February 2011

Mrs. Perry
goes to the
Capitol

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of
WEDDINGS
 1
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011 | Today’s Woman
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Today’s Woman NEW PRODUCTS
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 Q&A Savvy Chicks profiles have been edited for length. To read the full
profiles, along with recipes, visit idahopress.com/todays_woman.

Gayle Batt
Gayle L. Batt, 34, manages political campaigns, organizes and hosts events
and assists her husband Roger with his consulting and lobbying firm. Most
recently, the Wilder High School graduate was appointed to the Idaho Legisla-
ture sitting in for Rep. Pat Takasugi while he undergoes surgery for cancer.
Gayle was raised in the Wilder area on a 500-acre seed crop farm and today
she and her husband Roger live on her family's farm. She says her mother
captured her personality best when saying “Gayle is just as comfortable and
content in a board room as she is in a corn field.”
This fifth-generation Canyon County resident is living her dream job of bridging the gap between farmers
and ranchers and the government.
First dollar earned: Lazy S Farms, my parents' seed farm in the Central Cove, Wilder.
Guilty pleasure: I like to send three pieces of written correspondence a week. It is unfortunate that
handwritten correspondence has become such a lost art.
Bad habit you can't break: I clench my teeth.
Pet peeve: I have zero tolerance for people who lie and have little patience for those that do not strive to
meet their full potential in being productive, giving citizens.
Favorite places to shop: Brass Razoo, Savers, Methodist Shoppe and the Gold Mine. I love to find a
good deal. High-end designer and vintage clothing at incredible discounts gets my blood pumping.
I can't live without: God.
Favorite website: www.nascar.com
Favorite quick dinner recipe: I love Crock Pot cooking and the idea of cook-once-eat-twice. Place beef
roast into Crock Pot in the morning, adding three packages of dry brown gravy mix (add water to make
slurry), red wine, red and green peppers, can of stewed tomatoes and garlic. Put on in the morning, it's
ready for dinner. Use leftovers for beef soup.
Savvy chicks
Hollie Lindner
Hollie (Larson) Lindner daily lives her passion in her work as Northwest
Nazarene University's director of marketing and media. At the Nampa
university, she connects with others to form stronger partnerships and
relationships while doing something else she values very much: serving
the Lord in her community.
This Grandview, Wash., girl became a bride in May 2002 to husband
Brian and they welcomed their son Dalton two years ago.
Lindner, 31, first experienced Idaho when she visited Northwest Naza-
rene University, and that weekend on campus changed her life. After earning her MBA, she served the
Nampa Chamber of Commerce as one of the youngest board chairs in the Chamber's 117-year history
and was recently recognized as an “Accomplished Under 40” in the state of Idaho.
Dream job: Owning my own marketing firm.
Favorite quick dinner recipe: What I call “Christmas sandwiches” — English muffin toasted with a light
spread of mayo, slice of ham, and a slice of apple all topped with melted Swiss cheese.
First dollar earned: Babysitting.
Bad habit I can't break: Always running five minutes late.
Guilty pleasure: Pedicures (however, the guilt doesn't last long).
Pet peeve: When someone says they'll do something and they don't follow through.
Favorite place to shop: Maurice's.
Things I can't live without: My Bible and my boys.
Favorite website: www.babycenter.com

Your sweetheart or your pet? Which would you dump if one had to go?

J
ust think about it.
What if you had to choose your
pet or your loved one? Most cur-
rent pet owners said they would hold
on to their spouse or significant other
(84 percent), but a sizable 14 percent
picked their pet, according to an AP-
Petside.com poll.
n 25 percent of the unmarried are
more apt to choose their pet over their
mate!
n 40 percent of the women are far
more likely than 26 percent of the men
to say the human-pet choice would be
a tough one.
Good news! Both genders were
equally likely to go with their spouse or
significant other.
There was also no difference between
dog and cat owners: 35 percent of
each said the choice would be a hard
one and more than eight in 10 would
choose their spouse.
n 47 percent of urban dwellers are
more likely to say they'd have a difficult
time choosing than did suburbanites,
35 percent, or rural residents, 25
percent.
The most common reasons had to do
with the pet's health: 69 percent said
their pet was too sick to live on, 52 per-
cent too sick to be cared for at home.
But there are other reasons as well,
including about one in 10 (9 percent)
who, like Rosenthal, said their animal
was too dangerous to keep.
One-third (34 percent) of current pet
owners said it would be "extremely"
or "very" difficult if they were forced
to choose between a pet and a family
member who became allergic. An-
other 20 percent would find the choice
somewhat difficult and 46 percent said
it would be "not too difficult" or "not
difficult at all."
Petside: www.petside.com/giving-up-
a-pet

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011 | Today’s Woman 5

cover story
Christy Perry
S
By Sharon Strauss
• Today's Woman
he's highly motivated, success-
ful, a risk-taker. A volunteer
and work-at-home mom, she
became a first-time college student in
her mid-30s. A nature lover, a grand-
mother (can you believe it?) and now a
newly-elected Republican state repre-
sentative embodying Canyon County
values, local girl Christy Perry wants
to be known as the one people turn to
when they think, “Somebody should do
something about that!”
6 Today’s Woman | SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011
brings a woman's view to the Statehouse
Perry — the sprightly rifle-toting
blonde on those big campaign billboards
around town — is ready to bring a savvy
woman's viewpoint to the state House of
Representatives.
But first, she has to stop at the grocery
store on her way home — because this
woman juggles it all. For Perry, life is as
real as it gets — a mix of highs, lows,
heartbreaks and joy — and she goes into
it with her eyes wide open.
“Life is so hard, and politics is so ugly,”
Perry said. “You try to make the best
judgment you can.”
She’s a politician
The 42-year-old has had her eye on the
state Legislature since her days at Middle-
ton High, where she graduated in 1986.
She grew up to be a community-minded
gun shop owner, a happily married moth-
er of three, and a political newcomer who
unseated District 13 incumbent Steven
Kren last year and began her freshman
legislative term in January.
In high school, she played sports,
excelled academically, served in Key Club
and student council. It was in those years
when she attended Girls' State and her
interest in politics began to emerge. She
remembers staging a sit-in at school in
support of teachers who were considering
a strike, and learning that being politically
outspoken means rocking the boat.
“My parents became unglued when I
was interviewed on the news (after the
sit-in),” she said. Much to her displea-
sure, she was raised with the idea that
girls played certain roles in life, much
different from the boys. She didn't like
having to wait to get her driver's license
until she was 21 while her brother got his
license at 14 because he was, well, a boy.
“I felt marginalized within my own

