Obama tapped Kerry for secretary of state before Rice quit: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama offered Senator John Kerry the job of secretary of state a week before Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, withdrew her name from contention, the Boston Globe reported on Friday.

"He called me, actually a week before Susan got out of the thing," Kerry told the newspaper, offering a timeline earlier than previously reported.

"He called me and said, 'You're my choice. I want you to do this.' He asked me to keep it quiet. I did. I sat on it," the newspaper quoted him as saying.

Rice, a top aide to Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign, withdrew her name from consideration as secretary of state on December 13 in the face of what promised to be a contentious Senate confirmation battle.

A spokesman for Kerry was not immediately available for comment on his reported remarks.

There has been widespread speculation that Kerry was Obama's second choice for the top diplomatic job. The White House has said Rice's decision to withdraw from contention was her own.

White House spokesman Jay Carney on Friday declined to comment on the newspaper report.

"I'm not going to get into private conversations between the president and ... a senator or a Cabinet member," he said.

Rice had drawn heavy fire from Republicans for remarks she made in the aftermath of the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, in which four Americans were killed, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.

"I am highly honored to be considered by you for appointment as secretary of state," Rice said in a letter to Obama released on December 13. "I am fully confident that I could serve our country ably and effectively in that role. However, if nominated, I am now convinced that the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive and costly."

The U.S. Mission to the United Nations, where Rice works, had no immediate reaction to the Boston Globe report.

Kerry, a five-term U.S. senator from Massachusetts and the losing Democratic presidential candidate in 2004, was easily confirmed on Tuesday, with the Senate voting 94-3 in favor.

(Reporting By Arshad Mohammed. Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton and Lou Charbonneau. Editing by Warren Strobel and Xavier Briand)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-tapped-kerry-secretary-state-rice-quit-report-200616628.html

Ed Koch House of Cards Warm Bodies PlayStation 4 Alois Bell Donna Savattere deer antler spray

Watchdog Alleges DNC of Finance Violation Tied to Sebelius ...

Count this as another violation of federal law which the liberal media will ignore if not bury. A watchdog group is alleging that the Democratic National Committee "failed to properly disclose its reimbursements for a 2012 trip during which Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius violated the Hatch Act," Josh Hicks of the Washington Post reported today.

You may recall that last September, the network news media failed to note the original Sebelius violation of the 1939 law which forbids federal employees from partisan electioneering. Had Sebelius been punished appropriately she would have either been forced to resign or had to have taken a 30-day suspension. Neither course of action was pursued by the Obama administration.

Story Continues Below Ad ?

Well now it appears that the DNC didn't appropriately report its reimbursement of the expense of Sebelius's partisan speech:

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel determined in September that Sebelius had violated the Hatch Act ? a 1939 law prohibiting executive branch employees from engaging in political activities ? by plugging President Obama during a gala last February for the Human Rights Campaign in Charlotte, N.C.

During the event, Sebelius told attendees they should ?make sure that we not only come together here in Charlotte to present the nomination to the president, but we make sure that in November he continues to be president for another four years.?

After the rally, Health and Human Services reclassified the secretary?s trip from official to political, according to a report from the Office of Special Counsel.

The DNC has reimbursed about $2,500 to the U.S. Treasury for costs Sebelius and one of her aides incurred while traveling to the event, according to the complaint.

Cause of Action alleges the DNC reported the reimbursements as operating expenses with the FEC, ?thereby avoiding any acknowledgement that the purpose of the expenditure was to reimburse the federal government for Secretary Sebelius?s Hatch Act violation.?

The group said federal law requires party committees to report such payments as ?independent expenditures,? thus marking them as compensation for political activities.

Sounds like a boring, garden-variety accounting violation? Perhaps on some level it is. But it's hard to imagine that if a Sebelius-like violation occurred and had been papered over in the Bush administration that it would have been ignored by the media. Likewise, any follow-up financial shenanigans by the RNC in such as case would have been blown up into a scandal.

For its part, the DNC is, predictably, coming out swinging with bluster against Cause of Action as partisan troublemakers:

?This is utter nonsense being peddled by right wing partisans who have nothing better to do than dredge up an issue that has long since been resolved,? said party spokesman Brad Woodhouse. ?This issue ? including the DNC?s role in this reimbursement ? has been public for months, has been widely reported and was available to the public on our FEC report ? which is in stark contrast to this shadowy group which refuses to release its own donors.?

