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By Jeremy Boykin, The Crawfish Guy

Crawfish Season will soon be in full swing here in South Louisiana. Even though we've had a mild winter so far, the Crawfish supply is still a little low which is keeping the boiled prices around $4.50 per pound on average. The season has been off to a slow start due to the lack of rain back in the summer months which had an adverse affect on the preparation of the the rice fields which are the breeding grounds for Crawfish.

 

On a brighter note, it's looking like it's going to be a good month for farming so the Crawfish prices should be decreasing from here on out assuming we don't have a long stretch of cold weather that lingers around. We've been getting a decent amount of rain and the farmers are all gearing up to haul in a fresh crop of Crawfish this season. Louisiana on average produces anywhere from 80-110 million pounds of Crawfish on an annual basis.

This supply has been consistent over the past few decades but what has changed dramatically in the past few years is the amount of Crawfish that are being exported out to neighboring States. Texas has become a huge market for Crawfish, including boiled, live and tailmeat. Something else that has affected the market in the previous few years is the amount of imported crawfish tailmeat that has been allowed into the United States from China. These Crawfish are much more inferior than our native Crawfish hear in Louisiana and the process of farming, peeling and packaging this meat isn't regulated as it is here in the USA. Always support local businesses and buy only Louisiana Crawfish.

If you're looking to find local Louisiana Crawfish, there is now an "app" for that. The Crawfish Guy is an iPhone App and Web Based application that displays information on the availability and pricing of Louisiana Crawfish. This application is meant to serve the public give them the most accurate and detailed information available on the web for Louisiana's best known resource, Crawfish.

Anyone visiting the website or iPhone app will be able to find Crawfish in many various ways including by zip code, radius, availability, size, and price. There are three main options when searching for Crawfish on The Crawfish Guy; Boiled, Live and Packaged Tailmeat. The website and app will increase the visibility of restaurants and retailers who sell and market Louisiana Crawfish. It also creates a very affordable marketing option for local businesses to take advantage of when trying to reach consumers. Ultimately, the website and app gives the consumer more options to satisfy their needs of eating Louisiana's most vital resource; The Crawfish.

If you're interested in finding out more about this website or iPhone app, visit them on the web at http://www.thecrawfishguy.com or on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Laisse les bon temps rouler!!!

By Taffi Poirot, The Budget Queen, LLC

The truth is, I know you must be very proud of yourself because you've done so well on your Christmas or Birthday shopping. You got some great deals and you even came in under budget. That's great! Now you've got to wrap all those presents.

Unfortunately, I also know something else. You opened your closet where you usually keep the gift wrap and you found...tumbleweeds. Believe it or not, it happens to us all. Fear not, there is hope.

Next year, you'll be able to avoid this situation with a little preparation and creativity. Until then-these ideas may inspire you.

 

Frugal Gift Wrap Ideas:

Comics: Tried and true and predictable, but effective. You get the newspaper delivered to your home at a discount every week if you are any kind of frugal-ite, so save those comics and put them to good use.

Tissue paper and tulle: Inexpensive and it lends itself to coverage of odd shaped gifts. Just wrap the gift in tissue paper, surround with tulle and tie it off with a ribbon. Cute!

Small paper bags: If you have small gifts, you can put them into small paper bags. You can find the patterned and printed ones on sale for less than 15 cents each, or you can buy a package of lunch sacks and embellish them with stickers. Here's an idea: Use a hole punch and weave ribbon through the top for a nice touch.

Recycled boxes: Yes, I already know you knew about this one. But it is kind of fun to see the recipient's face when they are led to believe that their present is what is pictured on the box.

I am aware this could go either way-but 'tis one of the joys of Christmas! One of my personal favorites is a teenage girl thinking she's getting a toaster when it's really her favorite cosmetics. The face-morph is truly something special to witness.

Tins: You will receive food gifts in tins. It's a guarantee. Clean them out and recycle them by using them as gift receptacles for others.

Fabric Remnants: You can get some really cute fabrics in the remnant section of your craft store for under $1 per yard. Use some pinking sheers to trim a piece of fabric down to the size you need and wrap away. Finish it off with ribbon (which you can also find in the remnant section-true story).

