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Celebrate National Coffee Day with Melitta!

September 28, 2018 By Leave a Comment

In advance of National Coffee Day  Saturday, 9/29, Melitta Coffee is taking a look back at their century-long commitment to innovation, spurring from founder, Melitta Bentz, the inventor of the pour-over. In fact, every time you take a sip of drip coffee it’s a nod to Melitta Bentz, who revolutionized the process back in 1908 when she invented pour-over coffee. We’ve come a long way since she first punched holes in a brass pot, took a piece of paper from her son’s notebook and created the first two-part filter system.

Here are some helpful tips on behalf of Melitta Coffee – everything you will need to enjoy that delicious coffee shop experience right from the comfort of home. Follow along, and a great cup of coffee (or two or three) is just a mug away.

Brewing Tips:

So, what’s the secret to a really great cup of coffee? Melitta’s got a few simple tricks to help perfect your brew-at-home skills:

  1. Buy coffee weekly or bi-monthly. Once opened, ground coffee begins to stale in about 24 hours. To slow this process, store coffee in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place.
  2. For the fullest flavor, buy (or grind your own) extra fine grind coffee. When using finer grinds, it’s possible to use less coffee due to higher extraction levels. We recommend 2 level teaspoons per 6 ounces of water.
  3. Use paper filters to effectively trap bitter sediments. Cone shaped filters allow for full saturation of the grounds, but all good, quality paper will ultimately enhance the final cup.
  4. Drink coffee as soon as possible after brewing. If left on a burner, the coffee will continue to cook and starts to degrade in as little as 20 minutes.
  1. For the single-serve coffee drinker, never sacrifice flavor and quality for convenience. Be sure to buy eco- friendly, as well.

For additional tips to a better cup, visit: https://www.melitta.com/en/The-perfect-Cup-510,5987.html

Recently, the brand released two new vintage-inspired products, the Signature Series Pour-Over and the Heritage Series Pour-Over Set.

And, they have the best coffee too!

Happy National Coffee Day!

Self Disclosure: I received a free coffee sample to post. No other compensation was provided. Tips and images were also provided.

Filed Under: Featured Products of the Week

Introducing Lika — Plant-Based Meals that don’t sacrifice flavor

September 28, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Many people researching healthier diets have discovered the benefits of plant-based foods. Studies across the board agree that plant-based meals can boost your health by helping you maintain a healthy weight – along with decreasing the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.

However, implementing plant-based foods into your diet is often more difficult than it sounds. While everybody enjoys a good bowl of sautéed vegetables or similar meals, many of the recipes behind the most ideal plant-based dishes often sacrifice flavor. Of course, adults have the willpower to stomach healthy meals without enjoying their flavor, but what about when it comes to children? It doesn’t need to be said that if kids don’t enjoy what’s on their plate…they’ll keep their mouths shut until parents finally relent, and give them what they want.

Enter Lika. Produced by the Amazing Protein Company under the direction of well-regarded vegan food expert, Swami Nathan, Lika is a series of specially-prepared plant-based meals that make flavor their priority. Take a look at their offerings and you won’t believe what you’re seeing —

Orange chicken! Beef and Broccoli! Barbeque! Meatloaf! Meatballs! Even Southwest Chili!

Delicious favorites you know and love – but only prepared with plant-based ingredients. And unlike other vegan meals you may have tried, these taste like the real deal. From their flavoring to their texture, it’s nearly impossible to tell you’re not eating meat. From the first bite, it’s clear that Lika is designed for people (both adults and children!) who love meat.

Lika will soon be available for purchase, so be sure to follow the Amazing Protein Company online to learn more! http://www.amazingprotein.com/

Filed Under: Featured Products of the Week

Tips on Choosing After-School Activities from Go Organically Fruit Snacks

September 27, 2018 By Leave a Comment

School’s back in session—and so are after-school activities! From soccer to singing to scouting, there’s certainly no shortage of kid-centric extracurricular programs where you can spend your time and hard-earned cash. But how do you know which ones are right for your kid? We’re here to help you find out!

 

Gauge Their Interests

The best activity for your kid is the one they’re interested in. Older kids are likely to be drawn to what their friends are trying. Toddlers and younger kids may have trouble articulating what they want to try, but there are sure to be clues to look out for. Are they constantly running around? Maybe soccer would be a good fit. Do they like to bop along to the radio in the car? Perhaps they’d appreciate a music class.

