YNERGY TIMES APR | 2019

AUTHOR: JOEL STOCKSDALE

CONTRIBUTOR: MARKETING

Original article from www.autoblog.com/2019/04/08/2020-mercedes-amg-cla-35-revealed-300-horsepower/#slide-7556416

The dynamic duo of tiny Mercedes sports sedans is now complete with the introduction of the 2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35. And unsurprisingly, all of its specifications are nearly identical to its A 35 sibling. So now you have a choice between formal sedan and coupe-like sedan. And when we mean the specifications are nearly identical, we mean it. It has the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 302 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The CLA 35 also sends power through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic to all four wheels the same way as the A 35, allowing for up to 50/50 split of torque front and rear. Mercedes does claim that the CLA 35 will get to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, which is 0.1 second faster than the A 35, but unless you’re drag racing, you’ll never notice.The handling upgrades are the same, too, with lighter front suspension components and upgraded brakes. The rotors are vented and slotted, and the front ones measure 13.8 inches while the rears are 13 inches. The front calipers are fixed four-piston units while the rears are sliding single-piston calipers. For technology, the CLA 35 gets dual 10.25-inch screens for instruments and infotainment, along with MBUX voice commands. Sport seats are standard but can be replaced with even sportier buckets. The most exciting option is the AMG Track Pace app that can store information such as throttle inputs, G-forces and lap times, and can display driving lines to help you learn a race track. Pricing and availability have yet to be announced for the CLA 35, which is one more similarity with the A 35. Expect both sets of information to be released in the coming months.

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35 PUTS 300 HORSEPOWER IN A SLINKY

5 SIMPLE WAYS TO GET BETTER SLEEP THIS MONTH

LIMIT EXPOSURE TO BLUE LIGHT

MAKE A BEDTIME RITUAL AND STICK TO IT

CREATE A PEACEFUL SLEEP ENVIRONMENT

SOAK UP SOME SUN

AVOID CAFFEINE LATER IN THE DAY

Blue light is emitted from devices such as computer screens, cell phones, and tablets. Research has shown that this type of light can negatively impact your sleep cycle by messing with your body’s internal clock. If possible, you should try to limit your exposure to blue light, especially the closer you get to bedtime. Shutting your devices off an hour or so before bed can give your body time to wind down and get ready to rest for the night.

You may feel like you’ve outgrown a strict bedtime, but did you know that something as simple as having a bedtime and a nightly routine can help improve your sleep? Coming up with a regular routine will give your body time to transition from your daily activities to rest. This routine can include things like reading, meditating, or listening to calming music. Once you’ve come up with a routine that works for you, the important thing is to make sure you try to follow it consistently.

Making sure your home has a clean and comfortable area for you to sleep is a must. It’s important that your room be free of noise and other distractions that can keep you awake. A few things you can do to make sure your room is conducive for sleeping are regularly cleaning and organizing your space, introducing calming sounds and scents, and making sure your room is as dark as possible when it’s time to sleep.

This piece of advice may seem a bit odd, but getting more sunlight during the day can actually help you sleep better at night. Our natural sleep cycle results in us being awake and alert while the sun is out, and tired when the sun sets. The more time you spend in the sun, the more likely your body will be to respond to its natural rhythm. If you can, try to spend some time outside during your breaks at work.

Lots of people rely on caffeine to get through the morning, but consuming caffeine in the afternoon and evening can make it more difficult to fall asleep at night. Since caffeine can stay in your system for about six to eight hours, it’s recommended that you don’t eat or drink caffeinated products after 4 p.m. If you’ve been struggling to get the sleep you need, the solution may be much easier than you think. With the help of the tips above, you can take steps toward getting the rest you deserve.

AUTHOR: KAY CARTERCONTRIBUTOR: MARKETING

Original article from www.thriveglobal.com/stories/5-simple-ways-to-get-better-sleep-this-month/

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RECIPE OF THE MONTH:

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup chopped bread-and-butter pickles

2 Tbsp. plus ¼ cup hot sauce, such as Crystal

1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more

½ cup all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp. cayenne pepper

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 large egg

2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, lightly pounded to ½” thick

¼ cup (or more) extra-virgin olive oil

8 slices milk bread

Shredded iceberg lettuce (for serving)

INGREDIENTS:

PREPARATION:

Combine mayonnaise, pickles, and 2 Tbsp. hot sauce in a small bowl. Season with salt; set aside.

