If you're purchasing or refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.
from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2hwwTBh
Friday, December 30, 2016
Mortgage rates fall for Friday
If you're purchasing or refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.
from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2hwwTBh
from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2hwwTBh
Nike to release Air Jordan 1 Retro Golf Shoe
Credit to the guys at SneakerNews for basically confirming what many of us hoped was coming. It appears Nike will release a retro golf version of the Air Jordan 1.
Retail date and price have yet to be confirmed, though the speculation is late spring.
According to SneakerNews, the golf version isn't absolutely identical to the original (Nike Wings logo, larger Jumpman, cleated outsole), but most of us will find it plenty close enough to stir up some nostalgia. A white/gray colorway will also be released.
For those of us of a certain generation, the original Nike Air Jordan is, and will always be, the most iconic sneaker ever created.
That alone makes the golf version an absolute must own. Who's with me?
from MyGolfSpy http://ift.tt/2il8FMk
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Refinance mortgage rate moves lower for Thursday
If you're thinking about refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.
from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2hsFGE0
from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2hsFGE0
Mortgage rates retreat for Thursday
If you're purchasing or refinancing, it may be a great time to lock in a rate.
from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2iIUeoc
from Bankrate.com » Mortgages http://ift.tt/2iIUeoc
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Affordable Waterproofing
Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com
You want to find a company that is experienced and trustworthy? Nice company to work with and one that you can count to the job right? Look no further –you have found them. At affordable waterproofing, we understand how stressful it can be for you to choose a bathroom contractor with the right skills to make your shower- room perfect and one that suits your bathing desires. However, our company has found out the solution to your concerns and we are now here to make your bath easy, healthy and enjoyable by providing affordable waterproofing services to all our clients.
About Us
Affordable waterproofing LLC is a family owned company based in Delran, New Jersey, South jersey, Philadelphia and Delaware with cost-effective and superior waterproofing services for over 30 years. We pride ourselves on supplying the best bathroom waterproofing system installation, mold removal, and foundation and structural repairs around. Because of our commitment to our clients, we back all of our services with watertight guarantee and unparalleled customer service. Our friendly no-pressure approach to the business has earned us an A+ BBB rating and outstanding reviews from customers. We look forward to continuing to provide dry, confortable bathrooms for years to come.
Our Featured Products
There is no doubt that you are wondering why you should go for our products; the answer is simple, we carry quality bathroom fixtures that are not sold in big box stores. Our featured products section has been carefully created to bring you the ultimate home SPA experience. Steam showers, whirlpool tubs and far electromagnetic steam bath in this selection are the latest European design. These models will transform any bathroom into an ambient oasis for health, well-being and pure soul pleasure. We believe our products improve people’s lives daily and contribute to vitality and vigor. We have included our best-selling units that offer an elite array of features to bring you the perfect bathroom makeover and make a dramatic statement. Check out what we have to offer and you will be pleased with what you find.
Why Us
Our affordable waterproofing company is trustworthy, efficient and cost-effective. Our customers will vouch that we can fix bathroom leakage problems both big and small, from a moldy crawl space to full-out bathroom flooding; leaving your bathroom super dry, healthy and confortable for daily stress less bath. We take customers satisfaction very seriously, so we provide free inspections. Competitive pricing, lifetime warranties and a guarantee of excellent customer service. Put simply, we will get your bathroom dry and keep it that way, and do so with smiles on our faces.
What Our Clients Are Saying
We got the last of our shower together and connected without so much as a micro problem. You have a great product and it is our delight and privileged to do business with such an honorable and honest business which is a rare thing these days. We will be recommending you and your products to all of our friends and associates and our contractor is also equally impressed and said he will be ordering your products for his future projects as well. (Debbie and John G. Halifax NS)
The post Affordable Waterproofing appeared first on Perfect Bath Canada.
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The 2016 WMAs: My Completely Biased Best of the Web List
This is the week that many of us set goals for the next year, make final charitable contributions, start planning for taxes, and maybe drink some champagne and kiss those we love as we welcome in the new year.
The last 525,600 minutes have been busy, crazy, hectic, hard, amazing, rewarding and so many other things all rolled into one crazy year and I’m so grateful that I got to spend some of it with you.
The Official Wellness Mama Awards (WMAs)
To celebrate, I’m creating a totally unofficial and mostly biased set of awards: the Wellness Mama Awards (WMAs) with the top posts, comments, videos and content I found from around the web this year. Unlike official award ceremonies, there are no fake gold statues to give out, no fancy dresses, and no performances. Just some of the best things I found around the web (and on WellnessMama.com) that I wanted to share with you.
Super exciting, right?
Read on for the list… (and scroll down to see the most popular content on Wellness Mama over the past year).
Product of the Year: Instant Pot
The Instant Pot would be in the running for the “best of everything” category if there was one. I use it weekly and apparently many of you do as well! It was the most-sold kitchen product on Amazon and one of the favorites with you guys too!
Runners Up:
Useful Tip of the Year: Natural Drain Cleaning
Not super exciting and you’d never see this on any real award show, but this beyond-simple natural drain cleaning method really works! It saved me when my hubby was out of town and the drain in our kitchen clogged thanks to the three-year-old’s attempt at dishes that resulted in her pouring a bowl of butter and melted olive oil down the drain.
Runner up: These smart uses for the camera on your phone
Course of the Year: Kids Cook Real Food
Kids Cook Real Food E-Course. I seriously wish I could give this course to every family and go to their houses to make sure they actually watch it. It is that good. Katie Kimball of Kitchen Stewardship teaches your kids how to cook (with your help). My kids love it, and it includes a free knife skills class without even purchasing it!
