Causes of Seasonal Affective Disorder and What should you do about it

Learn What S.A.D. is and How to Effectively Protect Yourself

SAD disorder is a seasonal depression that many people experience during specific months of the year. It is usually associated with the winter; though some individuals have experienced the same symptoms during the spring and summer months. In any season, S.A.D. is not a condition to be taken lightly.

Like any depression, the disorder is a debilitating condition that causes many problems in the lives of those that endure it. The symptoms that are noticed with this particular type of depression are gradual and sometimes they are forgotten in warmer seasons. Unfortunately, studies show that the condition can become more serious if not properly treated and addressed.

The "In"-gredients to Look for in Beauty Products

There are so many beauty products our there and sometime we do not know what to get.  Well, here is a short list of the "in"-gredients that you should look for in beauty products. These ingredients are effective and do make your skin look better when used consistently throughout a defined and over a period of 12 or more weeks.

Here are the "in" gredients that are making news in the beauty industry, some are known to us, other are simply new to our ears! Here is the skin care and beauty buzz:

Drink of the Month: The Angelina Jolie

Recipe: Maggie Ruggiero/Photograph: Stephanie Foley

Remember those college years when the weekend started on Thursdays?  Yes, busy moms' weekends do not start sometimes until Saturday, but a mini happy hour at home could work wonders.  With the Oscars just in a few days, Moms Buzz thought a celebrity named-after drink would give you a little pop feeling, and it is so easy to make: The Angelina Jolie Drink!

 The following makes 1 drink only, but that would be enough unless you would like your husband to join you...

Don't Settle When You Have a Goal in Mind

 

They say that you can't have everything in life, and you must make a choice between A and B.  But, there is also another school of thought that says, "why must you make a choice, why can't you have them both?  If you want two things, and feel you need to make choice between the two, you are settling.  But, if you have that gut feeling that you can have both, you will not settle.

For many people, and it is mainly because we have been trained to think that way, having both A and B is not an option - we have to choose.  However, it is an option, and of course, it may depend on various considerations and variables.  But, in general, where there is a will there is way. Let me demonstrate this with a personal example.

Health: Tips for a Good Night Sleep

A good rest at night is what busy moms need after a long and hectic day of running around in and outside the house or after a stressful day at work if you are working mom.  We have so much do that sometimes our solution often times is to stay up stealing away valuable hours from our sleep. Sleeping is necessary because it restores and rejuvenates many body functions such a our MEMORY (hello! Is anyone home?) and learning, nervous systems, immune system, mood enhancement, social behaviors, growth and development.  Moms' Buzz found these great tips to make our night sleep as restful as we can so that we can function better and be quite alert next day. Of course, these tips work best if your kids will not wake up in the middle of the night...oh well...such is the life of a mom!

Tips for a good night sleep

1. Don't sleep belly down. It is alway better to sleep on one side or on your back. When you sleep on your back, place a pillow underneath your knees.  This will liberate your back from tensions.

2. When you sleep on your side, place a pillow in-between your knees to maintain the alignment of your back.

3. Avoid using large or tall pillows. Pillows should be as high as to keep your head aligned with the rest of your body. 

4.  Use a firm mattress which will help maintain the alignment of your body. 

5. Don't nap during the day - who can do this these days mmm...?

6. Limit caffeine and alcohol. Although alcohol may initially act as sedative, it can interrupt your sleep patterns.

7. Don't smoke. Nicotine is a stimulant and can make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Many over-the-counter and prescription drugs disrupt sleep.

8. Expose yourself to bright light/sunlight soon after awakening. This will help to regulate your body's natural biological clock.

9. Exercise early in the morning. Exercise stimulates the body and aerobic activity before bedtime may make falling asleep more difficult. The very few times I have exercised in the evening, I am so full of energy that sleeping is not what I want to do next.

10. Check your iron level. Iron deficient women tend to have more problems sleeping so if your blood is iron poor, a supplement might help your health and your ability to sleep.

Following are some guidelines on how much sleep you or your loved ones might need:

Sleep Needs Group	Amount of Sleep Needed
Infants	About 16 hours per day of sleep
Babies and toddlers	From 6 months to 3 years: between 10 and 14 hours per day. Young children generally get their sleep from a combination of nighttime sleep and naps. See: How Much Sleep Is Enough for My Child?, especially for tips on shaping nighttime awakenings in young children.
Children	Ages 3 to 6: between 10 and 12 hours of sleep Ages 6 to 9: about 10 hours of sleep Ages 9 to 12: about 9 hours of sleep
Teenagers	About 9 hours of sleep per night. Teens have trouble getting enough sleep not only because of their busy schedules, but also because they are biologically programmed to want to stay up later and sleep later in the morning, which usually doesn’t mesh with school schedules. See How Much Sleep Do I Need?.
Adults	For most adults, 7 to 8 hours a night appears to be the best amount of sleep, although some people may need as few as 5 hours or as many as 10 hours of sleep each night.
Older adults	Current thought is that older adults need as much, if not more, sleep than middle-aged adults. Taking a midday nap may help. See Sleep and seniors: Insomnia isn't inevitable as you age.
Pregnant women	During pregnancy, women may need a few more hours of sleep per night. See Pregnancy and Sleep: A Contradiction in Terms?.

