Staycation: 35 Ways to Vacation Without Leaving Town

Easy-to-Plan Staycation Ideas Between my brother's basketball practices, my sister's social life, and my studies, we didn't have time to make the annual trek to the family cabin one summer. The way my dad saw it, morale was low and pitching the family tent in the backyard for a night was the obvious solution. Although I wasn't exactly excited about the idea of roughing it in the yard, it ended up being one of my favorite family vacations--even despite the sprinklers drenching us the next morning. -Megan Beauchamp What's your favorite way to relax with your family without traveling far from home? Tell us on Facebook!       More Ways to Enjoy Your Staycation: Stay Local While Going Global: 9 Tech-Inspired Staycations 10 Facials You Can Make at Home Palate Passport: International Food Adventures   FAQs | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy Copyright ©"1999-2012 eHow, Inc. Use of this website constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. To unsubscribe from this list click here.

Just Keep The Change

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What to Do When an Ex Contacts You Posted: 30 Jul 2012 03:52 AM PDT A Guide to What to Do When Your Ex Contacts You All those questions It's inevitable that it will raise some questions inside your mind whenever an ex contacts you. And by far the most common one, and most trouble-some-one, is "Why?" Why now? What did she want? And that leads to you thinking about all sorts of possibilities, like if she perhaps would like to get back together with you. But before you continue thinking these thoughts, I urge you to take a step back and assess the situation. I'll hold your hand the whole way, so don't worry ;) Before you do anything Before you do anything, you have to be absolutely clear on a crucial thing, which is the big question on what you want. It may be cliché by now, but it's still the one thing that you will benefit the most from knowing the answer to. Without that, you will have no clue what so ever to what to reply or how to handle the situation on your ex contacting you again. So, how do you figure out what you want? Before we travel further down this path, you have to be clear on one thing: It's not easy. But it doesn't have to be difficult either. The best results will always come from an effort that feels natural to you Even though the answer to what you want in relation to your ex-girlfriend stems from your your answer to what you want in life – we won't dig that deep today. Today we'll just focus on what you want purely love- and relationship-wise. The first step to obtaining wisdom Take a moment and close your eyes. Take a deep breath through your nose and dive into your realm inside your head. When you think about your ex, what do you see? Which kind of colors and feelings does it bring to your consciousness? Is it feelings of warmth and love? Despair and sadness? Whatever you feel, try to stay with that feeling. Don't let it slip away, even though it may feel uncomfortable at first. Now use that feeling to determine how you actually feel about her. Do you miss her? And if so, why? Continue to follow the patterns of thought that pops up and be open to whatever kind of thoughts or feelings that might occur. At some point, you will gain some useful insight that can help you determine whether it would be best for you to be together, or to be separated. It's not easy, but something you can ask yourself is this: Does she make you a better man? And do you make her a better woman? Do you complete each other – or do you tear each other down? Do you magnify love – or hate? Once you know that, you will know which direction to go. Use the following as a rough guide If you DON’T want her back and you're in a new relationship… It shouldn't be too difficult. If you have met a new girl and you're doing just great, there's no reason why a call from your ex should disrupt that. You have nothing to be confused about since you can peacefully let your ex go and continue on with your new girl. If you are with a new girl and you aren't doing so well, you still don't have anything to worry about. If you know that it wouldn't be good for you to be with your ex, you can just focus on your present relationship by either making it better, or by acknowledging that it isn't going to work and moving on. Either way, you can be very relaxed if your ex girl ever calls you or contacts you in any way. In other words: You have absolutely nothing to worry about. If you're in a new relationship but DO want your ex back… You have to do some serious soul-searching. First of all, it's not fair to your new girl. If you miss your ex, you're usually won’t be ready for a new relationship, and you should have waited until you were over her… Or if you really wanted your ex back, you should have done everything in your power to do so until you either got her back or were forced to give up. If you're single, but DON’T want her back… As long as you don't want her back, you're good to go. Enjoy your life, date around and have fun. Respond casually to however she contacts you. Be polite, of course, but be careful to send signals that might make her think that you feel lonely or anything of that sort. Even though you know what you want, you have to make sure that she knows, too. But if you DO want her back… As I said before, if you do want your ex girlfriend back, you have to really try and make that happen. You have to put in everything you've got and really give it a shot if you honestly believe that it would be best for both of you. How to do that is a topic for another day, but I'll get into how to win your ex girlfriend back very soon here on the blog, so stay tuned!

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Brighten Up: 40 Colorful Ideas for Your Home, Plate and Style

15 Home Colors That Reveal the Inner You Lime green was my favorite color when I was a kid. Everything had to be green: the car, the computer, and of course, my bedroom. I begged my mom to repaint the walls in my favorite hue. I fancied it my sanctuary, a sacred place for all things a nine-year-old could need. She compromised by painting one of the walls lime green, and for the next few years, my fresh and bright bedroom was the envy of all my friends. Over time the purpose of the room shifted, from bedroom to gym to home office, but that lime green wall remained the same, even when we sold the house. I can only hope that the current homeowners appreciate it as much as I did! -Rachel Horn Trying out a new paint color around your house? Tell us about it on Facebook!       Add More Color to Your Life: DIY Watercolor Cards 6 Ways to Eat Your Colors Rainbow-Bright Nail Polish   FAQs | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy Copyright ©"1999-2012 eHow, Inc. Use of this website constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. To unsubscribe from this list click here.