Source: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/ken-shepherd/2013/02/01/watchdog-alleges-dnc-finance-violation-tied-sebelius-violation-hatch-a

vanderbilt evan mathis staff sgt. robert bales jason russell norfolk state st patrick s day parade duke

N.Y. model transforms historic Scottdale house into B&B | TribLIVE

By JoAnne Klimovich Harrop

Published: Friday, February 1, 2013, 9:06?p.m.
Updated 6 hours ago

Having worked all over the world for her modeling career, Pat Hill has stayed in many cookie-cutter hotel rooms.

?I have traveled all my life and know the loneliness of waking up alone in a hotel room,? says Hill, a North Huntingdon native and Norwin High School graduate. ?That is no fun. There were times I was jet-lagged and just wanted something to eat, but the restaurant was closed and all that was available was a vending machine.?

As the owner of South Broadway Manor in Scottdale, Hill's passion is to ensure travelers' comfort. At least, those who visit the transformed 1904 historic house, which opened as a quaint bed and breakfast in December.

It was by chance that Hill bought the house. She says reached up to scratch her head at an antique auction, and accidentally placed the winning bid. The purchase price was $47,000 in 1986.

Since then, the house has been used primarily as a private residence, with most of Hill's immediate family and other relatives having lived in the home.

?I wasn't even looking to buy any antiques,? Hill says. ?But my sister really loved the house, so she was excited I had just bought it. I am glad I did, because it is such a beautiful house.?

Hill spent years and $1 million restoring the house, including removing coal soot from brick and mortar, replacing the slate roof and using antique stained glass in the windows. The mansion's rehab has been kept as close to the original as possible, maintaining its architectural integrity while updating safety standards.

?We want people to feel welcome the minute they step inside the house,? says Rick Bruckner, co-innkeeper and co-chef with his wife, June. ?We like to say we offer Old World charm with today's amenities. There are so many places in this house where I keep looking because you don't see detail like that many other places.?

Rooms range from $125 to $145 per night, which includes a gourmet breakfast, such as French toast strata and asparagus, mushroom & Canadian bacon frittata.

Hill is only the second owner of the house. J.B. Brennen, a coke-and-coal industrialist, built the house for his growing family.

?It has been a labor of love for me,? says Hill, whose boyfriend suggested she make the place a bed and breakfast. ?I want to create a family atmosphere for everyone who stays there. I want them to feel at home. I want them to know there is food around if they want something to eat or someone to talk to.?

Hill relies on the Bruckners to take care of the place, because she lives in New York where she works as a perfect size 8 fit model. Designers use individuals such as Hill as prototypes for their collections.

But she often visits the manor.

?Pat is so down-to-earth,? June Bruckner says. ?She is so nice. She really cares about us and the people who will be staying at South Broadway Manor. We have some really fun things to offer. It's a pretty amazing house.?

June Bruckner's background includes executive chef of a vegetarian restaurant, The Walnut Street Lodge in Sharpsville. She is an expert in preparing vegan, macrobiotic and gluten-free dishes. She's been a personal chef for many years. Rick Bruckner's experience includes culinary program director of a post-secondary culinary school. They have a 10-year-old son, Tristan.

Both are graduates of the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts in Pittsburgh. That is how Hill found them.

Hill says she feels like she has known the Bruckners for years.

?I didn't want just a chef who would stand in the kitchen,? Hill says. ?I wanted someone with personality and wonderful business sense, and I also wanted someone who is good with public relations. And then I met Rick and June. ... And they were all that and so much more. I love the aura they both bring to the home.?

The main floor includes a parlor, living room and dining room that seats 15 comfortably. Guests will see everything from original lead-crystal glass in the door to crystal chandeliers, including one where every piece is unique. The parlor features a 1650 painting of Bacchus, the god of wine and celebration.

One of the bedrooms, the Copper Room, is on the main floor. It features embossed copper ceilings and a queen-size bed. Adjoining the room is a hand-painted English trellis half bath.

