Month: December 2021

You may already be planning the fun you want to have on this New Year’s Eve.

Whether you go to New York City to party with big crowds or you will be in your own home, this article provides steps to do it with your health and safety in mind.

The topics in this article will include food safety, crowd navigation, drinking responsibly, careful driving tips, and winter weather driving warnings.

First, make sure you are handling food and cooking it safely. Heat raw meats and certain foods to the correct temperature. Avoid cross contamination of raw meat by using gloves, washing hands often, and not touching anything else with dirty hands. Don’t allow the food to sit out all day, and throw out meats and certain perishables that had been out for more than 4 hours. Refrigerate leftovers as soon as possible. Remove food from the fridge and throw it out if it is old, smells funny, or looks bad.

Secondly, navigate crowds intelligently by making sure you have others with you at all times. Don’t go anywhere with strangers, leave valuables at home, keep your phone and wallet on you, don’t leave beverages unattended, and be very careful about taking any drugs or substances. Try to avoid taking any substances from someone you do not know.

The next tip is to drink carefully and responsibly if you must do it. Do not plan to drive if you will be drinking, and do not plan on riding with friends who have been drinking. Plan to have an Uber, Lyft, Taxi, Bus or other free designated driver services available on this night. Make sure you are eating enough food to go with the alcohol, and prevent alcohol poisoning by drinking plenty of water between drinks.

The fourth tip is how to carefully drive and avoid accidents. Not only will there be slicker and snowy weather, but there will also be other hazards. Many people on the road on NYE will be drinking and/or on drugs. Be extremely cautious of other drivers and their behaviors this night. In addition, consider pedestrian safety as well. Many pedestrians will be out bar hopping and walking the stress intoxicated. They may lose their sense of direction and end up in the street and in traffic. Drive very slowly and with your full attention.

The last tip includes winter weather safety on the road. If it is snowing or icy, the dangers grow tremendously with all things listed in the last paragraph. If the roads will be bad on NYE, just do not go out. Stay home. If you must go out, make sure your tires and vehicle can handle it, and drive extremely slowly.

There you have it! Hopefully these tips will make your New Year’s Eve party a success! Stay safe, keep your head on, and use it.

It is time to get some last minute shopping done for gifts, and this is a good moment to consider what gifts are safe and which may cause some accidents on Christmas day. What comes to mind are some toys, certain types of scooters, motorized hover boards, bikes, and other potentially hazardous gifts.

Remember the famous quote from the Christmas movie: “You’ll shoot your eye out!” Don’t get your kid a BB gun unless you know exactly what you are doing.

Although most toys are quite harmless, some toys can be hazardous enough to send your family to the emergency room on Christmas day. Many injuries happen when kids or people try to use a toy they are not familiar with in a house not suited for such toys. The internet is full of videos of people trying to use hover boards, bikes, and scooters inside, and they really get hurt sometimes.

According to Ange Qin from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:

“An estimated 224,200 toy-related injuries were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments in 2019, and males accounted for 59 percent of the injuries.”

Also it is wise to consider plastic packaging on Christmas day while gifts are being opened at a furious pace. Don’t allow the plastic, ribbons, or other items to be caught up on your kids or your pets. Plastic can cause suffocation of infants and younger kids. Pets eating ribbons, plastic, and strings can cause a nasty vet bill or even death for your pet. Certain plastic packaging can be sharp and can cut someone as well. Be cautious.

In addition to toy safety, it is important to remember food safety. Which foods are you or your kids allergic to? Many holiday cookies, breads, and recipes contain allergens such as nuts, eggs, milk, chocolate, and others. If you have Celiac Disease, you may need to avoid eating at other people’s houses for fear of gluten poisoning. If you have family members or friends with certain allergies or food intolerance, consider them before making your holiday snacks and meals.

Take a few moments this holiday to consider possible hazards to your and your loved ones. It may make all the difference and help you to make better memories. Happy Holidays!

As much as we love to celebrate the Holidays, they can bring a boat load of stress and overwhelm to our lives. It can be extra hard for people when the sunlight is gone so early and it is cold outside. Those suffering from seasonal depression have a hard time around the holidays.

There is so much to do but people don’t usually enjoy getting bundled up to go out into the cold for shopping and other holiday tasks.

This article is for those who need some stress relief ideas to get them through the holiday struggle.

How to reduce stress and enjoy the holidays:

1. Make sure you’re getting time for yourself. Arrange some time to spend alone to think and process everything going on around you. Find a babysitter for the kids if you need and think of your favorite things to do. Set aside as much time as you can to do relaxing things you like. Even if it means getting the house to yourself so you can drink wine and decorate your house in peace.
2. Work it out. Go to the gym or get some enjoyable exercise a couple days per week. Even if you feel like you don’t have much energy, you would be surprised to know how much better you will feel if you can squeeze in a couple of workouts during the week. Exercise releases happy brain chemicals to make you feel much better and help you think more clearly.
3. Include yourself in your Christmas lists. Get a few items for you to reward yourself for everything you’ve done right over the last year. Everyone should get something for themselves for Christmas while they’re busy gifting friends and family.
4. Ask for help from those who care for you. Who is your support system? Does your community have a support system for you to utilize? Is there anyone that you’ve been helpful for that could possibly return a favor for you and help you get caught up? Something as simple as having them come over to help you with the laundry, dishes, cleaning, or other tasks can make a big difference.
5. Watch your budget carefully. Don’t take out extra credit cards or overdraft your bank account just to give some material items to people you love. Know your limits, get creative, and only spend what you can afford to spend. Lack of money is a huge contributor to holiday stress. Don’t dig yourself deeper than you can get out of.

Use these tips and get the most out of your holiday season this year. Be safe, take care of yourself, and have fun this year!

The best gift you can give someone is one that can help them stay healthy, active and happy.

Depending on packages to arrive in the mail can be risky when the post office, UPS, FedEx and others are backed up already.

This may be a good time to consider holiday shopping that doesn’t include ordering online and having things shipped. If you usually struggle with ideas for what holiday gifts to give friends and family, this article may help.

One good idea is to get your family, partners, coworkers, and friends a gym membership. If you only get them one or two months just to try it out, that would be a good idea. You may want to avoid spending the money it takes to buy an entire year of a gym membership if you think it may not be utilized. Another tip is to get them the gym membership and be sure you have one for yourself. You can support them at the gym and work out together. You could carpool and ride share as well.

This idea is especially helpful and smart if you have active friends who have very little space at home to utilize for exercise. Those who live in small apartments or rent out a bedroom are sure to feel claustrophobic and experience cabin fever at home. Helping them get out of their home and into a bigger warm building may be the key to boost their spirits.

Some gyms and exercise centers have gift cards available to buy as well. These can be used to get a membership, attend group exercise classes, purchase fitness merchandise, and more.

If your loved one likes to go swimming, check out which local places have open swimming times. If they enjoy playing basketball, find a gym with a couple different gymnasiums open for use. Each gym will come with its own set of benefits and options. Some gyms only have fitness equipment such as treadmills, stair steppers, and weight rooms. Some gyms have a wide variety of equipment, rooms, and facilities to meet your needs.

Whoever you want to give a gift to this year, it is wise to consider giving them an option for improving their health and wellness.