In the CIHM blog, writer Marianne Spoon notes that the study is the first of its kind to blend laboratory and real-world settings into one experiment on savoring and how we’re affected by our emotions. Over the course of the study, 100 participants played guessing games while scientists collected functional MRI scans of their brains. From Spoon’s CIHM blog: Through brain imaging, researchers could observe reward learning and how much positive emotoin increased following reward: To learn more about the study’s design, read “Keeping up that positive feeling: the science of savoring emotions....

Luckily for us, not one, but a new hair care lines surfaced recently and it has shampoos that are paraben free. What is that? Apothecare Essentials. Below we’re giving you the lowdown on what the All Things Hair editors have tried so far and what the experience was like. Paraben Free Shampoo: Does It Really Work? Here’s the thing about making the switch to one of the best paraben free shampoo, a chemical free shampoo, or a silicone free shampoo, a lot of people are conditioned to believe that without those things, the formula wouldn’t deliver what the product claims to do....

Understanding Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Post-traumatic stress and PTSD may occur after experiencing or witnessing a shocking or dangerous event. During the event, fear triggers a cascade of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline that flood the nervous system and mobilize the body’s defenses. Once the threat subsides, the nervous system usually “resets,” initiating the healing and recovery process. In some cases, or when stress is chronic, the system does not reset, and the physical and psychological effects of acute or prolonged stress manifest as symptoms of traumatic stress....

Are you ready for the hustle & bustle of Christmas to begin? Oooohhh…I am! I absolutely LOVE Christmas time!! sigh OK….”observation time” – I feel that when the Christmas season hits, we usually tend to focus more on the kids, don’t you agree?? Of course, the wonder and joy on their faces when they experience a FABULOUS Christmas definitely HELPS. {lol} If you want to make sure your spouse knows how much you adore him/her during THIS holiday season and doesn’t feel neglected, have I got an idea for you!...

What is a Hair Thickening Shampoo? Although there is no complete cure for genetic hair loss (yet), there are certainly some medications that can slow down the process and some say even encourage new growth. As far as over-the-counter shampoo treatments are concerned, one of the most popular hair loss shampoos in the market contains minoxidil and is very popular for the treatment of male-pattern baldness (MPB), or what doctors call androgenetic alopecia....

In light of that, we like to think of mindfulness as having three major way stations, rather than three major benefits, which begin with you, and end with…well, the whole damn world. Mindfulness is good for you Not only that, mindfulness is good for the you sitting there reading these words. A lot of the things we spend time on involve planning for the future, or attempting to stave off negative effects we think the future might bring: working hard to save money, eating as healthfully as possible, exercising whenever we find time to do so....

Crazy for Christmas Printable Pack! Yep, we’re taking the stress out of your holidays! This gorgeous printable pack contains everything you need- just push print. Kristin, from Yellow Bliss Road, is an amazingly talented designer and she seriously out-did herself on this one! Just wait until you see what she created for us… INCLUDING: A Family Christmas Bucket List (2 versions) 5 Christmas Wall Art Prints (Each available in 2 sizes) A Printable Christmas Gift (Give the gift of quality time) Christmas Packaging for Neighbor Gifts (3 pages of printables) A Digital Christmas Card (Totally customizable) Here’s a closer look at everything included in this darling printable bundle… A Family Christmas Bucket List A Christmas Bucket List is a great way to stay on top of all the fun activities you want to do throughout the holiday season....

7 Bang Styles from Fashion Month We Love 1. Piecey Pixie Bangs If you’re going to rock and pixie then we highly recommend you take the lead from one of the coolest bang styles from Fashion Month, the piece-y pixie bang. This side-swept and choppy look is great to add texture and frame your face if you have a very short hairstyle. Use a little bit of TRESemmé TRES Two Mega Firm Control Gel to gently separate your bangs and push them to one side of your forehead....

How To: Hydrate Your Hair for Fall Suave Professionals Honey Infusion Strengthening Leave-In Conditioner is one of those holy grail drugstore hair products that performs just as well if not better than its higher end counterparts. Infused with pure honey, this rich blend of ingredients wraps each strand of hair in a protective layer and restores its strength. Ideal for women with rough hair who struggle with frizz, it can also tame flyaways and act as a heat protection method....

