by Mardi Allen, Life Coach, Mardi@CoachMardi.net

Reasons…Or Excuses?

Do you make the same New Year’s resolution every year? If it is to lose weight, you are not alone, as it is the number one change most people want to make. In working with over 1,600 clients about their desire to lose weight, I have noticed there are many reasons people are not successful…or, are they excuses?

The way you answer this question is important for moving forward in the weight loss process. It you have a belief system that there are valid reasons why you don’t lose weight, you can become paralyzed, stuck, and unable to move forward. After all, you can tell yourself that it is out of your hands.

Here are two of the top excuses I hear:

I quit smoking.

Is it possible to put weight on when you stop smoking? Of course. While nearly 80% of people who quit smoking gain weight, the average weight gain after quitting is just five pounds, which can be taken off in less than a month. Keep in mind that over 55% of people who continue to smoke will also gain weight. On the other hand, it is possible to stop smoking and not gain weight. According to the American Heart Association, quitting smoking doesn’t mean you will automatically gain weight.

I am just big-boned.

I often hear clients say they are overweight because they are big-boned. While bone structure does vary in density, length, and size from person to person, it does not have much influence on healthy weight ranges. If you believe your weight problems are solely due to the size of your bones, you are disempowering yourself. A person’s bone structure has no bearing on whether he or she is thin, overweight, or obese. You have convinced yourself you are not in control of your weight, and that puts you in the passenger seat of your own health.

So, what is your excuse?

Once you realize that your reasons are actually excuses, you can dispel your misguided belief system and move forward with the process of attaining and maintaining your ideal weight.

by Byron Cogburn, Cogburn’s Service General

What do we want on these cold wintery days, we want to turn on our central heat and air unit and have it deliver perfect temperature, exactly when we want it. The hard part for most of us is to determine when the unit is not running efficiently. It may be on and it may be putting out warm air but is it working too hard? Good maintenance is the essential factor to assure your system will be working when you want it and continues to work at it’s optimum efficiently.

Your HVAC unit is no different from your car. In order to keep it running and running at the maximum efficiency, you have to keep up with several key maintenance processes like oil, spark plugs, battery. Your HVAC unit also needs regular attention to run efficiently and effectively.

No matter what type of heating and cooling system you have, there are several things you can do to keep the system in top condition.

Actions to Do Yourself

• Inspect, clean, or change air filters once a month in your central air conditioner, furnace, and/or heat pump. Your contractor can show you how to do this. A dirty filter can increase energy costs and damage your equipment, leading to early failure.
• Keep the area around and near your unit clean and free of debris.
• Check for leaks and cracks.
• Make sure vents are no blocked with furniture, curtains and plants.

A service professional can help you with the more in depth system checks listed below.

10-Point Check for Heating Systems

• Clean & Inspect Heat Exchanger & HydroScan Test
• Clean Blower Compartment
• Check and Inspect Flue Pipe & Collector
• Check and Adjust Manifold Gas Pressure
• Inspect Evaporator Coil & Duct Work for Cleanliness & Air Leaks
• Test Over Temperature Safeties
• Test Flame Roll-Out Safeties
• Test Heat Exchanger for Carbon-Monoxide Leaks
• Check Calibration of Thermostat

• Clean & Wax Exposed Metal Surface

Efficient operation is a function of good regular maintenance. A portion of the maintenance should be your responsibility to handle yourself but good scheduled maintenance from a service professional is a vital part of keeping your system in good efficient shape.

by Dennis Smith, Dennis’ Farm Store

It is time to start planning for the spring gardens. Really? With cold winds, a little ice and maybe even some snow in our yards and gardens still? January and February are actually important times for your upcoming seasons, time to get started on getting started.

Start with cleaning and weeding the flower beds and garden areas and start tilling in several inches of compost. If you use raised beds it is also time to adjust, anchor and just generally fix up the area. And the same for your general garden areas, get them cleaned up and adjusted so all that process is done before you are actually ready to start putting plants in the ground.

