Don't know how to knit? There are tons of reasons to get crafty besides the onset of sweater weather. There's evidence that tasks like knitting -- repetitive, creative projects that allow you to enter a "flow" and engage multiple lobes in the brain -- help ward off cognitive illnesses like dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Plus, studies have shown that knitters reap immediate good vibes from their hobby: The majority report increased feelings of happiness and calm, and experts say it rivals meditation in its ability to help practitioners manage stress and physical pain. So why not pick up some needles, yarn and a basic how-to guide for a low-investment health and brain boost? And if your grand plans to stitch a fabulous scarf end in an ugly potholder, we won't judge.
Getting a mani-pedi in a trendy fall shade might seem like an unnecessary indulgence. But the benefits aren't just superficial: Those hand and foot massages do the mind and body very, very good. Beyond relieving achy muscles, ailments as wide-ranging as anxiety, chronic digestive conditions and insomnia have shown improvement from regular massage. In fact, there are so many wellness benefits from basic human touch that even a quickie polish change can give you brain-body benefits. When you consider all this, that $20 spa pedicure starts to sound like a heck of a bargain, doesn't it?
Imagine picking out your dinner in the morning and coming home to a hot meal already prepared. A crockpot may not be the sexiest appliance in your kitchen, but hot, one-pot eats like soups, stews and chilis are the ultimate in quick, comforting meals. Oh -- and did you know that a crockpot makes the ultimate apple cider? Now that apples are in season, it's the perfect time to enjoy a hot cup bursting with polyphenols and and other antioxidants. Try this easy recipe for a relaxing seasonal tipple:
Crockpot Apple Cider
2 cinnamon sticks
1 dozen sweet apples, cut into chunks
1 orange, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon allspice
brown sugar (to taste)
Fill your crockpot with all the ingredients. Add enough water to cover the fruit. Turn your crockpot on high and let cook for six to 12 hours, then serve. Your cider can be refrigerated for up to two days.
Grocery shopping on Sunday, dry cleaning pickup on Monday, a pharmacy stop on Tuesday -- whatever happened to free time? Experts suggest bundling errands together rather than doing them bit by bit, preferably on a weekday morning or evening when traffic in stores and parking lots is lightest. In addition to saving your sanity, you save a ton of gas -- and, BTW, the environment.
The best way to keep track of your to-dos? Download a cloud-based app that you can access from your computer, phone and/or tablet so that you can update your list anytime, anywhere. Oh, and if ticking off five errands in a row sounds like a whole lot of no fun, have a "reward" stop built into the end of your chore-running sesh. (Think: a latte from a nearby coffee shop or a bouquet of fresh flowers from the grocery store.)
As the weather cools in fall, humidity decreases, and the air's loss in moisture translates to less-hydrated, easily irritated skin. Get your skin in step with the changing season by switching to a thicker moisturizer, like Neutrogena Naturals Multi-Vitamin Night Cream. Featuring ingredients like yerba mate tea leaf extract, olive oil and Inca inchi oil, this deeply quenching cream's omega fatty acids, vitamin B and antioxidant vitamins C and E repair cellular damage and calm inflammation while strengthening the skin's moisture barrier -- helping you put flaky, red, dry skin to bed.