How to Pull Off Tucked Hair Start with dirty hair. Give into the grunge of this particular look and wear it when it’s been a few days since your last wash. Make use of one of our favorite dry shampoos, Dove Refresh+Care Volume and Fullness Dry Shampoo, and refresh your roots while simultaneously adding some volume. The clean-but-grungy results will have your hair in the perfect condition for trying this trend....

Our minds wander, on average 50 percent of the time. The exact rate varies enormously. When Harvard researchers had 2,250 people report what they were doing and what they were thinking about at random points throughout their day, the doing-thinking gaps ranged widely. But the biggest gap was during work: mind-wandering is epidemic on the job. But we can take steps that will help us stay on task more of the time when we need to....

In the end, it seems that mindful eating comes out on top. Read the full article: “Abstinence versus mindful eating:Changing the brain’s appetite wiring, one raisin at a time” For further reading on mindful eating:

Fighting Inflammation Chronic stress increases inflammation, upping our risk of many chronic diseases. Two studies find that mindfulness practice may lower this risk in those most vulnerable to stress: midlife-to-older adults, and those with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more. In the first study, 153 stressed adults attended one of three groups: Monitor+Accept; Monitor Only; or a Stress Management education control group. Participants provided blood samples before and after training to test for changes in C-Reactive Protein (CRP), a commonly measured biomarker of inflammation....

I love it when a man—or a woman—opens a door for me. There is something about that moment of mindfulness, that attention to detail, that little pause, that feels wonderful. I feel acknowledged, cared for. And I feel as though there is hope for the planet. Okay, that may sounds like a bit of a leap, but seriously. It feels as though there is hope for the planet because one person is pausing to do something kind, something thoughtful, something courteous, for another....

Urban Adventure Quest is similar to the Amazing Race! For only $49 for a team of 2 to 5 people, or $30 for a mini quest, you’ll be sent on a sightseeing adventure around the city of your choice. Grab some friends for a group date or a night around town for just the two of you! And get this: all you will need is your phone! You and your date will be solving clues and completing tasks, as well as learning local history and seeing sights!...

Vacation Braids: The Box Braids You Need to Try For my most recent vacation, there was absolutely no way I was able to just wear my hairstyle in its curly state. For one, the occasion called for tons of travel each day, leaving me with little-to-no time to worry about my hair. You’re probably wondering why should one worry about their hair while on vacation? Well, if you’re all about serving the best looks from hair-to-toe no matter where you are in the world, you’ll definitely catch my drift....

Groundwater is like a hidden treasure since it makes our life so much better. We can safely assume that you’re wondering how on earth this relates to hair. Everything from the water we use in the shower to the water in our hair care products impacts our water consumption and the overall groundwater. While it may not happen in our lifetime, if we don’t start making conscious decisions to reduce our water use, over time this precious resource may run out quicker than we think....

Earth science content that has proven suitable for illumination with contemplative techniques includes geologic time, chemical and physical weathering, and characteristics for distinguishing different mineral groups. Professor Schneiderman will also describe techniques that have been useful in environmental justice seminars to support students’ explorations of environmental and social justice problems, which can be overwhelming. Questions may be submitted via chat during the webinar. For more information and to register, click here....

1. Age plays a role in going gray Why does hair turn grey? This shouldn’t be a shock seeing as many people, especially women gawk in horror at the arrival of a random gray hair due to its indication of growing old. According to dermatologists, there’s this little phenomenon called the 50-50-50 rule that basically means 50% of the population has about 50% gray hair at age 50. However, this is a very rough estimate as it is very dependent on ethnicity....

I began to think about boredom and children when I was researching the influence of television on children’s storytelling in the 1990s. Surprised at the lack of imagination in many of the hundreds of stories I read by 10- to 12-year-old children in five different Norfolk schools, I wondered if this might partly be an effect of TV viewing. Findings of earlier research had revealed that television does indeed reduce children’s imaginative capacities....