Favorite Healthy Hack of the Year: Saunas
If you’re not a regular sauna user, I’d highly recommend it, as there are some inexpensive ways to try it at home. I’m a tad biased because she is one of my best friends, but I love this post from MommyPotamus about the amazing benefits of regular sauna use. I’m also excited to announce that Heather will be the new co-host of The Healthy Moms podcast this year and that she and I will occasionally do a “SaunaCast” episode from her sauna to answer reader questions. Stay tuned! 😉
Podcast of the Year: Ben Greenfield
I really enjoy Ben’s podcast (and he has some great articles on his website too!). Ben interviews experts in a variety of fields and isn’t afraid to tackle controversial topics like EMFs, GMOs and extreme hot and cold therapy.
Runner up: The Tim Ferriss Show. He has some great interviews with a very random assortment of guests.
Best Blog for Pregnant & New Moms: Mama Natural
If you are pregnant or a new mom, you have to check out Mama Natural. She has a great natural birth course, and a week-to-week pregnancy book coming in 2017. Check out her blog for hundreds of posts about all things pregnancy, birth and beyond.
Bundle of the Year: Ultimate Bundles
Everyone is doing bundles these days, but there is only one Ultimate Bundles and they are the only one I will promote or become an author for. I’ve become good friends with them over the past year and their commitment to quality and customer service is AMAZING! With them, you won’t be buying the same books that have been in every other bundle and you’ll learn a ton. They are running a flash sale (and the best deal of the year) right now. Check it out here.
Best Time-Saver In the Kitchen: Real Plans
Without a doubt, the tool that saves me the most time in the kitchen is Real Plans for meal planning. The Instant Pot (see above) saves me the most time in cooking, but Real Plans saves time planning and shopping (and it has many Instant Pot recipes too!). My favorite part? It is so easy to use that I can plan everything from my phone while nursing the baby!
Best Handmade Product: Kokomo Cream Deo
It is so exciting that you can now buy so many handmade products if you don’t want to make them yourself. I still make a lot of my own, but often use this Kokomo Cream Natural Deodorant from Crunchy Betty on Etsy.
Runners up:
- MadeOn Lotion Bars (and all of their products)
Kids Choice Award: Gorilla Gym
The kids have picked the Gorilla Gym as their favorite toy/product for the last three years since they got it as a Christmas gift. They use it daily and I love that they can get their energy out inside on rainy days.
Pet Choice Award:
I’ve been making DIY products for years, but just started making them for our pets too! They love this protective paw wax recipe from Frugally Sustainable.
Runner up:
- Our puppy (aka- the one who chews everything) is loving this Kong toy and I like to freeze yogurt in there to help his teething.
Drink of the Year (Besides Water)
This is totally a legitimate category, right? There were some tough contenders for the title this year, but the winner goes to… Dry Farm Wines for their natural and organic wines.
Runners up:
- Bone Broth (yes, we drink it)
- Camel Milk (our kids love it!)
Food/Snack of the Year
When it comes to pre-made food, there are a few that we use all the time. These Paleo Valley beef sticks win because they are healthy, portable, and great for camping and travel.
Runners up:
- Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo (it’s delicious!)
- Coconut Aminos (like soy sauce but better!)
Best Random Gadget I Love
Do random gadgets deserve their own category? I say yes… and this Wine Bottle Tiki Torch Kit is my favorite this year. We made a few from up-cycled wine bottles and now they serve as functional decorations.
Runners up:
I’d Like to Thank…
YOU!
As I reflect on the last year and what it has brought for our family, for WellnessMama.com and for relationships, I’m overcome with love and gratitude. I am so grateful to have gotten to e-know many of you this year in the comments and on Facebook and for the amazing community that has developed that is so much more than I could ever have imagined.
This community, and all of you, give me true hope that we are going to make lasting changes in our communities and in our world for future generations. Your passion, dedication, and interest in creating a healthier future for your family is creating ripples that can truly change the world.
The Most Popular Posts on Wellness Mama…
This year was busy over here at Wellness Mama headquarters (aka my kitchen & laundry room). I wrote a book (this one) along with a bunch of new posts, had a baby, re-branded the Podcast (now the Healthy Moms podcast), and did a whole lot of dishes and laundry.
These are the top posts of 2016 on Wellness Mama as voted by you guys (by number of times they were visited).
101 Uses for Coconut Oil
This coconut oil post is actually the most visited post of all time on the blog. It may also get the award for my most copied blog post of all time, as I’m constantly finding it (or very slightly modified versions of it) on other blogs and websites. PSA: Originality is attractive… write your own original posts people!
How to Use Castor Oil for Hair (Grow Beautiful Hair Fast)
What’s old is new again. Castor oil is one of my secrets to keeping my long hair healthy (and to long eyelashes!) This is a remedy my grandmother probably used and now it is really popular again.
Chia Seed Pudding Recipe (+ 5 Delicious Variations)
The humble little chia seed packs a powerful nutritional punch and chia seed pudding is apparently the method of choice to consume it. This recipe for chia seed pudding was among the most visited and most commented posts this year.
How to Make Bone Broth
Bone broth has been gaining popularity over the last few years. Based on the number of visits to this tutorial about how to make it, I’d say its popularity continues. I also found a great grass-fed non-perishable bone broth that I order when I don’t want to make it.
5 Minute Turmeric Tea Recipe (How to Make Golden Milk)
My long-time favorite recipe for turmeric tea was very popular this year. I’m glad to see so many people trying this delicious healthy beverage!
