Fun and Festivals in Gilbert Arizona

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Krissyar

You don’t have to wait until January to get moving – check out some of these great events in Gilbert, Arizona this month and into next year.

Riparian After Dark
December 16th & 17th
5:30 – 9 p.m.
 The Riparian Preserve comes alive with a holiday glow!  Stroll around the candle-lit trail at Water Ranch lake with hundreds of luminaries as well as numerous festive light displays at every turn. This is a rare opportunity for those who appreciate nature to experience the thrill of  nighttime at the preserve.

In addition to the lighted trail, we will feature a variety of school choirs, carolers and other live holiday entertainment.  There will be light refreshments available for purchase.  All trails are ADA accessible.

25th Annual ZooLights
The Phoenix Zoo
Through Jan 8th , 2017

Join the Phoenix Zoo at the Valley’s brightest holiday tradition: ZooLights presented by SRP! Celebrating 25 years, ZooLights shines with millions of lights, a three-story-high holiday tree, hundreds of glimmering light displays and lakeside music-in-motion shows. ZooLights is open to the public Wednesday, November 23 through Sunday, January 8, 2017.

2016 Fishmas at SEA LIFE Aquarium
Through December 24th

Join SEA LIFE Aquarium every weekend in December, through the 24th, as they celebrate the holidays with decorations, activities and much more! Don’t miss Underwater Santa, holiday scavenger hunts, and ornament decorating.

Holiday Bricktacular
LEGOLAND Discovery Center
Through December 25th

Celebrate the holidays with special LEGO® themed activities at the Holiday Bricktacular at LEGOLAND®  Discovery Center Arizona, every weekend in December. Participants get to enjoy building a LEGO® ornament, Christmas in Miniland®, LEGO® Winter Wonderland, and holiday decorations all throughout the attraction.

Gilbert’s Global Village Festival
TBD
Gilbert’s Global Village Festival is a multicultural celebration for all ages. The festival brings neighbors together in a friendly, educational way to learn more about each other. Community members, schools, non-profits and service organizations are invited to join us in 2017 for the 13th annual Gilbert Global Village Festival. This family event highlights some of the traditional and contemporary forms of dance, music, children’s activities, arts & crafts and ethnic foods from countries far away on the green open spaces of the Gilbert Civic Center North Campus. Our mission is to create opportunities for individuals and communities to celebrate, share and sustain the arts and the rich cultural traditions of countries from around the world.

2017 Rock N’ Roll Arizona
Tempe Beach Park
Jan 14th & 15th

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon & 1/2 Marathon January 14-15, 2017 combines running, travel and entertainment, providing a world-class event atmosphere for participants and spectators alike. An assortment of live music and local high school cheerleading squads are staged approximately every mile of the 26.2 and 13.1-mile courses. The marathon begins in Phoenix, races through Scottsdale and finishes in Tempe. The ½ marathon course begins and ends in Tempe.

Family Bird Walk
Desert Rivers Audobon
Jan 21st & Jan 28th

Desert Rivers Audubon Family Bird Walks. We provide loaner binoculars, Bird Bingo Cards for kids, and expert leaders to take you around the ponds at both locations. We also have field guide books and other nature items for sale at our display tent. Walks leave every 15 minutes or so and last about 45 minutes. No fees or admission charge and no pre-registration…just show up!!!

UCP 3rd Annual Fun, Run, Walk & Roll
Kiwanis Park
Feb 5th

The United Cerebral Palsy’s 10K/5K/1 mile walk benefits those with special needs, such as Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, developmental delays and learning disabilities.

Gilbert Outdoors Expo
Feb 25th
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Put on your camouflage, boots and head over to the Gilbert Outdoors Expo presented by Banner Health Centers at the Riparian Preserve.

You will have a chance to brush up on various outdoor activities or learn new  skills, including fishing, camping, hunting, hiking and much more.  This premier event will draw exhibitors and attendees statewide with an expected attendance of over 4,000 people.

 KA-POW! Superhero Adventure Run
 March 19th|
 8 am. – ??

