Enter to Win! A Chocolate Spa Getaway Contest! 

Is the stress of juggling it all bringing you down?

How does a Chocolate Getaway to recharge both you and a gal-pal sound?

Imagine…all expenses paid for a poolside room for 3 days and 2 nights at the Hotel Hershey in Hershey, PA., over $400 worth of Spa treatments, plus air fare and limo service to and from the hotel.

Just tell us in 300 words or less why YOUR FRIEND deserves a Chocolate Spa Getaway Weekend. (For example: has she had some extenuating circumstances, struggles, challenges, or just plain needs a break? The contest is for all women- married, single or single again).

Best of all, if your story is chosen, you get to go, too!!

For more information, go to www.GirlfriendGetawayContest.com

One of the joys of the winter time is to build a snowman with your friends or family. Building a snowman is a great way to enjoy the outdoors during the cold winter months and is a great reason to play in the snow. Building a snowman is surprisingly simple and easy to do, here are some quick instructions.

First off you will need some good snow. Usually the best type of snow to use is snow that packs well. Packing snow is snow that is not too dry or to wet. The good news is that most snow is perfect for snowmen, so don’t despair.

Start by taking some snow in your hand creating a snow ball. All snowmen start with very small snowballs; now just continue adding to snow to this little round snowball. Eventually the snowball will be too big to hold in your hands. At this point, take your large snowball and place it on the ground in a patch of snow.

With your large snowball in a patch of snow start rolling your snowball around in the snow and patting additional snow to the snowball. In a few short minutes, your snowball will become much larger in size.

Most snowmen are made from three distinct snowballs, the bottom which is the largest serves as the legs, the middle, which serves as the torso is medium in size and the top snowball serves as the head and is the smallest in size.

Now that you have all three snowballs, you will want to place the middle sized snowball on top of the bottom snowball and then place the snowman’s head on the top of the body. If the snowballs are heavy to lift, make sure to get assistance from your friends or family members.

At this point, you will have the shape of the snowman, but it definitely will lack personality until you add your snowman’s accessories. For many people, the fun truly starts when you get to add accessories to your snowman. While a pipe, buttons for eyes and a carrot for a nose are traditional and fun accessories, try adding some specialized accessories, such as a hat, some ear muffs and a scarf. Besides these accessories, you can choose to add others. This is definitely the time to be imaginative and creative.

Building a snowman is fun and easy and a great activity for you and a loved one or your entire family.

Common Sleep Disorders and what you can do?
 

Millions of people each year suffer from sleeping disorders. A sleeping disorder is usually defined as a condition that inhibits a person to fall asleep in a timely manner and/or have a deep and restful sleep. There are three common types of sleeping disorders; they include insomnia, sleep apnea and narcolepsy.

Insomnia is usually defined as the inability to fall asleep or to get a full night of deep, restful sleep. Many people that suffer from insomnia can�t fall asleep until late in the night and sometimes wake up before the morning, unable to return to sleep. For insomnia sufferers, prescription medications can be prescribed and do help sufferers fall asleep easily and sleep gently the entire night.

Sleep apnea is another common sleeping disorder. Sleep apnea is when the body is unable to breath due to a blockage in the throat or mouth. Since you are unable to breathe, your body instinctually wakes you up. People that suffer from sleep apnea can go with out breathing for a few seconds or over a minute before waking up. Many people with severe cases of sleep apnea might wake up dozens of times during the night not allowing them to get a full night of restful sleep.

Many people with sleep apnea can benefit from treatment to correct their apnea condition. One of the more beneficial tools is the CPAP machine. CPAP stands for constant positive air pressure and it is a mask that is worn over the face that gently blows air and oxygen into the lungs.

Narcolepsy is another common sleeping disorder. Narcolepsy is characterized by not having control over when and where you sleep. You can be in a meeting, eating a meal or handling heavy machinery. While extreme cases are rare, narcolepsy is hard to treat and many physicians prescribe certain medications that can help.

If you think are suffering from a sleeping disorder, it is advisable that you consult with a doctor for a proper diagnosis and treatment. Many health professionals also suggest that you change your lifestyle and environment to promote a good night�s sleep. This includes staying away from caffeine and alcohol, having a quiet, comfortable environment for bed time and wearing clothing that will keep you comfortable during the night. If you are wearing tight fitting pajamas that restrict your movements, this can reduce your quality of sleep.

If you currently in the stages of peri menopause or menopause and are experiencing night sweats, it is important to make sure that your clothing is made from fabrics that wick away moisture. Moisture wicking fabrics used as pajamas are perfect for keeping your body cool and dry all night while wicking away any moisture through the fabric, allowing it to evaporate into the air. If you think you are experiencing a sleep disorder or just have trouble getting to sleep, consult with your doctor regarding your sleeping habits and make sure you are creating a comfortable environment for bed time which includes wearing comfortable night wear or pajamas.

Ok, So everyone tells me I need to start a NiteSweatz blog… what’s a blog anyway? Am I the only person on the face of this earth that doesn’t read blogs? “They” say, you have so much to talk about, just start writing it in your blog. So today as I started back on my running regime (with my 9 month old in tow in the jog stroller) I thought, ok, today is the day I will start my blog-ing. I am not one to start a diet or a new exercise program on a Monday or the first of the month I just wake up and decide to do something and then try like heck to stick with it. So with one hour left in May I am going to give this blog idea a try. 

I am Lesley Hatfield, the Founder and President of NiteSweatz, if you took the time to read about me, you will know that I am an Exercise Physiologist by degree and have been a practicing personal trainer and wellness consultant for the past 12 years. Although most of my life is consumed with NiteSweatz and my new little family, at the core of me is still a health nut and a women wanting to help others be healthy, get healthy and stay healthy. So I thought we could talk about different health related topics that seem to plague all of us… from how to start an exercise program, to how to fit it into our busy life styles and maybe even share a recipe or two for those nites that you just don’t know what to make for dinner! I reserve the right to change my mind on the topics, hey, I am a woman and it’s my blog! 

I told you that today I started back on my running regime. I have been a runner for years, but with the birth of my son I have really only run a few times during his little 9 month life. Ok, I walk a lot and do some light weight training, but running, no. How do I get back in to it? How does anyone start to run or become a runner? Many people have asked me this and I have trained many walkers to become runners and the simple answer is, you don’t have to do it all in your first outing. Start slow, be forgiving, allow yourself to walk and set short obtainable goals. Taking me for example… today I wanted to go for a walk and instead I used my jog stroller and said to myself,” I will only jog the flat parts and the down hills” (as I live in a very hilly neighborhood). I would set short goals for myself of just running to the next stop sign or three more mailboxes. For some it may be that you only jog when you cross a street or walk for 4 minutes and jog for 1 and over the course of a few months you gradually increase your jog time and decrease your walk time until you are running the entire distance. There were times today that I just had to stop and walk, and guess what, it was ok, why, because I was out there trying and tomorrow is another day! I strongly encourage a running partner to stay accountable, believe me there are days you want to be out there and days you don’t, that’s when a partner really comes to the rescue. Two of my business partners are running partners of mine, one I trained to run and the other has trained me. There is a very special bond that is created “on the road” I highly recommend finding a friend to share in your experience! Running is not for everyone, but it is something you can do just about anywhere, costs very little to get started, and doesn’t take all that much time out of your busy day! My goal is to run the Peachtree Road Race here in Georgia on the 4th of July with 50,000 of my closest friends, join me!  

Lesley