Flag Day is Every June 14th

Janice Krako/ June 15, 2017

Do you know why we celebrate Flag Day on June 14th every year? Flag Day is June 14th every year and is the official birthday of our United States of America flag. Every year on June 14th we need to proudly display this symbol of our durable freedoms granted by our U.S. Constitution. On June 14, 1777, our Continental Congress passed a resolution that officially designated our uniquely designed Stars and Stripes flag as the one and the only official United States flag. This uniquely designed flag containing 13 stripes alternating in red and white, and a field of blue displaying 13 white stars each representing the official union of the 13 original states. This year is the 240th year since the adoption of our flag.  The current U.S. flag now has 50 stars, 1 for each of the States in the Union. Francis Scott Key penned the words for the “Star-Spangled Banner”, our national anthem while observing that our flag still flew proudly and freely as the British attempted to overtake Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. The National Flag Day Foundation was started by B.J. Cigrand, a Wisconsin man, to promote the honoring of our beloved Stars and Stripes

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Monday, Another New Week, Another New Beginning

Janice Krako/ June 13, 2017

It’s Monday already? Are you rested and ready for the week ahead, or do you have a weekend hangover from not enough rest? Sometimes just getting out of bed on a Monday is difficult especially if you haven’t had sufficient sleep enough over the weekend. Simple tips to help you train your body and amp up your Monday “A.M. productivity”. Create a sleep routine  Don’t underestimate the importance of your circadian rhythm. This regulates how your body sleep and wake cycle runs. Bodies crave routine and ideally, you should wake up from a light phase of sleep, not the deeper stage. It’s that deeper stage that leads to a foggy head and low mental functioning. If you’re well rested you shouldn’t need to rely on caffeine to get you moving. Set a bedtime Stick to the set time or at least within 30 minutes of that time. Set a wake-up time – Get up around the same time each morning, your body will be reset to the routine slowly. The hope is that eventually, you will be able to wake yourself up without an alarm. Relax Don’t work, text, or stay online too close to your set bedtime. The blue light emitted from your phone

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Welcome To My World!

Janice Krako/ June 13, 2017

Today it’s more likely “To Blog or Not to Blog”. There are millions of blogs today online for a very good reason! We all have something to say! Everyone has their own views on the world, facts we know, things we want to learn, things we question. With the explosion of the internet, blogging has become a forum for us to connect with others everywhere. Blogging and the Internet need to remain the free and open exchange of ideas, goals, and information. Blogs and the internet have always been a meeting of minds.  Both are places to learn, be creative and share. If we don’t like the blog we’re reading…. we move on to the next article! The reason why your favorite blogs are your favorites can be explained many ways: Topics that interest you and want to hear more about New content regularly posted which you look forward to reading containing the current information They share their opinion and you get to comment and interact with the other readers You like the format which remains consistent and authentic throughout the years So just who am I, aka “JPKC” and The LadyJStyle? Very glad you asked! I’ve run multiple corporations–at

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Sometimes Mother’s Day is a Bittersweet Day

Janice Krako/ May 14, 2017

Once upon a time….but this is a true story When the private school our son attended didn’t think this young man would be able to succeed  enrolled there in spite of his brilliance, genius IQ but lacking perfect eye sight, having poor fine motor skills, and a brain tumor (discovered at age 5.)…He made the honor roll!  More capable than they assumed.   Proudest parents ever! How ironic…we were called in to a meeting with the High School principal and David’s teachers for the very pleasant occasion of note…David made honor roll. The Principal had been given the task by the school’s Headmaster of terminating David’s attendance for “not being up to the school’s quality levels”.  David was up to the challenges of a rigorous education. A child with IQ of Mensa level in nursery school. The Headmaster had to “eat crow”. David could and did succeed quite well in this tough academic setting as the Honor Roll listing attested to.  What parent doesn’t love to hear teachers telling you not only your son was brilliant, but a good person person? David constantly amazed all who knew him. So….now that the amazing David  was successful in a tough private high school, 

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Rainy days and Tuesdays….

