Everyone seems to be concerned with healthy eating these days. And for a good reason! With so many hidden ingredients in our foods, it’s hard to ever really know for sure what we are putting into our bodies.

Thankfully, the warmer seasons offer us an abundance of produce options that require no nutritional label or added ingredients. Pure as pulled from the ground or from the bush – with of course, the necessary washing – produce is fresh and ready to eat!

5 Deliciously Healthy Summer Recipes to Bring to Your Next BBQ

And as the summer season quickly approaches, we can expect to hang much more around the BBQ and pool. So why not take advantage of the fresh food options and jazz up your seasonal menu with these easy and healthy summer sides!

Zesty Kale Salad

Zesty Kale and Lemon Poppy Seed Salad is a great alternative to the typical side salad! Both low in calories and high in fiber, this healthy dish will be sure to impress your guests.

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh kale

1 cup of shredded carrots

1 cup lemon juice

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

½ cup canola oil

½ cup tahini

Note: If tahini isn’t handy, hummus is a great substitute! Just mix in a bit of water to create a dressing texture.

1 tablespoon poppy seed

1 tablespoon agave or honey

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Wash and chop kale into bite size pieces. In large mixing bowl add kale and shredded carrots. Toss and mix the remainder of ingredients until well blended. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours and serve!

Deliciously Dill Potato Salad

This delicious dish goes great at a BBQ but also has health benefits. Dill is a natural anti-inflammatory and apple cider vinegar lowers blood pressure!

Ingredients:

10 red bliss or white potatoes cut into small chunks

water to boil potatoes

¼ bunch dill

1 red onion chopped or 2 scallions

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

Directions:

First, wash and chop potatoes into chunks. Boil potatoes until soft, drain water and leave to cool in large mixing bowl.

Once at room temperature, add the dill, chopped red onion or scallions and apple cider vinegar and mix until well blended. Keep in refrigerator for two hours to chill and then serve. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Fiesta Black Bean Salad

This is a fun and colorful dish that can be served as a dip with tortilla chips or as a festive side dish.

Ingredients:

1 16-ounce can cooked black beans

¼ bunch chopped cilantro

1-2 corn cobs

2 diced tomatoes

1 diced red bell pepper

1 diced red onion

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup lime juice

1 teaspoon salt

1 diced avocado

Note: This dish can be spiced up with some jalapeno.

Directions:

Cook the corn in boiling water for 5-10 minutes and then let cool. Cut kernels off the cob and add to mixing bowl.

Rinse and drain black beans. Combine the black beans and all the veggies except the avocado into a large mixing bowl. Toss with the lemon, lime juices and salt.

Add the avocado at the end, mix and serve.

Summer Slaw

A sweet and light play on traditional coleslaw, this will complement anything off the grill.

Salad Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage

2 cups shredded carrots

2 cored and chopped apples

2 peeled and chopped pears

Dressing Ingredients:

¾ cup red wine vinegar

5 tablespoons veganaise or mayonnaise

1 tablespoon celery seed

1 tablespoon garlic powder

4 tablespoons agave or honey

a sprinkle of pepper

Directions:

First, make the dressing by combining all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mixing until well blended. Let cool in refrigerator for one hour.

Next, wash all the fruits. Then, chop cabbage, apples, and pears into bite sized pieces and toss in mixing bowl.

Add shredded carrots. Add dressing. Mix until all ingredients are covered in dressing. Place in refrigerator to cool for two hours.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

This salad is just as healthy as it is appealing! Kalamata olives are a great source of fiber, calcium, iron, and vitamins.

Salad Ingredients:

1-2 cups canned or cooked chickpeas

1 cup pitted and chopped Kalamata olives

1 diced red onion

1 diced red bell pepper

1 diced tomato

½ bunch parsley

Dressing Ingredients:

¾ cup olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon agave or honey

½ tablespoon oregano

½ tablespoon basil dried

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

½ tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

For the dressing, combine ingredients in a small mixing bowl and mix until well blended. Let cool in refrigerator for one hour.

For the salad, add canned or cooked chickpeas to a large mixing bowl. Pit and chop olives and add to bowl. Dice the red onion and red bell pepper and add to bowl. Cut tomato into bite-size chunks and add. Add parsley and dressing to bowl and toss with salad.

Enjoy Every Moment of Your Summer

These five recipes show just how easy it is to eat deliciously healthy! There’s no need to scour over labels, plus these meals can be made in just about 15 minutes active cooking time, giving you plenty of time to get outside, enjoy the beautiful weather and create wonderful summer memories with friends and family.

