Along the path...

A friend and I have been training for a sprint . Not much has been happening in the weight loss department for either of us--even though we have ramped up our exercise routine a lot. It could be that we are building muscle. I've noticed my energy level is higher and that I feel better overall since we've been training. We've thrown around a couple of ideas for dietary changes and decided to stick to the Word of Wisdom as our basic tenant . A colleague at work told me about negative foods --foods that essentially have no calorie input because they require more calories to consume them than they hold. Not the first time I've heard about it, but I'm intrigued. Negative Calorie Foods ~ Vegetables asparagus beets broccoli cabbage (green) carrots cauliflower celery chicory chili peppers cucumbers endive garlic lettuce onions papayas spinach turnip zucchini Negative Calorie Foods ~ Fruit apples cranberries grapefruit lemons mangoes o ranges pineapple raspberries strawberr...

Here are some pointers I received via a random email about dating. It's a quick trip into the male psyche called the 5 First Date Turn Offs for Men . You may want to buckle up for this trip. Wait! Hold the entree, I'm outta here... :) #1 - Can't Hold a Conversation: Is the conversation difficult? By appetizers a guy thinks he can tell where the date is going and if he even wants to be there for the entree. #2 - Doesn't Ask Questions: Is she interested in the guy or does she only talk about herself and what she likes? #3 - Lots of "Me" Talk: Some guys will count the number of times a girl says "me" on a date. Does the conversation or do the questions she asks set up conversation topics about herself? #4 - Lack of Adventure: It's good for a girl to be willing to try something new. You may not like it, but try it once. A girl can can tell her date she doesn't like skydiving the next time he wants to go. #5: The "ex" talk: Dwelling on p...

In case you ever need to conduct a webinar, here are some tips to help you be successful... Webinars which are planned and executed properly can provide training for a large number of geographical dispersed attendees. There are my 10 tips to manage any Webinar. 1. Plan, in fact over plan: Create a webinar plan that includes schedules, potential speakers, what you want out of the registration process, what... 15 Tips For A Successful Webinar

In my e-travels I recently came across a friend's friend's post about a nifty find that I hadn't really appreciated before. Here are some helpful tips and tricks--some may be more applicable than others. Who would have guessed that coffee filters could be so versatile? And fairly inexpensive. What can you do with them? I'm so glad you asked... 1. Excellent covers--cofee filter cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. 2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling. 3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish. 4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter. (Not sure that I'll need this idea often.) 5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust. Bet this would work for a dutch oven too! 6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a ...

You may remember the deep sorrow of an earlier post at the turn of the decade. That sorrow has turned to JOY with the mad know-how of a friend at work (thanks, Angela!) . The lost SD card images have been recovered. All safe; all sound. Sigh. In case you are ever caught in a similar bind and need to recover images or files, try this: http://www.snapfiles.com/d ownloads/dlrecuva.html It works super great and is free!

This cooking tip is way cool .

I stopped at IKEA in Draper today after work to pick up a few things. This Saturday, January 24th, from 10-4 IKEA will have organization experts on location to help you put everything in its place.

Searching the blog world, I crossed paths with Pioneer Woman Photography . She offers some excellent tips about photography and Photoshop. Looking for tips on how to make your photo pop, remove red eye, add clarity, and make your images the best they can be? Pioneer Woman Photography.

Love these homemade pinwheels Jenifer found...

Several years ago, a friend decided to change her diet. She's a raw foodie! I must admit that the concept had me concerned at first (raw chocolate, raw meat, raw cake, raw milk, raw veggies...), but I've tried several of her recipes and they are quite good. And, no, she doesn't eat raw meat. Angie began a blog recently to share her joy of the raw food world. Eventually she plans to make a raw food recipe book. If you are interested, she would love you to try her recipes and give her feedback. This image came from her blog for a wrap recipe . Hmmm... I think I need a s'more or maybe a crudite.

Don't you just love visitors? I found this new blog today from following a visitor's post. It has adorable stamping and card ideas. Yesterday I received a darling homemade Christmas card in the mail from Wendy . Thank you! (If you haven't checked out her blog and paper creations, you are missing out!) People Got Talent! Now I just need more time to copy....

Read original article from Bankrate.com While many of us look at reducing holiday budgets or purchasing gifts that are more practical and affordable than those of previous years, Jennifer Melnick Carota, author of The Gift Therapist blog and the book "Shop Smart Give More" thinks that the current economic situation will not adversely affect the giving season. Carota states, "People will become more creative and frugal with their giving dollars." In that spirit, here are 12 ways to use your ingenuity and know-how to boot the bad-economy Grinch out of your holidays and spread some serious holiday cheer. 1. Movies 2. Energy 3. Coffee 4. Food 5. Spa 6. Financial peace of mind 7. A 'new' car 8. Wealth builders 9. Home staging 10. Organize 11. Health 12. A 'new' wardrobe May I also add inexpensive homemade footware ?

Ever loathe the weekly (or daily) grocery trips? Ever get to the grocery store and wonder what happened to your list? Wish you could automatically generate one rather than having to plan one out? Want a monthly calendar to help you plan meals? Need new meal ideas to add to your staples? Nicole blogged about this website and its dinner planning hints and tips. You can create your own online recipe database and share recipes. I think this sounds like a fabulous (and free ) idea! Watch the interview with KSL's Studio 5 or visit the website SimplifySupper.com . Sign me up, Scotty!

12 Tips for Giving on a Tight Budget Find frugal -- but not cheap -- gifts ( read the full article ) 1. Keep an eye on sales 2. Surf for savings 3. Get to know store policies 4. Give a theme gift 5. Buy in bulk 6. Make the thought count 7. Get the family to go frugal 8. Handle 'hot toys' with care 9. Save on your spouse 10. Shop late 11. Give of yourself 12. Think ahead

Another find, courtesy of Andrea ! Her pen saved the day on our Park City adventure . My pen now saves me time and again. I was a skeptic, but am now a believer. I love that pen!