Month: April 2016

Texting + Driving = Major Accidents

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We’ve all heard it, read about it and most of us have seen the words posted on the highway signs as we pass by. Don’t Text & Drive. Considering how much time I spend on the road, I wanted to share my thoughts on the whole texting, holding the phone while talking on speaker and surfing the web as we drive down the road at 70 mph generation. 

To say, “don’t do it” is one thing. To stop and think about how little time it takes for something to happen is another. Take it from a girl who travels constantly, like 10 months out of the year, most of that on the road, in a vehicle, driving herself. I should probably say that the vehicle of choice is not your standard SUV, but more often than not, I find myself responsible for a truck, trailer or  bus. That’s about 40,000 lbs or 20 tons of metal in most cases. Let me help to put that into perspective, an average sized elephant weighs 4 tons. For good visual purposes that is the weight of 5 elephants screaming down the road. Needless to say, making abrupt stops when they are cut off is a major challenge!!

elephants-5a

Here’s some staggering facts about texting. Did you know that while driving  it is comparable to:

– Drinking (4) beers and then getting behind the wheel — woah! (Thank you NATL. Hwy Transportation Admin)

– About 6 times more likely to cause an accident than being intoxicated.

  • FIVE, yep, 5 seconds is  the minimal amount of time your attention is taken away from the road when you’re texting & driving. IF you are driving at 55 MPH, this equals the length of a football field, without looking up, once!

StopTexts_Infographic

  • Your risk of crash increases by 1.3x when talking or listening, 1.4x when reaching for something, 2.8x when dialing and…23x when texting. Twenty – Three times more likely to crash!
  • Let’s be real, it is not just teens that text and drive, adults are guilty too!

Moral of the story, it can wait, your life and the other lives you impact are wayyy more important than answering that text. Five seconds, the blink of an eye, that’s all it takes.

In the meantime, if you are looking for a great Bluetooth and soooo over all of the static noise in the background, check out the Blue Parrot B250 Headset. Do I often get asked if I am on my way to lead a work – out class, why yes, do I wear it in public when just running errands, why yes. But, I don’t care how it looks, it works amazing, everyone tells me it is SO quiet (and I am in a bus!!) and best part of all, it is safe for when I do have make & take calls.  Texting can still wait.

reneeStay safe, my friends! And please, the next time you want to swerve in front of that bus or goose-neck trailer, please think about the small herd of elephants that just may kiss you from behind. Thanks in advance! 😉

xoxo

~ Renee

The #1 Sign of Aging is NOT Wrinkles

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Did you know that the #1 sign of aging is not wrinkles, but Dull skin? True story. While genetics do play a role, a much smaller role than we have been told in aging, the habits you develop and the life choices you make all wildly contribute to how you age. So, instead of tracing back to when Mom or Dad showed their first wrinkle or gray hair, think about what you can control and make small changes. It is no wonder that the anti-aging market is a multi-billion dollar industry!

Below are some of the the biggest culprits that show how we age, literally. Scientists at Case Western University reported the following…

  • Smoking. A study of twins showed that a non-smoking twin in comparison with a twin that smoked only took 5 years of smoking to make the the twin who smoked look older than the non-smoking twin. For every 10 years after that, the smoking twin visibly aged by 2.5 years faster. Yikes!
  • Sun Exposure. The sun’s rays are more powerful than we may like to believe. Sure, we have all heard the most dangerous times to be outside without any protection are between 10 a.m – 2 p.m. However; anytime spent outside without sunscreen will cause long-term premature aging and increases your risk for skin cancer. Whether it is 7 a.m. and you are getting in your morning walk (yay!) or you are driving in the winter and the sun beams in daily on the left side of your face & arm, wear your sunscreen! Hats, long sleeved shirts and sunglasses are all must haves!
  • Stress. Stress is a HUGE culprit. Collagen is what gives elasticity to our skin and keeps it firm. A stress hormone called cortisol wrecks havoc on our body from the inside out causing inflammation, hair loss and breaks down collagen causing weaker skin, resulting in more wrinkles. How much older you may wonder, 3 – 6 years older depending on how much stress is invading your life.

So, how do you address the damage on a cellular level? Work to reverse cellular damage caused by stress (research Telomeres for the down deep scientific evidence about cellular damage and what that means)  by making healthy eating choices, exercising regularly (think at least 30 minutes, five times a week) and and getting quality sleep. Maintaining those good habits will result in significantly less cellular damage, even during those stressful times that life will bring.

Now, back to the appearance of aging. Dull skin. By simply taking care of your skin, twice a day and using the correct techniques and products containing effective ingredients, you too can win the battle of aging gracefully. You should know that not washing your face twice a day for any period of time drastically affects the skin texture, ability to absorb and hold in moisture as well as dryness. Not washing your face simply makes you look older. Exfoliation is KEY in reducing dullness. Just as it is key though, over scrubbing and over exfoliation is a fine line, no pun intended. 😉

Bonus tip: Scrubbing 101

1)  Change the way you scrub: Most people apply the cleanser to the palms of their hands or to the fingers and place their hands on the cheeks and start to rub vigorously. Instead, apply the cleanser to the finger pads and use small circles as and gently massage the entire face. Finger pads have the most sensitivity and can detect pressure better. Do not stay in one place too long. Let the product do the work–no extra pressure is required. 