Himalayan Salt Lamp Benefits For Your Home
Looks like there are a bunch of us coconut oil using, turmeric tea drinking, chia seed eaters with salt lamps in their home. Or at least the salt lamp part, since it just missed the top 5 this year by a couple of votes. Here’s why I love them!
7 Natural Remedies for Eczema
I’m sad that this post is popular, because it means there may be a lot of people struggling with eczema. I hope they all found relief this year!
Natural Bug Spray Recipes (That Actually Work)
Natural products for the win! This natural bug spray works really well. I love that so many people are choosing natural options over harsher ones that may leave harmful chemicals in our bodies and the environment.
How to Balance Hormones Naturally
An oldie but a goodie. This is one of my oldest posts but it still got a lot of love this year.
Luxurious Sugar Scrub Recipe
Put food on your face… just don’t put this particular food in your mouth! Sugar scrubs are great for skin and are a much better option than eating the sugar!
Homemade Pasta Sauce Recipe (From Fresh or Canned Tomatoes)
Who knew homemade pasta sauce was so popular? If you haven’t tried it, the flavor is so much better when you make your own! Here are the recipes.
The Benefits of Lemon Water (in the Morning)
One simple change… so many benefits. I love that so many people are drinking lemon water in the morning. Have you tried it?
How to Make Your Own Deodorant
Homemade deo is super-simple to make. It also works better for me and many of the 1000+ commenters on the post. Don’t want to make it? I also love this handmade coconut lime version made with the same ingredients.
Homemade Lotion Recipe
This 3-ingredient homemade lotion recipe was very popular this year. Ever tried making your own?
Coconut Milk Shampoo Recipe
This simple homemade shampoo doesn’t work for everyone, but many of you seemed to love its softening effects over the past year.
Natural Remedies for Allergy Relief
I live in a state known for being one of the worst in the country for allergies. That makes me totally unqualified to write this post, except that I’ve personally tried (and succeeded) with many of these remedies. Apparently, they work for many of you too!
How to Detox Your Armpits
Did you know that body odor may not be the worst thing in your armpits? Many of the products we use have harsh chemicals and unnatural junk that can build up in your pits and cause itchiness when you try to use a natural deodorant. I used an armpit detox to get that stuff out!
Why I Don’t Reduce a Fever (And What I Do Instead)
Without a doubt this post gets the award for most controversial (of this year and every year since I wrote it). Notice the title says “why I don’t” as I’m just sharing what I do. I’m not a doctor and am certainly not giving medical advice. All that said, these are the reasons I (typically) don’t reduce a fever.
Oil Pulling for Oral Health
I was swishing with coconut oil long before it was trendy, but I love that so many other people are now too! (You can also do it with sesame or other oils if you can’t tolerate coconut.)
Spirulina Benefits
This once-ridiculed algae is now sitting at the popular kids table! Spirulina is a nutrient dense food with a lot of uses.
Healthy Coffee Recipe
It may be old news now, but everyone is putting butter in their coffee. Here’s my take on bulletproof coffee.
Magnesium: How to Make Your Own Magnesium Oil & Signs of Deficiency
My favorite mineral got some attention this year with both of these posts getting a lot of visits:
How I Remineralized My Teeth
I love to talk about oral health. I’ve always found it fascinating and this was one of my first posts about how I stopped my cavities and avoided fillings.
Top Uses for Gelatin
Gelatin is a kitchen staple for me. I use gelatin and collagen in many recipes to make everything from marshmallows to fruit snacks.
How to Make Elderberry Syrup
A remedy I always keep on hand, especially in the winter. I hope you don’t ever need it for illness, but love it for avoiding getting sick!
Most Commented This Year
The two posts that were the most discussed this year are Why I Don’t Post About My Kids Online and Dear Parents, We Owe It to Our Kids to Stop This. Needless to say, you guys are VERY passionate about your children, and that’s a good thing!
My Favorite Thing From This Year…
From the beginning, the mission of Wellness Mama has been to help other families live healthier lives and empower families with practical ways to accomplish this.
I feel like the food mission to help parents provide healthy foods for their families doesn’t stop in my own community or even just in the blogging community as there is such a need for this internationally.
Did you know?
If you’ve ever purchased something through a link on my site, you’ve helped keep WellnessMama.com up and running, and a percentage of that is also donated to charities that provide sustainable food and water sources worldwide. Thank you so much if you’ve helped support my blog in this way and also helped support many others worldwide.
Reviewing the numbers today, the giving is the real thing that I’m most excited about and most proud of. Over the years, the Wellness Mama Community… YOU… have helped provide things to families in need all over the world.
These gifts not only provided food or clothing to those in need, but in many cases, also a sustainable food or water source and a way for a family to earn income.
Over the years, you’ve helped give:
- 2000 pounds of non-perishable foods
- 840 chickens for eggs, meat and income for families
- 72 Pigs for food and income for families
- 12 goats for food and income for families
- 4 donkeys for transportation and tilling
- 3 water pumps that each provide water to a village
- 4 beehives for food and income for families
- 20 Fruit Trees so that families can grow the fruit and sell
- 10 pairs of work boots so farmers can work safely
- 5 sets of agricultural tools for small farmers
- 10 large Coolers for fishermen to store fish to sell
- 8 sewing machines and thread/material for women to open sewing businesses
- plus medical supplies and school supplies for children around the world
These things were donated through Food for the Poor in case you want to send some chickens to someone in need this year 🙂
I’ve always been a big believer in the “teach a man to fish” mentality, and giving in this way not only provides food or water for someone one time, but helps other families to start their own businesses and provide food for their children regularly. Because at the end of the day:
It is all About Relationships and Family…
Again, thank you so much for reading, for being a part of this community and for sharing in the mission of providing a healthier future for our kids.
