Tag Archives: chocolate

Sleeping Tips for Surviving DST

07 Thursday Mar 2019

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Didn’t it seem like only yesterday that we were setting our clocks back and excited for an extra hour of sleep? It may be hard to believe, but Sunday marks the end of Daylight Saving Time (DST.)

animal cat face close up feline

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Understandably, most of us do not look forward to the end of Daylight Savings, like we do at the beginning. According to sleep.org, the average person sleeps 40 minutes less on the night following Daylight Saving Time then they would on a typical night. Many people feel adjusted to the change by Wednesday, but other unlucky individuals may struggle for weeks.

Anyone who has experienced a rough night of sleep will likely tell you that it can have several negative impacts on the following day. To prepare for Daylight Savings, now is the perfect time to audit your regular nighttime routine. Keep these following tips in mind as you plan to spring ahead:

  • Gradually transition into the time change

Ideally, you would already be going to bed a little earlier than usual. If not, it’s not too late to get started. For the next couple of nights, make an effort to go to bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier. If you are well-rested before Saturday night, you will help minimize the effects of DST.

Remember that different people need different amounts of sleep. Make an effort to determine how much sleep you need.

  • Limit caffeine and alcohol intake

Alcohol and caffeine, which can be found in coffee, chocolate, tea and pain relievers, can disrupt your sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid these stimulating substances for four to six hours before bedtime.

  • Don’t schedule nighttime workouts

Moderate exercise during the day can help you sleep better at night. When done regularly, aerobic exercise can help improve your quality of sleep, but the timing is important. For some, working out too close to bedtime can hinder sleep. Rule of thumb, if you don’t often sleep well, think about exercising earlier in the day.

  • Establish a digital curfew

When using smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices at bedtime, you are unknowingly delaying your internal clock. These devices suppress the release of melatonin and make it more difficult to fall asleep. Create a digital curfew for you and your loved ones in which you all turn off electronic devices for the night. Consider setting the limit 30 minutes to 2 hours before bed. The earlier you in the evening you power down the electronics, the better.

  • Commit to a regular sleeping schedule

Finally, for the best night’s sleep, go to bed and wake up at the same time each day (yes, even weekends.) By sticking with a schedule, you can help your body regulate its sleep pattern and maximize the hours you sleep.

Here at Lions Pride, we may not exactly be excited about losing an hour of sleep, but Daylight Saving Time means that spring is right around the corner and brighter days are ahead. Don’t forget to enjoy the changing of the season!

Non-Traditional Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

10 Thursday May 2018

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“All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my mother.” -Abraham LincolnFun

She wiped your tears when you were sad, provided the bandage when you scraped your knee and cared for you when you came home sick. Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 13, but you how exactly do you say “thank you” to the person who brought you into this world and gave you the gift of life?

Rather than giving her the predictable presents that all moms have come to know and expect like flowers, cards and chocolate, we have a couple of out-of-the-box gift ideas that don’t require ribbons and bows. This Mother’s Day, consider giving her:

  • Time to relax: We all have responsibilities that we don’t necessarily enjoy completing, but doesn’t it seem like many of these duties often fall on mom’s plate? Whether your mother has plans to empty out the basement, mow the grass or give the house a thorough spring cleaning, help lighten her load by offering your hand.
  • A day filled with her favorite activities: If you were to ask anyone about their most prized possession, time would likely be the most frequent answer. There’s no denying that life can get busy. When was the last time, you spent quality time with your mom? Spend Sunday with the activity of her choice. She might enjoy going to church, tending the garden or simply spending the afternoon catching. If you both happen to already have plans for this Sunday, a raincheck is always an option!
  • The gift that keeps on giving: If mom has a special cause that she carries about, give a donation in her honor. Nonprofit organizations thrive on funding. If your mother is a Lions Pride support, consider giving an honorarium donation to help us continue to preserve, provide and protect the Wisconsin Lions Camp and all WLF statewide projects. Learn more about memorial/honorarium donations.

