Wichita Family Magazine January 2016

Wichita Family • January 2016 - 1

january 2016

2 - www.wichitafamily.com

Published By:

Lucky 7 Publishing LLC316.295.8465

Publisher:

Todd Vogts

Advertising Inquiries Contact:

Publisher Todd Vogts [email protected]

Wichita Family Magazine is published 12 times a year by Lucky 7 Publishing LLC. Wichita Family Magazine is available free, at schools, stores, restaurants, libraries, retailers and local attractions, as well as other places families frequent. For a complete list of where to find Wichita Family, or for subscription rates, email us at

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Copyright 2016 by Lucky 7 Publishing LLC. All rights reserved. Wichita Family Magazine is not responsible for errors, omissions or contest fulfillment from third parties. Reproduction in part or in whole without written permission is strictly prohibited. Wichita Family is distributed free of charge. The magazine’s advertisers make this possible, so support them! We reserve the right to edit submitted material. All submissions will be considered for publication, but we reserve the right to refuse material. Materials will not be returned. Any

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With the arrival of a new year comes the obligatory New Year’s Resolutions. Every year I chart out my course for the year in hopes of bettering myself and improving my situation. Usually this involves 10 or more goals. Some years I have vowed to read at least two books each month. Other years, my goals focused on items such as obtaining my master’s degree, blogging more often, being physically active or becoming more organized.

Looking back over my resolutions of New Years past, I have accomplished a lot of what I set out to do. I did earn my master’s degree, and I have become organized to a point where I feel truly lost without my calendar and Wunderl-ist, which is a great little to-do list app on my iPhone.

Of course, I haven’t really become more physically active, and my blog-ging ebbs and flows. I have increased my reading, which is something I resolved to do every year as far back as I have keep some record of my resolu-

tions, but even that hasn’t been consistent. Some months I might tear through three books, but then I will hit a stretch of a month or two where I don’t even pick up a

book for the simple pleasure of reading.And herein lies my problem with

New Year’s Resolutions — those items left undone. Even though I reached sev-eral goals over the years, some of them larger than others, the ones I’ve come up short on haunt me. They make me feel as though I haven’t accomplished anything.

Going from year to year feeling like a failure is no way to enact positive change in one’s life, so I’m done making long lists of resolutions I will undoubt-edly struggle to accomplish.

Instead, I am going to focus all my attention on one resolution.

I am going to write more.Sure, I still plan to do a few other

things, but those are things I am already working at making a part of my everyday life. Resolving to do them more would feel like cheating. It equates to setting the bar too low.

Instead, I am simply going to resolve to write more.

Writing is a passion of mine. I’ve self-published one novel, and I have written two more, which I aspire to get published as well, if I can only find an agent.

Since writing is a passion of mine, you might think that is already a part of my everyday life, but you would be wrong. It should be a part of my everyday life, but I have been extremely lax in my writing. It’s been nearly a year since I seriously wrote, and that kills me inside. When I write, I am a happier person. Even if every word I put down

on the page is absolutely garbage, I feel better. My soul screams for me to sit down and do my work of writing.

So why haven’t I been doing this if it is such an important activity to me? Well, it comes down to time. I have been putting other tasks ahead of my writing, and with the dawning of 2016, that ends.

I resolve to carve out time, which I will hold onto dearly, and write. This time will be sacred.

I’m not going to go as far as saying, “I will write 2,000 words every day.” No, that would just be setting myself up for failure because life does tend to happen despite best-laid plans. However, that will be my goal, and it is attainable. In the past, I have taken part in National Novel Writing Month, during which I wrote more than 50,000 words in 30 days, so I can do it if I just do it.

For this resolution, though, I will simply plan to write more days than not. I am going to enter a few short story contests, which will give me dead-lines, and I will start a new novel.

Hopefully, along the way, I get my other two novels published by finding an interested agent, but even if I don’t, I will continue to write.

The goal is to craft stories. Having others read them and maybe make a little income is purely icing on the cake.

So wish me luck, and I wish you all the best as you tackle your resolutions for 2016. Hopefully by this time next year, we will both be looking back on a very successful year.

Message from the Publisher

Advertising Inquiries Contact:

Publisher Todd Vogts [email protected]

Todd [email protected]


3 Steps to Kick Off a Year of Good Health

Photo Courtesy of Getty Images

* Applies to Registered Nurses in adult patient units with at least two years of professional experience. Two-year work commitment required. EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled

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$10,000 bonus plus relocation package for RNs with minimum two years’ experience.