If you plan to seed some plants and flowers indoors you can start the process late in January (tomatoes, peppers, marigolds, periwinkles). Those that are safe for planting in late January are Pansies, Violas, snapdragons, petunias, alyssum, ornamental cabbages and kale. Also bulbs like tulips and daffodils are ready in January.

Your onions, potatoes, garlic and asparagus, English peas and spinach will be ready for outside planting late in January and early February. And if you are interested in trying grapevines or blackberries, this is a good time to plant those.

Nice days and sunshine in February will make you tempted to grab some tomato plants for early outside planting. Your chances for success are slim and you will probably be back purchasing more plants to replace them in mid to late March.

February is North Texas garden ready time and the following vegetables will be in stock and ready for planting in the mid month: beets, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce, potatoes and radishes.

Climbing roses should be trained but not pruned at this time. Remove dead or weak canes, and weave long canes through openings in trellises or arbors. Securing canes now will prevent possible damage from winter/spring winds.. Hold off on pruning bush roses until late February. Use good shears that will make clean cuts. Remove approximately one-half of the top growth and height of the plant. Now is an excellent time to plant container-grown roses to fill in bare spots in your rose garden by spring.

Remember, having the beds ready ahead of time will make your actual planting time much easier and will give your garden a head start. With a year of lots more rain and a lot less heat, we will be bountiful gardeners, so let’s plan on all three.

by Debra K. Owens

I had an unfortunate experience, one that will forever leave its distasteful mark upon my mind. My husband and I decided it was time to trade in our car for a newer car. We visited several dealerships, test drove various vehicles and ventured into the verbally exhausting and drawn out negotiations with the sales staff. Once all the paperwork was completed, appraisals made and credit reports researched, we received a surprising revelation. “Mr. and Mrs. Owens, did you know your trade-in was wrecked prior to purchasing it?” The salesman presented a piece of paper outlining the history of our Chrysler Aspen. Our jaws hit the table as we read the three-page report.

My husband, needless to say, was furious. Within minutes, he was on the phone with the sales manager of the mega huge dealership, the same one that airs its reputation across the airwaves of our local television stations claiming to be upfront, honest, trustworthy and selling only vehicles that have been pre-certified. I didn’t know you could certify a previously wrecked car, but apparently you can. I’ll not mention the name of said business in this story, as its purpose is to enlighten the reader to take caution when purchasing a new or used car and to thoroughly investigate your options prior to making a final decision. And yes, a NEW car can have a wrecked history, if it has not been properly titled to the buyer yet.

Eventually the issue was resolved, not completely to our satisfaction, but the mega huge dealership bought back our Chrysler Aspen. Regrettably, we lost money on the deal, which we expected since car dealerships are in the market to make money, not lose money, no matter who’s at fault.

If there was any positive to our unpleasant predicament, it was that we learned a person can obtain in depth information about a new or used vehicle before they sign the dotted line. It’s called CARFAX. This company has computer banks full of data on just about every car you can imagine, as long as it has a legal and viable VIN number (also known as the “Vehicle Identification Number”).

You can access the service on their website, www.carfax.com, and click on the links that apply to your circumstance (i.e. accidents, lemons, floods, odometer readings, number of owners, airbags deployed, frame damage, service records, etc.). There is a fee involved, but I promise you, it’s worth every penny. I know this family will never buy another car again without getting the facts with CARFAX.

by Carli Trest

Sparkly bandeaus, kitten heels and sexy styles have many parents concerned. There are plenty of varied opinions on the matter, a few will be as far in one direction on the subject as those completely in the opposite side.

It’s not just at the bargain store that you find the shoes and clothes that are concerning parents. Shoes with half-inch heels, in sizes small enough for toddlers are at top children’s clothing retail shops. Halter tops with lacy fronts and padded cups are becoming a bit too normal in junior departments at major stores. And marketing, from some major retailers are barking the hype that this type of dress is appropriate for younger girls.

