How to Balance a Busy Life: The Importance of Spending Time with Family

Little moments you share with your family can be some of the most important ones in your life. Work helps you to put food on the table, and school assists in educating your mind, but without family, you lose an important network of support. Spending time with your family will strengthen five key areas of your life and leave you feeling more confident than ever.

Life's Short

Even if you justify working a lot because you're trying to build a better life for your children, one day you'll wake up and they could be full-grown. In the blink of an eye, your kids will moving off to start their own families, so remember to cherish the precious moments. 

Nothing Lasts Forever

Sadly, older generations of the family will pass on, but new generations will be born. As we look back, we begin to long for additional moments and time with loved ones. Put more effort into your relationships now, so you won't be filled with a deep sense of regret and longing later. Cherish your time with family while everyone is still around.

Choose Your Time Wisely

A big raise or the possibility of a promotion looming before your eyes can be very motivating, and you might be convinced, at least for a while, that this is the most important thing out there. However, your company isn't your family. Money, possessions, fancy cars, and brand-name clothing can’t replace the memories you created with your family. Don’t wait until it’s convenient for you to build relationships, it may be too late by then.

Stress-Free Friends

We can get so caught up in our regular tasks that we don’t realize how stressed out we’re actually making ourselves. Moving from job to job and racing from activity to activity takes a ton of energy from us. Spending time with your family can be the breath of fresh air you need. Relaxing around your family allows you to let your guard down and enjoy how cool your family can be.

Knowing Each Other

Even if you feel as though your co-workers have become your family, careers and people may change, but your family stays the same. Making time for family is paramount to maintaining a strong support network in case of relocation or a switch in careers. You’ll always have someone to fall back on and help in any circumstance.

Spending time with your family may be annoying or tedious now, but who knows? Maybe with a few family outings, you’ll find out that you and your relatives have more common interests than you thought. After all, these are the people you grew up with, and the people who’ll continue to nurture you for years to come.

Renee Watson is an army veteran and mother of three who enjoys to write articles about relationships, family, self-help, and the Best Military Colleges.

Senior Health: Ideas to Help You Overcome Your Physical Activity Challenges

Kids seem to have all the energy. They play and run around without managing to lose any ounce of strength. Then we grow up, and our bones and muscles begin to swell and ache.  When you enter senior citizenship, you don’t have to live a sedentary life. Many obstacles to moving around are actually quite manageable. Don’t let age get you down. Instead, use these ideas to help overcome the physical challenges that may come with your golden years.

 

 

Senior Aerobic Classes

Look at community center, library, senior living centers, and other public posting areas to find classes designed for senior citizens wanting to stay physically active. The leaders of these groups know methods to help you get active without straining and hurting your muscles. You’ll learn better ways to work out that can easily be mastered. You may even be reimbursed for the costs by your insurance company for attending.

 

Know Your Limits

Especially if you’ve been injured recently, getting back to physical activity can seem daunting. While you definitely don’t want to exert yourself or put yourself in a more intense situation, you shouldn’t be frightened of moving again. Getting back out there and engaging in physical activities is great for your body, and it’ll also help build your mental and spiritual strength.

 

 

Do a Little

Just because you’re ready to start participating in more physical activities doesn't mean you’re ready to start racing to the football field. Take as much time as you need getting yourself marathon ready. Get started by going for a walk around the block with a couple of your friends or throw a ball back and forth against the wall. This’ll help you build strength and endurance until you’re ready to try more advanced activities. After some training, you could be climbing mountains or doing other more rigorous activities!

 

Don't Feel Alone

As noted before, don’t feel like you’re the only one facing these challenges. Look around and you’ll find that family and friends are there to help you overcome any obstacles. You’ll find members of your community in the same place you are, so don’t worry about not being able to run a mile. There are many different levels of fitness. Enroll in classes with your friends to motivate yourself to stick with those classes. All of you’ll start to see changes for the better − together!

 

Visit The Doctor

No matter your age, it’s highly recommended to consult with your doctor before beginning any sort of exercise regime. You don't want to injure yourself or aggravate any conditions that you may have. This is particularly important for senior citizens, as bodies wear down with time and tend to not be quite as strong as they once were.

 

 

As you can see, being a senior citizen doesn't have to limit what you can and can’t physically do. Just be aware of your limits. With these tips you’ll be on your way to a happier, healthier life when you start moving to the beat of an active lifestyle.

Kathy Flute is a resident nurse who works in an assisted living facility. She enjoys writing about mental health, physical fitness, offering advice to expectant mothers, and the 10 Best Online Nursing Masters Degree MSN Programs.

