The ants go marching one by one…

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Naima

‘Tis the season. The season of plants budding, warm weather returning, spring showers and the dreaded ants. For the past few weeks I have experienced an ant brigade in my house. Small black ants in my coffee, in the keyboard of my computer and in my cupboards. They slowly are driving me to a life of insanity.

I am usually the voice of reason. “Oh you have ants, try this natural remedy or this one or this one” as I kindly mention to anyone an all natural way to solve their pest problems. I hate spraying any chemicals inside or outside my home. But I tend to hit a breaking point. I don’t mind ants, and I know they have their purpose I just don’t want them to destroy my food or share my bed. I failed the all natural world last year with the infestation of fleas and this year the ants have me up against the wall.

But fear not, I tried every all natural cure to get rid of ants. Some natural ways worked for a small amount of time but it was as if they came back with vengeance, maddened I had secretly fed them borax or baking soda causing their friends to explode. A few natural remedies I gave a chance were vinegar, cinnamon, borax, baking soda, lemon, cornmeal, coffee grounds, cayenne pepper, natural soap and every imaginable combination of the listed. And the ants took those remedies and laughed in my face, turning up again and again.

It turns out my small frienemies are pavement ants. An entomologist friend actually suggested they may be and after looking up several ant identification sites, I’m confirming. These pavement ants have huge colonies and of course, they love masonry work. Unfortunately for me, I live in an old stone house duplex. I fear my entire house is their home more than mine.

I decided to go into super ant mode this past Saturday. I spent a few hours raking anything I could find away from the edges of the house. Any little brick or piece of cement I found, was COVERED in ants and their white eggs. At times I just stood in shock that so many ants could be in one spot. Other times I dug furiously looking for a queen to pin all the blame on.

I went nuclear. I bought the hardcore chemical spray at Home Depot. Who am I? I don’t even buy shampoo for my hair because of the chemicals yet I’m in line at Home Depot buying the largest bottle of chemicals ever!  Then I took it home and I sprayed the half of my house till it dripped with chemicals.

The deed has been done. And now, I wait.

What may be a little comfort in this time of chemicals, is that pavement ants are exotic. They don’t belong here. They can be found all over the US but were brought here by Europeans in the 17 or 1800s. So although I’m on nuclear ant warfare over here, I can rest easy knowing they are an introduced species.

Most unfortunate of my war on ants, is that the ants are inspiring my singing. I’ve been singing, “The ants go marching one by one HoRah, HoRah, the ants go marching two by two HoRah, HoRah…” and I can’t stop.

I do hope the war ends soon. No one likes being at war. And I’m sick of that song!

The ants go marching one by one HoRah, Horah…

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Street artists always inspire me.

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Naima

I always stop. Every time I walk by a street performer of any kind I can’t help but cross the street and make my way over to them. No matter what they are doing, I’m curious to find out more. Next thing I know hours can pass by as I stand there entranced by their work. I am not unlike many, because the crowds that gather around street performers tells me everyone else likes it too.

As I stood watching an artist in downtown Dallas on Friday night, I realized these artists represent more to me. They represent the freedom to be creative and follow your passions outside the norm of what we think is “right”.

I’m reminded of this quote: “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore” by William Faulkner. At one point this artist, along with every other street performer, had to take the risk to put themselves out there. They didn’t know if people would watch and even more, if people would support them.

I support that risk. Without risk we will all be the same.

dd artist

When I got home I found this artist online at cosmouniversalart.net. It looks like he has been creating his street art since 1988!  He uses a variety of techniques to create unique colorful art. Check out his use of fire:

dd fire

So thank you to the artist for the reminder that it’s ok to take a risk. It’s ok to follow what you love to do and if you put yourself out there, people will support you.

If you don’t live in a city with street performers you can actually watch this artist’s performances live on the internet! Check it out on his website. Or pick up your talent and get out on the street!

Risk!

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Making Croatia happen.

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Naima

Many people ask me about how I travel, when I travel, where to go, what to see, etc.  I usually have some general answer with a lot of enthusiasm to push them over the edge into a commitment of getting out. That’s the biggest step. Saying yes, I will make travel a priority. That’s what it takes. You have to value exploring new places over other things in life. For me, I want to move travel higher up on the list.

