2013 February

Eight Surprising Ways to Deodorize Your Home

February 17, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

Sometimes it does not matter how well you clean, odors crop up in your home. The good news is that you do not have to slave away for hours to restore your home to smelling like roses. Things you have around the house already can quickly freshen things up so that you can have guests over and relax in your fresh-smelling, odor-free home.

Your Clothes are a Bit Stale

Just like a stale party, stale clothes can benefit from a bit of vodka. When you use a straight vodka, no scent is left behind, but it will kill bacteria just like rubbing alcohol. Once you spritz the clothing with vodka, hang them and allow them to dry. Make sure that the drying space is well-ventilated. If it is nice outside, hanging the clothing outside is ideal.

Your Kitchen Sink

The garbage disposal is incredibly convenient and helps to break down that leftover spaghetti from dinner so that it does not sit in a trash can and stink up the kitchen. However, after a while the garbage disposal will start to give off unpleasant odors. This is where citrus fruit comes in. You surely have fresh oranges, lemons, limes or grapefruit around. The next time you peel one do not toss the rinds. Run some hot water and then put the fruit peels into the disposal and run it. This will help to get rid of stubborn odors and leave your kitchen smelling fresh.

Your Freezer

Your freezer is packed with a variety of foods that can give off a variety of odors. So, the next time you defrost, get all of that slush and ice out and then grab your vanilla extract. Put a little of the vanilla on a cotton swab and just wipe the inside of your freezer with it. Do not use a lot because this is strong stuff. Then, the next time you open your freezer to grab something for dinner you will be welcomed with the sweet and relaxing scent of vanilla.

Your Car

The car carries kids, animals, groceries, gym bags and other things that may not always smell great. If you smoke in your car then you definitely want to eliminate the scent. You, of course, want to clean the inside of your car at least a few times a year, but to keep it constantly fresh do not be afraid to take a wax tart and place it in a cup holder. These tarts are those little squares you use in a warmer in your home that work like scented candles, but require no fire. These will keep your car smelling fresh.

Your Carpet

Carpets are havens for attracting unpleasant odors. You walk on these and track things from the outside, pets sleep on them and anything in the air eventually settles on the carpet. It is a good idea to do a good carpet cleaning once a year, but in between cleanings baking soda can keep your carpet fresh and smelling great. You want to liberally sprinkle baking soda all over your carpet and let it sit for a few hours. Then, just vacuum it up. When the baking soda is hanging out on the carpet, keep pets off of it and avoid walking on it. Just let the baking soda get the work done.

Filed Under: Home Tagged With: cleaning the home, Home, home cleaning

Woman Will Die Without Four Organ Transplants

February 16, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

Image courtesy CNN

Imagine being young and relatively healthy and then being told that you need to have four organ transplants or you will lose your life. This became a reality for Molly Pearce, a 24-year-old from Santa Monica, California. Now, Molly knew that she had a rare disease that could lead to this and she has battled health issues her entire life, but the fact that she needs four organs came as a major blow to the young woman in the prime of her life.

Molly has what is known as Hirschsprung’s disease. This is a congenital disorder meaning she was born with it. Her large intestine does not have nerve cells so obstructions occur because the muscle movement is not regulated. While her life has been highly sheltered due to being sick a lot, she has a long-time boyfriend and lives life to the fullest. With the exception of this disorder, she is quite healthy according to her doctors.

This story has gained so much attention because Molly doesn’t just need a kidney or pancreas, but a kidney, liver, pancreas and a small intestine. She had a small intestine and a kidney transplant in the past, but then a blood transfusion in 2011 resulted in a negative reaction. As a consequence, both transplants as well as her liver and pancreas had to be removed. She was put on dialysis.

“I was so depressed that I was telling my mother and everyone that I didn’t want to live anymore,” Pearce said. “I just wanted to give up because of how many things had gone wrong. After a few months, I realized I could either die or try to get better — and I at least wanted to try.”

After wanting to give up, the young woman decided that she just has too much to live for. She cannot eat solid food and is stuck in an isolated room, but Molly is putting up a fight.

Doctor’s say that without all four transplants, Molly will not survive. While the procedure of transplanting four organs is extremely complex and the recovery is going to be tough, once she is out of the woods, her quality of life should be reasonably good. Her positive attitude and fighting spirit no doubt would play a major role in a good outcome. They are likely what have gotten her this far.