This next year, I hope you’ll join me in one of my personal goals: to focus on my family and on relationships more. To prioritize not just making healthy food and creating a healthy environment for my husband and children, but being more present and spending more time together as a family.
Nourish not only your body, but the important relationships in your life. Tell people you love them, and show them. Because at the end of the day, that is what is going to make the biggest difference in your own life and in the lives of your family members and the next generation.
Happy New Year! I’m so thankful and honored that you took the time to be part of this crazy journey with me this year and I can’t wait to continue it in 2017.
What are your goals for the next year? I’d love to hear them in the comments below!
Continue Reading...The 2016 WMAs: My Completely Biased Best of the Web List
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MyGolfSpy’s 2016 Editors’ Choice Awards
Our goal with Editors' Choice is to recognize the products, innovations, and companies that we believe were difference makers in 2016. This year we've added a few new categories.
Our annual Most Wanted tests allow us to take a purely objective data-driven look at product performance, but as the year comes to an end, we'd like to offer you a more subjective look at the best of 2016.
For our Editors' Choice Awards we consider not only performance but also the opinions of staff, golfers we speak with, while also considering immediate market impact or a product's long-term potential to advance the industry.
New Club Technology - NONE
2016 wasn't exactly a breakthrough year for club technology. While there was plenty of evolution, as there always is, we couldn't come up with anything we felt created any distance from the pack.
Will 2017 offer any epic innovation? We'll have to wait and see.
Driver - TaylorMade M1
In late 2015 TaylorMade declared that one letter would define distance. It was a bold, and surprisingly accurate prediction. While M2 was the talk of the tour at the end of the season, with several former Nike staffers (including Tiger and Rory) putting it in the bag, we're giving the nod to the M1, which took top honors in this year's Most Wanted Driver test.
Runner Up: TaylorMade M2
Fairway Wood - Cobra KING LTD
It's rare that a fairway wood stands out from the pack, but the KING LTD does. It's versatile, launches high, and doesn't spin excessively. More significantly perhaps, its ultra-low CG location is unique to the market right now. The LTD gets bonus points for being a trendsetter, as our suspicion is that you'll see the market designing after it in seasons to come.
Runner Up: TaylorMade M2
Hybrid: None
We've continuously maintained that the hybrid is the hardest club to innovate, and frankly, we don't think anybody did this year. As usual, manufacturers gave us plenty of excellent offerings to choose from, but it would be a stretch to say anything stood out from the crowd.
Super Game-Improvement Iron - TaylorMade M2
Arguably on the leading edge of the Super Game-Improvement space, TaylorMade's M2 was a success with consumers - and for good reason. While some readers are often dismissive of so-called shovels, golfers serious about shooting lower scores were more than happy to embrace the greater consistency and forgiveness offered by M2.
Game-Improvement Iron - Callaway Apex CF 16
No single iron has generated more positive buzz among the golfers I talk to day in and day out than Callaway's Apex CF16. A strong seller in general, and an absolute darling among custom fitters, the Apex proves that selling above $1000 is not an issue when you have the product to back it up.
Player's Iron - Srixon Z 765
It's time to give the iron with a cult following the mainstream attention it deserves. The Srixon Z 745 was hugely popular with MyGolfSpy testers (and with readers). The Z 765 is even better. It's the kind of iron that should elevate Srixon into elite company.
Runner-Up: Mizuno MP-25
Blade Iron - PING iBlade
Perhaps not as refined as a classic muscleback, I'll admit it took us some time to warm up to the iBlade. The more time we spend with it, however, the less we want to put it down. PING has managed to mitigate the inverse relationship between workability and forgiveness, which means you can still shape the ball while retaining some protection from mis-hits.
Runner-Up: Yonex N1-MB
Wedge - Vokey SM6
Going with Vokey here is practically cliché, and frankly, we're fine with that. Progressive CG location, three finish options, five distinct grinds, and lofts from 46° to 62°. Toss in SM6's refined styling that makes an off the rack Vokey nearly as pretty as a Wedge Works custom, and frankly, we can't find anything here we don't love.
Putter - EVNRoll
Offering the latest in groove technology from Guerin Rife, the EVNRoll series blew our minds when it outperformed the winners of this year's Most Wanted putter tests. With new models on the way, we're anxious to see what 2017 has to offer.
Sleeper Club - Cobra F6 Baffler
We wanted to create a category to recognize (when warranted) an outstanding club that perhaps flew a bit under the consumer radar. We think the Cobra F6 Baffler is exactly that kind of club. A compact 5-wood, the Baffler plays like a cross between a fairway wood and a hybrid. The shorter shaft offers tremendous control benefits with a negligible (if any) distance penalty. It's the kind of common sense club that more of us should have in our bags.
Golf Ball - Costco Kirkland Signature
The $15/dozen (2/$30) Costco ball has set the ball market off kilter while challenging everything you thought you knew about golf balls. A tour ball for 30 cents on the dollar? That can't be real.
Oh, it's real.
In our tests, the Kirkland Signature Ball (K-Sig for short) outperformed the #1 Ball in Golf, but you don't have to take our word for it. The feedback from consumers has been overwhelmingly positive - and that's made the K-Sig so popular, Costco is struggling to keep up with the demand.
Runner-Up: Bridgestone B330 Series
Shaft - Project X HZRDUS
Without fail, each and every year there's one shaft...or more appropriately one shaft line, that seemingly catches absolute fire. This year it was Project X's HZRDUS. To recap, it started with Black, then Yellow, then Red, and now the T1100 prototype. Fitters are embracing the line, and as it finds its way into OEM catalogs, the buzz around the HZRDUS line only continues to grow.
