Category: Healthy Soul

Celebrate with Your Loved One by Going Green on Valentine's Day

Posted on February 14, 2013 by oi_admin - Healthy Soul, Uncategorized

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Did you send that “special someone” a gift yet? If not, there’s still time!

Show your loved ones that you are thinking of them and the environment by going green!

~ Send your loved ones e-cards. This way they can receive them anytime, anywhere.

~ If you prefer sending a card other than an e-card, make sure the card is made from tree-free or recycled paper. Usually the cards will mention this on the back.

~ Show them how much you care by giving them perfumes made from natural ingredients.

~ Eco-friendly jewelry made from metals, gemstones, and wood are sure to be a big hit this Valentine’s Day. Or, save money and buy pre-owned jewels. If you are planning on proposing, think of buying an eco-friendly wedding ring.

~ Gift cards or gift certificates to health food stores or health spas are very thoughtful and much needed!

~ Capture the beauty of the earth by taking a romantic stroll through the park or touring a wildlife reserve or museum.

~ For those wanting to give flowers or make a romantic dinner this evening, support your local farms, produce stands, and flower shops by shopping local. Don’t forget to buy organic fruits and vegetables! Earth-friendly candles and a bottle of organic wine will complement your romantic setting beautifully!

~ If you prefer to dine out this evening, save gas and dine locally.

~ For a thoughtful but sexy gift, buy lingerie made from organic, silk, or bamboo.

~ Organic or Fair Trade chocolate is a perfect gift for the chocolate lover in your life.

~ Instead of buying a gift for that special someone, why not donate to a good cause in that person’s name? Choose a charity or cause that they believe in.

~ My personal favorite gift of all time…..let your loved one feel like a queen for the day and hire a professional green cleaning company to come in and clean your home!

However you choose to celebrate this special day today, keep your environment in mind by going green!

Finding Happiness Among the Sadness

Posted on December 21, 2012 by oi_admin - Healthy Soul

These past few months have been extremely emotional for us. Between the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy followed by the devastating loss of 20 children and 6 adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, the holidays don't seem as happy as they should be.

My heart goes out to the families that have lost their loved ones in this horrible, unexplainable crime. I will continue to pray for them and hope that somehow they can get through this extremely difficult time.

For the rest of us that are trying to find peace and happiness during this holiday season, I have attached an article that just might help....Enjoy....

http://www.newsday.com/opinion/oped/wheary-helping-others-bring-light-into-the-darkest-month-1.4354446

source: newsday.com

Giving Thanks

Posted on November 22, 2012 by oi_admin - Healthy Soul, Uncategorized

I would like to share an article that I recently wrote for Maid Brigade's "Green Clean Certified" site. I hope you enjoy it. Happy Thanksgiving!

“What happened, where is the rest of it?”

“It’s gone, it’s all gone.”

She dropped to her knees and sobbed like I have never seen before.

…This is a conversation I never thought I would have, but unfortunately will always remember.

The aftermath of hurricane Sandy has left many people homeless. Those who once had the simplest things like food, shelter, clothing, heat and electricity, now have nothing.

I have fifteen relatives that live on the south shore of Long Island, New York that have been affected by hurricane Sandy. Two homes were lost completely and the other thirteen had their main floors, garages, cars and boats destroyed. Most of them still do not have heat or power to this day. The neighborhood that I grew up in looked like a war zone. It was absolutely heartbreaking.

As I watch my mother scrambling through the streets sifting through muck, oil and gasoline, trying to find even a trace of something that wasn’t destroyed, like her photo albums, her good china, or other valuable contents that were swept out of her home, I wonder how we are all going to get through this. The weather is turning cold and my mother just lost everything she owned.

….But we are getting through this…it is tough, but we are.

I cannot stress enough how grateful I am to all of those people that have donated their time to help our community and those in need after the hurricane. The outpouring of kindness and generosity that I have experienced these last few weeks is something I will cherish forever.

Because it’s Thanksgiving, I wanted to end this article with a two minute video that I found of a reporter who tells how his heart was touched by a man he met for only a short time. The message that the reporter is trying to give is exactly how I feel. Please watch it and pass it on.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Giving-Thanks-After-Sandy*

Maid Brigade Celebrates Women's Equality Day

Posted on August 26, 2012 by oi_admin - Healthy Soul

Women's Equality Day celebrates the 19th Ammendment to the American Constitution, which gave women the right to vote.

