Contributed by Clean Credit Queen, Linda Adams http://www.cleancreditqueen.com/ From: Sound Money Tips (11/07 article)
Are you a credit user or a convenience user?
Take the following quiz from Sound Money Tips and find out before you get your next credit card offer in the mail. (If you are like me, that means you better do this before you check your mail today!)

Credit User Quiz: Answer Yes or No to each question.
Do you carry a balance (borrow money) on any of your credit cards from month to month?

Has the combined balance on your cards stayed the same or increased?

When you receive your credit card bill are you unpleasantly surprised at the total?

Do you find that you make regular impulse purchases (non budgeted items) using your credit card or cards?
Do you spend more than you budget because you charge unnecessary luxuries to your credit card or cards? (Did you really need that daily Starbucks, or more than one Blockbuster Movie per night on the weekends?)
If you answered Yes to more than one of the questions above, you are most likely a Credit User.
Credit users should choose a card with the lowest interest rate they can find.  If you are a credit user the annual fee is not as important as the interest rate since you will likely benefit more from a lower rate than a cheap fee. 
If you answered No to both questions 1 and 2 then you are most likely a convenience user.

Convenience users should look for cards with low or no annual fees since they pay off their balances every month. One thing to look for is a long grace period…just in case you want to pay the balance off closer to the due date. 

Contributed by Linda Adams, Clean Credit Queen

 Check out Linda’s website http://www.cleancreditqueen.com/ and sign up for her free e-news on how to keep your credit clean!

About two weeks ago as I was preparing the final details for last week’s workshop I suddenly realized I was missing something.  I was going to need at least 10 different credit card offers to use in one of the workshop activities. My usual habit of shredding credit card offers that came in the mail was going to have to stop for a bit.  I decided that I would have to ask my neighbors to save any offers they got in their mailboxes so that I would have enough. Well, I shouldn’t have worried. In the next three days I received over 20 offers from 7 different cards! That was convenient… but a bit excessive.

Right then I decided to ‘Opt Out’. Did you know that there is a national toll free number established by the major consumer credit bureaus to allow you to opt out of (or into) these mailings? Call 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688). The recording will ask for identifying information before allowing you to continue.  If you select the permanent option, your request will only take place after you return the form mailed to you. If you select the two or five year option, your request can most likely be completed with just the phone call.

If you are concerned about leaving your social security number when you call, remember, the credit card company most likely already received that from the credit bureaus when they bought your credit information.

There are other numbers to call to opt out of other types of mailers. Most of them require that you call during the daytime. You can call Polk Company 1-800-464-7655 and ask for the Opt Out line. Experian has compiled a database of lists, for non-credit offers you can call them at 1-800-228-4571, ext. 4633 - just be prepared to write down all of the data that they are requesting! For credit offers call 1-888-567-8688 to opt out of all three credit bureau mailings. Money Mailer and Hot Coupons number is 714-265-4100. Since these mailers are printed well in advance, be prepared to receive several more before the Opt Out takes effect.

As a last resort - or perhaps your first - there may be a number, email, snail-mail address, or website listed on the mailers that you receive that you can contact to Opt Out directly. Respond with something like…”Please remove my name from your marketing database. In addition, please do not pass along my name to others through mail list sales or trades. Thank you for your cooperation.” Most mailers will make an effort to comply with your request.

So save a few trees and reduce the amount of junk mail that you get (nearly 50 pounds a year!) by contacting the numbers above.

What does this article have to do with Clean Credit? How about…the fewer temptations you have when trying to stay within your budget, the better! Also every card you apply for causes a hard hit on your credit report and can cost you to lose 5 or more points on your credit score.

After years of putting stress on my body, both through physical fitness and just the usual day-in, day-out stresses of life, running businesses and paying the bills, I noted some changes in my body that were not necessarily desireable.

My morning breath was becoming less and less exciting to wake up to for one thing and I could not place the reason why.

At the same time, my personal trainer was remarking on the not-so-exciting “perfume” aroma that was emanating from my running shoes.

I was perplexed!  Both my sweat and my breath were noticeably changing from my younger years.

What was causing this?

Turns out my natural body cleansing functions had slowed due to the stresses of life and the circulation in my body was weakening, causing all sorts of metabolic issues and blocking cells from being healthy.  The breath and stinky runner’s feet were just the beginning of what could have been an even longer list of concerns that were coming my way….. 