Consumer Tech - Arccos Driver
By simplifying the technology for those who just want driver stats, Arccos Driver makes round tracking more accessible, super easy, and plenty of fun - even if it's just for one club. We're further intrigued by the partnership with Cobra Golf (Cobra Connect), which should help bring round tracking to the mainstream and has the potential to accelerate innovation in the digital club space.
Golf Shoe (spiked) - adidas Tour360 Boost
Ten years worth of adidas Golf innovations rolled up in a single model; the Tour360 Boost is a modern take on adidas' iconic Tour360. Comfortable, stable, and stylish, the Tour360 Boost is everything we demand from a flagship shoe.
Runner-Up: FootJoy Freestyle
Golf Shoe (Spikeless) - FootJoy Pro/SL
As we discussed in our review, the thing about the FootJoy Pro/SL is that it isn't what you expect from a spikeless shoe, and that's what makes it so brilliant. Like many spikeless designs, it's extremely comfortable, but more impressively; it's clear that FootJoy never lost sight of the fact that a premium spikeless golf shoe should still perform like a premium golf shoe.
Runner-Up: PUMA IGNITE Spikeless Sport
Equipment Story - Nike Exits the Club Business
After more than a decade of trying to establish itself as a force in golf equipment, Nike, with its market share perpetually well below 5%, walked away. The news has been heralded as an opportunity for some and a warning for others.
Right-sizing, or a sign of an industry in a tailspin? Time will tell.
As we consider Nike's equipment legacy, it's important to note that Nike Golf isn't gone entirely. Tiger, Rory, and reportedly Jason Day will wear Nike apparel and footwear for years to come, but what will that mean for the company's impact on the sport?
As for Nike's former equipment staffers; only Tiger has announced any new deal (Bridgestone, ball only), so it remains to be seen which companies will benefit most from Nike's exit.
Runner-Up: Costco Can't Keep Kirkland Signature Golf Ball in Stock
Comeback Company - Bridgestone
This time last year, Bridgestone had just announced that it was pulling out of the UK. Rumors of a big USA hard goods push fizzled, and there was even some chatter that the company might leave the US market.
The outlook took a positive turn when Bridgestone inked Bryson DeChambeau to an endorsement deal, and when Bridgestone announced it had signed Tiger Woods to a 5-year ball deal, it became abundantly clear the company has plans to reassert itself is a big time player in the ball market. It's on, people.
Rest assured Bridgestone Golf isn't going anywhere anytime soon. There's even some fresh news that Bridgestone balls will be back on UK shelves soon.
Golf Company of the Year - Callaway Golf
If you thought the Five Year War was over, you're mistaken. The Callaway machine continues to plow ahead, and directly through many of its competitors. As Nike was shutting down and others were trimming fat, Callaway continued to redefine the modern golf company. It expanded its Media Productions arm; adding Amanda Balionis to its talent roster. It acquired Toulon Design (and with it Sean Toulon), and hired former Nike guy, Rock Ishii, to help drive innovation in the ball category.
And speaking of the ball (that changed the ball)...
In 2016, the company cemented its position as a strong overall #2 in the ball category, led by Chrome Soft, which is now the top-selling ball at off-course locations.
Sales of Odyssey putters and Callaway wedges remain strong, but it's the iron category where Callaway made the most noise this season.
Released in October, the Steelhead is the market's current best-seller, and that's helped propel the company to a dominant leadership position in the iron category. The most recent report shows Callaway's dollar share of the iron category is better than twice that of its closest competitor.
The numbers say Callaway is the #1 club company in golf right now.
More bad news for those of you who've had your fill of Callaway; the company believes the Jailbreak Technology found in its upcoming Epic lineup is the next legitimate breakthrough in club design. So confident is Callaway, it's predicting that sometime in 2017, it will overtake TaylorMade to become the #1 metalwoods company in golf.
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Tuesday, December 27, 2016
The New Wellness Mama Cookbook Is HERE…
Guess what? My brand-new updated cookbook with over 100 new recipes is available everywhere books are sold today! Despite all of the literary comparisons of writing a book to birthing a baby, it turns out that the books do in fact take longer!
The NEW Wellness Mama Cookbook…
If you’ve been a reader for a few years (many thanks to you!), you may remember my original Wellness Mama Cookbook that I self-published a couple of years ago. What you may not have known about that cookbook is that I saved up for months to be able to afford to print copies in big enough quantity to make them a reasonable price to sell.
I love Amazon for all things shopping, but almost had a nervous breakdown trying to put it all together, so I decided not to print additional copies when the original copies ran out.
Old Wellness Mama Cookbook – Just $248?!
I was happy with my decision to never print more cookbooks until I got a few angry emails from wonderful readers who found my cookbook on Amazon and wanted to buy it. Except it cost over $200!
Since I hadn’t printed more copies, Amazon only had used copies and they were getting expensive. I also got a lot of emails asking for me to re-release it.
A Win:Win:Win
I’m so excited to announce that I’m finally re-releasing the cookbook and this time I have the help of an incredible editor and publisher!
In fact, you can order it from any of these places (or anywhere books are sold!):
Amazon | Target | Barnes and Noble | Books A Million | Indie Bound
If you’re more of a digital person, it is also available on:
Kindle | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo
I’ve added over 100 new recipes that aren’t on the blog or in the original cookbook and they’ve helped make the design and photos beautiful.
The Best Part?
The cookbook is SOOOO much better and it’s so much cheaper too! You can order right now at a heavily discounted price (as low as 30% off!)
