MOTHER S DAY CONTRIBUTOR: MARKETING Original article from

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1 YNERGY TIMES GIFT I D E A S MAY 2018 F OR MOTHER S DAY CONTRIBUTOR: MARKETING Original article from Mom will cherish our handcrafted Mother s Day gifts for years to come. With gifts such as stylish jewelry, homemade chocolate truffles, and family-theme artwork, our Mother s Day gift ideas will please any Mom.

2 Sweet Smelling Candle There s no Mother s Day gift more classic than a fragrant candle. Pick a scent and color that fits your mother s personality and pair it with our DIY candleholders. To make, spray a light mist of water into a glass holder. Spray a light layer of metallic gold paint on the inside of the holder, painting over the water beads (it will leave the glass slightly translucent); let dry. Add a layer of gold glitter spray to finish. DIY Vase -and -Candle Centerpiece There s no Mother s Day gift more classic than a fragrant candle. Pick a scent and color that fits your mother s personality and pair it with our DIY candleholders. To make, spray a light mist of water into a glass holder. Spray a light layer of metallic gold paint on the inside of the holder, painting over the water beads (it will leave the glass slightly translucent); let dry. Add a layer of gold glitter spray to finish. Family" Kitchen Artwork Family is what is most important on special days like Mother s Day. Give your mom this gift to remind her how much you care. To make, buy several wooden spoons -- one for each letter. Paint the ends of each spoon; let dry. Using a letter stencil, lightly blot white paint to make one letter on each spoon; let dry. Cut a piece of cardboard to fit the opening of a picture frame (make sure the frame can fit all spoons with a 1/2-inch border on all sides). Wrap white canvas around the front of the cardboard; hot-glue to secure. Insert in frame; hot-glue spoons to the canvas. Homemade Truffles for Mom Mmm, chocolate. If your mom has a sweet tooth, these homemade truffles will do the trick this Mother s Day! Plastic boxes, candy cups, and festive fabric are all you need to package the luscious chocolate truffles after making.

3 Recipe of the Month: Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto and Shrimp INGREDIENTS: 5-6 medium zucchini (2¼-2½ pounds total), trimmed ¾ teaspoon salt, divided McCormick Sea Salt Grinder 2.12 Oz 1 ripe avocado 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves ¼ cup unsalted shelled pistachios 2 tablespoons lemon juice ¼ teaspoon ground pepper ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil plus 2 tablespoons, divided Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil 25.5 Fl Oz CONTRIBUTOR: JONATHAN JJ JEROTZ Original recipe from Star Extra Virgin Olive Oil 25 Fl Oz 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound raw shrimp (21-25 count), peeled and deveined, tails left on if desired 1-2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning PREPARATION: P R E P T I M E READY IN M I N S 35 M I N S Using a spiral vegetable slicer or a vegetable peeler, cut zucchini lengthwise into long, thin strands or strips. Stop when you reach the seeds in the middle (seeds make the noodles fall apart). Place the zucchini noodles in a colander and toss with ½ teaspoon salt. Let drain for 15 to 30 minutes, then gently squeeze to remove any excess water. Meanwhile, combine avocado, basil, pistachios, lemon juice, pepper and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add ¼ cup oil and process until smooth. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add shrimp and sprinkle with Old Bay; cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp is almost cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add the drained zucchini noodles and gently toss until hot, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl, add the pesto and gently toss to combine.

4 Drink of the Month: Spicy Grapefruit Margarita CONTRIBUTOR: STEVE EMMINGER CONTRIBUTOR: MARKETING Full recipe on INGREDIENTS 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons tequila 1-2 habanero chiles, halved Kosher salt 6 cups fresh pink grapefruit juice Gold Sprinkles Rainbow candy belts P R E P T I M E 5MIN INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Mix tequila and chiles in a large pitcher. Let steep 3 hours, or longer if a spicier tequila is desired. Discard chiles. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 month ahead. Cover; chill. 2. Pour enough water onto a small plate to cover. Pour enough salt onto another small plate to cover by 1/4. Dip rims of eight 12-ounce. glasses into water, then into salt to lightly coat; fill with ice. Add grapefruit juice to pitcher with tequila. Fill with ice; stir until cold. Divide drink among glasses.