Janice Krako/ November 29, 2016

When I’m trying to catch up on writing actually love the gray skies and sounds of the cars passing by in the rain. Peaceful day today. Tuesdays are usually the days I catch up on food blogs. The post tomorrow will be Paprikás Csirke better known around here as Chicken Paprikash. A lovely stew of chicken, onions and of course paprika.  It’s the kind of dish that when it’s simmering on the stove takes me back to childhood.  Very much a simple to make dinner that’s a real family favorite.   Paprikás Csirke on a bed of egg noodles The rain also will often take me back and have me reflecting on life too. The one thing we never have enough of is time. Every day take the time to appreciate the little things. Yes, even when the kids are driving you bats, arguing and running around the house. You’ll miss that when they’re all grown and on their own! (You will have to take my word on that!) Or, you might want to read this blog Never Forget the Love and the Laughter I wrote earlier this month. One of my favorite things when they were still at home and creating havoc, arguing like

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Four Ways to Lose Weight Without Gym

Janice Krako/ January 5, 2016

“Eat less, exercise more.” While these wise words incorporate the most universally successful diet plan, there are several things you can do without hitting the gym to help your body fuel more efficiently. Here are four tips that will help you reach your weight goal CATCH MORE ZZZ’S Giving your body a full night’s rest is one of the best ways to shed weight. A recent study showed that when participants slept for only four hours consumed an extra 300 calories compared with when they slept a full eight hours! Sleep deprivation also curbs self-control. Plan ahead and wind down your night in time to provide adequate sleep. Its benefits go far beyond losing weight. HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE  The human body is mostly water, which is incentive enough to be sure you’re getting the minimum eight glasses a day, but did you know water can help your diet? Drinking water helps to keep you feeling full, meaning less snacking. Downing ice water has the added benefit of boosting your metabolism, burning calories in the process of warming the water. A pre-workout hydration session will help your body release muscle-building hormones – and more muscle means a higher basal metabolic rate.

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#smilesfilm by Yoko Ono…Join In!

Janice Krako/ January 11, 2014

+Yoko Ono has a very ambitious project in the works.   You can join in too!  I originally heard about this when I got a note from the project on +Instagram.   What could be better than the entire world in #smilesfilm! We need more #smiles in this world and why not? They are free and unlimited supply….so start sharing smiles with our fellow humans.  They will make a difference in the world. So get ready….set….#smile!!!   Pass it on!   Free smiles right here!!  

Time….. Really Our Most Precious Gift

Janice Krako/ December 25, 2013

Does anyone know how much time they have? We are in the heart of the holiday season and nearing the end of 2013.  It’s a perfect time to reflect on our lives, our loves and our futures as we are considering our Resolutions for 2014.   One day a woman’s husband died On that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn’t “anymore”. No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more “just one minute.” Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away. No more tomorrow, no more chances to say  good-bye or say “I love you.” While we have our relationships and life, it’s best we love today, care today, fix it what’s broken today.  Time to heal what’s wrong. All this is true for marriage…..old cars…children with bad report cards, dogs with bad hips, and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it. Life and death is important…the rest is just details. Some things we keep — like a

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Off The Main Roads….Tales of a Wandering Soul

Janice Krako/ October 22, 2013

I love getting out of the house to explore on the back roads  I usually remember to take a camera in addition to a smartphone along. When you are exploring you never know what you will find! Get off the Main Roads Just north of New York City in Westchester County is a favorite ride for me especially in the Fall.  Get off the main roads of Interstate 287/87 and get on route 9A north and wind through the very scenic Hudson Valley.  It’s especially scenic this time of year with the trees in their autumnal splendor.  Maybe stop at a farm stand or pick some apples too or go antiquing.   All up to you! Nestled in the heart of the Hudson River Valley near Tarrytown is a quaint town known as Sleepy Hollow. Until 1996 Sleepy Hollow was known as North Tarrytown. The whole Hudson Valley Region sits on the banks of the Hudson River and is ripe with Revolutionary War battles and history. The area was originally a Dutch settlement.  This is the same town where Washington Irving’s tale “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is set.  There are a number of interesting places to visit in Sleepy Hollow and surrounding

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