Get Outdoors and Reap the Rewards

You need willpower, smart food choices and regular exercise to lose weight. Before you start training for the next major road race, think about this: working in your yard is hard work. What better time is there than the beginning of a new year to start developing healthy habits?

Men and women of all ages can benefit from a moderate amount of daily physical activity. The good news is that the activity doesn't have to be strenuous to achieve results. Check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

You've heard the advice before to go outside and play in the dirt. It's estimated that a 135-pound female can expend more than 160 calories when she gardens for 30 minutes. If you're a 175-pound male, you'll expend close to 210 calories. If you replace that riding lawn mower with a hand mower, you'll burn 193 or 251 calories respectively.

Remember, it's never too late to start exercising regularly! By exercising outdoors, you'll feel better, boost your energy level, and get a healthy dose of vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, in the process. Plus, if you do it right, you'll have the best-looking yard in the neighborhood.

Tips on Selecting a Christmas Tree

Your home reflects your style, and your style says a lot about who you are. So what should you do this holiday season about "the tree?"

If you decide a pre-cut or a choose-and-cut tree is best for your family, the Georgia Forestry Commission has some tips to help you find a fresh tree. Visit www.gatrees.org and click on "Christmas Tree Directory" for a county-by-county list of places to buy choose-and-cut trees or living trees that come in burlap bags or containers.

Buying a locally grown tree supports local growers and is good for the economy. Many attractive species are produced in Georgia, including: Fraser fir, Douglas fir, Virginia pine and Leyland Cypress.

For optimal stability, choose a symmetrical tree with a straight main stem. Make sure the tree's needles are still firmly attached to the tree. All trees will drop their needles when they dry out, but if your tree is shedding before you get it home, you'll be sweeping or vacuuming your holiday away.

If you've chosen a pre-cut tree from a local lot, trim an inch or two off the butt end and place the tree in water right away. Choose-and-cut trees must also be quickly put in water. The vessels at the end of a tree are usually blocked with dirt and/or sap after harvest and transportation. A fresh cut allows the tree to take up water from the tree stand.

For balled-in-burlap or potted trees, always be sure to keep the root ball moist, but not saturated. Indoors is a stressful environment for a living plant, so limit the tree's time in the house and transplant it as soon as possible. Potted trees can be set outside after the holidays; keep them watered and plant by March. Balled-in-burlap trees should be planted as soon as possible after Christmas so the roots don't dry out.

To close the season, get tree-planting tips from www.gatrees.org. Then, have the family help dig a hole where you can plant your tree and grow nice memories of Christmas 2011!

Source: Georgia Forestry Commission, http://www.gfc.state.ga.us/