Molly and her family were fighting this battle alone looking for an O negative donor for all four organs, but others have since joined the fight to save Molly. An organization known as the Flood Sisters Kidney Foundation of America are using their resources to help Molly get what she needs to get back to living her life. This organization is responsible for saving six lives since they started working so they are incredibly dedicated.

It can take as many as 10 years to get an organ transplant even when someone is really sick. Molly has a lot of people standing behind her and fighting along with her. This is not going to be an easy task, but each and every one of them, along with Molly, will keep fighting until those four organs are available and being transplanted into her body.

This just goes to show that even when things seem impossible that people will band together to make miracles happen. It is nice to see that big hearts are still scattered across this nation.

Filed Under: In The News Tagged With: Flood Sisters Kidney Foundation of America, four transplants, Hirschsprung's disease, Molly Pearce, news

Quick Kitchen Organizing Tips

February 16, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

Your kitchen is where you make delicious dinners, chat over wine with friends and have coffee in the morning. If this room is not well-organized, it is going to throw off your entire day by adding time to basic activities like your morning coffee or tossing together a quick dinner. The good news is that there are some quick organizing tips that can turn your kitchen into the super efficient room that you need it to be.

Lazy Susan

These are a staple on all country breakfast tables because they allow all condiments to be easily accessible. Well, you can take this same thought and apply it to your spices. This can be put into a cabinet, pantry or even placed on a counter. Simply put your spices on this so that they are easily accessible with a few spins.

Hang it Up

It is easy to put a few hooks on the wall in the kitchen for things like aprons and pot holders. Be careful that these are at least a few feet away from your oven/stove so that there is no risk of them catching fire. If you have plenty of open wall space away from your oven/stove, then consider putting up a few small shelves. These can hold everything from cookie jars to cook books.

Arrange by Use Frequency

If there is something that you rarely use then there is no need to have this right up front. You should place items that you use nearly daily like your sauce pans and dinner plates right up front so that you can quickly grab them. Things like your blender that you do not use daily can be placed more to the back of your cabinets and pantry.

Group Items by Purpose

Your bake ware, for example, should be placed together so that when you need to bake something everything you need is all in one place. This will save time when you need to get some baking in. The same goes for things like cookware, dinner plates and bowls and the different glasses that you use. Another thing to keep together are your tea items, coffee items and other things that you frequently use together.

Cooking Tools

These are things that you want to be able to grab quickly when you are cooking. You can use a vase or a pitcher to store things like your tongs, spatulas, whips and other necessary cooking items. Since they are all together, you just grab the container that they are in, place it near your cooking area and get the job done. There will be no more searching through drawers to find your favorite scrambled egg spatula in the morning.

Use Shelf Organizers

These are probably one of the best kitchen inventions ever. You can place items on them and then push them back into the cabinet or shelf. These allow you to easily see everything that you have on a specific shelf so that things in the back do not get lost or forgotten about. These are pretty much a necessity for small kitchens that have little storage space.

Filed Under: Home Tagged With: Home, home organization, home tips, kitchen organization, organizing tips for home

Five Work Rules Every Woman Must Break

February 15, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

So many women see the keys to success as being on time every day, not getting emotional and keeping her head down and mouth shut. While this will allow you to keep your current job, it is not going to help you work your way up the career ladder. There are a few career rules that really no longer apply and should be broken by women who wish to get ahead.

Never Speak of Emotional Topics

Well, this was right in the 1980s, but now that women are gaining more and more recognition in the work place, it is perfectly acceptable to discuss more emotionally-charged topics. If you have an opinion you should make it known and do not be afraid to express exactly why you feel this way. This also applies to reigning in things that could potentially become a big issue in the future. For example, if you are in a position of power and make a decision that impacts everyone under you and this upsets a lot of people, you should allow them to express why this upsets them. Then, explain very honestly why you made the decision you did and be empathetic to their concerns.

Stay Put

Some women love what they do and do not want a promotion. In a society that seems to thirst for power, money and responsibility this is pretty much taboo. However, if you like where you are and prefer a more linear career path then stick with it. This will show that you have staying power and can commit to being the best at what you do. So, if you choose to change your mind and want a promotion in the future, staying put for now could actually work to your benefit.

