Just because February is coming to a close, doesn’t mean that it’s time to forget about our hearts.  The facts are sobering and demand our attention.  Heart disease is the number one killer among women.  One in four women die of heart disease, with women in the 40-60 age range at the highest risk.

That made me stop and read it again.

Some risk factors are hereditary and beyond our control, but other risk factors can be lessened by modifying our diets.  One simple way to change your diet is by adding foods that are high in anti-oxidants, resulting in two benefits – helping to maintain a healthy weight and reducing risk factors of heart disease.

There are some many fruits that are high in anti-oxidants that it makes an easy addition to your diet.  Whether you prefer them raw, or want to add them to a favorite dish, they make a perfect snack food or addition to a full meal.  And they taste good, too!

Here are some heart healthy fruits that you can add into your diet.

1. Berries:  Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries
2. Plums and prunes
3. Cranberries
4. Apples:  Red delicious, Granny Smith, Gala
5. Cherries
6. Red grapes (one glass of red wine is okay as well)
7. Pomegranates (great eaten plain or on salads, and the juice can be used for a basting sauce on skinless chicken)
8. Citrus fruit:  oranges, pineapples, grapefruit
9. Kiwi fruit
10. Tomatoes (officially a fruit, not a vegetable)

I picked up some strawberries and raspberries at the store yesterday, and have eaten some plain.  I’m going to use the rest to make a smoothie, and keep some raspberries to mash up to add to a salad dressing for dinner.  How easy is that to eat well and healthy!

How do you add heart healthy fruits into your diet?

Photo credit: SXC

Roses are a wonderful flower to receive and to give, and they are full of subtle, and not so subtle meaning. With Valentine’s Day later this week, soon to be followed by Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduation, weddings, engagements, and all sorts of special events coming up, roses are sure to be in high demand.

Sending roses is full of subtle, and not-so-subtle meaning, so consider the meaning of the color of roses before making a selection on what to send:

• Red – A traditional symbol of love and romance, it’s the classic way to say I LOVE YOU. Red roses are popular for romantic occasions, engagements, and as declarations of love and devotion.
• Pink – A symbol of grace and elegance, pink roses are an expression of admiration, appreciation and joyfulness. Pink roses are often sent when a relationship is not yet ready for declarations of love.
• Yellow – This sunny color evokes warmth and happiness, and are a symbol of joy and friendship. Send yellow roses to friends, family members, and anyone with whom you share a special happy moment.
• White – Representing innocence and purity, white rose are traditionally associated with weddings and new beginnings. It is also a symbol of honor, reverence, and remembrance. White roses are often seen at wedding and funerals.
• Orange – This energetic color is representative of desire and enthusiasm, and orange roses symbolize passion, excitement, and a fiery romantic passion. Orange roses are appropriate for passionate relationships.
• Lavender – This unusual color is a symbol of enchantment, and this color is often used to express the giddy feelings of love at first sight. Send lavender roses the first time you send flowers, along with the promise and excitement of what could be.

If you have a special occasion that you are celebrating, don’t forget to pick up some roses for yourself!

Photo credit: SXC

When romance and an unlimited budget go hand in hand, Valentine’s Day is not quite as daunting as it is when you’re rich in love, but poor in dollars.  This year, spend more time and effort than money and create a romantic experience for the love of your life.

Here are 7 suggestions that are practically FREE:

1. Eat by candlelight. Whether it’s lobster and filet mignon or a cheese pizza, bring out the good china (if you have some) and light a few candles.  Heck, why not light a lot of candles.  Everything tastes better by candlelight.
2. Put on some music.  Whether it’s background music during dinner, something soft and sexy to dance to, or a real sexy bump and grind for a little playful stripping, music has long been the language of love.
3. Bubble bath a deux.  When you can’t afford the bubbles that go in a champagne flute, you can still pick up the kind that go in the tub.  Spring for some lush smelling products, and then shut out the real world and let the steamy water work its magic.  Before long you won’t know which is steamier –the water of the two of you.
4. Wish upon a star.  Whether it’s a falling star or merely the first star you see that night, wishing upon a star expresses the desire and hope for a shared future.  Sure, you may be struggling this year, but wishing for a bright future that you share together is a wonderful sign of love and commitment.
5. Write a love letter.  Think it sounds sappy?  Not a chance.  I was cleaning through some boxes the other day and came across a love letter from many moons ago.  It still warms my heart, and bring a tear to my eye, after all these years.
6. Find a romantic view.  Share a sunset or sunrise, look out at the water, catch a glimpse of the country or an urban view.  The important thing is to share the beauty of the moment with someone you love.
7. Create a memory.  Be honest about both your love and your financial circumstances and find a way to create a memory that you’ll be able to look back on fondly.  Go for a walk, dream about your future, watch a movie, or hold hands.  Live and love in the moment, and you’ll look back on it for years to come.

Do you have a practically FREE way to celebrate Valentine’s Day?  Please leave your ideas in the comments.

Photo credit:  SXC

February is National Heart Month, and it’s a good time to examine your life habits to make sure you’ll be around and healthy for as long, long time.  There are lots of little changes that you can make in your life, but one of the easiest, and fun, habits is to incorporate drinking a glass of red wine a day.

Red wine is full of all sorts of wonderful anti-oxidant stuff, but perhaps most importantly it tastes good and it’s good for you.  How easy it to follow good habits when they’re so tasty?

Drinking a glass of wine every day can get expensive, though.  That’s why it’s important to know how to sleuth out great wine bargains and stock up when your favorites are on sale.