Upstairs, the Victorian Room comfortably sleeps four. Take a bubble bath in the original elongated claw-foot tub with chrome and mother-of-pearl fixtures and pedestal sink.

The Federal Room, a three-room master suite, features a display of Union Civil War and French & Indian War patterned uniforms, circa 1902. A ?Blood and Fire? flag, motto of the Salvation Army, a 58-caliber Springfield cap-and-ball rifle model circa 1860, as well as canteens, a bugle and other memorabilia are on display. It also has a mahogany fireplace and solid oak doors.

The Crystal Rose Room includes Louis XVI-style French paintings. It is named after the original crystal chandelier and crystal bath fixtures.

Jim Anderson, who lives in Philadelphia and flies in for business at Crown Cork & Seal in Connellsville, is a frequent guest.

?The bed and breakfast is quite charming,? he says. ?Rick, the executive chef and innkeeper, is cordial and goes out of his way to ensure the guests are satisfied. The food is excellent, and it is an absolute delight to stay here.?

?We want to set ourselves apart and give guests an incredible dining experience to go with an incredible lodging experience,? Rich Bruckner says. ?We know you can stay at any number of local hotels, but we want to make this your place to stay. We want them to feel like they are a guest in our home. We want to give them an experience they can remember the rest of their lives.?

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at jharrop@tribweb.com or 412-320-7889.

You must be signed in to add comments

To comment, click the Sign in or sign up at the very top of this page.

There are currently no comments for this story.
Subscribe today! Click here for our subscription offers.

Source: http://triblive.com/aande/moreaande/3308613-74/manor-hill-broadway

London 2012 field hockey Missy Franklin Hunter Pence NBCOlympics Danell Leyva Ye Shiwen OJ Murdock

Wine Spectator - Russia Silences Wine Advertising | Wine Report ...

?Russia?s latest salvo in a long battle against alcohol abuse by its citizens is a sweeping ban on all alcohol advertising in media outlets. It?s likely to have an unforeseen victim: the country?s small but booming wine culture.

Russian governments have fought the country?s age-old culture of hard drinking for more than a century. A 2011 global report by the World Health Organization (WHO) on alcohol abuse cited Russia and its neighbors as the hardest-drinking countries in the world. Now, provoked partly by a rising tide of youthful beer binge drinking, the government is cracking down on what it sees as an important public health issue.

Few observers think Russia?s newly emerging and increasingly sophisticated fine wine scene was in the sights of the legislature, the Duma, when it enacted the advertising ban last summer. Nonetheless, the law, which took effect Jan. 1, has had an impact. It makes no distinction between beer, wine and spirits. All advertisements are banned in both traditional and online media, and state authorities have warned the ban may be applied to the editorial content of wine publications and newspaper wine columns.

?Wine is not one of the hit targets of the government ? yet,? said Spiros Malandrakis, an analyst of the global drinks markets for Euromonitor International, a London-based market research firm. ?They mostly focus on hard liquor and beer, but the law makes no distinction.? Beer in particular has been a sore point, and to stem the tide of its growth among young people (Russia?s legal drinking age is 18), the government in recent years has doubled excise taxes, limited hours of sale and, as of January, outlawed sales from sidewalk kiosks.

According to WHO?s 2011 study, the average Russian drinks the equivalent of about 15.7 liters of pure alcohol per year?65 percent more than in the U.S. Nearly two-thirds of the alcohol consumed comes from hard liquor, one third comes from beer and only 1 percent from wine?.

Continue reading on WineSpectator.com

Source: http://www.winereport.ru/2013/01/russia-silences-wine-advertising/

oikos kentucky wildcats oakland school shooting nike nfl jerseys katie couric barista university of kentucky

Harnessing the power of respect ? Business Management Daily ...

Dr. Paul Marciano is author of Car??rots and Stick Don?t Work: Build a Culture of Employee En??gage??ment with the Principles of RESPECT. We spoke to him about how to build a successful career as an admin and the power of respect in the workplace.

APT: What is the most important factor for career success for administrative professionals today?

Marciano: Successful administrative professionals have three primary skills. First, they are adroit gate??keepers that ?protect? their executives by screening emails and phone calls, and maintaining a schedule that opti??mizes the executives? time.

Second, when asked, they offer valued input based on their unique perspective and experience.

