Two Things You Need To Know

I have been away from this blog for awhile, I guess.  For me, anyway.  Well, I am back with some information you must know.  It has the potential to really make an impact on your life!

Here's the story:

Yesterday afternoon I had the challenge joy of taking Alex shopping for a new round of dress pants.  And a shirt.  I swear, everytime this boy young man has a performance, he has outgrown his clothes!  The last time he wore his black pants, they were so tight to button that the zipper was all puckered.  Come on now, you know exactly what I'm describing.  We've all been there.  I can't believe how he's grown.  I feel like I went from the boy's department to the men's department overnight!  He's now a 15 1/2, 34/35 dress shirt.  Okay, really now.  Really?  And, it has to be a slim cut.  And it can't be too "busy", but it has to have color.  And apparently dark plum is just too close to pink.  And stripes are "busy" unless it's monochromatic.  And after agonizingly searching enjoyably browsing through just about every dress shirt, it turns out he has pretty good taste.  Who knows how he will perform his solo Saturday for the judge, but I do know he'll look great doing it.

So once our mission was complete and he was satisfied, and after making a quick trip into Trader Joes for some "necessaries", I ran into a normal grocery store for just one thing I needed for dinner.  In the checkout line I noticed the Women's World magazine.  It made me smile, because my grandma loved this magazine.  She bought it every week without fail.  And everytime I would go to her house, for as long back as I can remember, I'd read her Women's World magazine.  On the cover right now is Oprah, with a big headline about her diet soup.  And, no kidding, sitting ON her shoulder is a cupcake with enough frosting to frost an entire cake!  So I couldn't resist, and I bought it.

And I learned some very important things while reading it last night.  Grandma knew what she was doing in choosing her reading material, apparently.  Life changing information in there.  Here are two things I learned that I think you need to know:

1.  "Save $$$ by nibbling chocolate!"
"Before you go shopping, enjoy a handful of M&M's or a few Hershey's Kisses or a couple bites from your favorite chocolate bar.  There's strong evidence that nibbling chocolate helps prevent you from falling for snazzy marketing displays or sales that tempt you to purchase items you don't actually need!  University of Utah researchers say the credit goes to the amino acid tryptophan, which is abundant in the sweet treat.  Tryptophan helps your body produce serotonin, a brain chemical that helps curb impulsive spending."

Hmm.  I've always wondered how to avoid snazzy marketing displays.

2.  "Live six years longer by ditching your diet!"
"People who carry 10 to 20 extra pounds at middle age live about six years longer than their thinner counterparts, says a Tokyo University study.  Turns out, skinny folks have weaker immune systems, making it harder for them to fend off diseases."

So, essentially, the November/December baking, combined with not running, controlled my impulsive spending and gained me six years!