By Christine Cioppa

We all know that we need to get enough sleep. Precisely, 7-8 hours is needed for adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Besides creating some hefty dark eye circles, skimping on sleep can affect memory and increase the risk for certain chronic diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes and obesity. Sleep problems are also linked to heart disease and depression.

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) says not getting enough shut eye can cause people to make more mistakes and be less productive at school or work. NSF also says getting enough sleep helps improve memory.

Recently, sleep expert Lauren Whitehurst, from the Sleep and Cognition Lab at University California, Riverside, discussed her study on sleep and memory. The article, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences this past August, was about memory consolidation during sleep.

Specifically, her study was on autonomic activity and sleep. “When we say the autonomic nervous system, I’m referring to the body: the heart, our lungs, and our gut. All those organs are communicating with our brain…. Our study was one of the first to show that autonomic activity is related to memory processing. In this case, we are looking at heart rate activity.”

Whitehurst says that the scientific literature on sleep and memory over the past 30 years has already established that memories are solidified during sleep.

“I was really interested in the brain-body connection. What are these relationships between the heart and the brain? And then very specifically, in the study, we were looking at memory consolidation…. What we found was, yeah! There is a pretty reliable and predictable relationship between what is going on in your heart—particularly, in this case, how variable your heart is…. Heart rate variability.”

Whitehurst said, “I think the implications are pretty large. Cardiovascular disease is one of the biggest that our health care system is constantly combatting…. What is going on in our body is affecting our ability to remember… affecting our cognition, our learning,” says Whitehurst.

Currently, Whitehurst is studying how suppressing and stimulating the autonomic nervous system affects memory consolidation.

So what can you do now? Helping your memory now still comes down to sleep. Whitehurst offers some specific tips for students:

Reversing Sleep Debt

So what happens when you burn the midnight oil too long and are running on fumes, especially during exams?

“If you have two days or even any amount of time of sleep deprivation, you are really unable to remember things the same way that you would if you did get sleep after learning information,” says Whitehurst.

“What I typically say is, really think about the summation of sleep. If you get your 5-6 hours of sleep at night, which isn’t quite enough, and isn’t what’s recommended, but sometimes that is what day-to-day schedules allow, really try to get a nap—a 30- to 45-minute nap.”

If you can’t get in one big nap, try two or three 20-minute naps, she suggests, which can help reduce sleep debt.

Study Tip

“I think a lot of times, we say ‘If I stay up late’ or ‘If I cram or if I study really, really hard, I’m going to do much better on this test.’ But sleep has to happen between studying and test taking. So make sleep a priority. Just like you put time aside to study, you have to put time aside for sleep. Make sleep a priority!”

DID YOU KNOW?

After 18 hours of being awake, you may start to function like you’re drunk? —DrousyDriving.org

By Christine Cioppa

A trip to the ER is not a fun way to spend Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The culprit for some: a live Christmas tree in the home.

It’s becoming more commonly known as “Christmas Tree Syndrome.” And, unfortunately, it’s not always easy to connect the dots between an asthma attack and a Christmas tree since allergy symptoms can appear days after putting up a tree and can peak around Christmas Eve or Christmas.

The week before Christmas day to the week after is noted for “epidemic peaks of respiratory illness” in adults and children, according to one study published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 

One of the researchers, Lawrence Kurlandsky, MD, recently shared what he knows about asthma, allergies and the holidays.

When he studied the issue several years ago, he and his colleagues focused on Christmas tree mold. They set out to identify what types of mold might be causing the problem. A few years earlier, in 2007, other researchers found that Christmas tree mold spores were shown to multiply by as much as 600 percent per cubic meter (800 spores to 5,000 spores) after two weeks in the home.

“My 2011 study was prompted by the observation in my allergy practice over many years that many children with known allergies, especially to molds, became acutely symptomatic in the presence of a live Christmas tree and unfortunately ended up in an ER or hospitalized on Christmas Eve or day. It seemed clear to me that live trees might be playing a role,” Kurlandsky said.

Though figures are hard to come by, one study found that 7 percent of allergy patients experience allergies to a live Christmas tree.

That doesn’t mean you necessarily have to toss your live tree. It could be your pet, your visitors’ pets, your humidifier, your stress level and more triggering asthma or allergy symptoms around the holidays, Kurlandsky said. Read the full interview below to find out what you can do this holiday season to reduce the risk of wheezing and other allergy symptoms.

