Wednesday, December 29, 2004

'Tis the Season to be Blogging!

Happy holidays to all!!

Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas this year. I know mine was full of merriment and joy! To those that are interested here's my synopsis:

Christmas Eve we went to Rob's grandmother's house and had a delicious seafood dinner with Rob's dad, his dad's fiancé and her son, 2 brothers, uncle, uncle's annoying girlfriend, and grandmother. It was a relaxing night. Every time I'm around his dad's fiancé, all she talks about is me and Rob getting married. Her sister is a jeweler, so she was asking me what kind of rings I like, so she can pick one out for me. :-) Rob just rolls his eyes and runs away.

Then Christmas morning Rob and I woke up at 7am to open gifts. We had a $100 limit, which was great, but also really limiting. I got him hiking and Red Sox stuff, which he was thrilled about. I only fueled the fire because he spent the whole weekend talking about the Red Sox and the woods! He got me some cute stuff. An ornament, a funky scarf, a cute hippie bag with an embroidered elephant, a pug calendar (because I love pugs!), a little plush lion, and three picture frames that had like jungle animals on them. Then when I thought I was done, he said there was a hidden compartment in the frames. So I opened them up and there were tickets to see the Lion King on Broadway! Hence, the jungle themed gifts. I was so surprised! We're going on Jan 22nd, and I can't wait! That's very uncharacteristic of him because I know he thinks musicals are cheesy, so he was really unselfish with that gift!

Then we got ready and headed up to my folks house. Ate some yummy Korean dumplings and went to the tree! I got the Bose SoundDock from my parents, which is what I was really hoping for. I tried it out at their house and it's so awesome! The sound is unbelievable! Then I got a few books and things. Normal relative-type stuff. Oh, also, as a gift to myself and Rob, I used some of my Christmas bonus money and bought a digital video camera! Rob has been wanting one forever because he used to have a video camera and used it to torture his brother and friends. He has the funniest videos. He used to lock his younger brother out of the house in the snow and wouldn't let him in until he did the robot in the street. And a few years ago we had big wheel races and taped it all, it was hilarious! Now I'm sure I'll be the one getting tortured, but he has so much fun doing it that it'll be worth it!

Then we went to my uncle's house and had a dinner with my uncle's family and my grandfather. Food was delicious. Didn't stay too late, went back to my parents' home and left late afternoon the next day. All in all it was a lovely holiday!

Stealing from my homegirl, Devon, I made a little photo collage of some pics we took during the celebrations! :-) You can see me in all my nasty glory, just out of bed, no shower, and a santa hat hiding my bed head! Oh, and my parents are there in the middle.


3 comments:

devon spec said...

aw how cute! looks like you were good too! :D

i love blogs. i think partially cause i'm a nosy person!
i hope mary got her... erm... thingie that i got you that i sent to her also. *that's code incase mary is reading!*

you and rob are so freakin' cute!!!!

Mary said...

Mel! Cute holiday pics! Merry Christmas! I hafta get you guys some post-new-years goodies coming soon. I've got them, but I've been SO busy with the traveling to colorado thing. I'm POOPED!

The Lion King musical is supposed to be spectacular! The costumes look awesome! I've got to make my holiday collage! I got some funny characters to talk about... boy oh boy...

HAPPY NEW YEAR! :)

Anonymous said...

Rhodiola Rosea is the latest natural remedy to join the arsenal of natural anxiety and stress (stress reliever) reducers.

Rhodiola Rosea, also known as Golden Root, is a native plant of arctic Siberia. For centuries it has been used by eastern European and Asian cultures for physical endurance, work productivity, longevity, resistance to high altitude sickness, and to treat fatigue, depression, anemia, impotence, gastrointestinal ailments, infections, and nervous system disorders.

The first recorded medicinal applications of rodia riza (renamed Rhodiola Rosea) was made by the Greek physician, Dioscorides, in 77 C.E. in 'De Materia Medica'. Rhodiola Rosea has been included in official Russian medicine since 1969.

Despite its long history, the Western world has only recently become aware of the health benefits of Rhodiola Rosea. It has come to the attention of many natural health practitioners because of studies which tested its affects on combating anxiety and stress.

Rhodiola Rosea is considered an adaptogen. This means it has an overall stabilizing effect on the body without disrupting other functions. Its ability to normalize hormones may be effective for treating depression and anxiety.

Studies of Rhodiola Rosea show that it stimulates neurotransmitters and enhances their effects on the brain. This includes the ability for the brain to process serotonin which helps the body to adapt to stress.

Since adaptogens improve the body's overall ability to handle stress, it has been studied to identify it's effects on biological, chemical and physical stress.

A study was performed to test the effects of Rhodiola Rosea when stress or stress reliever is caused by intense mental work (such as final exams). Such tests concluded that using Rhodiola Rosea improved the amount and quality of work, increasing mental clarity and reducing the effects of fatigue.

The effects of Rhodiola Rosea have also been tested on stress and anxiety from both physical and emotional sources. A report by the American Botanical Council states that "Most users find that it improves their mood, energy level, and mental clarity." They also report on a study that indicated Rhodiola Rosea could increase stress tolerance while at the same time protecting the brain and heart from the physical affects of stress.

This report included details of studies which highlight the overall health benefits of Rhodiola Rosea.

The generally recommended dose is 200-600mg/day. The active properties should be a minimum 0.8 percent salidroside and 3 percent rosavin.

It is important for consumers to know that Rhodiola may be sold using other species that do not share the properties of Rhodiola Rosea, stress reliever, or at ineffective strengths for treatment. Anyone with depression or anxiety should also check with a health professional when treating these symptoms.

stress reliever