WomanScope NewsMagazine

March 2013

MOMCENTRAL

INSIDE

DC FASHION WEEK

THE POWER OF STYLE [16]

FEEDING YOUNG MINDS GETTING SCHOOLS TO GO ORGANIC [18]

WHAT’S NEXT for HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON

ELDER ABUSE NEGLECT, VIOLENCE AND EXPLOITATION [21] March 2013 │ 1

CONTENTS

PUBLISHER’SNOTES

From The Publisher’s Desk…

COVER STORY

4

A New Chapter for Hillary Clinton

By Janet Davis-Leak, Publisher/Editor-in-chief

In honor of Women’s History Month, I present to you the words of Sojourner Truth in her now famous, “Ain’t I a Woman?”

Speech……

“Ain’t I a Woman?” Famous Speech by Sojourner Truth The Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio - December, 1851 “Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that ‘twixt the negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what’s all this here talking about?

That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain’t I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain’t I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain’t I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain’t I a woman?

Then they talk about this thing in the head; what’s this they call it? [member of audience whispers, “intellect”] That’s it, honey. What’s that got to do with women’s rights or negroes’ rights? If my cup won’t hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn’t you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?

Then that little man in black there, he says women can’t have as much rights as men, ‘cause Christ wasn’t a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from?

From God and a woman!

Man had nothing to do with Him. If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again!

And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.

Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain’t got nothing more to say.”

6 Her Story: National Women’s

ALSO INSIDE:

History Month

Mom Central 5

14 Arts & Entertainment: Broad-

Etiquette 7

way Dream Foundation - opening doors and changing lives

Community News 10

15 Beauty: The best celebrity

Fitness 8 Inspirationally Yours 12 Fashion Preview 12

beauty product lines

Career Corner 13

19 Green Living: Organic vs.

Let’s Get Organized 13

Conventional Produce

Pictorial 16

21 Healing Place: The shocking

Cooking 18

truth about abuse of the elderly

24 Finance: How financial

Advice 20 Pet Care 22 Tech Girl 24

infidelity could ruin your marriage

Editorials 25, 26

27 International Politics: The

Education 24

debate over same sex marriage

Direct Sales Directory 28 - 30

Photo Credits: COVER: J. Scott Applewhite/AP ABOVE: Brendan Smialowski/AP

DC Fashion Inset: Phelan Marc/ House of Photography Elder Inset: Courtesy of juL

Please enjoy our offerings this month, and please support our advertisers!

Happy Reading!

Janet March 2013 │ 3

COVERSTORY

THE NEXT GREAT

CHALLENGE FOR HILLARY CLINTON

Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

We don’t yet know what big challenge Hillary Clinton will take on next, but that she will bring her considerable talents to something big and worthwhile is not in question. Whether or not that challenge is trying to become the first woman president, she’s in a unique position to help redefine success by using her experience to address the issue of stress in the workplace. Lack of sleep, overwork, and burnout are defining features of America’s business and political culture. They’re not just endemic in corporate suites and the corridors of power -- they’re often the standard on which professional advancement is based. This has enormous consequences for our health, on our health care system, on our families and our children, and on our economy. And it makes it much harder to produce leaders capable of making good decisions. Having accomplished so much, and having done it in such 4 │ www.womanscopenews.org

a way that causes nobody to question her work ethic, her ability, her drive, her willingness to burn the candle at both ends, Hillary Clinton is in a singular position to change this. She’s proven that women can do anything, and now she can prove that women can do anything differently -- and better.

Certainly, she’s well acquainted with the problem -- perhaps more so than anybody on earth -having flown more than 900,000 miles to 112 different countries and, possibly even more taxing, having sat in 1,700 meetings with world leaders during her tenure as Secretary of State.

“I hope I get to sleep in,” she told ABC’s Cynthia McFadden about her upcoming plans. “It will be the first time in many years. I have no office to go to, no schedule to keep, no work to do.”

And here’s how she put it to Andrea Mitchell: I don’t have any real plans to make any decisions. I’m

looking forward to some very quiet time catching up on everything from sleep, to reading, to walking with my family. I think it’s hard to imagine for me what it will be like next week when I wake and have nowhere to go. Maybe I’ll go back to sleep for a change!

And to NPR’s Michele Kelemen: I am really looking forward to stepping off the fast track that I’ve been on... I don’t quite know how I’m going to adjust to not having a schedule and a lot of work that is in front of me that is expecting me to respond to minute by minute. But I’m looking forward to that and I have no other plans besides that.

And to Gail Collins: I just want to sleep and exercise and travel for fun. And relax. It sounds so ordinary, but I haven’t done it for 20 years. I would like to see whether I can get untired.

Then there was the incident in December in which she fainted, suffering a concussion. Reading

about this was particularly poignant for me, as it brought up memories from four and a half years ago, when I received my own wakeup call about exhaustion, in the form of passing out and hitting my head on my desk. There were of course many differences -- I was not the Secretary of State, just two and a half years after the launch of HuffPost; Hillary fell backward, I fell forward; she got a concussion, I broke my cheekbone and got stitches over my right eye -- but whatever the specific circumstances, this is the lesson for all women burning the candle at both ends.

And maybe I’m dreaming, but the world needs Hillary not only to get herself “untired,” but in the next chapter of her life to become a role model for the idea that one can both be untired and successful.

Who better to lead the redefining success charge? “She’s the most important woman in America,”

writes Michael Tomasky. “More: she is almost certainly the most important woman in all of our political history.” For an entire generation, she’ s been the foremost example of the successful woman.

Here’s what Salon’s Rebecca Traister said about Hillary: I was 17 when Bill Clinton won the presidency. My entire adult political consciousness has had Hillary Clinton, even more than Bill, in a position of public power in one way or another. It’s been twenty years, and that twenty years for me has been my adulthood, and I have felt not warmly towards her for a lot of those years and then very warmly towards her in other years but the idea that she was going to leave, I did wake up on Friday morning thinking, hey, it’s the end of an era.

And, let’s hope, the beginning of another. “In the 20 years she’s been on the stage,” writes Tomasky, “the country has gone from wondering whether women

could handle the toughest jobs to knowing they can.”

The question that remains is: what is the price we pay for handling the toughest jobs? In an interview with Marie Claire, Clinton spoke about at least one part of the problem. “It’s important for our workplaces ... to be more flexible and creative in enabling women to continue to do high-stress jobs while caring for not only children, but [also] aging parents.”

But the problem goes way beyond just how the workplace is formally structured. It’s about how we structure our lives, formally and informally -- both inner and outer.

According to the World Health Organization, stress costs American businesses an estimated $300 billion a year. And the costs to our health care system might be even higher, given the role stress plays in conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

More than 25 million Americans have diabetes, and nearly 70 mil-

nto i g n i r p S Spring

Make It a Great Time to Donate

Start with a trash bag and a separate donation bag. This is an excellent time to discuss charity with your child if the opportunity has never presented itself before. I usually dump all toy boxes into a large pile and spread everything out so it

mindfulness. One of the most talked about sessions was called “The Mindful Leader.” One of the participants was Janice Marturano, who instituted a mindfulness and meditation program at General Mills and now runs the Institute for Mindful Leadership, a non-profit she founded to train corporate professionals in the practice. And among the stars of this year’s forum weren’t just heads of state, foreign ministers, central bankers, billionaire investors, or rock star activists, there were also Oxford’s Dr. Mark Williams, co-author of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World, and the Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard, author of The Quantum and the Lotus.

“The science has now caught up to what has been around in many many cultures.” Marturano said. In a Huffington Post blog she wrote, Leading today is an incredibly complex responsibility and it can easily (Continued, page 7)

MOMCENTRAL

Cleaning

By Kris Smith, Staff Writer Spring is right around the corner.

It is finally that time of year where we can open the windows in the house and shake off some of the cold days of winter.

For many, it is also the dreaded or anticipated start to spring cleaning. Spring cleaning in our home is like regularly scheduled cleaning, just on a grander scale. While this undertaking is usually reserved for moms and dads, there is no reason that the kids cannot become part of this annual tradition.

lion have had high blood pressure, which makes them four times as likely to die from strokes and three times as likely to contract heart disease.

And being “overtired” doesn’t just affect our health, but our decisions (and thus the health of others). The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School concluded that lack of sleep was a “significant factor” or played a “critical role” in the Exxon Valdez accident, the Challenger space shuttle explosion, and the nuclear accidents at both Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. “Sleep deprivation negatively impacts our mood, our ability to focus, and our ability to access higher-level cognitive functions,” report the Harvard sleep doctors. “The combination of these factors is what we generally refer to as mental performance.”

Last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, I was struck that the topic that seemed to be on everybody’s mind was

is easy to see. All functioning toys and pieces go back into the toy box.

Toys missing limbs, heads or once joyful dignity immediately go into the trash bag. Gently used toys that my boys have lost interest in go into the donation bag. It continually warms my heart to find more and more toys in the donation bag every year. Donations are a win-win for everyone. Needy families can get new toys and you can get a reduction in taxes if you itemize your deductions.

Share the Gift of Reading

If your children are like mine, you have read them bedtime stories over and over again. Once every family member has a book memorized, it is time to make room for new ones.

Unless a reading book looks as if it has survived a wood chipper visit, I cannot bear to throw them out. If you are unsure of where to donate

used books, check with your local library, churches or child care centers.

Books in these places see a lot of use and are always in need.

Baby Steps into Organization

I am not a mom that requires my children’s entire room to be neatly compartmentalized, but I do like things in their place. In addition to a large toy box, book baskets and a clothes hamper, I spend a few dollars at a local discount store to buy storage containers with lids in different sizes. These are great for crayons, pens, pencils and small items like Legos. This can also help protect younger siblings if any small items or toy pieces may present a choking hazard. Teaching kids where things belong also helps when assigning daily or weekly chores.

mix equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle. Children can spray and clean surfaces such as doors, doorknobs, tabletops and chairs. This gentle cleanser can also be used to clean toys and toy boxes.

The vinegar odor will not linger after the solution has dried.

If you are a mom still stuck doing most of the cleaning, make this the year that you involve your children with the cleaning and care of your home. A little bit of participation can help children learn how to take pride in the care and appearance of that wonderful place we all call home.

Clean Green

If recycling is available or required in your area, take the trash bag and have your children separate the bags down into appropriate household recycling bins. For an all-natural and safe spray cleaner, March 2013 │ 5

HERSTORY

The History behind National Women’s History Month

By Dave Dunmire, Staff Writer W i t h March upon us and spring in the air, don’t neglect to reflect on the women that helped to bring us here. March has been designated as National Women’s History Month each year since 1987. Though women had been making contributions for centuries, it wasn’t until the late 1970s that educators and historians sought to bring the women that shaped our heritage to the limelight.

The beginnings of National Women’s History Month however can be traced half a world away to Europe in 1911. It was in that year that women’s rights activist Clara Zetkin organized an International Women’s Day on March 19. By 1913 the official date was changed to March

6 │ www.womanscopenews.org

8, and has remained ever since.

Though the initial movement was rooted in the Socialist party politics of Europe, the idea of recognizing women’s contributions to history was embraced in our country as well. In Sonoma County, California the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women organized a Women’s History Week to fall the week of March 8, 1978, coinciding with International Women’s Day. The community came together for programs celebrating the history of women, and classrooms were treated to presentations by women from the community. Overall it was a very successful undertaking.