Dish towels: You got it. I fear nothing. This is an especially great wrapping option when you are gifting kitchen themed items or food gifts. Everyone can use dish towels. Not only does it serve as the wrapping, but it's also part of the present. No worries, because if the recipient personally finds the towel unattractive for use in the kitchen-it can be used as a cleaning rag. Everybody wins.

Large paper bags from the grocery store: You might have to ask for them, and they still exist. They are not but in fairy tales. All you need to do to turn them into wrapping paper is to cut them and turn them inside out if they are printed and then you can embellish with paint, crayons, stickers or you can even stamp them. Here's where is gets fun: If you don't have children of your own, borrow some-and let them paint, stamp, glitter, hand print, fingerprint and splatter paint away. Who said you had to do your own dirty work? The kids will have so much fun, they will never equate it to child labor. Besides, if you borrowed the children, you gave their parents a much needed reprieve. This is an especially notable fact should you return them in a state of less than pristine cleanliness.

Keep these tips in mind:

Buy clearance gift wrap after Christmas. Set aside $10 solely to purchase clearanced gift wrap. Wait until it goes to 75% off or better and get a few rolls. You can also pick up ribbon and bows at a great discount too.

Use Artificial flowers. Flowers make a nice embellishment, and will dress up even the most modest wrapping job. So add a few to your collection when you find them on sale at different times of year.

Holiday Clearance. It doesn't have to be Christmas themed. You can find red boxes and bags after Valentine's day and purple, green and gold items after Mardi Gras and green items after St. Patrick's Day. If you find a couple of items (boxes, bags, tissue paper, ribbon) at other times of year that would be suitable for gift wrapping-then add it to your stash.

Recycle gift bags, bows and ribbon. Statistics show that you will receive at least one gift with a borderline ridiculous amount of bunched ribbon attached to it. This will adorn many, many presents in the future. Guard it with your life. This highly esteemed type of ribbon possesses the superpower of multiplicity when activated with scissors, just so you know.

Many gifts you receive will come in gift bags, most of which will be in perfect condition after your gift has been removed. Save them for later use. Hopefully the gift-giver has not gotten excited with a permanent marker and written your name boldly upon the bag...if so, a large sticker over the hieroglyphics would serve as the perfect remedy. There have been less effective cover-ups in our history.

No, the special built-in “sticky stuff” on gift bows won't work twice. But I heard tape has sticky stuff, too. So don't be afraid to give those bows a second chance, they just need a little help-I assure you it will all work out.

The possibilities are endless now! Well, maybe not endless-but at least at this point, you have a few new options, right?

 

posted by Lydia Daphne Olivier, My Food Coach

Mindful is the New Approach to Healthy: What Do You Think When You Eat? It seems that we have this “healthy eating” thing backwards. The moment we recognize that we want to change our eating habits we automatically focus on what we are doing wrong. What specific changes do we need to make? Should I change my grocery list? Should I clean out all snacks and restock the pantry? Usually, very little thought is put into what influences us to eat the way we do. Actually, our daily food selection is brought on by an array of influences going all the way back to young childhood. We are also taught all about the “should” and the “should-nots” along the way. We seldom think about what we really want for ourselves in the process.

When it comes to food, we often get caught up in the ideas of good and bad, should and shouldn’t, and right and wrong. These thoughts lead to judging our actions, thus leading to demoralizing our self esteem and self confidence. These judgments are deep-rooted, society-driven concepts which drive decision making regarding food intake. Rather than using judgment in your eating experience, let’s shift the paradigm. Take out the judgment of good and bad, and categorize the experience as it relates to pleasure. In each experience, you may take a pause and consider how much enjoyment it is bringing you.

Becoming more mindful of the choices you make is a great way to learn about your inner cues that stimulate your eating patterns. In fact, there is a growing trend to replace dieting with mindful eating. One explanation of mindful eating is to eat with attention and acceptance. Eating with attention allows you to discover and pay attention to hunger and satiety. You can become aware of the present moment. Acceptance allows us to eat with a lack of judgment. You can eat based on your food preferences and allow yourself to eat foods that you enjoy.



