Dedicated to the Wonderful People in My Life

On Christmas Eve, I have so much to be thankful for!

1. Wonderful husband

2. Amazing family

3. Great friend

4. My strong faith

5. Being healthy

6. Having a job

7. A roof over our head

8. A car to take us to our jobs

9. Food and water

10. Living in paradise

These are just the many blessings in my life. Living away from our family has been hard but what has made it easier for Chris and I is the fact that we are in this together - always have been, always will be. God has blessed us with living in this beautiful place and we definitely make the most of it. We are both close to our families and talk to them every day. We thank God for the amazing family and connections we have with our family and friends back home.

2010 had it's ups and downs, like life does - but I am proud to say that we have stuck it through like the troopers we are. My mom has been doing great during her chemo treatments, my dad's health is great and he is still as active as ever; my sister got engaged to her long-time boyfriend; my brother and his wife moved into a new place - oh yea, Christopher and I got married!!! We are surrounded by the best families in the world!

Having a strong faith is also important to me. One of my 2010 resolutions was to have a stronger and deeper faith: continue to go to church on Sundays, and Holy Day's of obligation, read the bible more. I am proud to say that I have kept that resolution up and it feels great. Faith is a strong part of my life and drives my decisions and makes me the woman I am and the wife I want to be for Christopher.

In 2011, I want to continue living my life with a strong faith because it feels so good; I want to learn more about Catholicism; have Chris want to go to Church with me; get my AFPA Nutrition and Wellness Certification (more about this in a later blog); get a full-time job; become a National Psoriasis Foundation Mentor; freelance more. These are things on my to do list and part of my New Years Resolutions. But to me, I don't look at my resolutions as something I "have to do," I look it them as something "I want to do." It really makes a difference.

I know God has amazing things plan for us and I CAN NOT WAIT to see what he has planned for us in 2011.

Have you held up for your 2010 New Year's Resolutions? What are you thankful for? What are you most looking forward to in 2011?

Some special words I want to leave you with:

As Christmas draws near, it's time to clean up the house so everything will be in order for the celebration. Going to church on Christmas will mean each of us has to get cleaned up and ready too. Cleaning takes a little time and effort, but the result is well worth it.

God takes time, if we let him, to clean us from the inside out. Ask God to forgive you for your sins. As God to help you love those around you. As God, to heal any hurts or sorrows you have. God is ready to create a new and clean heart within you.

Lord Jesus, embrace s with your love so that we might accept your Word in our lives.

Study: Women are Unhealthier Than Ever

"Overall, the nation is still so far from the Healthy People and related goals that it receives a grade of 'Unsatisfactory'," the report said. "In none do women enjoy overall satisfactory health status."

Yep. that would catch my eye, too. But the question is what are we as women doing to keep being healthy? A lot of women, people, for that matter may think it takes a lot or "I just don't have the time" to be healthy. Which is completely false. All it takes is a little bit a knowledge and a want to continue to live a healthy lifestyle.

Click here to read the article more in depth.

Test: "Making the Grade on Women’s Health: A National and State-by-State Report Card"

Major points:
- More women are obese, diabetic, and suffering from hypertension than they were in 2007. - More women are testing positive for chlamydia (which can lead to infertility) - Fewer are being checked for ovarian cancer, and more are admitting that they've had five or more drinks in one go within the last month. - Part of the problem, the report points out, is that nearly 1 in 5 women between the ages of 18 and 64 are uninsured, and it's difficult to get adequate care without health insurance.
What have you done today to be healthy? When was the last time you went to the OBGYN or general doctor for a yearly exam? When was the last time your mother or sister or best friend went?

Your health comes first. If we're not healthy, then we can't take care of those around us who may need more help then we do. Continue to live your life and be healthy!

Healthy Holiday Food Guide

With the wonderful holidays behind and currently upon us, I am always looking for healthy alternatives to the holiday staples you will undoubtly see at the office parties, neighbor's get-togethers and friends shindigs. Read on to get in the holiday mood the right way and fit into that LBD or those skinny jeggins with booties; whatever occasion is in your holiday future.

