By Liza Kovacs, M.S.C, M.A., Fitness Contributor

Do you feel a strain in the back of your neck after too many hours of the computer? Do you find yourself massaging your shoulders in the hopes of finding relief? If you regularly have pain in the back of your neck this post might be for you.

Our cervical spine (the segment of our vertebral column that makes up our neck) is the most mobile part. It also holds a heavy appendage, our head, which generally weighs around 10 lbs (or 4.5 to 5 kilos). Simplistically, your posterior (back) and front (anterior) neck muscles work together to maintain your head erect. Sometimes these muscles become imbalanced because of habits, such as forward head posture for example, as we extend our head forward for long periods of time to read our computer screen. In this position we strain the back muscles of our neck responsible to hold our head up while the front muscles simultaneously stop contributing to the action. The balance is thrown off and this is when we begin to experience discomfort.

Here is a video with 2 simple exercises that target that area, one to strengthen the front of your neck muscles, one to stretch and help release the back neck muscles. I recommend doing 4 of each. You can do these exercises anywhere and I suggest you do them as soon as you feel pain or discomfort creeping up. For those if you with a busy life, these exercises might be more practicable.

And, for your convenience, here are the written instructions for these simple exercises to strengthen your neck as well as some stretches to provide you with relief when neck pain occurs:

1. Anterior Neck Strengthening Exercise: place your fingertips on your forehead. Gently press your forehead into your fingers and hold that pressure for an exhale. If you put your other hand on your throat you will feel those front muscles engaging. It is a good sign! Repeat three times, making sure that the back of the neck is not participating in the action.
2. The Double Chin Stretch! Look straight ahead and without dropping your chin down reach your ears back in space, giving yourself a double chin (you heard me right!). Again hold it for an exhale.
3. Neck Stretches:
   1. Drop your ear to your shoulders. Gently place your hand on the top ear for a greater stretch of your shoulders. You can hold this for three long breaths or longer. Repeat to other side.
   2. Turn your head 45°diagonally to one side. Drop your chin down. Place your hand on the crown of the head so your elbow points in the same direction as your nose. Hold this for three breaths as well.

Make sure you are gentle with your stretches. Breathe into them and visualize your muscles releasing and giving way with each exhale, stretching for three breaths in and out.

Remember to do these simple exercises, especially #1 and #2, when you first start feeling the discomfort. Such simple tips can make a big difference in your everyday wellbeing.

See what exercises Liza recommends to keep arm toned and to alleviate back pain when standing all day at a standing desk. And, stay tuned for her upcoming tips & tricks to fix our “growing old” ouches. 

By Audrey van Petegem, Chief Editor

Audrey & Scott, happily married for 26 years

I was recently on a short flight from Toronto to Chicago and sat beside a gentleman from France. I normally have casual chats with the person sitting beside me that either end as quickly as they start or we find a common interest and talk the whole flight.

This chance encounter was different. I do need to preface this post with the fact the I have been happily married to the same man for almost 27 years.

This man ignited something in me that has left me seeing myself in a very different way. In the one and half hour flight we felt intense attraction for each other. Here was this man who was flirting with me and making me feel wonderful about myself. It was neither sleazy nor lewd. He boosted my confidence. He made me feel wanted, not needed. I felt ageless, desirable and worthy of attention. It was quite honestly the most surreal situation of my life.

After I deplaned, I sat in the airport wondering what had just happened. Did I mention that I am very happy in my marriage? I love my husband but I am understanding that desire has nothing to do with love. Desire is about adventure, mystery and the unknown. Love is about security, safety and dependability; everything a marriage is about. I realized that our desire for each other had fizzled and in its place was familiarity and companionship.

Esther Perel, a sex therapist, has addressed this exact topic in a TEDtv session. In this timely video she discusses how difficult it is to have desire in a long term relationship. In her studies that have spanned the globe she has noticed three commonalities in keeping the marital flame burning.

They are:

1) Distance makes the heart grow fonder: It is true that when we are away from our partner and we reunite we feel that desire for each other. When I am away, my husband and I seldom talk and I wonder if this helps. He deals with all the daily issues and does not entwine me in them. The same when he is away. When I return my mind is clear without being dragged into the daily responsibilities. He and I can embrace and connect and I can be welcomed home.

2) There is a reason we get crushes on Rock Stars: When we see our significant other in their element; whether on stage or just across the room at a cocktail party engaging people, we feel proud that they are ours. What is more hot than seeing your spouse confident and in charge.

3) Vacations are a must: Responsibility and desire to not go well together. There is no room for neediness to feel desirable. When you can laugh together and be playful that reignites the desire in each other.

Below is Esther Perel’s talk on TEDtv:

Esther states: “We think love comes with selflessness and in fact desire comes with a certain amount of selfishness in the best sense of the word: the ability to stay connected to one’s self in the presence of another.“

I realized that this man on the plane helped me see that I am an erotic, sexual being and that I am desirable. When my husband and I first met he had the same affect on me. It is much easier to feel sexy and hot when you are young and in a new relationship. Now, to bring back desire into my marriage I need to explore my own desire for my 50 year old self first.

