WW Points Plus is Still a Plus

You know how sometimes you are so excited about something in the beginning but then the "honeymoon" phase wears off and you are not as excited? I have previously written about Weight Watchers Points Plus program and how I loved it. Well, I have been doing it for just over a month and I still love it. I started the program on Dec. 28 and since then I have lost a total of 16.4 lbs.  I have been losing on average 2.3 lbs per week. I haven't even started exercising yet. I was going to throw fitness into the mix 2 weeks ago but then my kids got the flu and then I did. As soon as I'm recovered I'm going to start Zumba and biking. I need to get my body toned for the beach in March.

The reason I'm still excited about WW Points Plus is it works. I don't feel restricted. I have the power to choose what I eat and how much I eat of it. I don't know about you but if I tell myself I can't have something I want it even more. So, instead of telling myself I can't I say I can but just a little. I'm really learning what foods I can have self control with. My homemade chocolate chip cookies are dangerous. I have a hard time stopping at one portion. I did however buy Girl Scout Cookies and I have found that because they are in a box I can seal up and put out of sight I can handle stopping after just 2.  We still order Papa John's Pizza every weekend. Instead of eating the Hawaiian BBQ (which happens to have one of the highest point values) I eat the Garden Vegetable pizza. And not just one slice either because, who can stop at one slice? I have 2 slices then I usually eat a small salad or some fruit along with my pizza.

Adding flavor to food helps too. Every morning I eat an English Muffin with a scrambled egg inside. To add a little flavor I substitute flavored Laughing Cow Cheese (usually chipotle or sun dried tomato) for butter on my English Muffin. Before I baked Sweet potato wedges the other day I drizzled a little olive oil on them and then sprinkled them with Italian seasoning. So much better then plain sweet potatoes.

My point is, it is totally doable. You can have your pizza and cookies. The choice is yours.

Weight Watchers Points Plus--Love It!

Hello. My name is Julie and I am overweight. There, I took the first step. I admitted there is a problem. Now, I'm working on the solution, losing weight. I am not a dieter. I don't believe in doing the quick fix/lose weight yo-yo stuff. Several years ago I tried the South Beach Diet. I lost 20 lbs in 3 months but I had to give up everything I loved and I was miserable. The first 2 weeks were the worst. That was my first experience with dieting and my last. If that is what they are like, it is no wonder why people never stick with the plan.

There is a new fad diet out now called the "HCG diet". I know of several people who are on it and yes they are losing weight and they are doing it relatively fast. I can see how cutting your food intake to 500 calories for the first week or so would do it. Heck if we all did it we would all loose weight. I just don't think it is good to put a hormone in your body that gets you banned from athletics if it is found in your system. Just my thoughts though.

I have researched many different weight loss remedies over the years and have come to a conclusion. Unless you modify your eating behavior/habits then any weight you gain on your diet will be put back on when you stop dieting. What is needed is behavior modification.

So, with my goal in mind to loose weight I joined Weight Watchers. They have a new program out called Points Plus. Basically you are allotted a certain amount of points a day to consume based on your age, height, and weight. The goal is to eat all of your points but not go over. What I love is that fruits and most vegetables are 0 points. When configuring points they look at the amount of fat, protein, carbohydrates, and fiber and item has. Obviously you want the item to have more protein and fiber and less fat and carbs. You are also given a weekly points allowance (49 pts) for those little "splurges" you need.

I am modifying my eating habits. I am basically still eating the same food I love but I'm changing it up a bit. For example: I love having an egg sandwich for breakfast. I would scramble an egg (no extra stuff) and put it between two pieces of buttered bread. Now I still scramble an egg or egg whites and place it between slightly buttered lite English muffin. I also grab a piece of fruit. I find it very satisfying and filling.
One of my favorite snacks is dipping pretzels into cream cheese. Well, now I dip my pretzels into laughing cow cheese. To me the Laughing Cow Cheese tastes almost the same as cream cheese.

