Teach Me Something Thursday, Volume Twenty.

Fellow blogger + sponsor, Melissa, brought to my attention that in Canada, January is Alzheimer Awareness Month. She asked if she could put together a TMST about the disease + I thought it was a fantastic idea!

As an advocate of Alzheimer’s Disease, I thought Teach Me Something Thursday would be a great opportunity to share some Alzheimer’s knowledge.

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is essentially a brain disease where brain cells progressively degenerate. This irreversible disease results in the deterioration of thinking ability and memory.

Some important info:

• There is currently no known cause or cure for Alzheimer’s Disease
• Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging
• Alzheimer’s disease is not an ‘old persons’ disease - people in their 40’s and 50’s have been diagnosed
• Memory loss is not the only sign of Alzheimer’s disease

10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Disease

1. Memory loss that affects day-to-day abilities
2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks
3. Problems with language
4. Disorientation in time and space
5. Impaired judgement
6. Problems with abstract thinking
7. Misplacing things
8. Changes in mood and behavior
9. Changes in personality
10. Loss of initiative

More information and explanation on the warning signs can be found at The Alzheimer Society.

What can you do?

There is nothing you can do to prevent Alzheimer’s disease but you can do things to lower your risk, such as:

• Challenge your brain. This would include playing games (ex. word puzzles, cards), learning a new language or instrument and even things like brushing your teeth with your left hand instead of right hand.
• Be socially active. Engage with coworkers, volunteer or join a social group/club (ex. Rotary International, book club).
• Healthy lifestyle. Eating healthy, exercising, reducing stress (ex. meditation, yoga) and regular visits to your doctor will help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

For more information, check out Brain Health and BrainBooster.

To learn more about Alzheimer’s disease, please visit www.alzheimer.ca or your local Alzheimer Society/Association. Thanks to Michele for letting me guest post and teach you all a little bit more about Alzheimer's Disease.

Don't forget to swing by Melissa's blog, Dreams + Colour!

Iron Craft '13 Challenge #1: Cotton.

I mentioned on one of the various social networks I utilize that I was taking part in Iron Craft '13 with Sarina. Since the first of the twenty-six challenges was cotton, I realized this one would be easier than I had anticipated. I had a slew of cotton bags lying around, so I brought some to Sarina's craft lair [she has a craft room - so jealous] + we decided to use the freezer paper stencil technique on the bags.

I was trying to figure out what to make + decided to make something seasonal + musical. Ummmm, what? It makes sense, I promise!

These bags = best craft store find of 2012. They're great for creating gifts for friends + family.

Sarina's assortment of paints. I bought a few to include in the box, as I'm always using her supplies.

So, I decided since Valentine's Day is soon approaching, I would make something that would be useful + cute! I used metallic red paint + iridescent paint, to keep it cute + simple. This is a natural cotton bag + I wanted to keep it simple, seeing as the other side had a bit more color.

My inner Beatlemaniac decided that using a simple line from "All You Need Is Love" would be perfect. Even those who aren't Beatles fans can enjoy this simple, yet beautiful message. I made the O's into hearts + added an extra one off to the side. I drew all of my stencils for this freehand, including all of the hearts.

The next week, we thought that we had start the next challenge, but realized that challenges are every two weeks. So, we decided to just have fun with the extra bags! I Didn't finish this bag, as I only did one side + still don't know what I'd like to add to it. Next time I'm in the craft lair, I'll figure something out!

Are any of you participating in Iron Craft? If you are, let me know - I'd love to see your creations! 

Fashionable Frames for Free = Firmoo!

Last month, I was contacted by Firmoo to see if I'd like to give their product a test run. At first, I had no clue what they were all about, but upon clicking the link to Firmoo.com, I realized that this was a site that sells glasses for reasonable prices, cutting out the middleman [eye doctor's office showroom with fancypants frames that cost more than you'd like to admit]. Since I've been wearing glasses since I'm three [which is 90% of my life], I'm used to the dog + pony show. I am also that girl who tries on twenty different frames + gets that look from the tech.

With Firmoo, I could try on as many frames as I wished with their Virtual Try-On System, without having to deal with a pushy salesperson. PLUS I had my glasses on while looking at the frames, which helps loads since I have a tricky prescription. So, for about an hour, I virtually tried on frames. Here are the four I narrowed it down to.

1   2   3   4

Note: I tried to keep a straight face while taking the picture without my glasses for the Virtual Try-On, to see how the shape would fare with my face. Sorry if I look weird, ha!

I decided to get the dark woodgrain frames [bottom right]. Seeing as the glasses were free, thanks to the first pair free program, I wasn't sure how long it would take to ship them, due to my pesky prescription. A few days later, I got an email stating that my frames were ready to ship. Ten days later, a padded envelope arrived with my frames!

As I opened the package, I noticed that there were two cases included - one hard + one soft. An eyeglass screwdriver + extra screws were also included, which is always great to have on hand. A fun, green soft cloth with the Firmoo logo was also in the hard case. 

Before I tried them on, I was nervous that the prescription would be off. I don't know how many times I've had to go back to the optometrist to have them fix my lenses or the frames. Its super frustrating + its the reason why I only go there when necessary. Granted, Firmoo offers free exchanges + returns, so I had nothing to lose. When I put my new glasses on, I was amazed - prescription was perfect + they look fantastic! I've been wearing them non-stop since Thursday + have even shelved my beloved red Fendi frames [yes, I love them that much] I didn't even get that pesky headache I always get with new glasses - it was a miracle. I don't think I'll ever buy frames in-store again. The frames Firmoo offers are reasonably priced + fashionable, plus they also have sunglasses [yes, I already have my eye on a few].

If you have more questions regarding Firmoo's policies, the company itself or frequently asked questions, make sure to swing by the Help Center page - it has lots of useful links which answered many of my questions. Or, shoot me an email + ask away! 

As I mentioned above, I received the frames free via the first pair free program, but this did not sway my opinion in any way, shape or form. 

Lets Be Friends!

My friend, Sally, decided to start a really cool link-up, called Lets Be Friends. I think its a great way to learn more about other bloggers + make some new friends along the way. This is the first week, so its an introduction of sorts, which is great, seeing as I have a bunch of new followers who probably want to know a bit about the girl behind the blog.

Age
I just turned thirty at the end of last year. So far, so good. I don't look my age + I'm often mistaken for a teenager, which is fine by me - it means that I'm aging well! ;)

Location
Long Island, New York. I was born here, but moved to Florida once I was in elementary school. After high school, I moved back for good. There is so much rich history here + so much to do. Plus, there's nothing like a summer drive on the island.

Fun Fact
During Summer 2007, I spent a month studying abroad in Italy! When I wasn't in class or relying on gelato as sustenance [rice gelato = best dessert ever], I was busy exploring + having a blast! We stayed in Rome for most of the trip, but adventured to Assissi, Capri, Florence, Tivoli + Venice.