Brain Fitness Tips

I mentioned in an earlier post HERE that I was participating in a research study conducted at Davidson College.  It involves playing cognitive memory games from GamesHQ.

I thought I'd share with you a few Brain Fitness Tips I gathered from their website.

#1 - The task: Add some dark chocolate to your diet.
The reason: When you eat chocolate you activate the systems in your brain that pump dopamine, an important brain chemical. These systems enable learning and memory, and help keep your brain sharp and fit. Chocolate also offers flavanols, brain-boosting antioxidant compounds that are also found in red wine and berries. To get the maximum brain boost from chocolate, look for the darkest chocolate available, with the least added sugar or other ingredients.

#2 - The task: Go on a guided tour of a museum or another site of interest. Pay careful attention to what the guide says. When you get home, try to reconstruct the tour by writing an outline that includes everything you remember.

The reason: Research into brain plasticity (the ability of the brain to change at any age) indicates that memory activities that engage all levels of brain operation—receiving, remembering and thinking—help to improve the function (and hinder the rate of decline) of the brain.

#3 - The task: Choose a song with lyrics you enjoy but don't have memorized. Listen to the song as many times as necessary to write down all the lyrics. Then learn to sing along. Once you've mastered one song, move on to another!

The reason: Developing better habits of careful listening will help you in your understanding, thinking and remembering. Reconstructing the song requires close attentional focus and an active memory. When you focus, you release the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, a brain chemical that enables plasticity and vivifies memory.

#4 - The task: If you've ever thought about learning to play an instrument or take up an old one, now is a great time!

The reason: Playing an instrument helps you exercise many interrelated dimensions of brain function, including listening, control of refined movements, and translation of written notes (sight) to music (movement and sound).

#5 - The task: Sit in a place outside your house, such as on a park bench or in a café. Stare straight ahead and don't move your eyes. Concentrate on everything you can see without moving your eyes, including in your peripheral vision. When you have finished, write a list of everything you saw. Then try again and see if you can add to your list.

The reason: Scientists have shown that the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is crucial to focus and memory, falls off with memory loss and is almost absent in Alzheimer's patients. This activity should help you reinvigorate the controlled release of acetylcholine in your brain through a useful visual memory task.

#6 - The task: Do a jigsaw puzzle that will be challenging for you—no fewer than 500 pieces.

The reason: Mundane as they may seem, jigsaw puzzles can provide real help for your brain. Completing one requires fine visual judgments about where pieces belong. It entails mentally "rotating" the pieces, manipulating them in your hands, and shifting your attention from the small piece to the "big picture." To top it off, it's rewarding to find the right pieces.

#7 - The task: Set your television volume down a little from where you normally have it set. See if by concentrating you can follow just as successfully as when the volume was higher. As soon as that setting gets easy, turn it down another notch!

The reason: Think of this: You can't get rid of radio static by turning up the volume. Many people raise the volume because their listening has become 'detuned'—a little fuzzy. Matching TV volume to a conversational level can help you catch every word when talking with others.

Stay tuned for more tips tomorrow!

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Hard to believe it is already football season!!  If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that makes me happy!!  Tonight is the first pre-season game for the Panthers and tomorrow for the Steelers.  Not that pre-season means anything but it was nice to see the Patriots LOSE last night to the Redskins!!  The Panthers will be on tv tonight and the Steelers will be tomorrow night - although at midnight!  Not so sure I'll stay up to watch them.  Guess that will give me something to watch on Sunday.

The sketch challenge for MDS Monday was a template that is pre-loaded on MDS.  You have to have just the right pictures for this one.  I was going to use some of my New Zealand pictures but decided to go with these football pictures instead since it is that time of year.



All the elements for this page came from Game On digital stamp.

This was taken last year at the Panthers-Steelers pre-season game.  We play the Panthers again this year in pre-season on August 28 in Pittsburgh.  But then we play them at the Panther stadium in September for the Monday Night Game.  I've got a possible chance to get tickets to this game.  We'll wait and see!

Convention Make & Takes

One of the events I enjoy the most at Convention are the Make & Takes.  I attended a special class one day where we used one the new Watercolor Winter Simply Created Card Kit.  We made several of the cards but did not have time to make all of them.  The kit comes with supplies to make 20 cards (with envelopes).  I am still working on finishing my cards and will share all of them when I am through.  But here are a couple of the cards I completed at Convention.





Some of the elements in the cards (trees and sleigh) were water colored, which is fun.  




We made this box using many of the new items from the Holiday Catalog.  The stamp set is new as well as the box itself, the wood leaf embellishment, the gold feather die cut and the stripped paper.



This journal was created using the Kinda Eclectic stamp set that we were given.

Amazing Birthday

One of the stamp sets we were given at Convention was Amazing Birthday (pg 48).  I loved the Make & Take that we made using the stamp set and the Kraft Gift Card (pg 194).  It holds three note cards (3 1/2" x 5") and envelopes.