Some of the basic principles of mindful eating are:

• Allowing yourself to become aware of the positive and nurturing opportunities that are available through food preparation and consumption by respecting your own inner wisdom.
• Choosing to eat food that is both pleasing to you and nourishing to your body by using all your senses to explore, savor, and taste.
• Acknowledging responses to food (likes, neutral, or dislikes) without judgment.
• Learning to be aware of physical hunger and satiety cues to guide your decision to begin eating and to stop eating.

To begin the process of mindful eating, you may consider asking yourself these questions at the beginning of each eating experience.

1. Am I hungry?
2. What am I hungry for?
3. Is this what I’m wanting for myself right now?

While these questions are very simple, they can lead you on the direction of listening to what your body has been trying to tell you for a lifetime.

posted by Lydia LeMaire, The Living Room

New upholstery is an investment of money and time. To find the perfect piece, in the perfect size, in the perfect fabric, and at the perfect price is time consuming. Keep this investment looking new with these few tips:

• You sit in the same spot every night. All foam inserts break down and fabrics wear over time. Rotate and fluff all of your cushions and toss pillows weekly. This motion allows air to circulate through the cushions.
• You drink in your Living Room. Dab all wet stains with a dry, white cloth immediately and spot clean with a foaming upholstery cleaner. Check the cleaning code for your type of fabric first and follow directions on the label.
• You eat in your Living Room. Vacuum your upholstery regularly and not just the visible areas. Dust and food particles are like sandpaper against the fabric and encourages bacteria growth.
• You sleep in your Living Room. Have your pieces professionally sprayed with a fabric guard immediately upon receiving them into your home. Your hair and body have natural oils which will darken fabrics over time. Fabric protection diminishes this.
• You live in your Living Room. Dust, dander, body oils, food particles and wet stains create bacteria over time. Have your pieces professionally cleaned regularly.

We all live in our LivingRooms. These quick and easy steps will ensure that yours stays looking fresh and comfortable for years to come. Now, move over and pass the popcorn. The movie is about to start.

posted by Melissa Truxillo, Big Boy Toys & Hobbies

During the summertime when the kids are out of school, we see lots of families coming in the store looking for activities that they can do together outside. Parents want to get their kids out of the house and away from the TV and video games.

Getting involved in radio control hobbies has never been easier. Radio control hobbies offer something for every skill level, every age, and every budget. Children and adults can both experience the thrill of flying RC aircraft or driving an RC car or boat. RC is an “action hobby”. Whether you are a RC Hobby beginner or a seasoned hobbyist you can’t help but have FUN when you take your RC toys out to play.



Picture this: Fathers spending time with their sons at the lake teaching them to drive their RC boat or Grandpas with their grandchildren helping them speed up their RC car to help them win at the local track. That is what summer is all about at Big Boy Toys and Hobbies. Our RC toys have been providing Acadiana families with hundreds of hours of quality play time.

In today’s busy world, what could be more important than that? Grab your family; come to the store so we can help you pick the perfect toy to get you in the air, on the water, on the road, or off the road! Whatever you choose, we can guarantee many wonderful summertime family memories will be made.

posted by Kate Schneider, Associated Travel

Here are some frequently asked questions and recommendations for making the most of your next Walt Disney World vacation with Associated Travel.

1. What are the busiest and least busy times of the year?

Although special events, promotions and other unpredictable factors may influence Theme Park attendance levels, the following list highlights historic attendance trends throughout the year. Note: All holiday reference is specific to the United States (U.S.)

