April 28, 2023

 There are plenty of reasons why giving kids an allowance is a good thing. It teaches them how money comes with responsibilities to save and be charitable and it helps them distinguish between needs and wants with what they can afford. And successfully managing money from an allowance can build a child’s self-confidence. Source Link

Unclogging a toilet without a plunger requires two simple tools – dish soap and a big bucket of hot water. Squirt a good amount of dish soap into the hot water and pour that into the toilet at a steady pace. Don’t stir up the water and be patient because the technique may not eliminate the clog instantly. Source Link 

What’s the right way to pet a dog you don’t know? Remember that dogs depend on smell so offer your curled hand for a sniff before you touch them to avoid any bitten fingers. If the dog seems comfortable, try a friendly scratch under the chin, but avoid patting his head or touching a strange dog’s belly, even if they roll over. Source Link

April 27, 2023

All food scraps don’t have to go down the garbage disposal or into the trash. Soak orange peels in a jar filled with white vinegar for two weeks to make a citrus cleaning spray. Do the same with cucumber peels soaked in water for five days to make your own cucumber water that’s great for feeding your plants. Source Link_

Hearing loss can make it harder to get the job, so try these tips. Reduce room noise by placing a small rug under your chair and ask for a phone with increased volume capability. Consider using noise canceling earbuds and ask for a copy of an agenda before a meeting and get meeting notes afterwards. Source Link

The average American spends five hours a day looking down at their phone and that can cause tight muscles and serious pain known as “tech neck.” The condition may require medication, physical therapy, steroid injections, or even surgery in the worst cases. The solution is to hold your phone at eye level as much as possible. Source Link_

 

April 26, 2023

How you lay when you sleep could have an impact on your health. Side sleeping is considered the best because you’ll reduce the risk of snoring or sleep apnea when sleeping on your back. Sleeping on your left side can help prevent stomach acid from moving up when you lie down, and sleeping on your right side may improve heart function for those with heart disease. Source Link_

Many “healthy snacks” don’t live up to their name. Veggie chips can be heavy on starches and calories. Fruit snacks may be less fruit and more corn syrup, sugar and artificial flavors. And read the label on your trail mix to look out for sugary add-ins like candy or chocolate pieces. Source Link 

Many people are hard-wired to avoid idleness, but you can train yourself to do nothing. Start small and sit quietly for five minutes in a peaceful place with a view of something pleasant. Add five minutes to this routine until you can sit quietly for 20 minutes each day. And remember to turn off your phone and tablet or anything else that can send an alert. Source Link_

April 25, 2023

Giving your to-do list letter grades might help you complete more assignments. An “A” item is significantly important with serious consequences if it’s not done. “B” is something you should do but has a minor downside. A “C” would be nice to accomplish but not vital. A “D” is something to delegate to others and an “E” task is one you can eliminate. Source Link 

You can avoid home WiFi problems starting with your router. Update the firmware, create a strong WiFi password and change the router’s default administrator password. Turn off remote access, create a guest network to keep visitors and smart home devices away from your personal devices, and consider buying a new router if yours is more than three years old. Source Link_

Teaching your child healthy eating habits when they’re young can pay lifelong dividends. Help them understand the body’s cues for hunger or fullness and not to eat because you’re bored or doing something else like watching TV. Use child-sized plates to gauge how much food they need for a meal, keep junk food out of the house to avoid temptation, and have them get 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Source Link_

 

April 24, 2023

 Why is the snooze button on an alarm clock set for nine minutes? When the feature was introduced in the 1950s the mechanics of alarm clocks made it hard to set a snooze time with two digits, so nine minutes was the next best thing. It’s been the standard ever since but you can choose a different snooze time in the settings of the clock app on your smartphone. Source Link

Want to win an argument without offending the other person? Try “reframing” the debate and show how your approach can support their beliefs. Find out what’s important to them and then explain how your reasoning lines up with their goals. Seeking common ground to win them to your side is more effective than a hard face-off. Source Link

Keeping personal online messages private to the world might take a few extra steps. Turn off cloud backups of messages and delete any past backups. Avoid using Twitter direct messages that can be seen easily if someone hacks you and keep all accounts and devices secure with two-factor authentication and face or fingerprint detection to unlock a phone. Source Link