Third, they are highly efficient. In my experience, efficiency is an area in which many administrative assistants can improve and add greater value. This is especially true when it comes to using various software ?programs, e.g., Word, Outlook, Power??Point; most people?not just ad??min??is??tra??tive professionals?have no idea how to fully take advantage of the soft??ware and are woefully inefficient.

APT: You?re big on the power of respect in the workplace. What does that mean in the context of the modern admin?s role?

Marciano: ?I only wish that my boss would say ?good morning? when she walks by my desk. The only time I hear from her is when she needs something.? Sadly, this is the experience of many administrative assistants. Many executives miss out on the significant benefits of having a re??spect??ful relationship with their administrative assistant. I fear that many administrative assistants are treated dis??respectfully, given the im??mense level of stress that many executives are under.

While it has always been the case that administrative assistants are expected to maintain the most professional and respectful of demeanors, executives must understand their role in making respect a core part of the culture of the office. You cannot treat your staff with disrespect and expect them to treat your clients with respect.

APT: As you note, admins often feel like they aren?t respected for what they contribute at work. What?s your advice for changing that dynamic?

Marciano: I think that feeling under??appreciated and undervalued is actually the norm today. My advice to anyone is to be their own best advocate. Don?t be shy about pointing out your accomplishments?of course in an appropriate manner! (A good way to get recognition is to ask for feedback on a task that you know you?ve done a great job on.)

The biggest mistake I see is when people feel as though they are taken for granted that they take themselves ?out of the game??and in so doing actually do make themselves less valuable. Just because your boss doesn?t respect you as much as you would like doesn?t mean that your talent isn?t recognized?if not by your boss then maybe by someone else who might want you on his team.

Like what you've read? ...Republish it and share great business tips!

Attention: Readers, Publishers, Editors, Bloggers, Media, Webmasters and more...

We believe great content should be read and passed around. After all, knowledge IS power. And good business can become great with the right information at their fingertips. If you'd like to share any of the insightful articles on BusinessManagementDaily.com, you may republish or syndicate it without charge.

The only thing we ask is that you keep the article exactly as it was written and formatted. You also need to include an attribution statement and link to the article.

" This information is proudly provided by Business Management Daily.com: http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/34234/harnessing-the-power-of-respect "

Source: http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/34234/harnessing-the-power-of-respect

jessica chastain jessica chastain hugh jackman Amy Poehler Australian Open Girls Hbo adele

Facebook's mobile ad revenue doubles in fourth quarter

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc doubled its mobile advertising revenue in the fourth quarter, a sign that the No.1 social network is seeing early success in expanding onto handheld devices as more of its users migrate to smartphones and tablets.

Investors want to see evidence that CEO Mark Zuckerberg's 8-year-old company is delivering on promises to develop a full-fledged mobile advertising business, a challenge facing many of today's technology leaders including Google Inc .

But the growth trailed some of Wall Street's most aggressive estimates. Shares of Facebook were down roughly 3 percent at $30.21 in after-hours trading on Wednesday, regaining ground after falling more than 8 percent immediately after the numbers were released.

Mobile revenue estimates among some analysts and investors were unreasonably high, said Sterne, Agee & Leach analyst Arvind Bhatia.

"As a result the stock was set up for disappointment," he said. Overall, he said, Facebook's results were encouraging.

The company's overall advertising business grew at its fastest clip since before its May initial public offering, helping the company's revenue expand 40 percent and surpass Wall Street targets.

Facebook has rolled out a wide variety of new services in recent months as the company seeks to stay ahead in the fast-moving Web market and to convince Wall Street that it can turn its audience of more than 1 billion users into a sustainable business.

Zuckerberg said the company plans to spend heavily to recruit talent in 2013 as the company pushes forward with new product development, particularly "mobile-first" services.

"We aren't operating to maximize our profit this year but we're doing what we think will build the best service and business over the long term," Zuckerberg said during a conference call with analysts on Wednesday.

The strategy makes sense for an Internet company, said Stifel Nicolaus Jordan Rohan. But it will force Wall Street analysts to "ratchet down" their profit expectations.

