3 Health Benefits of Strength Training Exercises

Even if you don’t plan on bulking up or competing in weight lifting competitions any time soon, strength training is a crucial part of any exercise regimen. Here are three great reasons to incorporate weight training into your workouts.

  1. It promotes strong bones. Weakening bones is a concern that all people have to face as they age. The stress that strength training puts on your bones increases their density and prevents osteoporosis, keeping you strong and healthy as years pass.
  2. It helps to control your weight. While you might relate weight loss with intense cardiovascular workouts, strength training is just as important if you want to lose weight. Gaining muscle increases your metabolism and causes your body to burn calories more efficiently.
  3. It gives you more energy. Like all workouts, strength training increases your stamina and helps you to stay alert and focused. After a few weeks of regular weight lifting or body weight exercises, you’ll notice that you feel more energized throughout the day. Some scientific studies even show that years of regular strength training exercises help to sharpen your focus and keep your mind attentive as you age.

Strength training: Get stronger, leaner, healthier [Mayo Clinic]
7 Reasons to Add Strength Training to Your Workout Routine [Everyday Health]
Benefits of Strength Training [Body Building]

New Mexico Jeep Tours: 20,000 Acres of Wilderness Awaits

New Mexico Jeep Tours takes guests just outside of Albuquerque to a sprawling private ranch. It boasts 20,000 acres of sandy wilderness, speckled with everything from gnarled trees to prehistoric ruins. Depending on the tour that you choose, you can explore the historically and naturally rich space by foot or by vehicle. Either way, you'll get a rare glimpse into the breathtaking backcountry of New Mexico.

Embark on the simply (and accurately) named Most Popular tour, you'll spend most of your time seated in the all-terrain Jeep, but the durable vehicle will still get you up close to the remnants of early Spanish villages, including petroglyphs and even bits of broken pottery. Take the photography tour for a chance at the best snaps of the ranch's wild horses and vista views, or the Hikes and Jeep tours if you'd like to get some exercise while you explore.

New Mexico Jeep Tours
Albuquerque, NM 87122
(505) 252-0112
www.nmjeeptours.com
www.yelp.com/biz/new-mexico-jeep-tours-albuquerque

Creative Uses for Paper Towel and Toilet Paper Tubes

Instead of throwing away those empty paper towel tubes and toilet paper rolls, you might want to keep them around. There are a number of fun projects that you can create using these cardboard tubes, and best of all, they even help to keep them out of the landfill!

  • Cut a toilet paper roll in half and use it to plant seedlings. Simply fill the roll with soil, cover one end with plastic wrap, and plant your seedlings. When it’s time to transplant, you can bury the whole thing.
  • If you’re an avid crafter, use a toilet paper roll to store tangled string by cutting a notch into one end of the roll, slipping the string through and winding it up inside. Cut another notch into the other end to keep the whole thing in place.
  • Prevent creases in your pants from the clothes hanger by cutting a paper towel tube in half lengthwise and sliding it over the length of the hanger. The next time you hang your pants, the tube will help minimize creasing.
  • Make cute (and cheap) napkin rings for your next get-together by cutting a toilet paper roll into smaller rings and covering them with leftover fabric scraps.

18 Incredible Uses for Cardboard Tubes [Reader’s Digest]
10 Unconventional Ways to Use Old Paper Towel and Toilet Paper Rolls Around the House [One Green Planet]
15 Surprising Uses for Toilet Paper Tubes [Care2]

Order the Cubano at Guava Tree Cafe in Albuquerque

If you've yet to eat at the Guava Tree Cafe, regular diners would likely advise you to order the Cubano sandwich. Served on fresh-baked bread, tangy mustard melds with melted Swiss cheese, ham, pork, and pickles. The sandwich spends a few moments in a panini press, then joins a pile of fresh yucca fries in a serving basket lined with wax paper.

According to fans of Guava Tree Cafe, the Cubano best represents the food on offer here. After all, this Nob Hill eatery centers around Latin American fare, from the hand-shaped arepas to the made-from-scratch sweets. Speaking of sweets, you'll want to save room for dessert at Guava Tree Cafe, even if only to get acquainted with the Pastelillo de Guayaba y Queso. This Caribbean sweet encases tropical guava paste and cream cheese within its buttery, flaky layers.

Visit Guava Tree Cafe on Facebook to learn about the restaurant's specials and events.

Guava Tree Cafe
118 Richmond Drive NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
(505) 990-2599
guavatreecafe.com/gtcwp
www.yelp.com/biz/guava-tree-cafe-albuquerque-2

Happy Memorial Day!

Wishing everyone a happy Memorial Day as we remember the many heroes who have served our country.