The idea is to have a more balanced diet. Eat more fruits and vegetables, have whole grains, and eat lean protein.  I have been tracking my portion sizes and my stomach has shrunken. Eating more fruits has taken away a good chunk of my sweet cravings. When I do get a sweet craving I found that Extra bubblegum in a dessert flavor does the trick. The mint chocolate chip flavored gum is my favorite.

I love being able to eat the foods I love and still loose weight. Last week I still had my chocolate chip cookies, limited to 3 instead of my usual amount, and I had ice cream. In my first week on this new plan I lost 5.6 lbs. I know I won't loose this kind of weight every week. In fact it isn't healthy to do so. But it sure is nice to see results with out having to suffer to get them. I know this is a lifestyle I can adjust to and live with.

Yoplait Save Lids to Save Lives

You may have noticed various items in your grocery store are going pink. It is Breast Cancer awareness month and everywhere I look I see pink. I never really thought much about breast cancer. I know that since I am a woman I am at risk (yes I know men can get it too) but I know that some women are more at risk than others. I think my daughters are more at risk than I am because there are several people on my husbands maternal side that have suffered with breast cancer. It is because of this that I am trying to get more information and help out where I can. I can not give a large or even small donation at this time to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation but, I can change my shopping list a little here and there.

If you look in your yogurt section you can see that Yoplait yogurt has pink lids. Yoplait has agreed to donate $0.10 per lid that is turned in. They have guaranteed that they will donate at least $500,000 and up to $1.6 million the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. This is Yoplait's 12th year doing this and over the past years they have contributed $25 million as a result of Save Lids to Save lives. While I may not have the money now to make a donation I can help out one lid at a time.

I know there are some of you out there who do not like to eat yogurt straight up. Well, there are many recipes that include yogurt as an ingredient. Check out Yoplait's website for some great ones. Last week I hosted a My Get Together for Yoplait Save Lids to Save Lives. I invited several of my friends and everyone brought a different dish made from yogurt. I made the Key Lime Yogurt Pie which was lite and fresh. Another guest brought this very rich and oh so yummy Creamy Vanilla-Caramel Cheesecake. We also had a pasta salad, muffins, and cookies all made using yogurt.

If you would like to participate in Yopait Save Lids to Save Lives here is what you can do. Purchase Yoplait products that have pink lids. I noticed the Yoplait frozen smoothie mixes have a "lid" you can cut out. Clean the lids and place them in an envelope addressed to:

Save Lids to Save Lives^©
P.O. Box 420704
El Paso, TX 88542-0704

These products are on the shelf for October only and all lids need to be mailed in by December 31, 2010.

Tired of Body Fluids

This post may be gross to some but it is true. I am tired of body fluids. They are a part of a mother's life though. I'm trying to potty train KMae. For the most part she does pretty good but once everyone gets home for school I tend to forget that she is in panties and she gets so excited playing with her siblings that she forgets to make it to the bathroom. I now need to clean my carpets.

LuLu came home yesterday and I could tell by looking at her that she wasn't feeling well. With in an hour she threw up. Fortunately, she only did it the one time but that was enough thank you very much. My couch cushions got a thorough cleaning.

Bubs is a deep sleeper. This came in handy when he was a baby but now that he is getting older it is a problem. He sleeps so deep that he doesn't wake up to use the bathroom. I can't let him fall asleep for a nap on the couch because he will have an accident. Well, in an effort to get him out of  the Good Night pull up I purchased a malem Enuresis alarm. It is a little box that vibrates and makes fairly loud alarm sound whenever it senses moisture. Night 1 he slept through the alarm 3 times which also meant I had to wake him up and get him changed and change the bedding 3 times in the night. I love waking up to a full load of laundry that needs to be done. Night 2 the alarm went off once and fortunately he did somewhat wake up. Night 3 he stayed dry but last night he slept through the alarm twice.  It is an awful sound and I have no problem hearing it and waking up but he just sleeps through it and I have to stand him up to get him to wake up. When it went off last night I was so disoriented. I hopped out of bed and walked to one of my bedroom walls right next to my bed and searched for the button to turn off the noise. I guess I thought it was the house alarm or something. We don't even have a keypad in my room for the house alarm but I was desperately trying to find something to stop the noise. When I woke up enough to realize what I was doing and what was going on I stumbled to his room where he was still asleep. Oh I hope this gets better. It can take at least 6 weeks to see results. Once we have completed 6 weeks I'll write a review.