Q&A with Lawrence Kurlandsky, MD:

Q. In 2007, several news outlets reported on Christmas trees and mold and how airborne mold spores inside an apartment can multiply 600 percent per cubic meter (800 spores to 5,000 spores) after a tree is brought inside the home and left there for two weeks. Has this been refuted and/or can you confirm that mold spores increase in the air in confined spaces like small condos, homes and apartments?

A. Mold spores can increase in small living spaces over time if the source continues to be present and especially if the site remains humid. The 2007 report has not been refuted. However, one criticism is that the mold spores may not have come from the tree but could have come from another source, such as house plants, whose soil can give off mold spores, or an unclean humidifier that might be used in a home with dry air in the winter due to the heat being on.

Q: When you've studied the types of mold spores found on Christmas trees, are those types associated with asthma and allergies? 

A. Yes, of the 11 different types of molds that were identified, 4 are known to be clearly associated with asthma and allergies. These are Aspergillus, Alternaria, Cladosporium, and Penicillium.

Q. For people with severe tree, ragweed, mold and grass allergies, what do you recommend if they enjoy having a live tree?

A. If people with severe allergies have had no previous problems with a live tree, then I would recommend no action. If previous problems have been suspected, then hosing a tree with water or using a "leaf blower" to clean it off outside or in the garage have been suggested.

Q. Can the levels of allergens from a live tree in the home be dangerous enough to trigger severe asthma attacks and allergies, even in people who don't normally have these allergies?

A. This is unknown. People may develop new allergies at any time, but if a person has not been allergic to molds, dust mites, or grass or ragweed pollens, then it is unlikely that allergens from a live tree would trigger symptoms.

My 2011 study was prompted by the observation in my allergy practice over many years that many children with known allergies, especially to molds, became acutely symptomatic in the presence of a live Christmas tree and unfortunately ended up in an ER or hospitalized on Christmas Eve or day. It seemed clear to me that live trees might be playing a role. Evergreen pollens are not present during the winter months, so it seemed that molds, which readily grow on tree bark, might be the culprit.

However, I do not wish to impugn Christmas trees as the sole issue for triggering allergies or asthma over the Christmas holidays. Other factors may be involved such as family or friends visiting who might have pet dander on their clothes that a household member might be allergic to or different holiday foods that may contain an ingredient that someone is allergic to and does not appreciate its presence. One could also postulate that the excitement or anxiety of the holiday might trigger asthma symptoms.

Q. Is an artificial tree any better and what allergy risks, if any, does this tree pose?

A. Many people have found that an artificial tree creates no problems where previously the presence of a live tree was associated with allergy or asthma symptoms (suggesting that a live tree may present problems to some people). However, an artificial tree may harbor dust (dust mites) or animal dander, which can also trigger allergic symptoms in sensitive people. So depending on where it came from and how it was stored from year to year, it may also need to be cleaned in the same manner as a live tree.

Want to learn more about allergies that appear around the holidays? Read on:

“Allergies, Asthma and Winter Holidays” article from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: https://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/library/asthma-library/allergies,-asthma-and-winter-holidays

“Allergic to the Holidays?” article from the Christmas Tree Association:

http://www.christmastreeassociation.org/allergic-to-the-holidays/

If you’ve walked into class recently and noticed a decline in attendance, a round of the cold or flu virus might just be making its way through the campus hallways.

Flu season peaks between December and March, though illness can begin appearing in early fall and last into the spring.

Don’t know the difference between the two?

Cold: Symptoms include a sore throat, runny nose, congestion and cough. Fevers are uncommon. Lasts about three days to a week.

Flu: Similar symptoms such as sore throat, cough and congestion but the flu virus can come with a nasty wallop of headache, muscle aches and soreness as well as vomiting and diarrhea. The flu can leave you feeling miserable for a week or longer.

But, should you skip class to treat yourself?

Medical experts say a light cold can often be easily treated with over the counter medications. Most people can muscle though their day with minimal misery. Colds, however, are contagious, so wash your hands often and sneeze into a tissue.

If you have the more severe symptoms of the flu, stay home, experts say. Give yourself time to recover, this means staying in bed, resting, drinking fluids and avoiding college fun, work and class.

And perhaps most important, communicate with your professors. If you are too sick to head to class, they will appreciate you not spreading the virus. But, they also appreciate you letting htem know what is happening so you can stay on top of your classwork.