How to Host a Successful Toy Swap With Your Friends, Family and Neighbors

If your children are too old for their current toys but you can’t bear to simply toss them out, you may be interested in hosting a toy swap with fellow parents. A toy swap enables you to swap your child’s old or unused toys with those of other children, bringing home a whole new haul of toys without spending a penny. Here are a few tips to help you pull off a successful toy swap.

  1. Create a list of guests. Try to pick guests who you feel comfortable with, who have children in varying ages, and who live fairly close to one another.
  2. Choose the perfect location. Because of the group of people and the large amount of toys, you’ll need to hold the swap in a large, fairly spacious room. If you don’t have this type of space in your own home, see if someone else would be willing to lend their living room.
  3. Send out invitations and guidelines. Emailing invitations seems to be the most convenient way to get the word out, so include a list of guidelines for the swap at that time. Describe what types of toys to bring, if they should be cleaned beforehand, how many toys to bring, and if there are any items that you won’t accept.
  4. Make it fun. Set out snacks, make sure everyone understands the rules, and keep things light-hearted!

How To Organize a Toy Swap or Toy Exchange [About Parenting]
How to Host a Toy Swap [30 Handmade Days]
How to Throw a Toy Exchange [Shareable]

Arroyo del Oso Golf Course: Golf With a Scenic View in Albuquerque

On paper, the appeal of Arroyo del Oso Golf Course is more or less straightforward: Equipped with a pro shop, restaurant, and driving range, this is a 27-hole, par 72 course (par 73 for women) featuring a trio of water obstacles and multiple sand traps. The public course debuted in 1965 and, 16 years later, was named one of the country's top 50 municipal golf courses by Golf Digest.

If you take one step onto the course itself, however, you're likely to notice what makes Arroyo del Oso special: its topography. The arroyo for which the scenic course is named plays an important part in the greens' design: Duffers criss-cross the arroyo three times during most games and, if they should pause to take in the view, they'd notice that the course follows the natural contours of Bear Canyon Arroyo's sloping terrain, which is speckled with Ponderosa pines.

Arroyo del Oso Golf Course
7001 Osuna Road NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109
(505) 884-7505
www.cabq.gov/parksandrecreation/recreation/golf/arroyo-del-oso-golf-course

Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother's Day! How are you planning to celebrate mom today?

Organize Jewelry and Accessories With These Smart and Easy DIYs

If it seems almost impossible to keep your necklaces, rings, and other accessories neat and organized, read on! These smart tips will show you new, smart ways to keep your jewelry and accessories tidy and tangle-free. Best of all, you can make them yourself — inexpensively!

Antique Saucer Jewelry Storage [Buzzfeed]
Store your everyday jewelry right out in the open by using a few china tea saucers. You can usually find them at your local thrift store, and they make a good place to corral loose rings, bracelets, and earrings.

Hanging Thread Organizer [onegoodthingbyjillee.com]
Make a quick visit to your local craft store and purchase a wooden thread organizer. This handy storage solution is meant to hold spools of thread, but its numerous wooden pegs are also perfect for hanging necklaces and bracelets on the back of a door, on the wall, or inside of a cabinet.

Corkboard Jewelry Holder [beehiveandbirdsnest.com]
Many people have an unused corkboard tucked away in a closet, and if you don’t, you can easily pick one up for cheap at an office supply store. Place attractive push-pins all over the corkboard and arrange them in a way that best suits your jewelry collection.

Taqueria El Paisa: A Hidden Gem for Mexican Fare in Albuquerque

Taqueria El Paisa may not look like much from the outside, but what it lacks in curb appeal, it more than makes up for in its kitchen. This little spot has earned a loyal patronage through authentic Mexican taqueria-style cuisine that's made to order — and at prices that are easy on the wallet.

Keeping with its humble decor, the menu sticks to the basics: tortas, burritos, gorditas, and tacos, the latter of which are served upon corn tortillas and sprinkled with chopped onions and cilantro. That said, the tacos are a real crowd-pleaser at Taqueria El Paisa, but first-time diners would be also well-advised to order the mole burrito or the gordita de chicharron. Your meal will be accompanied by a little spice, but it's nothing that can't be curbed by a sip of ice-cold agua de melon.

Taqueria El Paisa is open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. The eatery is cash-only, so be sure to stop by an ATM on your way over.

Taqueria El Paisa
820 Bridge Blvd. SW
Albuquerque, NM 87105
(505) 452-8997
www.facebook.com/pages/Taqueria-El-Paisa/164961693618143
www.yelp.com/biz/el-paisa-albuquerque

Pin It on Pinterest