| How to Make Mini Caramel Apples Posted: 28 Oct 2016 05:00 PM PDT Caramel apples are delicious any time of year but even more so in the fall/autumn. If you have a hankering for a caramel apple but don't want to commit to eating an entire apple, create mini caramel apples instead. You still need the same ingredients plus a melon ball scoop. EditPick Up Ingredients - Select your favorite apple. While a crisp apple is favorable, you want an apple that will allow you to pierce through its skin with the melon ball scoop. Also, select large apples so you can create a larger amount of mini apples.
- Consider buying a few lemons in the event you plan to make several apples. A few squirts of lemon on top of the waiting scooped apples will prevent oxidation, which may discolor the mini apples.
- Pick up caramels or caramel sauce. This depends on how you like your caramel apples. You could also candy the apple as well so this step is simply a matter of choice.
- Purchase lollipop or popsicle sticks. Each mini apple will be mounted on top of a stick so select your stick based on the size of your mini apples.
- Tear a sheet of waxed paper or find a wire rack to use for drying coated apples.
- Consider adding sprinkles or other candy adornments for your apple. This could also include candy corn or any other Halloween type candy.
- Purchase cello-wrap if you plan to present these apples as a gift or party favor. This includes colorful twist ties or ribbon to tie the cello-wrap in place.
EditCreate Mini Caramel Apples - Wash/clean apple(s). You can either simply rinse the apple(s) or use special vegetable wash to clean the apple(s).
- Allow each apple to either air dry or dry with a paper towel. Never scoop into a wet apple as the fruit could slip out of your hand.
- Dig into the side of the apple with your melon ball scoop. Approach the apple the same way as you would a melon by creating a small, round ball using the scoop.
- Lay the small apple scoop on a plate or aside. Add a small squirt of lemon to the apples from time to time to keep them fresh, while they wait to be smothered in caramel or candy coating.
- Heat caramel in the microwave (or follow package directions for either caramels or candy coating). Avoid overheating the candy, as it will burn. Consider starting off at 30 seconds in the microwave, remove microwave dish with candy, stir and return to the oven for another 30 seconds.
- Use caramel once it's almost completely melted. Stir the candy until it blends together and is fully liquid.
- Stab the apple with the lollipop or popsicle stick. Make sure the stick is in the mini apple but not through the fruit.
- Dip the apple into the melted caramel or candy sauce. Coat well, by swirling the apple around the dish.
- Remove the apple with care and either lay on a piece of waxed paper or in a wire rack.
- Finished.
- Roll in candy immediately after you dip the apple in the caramel or candy.
- Wrap with cello-wrap once apples have fully dried/cooled.
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| How to Align Your Shoulders Posted: 28 Oct 2016 09:00 AM PDT Improper shoulder posture can put unwanted strain on your neck and back, causing chronic pain, and in some cases, tension headaches. Computer work can cause or worsen bad posture by encouraging slouching and allowing the muscles to atrophy. By testing your shoulder alignment, stretching muscles, and regularly exercising your shoulders, you can fight bad posture and relieve shoulder pain. EditReestablishing Shoulder Alignment - Strengthen your mid back. Part of being able to pull back your shoulders and keep them properly aligned is having strong muscles in your mid back region between your shoulder blades. The main muscles groups there are called the paraspinals, rhomboids, trapezius and infraspinatus.[1] When these muscles are too weak, they allow the shoulders to slouch forward. When they're strong, it's easier to hold and maintain good posture.
- Rowing machines are excellent for building strength in the muscles between your shoulder blades. Start with light weights and lower reps and slowly progress to heavier weight and more reps over the course of four to six weeks.
- Doing the "reverse fly" with free weights is also great for strengthening the rhomboids and trapezius muscles. Sit on the edge of a bench with your waist bent forward and looking at the floor. Grab dumbbells in each hand and lift them laterally out and up off the floor, causing your shoulder blades to retract. When your arms are parallel with the floor, hold for a few seconds then slowly lower the dumbbells.
- Swimming is an excellent exercise because it works virtually all your muscles, especially those of your shoulders, spine and legs. Swimming also forces you to have good posture in order to stay above the water line and swim in a straight line.
- Make your thoracic spine more flexible. Although your thoracic spine (mid back) naturally curves forward somewhat, too much slouching can create a hump that's stiff and painful.[2] The inflexible hump (medically called a kyphosis) then forces the shoulders and neck forward. As such, try to make your thoracic spine more flexible by extending it (reversing the curve) so that it's easier to realign your shoulders.