This Sunday, show your gratitude for your mom with a present she won’t soon forget. Remember, the best gifts in life don’t always come in beautifully wrapped boxes; the best presents come from the heart.

Happy Mother’s Day from Lions Pride!

The Symbols of Easter

29 Thursday Mar 2018

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If you’ve stepped into a retail store sometime in the past few weeks, you know thatJoyful Easter rabbits, pastel-colored boxes and candy of all shapes and sizes have recently taken up residence in the seasonal aisle. We know that Easter is traditionally known as a religious holiday, have you ever wondered where these symbols got their origin?

We did, too, and after a bit of research, we think we found the answers!

Believe it or not, these characters are said to pre-date Christianity. The origin of the word, “Easter”’ stems from Eostre, the Germanic goddess of spring. Each year, on or around the 21st of March, the Celtic people would celebrate Ostara. Although it sounds like a holiday, it was seen as an opportunity to be in tune with the changing of the seasons.

Because the Spring Equinox is known as a time of rebirth, it has strong ties to fertility and sowing seeds. The symbol of the rabbit first appeared during medieval times in Europe. Hares had been known to be nocturnal most of the year, but in March when the mating season began, bunnies could be seen everywhere. In no time at all, the hare became known as a major symbol of fertility.

As for chocolate and candy, you will not be surprised to learn that we could find evidence of existence during the original Celtic celebrations. We can likely assume the abundance of candy can be rooted back to Catholic traditions. Christians typically sacrifice items they enjoy during the Lenten season such as rich food items like meat, soda or candy. On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the end of Lent by indulging in sweets.

There you have it – some of the best-known origins of Easter. What is your favorite symbol of Easter/Spring Equinox?

It indeed is a remarkable time of the year. After a long winter season, it’s amazing to see our beautiful land coming back to life. We hope you have a chance to take a moment to appreciate spring’s arrival as you celebrate with your family this weekend.

Happy Easter from Lions Pride!

15 Fun Facts about Halloween

28 Friday Oct 2016

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It’s the spookiest time of the year. You’ve likely already seen carved jack o’lanterns, lions-pride-halloweentombstones appearing in obscure locations and skeletons dancing in the wind, but come this weekend, you’ll see all sorts of costumed creatures!

To celebrate the scariest annual holiday, we thought it would be fun to round up fun facts about Halloween that you might not already know:

  1. After Christmas, Halloween is the second highest grossing commercial holiday.
  2. Ireland is typically believed to be Halloween’s birthplace.
  3. Chocolate candy bars are the most popular candy for trick-or-treaters with Snickers being the top brand.
  4. More than 93 percent of children go trick-or-treating to celebrate the holiday.
  5. The owl is a popular Halloween image because they were once thought to be witches.
  6. Halloween is one of the oldest celebrations in the entire world, dating back to approximately 4000 BC.
  7. Orange and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with the fall harvest while black is associated with darkness and death.
  8. Salem, Massachusetts, and Anoka, Minnesota, have both proclaimed themselves as the Halloween capitals of the world.
  9. The first jack o’lanterns were carved out of turnips, rather than pumpkins.
  10. More than 90 million pounds of chocolate are sold during Halloween week alone.
  11. The word, “Witch” comes from the Old English word, “Wicce”, meaning, “wise woman.”
  12. Surprisingly, Halloween ranks as the sixth most popular card-giving holiday.
  13. If you see a spider on Halloween night, legend says it is the spirit of a loved one watching over you.
  14. In 2016, superheroes have beat princesses as the most popular Halloween costume (ending their 11-year reign).
  15. A fear of Halloween is known as Samhainophobia.

There you have it, fun facts to celebrate old Hallows Eve! From all of us at Lions Pride, we wish you and your family a safe, enjoyable Halloween weekend!

