Blog Posts by Mandy Seay, QuickEasyFit

Written By Rei Magnaye For Quickeasyfit

After a tiring day from school or work, most of us look forward to well-deserved rest and sleep. While some of us choose to stay awake late at night for various reasons, such as reviewing for an exam, finishing a novel, or surfing the internet, the effects of depriving ourselves from sleep may have a big impact on our lives, and the people around us. If you are unaware of such effects, read on to see how getting enough sleep might benefit you and your daily lives.

Read Also - Healthy Ways to Help You Sleep With Stress and Anxiety

Promote Safety

Did you ever have an experience wherein you almost fell asleep on the road?

Studies show that sleep deprivation is a big factor in major disasters and accidents all over the world. Having poor sleep the night before may lead you in doing your responsibilities at work incorrectly, as well as being complacent in safety checks if ever you are in the mechanical and technical profession. Aside

Written By Mandy Seay For Quickeasyfit

Cut TaxesAlong with pumpkin pie and gifts, 'tis also the season for early tax planning. April might seem far away, but the end of 2012 marks your last chance to score some tax write-offs. Check out these tips to make for a fatter wallet come spring.

What follows are some financial considerations you should review with your spouse. As always, it's best to consult a financial professional familiar with your personal situation. This year they will definitely be earning their keep.

Read Also - Shhh: 12 Tax Write-Offs the IRS Doesn't Want You to Know

Keep Accurate, Up-to-Date Records - Keeping financial records is one of those good money habits that help to make sound choices. These decisions don't exist in a vacuum. Whether it's in a spreadsheet, software or online app, your financial information needs to be updated in order to make timely decisions before year-end.

Claim Your American Opportunity Credit - Originally set to end in 2010,

Written By Mandy Seay For Quickeasyfit

Cast aside your inhibitions and dive into a new meal plan.If you've toyed with the idea of transitioning from vegetarian to vegan, there are some things you need to know. Eating a balanced, healthy diet can seem more difficult when you get into vegan territory, but it's actually easier than you think. Keep these tips in mind when you jump the fence.

Be Adventurous - The vegan lifestyle requires a reframing of how you view food. From birth, many people are conditioned to eat a certain way by using ingredients in specific manners. As you say goodbye to dairy, you'll be forced to start experimenting with alternative ingredients such as non-dairy cheese and vegetarian margarine. Keep an open mind as you taste vegan-approved foods for the first time by understanding that the switch requires an evolution of your palate.

Read Also - Tips to Cooking Vegetables without Bland Taste

Vegan recipes don't have to be dull.Gather Recipes - Not sure where to start when adapting your meals to vegan-approved versions? Begin gathering

Written By Mandy Seay For Quickeasyfit

A foolproof way to lose or manage weight is with calorie control. Yet, controlling calories doesn't instantly limit you to unsatisfyingly tiny meal portions. Rather, there are a number of nutrient-rich foods with shockingly low calories to curb your appetite at any hour.

Why have a tiny "treat" for 100 calories when you can have a filling, delicious spread for the same or lower caloric intake? Check out these low-cal super foods for happier, healthier weight management.

Spear a spear of low-calorie asparagus for your next meal.Asparagus - Steamed, grilled or eaten raw, asparagus packs a nutritious punch with a low calorie impact. It has only 100 calories per pound, so you can consume these vitamin K pumped veggies day and night without expanding your waistline.

Read Also - The 5 Shockingly Low -Calorie Cheeses

Celery - It has only five calories per stem, so celery really is the ultimate diet food. Munch on raw celery between meals to stay full while also enjoying several nutritional

By NextAdvisor.com For QuickEasyfit

Looking for a holiday card that will really make an impression this year? Online photo card providers have come a long way from the standard "picture and a greeting" layouts they started with, and they really seem to be pushing the envelope this year. We've reviewed all of the major photo card providers and collected a few of our favorite super-creative designs this year, so take a look at the best of the best:

Read Also - The 7 Surprising Dangers of the Holidays

Instagram-Ready Cards

If you take most of your pictures with a mobile application like Hipstamatic or Instagram, there are cards out there designed with shots just like yours in mind. Most of these mobile-friendly layouts call for multiple, smaller photos, and often they're particularly accommodating to square formats like Instagram's. Pear Tree Greetings has made it the easiest of any site we've seen to pick out Instagram-ready designs, but you can probably find an

Authored By- Laura Burkey For QuickEasyFit

Veggies are part of a well-rounded diet, but if only it were that simple. Use these apps to track your intake, your exercise level, and watch as the pounds drop off.Every year, thousands of people recommit themselves to eating better and exercising more in an effort to lose weight. Some join programs to count points, calories, carbs, and whatever else the fad diet is that month.

Turning that flab into fab isn't as easy as taking a magical pill, of course. (Even though some might make such a claim.) Losing inches comes down to one matter of science: You must consume less food.

Read Also - 10 Easy Ways to Cut Calories

But diets are hard to follow, and it's easy to cheat. Now that we're in the 21st century, put your smartphone to work. Here are five calorie-counting apps for the iPhone and Android markets to try out. It's time to step out of the cubicles and get moving.

• 1) Lose It!: This app calculates how many calories are in foods and drinks and then determines how much exercise you will have to do in order to burn off that food or drink. (That brownie doesn't seem as appetizing, huh?)

Written By Mandy Seay For Quickeasyfit

The price of this burger may look appealing, but it's hiding some dirty little secrets.Do you think shopping from the dollar menu is smart? Is that six dollar burger really worth six bucks? Discover the secret pricing strategies behind fast food restaurants and learn how to beat the fast food joints at their own game.

Skip the Soft Drinks - Pricy soft drinks are almost pure profit for fast food restaurant owners. Opt out of the fast food meal package and ask for a courtesy cup of water instead. Your waistline and pocketbook will both thank you.

Savor the taste of that soft drink because it cost you a pretty penny.Read Also - Recipes for Homemade Hamburgers

If you absolutely can't live without a soda to accompany your burger, purchase a low-cost case from the grocery store and keep it in the car. Then, ask for ice in your cup of courtesy water. Drink the water, pour in the previously purchased soda and you'll have an ice cold, low-cost beverage ready for drinking.

Decline the Upsell - Would you like fries or an apple pie with that? No! Fast food workers asking if you would like an

Written By Mandy Seay For Quickeasyfit

Add up the potential tax savings.Uncle Sam may be due his cut every year by April 15, but don't make his slice of your financial pie any bigger than it needs to be. There are more than 350 tax deductions available each year, and you're likely missing out on one or more of these "secret" tax deductions.

1. Educational Expenses - Not just limited to tuition (though that counts, too), textbooks count as do supplies and lab fees. Save your receipts, since you'll need them if you're ever, gulp, audited.

Read Also - 8 Step Guide to Creating a Household Budget

2. Childcare - The daycare services your gym provides counts, as does the babysitter you pay to watch your kids once a month on "date night." If you're paying someone to take care of your kid or kids, then you can deduct the amount you pay. Some places, like gym day cares, will have a Tax Identification Number that you'll need for your taxes. As for that babysitter, pay her enough and you may want to get her