I have been battling allergies which is causing my eyes to water and noise to run. Seriously, I've had enough of the body fluids.

Fall/Winter Child Car Seat Safety

A friend of mine posted this video on her facebook page. I thought it was worth sharing because I know I have buckled my kids up with their winter coats on. So, take your child's coat off before you buckle them up to make sure they are snug as a bug in a rug.

A New Woman

You may have noticed I haven't posted for the last few weeks. It is partly because I have been busy but mostly because I haven't been motivated. If I didn't know I wasn't pregnant I would think I was. The last couple of  weeks I have felt so tired and unmotivated. This is usually one of my first signs that I'm pregnant. I was starting to think maybe I was battling depression but I wanted to do things I just didn't have the energy to complete them. I would start something and then get weak so I would stop. It finally dawned on me that my Iron is probably low. I am anemic and am supposed to be taking iron pills. The pills I have in the medicine cabinet expired in 2008 so they aren't as potent and I just gave up taking them.

Yesterday I decided I couldn't take it anymore so I went to my local drugstore and purchased a brand new bottle of Iron and a box of EmergenC. When I got home I mixed up my EmergenC (vitamin C helps the body absorb iron better) and took an Iron pill with it. I did the same thing after dinner. This morning I woke up and didn't need to hit the snooze button 5 times. I feel like a brand new woman. So, with my new found energy I must get off the computer now and finish the tasks I've started and didn't finish.

Clear the Air

Utah is starting a clear the air campaign. They could really use it since the mountains that surround the valleys there tend to trap the smog. I'm proud to say that my big brother is part of the campaign, the ad campaign that is.

Biking, skate boarding, walking, taking the bus, and carpooling are all great ways to help clear the air. What are some other ways you can think of?

Burned

Just thought I would throw out a reminder: wear sunscreen. I spent several hours at Sea World yesterday and remembered to put sunscreen on my kids but neglected myself. It was an overcast day so I didn't think much of it. Well, I thought of it all night long as the bed sheets touched my skin.

Penny's Media Blitz Update

Just wanted to give a huge thank you to everyone who participated in Penny's media blitz on Friday as well as those who visited Penny's4Penny.org. Her story was shared on the Channel 6 news in San Diego because of our efforts to spread the news. Penny has a treatable tumor and so she has a 95% chance of beating this cancer. It will be a long road so please continue to pray for Penny.
If you haven't had a chance and you would like to there is still time for you to enter my giveaway and help spread the word about Penny at the same time. Go here for more details.

Birds and the Bees

A difficult conversation.

For the last year I have been preparing myself for a conversation I will be having with my oldest child sometime in the not too distant future. I was in 3rd grade when I learned about the birds and the bees. I didn't learn from my parents or any of my 5 older siblings. I learned it at girls scouts. We had a meeting at one of the girl's house and there were a couple of Moms there and a nurse. I'm sure my parents gave permission for this to happen or I wouldn't have been there. I don't ever remember my mom having a conversation with me about sex other than it is for a husband and wife after they are married. Fortunately, by the time I was married (still a virgin) I'd had sex ed so many times and I picked up on conversations here and there by siblings and more experienced friends that I did not feel unprepared. But, looking back, I wish I could have talked to my mom more about "girl" things. Sure we talk a little about stuff today but it still feels a little awkward. It was just a different time and people didn't talk about those things.

We live in a time now where it seems you can't go a day with out hearing or seeing something related to sex. I don't want my daughter learning about these things from someone other than me. From the day she was born I have been preparing for this conversation by using the correct terms for anatomy. I think just saying the words is where most of the uncomfortableness comes from. I don't want to blush and I don't want her to either when I say penis or vagina. They are only parts of a body.