I have shared this video with my husband. We have a lot to discuss but when I came home from my trip I can honestly tell you that I felt true desire for him.

By Anne-Marie Kovacs, Chief Wife

I almost remember attempting to cook pasta in the microwave when the microwave was first introduced to the consumer market. What year was that? 1984? Ugh. I worked at my first “real” job at GE at the time and was very proud to be among the first microwave owners. There were so many gadgets and techniques thrown at us back then to get us to cook and bake eh-verr-y-thing in the microwave. I was never successful at anything but reheating and it’s been that way for the last – ouch – nearly 30 years.

That was the same for the inventor of the Fasta Pasta® who took on the challenge of properly cooking pasta – among other things – in the microwave.

I tried the Fasta Pasta this evening for a single portion of spaghetti and was completely satisfied that the pasta had the exact same texture (and taste) as if it had been cooked stovetop.

In my microwave, the whole thing took 11 minutes. It’s as easy as Measure/Add -Water/Press (microwave) Button/Drain.The pasta cooker lid has convenient straining holes to drain the cooking water right from the cooker.

And, pasta is not the only thing you can cook in there. Think asparagus, green beans, rice… The design to the Fasta Pasta cooker seems to be ideally suited for lasagna noodles. We all know that it’s the cooking part of the noodles that deters most of us from preparing a luscious lasagna (while avoiding the no-cook lasagna noodle trick). Not a problem anymore.

The Fasta Pasta is, bien sûr, BPA-free and is proudly made in the USA. Buy it here for $12.95 to avoid the Made in China copycats that are not BPA-free.

I’m getting another one of these for my son in college. Tout de suite.

My family and I are currently living at Taboo Resort and feel that we are having a long term vacation in the great Canadian white north (except for the working everyday and going to school part). It appears that we are the only ones that live here on a permanent basis and our townhouse clearly is not designed for anything but a vacation home.

We have moved most of possessions from our two homes into this one small space. It has been a challenge to be organized with so little storage space. The kitchen has been the hardest to organize since it has very few cupboards and drawers. We had to improvise on a pantry by using the TV armoire (It came with the place.) My husband is very good at spatial concepts and renovating spaces to fit our needs, but even he was stumped! It is impossible to add further space in such a limited kitchen and it really takes a clever find to resolve this problem.

Luckily, Cabidor is just that small-space storage solution! This extra shelving space works on any door. Perfect for extra space in pantry for cans and spices. It would also work well in an office, bathroom, bedroom or a linen closet to keep gift wrapping accessories organized and in one convenient spot. This quick video will show you how it works:

It installs in a matter of minutes. The shelves are adjustable and can fit on any standard door with at least 3 1/2 inches space from a wall in order for it to open. Cabidor also has a mini-Cabidor that would work in my TV armoire/pantry. Also check out  the one specifically for jewelry.  Buy directly from Cabidor.

I love being organized!

By Anne-Marie Kovacs, Chief Wife

Dry. Limp. Frizzy. Split. Dull. Blah…

Yeah. That’s what my hair is typically looking like at this time of year. It just take four-five months of indoor heating for it to become lifeless. Well, that was last year. This year, I have a few trick up my sleeves.

Audrey always says that I care too much about hair. My own and that of others (I don’t discriminate). I justify it by saying that I’m of the Leo sign and hence must carry my mane proudly. But at my age, I find that bad hair is just as ageing as yellow teeth. So I especially look to prevent sad, lifeless winter hair and this year, I have been quite successful. Here’s a panoply of products that I use (NOT all at once!):

	Agadir Argan Oil – We wrote about the now famous Moroccan Oil over three years ago. I loved how soft, supple and lustrous it left my hair. Especially in the dry winter air and then also helpful to combat summer frizz. But once out of the first MO bottle, I went out to search for alternative options. That’s when I found and still use the Agadir brand. I buy it at Amazon for about half the price of the other brand. A life saver for my hair in winter.
	Living Proof Restore – Everyone here seriously LOOOOVES this brand (Audrey mentioned it here). I just started using the Restore product this past month as a twice weekly 5 minute hair mask. It really does live up to its name as it truly restore hair and bring it back to life, bouncy and lustrous. In the company’s words, Restore “heals each strand weightlessly, increasing strength, manageability and shine”. Looks like that to us! Buy at Living Proof or find the line on Amazon.
	Biotin Supplements – Biotin is a B-complex vitamin that promotes normal immunity and plays a role in cell growth and skin health. As such, it’s recognized to enhance the health of hair, skin and nails. For your hair, that means it will be stronger and less prone to breaking and split ends. Here are some Biotin brands on Amazon.
	Prosfessional Salon Gloss – It’s only once I moved to Chicago that my hairstylist here recommended hair gloss treatments. I will probably never go without them again. A gloss will restore the hair’s shine as it straightens the hair cuticles damaged by coloring, hot styling and general air dryness. My hair looks – much! – shinier, healthier and is bouncier and more full bodied after each gloss. Colored glosses will also add a nice boost to your color. Results will last about three weeks. Ask your stylist.
	Dryer Sheets - So, this is an age old trick, but I forget about it all the time as a fix to get static out of my hair in a pinch. It’s so simple: just grab a section of dry hair at a time and run the dryer sheet on it. Static hair was fun when I was 6 years old. Today, not so much. The dryer sheets shown here are from Meyer’s. These biodegradable sheets are made with a vegetable-derived softening agent and natural essential oils.

