As all of you money saving mavens know, Black Friday is swiftly approaching as the big boom to our holiday shopping season! Millions of us, eager for a deal on presents, wake up at the crack of dawn, after hours of putting that Thanksgiving food where it belongs, coffee in hand, to stand in line for amazing door busting deals! This is a ritual my mom and I have kept alive for years.

Salary tips from our TRN staff...

Listen first, negotiate second. Decide if the position is good fit. Establish a base pay, then wait.
Demonstrate excitement for the position BUT do not discuss your personal need for it. Once an offer is made, be prepared to walk away. Don't be afraid to pause if the offer is good. Take a moment to accept.

Remember that negotiations are creative collaborations. They are not confrontations. "Salary levels are largely dictated by market forces (notably the cost of replacing the employee), and the contribution that the employee makes to organizational performance (which is particularly relevant for roles which directly impact on profitability). When you acknowledge this principle you begin to take control of your earnings." (http://www.businessballs.com/payrise.htm)

Leverage what you bring as a means to helping your future employer get what they need. Always negotiate from a position of confidence, not arrogance. Work towards a win-win, not a victory that leaves you on an island.

November is amongst us, which means Christmas, the season of giving, is right around the corner. I'm here to make sure you don't go broke on yourself before buying gifts for your loved ones. Check out this months tips:

Fashion: Remember back in pre-school when arts & crafts was the highlight of your day (besides snack time & nap time)? Bring back the old days. Be crafty and turn your old clothes into reusable tote bags! Get some accessories from a craft store, and add some glitz and glam to your new t-shirt bag!

Food: The pizza places feel your pain. That's why places like Pizza Hut are offering large pizzas for $6.99! What's the catch? It's carry out only.

Fitness: Just about everyone has iTunes nowadays. There are plenty of free video podcasts that offer exercise videos. Download them and create custom workouts from several of the videos.

Entertainment: Check with your student union to see about advanced screenings. Just about every school has them, where you can see movies before they hit theatres for just a few bucks.

Relaxing: Grab a good read! Not everyone is into thick novels with no pictures, but who says it has to be a book? Magazines keep you in the know (even though the Internet has somewhat interfered with that) but it's nothing wrong with checking out blogs and news articles.

Dating: My boyfriend and I enjoy challenging each other at video games, but try going to an arcade and doing the same thing. Make a tournament out of it. Bust open that piggy bank and whoever wins the most games has to buy dinner (so girls, make sure you win!)

Hope these keep some dollars in your pocket for the holiday season! Next month will be a special edition for last minute holiday shopping.

Briana

My first blog was about healthy fats and why you should eat them.  I thought it would be a good idea to let you know why you should stay away from the unhealthy ones and in what foods you can find them.

Definitely stay away from trans fats/hydrogenated oils: These fats form when vegetable oil hardens, a process called hydrogenation, and can raise LDL (bad cholesterol) levels, and lower HDL (good cholesterol) levels, repeatedly linked to heart disease. These fatty acids can also cause major clogging of your arteries, type 2 diabetes, obesity and other serious health problems.  For the men reading this, trans fats also reduce sexual performance. They’re found in most processed foods, fast food, crackers, and cookies.

You should also minimize most saturated fats, which are found in animal products such as butter, cheese, whole milk, ice cream, cream and meats. They are also found in some tropical plants and vegetable oils such as coconut, palm and palm kernel. Coconut oil is actually really healthy and is the oil to use for cooking since it is far less likely to be damaged through heating.

I know a lot of you reading this are probably thinking, “I’m young, I don’t need to worry about this kind of stuff until I’m in my 40s.”  I hate to break it to you, but that’s not really the case.  More people are overweight and becoming diabetic at a younger age than ever before.  I recently saw a patient who had his first heart attack at 35 years old.  He grew up eating a typical American diet and rarely exercised since college.  The hardening of his arteries started in his 20s.  Once that damage is done, it’s really hard to heal.  I don’t want to scare you.  Hopefully, it will motivate you to make smarter food choices from now on.


Live natural.  Live well.
Heather Lounsbury, L.Ac.

Check out Heather's Web site at www.getnaturalgetwell.com

If you brought yourself to land on this post, congratulations. You are about to be introduced to a world of cuisine, that if you read on and allow yourself a few days to sample, will invigorate your mind and body with health so abundant, you might bring yourself to an emotional divorce to cooked and processed foods. They’ve been with you for the most part of your life and you love them to bits, but you will realize that they aren’t The One for you after all—that there is a more loving significant other capable of devoting its life to maintaining your wellbeing in a first-class state.

For once and for all, no more fights. Your antibodies will win unfailingly every single time. No more illnesses, fatigue, or drowsiness; just continuous flow of pure energy. A natural so high, it’s a lifelong honeymoon. There’s one parcel of happiness for the mind taken care of. You will also wake up to mornings—or nights, with ease to good daily beginnings. No struggle there either.

Sounds like one of those alluring adverts selling a lifestyle. Only difference is, this one doesn’t lie and warrants a result. Take my word on that.

Stay in-tuned for raw food posts.

-Dom

Did you know your brain is about 60% fat? That your hormones are made from fat? 60% of your heart’s energy comes from burning fats. Your lungs need fat to work and keep them from collapsing. Fats help you absorb certain nutrients, including fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

Hi all! If you didn't already hear about it, Cal State Long Beach was the place to be this past Wednesday. TRN held its first Sustainable Career Fashion Show on their campus. The weather was a perfect mixture of California sunshine and brisk autumn air, and our models looked fabulous!

Each of their ensembles came from recycled clothing stores- but you wouldn't have been able to tell that in office or on the street! It turns out that using recycled clothing to bump up your career wardrobe is a pretty fun and rewarding alternative to buying new.

Two great places to check out are Out of the Closet thrift stores and Dress for Success- a nonprofit that assists women in need by providing them with professional ensembles to wear for interviews and their first week on the job. We also found that Goodwill was another great source for used threads. Check out the amazing outfits our Event Planner put together with all of her finds!

And Rainmakers, we’d love to see even more of you at our next Sustainable Career Fashion Show at Cal State Fullerton this coming semester. In the meantime, happy shopping!