Strange Daze Indeed

This is a sponsored post. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Mattel is looking for expecting Moms to join their exclusive online community!

Mattel, a familiar brand in our homes and a worldwide leader in the design, manufacturing, and marketing of toys and family products, has created a private online community of about 300 expecting Moms.

Mattel is relying on these Moms to help them gain a better understanding of the lifestyle and needs of their consumers as they relate to the world of play, and they are now opening this invitation to you.

As a member, you’ll be part of an exclusive group that provides Mattel with feedback and perspective on toys, challenges you face as an expecting mom, and other topics of mutual interest of the group. To thank you for your impact on the brand, you’ll receive a $5 Amazon gift code for joining and an additional $10 Amazon gift code each month for participating.

Are you expecting and interested in joining? See if you qualify here: http://mayweask.com/fisherprice13

Exercise is beneficial for the mind, body and spirit. Physical activity reduces the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. It also boosts confidence, lifts your spirits and helps your brain cope better with stress.

Yet so many of us would rather slump in front of the TV than get up, get out and get moving. Watching the Superbowl  seems the closest some people will get to any action.

For those people who are conscious about their health and do exercise, the focus is very much on “working out” rather than playing a sport. Jogging before work, lifting weights at the gym or taking part in weekly exercise classes are all tried and tested ways of keeping active.

However, playing sports is the old fashioned way of keeping fit that few of us ever consider.

When we were kids we played sports and that kept us healthy. Running round the soccer field, shooting a few hoops or trying out for the track team were motivation enough to get our hearts pumping.

So why do so many of us grow out of playing sports, and opt, instead, for more structured ways of exercising? “Working out” has become an activity in its own right – it’s knocked all the fun out of getting fit with its personal goals and targets to pump more iron or run a faster mile.

In a Vanity Fair poll published in January 2014, the athletic goal most women said they wanted to achieve (28 per cent) was to get through an hour-long step aerobics class.

One of the top sporting ambitions for men was to complete a 3K run (20 per cent).

Where’s the fun in that?

Playing a sport incorporates all the fitness benefits associated with getting plenty of exercise with a whole list of added bonuses on top. Boost your social life by making new friends, feel the buzz from trying something new and enjoy the adrenaline rush from the thrill of competition, for example.

And you don’t have to go down the well-travelled path of signing up for a softball league or joining a soccer team.

There’s a a whole host of sports that will capture your imagination and get you excited about playing again.

You don’t even have to commit to a team. Try Taekwondo. Benefits include building strength and instilling discipline as well as helping you achieve self-defense skills. Taekwondo is a particularly active martial art and you can expect to burn around 360 calories during a 90 minute session. 

If you’re looking for a graceful form of exercise to help reduce stress, consider tai chi. Though originally developed for self-defense, tai chi helps promote serenity through gentle, flowing movements and is often described as meditation in motion.

Ever thought about fencing? There are loads of local clubs looking for new members. As well as burning around 288 calories an hour, you’ll improve your balance, co-ordination, flexibility and reflexes.

Give badminton a shot. It’s very easy to master and is an intense aerobic work out burning the equivalent of a chocolate bar every half hour. If you join a club you’ll get the additional rush of playing competitively.  

Most of all, try something you truly enjoy. We all spend enough time working; make exercise fun.

Rough Edges by Kimberly Krey

Divorced mother, Allie Emerson, never imagined she’d be raising two teenage girls on her own. Between parenting and paying the bills, she hasn’t even thought about meeting a man. That changes once she hears local carpenter, Braden Fox, is in need of a secretary. Back in high school, Allie had done all she could to deny the sparks burning between her and Braden; perhaps now they could explore the possibilities.

Braden has heard all about what Terrance did to Allie and the girls, has been planning to stop by and see how she’s getting along, but Allie beats him to it by showing up at his shop in search of a job. Her single visit reignites the old flame Braden used to torch for her; trouble is, old feelings of resentment return as well. Allie did choose Terrance over him, after all. And as much as Braden wants Allie in his life, he’s not sure he can open his heart again.