So successful, in fact, that the next year the Sarah Lawrence College’s Women’s History Institute chaired by Dr. Gerda

Lerner hosted a group of women’s rights advocates who reviewed the Sonoma County successes and determined to do the same to promote women’s history week in their respective areas of influence. Also during this meeting it was decided to petition Congress for a nationally recognized Women’s History Week.

The next step toward the National Women’s History Month we know today came when President Jimmy Carter issued a presidential proclamation officially declaring the week of March 8, 1980 as National Women’s History Week. As the momentum built, states such as Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Oregon, and Alaska developed curriculum materials for their education systems. Other states soon followed suit.

The momentum continued to grow, and by 1986, 14 states were officially observing March as Women’s History Month.

That fact, as well as the success of the events held in the past led to lobbying Congress to declare March National Women’s History Month. With a presidential proclamation in 1987

by President Ronald Reagan, the first National Women’s History Month was celebrated.

Each year new efforts are made to focus on a particular sector of women and their achievements in our history.

However, none of this would have been possible without pioneers among women with a desire to see history from an unbiased view, which included the contributions of women.

Pioneering that effort was none

other than Dr. Gerda Lerner, who developed the course of study for Sarah Lawrence College.

No true to color writing about National Women’s History Month would be complete without a mention of Dr. Lerner, and this article will close taking a brief look at her contributions to the study of women’s history.

In an era where women’s history was all but nonexistent, one motivated woman stood up to create change. Dr. Lerner is said to have told the New York Times in 1973 that those interested in the study of women in history at the time “could have fit into a telephone booth.” She was not going to allow that to remain the case however, and began working tirelessly to create the graduate program in women’s history at Sarah Lawrence.

It was due to her contributions spearheading the development of course materials that the meeting in 1979 that later led to the actions highlighted in this piece as the creation of National Women’s History Month was able to happen.

The world lost Dr. Lerner on January 2, 2013, but she will be remembered as a tenacious advocate for women in history.

Do her and all the women that shaped our story proud this March and remember their contributions to our history. Here’s to a happy and educational National Women’s History Month.

ETIQUETTE&BEYOND

The Courtesy of Chit-Chat

By Rochelle Soetan, Staff Writer

Some customary conversational Do’s and Dont’s include:

DO

• consider your environment • have eye contact • expand your vocabulary by using new words • speak slowly, clearly, and say what you mean (and mean what you say) • give compliments and establish common ground • feel relaxed, sit upright, be attentive and nod in agreement • listen to let the person and be engaged in what they are saying

• use slang, trendy phrases, or speech tics as a polished professional [“ya know”; “something like that” or “um”.

• gossip during conversation – it’s not a good habit • speak the loudest or the fastest • exude poor body language such as folding your arms, slouching down, or staring off into space • monopolize, complain, interrupt, argue, or humiliate others The discussions we have within our circles of friends are unique yet diverse and often encourage our ability to be earnest, objective, and considerate. With regard to privacy and respect, we recognize when to chat about what...and where, as there is a time and place for everything.

Some inappropriate places for holding highly personal conversations may include: • Libraries, Museums • Funerals, Religious Services • Airplanes, Buses, taxis, etc.

• Theatres • Supermarkets, Newsstands • Rest Rooms, Waiting Rooms • Elevators Conversation is an art form. It is about giving and receiving, thinking and reacting, listening and perceiving. Learning how to feel at ease in any group setting requires being an active part of the discussion. As in all other areas of etiquette, the art of conversation requires balance. The poise between conversing and listening, are key. Others do not always want or need to know every little detail about you, so try not to dominate the conversation.

People love to feel involved so welcome them into your “space.”

Whether at a book club meeting or black tie affair, you can master the art of your conversational skills. A good conversationalist imparts good manners during conversations and enjoys the environment they are in. So the next time you’re chit-chatting, remember that common courtesies not only make you a good listener, but also a good communicator for small talk as well. Above all cherish the connection and enjoy the chat!

DON’T

From the earliest of debutantes and blue-haired ladies, to modern day sisterhood socials and networking events, common courtesies continue to play an integral role in the evolution of conversation.

Gatherings like coffee and tea time bring us closer to the appreciation of unhurried dialogue. The socialism of sisterhood allows women to create a unique and long-lasting bond in solidarity while fostering the employment of politeness and regard.

Words are the most powerful resource of energy on Earth. How we communicate with each other is critical and the spoken word has always been our best form of verbal exchange.

Connecting through conversation does not come easy for everyone. In fact, some people struggle with language and the exchange of words, while others are natural conversationalists. Small talk or what is called “chit-chat” in the south, is what is essential when meeting someone for the very first time. First time meeting experiences can sometimes be awkward. Applying simple basic etiquette gestures such as eye contact and an intentional handshake can make a person feel at ease. Afterward, a good idea to generate the conversation is to ask the other person about themselves.

Keeping the dialogue general and light can avoid getting too personal.

We express ourselves through every thought, human emotion, and conversation we transmit, using words to make others laugh, smile, cry, think and share. In the world of social media and through digital conversations, we often forget that what we relay electronically is just as important as what we say when confronting each other. During these exchanges, it is important to consider not only what we communicate, but also how we communicate it.

Rochelle Soetan is the columnist of Etiquette & Beyond and a contributing columnist of Inspirationally Yours for WomanScope NewsMagazine. She is a published author, seasoned poet, activist, and etiquette professional.

She is the founder and director of Pearls of Poise LLC, Washington DC’s flagship premier Etiquette and Civility Academy. She facilitates personal etiquette training/ coaching, group workshops, and customized tea seminars upon request. Her weekly commentaries can be explored at www.tuesdaymorninglove.com.

(Cover Story, from page 5)

become so busy and overscheduled that leaders find themselves lacking in the very skills we most need them to have, the very skills that mindfulness can strengthen -- focus, clarity, creativity and compassion. Simply put, the training of mindfulness in the context of leadership excellence invites leaders to be more of who they are, more in touch with their personal principles and values, and more guided by their inner wisdom.

Those attributes are hard to put into practice when suffering from stress and exhaustion.

Having mastered the push-yourself-to-thelimit path to success, she now, in a Nixon-going-to-China way, has the power to change the mostly-male-created stressed out, dysfunctional mess that is the modern American workplace.

With smart leaders making terrible decisions, with multiple health care crises, with millions who can’t get through the day, or the night, without the aid of a psychotropic drug, we are in desperate need of leaders with the status and experience to bring some sanity and balance to our work culture.

In a farewell speech at the Council on Foreign Relations last week, the outgoing Secretary of State said: We need a new architecture for this new world; more Frank Gehry than formal Greek.

Think of it. Now, some of his work at first might appear haphazard, but in fact, it’s highly intentional and sophisticated. Where once a few strong columns could hold up the weight of the world, today we need a dynamic mix of materials and structures.

As a Greek, I should take offense. But it’s actually an inspired thought. We do need a new architecture. The old ways of doing things have broken down. Hillary Clinton was talking about foreign policy, but the architecture of how we live our lives is also badly in need of some new materials and structures. Which is why I hope that after unplugging, recharging, getting some sleep, and becoming “untired,” Hillary will return to public life and bring with her a new blueprint for employing those values.

If so, there’s no ceiling on what she could accomplish for women -- and yes, for men too.

Courtesy of Huff Post Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Clinton delivers her farewell address to the staff at the State Department on Feb. 1, 2013 March 2013 │ 7

FITNESS

How Much is TOO Much Exercise for Women?

Courtesy of Women’s Fitness.com We all want to look and feel good, so we think more is better. More training equals more muscle equals less fat equals a better body…wrong. If you are training twice a week, more exercise can be good.

However, too much exercise for women can be detrimental and detract from their goals. If they are already training each muscle group twice a week, they most likely do not need to train more.

Do you think you are overtraining?

We’ll explain why you need to stop and give you a few tips on exercise for women to help you cut back.

Too Much Exercise for Women Cardio has great benefits, but strength training really revs your metabolism and helps you lose fat. Because we are women, we don’t bulk up by strength training (common misconception) but instead, develop lean muscle mass. Once we blast the fat, these lean muscles will show. However, too much exercise for women in the strength training department may hinder these results. When you lift weights, your muscles need to recover. Have you ever heard not to strength train the same muscle group 2 days in a row? You have for good reason! When you lift weights, your muscle fibers tear and break down only to build themselves back up again to be leaner and stronger. They can’t recover if you break them down again the following day! Imagine that you are sick.

You’re not going to go out until 3 in the morning, running your body down even more, right? I hope not! You would normally try to rest as much as possible to recover faster. It is the exact same thing with strength training.

Too much exercise for women results in overtraining. The major effect of overtraining is counter productivity.

Y o u want to bec o m e stronger, but you are becoming

8 │ www.womanscopenews.org

weaker because you are constantly breaking down your muscle fibers. You need at least one day of recovery after working that muscle group. Depending on your activity level, aim for 2 days of strength training per week for each muscle group.

If you think you are ready to increase it to 3, do so with caution but be sure to take adequate rest days each week. Also, be careful not to train too much in one day. One to two hours is sufficient. Anything over two hours can be detrimental, and we even recommend less than two hours. Everyone’s body is different.

If you over train, you are putting your body at risk for it to start metabolizing its muscle mass for energy instead of fat and glycogen stores. Yikes!

Getting to the Right Amount of Exercise for Women Now that you know the damage over training can cause, how do you get to the recommended amount of exercise for women? If you are over training, you just need to cut down. If you feel like you have to exercise for a certain amount of time per day, try replacing some of that time with walking. Walking is very good for you and it’s easier on your joints than running and jumping. You can also try swimming or biking. These exercises for women can be used to replace strength training exercises if you are doing too much, and you just can’t cut back right away. However, the best recommendation is to set a plan for yourself that incorporates the right amount of training: two to three times per week for each muscle group. Stick to that plan. Whether you’re new to exercising or you’re an older-timer, just listen to your body. If it is aching every day, you need to stop. If you feel great, of course you can keep exercising, but remember that just because you feel great does not mean you should keep working the same muscles every day. Lastly, remember to take at least 1-2 rest days per week. Again, you should listen to your body. Everyone has a different workout regimen, so if you train hard 4 days per week, you may need 3 days of rest. If you do light exercise 5-6 days a week, you may only need 1 day of rest. The right amount of exercise for women yields the best results!

BUSINESSPROFILE Kim Goff Owner, Goff Software Consultants, LLC Goff Website Consultants (GWC) is now Goff Software Consultants (GSC), LLC. GSC opened in April 2010 and is owned by Kim Goff, CEO/ Front-End Developer, while her husband, William Goff works as the Chief Digital Officer and performs middle-tier and database work. GSC specializes in web development to include designing and developing relational databases, stand-alone thick clients, web applications & web services. Additionally they are versed in E-Commerce, SEO, and Social Media Optimization using industry approved design methodologies.

Kim Goff turned her visions into a marketable reality after a long career in communications for not for profit agencies. While there, she discovered her interests and passions very much intertwined with the website tasks she was asked to complete. Thus, she created GSC. Kim states that along with the company’s mission statement that one of the aspects that makes GSC stand out from other likeminded businesses is that her company does not utilize any software templates or generated coding. Every aspect of each website designed by GSC is customized, unique and original. Kim always makes it a point to meet with each of her clients in order to assess what they do and do not want on their websites in all areas color scheming, structures, photos, and trends.

Among other challenges, Kim has stated that one obstacle she has proudly contended with and continues to work through is how difficult it can be to compete in a male dominated industry. The industry itself is comprised of 70 percent males and it has been a long road convincing others that she is talented and qualified in areas of web design.