It is a day to reflect on how far women have come in the last century and how far they still have to go. 91 years later we have indeed made many strides toward equality, including improved professional, political and social status, but at what cost?

Most women feel they work a "2nd shift", cooking, cleaning and managing the household after a full day in the work force. Do YOU? Are the notions of women's equality and work/life balance mutually exclusive?

Maid Brigade will soon be launching a "Work/Life Balance Survey," which will explore how women of today cope with life, health, and home. All busy women and working mothers are encouraged to participate. Stay tuned for more details!

Wonderful Gift Ideas for Mother's Day...

Posted on May 12, 2012 by oi_admin - Healthy Soul, Uncategorized

This year, honor your mom with eco-friendly goods that last longer—and mean more—than even the most extravagant bouquet of flowers.

No mother can resist a handmade project, no matter how old they are:

No matter how old you are, no mom can resist a handmade project—remember, this is the woman who kept a tracing of your toddler hands on the refrigerator until you went to college. Young kids (with help from Dad or older siblings) can turn plastic jugs and paper scraps into these recycled flower pots from Kaboose; other kid-friendly projects include DIY cards, paper flowers, and fingerprinted vases. If you're old enough to turn your efforts toward something more complicated, try making perfume from garden flowers, a ring from one of her old vinyl records, or a mosaic tiled table, frame, or mirror.

Turn plastic jugs and paper scraps into recycled flower pots. Instead of buying a card, make your own mother's day cards. How about trying to make perfum from a flower? For the younger ones, make fingerpainted vases, or turn plastic jugs into flower pots. For the older kids, try making a ring from an old vinyl record, or make a frame or mirror from leftover mosiac tiles.
If you're not the DIY type, you can still give mom a gift that's sentimental and heartfelt; plenty of sellers on Etsy will work with you to make bags, art, and jewelry to your specifications. Send in profiles of you and your siblings and they'll be recreated with exacting detail on classic white backgrounds.

Take black and white shots and put them in colorful wooden frames made of lumber reclaimed from boats and houses.

Look for pieces of jewelry upcycled from glass and pottery. Mom will love that her gift is eco-friendly too.
Instead of buying a fruit platter, make your own fruit basket or platter will all the fruits mom loves.

Buy gifts online from stores that also raise money for good causes. Animal resuce places sell beautiful tea pots and jewelry online and some of the proceeds go to feeding animals in shelters. Add some organic tea bags and freshly baked scones for a tea party mom will love.
Take the kids and work aroung moms house for the day. Moms could always use help around the house! If you don't feel like cleaning, hire a environmentally green cleaning company to do the work!

Plenty of moms say they don't need anything for Mother's Day, and the fact is, most of them are telling the truth. Finding a way to spend time together on or around the holiday will mean a lot to her. Cook an organic dinner, take a walk through a local park or beach, get tickets to that art exhibit she's been wanting to see. It's a perfectly-timed reminder that not all great memories come from consumerism.

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about the health of you and your family. For more information on healthy green living and green cleaning, please log on to http://greencleancertified.com and http://maidbrigade.com. To learn more about the asthma and allergy triggers in your home, or to learn more about household products and breast cancer, please log on to http://www.greencleancertified.com/greentv.

The Best Mother's Day Gift...

Posted on May 12, 2012 by oi_admin - Healthy Soul, Uncategorized

Are you stuck on what to give "mom" for Mother's Day this year? Are you tired of giving her the same old presents? Why not give mom something that she will love.... a day off from cleaning!

Give mom a day off and let Let Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services do the cleaning for her!

Maid Brigade is the leader in green cleaning for the health of you and your family. They have developed the nation's first Green Clean Certified cleaning standard, and uses green cleaning solutions, not chemicals to clean your home.

Make mom feel like a Queen this year and give her something she'll love....for more information, log on to greencleancertified.com, or maidbrigade.com.

Looking For The Perfect Valentine's Day Gift?

Posted on February 9, 2012 by oi_admin - Healthy Soul

Valentine's Day is almost here and for those of us who want to get a head start on finding that perfect Valentine's Day gift, look no more!

Here are some eco-friendly gift ideas that would definitely put a smile on anyone's face!

To add a little spice in your life, theochocolate.com carries organic and fair trade gift sets, such as the Hot & Spicy Collection, which includes spicy chile dark chocolate and chiptole spice sipping chocolate.

