In light of Earth Day, I thought I’d join the email bandwagon with some environmentally-friendly options for your health…a few days late.  By now I am sure you have heard about the recent scare with plastic water bottles.  While the media has been focusing on baby bottles, the truth is that plastic water bottles are harmful - to the environment and to your health - a double whammy!
 
Did you know that plastic water bottles take 700 years to even begin to decompose in landfills - yes, seven hundred years.  Yikes.  And if you think reusable plastic water bottles are better, researchers are now finding that these bottles leak BPA (bisphenol A) into your water. These chemicals are being linked to neural damage and may produce free radicals in the body from toxic stress.  Read an interview I gave recently to the Reno, Nevada Gazette-Journal on antioxidants and how to avoid free radical damage.
 
So, what should you carry your water in?
 
I was using glass water bottles for awhile, until I dropped one on the ice-crusted, frozen-rock-solid, Wisconsin ground this winter. Luckily no blood was shed! The best bottle to use is a SIGG Water Bottle.  I have posted them on my website because so many people have been asking me where to get them.  Click here to check out all of the colorful and unique SIGG bottles for kids and adults.  I love these!  I even bought one for each of my family members for Christmas this year.  Some were more excited than others. 
 
If you’re looking for safe baby bottles and options for kids, read this Article on baby bottles which mentions some great options.  Also check out my friend Deanna’s online shop Freckle Face Boutique where you can find Wee Go baby bottles.  Very cute, trendy…and safe!
 
If you still have more questions on plastic water bottles, this article may be helpful:  Read this article.

Happy Water Drinking!

Suzanne Monroe
Real Life Food

By Suzanne Monroe, Food Coach, Real Life Food Have you ever said to yourself “Today is the day I am going to start eating healthier!”? I think we have all said this to ourselves at one time or another. But why don’t we stick with it? One of the problems is that we often think that eating healthier means eliminating foods that we crave, like chocolate chip cookies or the tempting bag of your favorite snack. When I talk with people about their cravings, everyone usually has at least one thing that seems to be standing in their way. Most people, in attempt to eat healthier, tell themselves “I am never going to eat that again” or “I shouldn’t eat that”. But then suddenly they find themselves with an intense craving for the very thing they are trying to give up. Have you ever thought about why this happens? Think of your mind like a magnet. Whatever thoughts come into your mind circulate around and around and cause you to feel and act a certain way. When you focus on not eating something, you place a lot of attention on what you are not supposed to be doing. Whether it’s a positive or a negative thought, either way you are focused on it. Your thought “I will not eat cookies” rings in your brain as “cookies, cookies, cookies”. So how can you possibly stop eating cookies when all you are thinking about is not eating cookies? There is a better way to eating healthy and it’s not about depriving yourself or denying yourself of your favorite foods. When you deprive yourself, you wind up feeling dissatisfied which can lead to more cravings, over eating, and feelings of guilt. Let’s throw guilt out the window! It’s not fun and you don’t need it in your life. Instead of focusing on what you can’t eat, flip it around and focus on what you can eat. There are many methods I use for helping people to eliminate their cravings, and this method is called “Crowding Out”. By adding in all of the delicious, nourishing food that you can have - the food that you enjoy and that is healthy for you - suddenly the food that makes you sick seems to disappear. Your body will recognize this change and say “THANK YOU!” Keep adding in nutrient-dense foods, and watch your cravings for processed, sugary foods diminish. And you won’t even have to arm wrestle with yourself in the kitchen! Try this exercise: List all of your favorite foods that are full of nutrients. (a.k.a. “healthy and tasty”). Next, decide on different meals to add these foods in during the week. Then make a commitment to focus on these nutrient-dense foods for one month. Make sure you are adding them in each day. Post your goal on your refrigerator. If you are have a craving for something “unhealthy”, examine your list and decide if something on the list will do instead. If not, sit down and enjoy your treat without guilt. Here are a few examples of Nutrient-Dense Foods that will leave you feeling satisfied: Beans – Garbanzo, Pinto, Kidney, Lima, Cannellini and many more. Beans are loaded with fiber and will add a sensation of feeling full. Vegetables – The more green vegetables you eat, the more you will want to keep them in your daily diet. They are loaded with minerals and nutrients. Berries – Loaded with antioxidants, berries of all kinds have cancer-preventing power. They are also a great fruit choice for weight-management. Wild Alaskan Salmon – Full of Omega 3 Fatty Acids, a serving of salmon will leave you feeling satisfied. Nuts – Walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, and other nuts are a healthy source of fat. They make a great snack or just top them on your salad. Recipe: Jumpstart SmoothieThis smoothie is delicious for an easy breakfast or a tasty summer drink. Prep time: 5 minutesServings: 2 Ingredients:1 cup berries1 banana1 /3 cup organic yogurt2 tbsp almond butter or ¼ cup ground almonds1 tbsp flax seed oil¼ cup aloe juice¾ cup liquid of your choice (water, juice, chilled herbal tea)2 tbsp whey protein powder or spirulina powder – optional Directions: Mix all ingredients in a blender and serve. Enjoy as a healthy breakfast shake or as a refreshing summer drink. Suzanne Monroe is a Food Coach and certified holistic health counselor. Her company, Real Life Food, helps busy people finally answer the question, What do I eat? For a free report on Eating for Energy, visit www.reallifefood.com.

