As I discussed in a previous article, having your personal and financial information readily available for your executor or loved one at the time of your death or incapacitation is one of the most thoughtful things you can do.

Let’s say you’ve heeded the advice and worked hard at recording and organizing your information. Now you must decide where the documents should be safely stored. To help in your decision making, I’ve listed some pros and cons of five options for securely preserving your data.

What is the best place for storing your sensitive information? I will detail what I believe are the pros and cons for the following storage areas, presenting the choices from least to most desirable. The options are: hidden in the home; on a personal computer; with an attorney, executor or family member; in a safe deposit box, or in a personal home/fire safe.

Hidden in the Home

Pros: Information and documents kept in your home are easily accessible at all times. Assuming you can remember where you have hidden your documents, you can gather the papers, notebook or flash drive and update the information or add new and/or corrected documents at any time.

There is no cost to hide documents in your home, as there is with a safe deposit box or a home safe.

Cons: As mentioned above, you may forget where you have hidden your information. This is especially true if you try to get creative and want to “outwit” anyone possibly gaining access to your information. This can be alleviated to a certain degree if you tell someone else, such as a spouse or other loved one, where the documents are hidden.

This selection carries the greatest risk of all the storage options of theft and natural disasters, such as floods, fire, tornados, etc.

Personal Computer

Pros: Information stored on your computer is as accessible as the documents hidden in your home. You would have access 24/7/365 to update, add and correct the information. It’s important to make sure the information is password protected and that you back up on a regular basis.

Cons: Unfortunately, nothing is 100% secure on a computer. There will always be the risk of hackers, regardless of the security measures you take.

There is also the possibility that a computer hard drive will crash, or cease to be operational. If you have not backed up your information properly and regularly, you run the risk of losing all your data. One way around this is to make a copy of all your information and store it somewhere other than in your home.

As is the case with all the choices, you run the risk of theft and natural disasters. If someone were to break into the house, know that technology equipment is usually one of the first things stolen.

Given to an Attorney, Executor or Loved One

Pros: Giving your data to an attorney, executor or loved one would require obtaining their permission. If they have agreed, they are most likely fully aware of your wishes and have agreed to honor them.

Other than maybe the attorney, there would be no cost to you. Lawyers and their firms have different procedures, so if this is your choice, you would want to discuss where they keep the data, who would be responsible for the security and if there is a cost to you for storing the information.

Cons: When your documents and information are in the hands of someone else, it becomes difficult to access for updating, adding or correcting. It can still be done, but you have to work with the time frame of the holder of your information.

You must trust the individual you have chosen to care for your information to keep it safe and secure. Depending on what form you provide your information, the individual may have to remember passwords and/or keep track of keys or combinations.

As with the other choices, there is a risk of theft and natural disasters.

Safe Deposit Box

Pros: Information cannot be accessed without the proper authorization. There is no threat of someone that you have not granted permission seeing your sensitive data.

While not full-proof, the risk of theft or natural disasters is less likely in this setting than in the other options.

Please note, the FDIC does not insure the contents of a safe deposit box, however, if the contents of a safe deposit box are stolen or missing due to bank error or employee dishonesty; the bank’s liability insurance may compensate.

Cons: Access to your safe deposit box is limited to bank hours.

Also, safe deposit boxes can be cost prohibitive. Some banks offer free safe deposit boxes if a certain balance is kept at their institution, but these are usually smaller boxes. Some of the large boxes can rent for hundreds of dollars a year.

The size of the box is limited. If your information is stored in a notebook, you would require one of the larger safe deposit boxes.

You must keep track of the safe deposit key, which is required for access to the box.

If an individual dies without a co-owner to his safe deposit box, some states require an executor to show proof of executorship, a copy of the death certificate and possibly a court order to access the safe deposit box.

Personal Home/Fire Safe

Pros: Easy access to your data at any time.

One-time fee to purchase the safe versus annual rental fees for a safe deposit box.

Cons: You must keep track of the key and/or combination in order to access the documents.

