Pursuing a path from employee to entrepreneur is risky, yet rewarding at the same time. You report to yourself, set your own schedule, and choose which tasks and projects to pursue.
If you are married, taking care of an elderly parent, or a child with special needs, balancing work and family life can add to the stress of pursuing the dream of becoming an entrepreneur.
The opportunity to inspire others to pursue their passion that contributes to job creation in communities and improving neighborhoods was enough for me to want to jump in with both feet along with being able to help women improve their quality of life financially.
You can expect roadblocks of obtaining financing to fund the identified passion, trying something new and failing, and sleepless nights during the initial start-up phase.
I am not trying to deter you from your dream, but let’s be real here.
There is no such thing as a free lunch. The thrill and satisfaction of building and nurturing your pet project an seeing it succeeding after all the blood, sweat, and tears is worth the challenge right?
When you know you are ready to go from employee to entrepreneur
You dream of being your own boss.
You find yourself during a business meeting at your job saying to yourself, “I can do it better.”
You are tired of the 9 to 5 lifestyle and find becoming a digital nomad interesting.
You want to spend more time with your family.
You are tired of watching your boss spend all day rearranging his/her office and dumping projects on you at the last minute.
You are tired of your boss’s micromanaging behavior and taking credit for all your hard work.
You are experiencing cubical farm burnout.
The daily cost of commuting to work, traffic delays, and hours spent on the road are taking a toll on your health.
You know what kind of business you want to start and can’t stop thinking about it. In fact, it makes you giddy about the possibility.
You want to invest in your community and give back to others by starting or supporting a charity.
Small Business Resources
Getting started on your dream job isn’t as complicated as one might think.
There are a lot of resources out there for small businesses that can help you with reducing start-up costs.
Non-profit organizations SCORE, KIVA, and the Small Business Association (SBA) have expert volunteers who have lived it and survived another day to share their best tips with you at no financial cost except time.
SCORE has volunteers who are small business owners that you can request to sit down with to discuss ways to grow your business at no cost to you along with free online courses and workshops about ways to finance your start-up, social media marketing, taxes, business entities, etc.
A business plan is one way of documenting your dream job and celebrating milestones along the way.
The SBA site has a free business plan template for download. Another benefit of utilizing a business plan is to budget for start up costs
If you’re a female, there are a plethora of financial resources and small business mentorship through several non-profit organizations that support and promote female entrepreneurship.
Providing feedback to another woman business owner can prepare her for the roadblocks ahead and provide tools on how to overcome adversity from past experiences by fellow small business owners.
Wouldn’t it be easier just to stick with the job you hate and continue to live paycheck to paycheck?
No, but taking the leap without fear and reaping the rewards of personal freedom sounds more fun!
All of us want access to good quality food and water for ourselves and our family. Eating nutrient-dense foods feeds energy, mood, and immune system without having to take supplements with fillers.
I remember as a kid, my grandparents had a small garden where they would grow rhubarb, watermelon, green string beans, and tomatoes. I loved going in the backyard and picking strawberries and eating them off the vine.
Cost of Organic Food Versus Conventional
One of the roadblocks to buying organic produce is the cost. A study done by Consumer Reports, on average, organic foods were 47% more expensive. Buying local saves on how long produce has to travel which means, it lasts longer. The average distance food travels from farm to consumer can range from 766 miles to 2,143 miles.
Imported produce may be cheaper, but in the long run, the quality suffers. Ever gone to the grocery store and bought a package of strawberries for it to start going bad a couple of days later?
Most of the berries that arrive at the grocery store are unripe. The only way to enjoy the fruit is to smoother them in sugar. Who wants that?
Going Organic Benefits on a Budget
Buying local food from farmers through community-supported agriculture (CSA), farmer markets, roadside stands are not only cheaper, but you get more produce than shopping for the same product at a grocery store. A good reason to reduce waste by freezing to enjoy later.
Prevent food waste
My favorite is the 3lbs bags of Wyman’s wild blueberries, strawberries, and berry mix. Great for making smoothies, adult beverages, or satisfy that sweet tooth with homemade sorbet.
This option is perfect for winter-time for those folks living in winter climates and doesn’t want to go out into blizzard conditions or for those folks who don’t feel like standing in lines at the grocery store.
Juice leftover vegetables
Take the pulp, divide it up into small batches and freeze in a silicone ice tray. Once frozen, transfer to a reusable gallon freezer bag.
Add to your weekly fruit smoothies to get 1-2 servings of vegetables in. Reuse the tray to add an extra-large ice cube to your favorite alcoholic beverage or whiskey or freeze homemade soups and sauces.
The best possible deal is buying in bulk
Farmers market and roadside stands are perfect for that. I buy my corn from a stand that is set up in the parking lot of a meat market and deli. $7 for a dozen versus $1 each is a steal. Blanch corn on the cob in boiling water for a minute, cut kernels off the cob, add kernels to a gallon freezer bag and freeze.
Meat and dairy products are usually the expensive part of the grocery bill. Substitute whole milk for powder. I know it sounds weird, but wait to judge until you taste it. My favorite is Judee’s Whole Milk Powder on Amazon because it is non-GMO and hormone-free.
Make what you need when you have that craving for some chocolate milk or an iced frappe. I also buy goat milk powder on nuts.com and alternate between the two.
Buy meat products like bison, elk, and fish from your local meat shop, freeze unused portions, and use for another meal.
Chop up kale and zucchini and freeze in a freezer bag
Add a handful of these nutrient-dense vegetables to your smoothie to get sources of Vitamins C and K, manganese, calcium, and magnesium.
Freeze herbs like dill, cilantro, and pea tendrils by chopping them up, smothering them in olive oil, and freezing them in a reusable ice cube tray to add to dinner entrees or make homemade pesto.