April 21, 2023

 Having the hottest smartphone isn’t a good thing when you’re talking about temperature and not popularity. If your phone feels warm to the touch, start by removing the case and don’t store it in the sun or have it directly touching your body. Some things that can overheat a phone are shooting video, playing graphically rich games, or using your phone as a mobile hotspot. Source Link 

Medicare fraud is a major problem and there are ways to spot a scam before you get taken. Medicare will not make an unsolicited contact to verify your information and watch out for an offer of free medical supplies that asks you to give up your Medicare number. And never let anyone but your doctor review your medical records to recommend services. Source Link 

What are some tell-tale early signs of hearing loss? You might be asking people to repeat themselves often during a conversation, or you can’t hear background noises such as birds chirping, leaves rustling or a beep from a kitchen appliance. And ringing in your ears can be a sign of hearing loss because that’s how the brain compensates for a deprivation of sound. Source Link

April 20, 2023

 Online privacy is a concern and you can stop Google from tracking your searches and browser habits. Go to myactivity.google.com to delete your search history and stop tracking and then clear your browser history. To protect your privacy in the future you can switch to a search engine like DuckDuckGo that doesn’t track online activity. Source Link 

Can the formula “20 over 40” help keep you out of the hospital? In a seven-year study of people over the age of 40, those who got 20 minutes of daily exercise cut their risk of hospitalization for things like pneumonia, stroke, diabetes complications and severe urinary tract infections. The numbers line up with recommendations to get 150 minutes of moderate activity each week. Source Link_

Gardening can benefit your body in three ways. Growing some of your own food gives you fresh and healthy alternatives to processed food and maintaining a garden can be good exercise. And gardening has been shown to decrease stress and anxiety, especially when you’re working with others in a community garden. Source Link_

April 19, 2023

Parents who stand next to the crib until their baby falls asleep may be sabotaging themselves. That's because when your baby sees you there as they drift off to sleep they’ll expect you to be there every time they wake up during the night. Putting a baby down while they’re awake helps them learn to fall asleep without you in the room. Source Link 

More people say they’re lonely, but what can you do about it if that’s you? First, acknowledge that what you’re feeling is loneliness, and take steps like writing down happy memories, walking in nature, phoning a friend you haven't seen for a while, or listening to happy music or watching something funny. You can also focus outside of yourself by volunteering to help others. Source Link_

Fighting identity theft means moving fast if you are targeted. Get free credit reports from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion and look for suspicious activity. If there are accounts in your name that you haven’t opened, put a 90-day fraud alert on your credit report to flag lenders to contact you before opening an account and report this to your bank and creditors. Source Link_

 

April 18, 2023

 You can often get the straight story in online product reviews by reading from the bottom up. Click the one or-two-star reviews to uncover any common problems. And look at the oldest reviews to see if the product got lots of them in a short period, because this could be a sign that those reviews were not from real users. Source Link_

A flip of the switch can help prevent being hacked at home. Turn off your computer when it’s not in use and do the same with your router, which should be located in a central part of your home and further away from the street where someone could cruise by looking for home networks to invade. Source Link 

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated. Fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruits and vegetables all make meal preparations easy. And fruits, vegetables and whole grains provide you with nutrients and dietary fiber that can help lower your risk of developing cancer. To eat more of these, start by filling at least half of your dinner plate with fruits or vegetables. Source Link_

April 17, 2023

 You’ve probably had some scratches on your eyeglass lenses and there’s a D-I-Y way to fix that. Rinse the glasses in warm water and dry with a clean microfiber cloth and then mix a few tablespoons of baking soda with water to make a paste that you gently rub onto the lenses with another clean cloth. Then use a third clean microfiber cloth to wipe down the lenses. Source Link 

 We know there are many health benefits for a baby that’s breastfed but the mother might also get a brain boost from it. A study revealed that breastfeeding may reduce the risk of cognitive decline for women in later life. Women who’d breastfed a child scored higher on cognitive tests at age 50 and might be better protected against mental decline and dementia later in life. Source Link

 Lining a hat with tin foil may not be the best look but doing the same thing with a car key might thwart a thief. A keyless fob wrapped in foil can’t be used by a nearby hacker to unlock a car when the vehicle is parked outside. Alternatives include storing key fobs in a special pouch or box that blocks radio signals or keeping your key in a microwave oven that’s not running. Source Link

