If you are looking for a unique useful gift for the helper or health care worker in your life, consider a copy of my book Behavioral First Aid: Managing Emotions During Emergencies. It will be appreciated for its practical information and advice. Free shipping till Christmas! Buy it now

It is at this time of year that we all get increasingly stressed and at the same time put more pressure upon ourselves to have a perfect holiday. Well that is not possible. No one has a perfect holiday. Setting realistic expectations for yourself, others and the holiday is the best advice I can offer. Here are some tips about how to do that and avoid family crises.

• Make plans well ahead of time.

• Ask others what they would prefer to do on the holiday.

Check out some pictues of my work in school in Kenya www.flickr.com/photos/43476477@N08/

I have always been thrifty as I grew up in a poor family.  As a professional I used to be somewhat embarrassed at my thriftiness. NO MORE!  I am now personally cutting back even more in my life, downsizing and trying to not WASTE money. It is nice to know I am not alone.  I am sorry for those who are being forced to downsize  due to the economy, but I sense that some of us are enjoying it also. 

 If you haven’t read Seth Goden’s blog you should check it out.

Seth is a marketer and non-business readers might think they would have no interest in what he has to say. Beside his marketing savvy what I like about Seth is his humanity and philosophy.  He has a great sense of humor, a terrific instinctual understanding of people and what they need and like, and what motivates them. He is practical not pretentious at all, speaks to you with respect and offers what I see as truly practical advice applicable in business and life. Seth incorporates social justice in his marketing practices.

Every holiday (but none I think as clearly as  mother’s day) reminds us that another year has passed and how time flies!

Perhaps it because the kids ‘grow so fast” and seem so much older. Then you realize how old that makes you!  There is no need to fret about the passing of the years I have some good news!

Working on my Bucket List and Stress Reduction

Blue Footed Booby

Dancing for the Ladies

I’m off to the Galapagos islands in search of the blue footed booby. This bird has always fascinated me and long been on my list to see. This seems like a good year to visit Galapagos because it is the 200 anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth. He has always also been of great  interest to me.

Here is some information on the Blue footed booby for those interested.

The Blue-footed Booby is strictly a marine bird. Their only need for land is to breed which they do along rocky coasts.

The Blue-footed Booby is on average 32 inches long and weighs about 3 lbs. The females are slightly larger than the males.  The Blue-footed Booby’s eyes are yellow. The male has more yellow on its iris than the female does.  The booby’s eyes are placed on either side of their bill and oriented towards the front.

The Blue-footed Booby has permanently closed nostrils specialized for diving. They breathe through the corners of their mouths. Their feet range from a pale turquoise to a deep aquamarine. Males and younger birds have lighter feet than females do.

 The Blue-footed Booby male flaunts his blue feet and dances when he wants  to impress the female. During the dance, the male will spread his wings and stamp his feet on the ground. The Blue-footed Booby is usually a one women man and reunites at the breeding grounds with his true love.

Holidays are often just the opposite of what they should be. Easter is no different.

Here are a few tips to help you enjoy the day.

• If you are cooking, keep it simple, plan what others will bring. Give them a choice, “can you bring a salad or dessert?”  Make dinner later in the day to reduce stress, people are usually tired and don’t stay too long.

• Put a time frame on your invitation.  Say something like “We will be having our Easter celebration from 4-7 pm, dinner is at 430″.  Start dinner at 430 regardless who is late.

Working on My Bucket List

 Above is a picture of me in Grand Manan Novia Scotia touring a fish factory

Image by Damien King

More than 40 percent of women ages 18-59 experience sexual dysfunction, with lack of sexual interest the most common.  A study from Stanford University tried to answer the question:

 “What role does the brain play in some women’s lack of sexual desire?”

This research is important because most previous studies have looked at men and the body rather then women and the mind.

In this study 36 women (half with arousal dysfunction) were shown both erotic video segments and women’s sporting events.   In between these clips, they were shown calm scenes such as flowers, mountains or ocean waves. The purpose of this was to give the brain a rest between exotic and active videos.