Weekend Wellness – Achieving Success in 2014

By Tammy Parkinson, CPT, ACSM, NASM, Nutritionist, Body Firm Personal Training & Nutrition

Here we are…2014!  It seems a little surreal.   Of course, January is synonyms with resolutions, goals, getting motivated, fresh starts and that’s just the beginning.

I’m all for this.  As you might know, I write down my intentions for the year every January.  It grounds me and helps me gain insight and direction as to how I’d like to focus my energy and attention.   I openly encourage my clients to do this (in their own way) as well…I deeply believe we need to write down what we want for ourselves in order to envelope these intentions into our lives and create the year (and beyond) we want.

So often, though I hear folks worry about the perfection and potential imperfections of setting goals.  Many people seem to be afraid to commit to “New Year’s Resolutions” because they have “failed in years past” and don’t want to claim their goals out loud; some won’t even write it on paper…even if they are the only ones who see it.  They worry that if they don’t complete their goal (sometimes with absolute perfection) then they have failed, so they don’t want to even try; for fear of letting someone (mostly themselves) down.

Better Sleep Means a Better You in 2014

By John Thompson, Executive Vice President, Intero Real Estate Services, Inc.

It’s the beginning of a new year.  That means, new goals, new commitments, a chance to start fresh.  For most people this includes goals of losing weight, eating healthier, or being more productive; making the most of your day to be the best person you can.  Why not start each day with a better night so you can accomplish these goals well rested and energized?  Your standard alarm clock just won’t do when it comes to this, but Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock does.  The app tracks your sleep patterns, waking you up in the lightest sleep phase closest to when your alarm is set to go off.

So why is it important that you wake up in the lightest sleep phase? Well, our bodies go through a cycle when they are asleep, moving from light sleep to deep sleep and occasionally going into REM-sleep (a dream state).  A normal alarm clock doesn’t take any of these phases into account.  It just simply goes off at the specific time you set no matter what stage of sleep you’re in.  Waking up in the middle of the deep sleep phase can cause a great disruption in your sleep pattern resulting in the sluggish, sleep deprived feeling so many of us are familiar with.

Sleep Cycle takes all of this into consideration using a 30 minute alarm window that ends at your set alarm time and wakes you up in your lightest sleep place.  The result: a more refreshed, well-rested you and a more productive energetic day.  Just think of all that you could accomplish when you’re at your best from the start of the day!  All of this for only $.99.

Monday Morning Mojo – My New Year’s Commitments!!

By Tom Tognoli, COO & Founder, Intero Real Estate Services, Inc

Today marks the first full week of a New Year and the day that most of us roll up our sleeves and get back to work and school. It is our opportunity for a fresh start on whatever it is that we want to accomplish in our F5 (Faith-Family-Friends-Fitness-Finance). We all just need to remember that it is the beginning and not the end. We need to pace ourselves or we will crash and burn. Don’t let what happened to your last year’s resolutions happen again this year.

I think it starts first with not making resolutions. I am not a big fan of resolutions because they never seem to stick and most of the time they are these big pie in the sky things…they are hopes and prayers. It is why our resolutions are typically the same each year. Try something different this year…make commitments not resolutions. A commitment is just that…it’s not negotiable. I would rather see people make smaller commitments they know they can keep than making big audacious resolutions that very rarely if ever stick/work.

Cool App – Pay It Forward

By John Thompson, Executive Vice President, Intero Real Estate Services, Inc.

Looking for a great and easy way to make a resolution come true this year? Well, if you’re looking for a way to give a little back to the amazing world we live in, but don’t know where to start here is your app. Here at Intero, we’re always talking about giving back to the communities in which we serve so I was excited to find an app that did just that. Based off of the idea of doing one good deed a day, Pay It Forward was developed to remind us that helping others is the best way to make this world a better place.

Every day, Pay It Forward will send you a suggestion with an act of kindness that is designed to be simple, fun and effective. If you didn’t get a chance to do the act of kindness that day, the app will hold onto that task until it is completed. You can easily track your progress as you go and share your progress with your friends and family. Get motivation from others by viewing where other good deeds are being done all over the world.

The app provides an extremely easy way for you to check off the “give back” item on your list of resolutions and just think what a difference it will make. If everyone downloaded this app and did what it said on a daily bases, I think we would definitely succeed in making the world just a little better. Such a simple thing with the potential for an amazing result. Download it now and start giving back today!

Weekend Wellness

By Tammy Parkinson, CPT, ACSM, NASM, Nutritionist, Body Firm Personal Training & Nutrition

This past week, I’ve been reconnecting with several clients I’ve worked with over the last year.  In doing this…I simply cannot believe how fast this year has gone by!  “They” say time goes by faster as one gets older…which might be a true perspective; however with the right nutrition and fitness plan, it may go by faster, but at least we are healthy enough to keep up!

Here are my 5 top Fitness and Nutrition tips for 2013 as a recap to help slide into 2014 on the right foot (or hands, depending how you slide!)

Fitness:

Never let a 3rd day go by without some kind of activity. Ever.  This builds momentum and inertia…so you never feel that you’ve lost ground.  Your motivation stays strong and you always feel somewhat fit because truly…you’ve worked out consistently!

Realtor Satisfaction

This post dedicated to making Realtors feel valued and feel good.

Home Sales to Remain Steady as Prices Expected to Rise in 2014

By Gino Blefari, President & CEO, Intero Real Estate Services, Inc.

Now is the season when we start hearing a lot of predictions for the housing market in 2014. So what’s the prognosis?

I was at the National Association of Realtors conference in San Francisco last week and the group’s Chief Economist Lawrence Yundropped some numbers to paint a picture of what he expects going into next year.

So far, Yun is expecting a flat pace of sales – not a huge jump or a decline – and a 6% increase in prices. He’s also expecting interest rates to climb from their current average of 4.16% to 5.4% by the end of 2014.

Thanksgiving Pre-Prep

15 days until Thanksgiving. Time to talk Turkey. Let’s start with the pre-prep and get that oven ready for the big day. Here are some tips.

A Salute to a Very Special Veteran

This is Rick’s boot camp picture. He’s just as handsome today.

2013 Marine Corps Birthday Message: “Enduring Fortitude, Unfailing Valor”

Team Patereau is made up of a lifelong Marine, and a lifelong Marine supporter. Happy 238th Birthday Marine Corp. Semper Fi!