Get ready to tie on your capes and be a Superhero at The KA-POW! Superhero Adventure Run on Saturday, March 19th presented by Banner Health Center. This is a costumed run fit for the whole family with fun and challenging obstacles. Runners are encouraged to wear their favorite superhero costume as they participate in a family friendly course with 20 + playful obstacles, with a distance just under 2 miles. The Adventure run course includes many challenging obstacles such as the Spiderman Tower, Thor Tires, Iron Man Crawl, Wonder Woman Wall, and back by popular demand the Aqua-man’s waterslide. Plus, this year there will be a 4 story high water slide- Don’t miss out!

This post is sponsored by Earnhardt Chrysler Jeep Dodge.

Posted in Travel | Leave a comment

Nutrition and Your Body: How Nutrients Affect Your Health

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Krissyar

Years ago when I would ‘diet’ to try and lose weight, I looked at calories and fat and carbs only. I never really took the time to look at the nutrients in the foods I was eating, or even tracking them to make sure I was getting enough. It was almost a game of “what bad food can I eat and get away with , without going over my calorie limit for the day” instead of just working about healthy eating. Not that this is completely wrong – as long as you are getting enough nutrients in other ways, such as natural weight loss supplements.

The food we eat gives our bodies the materials (i.e. nutrients) it needs to function properly. If we don’t get the “right stuff” our metabolic processes suffer and our health declines. What we eat is essential to our health – nutrients acts almost like a medicine. To maintain, prevent and treat disease. Nutrients give our bodies instructions on how to function and your body needs the five essential nutrients in order to survive.

Carbs
Carbs are used to maintain energy – and the brain’s only source of fuel. Your body breaks carbohydrates down into glucose, which cells require to create energy.

Protein
Protein is another very important source of energy for the body. Protein consists of amino acids that act as the body’s main building block for tissues, such as muscle, skin, bone and hair. Protein also assist in the production of enzymes, hormones, and antibodies.

Fats
Your body uses fats for energy when carbs aren’t available (thus why the popularity of diets such as Keto and Atkins is so popular) You need fat also for insulation, to help your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins to protect your organs.

Vitamins and Minerals
You need vitamins and minerals for numerous physiological functions that help you survive,” They’re essential for normal growth and development, and each one plays a unique role in helping to maintain optimal health. For example, calcium and vitamin D are necessary for healthy bones, and the B vitamins help support the nervous system. There are some great nutrient supplements out there including those that are known as ‘brain boost supplements’

Water
You’ve probably heard that you can live for weeks without food but only days without water. That’s because water is the most important essential nutrient. It is involved in many of your body’s vital functions, and it distributes other essential nutrients to your cells.

 

 

 

Looking to start your own business? Check out the best online business ideas of 2016

Posted in Fitness/Health | 1 Comment

What Makes Savesta Different – and Your Chance to WIN

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Krissyar

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Savesta; though I was compensated for my time, all opinions are my own.

Last month I spoke about the stress of the holidays and some of the supplements that I started taking to make them a little easier – well there’s more to Savesta than what meets the eye; Savesta is different (in a good way) from the other herbal supplement companies.

What Makes Savesta different from other Ayurvedic herbal supplements?

Savesta products are the purest and most potent Ayurvedic herbals ever created.  All raw herbs are carefully screened for heavy metal and pesticide contamination.  Additional testing is conducted on the finished extracts and the finished encapsulated products are tested then validated by independent laboratory tests.

  • Vegetarians and Vegans can feel comfortable with Savesta tablets and capsules. There are no animal derived ingredients in Savesta products
  • All herbal extracts are never subject to radiation
  • Both of these products are soy-free, wheat-free, gluten-free and NonGMO

This is more than can be said for most supplement companies – and trust me, I’ve been through quite a few. Savesta is also one of the only supplements that hasn’t personally made me feel queasy after taking. Savesta is offering holiday savings – just for you!
For a limited time get the lowest price on the Internet at 40% off regular price, free shipping PLUS a FREE unisex t-shirt (M,L,XL) by inserting the coupon code Thanks4Health  during checkout.

If you are looking to get a start on your new years resolution to lose weight and get healthy, check out Organic Garcinia. Garcinia Cambogia has been used for centuries in Southeast Asia to support balanced appetite. Derived from the rind of Garcinia fruit, our extract contains hydroxycitric acid (HCA 50%), which is responsible for the metabolic effects. HCA also appears to promote healthy serotonin levels.
Also try organic moringa; Moringa is one of the most nutrient-dense botanicals on the planer. Our Certified Organic Moringa is a source of essential minerals, vitamins A, B and C, antioxidants, potassium and iron. It contains diverse amino acids, co-enzymes, and antioxidants. It conveys its effects on appetite while helping to maintain overall vitality and energy levels.