family,” she said. “Even in the Leg-
islature, I don't think women's views
are represented, especially Republican
women's. The woman's viewpoint isn't
paid attention to. I think that's a shame.”
Perry remembers being raised in a fam-
ily that had very different ideas of what
boys could do and what girls could do.
“That had a lot to do with me not
going to school (after high school),” she
said. “My parents told me girls did not
need an education.”
So instead of college, Perry stayed in
Idaho and in 1993 married her child-
hood friend Matt Perry. They started a
family and Christy began to work for
a network marketing company called
Home and Garden Party while volun-
teering at her children's schools.
In 2001, she and Matt purchased the
Buckhorn Gun Shop in Boise, and a few
years later Perry knew it was her time to
realize her goal of a college education.
The full-time student was still working
her home decorating business, raising
“My parents told me girls did not need an education.”
their kids, and enjoying Idaho's outdoors
every chance she could get.
In 2009, Perry graduated Summa
Cum Laude with a political science
degree, and then launched her graduate
career at BSU, where she is now in the
MPA program studying policy analysis
and public administration.
It was at BSU that Perry was intro-
duced to the world of politics.
She interned with former Idaho House
Speaker Bruce Newcomb during an
internship with the university's Gov-
ernment Relations Department. Perry
considers herself lucky to have had the
longest-running Speaker of the House in
Idaho's history as a mentor.
“He was pragmatic and integrity mat-
tered. He felt like I do, that the institu-
tion (of government) should be run with
integrity,” Perry said.
A turning point for Perry happened
cover story
when she told Newcomb she was inter- “They were raised with love, with
ested in the state Legislature. discipline, and we worked really hard to
“And he said, 'Well, let's go see if you instill in them that they are valuable. We
like it.'” told our kids, 'Life is tough.' We didn't
Like it she did — although she quickly pull any punches with our kids. We
learned that the inner workings of worked on self-esteem,” Perry said.
government are very different in real life Their first-born son, Joseph, struggled
than what she had read in books. with behavioral challenges — severe at-
“It's not all pretty,” she said. “It's not at
tention deficit hyperactivity disorder and
all for the faint of heart. You need to go Tourette's syndrome. Perry remembers
in for the right reasons, and not just for teachers telling her that he'd never make
yourself.” it through high school and to start look-
ing at alternatives.
She’s a mother “He proved many of those people
Like politics, the world of parenting wrong,” Perry said of her son, now a 25-
isn't everything she expected, either. year-old junior at Boise State University,
When they started their family, Perry engaged, and a sergeant serving with the
and her husband made a conscious deci- Idaho National Guard's 116th in Iraq.
sion to raise their children with a com- His deployment abroad breaks her heart,
bination of tough love and raw honesty. Perry said, but at the same time she is
They taught their kids that life is what it tickled pink at his achievements.
is, and that strength comes from within. Perry's middle child, 22-year-old
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011 | Today’s Woman 7
 daughter Ena, also had a turbu-
lent start. Perry says from that ex-
perience came lessons of humility
and modesty — and the blessings
cover story
of becoming a grandmother.
One of the hardest things a parent
can do is watch her child teeter at
the edge of a cliff, Perry said, and
resist rushing in to rescue them.
At a young age, Ena was in-
volved in an abusive relationship.
“At one point, she lived in her
car,” Perry said.
Perry recalls getting a phone call from
her only daughter during that troubled
time — a request for gas money so that
she could heat up the car. Armed with
a jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread
and some homemade jam, she went to
her daughter with instructions on how
to ask for free water at local restaurants
and how to get to a truck stop for coin-
operated showers.
“Boy, is it hard to sit there and watch
your kids have to learn,” she said. “But she Christy takes care of one of her horses at the Perry family home south of Nampa.
pulled herself up ... and now she's getting
her life on track after years of struggle.”
Now a married mom, Ena is ready to
start classes at the College of Western
Idaho and is no longer in a hurtful
relationship.
Youngest son Steven, 17, is a student
at Skyview High School who enjoys
talking politics and learning from his
mother's example. Perry originally in-
tended to wait until Steven — the only
child still at home now — was out of
high school before running for office.
“But he said, 'You know, Mom, if you
see things that are wrong, things that
should be different, then it's really your
job to do something.'”
Steven will be watching his mother
work in the Legislature this year, and
Perry hopes to open up the sometimes
mystifying world of politics to those she
represents.
“I've had some of the citizens contact
me and ask, 'How does this work?' I
would encourage people to contact
their legislator. They can come for a Steven, Joseph and Ena
tour of the Capitol. They can sit in on
a committee meeting. They can watch
what goes on,” she said. “You have a
right to the building. I'd like people to Christy and husband Matt
understand it's their House. It's defi-
nitely their House.” n

8 Today’s Woman | SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011 | Today’s Woman 9

Fashion

Rainy days spring flowers!

Tabitha simenc • Today's woman

Dig out those dresses ladies, it’s springtime! Throw out the winter blues
with new fashions as the temperatures start to rise.

Spring trends
Everything’s coming up florals — in both color and patterns. This season’s
FUNCTIONAL hottest color: Honeysuckle. Not your style? Try shades of iris, viola, daffodil,
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Even if it rains, don’t let that
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Umbrellas add a burst of color
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10 Today’s Woman | SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011

 Fashion
GO BOLD and
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Merilee Restucci with Idaho
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Pick a bright color to lift your
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011 | Today’s Woman 11

MONEY MATTERS Can you afford a baby at this time?
Y
ou’ve taken seven tests, the doctor’s
confirmed it, and now you’re absorbed
with thoughts of nursery decorations,
names, and whether or not to discover the gen-
der of the baby. It’s understandable during this
exciting time. If you want to truly be prepared
for baby, organize and manage the financial
considerations before the little bundle arrives so
you don’t have to stress in those first few weeks,
and can focus on bonding and resting.
Before pregnancy
n Understand what your health care plan
does and does not cover, pay attention to
emergency procedures, anesthesia, deductibles,
nursery care and the baby’s coverage after birth.
Jennifer
n If you don’t have insurance check out the
Deroin
state of Idaho’s website to determine if you
Jennifer Deroin is vice qualify for the Children’s Health Insurance Plan
president and senior rela- (CHIP) at www.healthandwealthfare.idaho.gov.
tionship services officer
n Understand what your budget can and can-
for Intermountain Com-
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her at Jennifer.Deroin@ and/or the additional expense of childcare.
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12 Today’s Woman | SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011
cost for child center-based infant care in Idaho
annually is $5,736.
During pregnancy
n Stock up on necessity items. Consider
consignment or friends that may have gently
used items at a fraction of the price. Purchase
quality when considering safety, but otherwise
you can typically get by for much less.
n Don’t forget the coupons for diapers and
other items you’ll be using! Grocery ads come
out Wednesdays and Sundays. Scour them for
sales and then research multiple coupons online
at eBay. At the time of this article, a “group”
of 10 coupons on ebay was available for $2.50
off of one bag of diapers (each) for $1.80. Wait
for the items to go on sale, find the coupons
online and then bulk up — you will use them!
n Prepare food in advance and freeze it.
You’ll save on ordering take-out after baby ar-
rives when you’re tired and adjusting to a new
schedule.
After birth
n Identify how much of your budget can
Distinctive Country
380814
go toward a College Savings Plan. Research
available plans at www.collegesavings.org.
Also consider prepaid tuition plans. With
the rising cost of tuition, it may be your best
return but will limit where your child can
attend school.
n Evaluate your life insurance plans and
make sure your new addition is added as a
beneficiary. Determine if the insurance you
currently have is sufficient to cover your new
needs.
n Pull out your will and ensure you’ve
made any appropriate beneficiary changes
and begin the discussion of guardianship,
documenting your wishes in your will.
According to MSN Money, the cost to raise
a child based on the Canyon County median
income is above the current median home
price. Plan ahead and take steps to manage
expenses and control costs, and then watch
the return on your investment blossom into
your best achievement.
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Don’t let cabin

Empower her
fever get you down
By Debbie Kushlan Bettencourt • For Today’s Woman

T
he excitement and craziness of the holidays is
finally behind us. Time to settle in for a long
winter’s nap . . . or is it? As the short, cold days
and the long dark nights settle in around us, after a
while so do the four walls.
At first, being lazy may feel good, but after a while
you begin to feel sluggish. Your body goes into hiberna-
tion mode. You gain weight. And if you suffer from
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) it’s even worse.
To deal with cabin fever, get off the couch and get
moving. What works for some may not work for others,
so look for things that interest you.
Get outside
When there is snow outside, the obvious thing to do
is get out and enjoy it: skiing, snowshoeing, sledding,
ice skating and building snowmen are not only fun, but
also help you break out of the rut. And better yet, it
helps kids burn off some of that energy that has them
— and you — climbing the walls.
Of course not everyone enjoys being out in the cold
weather, but getting out of the house every day is im-
portant, even for just a few minutes. Step outside, take
a brief walk and breathe in fresh air. Even a little bit
of direct sunshine can lift your spirits. It might be just
the motivation you need to go back in and dive into a
project or activity.
n Assemble a family time capsule. Fill a shoe box or coffee
can with family photos, mementos, letters to their future
selves and present-day items. Decorate the time capsule,
seal it, store it in a safe place, and decide on a time to open it
— such as when your youngest graduates from high school.
n Play cards or board games. Yes, those old-fashioned, non-elec-
tronic games bring families together with laughter and fun.
Keep yourself entertained
n Now is a good time to pull out hobbies and craft projects that you
never seem to have time for, such as scrapbooking, quilting, knitting or
beading.
n Sort and organize those photos that are piling up in a drawer.
n Clean out a closet, a drawer, a corner.
n Paint a room.
n If you live alone talk to someone. Phone an old friend and catch up.
n Pull out your exercise and yoga tapes and get moving.
n Surf the Internet — find projects, hobbies, activities. Take an online
class and learn a new language or skill. There’s a whole world of
new things to discover through the Internet.
n Turn on some upbeat music and dance around as
you clean the house.
n Don’t let the four walls squeeze you into a corner.
Get creative and discover stimulat-
ing new things to make the winter
months fly by. April flowers will be
here before you know it!
n Debbie is a local freelance writer.

