Knitting for Stress

I found the following article on the net very interesting since the Holidays seem to bring on so much stress.
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It's probably not news to most crafters that activities like knitting and crochet can cause a relaxation response similar to meditation that can be quite calming (until you have to frog inches of knitting for a silly mistake, anyway).


According to a press release from Lion Brand Yarn, researchers from Harvard have found that knitters can actually lower their heart rate by about 11 beats per minute when knitting. While that study is several years old, the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine still notes that knitting, as well as rhythmic breathing, repetitive prayer, yoga and other meditative movements are quite calming. Doing any of these activities for just 20 minutes decreases metabolism, the rate of breathing and heart rate. Brain waves are also slowed.


Since the Institute says that 60 to 90 percent of doctor visits are for conditions related to stress, regular knitting can be a good way to take care of yourself. So if anyone in your family ever tells you you're knitting to much, tell them you're doing it for the sake of your health. ~ Sarah E. White, About.com Guide
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Now, where do I start?  There are some GREAT resources right on...

Click on BIG YELLOW Emblem above to shop for knitting supplies! ;)

Happy Shop'n!

Kim, Sunflower Antics

Benders and Lazor Loop Rods

I just listed these because I've retired and no longer need these specialty perming rods. I am selling these in two separate auctions Lots.
Know a stylist? They might be interested in making a purchase.

You can find these by visiting my Online Auction Store.

Haeger Pottery Began Its History......

Do you know what memorable event occurred in 1871?...in Chicago?....



The Chicago fire that burned about 3 1/3 square miles and burned from Oct 8 to Oct 10. With over 100,000 people without homes and businesses, there was a lot of rebuilding to be done.

It was at this opportune time that David H. Haeger, a German immigrant to Illinois, opened a brick company to provide a need for building materials to reconstruct Chicago after that great fire.

So David had a real light bulb moment and Haeger potteries opened in 1871, at first manufacturing only bricks. Brick making was an important industry at the turn of the 19th century because most buildings were constructed from wood or masonry. The Haeger company was kept busy for years. It was common for art pottery companies to begin operating as utilitarian clay manufacturers and continue in that venue while expanding to decorative wares. As decorative pottery became fashionable and more affordable for the middle classes, Haeger expanded its designs in 1912 to include glazed artware.

In 1954 Elsa Ken Haeger designed the Royal Garden Flower-ware line which is what the pink pottery is shown below.

Haeger is owned by its president, Alexandra Haeger Estes, the great-granddaughter of its founder, David H. Haeger.

CLICK HERE to View this Item

Take a few moments and browse my store Supergrannys Treasures for my advertising, tobacciana, vintage, ashtrays, olympic pins.

CLICK HERE for Online Auction

BLACK FRIDAY

I have often wondered why the Friday after Thanksgiving was called Black Friday. If you know why please tell me.

It is a great day for shoppers who do not mind getting up at 3:00AM and getting to a store that does not even open up until 8:00AM just to get a special item that the store has understocked so they do not have to sell all the hot items at a cheaper price. It is amazing that on the following Monday or Tuesday the item will be overstocked so soon after Black Friday.

I also often wondered why people did that. I see no reason to get up so early to stand line for 3 or 4 hours freezing my butt off. It seems like a ritual to some. I have even heard some say "I can't wait until the morning to go shopping" and someone replying "Don't let me oversleep". Are these people normal? Don't the know about shopping on line?

Shopping on line is the best. You can do it in your jammies. You can do it any hour of the day or night. And you can find all kind of sales going on at OnLineAuction.com. Here are just a few items you can find on sale at OLA.com

http://www.youravon.com/debboyd

Avon Products Perfume Skin Care Body and Bath and more



http://www.OLA.com/store/annimae

www.onlineauction.com/store/callmemomo

Diva by Revelations 12 oz. Coffee Mug Cup with Dog - New in Box

To see what I have in my store go to the link bleow
http://ola.com/store/chateycathey

JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON

Christmas Hint #18 -- When There Isn't Any Money

Some years there is simply no money at all for Christmas. Here are some “free” ideas for gifts.

1) Burn a CD with a mix of favorite songs.

