A Piece of India Blooming in Southern New Mexico
By Karyth Becenti
Photos by Dan Quan
 When Geetha Pai and her husband came to the United States more than 30 years ago, all they had with them were two suitcases and $16. Their “home” was a patient room at St. Luke’s Hospital in Philadelphia, where Geetha’s husband was doing his medical internship.
Today, a bit of India blooms in the southern New Mexico desert in a shop Geetha started in Las Cruces, called Baskets-n-Bags.
Baskets-n-Bags specializes in all kinds of items from Geetha’s former homeland, including, as the name implies, hand-screened jute, cotton, and non-woven bags and innovative collapsible jute baskets. But Geetha has gone beyond the bags to include many unique items in her catalog: fashion bags, napkin rings, items made from water buffalo horn, and functional kitchen items ranging from tablecloths to potholders, aprons, and towels. From Bali, Geetha imports pieces of home décor, including large vases, lamps, and terracotta candles.
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How to Lose Weight
By Barbara Bailey
 January is when we start yet another diet. The last diet was for a class reunion, a wedding, or swimsuit season. If we continue to do what we’ve always done, we’ll get the same results—short-lived weight loss.
This year, consider a new approach. Before embarking on this journey, let’s examine our relationship with food. If we diet because we’re not pleased with our current weight, we need to permanently alter that relationship. Recognize that food is needed and enjoyable, but also know that we can be in control of how much we eat. We may eat because we’re sad or bored. Worse yet, we eat out of habit. These are ways unneeded calories make their way into our system. Vow to do something other than eat or drink during these periods.
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10 Tips to Getting Fit in the New Year
By Laurie Volkin
 Women are busier than ever, whether they work outside the home or are stay-at-home moms. And that can mean they don’t put time aside for exercise.
“Remember, the effects of exercise are cumulative,” said Mary Jayne Johnson, Ph.D., Albuquerque fitness and wellness expert. “You don’t need to spend hours at the gym to gain the benefits of adding exercise into your daily schedule.” The key is to make small changes that will add up to big results. There are easy ways you can incorporate exercise into your New Year without a lot of time.
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