sightsandinsights

Not sure who “They” are, but they say that “You’re just one workout away from a good mood”. For many years, I thought I wanted to punch whoever “They” are. But, now I think I may get it. I am not one to workout, but am recently beginning to appreciate walking. I have been walking more than ever before, and it’s affecting me in a positive way. Ok, so I don’t think I’m walking fast enough or long enough for those endorphins to kick in, but with all the hormones raging within me these days, I can only imagine what I’d be like with the additional hormone just pushing its way in me. There are benefits of any workout, be it heavy and strenuous or like mine, very low impact and infrequent. Although if you’re just beginning, it’s best to work up to the heavy and strenuous so as not…

Personal Training

All About Massages

March 3, 2020February 24, 2020| sights|Leave a comment

There’s nothing to ease your long day woes like a massage. I’m a big fan. The problem is that they’re not the cheapest pastime in the world, getting massages. My roommate has a friend who is in school to be a masseuse, and the friend needs people to practice on. So my roommate certainly lucked out in that she now gets weekly massages for free. But not the rest of us common folk. We have to suffer in pain, or think of a solution. The first thing to keep in mind is your positions throughout the day. This has a huge impact on your muscles and how you feel, which will directly affect how badly and how often you will be needing to get yourself a massage. One crucial part is your sleep. You have to make sure that you have a pillow combination which properly supports your head, shoulders…

Self Improvement

Tips for Giving Great Performance Reviews

February 26, 2020February 24, 2020| sights|Leave a comment

Judgement – One of the reasons why performance reviews are so uncomfortable is because it’s essentially an open form of judgement. In order to overcome this discomfort, make sure that the judgement is balanced. Judge favorably as well as critically and allow yourself to be open to kickback. If an employee feels the need to defend certain critic, be open to receiving it in order to improve workflow. For example, you might have noticed that an employee is slow to respond to emails, and that’s the part you want to bring up in the review. However, they’re sat next to the chattiest employee in the office who holds them back. You might be unaware of this distraction, and therefore calling out an employee for working slowly won’t actually help them to work faster. Be open to hearing their side and coming up with solutions for improved productivity together. Feedback Sandwich…

Cooking

Sunflower Oil for Cooking

February 15, 2020February 24, 2020| sights|Leave a comment

There are plenty of cooking oils out there to choose from. There’s olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, etc. With so many options out there, how do you know where to start? That was exactly my thought when I began looking into sunflower oil. I wondered why I should consider using it over my regular go-to oils. Was it worth it? In order to save you some time and energy, I’ll break things down for you so that you can decide if you want to purchase sunflower oil on your next trip to the supermarket. We’ll first start with the taste, since these oils are used for cooking. Olive oil has a more distinct flavor, while sunflower oil does not have much of a taste. So, if you don’t want the flavor of your oil mixing in with the rest of your dish, stick to sunflower oil. For…

Hair Care, Natural Household

Natural Hair Care

February 9, 2020February 24, 2020| sights|Leave a comment

I think it is important to talk in this post about the relevance and necessity of Apple Cider Vinegar. Apple Cider Vinegar is a really useful natural solution to a range of cleaning needs. You can use Apple Cider Vinegar both in your kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom to reap a range of solutions the all-natural way. One of my favorite Apple Cider Vinegar solutions is by using an Apple Cider Vinegar shampoo. Not everyone agrees that the best way to clarify your hair is by using chemicals. I actually don’t have a particular preference. I think that sometimes chemicals can be good for certain things, and other times natural solutions are the way forward. At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong way to look after your body, house, hair, or anything really! There are only things that are outright bad for you, alongside those that…

Sleep

Valerian Root

February 5, 2020February 24, 2020| sights|Leave a comment

Reduced sleep on a regular basis has been known to increase your general levels of anxiety, weaken your immune system, decrease your ability to focus and reduce your overall energy levels. So being able to make sure that you have enough time to have a good night’s rest is important if you want to stay healthy and at your best and valerian root can help tremendously in this capacity. The best way to use valerian root for treating insomnia is in supplement form, but the essential oil of the root can also be very helpful because it is often a lot more concentrated than the supplement. If you’re taking valerian root supplements for sleep, I would recommend that you take the medication at least and hour or two before your bedtime with a warm cup of tea to help induce a more prominent sensation of drowsiness, allowing you to slip…

Body Shaming

How to Avoid Body Shaming Your Child

July 26, 2019June 24, 2019| sights|Leave a comment

All parents just want their kids to be happy and healthy, but what happens when they have a weight problem? The last thing you want to do is crush your child’s self-esteem, but how can you guide them to a healthier lifestyle without shaming them? It’s important to remember that portion size is equally crucial to food choice when it comes to losing weight. Nevertheless, one of the best ways to get your child interested in healthier eating is to get them involved. Take them shopping and let them choose what they want for healthy snacks and drinks, that way they won’t feel as if they are being controlled, and will be more likely to succeed. The first step is to sit down and talk with your child about what it means to be healthy and why an unhealthy lifestyle is bad. By focusing on the positives and negatives of…

Travel

Napa Valley – Two Visits

May 21, 2019April 15, 2019| sights|Leave a comment

The little bit I know about wine is credited to the two visits I had to the Napa Valley in California. I had a friend who was from the Fairfield area which is a quite drive to Napa Valley. We had met in the city and at some point in our friendship, she moved back to Fairfield. I went to go visit her for her birthday and met her two close childhood friends. All four of us went to Napa for her birthday as they were all wine connoisseurs. The first winery we went to was Darioush. The four of us sat in a wine tasting room which seemed very posh. To me everything in Napa is posh. The attendant would pour each of us a glass of wine – about two (2) to three (3) ounces. Since this was my first time wine tasting, I got the rundown. After…

Summers

Childhood Summers

February 22, 2019February 18, 2019| sights|Leave a comment

My grandmother bought this wooden cabin fifty years ago. Way before I was born. Over time she’s put on an extension, doubling its size. Growing up, I never went to sleep away camp. It was probably because my parents couldn’t afford it, but it was also because we had this great summer getaway. My mother worked in a school so we were able to spend the whole summer up there. My dad came up every weekend because he still had to be home. My parents thankfully have a wonderful marriage and I can’t believe they sacrificed seeing each other for their children’s enjoyment. Being in this cabin was complete isolation. There was no internet and no cable. You can call people from the landline, but your cell phone would not work, even to today. It was really a break from the outside world. I was nice. We got to…

Animals

Mans Best Friend

July 2, 2018| sights|Leave a comment

Humans and dogs share a special relationship, there is no denying that. But should we be having doggie spas, dog hotels, dog therapists? I mean, these are not humans. Definitely not. Even though dogs and humans share some emotions and interactions to some extent, and both benefit to some degree from this relationship, there is something too humanizing about it all. If you live with a dog (notice I don’t say “have a dog”, since you don’t really have it), you are probably going to feel a certain way about it. You can even say it is a part of your family. We develop emotional connection with dogs like with no other animal. No, not even cats, I think. I have had cats, and they are not at all the same. Not emotionally, and not in any other way. Sorry guys. I am a dog person. But there is a…

Workout and Your Mood

March 16, 2020February 24, 2020| sights|Leave a comment