As her business and clientele continues to grow, Kim and her husband have established themselves and GSC as a worthy competitor in the web design business and they enjoy working with all of their clients in order to provide the best customized websites available. They now work with individuals as well as small to large corporations.

Visit GSC at http://goffweb1.com or contact Kim Goff directly at 717-968-6930.

WELCOMEMICHELLESANCHEZ Direct Sales Network Marketing Leader/ Success Coach/Trainer & more

M

y experience includes working in a large family business from a young age to running a multi-million dollar company and owning my own business as a Professional Organizer reorganizing companies and lifestyles of busy executives. After an accident, resulting in a long-term illness, my journey to health led me to discover natural health alternatives, which in turn led me to discover income alternatives as a Natural Health Coach & Consultant, Direct Sales/Marketing Professional, Home Business Success Coach/Consultant/ Trainer, Certified Dream Coach®, Online/Offline Marketing Expert, Copywriter, Editor, Bestselling Author, and Motivational Speaker/Writer, all in alignment with my purpose and passion to “Empower and Inspire Others to Achieve Their Dreams by Making a Living & Making a Difference”.

That passion has led me to achieve the highest levels of leadership and success in my business ventures by building, coaching, mentoring and empowering sales teams of thousands of women to enjoy better health and a better lifestyle and generating millions of dollars in life-changing product sales both online and offline. I have also created and revamped marketing, coaching and training tools and systems for many network marketing companies and leaders to assist them in achieving the highest levels of success. My passion for helping others achieve their dreams also led me to become a Certified Direct Sales/Network Marketing Coach and a Certified Dream Coach® with Marcia Wieder, “America’s Dream Coach”, as seen on Oprah and PBS. One of my own dreams was to share my story to inspire and empower others to overcome life’s challenges and pursue their dreams. That dream came true when I was asked to co-author a best-selling book with a group of amazing women coaches and entrepreneurs, “Wake Up Women: Be Happy, Healthy & Wealthy”, a book of amazing stories written to awaken, inspire and empower women to BE Happy, Healthy & Wealthy! In the book, my chapter is entitled “A Passion, A Mission, A Dream, A Lesson” in which I share my story of how I chose the safe practical Corporate America route instead of following my entrepreneurial spirit and how an accident and long-term illness changed my entire life course and led me to reignite that spirit and discover my true passion and the career of my dreams “Making a Living & Making a Difference!”

Throughout the journey I discovered the true meaning of success which, is also my mission statement: “You have achieved ‘True Success’ when you have discovered the path where you can share your unique gifts, talents and experience to make a difference in the world and you can honestly say that you love who you are, love what you do, and love who you are doing it with!” I am so grateful that I discovered ‘true success’ in my business and my life and I am grateful for the opportunity to have inspired and empowered thousands of women to achieve ‘True Success’ in their business and their life over the years and I look forward to helping others do the same!

My Personal Message “I am very passionate about inspiring and empowering women to achieve their goals and dreams and as a Certified Dream® Coach and Certified Direct Sales/Network Marketing Coach, I have worked with thousands of women over the years to help them achieve their goals and dreams. I am also very passionate about Direct Sales and Network Marketing since it is one of the few business models where you can make a living by making a difference! So when I saw the Direct Sales Directory project that WomanScope News Magazine was creating to showcase women in the Direct Sales and Network Marketing industry while at the same time empowering and inspiring women and girls to achieve their dreams, I was immediately inspired to get involved as more than just an advertiser to help take their mission to the next level of success. By doing so, I will be able to help even more women in the Direct Sales industry achieve success by helping them create new business and new business connections, while at the same time generating the funds needed for the magazine to help even more women and girls achieve their dreams. I am also excited to be writing a regular Direct Sales Success column for the directory where I can share my years of experience to further support that mission.” ~ Michelle Sanchez, WomanScope News Magazine Direct Sales Directory Account Executive

March 2013 │ 9

COMMUNITYNEWS

SOURCE Founder and Director of SOURCE (Student Outreach Resource Center) at Johns Hopkins University, Mindi Levin, spoke with pride and gratitude while explaining the purpose of the Student Outreach Resource Center, a center that provides academic, professional and personal development opportunities for the Johns Hopkins University Schools of Medicine, Nursing and the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Brought to fruition in January 2005, Levin, along with staff members Elizabeth Doerr, Associate Director, Noah Smock, Assistant Director, Alicia Tatum, Administrative Coordinator and Glenn L. Ross, Community Consultant, work cohesively to provide enriching experiences to the students, faculty and community organizations throughout Baltimore. The center was designed to provide community outreach and service- learning opportunities which are mutually beneficial to the schools and partnering community-based organizations.

Levin stated that in addition to providing such services, much thought went into how SOURCE could assist the health professional schools and community-based organizations, by combining services at one center to reduce duplication of services.

As student interest in community engagement grew, the Johns Hopkins health professional schools felt that SOURCE would propose a “focal point for students seeking expo-

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sure in an urban environment” while concurrently addressing the needs of community-based organizations that were seeking additional resources and collaborations.

SOURCE has since garnered major interest from faculty members, students and the community and over the years has become a well respected and successful service-learning and community-based program in which students and faculty are able to apply interdisciplinary research, education and practice, bringing the skills they learn into the community at large and making a difference both on a personal and communal level.

Prior to founding SOURCE, Levin ran the Interaction Community Outreach Program which was offered through the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

That program concentrated on volunteerism, which Levin said “offered students an opportunity to volunteer within a couple of organizations within Baltimore.” Though the program was successful, Levin’s background included a more academic approach to service-learning, including assisting faculty and students in integrating community engagement into academics.

Her interest in helping students to not only volunteer, but to also “utilize professional skill sets that had scholarly components and where they could earn academic credits” made for a perfect marriage when the idea of SOURCE began to materialize.

Her efforts, experience and associations with both the Public Health students and various communal organizations prompted a flurry of interest from other students enrolled

at Johns Hopkins within the nursing and medical schools. At the time, Levin was a ‘one woman show’ but recognized the concerns and lack of staff support surrounding local community engagement and opportunities particularly for the medical students; thus, she made those concerns a priority. Seeking interest from other faculty members, students and non-profit organizations, Levin put together the beginnings of an advocacy program that would combine all three health professional schools at Johns Hopkins that would be able to address both the desires of the students to engage in community activities, as well as meet the needs of the community itself.

Because Johns Hopkins has many ‘silos’ Levin proposed that it would make sense to have one centralized office which incorporates all the community-based organizations, right in “Johns Hopkins’ own backyard” and that would be able to address “all the community health related needs” to those in charge at all three schools. SOURCE is now that one sector which is the hub of the health professional campus and indeed, serves all three schools.

Levin and other advocates and staff spent approximately 18 months comprising a business plan, cautionary model and put in place the staffing requirements that the office would need. Additional time was spent acquiring the support and necessary elements from all three of the school’s Deans. On January 1, 2005, SOURCE became the official ‘trischool entity.”

So successful has this center been in the past years that recently it was awarded a $300,000 grant from the Johns Hopkins University President’s office. The grant will be dispersed over a three year period and will help to fund initiatives such as the SOURCE Service-Learning Faculty Fellows Program.

This program will train faculty to

Students volunteer for a SOURCE Tri-School Day of Service Project

use the service- learning pedagogy in the classroom,” said Levin, as well as help to “create service- learning courses where students can earn academic credit while serving community needs, combining on the ground services and scholastics.”

The faculty fellow program includes a three day training and quarterly cohort meetings, including course design, assessment strategies, and reflection techniques. The remainder of the grant will be applied to two other SOURCE initiatives.

SOURCE is located at 2017 E. Monument St., Baltimore, MD 21205 and continues to be a critical and vital component that influences the success and vitality of the students, faculty and community at large. Future plans include embracing current activities and interdisciplinary techniques as well as continuing to assess how the center can continue to offer practical experience and community integrations according to the students’ fields of study and the community needs.

Combined, SOURCE offers 30 different programs and courses for students to choose from.

Those interested in being part of SOURCE can obtain more information at www.jhsph. edu/source.

By: Erin Frost, Staff Writer

MOMCENTRAL

March 2013 │ 11

INSPIRATIONALLYYOURS

OUR STORY DEFINES OUR WORLD

By Liliane Mavridara, Staff Writer I recently had the pleasure of attending an event organized by GATE (Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment) whose mission is to transform the world through transforming entertainment and media. The event took place in the heart of Hollywood and it was very well attended both live and via webcast from around the world (technology is such a gift!).

I would like to share here one of the main messages of this year’s event, “Our Story Defines our World.”

When we are born, we come into the story that our parents and extended family live in. This story may be influenced by their personal beliefs and experiences, religion, socio-economical status and cultural heritage. For example, kids born to immigrant parents may be raised to believe that they have to work hard to make a living because money doesn’t grow on a tree.”

As we grow a little older, we start forming our own story which,

FASHION

for the most part, is influenced not only by our family’s story but also by our environment’s, i.e. school, peers, social trends and the media.

When we graduate from school and start the adulthood phase of our lives we continue defining our internal story. Based on what that looks like, we start attracting people with similar stories, now forming our groups of shared interests and common ground.

Then, at a certain point on our evolutionary path when we start awakening to the notion of a greater purpose we are here to fulfill, this internal and personal story is challenged. This happens because our story comes into conflict with the external story we grew up with; certain parts either don’t apply or make sense any more, a situation that leads to conflict and confusion.

During this time of inner struggle we have two options. We can suppress our internal story because the external is too loud; demanding us to compromise and follow along with what has always been

Summer ‘13

COLORS PREVIEW

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the norm. Or we can tune in solidly to our own story and what calls for a change, thus start creating a new reality.

In our times, more than ever, media and entertainment shape the world we live in and the story we strive to unfold in our lives. Furthermore, when mass media promotes outdated concepts or values which do not support a growing consciousness, our desire to actively participate in the creation of our lives becomes challenged.

However, this is our opportunity to start consciously affecting the outer reality (story) of our world.

First, by taking responsibility for our own story and what we think, feel, say and do. And second, by actively influencing the mass media’s story. We can do so through requesting what we want to read in books, what we want to hear in music, what movies we want to watch, and what news we want to hear, so that the end result is educational, inspirational and transformational.

One of the speakers mentioned

that Hollywood is thirsty for a different kind of material, and that last year it was the first time that the independent movie industry hit the $100 million mark. Marianne Williamson, the year before, told the audience in her brilliant, direct, uncensored way that “If Hollywood gets paid well they will add a deceptive scene in a film undermining women even if they know it is not right.” In this way she implied the need for a change of values that currently rule the specific film industry, and also the opportunity and power that we, as conscious consumers have, to effect and cause such a change.

This month I would like to invite you to reflect on the following.

First, please reflect on your story; how much of it is yours versus your family’s influence, and whether it matches where you are now on your journey. Then, please pay attention to the media and entertainment outlets you use or partake in.

Do you like what you hear? Do you like what you read? Are there topics you long for and don’t know where to find them?

There is a growing audience currently in the millions that seeks inspiration, fulfillment, inclusiveness and right relationships. Concurrently we seek sustainable ways of living and environmental solutions that will keep our planet alive and beautiful for generations to come.

If you have been feeling the urge to be part of such a community, to be part of the conscious change taking place all over the world, then take a moment and reach out. Share your story and your values, share what you long for to see and hear, and ask for what you want. This is how we start changing our story, our community’s story and shaping our world.

Have a great one!

Read more about my work on www.LilianeMavridara.com

CAREERCORNER

Power of Volunteerism Sarah Schulman, Outreach Specialist, Maryland New Directions

In the spirit of MLK Day, which just took place last month, I wanted to expand on the importance and power of volunteerism.