"The conference call was a bit of a sobering event," said Rohan. "The company advised analysts and investors to expect lower margins, and downplayed the near-term opportunity for revenues from Gifts," Facebook's recently-launched online commerce service.

FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

Facebook shares, which lost more than half their value following a rocky IPO, have regained ground in recent months as concerns about its mobile ad business and insider selling have eased. Shares have surged roughly 60 percent since mid-November.

Zuckerberg said that recently introduced products such as Gifts, which allows Facebook users to purchase retail goods for their friends, as well as its new social search tool could become important businesses in the future. But in the near term he said that Facebook's advertising efforts will be the core of its business.

The number of monthly active users on the social network reached 1.06 billion at the end of last year, with 618 million daily active users, Facebook said. But much of that growth again came from emerging markets like Asia, rather than the United States or Europe, where revenue per user is several times higher. For instance, average revenue per user is $13.58 for the United States and Canada, but just $2.35 in Asia.

Overall fourth-quarter revenue came to $1.585 billion, up 40 percent versus $1.131 billion a year earlier. Analysts were looking for revenue of $1.53 billion.

Executives said some revenue from its payments business dating back to September 2012 had been booked in the October-December quarter, inflating the number somewhat. Excluding those deferred sales, overall revenue would have been up just 34 percent in the quarter.

But it was the fledgling mobile business that dominated Wednesday's discussion on the call. Finance Chief David Ebersman said Facebook had "basically doubled" mobile ad revenue from the third quarter to the fourth quarter.

"Two quarters ago we really had no mobile revenue," Ebersman told Reuters in an interview. "In the course of a pretty short period of time, we've dramatically ramped up our ability to monetize mobile."

Facebook said net income in the fourth quarter was $64 million, or 3 cents a share, compared to $302 million, or 14 cents a share a year earlier.

Excluding certain items, Facebook said it earned 17 cents a share, compared to the 15 cents a share expected by analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Facebook expects expenses -- excluding stock-based compensation for employees -- to jump 50 percent in 2013, likely outpacing revenue growth. Capital investments may climb to $1.8 billion, up 14 percent from last year's $1.575 billion.

"They're going to have to continue to develop new products, which will cost them," said Bhatia of Sterne, Agee & Leach.

But he said, "the market would be less happy if they were not finding enough opportunities." (Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic; Editing by Phil Berlowitz and Ryan Woo)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/facebooks-mobile-ad-revenue-doubles-fourth-quarter-014152243--finance.html

Lauren Perdue tagged Heptathlon London 2012 shot put London 2012 Track And Field Jordyn Wieber michael phelps

Eat Yourself Skinny!: Weight Loss Inspiration

As most of you know, I've been moving into my house and honestly have had NO time to cook or post anything new.? SO I invited Miss Maria to my blog to share her weight loss success story!? There is nothing I find more inspiring than someone who chooses to make a change and sticks to it simply with the right diet and exercise.

:::::::::::::?

A little over 9 months ago I started on a weight loss journey, that I NEVER imagined would bring me as far as it has today. If someone had told me, before, that one day I would write about health and fitness, that I would be brave enough to do "fashion posts", or told me that I would be a weight loss inspiration to ANYONE - well, let me tell you.... I'd be more than a little skeptical.

But here I am today, CURRENTLY, at a 70 lbs weight loss. (These photos are a little old and represent my 64 lbs weight loss.) When I first started this weight loss journey I couldn't even bring myself to confess my starting weight! But I can admit now that I started out at 240 POUNDS! I am now down to 170 and my goal is to be 140 by (or before) the 1 year mark, which is March 1st. And today I am going to share with you some tips and things that helped me along the way. So if you need some inspiration, stick around!

?Well, now, before I go any further... I guess I should remember my manners and take a minute to introduce myself! My name is Maria-Isabel. I am beyond thrilled to be here sharing my story with all of you. I run two blogs! There is my main and more "well known" blog Agape Love and my little lesser known "Mommy" blog Mommy Made. I am 28 years old, a Christian, wife and mother to 3 beautiful little kidlets! Agape Love is a Christian based "lifestyle" blog focusing on faith, fashion, makeup, music, crafts, DIY jewelry & accessories, photography, of course my weight loss journey and much more too! Mommy Made is like an online journal to my kids. Its a place to share fun quotes from the kids, memories, photos, as well as crafty things, recipes here and there, a little bit of kids fashion and all other things "mommy made." It's a place to hopefully inspire and BE inspired as a mommy! Now that you know more about me, let's get back to my weight loss journey... Let me just tell you right away - Many people have asked me "Whats Your Secret" or "What diet are you on?" You may be wondering the same. Well, I didn't do any crazy diet, and I didn't have to starve myself either!

