Jennifer’s Gift Shop in San Jose boasted one of the two lucky winners of Tuesday’s Mega Millions Jackpot which rose to $636 million. Thuy Nguyen, owner of Jennifer’s Gift Shop had a bright smile this week as his Christmas season started early. In California, as the owner of the store which sold the winning lottery ticket will receive $1 million.
The mystery winner is still unknown at this time. California allows a full year for the winner to come forward.
Gateway Newsstand, in Georgia, is the store selling the other winning ticket.
Congratulations to the store owners and this year’s newest millionaires!
Laughing appears to bring health benefits, but not always — for some, a fit of giggles can have serious consequences, according to a new study that reviewed the effects of laughter.
The researchers reviewed studies on laughter published between 1946 and 2013. They found much evidence that laughing really is good for you. For example, laughing has been shown to improve blood-vessel function and reduce stiffness of the arteries, which is a risk factor for heart problems such as heart attacks. One study found that people who laugh easily have a reduced risk of coronary heart disease.
Laughing may also be good for your waistline. A 2006 study suggested that 10 to 15 minutes of genuine laughter a day may burn up to 40 calories.
Another study, published in 2011, found that laughing increases a person’s tolerance to pain, which the authors suggest is due to the release of endorphins.
But in rare cases, laughing can be risky, the review found.
One woman with a condition that causes a hole in the heart experienced a stroke after laughing uproariously for three minutes, the researcher said.
And some people have accidentally breathed in foreign objects while trying to catch their breath during laughter. Laughing can even dislocate the jaw, studies show. And just like a cough or a sneeze, laughter has the potential to spread infectious diseases, the researchers said.
“Laughter is no joke,” the researchers wrote today (Dec. 12) in a special Christmas issue of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) — a lighthearted edition of the journal that includes real research.
While laughter carries a low risk of harm, “our review refutes the proposition that laughter can only be beneficial,” said the researchers, from City Hospital Birmingham in the United Kingdom.
Still, it remains to be seen whether “sick jokes make you ill, dry wit causes dehydration or jokes in bad taste [cause] dysgeusia (distortion of sense of taste),” the researchers joked.
This December 14th Second Saturday features a wide variety of old-fashioned holiday crafts for kids and adults, caroling, hayrides, hot cider and popcorn.
Come hear carolers between 12pm – 2pm. Kids will be able to drive the tractor, pump water, and play with hoops at the Agricultural History Project. Our Gift Shop and Museum and all exhibit buildings will be open as well! Tractor driving and hayrides are available weather permitting.
Activities for kids will be ongoing 11am – 3pm. String cranberries, popcorn, create paper chains, puppets, bird ornaments and all kinds of other fun decorations.
Who: Family
How much: FREE!
When: ,
Where: Agricultural History Project, 2601 E Lake Ave, Watsonville, CA 95076
Happiness is not elusive. In fact, it’s pretty easy to attain. Follow the steps below to happiness.
Take time to just breathe. In this crazy world, we are trying cram 1,000 things into our lives. The one thing we really need to do is take 15-20 minutes out of your day and just sit and meditate and breathe.
Sitting down all day. It’s no secret that sitting down all the time isn’t healthy. It restricts blood flow, doesn’t burn any or very little calories, and increases your chance of cardiovascular disease.
Be a social butterfly. People with strong social connections tend to be much happier. That’s what life is all about, so get connected.
Join a spiritual community. Religion has played a huge role in a person’s happiness by offering a place to share their struggles and joys. Not holding onto life’s stressors and giving them over to a higher power releases stress and anxiety.
Feed your creativity. Take time out and paint a picture, write a story, enjoy an art museum, whatever feeds your creative soul.
Get outside! Not getting fresh air can make a person grumpy. Just ask any of the kids today that never leave their X-Box. They are cramped, unhappy and need to get out and play.
Love your job or quit. When you have a job that you love, you’ll be happier. Considering you have to spend 8 hours of your day at your vocation.
The more the merrier! Italians love to eat together and they know that eating together makes people happy.
Believe in yourself! You deserve happiness, yes, it’s for you. Believe that you are entitled to be happy. Because you are entitled to have joy in your life.
The Corralitos Festival of lights kick off Saturday, December 7th at 10:00 a.m. It’s a family-friendly fun filled day and the best part? It’s FREE!
The Corralitos Festival of Lights will feature a country kitchen, a “Baked for Books” bake sale, live music, bounce house and a petting zoo! From 3:00 pm-6:00 pm, we will be serving a tri-tip dinner and have Christmas caroling!
So come on down for some family fun!
Where: Corralitos Convention Center
Date & Time: Dec. 7th starting at 10:00 am
Cost: FREE!
Kids: Yes! This is a family-friendly event for all ages!
Kim House [email protected] Born in New York, transplanted as a 5 year old to sunny California, Kim grew up in San Jose, attended Piedmont Hills High School, continued her education at San Jose City College and graduated from San Jose State University in 1975. She is married with one college age daughter. Kim has worked for Scurich Insurance for almost 8 years. Some of her passions are walking at the beach, especially Seacliff Beach, biking and swimming. She also enjoys gardening, home improvement (Kim prefers receiving tools instead of jewelry as a gift), stained glass and sewing. She belongs to Holy Eucharist Catholic Church and enjoys serving at the Salvation Army on Monday nights along with many others from Holy Eucharist Church.
This December 14th Second Saturday features a wide variety of old-fashioned holiday crafts for kids and adults, caroling, hayrides, hot cider and popcorn.
Kim House