Merchandise Monday: Summer’s just around the Corner!

And you know what that means – bathing suit season! Is your bod beach-ready, or will you be swimming in a t-shirt or cover-up for the foreseeable future?

Fear not. Hinda is here to help you slim down and feel great with a whole bunch of new workout and fitness gear. What are you waiting for? There’s no time like the present to kick off some healthy habits in time for summer!

AFG Elliptical

Engineered for the best combination of body position and movement for the best feel possible, the 4.1AE Elliptical features a Sixstar Certified™ platform, heavy-duty 30-pound flywheel that delivers the smoothest elliptical experience and unparalleled performance, unique MaxTone™ arch pedals that tone leg muscles and glutes with ease and upgraded multi-position handlebars with speed and incline buttons that multiply workout options.

Conair® Weight Watchers® Body Analysis Scale

The Weight Watchers Body Analysis Scale measures body fat, body water and bone mass. It features a convenient carrying handle, 10-user memory and 1.3” digital LCD display. This 330-pound capacity scale displays weight in 0.2-pound increments and will give accurate body weight readings for all users in weight-only mode. Warning: Do not use this product if you have a pacemaker or other internal medical device.

Empower® Boxing Boot Camp

Fight to be fit with this first-of-its-kind, authentic boxing-inspired workout. Empower and Striking Beauties joined forces to deliver a knockout fitness system unlike any other. The 12 Rounds Workout combined with the Empower Boxing Boot Camp will have you jumping rope and using the medicine ball in ways you’ve never dreamed of. Get ring-ready and work your entire body with this empowered fitness solution!

Empower® Portable Pilates Studio

Now you have no more excuses – the Portable Pilates Studio lets you perform reformer-style Pilates movements without heavy equipment in your home. Lightweight and portable, the bar disassembles for easy storage. The package includes a follow-along workout DVD with bonus upper body strength workout. Get fit in the comfort of your own home!

Fitbit® Aria™ Wi-Fi Smart Scale

Get where you want to be. Aria tracks your weight, body fat percentage and BMI, painting a picture of your long-term progress. It wirelessly syncs your stats with online graphs and mobile tools that help you stay motivated and on track. Just download the Fitbit® software, then link your scale to your home wireless network and you’re good to go. You can even log meals or even create a food plan. When you're in control, stepping on the scale feels good.

Fitbit® One™ Wireless Activity and Sleep Tracker

If you want to turn fitness into a lifestyle, the One is for you. For starters, it never rests. During the day, it tracks your steps, distance, calories burned and stairs climbed. Come nightfall, it measures your sleep cycle, helps you learn how to sleep better, and wakes you in the morning. The One motivates you to reach your goals by bringing greater fitness into your life – seamlessly, socially, 24 hours a day.

Fitbit® Zip™ Wireless Activity Tracker

Get a kick out of fitness with this little device. It tracks your steps, distance and calories burned and syncs all those stats to your computer and select smartphones. In doing so, it celebrates how much more you do each day. Zip encourages you to set goals, challenge friends and go farther, one step at a time. That’s how you turn everyday life into a social, achievable, awesome path to fitness.

Horizon Fitness Treadmill

Maximize your results with the T303 Treadmill from Horizon Fitness. The large 20” x 60” running area allows you to train longer and harder, and the robust frame and ComfortSELECT™ adjustable cushioning system aids your workout. The Goal Center and challenging programs help you make the most of your workouts and the contact heart rate grips and cooling fan enhance your overall experience. Get fit in the comfort of your own home on your time and in your way!

Are you feeling the burn yet? You will be soon. Check out even more fitness equipment and healthy living tools in our assortment!

Hindastry News - May 2013

Welcome to the latest issue of "Hindastry News" - Hinda's corporate newsletter.

"Hindastry News" brings you the latest on the happenings at Hinda.

This issue includes:

• Meet Greg Whitacre, our new Senior VP of Sales & Marketing
• Dave Peer talks about the importance of executive support of employee engagement
• Learn about the Incentive Federation's "Right to Recognize" Initiative
• Trends we saw at Toy Fair and the Home & Housewares Show

If you know someone who would benefit from receiving communications like this from Hinda, have them e-mail Alisa Schafer (aschafer@hinda.com) and ask to be added to the distribution list.

Also be sure to check out and subscribe to the Hinda Blog. 

Click here for the current issue of Hindastry News.

Merchandise Monday: Don’t Forget Mom!

She laughs with you during the good times, cries with you during the bad and is there for you for everything in between. Doesn’t Mom deserve something special this Mother’s Day?

