An amazing attitude to live by.....

I keep this quote by Audrey Hepburn as my desktop. 

The Truth About Parabens

Do you know what a Paraben is? 

 

A Paraben is the common denominator found in cancer cells.  And a Paraben is what manufatures use to balance the water they add to their products. 

 

Well, I have become more educated on Parabens and how they harm individuals and where you can find them.  Going back to the teaching from my nutritionist, Dr. Riddly, and her emphasis on only using natural products, it is easy to think that you are using good natural food products by making everything from scratch and using organic or natural products.  However, we tend to forget about items we use on a daily basis for personal care.  Please read the quick attachments.  I am researching on good products that are easy to find and will begin substituting them in our daily usage.  I'll be happy to share what I find. 

 

Below are some websites that talk about Parabens and how they harm you......

 

http://www.thegoodhuman.com/2007/06/21/what-are-parabens-and-why-should-you-avoid-them/ 

 

http://www.ammas.com/ar/home.cfm?r=va&bid=1519&topicid=5&tid=93532 

 

http://www.hallgold.com/parabens.htm 

 

 

Here is one more interesting tidbit.....

What is the most toxic item in your house?    Did you know that it is your dryer sheet? 

 

http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/172/1/Toxic-dryer-sheets.html 

 

http://www.naturalnews.com/002693.html 

Why are the buildings in Greece white?

From: wikianswers.com

Houses are white washed because it keeps them cool. The houses themselves are very old and were built before modern conveniences like air-conditioning. The white wash reflects sunlight keeping them cool. They are even cool to the touch. The houses are white washed three times a year, with each person being responsible for white washing their own home. The blue domes represent the sea and sky.

From: uk.answers.yahoo.com

Houses in Greece are traditionally covered with a layer of plaster (Sovas in Greek). This layer is made out of calcium carbonate or lime stone. This plaster is regularly maintained by whitewashing by the same material. Now calcium carbonate is very bright white, so bright indeed that under the bright summer Greek sun can give you a headache. So people add a bit of blue color in the whitewash to "break" the brightness. So there is aways blue in the whitewash even if it looks white to you, and by adding more blue you can have nice white blue designs.

Why blue? and not green or yellow? Well actually there are green, yellow, red even purple. People were using what ever color they could find.
But blue was the most common because long time ago there was a cleaning agent called "loulaki" literally "lilac" that had that distinctive blue color. It had the texture of a toilet tablet and people using it for washing clothes and every house had some.

So you get your bucket of white wash, you drop one two tree whatever tablets of "loulaki" and away you go.

The village of Oios (Oia) on the island of Santorini, Greece

(geographic.org)

Logic and Understanding - The Insanity of People and Politics

Today our office building was vandalized by a group that is promoting peace within the government.  Interesting how they choose to destroy something to create peace.  Especially in a place that does not bring any violence but works together to help people that cannot control their actions.  Regardless if you are liberal or conservative, republican or democratic, right-wing or left-wing, your choices should be about logic.  Simple logic and understanding should be the foundation of your beliefs.  If you can stand strong and truly make reason for your judgment, than the other side should respect and listen.  Only until you understand both sides of the argument can you make the best logical decision.  Oh, and even better are those that find logic and understanding and continue to stand as a person who holds strong their morals.

Home Prices are Down, So why not Insurance?

Source:  MSNBC.com

If you’re a homeowner, chances are your house is worth less than it was five years ago. But you

could still be paying more to insure it.

Despite the deep housing bust of the last few years, the cost of rebuilding a damaged home - in

other words, what you pay insurance for - has not changed much, according to industry experts.

That means that unless you have reduced coverage or increased your deductible, chances are

you are paying as much or more to insure your home as before the housing bust.

“The price of homeowners’ insurance is based on the cost to repair or rebuild your home. The

price of a home is based on the market value of that home and the land upon which it sits,” said

Robert Hartwig, president of the _Insurance Information Institute.

Although the recession has been particularly brutal for the construction industry, Hartwig said

that hasn’t necessarily meant the overall cost of labor and materials needed to rebuild a home has

gone down.

After rising nearly 62 percent between 2000 and 2007, the average premium for homeowners

insurance did dip by nearly 4 percent in 2008, to $791, according to the most recent data available

from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

But Hartwig said that dip was not due to a drop in the cost to insure a home. Instead, he said

many homeowners did things like increase their minimum deductible or drop extra coverage options

in order to save a little bit of money on their premium.

“We saw people do things to pinch pennies any way they could,” Hartwig said. That’s not

surprising. Amid high unemployment rate and other economic woes, it can be tough to justify paying

more and more to insure a home that is losing value.