So when one of my best friends broke the news that she was getting married (a completely crazy notion from this friend) she followed it up with, “the wedding is going to be in Croatia, in September, and I’d love for you to be there”. There aren’t too many people in this world I would travel across the globe to watch say “I do”, but this is one. So as soon as she told me I started stashing money away trying to save up. I also recently made a “new years resolution” of sorts to start traveling more and pick one big trip per year (you can read that blog here).  This year we were leaning towards Paris or somewhere tropical but we’ve decided to make the Croatia commitment. As I prep and do some research on the trip I figured I would fill you guys in on how I go about this, since many are interested in how I make it happen. Maybe it will inspire you to make a big trip, even if it’s just a few hours away and not thousands of miles. This blog may also be helpful for those that are making the journey across the globe to Split, Croatia either for the same wedding or another adventure.

Credit Card First.
This is going to be a substantial amount of miles traveled. I don’t want to waste these airline miles so I want to get a credit card that tracks miles. There are several out there so it’s best to do some research and figure out what will work best for you. This site lays out the best cards for travel: cardsfortravel.com. I highly recommend taking a look at where you are going, what airlines you will be traveling and then setting up a credit card that will help you make that trip less expensive. After a bit of reading I think I’m going to go with Chase Sapphire. A general card that offers a ton of rewards points that can be transferred over to miles. These cards can save you thousands of dollars! Here is another website with credit card referrals: thepointsguy.com/2014/01/top-5-credit-cards-for-travel-rewards.

Where?
Now where will I be traveling from and to? And will I make any stops? Important to figure out prior to actually purchasing your ticket. The destination is Split, Croatia located along the Adriatic Sea across from Italy.

split map

Find out the airports you can fly into. Luckily, the bride is also from Croatia, so she provided us with a list of airports that are doable. By doable, that means you fly in and have to rent a car, take a boat or train to get to Split.
Zagreb, Croatia
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Venice, Italy
Florence, Italy
Vienna, Austria
Munich, Germany

After looking at the list and factoring in travel time and cost from the other airports we decided to spend our time exploring around Split and not fly in elsewhere. The options are tempting though: Fly into Italy and take a ferry across the Adriatic Sea. Sounds very appealing but with the cost and time it makes more sense for us to pay the extra cost (it was about $200) to fly directly into Split. We are still debating the idea of making an airline stop.  Fly through Paris or London and stay a few days there before continuing on to Split.  It looks like the best way to do that is pick your route and buy your tickets separately.  The booking sites charge outrageous prices for trying to be your actual travel agent. So be your own and plan it out. We’re going to do the most cost and time effective, yet still want to see some of Europe.

Purchase the ticket.
There are better times to purchase tickets than others to get the best price. Also you want to make sure to clear your internet history after searching for tickets as airlines and booking agencies will hold your searches and increase the price on you, as they know you need that ticket. Horrible, but true. So your best bet is to clear your browser history and cookies after searching for plane tickets. Here is a great article to inform you on when to purchase your ticket: lifehacker.com/the-best-time-and-time-of-day-to-book-airline-tickets-1507704370.

The fun part.
Where do you want to go when you are at your destination? What do you want to see? I usually like to look up the popular destinations in a new area. I don’t want to miss something that everyone visits in a location just because I didn’t know about it. So I start making my list with the must sees. If you google “things to do” in any city, hundreds of activities and must sees come up. I read through everything and pick out the things that interest me. Usually I’m looking for scenic beaches, cheap great local food, open air markets and experiences. Experiences to me are things that look like a blast! For example, since Split is surrounded by small islands, it will be high on my priority list to make it out to an island.

So here is my list for Split Croatia so far:

  • Bistro Black Cat – I was sold on this restaurant with the mention of filled croissants. Even if I don’t make it to this exact one, I know I must eat croissants. I love a good warm preferably chocolate fresh croissant.
  • Brela Beaches – pebble stones, mountain views, clear water. Noted in Forbes magazine as one of Europe’s best beaches. Yes.
  • Split Market – daily market of fruits, vegetables, clothing, nick nacks, etc. I love visiting markets where I live and even more when I’m out of town. Can’t wait to browse the markets. I also read there is a fish market, which brings me to my next one…
  • Seafood. – I don’t care where, I just know I want every meal to have fresh ocean yuminess. Living in Dallas, I am a little seafood deprived. I read about Buffet Fife, a restaurant for the locals that offers up cheap food, including seafood.
  • Diocletians Palace. Ancient ruins: Roman emperor Diocletian built the building in the heart of Split at the turn of the fourth century AD. Located in Old Split this would also allow viewings of the old city and famous “let me pass streets”.
  • Hike up Marjan Hill! This looks like it may be my favorite. A wooded peninsula near split, that opens up to spectacular views.
  • Blue Cave! What?! at Bisevo Island. That’s right, the water is blue and it looks magical.
  • Krka Waterfalls. Holy wowza that looks amazing. Located in a National Park too. Here is a pic:

krka waterfall

Ok so you get the idea. I start making my dream list of things I want to see and do.

