Author: DealDash

Living Healthy: Let’s Learn About Yoga Together

Welcome back to DealDash Blog’s Living Healthy series. Today’s blog is going to give you a quick and easy introduction to yoga. Let’s get started!

I’m sure that you have heard the word “yoga” before, but I bet that you didn’t know that the word yoga came from the Sanskrit word “yuj”, which means to yoke or bind. Yuj is often interpreted as “union” or a method of discipline. If you are just getting started into the practice of yoga, you will be pleased to know that you can spend as much or as little time doing yoga and you will still be able to reap the benefits of this healthy and calming exercise. Even if you only practice yoga for one hour a week, you will experience the benefits of that practice. If you can do more than that, you will certainly experience more benefits. I suggest starting with two or three times a week, for an hour or an hour and a half each time. If you can only do 30 minutes per session, that’s fine too. Don’t worry or stress, just get another practice in when you have the chance.

Here is an infographic of some of the most popular yoga poses. Please note the color coding on the infographic, some of these are advanced poses not meant for the beginner!

Yoga_Poses

Now that you’ve seen some of the poses, let’s talk about some of the benefits of practicing yoga. Here are some great reasons to start:

1- Sleep. Yoga can help you sleep better. When you start practicing yoga you’ll be releasing pent up energy that could prevent you from falling asleep, and sleeping soundly once you do get to sleep. Yoga helps relax your nervous system, which is the part of your body responsible for restful sleep or a night of tossing and turning.

2-  Builds muscle strength. Yoga requires you to get into and hold positions that will naturally strengthen your muscles, using only your body’s weight for resistance.

 

3- Lower blood pressure. Yoga is a great workout for your heart, and will improve your cardiovascular function over time.

4- Metabolism. Yoga helps improve your metabolism, which is directly responsible for helping you burn more calories with less work.

5- Better posture. Yoga will give you better posture naturally. All of the poses you’ll be performing are geared to get your body back into proper alignment the way that it should be.

 

 

I hope this article has encouraged you to take up the practice of yoga. If you’re interested in getting some items to get you started head on over to DealDash. DealDash has yoga mats, yoga balls, water bottles, and plenty of other items that you can use. Check out the Hobbies, Outdoors, & Sports category and I’m sure that you’ll find something that you just love. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!

 

 

 

Living Healthy: Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

 

Everyone knows that getting enough sleep is an important factor in staying healthy, but there are other factors than just getting 8 hours in. Let’s talk a little bit about Living Healthy, and how to get a good night’s sleep.

Everyone knows that you SHOULD get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night, but with kids, working extra hours on the job, household chores, and errands sometimes it’s hard to get to bed at a reasonable hour. You should really make your best effort to get your ZZZs, because your health can really suffer if you can’t make the time.  Not practicing healthy sleep habits can lead to all kinds of health problems, poor sleep leads to cardiovascular dysfunction, a poor immune system , glucose and insulin abnormalities, weight gain due to fluctuating hormones that control appetite, and impaired cognitive function. Not only those physical problems, but lack of sleep can also lead to mental issues as well, including anxiety, depression, impaired reasoning skills, and mental sluggishness.

Well, what can you do to get not only the quantity but also the quality of sleep that you need? There are a few things that are fairly obvious such as cutting down on caffeine (especially after 3 PM), keeping your bedroom dark and comfortable, and clearing your mind of troubles and worries before you attempt to drift off.

However, there are some lesser known tips and tricks to get a better night’s sleep that I will share with you. For instance, did you know that using your tablet and smartphone right before you try to sleep can hinder the process? The light that is emitted by these types of devices wake up the senses and make it harder for your brain to get into “sleep mode.” For your best night’s sleep turn off your electronic devices about an hour before bedtime. Another great trick to getting a good night’s sleep is to keep a fan going in your bedroom all night. The fan serves two purposes – It’s easier to fall asleep when your room is a bit on the cooler side, and the fan also provides just the right amount of “white noise” to help you block out every little creak and crack that your house makes at night.

 

I hope this article helps you on a journey to better sleeping habits. If you’re interested in getting some new soothing items for your bedroom, including the fan that I recommended head on over to DealDash. If you browse the Home & Office   category I’m sure that you’ll find something that you just love. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!

 

 

 

The Endless Summer Days of DealDash

How’s your summer going? Have you done anything special? Well, DealDash has something special going on right now called Endless Summer.

Sounds fun, right? What would you do if you had a totally endless summer? I’m the type of person who can’t take the hot weather, so I like to stay inside until dusk, then get out the mosquito-killing tiki torches and hang out outside on my deck.