Support farmers by signing up for a CSA
Not only will you get ultra-fresh food, but create partnerships with your community. Who doesn’t like fresh eggs and grass-fed meats? For a listing of CSAs in your area, click here.
Buy dry foods like lentils, barley, wheat berries, and rice in bulk
Store in mason jars to prevent pests and critters from getting in. Again nuts.com is my favorite go-to for buying in bulk.
Another way to save money is to grow your own microgreens at home. Growing them in my kitchen saves me a trip to the grocery store in the winter and paying $5 twice a week for a container of microgreens at my co-op.
That comes out to $40 a month. I pay a $17-month subscription through Hamama which gets me 3 seed quilts and a plastic tray.
If you are interested in growing your own greens, click here.
Get 10% off by entering the code: SUPERGREENS at checkout.
As you dive into eating organic, you will notice that you eat less produce as your body will absorb more vitamins and minerals which means your grocery bill will be lower saving you money and peace of mind knowing where your food comes from.
If you are looking for more ways to avoid food waste, check out my post, 10 Easy Ways to Reduce Food Waste to learn additional ways to save money on your weekly grocery bill.
In Part I of 5 DIY House Cleaning Secrets, I shared some reasons why we should reduce or stop cleaning with nasty chemicals and clean safely with non-toxic nice smelling green cleaning products instead.
It takes less than five minutes to make your GIY house cleaning products. Heck, you can make housecleaning wipes during a commercial break. Are you ready to go green?
While we can’t get away from everyday exposure of chemicals and pollutants, we can reduce what we allow in our homes.
I have been a fan of Dr. Bronner’s since I was a kid. The brand prides itself stating on the packaging there are 18-1 uses. Until recently I didn’t know you could make green it yourself cleaning products.
I currently buy a 128-ounce bottle of peppermint and almond and use it for hand wash. I switch back and forth throughout the year.
Peppermint in the fall/winter and almond in the spring/summer. One 128-ounce bottle lasts up to 2 years for hand wash. Local stores only sell the 32-ounce bottles so I buy 4 bottles and refill as needed. The bottles get reused to put my cleaning products in and put a label on each one.
Looking for more options to going green, I came across Dr. Bronner’s granddaughter Lisa Bronner’s blog, Going Green with a Bronner Mom and YouTube channel. During one of her instructional GIY videos, she made an interesting point about house cleaning products that I never considered.
There are no federal laws overseeing what goes into the formulation of household products and there are no laws requiring any labeling.
Recipe #1: Window/Glass Cleaner
Ingredients
1 c. (240 mL) water filtered, distilled, or boiled then cooled water
¼ c. (60 mL) white distilled vinegar (not apple cider vinegar, that is for salad dressing)
Directions
In a big bowl, combine the baking soda with the Castile Soap OR the Sal Suds. Mix it with a fork until well blended and no lumps remain. Add in the water and mix thoroughly again. Add in the white distilled vinegar and keep stirring until no lumps remain.
Pour the solution into an empty quart bottle, using a funnel. To use this, squirt it over the surface and wipe with a damp microfiber cloth. Rinse with a wet cloth.
Pour the baking soda in a bowl. Add the essential oils and stir with a fork. Make sure both ingredients are mixed before adding the citric acid. If you mix the baking soda, essential oils, and citric acid together all at once, fizzing will activate.
For Reusable Wipes: an old t-shirt or two cut into wipe-sized squares For Disposable Wipes: a paper towel roll cut in half (an electric knife works best) A Glass or Plastic container
Ingredients
1 1/2 c. (360 mL) filtered, distilled, or boiled then cooled water
1 tbsp. (15 mL) Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap or 1/2 tbsp. (7.5 mL) Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds
1/4 tsp. (20 drops) tea tree essential oil
A Glass or Plastic container
For Reusable Wipes: an old t-shirt or two cut into wipe-sized squares
For Disposable Wipes: a paper towel roll cut in half (an electric knife works best)
Directions
Put the wipes in your container. Mix up the solution ingredients and pour it over the wipes. Let them sit for 20 minutes or so to soak up all the liquid. Now they’re good to go! These have a shelf-life of 1 to 2 weeks.
1 ½ Tbsp. (22 mL) Dr. Bronner’s Organic Coconut Oil (warmed to a liquid)
9 drops tea tree essential oil
4 drops lavender essential oil
Directions
Add all liquid ingredients to a jar and shake well to combine. For Disposable: Place half a paper towel roll in a jar and pour the solution over. After a few minutes, pull the cardboard tube out of the middle.
Wipes dispense from the middle. For Reusable: Pour the solution into a small spray bottle. Spray baby’s bottom, and wipe with a soft cloth or place soft cloths in a container or wipe warmer and pour the solution over them.
Making my own GIY products has cut down the amount of time spent cleaning. I actually get excited about cleaning the house! No more allergic reactions from mystery ingredients from popular household cleaners.
Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 Hemp Pure Castile Liquid Soap 32 – 128 fl. oz. and Sal Suds All-Purpose Cleaner listed above can be found on Lucky Vitamin.
Here is one last idea I will share. Ditch the paper towels and switch to microfiber cloth dish towels. A pack of 30 towels online for less than $10 you can use over and over again. Cost for a pack of six paper towel rolls costs around $15.
In this 2 part 5 GIY House Cleaning Secrets, I will share reasons to incorporate sustainable green living habits to your daily life by making the switch to safe and non-toxic cleaning products especially if you have kids and pets.
How many times after watching a commercial about bathrooms and toilets, that your OCD hasn’t kicked in and you have either gone online or rushed out of your house to buy the recommended products?
Let’s get real, who likes to clean the house, the bathroom, or the toilet? Who likes using toxic cleaning products that you have to put gloves on, a gas mask, and goggles to get rid of germs?