While there’s no substitute for a knowledgeable and friendly wine manager at your local wine shop or supermarket, here are 15 go-to choices for under $15 a bottle.

1. Hedges Cellars Columbia Valley CMS (Washington State).  Drinking this will keep your heart healthy, and support the economy in my home state.  Whoever thought that drinking wine would be so healthy AND politically correct?!
2. J. Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon (California). Cabs are my favorite, but they can expensive.  This one is tasty and affordable.
3. 7 Deadly Zins (California).  Love the name, and it goes well with a big dish of grilled vegetables.
4. Masciarelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Italy).  I’ve become partial to the red wine from the corner of the world after I started vacationing in Tuscany.  Every little cafe offers a liter of inexpensive table wine.  This is a reasonable re-creation of that experience.
5. Estancia Pinot Noir (California).  I’m not a big pinot fan, even after the movie Sideways made it popular.  This one seems to be a popular inexpensive choice, though.
6. Jacob’s Creek Shiraz (Australia).  Simple and uncomplicated.
7. Bonny Doon Big House Red (California).  Keep your eye out and you can find this one for under $10.
8. Yellow Tail Shiraz (Australia).  A very popular inexpensive choice.
9. Ravenswood Merlot (California).  I’ve been a Ravenswood fan since I visited the winery many years ago.  They have a wide price range, but there are some good choices at the lower end.
10. Wishing Tree Shiraz (Australia).  Another all-around, generally popular choice.
11. Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (California).  A new addition to my wine cellar that came with good reviews.
12. Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot (Washington State).  Another chance to drink one for the home team!
13. Ryan Patrick Vineyards Rock Island Red (Washington State).  Another local wine, this one recommended by the wine manager at my local market.
14. Three Buck Chuck (California).  This is Trader Joe’s house wine, and while I don’t personally like this one, it has legions of fans.  Several of the wines have won some fairly impressive awards.  Even in a blind tasting, however, I passed on this one.   Your experience and taste buds may vary.
15. Chateau Rossi (Washington State).  A little home-brewed wine made by a dear friend.  He’s branched out from Zinfandel to Merlot, and some blends, too.  Both are good, with a healthy alcohol content!

And a delicious choice that is so far over $15 that it isn’t even funny:

1. Tenuta Friggiali Riserva Brunello di Montalcino (Italy).  I tasted many Brunello wines in Italy, but this one is available at home. Expensive, but delicious!

Let February be the month that you incorporate a glass of wine into your daily habits.  Being healthy never tasted so good!

If you have a favorite inexpensive red wine, please leave the details in the comments.

Photo credit:  SXC

I’m a big fan of Christmas.  I love all the lights and decorations, the holiday music, putting up a tree, wrapping up presents, going to holiday get-togethers, and eating way too many Christmas cookies.  It makes me happy, brings a smile to my face, and puts a little joy in my heart.

But what it doesn’t do is stress me out over holiday shopping!  Let’s be honest here – I love to shop any time of the year.  It doesn’t bother me to go to the mall, to find a cute little boutique, or to hunt down a charming locally owned shop.  It’s fun for me.  As is picking out the perfect gift for someone.

This process has led me to realize that there isn’t a whole lot that I need at Christmas time – at least in the way of presents.  I’m blessed to be gainfully employed in a job that I enjoy and to be earning money blogging about travel (my passion).  I have a roof over my head, clothes on my back, and food on the table.  I have everything that I need, and most of what I want.  In fact, I really have too much stuff, and am concentrating more on the intangible riches of life – relationships, experiences, and enjoyment.

After purchasing a few gifts, and I mean a very few, I focused my energy and funds on adopting a family that is facing some challenges this Christmas time.  The family is an older single mom with a five year old little boy with special needs.  This is a family who has challenges every time of the year, and it just shouldn’t be that way at Christmas.  Because Christmas is for kids.  And that dear, sweet little boy, who faces challenges and complications every day of his life, should wake up on Christmas morning and be able to forget about all of that – even if it’s just for one day.  He should find presents beneath his tree and have a Christmas dinner with all the trimmings.  And mom, who gives everything to make life better for that little boy, should have some things to make her life easier, too.  A few things for around the house, and maybe a special, pretty something that’s all for her.

Today I went shopping for my special adopted family, working from a list that United Way (the agency who matched up the adoption) filled out for them.  The list divided up the urgent needs and special wants for each person.  Just reading the list made me get all weepy.  These requests were so incredibly modest – a shower curtain, socks and underwear, and a hair cut.  United Way asks that we get at least one gift for each person, along with providing a holiday meal.  One gift just didn’t seem right –- and no one’s Christmas present should just be a shower curtain.

So I went a little crazy.  And a bought bunches of stuff.  I was like a kid in a candy shop, picking out all the urgent needs, and lots of the special wants as well.  I can’t change this family’s circumstances, that is far beyond my ability.  But I want this family, so rich in love, to have some tangible riches as well.  That I have the ability to do.

If you are blessed this holiday season, give your local United Way a call and ask if they have any more families that need adopting for Christmas.  The list is long, the need is high, and chances are there’s a family that could use a little helping hand.  Even at this late date, there is a family waiting. . . and hoping.  Do it because it feels good.  Do it because you don’t need any more stuff.  Do it because you’re giving back or paying it forward.  Do it because Christmas is for kids.  And everyone should get to be a kid at Christmas.

Photo credit: SXC