Be part of a winning team.

For more information, please call 918-502-8300 or toll free 800-888-9553.To view our current openings, please visit saintfrancis.com/career.

Saint Francis Health System, northeastern Oklahoma’s leading

healthcare provider, is seeking experienced nurses who have

a passion for exceptional patient care. We have immediate

openings in several adult units, and qualified RNs* can receive

a $10,000 sign-on bonus plus an enhanced relocation package.

Employees of Saint Francis Health System enjoy excellent benefits,

competitive salaries and an environment featuring state-of-the-art

healthcare facilities and technology. We are known throughout the region

for our patient-focused care and expertise in all healthcare specialties, as

well as our unparalleled commitment to supporting our community.

Follow us on

If getting a fresh start on a new year seems daunting, try tackling your get-healthy goals one step at a time.

There is no easy path to transforming your lifestyle, but this is one time you should be able to see the results of your hard work.

To avoid feeling overwhelmed, tackle your new lifestyle a little at a time.

Gradually incorporate smarter eat-ing habits, such as switching out high-calorie beverages with lower-calorie, nutrient-rich replacements.

Then, as you ease into a new exer-cise regimen, look for ways to get an extra boost with workout equipment that isn’t overly taxing on your joints and muscles, and get a leg up on the competition with proper footwear and workout supplements.

Slow and steady wins this race, so set yourself up for success in the new year with these ideas to put you one step closer to the healthy lifestyle you envision.

All You Have to Do Is WalkStep into a healthy New Year with

the Bowflex TreadClimber TC200. Combining the motions of a treadmill, stepper and elliptical, this premier walking machine is easy on the joints and burns up to 2.5 times the calories of a treadmill. Ideal for home use, the TC200 features an interactive LCD display that animates your progress. Bluetooth connectivity allows users to share data with the free TreadClimber app, which automatically syncs with many health apps.

A Delicious, Convenient Non-Dairy Alternative

Leading a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean sacrificing taste for convenience. Shelf-Stable Unsweetened Vanilla Al-mond Breeze Almondmilk is smooth, creamy and made with California Blue Diamond almonds. It’s ideal for smaller households because it’s eas-ily stored in your pantry until you’re ready to use it. Available in a 4-cup container, it’s also perfect for cook-ing. You can pour it over cereal, create refreshing smoothies or drink it as a standalone beverage. Learn more at almondbreeze.com.

Supplement Your GoalsWhen diet and exercise alone aren’t

enough, supplements such as protein and fish oil, can be effective in helping you achieve your New Year’s resolu-tion. Whether you want to lose weight or gain muscle mass, there is a supple-ment out there to aid you in your pursuit of a toned body. These supple-ments, which should be approved by your health care provider before use, are available at local retailers such as grocery stores, pharmacies and spe-cialty health and wellness stores.

The Right Shoes Can Make All the Difference

If your workout routine involves running, walking, sports or other gym equipment, the right footwear is a must. Injury caused by wearing inap-propriate shoes can derail your fitness or weight loss goals, but investing in a proper shoe can help prevent foot and ankle damage while also allowing for a more comfortable workout. No matter

your pursuit, there is a shoe that fits the need, including running shoes with built-in shock absorbers, lightweight walking shoes, thick-soled high top basketball shoes or cross-training shoes, which can be utilized during a variety of workouts.

Tips for a Healthier LifestyleGetting in shape and leading a

healthy lifestyle doesn’t happen over-night, it takes time, but these simple tips can help put you on the right path:

• Be patient. Starting a new fitness regime can be a challenge. There will be ups and downs, but remain-ing committed is key.• Exercise on a regular basis. Regu-lar physical activity not only helps you look and feel better, it can improve mood, increase quality of sleep and help you manage weight. • Undergo an annual physical. To be sure your body is running smooth-ly, have your numbers, including blood pressure, blood sugar, choles-terol and weight, checked regularly.• Drink lots of water. Experts rec-ommend 64 ounces of water a day to help replenish what you’ve lost throughout the day.• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Both fruits and veggies are loaded with vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants, which help protect against chronic diseases.• Go through your cabinets. Get rid of foods that are high in sodium, fat or sugar and look for low sodium, fat or sugar items instead.

