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By the time February arrives each year, I'm already counting the days until the start of Spring.  And this year, there is one extra day to count: Friday, February 29, the Leap Day in Leap Year 2008.

Time found: That's an occasion just waiting to be celebrated.  So often, I catch myself saying If I just had one free day, I'd... Try a workshop.  Schedule a yoga session.  Volunteer for a campaign.  Have an unhurried lunch with someone I'd like to know better.

Now that I've got that extra day, I'm following through.  On February's fifth Friday, I'm taking the day off to do one out-of-the-ordinary thing that will make my life better or broader-a little leap forward, you migt say.  I don't yet know what that will be, but I like thinking of the possibilities and where they might lead.  Little leaps, I've found, are often the start of bigger things.  If you need a nudge to help you think of things to do with your extra day, you might check our our new article 'Out & About' featuring all kinds of current events and activities throughout the Washington, DC area.

Posted by Christopher Swanson at 04:13 PM | Permalink

The heart is an icon we see regularly throughout the month of February.  This remarkable organ beats about 100,000 times a day and more than 2.5 billion times over the course of an average lifetime.  Do what you can to help it along.

The journey to a heart-healthy life might just start at your front door.  Tweak each room, starting at the entryway, to encourage a more healthful lifestyle - it can make a big difference in how well your heart holds up over the long haul.  It's important to slow down, sense your environment, and see what we need to change.

Entryway

Add tennis shoes.  Set them by the front door in an attractive bin or basket so they're handy for exercising, an essential component of heart health.  People who exercise regularly are 40% less likely to have a heart attack or stroke than those who exercise infrequently.

Living Room

Adopt a no-food policy.  Keep meals and snacks out of the living room.  People tend to overeat far more often in front of the TV simply because they want something to do while watching a show.

Kitchen

Add a kitchen scale.  Do you really have any idea what three ounces of meat or an ounce of cheese looks like?  Neither does anyone else.  That's why a kitchen scale comes in handy for measuring out portions for weight control.  Line your shelves.  It can be tough to remake your eating habits from scratch.  So fill your shelves with heart-healthy cookbooks to draw upon.  The American Heart Association sells a line of cookbooks on its Web site, heart.org.  Enter the word 'cookbooks' into it's search field.  And check out recipes at other web sites such as hearthealthyonline.com.

Bathroom

Stock up on floss.  Your dentist really is right - you should floss every day, and not jsut for your dental health.  Researchers have repeatedly found a direct link between the inflammation caused by gum disease and heart disease.  The healthier your mouth, the less risk to your heart.  Dust off the scale.  You may have an unfriendly relationship with your bathroom scale, but it's time to mend the fences.  Researchers have observed that those adults who weigh themselves daily are the ones who are most likely to keep excess weight off.

Bedroom

Rebruit a listener.  Ask the person lying next to you to listen to you the next time you sleep.  A little gentle snoring is fine.  But if your significant other hears loud snoring coupled with episodes in which you stop breathing for a second or two, you may have sleep apnea, which has been linked to heart disease.  Here's why:  When you stop breathing , you cut off oxygen to the heart, a process that gets repeated over and over again during the night.  Obstructive sleep apnea can wake people up hundreds of times a night, even if they don't realize it.  See your doctor for advice on diagnosing and treating obstructive sleep apnea.

Stairs

Use an assessment tool.  The next time you climb a single flight of stairs, listen for thumping in your chest.  Your heart rate and respiration should not change significantly when going up the stairs.  If your heart rate goes up by more than 10 beats per miute or you feel short of breath, you're probably out of shape.  If you simply need more exercise, use those same stairs as a starting point.  Going up and down them for just three minutes a day can increase cardiac endurance.

