Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
When Is The Best Time To Exercise?
The early bird gets the worm, but does the early bird get thinner? The social trend seems to be to wake up and workout before the day gets started. Often times if one doesn't hit the gym before starting their day, then the gym gets skipped. As someone who is not a morning person, I'm impressed with those that are able to hit the gym every morning before going to a job that starts at 8:00 am. . I want to tell the early morning gym rat that I am motivated by their promptness and commitment to fitness. Working out at 5 am is more of a fluke than a regular routine for me and I wonder if not being able to get on board with early morning exercise has cause a hindrance to my fitness goals.
Well it turns out that the time of day that one works out may not be based on what one may think. Exercise is best when your body is warm. Studies show that an afternoon workout might be more beneficial. During the afternoon, the body temperature typically increases allowing for muscle strength and endurance to peak. In addition, heart rate and blood pressure are normally at its lowest, which makes the afternoon schedule a great time to get in some reps.
All in all, I believe that your body will tell you the best time to workout. I often feel that there are benefits associated with working out at the same time each day regardless of the time of day that's set. The atmosphere where I'm working out also play a huge impact on my motivation and eagerness to run repeatedly on a treadmill that leads to nowhere. I find myself in the whole hamster wheel world on a treadmill and can find it to not be enjoyable for me. There is a time when I find an increase desire to want to work out and that is when I'm on vacation. If you know anything about me, I tend to travel a lot. My husband and myself enjoying checking out new destinations and luxury resorts when we are able to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It is often these relaxing trips that lead me into the gym to enjoy a nice full body workout. There's nothing like a new environment to ignite the workout bug in me. A fresh crisp apple, bottle water, and a cool towel are little gym perks that will keep me returning.
Now it may not be realistic to be able to workout at different resort gyms every week, but I think it is reasonable to say that one can change their workout scenery. Go running in a new park, try a yoga class at a fitness studio, get a free guest past at a new gym that you've never tried. Go visit a nearby community center and sign up for free Zumba or enroll in a aquatics class at your local community college. When the weather is nice outside, try taking a walk. I love going to a nearby drugstore that's about 3 miles away. I'll jog over, take a break to purchase more water and a protein bar, use the bathroom, and then head back home. That's a 6 mile run. So it doesn't matter if the workout is 6 miles on the street of Small Town, USA or 6 miles at the Phoenician Athletic Club. What's important is that we take the time out of our day to workout and treat ourselves right. We only get one body on God's green earth. Let's take care of it.
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Choosing a Cruise that's Right for You!
February 19, 2019
Different cruises are going to provide different experiences for the avid cruiser. All cruises are NOT created equal. Last year, my husband and I had an amazing time cruising to the Bahamas on the Carnival Victory in November of 2018. In almost two months time we were back cruising the same Atlantic Ocean anticipating another delightful time in the Bahamas. Why so soon? Well it was a completely different experience when we chose to sail on the Celebrity Cruise Line. Both experiences were one to go down in the books of epic vacation history, but for different reasons. It is important to know that cruises are different. Even the same cruise line can give the cruiser a different experience depending on the time of year of the sail, the port of departure, and the duration of the cruise...just to name a few. However, after sailing Carnival for the last six years and well over six times, one thing that remains to be true is that Carnival Cruise is going to give you a PARTY. And when I say party, I'm saying PAR-TAY!!!
5 Ways to Tell That You Are On A Party Cruise!
1) The Cruise Director. The cruise director on the ship can literally make or break the party experience. It is the job of the cruise director to plan events and get as many people involved as possible. If you are the life of the party, then you can have fun anywhere. However, what's so amazing about cruising is the collective festive energy of hundreds of people. This cohesiveness of fun is what makes so many cruisers addicted to cruising. It literally can be a non-stop party for however many days you are on the ship.
2) The Music. This doesn't have anything to do with race or a certain genre of music. It is known that the songs that get the most people dancing are the songs that are "line" or "coordinated" dances that go along with the music. In the video, not only will you see the fabulous cruise director leading the dances, but you will hear songs such as "The Cupid Shuffle", "The Wobble", "The Cha-Cha Slide", "Follow the Leader" and more that are popular dances that people either know or can learn on the spot. These songs, followed by the mass dash to the dance floor is what helps determine if your cruise is a party cruise.