April 14, 2023

 When you’re in de-cluttering mode, it can be hard to decide what to keep and what to part with, so put everything to this test – is it the best, the favorite, or necessary? If something doesn’t tick at least one of those boxes it needs to go, to help you weed out multiples, items you don’t need, or those that aren’t your favorites. Source Link 

Lots of things are part of everyday life thanks to NASA. That cordless vacuum cleaner, drill or saw uses battery technology developed for the space program, along with memory foam and the sensors in your smartphone camera. And NASA research uncovered a natural source of the omega-3 fatty acid only found in breast milk that’s now used in baby formula. Source Link 

There are scientific reasons why a late-night meal can add more pounds to the scale. Researchers found that when a meal is delayed by four hours and everything else stays the same, you burn fewer calories and want more food. Plus, the body’s fat tissue undergoes changes that promote weight gain. Source Link

April 13, 2023

There are times when shelling out for phone insurance is a smart buy. If your phone costs over $1,000 and you tend to drop it or have kids who play with your phone, it might be worth the extra fee on your monthly bill. But first check to see if your credit card includes phone insurance when you pay your bill with that card or invest in a sturdy phone case. Source Link_

A headache is always a pain, but when is it an emergency? If a headache comes on suddenly and feels explosive, is accompanied by high fever or nausea, or causes slurred speech, dizziness, confusion or an inability to move one side of your body, you should call 911. Such headaches could be the sign of a stroke, a brain tumor or even carbon monoxide poisoning. Source Link

You don’t have to put up with flaky WiFi during your next hotel stay. Walk around your room to see if a particular spot gives you a better signal or ask if you can move to a room with better service. If all else fails, spring for the hotel’s premium Internet service that probably has fewer users, meaning you can get a better connection. Source Link_

 

April 12, 2023

 Babies love them and anyone can benefit from a good nap if you do it right. The midday dip in alertness that most people feel between 1 and 4 pm is the best time for a nap that’s 30 to 90 minutes long, but even 20 minutes of shuteye can be helpful. Don’t nap late in the day or for too long because both could impact your sleep at night. Source Link _

The ultimate in low-tech gaming is as close as the Google search bar. Type “solitaire” and you can play the solo card game or “tic-tac-toe” to take on a friend on Google in the battle of x’s and o’s. If you need some of the tools of gaming, type “flip a coin”, “roll a die” or “spinner” to use a “Wheel of Fortune”-style roulette wheel. Source Link 

Those strawberries in your fridge probably need a good washing before you eat one. They're often the produce with the most residual pesticides, along with spinach, nectarines, apples and grapes. But don't do your clean-up right after you buy those strawberries. You should wash them just before you eat them to avoid faster spoilage. Source Link

April 11, 2023

 “Taking five” during the workday could be the ticket to improved productivity. Researchers found that people who took five-minute micro breaks bounced back from morning fatigue and sharpened their skills for the rest of the day. A micro break could be having a snack, chatting with a coworker, stopping for a stretch or doing a quick crossword puzzle. Source Link

There are plenty of ways to make kitchen tools from what you already have. An old wine bottle can be used as a rolling pin and you can peel a clove of garlic by shaking it inside a jar with the top on. Two deli container lids pressed together can hold small things like cherry tomatoes for fast slicing and kitchen scissors can be used to cut pieces of homemade pizza. Source Link 

Parents are often too quick to give meds to reduce a child’s fever. In a survey, many said they would give their child medicine to reduce any high temperature, but a low-grade fever can help the body fight off infection. With an infant younger than 3 months, any fever is a danger sign, as is a fever with decreased activity for those from 4 to 12 months old. Source Link

April 10, 2023

You can learn a lot about kitchen organizing by watching old episodes of Julia Child’s cooking show. Hang a magnetic knife strip vertically so it’s safer and easier to grab a knife and sort utensils into multiple storage crocks. A burner cover can turn seldom-used cook top space into room for extra storage and keep dried goods in pull-out bins for easier access. Source Link 

“What’s coming in the mail today?” is a question you can answer by using a free program from the Postal Service. “Informed Delivery” sends residential and post office box customers an email with digital images of the front of the envelope for items arriving that day. You can also keep track of mail when you’re away and need to know if something’s been delivered. Source Link 

Body slings and other baby-wearing products may put infants at higher risk for injury because parents don’t use the fabric carriers correctly. You should first practice wrapping the sling around your body using a doll or stuffed animal and then make adjustments. And having your baby in an upright position in a sling rather than cradled allows them to breathe easier. Source Link 