Who enjoys the side effects of watery eyes, breathing problems, that chemical taste in the back of your throat and sinus issues? Not me.
Perhaps these are the true reasons we dread cleaning because of toxic chemicals masking themselves on the back of the bottle as “fragrance or perfume”.
The death of someone I knew for a long time that passed away a couple of years ago as a result of suspected chemical exposure hit home for me and made me ask, “what are we ingesting and inhaling that is making so many sick?”
It was time to learn more about everyday products I used and what was actually in them.
Chemical Exposure at Home and Abroad
There are two reasons why I decided to switch to safe and inexpensive cleaners. Learning about the effects of chemical exposure at home and abroad.
During a military exercise four years ago, I was drinking water from a water tank and all of a sudden, I felt sick.
I wasn’t alone. You know something is up when you find a container of baby wipes in a porta-potty. Little did I know, to make water from the Mississippi River drinkable, a little bleach is added.
Other countries add chlorine to their water. I can tell when I travel abroad and after taking a shower, (even after slathering on lotion) my skin itches.
At some point throughout the day, more bleach was accidentally added due to a lack of documenting the time it was previously added.
What was the side effect? For the majority of us affected diarrhea and a trip to the hospital for a few. Thank goodness we all recovered.
To be clear, if you find yourself needing to purify water during natural disasters, you can use household bleach to disinfect water until regular water service is restored.
I recommend you go to your favorite online or physical bookstore and buy the book, “Clean House, Clean Planet” by Karen Logan. Learn what chemicals are in commercial cleaning products, the health hazards, and why you can’t always trust what is listed on a product label.
While the book was published in 1997, after reading it, I realized the author was way ahead of her time in writing this book.
The recipes are still good to try and only require a couple of ingredients that are probably in your kitchen cabinet.
Still Don’t Believe That Some Cleaning Products Are Dangerous?
Suspicious or skeptical of environmental organizations? I am too. I am an avid researcher, a voracious reader, a documentary addict, and a skeptic.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a non-profit that provides information to consumers about everyday products. The more you learn, the more you can control what you and your family members absorb, breathe and ingest in the home and work environment.
The Bottom Line
Seriously, if you clean once a week, you shouldn’t have to go through tactics of using hazardous chemicals to be germ-free.
If you have to do all that to maintain a clean house, I recommend making an appointment with your primary doctor and find out why you are so funky. I am joking.
I know you just want a safe and clean smelling house like all of us. If you do end up seeing your doctor, he/she will likely tell you to stop watching so many infomercials.
Alternative cleaning products at health-food stores are expensive. The amount of time it takes to jump in the car, drive to the nearest grocery store, walk up and down the aisles, pick $20 worth of cleaning products, and check out, you could have made your own soft scrub, window cleaner, household wipes, and homemade air freshener.
Try the green recipes and judge for yourself which is better for your health and your pocketbook.
So you have decided to travel solo for the first time without your significant other or friends. You are planning your first trip and a little nervous.
If you are a woman, you probably have read or seen on the news travel advisories and warnings against this, and am starting to have second thoughts about your brave decision.
I have been traveling solo for over 10 years and can say that by using common sense, being aware of your surroundings, and taking the necessary safety precautions, you too can gain the confidence to become a solo traveler.
Check out these fun facts to bring your confidence back up and prove you are not the only one going solo.
According to a Booking.com survey, 65 percent of women are taking vacations without their partner. Women are using the opportunity to travel at their own pace, breaking from the norm and immersing themselves in experiencing local cultures in unique destinations.
Advantages of Traveling Solo
Another advantage of traveling solo is, if you find something of interest, you have the flexibility to extend your stay. It gives you an opportunity to meet other people and women traveling solo as well.
Any time I eat at a restaurant alone, I always make friends with the guests sitting next to me due to their intrigue in me being “brave” and enjoying a meal by myself.
Eating alone not for, you, sign up for a cooking class to learn about the history of the local cuisine or go on a gastronomy bike tour and sample cheese and beer.
I guarantee by the end of the class, you will have a couple of phone numbers and emails wanting to schedule a travel foodie night out.
When asked for reasons why deciding to travel solo, according to the Solo Travel Society, 59% of the women said they wanted to see more of the world and were not willing to wait for others while 45% liked the freedom to do what they want when they want.
If you are flying by the seat of the pants type of person that just makes plans without blinking an eye, you fit into the solo traveler club.
8Tips for Traveling Solo
Here are some tips to ensure your solo travel experience isn’t a one-time thing but becomes an annual tradition of curiosity, solitude, self-discovery, and adventure.
Budget-Friendly Accommodations
A good option for budget-conscious travelers is staying at a hostel, guesthouse or B&B versus an overpriced boutique hotel. Most hostels include breakfast and information on one day or multi-day tours that are cheaper than if you were to go online and book them yourself.
Share Your Travel Plans
Before traveling, make sure you let someone know back at home where you will be. Email the person a copy of the travel itinerary and hotel information.
Before venturing out into town, ask the hotel staff about the area of interest you plan on visiting and the best mode of transportation to get there. Jot down the hotel address, phone number and bring it with you.
Travel Insurance
Never, ever leave home without travel insurance. Accidents and trip cancellations due to weather or political unrest are unpredictable and can happen at the worst time.
Most health insurance plans don’t provide coverage overseas. Check the fine print of your coverage before traveling abroad.
Avoid Out of Pocket Medical Expenses
Paying out of pocket for medical expenses is a good way to ruin a trip. Travel insurance can help to offset the cost. It’s a good idea to have travel insurance in case something goes wrong.
A couple of days into a trip to Ireland, my mother twisted her knee while kissing the Blarney Stone had to go to the hospital. She didn’t have to pay anything out of pocket.