With this second chance at romance, will the bumps in their relationship be too much to get over, or will this carpenter learn to smooth out the past?

Amazon

Author Kimberly Krey

Writing Romance That’s Clean Without Losing the Steam!
I’m a reader of good, clean romance, a lover of family time and Diet Coke, and the ultimate hater of laundry.
I’m not patient enough to enjoy yoga, or tall enough to be great at basketball, but I do love to run – anywhere but on a treadmill. I love the sound of a rainstorm when I have no place to go, the feel of Soft Lips chap Stick on my lips, and the first peek of blue water as we round the mountains toward our favorite getaway in Bear Lake.

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 2/18/15

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Are you what you like on Social Media? Particularly on Facebook?

Cubeyou has been working in the marketing field for 4 years. Two years ago, in partnership with the University of Cambridge, they developed a Facebook app called  YouAreWhatYouLike  that helps discover your personality based on your Facebook activity and background.

It takes a few minutes, and ,without you taking a quiz or answering any questions, gives you your personality profile based on the scientific predictions of the Cambridge Psychometric Centre. Researchers analyzed data from 58,000-plus American Facebook users and made some educated guesses about personalities and behavior.

I tried it out and I have to say that the results surprised me. I don’t agree with the findings, but, what I realized was that my public persona is actually different from who I see myself as. I imagine part of that is because I often like friends’ pages to be supportive of their businesses, check out contests and sales that used to require likes.

My results: More conservative and traditional than liberal and artistic. More well-organized than spontaneous and flexible. More outgoing and active versus shy and reserved. More assertive and competitive than warm, trusting and cooperative.  More emotional and stressed than calm and relaxed.

This does not really fit me unless I’ve changed. I was always the artistic, liberal type in my group of friends, school, work and family. I majored in Semiotics and Communications. I studied art, journalism, creative writing, dance and literature for the most part. Geometry was my worst subject though I did well in Algebra. My art is abstract and colorful. Organized? I suppose I’ve had to become organized, but when I write or cook, there’s often a lot of chaos. Outgoing and active, sometimes. At other times, a total hermit watching old French movies. More assertive than trusting? Again, this is my Facebook persona I would say. Do you trust people on Facebook? More emotional and stressed than calm? Well, sure, if I’m calm, I’m generally doing yoga, listening to music or in a woodsy park, not on Facebook.

In any case, I find the discrepancy kind of fascinating and realize that the nature of Facebook shows me in an entirely different light when judged solely on what I ‘like’.

So, my personal recommendation is, try it for fun and see what you think!

If you want to know what your Facebook likes say about you, you can check out the free one-click test at http://youarewhatyoulike.com  that the researchers created.

Feel free to comment below on your results! I’m really curious now!

Jeremy’s Promise by A.R. Talley

Things do not turn out as planned as the trip that was supposed to save Annie and Jeremy’s marriage has nearly ruined it. So now Annie has returned home, frightened and confused. Jeremy, too, is frightened—and angry. What will it take to save their marriage?

It’s clear. Jeremy needs to forgive—Annie needs to forget.

A promise is made. A tragedy occurs. A second honeymoon is disrupted. A chance encounter brings David Andrews back into Annie’s life.

Annie is determined to remain faithful. She’s made a promise she intends to keep—Jeremy’s Promise.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Praise for Jeremy’s Promise

A.R. Talley, gives you a believable look at the struggle of one couple to reconnect and heal their marriage, with dialog which sweeps you into the moment as if you were there with them, experiencing both their pain and recovery. Kudos to the author who has once again produced a book I couldn’t put down, as well as one I felt compelled to read multiple times. ~Donna Dech

Author A.R. Talley

A. R. Talley lives in Ohio with her husband Doug and the last of her seven children (the rest have flown the coup.) She loves to cook, read, write, watch movies, play piano, and laugh. Her second favorite vacation involves the British Isles and a small café in Scotland.

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$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 2/15/15

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
a Rafflecopter giveaway