If you are a first time home buyer or it’s been awhile since you’ve experienced a Real Estate transaction, here is a time line of what to expect throughout the home buying process:

1) Get a copy of your credit report is the first step. A website I like to use is PrivacyGuard
2) Make a budget and determine how much you can afford. Keep in mind lenders will often approve you for a loan higher than you realistically can afford. A good estimate is 30%-40% of your net monthly salary towards a mortgage payment.

3) Pick a mortgage broker. Mortgage brokers have a pulse on the market and often times work with you to create the best plan that fits your particular needs.

4) Select a Real Estate Agent to help you “house shop”. Working with a Buyers Agent has many benefits to a buyer and what’s more, there is typically no charge for you to work with a buyers agent.

5) Apply for a mortgage & get pre-approved. Receive a copy of the pre-approval letter.

6) Shop for homes! When looking, keep in mind this is not only a place to live, but an investment. You want to make sure you 1) want to live there 2) it’s a good investment from a resale perspective. See what makes a home more “sell-able”.

7) Once you’ve selected a house you like, come up with a price point you are comfortable with (talk to your buyers agent regarding comps) and write an offer !

Stay alert and available during the negotiation process due to deadlines, your buyer agent will need to be able to get ahold of you so try to be available for the next few days once you put in an offer.

9) Once the offer is accepted, both parties will have a sign offer to purchase.

10) Depending on what contingencies you designated in the offer, there is a time frame in which those are to be satisfied. Standard contingencies are inspection & financing. Usually it is 7-45 days, depending how it was negotiated in the offer to purchase.

11) Home Inspection typically comes prior to the financing. Mainly because if the inspection doesn’t pan out & you no longer want the home you didn’t also pay for an appraisal of the property, which the lenders will charge you for.

12) Submit for a formal loan application. This is where the appraiser goes out and appraises the home to make sure the bank is not lending money to a home that doesn’t hold a similar value to the purchase price.

13) Purchase home owners insurance (if the sellers aren’t including it).

14) Receive an offical loan committment letter from your lender. This is then signed by the borrower and sent to the sellers, which is the last piece to satisfy the financing contingency.

15) Wait to close. You’ll receive your closing documents 1-3 days prior to close which you’ll want to carefully review with your mortgage broker & Realtor to make sure everything adds up.

16) Day of Closing you’ll want to do a “final walk through” of the property. This is to make sure everything looks normal it before taking possession. (No trees have fallen on the property, no fire, etc. )

16) Day of closing, you’ll want to bring a certified cashiers check to closing for closing costs, your personal checkbook (in case any added expenses) and your ID/Drivers License.