You can purchase travel insurance from World Nomads. World Nomads provides travel insurance to travelers from over 140 countries and is backed by reputable insurers and 24-hour assistance providers. You can click here to get a quote. Read the policy details to ensure that it’s right for you.
Travel Guidebook
A travel guidebook is a must-have travel companion. It sounds thrilling to decide to be spontaneous and just show up to a destination and see what happens.
Do some type of research on local customs, history, places to stay, prices for train and bus fare, and emergency numbers prior to arrival. Travel books can help plan your trip.
The spontaneity piece will show itself from picking activities you would not normally participate in, asking locals about the best spots to eat, and finding affordable bed and breakfasts not advertised online and only known by locals.
My favorite travel book go-to is Lonely Planet. Once I am done with the book, I leave it in the lobby for the next fellow travel to find enjoyment in planning his/her vacation. One less item to take up space in my carry-on.
Public Wi-Fi
While it is free, accessing public Wi-Fi at a coffee shop or a hotel puts you at risk for hackers gaining access to your information through malicious means.
Adversaries can trick you to use a rogue Wi-Fi network, intercept your information from a man-in-the-middle attack, and distribute malware on your computer.
Hackers take advantage of an unsecured connection to obtain sensitive data such as your personally identifiable information, usernames, and passwords to gain access to your bank accounts.
Stay Connected with a Pocket Wi-Fi
If you plan on visiting multiple countries, renting a pocket Wi-Fi to get internet coverage worldwide is cheaper than paying expensive data roaming charges.
No more getting lost backpacking around Europe and having to use your data plan to make an emergency call.
Virtual Private Network (VPN)
If renting or buying a pocket Wi-Fi or buying an international SIM voice and data package is outside of your budget and you have no other option than to free public Wi-Fi, you need to have something in place like a VPN to safeguard your privacy and protect your sensitive information when browsing the internet or submitting your credit card information at an online store.
What is VPN you ask? A VPN (virtual private network) is a service that hides your IP address encrypts all the data you send and receive through internet traffic and protects your online identity.
The encrypted data looks like gibberish to anyone who intercepts it — it is impossible to read.
I was on vacation in Europe a couple of years ago with my newly activated credit card. Two days into the trip, I got a notification from the credit card company asking me about some charges made online.
Looking at the merchant, I knew I didn’t make those purchases, but I did use my Visa to buy a coffee at a local coffee shop while I caught up on email the day before.
Luckily I listened to traveling guru Rick Steves and had another card to use while canceling the other one and having a new card waiting for me when I got home. Instead of enjoying my trip, I was worried about my information getting stolen.
Months later I read online that one of the companies I order things from experienced a data breach the year before, but I received no notification. No email, no letter in the mail, no phone call.
Online Privacy and Security
Until I started working for an IT department 6 years ago, I didn’t know what a VPN was or the importance of protecting my information. That is what I thought wireless routers were for.
If you travel to some of the developing countries, you will notice that the internet connection is slow and the same people visit that location every day. The owner has likely not changed the password so anyone can get online.
The company I recommend going with is NordVPN. Rated by PCMag two years in a row as Editors’ Choice VPN, you get 24/7 protection for your devices (smartphone, laptops, desktop) that includes Windows, Android, MacOS, iOS, Linux, Blackberry, and Windows Phone.
I pay $2.99 a month. That is 70% off what they normally charge. They offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. I finally have peace of mind when I travel that someone is watching my back. If you are interested in learning more about one of the voted best VPN providers in 2018, click on the NordVPN link above.
Countries I have traveled solo to with no problems are China, Hong Kong, Italy, Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Canada, Ecuador, Japan, Germany, Greece, and counting for many years to come.
I hope some of these tips and tricks help you to decide to take the plunge and convince you to schedule your first solo trip with confidence. Before you go, check out my post, 21 Carry-On Bag Essentials For Air Travel To Any Destination. Happy traveling!
Let’s face it, snacking on a package of peanuts for a four-hour-plus flight sitting in economy is enough to make someone hangry. Think first-class food is better?
Depending on which airline you fly on, yes your-first class food experience could be epic. Or you can choose to not roll the dice, come up with your own meal plan on the cheap for a plane and while on the road.
For the cost of a package of Pringles or a fruit and cheese tray, you can create a healthy stash of snacks, don’t take up a lot of space in your carry-on, and won’t have you running to the bathroom mid-flight.
Your neighbors will look at you in envy wishing they had thought about the idea first.
Airplane Snack Ideas
1. The walking salad
All you need is a Starbucks grande (medium-sized) cup (good reason to treat yourself to an iced caramel macchiato or tea lemonade), a freezer ziplock bag, your favorite greens, dried fruit (cranberries or blueberries), your favorite nuts (cashews or almonds), sliced fruit or vegetable (apple or carrot), your favorite salad dressing, and travel bamboo utensils.
Add one to two tablespoons of salad dressing on the bottom, followed by dried fruit, nuts, sliced vegetable or fruit, and greens on top. When it is time to eat, dump all the ingredients in the Starbucks cup in the freezer bag.
Roll the sides down and enjoy. For DIY homemade salad dressing ideas, check out my post, Healthy Salad Dressing Recipe.
2. Sliced carrots and ranch dressing
3. Gourmet caramel apple
Before I depart for my destination, I stop at a chocolate store (Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory at the Minneapolis-St.Paul Airport) and purchase one gourmet caramel apple (sliced in quarters) and a couple of chocolate-covered pretzel sticks.
4. Fruit slices (tangerine, banana, apple) and honey
5. Olives and feta cheese
6. Sliced apples and a side of peanut or almond butter
Slice one apple into quarters and store it in a small ziplock bag or container. You can either buy peanut or almond butter, make it yourself, or if there is a machine that makes it at the grocery store, I recommend this option as the only ingredient is nuts.