My "secret" is simple (and yet I know somewhat disappointingly) Eat Less and Exercise more!

"Physical fitness can neither be achieved by wishful thinking or out right purchase." - Joseph Pilates

You have to WANT it AND go for it! Your desire to be healthy (healthy NOT skinny) must out weigh your desire for 2nds or a doughnut. It must out weigh your desire to sleep in/ laze around. You HAVE to MOVE.

For me, even though moving/exercising was hard, that wasn't the really HARD part. The hard part was saying no to food. I realized through this journey that I sort of had an ADDICTION to food! Yes- I ate even when I was hungry. I ate just to eat, because it was good. Because I was bored, because I "couldn't" stop myself (and didn't want to). It was more than a bad habit that I wouldn't stop even when I was STUFFED.

It makes me emotional just thinking about it. How I was full, but not satisfied....

If you're someone like me who has trouble saying no to food, here are some help tips for you!

• Get yourself signed up for my fitness pal. Its a great tool to help you keep track of your calorie intake. It gives you a good idea of how many calories you should consume a day based on your age, height, weight and how much weight you want to lose.
• Eat LESS, more OFTEN (eat little meals/snacks often through out the day to help curve cravings)
• Fill up on veggies and fruit (mostly veggies, though, if its green its good to go and usually has little to no calories!)
• Do NOT drink away your calories! Soda, Fancy Coffee, Juice... Yeah have you SEEN how many calories for just a measly 8 ounces!??
• Drink LOTS of water. Be sure to get in your 8 glasses a day. But dont go overboard, there is such a thing as being water drunk! Sounds silly but its true.
• When you crave sweets eat fruit or (frozen) yogurt.
• Limit sugar, carbs, salt and cheese. For the first 6 months of my weight loss journey I didnt eat ANY sugary treats... The only sugar I consumed was the little bit in the yogurt I ate, the mulitgrain cheerios I ate, and maybe the fat free milk I drank, other than that... It was a no-no for me. I also did NOT use salt, and I stopped eating cheese. For me.... these were foods that I had a hard time saying no to, that I know helped contribute to my over eating.. so I just stopped eating them!
• If you are a snacker check out these great posts: DIY 100 Calorie Snacks, Healthy Snack Ideas, and Office Snacks/Snacks on the go.
• And of course, blogs/websites like Eat Yourself Skinny are an amazing help! Because I have no creativity in the kitchen... So I need all the help with yummy, fun, healthy recipe's I can get!

Now I guess we should talk about the OTHER thing. Exercise. Yes, it IS a must. Sure you CAN lose weight with just changing your diet, alone, but not as fast. And the wonderful thing about exercise is that as you lose the weight, you will also tone up your body and gain some nice muscles. So you DON'T want to skip the exercise.?

Since I started losing weight I realized this about working out AND eating right is this.... When you are JUST eating right in an attempt to lose weight it seems easier to give in to "pigging out" or "cheat days". But when you are ALSO working out, even though you may WANT junk food... You are still less likely to eat it and waste a workout. You work so hard in the gym (or how ever you choose to exercise) that you don't even want to eat junk food that you know you will have to work out extra to burn off. At least that's how I felt about it. When I did a 600 or so calorie burn, there was no way I was gonna chow down on a 500 calorie muffin for breakfast! Get what I mean?

When it comes to exercise, Hubs & I got a gym membership. (And for the first 5 months we worked out 2-3 hours a day 4-5 days a week!) But if you can afford one, or don't think you can make time to go, don't let that stop you! Here are some quick and easy everyday things you can do for extra exercise:

• Take the stairs whenever possible.
• In a parking lot, don't park close... Park far out so you have to walk a little extra.
• Race your husband or (OLDER) kids back to the car!
• Hold your baby while walking/shopping, rather than pushing them in a cart or stroller.
• Pace or stand when you are on the phone, don't just sit and relax.
• Stand while you are eating.
• Sit on a fitness ball while at the computer or watching tv.
• Jog in place while waiting for something in the microwave!
• Chew gum (sugar free)
• Get yourself a set or 5lbs or 10lbs weights and use them while watching tv.
• DANCE. Turn up the music and get down with your kids!! Or your husband, your dog... or ALONE!

