Life & Culture

life • cul·ture

/līf/   /ˈkəlCHər/

Every experience we walk through that affects our very existence; the external influences of the world we live in that shape us and impact our thoughts, actions, and daily routines.

Some of the Most Popular Ways to Exercise Right Now

Some of the Most Popular Ways to Exercise Right Now

When an exercise is difficult and unenjoyable, you’ll find any excuse not to do it. You’ll moan and groan and decide to skip out on your workout tonight…and tomorrow…and then the next day. When it is fun, you’re not only happier, but you’re more likely to stick with a routine. Take some time to explore what works best for you. Here are some of the most popular ways people are exercising right now: Aerial Yoga Aerial yoga, also known as anti-gravity yoga, combines traditional yoga poses, Pilates, and dance with the use of a silk fabric called a “hammock” or “swing” to support the weight of your body. It also helps achieve various postures with more depth, ease, and excitement. Suspension in […]

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3 Morning Health Rituals to Try Right Now

3 Morning Health Rituals to Try Right Now

One of your liver’s jobs is to break down fat and produce energy. It also takes substances, such as estrogen and BPA, and processes them so that they can be removed from your body when you use the bathroom. When you have excess toxins and hormones in your body, which is very common in this day and age, your liver can’t keep up. This can cause your body to hold onto excess weight. So, to keep my liver clean and working properly, I have 3 steps that I follow every morning: 1. Oil Pulling. This is an ancient Ayurvedic practice that aids in detoxing your mouth and body and also keeps your gums and teeth extremely healthy. Take about 1 tablespoon of coconut or sesame oil and swish

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Keto, Paleo, Vegan or Whole30? How to Pick the Best Diet For You

Keto, Paleo, Vegan or Whole30? How to Pick the Best Diet For You

Oh, the diets. Anyone else out there as confused as I am? Although I’m always on the quest to learn more about health, I have to admit, my mind is swimming with all of this information! There are a lot of trends going on right now. Ketogenic, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Blood Type, Alkaline, Whole30, Gluten-Free…holy hemp seeds! I feel like ordering a pizza just looking at that list. Unfortunately, I think that’s what many of us resort to because the alternative seems too overwhelming. One diet tells us to focus on protein. Another claims that animal protein causes inflammation and tells us to stick to produce and whole grains. And yet another swears grains are the culprit for our inflammation. In college, when

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3 Reasons To Give Your Man For Your Netflix Binge

3 Reasons To Give Your Man For Your Netflix Binge

I’m going to go ahead and assume that since you’re reading this, you too are guilty of a Netflix binge.

 With so many great shows it has to offer, many people find themselves rescheduling plans with friends just to stay home in their PJs with their new BFF, Netflix. But what about your man? 

Sometimes our will for holding out on watching just one more episode simply isn’t strong enough. 
The Netflix bug bites and we find ourselves cuddled up with popcorn, drinks, and Michael Scott. 

I feel your pain. 
Sometimes there are just no words to explain as to why season three of you and your guy’s favorite series mysteriously turned into season four. Thankfully, there is a way out of

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How to Pack For a Quick Trip (When You Travel Often)

How to Pack For a Quick Trip (When You Travel Often)

The worst part about going out of town can often be packing. I will share a few of my favorite packing tips and then tell you how I create a foolproof capsule wardrobe for any vacation. 1. Know your itinerary. This. Is. Crucial! Figure out what you’ll be doing while you’re away (get as specific as you want) so you know the kind of outfits you have to piece together. Beachy? Go cover-ups, sandals, and sundresses. Work trip and meeting? Bring your professional all-day wear that’s comfortable. 2. Look at the weather. What’s worse than arriving at your tropical getaway only to find there’s a cold front heading in, and you forgot your favorite linen wrap. Ok… there are a lot worse

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When Winter Gets You Down and You Need the Sunshine