Beware of Camella Real Estate Agents as They May Scam You

About February of this year, I transferred to a new boarding house and got to seriously thinking about my future. Do I continue to rent every month and give my hard earned money to a landlord? I decided to scout for homes for rent and those advertised as rent to own. I have a friend who's an agent in Camella so I asked her and she led me to her supervisor who did the rounds of introducing me to the nitty gritty of applying for a house loan. They have 3 options:

1. get a loan through Pag-ibig Fund but the agent said the agency don't usually approve those units that are still in construction
2. get in house financing with skyrocketing interest rates
3. apply for a bank loan (RCBC is at that time, currently the only bank that grants housing loans for Camella applicants)

Will have to continue this post later...but I want to help out those who are still planning to get a Camella unit, beware of what your agents may tell you as they tend to lubricate stories just so you will be convinced that getting a house loan is for you.

Easy-to-Understand Video on How to Get a Free Domain Name

I've been downloading videos and uploading them on a Youtube Channel as part of my work. Since it was my first time, there was a lot of hit and miss for me but at the end of the day, I was able to get all the processes running smoothly. So now I've set a target for myself - 5 videos to download daily and submit through Dropbox. I'm just hoping that the Internet connection cooperates for faster downloading.

Below is a video I have downloaded as a test, it's about how to get free domain and free hosting. Hope this can help you somehow. 

7 Useful Tips for Starting A New Relationship

Who doesn't love the beginning of a relationship? Everything is still fresh and alive. No fights have yet to occur, and you're still in that dreamy, romantic, idealistic stage where everything's perfect. However, it's important to consider some useful tips to keep everything going smoothly. Here's what to keep in mind.

Expect Reality
You can't expect your relationship to be rainbows, butterflies and unicorns forever. Any relationship is going to turn into a more mature type of love over time. This can seem scary, boring or disappointing for many, but keep in mind that this is an inevitability, and for every part that you might not be looking forward to, there is a benefit that will come from the commitment you're making.

Keep Your Space
Some people race into spending every last second of the day with each other, but you need to remain who you are and who you always were. Many professionals call this differentiation. It's healthy for the two of you to have separate hobbies and to hang out with your own friends. This doesn't mean you can't grow your relationship - it's just pivotal to remember to be two separate people that grow together.

Know Your Speed
Of course, no matter what you do, there will always be moments where you and your loved one are on different speeds. So, you first need to know what your own speed is. For example, if you really do feel that you are ready to move in with your new boyfriend or girlfriend, then it is fine. However, if you feel rushed or pressured, then the situation will likely not work.

Changing Your Life
When you start dating someone new, you might be tempted to entirely change your life or attitude about life to suit them. In fact, you might even expect the boyfriend/girlfriend to change for you. If this is familiar, the relationship is already off to an unhealthy start. This is another part of differentiation - avoiding these pitfalls helps you avoid further worries, such as possessiveness, jealousy and unrealistic expectations.

fr. wisewisdom

Don't Start Nitpicking
Some people have a really bad habit of nitpicking a loved one's faults as soon as the relationship begins. Remember, you got into the relationship for a reason, and you must remember that no one person is perfect. This doesn't mean that you should settle and risk being truly unhappy, but you need to be reasonable.

Avoid Talk of Marriage
Unless some extenuating circumstances exist, you should never start talking about marriage the second you start going out with  someone. In fact, it really shouldn't even be discussed in the first six months. It might seem like nothing can ever go wrong, but things change as relationships progress. There's no way to predict how your feelings will change. Furthermore, even if things are perfect to you, people can quickly be turned off by premature talk about marriage, so keep your feelings on the DL.

Be Sure
If you really don't know that you want to be exclusive with someone, then you shouldn't enter into a commitment. Honestly, it's just not fair to the other individual, and ultimately, it will not be fair to you either.

New relationships can certainly be exciting, but you can't get your head caught up in the clouds. It's important to remember that you are each unique people with flaws and strengths alike. Keeping this in mind will help you stay grounded as things progress.

Benny Gilmore writes about relationships, counseling and self-help. His recent work is about online counseling degrees.

The Difference Between Wants and Needs

Today, we tend to find ourselves in an age of materialism. People are buying more than ever, yet the level of reported happiness throughout society is decreasing. We're always surrounded by advertising ploys trying to get us to buy more and more things that we simply don't need. We see billboards selling us vacations and television advertisements telling us that we need the newest fashions, or even toys for our children. This begs the question, what do we truly need? Take a look at this article to help decipher the things you truly need as opposed to those things that you just simply want for pleasure.

Why We Need To Define Wants vs. Needs
It's beneficial to be able to separate wants from needs or many reasons. One reason is that, from a consumer perspective, it can help you save a lot of money. If we get into the habit of only buying things we need, rather than the things that we want, it can save thousands of dollars every year, depending on your current spending habits. It's also beneficial from an internal perspective. Buying everything that we want can make us feel entitled to having those things. It can make us feel that we need them when we really don't. This can lead to a reliance on material things. Simply put, people who buy everything that their heart desires will eventually gain happiness from acquiring things, rather than things that truly matter in life. like spending time with family and friends.