I think you get the point! There are countless things you can do or improve that you already do EVERY day that can help you lose weight. In an extra effort... Take a walk or bike ride around your block or neighborhood! During the Summer, SWIM! Swimming is a GREAT way to exercise without burning a sweat or even feeling like you were exercising! The biggest thing, is DON'T make excuses. You DO have ways to exercise, even if you cant make it to the gym. It will be worth it, I promise!

Another thing to do is PUSH yourself. I'm not sure how many of you are competitive (like me). Yeah its not the most attractive trait a lady can have. HOWEVER, if you can use it to push yourself.. Compete with YOURSELF... Oh man, WATCH OUT! Here is what I do, I challenge myself!

For one, I HATE having the time show on a machine. For a long time it seemed like I would check it after what felt like forever and it would only have been 10 seconds! GRRR... So I decided to just set my machine to go for like 30-35 minutes and then change the screen to only show me how many calories I would burn!

So I would say, I'm gonna burn x amount of calories! And then I would push myself to get there, and if I got there before my time ran out, say it was 300 calories, I'd say to myself "Ok lets see if I can burn 350" calories! At this point I would check my time... and there were times when I only had less than a minute left and just peddle harder or run faster to get 50 more calories burned in abut 40 seconds!!!

Of course I know those numbers are not completely accurate, and only based on averages and such. But STILL this worked for me. It helped me PUSH myself. It helped me work out harder each time. I was competitive with myself. Other times I would put on a song, and challenge myself to run without stopping through the WHOLE song! Its little things like that, in your attitude that can really make a BIG difference in just how good of a workout you can get!?

Lastly I'd like to talk about a few other things that helped me along the way...

#1 A partner... I know this can be hard for some of you. I know I was blessed to go through this and have SUCH amazing support from my husband. If you can get your husband on board then do it! Otherwise, see if your sister, mom, or bestie will partner up with you! Having someone else to do this with you, will keep you going! When you don't feel like going your partner will get your butt in gear! And vice versa....

#2 Having accountability... This was a big thing for me. I have wanted, or said that I would lose weight. Ive made promises to myself before... And I never went through with it! When we started this, it was because my whole family actually decided to do a "biggest loser" challenge. So that was accountability. But also, I told the ladies in my small group bible study about it. I asked for their thoughts and prayers for me on it. I also BLOGGED about it. I asked for my readers to help keep me accountable. I decided to start taking photos of myself along the way... Hence the start of "fashion" blogging. I didnt like doing the pictures so much at first... I still don't LOVE being in front of the camera.. But I feel a lot more comfortable and confident about it. Anyways... I know that I would not have gotten as far as I have without the accountability I had. Not only from my husband and family, church friends, but also every single one of you who read my blog. And cheered for me along the way!

#3 Understanding... You need to understand this does NOT happen over night. Understand it will be hard, but you WILL be stronger and better for it. And most of all, understand there will be a plateau stage. Don't give up! Keep pushing on! Don't get yourself down over a little speed bump. Be sure to keep track of, or write down all the things you have accomplished so far and give yourself a pat on the back OFTEN! Here are a couple more posts on my blog that you may find helpful: Fitness 101 Q & A, The Truth About Diet Pills. Thank you all so much for stopping by and taking the time to read about my journey!
I hope you feel encouraged and inspired by it, and please if you have any questions or need someone to be a cheerleader for YOU, don't hesitate to visit my blog, comment or email me! ?

:::::::::::::::

Thanks again Maria for sharing your story!? Also I'd like to note, I'm ALWAYS happy to share success stories like these so please contact me if you'd like your story told!? Hope everyone is having a fabulous week!

Source: http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/2013/01/weight-loss-inspiration.html

doug fister rick warren the perfect storm hard boiled eggs mickelson how to tie a tie sweet potato recipes