Even though the safe offers some protection against theft and natural disasters, they can still be vulnerable. A lot will depend on the quality of the safe as to the protection it offers.

Wherever you decide to store your important sensitive documents and data, be sure to evaluate the pros and cons of your option. Choose a storage option that offers the most security that is within your budget.

Have you already started organizing your important papers? Where do you store your important documents and data? Have you got a plan in place for storing for financial and person information? We welcome your comments and questions.

Drew Sidora’s Rock & Roll Jacket

Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 13 Episode 7 Fashion

Drew Sidora’s rock & roll jacket—or shacket, technically—is a very Housewives-esque piece that I had to hunt down. And while many retailers sold extremely similar versions so I can’t be 100 about where she scooped hers up specifically, some extremely similar Styles are totally ready to rock, and roll, below.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to Shop a Rock & Roll Shacket Like Drew’s

Shop more similar below

Originally posted at: Drew Sidora’s Rock & Roll Jacket

Others have tried it to some success but no one, I repeat, no one nails an edgy haircut like Rihanna. Her new mullet is making waves not only because of how badass it looks but of how well she pulls it off. Ri took to Instagram to do a casual Valentine’s Day countdown in sexy Savage x Fenty sheer black lingerie. She’s wearing a black bralette, sheer skirt with lace criss-cross back and sheer gloves. Although the video is in black-and-white, it starts as a static image and you can see her bold red lip that goes perfectly with the Valentine’s Day-ready look.

This isn’t the first time Rihanna has rocked a mullet but this might be our favorite yet. It’s definitely the most dramatic with short baby bangs, long sideburns and a layer of shoulder-length hair in the back. She joins other celebrities who rocked a mullet lately including Miley Cyrus, Keke Palmer, Debby Ryan, Maisie Williams and Barbie Ferreira. Yes, we’d say it was a bit of a trend.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Source: Instagram

There’s something about the combination of Rihanna’s sexy black lace with her cool-as-hell mullet that makes this video impossible to look away from. Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day solo with a new vibrator or have a partner (and a new vibrator) there are only a few weeks left to get your hair and makeup ready and your ‘fit planned. We’re drooling over Savage x Fenty‘s V-Day offerings. Ri’s ‘fit is actually already available now. Shop the Candy Hearts Dotted Mesh Halter Crop Cami ($17.48 at SavageX) and Candy Hearts Dotted Mesh Open-Back Skirt ($22.48 at SavageX)—the mullet is your choice.

Kandi Burruss’ Gucci Tennis Sweatshirt

Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 13 Episode 7 Fashion

On last night’s Real Housewives of Atlanta Kandi Burruss’ was ready for whatever the girls trip to South Carolina (and the strippers she may encounter on it) might throw her way. And she was all smiles on her way out of town in her Gucci tennis sweatshirt. For with we’ve got nothing but love.

Get it?!

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to See her Gucci Sweatshirt

Originally posted at: Kandi Burruss’ Gucci Tennis Sweatshirt

I reversed my own osteoporosis with a combination of important elements like good sleep, whole-food nutrition, improved gut health, and weightlifting, as well as walking with a weighted vest.

Over the last few years, I have used my expertise in exercise and alignment to create programs that help women with osteoporosis or osteopenia. These online programs teach women how to use weight-bearing exercise to promote bone growth.

Before you begin a strength training journey, you may have a lot of questions about whether this is a proven strategy. You might also wonder how it works, how fast it works, and more.

Here are the questions I get asked most often:

Why Does Weightlifting for Muscle Strength Affect Bone?

Studies have shown that muscles and bones are a connected system. Strengthening your muscles with external load (weights) creates force that sends signals to the bones to build more bone, as an adaptation to the force.

In addition, the load is site specific. Thus, one must load at the hip, the spine, the wrist and so on to protect all these areas. There is a direct dose relationship with using load. This means that even a little weight has some benefits (there are studies to support this). Heavy weight and lifting more than once a week creates even more benefit! 

What Is Progressive Loading? 

