Enjoying Valentine’s Day When You are Single

Enjoying Valentine’s Day When You are Single

by | Home and Lifestyle, Karen Rae, Relationships, Your Best Self

Enjoying Valentine’s Day When You are Single

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and if you are single you might be dreading it. All the hearts, cards, flowers and general love-i-ness can make some people feel a little down. We think that you can reframe how you look at this holiday and have some ideas about how to not just get through the Valentine’s Day season, but enjoy it!

Spa Day

Any day at the spa is a good day. If you are looking for a way to enjoy the holiday on your own plan a day of relaxation and rejuvenation. Not only is a great for self-care, but it gives you a special treat on a day that others will be busy with dinner reservations and date prep. If you are lucky, maybe you will get the spa to yourself!

Treat Yourself to Something Special

It is 2019, there is no reason that you cannot treat yourself to something special on or around Valentine’s Day. Is there a piece of jewelry you have been wanting? A special book, piece of art or item that you would love to have? Buy it! Enjoy it! Be proud of the life you have and the fact you do not have to wait for someone to gift you something, you can get it for yourself.

Volunteer to Babysit for a Couple You Love

Feeling generous? Know a couple that would love a date night but can’t find a sitter on this busy date night? Offer your babysitting services. Your friends will love you and it can be fun to spend an evening with kids who are focused on the sweets of Valentine’s Day more than the love/relationship aspect of the day.

Gift Exchange with Other Singles

Another fun way to celebrate the day is to organize a gift exchange with your other single friends. You could do funny gifts, sincere gifts or even anti-Valentine gifts. Either way it is a nice way to make your friends feel special on this typically couples holiday.

Throw a Party for Single Friends

You can take the gift exchange one step further and pair it with a fabulous party! Since it is a party for singles you could do so many fun things! A fancy dinner or cocktail party, a pajama and movie party or a spa party. The opportunities are endless!

No matter what you decide to do on Valentine’s Day, remember that it does not have to be all about being in a couple. The holiday is all about love and it can be loving yourself, your life and your friends as long as you are celebrating love it will be a fun day!

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Why Peanut Butter Is Good For You

Why Peanut Butter Is Good For You

by | Health and Fitness, Kelly Fennelly

Why Peanut Butter Is Good For You

Peanut butter

One of the world’s most popular spreads!

  • It tastes delicious
  • It sticks to the roof of your mouth before it melts and tastes wonderful.
  • Can eat it with lots of other foods

What Is Peanut Butter?

Peanut butter is mostly unprocessed food.

It’s basically just peanuts, often roasted, that are ground into a paste.

However, this doesn’t apply to many commercial brands of peanut butter that contain various added ingredients, such as sugar, vegetable oils, and even trans fat.

Eating too much added sugar and trans fat has been linked to various health problems, such as heart disease. Make sure and pick the brands that one ingredient….peanuts.

Rather than buying junk food, choose real peanut butter. It should contain nothing but peanuts and maybe a bit of salt.

For all purposes, the health effects of regular peanuts should be almost identical to those of peanut butter since it’s essentially just ground peanuts.

Peanut butter is not for everyone. If you are allergic there are a lot of nut butter alternatives.

  • Almond butter
  • Cashew butter
  • Sunflower butter
  • Pecan butter
  • Pistachio butter
  • Hazelnut butter

 

It’s a Good Protein Source

Peanut butter is a fairly balanced energy source that supplies all of the three macronutrients. A 100g portion of peanut butter contains:

  • Carbohydrate: 20 grams of carbs (13% of calories), 6 of which are fiber.
  • Protein: 25 grams of protein (15% of calories), which is quite a lot compared to most other plant foods.
  • Fat: 50 grams of fat, totaling about 72% of calories.

Even though peanut butter is fairly protein rich, it’s low in the essential amino acid methionine.

Peanuts belong to the legume family, which also includes beans, peas, and lentils. Legume protein is much lower in methionine and cysteine compared to animal protein.

Peanut butter is comprised of about 25% protein, making it an excellent plant-based protein source. However, it is low in the essential amino acid methionine.

Low in Carbs

Pure peanut butter contains only 20% carbs, making it suitable for a low-carb diet.

It also causes a very low rise in blood sugar and is a perfect option for people with type 2 diabetes. Peanuts are low in carbs and suitable for people with type 2 diabetes or those following a low-carb diet.

High in Healthy Fats

Since peanut butter is very high in fat, a 100-gram portion contains a hefty dose of 588 calories.

Despite their high-calorie content, eating moderate amounts of pure peanut butter or whole peanuts is perfectly fine on a weight-loss diet.

Half of the fat in peanut butter is made up of oleic acid, a healthy type of monounsaturated fat also found in high amounts in olive oil.

Oleic acid has been linked to several health benefits, such as improved insulin sensitivity.

Pure peanut butter is a good source of healthy fats. While some people have been worried about its omega-6 linoleic acid content, limited evidence justifies their concerns.