April 7, 2023

 You may believe in the old adage, “No pain, no gain” but when is that pain after exercise an injury? Look out for swelling or stiffness around a joint after a workout, especially if it slows you down when walking. And notice how quickly the discomfort starts because soreness can take a day or so to appear but you’ll feel an injury right away. Source Link 

Some Airbnb hosts are using hidden cameras to keep an undercover eye on guests and there are ways to spot them. Turn off the lights in a room and use your phone’s flashlight to slowly scan and look for reflections from a tiny camera lens. Examine out-of-place objects that could have a hidden camera and unplug or cover up anything that might be suspicious. Source Link 

 You need a late-night snack that won’t keep you up until the break of dawn. Look for foods that give you the most nutritional bang for your buck and won’t upset your stomach, such as walnuts, bananas, Greek yogurt, or a rice cake with peanut butter. Dark chocolate-covered nuts are another choice, but go easy on them because the caffeine in chocolate can be a real eye opener. Source Link

April 6, 2023

 Identity theft isn’t just something to worry about when you’re online. A lost or stolen wallet can expose you, so limit what’s in there and never carry anything with your social security number. A mailbox with a lock can keep someone from stealing credit card offers or bank statements and shredding important papers before tossing them is an easy way to prevent identity theft. Source Link

When you ask, “How was your day?” your child may only say, “Fine” or “Okay”, so try these other questions. For young children, ask about stories they read in class or something they learned today. Tweens and teens might respond to, “What’s the most unexpected thing that happened?” and most kids can probably tell you what was their favorite part of the day. Source Link_

Sharing time with your long-distance grandchildren doesn’t have to be a phone call or a FaceTime session. You can work on projects together, whether that’s drawing in a shared sketchbook or building the same hobby items. You can also read the same books and then discuss them with your grandchildren. Source Link_

April 5, 2023

 When it comes to an allowance for your kids remember the four C’s. Be clear on what the money's for, be consistent on the amount of allowance and use cash so they only spend what they have. And remember that you shouldn’t pay money for household chores. Source Link 

Google can help you find out if what you’re seeing in an online product listing is what you’re really getting. Take a screenshot of the product photo or enter the page’s web address at images.google.com and do a reverse image search. It’s a warning sign if you see the same image in many other listings because it could be a stock photo and not what you’re actually buying. Source Link_

Before you start running for exercise, remember these steps to get off on the right foot. Begin with a good pair of name brand shoes that are fitted for you at a sports shoe store. Learn how to do a dynamic warmup with air squats, lunges and jumping jacks to prepare leg muscles for running. And start off by walking a block, jogging a block and then running a block. Source Link_

April 4, 2023

 Spring weather has you ready to join a gym to get back in shape and there are ways to save money doing it. You can often negotiate to waive a joiners fee and many gyms allow free visits so you can try before you sign up. Beware of pricey lifestyle-oriented studio classes and remember that low-cost gyms may be packed when you want to work out in prime time. Source Link 

You might fall asleep faster with these hacks to your nightly routine. Disable auto-play on streaming services to avoid a binge that goes well past bedtime and have non-screen activities like a book or word puzzles to fill your time before bed. And finish dinner at least two hours before bedtime because a big meal triggers your brain to wake up. Source Link 

Remember these rules when preparing your child for spring sports. Get a preseason evaluation from their doctor to uncover health issues that could affect their play and check that all sports gear is in working order, especially protective items. And teach them to stretch before and after practices and games and never to “play through” an injury. Source Link

April 3, 2023

 Here’s an open and shut case for the right way to cook with some kitchen appliances. Always keep an oven door open when broiling because venting the steam lets food develop that crustiness you want. And always keep the lid closed on your slow cooker because opening it will let heat out and change the cooking time. Source Link 

Six out of ten Americans suffer eye strain from too much computer screen time, but there are some simple remedies. Position a computer monitor so your eye level is 15 inches above the center of the screen and remember the 20-20-20 rule -- every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Source Link 

If virtual work meetings leave you worn out, it might be best to take yourself out of the picture. Research has shown that having your webcam on for a long time is mentally draining because of the pressure to look good, have a professional background and limit visual distractions. The solution is to let participants turn off the webcam without assuming that it affects productivity. Source Link