 

Consider Their Personality

Have a shy kid who hides behind mama when meeting new people? An acting class probably isn’t the best idea. As tempting as it can be to use activities to help break kids out of their shell, it’s best to stick with classes that align with a kid’s authentic spirit. The more comfortable they are, the more confident they’ll be—which will hopefully lead to a willingness to try new things later on.

  • Individual Activities

Independent-minded kids tend to enjoy individual sports, such as gymnastics, tennis, dance or martial arts. Non-sport options could include private lessons in music or art. Benefits of these types of activities include building self-esteem, motor skills and attention/focus.

  • Group Activities

Socially-minded kids often prefer the camaraderie of team sports, such as soccer, basketball or hockey. Non-sport options could include scouting troops or theater arts. These types of activities emphasize teamwork, communication and discipline.

 

Take Advantage of Free Trial Classes

Once you’ve narrowed down your options, see if you can “try before you buy” with a free trial class. Many program facilitators understand that kids can be finicky creatures, with a passion for tap one day and taekwondo the next. And it’s a good idea to decide as a family before the program starts whether you’ll let your kiddo quit before the session is over if they don’t enjoy it or ask them to stick it out to the end to honor their commitment.

 

Think About Your Schedule

How many activities are too many? Well, that depends on the family and the child. Some kids have the interest and energy to take a bunch of different classes while others may feel overscheduled and stressed. Budget and work timetables can also be a factor. Only you can know what’s right for your family, so trust your gut and enjoy the ride!

When shuttling kids around to activities, be sure to take along Go Organically Organic Fruit Snacks. Made with real fruit and no artificial colors, our gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free kids snacks are individually packaged for on-the-go convenience. Be sure to follow us on Facebook for kid-friendly ideas and inspiration!

Check out their blog post: https://www.goorganicallysnacks.com/choosing-after-school-activities/

My family loves their Fruit Snacks!

Self Disclosure: I received free samples to facilitate this post. No other compensation was received. Credit for Tips and image: Go Organically Organic Fruit Snacks. 

Filed Under: Featured Products of the Week

Book of the Week: Novelist and abuse survivor Gary Maynard reflects on how a redefining of child abuse can nurture a healthier generation of children

September 27, 2018 By Leave a Comment

As someone who used to work for an agency that hoped to prevent child abuse, I found this an interesting one to read! Although it is a fiction story, it really addresses the issue of dysfunction and child abuse within the family. It also is action-packed and a book not easy to put down once you start reading it!

How do we, as a society, define child abuse? Ask anyone who’s been abused as a child and they can surely offer their own definition. It can be a controversial, complex subject, certain to arouse all sorts of emotions by its mere mention. 

Author and survivor Gary Maynard observes that the definition of abuse has grown broader since the 1970’s, the setting of his new novel, Plumbelly. And this is a good thing, helping protect many innocent children.

Plumbelly, a work of fiction about young people who set sail from Polynesia to flee abusive parents, explores forms of child abuse that were often passively accepted as a form of discipline, even in “idyllic” settings.

In addition to overt, physical abuse, Plumbelly mines a deeper truth that is relevant today: abuse can and should be seen as any behavior from a parent that is less than nurturing.

Maynard’s main character’s mercurial and physically frightening father is an echo of his own dad. Another of the character’s traditionally loving yet oppressive (and ultimately abusive) homes will resonate with others.

Plumbelly challenges our expectations of an abuse narrative, laying bare the complex spectrum of abuse in our culture, ultimately bending towards hope and triumph.

You can find this book on Amazon.com.

Self Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book to facilitate this post. I received many books and only feature those I recommend. 

Filed Under: Media Reviews

How to Get the Best Workout on a Treadmill

September 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment

I used to religiously make trips to the gym thrice a week with a magazine or some fancy novel, icebreaker; I’m an inborn geek. While others are busy being born with silver spoons in their mouths, I was somewhere on some cold winter night with a paper in my hands! Fast forward – the gym. I would spend a whole hour or probably more on the treadmill with my glassy gossip magazine reading all about the Kardashians and NASA developments. It is what it is, don’t judge.