Then I found Chlorophyll and my stinky feet and bad breath issues were washed away in mere weeks!

If you know of anyone with chronic bad breath, stinky feet or just wants to give this a shot for any other mounting circulatory health concerns, have them check out Chlorophyll!

Here are the Benefits:

•Helps promote the natural blood-cleansing functions of the body.
•Promotes strong immune response.
•Strengthens cells. 
•Deodorizes the body, including the bowel.

Chlorophyll [Intestinal] is the green pigment in plants that harnesses the sun’s energy in photosynthesis. Chlorophyll performs metabolic functions in plants such as respiration and growth. Interestingly, the chlorophyll molecule is chemically similar to human blood, except that its central atom is magnesium, whereas that of human blood is iron. Liquid Chlorophyll may help improve immune response and deodorize the body. The alfalfa plant, from which Nature’s Sunshine’s chlorophyll comes, is an excellent source of chlorophyll. Nature’s Sunshine offers chlorophyll in both liquid and capsules for varying needs.

For liquid, take 1 teaspoon in water twice daily. For capsules, take 1–2 capsules daily with a meal.
——————————————————————————–
Miscellaneous Information:

GUARANTEED PURE

Intestinal and Circulatory System Support

pH Balancing

Digestive Tract Detoxifier
Supports Intestinal Health
Supports Circulatory Health*
Fresh Mint Flavor
Chlorophyll is the green pigment in plants that harnesses the sun’s energy in photosynthesis. Chlorophyll in plants performs metabolic functions such as respiration and growth. Interestingly, the chlorophyll molecule is chemically similar to human blood, except that its central atom is magnesium, whereas that of human blood is iron.

©2007 Nature’s Sunshine Products, Inc.

Product of U.S.A.
——————————————————————————–

What’s in a name?  Specifically, your family name?

Returning home to the Midwest always has its interesting points with seeing family, friends and all the usual suspects that I don’t get to enjoy too often in person.   They often shake their heads at this Free Spirit coming back from her west coast California life.  This past trip was no exception in the regard that I go to see everyone I wanted and spend time with people that I love and hold so near to my heart.  Sure, there are always interesting experiences where family is concerned and I sould be lying if I said that we are as close as the Brady Bunch, yet there is something to be said for blood lines. 

This trip would be an eye opener for me, however, and unexpected joy filled my heart as I reconnected with my past in a way that I could have never dreamed.

My parents were divorced when I was four-years-old and it was my mom that left to be on her own and we four kids stayed behind with Dad.  The four kids in my family all chose to respond to the divorce in our own separate ways and as I have grown to realize more and more about myself and my own responses to events in this life, I realize that we all handle things that life throw at us in different ways for very different reasons.  Maybe, just maybe, if you were a product of a divorce, you too may resonate with that thought.  The lives we choose to live as a result of divorce are without a doubt impacted by the event itself at any age.  Our age and position in life at that moment may very well dictate how we choose to see things.

Being the baby, I chose to want to keep the family together, to not give up hope that we could stay in contact with our mom and her side of the family.  It has varied over the years and with my mom’s mental illness, (the reason for the divorce) it was always touch and go as to what level that connection would be.  It could be deep one day with great conversation and catching up regularly.  Or we could go months or years of loosely intelligible connectivity and patterns of disconnect.

This trip in visiting my mom gave me the opportunity to reconnect with Aunt Mary and Uncle John for the first time since I was a little girl.  I don’t even remember them, yet they remembered me.  Now it was time to reunite and reconnect.  Boy, was it worth it.

For many years I had denied my mom’s side of the family of being a part of my life due to my own pride and hurt feelings.  And here I was finally getting to see a side of that family that I could have easily missed out on.

Aunt Mary and Uncle John are the epitome of an amazing Midwest family.  With several children, multiple sets of grandchildren and 54 years of marriage, great health and still going strong on the farm of over 1200 acres in their 70s, I was proud to see that flowing through my family line.  Love was their answer for being where they were at.  They didn’t say that, they showed it.

