Napping isn't lazy.



Our dogs Emma and Braddock demonstrating proper napping procedures.


Doctors have an "on call" room at the hospital where they can take naps during late night shifts.  Don't you think your law school should have an "on call" room, like in a hospital, where you can go take a nap?  Take this article with you when you propose this idea to your dean.  According to Scientific American, napping helps you learn.  Here's the link:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=to-learn-better-sleep-on-it-10-02-24

7 Yoga Poses to Enhance Productivity for Busy Legal Professionals

This is the Youtube video you've been waiting for! Seriously, try these yoga poses so the next time you start falling asleep at your desk, you'll know how to perk yourself up. It takes 5 minutes following along with this video. Namaste.



7 Yoga Poses to Enhance Productivity for Busy Legal Professionals

Peaceful Playlist: January

New year = new playlist:

Miss Clare Remembers:  Enya
Sweetness Follows:  R.E.M.
Sentimental Heart: She & Him
Change: Tracy Chapman
Better Days: Eddie  Vedder
Everybody Hurts: R.E.M.
Watermark: R.E.M.
Change is Hard: She & Him
The Long Road: Eddie Vedder
Nightswimming: R.E.M.
Darling Don't Be Frightened: Ellery
Samba da Bencao: Bebel Gilberto
The Song Of The Sibyl: Dead Can Dance

Treat Yourself in 10 Minutes: "Breakfast of Champions" Cookies

These cookies are made of my favorite breakfast foods, so.....I don't see why you couldn't eat them for breakfast.  They are also a terrific snack.  As an added bonus, they are made almost entirely of "superfoods," so you can feel virtuous while you eat them, and they are gluten-free so you can share them with your gluten-sensitive friends.  They're made of nutritious stuff:  oats (whole grains, protein, fiber, complex carbs), yogurt (probiotics, protein), eggs (vitamins, protein, Omegas), dark chocolate (antioxidants), honey (antimicrobial) or agave (low-glycemic), nuts (protein, Omegas), and cinnamon (anti-inflammatory).  You can add sugar if you want (I don't) and 1/2 tablespoon of flax seeds for extra Omegas.  If you buy a bag of flax seeds, keep it in the freezer.

Here's how I make them.  If you don't have measuring spoons, just fake it.  I'm usually too lazy to measure anything, and only did it once to create this recipe. Add as much of the measured ingredients as you think would taste good. 

I hate washing cookie sheets, so I bake mine in a glass casserole dish.

Ingredients:

3 cups quick oats
1 6-ounce container vanilla yogurt
3 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
2 eggs
5 squares dark chocolate, crushed
2 tablespoons chopped nuts of your choice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon flax seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.  Combine all ingredients.  Roll into 14 balls (they will be the size of golf balls) and place on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray or butter.  If you don't have a cookie sheet you can also bake these in a glass casserole dish or pie pan or cake pan or whatever you have that is oven-safe.  Press the balls gently to flatten them slightly. Bake for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Extra Credit:  When you have time, bake a whole bunch of these and freeze the extras.  That way, you'll have breakfast or snacks that you can pull out of the freezer any time you have a busy week. 

Snacks All Semester

The semester is over!  Hooray! 

Please take time to rest and relax.  While you're on break, you can start preparing for next semester.  High quality snacks are a great way to fuel your brain, stabilize your mood, and sustain your energy during long days.  Get ahead of the game and gather up a supply of emergency snacks before the semester starts. 

I made 40 yummy snacks this morning.  It took me about 20 minutes and cost about $15.00 (compare this to the $50 that I would spend buying 40 granola bars at the UNH Law cafeteria). 

For a winning combination of nutritional qualities (fiber, antioxidants, complex carbs, protein, and deliciousness), textures (crunchy, chewy), and flavors (sweet, savory, tart, bitter) I used these ingredients:

• Bite sized shredded wheat cereal (I like plain, but you might prefer cinnamon or frosted)
• Dried cranberries
• Dried dates (I like these because there is no added sugar)
• Dark chocolate (good for your heart and your soul)
• Whole almonds (found in the baking aisle)
• Snack size zip-lock bags

I cut up the chocolate bars into small pieces.

Next, I just put a little bit of each food into a bag. I ended up with 40 bags.  You might end up with more or less, depending on how much of each food you put in each bag.  I had lots of chocolate left over, which I put in the freezer for later.  OK, I ate some too.  And, full disclosure, I origionally bought four bars of chocolate, but you'll notice that only three of them are in the photo.  What happened to the other bar?  It mysteriously disappeared during finals week. 

Store these in your freezer.  This will keep the nuts fresh chocolate from melting, and the fruit from getting sticky.  You can take out one each day, or take out 5 at the beginning of each week to keep in your book bag, purse, car, or locker.   

A nice thing about these little bags is that you can add enough food for a satisfying, healthy snack, and won't find yourself mindlessly eating a whole bag of Doritos becuase you didn't have anything better within reach.   

You might also consider adding to each snack bag.....

• A multivitamin
• A vitamin C supplement (lozenge, tablet, or Emergen-C pack)
• A fish oil capsule
• Dried apple chips
• A green tea bag
• Multigrain crackers
• A package of string cheese (keep your baggies in the fridge)
• Whole grain pretzels

Law School Themed Gifts on Etsy.com

Here are some of my favorite law school themed gift ideas from Etsy, which offers only hand-made and vintage items. 


Constitution Cuff


Jury Box Art Print



Mistake Defense Print



10 Law Book Charms


Lady Justice Art Print



Law Themed Wine Glass Charms



Set of Chief Justice Magnets



Lawyer's Prayer Plaque



Silver Scales of Justice Necklace



Legal Entangle-Mints

Wellness Initiative Article

Here is a nice article from the Concord Monitor about our UNH Law Wellness Initiative!  Concord Insider "Yoga and Therapy Dogs: What Law School is All About"