Keep kids entertained

The kids can only play on the Wii or the Kinect so long. For a change of
pace, get them interested in something else:
n Design gift wrap and cards. Supply kids with
large sheets of paper and card stock, markers,
crayons, stamps, stickers, stencils and glitter,
and let them have fun making greeting cards
and gift wrapping paper.
n Make your own play dough. Mix one cup
of flour with 1/4 cup of salt and 1/4 cup of
water. Knead the dough until it’s formed and
not sticky. Divide it and knead in various
food dyes and glitter. It’s as much fun to make
as it is to play with.
n Fix a fun lunch. Let each child make his or her own pita bread pizza
with tomato sauce, cheese, and a variety of healthful toppings. For des-
sert, let them decorate sugar cookies or cupcakes.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011 | Today’s Woman 13

 I choose to learn new ways to parent
W
ho doesn’t want to do a Let your child suffer the consequences of good choices.  
PARENTING

better job parenting? Some
days are better than others.
But those bad days clearly illuminate
how power struggles disrupt the peace
in a home. Here are six ways to resolve
parenting challenges:
 1. I choose to remember that my child
is constantly asking, “Is this how I use
power?” and needs me to create both fair
boundaries and consistent consequences.
Misuse of power creates an out-of-control
child. A power-wielding child wears down a
parent’s patience and detracts from the family
peace, joy and fun. Teaching a child not to
misuse power is essential to your child’s devel-
opment and the sanity of your home.
 
2. I choose to let my child learn from his
or her mistakes.
a poor choice to help teach him/her to take
responsibility for choices.
3. I choose to model for my child, integ-
rity, kindness and being a loving person.
Children are ALWAYS watching and listen-
ing. You teach most by what you model.
 
4 I choose not to constantly criticize my
child. I understand that children thrive on
encouragement and coaching.
Never being able to meet the expectations
of unrelenting parents causes children to feel
hopeless and erodes the sense of self-trust and
self-worth.
 
5. I choose to be consistent in my disci-
pline techniques and provide a disciplin-
ary structure that creates safety for my
child while teaching him or her to make
Don’t Feed the Dragon is available on par-
entingsos.com.
 6. I choose to somehow, within the chaos
of daily life,  find time to take care of my-
Sandy
self. I can’t write checks on an empty bank
Spurgeon
account. I can’t give and give and give McDaniel
and give with little self-care.  Whether it
Sandy Spurgeon McDaniel
means getting up earlier to pray or read a recently moved to Merid-
book or carving out time for a cup of tea, I ian. She brings 48 years
of research and work
will find a smidge of time for me each day.
with children to help the
  Treasure Valley families.
Sandy has written four
There are dozens of resolutions parents
books, is the founder of
might choose to embrace and these are simply parentingsos.com, is an
my opinion. Children don’t raise themselves. international speaker,
There has never been a more difficult time discipline specialist,
parenting coach and the
to be a parent — or for that matter, a child. people who know her call
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Treat children as individuals, spend alone time
By Debra Holm •
For Today’s Woman
Parents may ask, “How do I
treat my children equally, yet
different? How do I discover
and value the differences, and
recognize the unique abilities
of each child?”
Those are important ques-
tions, because each person
DEBRA Holm
wants to be valued for his or
her unique personality.
Experts including a prominent pedia-
trician, a local school counselor, and
experienced parents, offer these impor-
tant suggestions:
Recognize each child’s uniqueness.
Reflect a positive image through your
words, eye contact and using the child’s
name.
Spend time alone with each child.
Randee Garrett, K-4 counselor at
Homedale Elementary School, says
parents should be observant of their
children. “Let them do their own things child perceives it as controlling rather
and just watch,” she says.
One child may want to play with
balls; another may be curious
about gadgets, another may
read all the time, and still
another may nurture a baby
doll. They will have different
levels of patience, ability to
share, and outgoing behavior.
Garrett says these behaviors
are vital clues to the child’s
personality.
Dr. William Sears, a pe-
diatrician and author, says,
“Be a positive mirror. Much of a child's
self-image comes not only from what
the child perceives about herself, but
from how she thinks others perceive her.
When you give your child positive reflec-
tions, she learns to think well of herself.”
Loving eye contact is powerful. Sears
says.
“Squat to your child's eye level and
engage your child in eye-to-eye contact
to get his attention. Be sure not to make
your eye contact so intense that your
than connecting.”
Sears also suggests that parents use the
child’s name often in a loving tone of
voice. (http://www.askdrsears.com/
html/6/T061500.asp)
Marilyn and Erick Wadsworth, Nampa
grandparents, say that all eight of their
children have very different personalities
— even the identical twin daughters.
“It’s easy to lump children together
and treat them the same because ‘we’re
a family.’ It’s harder, but better, to look
for differences and learn how to com-
municate with each one. One of our
children wasn’t afraid of any situation.
When he was in sixth grade, he went to
the citywide track meet even though he
didn’t qualify. He ran in some events
because other kids didn’t show up. It was
all his idea. We have another child who
is a little softer — we don’t hit this child
head-on with difficult information — we
find a back door or a side door,” Marilyn
says.
Marilyn suggests that in a given situa-
tion, parents should think of the person-
ality they are dealing with, and then craft
options that help the child make a good
choice. “Each child needs to feel he or
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011 | Today’s Woman
Mother of all
she is of worth, and that he has his own
identity,” she says.
With the twins, Marilyn made sure they
didn’t dress alike every day when they
were young, and she insisted that they be
in different classrooms throughout school
so they could develop their personalities.
One of the twins asked that her sister
get a permanent wave during high school
so people could tell them apart, and they
became friends with different girls while
staying close to each other.
Erick discovered a magic tool for
parenting when he started a tradition of
taking one child with him to do Saturday
errands, or to buy a treat. “It gave him
time to talk to them one on one, and they
loved it, even though their turns were two
months apart,” Marilyn says.
Marilyn recently re-discovered this
principle with a grandchild. There was a
new baby in the home and the 5-year-
old was having problems. An afternoon
spent just with grandma, making enchi-
ladas and cookies and playing a game,
brought a huge turn-around in the poor
behavior.
15
 What are you
r favorite tip
and ideas for s, tricks
creating every
Things to do