Lowest Attendance

· January (except New Year's Day) until just prior to Presidents' week in February (third Monday)
· The week following Labor Day until just prior to Thanksgiving (U.S.) week
· The week following Thanksgiving (U.S.) until the week prior to Christmas

Moderate Attendance

· After Presidents' week in February (third Monday) through early March
· Late April through early June (except Memorial Day weekend)
· The first part of Thanksgiving (U.S.) week

Highest Attendance

· Presidents' week in February (third Monday)
· Mid-March through Late April ("Spring Break")
· Memorial Day weekend
· Mid-June through Labor Day
· Thanksgiving Day (US) and weekend
· Christmas week through New Year's Day

During regular attendance periods, the Theme Parks tend to be the busiest on the following days:

· Magic Kingdom® Park: Monday, Thursday and Saturday
· Epcot®: Tuesday and Friday
· Disney's Hollywood Studios™: Sunday and Wednesday
· Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday

2. We need flights and hotels - can we book a Disney vacation with all that included too?

Of course, in fact, we encourage it! Your professional Associated Travel Agent has all of the airline, car rental and hotel options at their fingertips. When booking airline travel we can offer you the best schedules, prices and seat assignments to meet your individual or group needs.

3. What are the current Disney ticket options?
The Walt Disney World® Resort offers a wide variety of tickets customized to the many different needs and desires of the guests. Your Associated Travel Professional will help customize your vacation and help find the Disney Park ticket(s) that's right for you.

4. Can we meet Disney Characters?

There are many places around the Theme Parks where you can meet and greet Disney Characters. Your Associated Travel agent will check the for a list of locations and timeframes and show you where to go to find the Daily Times Guide upon entering the Disney park, to pinpoint the characters you most want to see. Character dining is also available all around the Walt Disney World® Resort, and your Associated Travel professional can make your Character Dining reservations, in advance, with no waiting, no lines and no missed opportunities for you! Best of all – no disappointed kids!

5. Where can we have Character Dining experiences?

Character Dining is available all around the Walt Disney World® Resort with a variety of characters. Reservations can be arranged while you are booking your flights, hotels, transfers and Disney Park tickets. By letting Associated Travel handle all your vacation needs, it really is a one-stop-shop.

6. How can I find out about the different restaurants at the Walt Disney World® Resort?

Ask your friendly Associated Travel Professional for a list of restaurants by location and cuisine. Also, ask us for recommendations – we’ve actually been there! Tell us what you love, tell us what you need and we can customize your vacation from top to bottom.

7. What is Downtown Disney®?

It's an exciting shopping, dining and entertainment paradise, home to the amazing Cirque de Soleil® La Nouba™ and DisneyQuest® Indoor Interactive Theme Park. Come together to indulge in big-city fun in an area alive with excitement, unique shops, restaurants and entertainment! Explore Downtown Disney® Marketplace, home to the largest Disney character store in the world or Downtown Disney® West Side, with its top-notch restaurants, theaters, shows and amusement.

Motor coach transportation is available from all Walt Disney World® Resorts. Parking is complimentary and located throughout the Downtown Disney® district. Your Associated Travel Professional can give you the benefit of their first-hand experience and expertise to guide you so your custom Disney Reservation exceeds you and your family’s Disney Dreams!

8. Does booking online provide you with all the information you need to make decisions about your trip?

Unfortunately even with the wealth of information available on the web today booking online is not always the best means of gaining the information you need about your travel plans. When you have questions about change and cancellation fees, documentation, airports or even just the weather, your Associated Travel Professional can give you the benefit of first-hand experience and expertise to guide you.

9. Is it just about the price?

Using a travel professional at Associated Travel is about more than finding the best price. It is about peace of mind. What happens in the event of an unexpected situation? A medical emergency, bad weather or a sudden change in plans? When you plan and book your trip with us you have the peace of mind that you can call your travel agent and get advice and assistance with the best options for you and for your family.

10. Associated Travel – A World Of Experience.

Associated Travel Agency, in business for over 44 years, provides knowledgeable, professional Travel Management Services. When you choose Associated Travel you are supporting the Acadiana community. Associated Travel is proud to be a member of Shop Local Acadiana ensuring that your dollars stay a part of the local economy. Associated Travel also gives back to the Acadiana community too, with local blood drives, cancer walks and food drives. So, feel free to wave when you see us at Downtown Alive, a UL Ballgame or at Mardi Gras – we’ll wave back! How many of those “.dot.com” sites can you say that about?