We’ve added some unique and timeless pieces of jewelry to our assortment just in time for the Big Day (which is May 12, but we don’t need to remind you, right?).

Sterling Silver Heart Necklace

Featuring a classically styled heart-shaped pendant strung on a black cord necklace, this piece is perfect for everyday wear and says “I Love You” in a special way!

Green Amethyst Necklace

A 12x10mm checkerboard-cut genuine green amethyst sits in a sterling silver pendant and hangs from an 18" link chain. A unique alternative to the traditionally purple February birthstone!

Smoky Quartz Necklace

The Smoky Quartz Necklace features a 10k yellow gold pendant and Venetian box chain with a genuine 6mm checkerboard stone. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire!

Diamond "X" Earrings

X marks the spot! These diamond earrings feature 14k white gold and a total carat weight of .11. Dress up your daywear or sparkle after hours!

Diamond Key Pendant Necklace

Show that special someone that she holds the key to your heart. The diamond-encrusted key pendant features a total carat weighs of .52 and hangs from a 14k white gold Singapore chain.

Journey Necklace and Earring Set

Everyone knows it’s the journey that counts. This sparkling set features 14k white gold and a total carat weight of 1.75. Show her just how much you’re enjoying the journey!

This is just a sampling of some of the new jewelry available in Hinda’s assortment. For more jewelry and other great gifts for Mom, check us out before May 12 or you’ll be in big trouble, mister! Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there from all of us at Hinda!

Your Monthly Check-Up: April Means World Health Day

Although World Health Day is technically April 7, there’s no reason not to keep the good health vibes going all month long – and by extension, all year! The World Health Organization held the first World Health Assembly in 1948 and sanctioned April 7 as World Health Day effective in 1950. World Health Day honors WHO's founding and provides an opportunity by the organization to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health, with international, regional and local events related to a particular theme.

The theme of World Health Day 2013 focuses on controlling hypertension, or high blood pressure, which WHO calls a “silent killer, global public health crisis.” Both preventable and treatable, hypertension contributes to many cases of heart disease, stroke and kidney failure worldwide, according to WHO, and WHO estimates one in three adults over 25 has elevated blood pressure, or about a billion people the world over.

According to WHO’s website, some specific objectives of the World Health Day 2013 campaign are to:

• raise awareness of the causes and consequences of high blood pressure
• provide information on how to prevent high blood pressure and related complications
• encourage adults to check their blood pressure and follow the advice of healthcare professionals
• encourage self care to prevent high blood pressure
• to make blood pressure measurement affordable to all
• to incite national and local authorities to create enabling environments for healthy behaviors

Following a healthy diet, getting enough exercise and rest and losing weight are all great ways to lower an elevated blood pressure or maintain a healthy one. Generally, lowering sodium intake and maintaining low levels of stress are particularly helpful when it comes to relieving hypertension.

Get more information on hypertension and other global health concerns here.

Merchandise Monday: Congratulations to our Supplier, Weber® Grill!

After months of testing over 100 grills, Consumer Reports® announced that the Weber Spirit SP-320 is the best bet for the upcoming grilling season. It’s easy to use, heats up quickly and cooks evenly. CR also reports that it is among a few grills tested that excel at indirect grilling, making it an optimal choice for slow-cooking ribs, roasts, whole fish and poultry.

Boasting 529 sq. in. of cooking area, the Spirit can grill about 16 to 30 burgers at once, according to CR’s test. Other features that make this grill a winner include stainless steel grates, three main burners with 32,000 BTUs per hour plus 12,000 BTU-per-hour side burner, porcelain-enameled Flavorizer bars and six tool hooks.

You can find the Weber Spirit SP-320 among Hinda’s assortment of grills and outdoor cooking accessories, and read CR’s full grilling report here.

Merchandise Monday: We LOVE Spring Cleaning!

April Fool! But we do love all the new merch we’ve added to help you get the job done – namely products to get rid of the dirt and grime from mud-and-rock-salt-crusted boots that’s been building up all winter. Why not crank some tunes, put a fresh pot of coffee on and get some elbow grease on your floors before you completely forget what they're supposed to look like!

Bissell® PowerFresh™ Steam Mop

Experience a new way to steam mop! Get a deep clean with a fresh scent. Clean sticky, dried-on spots two times faster than the leading steam mop. A handy flip-down scrubber takes out the messes with ease. No more bending over and fingernail scrubbing. PowerFresh™ combines the built-in scrubber with SmartSet digital steam control to safely clean almost any hard floor surface. Eliminates 99.9 percent of germs and bacteria when used as directed, and your family deserves a clean, germ-free household!