Things to do
romance? day
♥ Leave messages
on the mirror fo
r him in the morn
r favorite
♥ Walk up to a str ing.
What are you
anger and kiss him
♥ Leave or send .
a message you'r
comfort fo ods? him that evening
.
e looking forwar
d to seeing
cream,
o soup with sour ♥ Chocolate dip
3 Baked potat hairdryer to dry
ped strawberries
. But remember
n to pull out your
cheese and baco eese
the strawberries
before dipping.
Toma to soup with a grilled ch ♥ Fondue for tw
o
3 ♥ Snuggling on
sandwich the sofa with a ro
: Make mantic movie
(Healthier version
3 French fries ke them with
dges and ba
sweet potato we
Help othe
a salt.)
some olive oil an
d se
er Eggs
3 PB and J sand
wich Fabergé East nder III commissioned r
3 Hot coco a In 1885, Russian
Tsar Alexa
Fabergé to make
a white enamele
d
women su
3 Popcorn
3 Popcorn with
M&Ms mixed in
jeweler Peter
gold egg for his
Ca rl
wife at Easter wi
th a su rp ris e ne sted
rial Eas- The Boise
cceed!
wi th hot tamales and
milk
ele r ev entually made 50 Impe Vall ey chapte
3 Popcor n inside. The jew
d ma de a total of 65 of the nati r
Russian family an onal orga
duds mixed in ter eg gs for the
ve survi ve d to the tion Dress niza-
gs but only 57 ha For Succe
3 Pizza large Fabergé eg dia .o rg . ss seeks
bread rding to en.wikipe donations
3 Chill and corn present day, acco , rebirth, and lov
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3 Mashed tat ers and gravy
In essence su ch eg gs symbolize life
e ins pired by used interv new or gently
elegant eggs tha
t ar iew appro
3 Candy corn You can purchase an e-card from clothing, sh priate
se Yo u can also send oes and a
3 Cottage chee the Faberg é line. for wome ccessories
Mark your calendar Feb. 14 cards/ n. Plus-siz
mieks.com/web and dress ed clothin
– Valentine’s shoes are g
What is Mardi February is Idaho Coalition Against
Dance, larly need particu-
Try a S Sexual & Domestic Violence, idvsa.org/
7-10 p.m., Drop you
ed.
oup Sa Gras all about? American Heart Month: Heart disease is The Crossing, r
at 2760 E donations off
How m
doing,
any tim
es
mpler History says the ancient Romans probably gave birth to
the No. 1 killer of men and women
Feb. 12 – Valentine’s Breakfast, 7-11 a.m.,
16241 N. Franklin
Meridian
. Fairview
. Shop ho ve,
A
but you have you do Veterans of Foreign Wars
Blvd., Nampa. Free, fun and classy family
Tuesday urs are
K uenem ne ne s
v Mardi Gras. It was a mid-February festival know as Lupercalia. It
an pulle er get aroun omething tha Hall, New Plymouth.
friendly dance with desserts through T
This is
the
d off a
gre
d to it?
Well
t you th
ink honored Lupercus, the god of fertility, agriculture and shepherds. and nonalcoholic beverages. from 1-3 hursday
“must h perfect seas at idea and s , fellow artist others would Feb. 12 – Valentine’s Day Prime Rib Benefit p.m. or c
ave” fo o e a e It eventually morphed into a last “fling” before Ash Wednesday and Lent, Feb. 19 – Fitness New Year’s Resolution 288-4405 a ll (208)
ods on n to gather w nt me this no nd diva Nanc njoy Dinner and Auction, 5-7
RECHARGE Clinic, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., . boisevall
the com ith frien
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te and
I wanted
e Wilhit
e- the 40 days before Easter. Celebrate it this year on March 8. It’s also known as p.m., New Plymouth High School. dressforsu ey@
Hi, Vick fort foo ccess.org
ie, d pyram and sample to share Feb. 12 – St. Valentine’s Day Dinner Dance,
Downtown Nampa Dille Center, 115 14th
I kept th id. — soups . Fat Tuesday. Some believe the French brought the celebration to America in 1699 Ave. S., free.
Vickie S —
in
always king I needed chaffeld one of the 6 p.m., cash bar. opens; 7
Feb. 21 – President's Day.
on the to send Holbro
ok
when French explorer Sieur d’Iberville arrived in Louisiana just south of New Orleans, p.m., prime rib dinner; dancing until 11 p.m.,
Earlier loo y
this mo kout for new ou this and a according to mardigrasneworleans.com/mgdates.html. Knights of Columbus Hall,
March 4-5 – Empowering Women Confer-
luncheo n th, I inv th in g m fin ence, Nampa Civic Center, empoweringwom-

t cabin fever?
n. ited se s to a lly g
bring 4  That made e ven wo try and thoug etting it done 2900 Railroad, Nampa.
to 6 cu ight of men w
h o
ht you !
might e  You are Feb. 12 – Miracle on 4th Street Benefit enconference.org/
w do you f igh
The colors of Mardi Gras are:
Ho
of the re p s of a fa u s in lik e
cipe. vorite h cluding mys to cook to a njoy th
is one. Concert, 6 p.m., raffle and March 8 – Mardi Gras
When y omema elf So
ou de sou .  Each perso up Sampler Purple for Justice social time, 7 p.m., concert, Nampa Civic March 13 – Daylight Savings Time Begins
online p do the math, ping
2 Window shop
p in a C n was a March 17 – St. Patrick's Day
las yo rock-Po s Center, $5. Reckless Abandon,
wavable ticcontainerc u need 64 so t plus s ked to Green for Faith
March 20 – First day of spring
I kept th
) with li
ds.  
ity.com
and fou
up bow
ls
even c
opies Gold for Power MacKayla Hunter, Travis McDaniel and a local 2 Reading
nd sma (which I didn’t April 19 – Passover friends
e
I serve menu fairly s ll oval p have) s
comedian will be
2 Dinner with a good movie
da
luncheo pple cider to
imple,
add
lastic c
ontaine
o I wen
t
featured. April 22 – Earth Day
R ead a good book or watch
n. Beca drink.  R ing rustic cra rs (mic
ro- Plan your own Gras party: Feb. 14 April 24 – Easter 2
a small
gif
use it w
as
ed velv
et cake
c kers, c
or – Valentine's May 8 – Mother's Day 2 Go for a hike
ribbon. t of lemon-gin the holiday s and co n muffins and Masks, hats, garlands, centerpieces and beads are traditional Mardi Gras w puzzle
 The pa ger loa eason, ffee ro
unded grape
favorites. Day June — Girls Night Out party — TBA 2 A good jigsa
  p er loaf
pans w
f in a cle I se
ar cello nt each of th out the s.
ere ava p e In England, pancake feasts marked the day. Consider a King’s Cake, with a
Having
ev ilable th hane bag tied m home with
the furth eryone bring rough th
is
with re
d sh baby hidden inside (after you bake your cake) for your menu. Tradition says
e as same c
(very s st away from low cooker w ompan eer
mall qu
antities th e table a o rk ed very y. the person who finds the baby is the king or queen next year. The cake
and told by the nd the well. W
ting full
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bit abo w ay) pas p e r s on who’s e s tarted wit honors the three kings who traveled to see Baby Jesus after he
,b ut it sed sou h th
good ti ut the stories .  By the time out her recipe p we were ta e soup was born.
me, we behind we had while w sti
   plan to th tasted e were ng You can find several party related recipes, including popular
do it ag e soups were eight s tasting
Have a ain. fascina ou
great C ting!  E ps, we were drinks at allrecipes.com. Look for cajun and creole style food.
veryon g
hristma
s holida e had s et- A couple of favorites include Chicken and Shrimp
y!  Che uch a
ers, Na Jambalaya and Bananas Foster.
nce Wil
hite-Ku
enema
n

16 Today’s Woman | SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011 | Today’s Woman 17
 Do you covet an electronic tablet?
I
f you want an iPad, Nook or Kindle, you Longevity the touch-screen keyboard, it isn’t the most
should know there are dozens of devices comfortable thing to work on. There is a
GADGETS

Consider the battery life of your tablet. If

RHEA ALLEN
Rhea Allen, M.B.A., is
an integrative marketing
consultant and presi-
dent/CEO of Pepper-
shock Media in Nampa.
www.peppershock.com
to consider.
First things first ladies … think about the
size!
Not just how big it is and if it will fit in
your purse or not, but also think about the
storage space on the device itself. Sizes range
from 10 inches for the iPad to the Samsung
Galaxy Tab with a 7-inch screen size. It is
becoming one of iPad’s biggest competitors.
Larger sizes also means more weight to carry.
As for storage space, the iPad comes with
a large variety of internal storage options
with 16, 32 or 64GB storage. But I think
a big drawback of an iPad is that there
is no way to add more storage to it. So if
you need to expand or have a removable
storage device, then you might like to look
at a tablet that has an SD or microSD card
slot. Most of the Android and Windows 7
tablets have that.
you’re like me, remembering to plug in to
recharge often is not easy or convenient to
do. The iPad gives 10 to 12 hours of usage
on a single charge. Samsung’s tablet offers
seven hours of HD video playback or 10
hours for normal browsing or reading.
Speed
In this fast-paced world, Wi-fi connectiv-
ity is critical. Most portable devices have the
Wi-fi option but the hottest thing now is 3G
capability. iPad comes with both options. But
nothing’s for free, and the 3G version costs
more. Other Android and Windows Tablets
also offer 3G connectivity, but plans cost
money. Be sure to shop the providers, too.
To touch or not?
iPad is great, but when it comes to using
keyboard dock available for iPad, or you can
use a Bluetooth wireless keyboard with it.
But do you want those accessories?
Many Android and Windows tablets have
USB ports to attach a keyboard, pointing
devices or an external storage drive. Both
iPad and Android devices have voice control
apps and all the editions of Windows 7
include built-in voice command functional-
ity and dictation.
There’s an app for that!
Open or closed source? An open-source
platform, such as Android, will offer a wider
variety of free apps. But some may like
the stability of Apple’s iPad because it’s all
pre-approved and monitored. And if there
isn’t an app, call me, I know people — even
in the Treasure Valley — who make apps
just so that there can be an app for that …
whatever “that” may be …

