Resolution New You #19 - Have your eyes checked

A very special person to me was complaining of frequent headaches for over a year.  Many of us told her it was just her diet and she probably had an allergy to something. We assured her, if she watched what she ate, started exercising, and relaxed a little, her headaches would go away.  (Mind you, none of us are doctors.  We are just the typical internet and health magazine article PhD's.)  Luckily, she was blessed with a friend who took action and made her go to the eye doctor.  The friends diagnosis was, bad vision is definately causing this and you need to get glasses.  When the real cause for the headaches was determined by an eye doctor, those of us closest to her where awakened to how precious our lives are. For what she had, was not an allergy, stress, or poor vision.  She had a tumor in the middle of her brain.  The tumor completely entangled her left optic nerve causing her vision to be weakened.  A normally round and healthy hypothalmus gland was flattened like a quarter.  The reason for her headache was, a meningioma.  

She was scared.  At the young age of 40, she couldn't believe it happened to her, especially since she still was raising her 3 boys, one of which was just 2 years old.   As sad and frightened as she was, her courage and strength prevailed.  She was scheduled for brain surgery a few weeks after the diagnosis at the USC Medical Center.  Dr. Lui performed the miracle of removing the tumor from the exact center of her brain.  After a 7 hour surgery (originally forecasted to be a 3 hour surgery), Caroline awoke.  Her first words were, "Diet Coke." 

Although she is legally blind in her left eye during this recovery time, she is alive and here with us. We pray that her eyesight will be restored within the next two years and she can live in the same manner before her surgery.  Until then, I am so thankful to this day for the friend of hers that made her go to the eye doctor.  She saved her life - and kept our precious hermana y amiga, here with us to raise her boys.   

Visit the American Optometric Association, to learn up-to-date recommendations for proper eye care, and eye exams for a better new you.

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Resolution New You #18 - Grow your own food

"With just one square-foot garden, anyone can cut their food bills, eat better, and reduce their carbon footprint," says Mel Bartholomew.  Plus it's a fun chore for the kids,  reports a recent paper by a Rutgers nutritionist which stated, "gardeners, especially children - become so enthusiastic about their crops that they ate more vegetables and less junk food."  

So how do you know what to plant and when? Visit Gardening How To, for the latest tips and tricks.  Enter to win a complete set of gardening tools to get you started.   Starting small is the key.  Make it a family project on the weekend where each of you get a pot to grow what you would like.  Dads dig the holes, moms arrange the seeds, kids water it down - family eats fresh herbs, fruit and veggies for the rest of the year.  You can't beat that for a better new you.  What are some of your favorite things to grow?

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Resolution New You #17 - Volunteer your time

Now that Tivo exists, we are no longer tied to the broadcasters schedule of when to watch a show.  So that extra hour you receive, volunteer it to someone who really needs your help.  

Starbucks has a new program titled, PLEDGE 5. What if you gave 5 hours to help your community? What if we all did?  If you join the call for national service and pledge 5 volunteer hours between today and January 25th, you will receive a complimentary coffee from Starbucks.  Not to mention the hugs and smiles from the people you helped.  Don't know what to help out with?  Simply enter your zipcode and a list of community events and services appear.  It really is that easy. For a little inspirational video, see the Are you in? video on YouTube.

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Resolution New You #16 - Give yourself a makeover

Is it a compliment when the friends who haven't seen you in 20 years say, "you haven't changed a bit?" or "you look exactly the same!"  I suppose it could be depending how old you were when they last saw you.  A 60-year-old would love to be told she still looked 40, but a 40-year-old woman, might not want to look 20 anymore.  Her skin, yes, but everything else should be madeover to go with all she has learned and become.

So in 2009, a resolution to be a better new you is to get a makeover, and have fun with it.  Go to Nordstrom and talk with their personal shoppers.  They can update your wardrobe with a few classics and trendy pieces you need.  

You can try a new haircolor.  There is a fabulous website offered by iVillage. Simply upload a picture of yourself with your hair pulled back. Then find the shape that best suits your face, and choose the hair color with over 1000 styles to choose from.  You can save each image of your new style and print out to show your friends.  This is a great way, versus going to a wig shop, to try a new look or style.  The website is so detailed, it lets you add makeup, and it adjusts perfectly to the size of your eyes and lips.  Then once you find that new look, bring it to your stylist and become a new you! It is so fun, you have to try.

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Resolution New You #15 - Prepare your Legacy

It is time to finally get a family trust or will for you and your family. You will have peace of mind that your loved ones, your property, and your assets you have worked so hard for, are protected.  

If you have property or value for anything in your life you do not want to see go to the IRS, get a living trust.  Many people do not know the difference between a will and a living trust but one of the contributing factors in determining which is right for you will be a term called probate. If you establish a will, upon your death, your estate will go into probate - the official proving of a will. (This is the court administered process of dividing up one's assets in an "orderly" fashion. Most often this is an "orderly" process costs your estate time, money, and makes your estate a public record.)

A living trust on the other hand eliminates probate.  A living trust is actually a pretty straightforward device. It is simply a separate entity (analogous to a corporation) which holds your assets. You retain complete control over your assets while you are alive and mentally competent. Upon your incapacity or death another person (called the "trustee") steps into your shoes and manages your assets for you. This trustee can be a relative, a friend, or a professional fiduciary (like a bank). Avoiding the probate process is critical, as your trustee can distribute your assets in an expedient manner to your heirs.

After you have learned all there is to learn about which is right for you and your financial circumstances at http://www.californiaprobate.info/willtrust.htm, start gathering your assets, talk to a family member or friend about the future of your children, and protect your legacies.

An attorney can handle your arrangements, or you can try LegalZoom, which is an online service I find to be extremely professional and informative.

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Resolution New You #14 - Take a class

No matter how one may think himself accomplished, when he sets out to learn a new language, science, or the bicycle, he has entered a new realm as truly as if he were a child newly born into the world.  ~Frances Willard, How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle 

Following are a list of classes you can take that will make you a better New You in 2009!  

Tennis

Golf

Cooking

Photography

Quilting

Knitting

Scuba Diving

Dance

No excuses.  Just do it.  

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Resolution New You #13 - Make a New Recipe

They say variety is the spice of life.  I think this statement usually applies to The Bachelor or a bachelors mindset.  In this blog, I am referring to spicing up your weekly dinner plans for a better new you.  Hopefully you have some staples in your repertoire of dinners that your spouse enjoys, such as, tacos, spaghetti, meatloaf - don't replace those.  Men like their favorite foods.   Simply, add a new meal to the mix.  With the internet, it is easier than ever to get a last minute recipe. But if you plan ahead you can turn it into a date night.  On this blog, 30 days of..., you can find quick recipes guaranteed to make your hubby happy. New Recipes will be posted in February 2009. Until then here is a recipe that is quick and easy, and delicious.

Baby Back Ribs

One pack of Baby Back Ribs (pork) 

KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce (or his favorite BBQ sauce) 

1 can beer

Put the baby back ribs into a crock pot FROZEN.  

Add the beer and 1/2 bottle of the BBQ sauce.

Cook on Low (7-8 hours before you plan to eat.)

Serve with baked beans, corn bread, and his favorite veggie and you will be on your way to looking at a happy man.

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