— Family Features


3 Steps to Kick Off a Year of Good Health

Photo Courtesy of Getty Images

* Applies to Registered Nurses in adult patient units with at least two years of professional experience. Two-year work commitment required. EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled

SAINT FRANCIS HOSPITAL | THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL AT SAINT FRANCIS | WARREN CLINIC | HEART HOSPITAL AT SAINT FRANCIS SAINT FRANCIS HOSPITAL SOUTH | LAUREATE PSYCHIATRIC CLINIC AND HOSPITAL

$10,000 bonus plus relocation package for RNs with minimum two years’ experience.

Be part of a winning team.

For more information, please call 918-502-8300 or toll free 800-888-9553.To view our current openings, please visit saintfrancis.com/career.

Saint Francis Health System, northeastern Oklahoma’s leading

healthcare provider, is seeking experienced nurses who have

a passion for exceptional patient care. We have immediate

openings in several adult units, and qualified RNs* can receive

a $10,000 sign-on bonus plus an enhanced relocation package.

Employees of Saint Francis Health System enjoy excellent benefits,

competitive salaries and an environment featuring state-of-the-art

healthcare facilities and technology. We are known throughout the region

for our patient-focused care and expertise in all healthcare specialties, as

well as our unparalleled commitment to supporting our community.

Follow us on

A fresh beginning with a new year is the perfect time for a health assessment to ensure

you are ready to take on a full and ac-tive year ahead. Even if you’re feeling great, it’s a smart practice to take time to identify potential problems before they become more serious health concerns.

Early detection of ailments, such as cardiovascular disease, can signifi-cantly impact an individual’s ability to cope with the disease, allowing you to make adjustments such as changes in diet and lifestyle, or when neces-sary, drug therapies and other medical treatments.

With these three steps, you can get a better picture of your cardiovascular health and identify silent, hidden risk factors (like plaque in your arteries) that you may not even know are there.

1. Get your blood pressure checked. Blood pressure measures how much force a person’s blood is putting on the artery walls as the heart pumps. High blood pressure, or hypertension,

occurs when your heart has to work extra hard to pump blood through-out the body. High blood pressure often happens when arteries lose their elasticity through hardening caused by cholesterol, plaque or scarring. Many people do not experience symptoms of high blood pressure, so it’s important to have your blood pressure checked periodically. A normal systolic reading is between 90 and 119, and a normal diastolic reading is 60-79.

2. Get your cholesterol checked. A simple finger-stick screening mea-sures total cholesterol as well as three different kinds of lipids in your blood (HDL, LDL and triglycerides), which are important in determining your heart health. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is known as the “bad” cho-lesterol and can build up in the walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. Along with other substances, it can form plaque - a thick, hard deposit that can clog those arteries. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is known as “good” cholesterol because it carries

LDL away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it’s passed from the body. A high HDL level helps prevent heart disease, while a low HDL level increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Triglycerides are the most com-mon type of fat. Like cholesterol, they circulate in blood but are stored in the body for extra energy. A high triglycer-ide level combined with a low HDL or high LDL can speed up the process of plaque formation in the arteries.

3. Learn about other risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Many people in the early stages of cardio-vascular disease are asymptomatic, meaning they have no symptoms to indicate their health is at risk. Some common risk factors include age (55 and older), family history, tobacco use and high blood-pressure, other factors, such as high cholesterol, aren’t as easily observed. Preventive health screenings can give you a fuller picture of how risk factors may be stacking up.

— Family Features


I read somewhere that only children and the insane like every variety of weather; it may be more natural to long for sunshine and complain about rain rather than like

both, but then again, maybe there’s more to it.

Last month dark clouds covered our town in ice. Most of the leaves had already dropped from our trees, but a few remained and the ice encased them, preserving fall colors that reflected softly in the dull light; bare branches, coated and slick, seemed to grow to twice their size, their shapes enhanced and twisted like forms in a warped mirror.

Roads closed. Schools canceled classes. We stayed inside and the world paused itself. We read books and watched movies. At one point I opened our front door and I felt as though I might be able to reach out and touch the stillness; I thought I might be able to run my fingers through it as it passed, just like stooping to let a stream dance over my hand.