 

Sources:

http://www.factretriever.com/halloween-facts

http://www.theholidayspot.com/halloween/facts.htm

http://www.halloween-website.com/trivia.htm

http://www.forbes.com/sites/adriennegibbs/2016/10/26/princess-superhero-this-years-most-popular-halloween-costumes/#171b1b257b49

Take Time to Relax During Stress Awareness Month and Beyond!

30 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by in Lions Camp, Special Events

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Did you know that more than 1 in 4 Americans say that they have had a great deal of Stop Stressstress in the past month? Plus, half of all adults say that they have experienced a major stressful in the past. These adults add up to more than 115 million stress out Americans. April is Stress Awareness Month, and although May is fast approaching, we felt that this topic deserved some attention that could hopefully be carried out in months to follow.

Stress is a normal part of life. Our bodies are built to experience and react to stress. Believe it or not, stress can actually be positive because it helps us stay alert and avoid danger, but it can quickly become negative when bodies don’t get the time to recover.

Nearly all trips to the doctor’s office are due to stress-related ailments and complaints. Stress can play a major role in problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, depression and anxiety.

We think it’s time to nip these problems in the bud by reducing the amount of stress we put on our bodies. We’ve compiled a list of ways to achieve stress relief:

  1. Breathe.

Could there be possibly an easier way to relax? By taking slow, deep breaths, you can lower your blood pressure and heart rate.

  1. Write it down.

Studies have shown that simply by writing down your thoughts and feeling can help combat anxiety and clear the mind of stress.

  1. Declutter.

A cluttered environment reduces your ability to focus. By organizing your space, you are removing all potential work that might be otherwise staring you in the face.

  1. Eat chocolate.

Yes, you heard us correctly! When used in appropriate quantities, dark chocolate has been shown to significantly improve mood by increasing serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain.

  1. Enjoy the great outdoors.

It’s been shown that nature is a natural stress reliever. Wide-open spaces mean more opportunities to boost your health.

Did you know that you could enjoy some time this summer in what we feel is the best open space, the Wisconsin Lions Camp? WLF is again hosting Visitor Days every Wednesdays over the summer, and there are still openings. If you do choose to visit, be sure to stop by at the Lions Pride office. You can achieve stress relief in two ways because we are always stocked with chocolate!

There are several more ways to reduce the amount of stress in your life, and many take less than 5 minutes of your day. Take advantage of these tips to reduce your stress and improve your overall health. How do you accomplish stress relief?

Practicing Moderation After the Season of Lent

05 Thursday Mar 2015

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Lent Sacrifices

We are three weeks into Lent; have you have given up something you love to observe this especially religious time of year?

Christians honor Lent as the season of conversion. They acknowledge the many different ways that may have turned them away from God by focusing on the three pillars: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. By giving something up, they are practicing a modern form of fasting.

In general, the sacrifices people give up are considered bad habits. A few of the most common sacrifices include chocolate, soda, fast food and smoking. We have an interesting thought, if you can give up something for 40 days, why do you have to go back to your old ways when Lent is over?

There’s an old myth that says it takes 21 days to form a habit. New studies show that habit-forming actually takes 66 days. If it’s true that 66 is the magic number, then you are more than halfway to the end goal! However, if the idea of giving up your guilty pleasure completely gives you nightmares, maybe it’s time to think about practicing moderation.

Consider this; say you stop at the coffeehouse five times a week on your way to work for an extra large latte. Not only are you consuming an average of 240 calories a day, but you are also spending nearly $4 a day and almost $20 a week on your morning pick-me-up. If you add that up for an entire year, you are spending close to $950. Yikes!

Rather than buying a Latte each day, think about brewing your own coffee at home and using your favorite flavored creamer four days a week then having a latte only day each week. Think about which day you’d like to reward yourself – maybe Friday to get an early start on the weekend or Monday to make that less-than-perfect day a little easier to manage. By reducing the number of lattes you consume each week from five to one, you are likely reducing your weekly calorie intake drastically as well as keeping more money in your wallet. By using our example, you would be saving about $821 each year.