(Also- The publishing team has people who specialize in dealing with the retailers to make everything happen… I’ll be sending them a gift basket and perhaps a hand-painted mural showing my gratitude!)
A Peek Inside…
The majority of the recipes in the new and improved cookbook are fast, easy and made with all-natural ingredients. Many are slow-cooker, Instant Pot or one-pot meals that come together quickly. From the more eloquent words in the official description:
With six kids, a popular blog, and no free time, Katie, creator of the incredibly popular Wellness Mama website, knows firsthand how difficult it is to cook a healthy, homemade dinner every night. Faced with her own health challenges, and also concerned about the frightening statistics on the future health of her children’s generation, Katie began to evaluate the foods she was eating and feeding to her family.
She became determined to find a way to create and serve meals that were wholesome, easy to prepare, budget-friendly, and family approved. The Wellness Mama Cookbook is a compilation of all that she has learned, with 200 simple, delicious recipes using all-natural ingredients; meal plans; time-saving tips; and advice that will take the guesswork out of dinner.
The recipes and practical advice Katie offers will help you eliminate processed foods and move toward more healthy, home-cooked meals that are easily prepared—most in thirty minutes or less. The recipes focus on whole foods that are free of grains and refined sugars and without harmful fats, but are still delicious and full of flavor. With a variety of slow-cooker and one-pot meals, light lunches, dinners, and desserts, you’ll be eating better in every way in no time at all.
Recipes include Sesame Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas, Sweet Potato Crusted Quiche Lorraine, Beef and Zucchini Stir Fry, and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, as well as recipes for bone broths, fermented foods, and super food drinks and smoothies. Katie also shares pantry-stocking advice, two weeks of meal plans for at home and on-the-go, shopping lists, and more. This is the ultimate cookbook that readers need to incorporate healthy eating knowledge into their daily practices.
As of today, the new Wellness Mama cookbook is already available at all of these places:
Amazon | Target | Barnes and Noble | Books A Million | Indie Bound
If you’re more of a digital person, it is also available on:
Kindle | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo
Here’s a sneak peek into the cookbook to give you an idea of what kind of recipes you can expect…
Tons of great kid-tested and approved breakfasts and smoothies including my kids’ favorite Apple Cinnamon Muffins and Gorilla Green Smoothie:
Tons of awesome one-pan meals (because who likes doing dishes?), including many slow-cooker meals which save me all kinds of time in the kitchen.
All-time favorites like stuffed sweet potatoes, the easiest and best Slow-Cooker Fajita Chicken ever and so much more:
There are over 200 recipes total and in all seriousness, my family could eat just these recipes for the rest of our lives and be completely happy. Some of my personal favorites from the new book (not featured on the blog):
- Wedge Salad with Avocado Green Dressing
- Bacon Guacamole Bites on Sweet Potato Chips
- Swedish Meatballs
- No-Bake Meyer Lemon Bars
- Gorilla Green Smoothie
Find it at all of these places:
Amazon | Target | Barnes and Noble | Books A Million | Indie Bound
If you’re more of a digital person, it is also available on:
Kindle | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo
Have you checked it out yet!? Will you?
Continue Reading...The New Wellness Mama Cookbook Is HERE…
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Monday, December 26, 2016
Year-End Interview Questions for Kids + Free Printable
I made a free printable for myself (and to share with you!) to help aid in keeping memories of the kids that has some fun interview questions for kids to answer about all their favorite stuff.
While, we’re all about the memory making, I’m horrible at capturing the memories I have with my kids onto paper. I’ve found a couple ideas that work for me, such as the birthday photo to make every year, and this year-end interview with the kids.
Complete honesty time: I bet I don’t have over a dozen photos printed of George and none yet of Louis (not counting professionally taken, but those are even very few).
Henry’s baby book got filled out. George’s got started…. Louis’s… well, I bought one.
Yep. That’s me. My excuse is this blog is my record of them growing up. Good enough excuse, right?
Here are fun ways to let the kids help with a photo project!
Interview Questions for Kids Save the Day!
Something I can handle is doing something once a year to capture quick memories. I created a quick little interview to ask the kids about their favorites!
You can download the Year-End Interview Questions for Kids free printable and ask your kids too!
Jot down their answers and put it in a basic scrapbook (affiliate link) if you have one. Or have them fill it out if they’re able to (so cute in their handwriting!).
I found a few other year-end interviews for kids that I grabbed ideas from, including:
- Dear Harrison, 20 Questions to Ask Your Kids Each Year
- All for the Boys, 2013 Kid Interview
- Meet the Dubiens, Interview with her Daughter
- Teach Mama, New Year’s Interview a Fun Family Tradition
End of year ideas to keep the memories:
These are affiliate links to products to help make keepsakes of your child’s year.
- Time Capsule
- My Quotable Kid (don’t you always wish you recorded all the hilarious things your kids say?)
- School Years Frame
Below, you can check out Henry and George’s interviews that I recorded and sent off to an online video editing service to put some oomph into it and make it all professional. Love these boys! I can’t wait to include Louis in this next year!
Download the interview questions for kids here.
Year-End Interview Questions for Kids + Free Printable on handsonaswegrow.com
from Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/14cWmZL
Tested: Low Spin Driver Shafts
What’s the lowest spinning shaft in golf?
That’s the question we set out to answer when we asked 12 different shaft manufacturers to provide us with what each believes is the lowest spinning shaft in its lineup.
11 agreed to participate. Veylix was the only holdout.
Trust me when I tell you that trying to find the answer was one hell of an endeavor.