Uncle John bought my sister, my mom and myself a nice “supper” (a.k.a. dinner to city folk) at the local pizza hot spot.  We enjoyed catching up on family history.  I learned my mom’s family name, Spykerboer (now, can you just imagine the excitement I had in having that as a family name?), meant “nail farmer” in Dutch.  I was in awe of the beauty of that.  My family history shows that they were hard working builders.  “Farmers” of wood and craftmanship.  They were entrepreneurs of creation.  I smiled to myself as I realized that my entreprenerial creativity and Spirit did not just come from my Dad’s side of the family.  I was blessed with a double dose of creativity and hard work ethic that drives the farmer, the carpenter and the entrepreneur to have pride in what they do in creating their own business every day.

After sharing in the family pictures, we said our goodbyes and talked about a future family reunion with all the cousins, aunts and uncles.  Something I have been waiting for after nearly 30 years of no communication and no connectivity. 

Amazing what time and patient persistence in communicating with my mom was able to offer. 

Family says a lot about who you are and where you are today.

What does your family name say about you?  I encourage you to check it out this week.  Ask your family what the meaning of your name(s) is/are.  Reconnect with that parent, that cousin, that grandparent, that you maybe have not said hello to in years.  You just never know what you might find out about yourself.

As directed by the Healthy For Life Program, www.releasingfat.com   

When you walk into a grocery store, notice that almost all of the healthy, recommended foods are all located on the outside aisles of your store.  All of your processed foods are on the inside aisles.  Therefore, it is wise to simply stay on the outside aisles for the majority of your shopping.  It is very difficult to find much of anything that is good for you in the center aisles.

Purchasing and having a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables available at home is a very important aspect of the Healthy for Life Program.  Eliminating all the processed foods is another critical aspect.  If it is not available at home, you will not be tempted to eat it.  Always having something around that is good to eat is essential for having long-term success.

www.releasingfat.com

I journeyed back to the farmlands of Iowa this week to see my oldest neice, Cassie Jo, graduate from high school.  In the midst of my visiting with family and friends, I always find time to fit in a run around the farm section land that I grew up with.  This is where my grass roots of running (literally) began and where my heart calls me home a few random times throughout the year.  It always feeds my soul to smell the smells of Iowa as I run through the country dirt roads, with the small acreages scattered throughout the 640 square miles of farm dirt that make up the living of the hard working farmers who toil the land year round.

Planting season is under way, a little behind times with all the rain.  I know this because as I plod my way down the dirt road, battling the 15 mile per hour winds toward my father’s farm homestead, I am greeted by the tractors with their planting equipment attached at the rear.  They simply stare at this lonely long distance runner, seemingly a stranger in these here parts, not knowing whether or not I am lost or simply crazy.  I smile as they pass, knowing that I am neither (although the latter diagnosis has not been confirmed either way as I type this).  I am simply a runner, out for a mid-day four-and-a-half miler cruise. 

I reminisce about every family that I knew lived in those farmhouses when I was a child. As I passed by, I wondered if it was the same family or not.  I awaited the random dog to come out and chase me, nipping at my heels as they always used to.  I did not run into any “Fidos” of any shape or size.  They must have been in their doghouses staying safe and guarded from the fierce winds that were whipping in and around the open landscape this blustery, sunny Spring day.

I saw my Aunt Gayla, my dad’s sister-in-law, bent over her garden, toiling her own soil as I ran by.  I snuck up behind her to say hello.  She fiegned a heart attack as I nearly scared her to death with my impromptu visit.  I smiled, the sweat trickling down my arms as I had stopped fighting the wind as I stood there, protected by their appropriately placed northwest property bordered by trees lining the road.   We caught up for just a few moments, as I eyed my watch, knowing I had a schedule to keep and didn’t want my lunch to be cold or my dad wondering what was keeping my arrival.

I finished the run feeling great.  Just over four miles and I felt as though I had traveled thousands as I went down memory lane.  Just in time for dinner (or lunch as we city folk call it) with my dad, Norman Tiedemann.  I felt like that farm kid again, if just for a moment, and enjoyed the mashed potatoes, peas and leftover meatloaf.  I love Iowa.  I love the northwest winds.  I love the farmers that toil the land.

It’s always good to go home.

I arrived back to my old stomping grounds - the place where I truly became a marathoner and fell in love with running by the water.