Apps.
Next I look for apps on my phone. I did a quick app search and found several free apps that suggest places to go, give you directions, tell you how far you are and more. Some work offline, meaning you don’t need internet or data to use.  So here are the apps I found and downloaded. There are some paid versions, but I can’t help it, I’m a cheapie:

  • Croatia Travel guide by Triposo
  • Split Map and Walks
  • Croatia Travel Guide with Offline Maps
  • MX Split Travel Guide

I’m not sure which will work best for me, but I like my options. Browsing the apps themselves can help you decide what to do as well.

Be careful using the apps overseas. You want to avoid high roaming costs on your phone. Here is a great article to help you avoid any outrageous costs: Everything you need to know about phones and how to avoid huge charges. Also before you leave the states, make sure and tell your friends and family about WhatsApp, KakaoTalk or Viber. They are all free apps that you can text message for free anywhere in the world with internet. Some also allow voice calls for FREE!

Next up: Wildlife!
I start making my wildlife checklist. I hardly ever see anything on my list, but the act of making the list itself gets me ready and looking for wildlife while I’m traveling. Otherwise everything is too overwhelming to me and I honestly just forget to keep my eyes peeled for wildlife as well. Making a list of the unique things I could possibly see helps me take notice of everything around me. So here is my list so far: Griffon vultures, White storks, Dalmatian Pelican, Imperial Eagle, Little Grebe, Great Bittern, Purple Heron, Glossy Ibis and Eurasian Spoonbill, brown bear, and lynx, wolf, red dear, and roe deer. It looks like marine life includes dolphins and sea turtles. Diving looks great but snorkeling looks marginal. I may still pack a snorkel as reading suggests it’s doable just about anywhere. I found one wildlife app for a national park in Croatia: NP Paklenica Official Travel Guide. It may be for just one park but it lists all the species they have. There’s a good chance many of those can be found throughout as well.

Where to stay.
You can see where to stay is not really a priority for me. Yes, I want to have a place to lay my head at night and I want it to be safe, but I don’t need the Ritz Carlton. So here are some cheap places I found that are worth more investigation:

Research!
I urge you to do your own research as well. There is plenty in Split that I did not mention such as several Museums, catching a show, beautiful churches and more. I am more of the keep me outside at all times kind of gal so my choices reflect that. TripAdvisor is a great place to get started looking for more.

Here are some great websites and information I came across that may be of help or just fun to look at!

Hopefully this helped you get a better idea on how to make it happen, especially those traveling to Split. But for those not, I hope you get off your butt and start planning your trip! Half the fun is planning the adventure. I actually fully enjoy all aspects of it. Planning, traveling, taking pictures, writing and sharing everything with all of you.

Now, cross your fingers that everything works out and financially and physically we can make all of this happen!  Even though I can find some cheap routes, it’s still going to take some cash to carry out. So cheers to saving.

Croatia looks amazing and I’m ready to Adventure!

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Happiness day was a success!

Posted on March 13, 2014 by Naima

Yesterday I spent way too many hours on the computer. After hours in front of the screen, I managed to fix up my website a bit and add a Freelance Writing tab. Now I have a place where you can keep up with my published work if you are interested. I also made a website for my side job. I decided to start a small dog walking business. Something to get me outside and bring in a little cash. It doesn’t hurt that I have a love of dogs and can’t wait to meet all kinds of pups! If you want to take a peek at the website before I’m fully finished here is the link: DogsBFFdallas.com. My friend came up with the name and I think it’s just the kind of sassy cute for me.

After all that time staring at the computer making websites, it finally got to me, probably due to lack of Vitamin D. So, I decided to declare my next day, Happiness day. I vowed to spend less time on the computer and do some things to make me happy.  Here I am at 6:30pm and it’s been a success.