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18 Today’s Woman | SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011

Find romance in our real lives — every day

A
s women, most of us are naturally
drawn to romance, particularly during
February, the month of love with Val-
entine's Day on the horizon. We love a good
romance novel, a romantic movie, even stories
about marriage proposals are entertaining.
But what exactly is romantic? I bet if you
asked dozens of women this same question,
you would get dozens of different answers,
proving that indeed romance is a very indi-
vidual feeling or circumstance.
To many women, the images of flowers,
chocolates, jewelry, etc., immediately come to
Machele
mind. Before we were married my husband
Hamilton
often brought me flowers. Once we had a
Machele Hamilton writes combined household, the practical side of me
a column about painting cringed at a once romantic gesture, seeing it
and home improvement. then as an unnecessary expense. Now that
It is published every
we no longer have the financial constraints of
other week on Saturdays.
She also writes a blog, a young family, the flowers once again seem
Don’t Get Me Started, at sweet and romantic, proving our individual
idahopress.com. feelings or circumstances can change what is
romantic to us.
Some women want time, some want help,
some want gifts, some want security, but most
women just want to know in their hearts that
they are the single most important thing to
their man. The most romantic stories in life
are "against all odds" stories, and the feeling
that a man would walk through fire, sacrifice
anything, lay down his life, fight anyone and
anything, just to be with you, is the basis of
those stories. They fill us with desire for such a
grand love in our own life.
But the reality is we live in the real world,
not a romance novel or movie. We must
choose to see the romantic side of our every
day lives and relationships. When my hus-
band would come home after a long day at
work and take a screaming baby out of my
arms — that was romantic. When he told
the kids he needed some "mommy" time
and took me to dinner and a movie — that
was romantic. And when he leaned over
unexpectedly in the chaos of raising kids and
whispered in my ear "Do we make gorgeous
Women in action
babies or what?!" That was romantic.
As our lives changed and the kids went
their own way, my husband whispers "It's
all about you and me baby," and that
was romantic. Today, when he holds me
tight and whispers "My Beauty,” I know
his middle-aged eyes still see his lithe
twentysomething with bright eyes and
beautiful hair …
So accept the fact that we live in a world of
mortgages, car payments, sick kids, job losses,
health issues — on and on — not the world of
Romeo and Juliet.
We must learn to recognize the romance in
our REAL lives, every day, not just Valentine's
Day. Those unseen moments of love, laughter
and life caught between yourself and your
loved one are the moments that are real, not
manufactured on paper or film, or exaggerated
throughout history. If you make the choice,
and take the time, you too will see that every
love, every relationship, can be filled with
romance in its own way.

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011 | Today’s Woman 19

 Your home spa
Beauty
By Tabitha Simenc • Today's Woman
E
very
woman
should
pamper herself, and you
don't have to book an
expensive spa appoint-
ment to relax.
Whether you have
30 minutes or a whole
day, plan some at-home
spa time and enjoy the
experience.
Set the mood
Schedule private time
for yourself. Candles and
music create just the
right ambiance.
Facials
Buy ready-made
or concoct your own
recipe to rev up your skin
Enrich your skin
Bathe in hot water with
soothing salts or a few drops of
an essential oil. This will relax
you and prep your skin for further
treatments.
Next step: Exfoliate. Purchase
a body scrub or make your own.
Rub a fresh cut lemon on rough
skin like elbows and knees to soften
the skin. Then give your skin some
much-needed moisture with
a rich lotion of your
choice.
20 Today’s Woman | SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011
Massage
Release body tension or ease your
aching muscles with a massage.
Tell your partner where your
tense spots are and what feels
good. The massage should be
slow and relaxing.
Hair care
Your hair deserves some spa
treatment, too! Give it a burst of
intense moisture with a hair mask.
You can buy these from a drug
store, or use a natural moistur-
izer, such as coconut oil. After the
mask, wash your hair then comb
through some leave-in-condition-
er to really intensify the moisture.
Mani/Pedi
Pamper your feet and hands
with an at-home manicure and
pedicure. Soak your feet in a bowl
of warm water with essential oils
or salts. Use a scrub to rid your
feet of dead skin and finish with
a pumice stone to smooth rough
areas. Use a body or hand scrub
on your hands and soak hands in a
small bowl of whole milk.
Clip your nails and push down
cuticles. Use a strengthening base
coat, then apply two coats of your
favorite polish to toenails and fin-
gernails. Follow with a top coat.
Essential oils
There are more than 100 es-
sential oils. They are usually
distilled from the leaves, stems,
flowers, bark, roots, or other plant
elements. Alone, they are not oily
Homemade facial
There are several recipes for DIY facials
in print and online. In fact, a mix of any
traditional relaxing, rejuvenating and mois-
turizing ingredients should work.
Blend equal parts of this simple home-
made recipe:
n Cold cream
n Yogurt
n Honey
n Aloe Vera gel
n Avocado
Brush the mask over your face, wait 20
minutes then rinse.
Add a few drops of scented oil, such
as lavender oil, for an aromatherapy
experience.
DIY skin enrichment
Combine equal parts of the following with
a drop or two of your favorite essential oil.
n Sugar
n Oatmeal
n Olive oil
Rub up your skin then rinse.
Maintain spa day feel
n Drink lots of water to keep your skin
looking healthy and your body hydrated.
It'll make you look and feel great!
n Put a few drops of a favorite essential
oil in water in a small spray bottle. Spray
it around a room for a pick-me-up when
you need to de-stress.
but they are usually combined
with a natural oil such as almond
oil, grapeseed oil or coconut oil.
They are aromatic and concen-
trated. Popular oils include cin-
namon, eucalyptus, peppermint,
lavender, lemon balm, rosemary
and vanilla. Find them at your
local health food store.
I
was asked to define inner beauty. I Here are a few
wanted to, I thought I could.
ways you can
But I became puzzled
about what that really meant. Was begin to find your
it something tangible or something own inner beauty
more like a feeling or a way of life? n Trust yourself — Live

ME FIRST
So I started paying attention. honestly within your life.
I spent several days thinking, watch- Know your strengths and
ing people, remembering past experi- weaknesses, and use them where
ences and hoping that I would be appropriate. Be kind.
the recipient of some great n Let go of your own ego
epiphany about how a — Get out of your own
woman would acquire in- way and reach out to others.
ner beauty. I asked friends, Live as if you were a teacher
strangers, authors, of life. Share the good in all
world-class dancers things. Say thank you.
and even the hip n Believe without ceas-
young woman ing that you are capable
who took my of making a difference
order at the in the world even if your

Inner beauty
pizza parlor. area of influence is only
And then it hit with one person, one
me, a voice from child or even yourself. You can
childhood, one we all inspire a change revolution. Never
know. The good witch, tell- give up hope.
ing Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, n Be present in your own life
“You’ve always had the power to — How often do you really listen
get home Dorothy. You just have to to your spouse, partner, children or
even yourself ? Do you stop and