Stampin' Up's monthly special is with the purchase of a Big Shot, you can choose one of the bundles below for free.  Now I know most of you already own a Big Shot.  So, you can purchase the bundles below at a discounted price.  My hostess code for August is WHXFSYNU.

Bundle	Item Number	Stamp Set	Framelit	Discounted Price
Sumthin' with Bubbly Words Bundle WM	138923	Sumthin' Sumthin'	Word Bubbles	$33.75
Sumthin' with Bubbly Words Bundle CM	138920	Sumthin' Sumthin'	Word Bubbles	$31.25
Decorative Goodies Bundle WM	138924	Oh My Goodies	Deco Labels Collection	$42.25
Decorative Goodies Bundle CM	138921	Oh My Goodies	Deco Labels Collection	$35.95
Celebrating Chalk Talk Bundle WM	138925	Day of Celebration	Chalk Talk	$43.25
Celebrating Chalk Talk Bundle CM	138922	Day of Celebration	Chalk Talk	$37.25
Flowery Daydream Bundle WM	138911	Daydream Medallions	Floral Collection	$54.25
Flowery Daydream Bundle CM	138910	Daydream Medallions	Floral Collection	$45.75
Bright & Beautiful Stars Bundle WM	138644	Bright & Beautiful	Star	$50.75
Bright & Beautiful Stars Bundle CM	138200	Bright & Beautiful	Star	$43.95

.

Here the weekly specials:

Cognitive Memory Games

I am participating in a study at Davidson College on the effects of video game training on the cognitive performance of older adults.   That's a mouthful but what it entails is me doing a series of games each day which lasts about an hour.  I have to do a series of 40 sessions and should finish up in early September.  Before I started, I went through some cognitive testing at Davidson and will do additional testing at the end of my game playing.  The games are not a whole lot of fun and sometimes give me a headache!  One of them involves Visual Sweeps.  You are shown a pattern in a square that moves in and out and you have to pay attention and determine which way the pattern is going (in and out, 2 outs, 2 ins, etc.)  It starts out slow but by the end (about 70 times), it is going so fast you have to really be sharp to determine the pattern.  If you blink, you miss it.  Another one of the games is a Peripheral Challenge where you see a group of birds flash on the screen in a circle and one is different than the other.  Once the birds go away, you have to click on the area where you saw the unique bird.  You do not have time to look at each bird separately - you have to sweep the screen using your peripheral vision.  And believe me, there is not that much difference in the birds!  Another - and the hardest for me - is Target Tracker.  Two or more (I have gotten up to 5) objects will appear on the screen - usually small bubbles or little jellyfish.  At first they are alone; then more identical objects appear with them and they are all moving around.  You have to pay attention to the original targets tracking their movement.  Once they stop moving, you click on the original targets.  Not too bad if it's just 2 or 3 bubbles, but when 4 or 5 are on there and all going in a different direction, I have a hard time tracking all of them!!  Another one of the games is Eye for Detail.  A total of 3-5 objects (like different flowers) appear one at a time on the screen (sometimes really quick).  Once all the objects have appeared and disappeared, you have to click on the locations of the ones that match (like the Memory Game we played when we were younger).  I find I am a little better at this game although when the flowers are similar - like 3 yellow of a certain kind of flower and 1 yellow of another kind - it messes me up.  And the final game is Double Decision.  Two cars appear on the screen - one a truck with open bed and the other a delivery truck.  All around the trucks are signs with one of them a Route 66 sign.  The trucks and the signs flash on the screen, then go away.  You need to remember which car you saw and where the sign appeared on the screen.  I do ok with them until it gets real fast.  Then I find myself looking for the Rt. 66 sign and not paying attention to which truck was there!  Plus as the games go on, the backgrounds become more distracting.  It is interesting but not what I envisioned when I signed up for the study and thought I'd be playing games for an hour each day!  Don't know that my memory is improving but it sure makes me feel dumb some times.

I thought I'd share a couple of the Display Boards from Convention.  You can get a lot of great card ideas from these great boards!

Oh Snap! MDS Monday Challenge

As you may know about me, I love My Digital Studio and enjoy doing challenges using the program.  I decided to incorporate a few of my Convention photos into a MDS challenge page for MDS Monday.  Hope you like it!  I used a couple of overlays to create the background and several different kits for embellishments and stamps.

(click on image to see it larger)

The first evening of Convention, Marianne and I were lucky enough to discover that the line to have a picture with Shelly Gardner was not too bad.  So, we stood in line and smiled pretty for the camera with Shelly!  The picture with the flower background was another story.  Every time we looked, the line was a mile long for a photographer to snap your picture with the flower background.  So we discovered a time when the photographer was not there so we took our own picture without standing in line!  Every convention that I have gone to I have taken the bus ride out to the Home Office.  This rock is at the entrance and is a perfect photo op!