Put two to three tablespoons of peanut or almond butter in a separate small ziplock bag or container.
7. Homemade nuts and dried fruit mix (peanuts, M&Ms, raisins)
8. Candied pecans
Crunchy, sweet, and salty, why not add these to your walking salad? Click here for the recipe I found on Allrecipes.
Making homemade salad dressing is not only more healthy for you, but you get more creative options for fruit and vegetable salads without storing large bottles of store-bought salad dressings that go bad.
I have found that by making my own homemade salad dressing, I have become a fan of eating salads.
The variety of salad dressings ensures I don’t make the same salad twice. If you are an avid traveler and like to make meals while on the road, all you need is a travel blender, a small mason jar, and a few ingredients. I found all these items on Target.
Here are two homemade easy recipes I use for either a fruit or vegetable salad.
1/4 cup white or dark balsamic vinegar (fig, lemon, raspberry, watermelon, peach white or honey ginger). I order mine online from Bisbee Olive Oil based in Bisbee, Arizona when I am not visiting. You should be able to find an olive oil company nearby that offers similar flavor options.
1/2 cup lemon-infused extra virgin olive oil. I order mine online from Nuts.com. When using a fruit balsamic vinegarette, I have noticed the infused lemon flavor brings out more flavor without being overpowering and tastes less acidic.
2 tablespoons 100% maple syrup or to taste. I buy mine from Trader Joes.
Directions
Put all ingredients either in a blender or bowl and whisk until the emulsification process is complete. If you are using a mason jar, shake for 15-30 seconds until all ingredients are combined.
The salad dressing can be used right away, but I like to make it the night before to allow the ingredient to settle in the fridge overnight in a small wide mouth mason jar.
Before using, give the mason jar a shake as vinegar and oil separation may occur.
Vegetable Salad Dressing
Ingredients
1/4 cup traditional (modena) balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup Sicilian extra virgin olive oil. I order online from Nuts.com.
2 tablespoons mustard. I use Coleman’s English mustard because it has a nice kick like wasabi. Be careful not to use too much. Most grocery stores carry it in the international or global aisle.
1 teaspoon shallots finely chopped.
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions
Put all ingredients either in a blender for 15-30 seconds until all ingredients are combined.
The salad dressing can be used right away, but I like to make it the night before to allow the ingredient to settle in the fridge overnight in a small wide mouth mason jar.
Before using, give the mason jar a shake as vinegar and oil separation may occur. Enjoy!
Watching the ball drop in Times Square is not the only way to celebrate ringing in the New Year. Online marketing will promote the “once in a lifetime” sales pitch and convince you to spend a lot of money like thousands of dollars to be part of the 100,000 that squeeze into Times Square to see something extraordinary and Instagram worthy bragging rights.
Heck let’s get real, you could celebrate New Year’s Eve in NYC every year if you wanted to. There are alternative ways of celebrating New Year’s even while indulging and experiencing the Big Apple at the same. I will share a couple of places to visit leading up to the big day with going broke.
BEST WAYS TO SPEND NEW YEAR’S EVE IN NYC
Is Watching the Ball Drop Worth It?
I still don’t understand why people brave the freezing cold to stand for hours outside but respect it. I too wanted the Times Square experience. Ever since I found out the glittery Times Square ball was made out of 192 Waterford crystals while doing a factory tour in Waterford, Ireland.
I had it on my bucket list to someday see the ball drop in person. Did you know that Waterford is the oldest city in Ireland?
Unless you live in NYC, for visitors and tourists alike, getting there and staying it is not cheap. In fact, if you don’t do your research and number crunching ahead of time, your NYE dream can turn out to be the worst financial mistake you have ever made.
Well if you are a local, it’s not. In fact, if you live in a space that has rooftop access looking down Time Square as I saw from my hotel window at the Crowne Plaza Time Square Manhattan, you can happily avoid all the crowds, paying $1,000 to see the ball drop and enjoy watching the entertainment below comfortably. I learned that most of the locals avoid Times Square altogether.
As I spent the day looking out my window checking on the morning festivities and see people start to fill up Time Square like ants down below, I faced an interesting dilemma.
I had saved up my hotel points for the last two years and upon checking in, I was upgraded to a room with a view of Times Square because of my membership status. I had no intention of paying $1,000 to stand outside of the hotel, but had planned on getting a bottle of bubbly from the wine shop down the street and watch the ball drop from my room. 60,000 per night well spent.
When I arrived, my mission was to watch the ball drop. I had been saving points from past hotel stays specifically for this event for a couple of years. Because of my membership status, I was upgraded with a direct view of Times Square.
What To Do On New Year’s Eve
I arrived on December 30th and hit the ground running with my travel foodie agenda. Eat at Prune restaurant on the Lower East Side, visit the New-York Historical Society, enjoy chicken and rice from a food truck (something I do every time I visit NYC), get a massage in Chinatown, watch the ball drop and fly out early on January 1st.
While drooling over a bowl of carbonara at Prune, I decided to look up available walking tours to do the morning of December 31st.
I love walking tours. It’s a great way to stretch the legs, learn about some history, and sample some food. At the top of the search was the Brooklyn Bridge Walking Tour, except the tour, didn’t start until 10:30 p.m.
What’s a girl to do? Watch the ball drop from my hotel room or go on a 90-minute walking tour through lower Manhattan and ring in the New Year on the Brooklyn Bridge and watch fireworks?
Perhaps a long subway ride and a visit to the New-York Historical Society will help me decide.
After sleeping in the next day, I looked out my hotel window and watched in curiosity as barricades went up and people started filing in (as early as 10 a.m.). I watched for another couple of hours and made up my mind.
Before the Times Square ball drops, there is a rehearsal in the morning to make sure all the mechanics are in place and everything is in place.