What are your summer recipes or dishes? Do you have a go-to dish that is always popular with family and friends? Which of these recipes are looking forward to trying? Please share your thoughts – and recipes – in the comments!

Summer means an escape from the rigid schedule and dedicated study that school imposes – a time to have fun. However, exploring and expanding knowledge through reading should continue year-round.

Barefoot Books state this:

“…children lose an average of 1-3 months of learning over the summer. Summer learning loss is even more of a threat after a year of disrupted childcare and school experiences. School-age children, preschoolers, and even infants and toddlers need intellectual stimulation over the summer in order for their brains to grow optimally. Research tells us that the best way to do this is to keep them reading all summer long.” 

Stimulating Grandchildren to Read

As grandparents, you can make reading and learning exciting – even during the lazy days of summer! One way to do this is to create a summer reading program with your grandchildren. Pick topics you are knowledgeable about or subjects of interest to your grandchildren so you can learn together. Find books and create entertaining activities that relate to your themes – and have fun!

However, some of you may not have the time to make a DIY summer reading program for your grandchildren. Fortunately, the independent children’s book publisher Barefoot Books is offering a free summer reading program. Once you sign up, you will have access to free resources, ready-made activities, tips, and a 20% discount (valid through June 30, 2021) on books and subscription book boxes.

Each month will have a different theme, such as mindfulness, STEAM learning, kindness, and global awareness. Below are the topics for June.

Ages 0 – 2: Explore the Outdoors!

Ages 3 – 5: Outdoor Discovery

Ages 6 – 9: Maker Kids

To tie in with the monthly themes, you can check books out from your local library or buy age-appropriate books from your local independent bookstores or Barefoot Books.

Reading, just like any skill, requires consistent practice. Unfortunately, summer reading is a chore and a bore for some kids, so they slack off. But adding yourselves to the mix might be just the ingredient needed to make summer reading fun and engaging for your grandchildren!

Ages 0 – 2 years

Listen, Listen by Allison Jay

Listen, Listen is a lovely lapboard book that takes the readers on a journey through the seasons. It is not only a celebration of sounds. Beautifully detailed pictures by renowned artist Allison Jay (known for unique style and perspectives) are a feast for the eyes. There is so much to see and talk about with your young grandchildren.

Out of the Blue by Allison Jay

Out of the Blue is another gem from the children’s book illustrator Allison Jay. It is a wordless book that gives you and your grandchildren the opportunity to use your creativity and imagination. Guess what the storm will bring up from the ocean.

You will help your grandchildren “…develop visual literacy, boost vocabulary – and think about the importance of marine conservation and being a friend to animals. Includes educational notes about marine life, tide pools, lighthouses and more.”

Ages 3 – 5 Years

Poop! by Beatriz Gimenez de Ory

Poop! is a book about a subject that fascinates young children because it is gross and funny to talk about. However, this book turns the topic into a science lesson. Through a series of riddles, children learn what animal produced the pictured poop.

Tiered layers lift to reveal answers to the riddles, making the book interactive and entertaining. The text is lyrical and rich. Endnotes contain facts about the poop from different animals “…and its purpose in the ecosystem.”

A Rainbow of Rocks by Kate DePalma

A Rainbow of Rocks contains photos that depict the vibrant colors of rocks and minerals. Using color as a springboard, the author uses “lyrical, rhyming text” to inform readers about rocks and minerals. Endnotes provide more details for your curious grandchildren.

Skip Through the Seasons by Stella Blackstone

Skip Through the Seasons is rich with layers of learning. This book gives each month a two-page spread depicting the prevalent weather during that month. The illustrations are bright, engaging, and replete with details.

Skip Through the Seasons is an interactive seek-and-find book containing terms on each page that children can locate in the illustrations – a great feature for emergent readers. The vocabulary is lyrical, leaves descriptive and rich: “Whirl into March…the wind is whistling down the street.” “Jive into July.” “Sweep into November…leaves are dancing as they fall.”

Endnotes include information about different calendars, including Babylonian, Roman, Aztec, and Ancient Egypt; names of the days of the week in French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Anglo-Saxon; the derivation of the names of the months; and a scientific explanation of the changing seasons. So much to talk about with your grandchildren!