17) Celebrate & Enjoy your new home! Oh, and don’t forget to refer your fabulous Real Estate Agent -Jamie Miller- to everyone you know

For more information on the home buying process or more details, contact Jamie Miller at 608-335-3410.

“Jamie helped us find our first house - something we’ll never forget! Being first time home buyers, we were anxious about the process but working with Jamie made the experience enjoyable. We worked hard together to find the perfect fit and we couldn’t be happier with our new home. Jamie’s help in setting up our inspection and closing details was great. Thank you so much!”

- John & Amanda Thielmann

Here’s a makeover of my very own.  I got these 2 matching chairs for free on Craig’s list.  I planned on re-covering the chairs myself through my MATC upholstery class, but after my last project took 6 months to finish, I got antsy and decided to enlist the help of a professional.   Altogether this project (including fabric) was about $900 for the 2 chairs.  It’s not exactly cheap, but when I priced out other options at a $450 price point, I found that this option was the best for me because it was custom (I got to pick the exact fabric I wanted) and I really liked the lines and quality of these chairs.   An added bonus– the luxurious down cushions that didn’t need any new stuffing!  The fabric came from JoAnn’s (an orderable) on the West side.   At $40/yard, I used one of those 50% off coupons they’re always throwing around and got all of the fabric for around $150.  The upholsterer I used is actually one of the teachers at MATC.  Check out his website here.  He’s super nice and look how cute he is.  Finding a good upholsterer is important– you don’t want to just go with the lowest bid.  Trust me, I’ve seen some bad upholstery jobs and it’s really not worth your money to go with a novice.  Always ask for referrals and ask to see previous work.  You don’t want to see any wavy piping or lumps and bumps where they shouldn’t be.  Peter did a great job on my chairs, and charged a fair price.  Thanks Peter!  

I’m looking to grow my client base and grow my business. I intend to be the top 10% of Madison Realtors within 2 years so I greatly appreciate those of you who have utilized my professional services or are thinking to in the future or have referred business to me, as that is 1/2 of how I will get there!  I love nothing more than working with my friends to help them sell their homes or find a new home.

However, I realize I may not be the right fit for everyone - some of you may prefer a Realtor with more experience or knows more about your specific neighborhood   (Although I can overcome those objections! )  I simply cannot overcome the objection of not wanting to mix business and friendship. With that in mind, I want you to know that you can still help me out by allowing me to refer you to another agent of  your choosing or an agent that fits the criteria you are looking for.

I have a lot of agents in this business I think highly of and would be happy to provide you a referral.  What this does is

 1) It still allows you to help me out because I receive a “referral fee” from the agent I provide a referral too  2) It allows you to receive a great recommendation
 
At the end of the day, I hope that you all want to hire me for your Real Estate needs because you believe and trust my abilities, not because I’m your friend. That is my job to prove to each of you that you don’t need to go to a “top agent” to get the type of service you want and expect.  See some client testimonials here:

Client Testimonials
I would still love to represent my friends directly, but understand it may not be a good fit for everyone, with that I just ask you consider letting me refer you to another agent.

To contact me directly for a referal, call Jamie Miller at 608-335-3410.

With Spring upon us, Real Estate activity is picking up. Madison seems to be in a protected shield more so than other areas of the country, mostly part to our strong economy here in Madison with State Government, UW-Madison and hospitals and clinics. We certainly aren’t feeling the real estate “slump” as drastically as other parts of the country.  Dane County is still “down” from last year sales. According to new figures from the Realtors Association of South Central Wisconsin, there were 289 homes sold in Dane County in February.  That compares to 362 sales for February 2007, a drop of 20.2 percent. For the first two months of the year, sales are down 26.3 percent. Good news for buyers, not so good for sellers.