2)  Do not use a wash cloth or osculating brush to cleanse as they absorb much of the treatment wash (wasteful) and may cause over exfoliation. Also, wash cloths are notorious for harboring bacteria. Ewwww…..

3)  Layer a moisturizer over the entire face. This is where the type of products you is essential. Everyone’s skin is different. One common misconception, using a wash that produces a lot of foam. Foam actually strips the skin of moisture and breaks down the skin’s moisture.

We are all aging all of the time and in a selfie taking, picture posting world, there is no reason to feel apprehensive or anxious about putting your beautiful, confident face forward. A little self love goes a long way.

Remember to wear your sunscreen and here’s your daily dose of internal sunscreen — this one NEVER gets old to listen to! Cheers!!!

The Sunscreen Song

Love who you are and have an awesome day!

xo

Renee

Which comes first, happiness or success?

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As many of you know, I am a huge fan of Periscope. If you don’t know what Periscope is, you can read here Who wants some hearts?!

Someone shared a scope with me from Justin Prince. I had never heard of him previously, but stopped in to listen to his scope for a little bit today. I liked his style so am planning on following him a while longer to see what he is all about. Justin’s topic today caught my attention and I wanted to share it with you. He was discussing the question, which comes first, happiness or success? Does being happy create success or does being successful make one happy? Kind a like the chicken & egg scenario. Anyhow, here’s the gist of what he was sharing today.

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Justin mentioned a book called the Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor. Shawn studied just this question for a over a decade in one of the largest studies of happiness and potential at Harvard University (where he also lectured) and within fortune 500 companies with leading, top executives from all over the globe. Based on his own research in neuroscience & psychology, in addition to case studies, Achor concluded that 90% of happiness is internal, not external. WOW, 90%. Meaning that it doesn’t matter how big the bank account is, how many pounds you  lose or if you could just land that dream job, happiness starts from the inside. We have all said it, “If I can only lose 5lbs, I would be so happy” or “If I could only make xxxx amount of money, my life would be so great.” Nope, this research proves you have to start with yourself first. But, how?

Research shows it takes 21 days to change how happy you are

That is impressive. Here ‘s the (3) things that must be done every day for 21 days to increase your happiness.

  1. First thing in the a.m. listen to something inspiring. — Why? Because hard core research has shown that the mind operates at more wave cycles in the morning. Basically meaning the mind absorbs more. Whether it is scripture, positive music, a morning devotion or an inspiring audio book, spend the first minutes of your day setting it up in a positive way.
  2. Send an email or text giving praise. It is just that simple! This basic act increases dopamine in the brain, (the feel good chemical) AND makes someone else feel great and get their day off on a positive foot.
  3. Write down (3) things that you are grateful for every morning, for 21 days. Fear and gratitude cannot occupy the same space. By filling that space up with things you are grateful for leaves no room for fear. Crush it.  happy

Pretty awesome stuff right here. Spoiler alert, at the end of the day, it is proven that when happiness improves, success improves and so does your overall well being! Happiness = increase in success and overall well being.

For my fellow Periscopers, if you want to follow Justin, you can find him @jkprince3.  Looking for a good read – check it out: The Happiness Advantage

Go on, get out there and get happy!

Much love,

xoxo

~ Renee

 

Cherry Blossom Party!

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The 2016 Washington D.c. cherry blossoms

Add it to your must see list, for sure! Timing, it was all about the timing this year. Luck would put us in the Washington D.C area over Easter and low and behold it was the place to be! I was actually traveling separate than Eric for a few weeks and we met up in D.C. He planned the whole Easter day that truly was just right. Public transportation (because you shouldn’t just drive to the heart of D.C., especially during Cherry Blossom season), a picnic and more beautiful flowering trees than I could have ever imagined!

Cherry Blossom!

We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time. There is actually a whole art & science behind the cherry blossom bloom and well, Mother Nature plays a huge role as well and we all know, nobody tells her what to do! There is what’s called the “peak bloom” and this is when about 70% of the cherry blossoms are in full bloom and get this, it is only ONE day! Yikes! Now, there are plenty of blooms in the two days leading up to peak bloom and for a couple days after that.  For 2016, The National Park Service announced March 25th as peak bloom day, the pictures show us on March 26th. There is an actual National Cherry Blossom Festival that runs every year as well with a few food vendors, entertainment and other fun additions to the area.

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Two of my biggest tips, 1. DON”T DRIVE. There are heaps of people all in one place at once. Parking in D.C., is already a challenge. There are plenty of public transportation options, take some stress off and put the family on the train! Anyone can help you navigate the system, just ask. 😉 2. Bring a good camera.  While MOST Of the blooms are actually white / pinkish, my camera doesn’t  show the awwww you feel from being there in person.

There is so much beautiful history behind the cherry blossoms, the United States & Japan. I won’t spill it all here. 🙂 I will share this  super resourceful link to help plan (the best one can!), prepare and get excited for your trip! Cherry Blossom Guide

Enjoy the adventure, my friends!

Much Love!

xoxox

~ Renee