I'm not going to go into all the details of everything at this point. She is only 8 after all. But, I plan on teaching her about periods and why we have them. If she asks questions about other things I will answer them honestly. This will be a difficult conversation for me though. Not because of the subject matter per say but because it means my baby is growing up and I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet.

Well Woman Exam

It is recommended that you visit a health care professional for an annual well woman exam. It has been almost 2 years since my last visit and I decided I couldn't put it off any longer so today, I made a visit to my OB/GYN. I hate going to these exams but not for the reason you might think. Sure, having my doctor probe in the nether regions is a little uncomfortable but that is not why I dread going. I hate going for the fact that I have to stand on a scale and have my weight recorded.

I don't know a single person who is happy with their weight. I know people who are thin who wish they were bigger and people who are thin and think they are fat. I'm not either one of those. I'm overweight and I hate being overweight. In fact, I think I'm only a pound or two away from the weight I was when I delivered baby #4 almost 2 years ago. The thing is, I don't think of myself as being overweight until I have to be accountable for my weight, see pictures of myself, go clothes shopping or put on a bathing suit. I still feel like I'm a much smaller person. I have a pretty good self esteem. However, I'm reminded I'm not as small as I feel when I try to squeeze through a tight space that I'm sure I can get through only to realize half way through that I'm stuck. Or, when I walk by one of my kids and the next thing I know the junk in the trunk has knocked them over and I had no idea I was that close to them. I know I'm overweight but I guess I just ignore it. I know my weight. My husband knows my weight. A few really close friends know my weight. For some reason though, having a nurse know my weight and the doctor know my weight is much worse. Maybe it is because it is recorded on my medical record. It makes it official....I'm overweight.

So, today I show up for my exam. I went back so they could take my vitals. Then came the moment of reckoning. She pointed towards the scale and asked me to get on. I look at where she was pointing and it looked like a cattle scale to me. Great. Just perfect. I'm too big for the regular scale. I laughed out loud to myself and made a comment about it looking like a cattle scale as I stepped on. The nurse chuckled a little bit and said "I know it is big but is a scale that our wheel chair patients can use." I knew what type of scale it really was but after 2 seconds I saw the numbers. The numbers themselves weren't very big, maybe 3/4 of an inch but they might as well have been 6 inches big and blinking bright red because that is how it felt when she wrote it down.

The awkward moment was over quicker than it has taken me to write this moment down. I survived. I'm in the process of changing some bad eating habits and getting in an exercise routine but the progress isn't as fast as I would like. I don't loose weight easily. In recording my medical history she asked about a thyroid disorder. I hesitated in answering because at one point in my mothers life she was diagnosed with a thyroid problem only to have it discovered by another DR. that she was diagnosed wrong. We decided to check it out just to rule out the possibility. I don't think I have one but secretly I kind of wish I do because then my weight isn't entirely my fault. I think my birth control is to blame for some of the problem, genetics is to blame for some too, but the majority of the problem is on me and my love of all things baked. I haven't met a brownie, cookie, or bread I didn't like.

I reach out to you my readers....few in number but strong in knowledge and experience....what things have worked well for you in the battle of the bulge and what things should I avoid. Is there a specific diet plan? A specific exercise? I would love your healthy recipes. It is time to look as thin as I feel.

Counting Blessings

I have unfortunately been sick for the last several days. Yesterday my husband had to work a 30 hour shift which meant it was sick me vs 4 very healthy kids. I was at a low point yesterday, feeling a little woe is me when I decided I needed to get out of this funk. The best way to do that is by counting my blessings. So, that is what I did. These are not in any particular order but here are my favorite ones.