I had no idea there was a rehearsal and missed it because I decided to sleep in. That could have been my chance for bragging rights!
In some ways, I felt I already got the VIP treatment. A week traveling around Ireland, yes, I did spend $1,000 and got the souvenirs to prove it. If you aren’t planning on making a special trip out to Ireland to pick up your souvenir, you can buy a replica on various websites.
I came across one site that offers an initial discount and free shipping, the Cashs of Ireland. The ornaments sell out fast, but if you can wait until the following year, you can get one at a great discount. Mine hangs from a stand on my desk.
As the night the rolled on, those brave souls who had been filtering in since this morning, were eagerly waiting for the musical festivities to kick off. Had someone told me the New Kids on the Block (KNOTB) were performing that night, I would have stayed in my room as planned.
In the end, I chose the Brooklyn Bridge Walking tour and don’t regret it. I was amazed at how I went from being sandwiched between people in Times Square to being able to move freely in the Financial District to get to the meetup point.
I have visited Lower Manhattan many times but did not know the true history of the Financial District, Wall Street, Dutch settlers, and why the area in the 17th century was called New Amsterdam. I should have known better.
$50 for 1.5 hours of walking and learning about early New York City and walking off that glass of bubbly versus paying $1,000 for 10 seconds of fun. Luckily I saw KNOTB in person when I was a kid.
In case if you are wondering how much a room costs in Times Square, depending on the hotel, expect to pay $4-5K for that night. Arriving the day before and after, the cost drops significantly.
After ringing in the New Year, I had to rush back to my hotel, finish packing my bags, and take the train to the airport for a 5 a.m. flight. I slept the whole ride back home.
Other Fun Ways to Ring in the New Year
I have shared two ways to ring in the New Year, but I have two more alternative ways to experience New York City. Heck, throw out “once in a lifetime”, you can make it an annual event.
A third fun way to ring in the New Year is to attend a concert. A couple of years ago, my favorite EDM (Electronic Dance Music) group, Above and Beyond played in my hometown. Now that was an event to remember, unique and different.
A fourth way is to kick off the New Year with a midnight four-mile run among 3,700 of your friends and support free youth and community programs with your entry fee. This is on my list to do in the next year or two. Gotta save up those points again!
There is a fifth way, but it may not be as glamorous. Watch the Times Square ball drop rehearsal in the morning.
All of these are on my list to do in the next couple of years. First, I have to save up those points!
Hints and Tips
Here are a few tips on how to spend New Year’s Eve in New York City without going broke. Don’t pay $4-5,000 for one night. Save up your hotel points and redeem them for this special night. If you don’t have enough, bring your family and friend squad with you and split the cost. The room with the Times Squares Square view has plenty of room.
Book your room one year in advance. This trick has helped me to get good rooms with a view for half the cost for the US Open.
If you do a lot of traveling or have an airline credit card you accumulate points from, redeem your airline miles for a round trip ticket. I do this once a year for the US Open.
Take the subway instead of paying for a car service or Super Shuttle. I love it when I arrive at JFK and get on the E train from Jamaica Center in Queens to Manhattan.
Yeah it takes an hour, but also took a Super Shuttle one time and being packed like sardines was the same, but worse and it still took an hour.
One word of caution, there are the occasional service interruptions. I experienced this when I was on my way to the airport. Make sure you have a plan or else you will be spending an extra night in the Big Apple. Rideshare or taking the LIRR are good alternative transportation options.
Every time I visit NYC, I make it a point to eat at one restaurant, but the rest of the time, I eat at food trucks.
Food trucks are around from when you get up to in the morning and need a smoothie when you stumbling out of the bar and have the munchies craving a hot dog along with food stands that sell fruit.
If you are going to eat out, I recommend becoming a food truck connoisseur, but not in Times Square.
A container of chicken and rice in Midtown and the Lower Manhattan is $6.
In Times Square it cost me $15. Still not that expensive, but still $15 or $6? The large portions can be split with another person or enjoyed over lunch and dinner.
Walk a couple of blocks away from Times Square towards the Hudson River around 48th Street and 9th Avenue for variety and reasonable prices.
You will find grocery stores, daily food specials, pizza, and food trucks all around you. One advice I received from a local is to never pay more than what it costs for a subway ticket $2.75 for a slice of pizza.
Stop hoarding those Starbucks points and waiting for a rainy day. Those lovely points are a great way to treat yourself while traveling. Don’t forget to download the Starbucks app, avoid the lines by ordering ahead as there is a lot of sightseeing to do and not enough time.
Does using the subway make you nervous? The app I use for travel planning around the five boroughs (The Bronx, Queen, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Staten Island) is the NYC Subway app. The app notifies you if there is a delay and alternative route options. The free version contains ads, but they aren’t annoying.
Keep your energy up and balanced by engaging indulging in a 90-minute deep tissue massage for $58 or foot reflexology for $42at Taiji Bodywork.
Worth Traveling to NYC for New Year’s?
Being up for over 24 hours was well worth it and exciting, but next time, I will plan my stay for four days instead of three from December 30th – January 2nd. I have to hand it to NYC for continuing to hold it down.
A large police presence made me feel completely safe. Even amidst the chaos, they were very friendly and more than willing to give me directions to get to the right subway station in a swarm of spectators.
In my opinion, I don’t feel like watching the Times Square ball drop is a once in a lifetime experience. You can choose to be one of those that decide to stand outside from 10 a.m. until midnight or either watch from a rooftop or a hotel room.
I haven’t given up on seeing the ball drop in person. With the number of folks in Times Square, it would be enough for a person to become claustrophobic and anxious.
Next time I will have that room with a view to watch the folks down below or hustle my way to that rooftop kiddy corner from the Crowne Plaza. I just won’t be paying $4-5,000 for bragging rights.