By Christine Cioppa

For some women, premenstrual symptoms get in the way of studies, classes and work. Interpersonal skills seem to get hijacked, making social interaction a risk for strained relations. Fatigue sets in and mood swings are rampant.

According to the National Association for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, up to 80 percent of women have Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) that causes emotional or physical symptoms before menstruation. The more serious form, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) occurs in up to 8 percent of women. Five million women have PMDD in the United States.

Seven to 10 days before menstruation begins, certain physiological changes take place that, for some, result in irritability, anger, sadness, anxiety, alternating with happiness and being just fine.

“PMDD and PMS are technically separate conditions. PMDD is an actual psychiatric diagnosis included in our official diagnostic book, the DSM-5, under mood disorders,” said Kenneth Trevino, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist, and co-author of an article in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice that reviews the treatments for PMS and PMDD.

People with PMS may have one symptom or a few symptoms that impair their life; people with PMDD have at least five symptoms in a certain combination. Symptoms, noted in Trevino’s study, include many that can directly affect someone’s ability to work and attend classes: 

• Decreased interest in usual activities (including school, work, friends, hobbies)
• Subjective difficulty in concentration
• Lethargy, easy fatigability, or marked lack of energy
• Marked irritability or anger or increased interpersonal conflicts
• A sense of being overwhelmed or out of control
• Marked depressed mood, feelings of hopelessness or self-depreciating thoughts

The good news is that there are treatment options. Besides drug therapy, there are some natural ways to try to curb symptoms. Always consult with a doctor before taking new supplements, especially those in combination with other supplements or drugs.

• Calcium, 1,200 mg per day
• Vitamin E, 150 IU to 600 IU
• Chaste Tree Extract,20 to 40 milligrams per day in capsule form, 200 to 320 mg per day
• Vitamin B6, 50 to 100 mg (** Note: Exceeding this dose of Vitamin B6 can cause nerve problems.)

Of these, calcium was rated highest in efficacy after certain FDA-approved drug treatments. Vitamin E and Chaste Tree Extract were ranked as possibly effective. Vitamin B6 and Magnesium show limited evidence of efficacy, which means they are more effective than treatments ranked “not effective.” More studies are needed to determine how effective these treatments are for PMS and PMDD. 

Unlike drugs used to treat PMDD, such as SSRIs and certain oral contraceptives, supplements are not FDA approved as a treatment for PMS or PMDD. However, Trevino said some of these treatments might be worth a try.

Trevino also suggested avoiding caffeine and alcohol during the seven to 10 days when symptoms appear, because these things can exacerbate issues with moodiness. Exercise can be helpful, especially with concentration issues.

If you think you may have PMDD or PMS, or are experiencing any symptoms that are impairing or negatively impacting your life, talk to your doctor. Trevino said a medical center or doctor can help students determine if what they are feeling is typical, like stress from an exam, or something more serious.

“PMDD is a real condition. There is no need for one to suffer, especially when there are treatment options,” Trevino said.

By Amy Nielsen

I have discovered my personal Tabula Rosa, my Rosetta stone, my thesaurus.

Let me explain. I was lucky enough to go to a weekend-long immersion conference for healing arts. While listening to several different teachers, I discovered a way to relate to my specific chronic illness that makes so much sense to me it’s like someone opened a lock. Literally, it feels like a door inside my head opened up. It was just a simple drawing. But it was the key.

I have a very specific path I want to take for my own healing. I know this is going to take a lot of personal work. In order to do that I need to be able to travel to the teachers and healers I need to see to do the work and learn the lessons myself. From there, I want to share what I learn in the way I know it with other people so they are able to start to have the door opened for them too.

I have a very specific kind of theory I want to teach. I know also that I want my job to involve travel. I have decided on my target clientele. I know where they live and what their median income is. I know what their level of disposable income is and how they prefer to spend it. I know how they best like to be targeted for shopping in a way that fits the needs of my teaching style. I know how to tailor my classes, workshops and client sessions to fit well within that community. I lived it. I am that demographic. Using this clientele helps me more easily be in the places I need to be to see the healers I need while still working and teaching along the way.

The material I want to teach lends itself well to a structure based on 8, which makes daily planning a snap. A full workshop day usually runs eight hours: seven hours of teaching time, two fifteen minutes breaks, and one half hour lunch; assuming you can provide lunch or it is easily accessible. I can easily break classes over two days and condense them by allowing for more discussion time and exercises..