Progressive loading is technically named “progressive overloading” in the strength training world. It involves gradually increasing the weight, frequency, or number of repetitions in your strength training routine, which helps you build muscle.

This is because the muscle adapts to the stress put on it. It challenges your body with new inputs and stress (good stress) and allows your musculoskeletal system to get stronger.

In summary: Muscle and bone adapt when they are placed under load. Load is a good stress that creates adaptation in the form of more capacity to handle the stress or load. Increased capacity results in having more muscle and thus, more bone.

Is It True That Lifting 10% Of One’s Body Weight Is the Ideal to Be Striving for?

The 10% number that you have heard is regarding walking with a weighted vest. Doctors recommend up to 10% of one’s body weight in a vest for walking. If you have previous spine fractures or an extremely kyphotic thoracic spine, this may not be the exercise for you. Please talk to your doctor before using a vest.

I recommend beginners walk with the vest alone and slowly add weight. Therefore, a vest that has adjustable weight capability is key! It is tempting to buy an inexpensive vest that is exactly 10% of your weight, but remember: the principles of strength training apply to walking with a weighted vest. You should start small and add on weight as you get stronger.

What Weight Do I Need to Lift to Build Bone? Is It a Percentage of My Body Weight as Well?

The amount of weight you use for weightlifting exercises is not a specific number or percent. I have a video on choosing a weight in Bone Boot Camp that I will try to summarize here.

Essentially, one should experiment to find what is do-able in good form for eight to 12 reps but not higher. You should be getting fatigued at the end of your eight reps for instance and be thinking that more reps would risk bad form. This is a good time to stop. Over time you will get to nine reps and eventually 12. 

For example, if you can execute 25 bicep curls with a two-lb. weight, that is much too low. If you can barely do four reps with a 10-lb. weight, then your ideal weight would lie somewhere in between two and 10 pounds.

You might be lifting five-pound weights for eight reps for one session and you feel fatigued. But you are not done there. You will increase the number of sets over time from one to two and then three. Taking a couple minutes between sets is fine, but do not wait a half hour. 

So, Increasing Weight Over Time Is All I Need to Know?

You also want to consider frequency. Once a week is not enough; two to three times a week is ideal. This repetition with lifting and taking rest days allows the stress to initiate. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of rest – it allows the change to happen!

Time under tension is a key concept. The number of repetitions and the number of sets are two factors you want to work with because they give you more or less time under tension. We can adjust the time it takes to do one rep. The slower you go, the more time you experience under tension. Thereby increasing the difficulty.

At What Point After I Start Lifting Weights Will I See Higher Bone Density?

Results will vary from person to person depending on several factors. Non-invasive bone quality tests are a high-resolution MRI or CT scan. They can reveal bone microarchitecture or quality.

A TBS score is a computerized enhancement to your DEXA scan that estimates bone quality. But these tests are not practical for the mass market at this time, so for the purposes of answering your question I am discussing density only here.

Studies normally begin with a baseline bone scan for all participants. The studies all choose an endpoint for taking a new scan and comparing the results. I am not aware of any studies where the participants in a trial were scanned at short intervals such as only a few weeks. The shortest interval I have seen in a study was five months and modest gains were reported.

The LIFTMOR protocol was an eight-month intervention involving heavy weights. It is the benchmark, in my opinion, for positive results. However, this is not a protocol one can follow without supervision.

I created a home based weightlifting program for myself that is modeled on the Liftmor studies, but that is adjusted for safety and practicality at home. Although one person (me) is not a study, I did achieve positive results with my program, Bone Boot Camp.

I hope this article has answered your questions about weightlifting, progressive loading, and building bone so that you can make informed choices about the exercise that is right for you and begin building the muscle and bone strength for the active life you desire.

If you’d like a guide on your bone density journey, please contact Sarah.

What have you heard about weightlifting that sounds too scary or difficult to try? Do you have any experience lifting weights? What can you share about walking with a weighted vest? Please tell us your story in the comments below.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult with your doctor to get specific medical advice for your situation.