Giving of our time and resources without monetary compensation not only provides personal satisfaction and meaning; volunteering is an extremely valuable tool for those looking for work.

As an undergrad, I began exploring the idea of volunteering, not only as a way to engage with the community around my university, but also to discover what career fields I might be interested in. I knew I enjoyed working with people and computers, but wasn’t sure if and how I could blend these things. I joined a group of students who tutored at a local non-profit employment center and started volunteering as a beginner computer class instructor to a group of previously homeless and incarcerated men in the employment center’s recovery program. Week by week I got to know the students in my class and really connected with them. I saw strengths in myself I didn’t know I had; I was confident and had a way of making my students comfortable and keeping them engaged. Not only did I discover what I was good at, but also what real-world options there were for me to use my skills and capacities.

Now that I am working how-

ever, I have not forgotten the importance of volunteering. In fact, I have seen just how powerful and valuable it is for building employment skills and networking.

For those who are job-seeking, interested in changing career fields, or lacking the qualifications for a full-time paid position of their choice, volunteerism is a great way to gain experience, build skills, and make connections. I have used countless stories from volunteer experiences during job interviews to illustrate my ability to handle conflict or engage a difficult individual. I have also discussed moving experiences at my various volunteer positions as being what has helped shape my career passions, goals and values.

I also learned that volunteers are a benefit to employers looking to hire. As a professional job coach and colleague of mine said, “Volunteering is the number two way (number one is networking) to find a position. If a paid position opens up, you’re right there. It is more cost effective for the employer to hire someone in-house and he or she will already know your work ethic and strengths. It is a win-win situation.”

As a recent college grad that got a job through volunteering, I can attest to the merit of volunteering as a way to get your foot in the door in an industry of your choice. Finding a full-time, paid position without additional schooling and years of experience can be extremely difficult, especially when there are limited openings and many qualified applicants. By volunteering, you are building skills and connections necessary for full-time employment while simultaneously taking part in the larger effort of making a meaningful difference in your community!

LET’SGETORGANIZED

Dreams to Action: Sappari Solution Hosts Seminar By: Erin Frost, Staff Writer Sappari Solutions founder, Nettie Owens hosted this year’s ‘Dreams to Action’ seminar on January 25th. Owens founded Sappari Solutions, LLC in 2004 and has since become one of the foremost leading professional organizing firms which serve residents and small businesses in Harford County. Her business provides clients organizational solutions that fit their lifestyle, budget and schedule while also concentrating on protecting the environment and sustainable business practices.

The Dreams to Action half-day seminar proved to be successful with many local businesses and partnerships attending to support individuals and businesses in their goals to become more aware of their goals and more importantly, how they can achieve their life dreams, tackle projects and gain confidence. Attendees included Upper Bay Counseling staff members as well as guest speakers James Miele, founder of Miele Wealth and Serafina Rayner, a certified massage therapist and Yoga instructor.

The seminar was a 4-hour long workshop which included group and individual activities and discussions and all attendees were invited to share their own personal journeys with setting goals, time management and how they follow through in this process. The seminar included

five segments which incorporated aspects such as: • Goal Basics • Success Supercharging • Time Management • How to Develop Action Plans • Advice on Creating Success Owens as well as the other guest speakers also presented information on a variety of other topics including goal setting, creating a life list, action healthy habits, and productivity and prioritizing. All who attended were able to walk away from this remarkable workshop with skills and information as they forge forward with their goals for 2013, as well as being armed with confidence that through planning, action and positive thinking, their goals can be a reality.

For more information on upcoming seminars and workshops or to schedule a one on one session with Ms. Owens, please visit www.sapparisolutions.

March 2013 │ 13

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

Broadway Dreams Foundation sets stage for Ariana Groover Courtesy of USA TODAY

audition, that maybe they’d consider me for something in the future.

When I got it, I was like, ‘This can’t be real.’”

Groover had earned other gigs in Atlanta, with prestigious companies such as the Alliance Theatre and Kenny Leon’s True Colors and as a supporting dancer for local recording artists. Her mother taught dance, “pretty much everything — ballet, jazz, modern, African, even some hip-hop. She showed me that it was important to learn different styles, to be well-rounded and open-minded.”

BDF artistic director Nicholas Rodriguez was impressed by Groover’s “raw passion. She had that ‘it’ factor, combined with absolute humility and a sheer work ethic.

She never took a break, never complained.”

For Rodriguez, what distinguishes BDF from some like-minded programs “is that we do follow through.

We’re lucky enough to have this amazing faculty that can give stu-

dents long-term guidance — and it works both ways. There’s a lyric from The King and I that says, ‘If you become a teacher, from your pupils you’ll be taught.’ I believe that.”

Groover clearly shares that view.

One of her ambitions is to become a choreographer, and she hopes to eventually go back to college — she attended full-time for one year, but the juggle got to be “too crazy” — and “to be able to travel and bring the performing arts to places where people don’t normally get to see them.”

Film acting is also on her to-do list, though for now, she’s relishing the moment. “I was on the (subway) the other day, and a girl who had seen Bare stopped me, and she was like, ‘You were so wonderful! It changed my life!’ That was definitely a pinch-me moment.”

Groover is hoping for more.

“One thing that Broadway Dreams has taught me is to never give up. If you persevere and stay focused, your dreams can come true.”

BUSINESSPROFILE Becky Oaster Credit: Todd Plitt, USA TODAY Georgia native Ariana Groover, 21, stars in the off-Broadway show ‘Bare’ at New World Stages in New York.

If you’ve caught the off-Broadway musical Bare since its opening last fall, you may have taken note of Ariana Groover, a lissome 21-yearold cast as a student at a Catholic boarding school where two young men fall in love, with unsettling consequences. The show ends its run at New World Stages this Sunday — but Groover seems sure that her own journey is just beginning.

Before winning a part in Bare, Groover spent five years being groomed by the Broadway Dreams Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to training, mentoring and offering career opportunities to fledgling musical-theater artists.

Intensive programs are provided nationally throughout the year, with week-long workshops in which students receive personal instruction from Broadway performers a faculty members in professional showcases and get to audition for Broadway

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casting directors; previous participants have scored roles in Broadway, touring and regional productions of such hits as Memphis, Spring Awakening and The Book of Mormon.

Financial aid is available; Groover, who hails from Savannah, Ga., was among 42% of all BDF participants on full or partial scholarship. Last year, after not seeing her name on the roster of its Summer Performing Arts Intensive in Atlanta, BDF executive director Annette Tanner reached out and encouraged Groover to attend casting, and she received a full scholarship for summer programs in New York and Philadelphia.

There she caught the eye of some New York directors, among them Bare’s Stafford Arima. “I wasn’t expecting to actually get a part in it,” Groover says, sitting in the theater before a recent performance. “I thought it was an opportunity to

Independent Consultant ACE Appetite, Control & Energy As an Independent Consultant for ACE since August of 2012, I provide guidance, support and weight loss supplements to individuals who are embarking on their weight loss and health journeys. The individuals that I work with are remarkable and through their strengths and milestones, I find inspiration and am consistently reminded of why I made the decision to be a part of the Ace family and corporation.

The mission statement that ACE has molded and has come to rely on is, “to make a positive impact on the health and the wealth of every man, woman and child in every country we do business.” Having struggled with my own personal issues with weight, and having used the Ace products with infinite success, I too stand by our mission statement and hope that I can assist all of the individuals I deal with in reaching their own goals.

I purchased my first bottle of ACE in 2012. As it turned out, that decision was to be one of the most important I had ever made. Immediately I began to feel more energetic, lost my cravings to snack and within the first week of taking it, I had lost 6 pounds! The next week I had a routine visit with my doctor who also noticed my weight loss and I shared my secret. Her recommendation was to keep taking the ACE product, which I did, and in the next 10 weeks I was down 5 inches and had lost 20 pounds!

It was then that I knew I wanted to become an Independent Consultant for ACE so that I could help others achieve what I had and what I continue to achieve. As a 100% all natural weight loss supplement that not only helps in weight loss, but also suppresses appetites and gives added energy, there was no way I could not be a part of something so amazing.

It has been pleasure working with the community as we all band together in our health regimes and weight loss goals. Not only do I have a small part in helping others, but I can wake up each day excited to work while continuing to set new goals, both personally and professionally doing something that I love.

Visit www.BeckieOaster.lovemyace.com to learn more about our amazing product and read real testimonials of others who have used and love this product. You can also visit my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lovemyacedietpill. Should you have any questions about ACE or if you would like to find out how you can become an Independent Consultant email me at acebybeckie@gmail.com or call 717-870-9472.

BEAUTY

The Best Celebrity Beauty Product Lines

By Christina Scribner, Staff Writer

A

s women, there is at least one celebrity whose look we secretly envy or love out loud. Major companies are known to use influential spokes models to endorse beauty products; Cover Girl recently signed the pop star P!ink to be the face of their products while actress Halle Berry is the face of Revlon. Star power is known to drive a brand forward and increase sales volumes, but what happens when your favorite starlet doesn’t just endorse a product, but she owns and produces it? It becomes easier to look like our favorite supermodel, actress or singer. Let’s explore some of these products together.

Jennifer Aniston on

Jennifer J ifer Jenn thick, healthy Aniston’s hair is always th llooking k and d perfectly l styled. l d As the co-owner and spokesperson of Living Proof she uses her knowledge of hair trends and the beauty industry to correspond with world renowned scientists to banish the “hope in a bottle” helplessness that women feel when they are choosing new hair care products and replaces it with the satisfaction of “proof in a bottle.”The scientists who work with the Living Proof product line come from backgrounds of pharma, biotech and medicine instead of beauty. The results are products using ingredients completely different from the average hair product line. These untried methods have earned many accolades for the brand, including, the Full Thickening Mousse that won the 2012 QVC Customer Choice, Choice Beauty Award, the 2011 Ladies’ Home Journal Readers’ Choice Beauty Awards, and the 2010 Allure Best of Beauty Breakthrough Award.

Living Proof is available for purchase on www.livingproof.com and it is used in hair salons nationwide. The products in the line range between $10 and $42 making it easy to duplicate Jennifer Aniston’s unforgettable tresses.

La La Anthony

Former rm r MTV VJ and nd star t r off VH1’s VH1’ La L La’s Full Court Life, La La Anthony had an idea to create a makeup line that would compliment women of all age groups, nationalities and styles. With Motives for La La, she introduced the world to top of the line mineralized products for flawless lips, cheeks, eyes and faces. If you ever wonder how La La always has a smooth, picture perfect complexion and bright eyes, Motives for La La has all of the answers.

The Mineral Lip Shine is a favorite. It comes in 15 shades and at $16.50 for a tube, it is worth every penny. It delivers guaranteed long lasting, hydrating color and shine with every application. Consumers may also enjoy the eye shadow palettes to draw attention to their most beautiful features. The eye shadows are professionally put together by color and they don’t crease or run at all.

Motives for La La products can be found at www.motives.marketamerica.com.

Cindy Crawford

As super model Cindy Crawford grows older, she seems to have the Benjamin Button way of aging backwards. As a supermodel, it is her job to always look her best and we are thankful that she let us in on her secret.