Peanut Butter Is Fairly Rich in Vitamins and Minerals

Peanut butter is fairly nutritious. A 100-gram portion of peanut butter provides many vitamins and minerals:

  • Vitamin E: 45% of the RDA
  • Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 67% of the RDA
  • Vitamin B6: 27% of the RDA
  • Folate: 18% of the RDA
  • Magnesium: 39% of the RDA
  • Copper: 24% of the RDA
  • Manganese: 73% of the RDA

It is also high in biotin and contains decent amounts of vitamin B5, iron, potassium, zinc and selenium.

It’s Rich in Antioxidants

Like most real foods, peanut butter contains more than just the basic vitamins and minerals. It also contains plenty of other biologically active nutrients, which can have some health benefits.

Peanut butter is rich in antioxidants, including p-coumarin and resveratrol. These plant compounds have been linked to various health benefits in animals.

 

7 different ways to eat peanut butter

  1. Peanut butter and bananas
  2. Peanut butter and apples
  3. Ant on a log (celery)
  4. Peanut butter stir fry
  5. Peanut butter and yogurt
  6. Peanut butter on a granola bar
  7. Peanut butter with a SPOON
Kelly Fennelly

Kelly Fennelly

Personal Trainer | Fitness Guru
www.kellyfennelly.com

about

Kelly Fennelly

I have been a professional in the fitness industry for more than 20 years. A native of the PNW, I have lived in Seattle for 16+ years. I spend most of my time designing and implementing Wellness Programs for clients. Along with my passion for Wellness & Fitness, I have a passion for supporting local non-profits and contributing to our community. 7 years ago I started a not for profit charity called Little Black Dress Party and hold annual fundraising events for local nonprofits focused on women, children, and families.

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Fearless Finances for Women, Tresa Leftenant

Fearless Finances for Women, Tresa Leftenant

by | Fireside, Karen Rae

Changing your thinking can change your life. What’s holding you back? Learn to embrace your inner power, your passions and your ability to thrive.

Tresa Leftenant, financial advisor of 25 years and author of Reinventing Her!, shares the key to overcoming low self-esteem and presents her breakthrough solutions to the three biggest obstacles women face in pursuing success. Tresa’s wisdom leads women beyond acquiring wealth to finding what truly inspires the life of happiness we deserve.

Tresa Leftenant, CFP®, Speaker, Facilitator and Author of Reinventing Her, Helping Women Plan, Pursue and Capitalize on Their Next Chapter is an Empowered Financial Planner who is fiercely committed to guiding women to become empowered to pursue their version of a meaningful and financially prosperous life.

Her professional career includes over thirty years of experience in the financial services industry, opening her own boutique financial planning practice in Bellevue, WA in 2003. Tresa is passionate about helping people understand how their internal dynamic with money contributes to their external financial reality. Tresa is also a Certified Trainer of the Success Principles and Certified RIM Facilitator. You can contact Tresa at 425-830-6328 and at tresa@reinventingher.com

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How the Pomodoro Method Can Increase Productivity

How the Pomodoro Method Can Increase Productivity

by | Business, Danielle LaFleur

How the Pomodoro Method Can Increase Productivity

If you are like me you are always looking for ways to be more productive. When I started using the Pomodoro technique I immediately saw an increase in my productivity. If you have not heard of the Pomodoro technique it is worth learning about how it can change your business.

What is the Pomodoro Technique?

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. Cirillo named it the Pomodoro Technique after a tomato-shaped timer he used in college to keep himself on track as he studied.

The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. The way it works is you choose a task, set your timer and work on that task and ONLY that task for the duration. Afterward, you take a short break of five minutes and start a new interval. You can do longer periods, but the ideal time has been shown to be 25 minutes. After four intervals you take a longer break to recharge.

Why Does It Work?

There are a variety of reasons why this technique is so effective. First, it keeps you focused on one task. Not long-ago multi-tasking was huge. People were praised for their multi-tasking skills. More recently the school of thought is multi-tasking is actually making us less productive. When we switch projects, we lose time and focus and get less done than if we had just focused on one thing at a time. Pomodoro has you choose a task and give it your solid focus for 25 minutes and make as much progress as possible. It is proven that complete focus will allow you to get more done than bouncing from task to task.

Second, Pomodoro helps you learn how much time a task really takes. For example, you might think it takes two hours to write a blog post, what you don’t realize is that the two hours includes checking your email, social media, and getting a cup of coffee. If you focus your time you might learn that a blog post takes only one or two Pomodoro sessions to complete.

Finally, the built-in breaks force you to move around and this helps with feeling frazzled and overwhelmed with long hours of work at your desk.

The beauty of this method is it is SUPER simple and easily tested. All you need is a timer and a task! I recommend that when you use Pomodoro you keep track of what you complete in each session and really see how your productivity increases.