3) The Sail Away Party. All cruises have some sort of sail away "party". This doesn't mean that it is a party cruise. The Celebrity Cruise I sailed on in January, 2019 had a sail away party where people ate, drank, and were merry. However, there wasn't an actual party. If you are on a party cruise, every single individual on the ship is at the party. It is so crowded that you can barely walk from one side of the deck to the other. There's no one in their cabin for a true sail away party. If you are on a cruise and the sail away party isn't jumping like the one in this video. Then it is a good sign that the cruise, while fabulous, isn't a party cruise.
4) Night Life. The nightlife on your cruise ship should not shut down at 10pm. It shouldn't shut down at midnight. If you are on a party cruise, then the party never really stops. It's literally like being a young adult. The club stays crowded and people are dancing until the club finally closes at let's say 3pm. Then it's off to get a steamy hot and freshly made pizza from the 24-hour pizza place, which is very enjoyable. Then if you are like me, you will cool your taste buds down with a refreshing ice cream cone.
Some cruises have lounges instead of night clubs. They contain beautiful people who sip on cocktails and talk about how they plan to spend their day when the ship docks at the next destination. These people compare their paid for excursions like jocks comparing the size of their muscles. This isn't a party cruise. It's people lounging around while music is playing. It may be a cruise that happens to squeeze out a few parties. There is a difference!
5) An Encore Party. Party cruises have an encore party that's so amazing that you become sadden on disembarkation day. It makes exiting the cruise ship a sweet heap of sorrow. On a party cruise, you're not ready to go home. You're an addict, wanting the party to never end, or already making plans for your next cruise. Common names for this encore party on a Carnival Cruise ship include, The Mega Deck Party, Serenity Under the Stars, The Pajama Party, and 80's Rock-N-Glow Party just to name a few. When I sailed Celebrity, the encore party was the Moonlight Deck Party. It was actually a real party, even though the cruse wasn't a party cruise. For some people, partying is not the reason why they cruise. The good thing is that there is a cruise line that's suited perfectly for those people who aren't looking for a party. My husband and I are those people at times. Especially when we take a trip to Vegas the weekend before our cruise. 😆
There you have it! 5 Ways to Tell If You Are On a Party Cruise. We would love to hear from you. Let us know what you think in the comments below. What do you like about cruising? What makes a party cruise to you? Are there any other cruise lines that are non-stop partying that's not part of Carnival. Our goal is to cruise every single cruise line. I love to party, but I also love elegance, pristine clean ships, and food that makes me want to live in Specialty Dining. I have found those experiences are some of the highlights of other cruise lines, and I look forward to sharing those experiences with you in future blogs.
Anthony and Shira Smith were married in Newport Coast, California on December 13, 2014. Together the couple created the show Trending Topics with Ant & Shira on LA Talk Radio.
Presently, the couple has expanded the show to YouTube: Ant and Shira Trending Topics, Relationships, & Travel. Many of their travel adventures can be found on Instagram using the hashtag #AntnShira
Both Anthony and Shira Smith are published authors on Amazon. You can find their books using the links below.
How to Deal with Teenage Issues: Sex, Drugs and Other Elephants by Shira Dillon (Smith)
Life Intentional: Living In Fullness Everyday by Anthony Lamar SmithMonday, February 18, 2019
Ancestry DNA: An Entertaining Unboxing of the Ancestry DNA Kit
February 18, 2019
How many times has the Ancestry DNA commercial appeared on a television screen during the
5 o'clock news, or in the middle of an intense game of NBA basketball where Lebron James is out (again) and the Lakers are lacking the defense needed to seal the deal against the Golden State Warriors! Sorry, I just excluded the rest of the country and the world for that matter, but I am a California girl!
I think it is safe to say that the picture is pretty darn clear. Ancestry DNA or some version of it is everywhere. As a high school teacher, I have the pleasure of teaching a unit on culture every year. It is an opportunity for the students to talk to their elders about family recipes and traditions. While I'm pretty satisfied concerning the history of food in my family, I am unable to trace my roots back to Africa. That, all of a sudden became a burden to me. My eleven year old son was immediately curious to find out what part of Africa we are from. His excitement for this knowledge, along with my own inquiring mind employed me to purchase the test.