Ages 6 – 9 Years

Chandra’s Magic Light by Theresa Heine

Chandra’s Magic Light is a multi-layered book. Teach your grandchildren about the value of optimism, persistence, resilience, and empathy through this cultural tale set in Nepal. Chandra’s journey to replace her family’s kerosene lantern with a solar-powered one is the perfect springboard for discussing environmental issues.

Create a math activity by comparing the cost of items in Nepalese Rupees to US Dollars. The language is rich and lyrical, and the story is “…brought to life with luminous acrylic illustrations of the mountains and markets of Nepal.”

Endnotes include pages of factual details about Nepal’s mountains, rivers, weather, religion, and more. Also included is a fun science-based activity to do with your grandchildren – creating a solar-powered oven. Use the oven for cooking a recipe together.

The Bread Pet by Kate dePalma

A perfect summer book, The Bread Pet tells the story of a young girl taking care of her uncle’s bread pet (sourdough starter) while he goes on vacation. At first, the girl does not understand why her uncle calls it a pet. However, she soon learns that the bread, like a pet, needs constant care and feeding because of microscopic entities growing in it.

But the uncle leaves out one critical instruction for his bread pet, and soon the bread pet grows out of control. In this warm tale, a young girl demonstrates responsibility, problem-solving, and empathy for her community.

The Bread Pet offers opportunities to introduce a variety of topics. Math skills such as exponential growth and measurement are introduced and can be further explored. For the curious young scientist, you can delve deeper into the concepts of bacteria, fungi, microbes, and fermentation mentioned in the story.

The story also is diverse and inclusive, featuring a main character who wears glasses and is part of a same-sex family. And the endnotes include instructions for making your own sourdough starter and sourdough bread. Add in fun and whimsical illustrations, and you have the perfect recipe for a delicious book!

The Beeman by Laurie Krebs

The Beeman opens with a sweet rhyming poem about bees. Then, mimicking the style of “The House That Jack Built,” the grandson follows his grandfather, the beekeeper, as he tends to his bees. Bits of information about bees and the process of beekeeping are sprinkled throughout the book, with key terms bolded. These tidbits are discussed in fascinating detail at the end of the book. The illustrations are playful, and the pages are not text-heavy, making it easy to share with younger children too.

This book can lead to so many activities with your grandchildren. For example, visiting a beekeeper in your area is fun and educational. Bees are vital to the health of our planet and are a relevant topic to discuss with your grandchildren.

Did you know that the taste of honey varies with the environment in which it was made? Have a honey-tasting activity with your grandchildren. Your farmer’s market or specialty grocery should have kinds of honey from different locations that will vary widely in taste.

Do you take part in your grandchildren’s summer reading? Have you prepared a list of books to read together? What’s on your list? Are you in need of help picking up relevant titles? Please share how you engage your grandchildren in the summer.

I have raised 3 children from Generation Y, including one who is a stereotypical millennial guy sitting on the couch in his apartment playing the video game World of Warcraft into the wee hours of the morning. It seems to have the makings of an addiction that his entire young life revolves around. From his job schedule to meeting with friends and family, his World of Warcraft guild comes first.

Over the last few years, I’ve also noticed a lot more of my more senior friends getting in on the fun. Despite the fact that those of us who are Baby Boomers often make fun of our lack of tech skills, grandkids and even a few great grandkids are discovering that their grandmas are online playing one of their favorite games.

Video Gaming’s Not Just for Men Anymore

While men have traditionally been more likely to play video games, in 2016 the AARP reported that among those 50-plus, women lead men in gaming:

• Women are more likely to be gamers than men – 40% of women are gamers vs. just 35% of men.
• Female gamers are more likely to play daily than male gamers (45% vs. 35%).
• Women (57%) are significantly more likely than men (43%) to say they play more today than they did five years ago.
• Card/tile games (46%) and puzzle/logic games (44%), followed distantly by trivia/word/ traditional board video games top the list of respondents’ three favorite types of video games.

I must admit even I can take up minutes and even hours some days playing Word Calm, Word Collect, Solitaire and Bedazzled Classic on my iPhone. I began to wonder if I too could be susceptible to video game addiction or would it just be good for my aging mind.

Is There Such a Thing as Video Game Addiction?

Video game addiction, also known as gaming disorder or internet gaming disorder, is defined as the problematic, compulsive use of video games that results in significant impairment to an individual’s ability to function in various areas of life over a prolonged period of time. The main criterion set forth by the World Health Organization is lack of self-control.

How Many Seniors Play Video Games? 

