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“Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” Campaign to Promote Safer Roadways During the Holiday Season

DUI Police Checkpoint Sign1

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, in a dedicated effort to promote the safety of New Jersey residents and visitors during the upcoming holiday season, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety (HTS) today announced the kickoff of the annual “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” Year-End Holiday Campaign.

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Ridgewood Gets Ready for the Holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year )

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photos courtesy of DD and MT

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood gets ready for the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year ) . Once again, Village of Ridgewood Councilmember Lorraine Reynolds and her crew of volunteers were out early readying the planters in the Central Business District for holiday decorating by Tony Damiano and his crew.

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NJ TRANSIT OFFERS EXTRA SERVICE AND SAVINGS FOR CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS WEEK

ridgewood tree

Children 11 years and under Ride for Free December 17th through January 3rd; Holiday Promotions offered for New Riders and Special Destinations

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, NJ TRANSIT is offering extra service this holiday season. Customers will have more travel options and flexibility for attending special events, family gatherings and other festivities with additional service offered on buses, trains and light rail lines.

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The Nagging Questions We Ask Ourselves at the End Of Each Year

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December 20,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Each year, when December comes rolling in, so do the inner doubts and reflections that are part of our year-end experience.

Did I succeed? Has my business or career grown? Is my family happy and healthy? Do I have enough money to get them the gifts they want?

All these questions are nagging at me as I run from one Christmas party to the next. I can’t help but wonder why success is measured by our society in tangibles… I cannot measure my success in tangibles, nor do I want to, as this is not in sync with my passions or my values.

For me, success is measured by the intangible not by the tangibles we think we see! What does that mean? The tangibles we see are the big house or car that you already physically own. We think these things matter because of others’ expectations of what we should have to be successful and to be of a certain social standing. Having these tangibles is then a way to prove to others and yourself that you have succeeded.

This brings me straight back to the nagging questions I have about success and how we measure ourselves and others.

As I watch my colleagues talk about their accomplishments of the past year, I see a picture in my distant memory of a mother decorating a tree. Christmas, too, is about intangibles… For my family, Christmas was steeped in traditions; however, the only thing I truly recall was the gift of being together, thus the intangible… When did Christmas become such a big industry that we as families have become a slave to it?

We seem to focus so much on giving and receiving tangible gifts that we forget that they will not be remembered. Think back to your childhood while reading this and you will remember the smiling faces among the things that you treasured, but not really what was in the wrapped presents!

Sadly, this truth is not reflected in our talk and in our actions. Your child will go back to school after the holidays and teachers and friends will immediately ask “What did you get?” and not “How was your Christmas?”

Today, there is so much pressure on every member in a family to outshine everyone around you at work or school that I truly feel sad for those that forget that there are so many things we cannot see but they are there. They truly matter!

Here are a few examples of intangibles that matter every day: knowing that you can count on that one person to help you through difficult times. Every child who knows deep down that their parents will help them even if they are mad! Or what about the immense satisfaction a mother feels when her child takes those first few steps. Or the ability you have to put a smile on someone’s face, just because you can! In all our milestones, having someone encourage us as if we were an athlete crossing the finish line. That happy face in the crowd that clapped just a bit louder than everyone else… That, ladies and gentlemen, is success—when we have that one friend or relative who gives us courage to be ourselves!

How others make you feel cannot be seen but boy—can you feel it! All these examples are intangible—not evident, untouchable, we cannot see them. But that does not mean they don’t exist. In fact, I wish that people paid more attention to the intangible. Why?

If you ask any human being who they value the most, they almost always answer family. Then I ask what do they value most, even though geography, culture, and personal values might influence the answer to this question, the overall response I have heard the most is “some form of security.” Which often equates back to family.

So is success then not logically how each individual values and cares for their families and friends?

At the end of a person’s life, don’t we consider a person successful, not by their job, but by how well they treated their family and friends?

Set aside your self-doubt, the nagging questions, and dump the pressure to look good, and instead count the family members and your friends who are in your life. Your relationship with each individual and the joy it brings can be the new measure of your success!

So during this month of giving, forget for one moment all of the materialistic gifts—the tangibles that we obsess too much over—and try to concentrate on giving as many intangible gifts as you can to everyone around you. The gift of yourself, being there, listening, laughing, being truly present are the gifts that matter most and that will be truly remembered.

A few action points if you would like to give the gift of the intangible:

1. If you are a parent and have adult children, write down a short story of something your child did when they were younger that moved you and that is locked in your memory forever!

2. If you are a parent of a child, you can suggest they make a coupon book for you instead of a tangible gift. For example, they can give you a coupon with breakfast in bed. Or a coupon where they clean out your room!

3. If you are a friend searching for the perfect intangible gift to give another friend, share a fond memory together that you hold dear. The receiver will sit in awe hearing it!

ABOUT GABRIELLA VAN RIJ

The leading voice of the Kindness movement, Gabriella van Rij (www.gabriella.global) is a speaker, author & activist for kindness whose presentations blend humor, original analogies and her life story to create a rare perspective-shifting experience that speaks to all and that provides the tools audiences need for more productive relationships. Gabriella has been seen by millions on Dr. Phil, ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX.

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Grab Your Fast And Go Healthy This New Year!

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file photo

December 3,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Too much holiday cheer? Fatty foods, sweet treats, alcoholic drinks?  Fear not! The New Year is your chance to hit the reset button and go healthy.

One way to do that is to try a fast.

“You can lose at least a pound a day, get rid of foggy brain, and recharge your energy,” says best-selling author and nutritionist Cherie Calbom, known as “The Juice Lady” for her expertise in juicing for health and detoxification (www.juiceladycherie.com).