 

We also love to grill out almost every night in the summer. Burgers, chicken, steaks, even pineapple is great on the grill. Here’s the easiest and most delicious recipe for grilled pineapple:

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 pineapple – peeled, cored, and cut into 6 wedges

Directions

  1. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
  2. Whisk brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Pour sugar mixture into a large resealable plastic bag. Place pineapple wedges in bag and shake to coat each wedge.
  3. Grill pineapple wedges on the preheated grill until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

See! Easy and so delicious, too. One of the best things about cooking out on the grill is there’s hardly any mess to clean up. No pots and pans to wash, and if you’re going to be eating outside you might as well use paper plates, too.

Another favorite summer activity of almost everyone I know is swimming. No matter if your pool is big or small, just about everyone loves to cool off in a pool when the summer weather gets hot.

 

However, as fun as swimming pools are, please remember your basic pool safety rules. An adult should always be actively watching children while they are in a pool. For infants and toddlers, an adult should be in the water and within arm’s reach, providing reassurance as well as an arm to grab onto if needed.  For older children, an adult should be paying constant attention and free from distractions, like talking on the phone, socializing, tending household chores, or drinking alcohol. The supervising adult must know how to swim. If these simple safety rules are followed everyone should be able to stay safe and happy!

 

Of course, DealDash is always my go-to fun activity in any season. Go check out the Hobbies, Outdoors, & Sports category on DealDash and see if there’s something that you and your family can use for some Endless Summer fun. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

1000 free bids go to…

The best photo of the week goes to Lilianne Blanchard. Congratulations! You just won 1000 free DealDash bids for posting this great photo of the Lenovo C440 Touch 21.5-inch Touch-Screen All-In-One Computer that you won for only $90.83!

I won this Lenovo C440 Touch 21.5-inch Touch-Screen All-In-One Computer valued at 589.00 for only $90.83!! Thanks Deal Dash!!
I won this Lenovo C440 Touch 21.5-inch Touch-Screen All-In-One Computer valued at 589.00 for only $90.83!! Thanks Deal Dash!!

Have you collected your free bids for your posting your winning photos to Facebook? If not, you’re missing out on hundreds of free bids and a chance to win 1000 bids awarded weekly for the best photo.  Learn about how you can claim your free bids here.

Looking forward to seeing your photos!

Nab Yourself a Nabi Jr. on DealDash

Kids love electronics, it’s a fact of life. Instead of letting them use your expensive adult tablet, how about nabbing them a Nabi Jr?

There’s a lot of talk these days about making learning fun, so that kids actually want to participate. The world around us is changing so quickly, when I was in Kindergarten in the mid-1980s the most academic thing that we did was learn our numbers and colors. However, now with a child in Kindergarten myself I see that there are clear, very specific core fundamentals a child must master in order to succeed in Kindergarten. The kids need to grasp these reading, writing and math concepts before entering elementary school. My son was really struggling last year, so much that he had to repeat Kindergarten this year, and I believe that it was because he didn’t learn these core skills in Preschool that he really needed for Kindergarten.

 

Luckily, the Nabi Jr. tablet that I want to talk about today was designed as a tool, not as a toy. Nabi Jr. is powered by a dual-core processor, including 4GB storage, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and rotating front and back camera. The operating system is Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, which is really easy to use. The Nabi Jr. also comes pre-loaded with Wings First Steps, which are  age-appropriate lessons that help your child master skill sets and build core fundamentals in math, reading and writing. Parents can check progress with N-Site, a program that allows parents to monitor time spent, skill gains and also to identify trouble spots. Do you have a kid who is reluctant to help around the house? Even the most stubborn kids can learn to be responsible and make good choices with Nabi Coins, Chore List and Treasure Box.

In case you’re curious what Nabi Coins are, Nabi Coins is a parent-managed virtual currency that teaches children how to save, earn and spend money. Nabi Coins can be earned when your child completes lessons in the Wings Learning System or finishes their chores in the Chore List program. Your child can use their Nabi Coins to buy stuff in Treasure Box. Pretty cool, right? The Treasure Box is basically an app store where kids can use their hard earned Nabi Coins to purchase new music, movies, games, and more.

If you would like to introduce your kids to a Nabi, head on over to DealDash and check out the upcoming Nabi auctions. If you see one you are interested in, go ahead and hit the blue “Alert Me” button and DealDash will send you a quick email when one becomes available. Good luck and happy bidding everyone, set your Bid Buddies and go out and enjoy the beautiful summer weather!