Mixed Nuts or Olives? PORTION CONTROL
Olives - have the healthy monounsaturated fats like olive oil, which help lower cholesterol.
Nuts - also high in monounsaturated fats and a good source of fiber.

Soft or hard cheese?
Though all cheese is high in fat, soft cheese tends to have less fat and fewer calories. A one-ounce serving of Brie(soft) contains about 94 calories; while one ounce of Gruyere(hard) has 117 calories

Pigs in a blanket or mini quiche? I am a sucker for the mini quiche!

"Both are high in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium" but quiche is the lesser of two evils gaining calcium from cheese, protein from eggs and nutrients from the veggies. The piggies are likely to be processed food and the mini quiche may be high in sodium from the crust, so please limit one :)

Roast beef or ham?

RB is less processed, contains half as much saturated fat and has 3X more iron and high in vitamin b. But both are a great source of protein - just eat sparingly.

Sugar cookie or gingerbread cookie?

Sugar cookies have about twice as many calories thanks to all the butter(no thank you) also high in saturated fat. But the GBread cookies are empty calories. If you can't resist the cookie jar, like always, one is better. Don't be a cookie monster!

Cocoa or egg nog?

"Eggnog and cocoa that is made with real milk both have lots of calcium, about 300 milligrams in eight ounces. But eggnog, as the name implies, also contains eggs and sometimes heavy cream and brandy, which translates into about 300 calories and 12 grams of fat in a five-ounce serving." Enough said. Just make sure the cocoa isn't the instant made one which contains less protein, calcium and flavanoids (which help prevent arteries from clogging - always a plus.

Candy cane or chocolate kisses?

The candy cane is just pure sugar and has no nutritional value, but it lasts longer which will keep you away from the sweets table (we can hope, can't we?) A candy cane contains about 55 calories and no fat, while five chocolate Kisses contain 127 calories and seven grams of fat.

But, if you must indulge your sweet tooth and take the chocolate, make sure they are the dark chocolate ones which contains the excellent flavanoids mentioned earlier.

Think you can make the smarter decision when you visit your next par-tay? Yes, because you are informed now! All it takes is a little bit of knowledge and I promise you wont be giving yourself a hard time the next day or kicking your own butt at the gym to run off those extra mini quiches you ate.

ENJOY AND HEALTHY EATING!!

PR and Special Events Coordinator at Your Service

Currently, I am a Public Relations and Special Events Coordinator whom recently partnered with my husband Chris Skiles, award-winning Art Director for MauiTime to bring my PR and Marketing expertise to lucky11studios.

If you're looking for a fresh PR spin on your new company, need help building a brand from the beginning, need to update your current marketing materials (when was the last time you took a look at that company bio or mission statement?), or creating the next big event in your life or company.... I am available for your needs. Partnering with lucky11studios, you also get the best of both worlds as we can complete all of your design needs. Need a new logo? Having trouble mastering that fact sheet in INDESIGN? Let us know.

I also currently freelance for MauiTime writing bar and restaurant reviews. Check out my reviews here.


MY BACKGROUND
While working as the PR and Special Events Coordinator for Pennino and Partners, a PR agency in Texas, I coordinated all social media marketing efforts for WorldFest Houston International Film Festival, significantly increasing audience attendance and implementing their first social media campaign which is still in use today.

My first project with CORESTAFF Services, I secured media coverage with major news outlets including ABC, Associated Press, BBC, Bloomberg Business News, BusinessWeek, CNN, National Public Radio, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and many other local and national business media outlets. I also assisted them in achieving their media outreach goals by 100 percent.

My experience also includes public relations and media writing; social media marketing; securing on-screen media appearances for clients; developing marketing materials for publicity programs; client sponsorships and recruitment; planning, staffing and hosting media at events; planning special events; building relationships with reporters and pitching major news outlets.

For any questions, comments or to get a quote on your next project please send a message to sabrina.dreyer@yahoo.com. For your design needs, send a message to lucky11studios@gmail.com or find us on Facebook! With reasonable rates, project-to-project basis and no long term contracts, we will find a price right for you and your needs.

Look forward to helping you on your next project!