Combine flour, cayenne, garlic powder, and remaining 1 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Whisk egg and remaining ¼ cup hot sauce in another medium bowl. Place panko on a large plate. Working one at a time, dip chicken into flour dredge, turning to coat. Shake off any excess. Dip into egg mixture until coated, shaking off excess. Dredge in panko, turning to coat. Transfer to a large plate or a small rimmed baking sheet.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Working in 2 batches, cook chicken, reducing heat to medium if it’s browning too quickly, until golden and very crisp on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack.

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Original recipe from www.bonappetit.com/recipe/spicy-chicken-katsu-sandwiches

CONTRIBUTOR: MARKETINGAUTHOR: ELYSE INAMINE

Spread reserved spicy mayo on one side of each slice of bread. Top with chicken and shredded lettuce, then close up sandwiches.

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LIMIT EXPOSURE TO BLUE LIGHT

MAKE A BEDTIME RITUAL AND STICK TO IT

CREATE A PEACEFUL SLEEP ENVIRONMENT

SOAK UP SOME SUN

AVOID CAFFEINE LATER IN THE DAY

Spicy Chicken Katsu Sandwiches

National parks in Spain are often overlooked in favor of the country’s dining and cultural scene, but between them they have enough natural beauty to rival many of their European counterparts.

The country’s 15 national parks are shared among the mainland, the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.

Elite Traveler takes a closer look at six of the best.

SIERRA NEVADA

A ski haven in winter and a hiker’s paradise in summer, Sierra Nevada is Spain’s largest national park, running from Granada to Almeria. Contained within it are some of the highest mountains in Spain with 20 peaks topping out at over 9,500ft. Many of these summits are only accessible to hikers during the height of summer and even then, conditions can be fraught. On the valley fl oor, rare fl owers fl ourish alongside endless hiking trails. One of the best trails to follow is Los Cahorros In Monachil, which until recently was only accessible to experienced mountain climbers. The construction of a hanging bridge has since allowed visitors to cross the gorge. For those with a soft spot for wildlife, the charismatic ibex and the elusive Iberian Lynx are both natural to the area.

PICOS DE EUROPA

What the peaks in Picos de Europa lack compared to the ones in Sierra Nevada – height – they certainly make up for with spectacular scenery. Panoramic vistas are plentiful in this 416-sq-mile paradise, and one of the best can be accessed with ease thanks to a highspeed cable car. In just four minutes, the notorious Fuente Dé cable car whisks hikers and climbers up to southern wall of Picos’ central massif. Once there, you can either enjoy the views at the café or continue your adventure in-land. For those who wish to earn their views, the seven-mile trek from Poncebos to Otres, the highest village in the national park, is a well-trodden route

CONTRIBUTOR: MARKETINGFull article on www.elitetraveler.com/features/beautiful-national-parks-spain

AUTHOR: ALEX MARTIN

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL NATIONAL PARKS IN SPAIN

MONFRAGÜE

Located in the central-west of Spain and benefi tting from Atlantic weather systems, Monfragüe is a haven for both plants and wildlife. It is considered to be the best place on the Iberian Peninsula to spot rare bird species while the Spanish lynx is also known to linger in the fl ora and fauna. If birdwatching isn’t your thing, you can skip the searching and view some of the area’s rarest species at the new Monfragüe Bird Center in Cáceres. Villarreal de San Carlos is the only village within the park and is thus the best place to pick up many of the scenic hiking trails. From the village center, it is a short walk to the viewing point atop Salto del Gitano, where the ruins of the Castle of Monfragüe sit.

TIMANFAYA

Located on the island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, Timanfaya National Park is a spectacular, alien landscape. It was created between 1730-1736 when continuous volcanic eruptions dramatically changed the island’s appearance. Previously fertile land was buried forever under a thick

layer of lava, ash and dust. Only one of the volcanos remains active today and you can visit its steam geysers, which blow boiling water into the air at regular intervals. The park can be enjoyed in one of several ways. A coach tour is the quickest and most convenient, but more intrepid explorers can get closer to the volcanos on a guided ranger walk. Make sure to try the renowned El Diablo restaurant, which takes advantage of geothermal heat from the volcanic lands to cook its food.