Do I have it?
click your heels three times.”
No matter what she did to try to focus your attention or do you
return to Kansas, Dorothy finally multitask and listen when you
learned that she alone held the can? Savor the moments in your
power within herself. All she had life as they arrive like waves on
to say was, “There is no place like the shore, constant but never
home; there is no place like home.” exactly the same. Slow down.
I believe inner beauty is much like For a very long time in my adult
By Lorene Oates • For Today’s Woman life I didn’t feel that I possessed the
that same journey. We all really want
physical beauty to command any
to believe we are beautiful and some-
sort of attention. I didn’t think I was
times we do. But most women, young
gorgeous, I was just OK looking. It
and old, spend a lifetime seeking out ap-
was only later that I realized that the
proval and admiration, so it is a complete
blessing when we can step outside ourselves definitions and limitations of attractive
and say, “I like me. I like who I am, and who were barriers I had created for myself
I have become.” It sounds simple but and they were not accurate.
how can we really do this? I decided to stop caring about what
The best way to find your society defined as beautiful. It was pretty
inner beauty is not by amazing, the freedom I felt. I was just me
spending hours at the with all my flaws and failings. And you know
cosmetic counter or at what I learned? I am not so bad after all.
the mall, although Sure I have some “issues,” we all do. But in
those are a lot of recent years, living within my own truth, and
fun. The answer believing in the ideals listed above, has made me
is at the same time, realize, that just like Dorothy, my world feels like I’ve
much deeper and finally made it home.
much simpler. I know my own inner beauty. I bet you do, too.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011 | Today’s Woman 21

smart choices
Fancy a drink?
What’s in your drink?
n 16-ounce Starbucks White Chocolate
Mocha has 400 calories and 11 grams fat.
n 16-ounce Starbucks Double Chocolate
Chip Frappuccino Blended Beverage has 500
calories and 9 grams fat.
n 12-ounce beer has about 150 calories. A
light beer has 100 calories.
n 5-ounce glass of wine has 100-125
calories.
n Burger King Chocolate Ice Cream Shake
has 950 calories and 29 grams fat
n Margarita has 740 calories
n Piña Colada has 645 calories
n A single shot of 80-proof alcohol has about
90 calories.
22 Today’s Woman | SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011
By Tabitha Simenc • Today’s Woman
It can be surprising how many calories favorite drinks such as coffees
or cocktails contain. Check out these calorie counts and you might
think twice before ordering one of these drinks next time!
Answers
5. d.
Quiz 4. b.
Match the drink to the calories
3. a.
1. Screwdriver (vodka and orange juice)
2. c.
2. Starbucks brewed coffee
1. e.
Tips for low calorie drinks 3. Starbucks Cafe Latte
n If you’re trying to lose weight, keep track of what 4. McDonalds Chocolate Triple Thick®
you drink as well as what you eat. Although many Shake, 12 ounce
drinks won’t make you feel full, they contain hidden 5. Long Island Iced Tea
calories and can easily help pack on the pounds.
n Since a single shot has 90 calories, a simple a. 220 calories
mixed drink can quickly become high calorie when b. 440 calories
mixers, such as soda, juice or syrup, are added. c. 5 calories
n For a low-calorie drink, try a liquor mixed with d. 780 calories
club soda and squeeze a lime or lemon in for flavor. e. 200 calories
n New research shows diet drinks – drinks that use
sweetener instead of sugar – can accelerate the
rate at which alcohol is absorbed, making a person
drunk faster if they drink a lot.
Why do we

smart choices
B
comfort
ecause they are high in fat, carbs and calories and
they are often filled with sugar and salt. Dieters
shun them. But nutritionists say a little bit of a bad
thing will quell the urge to inhale a big bowl of comfort
in the form of baked macaroni oozing with cheese;
warm, soft and gooey chocolate-chip cookies or a side

foods?
of fluffy mashed potatoes topped with melted butter.
But why do we reach for comfort foods? Are we
lonely? Too stressed out? Food gives some instant
comfort, but doesn’t get rid of the underlying problem.
So ask yourself why you crave it and see if you can fix
what’s ailing you.
But even happy people want comfort foods — espe-
cially in the winter — because we want to be warm and cozy.
But there’s good news. You can have your comfort food and be healthy, too.
Substitute high fat and caloric foods with healthier choices. Use fat-free sour cream
Triple Chocolate
or plain yogurt in sauces or dips. Whip up cauliflower or parsnips instead of pota-
toes. Make a low-fat fruit crisp. Try celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito’s chocolate chip
Chip Cookies
Triple the taste and 10 times less fat
cookies. Television’s Dr. Oz says you can eat five of Rocco’s chocolate chip cookies than the average chocolate chip cookie?
instead of one real chocolate chip cookie. Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito offers this
The Web offers a host of recipes. Try the Food Network for makeovers — reduced version made with white beans. Find more
fat and lower calorie versions of the popular comfort foods. There are several nutri- healthy alternatives in Rocco's new cook-
tional sites as well that offer alternatives. book, "Now Eat This!"

Ingredients
Cranberry 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder,
Pear Crisp sifted
1 cup canned white cannellini beans,
Bobbi Hutto of Nampa shared this rinsed and drained
recipe as a healthy dessert option. the egg-white mixture to the cocoa bean mix-
2 tablespoons light agave syrup
ture in the food processor. Blend to combine,
3 large egg whites
Topping: 1 1/2 cups granulated artificial sweetener
for about 30 seconds. In 2 batches, fold the
1 cup flour lightened cocoa mixture into the egg whites
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown 1/4 cup dark chocolate-covered cacao nibs until they are almost fully combined. Add ca-
sugar 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips cao nibs to the batter. Fold batter until cacao
1/2 cup old fashioned oats (or   nibs are evenly dispersed and cocoa mixture is
quick) Directions completely incorporated.
1/4 teaspoon salt Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line two baking  
1 cube butter sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly Drop mounded spoonfuls of batter onto the
  with cooking spray. Set aside.
Filling: prepared sheets. Spread batter out to form
In the bowl of a food processor, combine va- cookies about 2½ inches in diameter. Sprinkle
6-7 slightly under-ripe pears — peeled, cored, sliced lengthwise nilla, cocoa, cannellini beans, and the agave
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries the chocolate chips on top of the cookies.
1/2 cup sugar syrup, and blend the mixture until smooth,  
2 tablespoons flour about 3 minutes, scraping down the side of Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pans one
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon the bowl halfway through blending. turn halfway through baking. Using a metal
1/4 teaspoon Ginger   spatula, transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.
  In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whip at-  
Bake at 350 degrees in buttered, 8-inch square baking dish. In a bowl, mix first four topping tachment, beat the egg whites until they form Nutritional Facts
ingredients, cut in butter until crumbly. For the filling, toss the ingredients together until mixed. Put soft peaks. Gradually beat in the artificial 45 calories, 1.4 g fat, 2 g protein, 9 g car-
in baking dish. Sprinkle topping over filling. Set on baking sheet to catch drips. Bake 1 hour or until sweetener. Continue to beat the whites until bohydrates, 0 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 32 mg
topping is brown. Do not over-bake. Cool 20 minutes. It’s great with vanilla ice cream. they are creamy and nearly stiff. Add 1/3 of sodium

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011 | Today’s Woman 23

DIET SUCCESS Stay fit and healthy Wedding motivation
Kristina Friederich, 28, of Meridian, is working
to get in shape after the holidays and, since her
fiance proposed on Christmas Day and they are
By Tabitha Simenc n Keep a granola bar or other healthy planning a wedding for later this year, she has
Today's Woman snack in your purse for when hunger extra motivation to shed some pounds.
What you eat and how much strikes. You'll be less likely to grab fast “I figured it was time to work out, lose that
you exercise are big factors in a food or a bag of chips if you already extra jiggle,” she said. “Weight to me is just a
woman's weight. While many have something healthy to eat. number. I just want to tone up and change the
women want to shed some pounds, n Plan out healthy meals for you and way my clothes fit.”
the goal may not be huge. Some She is changing her eating habits, avoiding
your family in advance — you'll be less fried foods and snacking on vegetables and cot-
women simply want to stay in likely to make an unhealthy, last minute tage cheese rather than chips, candy and junk
shape and be healthy, which a few life- choice. food.
style adjustments can achieve. “I'm being cognizant of what I'm eating all the
n If you're craving something un-
healthy, give in moderately. Have a little time,” she said.
Food bit of chocolate, a bag of chips or a She also works out for an hour, four times a
Follow these tips to make healthy eat- week with 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes
few fries every now and then. You don't
ing a habit – you'll feel better and hope- of strength training each time.
have to deprive yourself, just maintain
fully you'll notice a difference in your a balance.
waist line too! work out for hours each day. Commit to n Use a basket at the store instead of
n Surround yourself with healthy working out three times a week for 30 a cart. Lugging that weight around will
snacks. Find healthy foods you enjoy and Exercise minutes and work up from there. burn some calories.
keep lots of those around. Limit pur- Try to keep an active lifestyle and n Walk or bike instead of driving. n Park at the far end of the park-
chases of unhealthy foods: If you don't make choices to stay healthy. n Take the stairs instead of the eleva- ing lot to burn more calories with the
have them, you won't eat them as often. n To stay in shape, you don't have to tor. longer walk.