The day started off with coffee and computer time, but not much. Just enough to check emails and get things going for the day. Next up was an almost 4 mile walk with Miss B. to meet my friend and her kiddos for lunch. She found a great spot that has a small play area for the kids right on the patio. Meeting a friend is always great for the soul. Plus making plans for the next day is even better!

katy trail

kids pancake

The walk there was a bit of a pull with Miss B. She was really more into rolling:

beaker on walk

After pulling Miss B. for four miles I realized that maybe it’s time to get her a trailer for the bike, since she is now a young ten year old. I’ve been talking about it for a while and finally decided to do some looking. I checked craigslist, thrift stores, pawn shops and nothing. Finally I decided to just see how much they were in Target and boom, Sale! I paid $75 for a 2 child trailer that also turns into a stroller. Awesome and now I’m excited for my nephews to hop on in.

I rushed home to put the trailer together, quickly hooked it up to the bike and loaded Miss B. in.  Off we were!  Headed to the lake, which at about 5 miles away is just a bit too far to walk, but a breeze to bike. I did have to stop a few times to reassure little miss whiny in the back. She didn’t love it, but she didn’t hate it.

bike

We made it to the lake, I pulled out my computer and almost let out a little yelp of happiness! As I sit on my blanket in the sun overlooking the lake, I am connected to a wireless hotspot! WHAT?! I’ve been saying lately that I wish the park had internet because I’d love to be working outside but for what I do, I really need internet access. And here I am! I don’t need to buy an overpriced coffee or anything!

me and b feet and lake

So next time you are feeling sad, lonely or down about life. Just declare the next day Happiness day and do all the things that you want to do! I was lucky to be able to do it and definitely feel excited and happy all over again. The outdoors usually does it for me.

And if you’re looking for me in the future, you can find me at this same spot overlooking the lake with INTERNET!

Happy day.

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A quick visit to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Naima

The forecast for this past Saturday was not the bright and beautiful day I hoped for.  I usually enjoy getting outside in any weather but this time I had to incorporate some little ones into the plans. So an inside adventure in Fort Worth was our plan and we headed to the Museum of Science and History.

We did forget that it is officially the start of most Spring Breaks this past weekend so the museum was packed. Being a family that isn’t too fond of crowds it did dim our mood a bit. But the museum had loads of rooms, play stations, and hands on activities for everyone.  If one area was packed you could find another that may have a little less people.  Overall we zoomed through most of the museum letting the kids have a chance to play with trains, touch a tornado, put together a skeleton, and dig for dinosaur bones.

FWMSN1 FWMSN2 FWMSN3 FWMSN4

The downstairs is full of interactive exhibits while the upstairs is more of the history exhibits focusing on Texas history with a splash of photography.  I enjoyed relearning some of the uses of cattle in our everyday products from toothpaste to cosmetics in the cattle exhibit. It grosses me out but makes me remember to think about every ingredient.  I consider myself an informed consumer but to know what every ingredient is, where it comes from and how it’s manufactured is a full time job.

The museum also offers a planetarium show that comes free with admission. We didn’t take advantage of this but I wish we did. It’s been years since I’ve been inside a planetarium and because I don’t use my constellation skills on a regular basis anymore, I notice I am forgetting my stars and planets. Plus I recently watched the Oscar winning movie, Gravity, and felt inspired by how much I don’t know about space.  Knowledge of space is always so mind bending to me, it’s hard to wrap my head around.  But just the realization that we are part of a huge galaxy is always a good reminder in life.

The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History did it’s deed. It inspired me to learn, relearn and think about something beyond my everyday life. I love random museum trips just for that reason.

To learn more about the museum and find costs visit their website at fwmuseum.org.

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Dallas Museum of Art provides free culture, art and kids activities!

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Naima

I finally made it to the Dallas Museum of Art!  About a year ago the museum decided to dispose of their entry free and open their doors to everyone, no matter what your budget.  I was ecstatic to take advantage of the open door and finally made it their this past Friday. I highly recommend taking the DART to get there.  Get off at Pearl Street or St. Paul Station and walk just a few minutes to the museum.  A $5 day pass is worth it.  There is also parking available below the museum for a small fee.

I taught a one day class for their summer camp this past summer, so I had a little insight into how much they had to offer for small children.  I invited my two nephews and sister-in-law to explore the museum with me on Friday hoping to submerse them into culture without even knowing it.  It was a success!

