Peruse our past themes for a little inspiration

September - Fall into Fitness for Life - Take a moment and think about your current lifestyle.  Are you enjoying the quality of your life?   Are you satisfied with it?  Don’t be alarmed if you are not, most of us are or have been in the same boat as yourself.  Seemingly, there are many deterrents in our way; culminating to the notion that we do not have the time, or energy to take care of ourselves.  In fact, many of us consider it a luxury to stay fit and healthy.  However, we must keep in mind that pursuing a healthy lifestyle is not a luxury; it’s about balance.  When we find balance in ourselves, we are enabling ourselves to bring balance to our families and our working relationships.

Here are a few tips to get you jumpstarted for Fall:

1. Seize time: Time, or the lack of it, is often considered the biggest challenge in sustaining an exercise regimen. If you work at home, then when the kids return to school, what better way to use some of that precious time than getting in shape?  If you work outside of the home, take advantage of the fact that mornings are still sunny, yet the temperature has cooled down.  20 minutes outdoors will do wonders for the soul.  It’s a great way to start your day. Your workout doesn't have to take a lot of time. Even 20 minutes walking your neighborhood pays off in increasing your energy and stamina. If you can afford to spend an hour taking care of yourself, most health-club aerobics classes offer big fitness dividends.

2. Enjoy the year's most beautiful season: In many parts of the United States, autumn is a near-sacred season, with its sunny days, cool evenings and postcard perfect colors. Get outside and enjoy the season by bicycling, walking, hiking, jogging, playing golf and tennis, or just playing with your family pooch at the park.  Key word in Fall is ‘explore’.  Explore parks in your area; find a new bike path through the canyon, take a walk around a lake. The time spent out in nature is as beneficial to your mind and soul as it is to your body.

3. Resistance training is key:  A well-rounded fitness regimen is important. While aerobic activity such as running or bicycling is good for your heart, resistance training is also a critical component of a balanced program, so be sure to take advantage of your club's weight lifting equipment.  If making it to the gym doesn’t make it into your tight schedule, then pick up some resistance bands for the home.  They are light, portable and can be taken with you on travel!

4. An apple a day: In many parts of the country, autumn is synonymous with the apple harvest. Rich in antioxidants and flavonoids, and dietary fiber, apples are a delicious and nutritious snack that can be enjoyed any time of day.  Tip: take one in with you to the movies as they are not only portable, but a very satisfying snack.

5. Socialize while you exercise: One of the great things about exercise is that it doesn't need to be done alone. Find a friend with a similar fitness level and goals; having partners helps you all stay motivated. You can use your exercise time to catch up on each other's lives.  Most of all, it puts fun back into your workout.

August - Ease Back into School - Reestablishing a school routine can be difficult for children and adults alike. Here are a few tips to help make this a less stressful experience. Please note that this article is geared more towards children.

The Top 5 Ways to Ease Back Into School

1. Get into school mode early. Many of us have a summer schedule that includes staying up late and sleeping in. Take at least one week to get back into schedule by moving the bedtime back by 15 minute increments.
2. Develop a plan. Shop for supplies, clothing and gather as much info on classes as possible ahead of time rather than waiting to the last minute - this is a big stress reducer.
3. Figure out what is to be accomplished at school this year; not only academic and social goals, but how to realistically balance it all. Note: After-school activities should not detract from academic work or add stress to lifestyle.
4. Write down and discuss fears and concerns. Many children who are changing schools or even classes, have anxieties and fears. Take this opportunity to do some planning and problem solving.
5. Get involved in the functionality of the school. Most importantly, get to know the teachers. Meet with them and find out what their expectations are. Teachers are more likely to contact parents when they have an established relationship.

July - Take a Break - Safe Vacations - Get the information you need to to ensure a safe, fun and relaxing vacation.

Top Summer Family Safety Tips

1. Dress small children in brightly colored clothing that is somewhat unique so that they are easy to spot and easy to describe.
2. Make a plan. Agree ahead of time to meet at regular intervals at specified locations so in case anyone gets lost, reunions are easier and less stressful.
3. Teach your children to go to the nearest business, not a single adult, to get directions or use a phone.
4. Make sure to take your most up to date photos of your family (and individual pictures of your children) with you on vacation. Being in an area in which you are unfamiliar increases the risk of separation.
5. The next time your family heads out on a long car trip, make sure the goodies you have packed survive not only the heat but the kids impatient little hands. Try dividing perishable goods into two coolers; the Destination Cooler which is not to be opened until you have arrived at your planned location and the Travel Cooler in which you can pack drinks, and snacks for the drive.

June - Summer Safety - It's time for fun in the sun! Everyone across the country is looking for fun, safe ways to keep cool while the temperatures rise. LSI encourages you and your family to have fun...and keep safe!