The Best Pomodoro Timer Apps

  • Focus Booster (Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android) for freelancers who work with multiple clients
  • PomoDoneApp (Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android) for using Pomodoro with a third-party task management app
  • KanbanFlow (Web) for combining Kanban and Pomodoro
  • Pomotodo (Web, Windows, macOS, Chrome, iOS, Android) for combining GTD® and Pomodoro
  • Marinara Timer (Web) for teams looking to complete pomodoros together
  • Be Focused (macOS, iOS) for simple task and time management on Apple devices
  • Tomatoes (Web) for motivating you to complete pomodoros
  • Engross (Android) for figuring out when you’re the most focused
  • Pomodoro IO (Web) for people who are new to the Pomodoro Technique
  • Timerdoro (Web) for people who need multiple timers
Danielle LaFleur

Danielle LaFleur

Entrepreneur | Coach | Business Strategist www.EasyAsPieDesign.com
www.daniellelafleur.com
www.mysliceofpie.com

about

Danielle LaFleur

Danielle has over 27+ years in Marketing, IT, and Network design, development, and workforce leadership training. She is the owner of Gray Lux, Inc. She understands the real needs every small businesses has in creating value online and in-person with their clients.

She is dedicated to creating successes for her team and her clients.

Danielle has helped hundreds of small businesses maximize extra revenue streams, and has created a process for extracting an ROI from an ROE in training and development which is currently being used in over 100+ corporations.

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Good Businesses Keep Good Books

Good Businesses Keep Good Books

by | Business, Julie Porter

Good Businesses Keep Good Books

So here’s the deal…not one of us who opens a small business does it to do bookkeeping unless of course, you’re actually opening a bookkeeping business. Most of us don’t want to think about it and well… even go to great lengths to avoid it. But you can’t pretend to be running a real business without being involved with the financial part of your business.

Two reasons why you’ve got to do your books is 1) the IRS requires it, and 2) it will boost your chances of success. Check out the chart below.

Good Businesses Keep Good Books

See how bookkeeping impacts the success of a business? And it’s so true, I see it in my practice constantly. But the good news is, I also see people making the effort to learn their books and get it right, and I’ve seen their businesses take off!

5 Ways to Keep Good Books:

#1. Keep Your Business and Personal Accounts Separate

When starting a small business, most of us use our own funds from our personal accounts, but as soon as you know you have a viable business, open a business account and get either a credit/debit combination card or a credit card. From that time on, use your business cards and accounts for business and your personal cards for personal purchases.

You want to do that because it’s mental, baby! You’ll treat your business seriously. And so will the IRS. If you don’t keep separate accounts, the IRS may classify your business as a hobby and disallow expenses. And then there’s tax time – keeping accounts separate make doing your taxes easier.

#2. Set Up An Accounting System

You’ll need to enter your income and expenses somewhere. Way back in the olden days, this was done with pencil and ledgers. I actually know an old guy who uses a spiral notebook and pen to track his little restaurant. Every day he carefully records what he purchased for the business, what he sold, and what he paid out in labor. It worked for him because he carefully tracked it. I’d never want to change him, but the rest of us? We need accounting software.

Do your research carefully as to which software you select. If you aren’t familiar with what your company needs to best track your business, find an expert to help guide you set it up and train you. It’s worth the money.

#3 Check Your Accounts Daily

Make this part of your daily rolling-out-of-bed routine. Log into your bank and credit card accounts, and review all purchases and credits. You want to check for fraud and to see where your money is going. You’ll be more careful in your spending if you face it daily.

#4 Have a Bookkeeping Routine & Calendar

This is critical. The successful businesses that I work with all have bookkeeping routines. You need to make a firm date each week to do your books, including recording deposits and posting expenses, sorting receipts and filing papers. Make notes on your calendar filing and tax deadlines. Do the same for license and insurance renewals. Here’s a sample of a bookkeeping routine.

Sample Bookkeeping Routine

#5 File Government Forms & Pay Your Taxes on Time

As a small business owner, you’ll likely deal with government agencies at the federal, state, and local level. You are expected to set up reporting and tax accounts.

Tips for taxes:

• Set money aside every month for taxes so it’s not such a big hit to your checking account.

• Get that payment in on time. Late penalties can be from 2% (IRS) to 9% (WA State DOR), and from there they tack on more fees and interest.

• Don’t trust that your bookkeeper will handle all this for you. It’s your responsibility as an owner to know what taxes you have to pay, when they are due and oversee that it gets done.

• Put filing and payment dates on your calendar so you know when they are coming up.

Julie Porter

Julie Porter

Owner, My Own Boss, INC
www.MyOwnBossInc.com
www.7stepstoakickassbusiness.com

about

Julie Porter

My own boss was created for women entrepreneurs by women entrepreneurs with decades of business experience. We’ll show you that you don’t need a business degree to be successful, and we’ll guide you through those hardest parts of owning a business, by teaching and empowering you to truly own all the pieces of it. And you know what? When you do that, you’ll be able to focus on what you love and do best.

E-mail me at julie@julie-porter.com if you have any questions. I love hearing from you!

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