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Need a wedding planner?

Women in action
If you can’t afford a human organizer,
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 By Tabitha Simenc 1. Squat Press 2. Balanced

N
ampa Recreation Center Targets quads, hamstrings, delts, core
Single Arm Row
Group Fitness Coordina- Stand with feet hip-width apart, weight in hands, elbows tucked in toward body.
Targets upper and mid
Initiate squat by moving the hips back and bending the knees and hips to lower
tor Jenn Healy dem- back, posterior delts, biceps
the torso. Ensure that knees are over ankles, not in front of toes, and toes and
onstrates this all-encompassing Hinge at hips with right leg
knees point in the same direction. Return to upright position and press weight
extended and left hand on
workout regime to get you toned overhead. Return weight to start position for next rep.
stability ball. Hold weight in
in no time. Perform 16-20 repetitions.
right hand with palm facing
GET FIT

This circuit training workout Modify: Reduce or eliminate weight.

in. Keep arm close to torso
strengthens muscles and can be and pull weight up toward rib
great cardio if rests are minimized cage. Pause and slowly lower
weight back down. Focus on
between drills to keep the heart
pulling elbows straight up and
rate up. The entire workout should using back muscles rather
take 30-40 minutes, so it’s perfect to than arms.
work into a busy schedule. Perform 16-20 repetitions
Do the entire circuit, exercises 1-9, and repeat on other side.
Modify: Keep both feet on
or break into mini circuits, grouping
floor.
exercises 1-3, 4-6 and 7-9 together.
To start, complete the circuit only
once through, once or twice a week,
as it is a high intensity work out. As
strength grows, increase to no more
than three times per week and twice
through the circuit or mini-circuits.
n Each exercise works multiple 3. Burpee with Push up
muscles and works them as they Targets chest, back, delts, core
would exercise naturally. This gives Stand with feet hip-width apart. Squat down to the floor with
more strength in daily routine ac- hands on the ground. Shift weight forward to arms and kick
legs back and out straight. Complete one push up. Jump feet
tivities while getting in better shape. back to their start point and stand up.
n Maintain neutral spine, engage Perform 16-20 repetitions
core muscles and hydrate often Modify: Eliminate the push up. Add a jump in standing posi-
throughout the workout. tion for additional challenge.
n Check with a doctor if you
have any health issues that this work
out could affect.
For questions or additional infor-
mation, contact Jenn Healy at 468-
5881 or healyj@cityofnampa.us

Want to get in shape for summer?

26 Today’s Woman | SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011
4. Lunge Rotation 7. Diagonal
Targets glutes, quads,
hamstrings, calves
Woodchopper
Targets core, quads, hamstrings
Stand with right foot forward
glutes, delts
and left foot back. Grip stability
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart
ball, weights, or medicine ball
holding a medicine ball or weight
with fingers loose on ball. Lift
in both hands slightly in front of
left heel and flex knees, lower-
head and to the right. Slowly rotate
ing body. Keep the front knee
torso, moving weight from upper
behind the toes and be sure to
right to lower left across body in
lower straight down rather than
a chopping motion. Soften both
shifting weight forward. Rotate
knees and pivot on the ball of the
torso and stability ball to the
foot, not the knee, to avoid injury.
right and maintain upright pos-
Reverse direction, rotating torso
ture, while keeping ball close to
and moving weight from lower
body. Rotate back to front. Push
left to upper right back to starting
through right heel and raise
position.
body to starting position.
Perform 16-20 repetitions then
Perform 16-20 repetitions then
repeat on the other side.
repeat on other side.
Modify: Eliminate weight.
Modify: Eliminate equipment.

5. Plank Abduction
Targets core, back, chest, shoulders
Begin with toes or knees on gliding discs and hands
8. Stability Ball Crunch
Targets rectus abdominus
directly under shoulders. Maintain neutral spine and
Sit on stability ball and walk forward until hips are at the
visualize pulling belly button towards spine. Hold
edge of the ball and the ball is supporting lower back.
position and move right leg to right side and back to
Hold arms over head and curl body up, lifting shoulders
starting position without moving torso.
off ball and reaching skyward. Hold for one second at the
Repeat above with left leg and alternate for 16-20
top and then slowly lower to starting position.
reps or for up to 1 minute.
Modify: Cross arms over chest. Hold a small medicine
Modify: Eliminate discs and simply hold plank posi-
ball or light weight in hands for additional challenge.
tion for up to 1 minute. Frisbees or paper plates can
be used instead of discs.

6. Russian Twist
Targets core
Begin sitting on the floor with knees bent
and feet lifted a few inches off the floor.
Hold stability ball, weights or medicine ball
close to body, and recline back so that
body is angled about 45 degrees.
Keeping lower body still and chest lifted,
rotate torso right and left tapping ball to the
floor on each side.
Perform 16-20 repetitions. One repetition
equals rotation to both sides.
Modify: Eliminate weight and keep feet
on floor.
9. Back Extension
with “W” Arms
Targets back, glutes
Lie on the floor on belly. Extend arms over
head and draw naval to spine. Lengthen body,
lifting arms and legs off floor, creating a long
extended body. Flex feet and pull elbows
towards each other in a “W” shape. Maintain
neutral spine, keeping chin fist distance from
chest. Extend arms and release body to floor.
Modify: Lift only the upper or lower body.

Now is the time to start! SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011 | Today’s Woman 27

 A-Z of

Weddings:

Tips and ideas for planning

a unique, cheap ceremony
Weddings can be a lot of fun to plan, but the
costs associated can be stressful. Make your
wedding stand out with these fun tips to keep costs
down and make the big day one to remember!
By Tabitha Simenc

