It's Thanksgiving week and we thought this would be a good time to revisit the great blender debate: Blendtec vs Vitamix. You might want to check out our Blendtec review to see why we like the Blendtec, but we think the Vitamix is a great choice too. Check out this video (one in a series of 10) which compares the noise levels of the respective blenders. We found it interesting and we think you will, too.
Meanwhile, with Christmas fast approaching, check out our latest page on setting your table with Christmas China.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Grass Fed vs Grain Fed Beef
This week we take a look at the pros and cons of Grass Fed Beef versus Grain Fed Beef. They look different, they cook different and they taste different. So, check out the story on our new page Grass Fed Beef versus Grain Fed Beef . We aren't saying one is better than the other, but we do believe you should know the differences.
Meanwhile, is it true that grass fed cows are better dancers than grain fed cows? Check it out!
Meanwhile, is it true that grass fed cows are better dancers than grain fed cows? Check it out!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Fall - Time For New Things!
We love fall, it's such an invigorating time of year as the air turns crisp and the colors turn bright (yes, even here in California)! So to ring in the fall we have created two new pages to share with you.
Best Core Workout will tell you just why we think the Indo Board is an invaluable tool for almost anyone interested in strengthening their core. Also, if you haven't already, remember to check out our Indo Board review.
Time for Tailgating is our showcase for some cool stuff to take with you to the game or other outdoor outings this fall. And while you are at it, fall can still be a fun time to barbecue, so check out our Cool Stuff for Hot Barbecue page and our Big Green Egg Blog, too.
Finally, Misty and Stormy show you one of our favorite fall pastimes ....
Best Core Workout will tell you just why we think the Indo Board is an invaluable tool for almost anyone interested in strengthening their core. Also, if you haven't already, remember to check out our Indo Board review.
Time for Tailgating is our showcase for some cool stuff to take with you to the game or other outdoor outings this fall. And while you are at it, fall can still be a fun time to barbecue, so check out our Cool Stuff for Hot Barbecue page and our Big Green Egg Blog, too.
Finally, Misty and Stormy show you one of our favorite fall pastimes ....
Maria, Gary, Misty & Stormy
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Be a Good Boy/Girl and Drink Your Vitamins! Ola Loa!!
Gary: I hate swallowing pills! To some people, it's like second nature - gulp, gulp , gulp down they go. But it's never been that way for me. And since I've had some chronic health issues through the years, I've researched and put into use a variety of nutritional supplements - and taken my share of pills. So what a revelation it was a few years ago to not only find the "better" vitamin and mineral supplement I was looking for, but to have it be in a form where I could "Drink my vitamins"! The name of the product is Ola Loa Energy and I love it. It tastes good (it comes in Orange, Tropical and Cran-Raspberry flavors), is easy to use and I feel it has helped my overall health, immune and energy levels - more so than any of the standard tablets they sell at the grocery store. And we have been fortunate to hear the creator of Ola Loa, Dr. Richard Kunin, speak at the New Living Expo in San Francisco.
Maria: I don't have quite the same aversion to pill-swallowing that Gary does, but I totally agree that drinking my nice fizzy, tasty Ola Loa is much more pleasant that swallowing a bunch of pills. Consequently I have been much more faithful to taking my vitamins, or, more accurately, drinking my vitamins. There is rarely a day that I forget. My health has been pretty good over the years, but I have noticed that the number of common colds and flu bugs I used to get on a regular basis has diminished. This is not to say that I don't still get sick sometimes, but it has been noticeably less frequent since we started taking Ola Loa.
Gary: We should point out that we do other things to try and stay healthy (diet, exercise, other supplements etc.) so we are not claiming that Ola Loa is a panacea. But as you know if you read our posts, we do research what we use and our research into Ola Loa is what got us excited. For example, Ola Loa has some key components (at least from my perspective) that you don't find in conventional vitamin and mineral formulas - CoQ10 and Amino Acids. Then there is Dr Kunin's expertise (he co-developed the Orthomolecular Medical Society with Dr. Linus Pauling) - check out this page on Methylation if you want to begin your own research. And then there are the little things - Ola Loa is sweetened with Stevia instead of sugar. You can tell a lot of thought went into this product. It does cost more than the standard fare, but less than a daily trip to the local Starbucks for a cup of coffee. and for us, it is worth it especially when we hit really stressful times in our lives.