These guidelines are available for Download sleep_tips.pdf or it is available for printing, saving or dowload in our Useful Documents panel on the left sidebar of the blog.

Have a great day and restful night tonight!

- The Moms' Buzz

source: www.Rimac.com.pe, www.helpguide.org

Get a Garlic Boost in Your Diet - This is How

As you know, garlic has amazing health benefits, and they way you can boost those garlic benefits is by a simple cooking tip. This is how to get a garlic boost in your diet:

Top 7 Beauty Resolutions

A new year is filled with expectations and new resolutions.  Some resolutions we'll be firm about, others not so much because we start losing interest or we can't keep it up due to our busy schedule.  However, there are some resolutions such as 7 beauty resolutions that Moms Buzz is sure you will be able to maintain throughtout 2012.  Here they are, 7 easy to keep beauty resolutions:

1. I will treat my hair better.  Sephora recommends Frederic Fekkai products.

2. I will use SPF everyday. Moms Buzz recommends La Roche Posay Anthelios SX:

 

3. I will lose weight. Moms Buzz recommeds Bikram Yoga or any other Yoga.

4. I will try a new fragance. Sephora recommeds Pucci Vivara:

5. I will organize my mess. Moms Buzz recommends the Pursenizer:

6. I will wash my face everynight. Moms Buzz recommends Vichy Oligo 25 Foam Face Wash:

7. I will be more adventurous with my makeup. Sephora recommends Smashbox Master Class Kit:

Keep up with your New Year's Resolutions!

- the Moms Buzz

Making Holiday Stockings

Moms Buzz loves the Martha Stewart website because it is filled with wonderful ideas for every occassion, and more so for the holidays.  Our pick for this season is making nice looking stockings that you can bring out and update every Christmas, year after year, as your kids grow older.

 

They are quite easy to make.  Only the stocking requires sewing; the designs are glued on, for easy updating. For letters and numbers, enlarge a font from your computer and trace. Draw other shapes or photocopy and trace an existing image; attach with fabric glue. Keep the basic shape simple, then add details with felt, yarn, or marker. The snowflake's cutouts were made with a craft punch; the drum is embellished with embroidery floss.

To make the ones shown above in the image, go to Keepsake Stocking How-To using Martha Stewart's  stocking templates and cut felt pieces.

1. Pin a cuff to each stocking piece, lining up top edges. Trim long edges of loop with pinking shears; fold, and place between one cuff-and-stocking pair as shown (line up top edges). Sew along top edges. 2. Flip cuffs up, and stack stocking pieces (raw seams out); pin. Sew around stocking (use 1/4-inch seam allowance), including sides of cuff; leave top open. Pink sewn edges. Fold cuff down; iron to crease.

Happy crafting!

- The Moms Buzz

source and image: www.marthastewart.com

Laughter Yoga: laugh and live long!

Frances Beldia, Cure for Mondays

I truly believe that laughter is the best medicine. For one, I think it may have been the only thing that kept me sane -- alive even -- during the stormiest weathers in my life. Never mind that I did not get my mother’s milky skin which I think has a lot to do with her Chinese lineage and the result of years of bathing with a lot of coconut oil; or my elder sister’s share of admirable endowments in all the right places of her body. I believe I took on my father’s equable merry-andrew disposition with an inherent tendency to make fun of myself and even some of the hard-hitting tragedies in life. He would naturally draw people toward him because his humor could brighten up stiff corners in any room, let alone a stentorian voice that was difficult to ignore. For 26 years of my life, I lived in the house of a man who did not rely on scripts to bring episodic laughter under his roof. Laughing was a disease at home that my oft-downbeat mother tried to cure but failed.

© Amee Butterworth and Honeydew Photography

In the eulogy I read during my father’s interment six years ago, I could not help but briefly relive his life as a man who made people laugh, and who had an incessant hankering for life’s happy episodes. It was so brief as a matter of fact, that all I asked was for everyone present in the church to remember the laughter that he brought to their lives and that I said with a smile. When I got back to my seat, a cousin whispered, “I thought a eulogy was supposed to be sad.”

Entertainment Tips for the Holidays within Budget!