Meaningful Beauty is Cindy’s line of anti aging, skin clearing facial products. The items in this collection moisturize and protect aging skin from sun damage, dryness and gravity. These skin perfecting products are sold online individually and in kits. Whether you want to rejuvenate sagging skin or prevent crow’s feet, Cindy Crawford made certain that Meaningful Beauty would deliver the kind of results women wom have spent years dreaming y of. Crawford’s products can be p found online at f www.meaningw fulbeauty.com. fu

Beverly Johnson

With an amazing collection of wigs, g ponytail hair pieces and other her products, Beverly Johnson made all of our dreams of never having another bad hair day come me true. The former supermodel, el, actress and author includes everything from ponytail extensions to natural looking lace front wigs in her product lines.

The styles come in all textures. xtures Choose from straight, curly and wavy, short, long, mid length and layered cuts. The 100 percent human hair options can be styled with your favorite heat tools in addition to being washed like your natural hair. All of the wigs feature a “Pure Stretch Cap” technology that prevents discomfort and tightness around the head. Beverly Johnson’s entire line of products was definitely designed with the everyday woman in mind. The wigs, hair pieces and hair care products are affordable and practical from the office to happy hour and special occasions on www.beverlyjohnsoncom.

Drew Barrymore rrymore

Imagine a line of eye shadow, mascara, lipstick, nail polish and lip gloss that come in beautiful colorss and are under $15. $15 Actress, A producer and director Drew Barrymore brings in those needs eeds full throttle with her line, Flower Cosmetics.

The beauty line from the former Cover f C Girl is sold at Walmart stores and online.

The Flower Nail’d It Nail Lacquer only comes in the trendiest shades and has received raging reviews. The nail polish has been compared to OPI Lacquer, which is double the price. With Flower Cosmetics, Drew Barrymore connects with her fans on a deeper level as she supplies the beauty products we refuse to live without.

No, we can’t live exactly like the stars do, but they have given us the tools to shamelessly copy their styles. Choose your faves and remember you don’t have to be on the cover of a magazine to truly shine.

March 2013 │ 15

DC

MOMCENTRAL

FASHIONWEEK

THE POWER OF STYLE

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FEBRUARY 18 - 24, 2013 FEATURING INTERNATIONAL DESIGNS Photos by Jewel McFadden, Staff Fashion Writer

MOMCENTRAL

March 2013 │ 17

COOKINGWITHNICHOLE

Crock Pot Favorites

By Nichole Little, Staff Writer I think there are two types of people in this world: those who use a crock pot and those who don’t.

Growing up, we never had a crock pot. I really don’t know why, as cooking and my mother has never gotten along and it would have saved me many, many cereal-for-dinner nights. Maybe she was afraid of leaving it on all day, but coming from the woman who would frequently leave an empty toaster oven on, I find that one a little hard to believe.

Since I wasn’t exposed to the world of crock pots as a child, it took me a while to finally use the one that we received off our wedding registry. I had a hard time believing that I could put raw meat and uncooked vegetables into a contraption, turn it on, go to work and come back to dinner that’s practically waiting on me.

After trying out a few different recipes and having them be successful, my crock pot and I became good friends, because really, what could be better than coming home from work and having dinner almost complete?

Here are two of my favorite recipes that are quick to prepare and are great for cool nights.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Source: www.cookaholicwife.com Serves: 6 Ingredients: 1 lb. ground beef 1 egg ¾ cup breadcrumbs 1 tsp. dried oregano 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/8 tsp. pepper ¼ tsp. salt ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 10 oz. spaghetti sauce 10 oz. canned diced tomatoes 6 oz. tomato paste 6 oz. spaghetti noodles Directions: 1. In a large bowl mix together first eight ingredients. Form into 16-20 meatballs.

2. Pour the spaghetti sauce, canned tomatoes (undrained) and the tomato paste into the crock pot. Stir until combined.

3. Place the meatballs into the crock pot and gently spoon the sauce over them.

Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.

4. Prepare spaghetti noodles according to package directions and serve topped with sauce and meatballs.

Note: If you aren’t comfortable putting raw meat into a crock pot, you can cook the meatballs first by preheating your oven to 350. Line a large baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack sprayed with non-stick cooking spray on top.

Place the meatballs on the rack and bake for 12-15 minutes or until browned. Meatballs will not dry out in the crock pot if cooked first.

Spaghetti and meatballs is a pretty easy meal to begin with, but when you can have the crock pot do everything but cook the noodles for you, now that’s a total win!

Source: www.plainchicken.com Servings: 6 Ingredients: 1 can corn 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 can Rotel 1 packet Ranch Dressing Mix 1 tbsp. chili powder 1 tsp. cumin 1 tsp. onion powder 8 oz. cream cheese 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (frozen or thawed) Directions: 1. Drain and rinse black beans.

2. Place chicken at bottom of pot, then pour out whole can of corn (undrained), rotel, and black beans. 3. Top with seasonings and ranch mix. Stir together.

4. Place cream cheese on top. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

5. Stir cream cheese into chili. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Stir together and serve.

This recipe was making the rounds with some ladies I speak to online on a regular basis. Everyone was saying how delicious it was. I am a huge fan of cream cheese. I could (and sometimes do, but don’t tell anyone) eat it plain with a spoon. But I just couldn’t imagine cream cheese and chicken being mixed together in a chili format, even though I’ve had cream cheese and chicken together in other recipes. Whatever you do, don’t let any preconceived notions of what you think this will be like stop you from trying it. It’s quite delicious!

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ORGANICEATING

Feeding Young Minds

By Alyce Ortuzar, Staff Writer School is in session, and it is time for lunch. If your children purchase their lunch at school, do you know what they are eating? What are the possibilities? Beef and dairy products with neurotoxic pesticides and endocrine-disrupting hormones? Irradiated beef or chicken from sick animals raised in crowded, unsanitary, and inhumane confined animal feeding operations? Foods loaded with chemicals that really should not qualify as food? All approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“The typical artificial strawberry flavor found in a fast-food milk shake can contain amyl acetate, amyl butyrate, amyl valerate, anethol, anisyl formate, benzyl acetate, benzyl isobutyrate, dipropyl ketone, ethyl butyrate, methyl napthyl ketone, phenethyl alcohol, rum ether, and solvent.”

In the 1970s, pediatrician Ben Feingold linked food additives, dyes, pesticides, and other chemicals to behavior and learning problems many of his young patients were suddenly experiencing. He documented dramatic reversals when he put these children on minimally processed and organic foods. There are now nationwide efforts to incorporate what he learned.

The Farm-to-School Education Programs is a publication that integrates field trips to farms, nutrition education, and lessons on homegrown and homemade foods that link soil science to the school cafeteria. The information highlights wonderful programs that communities and schools have developed and implemented around the country.

School Lunches That Nourish Body and Soul In Santa Fe, New Mexico, Cooking with Kids is “a (Continued next page)

multicultural food education curriculum that works to improve children’s nutrition by involving public school students in hands-on learning about culturally diverse foods.” This interdisciplinary approach integrates geography, social studies, language arts, music, and art into the meals that the children themselves prepare. These education and participation models highlight fresh and nutritious meals that are devoid of food additives, dyes, and pesticides.

Cooking with Kids is one of many programs around the country trying to undermine pervasive corporate influence in schools. School supplies, posters, and junk foods and beverages that display corporate logos surround students when school administrators sign monopolistic contracts to display product logos. In other words, these administrators sell unrestricted access to American students to the highest corporate bidders without parental approval; community discussions and input; or analyses of benefits versus harm to the students. These are the values schools are communicating to students, and it is such strictly materialistic values that Cooking with Kids and similar programs hope to displace.

According to author and nutritionist Marion Nestle, “Getting commercialism out of schools is the first line of defense against the epidemic of childhood obesity. If the food is good, kids will gobble it up and tell their parents to keep junk food out of the house. They will want to know where food comes from and how it is produced.”

Organic and Edible Schoolyards Alice Waters is a “Slow Food” advocate, author, and chef who has introduced the organic and edible schoolyard around the country. She owns the Chez Panisse restaurant in northern California and views the lunchroom “as an extension of the classroom. There is a set of values that comes from growing food, cooking and serving it. We need a curriculum around the school lunch program that teaches children to nourish themselves.

They need to learn how to cook and take care of the land. Let’s go back to our connection with nature, our true source of life.” One middle school in Berkeley (California) replaced an abandoned asphalt lot with a bountiful one-acre garden, complete with a huge compost area.

According to Program Coordinator Chelsea Chapman, “A lot of learning goes on with that compost pile.”

The Center for Ecoliteracy has worked with The Edible Schoolyard and many other school programs through its Food Systems Project, a pilot program sponsored by the USDA that links farms to schools. Farm-to-cafeteria programs promote regional sustainable agriculture by enabling schools to purchase local foods from small ecological farmers.

The children who participate in these programs are the future consumers of fresh foods that have been locally grown, raised, and sold with environmentally sustainable, humane, and fair trade practices. These lunch programs truly nourish the mind, body, and soul. They impress upon future generations the relationships between and importance of small-scale sustainable agriculture, communities, nutrition, and overall health and well-being.

“Food fit for children,” Pennsylvania Farmer Kim Seeley is proud to say (Milky Way Dairy, certified organic).

GREENLIVING

ORGANIC

VS

CONVENTIONALH-IN

By Brooke Boening, Staff Writer For the past decade, attentive consumers have forked over premium sums for food that has been touted as eco-friendly, highly nutritious, and pesticide-free. As writers, bloggers, health gurus, corporations, and entrepreneurs latched on to the “O” concept, demand for organic food in the US skyrocketed from $3.6 billion in 1997 to $31.5 billion in 2011, according to the Organic Trade Association.

One question remains: Is organic food worthy of the hype?

According to the UK organic accreditation body, the Soil Association, 95 percent of consumers purchase organic food in an effort to avoid pesticides. USDA regulations stipulate that all organic food must be produced without the use of “conventional pesticides or fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge.”

Indeed, Stanford researchers recently found that only seven percent of organic produce contained pesticide residue as compared with 38 percent of conventional produce. Worth noting, fruits and vegetables grown in the U.S. and Canada generally contain fewer contaminants than those from places like Chile, says the food safety director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Many consumers may be surprised to know, however, that the USDA permits over 20 chemicals for organic use, and farmers are not required to document the amounts they use. All that matters is that the pesticides come from natural sources, although “natural” can be toxic.

One potentially harmful organic pesticide is called Rotenone. Originally thought innocuous because it comes from the roots of subtropical plants, the substance has been shown to destroy mitochondria in cells and produces Parkinson’s-like symptoms in rats. Rotenone was banned for use in 2005 on the basis of safety concerns but allowed back into the organic market two years ago.

Another Canadian study suggested that organic pesticides destroy greater numbers of non-target species than their synthetic counterparts and, thus, may be of greater threat to humans. A second concern with

THE WEI

G

organic produce is the presence of pathogens. One study discovered E. coli on ten percent of organic produce as compared with only two percent of ordinary fruits and vegetables.

Concerning its nutritional value, organic food is no better for us than conventionally grown food, suggests the 2012 Stanford report. Organic buyers may yet take refuge in knowing that their meat and dairy products do not contain artificial hormones and antibiotics, and organic milk may contain slightly higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids than its conventional alternative. Still, buyers beware; processed organic foods may contain any number of more than 250 nonorganic substances. The New York Times article, “Has ‘Organic’ Been Oversized?” reveals more on this matter.

With regard to its environmental impact, the USDA National Organic Standards Board suggests that organic agriculture “promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity.”

Organic farmers avoid practicing monoculture, or planting a single species on an area of land for consecutive years.

They favor crop rotation and mixed planting, in order to reduce soil degradation and strengthen crops’ disease resistance.

Alas, organic farms often demand larger areas of land than ordinary ones to produce equivalent amounts of crops.