1. I have 4 healthy children whom I love very much.
   
2. I have 4 children who love me and think I'm am the most amazing person in the world. (at least that is how they make me feel)
   
3. I have a wonderful husband
   
4. My husband has a job
   
5. Because of my husband's job, I get to stay home and take care of my family.
   
6. I have use of my hands to knit beautiful baby gifts.
   
7. I have a house and 2 vehicles we use to get around in.
   
8. I have the Gospel of Jesus Christ
   
9. I live in the fullness of times.
   
10. I have a pantry full of food.
    
11. I can read great books.
    

These are just 11 of my many blessings. Suddenly life doesn't look so bad. I really have a pretty awesome life and if it takes an illness to make me count my blessings and be grateful, then I'm thankful for my illness too. Afterall, it gave me a chance to knit and read book 2 of The Work and the Glory series guilt free.

Knit Yourself Thin

I read an article the other day I found online and it said you could burn 500 calories in an afternoon of knitting. I think they figured you burned 100 calories per hour. Who knew my new hobby would be so good for my weight. So, now I feel I can justify the days I don't go to the gym because I want to stay home and knit. I didn't gain any weight over Christmas Break and it must have been because I was feverishly knitting hats for all of my friends. Now I'm working like a crazy woman to finish the Mystery Afghan I'm doing with the Bernat blog and making baby blankets, hats, and booties for my pregnant friends. I'm not just a couch potato anymore, I'm a knitting, calorie burning machine.

This picture is of a square I'm making for my afghan. It is my first time doing such elaborate cables. It took me about 3 hours to get that far (still learning remember) so, I figure I burned 300 calories and by the time I finish it I will probably have worked for another 2 hours so, this is a 500 calorie square for me. And, I'm not snacking while my hands are busy so that is an added benefit too.

If you are interested in learning how to knit, I highly recommend You tube's Knit Witch and the book Kids Can do it Knitting.

Common Childhood Illnesses

It's back to school time which for many means trips back to the doctor’s office. If you have a child who attends daycare or school, chances are good they are going to get sick with some common childhood illnesses. So, what are these illnesses? The following is a list of these illnesses (minus the stomach flu because I'm pretty sure we all know what that looks like) and what you should know about them.

• Chickenpox- This is a virus that can spread easily by an infected person sneezing, coughing, sharing food and beverages or by touching the fluid in the open sores. A person can spread the virus before even knowing they have it. Signs/symptoms of chickenpox are, a fever, headache and sore throat. A red rash usually appears 1-2 days later. After exposure to the illness it usually takes 14-16 days to get the symptoms. When you have it you are no longer contagious once the blisters have all crusted over. People who are generally healthy don’t need to see the doctor and can treat it safely at home with Tylenol or Motrin to relieve the fever and anti-itch cream to help with the itch. There is now a vaccine to help prevent it.
  


• Colds/respiratory problems- This is probably the most common childhood illness. There can either be upper respiratory problems (ears, nose, sinuses, and throat) or lower respiratory problems (in the lungs and bronchial tubes). Symptoms are earaches, stuffy or runny nose, sore throats, coughing, and a fever that increases rapidly. With lower respiratory problems you will see difficulty breathing, wheezing, deep coughing, and maybe a fever. Upper respiratory infections are usually viral and you can treat the symptoms but some are bacterial and require and antibiotic like ear infections and strep throat. Consistent hand washing can prevent this illness.
  


• Fifths disease– This is also called “slap cheek disease” because you look like you have a slap mark across the face if you have it. This can be spread by coughing and sneezing. Early symptoms are flu like and this is when you are most contagious. Once the rashappears you are no longer contagious. You can view a picture here Not everyone gets the rash or flu like symptoms. This is a virus so there is no need to go to the doctor unless you like to. Treat the flu symptoms.*if you are pregnant you must see your doctor because this disease can cross the placenta barrier and affect the fetus.
  


• Pinkeye- This is very common and goes away within 10 days without medical treatment. Symptoms are eye redness (hyperemia), swollen, red eyelids, more tearing than usual, feeling as if something is in the eye, an itching or burning feeling, mild sensitivity to light (photophobia), drainage from the eye. It can be prevented by frequent hand washing. You may need to see the doctor with this one to help determine if it is viral or bacterial. Viral will not need to be treated but bacterial will be.
  