When Winter Gets You Down and You Need the Sunshine

For those who don’t live in a dark and dreary place most of the year, you won’t be able to relate to this article. If you do, I’ll expect an “Amen” when you’re done reading. I reside in the middle of nowhere, in the upper left corner of the lower 48. I truly love where I live, most of the year. We’re located in a breathtakingly beautiful land, where you can be in the mountains and 30 minutes later be at the beach. Opportunities to get outside and just enjoy creation are endless. There are great places to hike with amazing views that are ever changing, as well as, lakes, rivers, and the Pacific Ocean to enjoy, bike paths and parks and

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Every One Of Us Can Help Vulnerable Children

Every One Of Us Can Help Vulnerable Children

In his book Doing Good Is Simple, Chris Marlow issues a profound four words of motivation: “Get in the boat.” Marlow is a North Carolina pastor who started a worldwide ministry after coming home from a “mission trip” and seeing starving orphans on the streets of Zimbabwe that he had absolutely no way to help. Ten years later, his ministry, Help One Now, provides homes, meals, school, and sex trafficking rescue to children in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Peru, and four countries in Africa. The point and purpose of Marlow’s 2016 book about his own journey from cushy church job to nonprofit orphan care is that every single one of us can help vulnerable children right where we are. We don’t need

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Did you Know that Women Struggle With Porn Too?

Did You Know That Women Struggle with Porn Too?

I was 13 years old when I was exposed to pornography—this was back in 1999, in the land of dial-up and dinosaurs. While researching for school one day, I found a website with small clips from videos and TV shows. As I clicked through the different videos, one thumbnail caught my eye. I clicked on it. It was a porn video. I wish someone could have warned me about how the next few minutes would change my life, and not for the better. I woke up that morning a teenager whose only knowledge of sex was sex ed classes in school and whatever my classmates were whispering about. Within seconds, that all changed. No adult content warning. No age verification. Just straight

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For Gals Who Golf... and Those Who Want to Learn

For Gals Who Golf… and Those Who Want to Learn

From retired “ladies who lunch” to LPGA professionals, women all across the world are taking to the courses and meeting on the tee to enjoy the bittersweet experience of golf. I say bittersweet because if you’ve picked up a club, you know what I mean. Swing after swing as beginners, we hack away at our grandpa’s backyard with an old pitching wedge. Some of us get lucky and actually learn how to make contact with the ball on some part of the club face. Others get frustrated right away and say, “Nope! This isn’t for me!” Regardless of whether you go pro or not, you will always find yourself frustrated with your game to some degree. Some days I can’t miss with

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10 Things to Know Before You Try Tiny Living

10 Things to Know Before You Try Tiny Living

Tiny spaces have become all the rage as minimalistic living continues to trend! Gone are the days where every family envied a large home. With the cost, efficiency and availability of studio apartments, single bedrooms, other small living spaces are becoming a popular alternative for many families. My husband, one-year-old son and I recently moved from our 920 square foot, two bedroom apartment. Plagued by high costs, we decided to ditch the space and trade it in for something more affordable, so we made a move to a 500 square foot, studio apartment! What had seemed like a daunting task has turned into our best decision. With a little intuition and creativity, it is possible to create a beautiful and functional home

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5-Immunity-Boosting-Smoothies-That-Will-Help-You-Fight-Flu-Season

5 Immunity Boosting Smoothies That Will Help You Fight Flu Season

Unless you’ve been living under a rock this winter, you know that this year’s flu season is a doozy. In fact, the CDC is reporting the highest flu infection rates since 2009*, which if you remember is when we were all in a panic over the Swine Flu. And to make matters worse, the flu shot is only showing to be about 10% effective in preventing the flu*, largely because the most prevalent strains were not covered in batches this year. These stats are enough to make even the least germaphobic amongst us panic. But, let’s face it, life must go on. Most of us won’t have the luxury of riding out this season sealed off from human contact. Most of us

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Managing Your Money So It Doesn't Manage You