I have a tiered approach in mind for the class structure. I know right now I can comfortably lead local herb walks and teach classes on kitchen herbalism. I also know I can teach a myriad of fermenting and kitchen-based classes. I can lead kids and adults of mixed gender for this level of class. Within that structure I can layer the overarching topic of my Tabula Rosa: the what, how, and why these ingredients are important in this structure of healing.

I also know that within the next six months or so I will feel confident enough in my own journey to be able to work up the next level of lecture style class, where I can get a bit more in depth into the actual structure of healing and how to see it working in your own body. I am not the healer, you are. I am sharing my healing path with you and learning from you just as much as you are learning from me. That’s how teaching works. As I increase my knowledge and complete the classes I am currently working through, I will have more structure to move forward from. I will have more material to teach.

 It is my hope that in the future as I get farther along in my personal journey, people will fall into my space for mentoring.

I will not specifically be a teacher, though the relationship can start off in that formal setting. I want to be someone more than that, someone who is more than friend, someone who primarily teaches but also learns. The mentee - must find a different word for that - is accomplished at their own level of expertise in a different area of a similar art and is looking to expand their knowledge into another area with more formal study with a practioner of a similar lever of skill to theirs. The mentee needs less beginner work and can have a faster learning curve as they can draw from similar experience in their own craft or art.

This relationship can work in a more formal setting as with a master and apprentice relationship, or less formal in a personal coaching relationship. Not only am I looking to find other mentor relationships and teachers to follow for my own journey, I am also looking for people to mentor so they can share this with other people. The whole purpose of this is to help other people by teaching them this system to help themselves and then passing that along to other people.

Each of these levels teach the same principles, just at different depths and energetic levels. I feel like I have a good structure to teach from and to do the actual work of the business from. I know who I want to work with and why. I know how I can help them deal with our specific set of stressors and circumstances in such a way as to make their lives easier. I also know that my personal journey will inform my business journey and vice versa. As I learn more, I can teach more. As my light grows I can illuminate more.

By Amy Nielsen

I feel a bit like a magpie with a shiny new button to examine. The last month of travel has opened my eyes to possibilities that I never felt I had the chops to pursue.

The most important lesson I learned is that I am totally capable, even in my rusted state, of running any kitchen anywhere as a chef with no real help coming from any side other than my own backside. I felt powerful. Large and in charge. Within myself fully. And it felt great.

Three days ago I found the exact truck I want to buy. It’s located in San Antonio and is perfect. Not too big for me to run solo, but not too small that I couldn’t run a big show with one or two helpers on board; outfitted with beautiful reach-in coolers for the salads and a delightful area set up with baskets for fresh fruits and veggies. It has a place for self-serve beverages from an old fashioned soda jerk handle. I wouldn’t even have to rip out the offending fryer that seems to be standard equipment in every truck I have looked at so far.

I cannot get my budding food truck business out of my head. So much so that I doodled the adwrap for it while waiting for my kids to get out of the tub last night.

The truck will be really pretty and feminine with a touch of steampunk flare. I need to find a different font though. The one I used is too fussy to read from a good distance away. I was supposed to be doing was the dishes. Or the laundry. Or perhaps washing my kid’s hair. But instead I was doodling little café tables and streetlamps with a sweet little floral border and a big wheel bicycle on the back.

I did finish the dishes, but the girls washed their own hair, or more closely smeared soap on each other’s heads, then took themselves up to bed. I think.

While listening to my class lecture this week I was making up recipes from the ingredients my teacher had on the stage.  I was supposed to be learning about the proper vegetable fruit additive ratio for optimal nutrient density in smoothies. Instead, I was wondering, if I take the cucumbers, mint and the avocado, could I can make a beautiful cool summer soup!

Smoothie, cold soup. Tomato, tomahto. Wait, was that three or four to one with the proteins?

I have a bunch of work I have to do for other people. Projects I promised and projects I want to do. And a project still sitting on the cutting table yet to be sewn together. But I cannot seem to wrap my head around a single task that doesn’t involve growing my business and working toward that blasted truck. The fabric I have to cut for the under tunic would make lovely little café curtains to frame the service window.

Truck or trailer? If I get a truck I can run it around the country easily with a helper. But I can’t take my family on the road without towing a camper. If I get a trailer I can drop it and run more easily with a truck to the store. But a truck and trailer are twice as expensive as a truck alone. Mac and cheese for dinner, need to get the water boiling.

