Foundation Highlight of the Month- Ways to Work

It's about that time again and It's tax time too, so I'm sure it should be easy to use that money to contribute to what you need to do to be more self sufficient. I'm sharing with you another program that will assist you in that.  I recently spoke with a rep from the Bartko Foundation (previous blog post) and he informed me that they will help if you go through certain programs like Ways to work or Community Auto.  I decided to highlight the Ways to Work program, because it is a program that is across the U.S and not just in Pittsburgh, you must live in the PA area for BF and CA foundations. W2W gives people with challenged incomes and credit the opportunity to get a low interest loan of up to $6000 towards transportation in order for them to stay in school or continue working. Here's a direct quote from their website as to their purpose, "As an asset-building and economic self-sufficiency program for underserved populations without access to conventional financial resources, Ways to Work helps families move off of and stay off welfare and dependency programs.  Instead of handouts, it provides families a helping hand-up toward a more stable financial future."

 Sometimes it can be difficult for people, especially those with children to get kids to daycare then go to school or work vice-versa everyday on the bus. Let's face it, without transportation, we are limited.  I have money saved up for a car and I am still saving but I have had a bad stroke of luck with unreliable cars, and now that I have a child being stuck on the side of the hwy is NOT an option for me if I can help it.  Also I'm not trying to pay a high car note on top of full coverage insurance at this point.  I'm trying to make smart purchases at this point in my life, it's not just about me any more. My 9 month old is my first thought when considering anything. This seems like a great program and as long as you meet the following criteria this can be of benefit to you.  If you have been employed at least 6 months OR in a post high school education program, AND a parent,AND unable to get a loan from a bank or credit union, AND you agree in writing to repay your loan to Ways to Work then you qualify.  If you are in PA you can apply to the Bartko foundation and use W2W to be your sponsor and if you qualify, that can knock about $3k off of your loan.  I just feel there are too many people struggling and there are programs out there to help people but no one knows about them to take advantage.  For those of you that would like to Donate to these programs click on either of these links Ways to Work and PA programs North Hills Community Outreach Community Auto and Bartko Foundation.

Find Ways to Work in your area click here.

♥♥♥ Have a productive and creative day!! ♥♥♥

Overdose of Holiday Treats?

         During the holidays we look forward to those delicious traditional good eats.  The forbidden foods shall I say that are prohibited all year long or maybe just not worth cooking unless it’s for a special occasion.   For me it’s all of the above.  I come from a huge family and it’s sort of like a pot- luck for my family.  We all bring something to contribute to the celebration, and if you are like my family you help yourself to more than just that so called one plate….yeah right, who are we feeding a 2 year old here?? It’s not until we have the infamous –itis or the politically correct term macajuel syndrome from overeating and we are feeling guilty.  Then thinking about a new year’s resolution in an attempt to counteract the heinous crime we committed to slaughter our health in the first degree.

  It’s no secret that holiday gatherings bring about happiness, family ties, togetherness, and STRESS.  .  When we are stressed we tend to eat more and it also produces the hormone called cortisol that’s linked to abdominal fat.  Eating and bonding with family and/or friends produces a hormone called oxytocin, which has been linked to creating those feelings of happiness and love.  Our brains are more sensitive to this hormone the more that’s produced, foods that are highest in fats seem to produce more, which in turn means that we find joy in those fatty foods around family and friends.  So what’s the point here? I think you get it and I would say the first step in creating something anew is being somewhat informed and also knowing the why(reason for doing something) first. 

  Here are a few tips to try and prevent holiday overeating….

Eat something healthy and satisfying before you get to the party that way you won’t be eating your guests out of a house and a home;).

 Pay attention to what you are eating and how much, its all about moderation, and if you are looking at a movie or TV while eating you will continue to eat and you will not even notice you are full. 
 Go easy on yourself, you may try to deny yourself those dirty dishes, but having a taste won’t kill you, it’s when you say “having a taste won’t kill me,” and end up eating 3 of the same kind of 300 calorie per brownie and 5 of those 115 calorie per cookie x-mas servings.

  If you are falling prey to social pressure of overeating, try showering your host with compliments on how delicious the food is and politely say you are stuffed!  Trust they won’t be upset.  If they are just fix you a plate to take home as a good gesture.  There you have a meal for tomorrow…leave the deserts on the table, you will be tempted to eat it all at once before it “goes bad”.

 You may also want to try to eat lower calorie meals throughout the week…I do not know how much of an advantage that may have because if you do this and overeat that one day it will just counter all of that work. 

If you are cooking you have a slight advantage…try to use 100% whole wheat  bread, brown sugar, natural sweeteners such as maple syrup or honey, try to use whole wheat flour, and brown rice, trans-fat free margarine, whipped butter in container or low fat butter.  If you aren’t sure how it will taste without it maybe you can experiment with these ingredients beforehand it’s always possible to make a small serving and try it.  Try to keep an open mind, because when you think about it too hard that you are subbing then you may make it up in your mind that it won’t taste as good…and then when you taste it voila! It’s not as good…

 The final of them all is EXERCISE!  We all know that new year’s resolutions are a JOKE! Instead of making it a new yrs resolution we could control how we eat during the holidays and could at least keep a simple workout regimen going its better than sitting on the couch and letting all of that fat and carbs accumulate and by mid year we have gained 2lbs a week instead of losing 2lbs a week. Okay, I’m done.  I hope this helps someone in 2012!

♥♥♥ Have a productive and creative day!! ♥♥♥