Swagbucks 4th of July Sale = Double Cash Back

Swagbucks is currently offering double cash back or more at a number of stores for Independence Day. From JC Penney to Lowes, you'll get cash back (in the form of SB points) for buying your gifts online through Swagbucks. They also have offers where you can earn SB points towards free gift cards for things like trying Hulu.

You can find all of the details here. If you haven't signed up for Swagbucks yet, you can also do that at this page and start earning points towards your first free gift card. As a bonus, if you sign up through me a spend at least $25 shopping online through Swagbucks before the first of the month and you'll get a 200 SB bonus - that's $2 in addition to the points you get for each dollar you spend.

These deals will run all the way through Fourth of July!

Get Your Shape Back By Doing These 5 Things

Staying fit doesn’t always come easy. Getting in shape is a challenge most people face on a daily basis. Being fit takes time and a determined mindset. See how to get your shape back by doing these five things.

Eating Healthily

Eating healthily takes real effort. You can’t expect to go around eating whatever you want and still look great. There are many ways to go about eating right. Start by grocery shopping and doing your own cooking. Make meals that are bright and colorful with vegetables and protein. Avoid lots of carbohydrates and starches in your meals. There are lots of healthy recipes online that’ll put you on the right track. When you do go out to dinner, be selective in your choices and stick with a beautiful salad or choose an item off the appetizer menu, since it’s a smaller portion. If you must cheat, set aside a day or meal where you eat foods that are less healthy for you.

Cardio

Be sure you’re exercising regularly. Make a schedule and stick to it. Cardio is an important aspect of your workout routine, so start walking, running or doing machines to get your heartrate up. It’s a great excuse for getting outside and enjoying nature. You need to break a sweat and really get your body moving. It’s important in your overall fitness routine and will help you lose weight. Aerobic exercise has many health benefits and is an excellent tool for weight control.

Weight Lifting

Strength training is another aspect you should include in your exercise routine. Lift weights a few times a week and start to notice a difference in body shape right away. Strength training boosts your metabolism and keeps your muscle groups working, even after you’re done lifting. Think about getting weights for your home and working your muscles when you’re sitting around the house.

Using A Waist Trainer

There’s no harm in using tools and other gear as part of your weight loss journey. Purchase a women corset waist trainer and watch the pounds melt off. These are great for molding your shape and helping you lose weight. Your waist is an important part of your overall fitness goals and it’s also one of the trickiest places to shrink. A waist trainer will make you look slim and do a lot of the work for you. Feel beautiful and start losing inches as soon as you put a waist trainer on your body.

Tracking your Progress

Get serious about your shape by tracking your progress. Be honest with yourself about your weight and what you’re doing to try and take it off. Count your steps, track how much water you’re drinking and log the minutes of exercise you complete. You’ll quickly be able to tell if you’re doing too little or overdoing it. Track your progress and the rest will fall into place.

Conclusion

There are times we all fall off track from our exercise routines. Finding ourselves again is an uphill battle. There are ways to make it easier on yourself. Get your shape back by doing these five things.

On a personal note, here's my walking story for National Walking Day a couple of years ago with an update.

Leaders Aren’t Born, And Here’s Why

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One of the biggest myths in business is that leaders are born and not made. In all honesty, this ‘pearl of wisdom’ is nothing but nonsense. Yes, there have been great leaders who were naturals, but there have also been people who worked hard to lead by example. If you’re not a natural, it isn’t impossible to transform into an effective boss. For those of you that don’t believe that to be true, here is why you need to open your mind.

These are the reasons it is possible to turn into an effective leader of people and become a great boss.

You Can Study And Observe

The main reason the statement is untrue is that it insinuates leadership skills are innate. Either you have them or you don’t, and if you don’t that is unfortunate. However, people lack all kinds of skills in their everyday life, yet it never holds them back. The reason is simple: they study and learn. Just because you are not a natural doesn’t mean you can’t discover how to do it in the future. The trick is to observe the people that are effective leaders and use them as a sounding board. Over time, their influence will shine through and you will emerge into a leader. You just have to take the time to study the right people. Plus, you need the wherewithal to understand that your leadership skills need sharpening.  

It’s Psychological

Saying that a leader has to be natural diminishes the effects of psychology. Everything you do is to try and get the best out of your employees. After all, you need them to work at their maximum for the benefit of the firm. As long as you know what makes these people tick, that is a realistic possibility. And, it doesn’t have to take ages because an online psychology degree can teach you the basics. Once you drill into the bedrock of a person’s personality, you will be able to provide them with what they want. It may be more money or more responsibility, but it’s arbitrary as long as you give the right people the right incentives.

There’s No Need For Ego

It’s business – how are there not going to be a lot of egos flying around?! That is true, but you don’t have to be one of these people. Of course, you need a level of confidence to perform well in your job. However, there is no reason to believe that you are right of all of the time. Regarding leadership, this correlates very nicely. People who think they are leaders are not prone to personal growth. They believe they know it all, so they don’t see the need to improve. You’re different because leading people isn’t your greatest skill. As such, it is easier to learn from your mistakes and grow than it is for natural born leaders.