We went to our county summer fair today. I went to every food truck and trailer to see what they had inside. How they operated. What the food looked like coming out and what the menu options were.

My kids have never eaten so much junk in their lives. I fear for my sanity when all of the sugar and chemicals hit their central nervous systems just about bedtime tonight. But they tolerated my insanity until the magician show started, then all bets were off. I learned a lot of great information. Especially that carnival food sells at carnivals and real food doesn't.

I planned into our September vacation to not one, but two food truck festivals yesterday as bookends to our month with Nana. They are near enough to our vacation spot for me to visit both. I hope to learn more about the organizing company as they do festivals nationwide. We are going to eat well those days for sure! It’s too hot and sandy at the beach anyway, right?

What I should be doing is working on packing for the conference I am going to next week. A conference I chose when I had a totally different plan in mind. A conference that is still relevant to my schooling, but not so relevant to owning a food truck. It is something I am still highly interested in, but now it feels like I have to figure out how to incorporate those teachings into my new plan. Maybe it will spark a different idea for the truck. Maybe I will find a business partner who wants to do the truck with me.

How do I incorporate the schooling I am currently doing? This truck thing is a total left turn from where I was going with my health and wellness mentoring.  Is there a way to have my clients be less local and more regional, working long distance with them and visiting when there is a food festival near them? Are the two businesses too different to operate concurrently? Not as the same business but two sides of the same concept. Health and wellness mentoring and a healthy fresh food truck.

I am meeting with a small business advisor next week to discuss possible options for resources, funding with loans and grants, and start up mentoring. I would like to have at least an idea of what I want to start as a business when I talk to them. At this point that means deciding on the model. Both have plusses and minuses for me, my family and my career.

By Christine Cioppa

Are you a perfectionist? Whether it’s with goals for classes, sports, or something else, you’re probably a perfectionist if you:

• Dread failure and mope about it.
• Feel unsatisfied with “less than perfect” results.
• Get defensive when people offer criticism.
• Believe mistakes make you incompetent or not worth much.
• Set standards so high, they are almost unachievable.

Universities such as Vanderbilt, University of Texas and University of San Diego promote an understanding of what is healthy “striving” versus perfectionism. What is known is that perfectionists aren’t necessarily more successful. Perfectionists sometimes spend too much time wrapped up in small details, throwing off good time management.

GoodTherapy.org points out a few other perfectionist traits, including:

• Focusing on the end product rather than the process of learning.
• Having difficulty being happy for others who are successful.
• Believing that anything less than a perfect or ideal outcome is not worth achieving.

Unfortunately, this unrelenting type of striving can also cause anxiety, depression, burnout, and stress, which can be counterproductive.

If you’re not a surgeon, and you don’t build engines or mechanical equipment for airplanes—things that actually could cause fatalities if errors are made—you may be able to take a little pressure off yourself.

In our everyday lives, how can we strive in the most healthful way to propel us toward success and into greatness? The University of Texas at Austin Counseling and Mental Health Center suggests that healthy striving (versus perfectionism) is:

• Setting high standards that are within reach.
• Enjoying the process of the work, not just the desired outcome.
• Getting past failure and disappointment fairly quickly.
• Having control of anxiety and fear in the face of failure.
• Being receptive to constructive criticism.
• Looking at failure as an opportunity to grow and learn.

Are you being too serious about your goals? At Vanderbilt’s Health and Wellness website, Chad Buck, PhD, says, “Mistakes, problems, unexpected detours, and changing schedules are not necessarily the end of the world. Sometimes we actually do learn from mistakes. The goal is not to just laugh it off or to make fun of perfectionism. It is to give yourself a break and let life teach you something instead of just trying to control it.”

Are you a perfectionist? Take the Perfectionism Test from Psychology Today. Find it at:

http://psychologytoday.tests.psychtests.com/take_test.php?idRegTest=3262

This 46 question quiz takes about 10 to 20 minutes. You’ll get a summary of your perfectionist “strengths,” “potential strengths” and “limitations.” You can also opt for a more in-depth report.

Ease the Stress by Creating a Checklist

Take the stress out of making things perfect by creating a thorough checklist.

Doctors use checklists, as do pilots. A paper in an issue of BMJ Quality & Safety in 2015 discusses how checklists in medicine can help assure quality and safety just as it has for the aviation industry for more than 70 years.

