June 10, 2007
Book swap made easy
Some books are worth parking on your bookshelf forever. Others, not so much. So when a friend told me about the online book-swap site Bookins.com, I was intrigued. It's a more targeted way to barter than Craigslist (where it wouldn't be odd to find a "my books for your hamster" posting); it's simpler than Amazon Marketplace (which has sellers running to the post office every time they get a "Sold, ship now" e-mail); and the books are free.
Here's how it works: You get 15 points just for signing up, then more points for every book posted that someone else wants to grab. Points are assigned according to a book's age and original cost. An old Danielle Steel book might be 3 points; "The Da Vinci Code" audiobook, on 13 CDs, is 27.
Bookins is not the only swap site out there (others are ReadersUnited.com and PaperBackSwap.com), but I like Bookins because the only cost is for the book's recipient -- a flat $3.99 for postage and delivery confirmation. The shipper can print a mailing label at home. It is actually more postage than you need for sending most books, but it beats standing in line at the post office.
Go to top
Work out on the beach, too
Take your workout up a notch by moving it to the beach. Working out in the sand challenges your sense of balance, gets your heart rate up faster and engages some muscles you don't normally use.
"The beach and outdoors add some more colors to your workout rainbow," says Gabrielle Reece, former pro beach volleyball player and host of FitTV's "Insider Training." "We all get bored, and this is a great way to fend off the monotony of the gym. Working out outside also allows you to really unplug."
After doing a five- to 10-minute warm-up, try some of Reece's favorite moves for a great beach workout:
Interval sprints. "Running on the sand is challenging, so I like to mix it up. Do a light run for 30 seconds to a minute, then switchto a 10- to 20-second all-out sprint and repeat."
Walking lunges. "Alternate your lunge from leg to leg walking down the beach. Do a set of 10 to 20 on each leg, then a light run in between for one to two minutes before you begin your next set. Do anywhere from four to six sets, or create a goal by covering a certain distance. Remember to keep the knee over the foot."
Squat jumps. "These are great for the butt. Squat down to a comfortable depth (not lower than 90 degrees) and then jump up, ending with full extension in your feet. Do 10 to 20 reps, and take a one- to two-minute rest in between each set. Start with two to four sets and work up to six to eight."
Visit gotogabby.com for more of Reece's fitness tips.
Contact Jorge Cruise, author of "The 3-Hour Diet," at 3hourdiet.com.
Go to top
New reason to cut salt
25% less salt
=
25% fewer heart attacks
|
Cutting down on salt is not just for reducing blood pressure anymore. It also may lower your long-term odds of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death by 25%, says a new study from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
Researchers analyzed the effects of reducing sodium intake by 25% to 30% after 10 to 15 years in large-scale studies. Their conclusion: Cutting sodium is a good way to prevent cardiovascular disease in general -- not only high blood pressure -- and it has no harmful effects.
Go to top
Fire! What to do in a hotel blaze
Although hotel and motel fires have declined by more than two-thirds in the past 20 years, there are still about 3,900 such fires in the United States every year. Smart travelers should heed the U.S. Fire Administration's advice:
Travel with a small flashlight for dark halls or stairs.
When making reservations, ask whether the property has smoke detectors and fire sprinklers.
Read the fire evacuation directions in your room and then immediately locate the exit, counting the number of doors between your room and the exit.
In a fire, grab your room key in case you have to re-enter your room. Then touch the door; if it's cool, stay low to the floor, open the door slowly, and crawl low in the smoke to the nearest exit. Use stairs, not an elevator.
Should you have to stay in your room, call the fire department to give them your location, stuff wet towels and sheets around the door to keep the smoke out, and then hang a bedsheet from your window as a signal.
|
