All About Women

I’ll Get To That……

allaboutwomen — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:00:36 +0000

Writer Pam Coyle

By Pam Coyle
Resolved to meditate or hula hoop every day but already lapsed? Avoiding that pile of financial paperwork as tax day looms? Spare room so cluttered you jump at every doorbell – fearing friends have called the hoarder hotline?

Set a timer, and start small.

My small digital kitchen timer is never in the kitchen. It helps motivate me and break down chores or goals into specific pieces and manageable blocks of time. One example: “Tonight I’m going to do our taxes,” is a pretty general goal and, for me, simply not possible. “Tonight I am going to work on our tax stuff for one hour” is more realistic.

How many of us vowed to start some new healthy habit on January 1? How many of us are on track? Not this writer, for sure.

I make resolutions every day so I get to start over! Some ideas:

Our fancy phones have built-in timers with a range of ring tones if you don’t like the sound of a kitchen timer. I use both. The “harp” setting would work well for meditating – start with five minutes. Go up to 10 minutes when you feel ready. I am no time management wizard but even I have a spare 10 minutes now and then.

Who likes cleaning the bathroom, honestly? Trick yourself into starting by setting a timer for 15 or 30 minutes. At the “ding,” if you want to stop and finish later, stop. If you want to keep going, keep going. The same strategy works for weeding the garden.

Stuck at a desk and computer all day? The computer will tell you, out loud, what time it is if you want it to. Set it for every hour, stand up and stretch. If you job allows, take five minutes to walk the hallways – even if it is going to the restroom when you don’t really need to.

A timer makes quick work of hula hooping and abdominal crunches. With the former, start with a minute each side (you should change directions) and work up. With crunches, I sometimes forget to count so I’m going to try the timed approach. I honestly have no idea how many I’ll do in five minutes but I’m going to do it today. No, really.

I need to take medication and some supplements in the afternoon but I’m always forgetting. I’m feeling a 2 p.m. “Timba” setting on my iPhone will help. No doubt “they” have apps for all this, so we’d love to hear what you’ve found and helps, not only for medication but time apps in general.

Beep. Make time(r) your friend and not your enemy.

I’ll Get To That…… is a post from: All About Women

Birth Control Pill Recall

allaboutwomen — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:01:13 +0000

Pfizer Inc. is recalling 1 million packets of birth control pills due to a packaging error that could raise the risk of an accidental pregnancy by leaving women with an inadequate dose.

The problem affects 14 lots of Lo/Ovral-28 tablets and 14 lots of generic Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol tablets. Both products are manufactured by Pfizer and marketed in the U.S. by Akrimax Rx Products under the Akrimax Pharmaceuticals brand. (read more…)

Birth Control Pill Recall is a post from: All About Women

Join Us for a Geology Walk with Mayor Karl Dean

allaboutwomen — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:11:42 +0000

Saturday, February 4th at 1:30 p.m.
Percy Warner Park

Dr. Molly Miller, Vanderbilt University Earth and Environmental Sciences professor, will lead a two-mile walk on Percy Warner’s Mossy Ridge trail. Participants will be shown major rock formations and learn the history they record. Hear about how Nashville’s landscape was once a Bahamas-like paradise and a stagnant ocean bottom. Don’t miss the chance to chat with the Mayor, learn about nature, meet people, and get healthy.

Please dress for cold weather; bring your camera and water and wear walking shoes or boots – portions of the trail will be muddy.

Date/Time: Saturday, February 4. Walk begins at 1:30 p.m.

Where: The walk will start at the Deep Well Trailhead in Percy Warner Park located off Hwy 100. A map is located at http://www.nashville.gov/parks/images/previous/percywarner_map.gif

Directions: Percy Warner Park is on Hwy 100. The Deep Well entrance is 2.2 miles towards downtown from where Old Hickory Blvd. intersects with Hwy. 100. There is no sign, but it is an ornate stone entrance. Stay straight on the park road passing picnic areas. You can park near the trailhead.