Here's what we tested:
- Accra TourZx
- Aldila NV 2KXV White
- Fujikura Pro TS
- Graphite Design Tour M9003 & Tour AD TP
- Matrix M4 Black Tie
- Mitsubishi Rayon Composites Tensei CK White
- Oban Kiyoshi Black
- Paderson KINETIXX
- Project X HZRDUS T1100
- UST-Mamiya Elements Platinum
- XPHLEXXX Agera
With the testing now complete, wouldn’t it be something if I could tell you that we were able to isolate the one shaft that can significantly reduce, we’re talking 1000 RPM, spin for every last one of you?
Sorry folks, it doesn’t work like that. While we’re never 100% positive what we’ll find, we had a hunch that in this case, we’d find something other than an absolute and incontrovertible truth.
The reality of the situation can be best summed in a Facebook comment from reader Rob Hampton in response to our test announcement:
“This isn’t The Lord of the Rings….. there is no ‘one ring (shaft) to rule them all.'” – Rob Hampton
Truer words not spoken… at least not today.
So if we weren’t expecting to find any concrete answers, why test at all?
We test because you never know, because every test is an opportunity to learn (and to an extent an opportunity to learn how to learn), and because it’s a test I’ve always wanted to do.
Bottom line, we’re curious, and we know some of you are curious to, so what the hell, we went for it.
How we tested
- Manufacturers provided MyGolfSpy with stiff flex shafts within the ±65g range.
- Club Conex UNI-FIT adapters were installed on all shafts.
- Shafts were cut to identical playing lengths and outfitted with Golf Pride MCC Plus 4 grips.
- Eight golfers with single digit handicaps who generally play stiff flex shafts hit 12 good shots with each shaft (frequently rotating between shafts).
- Gross mishits were eliminated and are not included in the shot counts.
- Remaining outliers (determined based on launch angle and spin rates) were identified using Media Absolute Deviation, and dropped before calculation of the final averages.
- All testers hit the same head in its neutral setting.
- All testers hit Bridgestone B300 RX Golf Balls.
- Ball Data and Club Data was recorded using a Foresight GC2 Launch Monitor with HMT.
The Data: Group Averages
What's the lowest spinning shaft? That was the original question, so let's take a peek.
When we look at the data across all of our testers, here's what we find:
Observations:
- The Fujikura Pro Tour Spec produced the lowest average spin rate.
- The Pro Tour Spec’s average spin rate was marginally lower than several others including Aldila NV 2KXV White, Project X HZRDUS T1100, Graphite Design Tour AD TP, and Accra TourZx.
- The Paderson KINETIXX produced the highest spin (2970 RPM), and while 100 RPM doesn’t sound like much, the gap between it and the Graphite Design M9003 (2866 RPM) is the single largest spin gap in the test.
Looking beyond the Spin column, we find more similarities than differences.
- Average differences in most measurements including ball speed, carry, and total yards are marginal.
- The Matrix M4 Black Tie is noteworthy for producing the lowest launch (13.8°), which is nearly ½° lower than the next lowest launching shaft(s).
- The Oban Kiyoshi White and Paderson KINETTIXX produced the highest launch by a marginal amount.
- When looking at the average yards from the center line only 4 yards separate the most accurate (Aldila NV 2KXV White) from the least accurate (XPHLEXXX Agera).
Individual Differences
On the suggestion of one of our readers, we wanted to try something a little bit different and provide a better look into performance differences on a more individualized basis.
Please let us know if you find this information interesting and/or valuable. Your feedback will go a long way towards helping us decide if we’ll do it again.
The following series of charts looks at our performance data on an individual basis. Specifically, we look at the differences between the shafts that produced the results at the tails for each tester.
Since the original reason for this test was about spin, let’s again start there.
Individual Spin (Lowest vs. Highest)
Observations:
- The Fujikura Pro TS and the Graphite Design M9003 combined to produce the lowest spin for 4 (2 each) of the testers.
- The MRC Tensei CK White and Paderson KINETIXX produced the highest spin for 4 (2 each) of the testers.
- The average spin difference between the highest spinning and lowest spinning shaft on an individual basis was 687 RPM.
- The range across all testers was 333 RPM to 1076 RPM on an individual basis; the latter is what we’d expect from a loft increase of roughly 3°.
- While it doesn’t show up in the group averages, it’s clear that the shaft, even within the confines of a specific design category, can have a dramatic impact on spin rates.
Individual Ball Speed (Highest vs. Lowest)
Observations:
- The Graphite Design M9003 again ranks near the top. It’s joined by the Aldila NV 2KXV White, which, like the M9003, produced the highest average ball speeds for 2 of 8 testers.
- The XPHLEXXX Agera produced the lowest ball speeds for 2 of our testers.
- On average, testers saw an average ball speed difference of 4.35 MPH between their fastest and slowest, with a range of 1.4 MPH to 6.28 MPH on an individual basis.
Individual Carry Distance (Highest vs. Lowest)
Observations:
It shouldn’t come as any real surprise that significant differences in ball speed can translate to significant carry differences.
- The Graphite Design Tour AD TP and Accra TourZx each produced the greatest carry distance for 3 of our testers.
- The MRC Tensei CK White and Paderson KINETIXX produced the shortest carry distance for 4 (2 each) of the testers.
- On average, testers saw a difference of 13.51 yards in carry distance between their individual longest and shortest shafts.
- The shortest individual difference was 8.74 yards while the most significant difference was 18.33 yards.
Accuracy
More than once, fitters have told us that that accuracy differences between shafts can be much more significant than the other metrics we sometimes focus on. As illustrated by the charts below, that certainly was the case during our test.
