Dare You To...

It's FEBRUARY!  Aside from my birthday month, it's also Heart Health Month.

Today, I dare you to celebrate by hanging loose, relaxing, de-stressing.  Take note of the constant pressure you put on yourself, your body, and your heart.  Where can you ease up?  Where can you lessen the load?  What is really important? What can others help you with?

MOMentumNationbrought Heart Health Month to my attention.  They're focusing on heart health all month long by sharing helpful tips, information, and critical facts for YOU and your ticker.  Check out the website for daily heart health tips from Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum and other heart-healthy fitness and health-related content.

For example, they've got advice on getting heart-smart using your technology, a list of 3 ways to love your heart, and a run-down on what you need to know about women's heart health.


While food and fitness choices do play a vital role,chronic stress is one of the biggest heart disease risks for women.  …

In the beginning of the month, I vowed to Enjoy July and dared you all to Be Selfish this summer.  It's important to set aside time in our busy schedules to sit back and just plain have fun!

That's why my friend Becky and I planned ourselves a "Staycation" for this weekend!  For the month or two beforehand, we kept our eyes out for good deals, good ideas, and good eats to enjoy together.  In the end, we celebrated some professional successes with a staycation in our home city.

The result?  Two days, under $200, and a lot of fun and bonding time.


It began on in the morning with none other than a WALK!  Becky and I are both fit-minded people who enjoy physical activity and (mostly) healthy food.  We planned to walk/jog through Central Park, but with an ominous weather forecast and limited time frame, we decided to walk around from midtown to Washington Square Park and Soho instead.  We were still in our workout outfits and sneaks, and the heat definitely made us sweat…

I dare you to relax.

No, really, just sit back and truly relax.

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To share, I just returned from a week in Aruba with my wonderful family.  Life is good on that One Happy Island.




However, I was taking this vacation when I did NOT have a true 'break' from life.My graduate courses went on without me, and I had to continue my part-time job (for which I work online remotely) from abroad.  So, along with my bathing suits and flip-flops, I also packed textbooks, my laptop, and an outline to become a full-fledged paper.  Let the fun begin!

But really, it did.  Although it was tough at times, I was able to separate work-time from vacation-time.  When I was upstairs at my computer, I was working, I was writing, I was corresponding for work and school.  When I was outside, I was relaxing, I was reading, I was listening to music, I was going for a dip in the water.  I did occasionally slip in some reading for classes, but alternated with reading for fun.

My sister and I packed a small…