 - Lay on a large exercise ball with your feet on the floor and looking up at the ceiling. Slowly roll (extend) your mid back over the top of the ball so your head gets closer to the ground.[3] When you feel a nice stretch (not painful), hold it for 15 seconds and repeat 10 – 15 times per day.
- Do the "Superman" pose. Lay face down on some padded flooring with your arms outstretched above your head. Lift your chin, arms and as much of your legs off the ground as you can — simulating Superman flying. Hold for 15 seconds and repeat 10 – 15 times per day. Make sure you place a pillow under the stomach so as not to hyper extend your back as you raise your head, arms and legs.
- Swimming, rowing exercises and yoga classes will also help to make your thoracic spine (and many other areas of your body) more flexible.
- Use a back stretcher, which is a curved lumbar stretcher you place on the ground and lie on for several minutes a day (start out with one minute, gradually increasing to five minutes). Lie down face-up on a back stretcher beneath your middle back. Slowly extend your back on it. This helps offset the constant forward slouched position.
- Stretch your chest and neck muscles. In addition to weak muscles in the mid back, overly tight muscles in the chest also contribute to pulling the shoulders forward and out of alignment. Ironically, this posture is relatively common in men who go to the gym, but spend too much time on their chest (pectoral) and anterior shoulder muscles and not enough time on their rhomboids (between the shoulder blades) and posterior shoulder muscles. The solution is to avoid overworking the pectorals and make sure they are well stretched and pliable. A similar problem occurs when the muscles of the lower neck (trapezius and levator scapulae) become too tight / strong — they pull up on the shoulders and make it look like the person is always shrugging.
- To stretch out your chest muscles, stand in a doorway or against a corner and raise the arm closest to the wall to shoulder-height. Your arm should be bent at the elbow. This posture resembles half of a football goal post. Rest your arm against the wall or doorframe, and use it to gently stretch your shoulder for 30 seconds. Turn your head and look in the opposite direction of your shoulder to intensify the stretch. Then switch to the opposite shoulder and repeat. Stretching five to 10 times daily will help loosen your chest muscles and allow your shoulders to retract.
- Once your neck is warmed up, start stretching it by laterally flexing your neck and head (bending it sideways) — try to bring your ear closer to your shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds and do both sides five to 10 times daily. Loosening your neck muscles will allow your shoulders to gradually lower.
- See a chiropractor. A chiropractor is a spinal specialist trained at assessing posture. Not only can they tell you if your posture is poor, but they can usually pinpoint the cause and offer natural solutions. Chiropractors can diagnose spinal abnormalities that cause misaligned shoulders (scoliosis, osteoporosis, hyperkyphosis), typically with x-rays. They can also make your spine more flexible and functional with manual joint manipulations called spinal adjustments.
- A chiropractor may apply joint manipulation to the middle back to relieve shoulder pain. The middle back is often overlooked as an area of focus for shoulder pain; however, recent research indicates that thoracic spine manipulation is effective for shoulder pain.[4]
- A misaligned shoulder may also be due to a slight dislocation called a subluxation, where the joint is not quite aligned properly. Ask your chiropractor to check both shoulder joints in addition to your spine.
- Sometimes misaligned shoulders are due to issues lower in your body, such as a short leg or an unlevel pelvis. Adjusting the pelvis to realign it and adding a lift to your shoe can help balance your lower body, which positively impacts your upper body.
- Keep in mind that spinal adjustments can't reverse deformities such as scoliosis and are not indicated for an osteoporosis-related hyperkyphosis.
EditUnderstanding the Causes of Misaligned Shoulders - Avoid poor posture. Poor body posture is essentially caused by habitually slouching forward while sitting or standing. Contrary to popular belief, your spine is not meant to be straight like a pole. A healthy spine has three natural curves, which makes it look like the letter S from the side.[5] A forward curve at the neck meets an outward curve in the mid back, which blends into another forward curve in the low back. As such, from a side view, your shoulders should be in line with your hip joints (in the middle of your pelvis) and ankles.
- When sitting, standing, and walking, remind yourself to push your shoulders back, tighten your abdominal muscles, lift your chin up and keep your gaze straight ahead. Don't continually lean forward, look down or sit at crooked angles.
- Poor posture is particularly debilitating for children because their growing bones can be somewhat deformed from habitual slouching and misalignment. These postural deformities are very difficult to reverse in adulthood.
- Poor posture puts extra strain on muscles and joints, which can lead to chronic aches and pains and increase the risk of arthritis and injuries.
- Deal with shoulder injuries properly. Shoulder injuries from playing sports or other traumas, such as car accidents or falls, can also misalign your shoulder girdle and upper body. For example, dislocated shoulders, separated shoulders, upper arm or collarbone fractures, and various degrees of sprains and muscles tears can cause the shoulder joint to sag lower or jut forward more than it should.[6] As such, make sure your shoulder injury is properly treated and fully healed before returning to activities that stress it.