Minneapolis is known as the City of Lakes, located in the heart of Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes.  I flew in on late Wednesday night and true to form, I landed myself a nice run with the Team In Training Leukemia Society group around Lakes Calhoun and Harriet. 

I felt the sense of nostalgia wash over me as I ran with my friend Karl, and my nearly 40 other newfound friends, all who came together to raise funds for a cause greater than themselves. 

We fell into place easily as we paced ourselves at the start of the seven mile run, the cool spring air breeze gently enfolding us along with the newly hatched gnats flying through the air.  I relished in the official start of Spring in this Midwestern city that had only just said goodbye to the snow a mere three weeks earlier.  The buds on the trees were just officially blooming and the lakes were cold after just thawing at the same time the snow disappeared.

The coolness and fresh air were much appreciated and the smells of lilacs and what I call “Minneapolis lake smells” consumed my mind and brought me back in time.  It has been nearly six years since I lived here and yet the years flew by in my mind as I recounted the thousands of miles I logged with my training partners that I competed alongside, coached through their own experiences and the many strangers I greeted on all those runs.

Karl and I are both training for the Maui Triathlon, which takes place on June 8th.  Both of us are nearing our fundraising goals and the final taper before the big day.

Today we didn’t think much about either the fundraising or the triathlon.  We were living in the moment and enjoying some of the memories of our past, catching up on old times and where our lives have brought us since our running club days of yore.

That is one of the reasons I run.  It is in the running and the creation of memories and relationships along the miles logged that make running, and ultimately, life, all the more worth living and experiencing. 

I don’t miss the ocean saltiness smells just yet…..I get to consciously enjoy some different sights, smells and sounds this week while on vacation.  And for me, that is amazingly great for mind, body and Soul.

CLICK HERE for the audio recording of my monthly free telseminar interview with Jerry Simmons of www.WritersReaders.com. 

Learn how you too can become a published author! 

As found on www.releasingfat.com

Everyone loves their pasta.  Believe it or not, many of the pastas actually have a lower-glycemic index.  However, the problem is that they do contain a significant amount of calories, which increases the glycemic load.  You will find most of the pastas are in the moderately desirable category.  For example, egg fettuccine has a glycemic of 40 but a glycemic load of 18.  Whole wheat spaghetti has a glycemic index of 37 and a glycemic load of 16.  White spaghetti has a GI of 44 and a GL of 21. Y ou can significantly lower the GI of pasta by undercooking it (al dente) so that it is more firm.  This makes it even more difficult for the body to absorb it.

The biggest problem with eating pasta is the fact that we simply eat too much of it.  It seems that if you order any meal today with pasta, it takes up the entire plate.  An average serving is approximately ½ cup or about 2 ounces.  Now, that is not too much.  So when you eat pasta, your main concern is not to eat too much.

For more information on how to learn more about the importance of understanding the Glycemic Index and the impact it has on your diet, CLICK HERE.

The sunshine came out today and I am always amazed at even in California, the land of paradise and amazing weather year round, the sun can inspire more people to come out and train.

I hit the outdoor swimming pool at Ole Hanson to catch some sun and train in the great outdoors, getting in just roughly 1000 meters with a ladder workout of 200, 500, 100, 200 meters respectively.

Even getting there right when the doors opened for lap swimming, the lanes were full and I knew I would have the pleasure of swimming with a lane partner or two. 

I landed next to my 81-year-old friend Ernie.  He was in the lane next to me and I smiled as I asked, “So how far you going today Ernie?”

“Oh, I don’t know….these days I just listen to my body.  If it says “whoa”, I go “whoa’”

I laughed out loud.  What a great coaching tip for myself.  If my body says, ‘Whoa’, I think I can go whoa too.

Immediately upon entering the water and bracing myself for that first chilled effect one always gets when first entering the pool water, I met my own lane partner.

“What’s your name?”  I asked

“Speed.”  He stated simply.

I smiled in response.  My new friend, “Speed” was easily in his 60s and I would find out that he was just in his first four months of swimming as a new sport.  Speed was his nickname from days gone by on the basketball court.  He had picked up swimming as something inspired to keep him going til he reaches Ernie’s age and beyond.

I smiled as I swam, thinking, I am between”Whoa” Ernie and “Speed”.  Both whom are a great inspiration for me to keep going - knowing that I can listen to my body and swimming does a body good!