Don’t just take my word for it! Savesta Life is giving THREE lucky All in a Days Work readers the chance to win a bottle of Organic Moringa and Organic Garcinia – and a t-shirt! Just enter in the rafflecopter below (contest ends 12/23!)

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted in Fitness/Health | Leave a comment

How Much is Too Much? Personal Details that Should Stay Private Online

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Krissyar

We live in an age of technology and sharing. It’s easier than ever before to share your thoughts, photographs and details about your personal life online using social media. In fact, more than two-thirds of Americans use social networking sites and that number is growing every year.

 

However, there is such a thing as too much sharing. Some information should never be reveal willy-nilly because it could greatly damage your financial future. Here are a few tips to keep your personal information safe online and reduce your risk of identity fraud.

 

Unzipping Your Zip Code

 

Some security tips go without saying: never share your social security number and don’t post images of your credit card online. But did you know another number could expose your personal information? Your zip code, believe it or not, can reveal a great deal about you and your family. Not to mention that zip codes, along with a stolen credit card, make you a victim of financial fraud and identity theft.

 

While zip codes are often necessary to validating your identity or processing payments (for example, providing your zip code when paying with credit card at the gas pump), other times it is used by retailers to create a profile on you and track your buying habits. By sharing this information, retailers will often sell your information to third-party advertisers which can then spam your phone, email and mailbox with unwanted messages.

 

Telling the difference between reasonable and unreasonable requests for your zip code is easy once you know what to look for. If you are processing a payment online, you are A-Okay. If you are asked to share your phone number, address or zip code at the register or in a one-off submission, it’s almost definitely for marketing purposes. If it’s for a service provided based on your location, it could go either way (see below).

 

Still, the most dangerous information you can give out is your birthdate. This, along with your name and hometown can be sued to recreate your social security information. All of which is easily found on your Facebook page. If you want to protect your privacy, think about obscuring your year of birth on your profile at the very least, or ensuring that only friends can see your information.

 

Is It Safe to Get a Quote?

 

One of the great things about the internet is your ability to shop around, compare prices and find the most affordable solutions best fit for you and your family. For example, if you are hoping to get home insurance quotes, there are a few things you need to look out for to make sure you are getting the best deal for the information you share.

 

Before providing your information (no matter how small) with any site, be sure to read their privacy policy. Don’t worry. You don’t need to wade through pages and pages of legalese. Skip ahead to sections entitled “types of information collected” or “how information is shared.”

 

Most legitimate sites will save some of your information for the purposes of delivering a service or providing more accurate quotes based on your zip code and location. They may even work with third-party agencies to prevent fraud, which is great. What you need to be warry of is them selling your information to third-party advertisers at will.

 

This simple policy check will vastly improve your experience getting home insurance quotes, car insurance quotes and much more.

 

Stay Smart & Stay Suspicious

 

In closing, it’s important to remember that the information you share online can always be tied back to you. It’s up to you to decide if that’s okay with you. If you are providing a website or service with your personal information, consider their intentions and what that could mean for you down the line. Stay suspicious, stay smart and stay safe!

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Crockpot Queso Blanco Dip

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Krissyar

Crockpot Queso Blanco Dip is my most favorite dip ever! (and sometimes dinner!) This is a great easy-to-make recipe that everyone will love!

crockpot_queso_blanco_dip

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 block regular cream cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (8 oz.)
  • 1 pound white american cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes  (I got this in the deli)
  • 1 Tablespoon salted butter
  • 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
  • 1/2 Tablespoon jalepenos, chopped fine (optional)
  • 3-4 Tablespoons milk
  • 2 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped fine (optional)
  • Serve with Tortilla Chips

Ingredients (1)

Directions:

  • In a greased crockpot combine cream cheese, american cheese, butter, green chiles and jalepenos.
  • Cover and cook on low heat for 1 hour. Stir the mixture until well mixed, then add a tablespoon of milk at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted and combined.
  • Keep cheese dip in crock pot on the warm setting until ready to serve.

 

 Queso Final 5

Posted in Recipes | Leave a comment