What will you do with all of your savings? If it’s anything close to our scenario, you can do a lot! You could take a mini-vacation, splurge on something you normally wouldn’t or make your sacrifice even more special; make a difference by using those funds to support a charity like Lions Pride.

The Lions Pride Endowment Fund makes it easy with automatic payment options. One Pride Donor has said, “I have a $20 monthly donation coming out of my checking account every month, I don’t even miss it.” There are many ways you can donate to Lions Pride, click here to see all the options available.

By giving up something you care about during Lent, you are showing yourself just how much willpower you really have. Remember, you are more powerful than you think. Continued Success!

Show the Love to Your Favorite Non-Profit Organization

12 Thursday Feb 2015

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Lions Pride LoveIf you’ve been in the supermarket any time in the past few weeks, you were probably overwhelmed at the sight of red and pink hearts, boxes of chocolates and little stuffed animals with darling sayings. February 14 is the day to spoil your sweetheart with compliments and goodies, but why is he or she the only one who sees the love? This Valentine’s Day, show love to your favorite non-profit organization with these thoughtful ideas:

  • Say “thank you”

There is nothing simpler or more thoughtful than saying “thank you for your hard work” and there are so many ways to say it! Spend a moment to send a card, write a short email or making a quick phone call. By showing a little appreciation, you are sure to make someone’s day brighter.

  • Volunteer to volunteer

Volunteering is one of the oldest ways to support your nonprofit organization. Often times, events are major fundraisers for non-profits, but they need hard-working people make the event a success; plan ahead by volunteering to help with the next big event. Volunteers are needed for the 8th Annual Lions Pride Shoot is scheduled for Saturday, June 13th in Johnson Creek. Email the LPEF office for more information.

  • Share the love

Social networks like Facebook are wonderful promotional tools for non-profit organizations keeping supporters up-to-date on current happenings. Help Lions Pride reach new potential supporters by sharing their message. Encourage your friends and follower to learn more about the nonprofit, volunteering their time and/or making a donation. Be sure to tag the organization so they can thank you for your support! Find and LIKE Lions Pride on Facebook.

  • Give a special donation

Finally, the most obvious way to show your love. Make a special donation to Lions Pride in honor of a friend or loved one! Remember, even small donations make a big difference.

From all of us here at Lions Pride, we hope you enjoy your Valentine’s Day and don’t forget the show the love to your favorite non-profit!

Valentine’s Day Fun Facts

13 Thursday Feb 2014

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Tomorrow marks the most romantic day of the year, Valentine’s Day. To help get in the spirit,Happy Valentine's Day we’ve compiled a list of fun facts about the day of love.

Did you know?

  • In 2013, eNation estimated that 233 million roses were purchased on February 14. Valentine’s Day is the biggest day for fresh flowers.
  • Men spend twice the amount of money compared to women. Men spend an average of $175 on gifts while women only spend $88 on average.
  • 50% of gift givers opted for candy and chocolates spending approximately $1.6 billion.
  • One in five roses purchased were for the buyer’s mother.

All this talk about love got us thinking about the hearts we touched during the year:

  • In 2013, we were able to send 45 children with special needs to Lions Camp for a week filled with outdoor fun and life experiences.
  • We were able to help hundreds of hearing impaired individuals who did not qualify for state-funded financial assistance obtain hearing aids.
  • We were able to provide previously owned eyeglasses to needy individuals all over the world with our eyeglass recycling center. We have estimated in the last 15 years, we have received over 800,000 pairs of used glasses.

Valentine’s Day is a great time to show love, but it’s important to remember that any day is a wonderful day to touch the heart of another. Want to help us? You can make a tax deductible gift online. You can rest assured that your support is helping deserving children and individuals all across the state of Wisconsin.

Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at Lions Pride!

Source: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/505041-valentines-day-2014-statistics-surprising-facts-about-the-holiday/

http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/newswire/2009/valentine%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s-day-a-sweet-spot-for-chocolate-sales.html