With time, I only realized my going to the gym was actually doing me more harm than good. I never really got to work out as I am supposed to and as a result, I spent 4 useless months paying for a gym membership that wasn’t in the least bit helping me out. So after hitting up with different people including trainers and nutritionist, I came up with the perfect exercise schedule for the perfect shape I have right now. The thing is, I did all this on a treadmill. Are you ready? Here we go.

Discipline Above All

Above everything, a gym trainee needs to understand that the gym is as sacred as the bedroom or any other habitual place. Even when you achieve whatever objective you were aiming for, it’s always healthy to maintain a gym membership. This will give you the life goal and purpose to always have that body you so dearly want to maintain. So be prepared to exert yourself on all angles, even if you’ll just be on the treadmill.

Note, discipline also means that you give the gym all the respect and concentration it deserves. Getting distracted by books doesn’t particularly hit your objectives of heading to the gym in the first place. If you need a piece of distraction, try keeping up with the pace of some hype music through your earphones.

Variety is Key

What better way to kill boredom than spicing things up a little bit? Your treadmill workout sessions need to be wide if you are to remain on course for long. You ought to be alternating between different inclinations, speed as well as terrain. The hill workouts will particularly optimize your training sessions. This review website on treadmills will direct you to factors you should consider before making a purchase.

You can warm up at a comfortable pace at zero incline for about 10 minutes. Crank up the intensity afterward as you top that up with an added incline. At this point, holding a conversation should be fairly difficult. Keep this is up for 5 minutes. Don’t be afraid to change things up once in a while if you feel too much strain or extreme ease. After this walking period, you have now graduated to a running period where your exertion should be somewhat 8 or 9 out of 10.

I won’t specify the exact pace as people are made differently, and everyone has their own endurance levels. Try repeating these intervals for a period of 50 minutes. Remember to have a stretch and cool down period of about 7 minutes as you re-energize at the end of the period. You can also shift from the intervals on Mondays to tempo workouts on Wednesday, hills session on Friday and a touch of endurance on Saturday.

What Are You Eating?

Most runners fail to give consideration to their diet when on a treadmill workout plan. This not only disadvantages them in getting tired too fast or sluggish, but it also prevents their tissues from getting a better repair.

Runners who eat light breakfast can exercise an hour later. If you had a light meal, make that 2 hours later whereas if you had a heavy one, 3-4 hours should do the trick. You can have a recovery meal 2 hours after your workout period containing a touch of proteins and carbohydrates. You will be placed in a good standing if your dinner has more proteins and iron in it. Meat hippies could go for lean cuts of beef while vegetarians will be appealed by legumes, kale, spinach, broccoli and fortified cereals.

Hope you get the best from your treadmill today!

 

Filed Under: SoCal City Kids News

5 Reasons to Learn How to Play Ping Pong

September 25, 2018 By 2 Comments

The sport – the only sport for that – that encompasses the body, the mind and the soul! Table tennis has not only been popular but also valued due to its flexibility. In ping pong, every player has equal chances: it is never a surprise to have one’s ass kicked by a 9-year old kid who’s “not so good” at the game since they only started out the other month. And you’ll be sitting there asking yourself what contribution you’re making to society if you’re having your ass annihilated by a Generation-Z contender!

I find it hilarious anytime someone asks why they should spend their time chasing a little plastic ball that’s keen on not being easily hit. As a matter of fact, table tennis has become so popular that firms – the likes of Google – have installed several play tables in different rooms to offer employ enjoyment and relaxation. I mean, when you have a giant like that taking note and giving recognition to a game like this and still recording stronger balance sheets by the day, you won’t need rocket science to know there’s something unique about the play.

What Don’t They Tell You?

You all know how games and physical activity are good for the body and general wellbeing. Well, there are some secrets they never tell you concerning ping pong. This is why most people haven’t seen the need to adapt to this amazing sport – yet! And that’s exactly why I’m here.

  1. Really Cost-Friendly

Unlike most sports, ping pong is actually the one game that will have some actual mercy on your pockets. This not so demanding game only requires a good and durable table with a net, paddles and a ball(s). Equipment and playing gear should only be expensive should you seek to progress to the professional level – which is to be expected of course. For the greatest experience, check these ping pong tables here.