ILLAS ATLÁNTICAS DE GALICIA

The wild northwest of Spain is rugged and much-less visited than the rest of it. But what it lacks in sun and sand, it makes up for in natural beauty. Nowhere is this more evident than on the archipelagos of Cíes, Ons, Sálvora and Cortegada, which together make up Parque Nacional das Illas Atlánticas de Galicia. This sea-land ecosystem is thriving with life with an array of shellfi sh, coral, anemones and over 200 species of seaweed. Fortunate visitors have also spotted orcas, dolphins and basking sharks in its rich waters. The four islands are uninhabited and the park is only open to

visitors in the summer months to protect its precious biosphere. With clear blue skies above, explore the unspoiled beaches and search for unique sea caves. Once a popular spot for pirates, there’s always a chance of wandering across a long-lost treasure trove.

ORDESA Y MONTE PERDIDO

High in the Pyrenees and sharing a boarder with France, the Ordesa y Monte Perdido is the joint-oldest national park in Spain after its creation in 1918 alongside Picos de Europa. The mountain range means towering summits and tough trails – even the most experienced of hikers can fi nd a good challenge here. Much of the park is shadowed by the great massif of Monte Perdido (11,007ft), which can have snow on its summit deep into summer. There are four deep glacial valleys contained within the park, each boasting lush vegetation and wildlife. For long-distance walkers, pick up the famous GR11 trail that enters the park from Valle de Bujaruelo in the west and runs all the way to Valle de Pineta in the east.

Full article on www.inc.com/the-muse/10-simple-ways-to-spring-clean-your-inbox.html

CONTRIBUTOR: MARKETING

AUTHOR: MARY SQUILLACE

10 SIMPLE WAYS TO SPRING CLEAN YOUR INBOX

W W W . S 1 L E N D I N G . C O M

Between sifting through spam, crafting the right responses, and keeping tabs on the messages that require follow-up, staying on top of your inbox can feel like a job in itself. That’s why we picked the brains of professionals who have figured out the secret to efficient, organized inboxes--despite getting hundreds of emails a day. Because having a system in place can help you conquer even the most unruly inbox.

1. ONLY KEEP EMAILS REQUIRING IMMEDIATE ACTION IN YOUR INBOX

Inbox zero might be too lofty an aim, but by being ruthless about which messages get to take up real estate in your inbox, you can get pretty darn close.

“Most days, my email inbox has fewer than 25 messages in it. This is intentional. I want to be able to open my inbox and immediately see what is most urgent and requiring a response,” says Leigh Ann Newman, a senior program manager at an international government consulting firm. “This habit pushes me to take action on items in an extremely timely manner.”It’s not uncommon for Newman to receive, in the span of a few hours, well over 100 emails, many of which are urgent and involve high-level managers. In 2008, she had the opportunity to start from scratch when her company changed to a new email system during an acquisition. “It was like spring cleaning for my inbox. And, since then, I simply cannot function with an inbox that is flooded with unanswered emails,” she says.

2. CREATE A “WAITING FOLDER” FOR ACTION-PENDING EMAILS

So where do emails go if not your inbox? Create a “waiting folder” for emails that require action from someone else before you can respond. “This is a huge time-saver,” says Darcy Miller, a workplace expert and founder of Pin and Pivot, who for many years was barraged with more than 150 emails a day. “That way those emails aren’t junking up your inbox, and it’s a great place to look each day or week to remind you of what projects are still pending.”She learned this trick the hard way when, during the first year of her first job, she couldn’t find an email attachment she needed. “I spent half of a day looking for that email, among the thousands of emails that were in my inbox at the time,” she says. “I vowed from that moment on, I would take control of my inbox!”

3. MAKE SUBFOLDERS OR LABELS YOUR NEW BFF

Across the board, inbox mavens recommend creating an easy-to-decode subfolder or label system. Nate Masterson, CEO of Maple Holistics, estimates he gets upwards of 250 emails some days, so organization is paramount. “Email labels are your friend,” he advises. “Use them to group together important email chains, so when you need to look at something for reference, you can do so easily.” Newman says her labels include topics that others may have questions on, support for

decisions she’s made, and reference materials for future business needs. “I have dozens of subfolders and hundreds of emails archived within them for reference,” she says. “I am able to find what I need within seconds of a request because I know where it is stored and how to locate it quickly.”