A 2012 meta-analysis by McGill University and the University of Minnesota found that, on the whole, organic methods produce 25 percent less food than conventional ones. Some organic crops did just as well as their traditional cousins, including fruit, tomatoes, oilseeds like sunflower and canola, and legumes, while grains and vegetables lagged significantly behind (26-33 percent lower yields).

Other factors may influence the viability of organic farming, like quality of the soil and application of nutrients. Organic crops do not flourish in highly alkaline or acidic environments, and proper administration of nutrients to the soil shifts output levels. Indeed, the rise of organic may herald more precise farming techniques.

Christie Wilcox, of Scientific American, (Continued, page 20)

March 2013 │ 19

is rightfully concerned about how biodiversity will

be affected if 20 percent more land is needed for farming worldwide. She points out that agriculture has been deadly for the earth’s ecosystems, as over 35 percent of the Earth’s ice-free land is used for growing crops. Brian Palmer of the Washington Post notes that such space could be used to build solar and wind farms or create wildlife reserves.

In terms of energy usage, organic methods take the cake. The Rodale Institute, a nonprofit agricultural research center, established that conventionally grown corn requires over 70 percent more energy than organic corn. The major culprit in conventional agriculture is synthetic nitrogen fertilizer because it requires lots of oil to produce. Rodale farmers have begun to see “super weeds” that are resistant to popular herbicides, so conventional farmers are obliged to apply extra amounts of herbicide.

The Washington Post reports that farming is only responsible for about 35 percent of the total energy needed to put food in your body. Transportation, cooking, and disposal of waste are also involved. Thus, if you’re concerned about your carbon footprint, a wiser step might be to modify your cooking methods, as argued in the New York Times article “Fire up the Grill, Not the Atmosphere.” Better yet, buy locally.

Clearly, with respect to the health of the individual and the natural world, organic farming is no panacea. My claim is not however, that organic farming is a bad thing, but that the oft-cited reasons for choosing it—that it is safer, healthier, and better for the planet than conventional farming— require greater support. Skipping organic processed foods and consuming more whole foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, of any kind, is probably the best choice for greater individual health. With regard to ecological effects, the answer is rather more dubious.

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WOMANTOWOMAN

Mr. Wonderful He Is Not

By Pamela Reaves, Staff Writer Q: During a monthly Dinner Club get together, one of our friends brought up [yet again] her relationship with a man who she has been dating for approximately a year. The man with whom she is deeply in love is eight years her junior. She describes him as financially secure, handsome, well-built, and all around wonderful.

Here is the problem -- the rest of us don’t agree with her assessment of him. We’ve tried to make her see that he is taking advantage her and may not feel the same way about her as she feels about him.

In response, she defends him and keeps telling us that we “just don’t understand.”

Now he rarely takes her out. Most of their dates are in her apartment. He tells her that he is a Southern boy who loves her cooking and would rather eat a home cooked meal. She constantly describes to us the lobster dinners she prepares for him and other expensive gestures, but then complains about being broke. She has even hinted that she is a little disappointed with the sexual part of the relationship. We’re confused. If he never takes her out; if she is the one who is feeding him lobster; if he isn’t even satisfying her sexually, why is she staying with this man and attempting to portray him as Mr. Wonderful?

A: There are a number of reasons why your friend is defending this man. She isn’t just defending him -- she is also defending the relationship. She believes or wants to believe that she has exercised good judgment in something as important as selecting the man with whom she is in love. Defending him justifies staying in the relationship. Remember, this is a 50 year- old woman who is probably feeling some sense of pride in being in a relationship with a man eight years her junior. As a 50 year- old woman, the idea of starting over is scary and just not desirable. Your friend believes that if she demonstrates to Mr. Wonderful how wonderful she is (feeding him lobster and doing other things that keep her financially strapped) he will eventually appreciate her, acknowledge her value, and reciprocate. She believes that she’s loving him unlike any other woman is capable of. Heck – don’t we all want to believe that?

Although your group is concerned about this woman, you must accept that she is a grown woman, who has made a choice. She is the one who has to bear the consequences (good or bad) of her decision. Be careful how you voice your concerns to her. You do not want to make her feel foolish or bad in any way. If your concerns are perceived by her as criticism, she may ultimately alienate herself from the group and you don’t want that. You may not love Mr. Wonderful or the way he treats your friend. You love her, but don’t have to love her choices.

Pam Reaves is the Founder of NELLA LLC. She is a Certified Professional Coach, with concentrations in Motivational Coaching, Relationship Coaching, and Image Coaching & Consultation. She is the author of “Is It Love or Merely a Sick Attachment.” Pam has appeared on a number of radio talk shows, participated in numerous blog-radio talk shows, and on cable TV talk shows. She has been a featured author and speaker at a host of other cultural events, book festivals, and expos. To more learn more about Pam, her life coaching practice, upcoming books and events, visit her at www. pamreaves.com. Submit your questions to coachpamreaves@gmail.com.

Q

A

Elder Abuse, use of shelters rising Courtesy of USA Today She raises her hands to her snowwhite hair in a gesture of frustrated bewilderment, then slowly lowers them to cover eyes filling with tears.

The woman, in her 70s, is trying to explain how she wound up in a shelter that could well be where she spends the rest of her life.

While the woman was living with a close family member, officials at the Shalom Center say, her money was being drained away by people overcharging for her grocery shopping, while her body and spirit were sapped by physical neglect and emotional torment. She says she was usually ordered to “go to bed,” where she lay in a dark room, upset, unable to sleep.

“She just yelled at me all the time.

Screamed at me, cussed me out,” the woman says of a family member. “I don’t know what happened. She just got tired of me, I guess.”

The Shalom Center offers shelter, along with medical, psychological and legal help, to elderly abuse victims in this northern Cincinnati suburb. It is among a handful in the country that provide sanctuary from such treatment, a problem experts say is growing along with the age of the nation’s population.

The number of Americans 65 and over is projected to nearly double by 2030 because of the 74 million Baby Boomers born in 1946-64, and the number of people 85 and over is increasing at an even faster rate. The number of seniors being abused, exploited or neglected every year is often estimated at about 2 million, judging by available statistics and surveys, but experts say the number could be much higher.

Some research indicates that 1 in 10 seniors have suffered some form of abuse at least once.

“That’s a big number,” said Sharon Merriman-Nai, project director of the Clearinghouse on Abuse and Neglect of the Elderly, based at the University of Delaware. “It’s a huge

issue, and it’s just going to get bigger.”

Recognition of and mechanisms for dealing with elder abuse are many years behind strides that have been made in child abuse awareness and protection, experts say.

Getting comprehensive numbers of the abused is complicated, experts say, because the vast majority of cases go unreported out of embarrassment, fear of being cut off from family — most abuse is at the hands of relatives — or confusion about what has happened.

Abuse sometimes comes to light only by chance. County-level adult protective services caseworkers can get anonymous tips. In one recent Ohio case, a hair stylist noticed her elderly client was wincing in pain and got her to acknowledge she had been hit in the ribs by a relative. Another Shalom Center patient was referred by sheriff’s detectives who said his son beat him.

“Are these older people going to be allowed to live their lives the way they deserve to?” said Carol Silver Elliott, CEO of the Cedar Village retirement community, of which the Shalom Center is a part. “We really are not addressing it as a society the way we should.”

The Obama administration has said it has increased its focus on protecting American seniors by es-

HEALINGPLACE tablishing a national resource center and a consumer protection office, among other steps. But needs are growing at a time when government spending on social services is being cut on many levels or not keeping up with demand.

In Ohio, slowly recovering from the recession, budgets have been slashed in such areas as staffs that investigate elderly abuse cases.

Staff at the Job and Family Services agency in Hamilton County in Cincinnati is about half the size it was in 2009, spokesman Brian Gregg said. Even as national statistics indicate elder abuse is increasing, the number of elder abuse cases the agency can probe is lower, down from 574 cases in 2009 to 477 last year, he said.

There are no longer enough adult protective services investigators to routinely check on older adults unless there is a specific report of abuse or neglect.

“We do the best we can down here,” Gregg said, noting that the agency has a hotline to take anonymous reports and that it is seeing more financial scams targeting elderly people.

The price for not getting ahead of the problem and preventing abuse of people who would otherwise be healthy and financially stable will be high, warned Joy Solomon, a former Manhattan assistant prosecutor who helped pioneer elder abuse shelters with the Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse Prevention, which opened in 2005 at the Hebrew Home community in New York City.

“My argument always is, if all you do is come in when the crisis has occurred, it is much more costly than preventative care,” said Solomon, director of the shelter, which takes in about 15 people a year. “We’re going to have to pay for it anyway.”

She and others in the field say the first steps are to raise public awareness and train police, lawyers, criminal justice officials and others to recognize and respond to signs of abuse.

Prosecutors often have been reluctant to purse elder abuse cases, which can be complex because of medical and financial complications, the witness’ ability to testify or reluctance to testify against relatives, according to research for the National Institute of Justice.

In suburban Los Angeles, Orange County started an Elder Abuse Forensic Center nearly 10 years ago; it helps police, geriatrics specialists, lawyers and social services workers coordinate efforts to identify, investigate and prosecute abuse cases.

New York City started its Elder Abuse Center to 2009 to bring a multi-organization approach to the problem, saying nearly 100,000 older people are abused in their homes in the city alone. While he was Ohio’s attorney general, Richard Cordray, now director of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, initiated in 2009 the state Elder Abuse Commission, something current Attorney General Mike DeWine has continued.

The commission has focused on (Continued, page 22)

”

R eseaR ch ind icat es t ha t

1 IN 10

Credit:Al Behrman, AP

SENIORS HAVE SUFFERED SOME FORM OF ABUSE AT LEAST ONCE March 2013 │ 21

PETCARE

Poison Prevention for Pets

By Aileen Gabbey, Staff Writer March is Poison Prevention Awareness Month and, in addition to keeping our homes safe for children, there are also steps we can take to make sure our pets are safe, too.

At the Maryland SPCA, we always encourage new pet parents to ‘puppy proof’ their homes. And, this applies to all pets, not just puppies. Dogs and cats can be curious and can get into things that may harm them.

There are foods that we need to keep away from our pets.

Chocolate can be dangerous for dogs, especially if it is wrapped in foil or plastic. Often, the packaging can be more harmful, as it can get stuck and create a dangerous blockage. Other foods to avoid include onions, grapes, raisins, fatty foods, and, of course, alcohol. We often suggest keeping foods safely away in cupboards or high up if you are hosting a party with platters on display.

As with child safety, items such as medications, prescriptions, and household cleaners need to be kept out of reach. Even if these are kept in a cupboard, a baby lock may be needed as pets are known to explore and open small doors.

Even items intended for use on pets can be harmful if not given in the right dosage. Topical treatments such as flea and tick preventative must be given in the correct dose. Be sure to get these treatments from your vet and give your pet what is prescribed.

When venturing outside, keep an eye on your pet. There are often tempting discoveries along a walk. Be sure that your pet does not ingest any anti-freeze which is extremely dangerous for a pet to swallow. There could also be rat poison or rotted food outside that a pet could discover and eat. By staying close to your pet, you can prevent him from ingesting anything unintended.

A good command to train your dog is to ‘drop it,’ just in case he does put something harmful in his mouth. Also, keeping emergency numbers handy is helpful, too. Keep your preferred emergency vet number saved in your cell phone, as well as the poison prevention hotline 1-888-4-ANI-HELP. Like preparing for the safety of all of our family members, ‘puppy proofing’ our homes for our pets can be simple if we take a moment to look around and remove any hidden dangers. A few extra minutes can make a big difference to their safety.