- Physiotherapy is sometimes needed after a significant shoulder injury to regain full strength within the shoulder girdle muscles and attain full range of motion within the glenohumeral ("ball and socket") joint.
- Not being able to fully move and use your shoulder — due to chronic pain, an unhealed joint injury, arthritis — can quickly atrophy and shorten surrounding muscles. Tight, weak muscles then act to slowly pull the shoulder out of normal alignment.
- Ask your doctor if you have scoliosis. Scoliosis is a condition of unknown cause that leads to an unnatural curve (deformity) of the spine, usually in the thoracic (mid back) region. One of the telltale signs of scoliosis is unlevel shoulders.[7] Not only does one shoulder sit lower than the other, but the related shoulder blade often appears more prominent (sticks out more) than the other. Misaligned shoulders and upper bodies is usually what tips off a school nurse or family doctor that a child has scoliosis.
- Scoliosis appears and progresses during childhood (early teens), then stabilizes once adulthood is reached and the skeleton stops growing.
- Scoliosis is thought to be a little more common and have the potential to become more severe in young girls.
- If scoliosis is the cause of misaligned shoulders, then virtually nothing can be done to correct it. Instead, the focus should be on making sure the shoulder is strong and fully functional. Practicing good posture is especially important so the misalignment doesn't get worse.
- Try to prevent osteoporosis. Osteoporosis, also called brittle bone disease, involves a lack of normal bone mineralization. Without enough minerals, such as calcium, magnesium and boron, bones are much more susceptible to breaking, particularly in the hip and spine.[8] Compression-type fractures in the mid back (thoracic region) are most common, which tends to cause a humpback (hyperkyphosis) and push the shoulders and neck too far forward. Once the humpback forms, only corrective surgery can help realign the spine and shoulders.
- Osteoporosis is most common among elderly Caucasian and Asian women, especially those who are slender and inactive.
- To help prevent osteoporosis, make sure you get adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D, and exercise on a regular basis.
- Good sources of calcium include: low-fat dairy products, green leafy vegetables, canned salmon, tofu and fortified cereals and juices.[9]
- A significant factor in having good posture is simply being aware of your posture. As such, look in the mirror on occasion and correct your posture, focusing on how it feels, then train yourself to be aware of your posture throughout the day.
- Practice walking with a book balanced on your head. It may sound "old school," but it's still a great way to develop good posture, especially for your head, neck, shoulders and mid back.
- If you have scoliosis or a thoracic spine problem, always talk to your doctor, chiropractor or physical therapist before attempting any exercises.
- Correcting bad posture may feel awkward initially because your body has become accustomed to sitting and standing in a particular (slouchy) way.[10]
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| How to Handle a Cheating Partner Posted: 28 Oct 2016 01:00 AM PDT People cheat on their partners for a wide variety of reasons. But regardless of the reason, unfaithfulness is hurtful and it can create a permanent rift between two people. If your partner has cheated and has expressed remorse for what he or she has done, then you may need to take certain steps to move forward in the relationship. Keep reading to learn how to handle a cheating partner. EditReestablishing Trust - Understand the nature of your partner's cheating. People cheat for many different reasons and it is not always about sex. Sometime people cheat because they are seeking an emotional connection, trying to deal with a loss or crisis, or seeking an escape.[1]
- Do not assume that your partner's cheating was all about sex. Find out why he or she cheated before you move forward. Try telling your partner, "I need to know why you cheated and who it was. Please be honest with me and tell me what happened."
- Request that your partner cut off all communication with the third party. In order to reestablish trust, you need to be certain that the third party is out of the picture. That means asking your partner to break all ties with the person. This severing may be difficult if the third party is a coworker or someone else that your partner sees on a daily basis. It may even be necessary for your partner to seek a new job in order to make sure that there will be no further contact between the two.[2]
- If your partner is unwilling to cut off contact with the third party, it may be a sign that he or she is unwilling to stop cheating. In this case, you may not be able to repair the relationship.
- If the third party continues to pursue your partner despite being cut off, you and your partner may want to pursue a restraining order to keep this person away from you both.
- Communicate with your partner when you are ready. Learning that your partner has had an affair may cause you to experience a high level of emotional distress. In this case, you may need some time before you can talk to your partner about what happened. It is important to discuss the affair in order to move forward in your relationship, but don't feel like you have to discuss the affair with your partner right away. Take your time and talk about it when you feel ready.[3]
- If your partner pressures you to talk, say something like, "I appreciate that you want to talk, but I am just too hurt right now to talk about what happened. Please show your love for me by giving me space and time."