Posted by Christopher Swanson at 04:13 PM | Permalink

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Parrot Bay Passion Fruit Rum

• .25 oz. triple sec

• 2 oz. cranberry juice

• 1 squirt lime juice

• 1 wedge lime

Preparation

Add Parrot Bay Passion Fruit Rum, triple sec, cranberry juice, and squirt of lime juice in ice-filled glass and stir.  Garnish with lime

Posted by Christopher Swanson at 03:48 PM | Permalink

• 1 1/2 Cups Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Shortening
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup Buttermilk
• 2 1/4 Cake Flour
• 2 teaspoons Cocoa
• 1 teaspoon Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 2 oz. Red Food Coloring

Cream shortening, sugar & eggs.  Mix cocoa & food coloring together with flour, salt and buttermilk alternately.  Add soda & mix lightly.  (Add vinegar at the very end.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

For the frosting:  Combine three Tablespoons of Flour, 1 cup milk in a double boiler and cook on medium high heat until thick.  Set aside and allow to cool with the lid on.  Cream 1 cup sugar & 1 cup butter w./ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.  Add to cool pudding mixture.  Beat at high speed until you achieve a consistency similar to whipped cream.

 Decorate the side of the cake with chopped pecans and serve.

Posted by Christopher Swanson at 03:46 PM | Permalink

Click 1:  Check Vacancies  Click 2: Submit An Application Click 3: Move-In 

Posted by Christopher Swanson at 03:45 PM | Permalink

Evolve is proud to support Theater Alliance by sponsoring Art4Art IV.  The annual art benefit where every body wins.  Theater Alliance is the resident theater company for the H Street Playhouse located at 1365 H Street NE, Washington, DC.  This year's Art4Art IV gala is scheduled for March 8th.  Note:  A special preview of the items that have been donated for this year's fundraiser will be available starting Saturday, February 9th.  The Evolve Urban Arts Gallery is open Monday thru Friday 1-4PM and all other times by special appointment.

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:

1. Send in $250 and get a ticket for the fourth annual Theater Alliance Art4Art benefit.
2. on Saturday, March 8, 2008 @ 6:30PM doors open to Pierce School Lofts
3. Eat, drink, schmooze, listen to music, meet Helen Hayes award nominated actors, designers and directors.  Meet some winners, too!
4. Wander the halls and see great art created by local artists.  Most are one of a kind.
5. Listen up at about 8PM.  That's when we'll start drawing names.  Each person chooses a piece of that great art when his or her name is called.  We promise the first piece of art will be as good as the last piece.
6. Pay attention throughout the evening as live auctions are held for extra special pieces of art.  Watch theateralliance.com for details!
7. Be happy.  You've given money to a great cause and you are going home with a piece of art.  What's not to like?

Posted by Christopher Swanson at 03:44 PM | Permalink

Recycling can slash your household garbage and save resources.  But what goes in your bin?  Here's how to handle the most common items.

Glass

Do recycle unbroken food and berage containers, such as applesauce jars, ketchup bottles, wine and beer bottles.

Don't Recycle baking dishes, ceramics, windows mirrors, and vases; they're made differently than containers and can contaminate.  Donate household goods, and dispose of broken glass and incandescent bulbs separately.

Paper

Do recycle newspapers, magazines, cardboard and mixed papers such as corrugated boxes, cereal boxes, junk mail (including enveloes with plastic windows), catalogs, telephone books, and stapled paper.

Don't recycle food-stained papers, tissues, stickers, wet paper products, and those containing plastic, wax or metal foil coatings.

Metal

Do recycle aluminum and steel (which includes tin) in the form of beverage cans, disposable aluminum pans, and empty paint and aerosol cans.

Don't recycle other metals curbside.  Instead, donate to charity usable items such as flatware, can openers and tools. 

Plastic

Look for the stamped number inside the triangular "chasing arrows" recycling logo generally found on the bottom of most plastic products.  The District of Columbia accepts plastics #1 & #2 which include many beverage bottles, milk jugs, dish and laundry detergent bottles and peanut butter jars.

Don't recycle plastics #3 - #7.  That includes shrink wrap, squeezable bottles, dry-cleaning bags, and polystyrene containers.  Donate usable items such as toys and return packing peanuts to the shipping store for reuse.  Toss the rest, including spray nozzles, pumps and container lids.

Posted by Christopher Swanson at 03:22 PM | Permalink