Is Your Home a Good Investment?

Need help with money sense?

For the final word on the home ownership vs. renter debate, check out the Profit Badger website to learn if your home is a good investment. Read the full article here.

8 Secrets for Beating a Bad Mood

Here, then, are some everyday tips for lifting your mind and body out of a low mood and back into life. Use them to pull yourself out of a bad mood, or to protect a positive mental state and prevent yourself from sliding back into negative feelings.

1. Move.Regular moderate to intense exercise can potentially have the same effect on your mood as taking an antidepressant pill every day—and the side effects are much better. To get regular exercise, all you really have to do is walk briskly: Walk to work, walk to errands, or go for a stroll by yourself with a friend or your partner. You'll be amazed how much it helps. Even if it's the last thing you feel like doing, you'll feel great once you're out there doing it.


2. Eat healthy foods throughout the day.Don't go too long without eating—this will make you grumpy—and stay away from sugary junk foods or drinks that make your blood sugar rise and then crash, triggering mood swings. Choose foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon and fiber-rich flax seeds, for a happy brain (literally).


3. Get enough sleep.Research consistently shows that not getting enough sleep can have a dramatic effect on your mood and ability to cope with stress. You might think you're chronically blue; it could be that you just need some more sleep—and if you regularly sleep fewer than 7 hours a night, I can almost guarantee it.


4. Spend time with friends, or people who make you laugh.I remember a day I had some dental work done, and was feeling sore and grumpy. I didn't want to do anything but lie on the couch and mope. Then I turned the TV on and came across a stand-up showcase. I called my husband over to watch with me, and within minutes we were both screaming with laughter. (He's hysterically silly by nature; so is my dog!) Lots of times, a moody, lethargic state that feels like it has taken up permanent residence in your brain is only a temporary state that can change quickly, with the right input or stimulation.


5. Put on music that you love.It's hard to stay down when high-energy music you love is playing. I can go from moping to chorus-line kicks (or pathetic attempts, at least) in 5 seconds if the right song is on. Pay attention to the music, friends, TV shows and activities that give you energy and make you feel fun and alive, and use them as your secret weapons when you're feeling down.


6. Sit up straight.It's true: When we're feeling blue, we tend to slouch and shuffle around. Stand up straight, walk tall and with purpose, remember to breathe, and most of all, smile, even if you don't feel like it. You'll feel better.


7. Avoid alcohol.Booze will make you feel good for a moment, but it's a depressant, and so eventually it will make your mood start to slide back downward. Worse, it affects the depth of your sleep, making you feel worse the next day, even if you rest a full eight hours.


8. Get in the sun.I know, I know—wrinkles, skin cancer, etc. Still, some experts believe our rising rates of depression are a result of the ever-increasing amount of time we spend indoors, and the fact that we wear sunscreen on when we go out, blocking the ability of the sun to form mood-protecting Vitamin D via our skin. Our brains need daylight, and sunlight, to keep producing feel-good neurotransmitters. When the sun comes out, go for a walk—between the sunlight and the exercise of walking, it's a one-two power punch for a good mood. (But I also take a Vitamin D supplement.)

If you do all of these things, I can't guarantee that you'll feel great, but you should feel better, and, importantly, become far less likely to get knocked down by a bad mood again.
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Adopted from Psychology Today. Read full article here.

Single Wives Club

After a whirlwind romance, Atlanta educator Koereyelle DuBose realized her fiancé was not the man for her and that she wasn't equipped with the skills for a successful marriage. She ended the engagement in 2010 and began hosting potlucks with her girlfriends to swap tips on relationships. She officially launched The Single Wives Club and serves as president. Now with members around the world, DuBose continues to empower women for their best relationship and helps entrepreneurs turn their passion into profit. See her tips for making the most of your single years and bringing your dreams to life. (Essence Magazine)



Name: Koereyelle DuBose
Age: 29
Title: CEO of The Single Wives Club™ & Ready To WERK™
Location: Atlanta, GA
Hometown: Joliet, IL
Twitter: @Koereyelle
Instagram: @Koereyelle





The Single Wives Club educates, empowers and inspires single ladies to become better women before becoming wives by living happy, healthy, wealthy lives. We are the source for single women, providing information on health/wellness, fitness, fashion, beauty, dating, domestic management, finance and spirituality. Our membership organization, The Single Wives Society challenges Single Wives to welcome opportunities for growth and self-development, invest in themselves, focus on the positive and encourage and support one another. Our merchandise brand offers a stylish way to make a statement and our radio and web shows provide a platform to have candid conversations on controversial topics. The Single Wives Club is a lifestyle brand that aims to reshape society’s standards of single women.