  1. Major Brain Buster

Try watching the game while cooking your lovely dinner and conversantly taking care of your laundry. Most boys will flank miserably in this multi-coordination challenge considering science only awards them with half a brain! Getting acquainted with ping-pong serves to bring out the super-human in you. The massive attention, eye movement which is followed by the body as you try to keep the ball pacing all go a long way in improving the functioning of the brain. Players of table tennis are in often cases associated with a level of genius, unlike any other game.

  1. Possibly the Safest

There isn’t contact of any sorts when playing ping pong. I’m also yet to come by an individual who has incurred an injury from being hit by the ping pong ball. When talking of personal welfare, table tennis is probably the safest physical sport on the planet.

  1. Social Bonding

Are you having problems connecting with the society? You’re probably missing a ton of table tennis! The game brings social relations on another level as players get to open and interact. Competitions have also brought ping pong lovers together and the community is still growing.

  1. Why Else? It’s Lots of Fun!

Whether you’re doing ping pong in a family setting, alone or at work or simply with friends, ping pong is simply fun. You’ll only understand the thrill when the ball moves too fast for you to keep up!

I remember being introduced to table tennis when I was 6-years; this was my first sight immediately I closed school on my first grade. I was young, but it took me 6 months to have a pace that my then 15-year old sister could not match. You now know where the love came from, you understand the kind of genius I am; plus now you actually know how easy the play is too.

 

Filed Under: Featured Products of the Week

How Accurate Are Online DNA Tests?

September 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment

You’ve all heard it, and most of you have probably had the privilege to order a test kit. DNA testing is now all over as ads and infomercials continue to flock our screens on the need to get tested. As a matter of fact, you’ll feel awkward whenever in a group and someone brings up the conversation, and you haven’t had the honors – people are testing simply out of pressure from peers.

Whatever your reasons are; whether it’s to look cool or to actually find out something meaningful, the online DNA industry is only expected to continue experiencing a boom for years to come. This unexplored market has many gaps yet to fill as technology continues to advance. Soon, one’s DNA might even be able to place a face behind your genes. As science keeps making huge leaps, the flows experienced in certain tests will be cleared giving perfected results.

 

How Does The Testing Go About?

The online DNA tests only require one to register a kit online from the company of their choice. The kit is shipped to you with a send-back prepaid mailer for you to place your test samples. This might be your spit or blood sample – depending on the company of your choice. The results are then sent to your registered account and this you get notified through an email. You can access some of the high-end test sites on bestdnatest.net website.

Most companies take up to a maximum of 2 months to have the results analyzed and processed. The best-rated one will take a shorter time than this and deliver practically reasonable and reliable results. You’re recommended to apply for sites that use FDA- CLIA- certifications in their operations.

What Do The Results Actually Reveal & How Accurate Are They?

A lot of people still remain skeptical about the reliability of online DNA tests. This is after people conducting different results with various companies and receiving contradicting results. Some become despaired by the results while others are just amused. Some companies claim that with a higher ‘pittance’ one will access much deeper DNA information. Nonetheless, as said above, with time, the search and details from the DNA tests will be more dependable and yield more information.

The most detailed DNA agencies promise to help you reveal certain ancestors along with their origin and migratory routes. Your DNA composition of the different nationalities that make up you as a person will also be unveiled. How fun is it to get to know just how Irish or African you are?

The DNA tests have also been used to prove paternity cases and even find out more concerning your different parents. As if that’s not enough, lost relatives have been connected through these online tests – just to prove how effective they are. They give you the once in a lifetime opportunity to build your family tree and reconnect with relatives around the globe.

The Way Forward

You ought to be careful not to put all your trust in the test results you’ll get from your online test. They might be effective in handing you so much information but we are yet to reach a level where they analyze 100% of your DNA and give the same kind of results. That notwithstanding, you shouldn’t let some little reported inconsistencies come between you and actually finding out more about you – that’s my fair word of advice.

 

Filed Under: SoCal City Kids News

Cooper, September 27th Pet of the Week

September 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment

C is for calm, cooperative and Cooper! Cooper is a 10-year-old pittie who’s a huge, smiling sweetheart. He loves a chest rub and a nice, leisurely walk on a leash. He’s ready to go home with someone who wants a big boy for company. Meet Cooper at the P. D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village, 7700 East Spring St., (562) 570-PETS. Ask for ID# #A609637.

(The usual suspects contributed to this rescue)

Filed Under: Pet Corner
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