Individual Average Dispersion (Most Left vs. Most Right)
Do shafts show any predisposition for one side of the course or the other? Looking through the numbers, we certainly can make a case that some shafts exhibit a left side bias, while others tend to favor the right. Note: in the chart below, negative numbers are used for averages left of center.
Observations:
- The Fujikura Pro TS (3) and Graphite Design’s M9003 (2) and AD TP (2) combined to account for the greatest left side bias for 7 of 8 testers. MRC’s Tensei accounted for the other.
- The Paderson KINETIXX and XPHLEXXX Agera showed the greatest right-side bias for 4 (2 each) of the testers.
- This is likely a contributing factor to comparatively higher spin and slightly reduced ball speeds for these two shafts.
- Testers saw, on average, 26.17 yards of left/right dispersion differences between their most left favoring and most right-favoring shafts.
- The individual spread ranged from 13.86 on the narrow end to a whopping 31.93 yards on the wide end.
- This suggests that the shaft can have a significant influence on accuracy.
Individual Shot Area (Smallest vs. Largest)
Shot area (meters squared) is the area of 90% confidence ellipse centered on the average point for total yards and yards offline. It’s a reasonable measurement of consistency, and again we see significant individual differences.
Observations:
- Suggesting plenty of it either works for you or it doesn’t, with not much in-between, the XPHLEXXX Agera provided the smallest shot area for two testers and the largest for three others.
- The UST-Mamiya Elements Platinum also accounted for the largest shot area for three testers.
- The Graphite Design AD TP produced the tightest dispersion for 2 of the testers.
- Testers saw significant differences between their most consistent and their least consistent shafts, an average of 3345 meters² difference.
- The individual differences ranged from 2038 (significant) to 5027 (massive).
- Once again, this suggests that individual consistency can vary significantly based on the shaft.
What to make of all of This
As we expected, our results don’t suggest any absolutes. Finding the right shaft is a highly individualized endeavor. A number of variables influence how a shaft will perform for a given individual, and some of those variables aren’t easily quantifiable. That task becomes even more difficult within a narrow category like low spin shafts.
We suspect that we’d see greater variation if we tested one of these shafts against a shaft regarded as higher launching and higher spinning.
More relevant perhaps, while I think we inherently know as much... it’s not as if there’s a secret knob or any other mechanism that allows shaft manufacturers to add or subtract spin. The magic of the shaft is how it influences the way each of us delivers the head to the ball.
If something in a shaft’s design causes you to deliver it with the face open then it’s going to start right, and if your path (also influenced by the shaft) is open relative to the face, then we know the ball is going to start right, fade, and the resulting spin numbers are going to be high.
If the shaft’s influence causes the opposite to be true, we’ve got a recipe for lower launch and lower spin.
The Shaft’s Influence on Starting Direction and Curvature
I wanted to come up with a simple and intuitive method to illustrate that the notion of low spin, or low launch, or any other way we classify the manifestation of shaft design ultimately boils down to how it influences the delivery of the clubhead, and by extension the resulting ball flight.
To that end, I bundled our data along with a downrange splatter chart and some simple filters to show how isolating shots by where they start, how they curve, and ultimately where they land, can dramatically shift the relative performance data.
To give you a sense of what I’m talking about and give you some ideas for how you can manipulate the data, consider these examples:
- The XPHLEXXX Agera was on average one of the highest spinning shafts, however, when we isolate shots with draw spin (technically, a left tilted axis), it presents as the lowest spinning shaft in the test. If you have no trouble turning the club over and are looking to take the left side out of play, the Agera looks really good.
- We barely discussed the Project X HZRDUS T1100, but the data suggests that if you’re looking to take a bit of spin out of an otherwise reliable fade it, along with the Matrix Black Tie, might work.
- You can isolate the results by individual testers as well, which in addition to providing all of their data, can give you a solid idea if the same shafts consistently rank near the top for a given metric.
- A quick note about Yards from Center vs. Yards Offline: Yards from Center is the average of the absolute value of Yards offline. Using a simple two shot scenario to explain; if you hit two shots, one 10 yards left of center (-10), the other 10 yards right of center (+10), our Average Yards from Center value would is 10, while our Average Offline Yards value is 0. Yards from center gives us some insight into accuracy, while Yards Offline gives us a better indication of distribution bias.
The Final Word… For now
The one thing that is abundantly clear is that between these low spin options there are vast differences, and those differences will almost certainly manifest in a big way on the golf course. While a few hundred RPMs isn’t massive, other factors contribute to nearly 20 yards of distance in individual cases, along with significant differences in accuracy.
As a gearhead myself, I’m wholly supportive of anyone who compulsively tries everything and anything with the hope of cutting a couple hundred RPMs and gaining a few extra yards. Our data, however, suggests that if you’re constantly hitting up eBay for the latest spin killer, the odds of finding a shaft that works well for you aren’t great.
In fact, the biggest takeaway from this test is that if you’re focusing most of your attention on spin numbers, you’re almost certainly missing the bigger picture.
If you’re serious about finding the best performing shaft for you, the answer, as it often does, almost certainly lies exclusively in a proper fitting.
Let’s Have a Discussion
There are probably a couple hundred other points I could make… additional data I could include, but I’m certain my boss doesn’t want me crawling any deeper in the weeds than we already are - unless the demand exists. So for those of you who found this interesting, and I suppose those of you who didn’t, please give us your feedback (please clap).
What did you like? What didn’t you like? Would you like to see more shaft testing in the future?
Those are my questions. We’d love to take a shot at answering some of yours. If you’ve got ‘em, fire away.
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