Dirt Devil® Extreme Power 14.4 Volt Stick Vac

Cordless convenience and a rotating brush! This 14.4-volt cordless stick vac easily moves from carpet to hardwood floors with a fingertip on/off switch for the brushroll. The low-profile nozzle is ideal for cleaning under beds, tables and chairs. The lightweight design and folding handle make it easy to move from room to room, and you can store it virtually anywhere. Maybe you’ll want to clean your floors more often now?

Samsung® TwinChamber Canister Vacuum System

With a 12” two-step brush, this system features an innovative chamber design providing up to 95.2 percent dust separation. An advanced HEPA sealed-gasket filtration system delivers a more hygienic clean by removing more fine particles from the air and trapping more dust and allergens. The large, easy-to-empty 2.5-liter bagless dust bin holds more so you can clean bigger messes in one shot, and the compact design makes it easy to store. Are you ready to experience cleaner floors?

Well, that takes care of your floors! Don’t you feel better? We knew you would. Your family won’t recognize how spotless the house is - they’ll think you’re playing an April Fool’s joke on them! Plus, remember floor care is trending, so clean floors just means you’ve got an edge when it comes to what’s fashionable in the domestic realm!

Your Monthly Check-Up: Meditation, Down Time and the Power of a Good Night’s Sleep

Part III: Sleep

(Click here for Part I: Relaxation and here for Part II: Meditation)

So far we’ve covered relaxation and deep relaxation in the form of meditation. Now let’s talk about the ultimate in relaxation – sleep. Everyone needs it and most aren’t getting enough of it – to the detriment of every area of our lives. You’ll want to stay awake for this.

In “The Healing Power of Sleep,” Pamela Weintraub, Executive Editor of Discover magazine and author of Cure Unknown: Inside the Lyme Epidemic, uncovers just how sleep deprived we are as a nation, the detriment sleep-deprivation does to our bodies and minds and how we can turn this nocturnal habit around.

“People devalue sleep and are completely unaware of what happens to them when they have a deficit,” says James Maas, PhD, a recently retired Cornell scientist and one of the world’s foremost sleep researchers, according to Weintraub’s article. “As a society we are so habituated to low levels of sleep that most of us don’t know what it feels like to be fully alert and awake.”

University of Chicago sleep researcher David Gozal, MD, adds that we treat sleep like a “tradable commodity,” sacrificing it for everything from work responsibilities to entertainment or other lifestyle choices. We create this deficit because it can take upwards of months or years for symptoms of a sleep deprivation-related disease to surface, according to Gozal.

How many of you have used the phrase, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead?” I know I have.

According to Weintraub’s article, sleep deprivation, even by as little as one hour a night, can wreak massive havoc in the body and mind. Most people are aware by now that lack of sleep creates increased food cravings, increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol and disrupted metabolism, all of which can lead to weight gain. However, not getting enough Zs can perpetuate a plethora of other lesser-known symptoms, such as hair loss, hearing loss, skin problems, insulin resistance, vision problems, sexual functioning and even cancer.

In her article, Weintraub recounts the story of Jason Karp, a 36-year-old hedge-fund manager and restaurateur who had reached a dangerous level of sleep deprivation before he sought help. An ambitious learner, Karp taught himself to speed-read and would spend long hours reading as opposed to getting adequate sleep – sometimes sleeping just two or three hours a night.

Karp began seeing double and was diagnosed with keratoconus, a disease that causes the cornea to progressively degenerate, sometimes necessitating a transplant. Then, he began experiencing prostate pain. His hair fell out in clumps and he broke out in a rash. Finally, one doctor told him his cortisol level was so high he may not live to see 40. Karp legitimately believed he was dying.

When Karp came across a bit of research that linked his rash to his keratoconus, he decided to try and cure himself by getting more sleep and altering his diet. Though it took some time for Karp to retrain himself to sleep, about six months later he had recovered from every symptom he was suffering with. And although Karp is an extreme case of someone who trained himself to forgo sleep, these are real symptoms that can occur in anyone suffering from lack of sleep.

Find out if you are sleep deprived by taking the quiz devised by James B. Maas, PhD. How else can you incorporate more rest, relaxation and sleep into your weekly agenda? Do you think you’d benefit from slowing down and taking time out for yourself during the day? What positive changes do you think you’d see? Talk to us in the “Comments” section below!