4. SET INBOX RULES OR FILTERS

Many email providers allow you to set up inbox rules or filters that will take action for you and can help you quickly categorize emails without depleting any brainpower.

To stay on top of the torrent of 150 emails that find their way to her each day, Rachel Neill, CEO, Carex Consulting Group, takes advantage of Outlook’s rules functions. “I have rules set up that put emails into different folders, color code, and prioritize based on sender,” she says. Then, at the end of the day, she’ll quickly scan for anything she may have missed. “The rules help make sure I’m following up consistently and blocking noise. This helps me keep the clutter to a minimum.”

5. USE YOUR CALENDAR TO TRACK EMAILS THAT REQUIRE FOLLOW-UP

Because some emails might require more than a simple reply, Newman recommends adding them to the calendar. “If I receive an email that requires not only an immediate response but also some sort of follow-up action, I move the email to a designated subfolder and put a reminder on my calendar that includes the folder location and the date when follow up is required,” she says. She uses Microsoft Outlook, which allows access to Outlook’s Calendar, but you can also do this in Gmail. Just click on the “More” button in the toolbar and select “Create event.”

6. DON’T LET JUNK MAIL LANGUISH IN YOUR INBOX

Feel like you’re playing whack-a-mole with promotional emails? Be swift with the unsubscribe button. Davis Siksnans, CEO and Founder of Printful, uses a three-strike rule for promotional emails and newsletters. The third time he deletes a newsletter or promo email from a specific sender, he unsubscribes from the list.

7. CREATE TEMPLATES FOR YOUR GO-TO RESPONSES

Tailoring a different reply for every email can be a huge time-suck. If you find yourself sending the same type of email over and over again, you may benefit from keeping some stock responses in your drafts that you can easily reuse.

Betsy Fein, president of professional organizing company Clutterbusters, has frequently asked questions that can be addressed with locked-and-loaded responses. “I have pre-written emails that I can tweak that I send out to emails that ask the same thing, like ‘tell me about your services,’ or ‘how do I set up an appointment?’ ”If you don’t want to

do this by hand, try the MixMax Gmail plugin, or go into your settings and enable canned responses. (Click on the gear on the top right-hand side of your inbox, pick “Settings” from the dropdown, choose the “Advanced” tab, and hit “Enable” next to “Canned Responses.”) This will allow you to save templated replies.

8. SET ASIDE TIME BLOCKS FOR CHECKING EMAIL--AND STICK TO THEM

You probably wouldn’t leave your schedule open for meetings of unspecified times and lengths around the clock, so why give email free rein to intrude on your day?

“I don’t leave my email open all day long; I set specific times during the day to go through each email and thoughtfully respond, archive, or save for later. This way I don’t multitask and I can get through all my emails more quickly because I am actually focused on the task at hand,” says David Mitroff, a business consultant. “I recommend that people start out with three different half-hour blocks a day to read through and respond to their emails and keep their inbox closed the rest of the day and adjust as necessary from there.” In addition to using time-blocking to stay on top of daily emails, Justin Lavelle, Chief Communications Officer of BeenVerified, recommends setting aside time once a week for inbox maintenance. “Choose a time each week to maintain your inbox. Protect the time as you would any other important meeting and get organized,” he suggests. “Sweep away the irrelevant, archive the complete, and prioritize the to-do list.”

9. TURN OFF EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS

Even if you’ve resigned yourself to only checking emails in pre-designated blocks, the siren song of your inbox notification might be too great a temptation to resist. If that’s the case, the solution is simple: Turn off your notifications. “If you work in time blocks, you will never go more than a couple of hours without seeing your emails,” Miller says. “Turn off the notifications, as they will distract you from doing what you are currently working on at your desk.” You can hold yourself accountable by using Boomerang’s Inbox Pause function. Siksnans only permits email to come in twice a day at specific times when he’s able to devote his attention to them.

10. SQUEEZE IN MINDLESS EMAIL TASKS DURING DOWNTIME

Ensure email accounts are effectively synced to your phone, and use idle moments to do quick inbox clean-up. “Lots of the messages I receive don’t require direct action,” says Ben Taylor, founder of HomeworkingClub.com. “Spam can be deleted, other things can be filed, and you can deal with plenty of these just while you’re in a two-minute supermarket queue.”