Maria: Ola Loa is good for people of all ages, but Gary and I are members of the generation that is now facing the reality of aging parents and all the stress that can bring. In addition to losing two of our parents in recent years, we were also blind-sided with the illness and death of a close relative who was younger than both of us. It is at times of high stress that it is especially important to take care of your own health. You owe it to yourself, your loved ones and those who are counting on you for support during stressful times. We really believe that Ola Loa came into our lives at a time when we really needed it. It has been one of the key components helping to keep us on an even keel as we have weathered the storms life brings.
Gary: Yes. it seems like that's how things work at times - something comes into your life just at a time you really need it. We found Ola Loa at a time when we were looking for a better daily vitamin/mineral supplement. We had been to the New Life Expo many times before, but this was the first time we had seen Ola Loa there. Awesome timing! Awesome product!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Riding the Indo Board Wave
Maria: Gary and I always love to celebrate our birthdays! He's not like Ricky on "I Love Lucy" who always has to be reminded of special events. Not at all! We always enjoy trying to find each other fun and interesting gifts. A few years ago Gary outdid himself. I was having one of those "big" birthdays, and Gary presented me with a big package to match! I was intrigued. What could it be, what could it be? So I opened it up, and immediately sensed it was something fun! But....I had never heard of it. Gary had found for me something called an Indo Board. What, you may ask, is an Indo Board?
Gary: Well let me 'splain Lucy...er Maria (Maria has not yet found the all-purpose box of candy in the hall closet with cards for all major occasions to match). Maria is actually so easy to buy presents for - she gets excited about getting any present (ergo the name of this blog). That really motivates me to put a lot of thought into getting gifts for her. Maria has always wanted a trampoline, but, alas, we don't have room for even a small one. So I wanted to find her something that would have similar health and fun elements that would also fit the space we have. And I came up with something a little daring, but that I really thought she would like - the Indo Board. The Indo Board is a balance board, but to just call it that would be falling way short of the mark. My chiropractor had me do some balance board work and that was intriguing, but the Indo Board is a balance board that started as a surfing trainer and it has so many more possibilities and uses than just a balance board. Since Maria always had wanted to learn to surf, I thought that the Indo Baord would be something Maria might like. At least I hoped so.
Maria: Well you guessed right, dear! The Indo Board combines so many fun elements! I grew up body-surfing in the ocean in Southern California every summer when we visited my grandparents. But I never got my hands on a surfboard. However, it's never too late, and by using Indy (did I mention we often name things?), I will be ready when the time comes. The great thing is you can start slowly, and work your way up. The board comes with the Indo Board FloCushion. You place the board on the cushion and move it back and forth trying to keep your balance. This lets you get the feel of balancing on the board in a more controlled fashion. Once you get the hang of riding your board on the cushion you can move on to using the roller. With the roller in place under your board it's a lot more challenging - and fun!- to try to keep your balance. To quote from the website: "The basic goal is to ride the Indo Board as long as possible while keeping the board from touching the ground." We like to do this to Hawaiian music, especially Slack Key. It really gives as that island, surfing feel!
Gary: I really think the FloCushion is what takes the Indo Board from being something mostly for the younger set or for training athletes to something anyone can use. Maintaining and improving balance is something that can be helpful at any age but becomes so much more important as we age. If you want to live life in the slow lane, you can use the Indo Board with the FloCushion to do an almost endless variety of exercises. If you want to get down-right professional in your training, using both the Indo Board with the FloCushion and the Roller gives you the ability to do some industrial strength workouts. And the variety of Boards available from the original to the mini to the pro means there something available for almost everyone.
Maria: There is definitely a great variety of boards - different sizes, different designs, all of them really snazzy. And as Gary mentioned, there is no reason to think this is something just for the younger crowd. In fact it may be something even more important for those of us getting a little up there in years. It's great to know that while we are having fun on our board, we are also strengthening our muscles, tendons, balance, core, everything! So many older people have balance issues and are fall risks. We hope to avoid all that! We've even talked about getting another board, but since space is an issue we have to choose carefully. I have to say, though, that one of my favorite things about the Indo Board that Gary picked for me is the design. Indy is so pretty! It is an "original" model, with a beautiful many-shaded wave of blue and white on it. Just gorgeous! Thank you so much, honey!