Holidays are a wonderful time to entertain. And a little planning and budgeting will help you avoid financial headaches. Try the Holiday Entertainment Planner by Practical Money Skills and let it help you plan your entertainment so that you don't have to pay for it the rest of the year. And Check out these entertain tips below to help you keep your holiday budget in shape too!

Tip 1:
Cooking and baking for a dinner crowd can be a large task. But it is also a large honor. So why not share it? Plan group cooking sessions with some of the kitchen-friendly members of your dining party and strengthen friendships and family ties while you prepare the meal.

2008 HOLIDAY SAFETY TIPS

Image by AdrianaEPhotography.com

 It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays. You’ve got parties, decorations and shopping on your mind—but that’s all the more reason to be aware and keep alert of any potential dangers. Below are some safety guidelines by the American Academic of Pediatrics to keep in mind this holiday season.

MEGA Giveaway: Win a Men's Triathlon Outfit by VeloShine.com

I know so many moms who are really hard-cord fitness ladies, and many are either runners, swimmers, cyclists and even triathlon, and if you are not, for sure, you know someone who is, right?

Our friends at VeloShine.com are having this mega giveaway:  a VeloShine Men's Triathlon Clothing valued at $190.  It includes the top, shorts, cap and socks.  The shorts and top are meant to be used for all three sports so they are fitted.  

You can't find VeloShine signature look anywhere since they do these giveaways for promotional purpoes. The outfit is gorgeous looking and made by top manufacturer of sporstwear HINCAPIE.

Enough to talking, here is the link to enter.  Share it with your friends who are triathlons! 

http://www.facebook.com/VeloShine?sk=app_192229990808929.

 

Good luck!

- TheMomsBuzz.com.

 

How to Cut Pet Expenses

Is it only me, but I think prices at the grococery store have skyrocketed.  I can never leave the store without having spent about $80.  Prices for pet food has also gone off the roof, not to mention seeing the vet or treating the poor animal for a little flea problem.  It is crazy!  Here 3 tips provided by Consumer Reports on how to cut pet expenses.

Avoid premium food. Since “premium” has no legal definition, look instead for phrases like “complete and balanced” or “total nutrition.” If a product is so labeled, it’s met an industry standard and will meet the needs of “the vast majority of healthy pets.”

Check your vet’s pricing. Most veterinarians set all their fees as a percentage or multiple of their standard physical-exam charge, so call around—“the best time to comparison shop is when your pet needs a routine checkup, not when you’re stressed out by a sick or injured animal.” Also, if your pet needs medication, check if your local drugstore carries it. Vets usually charge premium prices for pet meds.

Fight fleas for less. An expired patent means that the active ingredient in Frontline Plus flea and tick collars—fipronil—is now available from more-affordable brands.

- TheMomsBuzz

Source: Consumer Reports

 

 

How to Make a Perfect Cup of Tea

Just a coffee connaiseurs like fresh, just ground coffee beans to prepare themselves a nice cup of coffee, here are some good tips to prepare a good cup of tea! 

Use whole leaves. “Whole leaves retain their essential oils and flavors better than torn ones.” Give the leaves “a gentle rinse” with cold spring water. That not only removes residue but “primes them for maximum release of flavor and aroma.”

Mind the temperature. Heat kettle water to a boil, but don’t overboil: That will deoxygenate the water, “resulting in a flat-tasting final cup.” While your tea is steeping, keeping the water at a consistent temperature is “crucial,” so a double-walled teapot is recommended. The temperature should be just below boiling for black teas, but cooler for green teas.

Know your steeping time. Since optimal steeping times “vary widely”—from one to eight minutes—ask the salespeople at your tea shop for guidance on the leaves you pick out.

-TheMomsBuzz

 source:TheWeek.com.

10 Good Reasons to Spin (Spinning)

Most people are afraid to Spin - working out in a group on a bike to music with an instructor motivating them through various intervals, drills, and games.  They think that they can't do it because it is too intense and they are not in good enough shape.   

I have news for you!  Anyone can do it - Grandma right next to Iron Man.  See grandma in the photo below! ;)

You just ride at your own level - the resistance and speed that is right for you.  You will find out it is an amazing exercise and besides, here are 10 good reasons to spin that Ellen Yates, trainer and founder of N2Shape shares with us:

10 Good Reasons to Spin

• My cholesterol is high, I want to help control it
• I want to lose weight.
• I want to tone my thighs and buttocks.
• I am bored with my current routine and want something different.
• I want to have fun while working out.  
• I am a runner, but want to cross-train to protect my knees
• I love the darkness and the mind/body elements
• Indoor Cycling complements my other workouts
• I love working out with my friends.  
• I like intervals 
• I want to build strength for skiing
• It's the only workout I can enjoy with my spouse

After these 10 good reasons, you have no excuse!

