Baby-Boomers, Follow Your Dreams!

May 9, 2013 by 1 Comment

Some baby boomers are reaching retirement age and haven’t accomplished their biggest dreams in life. Many women have devoted their lives to their children and never pursued the career they’d hoped to have. Now with an empty nest they are asking, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Others have dreams of living in another part of the country, going on a dream vacation or even owning that car they’ve always wanted.

It’s been rightly said, “You only live once.” Don’t allow your dreams to fall by the wayside. This is a perfect time in life to start making them come true!

Go back to school — It is never too late to go back to school. In fact, in recent years the number of college students between the ages of 40 and 64 has jumped close to 20%. More and more colleges are catering to non-traditional students offering greater flexibility and access. If you’ve always wanted to earn a college degree or pursue a career, going back to school might be a great option for you. There are so many choices out there, from degrees in education to radiation therapist schools like GMercyU. Even if you aren’t interested in a degree program, many community colleges offer a wide array of enrichment courses like culinary training, entrepreneurial skills, massage therapy, health and wellness coaching, painting and other arts. Whatever your interests are–you’ll find classes to take. Going back to school is a great way to expand your mind, meet new friends and follow your dreams

Make a big move — Have you always wanted to live overseas? In another state? At the beach? Perhaps you’ve been tied to a community [Read more…]

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How to Help Your Student Develop a College Plan in High School

May 4, 2013 by 1 Comment

One of the most exciting times in any young person’s life is the season between their senior year of high school and their freshman year of college. There’s their senior prom, graduation and all of the preparing that comes with getting ready for college life.

If you’re looking for a few tips on how you can help your child to develop a solid college plan while still in high school, we have five recommendations below that will definitely have them ready for their first day (and year) on campus.

planning for collegeDiscuss career goals. On average, many college students do not commit to a major until the middle of their sophomore year in school; however, that doesn’t mean that your child should wait until then before exploring the kinds of things they would like to do in the workplace. So, spend some time discussing with your child what their favorite subjects are, what they’re passionate about and what they could see themselves doing for the rest of their life.

Encourage them to seek out scholarships. For a student to attend an in-state public university, tuition plus room and board, fees and books will run them somewhere around $15,000 per year; this means that it will cost them approximately $60,000 to earn an undergraduate degree. And, with many students leaving school with about $27,000 worth of student loan debt, it’s important to get as [Read more…]

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How Much Television Should Your Kids Be Allowed to Watch?

March 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment

For children, watching too much television can be a double-edged sword. With staggering levels of childhood obesity and budget cuts at schools, that are effectively eliminating physical education classes, TV can only add to your children’s inactivity that cause these problems in the first place. Moreover, the more television your children watch will also expose them to commercials for unhealthy foods, further fueling the dilemma. This leaves many parents to the rescue, to set the necessary guidelines and boundaries as to how much time they can spend in front of the television. But how much television should your kids be allowed to watch?

limit tv timeMany doctors and researchers say that the amount of time your children are watching television should not be limited to only the TV. When you are trying to determine how much time they should be watching television you should also measure the time in front of other screens, like tablets, video games and personal computers. Many doctors say that children between the ages of 2 and 12 should only spend about 2 hours a day in from of any type of screen. They also say that children under 2 should not be allowed in from of any screen at all.

Today, children spend 20% longer in front of televisions than they did 10 years ago. On average, children spend about 4 hours and 49 minutes per day in from of the television – way above the [Read more…]

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Are Chlorine Pools Safe For Babies?

March 7, 2013 by 5 Comments

How early can a baby be introduced to the water? Parents often ask this question, because they would like to take steps to allow their baby to enjoy being in the water. How safe is a chlorine maintained pool for a baby? Particularly if the parent is taking a baby swim class at a community pool, are there risks involved for the baby?

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As described by CNN.com, the use of chlorine in the water of a swimming pool inactivates most of the disease-causing germs in water. That’s why drinking water contains chlorine, as well as 95% of the swimming pools in the United States. Chlorine prevents the risk of contracting waterborne illnesses. But every time a person gets into the water at a swimming pool, they add contaminants. Sweat, hair, urine, makeup, sunscreen, all of these combine with chlorine to form chloramines, which is what swimmers smell when they enter a pool area. A strong smell indicates too many byproducts of the disinfectants.

An indoor pool creates an additional danger because of the enclosed environment. With a lot of vigorous activity taking place in the pool – swimming, kicking, playing – it transfers the chemicals to the air and be inhaled. One study by a professor of toxicology, a leading researcher on aquatic environments, substantiated earlier studies claiming a link between swimming in indoor chlorinated pools and asthma and bronchitis in children. His study showed airway and lung permeability changes in children who had participated in an infant swimming group.