22 │ www.womanscopenews.org

(Elder Abuse, from page 21) training and education and hopes to launch a public awareness campaign this year, said Ursel McElroy, the longtime adult protection services investigator who leads it.

The commission also has been pushing for legislation to improve legal protection and abuse prevention, expand training, and improve statistical data.

In New York, part of the Weinberg Center’s mission is to help other communities replicate it. It has assisted shelter startups in upstate New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Minnesota along with the Shalom Center in Ohio.

The center marked its anniversary in January. While more than 40 people have been referred to the non-profit, faith-based center, only three have gone through with admittance, signs of the reluctance of people who fear losing family relationships — even if they are bad — or the feeling of being at home.

Set up as a “virtual shelter” because victims are integrated into the full Cedar Village retirement community, it is meant to provide 60- to 90-day emergency stays while caseworkers provide help and seek out the best alternative, such as with a different caregiver or relative.

In the case of the woman who complained of abuse in a relative’s home, a call to adult protective services by someone familiar with her led to an investigation and her referral to the shelter.

She has little money, health problems and few alternatives, and after a while, she asked if she could stay at Cedar Village permanently. Caseworkers and officials at the nonprofit, faith-based home agreed that was the best place for her.

The center asked that her identity be protected for this story because the close relatives who allegedly abused her don’t know where she is.

She paints, plays in a residents’ bell choir, plays bingo with others regularly, and has her own room and TV to watch favorites such as Ellen and reruns of I Love Lucy.

The healthy diet the center keeps her on means she misses some of her favorite foods — beans and corn bread, fried pork chops. But she loves the tuna salad, the group activities and having a life with people who care about her.

“I’ve got quite a few friends,” she says. “They’re just nice people here. I have somebody to talk to, and I appreciate it.”

MOMCENTRAL

March 2013 │ 23

TECHGIRL

FINANCE

Think Google, Think the Future

Financial Infidelity

By Ashley Autumn, Staff Writer Unless you’ve been living under a rock the last 5+ years, you’ve probably heard of Google.

You probably already know that they’re one of the most popular search engines out there, and that they offer free email service, but did you know how far beyond that they’ve expanded in recent years? When they first started out, Google seemed to be happy being the masters of Internet searches, but they’ve expanded their services so far beyond that they’re a veritable technological empire. It seems like there’s nothing Google doesn’t do and no service they can’t provide.

For the online shopping aficionado, Google has tapped in to their search engine expertise to bring you Google Shopping. No, they don’t have a store you buy directly from, but instead when you type what you’re looking for in to their shopping search engine, Google will find you products that most accurately fit that description from nearly every online vendor out there, allowing you to search for the best price.

Cloud services are the newest wave of digital storage and backups, allowing users to back up their data to a digital drive and access it from any device they wish.

Companies have begun to incorporate cloud technology in to their business models, allowing for faster and easier sharing and transferring of data between employees. But it’s not just business that benefit from cloud technology, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to partake in the cloud revolution. There are a few places that offer free cloud computing services, but my personal favorite is Google Drive. You can save almost anything to Google Drive, and in turn use a number of Google services to access the content of your drive in a multitude of ways.

A natural progression from talking about Google Drive is to introduce you to the portion of Google Drive that was formerly known as Google Docs. This portion of Google Drive is cloud computing in the truest sense of the word, allowing you to access, create, and edit documents, spreadsheets, forms, and drawings from a web browser. It’s an amazing on-the-go tool for those who aren’t always at home with their computer or laptop. Backup your work to your Google Drive and it will not only always be a click away, but you will be able to work with it as well. As someone with multiple devices and who finds herself on the go quite often, the fact that my work is only a tap away offers peace of mind.

24 │ www.womanscopenews.org

If you’re looking for a way to keep your life and schedule in order, Google Calendar is an excellent service, allowing you to integrate it with your Google email (Gmail) account. You have the ability to put anything you wish on the calendar, and then to share it with friends, families, and colleagues. Perhaps one of the best parts of Google Calendar is the fact that you can create multiple different calendars. If you are part of Google+, Google’s contribution to the social media sphere, you can also create events on your calendar and then share them with your G+ contacts, allowing them to RSVP from their own accounts, and as usual with Google products, it’s available from any browser or mobile device.

Google Voice, though only available in the US, is a free “phone” service, allowing you to use it to call landlines, cell phones, and other Google Voice users. Those who make use of the service are assigned a telephone number and have access to voice mail and other services, all from their computer or Android device.

Going beyond digital services, Google has also begun producing its own devices. With the launch of their mobile operating system Android, Google began producing smart phones to go with it. Though Google is not the only producer of Android smart phones, there have been several and the company doesn’t seem to be looking in to ceasing their ventures in to the mobile device business any time soon.

Google’s Chromebook laptops provide an excellent and cheap alternative to normal laptops. Produced by Samsung and Acer, the thin, lightweight laptops are ideal for basic computing needs such as browsing the Internet and working with office programs. They also come with 100 GB of Google Drive space and access to offline apps in case you’re somewhere you can’t get online. At either $199 or $249 they’re a cheap, easy option for those who don’t need or want anything fancy in their laptop.

The services and products listed here are really only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the full array of what Google can provide. They have business services for those who want to get their website noticed, allowing everything from search-based advertising to mobile advertising.

They’ve even begun to venture in to the world of entertainment providing, buying YouTube and releasing Google TV, which provides digital content on Google TV equipped televisions. So the next time you think about Google, think beyond search engines and email accounts. Think the future, because it doesn’t look like this company is going anywhere any time soon.

Candace Bahr, CEA, CDFA and Ginita Wall, CPA, CFP®

I

nfidelity. Most couples think it’s a relationship breaker. But in many relationships a surprisingly amount of infidelity goes on every day without a word. Financial infidelity, rampant in many relationships, may go unnoticed at first. It could be as little as hiding small purchases from a spouse or as large as blatant disregard for a partner’s input on large investments. And like sexual infidelity, unhealthy communication concerning money can shatter relationships.

Here’s an example. Lauri and Jason discuss financial goals frequently and believe they are on solid financial footing, but unknowingly they are beginning to chip away at their financial stability and ultimately their marriage.

How can that be? Take a typical shopping day. After getting everything on her list, Lauri buys a new blouse that’s over her budget. Feeling a little guilty, she also grabs a shirt for Jason, charging the expense to their joint credit card.

Jason acts pleased about the shirt, but inside he is upset that Lauri spent the extra money. So begins the cycle: on his next trip to the hardware store, he buys a new drill and doesn’t tell Lauri.

Lauri and Jason are on their way toward a crisis of financial infidelity. By lying about money, or even just not telling the whole truth, the foundation of their trust and loyalty is beginning to crack. According to Bonnie Eaker Weil, PhD., the author of Financial Infidelity, this seemingly trivial behavior can hurt any relationship, and if steps are not taken, eventually destroy it.

If this situation sounds familiar, it’s not too late to reverse course and confide in your partner. Have the courage to tell the truth and initiate a frank discussion about finances. Keeping financial secrets is destructive to your relationship.

Take responsibility for your mistakes. If you bounced a check, made a stupid purchase, or forgot to mail the bills, don‘t hide it. Though you are embarrassed, your partner will respect you for telling the truth.

It is true that talking about money can lead to arguments. But financial disagreements are almost never about money. They are usually about fundamental values, mutual consideration and personal control. Realizing the large part money plays in your life and how it affects your relationships, you can work to make positive changes in your financial behavior. A successful relationship grows with an understanding of financial needs, which will strengthen your relationship and enable you to create a secure, productive partnership together.

ITEMS CONCEALED BY SPOUSE* CASH

58% 54%

MINOR PURCHASE

30%

STATEMENT OR BILL

MAJOR PURCHASE BANK ACCOUNT

16% 15%

*Figures Based Off National Endowment For Financial Education Study

ONHERMIND

The

UPERWOMAN Epidemic

By Ashley Autumn, Staff Writer We’ve all met her… the woman who seems to have everything in life… and who seems to be able to keep it all together without any help. It seems like the perfect existence and we all strive to achieve the same superwoman prowess in our own lives. But as I struggle to keep up with a full time career and the responsibilities of single parenthood, I look at all the extra things I feel I’m required to keep up with and eventually, I’m forced to ask myself why.

Why am I fighting so hard to keep up with these demands? And when did I become convinced I needed to keep up with them at all?

You see, the honest truth is, when I look back at myself before all of this… when I was fresh out of high school and living my life for me and no one else… I didn’t want most of this. I didn’t have much interest in college, kids, or a full blown career. I was happy making enough to get by and spend the time I wasn’t working or sleeping hanging out and doing what I loved to do.

When did things get so demanding? It couldn’t possibly be that having a child suddenly created all these extra things for me to keep up with. The better job and motherly duties were one thing, but where did the feeling I needed to run myself ragged trying to lose weight, go back to school full time, and attempt to find a relationship come from?

It took four years after my son was born

for

me to finally put on the breaks and to realize I wasn’t doing most of those things because I wanted to or because they made me happy-Rather, I was doing them because I’d let the unrealistic expectations of society tell me what I needed to do in order to have a meaningful life. All that time went by before I finally realized that what society said would make my life meaningful and what I believed would make it meaningful were two entirely different things.

Since women have gained ground in their role in society, instead of simply making things equal and saying that women should be allowed to pursue whatever makes them happy in life, we’ve actually been saying women should pursue what makes them happy so long as they also live up to a list of other expectations. Not only should a woman pursue the type of career that makes her happy, but she should also: stay in great shape, continue to further her education, be involved in her community, get married, have kids, and be a perfect mother. Phew… that’s a lot to keep up with even if you only do three of those things.

Imagine trying to do it all at once! I get tired just thinking about it.

Now, I’m not going to sit here and blame men for the unrealistic expectations of society, because let’s face it: we kind of did it to ourselves. The advancements we’ve made have been largely positive, but in making these strides we also began to paint an unrealistic picture of just what the average woman could or would be able to keep up with. Not every woman out there wants to have a family, but because we’ve said “Hey, we can have a career and be mother of the year!” we’ve in essence told each other and ourselves (rather convincingly, I might add) that it’s something we should be doing.

Don’t believe me? Look at the way society reacts to women who chose to fulfill a more traditional role and stay at home to raise their children. The stigma that’s been built up throughout the length the feminist movement for the traditional housewife role is dire. If a woman so much as suggests staying home to raise kids and keep the house in order while her husband makes the money, she’s treated as if she’s a doormat or lazy, told she has no ambition and is somehow less of a woman than those who chose to pursue full time careers.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the spectrum, women who chose not to have

children and especially those who chose not to get married are reacted to with scorn, as if they’re also less of a woman. They’re no less female than the housewife with five little ones under tow, yet they’re treated as if at any moment, they could burn their bra on the front steps of the Cleaver’s house. They’re called ice queens and militants, accused of being out of touch with their femininity and being too masculine. Suspicions that they’re secretly closet lesbians get whispered behind their back, despite any evidence to the contrary (and since when does being uninterested in marriage and kids mean you’re a lesbian, anyway I’m not sure where it started, but this idea that every woman out there has to fit in to this Superwoman mold or risk being treated as if she’s somehow beneath others is ridiculous. Women should be just as welcomed as men are to pursue the life they find most meaningful and fruitful without being judged for doing so. If you want to pursue a high power career and put thoughts of marriage and kids on the back burner (or perhaps never even let them on the stove in the first place), then do it and don’t let anyone decide for you how feminine you are. If you want to stay home and raise a brood of babies while your man brings home the bacon, then go for it and remember that just because someone has a career, doesn’t mean they’re at all better than you.