5 8 WAYS TO TRICK YOURSELF INTO A MORNING WORKOUT IT S ALL ABOUT HOW YOU PREP THE NIGHT BEFORE CONTRIBUTOR: JEFF BLACKWELL AUTHOR: NICOLE PAJER Full article on Getting to the gym first thing in the morning is often much easier said than done. It can be more appealing to roll back under the covers rather than strap on your shoes for a pre-work run. Kicking off your day with a workout may help you lose more fat, reduce your desire to ingest excessive calories throughout the day, lower your blood pressure and can help you to sleep better at night. So how do you make that early exercise happen? It all starts with how you prepare the night before. HuffPost chatted with some experts to uncover the best ways to prep for your morning workout at night. Here s what you can do before bed to ensure that you make it with zero excuses: 1. GET YOUR CLOTHES READY If sleeping in your exercise tank isn t up your alley, try at least packing your gym bag the night before, said Andrea Fornarola Hunsberger founder of Elements Fitness. Put it by the door and have it ready to grab in the morning, she said. And when it comes down to deciding what to wear, dress for success. Pick out a workout outfit that makes you feel powerful to get moving, said Sandy Liang, a certified personal trainer at Crunch Fitness in New York. 2. KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE SNOOZE BUTTON Make your bedroom a snooze-free zone by keeping your alarm out of arm s reach. Set your alarm clock and put it on the other side of the room, Everline advised. When it goes off in the morning, you ll have to get up out of the bed and turn it off. Krickit Hodges, co-founder of GoTRIBE, a global online personal training company, also stressed that hitting snooze is a bad habit when it comes to morning exercise. She added that you should try to get out of bed within a few seconds of your alarm going off. When you set your alarm at night, set your alarm at night, set it to one of your

6 favorite jams to pump you up, Hodges said. I have Eye of the Tiger. 3. EAT A SMART DINNER Avoid eating heavy meals too late at night, said David Greuner, a cardiovascular surgeon and co-founder of NYC Surgical Associates. Greuner recommended aiming for an earlier dinner to facilitate waking up refreshed and ready to train in the morning. Aside from possible heartburn and indigestion, overeating later at night can leave you prone to feeling lethargic in the morning and more inclined to skip your workout, he explained. Digestion takes about six to eight hours so last night s big meal may still be sitting in your stomach the next morning. An ideal, smart dinner that can help fuel you consists of something like brown rice, steamed broccoli and lean protein, he said. 4. PREP YOUR TECH Subscribe to HuffPost s wellness Your guide to taking care of your mind and body so you can take on the world. Make sure the electronics you use during your workout are fully charged, said celebrity fitness trainer Tadeo Arnold. That could be your wireless earphones or iphone, anything that helps you have a more productive workout. Another fun motivator is to put together an energizing playlist of songs to train to the next morning. You can also cue up a podcast that you ve been meaning to check out or make a plan to stream an episode of Scandal or Orange is the New Black while you log your daily half hour on the elliptical. HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST PET BIRD FOR YOU DON T JUST WING IT! Full article on AUTHOR: SAMANTHA ELLIS CONTRIBUTOR: JAMES CARMODY

7 Not all birds would make good pets, so when looking for a feathery addition to your family make sure you read up on this helpful information from the Humane Society. When deciding to add a feathered friend to your family, it s important to select a bird whose needs can be met in your home. Many birds, though popular and readily available, are not appropriate pets for most people. There are several species of birds with physical, behavioral, and social needs that are simply too great to be addressed in an average household. These birds should not be pets and are best left in their natural habitats. GOOD CHOICES Canaries, finches, cockatiels, parakeets, and lovebirds are birds who have a long history of selective breeding in captivity and can be considered domesticated strains of wild species. Their basic needs are more easily met, proper supplies to care for them are readily available, and these birds can live long, happy lives in a caring home. BETTER KEPT IN THE WILD In comparison, birds like conures, parrots (of whom there are many varieties), macaws, cockatoos, and toucans are problematic because they have not undergone the same process of long captive breeding and genetic selection. These birds are still wild animals, even when bred in captivity. As such, their normal behavior can make them difficult and demanding to live with. Issues like size, noise, destructive behavior, biting, and behavioral vices coupled with a lifespan of 50 years or more can make these species inappropriate as pets for the average owner. Because of these humane reasons, these animals are not recommended as pets. Most people simply cannot provide for the many complex needs of such birds, causing them to suffer for their entire lives. DON T SUPPORT CRUELTY Another reason to choose captive-bred domestic strains of bird species is because of the wild animal trade. Despite U.S. laws that prohibit the import of many species of wild-caught birds, millions of birds are still caught every year for the pet trade and sold all over the world in pet stores or online. The commercial trade in wild animals is a multi-billion dollar business that threatens the survival of many different species and results in the inhumane treatment of billions of animals every year. While your local pet store may be full of colorful birds, those creatures represent just a tiny fraction of the captured wild animals who did not survive the process. WHERE TO GET A FEATHERED FRIEND If you decide that you would like to get a bird, check with your local animal shelter before getting one from a pet store, the Internet, or a classified ad in the newspaper. Many shelters today are not limited to just dogs and cats and have plenty of birds who are looking for new homes. Go to Pets911. com or PetFinder.com to search for adoptable birds at animal shelters and bird rescue groups in your area.