For more information on what you can do to increase the “market-ablilty” & “Sale-ability” of your home, contact Jamie Miller,  jamie@madisonwisconsinliving.com, 335-3410 or simply leave a comment.

3725 Design Pass Madison, WI 53719  -  $209,900 - Open House Sunday, April 6th from 2-4pm ! 

Warm, inviting, private entry townhouse - perfect for the buyer that wants the space of a house, but not the yard work or upkeep! End Unit offers abundance of natural light. 2 BR, 2.5 BA, walk-in closets, laundry on 2nd flr, 2 car private garage, plus a den/office. Main level offers you an open flr plan with gas fireplace, deck, dining area, with an open kitchen layout. Upgraded appliance package, all window coverings, washer/dryer included.  Great location - near community pool, Pick N’ Save, and Super Target. Easy access to West Towne mall and beltline/151. 

Driving in my old ‘hood this weekend, I decided to stop by one of my favorite home decor spots: Unearthed.  The little shop opened at its new location across from Lombardino’s restaurant last summer.  Unearthed was previously located upstairs in the now defunct Hue Gallery on Monroe.  Shop owner Heidi Anderson has put together an eclectic mix of vintage finds for the home.  You can find anything from French linen market bags (I’m a sucker for anything linen AND French) to early American foundry forms. I would use these pillows in back of the (pretend) built-in benches in my sunroom.  The foundry forms would look great as part of an art wall with various framed pieces around it, and maybe an interesting mounted plate or two and a few mirrors.  I must admit, I have a hard time coming up with uses for some of Heidi’s offerings.  I’m not sure what one would do with a vintage fencing mask, but I’m open for suggestions!  The shop has a dose of feminine finds but there seems to be a trend toward the masculine.  There are science lab tables and pyrex glass beakers, WW1 leather map bags, and gas station signs.  I think it’s important to include masculine pieces in the home.  Every abode needs a dose of yang to even out the yin.    I purchased 3 different sized lab glasses to use as bud vases.  The smallest will be perfect for summer violets. The others, great for one beautiful flower above my kitchen sink.  I hope you check out Unearthed sometime soon.  Remember, in order to keep great local shops around, we need to support them, so buy your next birthday gift at Unearthed!  You can also visit Heidi’s website for her latest finds at the Unearthed website.

Dark chocolate fulfills the palate and the soul! Plus, it’s heart-healthy. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids that have cardioprotective properties, namely epicatechin and gallic acid. If you regularly eat small servings of dark chocolate, it can decrease your risk of having a heart attack. It’s important to note that dark chocolate with a minimum 70% content of cacao exudes the most health benefits. Also, opt for dark chocolate that is not alkalized as this negates dark chocolate’s health benefits.

Try these delicious recipe:

Prep time: 5 minutes
Freezer time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6-(or 4 chocolate addicts!)

Ingredients:

1 ½ bars organic dark chocolate, minimum 70%
(My favorites are Dagoba Eclipse 89% or Green and Blacks Extreme Dark 88%.)
8 oz. mixed nuts, raw, unsalted, and preferably organic

Directions:

Break chocolate bars into squares into a small saucepan. Place over low heat until chocolate melts, stirring. Turn off heat and dump nuts into melted chocolate. Stir so that all nuts are well-covered.

Fold a large piece of wax paper in half, and place it on a plate that will fit into the freezer. The wax paper should cover the plate. Dump the chocolate and nut mixture onto the wax paper. Spread the mixture as necessary to flatten it , but ensure that there are no gaps between nuts.

Place the plate with the mixture in the freezer for 30 minutes. In the meantime, enjoy licking the spoon and saucepan!

When the mixture has hardened, remove it from the freezer. Use a butter knife to chop the mouth-watering brick into bite-sized pieces. Place the pieces in a ceramic bowl to serve, and discard the wax paper. Enjoy!

For more tasty, healthy recipes, visit Real Life Food.
Happy Valentine’s Day!