With these substantiated risk possibilities, it is important for parents to decide wisely in introducing their infant to a chlorinated pool. Ensure that chlorine levels are properly maintained. If the parent can smell chlorine immediately upon entering the pool area – assume it’s too strong for the baby.

[Read more…]

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Go Green: 5 Simple Tips to Make Your Home Eco-Friendly

February 20, 2013 by 2 Comments

There is a movement to go green. People are all making an effort to become more eco-friendly. Many say they are going green, but how can you and your family actually reduce your impact on the environment? Here are a 5 easy tips to make your home more eco-friendly and save some money.green footprints

Tip #1: Clean Green

Take a look at the cleaners you use for tabletops, counters, bath fixtures and floors. If they’re filled with chemicals, it’s time to toss them. Most cleaning needs can be taken care of with natural ingredients like water, baking soda, white vinegar and lemon. Lemon juice and vinegar, being acidic, can help with stubborn scrubbing needs. Baking soda is a gentle cleanser that can be used in numerous ways. It can be used to deodorize refrigerators and garbage pails, scrub and wipe down counters and to remove odors from carpets. It’s also an effective addition to your laundry detergent and bleach, increasing their effectiveness and reducing how much you need to use.

 

Tip #2: Change Your Light Bulbs

Another simple energy saving tip involves changing your light bulbs. Conventional incandescent bulbs lose more energy to heat than compact fluorescent bulbs. CFLs, which don’t work on a filament, can save [Read more…]

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5 Ways for Stressed Moms to Fight the Signs of Aging

February 5, 2013 by 8 Comments

Anyone who says that a stay-home mom doesn’t have a job has obviously never spent the day chasing around a gaggle of children. And for moms that hold down a paying job, as well, the combination of work and parenting can be stressful, so say the least. Sadly, a lack of time paired with high stress can lead to premature signs of aging, something that no mom wants to see when she looks in the mirror. So here are just a few ways for stressed moms to fight the signs of aging and start looking and feeling as young as they are.

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  1. Quit smoking. This may sound harsh, but if you’re a mother you shouldn’t be smoking. If you have children in your care you should not only do everything you can to keep yourself healthy so that you can be there for your children as long as possible, but you also shouldn’t be exposing your kids to the harmful effects of second-hand smoke. (Read this – Protecting Kids from Tobacco/Vape, Don’t Smoke!) Of course, giving up your pack-a-day habit will also help to preserver your youthful good looks. And while quitting may ratchet up your stress level initially, leaving you irritable, there are medications to help (Chantix), and reducing your cravings for nicotine will actually lower your stress in the long run. As a bonus, it’s a great move for both your overall health and the condition of your [Read more…]
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How to Prevent Food Borne Illness When Traveling

January 22, 2013 by 7 Comments

Prevent Illness when travelingWhen you’re on a trip, sampling local cuisine and indulging in tasty favorites can make for
memorable experiences. However, today’s delicious lunch or a goody from the gourmet food
truck may send you on a detour to feeling sick. Here are some tips to prevent food borne illness
when traveling.

Food borne illness can bring you low with vomiting, flu-type symptoms or even diarrhea. You
may not notice you’ve been affected until hours or days after you’ve tasted the affected food or
beverage, according to the FDA’s Food Safety Tips for Healthy Holidays. Before you take the
first bite of your journey, there are several things to check at a new restaurant or other food
establishment.

Cleanliness Can Stop Contamination
Does the food preparation area look clean? Although some kitchens will be off limits to
customers, a brief glimpse can tell you if an area is disorderly or if the staff has difficulty
controlling the garbage. The World Health Organization’s Prevention of Food Borne Disease:
Five Keys to Safer Food also advises food preparers to keep raw and cooked food separate. This
can prevent the spread of contaminants to your plate.

When your food arrives, take a second to check the temperature. Food safety temperature matters. If a hamburger or chicken dish seems cold, send it back. Undercooked meat or food that hasn’t been properly prepared isn’t worth the risk of food poisoning. At buffets, pass up potato salad, eggs or other items if they aren’t kept at the  [Read more…]

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Flights- It’s All About Timing

January 4, 2013 by 5 Comments

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When traveling, it is important to realize there are many important factors one of the most important is timing. Weather it be timing your trip around big projects at work, or trying to find the best time to travel to save a few bucks- timing is key. When looking for the best deal, there are lots of factors to look into. The most important is timing. The best prices on flights are available to a plethora of locations but only if you do some very careful research. With the proper tools you can even find a killer price on a flight clear across the country from Los Angeles to New York. I would suggest you check multiple dates and sites when looking for the best deals. Many sites offer comparisons in this manner. Compare flights based on airlines or try to find [Read more…]

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