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Welcome to Balance!
Once again, thanks for taking the time to sign up for our monthly newsletter, we appreciate your support and interest! To find the latest in news and information to help you create a better life of balance, check out our website at www.balanceaustin.com.
Think Red
 February is a month that recognizes more than just Hug Me teddy bears and sweet candy hearts. It’s amazing how quickly time passes. It feels like just yesterday we were reflecting on the year past and now we are already inundated with holiday bills, plastic candy hearts and the dreaded taxes. In order to maintain Balance in your life this month, we urge you to Go RED for Women! The Go RED for Women campaign encourages women of all ages and all walks of life to recognize that heart disease is a concern.
Every day in Texas, 74 women die from heart disease or stroke. Despite the severity of the problem, a majority of women don't realize that heart disease is their major health threat.
What can you do? Tell your friends, your mother, your sister, your neighbors, your boss and your employees. Know the warning signs and how they are different in women than men. Empower yourself to take charge of your health and reduce your risk of heart disease. Don't let heart disease stand in your way!
Make sure you and the women you know take the Go Red Heart CheckUp to assess your risk.
Additionally, Real Simple Magazine has identified 10 other tests every woman should be aware of. Click here for a listing of the tests. And don’t forget to tell your friends… it could change their life and yours!
How Do You Create Balance?
 In January, Alicia Hernandez offered this advice: “As a single mom, I recognize the importance of taking care of my two children, they mean the world to me – heck, they ARE my world, but I also know that sometimes I need a break for myself. A mental break. That’s why twice a month, I hire the babysitter and hit the town with my friends. It’s a great way to recharge my mental batteries…” Thanks Alicia, and for sharing, we’re sending you a gift from all of us at Balance.
Want to be a part of Balance? Visit www.balanceaustin.com and click on “Your Balance.” If you feel like you have tips to share with other women, don't be shy! If your "How I Create Balance" entry is featured, we'll send you a gift like Alicia above!
Sunday Morning Balance Breakfast Hour
 At this point, it’s becoming somewhat of a cult following and we’re looking for ways to expand your participation… yes, it’s our commercial free hour of Sunday morning Balance Breakfast Music on Mix 94.7 and Majic 95.5. More and more people are waking up on select Sunday mornings to hear what their fellow Balance subscribers are suggesting. Special thanks to Jessica Palmer and Stacey Murphy of Austin for programming the January 20th edition. For your efforts, ladies, we're going to send you a Balance gift bag!
If you have a playlist that sets your tone every Sunday morning, click here and submit five songs. Go ahead, this is your chance to program a radio station! The next Sunday Morning Balance Breakfast Hour will be at 8am on February 17th on both Majic 95.5 and Mix 94.7.
Balance Favorites
 In keeping with our Go RED For Women theme, we’d like to offer you a few fun ways you can help support the fight against heart disease, while filling the small shopping temptation in all of us. Macy’s is a proud sponsor of National Wear Red Day, Friday, February 1st! Wear red to a Macy's store Friday, and receive an exclusive All-Day Savings Pass for an extra 15% off apparel and accessories–all in support of Go Red For Women.
Plus, click below for other fun ways to show your support all month long. The little black dress is now the little red dress, fashionable scarves and more. Click here for a list!
Life is about Balance, in honor of Valentine’s Day we ask you to enjoy everything in moderation. Don’t deny yourself one of those luscious chocolate hearts from your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day, just avoid the temptation of consuming the entire box.
Enjoy!
Featured Health Tip
 It’s that time of year again. Cold and flu season is here, and it’s a big pain in the… respiratory system. Remember these helpful hints to stay healthy:
- Wash your hands regularly. This simple piece of advice will help you prevent from catching a cold at work, at the gym or even at home.
- Get a flu shot. This is especially important for young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.
- Don’t wait to see your doctor. If you get sick this season, visit your family physician to determine your illness and the best way to treat your symptoms.
For flu vaccinations in your community, check with your doctor to find a location close to you. And from all of us at Scott & White Health Plan, be well!
National Wear Red Day
 National Wear Red Day — Friday, February 1, 2008 — is a day when Americans nationwide will wear red to show their support for women's heart disease awareness. This observance promotes the Red Dress symbol and provides an opportunity for everyone to unite in this life-saving awareness movement by showing off a favorite red dress, shirt, or tie, or Red Dress Pin. For more details, click here.
This Month’s Featured Podcast
This month, we sat down with Sue Cullen, founder of Austin based Sue Cullen and Associates (www.suecullen.com). Sue is passionate about helping individuals and teams identify and achieve their unique missions. For more than 18 years, Sue has inspired and empowered others to reach their full potential through career and leadership development, team building, personal growth and life/work balance coaching.
Sue facilitates a variety of customized workshops on a broad range of topics and personalizes them to meet the unique needs of her clients. Her distinctive approach involves helping her clients uncover their missions and then she serves as their guide as they move forward toward their goals.
Balance Event's This Month
This month, the Balance street team will be out and about with inspiring new Balance goodies, including a Balance T-Shirt and blue bonnet seed packets just in time for Spring!
- February 21st and February 28th – Cool River Café Ladies Night, 6:30pm-8:30pm
- February 23rd - Susan G. Komen night, Austin Ice Bats. Chaparral Ice, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Check out our Events page at balanceaustin.com/events.html for updates on when and where the Balance team will be.
Feedback
From everyone at balanceaustin.com, thank you for your support! Help us grow this community by providing feedback on how to improve the website content or if you have stories or tips to share.
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