i love vinegar.

top 10 reasons why:

1. Make your fresh flowers last longer.  Add two tablespoons of vinegar plus three tablespoons of sugar per quart of warm water. Stems should be in three to four inches of water.

2. Eliminate animal urine stains from carpet. Blot up urine with a soft cloth, flush several times with lukewarm water, and then apply a mixture of equal parts vinegar and cool water. Blot up, rinse, and let dry. (I’ve never had to do this because my dog is perfect and has never peed in the house)

3. Relieve dry and itchy skin. Add 2 tablespoons to bath water.

4. Remove that icky musty smell from towels and workout clothes. Add a cup of vinegar to the last rinse water. The acid in vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics but strong enough to dissolve the alkalis in soaps and detergents.

5. Get your dishes to sparkle. Clean the dishwasher by running a cup of vinegar through the whole cycle once a month to reduce soap build up on the inner mechanisms and on glassware.

6. Clean and deodorize the garbage disposal by making vinegar ice cubes and feed them down the disposal. After grinding, run cold water through.

7. Non-Toxic cleaning for the bathroom. Remove soap scum, mildew, and grime from bathtub, tile, and shower curtains. Simply wipe the surface with Vinegar and rinse with water.

8. Deodorize the air. Vinegar is a natural air freshener when sprayed in a room.

Make your furniture look new again.

9. Remove stubborn rings resulting from wet glasses being placed on wood furniture by rubbing with a mixture of equal parts of distilled vinegar and olive oil. Rub with the grain and then polish for the best results.

10. Feel good recipe. A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water, with a bit of honey added for flavor, will take the edge off your appetite and give you an overall healthy feeling.

(not to mention the fact that it is very cheap and good for the environment)

sign up.

Every once in a while something will come along that just cannot be passed up.  This is one of those events.

This event is in memory of Alana Lysholm-Bernacchi, a TGen neurogenomics researcher who passed away from complications of a brain tumor in 2007. All profits raised will be donated to TGen, a Phoenix based Non-profit Biomedical Research Institute focused on developing earlier diagnostics and smarter treatments.

Follow the link to sign up.

http://arizonaroadracers.com/Calendar/champs-for-research5k.php

some tips for your first 5k.

1. It's only 3.1 miles, don't overload on carbs.
Have a well balanced meal like a banana and bowl of oatmeal.

2. Run at YOUR pace, you don not need to prove anything to anyone.
There is no need to be self-conscious about your pace. You're running a race for a good cause, do you know how awesome that is?

3. Start in the right place.
You might think it's a good idea to start in the front, but probably the most important thing in your first race is to start in the right spot. Start further back than you think you should, not as many people will pass you-- thus saving your ego.

4. Don't change anything on race day.
Don't change anything--don't wear new shoes, eat new food, drink new drinks, do new stretches. You wouldn't color your hair on your wedding day would you? Stick with what works.

5. Have strategically placed fans
Have them at the starting line, mile 2, and the finish line. This way you'll get the encouragement through the finish line!

Don't forget you are doing this for a good cause, have fun and think maybe next you will run a half marathon.

Sources: Jenn Sale a Yahoo! Contributor
http://www.shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/running-your-first-5k-heres-some-tips-for-a-great-race-2475508/

friday fix.

We have all heard it before, eat your fruits and vegetables. Blueberries in particular will provide you with some fantastic health benefits.

the proof:

1. The highest antioxidant capacity of all fresh fruit: Blueberries, being very rich in anti oxidants which boost your immune system and prevent infections.

2. Neutralizes free radicals which can affect disease and aging in the body: Blueberries bring you the brightest ray of hope, they are full of anti oxidants and rank number 1 in the world of anti oxidants.

3. Aid in reducing Belly Fat: The fruit works on rats, which were the test subjects. A blueberry-enriched powder was mixed into the rats' diet, which was either low-fat or high-fat rat chow. After 90 days, the rats with the blueberry-enriched diet had less abdominal fat, lower triglycerides, lower cholesterol and improved fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity.

4. Helps promote urinary tract health: Blueberries can be surprisingly beneficial. It has a compound formed of heavy molecules which inhibits the growth of bacteria. These heavy and big molecules almost wash-off bacteria along the tract, thereby preventing the infection.

5. Been proved to preserve vision: Blueberry extract, high in compounds called anthocyanosides, has been found in clinical studies to slow down visual loss.

6. Brain Health: The anthocyanin, the selenium, the vitamins A, B-complex, C and E, the zinc, sodium, potassium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese etc., among others, can prevent and heal neurotic disorders by preventing degeneration and death of neurons, brain-cells and also by restoring health of the central nervous system.

7. Heart Disease: The high fiber content, those brilliant anti oxidants and the ability to dissolve the ‘bad cholesterol’ make the Blueberry an ideal dietary supplement to cure many heart diseases.

8. Constipation & Digestion: While roughage in Blueberries keep away constipation (Of course, a single piece alone will not do. You need to eat a big handful of them), the vitamins, sodium, copper, fructose and acids improve digestion.

9. Cancer: Blueberries can prove to be bliss for the cancer patients, for they contain certain compounds like Pterostilbene (excellent remedy for colon and liver cancer) and Ellagic Acid which, in harmony with Anthocyanin and other anti oxidants like vitamin-C and copper, can do miracles to prevent and cure cancer.

10. Other benefits: They keep you fresh, active, fit, sharp, close to nature and in a good mood, as they are very good anti depressants.

Remember, the deeper the color of the Blueberries, the more they are rich in anti oxidants and other medicinal values.

fun blueberry facts:

1. In the US, July is National Blueberry Month

2. In Sweden, dried blueberries are used to treat childhood diarrhea.

3. Blueberry Jelly Bellies were created especially for Ronald Reagan.

blue sangria:

What could be more refreshing than a pitcher of chilled Sangria?

32 oz. Blueberry Juice

3 cups cabernet sauvignon
1 cup orange juice
1 16oz (473 mL) can red grapefruit sections (juice and fruit)
2 navel oranges sliced
2 limes sliced
1 lemon sliced
3 fresh peaches, skinned and sliced in eighths
  

Garnish with fresh or frozen blueberries or blackberries

familiar place, new sights (part 2).

This past weekend was spent in my
favorite city: Flagstaff, Arizona.


Not only is this city beautiful it makes me feel alive.

I loved living there, going to school there, meeting new people there, and above all else having fun there.

I was spending two days in a city that I lived in for two years and was going to try all new things (with ONE exception).

second adventure.

Hike through the Lava River Cave. Located nine miles north of Flagstaff on Hwy 180, turn west on FR 254 (at milepost 230). Continue three miles to FR 171, turn south one mile to where FR 171B turns left a short distance to the Lava River Cave.

This mile long cave is a bit intimidating from the start, but don't be discouraged it becomes a bit more flat and manageable. It can range from 32-45 degrees inside the cave during any season. Dressing warm in definitely recommended, also bring a flashlight because it is pitch black inside the cave.

The US Forest Service describes it as a "Lava tube cave formed roughly 700,000 years ago by molten rock that erupted from a volcanic vent in nearby Hart Prairie. The top, sides and bottom of the flow cooled and solidified first, after which the insides of the lava river continued to flow emptying out the present cave".

This was the most unique hiking experience I have ever had, it should not be missed. Don't forget extra batteries for your flashlight.