What is a "Need"?
For the purposes of this article, we will discuss needs within the realm of "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs". This is a psychological theory concerning what humans truly need. The five categories of needs in this theory are, in order from most basic to least basic, physiological needs, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Physiological needs are things like food, water, sleep, and other items that the body physically needs to function. Safety refers to security. Security can mean anything from a secure home that is free of intruders to job security. Love needs are needs that are met with good relationships, whether they be romantic or platonic. Esteem refers to the need to be respected and feel confident. The last type of need, self-actualization, is different for every person and defines who we are. It concerns the need to satisfy one's full potential, whether that be in school, work, home life, or hobbies. Your personality defines which of these areas you feel you need to succeed in to be happy.

How to Fulfill These Needs
Physiological needs can be met by maintaining healthy eating and sleeping habits. These are needs that you should never ignore. Safety needs can be met by making sure you are financially stable, as well as physically protected with a good home and support system. Love needs will be met if you maintain healthy relationships. This means choosing the people whom you want to be in your life carefully. Esteem needs help us to feel confident and respected, and are different for every person, as are self-actualization needs. So, fulfilling them will require some introspection.

The thing to remember about differentiation in this aspect is that most people never even realize the importance of the issue. Simply put, most people are so wrapped up in materialism that it never occurs to them that there's a difference between needs and wants. If you're already of the mind that there's reason to rise above the superficial whims of society, you've taken the first step to attaining not only a more frugal life, but a more rewarding and fulfilling one.

Jaime Torres writes about self-help and self-realization. Her recent work is on the best counseling degrees online.

Eat Shop Play Book Set Singapore Launching

Want to enjoy overwhelming discounts and savings from your daily purchases? Watch out for the official launching of the EAT SHOP PLAY Book Set, a resource for discount coupons, vouchers and deals for everyone in Singapore. Whether you are a student, employee or expat, you can take advantage of up to $35,000 worth of rewards and discounts from partner merchants.

Get savings on your next restaurant or grocery bill and spend it on other essentials. To learn more on how you can fully benefit from this great offer, check out the EAT SHOP PLAY website and stay tuned for the launching tomorrow, January 22, 2013.

Congratulations ESP!

Letting Go of Goals for a More Fulfilling Life

Watch the one-on-one interview with Tim Ferris by Leo Babauta, two of the most successful bloggers and online entrepreneurs today.






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Four Hour Work Week

The Most Useful Apps for Daily Life

The quality of our lives is a big concern today. Everyone is so busy with working and domestic chores at home that we barely find any time to do things for ourselves. With the fast pace of life and technology around us, it is common to feel frustrated every now and then. There is a positive side to this. Technology has helped make life easier, and now we can enjoy a better quality of life with the help of some useful mobile apps. Our mobile devices can do a lot more than just make and receive calls. Today, we can buy gifts, do our banking, make hotel reservations and search for restaurants with mobile apps. Below are some of the most useful apps to help make your life simpler. 

Apps for Travel – If you do a lot of traveling, there are probably many things you need to take care of, and tiny mistakes could cost a lot of time. Today, we have mobile travel apps for smart phones that allow us to make hotel reservations, book flights, book a car rental, check map locations and search for restaurants in just minutes. While you are sitting at the airport waiting for your flight, you can use your apps to check and see if your hotel room is ready for check-in and have the car rental waiting. 

Social Networking Apps – Your friends may be as busy as you, and none of you seem to have the time to socialize. Social networking mobile apps such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are assessable right from your mobile device. When you have a break at work, log into your account and stay connected to friends and family by socializing a bit. Some of the other social networking apps are UberTwitter, Foursquare, BlackBerry Messenger and Facebook Messenger. 

Apps for Productivity – If you are a small business owner, consultant or freelancer, managing your tasks is a priority. Productivity apps such as Astro File Manager, Dropbox, Evernote, Jott Assistant, Instapaper and Remember the Milk can help you increase your productivity and enhance the productivity of the people working for you. With productivity apps, you can keep track of appointments, stay organized with clients and send and receive any files you need to get access too. 

Apps for News – Many times, we find ourselves too busy to watch television or read the newspaper to catch up on the news. Today, there are mobile apps that give us the latest news and breaking news updates that come directly to our mobile devices. Some of the applications that offer current updates about top world news stories and weather are NPR News, WolframAlpha, AP Mobile and BerryWeather. 

Apps for Entertainment – Everyone needs some downtime for fun in their lives. Add more fun and keep yourself entertained with some of the entertainment apps available. Take time out to play some games with apps such as Angry Birds, Words With Friends, I Love Katamari, Kindle, Doodle Jump and Onion News Network.

With so many wonderful options available with mobile apps, why not take advantage of some of them and see how they will improve and simplify your life? 

Author Pam Johnson is a blogger who is always looking to make her life easier with the use of apps for her smartphone. She is a contributing writer for most affordable online business schools.