Gary: You're welcome, dear. I will have to say, I've enjoyed the Indo Board every bit as much as you have. Maybe I still owe you a present!?!
Gary: Well let me 'splain Lucy...er Maria (Maria has not yet found the all-purpose box of candy in the hall closet with cards for all major occasions to match). Maria is actually so easy to buy presents for - she gets excited about getting any present (ergo the name of this blog). That really motivates me to put a lot of thought into getting gifts for her. Maria has always wanted a trampoline, but, alas, we don't have room for even a small one. So I wanted to find her something that would have similar health and fun elements that would also fit the space we have. And I came up with something a little daring, but that I really thought she would like - the Indo Board. The Indo Board is a balance board, but to just call it that would be falling way short of the mark. My chiropractor had me do some balance board work and that was intriguing, but the Indo Board is a balance board that started as a surfing trainer and it has so many more possibilities and uses than just a balance board. Since Maria always had wanted to learn to surf, I thought that the Indo Baord would be something Maria might like. At least I hoped so.
Maria: Well you guessed right, dear! The Indo Board combines so many fun elements! I grew up body-surfing in the ocean in Southern California every summer when we visited my grandparents. But I never got my hands on a surfboard. However, it's never too late, and by using Indy (did I mention we often name things?), I will be ready when the time comes. The great thing is you can start slowly, and work your way up. The board comes with the Indo Board FloCushion. You place the board on the cushion and move it back and forth trying to keep your balance. This lets you get the feel of balancing on the board in a more controlled fashion. Once you get the hang of riding your board on the cushion you can move on to using the roller. With the roller in place under your board it's a lot more challenging - and fun!- to try to keep your balance. To quote from the website: "The basic goal is to ride the Indo Board as long as possible while keeping the board from touching the ground." We like to do this to Hawaiian music, especially Slack Key. It really gives as that island, surfing feel!
Gary: I really think the FloCushion is what takes the Indo Board from being something mostly for the younger set or for training athletes to something anyone can use. Maintaining and improving balance is something that can be helpful at any age but becomes so much more important as we age. If you want to live life in the slow lane, you can use the Indo Board with the FloCushion to do an almost endless variety of exercises. If you want to get down-right professional in your training, using both the Indo Board with the FloCushion and the Roller gives you the ability to do some industrial strength workouts. And the variety of Boards available from the original to the mini to the pro means there something available for almost everyone.
Maria: There is definitely a great variety of boards - different sizes, different designs, all of them really snazzy. And as Gary mentioned, there is no reason to think this is something just for the younger crowd. In fact it may be something even more important for those of us getting a little up there in years. It's great to know that while we are having fun on our board, we are also strengthening our muscles, tendons, balance, core, everything! So many older people have balance issues and are fall risks. We hope to avoid all that! We've even talked about getting another board, but since space is an issue we have to choose carefully. I have to say, though, that one of my favorite things about the Indo Board that Gary picked for me is the design. Indy is so pretty! It is an "original" model, with a beautiful many-shaded wave of blue and white on it. Just gorgeous! Thank you so much, honey!
Gary: You're welcome, dear. I will have to say, I've enjoyed the Indo Board every bit as much as you have. Maybe I still owe you a present!?!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Maria's Children's Book Recs
Since she was a young girl, Maria has had a love of children's books. Children's books even played a role in how we met. In this day and age when the world keeps changing faster and faster and the news seems filled with stories of pain and bitterness, children's books provide a reminder of that love, sweetness and innocence still exist too.
We hope you take a look at Maria's list Maria's Children's Book Recs and maybe recognize a book or two, or see something you might want your own kids to read. Please also leave us a comment and share your favorite children's books, too.
We hope you take a look at Maria's list Maria's Children's Book Recs and maybe recognize a book or two, or see something you might want your own kids to read. Please also leave us a comment and share your favorite children's books, too.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Our Grandmothers in the Kitchen
Do you have a favorite memory of your grandmother cooking in the kitchen? Share your comment with us here and check out our new page "Kitchen Tools Our Grandmothers Used".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)