Safety While Camping / Hiking / Biking

1. Make sure your skill level matches up to the challenge you are taking on. If you feel that it may be too strenuous, get yourself on a training regimen and set your trip out at a date that allows you enough time to be get conditioned. After all, your outing will be more enjoyable if you are in good physical condition.
2. Always camp/hike/bike with a companion. If you are planning on visiting somewhere remote, stay in a group of at least 4 people; that way there is a support system in place, should someone get hurt or fall ill.
3. Ensure that you pack emergency signaling equipment and map out where the nearest ranger station is located.
4. Most importantly, a always inform a family or friend of your outing; where you are going and when you are expected to return. Leave a copy of your itinerary if you plan to be gone more than a few hours.

Sun Safety

1. Most importantly, dress appropriately; wear light colored, light-weight materials as they reflect the sun away from your body.
2. DRINK WATER; make sure you keep water bottles or juice boxes close at hand.
3. Use water-proof SPF 30+ if out for more than 30 minutes in the summer sun.
4. Try not to partake in too strenuous of activity if the heat levels are above seasonal norm. If you need to perform strenuous activity, do so between 4:00 AM and 7:00 AM during heat spells.
5. What is a Heat Wave? Anything over 90 degrees or higher, especially if the humidity reaches above 80%.

Water Safety

1. Most importantly, lean to swim, if you do not already know how. Inexperienced swimmers and small children should wear U.S. Coast Guard Approved flotation devices.
2. Always swim with a companion.
3. Swim in areas that are supervised by Lifeguards.
4. Make sure you are aware of the water environment you are in; currents, hazards, and where entry and exit points are located. STOP swimming in the ocean at the first sign of bad weather.

Fire Safety

1. Did you know that most fires are accidentally started by people?
2. Teach your children about fire safety and keep them away from matches.
3. If you see the beginning smoldering of a fire or conditions that look hazardous, call the Fire Department.
4. Ensure that you and your family have an escape plan from the home with several exit options laid out. Ensure that you line out a map from the house; by car and by foot.
5. Prepare a Disaster Kit that will sustain your family for several days.
6. Make sure you clear all encroaching brush from your property by at least 30 feet.
7. Clear out all flammable vegetation from under your decks.
8. Clean out all leaves and needles from gutters.
9. If you use a wood-burning fire-place, make sure that the wood pile is at least 30 feet away from the home.
10. If it is advised that you evacuate your home, do so immediately.

May - Spring Cleaning - Spring Cleaning is a tradition that allows us to freshen up our homes and get a head start on the hectic seasons of spring and summer. One of the biggest parts of spring cleaning is getting rid of clutter that you don't need. Warmer weather triggers the urge to throw open the windows. And that's when we see it; the pet hair, dust, mud, and muck that overrun closed up homes during the winter. But who really wants to take down drapes, whack dirt out of the rugs or wash the walls in spring the way Grandma did?

Spring cleaning today is more about banishing the cobwebs from our minds than tackling the ones on our walls. Decluttering can offer the same psycoholgical boost as that annual warm-eather cleaning rite. "People are so busy today that if their homes just look neater, they feel cleaner, even when they aren't", says Carolyn Forte with the Good Housekeeping Research Institute in New York.

The new, holistic idea of "clean" has revolutionized cleaning products. Disposable wipes, for instance, now enable people to integrate cleaning into a daily or weekly routine instead of leaving it as an onerous task at the end of the week.

Teamwork helps, too: A family of four can clean a 2,000-square-foot house in one day if they organize and delegate, says Susy Johnson, branch manager for the Merry Maids franchise in Parker. Here is the spring cleaning strategy that Johnson suggests: Decide who will be responsible for certain areas of the home. Put the sponges, rags, mops, brooms, cleaning products needed to clean a specific space in that room. Separate jobs based on "wet work" and "dry work." Wet work involves water, such as cleaning the bathrooms, while dry work means dusting, vacuuming. Offer the team a reward once the work is finished, like dinner out or a ski trip. Decide how much time to invest on each room. Declutter first by tossing items into baskets labeled "charity," "garbage" and "not in the right place." Get rid of the garbage right away. Call a favorite charity to pick up that box before it becomes clutter. Put the items in the third box in their place. "At this time of the year, all you want to do is be outdoors as much as possible," Johnson says. "Follow these tips and you will be outside in no time." - Sheba A. Wheeler, Denver Post

10 Spring Cleanups

1 Work from the top down, inside to outside, to avoid getting what you just cleaned dirty again.

2 Do one room, even one area of one room, at a time to avoid unfinished jobs. The satisfaction of seeing one room sparkle will make the hard work feel like it's worth the effort.