If there’s something you need to ensure the quality of (say a research paper or thesis), maybe there are checklists already available. If not, maybe you can create your own. Checklists help you isolate areas of concern so you can double check quality and accuracy.

By Amy Nielsen

I saw a meme yesterday, in the middle of a space cadet moment, while writing this blog.

It said: “I love planners, highlighters, giant calendars, nice ball point pens, to do lists, and anything else that gives me the illusion that I am getting my [stuff] together.”

Some days, those memes get it just right.

Now that I have been through the ringer, and have had the proverbial kick in the pants, I need to figure out exactly what I want to do with myself. I have been making lists of what I loved about working away from home, and what I love about being home.

And, what I really don’t like about both.

One of my professors recently gave a lecture about the benefits of writing daily. I have tried this practice from several different points: morning Pages, 300 words a Day, journaling, guided writing and free associations. I always find myself falling off the wagon. I stop. Something gets in the way of my taking the time to write. But I always spend an hour or so in the morning, usually on Pinterest, or on my lists. So, I have come to understand that this is how I chose to do my daily processing. And that it is ok to have a different process than someone else.

I am a list maker. I use them to help me remember things but also to organize and reorganize my thoughts. Of course I have the regular grocery shopping list, daily to do list, long term to do list, Honey Do list, and many others. But these are not the kind of lists I am working on now. The ones I am working on now are more like spreadsheets. They are thought process catalogs. A way to see the branches of the tree I could be part of. I have so many options I need to see them all out at once.

There are many different forms a list can take. If you are a visual learner you might work on a set of lists that look more like ven diagrams or neat bullet pointed graphic masterpieces. If you learn better by listening, set reminders for yourself in your phone to complete certain tasks.

Some of my lists I have to write by hand or I don’t process what is on them. Some I can do on the computer or in my phone and be just fine. Some lists come to me in other places, like books on the shelf. Lists can be about juxtaposition and opposites, just as much as they can be about likes.

I particularly like a site called Pinterest for creating lists. Oh yes, that Pinterest. The hours of your life sucking, gee Nancy that looks easy -FAIL, Pinterest.

But let’s be clear what it really is. It is a visual list board. And I use it as such to help me with the visual side of my lists. It is a brilliant place for someone like me to keep stuff. Like every one of you, I have about 300 different boards and well over 5,000 pins. Followers? Not my thing. I know I have them, but I use it for me, not for you.

I like that I can see all of my pins chronologically so I can see the progression of my thought pattern. Unless I find out that something I pinned was either plagiarized, copyright infringed, or just plain wrong, I never unpin something.

Lists for me are also chronological. They help me order things in time as well as in categories. To that end I have one main calendar in the kitchen we use as a family. It is always the same one. Same layout, color scheme, and same SKU from the big box office supply store.

Everyone in the family knows, if it is not on that calendar it doesn’t exist. With all of the changes we have had over the last two months, that poor calendar is a right ole mess. My “need to move on and see what is happening now” self is screaming to go buy a new calendar so it will be clean.

There is a part of me that says, we always keep the same calendar every year, all year, no matter how crazy. In fact, they go in the year-end financial box when we change over in December, so why change it now? I should keep a record of this chaos like I always do. Just because it is my chaos, not Navy chaos, is no different. Besides, in September when the page flips, I won’t see it anymore.

While all of this thinking time is good, the clock keeps moving on and I do need to make sure I do not become stuck in this moment, in the processing. There is, and will be, a fine line and I think a defining moment when it will be time to stop listing and start doing.

I have set up several meetings with people who I have identified as having interesting ideas and possible input from a third party review. I have a concrete timeline for when I want to be starting the real business process. I have personal and financial goals for the immediate and near future. But first, I need to take the time to dream and percolate what direction I really want to go in since there are so many options out there for me now.

By Christine Cioppa

It’s that time of year to start stocking up on ink, paper, pens and other supplies for the start of a new semester or school year—for both ourselves and our kids. Checking the weekly circulars for hot deals in your local area can help. But a little online digging can get you even more good deals. Here are a few ways to keep more money in your pocket this fall and throughout the year.

