posted by Lyn Lomasi, Life Successfully Staff

Does your home have negative clutter? You know, those items that have a negative psychological effect on you?

Shan-Lyn Forsythe has some great advice for removing negative energy clutter. Click here for her smart tips so you can start decluttering today.

by Linda St.Cyr, Contributing Writer

The beginning of August 2011 was a week of many firsts for me. I took my first plane trip. I went to San Diego for the first time. I ate sushi, took a pedicab ride, and attended my first BlogHer conference. Each experience was incredible, invigorating and inspiring. Since I knew that I was going to fly for the first time I decided that I needed to do another first. I was going to give blood. It was something I have always wanted to do, but either didn't have the time or couldn't because I didn't qualify.

Years ago when I had tried to give blood I found out that you could not give blood during the same year you received a tattoo. That year happened to be the year I got my third piece of body art. Since I hadn't recently had any tat work done, wasn't on medication, and didn't have any health concerns, I decided that giving my first blood donation in the place I would experience many other firsts was fitting. It was very easy to sign up ...

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by Jaipi Sixbear, Staff

Looking for a natural way to prevent sunburn? Frightened by the news that Vitamin A in sunscreen may cause skin cancer? Anyone who has walked home looking like a lobster on stilts knows protection is important, regardless of cancer risk. Did you know there are common foods that can decrease your risk of both sunburn and skin cancer? To be safe, you'll still need to wear protective clothing and safe sunscreen. Still, eating these common foods on a regular basis can help.

Lycopene to the Rescue Again
Lycopene, an ingredient in tomatoes (particularly cooked tomatoes) has been heralded for it's ability to fight cancer. Naturally, that includes skin cancer. Now we know that lycopene's free radical fighting power also stops skin cells from being damaged by the sun. Just a small serving of cooked tomatoes per day can decrease sun damage by over 30%.

Vitamin C
Eating plenty of Vitamin C rich foods like berries and citrus fruit can prevent sunburn and skin cancer. We all know that antioxidants like Vitamin C prevent all types of cancer. Guess what? Vitamin C can also promote skin repair. Want beautiful sunburn free skin? Get it by eating oranges, grapefruit and lots of juicy berries. Sounds like torture, right? No? Well what are you waiting for then?

Green Tea / White Tea
Green tea has become renowned for weight loss, fighting cancer and more. Many people don't know that white tea is even higher in antioxidants than green. Drink either of these magic potions for protection from skin damage and skin cancer. Already feeling the burn? Spritz it with green or white tea. You can also soak a cloth in cold tea for instant sunburn relief!

Learn more about natural sunburn cures here.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Not the three words you want to hear when a friend of yours is in the hospital undergoing tests. This is the diagnosis Rissa Watkins was faced with on Dec 29, 2010.

Thinking about and praying for Rissa, her child and husband, and all who care for her, family and friends had been waiting about a week to hear the news on her test results. Obviously a diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia is not what they had all been hoping for.

Shortly after hearing the news, her online friends (many from the Yahoo! Contributor Network) began organizing to figure out how to help Rissa. Word spread quickly on social networks and other outlets.

Hospital bills for this type of medical condition can be quite expensive. Therefore, one idea has been to read and share her articles with others. Articles displayed at certain sites, like Associated Content from Yahoo!, can generate revenue for writers each time someone reads them.

But the generosity did not stop at reading her work. Friends and family, both online and off began immediately donating money to Rissa to help with her medical expenses and anything else she may need along the way.

Because of the nature of this type of cancer, Rissa cannot work during the treatment. That's why it is so crucial for people to help. In addition to whatever her normal expenses are, there will be plenty of hospital bills and other medical services and treatments to pay for. Insurance will not cover the entire cost of this.

Family and friends are not the only ones who can help Rissa.

You too can help!

Ways to help Rissa:

1) Donate via GiveForward

2) Donate via PayPal (see below)

3) Read her articles on AC/Y!CN

4) Share this link, her article links, and the GiveForward page.

5) Make a purchase from Twin Trinity Media. They are donating to Rissa $1 for every physical book sold and .25 cents for every digital download. They will make daily payments to her as sales come in. Plus, she's building royalties on sales of three of those books.

6) Purchase a Leukemia awareness shirt from teeBarefoot. The shop owner is donating all proceeds from Leukemia awareness designs to Rissa.

7) Place a bid on this beautiful blue sodalite rosary (ends Jan 17). Full proceeds will be donated to Rissa.

More on Rissa's story:

Watch Rissa's YouTube vlogs

Help AC Writer Rissa Watkins Kick Leukemia's Butt!

Help Me Help Rissa

Rissa is Featured Writer of the Month (Jan 2011) on AskSan.com

If you have written about Rissa, please share your link in the comment section and we'll add it here.

It figures I'd end up with a chronic condition not many people have heard of, although millions of people have it. The most commonly known name is Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD). It was renamed Complex Regional  Pain Syndrome (CRPS) in 1995 to try to more adequately describe the nature of this beast.

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According to MedicineNet.com, the most common cause of vaginal pain is a localized infection, often caused by a yeast infection. Nearly all women have experienced a yeast infection at least once in their lives―more if they're unlucky. But several surprising conditions may also cause vaginal pain, including autoimmune diseases, out-of-control fungus growths or even an allergy to something you wouldn't expect.

Continue reading this article by Ann Olson>>>

The potential for a direct relationship between diabetes and depression have been part of over 40 studies also considering factors such as lifestyle habits, genetics and more. Few if any of those studies look exclusively at women's health.

Continue reading this article by Lynn Pritchett>>>

What if a suicidal patient could be given a chance of a normal life without the conventional bottle of pills and armchair psychology? What if they didn't have to sit in on a couch for an hour and pay their life savings and expensive insurance premiums on psychiatric care? What if curing Major Depression was as simple as locating substances in their body that are causing their symptoms?

Continue reading this article by Asher Kade>>>

We all know the 8x8 rule: sip 8 ounces of water eight times per day to stay hydrated. But Americans rarely meet this guideline, due to the rise in caffeinated sodas and other moisture-sucking beverages that make water  less appealing to our taste buds. The results can be tiring, literally--not getting enough fluids can cause dehydration, causing your energy levels to dip.

Continue reading this article by Ann Olson>>