And, don’t forget the humidifier in your home. That’s key for overall health. Here are some cool humidifier designs we mentioned this past fall.

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor

Right now, all I want in life is to get a good night’s sleep. I know this sounds dramatic, but being menopausal and having the stress of temporarily relocating back to my homeland, as well as renting one home and selling another, I am seriously lacking sleep.I know that having an active lifestyle and eating a healthy diet are the first steps to having a restful sleep but it is just not enough right now to combat my insomnia. I am now disrupting my husband’s sleep, by doing things like playing Words With Friends at two in the morning. He is now suggesting that I get a prescription for sleeping pills. Say what?! There has got to be another solution?

Herbs have been a popular remedy for stress relief for generations and Wild Oat seeds are known to promote relaxation. We all know that oatmeal is good for you because of its high fiber content and nutrients but it is the wild oat seed that contains relaxing properties that eases stress on the nervous system and acts like a natural sedative. The seed is rich in protein and minerals and is especially high in potassium and magnesium.

Gaia Herbs has a variety of supplements that include Wild Oats to help with a good night’s sleep. All Gaia Herbs are 100% vegan, with no animal byproducts and free of pesticides and heavy metal toxicity. Get Gaia Herbs free App for your iPhone that traces the herbs used in your supplement bottle; from where they were grown and harvested, all the way to the bottle.

As an added bonus, download some of Gaia Herb’s beautiful images onto your iPhone or desktop to help “Meet Your Calm”.

Gaia Herbs would like to offer one of our readers a (1) $100 Amazon Card and (1) $100 Gaia Herbs Gift basket to “Meet Your Calm”. Enter through the Rafflecopter link below.

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Should the Rafflecopter widget not work, leave a single comment below and we will count it as your entry. You may enter through the Rafflecopter widget daily or leave a comment daily and share daily.

The giveaway is open to the 48 U.S. contiguous states and ends on March 9, 2013 at 12:00 am EST. Winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 48 hrs to respond. Please add pr@Brandfluential to your trusted email filter. If original winner does not claim their prize within 48 hrs, it is forfeit and a new winner will be selected promptly.

This post was inspired by Gaia Herbs. Meet your calm prize pack provided by Gaia Herbs. Compensation and Amazon Gift Card provided by Brandfluential.com.

It’s a yearly tradition now. Succulent Wives are styling the Oscar nominees for the third year in a row. Well, you know, we’re playing dress-up with glorious imaginary budgets. It’s too much fun and Polyvore (where we build our looks) is dangerously addictive. See last year’s piece  and the previous year’s too.

Let us know what you think and send us your looks. We’ll add them to the list!

SALLY FIELDS, Best Actress Nominee in Lincoln, as imagined by Chris Bradshaw at BOOMboxNetwork.com:

Sally Fields seems more comfortable in black, but this is a dark navy that will still let her stand out. She will be stylish and the dress covers her upper arms (needed after a certain age!). The lace follows through on all the accessories except the bracelet, which is a dramatic touch, but brings the blue out in all the other clothing items.

ANNE HATHAWAY, Best Actress Nominee in Les Misérables, as imagined by Marjie Killeen of FortyFabulous.com:

Anne Hathaway is a  gorgeous, talented actress who has been photographed on the red carpet so many times that I feel sorry for her stylists – it’s hard to come up with a new look for her. Her portrayal of the downtrodden Fantine in Les Mis was heavy, so I say she should let her hair down (so to speak) at this year’s Oscars, lighten up, and have some fun. Inspired by a bag of bright gummi worms, I chose this beautiful navy J. Mendel lattice gown as a backdrop to bright and playful accessories such as the Christian Louboutin sandals, Dolce & Gabbana raffia-tassed clutch, and Ferndando Jorge orange tourmaline and diamond earrings. Wouldn’t she look delicious in this?

EMMANUELLE RIVA Best Actress Nominee in Amour, as imagined by our very own Audrey van Petegem:

At 85 years old, Emmanuelle Riva is the oldest Best Actress nominee ever. This French actress may not be well known in this country but she has been featured in more than 50 films in a career that spans 55 years. Her role in “Amour”

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