28
Alternative
items not labeled for ‘weddings’ can
cut costs. For example, look for formal
dresses for the bridesmaids rather than
official bridesmaid dresses; they can be
a lot cheaper and still look lovely. Check
out post-prom sales.
Bulbs distributed to family
and bridal party in the late fall to plant
will flower in time for a spring event,
which means guests can bring along
flowers to the wedding. Just have a vase
on each table to put the flowers in and
be sure the guests are local as cut flow-
ers would be difficult for out-of-town
guests to bring. Continuing the flower
theme, give a packet of seeds as a favor
so guests can remember your wedding
when the flowers bloom.
Candy makes a great fa-
vor. Wrap kisses or champagne bubbles
in some lace, tie with a ribbon and
attach a handwritten note.
Document
the
wedding with a video, it’s a great
memory to look back on and to show
future children. Film some video clips
while planning the wedding – at dress
fittings or writing vows – to remember
everything.
Energy
rich snacks are a
must on the wedding day for the bride
and her attendants. Have a supply of
granola bars and nuts on hand since a
busy bride may forget to eat while get-
ting ready – no bride wants a growling
stomach as she walks down the aisle!
Fruit
can be a pretty and
cheap way to add color to a centerpiece.
Bonus – if you use citrus fruits, they will made by hand and still be very classy.
smell great too!
Garters
can be hand-
made from lace and silk for a personal
touch. Beads or sequins can also be
glued on for decoration. Make two if
you want to keep one and throw one at
the wedding.
Hotels
will often allow
wedding parties to book a block of
rooms, which can be convenient for
out-of-town guests. You could leave a
welcome pack in each room before the
guests arrive, including information on
things to do in the area and some local
gifts – a bottle of wine from a nearby
winery or locally made jam.
people dancing. Each table has to dance
when their song is played.
Music
Invites
can be done without
can be made by the use and cost of a DJ or band.
hand for a personal touch and a lot Create a playlist of songs on an mp3
less cash. Try hand stamping them, player or burn onto CDs, then just let
attaching an engagement photo or the songs you chose play through. Have
simply printing them on your computer. separate playlists or CDs for each part:
This approach can also be taken for the the first dance, during the meal, danc-
programs. ing, etc. Also, have someone in charge
of the music who can turn it down dur-
Jewelry
ing speeches or fix a problem. And have
some back up CDs or a laptop available
can also be
in case there’s a technical problem.
Make the wedding jewelry for your
bridesmaids and it can also be their gift.
Name
Who wouldn’t love a hand-strung, pearl each table instead of
necklace? Look up instructions online numbering them, with names like joy,
and go nuts, it’s much easier than you happiness or love. Or have the names fit
may think. with the theme of your wedding.
Kids can get bored at recep- Orchids or other potted
tions, so have some coloring books and plants can make a cheap, pretty and
crayons on hand to keep them occupied. easy centerpieces that can be given
Also, if you expect any babies or toddlers, away to family or members of the wed-
be sure to have high-chairs available. ding party after the reception.
Love songs assigned to each
table can be an interesting way to get
Platters made of ce-
ramic can be a fun alternative to a guest
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011 | Today’s Woman 29
 book. Have guests sign the platter with
a special marker, then have it glazed
and baked after the wedding. It’s a great
way to remember who was there on the
day and it’s less likely to just sit gather-
ing dust on the shelf.
Quantity of brides-
maids and ushers must be proportion-
ate to the size of the wedding. Have
two-four of each unless you have more
than 150 guests.
Recipes can be a fun
way to get your guests involved. In the
invitation, ask each person to include
their favorite recipe with their R.S.V.P.,
then after the wedding have all the
recipes compiled into a book for the
newlyweds.
Shoes can be an expen-
sive item that will be covered by the
wedding dress and are unlikely to be
worn again. Buy a simple pair of dye-
able white satin shoes then dye them a
color you’ll wear more often after the
wedding.
Tunes can be a fun favor
and some couples burn a wedding CD
for each guest. Keep in mind, even
though the CDs won’t be sold, it’s still
copyright violation to distribute music,
30 Today’s Woman | SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011
I dos:
n Figure out your budget and work out
what are the most important things to spend
money on. Then work with what funds you
have left to complete your wedding.
n Be creative! Brides who think of fun
ways to make their wedding unique say they
receive many compliments after the wed-
ding from impressed guests.
I don’ts:
n Don’t think you have to spend thou-
sands to have a nice wedding.
n Don’t lose sight of the reason for the
wedding: a bride and groom who vow to
spend their lives together.
so consider purchasing compilation
CDs and make your own labels.
Utilize an antique bird
cage or similar object on a gift table. It
can add an interesting decoration and
guests can post their cards into the cage
so they don’t get missed among a table
of presents. It’ll be a fun and meaning-
ful decoration for the newlyweds in
their home too!
Vases
with water in them
ready at the head table are nice so the
bride and bridesmaids can put their
bouquets in them during the reception.
It will keep the flowers perky and will
add decoration to the head table.
Websites are a great
way to include all the information

about a wedding in an easily accessible
forum for guests. Upload engagement
pictures, include the story of how the
bride and groom met, include links
on where to stay and a map for the
location of the wedding. R.S.V.P.s can
even be made through a website, which
saves paper, a stamp, and the hassle of
keeping track of each reply the couple
receives. Bear in mind older guests such
as grandparents may need a traditional
R.S.V.P.
X-tend your rehearsal
to out-of-town guests. Have a casual
BBQ or picnic with all the formalities
of a rehearsal, then invite other guests
and family members to attend later to
mingle before the big day.
Your friends
may be able to give good recommen-
Wedding checklist
Legalities
Get a marriage license
Prepare name change documents
Ceremony
Book a location
Chose an officiant
Select rings
Pick attendants
Reception
Book a location
Plan a guest list and compile addresses
Print and send invitations
Pick a cake
Book a DJ or band, or prepare music
Book a florist and select flowers
Purchase wedding favors
Consider transportation
Wedding attire
Buy a wedding dress and leave time for fittings
Find bridesmaid dresses
Decide on groom and groomsmen attire
Schedule hair and make-up services
Related events
Coordinate a bridal shower
Coordinate a bachelorette party
dations for local vendors, caterers and
photographers to use. They may also
steer you clear of some bad ones so
Coordinate a bachelor party
Book a location and food for a rehearsal dinner
Register for gifts
ask around. Purchase attendant gifts
Book honeymoon
Zzzzz:
A bride should
get plenty of sleep the night before the
wedding to make sure she’s well rested
enough to enjoy the day and looks fresh
and awake.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011 | Today’s Woman 31
Got Why do we clean?
5 min- "The only advantage of not being too good a housekeeper is that
your guests are so pleased to feel how very much better they are."

utes?
— Eleanor Roosevelt

W
e all want a clean house, but wanting and having are two different
things.
You need time to keep house clean. Or do you?
Yes, spring is weeks away, but what if you made it a habit to clean every
day? Here are some tips to evaluate your process. They could help you
save time in the end.
Expectations — Discuss and define your personal requirements
and then develop a plan to achieve that. Will there be a white glove inspec-
tion? Who cares how the house looks? Why is it important?
Get organized — Start with a list. Martha Stewart offers a
comprehensive room-by-room list of chores at http://www.marthastewart.
com/article/spring-cleaning-checklist. Review the problem areas and
discuss ways to keep them clean.
Routine — Some things should be done daily. Others weekly or
monthly.
Humanpower — Enlist all members of the family and make as-
signments. Hold family members accountable. Pay an allowance to children
and teens. Tell them it’s their job.
Tools — That new vacuum should be handy. It won’t do any good if it’s
hidden in a dark closet that nobody passes. Each toilet should have it’s own
toilet brush and cleaner handy. A quick swish takes seconds if done every
other day.
Supplies — Shop at your local janitorial supply house. You’ll save
money and get professional products. Talk to the experts there about a
problem you can’t overcome. They know what products work on the hard
water that leave unsightly stains.
Clutter — It’s the first thing visitors see. Adopt the put-it-away-now
rule. Teach children and adults that it saves time in the end to put it away,
hang it up or toss it when it’s already in hand.
Time — Choose a 15-minute slot every one or two days and enlist
every person in the household to execute their assigned duties. A family of
four can do an hour’s worth of cleaning in a quarter of the time. Pick an
hour slot weekly to get more done.
Deep cleaning — Quick tidy-ups don’t take care of some of the
down and dirty cleaning that everyone must do. Set aside regular times to
scour those hard-to-reach places.
Hire someone — Put a value on your time? If you don’t have time,
consider a maid service. If you can earn more working instead of cleaning,
hire someone to come in regularly. The rates can vary from $15 to $35 an
hour. Some bring their own equipment and supplies.

32 Today’s Woman | SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011

Rhea Allen, President and CEO of Peppershock
Media is a rock star in her world. She runs a
rock star hybrid marketing + creative agency,
she’s a rock star in the community servicing local
nonprofit groups and donating in-kind services.
But most importantly, she’s a rock star mom
balancing family, work and community. She’s
got lots of fans including her husband Drew, her
sons Emerson and Kaden, her employees and
her clients.

Rhea Allen, has a rock star banker,

Jennifer Deroin. Jennifer helps Rhea
keep her business running smoothly
with customized cash management
and solutions from Intermountain
Community Bank.

Get the “Rock Star” Treatment

from Intermountain Community
Bank Today:
Jennifer Deroin (center right)
Rhea Allen (center left)
 People that take care of you the way you want
 Everybody knows your name and you have “fans”
 Bankers that know about your family and personal needs
 Anticipating what you will need, before you need it
 Bankers that help you celebrate and prepare for special
life moments

Discover more at:

Jennifer Deroin, VP, Sr. Relationship Services Officer
IntermountainBank.com Jennifer.Deroin@intermountainbank.com 208-230-0743

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