Managing Your Money So It Doesn’t Manage You

There are a few things that seem to drive us all crazy, for me some days there may be many. But one that definitely tops the list is the challenge of making ends meet—stretching the budget to pay the bills. It seems like we are always chasing that “I wish I could just get this figured out and keep it that way” illusive dream. So we jump into a new program, a budgeting system, or a great resolution that tomorrow will be different. The problem is we don’t give ourselves a break, instead we look at the challenge and then beat ourselves up when we realize we can’t change it in just a few days. Oftentimes this leads us to get discouraged

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5-Books-We’re-Reading-Right-Now-and-Think-You’ll-Love

5 Books We’re Reading Right Now and Think You’ll Love

It’s hard to find time to read, but it’s something I enjoy and try to prioritize. I’m assuming I’m not the only one in this boat, so here are five books I’ve loved recently to get you headed in the right direction! 1. The Book of Lost and Found by Lucy Foley What a beautiful, beautiful story this was! I grabbed it off the employee’s picks table at Barnes & Noble, and I read it in less than two days. It’s the story of a woman whose mother was adopted, searching for her family history, not knowing what (and how much) she’d find. I loved the artistic influences imbedded within the story as well. 2. Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

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Simple-Skin-Care-All-Natural-Recipes-for-Bright-Healthy-Skin

Simple Skin Care: All-Natural Recipes for Bright Healthy Skin

With wrinkles, bumps, and dry patches, I am always searching for magic potions to erase these unwelcome, overstaying visitors without breaking my budget or reverting to picking and prodding with my fingertips (so guilty). Like most people, I want to be nice to my face, and all of the products I tested included so many unpronounceable ingredients… Trying to figure out what they were and if they were ok for my skin felt daunting. Plus, when I did find a high-quality natural brand, the price tags sent me back to the easy swipe of a makeup wipe. After all, what I really want in my skin care routine is effective simplicity. My current skin care routine consists of a couple of my

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Let-the-Spirit-of-the-Olympics-Touch-Your-Whole-Life

Let the Spirit of the Olympics Touch Your Whole Life

Whether you’ve been a sports fan all your life or couldn’t care less about sports—you love the Olympics. The stories of the athletes overcoming personal struggle to fulfill one’s lifelong dream, emotional finish line moments, and the world coming together to celebrate victory. Why do we love it? The competition? The sport? I think it’s a concept Brene Brown teaches in her new book, Braving the Wilderness, called “The Ministry of Presence.” Brown points out shared joy is a spiritual experience that unites everyone present. We may not be in South Korea but we’re captivated by the moment, waiting to celebrate athletes, and presence always unites us. When I think about the Winter Games I think about endings that cannot be predicted

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2018-A-Year-of-Peace-and-Strength-for-the-Anxious-Woman

A Year of Peace and Strength for the Anxious Woman

The post-holiday season can leave us feeling exhausted and slightly battered. The packed malls, the parties, the big family get-togethers… It would be tiring for anyone, but if you’re like me and you struggle with anxiety then you may be feeling like you’ve just run a marathon. No one wants to start a year anxious and tired, so here are 3 simple ways to make this year one of peace and strength: 1. Relationships We were never created to do life alone, but anxiety has the tendency to isolate us. You don’t need to trust everyone or share every detail of your life, but can I encourage you to find people in your world that can share your burdens and you theirs? Life

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Self-Care: What to Do When It Feels Like Another Commitment

A few different approaches can be taken when it comes to self-care. I’ve probably read two dozen articles titled something along the lines of “10 Tips to Prioritize Self-Care,” and while they’re always super helpful, I actually find myself becoming more stressed by reading them! The irony is that the number one item on the list is usually “Don’t stress,” but that’s so much easier said than done! Here are the top suggestions on how to implement self-care: Keep a daily gratitude journal Take time daily to go without your phone/social media Spend a few minutes outside relaxing Prioritize your sleep Eat healthy meals Create a cozy space for yourself Exercise a few times a week Create a nighttime routine for relaxation

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