- Set boundaries about relationships outside of your marriage. If you partner has cheated, it is more likely that he or she will cheat again. You can help your partner to stop an affair before it develops by establishing boundaries for relationships outside of your marriage. In other words, make sure that your partner understands what types of things are acceptable and what are not. You should also make sure that your partner knows not to disclose certain types of information to avoid having a friendship develop into an affair.[4]
- For example, your partner should not talk to a work friend about you or your marital issues. You and your partner can work together to compile a list of topics that are acceptable as well as topics that are not acceptable for conversations with friends and coworkers.
- Ask your partner to make his or her whereabouts known to you throughout the day. In order to reestablish trust, your partner will need to understand that he or she has lost your trust. For this reason, you will need to know where your partner is at all times. This may seem unfair to your partner, but it is necessary if he or she is committed to regaining your trust.[5]
- Talk about your partner's cheating, but set limits. Schedule two 30 minute sessions each week to talk to your partner about his or her affair, rather than spreading the questions throughout the week. Don't ask your partner to reveal things that will be too hurtful for you to hear, such as sexual details.
- Forgive on your own terms. Your partner may be extremely apologetic and desperate for you to say that you forgive him or her, but do not feel like you must forgive your partner right away. It is okay if you need more time to heal before you forgive your partner. To help your partner understand, let him or her know that you are still too hurt to forgive just yet and that you need more time.[6]
- Say something like, "I appreciate your apologies and I want you to keep apologizing, but I am just not ready to forgive you yet."
- Seek help from a counselor. Dealing with a cheating partner on your own is difficult. If it is too hard for you and your partner to work through this process on your own, seek the help of a licensed counselor who specializes in marital issues. A marriage counselor can help you to deal with your emotions and have more constructive conversations.
- Keep in mind that marriage counseling will not offer an instant solution. Reestablishing trust in your relationship will take time.[7]
EditBuilding a Better Relationship - Encourage your partner to be more open with you. Sharing more of your emotions with your partner and encouraging your partner to do the same with you will help strengthen your bond. Make it a habit to confide in each other every day. Some opening questions for confiding in your partner include:
- "Remember when we used to go walking and talking around the neighborhood, walking the dogs together? Let's do that again tonight…How about it?"
- "What happened yesterday between us didn't go so well, and I want to try another way-can we start over and this time I will take some deep breaths and listen more patiently. I also want to say what works better for me and find out what you are hoping for."
- Be considerate of each other's needs. In order to move forward in your relationship, you will both need to learn how to understand each other's needs. The best way to uncover what your partner needs and let him or her know what you need is to talk about it.
- If you are not sure what your spouse wants or needs, the best way to find out is to ask questions and listen. If you still are not sure, ask more questions. For example, you could say something like, I think that what you need from me is ________. Is that what you mean?"[8]
- Appreciate each other. Showing appreciation through sincere compliments is an important part of a healthy relationship. Make sure that you and your partner are aware of the importance of complimenting each other and that you both know how to do it well. Good compliments should not only be sincere and focused, they should also be phrased as an "I" statement rather than as a "you" statement.[9]
- For example, if your partner cleans the kitchen, don't say "You did a nice job of cleaning the kitchen." Instead, say "I appreciate that you cleaned the kitchen." Using I instead of you lets your partner know how you feel, not just that you noticed.
- Ask your partner to commit to change. If you decide that you are ready to move forward in your relationship with your partner, you should ask your partner to promise you that he or she will not follow the same pattern of behavior that led to the affair. Ask your partner to articulate or even write out what that behavior includes and commit to change.[10]
- Establish consequences to deal with the possibility of another affair. Since there is a possibility that your partner may cheat again, you should work together to establish consequences for another affair. These consequences may include things like divorce, losing custody of your children, or other repercussions. You may want to get these consequences in writing and work with a lawyer to make them legally binding.[11]
- Know when to end the relationship. If things don't improve despite all of your best efforts and the help of marriage counseling, you may have to accept that the relationship cannot be repaired. Signs that the relationship may be beyond repair include:
- constant fighting
- inability to connect with your partner
- inability to empathize with or receive empathy from your partner
- hurt and anger that does not subside with time
- inability to forgive your partner[12]
- If you are having a hard time dealing with your emotions because of your partner's cheating, consider talking to a mental health professional by yourself to deal with these emotions.
- If your partner cheats on you regularly or cheats a second time despite seeming remorseful, you may be in a relationship with a player or a sex addict. In this case, you may need to end the relationship and move on. Otherwise, you risk further emotional damage from your partner's continued cheating.[13]
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