With Black Friday just around the corner, I wanted to share this "Two Minute Tip" video from Dahn Yoga, an integrated mind-body training method that combines deep stretching exercises, meditative breathing techniques, martial arts and energy awareness training.

According to the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), forty-seven percent of Americans suffer from a foot ailment, but only 26 percent have actually seen a podiatrist.  During the hectic holiday season, the number of ER visits for foot ailments spikes as a result of consumers falling on slick sidewalks, wearing improper footwear, and/or being loaded down with shopping bags that can knock our entire body out of alignment.

To help start the holiday season on the right foot, the team at Dahn Yoga has highlighted some relaxing reflexology and foot massage techniques to help alleviate foot pain so that you can focus on more important things like spending quality time with your family.

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Were you there during the Beanie Baby Outbreak of '95?  How about the Great Furby Epidemic of '98?  If so, you have some experience when it comes to holiday gift-giving hysteria.

With the economy still in the doldrums, seasonal madness is subsiding.  Consumers aren't breaking down doors to pay a premium for the latest and greatest gadget.  This year, shoppers are shifting toward more affordable and thoughtful presents.  As you start to plan your Christmas list, consider some of these gift-giving trends.

1. The Latest Craze
Would you believe the hottest holiday item out there is a rectangular piece of plastic?  According to a survey from the National Retail Federation, 57.7 percent of consumers want gift cards as holiday presents, putting their demand at an all-time high.  Happily, you can find cheap gift cards at sites like GiftCardGranny, which sells them at less than face value.  If you're recipient isn't totally satisified, they can always sell the card for cash on Gift Card Exchange Day, the one-day event scheduled for Dec. 26 when gift card resellers typically offer maximum value for unwanted cards.

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Human beings look at the world and see a complex network of interconnected individuals, each with their own autonomy and free will. This perception is a far cry from what credit card companies see. Instead, they view individuals as big bundles of data from which they can profit.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported both MasterCard and VISA are working on plans targeting online ads to consumers based on previous credit card purchases. The idea is you pick up a bag of dog food from the store and charge it to your credit card. When you get home and go online, you start seeing ads for corresponding products and services, like dog toys and dog grooming.

Despite the massive amount of personal data we transmit every day, there are still ways to protect yourself from targeted online ads. Try a few of these tips to avoid the watchful eye of Big Brother.

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Esther Francis Joseph believes that almost everyone knows someone who is being physically abused at home – they just don’t know it.

"Victims of abuse are very good at hiding it," said Joseph, a survivor of child abuse and author of Memories of Hell, Visions of Heaven—A Story of Survival Transformation and Hope (www.estherfrancisjoseph.com). "In most cases, they are threatened with more abuse if they ever tell anyone about it, so they become very adept at hiding bruises and acting as if nothing is wrong at all. In many cases, abusers were abused themselves. Abusers are very good at terrorizing their victims because they were trained on how to be a successful abuser by those who abused them as children. As a result, the abusers themselves are often seen by friends and neighbors as friendly, affable people in good, healthy relationships. The abused seem happy and content in their lives. But when the doors close and lock behind them, the facade is dropped."

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Back before you were a parent, the end of daylight savings was a welcome relief to pitch black mornings.  An extra hour of sleep is more valuable than gold, especially post parenthood.  Enter Sweet Bundle of Joy who doesn't share your affinity of snoozing and also has a set, circadian rhythm that doesn't magically readjust over a weekend.  Your baby doesn't care that Uncle Sam dictates a useless time adjustment every six months.

As if parenting weren't already the hardest thing anyone has ever done in the history of doing things, we must deal with the time change and our children.  Here's what will happen, if you're new to fall-back with children: they wake up after the same number of hours of sleep.  So if Junior typically wakes up at 7:00 am, you'll now have a 6:00 am early riser after the change.  Start gearing up for that adjustment now with these six easy tips.

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The countdown to the holidays has begun. With it comes the only time of year that's simultaneously joyous and stressful. For some, this season will bring with it the event of a lifetime: a wedding. Those planning holiday winter weddings have several opportunities to save money and lessen the stress burden for themselves and their guests.

1. Deck the Halls.
Most event locations will have already decked the halls for the holidays, allowing you to piggyback their efforts for a low-cost wedding. Go with Christmas hues of gold, red and green -- or go for a silvery winter blitz. Strings of white Christmas lights will transform any room into a holiday paradise.

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