A majority of older adults state that they play video games to keep themselves mentally sharp, to be challenged, and to have fun. A study conducted by Big Fish Games in 2015 found that more than 25% of all gamers are now adults aged 50 and older.

Just like my 28-year-old son and his friends, some seniors have even organized their own video game tournaments to connect with other seniors online.

How to Know It’s Time to Put Down the Controller

One good reason to give it a rest is our eyes. Even younger people report damage to their eyes from playing video games for a high level of time. Those of us over 60 need to take even more breaks from the screen.

Video games can cause repetitive strain injuries – especially playing those with movement like Nintendo Wii or those on the opposite end where you sit a long time with no movement. For those with carpal tunnel syndrome or hand issues, playing for long periods without taking a break can make injuries worse or more painful.

Far from more practical reasons are these signs of a video game addiction to watch for:

• Playing video games rather than getting outside for fresh air, sunshine and exercise.
• Playing video games more than 4% of your time (6 hours) each week.
• As our minds age they can be tricked into thinking that video games are real. Watch out if you play aggressive games and your own temper is becoming shorter.
• You find your friends are all online and you are playing video games instead of socializing with friends or family in person.
• Snapping at people when you can’t fit video gaming into your schedule for long periods of time.
• You find yourself drinking or taking drugs while alone and video gaming.
• You are gaining weight from lack of exercise due to sitting all day gaming.

Where to Find Help

There is help for women who have a gaming addiction, including free 12-step programs like those offered by Computer Gaming Addicts Anonymous – a recovery program and fellowship for compulsive video gamers.

For those with a co-occurring gaming and substance use addiction, programs offering gender specific recovery, like the one at New Directions for Women in Costa Mesa, CA, can help.

Video Games in Moderation Can Be Good for You

While researchers go back and forth on the drawbacks and benefits of video games, recent studies show that certain games, especially those designed to improve memory and brain function, can have a positive impact on older folks.

According to a 2015 study run in Great Britain, after six months, the over-60 group that took part in brain training using video games was found to have significant improvements in the ability to carry out daily tasks. Those over 50 also recorded better verbal learning and reasoning. According to the report featured in the Daily Telegraph newspaper, “The improvements were most effective when people played brain-training games at least five times a week.”

Studies in France and the University of Montreal in Canada also revealed that changes in a senior’s video game playing could be used to detect early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. They also found that playing online or video games actually increased “grey matter” in some older people in “at risk” categories.

One of the key findings was that playing and learning new games had more benefits over playing the same game over and over. They also tracked the benefits of video games for handicapped seniors, including those confined to wheelchairs, finding extreme mental benefits as they could still enjoy playing favorite games like tennis and bowling despite their handicaps.

What Online Games May Be Best for You

Exercising the brain for us seniors is just as important as physical exercise, and video games can certainly provide this type of stimulation. There’s been a lot of research about which online games are best for seniors and I was truly taken aback to learn that World of Warcraft, NeuroRacer, and War Thunder are all excellent video games for seniors to play.

Perhaps my son will be mortified if I choose the screen name Scottsmom shouldI decide to take the bold step to join him in playing World of Warcraft to fight off my family history of early onset Alzheimer’s. At least for now, it’s a screenname I’m not likely to forget.

Do you play video games online? Why? What benefit of video games have you enjoyed the most? Are you feeling a little addicted to online games? How are you fighting the negative effects of video games? Do you think your children or grandchildren will be horrified or pleased to learn you play the same games they do? Let’s swap experiences!

Kristin Cavallari’s Orange Cut Out Maxi Dress on Instastories

Kristin Cavallari 2021 Instagram Fashion

Let’s cut to the point, we are obsessed with Kristin Cavallari’s orange cut out maxi dress. She never fails to give us the ultimate vacation inspiration. I mean this girl doesn’t seem to sit still and is never in one place for too long. I think I can speak for us all when I say we are constantly keeping an eye on her Instagram to see where she’ll be next and, of course, what she’ll be wearing. And this time did not disappoint for two good reasons. One because this dress is obviously gorg, and two because it is in stock. So even though we can’t steal Kristin Cavallari’s fabulous life, at least we can steal her fabulous style.

Sincerely Stylish,

Jess

Click Here to Shop Her Jonathan Simkhai Winnie Dress

Click Here to Shop Additional Stock

Click Here to Shop Even More Stock

Photo Credit: @kristincavallari

Originally posted at: Kristin Cavallari’s Orange Cut Out Maxi Dress

Some of my friends refuse taking a midday nap, even though they feel chronically tired. They worry it will ruin their nighttime sleep. They tell me that if they take a daytime nap, they either lay awake at night wishing they could drop off to sleep, or they wake up at some terrible hour because they don’t need the sleep.