“Fasting is a great way to restart your metabolism, purify your lymphatic system, and revive your soul” says Calbom, author of the new book The Juice Lady’s Guide to Fasting. “It’s also a way to look younger, clear out the toxins, and restart the systems in your body for optimal health and physical well-being, and to bring restoration to your mind, body and spirit.”

People often think of fasting as a fad, she says, but it’s been touted throughout history – by the healer Hippocrates, the philosopher Plato, and scientist and statesman Benjamin Franklin, just to name a few. Germany’s famous “fasting therapist,” Otto Buchinger Sr., M.D., called it an “operation without surgery.”

Even those who don’t believe in fasting’s curative powers agree it can help prevent illness. Want to fend off the flu, a cold or bronchitis? Fasting gives your immune system a boost.

“It’s a lot like a threefold spring cleaning, as you dive deep into the areas in your life that don’t always get the attention they need – mentally, physically and spiritually – and you clean them up,” Calbom says. “You rid yourself of toxic influences that hinder growth, clarity and well-being, and refocus on the future.”

With a liquid fast, you give up solid foods, and enjoy delicious, nutrient-rich beverages. In her book, Calbom provides a variety of fasts to choose from including the smoothie fast, bone-broth fast, 3-day detox fast, and what she says is the most popular of all — the juice fast.  If you crave crunch, she offers the Garden of Eden Fast and the Daniel Fast.

“There’s something for everyone — from a short weekend weight loss fast to a 21-day rejuvenation fast,” she says.

If you’re a list maker (and who isn’t this time of year?), Calbom recommends writing down what you hope to achieve with your fast – losing belly fat, cleansing your liver or boosting your brain power, with brains detox juices for example – in order to find a fast that’s a good fit.
If you aren’t sure you can hack a liquid fast because you’ll crave flavor, think again. Here are three of Calbom’s favorite recipes, designed to taste great while doing good:

Weight Loss Buddy Juice Cocktail

Jerusalem artichoke juice combined with carrot and beet is a traditional remedy for satisfying cravings for sweets and junk food.  They key is to sip it slowly when you get a craving for high-fat or high-carb foods.
1 Jerusalem artichoke, scrubbed wel
3-4 carrots, scrubbed well, tops removed, ends trimmed
1 green apple (lower in sugar than red or yellow)
½ cucumber
1-inch chunk ginger root
Cut produce to fit your juicer’s feed tube.  Juice ingredients and stir.  Pour into a glass and drink as soon as possible.
Serves 1

Beet- Berry Liver Cleanse Juice

Beets have been used as a naturally remedy for liver cleansing.

2 medium beets
1 cup blueberries
1 green apple
1 large carrot
1 broccoli stem
1 lemon, peeled
1-inch chunk ginger
1/2 cup  coconut water

Juice all ingredients.  Add coconut water, stir, and enjoy!
Serves 1-2

Green Muscle Mender

Are you strength training?  Spinach helps your muscles recover due to its high magnesium content—157 mg per cup.
1 large handful spinach
1 green apple
1 cucumber
1-inch chunk ginger root
2-inch piece fresh turmeric root (optional)

Juice all ingredients, stir, and enjoy!
Serves 1

About Cherie Calbom, MSN (aka The Juice Lady)

Cherie Calbom holds a master of science degree in whole foods nutrition from Bastyr University. Known as “The Juice Lady” (www.juiceladycherie.com) for her work with juicing and health, she is the author of 32 books, with millions of copies sold worldwide. No stranger to healthy diet trends, Cherie joined George Foreman as nutritional spokesperson in the “Knockout the Fat” phenomenon that forever changed grilling in America.

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Ridgewood Art Institute invites you to get your New Year off to a Creative Start

RAI
December 09,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, start your New Years off to a creative start by signing up for a painting class at the RAI. We have some wonderful teachers to enjoy -Rebecca Leer is teaching Oil Painting – Landscape, Seascape, Still Life and Portrait for Adults in the West Studio on Wednesday and Thursdays from 10am – 1pm.

Diana Gibson is teaching Oil Painting – Landscape, Seascape, Still Life and Portrait for Adults in the West Studio on Wednesday and Thursday Evenings from 7pm – 9pm.

Susan Hope Fogel is teaching Drawing for Adults, Figure and Still Life in the East Studio on Thursday evenings from 7pm – 9:30pm.

Janet Cunniffe-Chieffo is teaching Oil Painting for Adults – Florals and Still Lifes on wednesday’s in the east studio from 10 – 1pm

Joel Popadics is teaching water color for Adults in the east studio on thursday’s from 10 – 1pm.

Annette Hanna teaches Pastel-Portrait, Still Life & Landscape,
Fridays daytime – 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.

Edwin Broussard teaches Figure Drawing, Life Costume and Still Life for adults, Mondays -9:30 am – 12:00 pm.

Charles Brandenburg teaches Fundamentals of Watercolor, The Basic Techniques, Problem Solving, Design and Composition for adults, Tuesday evenings – 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm.

Murray Smith teaches Oil Painting: Floral, Still Life & Landscape Painting for adults, Monday daytime 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.

Peggy Dressel teaches Watercolor Techniques, Mixing Color, Composition, Landscape, Flowers & Still Life for adults, Tuesday daytime – 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.
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Or just stop by  the barn and pick out that special “hostess” gift to bring to Thanksgiving dinner – beautiful “Small Works” for sale for only $150.00. These beautiful, original works of art have been donated by local artists to help fund the “running costs” of the barn.
A beautiful selection is still left – give a gift that keeps on giving throughout generations to come.
Address: 12 E Glen Ave, Ridgewood, NJ 07450