2) Make and freeze a favorite meal. (Wrap an empty box with a photo of it, so the real thing can stay in the freezer.)

3) Make a calendar of family birthdays and other special events. This could be done on the computer, handwritten into a day planner, or programmed into a smart phone.

4) Here’s a 3-way idea. Trade your services to someone who will give you something that could be gifted to someone on your list. I do this with custom knitting and web services—it works great.

5) Collect coupons for things you know will be used by the folks you need gifts for. There are loads of places online where you can print out coupons, free. If you have a little money, you could add a sample of that product to make the gift a little more substantial.

6) If you’re crafty, consider covering boxes. These can be done using quilted fabric, contact paper, decoupage, wallpaper, themed cutouts from magazines, printouts of old family photos, or coloring book pages done by the little ones, to name just a few. The boxes can be any size, from trinket to under-the-bed storage.

7) If you have a scanner and photo printer, plus access to old family photos, dig through for some gems, scan them, print them, then make a frame and you’ll have a free, thoughtful gift for someone special. (When small, old photos are scanned at high resolution, they can become bigger and better than the originals.)

8) Solicit help online. If you need a gift for a cook, find a cooking forum and ask for favorite recipes to print out. For a dog-lover it could be hints and ideas for games or dog-training. No matter what skill or passion your gift recipient likes, there’s sure to be an online forum for it. When you post your request for ideas, you’ll probably get more good ones than you can use. Here is a link to our wonderful OLA forum.

Get moving!

Nine out of ten people reading this blog are sitting down. How long have you been in that chair today? It is so easy to lose track of time! Inactivity due to your computer activities can cause all sorts of health issues... from Restless Leg Syndrome, to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,  even adding to concerns about weight gain and arthritis.

One way to combat these issues is to take regular breaks. Just getting up and walking for a few minutes helps... just be sure you're not walking to the refrigerator! If you can add some moderate exercise into your breaks, the benefits increase dramatically. Get moving!

I read an interesting article not long ago about 5 Moves For Flat Abs Fast. I am not too sure my body is going to reach all those positions, but heck, the point is to find the time and try!

Another easy and fun way to exercise is to just put on some peppy music and dance! No equipment required... just turn it on, turn it up, turn it loose! (My doctor thinks this is absolutely as good as any cardio workout. The important thing is to keep your heart rate up.)

With the season of cold weather, snow and ice approaching it may be daunting to think of going outside to walk or bicycle. Cosmopolitan has a few ideas on how to Burn Calories At Your Desk. And over at OnlineAuction.com, you can find plenty of ideas to get your body moving!

Quick Yoga Training
Nintendo DS

From FleaPirates

Image 19.0 R Treadmill

From Gems242

PILATES - BODYCIRCLES WORKOUT VHS

From Plusizeglamor

Used Jane Fonda's Exercize Workout Book

From Vermonter53

Here's to your health!

Christmas Memories

I am blogging without the benefit of pictures today!! On a road trip again . . . it's gonna be a long day!! But I was thinking of a special Christmas that we had as kids.

I am the middle of three children. In the late 50's, Daddy went back to school in St. Louis, MO. Mother, Sue, Marty and I had a little house that was owned by my aunt in Decatur, IL. It was only a one bedroom so Mom and Sue shared the bedroom and Marty and I slept on either end of the cot in the living room.

Things were tight that year. Mom worked nights and Sue watched us kids but it got to be too much for her so my grandparents came and got Marty and I. We all joined up again a few weeks before Christmas. Mom and Grandma "Pete" were busy sewing stuffed animals galore!! Of course, I didn't know then that they were for us!!

We had kittens out of terry cloth, daschunds out of coat lining, a crocheted monkey, several poodles out of coat lining with crocheted "curls". I will never forget that Christmas!! Everything was hand made out of things that we had on hand because with Daddy's schooling, we didn't have too much!!

This Christmas is my favorite out of all the ones in my past!! It was a very special year because these things were all made with enormous amounts of love!! And we had each other!!

For your Christmas ideas, don't forget to check out the stores at OLA.com!! Great sellers, great gifts, great people!!! Thank you!!