Of course, the stillness did pass. The ice melted, fell, and shattered onto wet lawns and thawing streets, and things accelerated to normal. In fact, the temperate air of the days that followed felt more like spring than December, and a twinge of hope for March flipped my stomach. And yes, most winter days get me to thinking ahead to shoots of green, flowers, and nesting birds. However, there are also times when I appreciate the ice.

I appreciate the slow-down, the forced slow-down, that winter storms produce. I’ve even come to think that’s one reason for winter — we have to be slowed or our bodies and minds won’t stop. And don’t get me wrong, there’s danger in it, too. A fear of power outages looms with each snow or ice-storm. But perhaps that’s what it takes to get us to slow down, to pause in our pursuit of the wind, to refocus and relearn what it means to work and play. Perhaps we have to fear the cold in order to let it still us.

There is another side, too. While the ice teaches slow-ness, my children teach joy.

Though my first reaction to the cold is to seek out a hot drink and a deep chair, my boys beg to be outside. Last month’s icing was no different; after more than a day of holding them off, we bundled up and headed out. The hard-packed snow and ice fell under our weight, and all of them cheered with every footstep — no, really, every footstep.

The evergreen bushes were the last to lose their loads, and we knocked off shells of leaf-shaped ice that had a sort of fingerprint on the inside. But the greatest fun was throw-ing large, flat chunks as high as we could to watch them explode on the ground.

We came inside too soon for the boys, but it was long enough to remind me that even a winter’s icing is a reason to be grateful — grateful for a pause to the rush and for joy, even in icy slowness. Some might call that insanity; I’ll stick with childlike.

Ian Anderson is a teacher, a husband, and a dad. He lives with his family in Central Kansas. Occasionally, he tweets here: @ian_writes.

By Ian Anderson

The Slow-Down~ An Icy EssAy ~ ~ A PromblEm-solvIng EssAy ~

New Year, New Resolution


The Slow-DownEvery New Year’s Eve, I start the evening with the plan

of making and carrying out a resolution for the new year. My resolutions have been things such as: losing

weight and getting more active, reading my Bible more and getting closer to The Lord, and being a better friend by making a conscious effort to be more communicative.

Now, we all know that when making a resolution, we are committing to do or not do something for an entire year. However, when looking at the definitions of the word reso-lution (as an English teacher, I do that sort of thing, often), I found another definition: “The action of solving a problem.”

For me, resolving to do or stop doing something for a year has never worked out. I either forget or become non-committal. However, this year, I think that working to solve a problem is very realistic for me, as everyday, I see prob-lems walk in and out of my classroom.

No, I am not referring to my students as problems, but the slumps of their shoulders, their down faces, their curse words, and rude gestures are the results of the problems they face. I know what you’re thinking, “There is no way this lady can solve every problem for each of her, 125 stu-dents.”

And I agree. You are right. But I can work to change how I act toward them to bring peace and hope to situations that, for them, might seem like or actually be problems.

This morning, as I was driving to work, I knew there were going to be tough events that would and had to take place. I had to respond to emails where people were not necessarily in agreeance with me. I had to explain a recent decision I made. I had to talk to a young lady about the con-sequences of her actions. And all of this because two of my students had not made good decisions while at school.

As I was playing out the scenarios in my head, before I even arrived at school, I knew I had to stop right in my tracks. The nerves had woken me up, kept me awake, and were giving me anxiety during my drive. I knew this was a far bigger ordeal than I could handle on my own.

I prayed for the right words, that my actions would not be my own, that I would speak (and email) words of grace to the people that I had contact with throughout the day.

I have been shown so much grace before, during, and after the things in my life that have seemed like and have actually been problems. And I have felt a peace and hope be restored.

So, that is my resolution, or my vow to work towards ending problems; to stop, take a moment before I speak, respond, or act, and attempt to see their troubles the way that they do and try to show as much grace as possible to the people and the problem at hand.

In this season of joy, family, togetherness, and the hope of positive, future change, I hope that you can come up with a resolution that you can commit to for the year of 2016.

Maybe you will vow to help end some problem that you see in your life, or the lives of those close to you. If resolutions aren’t for you, I hope that 2016 treats you well and that you experience so much peace and happiness.

Kendall Vogts lives and teaches in Central Kansas. She is married to WFM publisher Todd Vogts.

By Kendall Vogts

~ A PromblEm-solvIng EssAy ~

New Year, New Resolution


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Wichita Family Magazine January 2016