkids.org/

Friday again - You know what that means.

I'm fighting frump.

Well, I don't know if that's what you would call it exactly, but here it is all the same.

I have finally reached a point in my life over the past few years where I was mostly happy with myself - with my body. I'm a little overweight, yes, but I was OK with that. I had this arbitrary number in my head. As long as I don't ever get above ___, then I'm content with the way I am. Budman has done a lot for me in this department, because he thinks I'm beautiful and sexy no matter what I weigh or how I look. And most days, that is all that matters to me. He believes that I am the most beautiful creature on the planet, therefore I am.

But yesterday, I stepped on the scale at work, and THERE. IT. WAS. I have reached THAT weight - the one that I SWORE I would never be. And here's the kicker. I'm going to tell you what it was.

Give me a minute to get brave, though.

Ideally, I want to weigh 135. Realistically, I would settle for 160. Unfortunately, at the moment, I am weighing in at 200 lbs. Whew, there I said it. (deep breaths, Melody, it's OK.) I'm thinking that working on my weight loss in 25 lb. increments is probably a good way to go about this.

So, my Frump Fighting today is more like a quest for Frump Fighting advice. I've read many of the other posts over the past few weeks about exercising, eating right, etc. And I really want to follow them all, but here's the thing:

I don't DO exercise. I could probably manage something small, but heck, I get winded going upstairs. (OMG - how pathetic is that!?!)

I LOVE food (see yesterday's post) and while I do eat healthy, I also eat everything else. I'm not the one who cooks the evening meals in our house right now, so I don't have any control over what is for dinner. I suppose I could go home and have a salad while everyone else is eating something good, but it's not likely to happen.

I'm not expecting to find some magical weight loss program where I can live exactly as I have, and watch the pounds fall off of me. I know that this does not happen in the real world. The way I see it, I need to cut out back on Dr Pepper and drink more water. I need to eat smaller portions. I need to swear off French Fries completely. AND, I need to begin some sort of exercise program - something simple at first, just to get me started.

Anyone have any ideas that worked for you? Any tips for eating better, cutting fat or recipes that you swear by? Any suggestions on a beginner workout routine? I own a recumbent bike, that decorates the living room, and now that spring is arriving, we are spending a lot more time outside. I will be walking for the Alzheimer's Association in September, but I need to do something before then, of course. I've already mentioned what my daily schedule is like - so I'm not looking forward to spending a lot of time on this, but I HAVE to do something. Now that I've reached 200 lbs. THAT WEIGHT, I MUST to do something.

Pop on over to Fussy's place, and find more Frump fighters!