This is the sketch challenge:

July Paper Pumpkin

Wow - already August!  Stampin' Up has a few specials this month.

*   One of them is a Big Shot Special.  Through August 31, you can get an exclusive Framelit and Stamp Set Bundle for FREE when you purchase a Big Shot.  OR, if you already own a Big Shot, get a 15 percent discount on these select bundles.

*  The entire line of Blendabilities are now available!!  Watch these videos to show you tips and tricks.

*  You can get a head start on your Christmas cards by purchasing this beautiful stamp HERE

And don't forget the Weekly Deals released every Tuesday as well as the goodies on the Clearance Rack.

Paper Pumpkin is also on sale -



And, taking about bargains, you can get a bargain with Paper Pumpkin now too.  For all NEW subscribers, if you sign up by Sept. 10 and use the code HALFOFF2 you can get 2 months kits for half off!!  What a deal and a good way for you to try Paper Pumpkin kits out.  I saw the next few kits on display at convention and they are pretty great .... just saying!  You can cancel your subscription at any time.  If you are interested in details, just click at the top of this page PAPER PUMPKIN SUBSCRIPTION.  Make sure when you sign up that you enter me as your demonstrator!

The Fine Print:

• For new subscribers only.

• Available for month-to-month subscriptions, not prepaid subscriptions.

• Discount applied to one kit per month for the first two months of a new subscription. After the first two months, the price for each month's kit will go to the regular price: $19.95.

• You and your customers need to visitMyPaperPumpkin.com to join.

• Enter the Promo Code, "HALFOFF2" when you sign up. 

• New subscribers must join by Wednesday, September 10, 2014; 11:50 PM (MT).

I worked some magic today with my July Paper Pumpkin kit.  Sara Douglas demonstrated on stage at convention some note cards and a cute  box she had made with her kit so I did the same.  Then I made several boxes and 10 cards from the kit.  AND I still have stuff left over to make more!  This month's kit was a real bargain.

These are 6 notecards that I made by cutting the cards included in the kit in half.

I masked the stars (punched out the stars and used them already) and using my daubers, sponged them onto my cards.

Six boxes came in the kit.  I cut the top and side flaps off this one to use to hold my note cards.

Front of the note card box

I decorated the other 5 boxes to use for little gifts.  For this one, I punched a few scallop circles, misted them with water, scrunched them up and made a flower.

The other 4 boxes all using materials from the kit (except for the "Merry Christmas" stamp - it is from a Paper Pumpkin kit from last year.

2 of the cards I made.  Note the banners and scallop circle - these were made from the box pieces that I cut up!
Waste not - want not!

2 more of the cards

2 more cards - the top one uses a "grunge background" stamp from an earlier Paper Pumpkin.

2 more cards - On the top card, I used the negative of WISH and sponged Blackberry Bliss on the card.  

2 more cards.  For the top card, I sponged the vertical lines using one of the templates on pg 205.

These were a lot of fun to make!

Paper Craft Crew Challenge

Wednesday was the date for the Paper Craft Crew Challenge.  I did my card a few days ago but forgot to post it yesterday!  Oh well, what's the saying?  A day late and a dollar short?

This was the sketch:

And here is my interpretation of the sketch:

I used the MDS Beautiful Today.  This is one of my most favorite kits for MDS.  I just love the soft colors and the watercolor washes that are in it.  Also the download features a video tutorial that teaches you how to align and space objects.  By following along the tutorial, you can create your own Daily Affirmations Journal.  For $14.95, this is great bargain!

We got some good news today.  Ashley called this morning to tell us she is on the list to be promoted to LT Colonel next summer!!  We are so proud of her.  Last year's promotion list did not include many girls on it at all.  She was not eligible last year so we had our fingers crossed this year for her.

Flower Patch

I got the Flower Patch Bundle (pg 156) and have been having fun coming up with different patterns for this set.  It is a Photopolymer stamp set and, wow, does it cling great to your clear blocks!  Here is one card that I made.

We used it last week in Club and made the card I posted HERE.

I also decorated a little notebook for Marianne and myself using the set along with some DSP.

At Late Night Stampers, we made this card with the Flower Patch set doing a LOT of masking!!  But the extra work with the masking was well worth it because the card is really great!

I received several swap cards at convention that were really great also using this set.

There are so many possibilities with this stamp set!!

DSP Topiary

One of the projects we made at Late Night Stampers last week was a little Topiary Tree.  I just love it!  I think it would be so great to use for a baby shower or a bridal shower - using the colors of the bride (or baby).

The Designer Paper was cut into strips - we were told that she ran the paper through her shredder.  What a great idea!!  Then we curled the DSP with our bone folder and used a pin to stick them into the styrofoam ball.  There were a few flowers scattered around which were made using the Spiral Flower Die.

Wouldn't this look great done in fall colors for Thanksgiving or Christmas colors for December?