The kids loved exploring the Creative Connections area where they could try their hand at being artists themselves.  I was happy to join in and give it a shot too. All four rooms in the Creative Connections area were interactive and fun for the kids to touch and explore.  The old thought of “we can’t bring kids to an art museum because you can’t touch anything” is definitely not the case as the Dallas Museum of Art.  Art is meant to be made and the museum encourages hands on creativity in the Creative Connections area.

IMG_5583 IMG_5604

We also built a Lego Movie inspired design on their legos on the wall feature. Such a simple idea of mounting the lego board to the wall, really inspires kids to build out and look at something familiar in a different way.  That’s also one you can easily do at your house!

IMG_5555 IMG_5557 IMG_5558

We did take some time to explore some of the “no touch” art halls as well. The kids enjoyed picking out objects within the art that they could recognize such as trains, snakes, moons, elephants and more.  I really think exposing kids to art culture at a young age encourages them to dream big. The world is such a large place with so much to offer.  Viewing art from around the world really opens up their minds to something besides cartoons. Dream big little ones.

IMG_5565 IMG_5551

After exploring the inside of the museum and making it through what we could of the “no touch” areas we decided to venture outside. It just so happened to be a beautiful day in the 70s. Directly across the street from the Dallas Museum of Art is the free Klyde Warren Park.

Klyde Warren Park is privately developed green space created on an overpass in the heart of Dallas.  There is a kids playground (that was unfortunately closed for repairs on Friday), rotating food trucks, green space, book shelves, board games, ping pong, dog park, stage, and now a new restaurant.  The kids quickly found the small water fountains and it was an easy decision to let them play in the water.

IMG_5578

It was a fabulous afternoon letting the kids and myself explore our creative sides.  I do want to go back and visit the museum to really soak in the “no touch” areas.  But with more trips back with the kids, they will just get better and better at the routine.

Dream big, kids.  Dream big.

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Eggs – what shall I buy?

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Naima

Eggs have 100 different varieties now and it’s tough to decide between organic, free-range, white, brown, all natural, vegetarian fed, and every other label they put on there. I have most of my grocery shopping down to a science, knowing what is the good, the bad and the ugly to stay away from.  But eggs and their hundreds of names confuse the heck out of me.

So I finally decided to do some background research and figure out which one I should buy.  Unfortunately my news is less than optimal.  As soon as you enter the grocery store your chances of buying a humanely raised, good quality egg diminishes.  Standards are not regulated and there are many opportunities for an egg to be contaminated with a chemical in the process.

But first -let’s throw some info out there about eggs that will help you understand the egg aisle a bit better.

  • Different states require different cleaning of eggs.  Some states require eggs to go through a chlorine or lye bath and mineral coating.  The cleaning process of the shell can effect the inside quality.  Egg shells are porous and the cleaning process strips the egg of the protective membrane.  Meaning whatever you put on the outside, ends up on the inside.  Some chefs can tell the egg has been treated with mineral oil as they can not create the “stiff peaks” in their dishes.
  • Most chicken eggs are factory farmed under horrible conditions.  I won’t go into much but if you are unsure of what I mean, google it and squint (I have to squint to make it not so gruesome).
  • Cage-free – means the chickens are in an open barn, have bedding on the ground and have nesting boxes higher up to lay their eggs.  So if you think about this, they can still be in very tight quarters but they are not in a cage.  My question – do they still do the beak trimming? agh.
  • Free-range or free-roaming – means the chickens are not in cages and have access to an outside area.  They can be housed outside or have the option to go in and out. But there are no requirements on how long they are outside or how much sunlight they get.
  • Organic – they can be in cages or not.  Mostly they are not.  They are fed organic feed and not given any antibiotics, vaccines or hormones.
  • Vegetarian-fed – Hens are fed a feed that does not contain any animal or fish byproduct.  They are usually kept in cages so they can not peck the ground and eat any worms.  What?! Chickens love worms and insects!  Sorry, that was my big eye opener as I usually buy the vegetarian fed. Yes, I don’t want them to eat cow parts in their feed but I do want them to eat bugs!
  • Pasteurized – brought to a temperature of 140 degrees F for 3 minutes.  With the big salmonella outbreak in 2010 a lot of people want their eggs pasteurized.   It is not required that eggs are pasteurized.
  • Natural – ummm I’m still searching for what this means… nothing!  The final product (the egg) has not undergone any unnatural process.  What does that mean?  Who knows.
  • Omega -3 enriched – does not tell you anything about how the animals were treated. They are fed a diet high in omega-3s. What is the form of the omega 3s?  Probably unsustainable fish but I don’t know. It differs with each farm.
  • Pastured – hens are raised in portable grass shelters that are moved to provide fresh grass.  BUT there is no one checking that this is actually what happens.