Whatever you choose to do in the Big Apple, I hope you have a great time and enjoy every moment of the festivities.
Staying more than a couple of days? Click here for more NYC sightseeing ideas.
Whether you experience a migraine or a headache once or twice a month or daily, the pain is not fun.
Symptoms like sensitivity to light, vomiting, nausea, and throbbing pain on either side of your head can interfere with completing work or school projects, losing time with friends and family.
Severe Headache Pain
Triggers can be so severe requiring bed rest. I remember waking up with an intensely painful headache.
I couldn’t drive to work because it was too painful to open my eyes fully. I was so nauseous that I couldn’t eat.
Over the counter (OTC) medication like Excedrin was my go-to pain remedy for instant relief.
I would then chase it with a medium iced mocha with four packets of raw sugar from Caribou. It seemed to work for a couple of years.
While this remedy provided quick relief, one side effect I noticed at work was when it came to completing routine and complex tasks for a couple of hours, I had difficulty concentrating until the side effects wore off.
Trading Temporary Relief For a Quick Fix
I traded temporary relief for being tired and zoned out. Eventually, the Excedrin stopped working and ended up taking some generic Sudafed concoction.
One day, I had a migraine so bad that I ended up going to the hospital for 4 hours and was given Benadryl, Reglan, and Toradol cocktail intravenously. After that episode, I was popping pills more frequently.
When going to stronger medication, instead of getting better, the pain level of my headaches worsened.
Any OTC medication I tried taking was ineffective. The coffee trick not only didn’t work, but my gut had enough and wasn’t willing to play the pill game anymore. A daily routine of irritable bowel syndrome began.
Migraine/Headache Causes
Stress, hormones, bright lights, staring at a computer screen, neck or shoulder tension, alcohol, dehydration, irregular sleep patterns, and diet can trigger migraines.
If you are a sufferer from migraines and sinus headaches, it can be difficult to distinguish between the two because the symptoms are similar to one another.
The first step to treating and preventing migraines is to figure out what is causing the triggers.
The stages of a migraine can start with changes in mood, appetite, or appetite followed by difficulty in focusing and photophobia (light sensitivity and sound), and later throbbing pain on one side or both sides of the head that can last for an hour or more.
Maintaining a journal and tracking the frequency, location, and time of day can identify if the triggers are environmental, food, or work-related.
I later learned that using OTC and prescribed medication for chronic migraines and sinus headaches was more suitable for occasional headaches. One way of knowing if you have acute or chronic pain is how often you take OTC.
Using NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) for 15 days or more days per month can lead to chronic migraines.
Medication-Overuse Headaches
According to the American Migraine Foundation, a medication-overuse headache (MOH) is a secondary disorder caused by excessive use of acute medications. The frequency varies by person, but most of the time MOH occurs daily or nearly daily, and is usually present upon awakening.
If you find yourself taking more than what is the directions indicate on the back of the bottle or are mixing with a stronger OTC medication for chronic headaches, you could be experiencing MOH.
Gut Health and Inflammation
In the long-term, medications can cause and gastrointestinal issues like irritable bowel syndrome, stomach pain, diarrhea, and chronic constipation.
One way you can repair your gut is to start taking a potent probiotic along with ginger and turmeric to reduce inflammation.
My doctor recommended taking a strong probiotic. New Rhythm contains 20 strains, is time-released, doesn’t require refrigeration and doesn’t get destroyed by stomach acid.
One of the reviews on Amazon mentioned being able to add the probiotic to raw milk and make yogurt and simple vegan cashew yogurt.
The price ($16) is better than what I have seen in popular grocery stores and contains more strains than the competition at $60 a month.
I recommend starting with one pill a day for the first week and increase to two pills to avoid diarrhea. I started to notice a difference within a month. Including a probiotic in your daily wellness routine is beneficial to add gut flora from taking antibiotics.
In addition to taking a probiotic daily, I also make a gut health elixir with only three ingredients: apple cider vinegar, turmeric, and ginger.
I have played around with different homemade recipes to reduce IBS symptoms. Thinking I could save money, I started with turmeric and ginger powders. For some unknown reason, my body doesn’t respond well to certain powders.
I now buy turmeric and ginger in bulk at my local farmer’s market, store in the freezer in a zip lock bag, and use a grater when making my gut health elixir.
I drink my wonderful homemade elixir on an empty stomach in the morning and when I have an upset stomach. Within a couple of minutes, I feel relief. Click here for the recipe.
Alternative Treatments
Alternative treatments can be layered to reduce the frequency, intensity, and potentially rid migraine/headaches:
Prescribed migraine headache medication can get costly to pay for every month: rationing or missing doses resulting in more intense headaches.
Alternative treatments can offset the cost or reduce taking over the counter (OTC), prescribed medication, and complement existing treatments to prevent and treat migraines naturally.
Natural therapies can reduce frequency, symptoms, and even get rid of migraine headaches.
These alternative treatments can offset the cost or reduce the need to take OTC or prescribed medication or complement existing treatments.
Just like home cooking and layering flavors to build up the dramatic effect of a delicious meal, layering alternative treatments can be more beneficial long-term.
What Are The Causes Of Migraine Headaches?
Stress and migraines are closely related. Staring at a computer hunched over for long periods creates tension in the neck and shoulders.
These ailments, combined with the reflection of light back from the computer screen, can trigger chronic neck and shoulder pain with a headache.
As humans, we are meant to move. Ever heard of the saying, “use it or lose it?”
Prolonged sitting or slouching at your desk can lead to muscles sticking and gluing together.
When muscles shorten, they pull on other parts of the body that restrict movement
Do you have difficulty moving your head due to a stiff neck?
The human body is similar to a house or a tree. Imagine the feet as a foundation. The base of the foundation gives support and strength to resist injury or decay.