Keep reading to find out how you can get an inclusive ancestry DNA kit discount or click here.
Sometimes I think others forget that there are African Americans that have been in this country for so long that although they can trace their family history back for hundreds of years, this sojourn still doesn't given them an African zip code. The United States of America is the only home that so many of us know. Moreover, people from all races and ethnic backgrounds do not know their DNA history. There are so many stories on youtube of people learning about their ancestry with a plethora of surprises.
As of the date I write this blog, I am unaware of my results. However, I would like to share what our process was like unboxing the Ancestry DNA Kit. Below is an entertaining clip from our youtube channel Ant and Shira going into full detail of what all comes inside the box, how to take the test properly in order to receive the best results, and what our expectations are.
Have you every had an ancestry test done? What was the experience like? What were the results?
Can you tell where we are from by looking at us? Check out the video to see what our experience was like, participate in the poll, and leave your predictions in the comments. :)
Anthony and Shira Smith were married in Newport Coast, California on December 13, 2014. Together the couple created the show Trending Topics with Ant & Shira on LA Talk Radio.
Presently, the couple has expanded the show to YouTube: Ant and Shira Trending Topics, Relationships, & Travel. Many of their travel adventures can be found on Instagram using the hashtag #AntnShira Both Anthony and Shira Smith are published authors on Amazon. You can find their books using the links below.
How to Deal with Teenage Issues: Sex, Drugs and Other Elephants by Shira Dillon (Smith)
Life Intentional: Living In Fullness Everyday by Anthony Lamar SmithFree Ancestry DNA coupon code: Click Here!
Saturday, February 16, 2019
New Scars from an Old Assault
February 16, 2019
How does one forgive a person that isn't remorseful for their actions? An even better question may be, why put up with someone that could care less that they've hurt you? To add insult to injury, this person makes it loud and clear that they will continue their actions because they feel entitled. What is this action you ask? The action that I speak about is the act of infidelity in marriage.
Last week, my husband and I were watching the Oprah Winfrey Network as we awaited for Iyanla Vanzant's Fix My Life Show. We have been fans of this show since the first season, and we always engaged in intellectually stimulating conversations afterwards. However, this time around, the fairly new show Love and Marriage: Huntsville caught our attention when the condescending words of Martell Hope grabbed our ear and made me gasp in horror. The level of disrespect towards his wife was unsettling and caused my blood to boil.
Click Here to View the Argument between Martell and Melody Hope
How does one choose to cheat on their wife and then tell her that it's her fault? What sort of marriage vows include the phrase feel free to go out and indulge in as many side chicks as possible any time your wife displeases you? Please share with us and our readers the occasion that this type of behavior is appropriate if you agree with this train of thought.
As the next episode of Love and Marriage: Huntsville is aired Saturday, February16th, I have to ask myself if I'm ready to watch. It is hard for me to witness any female get treated the way Mel Hope was treated last week. While she seemed to hold her own against the smug behavior of Mr. Martell Hope, it was still a weight that she never deserved to carry. The episode definitely prompted my own husband to want to do a youtube show in the future about infidelity in marriage. As a man, he would definitely bring some balance to the conversation.
As always, we would love to here from you. If you haven't done so, take a look at the clip from Season 1, Episode 5 "Miami Vices" Love and Marriage: Huntsville by clicking here. We welcome you to talk to us by telling us your thoughts below. Don't forget to include any questions you would want us to include on our Marriage Infidelity youtube show in the comments.
I truly believe that there are so many wonderful marriages full of love, respect, and fidelity in the world. One can only hope that Martell and Melody Hope find happiness together, or if divorce becomes their reality, the happiness is experienced with their next spouses.
To show your support for Couple Adventures, please subscribe to Ant and Shira's YouTube channel by clicking here.
Presently, the couple has expanded the show to YouTube: Ant and Shira Trending Topics, Relationships, & Travel. Many of their travel adventures can be found on Instagram using the hashtag #AntnShira
Both Anthony and Shira Smith are published authors on Amazon. You can find their books using the links below.
How to Deal with Teenage Issues: Sex, Drugs and Other Elephants by Shira Dillon (Smith)
Life Intentional: Living In Fullness Everyday by Anthony Lamar Smith
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