Recently a $25 padded bikini top targeting preteens crashed and burned just a few weeks after public outcry sent a top brand store executive group slinking back to the boardroom to revisit their marketing strategy. The padded “push-up” triangle bikini top peddled to girls ages 7 to 14, was first “re-categorized,” according to the company statement and then the top disappeared from the website entirely.

Many parents are upset about a popular shoe commercial advertising for girls. The sneaker, first marketed to adults, is supposed to help tone backsides and thighs. Now, they apparently think little girls could use the shoes, too. The animated commercial, airing on children’s TV networks, features a young seemingly popular girl named Heidi wearing the shoe. Heidi sings “She’s got the height, got the bounce, yeah she’s looking good and having fun because she’s got the shoes.” It is just one more example of how commercialism is playing a big role in influencing their choices.

Now we can also mix in the temptation of the hottest dolls in the toy aisle, dolls with overblown lips, smoky eyes and hot pants, again, young girls are being sent a message that implies “this is how you should look.” Even our beloved long time Barbie has decided to get tattoos!

For all those marketing ploys that have made a big fiery crash with parents and consumers man, many more are silently hitting the shelves and the sales registers. Too often you are having lunch at the local bakery & soup bar and see a young girl scamper by with a trendy t-shirt or sweat pants that are stamped across the chest or derriere with words like “juicy” or “hot to the touch.” Parents responding to questions on the matter answered saying, ‘It’s one thing when an older teen girl goes shopping and comes home with skinny jeans and a pair of high heels but when you see a seven-year-old wearing something similar, there had to be an adult along for the ride when that outfit was purchased.

Public opinion on the topic is pretty clear. Two recent polls on an opinion website, SodaHead.com, show 51 percent of respondents agreeing that “young girls dress too sexy.” Thank goodness it was 51%, shameful that it was only 51%.

Kicking the tires is an action that is synonymous with checking the soundness and quality of tires, but in reality, it doesn’t really tell you much of anything at all except maybe the amount of padding in your shoe.

There are a lot of myths and misinformation on the subject. More often than not, drivers don’t really know when their tires need replacing, they don’t know how to inflate them properly and they are clueless to essential basic care details. Maintaining properly filled and quality tires will not only increase the safety of your vehicle but can also make your car more fuel efficient, so you should take the time to brush up on your facts and bust those tire myths.

Myth: You should maintain a lower operating tire pressure in the winter than in the summer

Fact: Some drivers will lower tire pressure in the winter in an attempt to gain more traction and control on icy roads, but in reality driving on too-low tires can cause damage and make your vehicle less safe in dangerous conditions. Tire pressure will naturally lower in the winter without any action on your part. Tire pressure should be checked monthly.

Myth: I should inflate my tires according to the pressure indicated on the tire sidewall.

Fact: The handwriting’ is not on the wall – the tire sidewall, that is. Molded into the sidewall is the tire’s maximum inflation pressure, not the manufacturer-recommended pressure. Because the function of air in a tire is to support the weight-carrying potential of a vehicle, tires are built and rated to carry certain load capacities, and automakers select those sizes compatible with the ride, handling, traction, fuel economy and load requirements of their vehicles. For normal operation, follow inflation pressure recommendations in the owner’s manual or on the vehicles placard located in the glove box or on the door post.

Myth: A tread pattern is required for great traction on dry roads.

Fact: A tire without any tread provides the best results for dry traction due to the maximum amount of rubber touching the road. A tread pattern, with its groove voids, actually lessens this traction on dry roads. The role of tread is to act as a squeegee in wet conditions and removes water from under the tire and channels it through the grooves for improved wet traction.

Tires can be a substantial investment for your vehicle, knowing some of the facts will help you not only maintain them but increase their life and your value. Remember that even premium tires can show signs of premature or uneven treadwear without proper alignment, and it will cause excessive tire wear as well as increases fuel consumption, so make sure you check it periodically. Regular tire rotation about every 6,000 to 8,000 miles promotes more uniform wear for all tires on a vehicle.