Register today for the Teen Dating and Domestic Violence Workshop

Teen Dating and Domestic Violence Workshop

Thursday, February 12, 2015 at 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Newton White Mansion, Mitchellville, MD

Teen DV Month is a national effort to raise awareness about dating abuse and prevention. According to teendvmonth.org, almost 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year. One in three girls in this country is a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner.

Last year alone domestic violence scenarios claimed the lives of seven of our children in Prince George's County, MD.

It is crucial that we reach out to these victims, potential abusers and families, in general, before it is too late. But we often forget that some of our teens are finding themselves in unhealthy relationships. RSVP HERE.

Fresh Start: NBC Washington consumer report

Fresh Start: NBC Washington

Ericka Gonzalez, Consumer reporter and anchor for NBC Washington

 

Have you been following the NBC Washington segment, "Fresh Start" with Ericka Gonzalez? She has been doing daily news reports on getting your finances fit for 2015.

Here are featured tips on getting out of debt:

• Contact creditors for a payment plan
• Ask about loan forgiveness
• Pay debts with the highest interest rate first
• Borrow money from a family member or credit union, not credit card

Moving past debt, Gonzalez says to:

• Use cash for purchases (people who use credit spend more)
• Start saving a small amount each pay. The goal is 3-6 months of living expenses. (Encourages $20/pay starting now will give you a little over $1,000 this time next year).

You can learn more by viewing videos on www.nbcwashington.com and searching "fresh start." You can also look for tips from viewers on twitter using #freshstart.

Share your tip for a financial fresh start!

One in Three U.S. Youths Report Being Victims of Dating Violence

About one in three American youths age 14-20 say they’ve been of victims of dating violence (physical, sexual or psychological/emotional) and almost one in three acknowledge they’ve committed violence toward a date, according to new research presented at the American Psychological Association’s 121st Annual Convention. Adolescent dating violence is common among young people. It also overlaps between victimization and perpetration and appears across different forms of dating abuse,” according to Michele Ybarra, MPH, PhD. She is with the Center for Innovative Public Health Research, based in San Clemente, Calif.

Girls were almost equally likely to be a perpetrator as a victim of violence: 41 percent reported victimization and 35 percent reported perpetration at some point in their lives. Among boys, 37 percent said they had been on the receiving end, while 29 percent reported being the perpetrator, Ybarra said. Twenty-nine percent of the girls and 24 percent of the boys reported being both a victim and perpetrator in either the same or in different relationships.

Girls were significantly more likely than boys to say they had been victims of sexual dating violence and that they had committed physical dating violence. Boys were much more likely than girls to report that they had been sexually violent toward a date. Experiencing psychological dating violence was about equal for boys and girls. Rates generally increased with age but were similar across race, ethnicity and income levels, according to Ybarra.

Here are some (and many) great resources to use:

Tips for talking to teens: Healthy Relationships

Love doesn't have to hurt: teens

What to do/where to turn for help

Be sure to come and join the conversation in a safe-sharing environment at the Women's Well~Being Circle February Event, "Love Doesn't Hurt: Domestic Violence Awareness."  Check the "Upcoming Events" page for more information and to RSVP.

Skin and Hair Health

How our skin and hair look is important to many of us. At the same time, your skin and hair are organs that do special jobs that support life. Skin protects your inside organs from injury, bacteria, and viruses. Your skin, hair, and sweat glans help control body temperature. Body hair also alerts you to heat and touch. You can take steps to keep your skin and hair health. You can also look to your skin and hair for clues to your overall health. And, as a bonus, good skin and hair care will help you to feel your best, too. Click here to read more on your "Skin and Hair Health."

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This article is shared from Office of Women's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For more resources and information on women's health, visit them online at  http://www.womenshealth.gov/.