Why not give a gift where some of the proceeds go to support endangered animals? The Chocolate Survival Kit from ecoexpress.com does just that. The kit also comes in a reusable bamboo box. Eco Express carries everything from organic chocolate cashews, to fair trade organic chocolate envelopes, to rainforest goodie gift bags.

At shop.sweetriot.com, you can find kosher, dairy-free, gluten-free, and all-natural chocolate items, from nutbars to dark chocolate cacao nibs.

Instead of eating chocolate, why not drink chocolate? The TeaRoom's Drinking Chocolates are infused with specially selected teas. Log on to tea-room.stores.yahoo.net to choose your favorite drinking chocolate!

For those loved ones who would rather smell their Valentine's gifts than eat them, organicbouquet.com is the place to go! All of their products, from floral arrangements and gourmet gifts, to unique home accessories, have been certified by USDA, Fair Trade, or Rain Forest Alliance.

Happy shopping!

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about our environment and health of you and your family. For more information on healthy green living and green cleaning, please log on to greencleancertified.com and maidbrigade.com. Watch our video on achieving work/life balance at greencleancertified.com/greentv. To learn more about the hidden allergy and asthma triggers in your home, log on to greencleancertified.com/greentv.

Start Over. Live A Happier, Healthier Life!

Posted on January 9, 2012 by oi_admin - Healthy Soul

Start over. Run again. Leave the old behind and embrace the new. Ignite a new spark that will light a new life filled with more meaning, experience, and fulfillment.

Here are some ways to help you start over and make this year better than last:

Accepting change. Sometimes starting over means accepting that you are no longer the person you used to be. You might not even feel driven by the same goals, but that is ok. Start over. As hard as it may seem in the beginning. You will be amazed at how fast things will fall into place.

Make peace with the past. Accept all your past defeats, victories, mistakes, and decisions. Live for now.

Make a plan and stick to it.

Declutter. Throw away clothes and devices and declutter! The more you let go, the lighter you will feel. Change will look like a natural path, not an effort.

Break a habit. Sometimes all you need in order to ignite a bigger change is to shift a small, unconscious behavior, like a habit. Small steps are easier to do and to monitor. Praise yourself for each small victory. You will soon be there.

Laugh more often. Be a warrior, but don’t forget to laugh. Too much commitment, too much strain, too much seriousness can drag you down.

Forget "I can" and embrace "I do." I can may be empowering, but I do is life changing. The only way to start fresh is to take action.

Become A Happier, Healthier You!

Posted on January 6, 2012 by oi_admin - Healthy Soul

Start your new year off with a few steps in the healthier direction. Here are some easy goals to work on that will pave the way to a happier, healthier you:

Be nicer to your coworkers. A study from the University of California, Berkeley, showed that generous participants were more likely to gain respect and cooperation from their peers, which makes them more likely to rise in status as well.

Avoid social smoking. A study done by Stella Daskalopoulou, a researcher at McGill University Health Centre in Canada, found that smoking even one cigarette increases the stiffness of the arteries in 18-to-30-year-olds by 25 percent. Stiff arteries can cause the heart to work harder, increasing the risk for heart disease or stroke. According to Daskalopoulou, this is especially bad for occasional smokers because you’re not used to the effects and it’s stressful to your system.

Getting a sun-kissed glow from a tanning bed may be killing you. According to the American Cancer Society, the risk of skin cancer jumps by 75 percent when people start using tanning beds before the age of 30.

Late night snacking is a bad habit to get into. When you eat at the wrong time, your body takes calories and stores them as fat because you don't need the calories for fuel at that time, says Deanna Arble, lead author of the Northwestern University study about timing and food intake. Even calories from vegetables late at night will be stored.

According to a recent study on relationships, a bad night's sleep leads to conflict during the day, which can lead to more bad sleep the following night. Avoid confrontational discussions on a day after you or your significant other had a bad night's sleep.

Floss your teeth more often. Researchers from New York University found that out of 51 sets of twins, the twin that did not floss had more bacteria.

Cut some fat from your diet. Fat is a far less efficient fuel than glucose from carbohydrates. Stick with pastas, fish and low-fat yogurts for more energy all day.

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about our environment and health of you and your family. For more information on healthy green living and green cleaning, please log on to greencleancertified.com and maidbrigade.com. Watch our video on achieving work/life balance at greencleancertified.com/greentv. To learn more about the hidden allergy and asthma triggers in your home, log on to greencleancertified.com/greentv.

Make This Year All About You....