I’m as surprised as you are that research has a lot to say about napping dos and don’ts and the good or bad that can come from a midday nap.

Was I Being Lazy?

After I left my corporate job, I took as nap every single day for a month. Nothing felt better than having the time to curl up in my comfortable home, refresh my body, and nap. My mind and body had had enough of wake-up alarms at 5:30 a.m., consistent mental stress on the job, and feeling worn down as I drove away from work (yet never leaving work at the office).

I gave myself a month’s worth of midday naps as a gift to me. After that month, my internal voice kept telling me I was lazy. I know now that wasn’t true. I was still sorting out and eliminating the familiar old voice that told me to push to produce more, accomplish more, and work nonstop as I had done for so many years.

Now that I’ve left that job behind for a full year, I listen to my body. If I feel achy or sleepy, I grab the softest blanket I have and curl up on my sofa with my cat for a heavenly nap.

Age Affects Sleep

Researchers are finding in studies that naps are beneficial. Have you noticed that with each passing year it’s more difficult to get a good solid night’s sleep? That’s right, age affects sleep, and not in a good way. Naps help you balance the amount of sleep you need as well as help with creative problem solving and cognitive thinking.

What’s More…

Getting enough sleep improves memory, energy and your mood. A nap of 30 minutes can reduce fatigue, irritability, low motivation and improve your memory! No wonder these benefits are now being recognized by some of those in the corporate workplace.Progressive companies like Google encourage midday napping by providing employees with sleep pods or nap rooms!

How to Take a Quick Nap

Healthy napping midday comes with some simple but really important dos and don’ts.

#1: Find a comfy place that’s both cool and dark. Pull the shades or try a sleep mask for fun.

#2: Clear your mind of stuff. This takes practice but allowing your brain to rest is worth it. What works for me is to imagine that my brain is a muscle I’m releasing and relaxing tension from as I feel my head sink into the pillow.

#3: Time your naps. This is IMPORTANT! Mayo Clinic research says that napping at the wrong time of day or for too long can backfire.

Napping tips

• Nap before 3 p.m. if possible. Later than that could affect your ability to sleep at night.
• Block out light. Sleep masks work great for this.
• Time your naps to be 20 to 30 minutes. Set a timer so you don’t sleep longer! These short naps are referred to as power naps. When sleeping longer than the 20-30 minutes you could enter into a deeper sleep, and when you wake up it’s harder to feel alert and ready to go. Short naps (according to Mayo Clinic Research) generally don’t affect nighttime sleep for most people.
• Health benefits of naps DECLINE if you allow naps to be longer than 60 minutes. Lengthy day time napping can be linked to (does NOT cause) serious health conditions (diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and Type 2 diabetes).

When NOT to Take a 20-Minute Nap

• If you are experiencing jet lag or have worked the night shift, you may need a longer nap time in your schedule to catch up.
• If you know you will be sleep-deprived in the near future, you can try to bank up some sleep time.
• When recovering from an illness, nap longer and more frequently until you feel better.
• Babies and young children need longer naps than 20 minutes.

It surprises me that long daytime naps can be linked to serious health conditions. Yet a short daytime nap has great health benefits! I find this to be important yet widely unknown information.

Coffee and a 20-Minute Nap

Dr. Sara C Mednick, PhD, on staff at Harvard, wrote a book, Take a Nap, Change Your Life, The Scientific Plan to Make You Smarter, Healthier, More Productive. She coined the phrase, Nap a Latte. She suggests drinking a cup of coffee, then laying down for a quick 20-minute nap.

By the time the caffeine begins to kick in, your nap is over, and you’ll wake up refreshed. Here’s an excerpt from her book:

“During the nap, your body will reduce adenosine, that substance that builds throughout the day and makes you sleepy. (Remember, caffeine fits perfectly into that receptor in the brain.) So, you wake up just as the stimulating effects are kicking in.”

This piques my curiosity. I’m going to try it.

Green Light to Naps

Now I have a green light to go ahead and take a nap without guilt or feeling lazy. You have the green light too. How nice to have something so wonderful bring out our best!

What about you? Are you a nap taker? Have you tried the 20-minute power nap? What helps you feel more alert in midday? What do you think about “Nap a Latte”? Let us know your thoughts on midday napping.