1 Cent Paper Reams

From time to time, Staples.com lists 8.5”x11” paper reams for once cent after rebate. Go to staples.com and select “Deals” in the dropdown. Click on Coupons. Right now, you can find Hammermill brand ream for 1 cent with easy rebate. (In-Store Coupon Code 19470)

http://www.staples.com/coupons/?icid=HP:HP:DEALSDROP:COUPON:TEXT:WEEKLY:20140101:0

Dollar Deals

Head on over to your local dollar store or Dollar Tree for $1 deals on everything from binders and notebooks to pen multi-packs and tape. Everything is really $1 at many “dollar” stores. If you don’t have one in your town, you can buy online at https://www.dollartree.com.

$4 Flash Drives

Get 16 GB of memory with a Lexar Jump Drive for $3.99 at Office Depot—right now. With this sale you save $11 per drive. Stock up!

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/326118/Lexar-JumpDrive-TwistTurn-USB-20-Flash/

Discounted Ink Cartridges

While many big office supply stores have excellent ink reward programs, you can save a fortune by buying from vendors that sell off-brand replacement ink cartridges. The quality is comparable, though ink may leak out during installation for some types. A little extra TLC during installation is a small price to pay to save up to 80 percent off ink. Here are a few places to check out:

http://www.compandsave.com/?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=orderdetails

http://www.inkpal.com

http://www.123inkjets.com/

School Supply Database for Lowest Prices

Want the best deal now? Check out Passion for Savings website. You can sign up for e-mail alerts to be notified of deals and you can search the database for the best school supply prices at major retailers such as Staples, Walmart, Office Depot, OfficeMax and Target. Right now, Walmart is selling two-pocket folders for .15 cents each. Walgreens has Index Cards for 3/$1—cheaper than Staples and Walmart.

http://www.passionforsavings.com/back-to-school-supplies-price-list/

By Amy Nielsen

I am not quite sure how many times I will be speechless with this new job. Where to begin this week’s post? I returned home from Colorado with a new understanding of my role in this business adventure. I am taking on a much larger role than I had intended. This is a terrific development. It means this is a career not just a fun amusement for a few months.

After the festival I ran last weekend, I now understand the nature of this business and the nature of this industry much better. I have bitten off a lot here and it is going to be hard to make sure not to choke. We have settled on the majority of a good team and we have one more position to fill. I know we will fill that position quickly. At least I hope we do. We need them in place - yesterday. The team as it stands is diverse yet cohesive and has the resources to build a strong foundation and get some amazing funding. It will take time and polish, but we can get there.

I flew back on the red eye from Colorado to be home for exactly one week. In that week I have to acquire an RV, or something to live in on the road. That something has to be able to tow a big utility trailer with our kitchen in it. I have to then turn around and drive that rig back to Colorado to fill it with the kitchen and festival booth equipment in a week. Then turn around and drive it to Iowa for our first road festival of the tour.

To say the turn-around is fast is an understatement. We have a lot of work to do to get this booth running like the clock work that is possible. We are a bit short on equipment and time to get new equipment. We have a stock issue in the town we will hit first as there are no large box membership stores within a reasonable driving distance for us to purchase our perishable products. The health inspector is already calling me asking if I know exactly what oven unit will be delivered for his inspection. I haven’t ordered it yet.

Back on the homefront as it were, I also have to organize and plan much more of the school year for our homeschooled girls. My husband is excited to take on the challenge of being the lead teacher. We had already chosen a specific box curriculum for our older daughter, but have not chosen for our kindergartener. This is the perfect opportunity for him to choose what he wants to teach her within the parameters we have already set up. It’s a huge step for him as a parent. Until this point it has always been me at home while he deployed.

The hardest part is knowing that I won’t get to see everyone I want to see before I disappear over the hill until the new year. I have been gone a lot lately which hasn’t been the case for me for the last 10 years. This new set of friends is used to me being home and extremely active in our daily tribe life. I have worked hard to build this particular tribe. They get me. They get us. Leaving them knowing that my kids and husband will be well cared for and checked in on is a huge relief.

Honestly without that knowledge this wouldn’t be happening. I trust my husband, but I also know what it takes a tribe to raise kids these days.

Tomorrow I go pick up my new road home. She is a 21-foot motorhome that I will be sharing with my best friend and now business partner. I spent the last day searching thrift stores and my home for stuff to outfit her with in the most economical way possible. I have a 2-hour lesson planned in how to operate everything about this rig. I have never even stayed overnight in a motorhome much less owned one. I have driven large trucks for a living so I am not daunted by her size. In fact she is a full 5 feet shorter than my last big rig.

Here’s to speedy new adventures!