- TheMomsBuzz

Source: Ellen Yates of N2Shape.com.   

Lancôme Visionnaire - The "IT" Serum for Your Skin

Lancôme Paris has always been know for being a pioneer in the skincare industry and now it has recently revealed and launched into the market its new revolutionary product, Visionnaire, which promises to correct wrinkles and uneveness and reduce pores on your skin.

It is actually much more than just wrinkle-corrector, Visionnaire is capable of fundamentally re-creating a more beautiful skin. The first skincare with molecule  LR 2412, a molecule designed to propel through skin layers. On its path, it triggers a cascading series of micro-transformations.

The result: on the surface, wrinkles and pores are visibly corrected, imperfections like signs of UV damage and acne marks appear diminished.

If you are in the market looking for a skincare serum that will do wonders to your skin, stop looking.  This is the hottest thing in the market.  It has a retail value of $86, but Lancôme USA is offering a friends and family discount of 20% until tomorrow.  Use promo code GLISTEN20 at checkout.

 

The Muppets Premieres Today! - Review

This past Monday, I had the pleasure to go see with my 3 children the screening of The Muppets before it premieres today for the general public. It was a generous invitation of Allied-THA.

I grew up watching The Muppets, and it was just an incredible moment for me to see them again on the screen.  It was like walking into a time tunnel and reviving memorable moments of my childhood. 

At the beginning of the movie, I wasn't quite sure how the theme was going to develop, and my 3-year old was getting a bit anxious to see all the main characters of The Muppets, which I thought took some time to show up.  My older boys, on the other hand, were quite pleased with the pace of the movie. 

The silhouette of Kermit when he does his spectacular entrance was for me the beginning of the movie - just brilliant!!

The producers of the movie did a magnificent work bringing back The Muppets, and showing us what had happened to each one of the characters in [their] "real life" after the show ceased to air on TV.

I really enjoyed how everything started to take shape and have that singular and signature scenes that only The Muppets could have.  Of course, another favorite part of mine was the appearance of Miss Piggy, despite time, she had not changed a bit - glamourous, conceited but with a huge and warm heart, and of course, unconditional love for Kermit. 

It was a movie about feelings.  There were significant sentiments coming from everyone in this movie, from the producers who threw a lot of love to the making of the movie, creativity and appreciation from top fashion designers making couture outfits for Miss Piggy and Kermit for their world premier, MAC Cosmetics coming out with a Miss Piggy limited edition collection, to older spectators feeling lots of nostalgia and having flashbacks of their childhood, to the media building much anticipation before its opening day. The comeback was just what we wanted and how we wanted it.

Absolutely, one of my favorite moments was also Miss Piggy and Kermit's Rainbow Connection duet. Of course, I just could not missed saying that Kermit's facial expressions are just the best and always so precise to transmit what he is feeling.  The finale is marvelous as Walter does his talent show to finish raising the money to salvage the Muppet theater.       

I definitely recommend this movie for the whole family.  As I said, it may not be quite exciting for a tod at the beginning, but as the characters start showing and taking up their roles, and then they are all together again, every member of the family will definitely have a good time, especially those who grew up watching the unforgettable Muppets!

-TheMomsBuzz.com

More snapshots:

Gareth Pugh for MAC

For those busy moms who love makeup, you will probably love the limited edition collection MAC is launching soon called Gareth Pugh for MAC.  This collection is idea for that intense and glamourous edgy look inspired by the gothic trends seen on the runways. 

The collection is different that the rest, of course, knowing who the image and collaboration is coming from, the colors are dark and purplish.  Plus, the square packaging is quite a novelty for a MAC limited edition.  The collection also includes a square handle Puff brush and a glossy back cosmetic bag. 

Will you be getting some of the pieces?

- TheMomsBuzz.com.

Michael Kors Underwear Collection

Michael Kors just introduced his men's underwear collection -  how about that?  I thought he would start first by the women's but he didn't - oh well.  Regardless, it looks very promising for his brand and for all the men out there. 

The collection includes the typical men's underwear pieces, jeseys, boxers, briefs, and so on.  It is well priced being Michael Kors between $26 - $34 depending on th piece.

Would you buy some for your hubbies?

- TheMomsBuzz.com

Dolly Designs by Kiddymania.com

Lately I have feeling a bit more girly girl so my featured site for this month is Kiddymania.com.

Playing dollies has always been a favorite past time for children, and a new range of dolls clothes from Kiddymania make the perfect Christmas gift. Yes, yes, me too. I can't really think that far in advance yet, but since I got an email from Kiddymania and its dolly designs, I thought I might as well post about it while it is fresh and right out of the oven.