Between a peak in mid-2006 and October 2010, home prices fell nearly 30 percent, according to

the most recent data available from the Standard and Poor’s/Case-Shiller Index of home prices in 20

metropolitan areas.

Although it’s tempting to try to reduce your coverage amount when your home price falls, that

can be a costly mistake, said Tobie Stanger, senior editor at Consumer Reports.

“This is one thing we always say to the consumer: When you see your home value going down,

don’t assume that you can drop the value of your homeowners’ insurance,” Stanger said.

In addition, some people may find that the only way to reduce their premium cost is to accept a

higher deductible, Stanger said. But that can be a risky proposition if you do have a claim and have to

come up with more cash yourself.

Even if you do try to reduce your homeowners’ insurance coverage, you may find that your

options are limited. In a topsy-turvy housing market like we’ve seen in the past few years, it’s

possible that the cost to rebuild your home is actually more than you could sell it for, said J.D.

Howard, executive director of the Insurance Consumer Advocate Network.

The insurance also usually must be enough to cover how much is owed on a person’s mortgage,

even if that is more than the value of the home. These days, it’s also possible you owe more on your

house than you could sell it for.

It may be particularly tough if you live in an area such as Louisiana that has been hit by natural

disasters in recent years. Hurricane Katrina and other weather disasters have been a major impetus

for the overall increase in the _average premiums homeowners pay nationwide, experts say.

The Insurance Information Institute estimates that the premiums written rose by nearly 76 percent

between 2000 and 2009, to $56.9 billion. In a presentation, the group said that’s in part because of rate

increases in coastal areas that are prone to natural disasters, and partly because of the housing boom.

These days, Florida, Texas and Louisiana are among the most expensive states to buy

homeowners insurance. But you may find that rates are much lower, or rising much slower, in other

parts of the country, Stanger said. Rates can vary widely even within the same state, depending on

whether you live in an neighborhood that is prone to weather damage, or one that is not.

Value of housing may be different from rebuilding costs.

Hartwig said some insurers also used to see homeowners’ insurance as a loss leader - something

that is sold below its cost - and were willing to charge a lower rate if they could make more on the

auto insurance or other policy. But that’s less frequent these days.

Check your bill, shop around Still, experts say that doesn’t mean you should accept a big jump in

your insurance rate when you get your next bill. After all, a big factor in rate increases could just be

the inertia of simply accepting the new premium each year.

Stanger recommends that consumers look carefully at the bill to see why it has increased. You also

might want to check if you can reduce your rate by making home improvements such as adding a

better fire prevention system, or making lifestyle changes such as stopping smoking. Stanger said it’s

also a good idea to shop around to see if another provider can get you the same coverage for a lower

price.

A 2008 survey of Consumer Reports subscribers found that about half of those who switched

insurance carriers in the prior four years were paying less for coverage.

By Allison LinnSenior writer

Need a Homeowners Quote?  Call the professionals.
DFW Insurance Professionals 817-584-6221

Guidance

This is amazing that someone even thought of this!
      Dancing With God
       When I meditated on the word  Guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.  I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.  When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.  The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.  When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music.  One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.  It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.  The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.  My eyes drew back to the word  Guidance.  When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".    "God, "u" and "i" dance."  God, you, and I dance.  As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life..   Once again, I became willing to let God lead...   My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.  May you abide in God, as God abides in you.  Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life.  This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached.  If God has done anything for you in your life, please share this message with someone else.  There is no cost but a lot of rewards; so let's continue to pray for one another.
       And I Hope You Dance Through 2011

The Reason to Enjoy Your Birthday

Anyone that knows me, knows that I don't just have a Birthday - I have a Birthday Month.  I love birthdays!  And I try to draw it out as long as I can.  I feel that so much of your life can be spent always accommodating to someone else's needs and what meets their schedule - so on my Birthday it is the one day I don't feel guilty for taking a little time for myself.  Lots of people do not like celebrating their birthday for what ever reason.  Well,my quote of the day gives one good reason why you should enjoy celebrating your birthday - plain and simple. 
"Birthdays are good for you.  The more you have, the longer you live."
 

My First Time to Blog

Well, as a first time blogger, this is a new adventure for me.  I don't know where this blog will lead to, but I do know that I am always finding out information that I want to share.  So, now I am going to share it.  It is not intended to offend anyone or start any arguments.  This is just interesting information that I feel like putting out there for other people to know.  I'm not going to post anything to change the world.  I'm only going to post information that helps to continue to educate the world.  My husband and I get into detailed discussions and he always thinks you should look at both sides, so he plays devils advocate.  It is a good reminder to not shut out anyones opinion and just to observe and learn.  So what I learn, now I will share.