Posted on January 4, 2012 by oi_admin - Healthy Soul

Achieving good health is best accomplished by incorporating small positive changes into your lifestyle—ones that become habits you can build upon over time. It’s all about making more good choices than bad choices. Here are some tips to get you started:

Think Outside the Box – Avoid eating processed or packaged foods, refined sugars, white flour, chemical additives, excess salt and trans fats. Be an avid label reader at the grocery so you know what you’re putting into your body. And find a healthy local eatery for when you want to eat out.

Make Breakfast Count – Do not skip breakfast — the first meal of the day is important to kick start your metabolism. Make sure you’re eating protein as well as high fiber items such as whole grains or berries.

Plan Accordingly – Prepare yourself to eat healthy. Stock up on easy to grab snacks such as nuts, pre-cut fruits and vegetables. Keep a supply of dinner items such as whole wheat pasta, brown rice, canned organic sauces, whole wheat pitas, albacore tuna and canned beans, and brown bag your lunch.

Keep it Fresh – Eat five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables per day, and purchase pre-cut and washed for a quick and easy snack. Avoid pesticides by buying organic.

Scale Down – Eat on a smaller plate, so it’s harder to overeat. Avoid high starch side items such as potatoes, rice and bread, and try ordering an appetizer with a side salad instead of an entrée.

Eat Slowly – Chew slowly and completely and wait at least fifteen minutes to digest your first portion. That way, you’ll give your body time to feel full and satisfied.

Drink Plenty of Water – Drink eight 8 oz. glasses of water every day. Water removes impurities, increases energy, enhances fat loss, reduces hunger and hydrates skin. But avoid the carbonated, caffeinated or sugary drinks — they can actually further a dehydrated state.

Keep Moving – Maintain at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day, and mix it up. Take a brisk walk, mow the lawn, try a new exercise video, play Wii or hit the gym—anything to keep you active.

Keep it Simple – Take the time to de-stress. Stress is directly related to high blood pressure, fatigue, a lowered immune system and increased free radical damage. Add some relaxing daily activities — like reading or gardening — to free your mind. Make changes in your life to free up time and bring balance back to your life.

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about our environment and health of you and your family. For more information on healthy green living and green cleaning, please log on to greencleancertified.com and maidbrigade.com. Watch our video on achieving work/life balance at greencleancedrtified.com/greentv. To learn more about the hidden allergy and asthma triggers in your home, log on to greencleancertified.com/greentv.

Welcome 2012 By Having A Green New Year's Eve Party!

Posted on December 28, 2011 by oi_admin - Healthy Soul

Ring in the New Year with a resolution to help protect the environment and reduce your carbon footprint. If you are planning on having a New year's Eve party, make it an eco-friendly occasion with invitations, decorations and food.

Create New Year's Eve party invitations on the computer and send them via email instead of creating and mailing paper cards.

If using disposable tableware, buy paper goods created with recycled content instead of non-biodegradable plastic.

Decorate with items you've created or that you already have on hand. Create edible centerpieces out of colorful fruit skewers or simply use pretty potted plants that you can let your guests take home as party favors. Use paper punches to turn old wrapping paper, greeting cards or magazines into confetti for the countdown at midnight.

Save electricity by using organic beeswax candles instead of turning on extra lights. Although they won't be powerful enough to light an entire room, use them to create atmosphere on the patio or illuminate the powder room, for example.

Serve snacks created with organic foods like locally grown vegetables. Instead of imported cheese, opt for domestic artisan cheeses. If you're using convenience foods, organic frozen quiches and dips are also available in regular grocery stores. You can even find organic wines and other drinks to toast after the ball drops in Times Square.

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services wishes you and your family a very Happy, Healthy, and "Green" New Year!

Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about our environment and health of you and your family. For more information on healthy green living and green cleaning, please log on to greencleancertified.com and maidbrigade.com. Watch our video on achieving work/life balance at greencleancedrtified.com/greentv. To learn more about the hidden allergy and asthma triggers in your home, log on to greencleancertified.com/greentv.

Last Minute Gift Ideas for Family and Friends

Posted on December 20, 2011 by oi_admin - Healthy Soul

This holiday season, why not give your loved-ones the gift of healthy green cleaning?

Give them a gift certificate from Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services, and let your loved-ones relax and enjoy some free time without having to worry about the burden of cleaning!

For more information on gift certificates, or to find a Maid Brigade near you, please log on to maidbrigade.com or greencleancertified.com.