So the answer?!  Don’t buy at the grocery store.  The best eggs to buy are straight from a person that has chickens in their backyard. Find someone locally. Or even better get a few chickens for your backyard!  I had the best time growing up with chickens.  There was a point I begged my parents to let me have the baby chicks in my bedroom for two weeks!  It finally got dusty enough they had to go.

Try your local farmer’s market to find some good local home grown eggs.  Need help finding one try this website: localharvest.org/farmers-markets

Ok but sometimes we just don’t have that option and we find ourselves in the grocery store. I rely on GoodGuide.  It would take months to do the background research on every egg company and try and figure out which one is the best.  Luckily GoodGuide does the work for us.  They don’t have every egg brand out there but they at least give you some good choices to buy.  The GoodGuide app rates items (over 200,000 in their database) on three categories, 1. Society, 2. Environmental and 3. Health.  If you have never used the app before I highly suggest downloading and scanning some products in the grocery store. It’s a huge help trying to decipher the madness that is the grocery store shelves.

So what does GoodGuide tell you for eggs?
Highest rated is Organic Valley egg whites in the carton – pasteurized.  Any of the Organic Valley ones seem to be the highest rating followed by a not so close Horizon Organic brand.  The lowest on the list, the ShopRite brand.

So let’s see how I did:

eggs

Organic, cage free, omega 3.  Not bad? Of course this is not in the GoodGuide system yet but still good to scan because every time you scan they are working hard to do the research and add those products.  These were not that expensive either at $3.  I try and choose the ones in the middle, not the 99 cent brands but also not the break my bank $6 brands either.

And one more thing – should you buy A or AA?  Between A and AA there really isn’t too much difference. AA is actually better quality but A is fine too.  Eggs are candled and judged on their interior and exterior quality. For a great summary of the differences of the grading process check out this website: aeb.org/foodservice-professionals/egg-products

Good luck out there and happy egg eating!

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The Science of Happiness.

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Naima

This past Saturday I had the lucky opportunity to attend “The Science of Happiness: Surprising new insights into human nature”, a lecture by professor Catherine Sanderson of Amherst College.  I was excited to go and equally excited I didn’t have to pay the hefty $150 ticket price.   I think lots of us could benefit from the talk yet not a lot of us have $150 to spend on a 3 hour lecture.

For three hours, about 75 of us sat in a large hall in downtown Dallas enthralled by professor Sanderson.  She has a great sense of reality and came through with making the audience laugh more than a few times.  As I eagerly took notes, she was kind enough to offer us her presentation via an email, but that didn’t stop me from jotting things down.  It pays to take notes though, because a good speaker only uses the slides for cues and most of their impactful information is relayed over the engaging spoken word.  Professor Sanderson utilized several scientific studies throughout her presentation as well as intertwined her own reality of being married with three kids.  I do wish I had her works cited so I could read some of the studies myself but there were so many it was great to have them all summed up into one easy to understand talk.

So let me share with you some little tidbits from the talk that I found enlightening and may interest you.  I want to share the info I learned yet also leave in tact all of Professor Sanderson’s work she did on her presentation.  She is a really great speaker and my words here will never be equal to seeing her give the presentation in real life.

Things that you would think make you happy but don’t:
1. Money – yes we have all heard this before but it’s nice to have science back that up.  I don’t need to be rich to be happy.  On the other hand, if I am below the poverty level, money does make me happy – shoot it feeds me!
2. Education – that’s right! the more education you have the more pressure to succeed.  This hit home for me, as when pursuing my masters degree and nearing the end of my thesis work I was always asked, “where will you do your phd or what will you study for your phd?!”
3. Climate – this one is interesting because if you know me at all you have heard me say, “I need to move to the equator!” I like to think that warm weather all the time would make me happy but science says we adapt to whatever the climate is.
4. Great Life Events – if I could just do this, I would be happy.  Turns out if I could just meet this milestone makes us happy for a second, and then we’re acclimated yet again.
5. Children – I found this funny.  Being at a point in my life where I need to figure out if kids are on the coming horizon or not, the data basically says, kids will drive you crazy on a day to day basis.  Nothing we really didn’t know but good to be blunt about it.  And to you parents out there, yes, overall parents say kids make them happy but when scientifically asked on a day to day moment and asked to report their happiness, parents report not being happy.