These are just a few of the common illnesses our children are likely to face. Remember, with viral infections you don’t need to see the doctor and you treat the symptoms at home and with bacterial infections you need an antibiotic. If at any time you feel your child needs to see the doctor than get them in. It is better to be safe than sorry. If your child has a fever keep them home until they have not had a fever for 24 hours.
Please share your thoughts on any of the illnesses or any experiences you may have had with them.

Post Tonsilectomy Advice

I'm currently experiencing my second bout of Strep throat this summer and it is making me think I might need to get my tonsils out. 16 months ago my husband and 6 year old daughter got their tonsils taken out. Thinking about that time makes me cringe at the thought of getting mine out although both of them say they are glad they did it. I did learn a few things from their experience that I'm going to share.

1. Children have an easier time recovering than adults.


2. Taking the pain medication every 4 hours or whatever is directed is a must, even if you have to wake up in the middle of the night to take it. So much easier to stay ahead of pain then to catch up.


3. Keeping the throat moist with water helps because when it dries it gets itchy and hurts.


4. Don't serve Popsicles-serve ice cream instead. It hurt my family to stick their tongue out to lick the Popsicle and it hurt to suck.


5. Warm foods hurt. Serve room temperature or cold soft foods.


6. Drink Ensure or Pediasure if you it hurts too much to eat. You will get some vitamins and nourishment your body needs to recover.


7. Stay hydrated. To help my daughter be motivated to drink when she didn't want to I would draw a line on the water bottle and when she drank down to that mark I would give her a reward. Rewards included time on the computer, a movie, a new book, etc.


8. When they tell you to wait 2 weeks or whatever time it is before you can eat harder foods wait that amount of time even if you feel like you can handle it. My husband learned the hard way.


9. It doesn't matter how many different flavors you make, you will get sick of Jello and pudding by the end of the 2nd day.


10. Don't schedule tonsillectomies for family members anywhere near your pregnancy due date. I gave birth the day after. Fortunately my Parents were in town for 3 weeks to help out.


11. Be patient. It takes time for your body to heal.

Cardiovascular Exercise

Cardiovascular Exercise is one of the most common forms of exercise. There are so many different forms of cardiovascular exercise it is easy to find one just right for you and your exercise needs. It is named cardiovascular exercise because the most important muscle that benefits from it is your heart. Cardio can lower your blood preasure, increase circulation, and significantly lower your risks of cardiovascular disease. Some other benefits are and increased metabolic rate (the rate at which your body burns calories), burning calories, and improved mood. To get the best results from cardio exercise you want to do a gradual warm up to get the blood flowing and then keep your heart rate elevated for at least 20 minutes and then slowly bring it back down.

Here are some excellent cardiovascular exercises.

• Walking is one of the best forms because pretty much anyone can do it. You do not need special equipment other than a good pair of shoes. For people who are really over weight it is a good starting point.
  


• Jogging/Running is the next step after walking. You burn calories faster while jogging and running.
  


• Swimming is perfect for people who have bad backs and knees and for those who are overweight. The water helps support the weight so there is not as much pressure on joints. It is a total body workout to swim laps.
  


• Aerobics is a fun way to get exercise. Coordinated movements to music is fun and really gets you moving. It can be done on a flat surface or you can incorporate weights and steps into it.
  

Don't forget to stretch following your cardiovascular exercise. Find something that works for you and most importantly, have fun.

Stop Insect Bites from Stinging and Itching

The next time you get an insect bite, try making a paste out of meat tenderizer and water and then placing it on the bite. My dad swears by this. Lately he's been getting quite a few bites (he's been working outside) and he has found that if he puts the paste on not only does the bite stop itching but it heals faster. I believe it will work with any meat tenderizer but, the name of the tenderizer he uses is Adolph's.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Homemade Handlotion

If you have sensitive skin you might find it hard to find lotion that will work with out causing you to break out. Here is a mixture that you can create yourself using mild ingredients that will leave your hands soft. Try it on your dry elbows and feet too. I prefer to put it on just after washing the dishes or at night before I go to bed because it can feel a bit greasy. You will need:

• 15oz. baby lotion (original scent. If it is gentle enough to use on babies it should be fine for you too.)
• 2-4 oz containers of Vitamin E cream (sold in 2 pack at Walmart)
• 4 oz of Vaseline (Walmart carries a Baby Fresh Scent in the equate brand)
• 1 Gallon size ziploc baggie
  

Pour the baby lotion into the ziploc bag. Cut the bottle open and scrape out the remander of the lotion. Pour both containers of Vitamin E cream into the bag. Scoop out 4 oz of Vaseline and put it in the bag.