Just Keep The Change

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5 Tips to Help You Stop Thinking About Your Ex-Girlfriend Posted: 21 Jul 2012 01:26 AM PDT How to stop thinking about your ex-girlfriend We’ve all been there: standing in line at a supermarket or just about to return a ball in a tennis match – when suddenly SHE pops up out of no where. You have no idea where she came from, but she won’t leave. Thoughts about your ex girl can find their way to your brain at the most unwanted of moments, and this post is dedicated to giving you a few tips on overcoming those nasty thoughts (all while getting over her at the same time…) You have to start out by… Recognizing it The first thing you have to do sounds simple, but it is no less the most important step. Whenever you think about your ex-girlfriend, you have to recognize internally that you are doing just that – and you have to accept that you have absolutely no control over your own thoughts. What you to have control over, though, is your reaction to them, and what you choose to do afterwards. For more info on my thoughts on thoughts, especially related to break-ups, read the post: “How To Respond and Act When Your Ex Suddenly Contacts You Again” Help your subconsciousness An old "trick" in behavior psychology is that of putting a rubber band on your wrist and then snapping the band whenever the undesirable thought comes up. This helps the body directly associate the thought with pain, and that in turn will help your subconsciousness categorize it as something unwanted to bring up. For an extra powerful effect, tie this technique in with the next one… Replace the thought with something positive Whenever you encounter a thought about your ex-girlfriend that makes you sad, replace it with a positive thought instead. So when you think "Awww man, she was cute when she did that, and now I miss her", or "She really hurt me, that b*tch!", replace that with something that makes you smile (preferably after taking a deep breath, but more on that in a sec) A good example of a positive thought could be how much progress you are seeing in your body composition right now (if you're working out and losing fat/gaining muscle), how good you're doing at your job, how much you love your family or even just thinking about a funny picture or my personal favorite: thinking about all the beautiful women in the world. I don't know about you, but that can always bring an instant smirk on my face. Take a deep breath When that thought about your ex girl pops up, take a second to stop up and do a really deep breath. All the way in through the nose, and all the way out again. If you're concentrated, you can almost feel the cleansing effect immediately. And even better: you'll be brought directly back to the present moment while clearing your head at the same time. Accept the reality If your feelings related to thinking about your ex are loaded with negative emotion, you have to accept that you may very well not be over her yet. This is not something bad, though; it simply means that you still have some work to do. If you want a collection of my very best blog posts on the subject of getting over your ex, along with more than 50 new ones, answering specific questions you may have, like: "How to avoid being distracted by her – A meditation exercise to help quiet your thoughts”, “What to do when lying in bed and thinking about her – A simple drill to use if you have a hard time falling asleep”, “What to do if you have common friends – Should you let her win them?” and “When will you be ready to meet someone new?”. If you would like the answers to these questions, and many more, The Ex-Girlfriend Solution might be something for you. On the right side on this page, you can find links to sample chapters from the book. But now, let me know if you have any tips or tricks yourself that you put to use whenever you think about your ex-girlfriend? If you do, I'm sure that our community would be very grateful if you would be so kind as to share it in the comments!

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The Beach-Goer's Guide to Fun in the Sun

5 Beach-Friendly Tech Tools When you think about it, the beach is a natural place to take electronics. Many of your favorite gadgets – smartphone, Kindle, you name it – are made from sand (it’s true!), so it’s sort of like taking your technology for a visit back home. Personally, I’m very glad that tech doesn’t mind going outdoors, because I get bored easily, and I just can’t stay enthused for an entire day at the beach unless I’ve got something that takes batteries to keep me entertained.-Dave Johnson. What's your favorite waterside gadget? Tell us on Facebook!       Make the Most of Your Day by the Sea : 8 Beach-Ready Hairstyles Frame Your Face Tips to Treat Sunburns   FAQs | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy Copyright ©"1999-2012 eHow, Inc. Use of this website constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. To unsubscribe from this list click here.

Travel Tips for Your Summer Vacation

Make the Most of a Carry-On One summer, I embarked on an adventure through Europe, just me and a carry-on roller bag. Towards the end of the trip, I found myself racing around the Paris Métro to make a train connection to Amsterdam. At one station I flew down the stairs, bag dragging behind me, trying to make it inside the subway train before it pulled away. I dove into the crowded compartment…and the doors closed on me. Half of my body was inside, and the other half was hanging from the platform, awaiting impending doom. Two French men pried the doors open and I fell into the train, unscathed save for two large black stains on my shirt where the doors had been. It’s thanks to those strangers that my carry-on bag and I made it to Amsterdam—in one piece. -Rachel Horn. >> What are your secrets for stress-free travel? Tell us on Facebook!       More Travel Tips: 10 Vacation-Worthy Apps Eat Right In-Flight Travel Entertainment for Kids   FAQs | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy Copyright ©"1999-2012 eHow, Inc. Use of this website constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. To unsubscribe from this list click here.