So what does make us happy?

  • FOOD! As I sit here typing this post and gorging on chocolate I already know that fatty, high sugar foods make us happy.  Completely not on my Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) diet, science tells me I have to eat this chocolate to be happy!  Ok, that’s just a complete exaggeration to make myself feel better about popping this chocolate into my mouth.
  • The other one on the makes us happy list I was happy to see, Nature!  This isn’t just going on a ten mile hike, it can be viewing pictures of nature or having a window with access to a park, trees or water.  The one study Professor Sanderson mentioned that sticks out to me is a study of people that underwent the same surgery.  Half were on a wing of the hospital that overlooked a parking lot and half overlooking a park.  The half overlooking the park recovered faster and needed less pain meds.  CRAZY!  (and yes, I wish I knew the scientific paper so I could cite it instead of telling the story I heard, but for what it is, it’s still impressive).
  • The others: Behaviors (exercising, shopping, sex), Age, Personality, Relationships, Gender, Religion (religious or spiritual people are happier despite what religion).

Although happiness does have a genetic component and some people have an easier time being happy than others, it is great to know that you can increase happiness in your own life no matter what.  Professor Sanderson used so many good quotes in her talk it’s hard to pull out just a few to mention but this one by the author of “Eat, Pray, Love” Elizabeth Gilbert sums up the power of effort to make yourself happy:

“Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.” by Elizabeth Gilbert

At the end of the presentation Professor Sanderson left us with ten strategies to increase happiness in your own life.  The four that I have already repeated in everyday life or just thought more about are: 1.  Spend money on the right things!  Yes to experiences and No to belongings.  2. Change your mindset – everything is not a tragedy.  3. Figure out your strengths and find a way to use them. 4. Perform 5 random acts of kindness a day.

I know this sounds crazy and fits right in with the eternal optimist Professor Sanderson describes, but I feel like I was meant to attend this talk.  Life puts you on a path and lately I made the vow to say yes to opportunities such as this rather than no.  Yes opens your mind and can open doors.  I was happy engaging in the presentation and I am happy to write about it.

I’ll take the science and my enthusiasm to continue to say Yes to things I want to do and have the confidence and heart to say No to things that are not on my path.  I’m taking control of my life and building my path.  Although there were many events leading up to this talk for me, it was ultimately this talk that pushed me toward this feeling.  Yes and No together can be powerful.

Say Yes but say No sometimes. 🙂

I almost forgot the best stat I took away from the entire talk.  People that experience failure are ultimately happier in the end!  So when you are down, pick yourself up because you finally had that experience to begin your path to the sky.  You have to get knocked down to pick yourself up even higher.

Lastly, I want to leave you with a few of the other Great quotes Professor Sanderson used in her talk.  I love them, wrote them down and have started a file entitled “quotes” for those moments I need some inspiration.

“Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours.” by Dale Carnegie

“Money has never made man happy, nor will it, there is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more of it one has the more one wants.”  by Benjamin Franklin

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” by Teddy Roosevelt

Smile – even when you aren’t happy, it will make you happy.

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My apps to empower nature, not discourage it.

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Naima

After writing a column about how technology empowers us to enjoy nature for the Dallas Morning News (click here to read it), many people have contacted me asking what are the best apps to find nearby trails and what are some apps to have some fun in the outdoors while maybe learning a little.

First, let me preface my recommendations with two important things to think about:

1. There are a lot of great trail or hiking apps out there that are regional so I highly suggest typing into the google search engine  “best hike or trail apps in your city”.   It would be hard to list all of the different city apps but sometimes the local apps are much better than the nationwide apps.

2. I don’t like to pay for an app.  There are so many free options out there I like to skate by and save a few bucks instead of paying any cost.  So if I suggest one that costs money, something must be good about it.  But there may also be some great apps that cost a bit that quite frankly I just have not given a shot.

So let’s get to it.  Here are some apps to encourage you to get outside!