Now, seal the bag shut tight and squish to mix contents.

Once it is mixed well, snip one corner of the bag.


You will want to scrape the lotion away from the corner first so it doesn't start coming out.

Now squeeze the contents out into a separate container. You can reuse the vitamin E containers or purchase little jars for it. The glass jar in the picture was 25 cents at a thrift store. Decorate the containers anyway you choose.

Special thanks to my cousin Grace for sharing this recipe with me.

Preparing for a Global Pandemic

This past year the outbreak of the H1N1 (swine) Flu has sparked awareness around the world once again of the possibilities of a global pandemic. I have heard it said that it is not a matter of if, but when a global pandemic will occur. This recent event has made me realize how unprepared I am for such and event to occur. I tried to find out what would happen if a pandemic hit WHO's level 6 and couldn't find anything that specifically mentioned the protocol. One thing I'm fairly certain will happen is a quarantine would take place. Those who are sick will be quarantined as well as the healthy. I'm not sure how long the quarantine would be but let's say 3 months. 3 months would be a pretty reasonable amount of time to find those who are sick and help them. What do you think would happen if word got out that a mandatory quarantine was going to occur?

The stores would be filled with panicked people stocking up on food and water. Chaos will reign. We have seen in natural disasters of the past that the Government isn't always the fastest to respond with food for those with out. I suggest already having a 3 months supply of food on hand. That way you will not have to stress and run to the store and deal with all of the pandemonium.

It would be hard to store a 3 month supply of water but 2 weeks worth is manageable. Plan on storing 1 gallon per day per family member for drinking and cooking.

I was out shopping 2 weeks ago and decided to purchase some more Lysol disinfecting spray and hand sanitizer. I had some for my current needs but not enough for a months worth. Well, everyone had the same idea. The shelves were wiped clean. Plan ahead and have some on hand.

Don't forget first aid and toiletries. If you have medications have extra on hand. Contact solution and feminine supplies might be hard to just go out and get as needed. Plan ahead as much as possible.

For more information on emergency preparedness I recommend visiting Providentliving.org

Remember, "if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear" Doctrine & Covenants 38:30

Protect Your Skin from the Sun

While the sun has many wonderful benefits it also has some negative ones as well. When exposed to the sun for extended lengths of time without protection you are exposed to harmful UV rays. Sunburns are a painful sign that you got too much but did you know tanning whether you burn or not is harmful to skin as well. A change of color to your skin is a sign of damage. The UV radiation also causes premature aging of the skin. According to the EPA, 90% of wrinkles and brown spots found on our faces are not due to aging but due to sun exposure. So, as the summer approaches here are a few things you can do to protect yourself and your family from the Sun.

• Avoid being in the sun between 10 AM and 2 PM. This is when the most damaging rays are present.
  


• Cover up as much as possible with long sleeves, sunglasses, and hats.
  Avoid fake baking (tanning salons) If you want a glow then paint it on.
  


• Wear Sunscreen
  

Think of the painful and lengthy cosmetic procedures that can be avoided if you just remember to put sunscreen on before you hit the pool/beach. There are so many brands of sunscreen on the market today so how do you know which one to choose? You want a minimum of SPF 15. The sunscreen should block both UVA (aging and cancer) and UVB (burns and cancer) rays. Always get lotion that is waterproof so you know it will protect even through perspiration. Waterproof can be worn for up to 80 minutes before reapplying and water resistant can be worn for 40 minutes. Make sure you put it on 20 minutes before sun exposure to give your skin a chance to absorb the lotion.