Myrtle Beach: Adventurous Eco-tours

Eco-tourism. It’s a buzzword making its way into our vacation vocabulary. But what exactly is eco-tourism? Put simply: eco-tourism is traveling responsibly to natural areas and environments. It also can tie into both cultural and historical tourism, as it encourages the preservation of cultures and environments. Myrtle Beach is one of the best vacation spots in the world to discover this experience. There’s plenty to learn about the wildlife there as well as the history of the culture that began developing there long ago. The best part is that you can enjoy all of these adventures in total comfort. Just put on your most comfy clothes and get out into the fresh air. Feel the perfect combination of the ocean breeze and the sun on your face as you explore all that the nature of Myrtle Beach has to offer.

One fun way to explore the coast of Myrtle Beach is go to deep within the winding creeks, rivers and marshes that run off the ocean. Kayak tours are a great way to get exercise, observe nature and have some quality family fun all at the same time! One great river to explore is the Waccamaw River. It looks a bit different than most rivers, as it’s called a “black water river”. You’ll pass under majestic cypress trees and beautiful, native birds. And lurking in the water are small crocodiles and snakes, so you’re sure to have some close, but safe encounters!

Another fun, but different way to get a good look at the wildlife of Myrtle Beach (assuming you want real wild life and not a more commercial Myrtle Beach wildlife experience) is to take a safari Jeep tour. If you’re leery of the water and would rather be driven around in a super cool Jeep, this option is the one for you! You’ll be educated on the nature, ecology, history, wildlife and even the ghost lore along a wide range of environments, from old farm plantations to the coast, to rivers and to historic structures. You’ll see alligators and a variety of bird species as you journey through the tour with your expert tour guide. You’ll also visit a graveyard and hear great stories about the most haunted spots in Myrtle Beach. And you’ll even get to visit the coasts where pirates once dominated, while also learning about the salt marsh.

Plainwell Michigan

How would you feel about living in a town that had just a little over 8000 people? Well that is about how many people live in Plainwell Michigan. I think that it would be amazingly fun to live in a small town. I didn't lived in a fairly small town in Rhode Island while I was growing up. It was nice to have friends always close by. I remember when I went to high school and they merged the two middle schools and I felt like I was meeting a whole new world. Small towns do have their advantage. Especially if your children play sports. I wasn't an amazing softball or basketball player but I was always on every all-star and traveling sports team. The funny thing was we always had fairly decent teams. So if you are into sports and you want to get noticed move to a small town and shine.

If you're interested in learning more about Michigan, take a look at these Michigan resources on the web.

Stopping A Dog From Licking A Wound?

Last week, my Jack Russell got pretty torn up in a dog fight and most of his cuts and bruises have healed up pretty nicely.  Except one on the back of his neck, our littlest dog will NOT leave it alone.  Woobie just keeps picking and picking at Jack’s cut, and I fear it’ll never heal.

At a loss for what to do to keep him away from it, my husband’s solution this morning when he called was to tie something around Jack’s neck to keep the other dogs from picking at it.  So I tried:  I tied one of my husband’s old bandannas around his neck.  He doesn’t seem to mind it, and had not picked at it at all – But it hasn’t stopped Woobie from trying to lick his neck, he just slides it down far enough to get at the cut.

I’m running out of ideas here.  I can’t constantly carry Jack around with me, he’s too dang heavy and squirmy.  And I can’t keep them all crated all the time, nor do I have anywhere to separate them.  So I’m asking – Does anyone know how to keep dogs from licking wounds? I've heard there are some herbal supplements that may work, but I'm wary of using them.

I fear if it doesn’t start looking better soon – he’s going to have to make a trip to the vet, in which I’ll get a lecture for not bringing him in sooner…  Hmm… maybe if I actually liked my vet, I wouldn’t try to avoid him.

What You Should Eat

There's a few things you should eat that can help support healthy function in the heart, liver, digestive tract, and the immune system in addition to also helping to improve mood and to combat fatigue.

A healthy diet should include the proper servings of vegetables and fruits. In today's world this is not always possible. Finding a nice supplement can provide you with a vegetable rich, well balanced diet. They usually include natural ingredients such as amino acids, vitamins, enzymes, probiotics and minerals that are just too hard to find in an everyday diet.
Here are some ingredients that you should look for when picking a nutritional supplement:

Lecithin: helps maintain healthy heart function.

Barley Grass: helps the digestive system stay healthy.

Barley Malt: maintain proper bacterial colonization of the colon.

Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica (HSP:): helps maintain the immune system.

Wheat Grass: helps maintain a healthy mind.

Alfalfa Grass: promotes healthy liver function, constipation, body and breath odor in addition to supporting the circulatory and respiratory systems.

Bee Pollen: helps strengthen the immune system, combat fatigue, improves moods, and supports colon health.

Acerola Berry Juice: antioxidant properties help maintain the skin and support the liver.

This may not be enough for you to maintain a healthy diet. Talk with your doctor about how you currently eat, which may be a bigger issue.