Questions: Jenna.smith@nashville.gov or call (615) 967-8186

Join Us for a Geology Walk with Mayor Karl Dean is a post from: All About Women

All About Women at KIPP Academy

allaboutwomen — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:10:44 +0000

United Neighborhood Health Services leads guests in a musical exercise session.

All About Women joined with KIPP Academy on Saturday, January 28 to bring fun, exercise, information, and free health screenings to women in Middle Tennessee.

All About Women partnered with the staff and parents of KIPP Academy as well as the following service providers:

Alive Hospice
Alzheimer’s Association
The Governor’s Books From Birth
Eckankar
Exchange Club Family Center
Kilowatt Hour
Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Services
Metro Public Health Department Department of Family, Youth, and Infant Services
Metro Public Health Department TenderCare
Meharry Center For Women’s Health
Nashville Mobile Market
Tennessee Breast and Cervical Cancer Coalition
Tennessee Cancer Coalition
Tennessee Department of Health Division of Minority Health
United Healthcare Community Plan
United Neighborhood Health Services
W.O.M.E.N.
Vanderbilt Clinical Pharmacology
Vanderbilt Coalition of Healthy Aging
YWCA
Zumba

Avenue Bank Volunteers at KIPP 1-28-2012

A very special thank you to our volunteers:

Avenue Bank
CABLE
Hendersonville LINKS
The Board of Directors of All About Women

Join us on April 14, 2012 at STEM Prep Academy for another great ALL ABOUT WOMEN event.

Find more pictures of the event at our FaceBook page.

All About Women at KIPP Academy is a post from: All About Women

What Health Screenings Do Women Need and Why?

allaboutwomen — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:03:37 +0000

Why is it necessary to get certain preventative health screenings? In order to live your healthiest life (and therefore enjoy life even more!) you need to make sure you stay healthy. Women make 80% of all healthcare decisions for their family. If the woman in the family takes care of herself then she will be better able to care for the rest of her family.

What type of preventive screenings should you get? Here’s some of the information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Visit their website for more complete information.

Breast Cancer:
The number and timing of mammograms is based on your age, family history, overall health, and personal concerns. Talk with you healthcare provider to see if you should have one. The National Cancer Institute recommends that women age 40 and older should have a mammogram every 1 to 2 years.

Cervical Cancer:
Women ages 21 to 65 should have a Pap smear every 1 to 3 years. If you are over 65 and all recent Pap smears were normal, you do not need a Pap smear.

High Blood Pressure:
Beginning at age 18, you should have your blood pressure checked every 2 years. High blood pressure, which is 140/90, can cause stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney problems and eye problems.

Diabetes:
Get your blood sugar tested, particularly if your blood pressure is higher than 135/80, if you take medication for high blood pressure, or if you are overweight. Diabetes can damage your heart, brain, eyes, kidneys, nerves, and other body parts. It is extremely important to be treated for diabetes.

You can download A Lifetime of Good Health – Your Guide to Staying Healthy from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health.

Remember, it is up to you to take care of yourself.

What Health Screenings Do Women Need and Why? is a post from: All About Women

All About Women at KIPP Academy

allaboutwomen — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:51:48 +0000

Come join other women in your community to learn and laugh!

All About Women at KIPP Academy is a post from: All About Women

ALL ABOUT WOMEN AT KIPP ACADEMY

allaboutwomen — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 03:18:36 +0000

Join us on January 28, 2012 for our first event of 2012!
From 10:00 am – 2:00 pm we will be at KIPP Academy located at 123 Douglas Avenue, Nashville, TN 32720.
All women can get their blood sugar tested, bone density, blood pressure, and body mass index. Join in some healthy eating, stretching exercises, relaxation techniques, and have a lot of fun. There will be snacks and door prizes! As always, everything is free.
We’ll see you then!

ALL ABOUT WOMEN AT KIPP ACADEMY is a post from: All About Women

Nashvitality Week

allaboutwomen — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:00:13 +0000

Join us the week of January 15-21 to celebrate the first annual NashVitality Week – celebrating all that is healthy, active & green in our great city.