  1. AllTrails.  This is the best app for finding out where in a city you can get your walk/hike on.  Users can also rate the trails and write reviews, which a lot of people have so it’s easy to find the exact spot that you are looking for.  This is a nationwide app but is quite encompassing.  It also allows you to filter by dog friendly and biking, etc.
  2. Project Noah and iNaturalist.  These are two different apps but basically have the same premise.  You can start taking pictures of what you find out in nature, upload the pictures, and if you don’t know what it is other naturalists will help you identify it!  It’s like nature’s social network.  Both allow you to join projects or missions which are trying to find certain species or just document all species in the area.  The benefit of doing that on Project Noah, is you can easily click to see what was recently seen on a mission to see if anything rare or something you’ve been wanting to see is currently out.
  3. Peterson Field Guide.  Ok so this one costs $ but fret not, I got it for 99 cents.  It is normally $12.99 but they run a deal every once in a while for the special price.  Jump on it and download.  While your out exploring your area or even just looking out the window at your house or office pull out this app to help you identify birds.  The app is very comprehensive and also has the bird calls so you can play them right there and then to see if they match up to what you are listening to.  Fabulous App!
  4. Skyview Free.  Out at night?  Figure out what constellations you are looking at.  I used to know a lot more constellations and time of year to see which ones but now I have to refer to this quick app to help me along my way.  Fun to look up into the sky and dream.

Ok but what do I really end up using most of the time?

  1. Google Maps – It’s amazing how easy it is to type in whatever you need (hike, trail) in the search engine and find it.  There are also probably the most number of people using that app so everything has some reviews so you can see how people are enjoying the location.  The only thing is, I find a lot is not very current reviews so I prefer the other apps if I am looking for real time data.  Usually I find what I want on Google Maps and then head over to another app to read more about the site.
  2. Instagram  and PicsArt– As much as I like documenting what I see, I really just like taking pictures of what I find.  Maybe it’s my creative side but I love taking pictures.  I usually snap a picture and then later on put it on my Instagram or take some time to really edit it on PicsArt.  PicsArt is like having an easy photoshop on your iphone.  Fun to mess around with and opportunities are endless.
  3. Internet Explorer.  Wherever I am headed I usually spend the travel time there googling and searching the internet for where I need to go and what I need to see.  Last time I headed to Austin I was determined to make it a swimming weekend.  I googled Best Swimming Holes in Austin, Texas and read more and more till I routed my plan of attack for the weekend.  The internet at your fingertips is quite frankly, amazing.

Now don’t go crazy.  Pick one app at a time and check it out.  Downloading all of them can be daunting.  Just give it a try and get outside.  There are always more I want to check out: and the current app I want to download but haven’t done so… Charity Miles.  Apparently you can earn money for your chosen charity by walking/hiking/biking.  Hmmm seems pretty cool!

I’m not saying your phone should be your only tool to find some great spots to encourage you to get outside. There are some great stores to check out and fun guidebooks that can’t be found anywhere online.  But where can you find out about these great stores and books?… online and on your phone of course!

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My last minute Valentine’s Day.

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Naima

So if you are like me, you maybe don’t really think there should be too much hype in Valentine’s Day, but you figure you should join the party somewhat.  I mean, I am all for celebrating love and embracing love, but I am not for spending a lot of money on worthless items.  If you get me flowers, they better be potted perennials.

So, here are my last minute easy ideas to celebrate love with someone.  Some are more green than others but none involve spending lots of money.

1. Pack his/her lunch the night before.  Make some home made cookies to throw in there too and always add a little note.

2. Order him/her lunch to their job!  This one would be great for me as my boyfriend loves eating out and would be surprised and excited about lunch he didn’t have to think about.

3. For the gal – run her a bath with some amazing fizzballs or bath salts.  I would be ecstatic to come home to a hot drawn bath.

4. For the guy – download the redbox movie app and let him pick it out and you go pick it up.   In my house, that’s gold.

5. If you live in Dallas – go to Trader Joes and pick out some fair trade chocolate and 2 buck chuck.

6. Outdoor date – I think we will hit up another frisbee golf course this weekend and I’ll pack us a lunch.  Weather says 70 for Saturday and Sunday!

7.  Plant a tree through the Arbor Day Foundation!  If you were dating me, this would be a perfect gift.  But there must be others out there who would like it too. Click here for the link.

8. Shop your local thrift store!  I think I may head to the “Buffalo Exchange” right down the street from me to see if they have anything for senor boyfriend.  I usually find some t-shirts and things that are right up his alley for way cheap.

Good luck with your Valentine’s Day and most important, have fun!

WITH LOVE!

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