No matter which group you fall under, as a single mom trying to do it all, I tip my hat to you. None of these roles are easy, and both deserve more respect than they get. If you want to be Superwoman and balance the world on your shoulders, own that choice… just make sure you’re doing it for you and not because society is saying you have to.

March 2013 │ 25

HOWISEE IT

EDUCATION

Brace Yourself,

Educational Regret Undone

I’m Going to Use the “F” Word

By Ed Lasher, Staff Writer I’m a feminist. It should feel good to say that, but instead I have an almost visceral reaction, like my body’s rejecting bad food. It would seem that the word “feminist” has gone sour somewhere along the way.

It can be hard to use that word on myself because, as a male, I know what it usually implies: I’m whipped, apologizing for my gender in a sad attempt to gain favor with the opposite sex. I’m trading in my dignity for a little approval. I can’t honestly be in favor of feminism because I’m a man and feminists hate men.

You know the archetypical feminist. She’s a hypocrite, expecting male society to bend over backwards to accommodate her, to give her every advantage in the name of so-called “equality,” but refusing to accept any of the obstacles that come with it. She’s difficult, spitting venom when we hold the door for her and breathing fire when we don’t. She’s a stuck up “witch.” Oh yeah, she’s also entirely fictional. She is the straw feminist.

“If such feminists exist, I have never seen one in the wild,” writes Washington Post blogger Alexandra Petri, “But the myth is potent.”

Some of my friends swear they’ve encountered them, but the stories never quite ring true. They’re always vague and embellished, like tales of Bigfoot sightings or a glimpse of a sea monster making ripples just beneath the surface of the water.

I can’t speak with absolute certainty as to the origins of this mythical feminist, but I would wager she was around long before Rush Limbaugh popularized the word “feminazi” and long before Pat Robertson called feminism “a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians.” According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “feminist” first appeared in 1887. I’m guessing the first straw feminist was dreamt up about five seconds later when someone freaked out at the thought of change and needed to come up with something that people could rally against.

But I digress. The point is, feminism isn’t just another word for man hate, but given that propaganda to the contrary has been circulating in our culture for ages, you can kind of understand why “feminist” leaves a bad taste in the mouths of a lot of otherwise reasonable people. Especially men, since we’re the supposed victims of this imaginary enemy.

“Do we really still need feminists?” asks my purely hypothetical debate partner.

“Women’s Lib did its Women’s Lib thing, and now it’s done. Maybe if the feminists went away the straw feminists would follow.” Maybe, maybe not.

Even though great strides have been made, feminism is not yet—and never will be—obsolete. This is not a post-feminist world. Suzanne Venker, in her FoxNews.com editorial “The War on Men” writes, “Men want to love women, not compete with them. They want to provide for and protect their families – it’s in their DNA. But modern women won’t let them.” She later goes on to caution that, “If men today are . . . retreating from marriage en masse, women should look in the mirror and ask themselves what role they’ve played to bring about this transformation.” Good Lord, is she really saying that if my woman doesn’t know her place, I might withhold marriage?

And this was written by a woman! In 2012! Clearly we need feminists—especially male feminists—now as much as ever.

But I’m not going to sit here and argue anymore about whether or not we still need feminism in this day and age, because of course we do. Real feminism is about equality, plain and simple—not women trying to be men, not sameness—equality; and we’ll always need advocates for that. I think a woman should have as many opportunities as I do to form her own identity and make what she wants to out of her life, whether that involves throwing traditional gender roles to the wind or firmly adhering to them. As a man, it’s simply not my place to tell a woman what she should do, who she should be.

That’s what I mean when I say I’m a feminist.

26 │ www.womanscopenews.org

By Vanessa Wamsley, Staff Writer My education disappoints me. I surprise even myself writing that line. But looking back at my post-high school choices, I feel I missed something, somewhere. I missed opportunities. I let potential slip by. I rushed too much. I only understood what I wanted from my education after it was finished.

What an introduction! Here it is, my first column, an education column no less, and I lead with my disappointing education. But I want transparency. I refuse the pretense that I possess the greatest expertise in the field of education.

I claim passion for education and experience in pursuing an education and providing an education. I possess a great many opinions regarding problems and solutions for the country’s educational system, top to bottom. But an expert I am not. I want to showcase successful educators, failing systems, students of all ages who are changing their world, and educational research and legislation.

I will address education in all its facets. First, however, I address educational regret.

My dismay with my education begins and ends where my college education begins and ends. That is, I love everything else in my life. I grew up in a small town in southwest Nebraska where I learned the value of old-fashioned hard work and the camaraderie of a tight-knit community. I dabbled in journalism after college, and then I enjoyed a brief career as a high school language arts teacher. My husband’s job in the military means we move frequently, so I explore corners of the country I never imagined I would call home. I travel as often as possible. My two extraordinary children keep me grounded in the simple, important matters of life like glitter glue and pirate battles. And recently, I pounced on the opportunity to start writing again.

So why do I feel chagrin when I look back on that five-year period of my life?

My dad, a high school math teacher himself, always told me, “Education is the difference between who you are and who you want to be.” So, he said, I only needed to figure out who I wanted to be and seek out the education required to become that best version of myself. Tall orders for a wide-eyed, 17 year- old girl. I missed both orders then. I concerned myself more with getting through college quickly and graduating in less than four years than with examining what I learned and where my learning could take me. I put off deciding what exactly I wanted from a college education because I was afraid if I made a choice, I would fail. I thought it best to marginally succeed at anything than to miserably fail at what I wanted most.

A few years down the line, when my career took a different direction as a stay-home mother, I took some time to mull over that childhood question: What do I want to be when I grow up? Or, for me, what do I want to be when my kids grow up? It took five years. I discovered my answer. I want to be a woman who uses powerful words to educate, to uplift, to point out what is good in the world, to offer solutions for what needs to change. Oh, such a lofty dream, but it is mine nonetheless. In more practical and simple terms, I want to write.

Now to seek out the education required turning me into a powerful user of words. Thankfully, neither my college diploma nor my teaching certificate closes the door on my education. Of course, I can return to school. In fact, I hope someday to earn a higher degree with my eyes firmly fixed on achieving my wildest dream. However, I cannot discount the education that life has given me outside the walls of a classroom. The knowledge I gleaned from my colleagues at the newspapers and schools where I worked adds volumes to the formal education I received. My children teach me patience, selflessness, and fearlessness.

Traveling forces me to open my mind to a new food or song or word. Every time I pick up a great book, I learn from a great writer.

In the end, then, my education cannot disappoint me because my great education lies ahead. I regret only having felt regret.

And with this full disclosure, I move on to face those other, weightier topics in education. I welcome open dialogue. I welcome input from educators and students, parents and policymakers, the expert and the novice. I welcome variety of opinion. I welcome all who pursue their lofty dreams through education.

INTERNATIONALPOLITICS

Same Sex Marriage Debate Rages On

By Marnie Zoldessy, Staff Writer On January 22, 2013, President Obama was the first president to endorse same-sex marriage in an inaugural address. He stated, “Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law.”

President Obama’s statement sparked mass media attention within the United States on both sides of the same-sex marriage debate, and countries all over the world felt the buzz.

As of today, same-sex couples have the legal right to marry in nine U.S. states: Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia. There are 20 states in which same-sex couples have some form of legal protection: “whether marriage (CT, DC, IA, ME, MD, MA, NH, NY, VT, and WA), explicit respect for out-of-state marriages (NM and RI), full domestic partnership or civil union (CA, DE, HI, IL, NV, NJ, OR, RI) or more limited domestic partnerships (CO and WI).” Finally, there are 38 states that have some form of anti-marriage law or constitutional amendment which limit or prohibit same-sex couples marriage.

The same-sex marriage debate within the United States has been a hot-button topic for quite some time, with advances marking an unprecedented turn in our nation’s history as well as an overwhelming backlash from anti-same-sex marriage advocates.

What remains remarkable in this political atmosphere is where the United States stands on the issue in relation to countries all over the world.

With some slight disagreement over the exact number, there are around 196 countries in the world. To give a brief context without cataloging every single country’s laws, the Netherlands became the first country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001. Following suit, Belgium passed its samesex marriage law in 2003 and Spain in 2005. Same-sex marriage is also legal in Norway, Sweden, South Africa, Portugal, Iceland and Canada. The list goes on and continues to grow, but in no way overshadows those countries in which same-sex marriage is illegal and/or not recognized. Furthermore,

in many countries homosexuality and a homosexual identity is illegal and/or punishable by jail time or death; Malaysia, Burma, Brunei, Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon, Tanzania, and Uganda are just a few of these countries.

Thus, President Obama’s statement resounded strongly in countries that are still fighting for same-sex marriage, such as Israel and New Zealand, two countries whose citizens and even leaders have responded publicly to Obama’s address. An activist and member of the Israeli pro samesex marriage group, New Family, Irit Rosenblum spoke to the importance and influence of Obama’s stance in an interview with Haaretz.com. He stated, “It is a huge step for the enlightened world that the strongest leader publicly recognizes the new family. In doing so, he is obviously posing a challenge to the world’s religious public. I think that this is certainly a very brave act.

He is creating the necessary world balance. At a time when it seems the world is becoming increasingly fundamentalist and conservative, this is a liberal point of light.” New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key declared that he agrees with Obama’s statement on same-sex marriage, stating to the NZ Herald that he is “not personally opposed to gay marriage.”

Along with these positive responses to Obama’s statement, some countries have been inspired to speak out as well, standing firmly grounded in their ideals. Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard stated to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that, “her views against gay marriage were the same, regardless of the American President.” At this point, all eyes have come

to look upon France, as the same-sex marriage debate has become the country’s limelight issue.

During his campaign, President François Hollande promised to legalize same-sex marriage within a year of taking office. Currently, same-sex couples in France have the option of a “civil solidarity pact,” similar to some U.S. states’ civil unions, but equally limited and by definition not a legal marriage.

The law Hollande hopes to pass, as early as May of 2013, will “redefine marriage to stipulate that it is contracted between two persons of different sex or of the same sex,’ and the words ‘father’ and ‘mother’ in existing legislation are replaced by ‘parents.’ The bill also would allow married same-sex couples to adopt children.”

A poll conducted by the French Institute of Public Opinion released its results on January 26, 2013 showing that “some 63 percent [of French citizens] are in favor of same-sex marriage, and 49 percent favor the right of same-sex married couples to adopt.”

Furthermore, in a march to support

the proposed same-sex marriage bill, roughly 125,000 demonstrators gathered in Paris on January 27, “wav[ing] banners emblazoned with phrases like ‘Equality of rights is not a threat.’”

While these statistics and rally suggest that French citizens are moving at a faster pace than the U.S. towards same-sex couple rights, a staggering 340,000 demonstrators held a rally two weeks prior in opposition to the bill. The Roman Catholic, Jewish and Muslim leaders in the country say, “by replacing father and mother with ‘parents,’ the law alters the natural order of procreation and will lead to moral confusion and the erosion of the centuries-old institution of marriage in the name of a small minority.”

Looking back, perhaps the samesex marriage debate will be considered on par with that of the civil rights movement—contentious and hardfought over many years. Regardless of which side of the debate a citizen or a country falls, the same-sex marriage debate will and already has marked this world’s history.

Crowds gather in support of gay marriage in Illinois (above); In Minnesota both sides of the issue were outspoken (left) Photo: Minnesota Public Radio

March 2013 │ 27

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