Join residents throughout Nashville for the National King Day of Action, celebrating the legacy of volunteerism and community action inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

www.mlkdaynashville.com

______________________________________________________________________________

Join us for a Health Impact AssessmentWorkshop

Tuesday, January 17: Shelby Bottoms Nature Center, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Full – Registration Closed!

Spaces available at two additional workshops:

~ Friday, January 20: Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
~ Wednesday, January 25: Nashville Civic Design Center

HIA is an innovative process that engages non-traditional stakeholders to systematically address unidentified health implications of proposed policies, plans, and programs in our community.

Find out more about the HIA workshops here.

Plan Now for Happier Holiday Spending in 2012

allaboutwomen — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:00:50 +0000

The following information came from Practical Money Skills

Q: What should I include in my holiday budget?

A: Set your budget. Make a list of all purchases and events you plan to spend money on next year. Make sure to include gifts, entertaining, meals, and travel. Estimate how much you can spend on each of these things and how much you must save a week throughout the year to reach these goals.

Q: I never seem to have enough money at the holidays and end up using my credit cards. How can I avoid doing that next year?

A: Get creative. Think of gifts you can make and get started on them early. That way you won’t be tempted to blow your budget at the last minute because you didn’t get a gift made.

Q: Most of my family and friends have everything they need and want. What is a unique gift for them?

A. Join together. Join with other family members and friends to help others who may not be as fortunate as you and limit the gifts to those who have everything they need.

Have a question for our expert? This line is open until Friday, December 30th. Our expert will then answer the top questions and we’ll post their answers right here and on our Facebook page.

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Plan Now for Happier Holiday Spending in 2012 is a post from: All About Women

Plan Now for Happier Holiday Spending in 2012

allaboutwomen — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:00:29 +0000

NAME: Z
STATUS: Spent
GOAL: Lightweight gifts
PEEVE: My Diet Coke habit
GLEE: 50 or 70 percent off holiday stuff!

Every year I set a budget for holiday spending that includes gifts, food, stocking stuffers, Christmas cards and postage. Every year I go over and I can’t always blame the U.S. Postal Service.

This is one tradition I’d like to break. This recent season I got especially nostalgic for one holiday tradition of my youth — the old-fashioned Christmas Club bank account. In our house, a Christmas Club account was part of growing up. Mom would take us to the bank in January of the year we would turn 12. I tried to deposit $2 week from my babysitting cash so I’d have close to $100 when the time came to start shopping.

Did You know?

The Postal Service will deliver more than 20 billion pieces of mail throughout the season. source

Christmas tree farmers sold $493 million worth of pine trees last year. source

Consumers’ use of credit cards to shop during the 2010 holiday season is the lowest since 2002. More Americans are expected to use their debit cards or cash for holiday purchase to ensure they don’t go over their budget. source

I’m not like 90 years old or anything, but budgeting for important purchases was just how we lived. We had kid-sized envelopes for Sunday church offerings; we started saving for Christmas in January. We didn’t spend $5 a day or more buying Diet Cokes while out running errands. We took brown-bag lunches to school, a habit that stayed with me until early college but fell away as I got older and food got more convenient but less healthy.

It feels as if I spent more on quick meals and sodas-on-the-run some days this holiday season than I did on gifts. The cost of shipping made me wince; the cost of a simple beef roast made me think we should eat more kale. Well, we should probably eat more kale anyway.

Try These:

Try this holiday spending worksheet to get started on next year.

Take this quiz to see how your holiday spending matches up to most people's spending.

Spend some time with a slideshow on ways to cut expenses for 2012 holidays.

Did you know that financial experts recommend limiting holiday spending to no more than 1.5 percent of your total income? That means someone who makes $40,000 should spend $600. Seriously?

Well, I can’t make any promises but I do plan to start a Christmas Club account – even if it means hiding the money. At $15 a week, I’d have more than $600 by the end of October 2012. It’s a start, as is remembering that the best gifts as well as the best experiences can’t be bought online or anywhere else. They just happen. In 2012, I will clear away some of the clutter to make more room for them.

Plan Now for Happier Holiday Spending in 2012 is a post from: All About Women