WORDS FROM THE TEAM

” “ There is no remedy for love, but to love more! –Thoreau I t’s a known fact; cookies are better with milk, just like CM is better because of our loyal readers and advertisers! We truly are “better together”! February is the month of love, and we love that you have entrusted us to bring you all the Good Stuffour area has to offer for 20+ years! This month, we offer tips on how to wow your lady for Valentine’s Day and how to improve your heart health. Resolve to love your new year's resolutions again with our article on page 14.

Plus, chill-out with others at the annual Clarks Summit ice festival: Icetendo....it’s sure to be a shivering good time! Make your February great; spread LOVE & KINDNESS!

The CM Team 570.647.0085 cmag@ptd.net

VALENTINE’S DAY 5 Steps to Wowing Your Lady

How will your 2020 Valentine’s Day be remembered? Good, bad, or, worse yet – indifferent?!

Fear not – there is a way of attaining the best outcome this Feb. 14, which is just around the corner.

Abandon old traditions and do something to sweep her off her feet with these five steps:

Before the big day, drive her wild with anticipation by telling her you have the most amazing surprise for her. This promise will keep her guessing and make her think about your evening.

Know her favorite flowers. If you don’t, don’t panic. You can find out by making a comment, like “I’ve noticed plants blooming early this year …” and steer the conversation from there. In a beautiful vase, arrange an exotic bouquet and hide it somewhere in your home on the special day. She’ll like that you created the presentation.

Go to your local chocolate shop and select her favorite kinds of chocolate. Have them boxed and nicely wrapped to pr event her fr om knowing what it is when you present the chocolates to her.

Cr eate a dish and name it after her . For example, if her name is Anne, you might call the dish “Tournedos Princess Anne.” This step is the most impor tant. I can assure you after having spent time in some top-notch restaurants, food that is named after a person is a special honor. We all know how women love it when their men do the cooking. What I do is cut and precook the vegetables, and I even make the sauce befor e hand to make sure I get it as perfect as I can. Leave everything in the fridge. Then, on Valentine’s Day, I set the table before I start the cooking part. On both plates, place a fresh RED ROSE. The single rose is just part of making her think that is all the flowers she will be getting (but we know differently). When she gets home, make sure to get her to promise she’ll stay out of the kitchen. Tell her not to spoil the surprise!

When everything is ready, plate the food, cover it and take it to the dining table, and then ask her to come and sit. Before you uncover the lid, have her close her eyes. Retrieve the hidden bouquet, place the flowers on the table, and ask her to open her eyes. Pay attention to how she responds. Tell her what you’ve named the dish.

But that’s not all – after the meal, take her by the hand, walk her to the living room and sit her down. Bring out the boxed chocolate, go on one knee and tell her, “This is for you,” or, “You make me feel whole,” or, “You are the most beautiful woman in the world and I love you.”

Overkill? – Not at all. Remember, you don’t have to know why this works, but only that it does work.

About Ernest Quansah Ernest Quansah (www.relationshipadviceforsuccess.com) is a love r elationship success exper t with mor e than a decade of experience. He is the president of Relationship Advice for Success, and founder of Online Dating, Relationship, and Mar riage School (ODRMS). After much research and experience with heartache – divorce, breakups and the devastating consequences – he has discover ed the keys to finding and maintaining meaningful, long-lasting r omantic r elationships. He is also the author of Do’s and Don’ts of Relationships: Nine Steps to a Deeper , Richer Love Relationship, 2nd edition.

If you worry that you or someone you love will get heart disease or even have a heart attack, it’s understandable.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, accor ding to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Resear ch shows you can lower your risk, par ticularly if you team up with family, friends or co-workers. This kind of social suppor t may be the key to your success.

To mark American Heart Month, NHLBI, one of the National Institutes of Health, is inviting people across the country to team up and join #OurHearts, a national heart health initiative that encourages people to improve heart health together.

“Studies show that having positive, close relationships and feeling connected to others benefits overall health, blood pressure, weight and more,” said NHLBI’s Dr. David Goff, director of cardiovascular sciences.

Consider these five tips that can help lower your risk of heart disease:

Risk #1: Inactivity Solution: Move more throughout your day. Aim for at least 150 minutes each week of physical activity. Build up to activity that gets your heart beating faster and leaves you a little breathless. If you’re busy, try breaking your daily activity into 10-minute chunks. Stay motivated: Make walking dates. Join a pickup soccer or basketball game. Join a fitness class with your neighbor. Grab a loved one and dance in your kitchen.

Risk #2: An unhealthy diet Solution: Consider an option like NHLBI’s Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan, which is free and scientifically proven to lower high blood pressure and improve cholesterol levels. Stay motivated: Invite friends to cook up heart healthy recipes together. Start a lunch club at work and trade recipe ideas.

Risk#3: Smoking, even occasionally Solution: Quitting can be beneficial to your overall health, even if you’ve smoked for years. Set a quit date and let those close to you know. If you’ve tried quitting in the past, consider what helped and what made it harder. Stay motivated: Ask your family and friends for support or join a support group. Find resources and connect with a trained counselor at 1-800- QUIT-NOW or smokefree.gov.

Risk #4: Inadequate or poor quality sleep Solution: Sleeping 7-8 hours each night helps improve heart health. Try going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. Getting a 30-minute daily dose of sunlight may also improve sleep.

Stay motivated: Resist that late afternoon nap. Turn off all screens at a set time nightly. Relax by listening to music, reading or taking a bath.

Risk#5: Uncontrolled stress Solution: To help manage stress, try relaxation therapy and increase physical activity. Talk to a qualified mental health provider or someone you trust. De-stressing may also help improve sleep.

Stay motivated: Join a friend or family member in a relaxing activity like walking, yoga or meditation every day.

Learn about heart health and heart healthy activities in your community at nhlbi.nih.gov/ourhearts. Use #OurHearts on social media to share how you and your friends, colleagues or family members are being heart healthy together.

Article courtesy of Family Features Photo courtesy of Getty Images

16th Annual Clarks Summit Festival of Ice

The 16th anniversary Clarks Summit Festival of Ice "ICEtendo" will take place Presidents’ Day Weekend, February 14-16 throughout Clarks Summit and the Abingtons! The festival will feature live ice carving demonstrations on Friday & Saturday, with an ice car ving competition on Sunday featuring professional ice

carvers. There will be over 50 ice sculptures on display and live music and entertainment all

weekend long, with free admission & parking. On Friday evening, we will also have our annual parade & Family Fun Fair e as well as complimentary tr olley rides throughout the festival. On Saturday and Sunday, enjoy carriage rides with the family. For more information and a complete list of events & activities please visit our website at TheABPA.com or Facebook www.facebook.com/csfestivalofice/