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Holiday Festivities

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the joy of reconvening with old friends and loved ones near and far to celebrate the holidays. I know I’m lucky to have friends in so many places, and I truly value the opportunity to slow down and enjoy their company this time of year. Last night, my neighbor Deborah invited several of the Bunko girls and I over for a wine and cheese party to reunite. Her kitchen and living room were filled with a smorgasbord of delicious cheeses from around the world. I should have known I’d break my diet around this time of year... but I think it’s alright to indulge one night or two. I’ve been very good so far and am happy with my progress!

Anyway, the cheese appetizers she had were unreal. They were just too good. My favorites were Brie de Melun from France, English Farmhouse Cheddar from England, Parmigiano Reggiano from Italy, Constant Bliss from Vermont, and Piave from Italy. She paired them with several different kinds of breads including pumpernickel, French baguettes and flaky croissants. Deb recommended adding Nutella on top of the Brie de Melun and heating them up in a toaster oven until melted, which I’d never heard of before. Oh man, did she knew what she was talking about! For drinks, we enjoyed Winter White by Leelanau Cellars, Pinot Grigio by Barefoot Wine, and Garnacha Calatayud by Cruz de Piedra. I’d recommend them all, but I am particularly fond of wines by Leelanau Cellars. They’re all really inexpensive as wine goes, and easy to find. Nothing fancy, but good nevertheless.

Overall, it was a wonderful evening. Deb’s home is beautiful— it looks like something out of a Home and Garden Magazine. I was really drawn to her eclectic use of mixed patterns in her living room. She paired mismatched pillows ranging from a raspberry sherbet color to a rich, bold teal with a texturized rug. It looked especially nice with her dark hardwood floors and vintage furniture. Apparently she hand-painted the desk herself after being inspired on Pinterest. I’ll have to go on that site and look for some ideas of my own. I also really liked these small copper lamps she bought to light the pathway leading to her front door. I bet it looks really pretty when it snows, but it's been oddly warm here lately. I’m thinking about updating our outdoor lighting this coming spring, just to spruce things up a bit. I’d love to be able to return the favor and host a fun get together in our backyard once it warms up.

Hope you’re all enjoying this December as much as I am. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to you all!

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Staying Fit and Healthy

Not Eating This

Quite proud of how things have being going with my food diet, I've had only healthy things in the last two days. I'm probably saving 500 calories a day, but finding that now the sugar levels are lower, it certainly is a bit easier to hypo all over the place.

Stacked is getting mixed reviews in America, so am staying away for now, until Poker Academy arrives at least. Then I can get to work getting ready for the Festival, which I will register for next week, where hopefully I can cash in one of the events and show a profit for the 3 day event. I am going to enter one of the side events and have two cracks at getting into the large buy-in event where the money is worth having! Am getting an email about possibly running poker tournaments in the North East for some extra money in pubs, I've done this sort of thing before and it sounds pretty fun, and more importantly relatively easy money. I have a tour booked for the gym for Saturday after my eye test. Should be good as long as its well-priced I'll sign up.

Until the mean time, it's time to go to the grocery store to pick out my food for the next week. I'm on a plan, and I believe that I am in good form at the moment to lose 6 pounds. We'll see how things progress however. I have a friend who is looking for family practice jobs using Leap Doctor, and he says things are going well for me. Always good to get a thumbs up from a physician! If I don't reach out before the holidays, I hope that everyone travels safely and has a great time!

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Gold, Platinum or Gift Cards

(Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

The most asked question I bet a jeweler gets asked is: “White Gold Jewelry or Platinum Jewelry, what’s the difference? They look the same!”

Whilst it’s true that both white gold and platinum look the same there are some fairly fundamental differences and I have tried to outline the main ones below.

Isn’t all gold yellow?

Nearly all gold used in jewelry making is not 100% pure. 24 carat gold is pure but most people buy either 9 carat or 18 carat gold.

Carats are the way that the purity of gold is measured you see. 24 Carat Gold is 100% gold, 24 carat gold is 75% pure gold and 9 carat gold is 37.5% pure gold. If you’re wondering what makes up the difference it’s a mixture of alloys.

White gold is simply a gold that has more white alloys mixed with it to give it a paler, whiter look. It is then coated in Rhodium which is a hard white metal and you end up with white gold.

So what is Platinum?

Believe it or not platinum is rarer than gold and is a naturally white metal. The platinum that is usually used in jewelry is around 95% pure and is much heavier and much harder than white gold.

So which is best, white gold or platinum?

As always, jewelry comes down to one thing, budget! White gold is cheaper than platinum and makes buying a whole lot easier for many people. If you wear the jewelry a lot over a number of years then there will come a time when you will need to get the white gold recoated in Rhodium.

Platinum on the other hand is much more expensive but over the longer term it needs no maintenance or recoating like white gold.

If you ask my opinion, I would get the girl Amazon e gift cards and let her decide for herself! However, I have heard that platinum is the preferred jewelry of choice if you're ready to make that risk. It is a better metal than white gold; it is harder wearing and a lot more practical. I know that one eye is always on the budget, especially when you are buying say eternity rings, but try where you can to go for Platinum jewelry.

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