The above are only three examples of why you don’t need to be born with leadership qualities. In truth, there are plenty more, and that says everything you need to know.

Weird And Wonderful Talents You Can Try Yourself

Some people are gifted, and often these gifts are quite unique. For instance, while one person can play a beautiful tune on the guitar, another can balance and spin on their head. While you might be able to get a fifteen-foot jump shot in basketball, someone else might be able to breathe fire. So let’s look at some of the coolest unique talents in the world and why you just might want to give them a go yourself.

Base Jumping

Pixabay

Have you heard of base jumping? It’s pretty awesome but incredibly dangerous. Base jumping is a lot like parachuting or skydiving. Except rather than jumping out of a plane at fifteen thousand feet, you jump off a building a few hundred feet off the ground. Then, hopefully, and with a little luck, you can land somewhere not too far away. The jump isn’t the hard part, nor is the steering while you’re in the air. The difficult aspect of this rather special talent is the land. If you don’t perfect the technique for landing the force and speed that you reach the ground will cause you to break both your legs. So, it’s probably not a skill you want to try without some serious training.

Creating Clouds

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Ah, now this one is quite special because the idea probably originated from a little-known book called The Lord of The Rings. Those of you who have read Lord of The Rings might recall that Gandalf the Grey used to take great pleasure in creating smoke clouds and transforming them into images in the air. You probably never thought you could do that in real life but you can and people to through cloud-chasing. Cloud chasing is the process of creating large billows of smoke through vaping. And, then if you have some talent you can create some incredibly impressive images with the water vapor in the air. Some of the people that can do this have to be seen to be believed.

Light As Feather…

Pixabay

Mind over matter presents itself in many forms throughout the world. It’s actually believed be the the reason why some individuals can accomplish great displays of strength. However, the most impressive version of this is the talent some people have to manipulate physical objects. The simplest example of this is spoon bending, and many people debate whether it’s an illusionist trick or real psychokinetic ability. You’ll have to make your own mind up about this one, but there are schools across the world that teach this ability.

Forget Me Not

Image Via Pixabay

Yes, there are people in the world who don’t forget a single moment of a day in their life. In fact, there are even people who claim they remember being born. Many people dispute whether there is such a thing as a photographic memory. What is clear, however, is that some people do have a talent for recall and it is possible to improve your own ability here. Some foods seem to have a positive effect on memory as does meditation. If you start testing your mind and treating it like a muscle that can be grown, you might surprise yourself!

Are you fascinated by these incredible talents and abilities? Perhaps you want to give one or two a try for yourself.

8 Reasons to Visit a National Park This Summer

A trip to a National Park can make a fantastic vacation whether you are traveling with a young family or a group of friends. There is plenty to do and see and many people find they either return to the same park or aim to visit as many as they can because they love it that much.

If these reasons below tempt you, check out Zion National Park for more information and start planning your National Park visit today.

Here are just eight of the many reasons you should consider a National Park vacation this summer.

Cost

Visiting a National Park is much cheaper than taking a group abroad. You won’t need passports or visas, you can travel there by car, and once you arrive there are restaurants and activities nearby so you’ll save more money traveling.

When it comes to accommodation, there is always a range of options to suit any budget. You could go camping, glamping, or stay in a value for money hotel.

Location

There are over 50 National Parks in the US, so wherever you are or wherever you want to go, there’s a park not too far away. California has the most parks with eight, followed by Utah with five, but there are parks as far afield as Maine or Oregon too.

Scenery

One of the best reasons to visit a National Park is the gorgeous scenery. You could see volcanoes in California, glaciers in Alaska, or snow-covered mountains in Washington, as well as long stretches of forests, greenery, and clifftops. Whichever National Park you chose to visit you’ll have your breath taken away by the beauty of it. Make sure you spend some time exploring and taking in as much of the park as you can on your visit.

Activities

There is plenty to do at any of the National Parks. You could try horse riding, climbing, hiking, diving, water sports, sandboarding, or cycling. Those people looking for a more relaxing break could have a go at painting, bird watching, or walking.

Food

There are always plenty of fantastic places to eat in and around National Parks. You could try some classic American cuisine or try something a little different.

Education

Each park has its own history, nature, and wildlife for you to learn about. Some will tell you tales of America’s politics whereas others date all the way back ancient peoples. Spend some time exploring fossils and learning about the history of the park on your visit.

Experiences

National Parks can give young children their first real experience of the great outdoors. They can also remind adults with hectic lives what the world is really about, helping them to leave their stresses behind, reconnect with the world around them, and gain a fresh perspective on life.

You are sure to meet some fantastic people during a visit to a National Park. There’ll be fellow tourists on their first visit, amazed by the wonder of it all, and others who have returned time and time again to fill you in on the things you need to see and the ways their visits have helped to shape their lives. There will also be those who live and work in the Park who are always happy to offer stories and advice.