When the foundation is out of alignment (feet and ankles), imbalances throughout the structure (body) can occur.
In the human body, misalignments caused by muscle imbalances contribute to pain in the head, neck, joints, and back.
Prolonged sitting and sloughing in your car and at your desk pull the pelvis out of alignment, shortening your muscles which then pull on other muscles throughout the body.
Migraines At Work
If you find yourself experiencing migraines at work, turn some of the lights off or change the bulbs. Bright lights are my trigger.
At my last job, when a light bulb would burn out above me, I would ask the building manager to leave it alone and not replace it.
If you work in a cubical farm, making light adjustments may not be an option for you. Anti-fatigue or computer glasses can relieve computer eye strain.
Computer glasses are different from conventional reading glasses. The tinted glasses filter out the blue light from laptops, computers, monitors, television, iPad, and any other screens.
The pair I have I bought online from Gunnar. I often get mistaken for either a librarian or a gamer.
Yoga At Your Desk
Do you maintain good posture while at your desk? Is your laptop or computer positioned correctly? How often do you take breaks to stretch your neck, back, wrists and hands?
Are you scratching your head wondering, “what the heck is she talking about?”
Sitting and slouching overtime contributes to neck, back, and wrist pain. Give your office space a makeover with these office ergonomics guidelines from the Mayo Clinic to live pain-free.
Our muscles need to be stretched. That doesn’t mean stretching until it hurts. Just look at your pets. Cats remain limber because they are constantly stretching. Human beings are the only species that stretch until it hurts.
Gentle stretching for one-minute every day can make a world of difference. Remember, if you don’t use it, you will lose it.
In addition to practicing proper office ergonomics daily, take breaks every hour by doing some yoga stretches at your desk.
Herbs Can Reduce The Frequency Of Migraines
Throbbing pain during a migraine is the result of constriction and dilation of the blood vessels. Used for centuries to treat pain, fever, headaches, and stomach aches, Feverfew is a natural headache reliever.
The herb helps maintain a healthy blood vessel tone. Research has shown Feverfew can reduce frequency, symptoms, and even get rid of migraine headaches.
The brand I use is NOW. This brand contains both Butterbur and Fever Few. For it to work, you have to take it every day.
I started with the recommended dose of one tablet two to three times a day. After a couple of months, combined with weekly acupuncture treatments, I am down to take one pill a day.
In reading the reviews before purchasing, if you stop taking the herb, some users have noted experiencing more intense headaches.
While I didn’t deliberately go out of my way to test this theory, I did forget to take it and experienced a very painful headache the next day.
One way to avoid running out is to subscribe to monthly shipments or when you are close to running out, order another bottle.
Low Magnesium And Headaches
Fatigue, leg cramps, sleep disturbances, and you guessed it headaches and migraines are linked to low levels of magnesium. Did you know that stress contributes to mineral depletion like magnesium?
If you have experienced a bad migraine with auras and had to go to the hospital, medication intravenous therapy (IV) cocktail of Benadryl, Toradol, Magnesium Sulfate, and Reglan is used to treat painful migraines.
Exercise-Induced Migraines
Weightlifting, running, and rowing can trigger exercise-induced migraines. I didn’t understand the exercise and migraine connection until I watched a documentary late one night called, Supergirl on the PBS network about a girl powerlifter weighing 97 pounds who could lift 215 pounds.
Naomi (Nahama) Kutin’s intense training led to chronic migraines, which were later treated with a magnesium supplement. After watching the documentary, I began to understand how my recreational running, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts, and work-stress was triggering and aggravating my migraine symptoms.
One way to supplement it is by adding a couple of drops of liquid magnesium with trace minerals to water or juice to mask the taste as the taste of magnesium is less desirable.
Over the counter medication and prescribed medications can contribute to rebound migraines and headaches. Taking a liquid magnesium dietary supplement can help prevent, treat and reduce the frequency of migraine headaches.
Adding a B2 supplement can help migraine sufferers to ween themselves off of prescription medication.
Another benefit is taking liquid magnesium with trace mineral helps with foot cramps, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalances.
Non-Drug Treatments For Migraines
Traditional Chinese medicine has been to treat and manage pain. Acupuncture treatments are good for treating conditions like back and neck pain, hormone imbalances, plantar fasciitis and may reduce the number of days, frequency, and intensity of migraines. Treatment sessions involve small needles inserted in the skin.
A TENS (Transcutaneous Electronic Nerve Stimulation) unit is a drug-free device.
The FDA approved device is a useful option for individuals that can’t tolerate migraine prescription medication or are looking for a non-drug holistic treatment for pain relief from neck pain and tension headaches.
Pads are placed at the source of the pain. For migraine headaches, two to four pads are placed on the back of the neck.
The low current electrical stimulation encourages produce endorphins, the body’s natural pain-killing chemicals to suppress pain signals in the brain.
A TENS unit is good for preventing and treating pain throughout the body and treating and preventing migraine headaches.
If you’re searching for a non-narcotic solution to help with pain management or looking to stop taking opioids, this small device is worth a try.
Ice The Pain Away
Ice packs and ice headbands can be a good alternative or complement to OTC medication to help relieve migraine headaches, tension headaches, and sinus headaches.
When I start to feel a headache coming on, I grab an ice pack relief band out of my freezer, wrap it around my head along with laying on an acupressure mat and neck support pillow to relax my body and help relieve neck pain.
AcupressureFor Headaches
Aculief is a wearable gadget that targets the LI4 acupressure point to reduce stress, headache and neck pain. Upon feeling a headache coming on, place Acurelief between your thumb and index finger.
If you are taking prescription medication or antibiotics, supplementing magnesium may interact with medication and cause low blood pressure, make sure to consult with a health professional first.
