Children of all ages benefit from being physically active. Too often, as we get older, we find reasons not to engage in exercise or sports. Lack of time, fear of injury, or the stress of the day to day demands, often reduce our motivation and ambition to exercise. Taking the time, even if it is brief, to be physically active yields results beyond sore muscles. Be active: both your muscles and your mind will thank you.

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

Get outside. Be Active. Spread the word regarding the importance of physical activity.

https://healthfinder.gov/nho/MayToolkit.aspx

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The hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can imagine.”

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Adulting” is not easy. Everyday there has to be a conscious effort to bring more balance into our work and life.  Coloring is an activity that can have...

Wrapped up in our ever increasingly hectic schedules we find it more and more difficult to pay attention to the ones we are closest too.  We get up at six a.m., rush to get the kids up, get some food on the table, rush to get them off to school. Somewhere in there we get dressed, maybe eat something ourselves and get in the car for an hour long commute. We work all day, maybe we make a phone call to our significant other to touch base, maybe we get a text from our teenager checking in.

We get back in the car to run errand, drop the kids off at a soccer match, run several more errands, and shortly afterwards bring them to the tutor. We rush home to eat dinner while one kid is on their phone and the other is playing video games.  Your significant other walks in mid-dinner, goes upstairs and gets on the computer to continue...

The 2018 Tax Reform. What should you know?

Surprise, it's Tax Day! So by now, you have more than likely filed your taxes. However, if you follow the news (which, let's admit, has become somewhat unavoidable for most of us with the presence of social media) you probably know that people appear to be significantly more stagnant this year, than they have in years prior, with filing their taxes. Now, no one really knows what is causing for this strange delay, but it may be possible that it's attributed to the 2018 Tax Reform that recently passed. Once again, you have probably heard about this reform, given the voice that the media now has in circulating news.

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Should you rent or buy a home?

I think it depends . . . .

People may think we’re crazy, but at 52, my husband and I just sold our home with our good fixed APR 15 year loan to rent a home nearby on the water.  We did the math, and it all made sense to us given our retirement goals and future plans, plus our dream to live on the water.  We’re now completely debt free and actively funneling money into savings and retirement.  We don’t have to worry about replacing a roof, falling trees, flood insurance, property taxes, HVAC/appliance fails, etc.  We have a fixed monthly cost for budgeting. 

Contrary to...

Have you filed your taxes yet? This is crunch time if you haven’t already. Tax season is a good time to take a look at your overall financial health. Financial health refers to the state of your personal financial situation, including how much savings you have, how much you are putting away for retirement, any debts you have, and how much of your income you are spending on regular expenses.

You may already be gathering information about your financial accounts, investments, donations and other income and spending. Given that, you may want to take advantage of the resources available to you to evaluate your finances and help you plan for the future. 

• Check out the financial section on this Employee...

It’s time to shed some light on how to effectively navigate the healthcare system to ensure you get your behavioral health needs met.  While there are many things outside of our control, here are a few things you can do when looking into obtaining care: 

Spend some time researching appropriate providers. There are many providers out there - excellent ones - but they may not all be the best fit for you. 

• Take some time to make a list of what you’re looking for in a provider –availability, experience, location, expertise.  Providers should be willing to spend a couple of minutes on the phone answering some basic...

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

 

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

2017 was a tumultuous year marked by a number of terrible events, some caused by nature, others manmade.  It has been a contentious time with themes of discontent and...

Unrealistic expectations are part and parcel of almost every holiday.  The season brings an atmosphere of joy, peace, and hope, mixed with the reality of personal pressures, imperfect relationships and added responsibilities. This combination can form a “perfect storm” of unrealistic expectations.  Left unchecked that storm can turn any celebration sour.

If you’re feeling the holiday pressure, here are some mindful tools...

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During this time of year there is an increased struggle to get outside and to be active. The cold weather and the shorter daylight hours create a sense of laziness that often results in a decrease in both physical and mental health. One of the best ways to improve your mental wellbeing and to kick the blues is to incorporate your pet into your daily schedule and routine. Treat your pet as your personal trainer and/or motivator. Your pet, especially a dog, can provide you with numerous reasons to stay on...