“Nuts” About Beauty: National Nut Day is Thursday, October 22nd

Not only can you reap the health benefits from ingesting nuts, they also have positive effects on the skin. In honor of National Nut Day, here's a list of fantastic beauty products that contain nuts as active ingredients. {Product provided for review/feature consideration}

Scrumptious Fall Chicken Recipe from Carrington Farms

Now that the weather is finally starting to cool down, it’s no longer unbearable cooking hot meals and taking your time in the kitchen. Treat yourself to some quality comfort food with Carrington Farms Chicken Breast with Flax and Herb Stuffing recipe. By incorporating Carrington Farms Organic Flax Hemp Paks and Unflavored Liquid Coconut Cooking Oil, you pack your meal with an extra nutritional punch. Not only will your chicken be juicy and flavorful, but now you can enrich it with omega-3s, omega-6s, fiber, and lignans {lignan benefits include: reduced rates of reproductive organ and colon cancer, improved cardiovascular health, hair growth and menopause support}, serving plenty of nutrients with every bite. Crack open a window and let in that crisp fall air to really enjoy this seasonal recipe! {Product provided for review/feature consideration}

Mastering Your Fall Lip Look!

When it comes to this fall's hottest lip colors, anything goes! Go bright, daring, vibrant or rich, deep, and moody - this season's "it" shades run the gamut. Try pale or electric pink, corals, and reds - lipsticks, crayons, or glosses and get ready for one amazing Fall! {Product provided for review/feature consideration}

Go for the Gold this Fall!

Gold symbolizes wealth, good heath and power. And after a long year, what more could you need?

Make sure to pamper yourself by indulging in richness from head to toe with these luxuriously golden beauty products.

Wunderkind Reads - The Ru-Lan Series

Ru-Lan Volume 1 - The Prince is Born {Ages 4 - 6; 48 pages; $10.95; Heritage Builders Publishing} 

Shortly after his miraculous birth, made possible with help from the phoenix, prince Ru-lan is captured by Su-ling, the evil enchantress, who plans to raise Ru-lan and use him to take over the kingdom. Several years later, the phoenix reminds the little boy of his real identity, and he escapes from Su-ling’s cottage with the help of his animal friends. Once their son is firmly ensconced in the palace, the emperor and empress undertake a daring plot to forever rid the kingdom of the threat of the evil enchantress.

The first book in the Ru-lan series depicts Ru-lan’s origin. Thrown into one adventure after another, Ru-lan demonstrates the values of compassion, empathy, loyalty and friendship even when faced with dangerous enemies intent on destroying all he holds dear. Children not only learn valuable life lessons but also are also introduced to interesting aspects of Chinese culture creating an extended learning experience. Basia Tov illustrates this first volume in the series with a beautiful touch, the images of animals and the young prince have a naive child-like feeling that is at once familiar and exotic, sure to appeal to parents and kids alike.

Ru-lan Volume 2 - Attack of The Stink Bugs {Ages 4-6; 48 pages; $10.95; Heritage Builders Publishing}

The evil enchantress Su-ling had a sister, Ya-Mei, the good enchantress. For 200 years, Su-ling had kept Ya-Mei imprisoned in the body of a caged rabbit. Ya-Mei was freed when the Emperor destroyed her evil sister, and she is very grateful. Many years before her death, Su-ling had placed a curse on the kingdom, that upon her demise, would trigger the unleashing of a swarm of highly destructive, magically enhanced stink bugs on their crops, threatening their food supply and very survival. Once this happens, Ya-Mei, seeing the desperate situation, grants Ru-lan power over insects. This power helps the young prince save the kingdom from starvation. In victory, Ru-lan shows compassion for his enemies, teaching everyone a lesson. He also meets the young, talented, precocious Cai Hua, his future wife. The illustrations by Basia Tov continue to bring the story to life with a magical sense of realism that takes its inspiration from authentic early Chinese painting.

The Ru-lan series is entertaining and a great way to expose your young ones to new and different cultures. Until next time...

What Colleges Really Want… in Essays, Apps and Interviews By Susan Ford Collins

I began my career as a researcher at the National Institutes of Health. After a year, an idea began waking me at night. What more could we learn if we started studying healthy, successful people as well as ill and dysfunctional ones? Are they using skills the rest of us are missing or misusing? Finally, after numerous restless nights, I stood up and presented my idea at one of our prestigious weekly conferences. But, instead of becoming excited, my colleagues all laughed!