3 When tidying, reduce trips around the house by temporarily depositing items in one spot en route to but not at their final destination.

4 Do to things at once. While laundry is going, scrub the shower stall.

5 Make small repairs. If you're not handy, hire someone.

6 Invest in good rubber or vinyl gloves to protect your skin and nails.

7 Dust before vacuuming or cleaning the floor. Try feather or lambswool dusters, especially extendable ones for reaching above window and door casings and into corners. Household rags are invaluable for jobs requiring a damp cloth - natural fibres work best.

8 Buy mops with a squeeze mechanism (great for vinyl, linoleum or ceramic tile floors) and a decent-size heavy-duty pail - one with a measuring scale helps get soap-to-water ratios correct.

9 Don't stand your brooms on their bristles. It will destroy their shape and diminish their effectiveness. Instead, get a broom holder, like the Magic Holder 5-position broom organizer.

10 Use a Swiffer for light dusting, or your favourite broom or vacuum attachment to clean hardwood floors. Then damp-mop with a mild cleaner such as Murphy Oil Soap. I recently discovered BonaKemi's MicroPlus Hardwood Floor Care System, which includes a mop with a removable washable microfibre pad and a nontoxic water-based spray cleaner. It makes the floors glow, and smell good, too.

April - Mother Nature & the Environment - The breathtaking views of unspoilt mountain vistas, the cleansing scent of the ocean, the incredible taste of organic salmon...these are all things brought to our lives courtesy Mother Nature. This month, our focus is on the little things one can do to make a positive impact on Mother Nature.

In Your Home: Recycle everything you can, use cold water in the washer whenever possible, store food in reusable containers, save wire coat hangers and return them to the dry cleaners, take re-usable items to a charitable organization, don't leave water running needlessly, turn the heat down and put on a sweater, turn off electrical appliances when you are out of the room, avoid buying food or household products in plastic or styrofoam containers, buy paper products instead of plastic, check the energy rating of major appliance you purchase, buy locally grown food and locally made products when possible, don't buy products made from endangered animals.

In Your Yard : Start a compost pile, put up bird feeders, pull weeds instead of using herbicides, use only organic fertilizers, take extra plastic and rubber pots back to the nursery for them to re-use, use mulch to conserve water in your garden.

In Your Car : Carpool when possible, ride or walk on weekends, buy a more fuel-efficient car, keep your tires properly inflated to conserve gas, don't litter our roads and highways- save your trash and dispose of it at a rest stop.

At Your Work : Recycle office paper products, use scrap paper for informal notes, re-use manila envelopes and file folders, hide the throw-away cups and train people to use their washable coffee mugs - in fact have washable mugs in your meeting rooms.

Personal Efforts: Join a conservation organization, convert by example - encourage your family and friends and neighbors to save resources too, teach children to respect nature and the environment - take them on hiking trips or camping - help them plant a tree or build a birdhouse - teach by example.

March - Stress Reduction - We deal with it every day; the constant battle to maintain equilibrium.  Stress affects mind, body, and behavior in many ways; the signs and symptoms of stress vary from person to person, but all have the potential to harm your health, emotional well-being, and relationships with others.  Learn how to manage stress levels to prevent anxiety, depression and other conditions.  You may want to think about it more, get a clearer idea of what causes your stress, and examine what small steps you can take.  So as you begin to consider actions to reduce stress in your life, understand the changes begin with you.

February - Healthy Relationships - A healthy relationship is characterized by dynamic balance and intimacy.  When talking about relationships, one of the most important aspects is respect--mutual respect. This simply means valuing who the other person is and understanding and accepting any differences that may exist, whether it is in beliefs, values, or even actions.  Communication is right up there on the list of important criteria for a healthy relationship.  Honesty and openness fits right in with communication.  And last but not least is flexibility. Flexibility in a relationship is a key ingredient.  Valentines Day is a great opportunity for us to broaden our understanding of love and its potential.  Enter February with an open mind and an open heart. Advice to remember:

• Communicate! Talk to each other and share your feelings!
• Be honest and open! Don't keep secrets inside!
• Compromise. It's about give and take.
• Be an individual. Don't lose yourself in your partner.
• Keep friends outside of the relationship.
• Be flexible. If you're not, your partner won't be either!
• LAUGH! Have a good time. Enjoy your relationship!

January - Key to Successful Resolutions -The beginning of a new year is the time many choose for setting resolutions for lifestyle changes, such as eating better, becoming more active, or giving up harmful habits.  Don’t make too many goals. Just make one or two, but focus on them. Focus your mind and focus your effort. Avoid repeating a previous resolution, or at least try a different technique to keep it. With focus, this year will be a successful journey for you!