Look at the Bigger Picture

While you will do your job, do not hesitate to look at your company as a whole. You may come up with something that could improve your company and how it does things. This is never a bad thing. Now, if you are slacking in your duties to do this, there will be a problem. However, as long as you are keeping up with your job then there is no rule that you cannot contribute to other areas of your company too. Just be careful not to step on toes. You want as many allies as possible if you are seeking to be promoted in the future. Having enemies will almost always come back to bite you.

Don’t Live at the Office

You can have a personal life and career success at the same time. Society knows that women are not one-trick ponies and that you have friends, family and other interests besides climbing the career ladder. 20 years ago, women were expected to give everything to their career if they wished to move up, but this is no longer true. Take a vacation, see your friends and attend all of your child’s school pageants because it actually looks better to bosses that you can juggle so many things.

Simplify Networking

Back in the day, constantly attending work-related functions and taking every opportunity to network was the key to women succeeding. However, social media has made this so much easier and you do not have to be networking 24/7 to succeed. Simple things like re-tweeting and quick coffee meetings are enough to show that you are serious about your career.

Filed Under: Relationships Tagged With: career, career advice, career tips, work, work rules, working woman

Quick Fixes for Your Boring Bedroom

February 15, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

You want your bedroom to be as comfortable as possible. One of the biggest components in being comfortable is ensuring that you absolutely love the design and decorating scheme. For example, you could have the most comfortable bed in bedroom history, but if you hate the style of your room you will never be fully comfortable in there.

Create Some Art

Art is something that only you have to enjoy for it to be good. So, put your creative juices to the test in creating things to make your bedroom more comfortable for you. Perhaps you like collages, or quilts or just funky paintings. These are all things that most people can pull off. Another benefit to DIY decorating is that it saves you a ton of cash.

Don’t Fear Patterns

Most people stick with a single pattern or only solid shades. Tons of patterns look really great together. You simply have to experiment to see which patterns you love and how they work together. Big, bold patterns can be saved for smaller items like pillows if you are timid and then use the smaller, less bold patterns for things like curtains, upholstery and bed linens. As long as you love it, it is not wrong.

Bright Colors

Many people have a very plain bedroom because they never really decorated it. Since few people see this room it is often pushed aside as you decorate the common areas. Well, a few bright colors can wake up your room in minutes. For example, a turquoise lamp, a bright red alarm clock or a bright green vase can bring some life into your room. You do not want to go overly bright because this is the room that you need for relaxation and sleeping, but a few bright accents are going to be a great thing when you wake up in the morning, especially on those cloudy, lifeless days.

Pillows, Pillows, Pillows

You can really never have too many pillows. Fluffy pillows not only give off the illusion of comfort, but they are really comfortable. Who does not want to lie back on a sea of feathers and cotton? These also give you a good excuse to play with patterns and bright colors because you can sneak some funky pillows in among your more conservative ones to wake things up a bit.

Mix and Match Your Furniture

There is no rule that says that all of your furniture must match. Now, if you are using wood furniture, you want the same color, but the styles can differ. With painted pieces, you can choose different colors to really do a funky design. For example, you may have a white dresser, light teal end tables and a sitting chair with red checkered fabric. These actually work very well together and give your room a very whimsical feel.

White Paint

If you are incorporating a variety of different colors and patterns, then a white wall is what you want. This will ensure that the room does not look too busy with all of the different elements you are bringing in with the furniture and accent pieces. An off white or a pastel color can also work if stark white is simply outside of your comfort zone.

Filed Under: DIY Ideas Tagged With: bedroom, DIY decorating, DIY ideas, Home, home decorating

Makeup Mistakes that Age You

February 14, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

Aging is something that no woman wants to do. Everyone wants to look youthful for as long as possible. You know that things like smoking and a poor diet can cause aging, but certain makeup mistakes can age you too. It is important to know what these are so that you can easily avoid them and maintain your youthful glow for as long as possible.

You do not Wear Foundation

While you should choose no foundation over one that is bad, but a good foundation can truly work miracles. Foundation can brighten a dull complexion, cover issues like breakouts and discoloration and give you an even, youthful tone. There are foundations out there that also pull double duty and fight things like acne and dryness. You want to choose one that matches your skin tone perfectly and, of course, you will not cake it on, but applying a good foundation the right way can make a world of difference in promoting youthfulness and actually benefiting your skin in the long run.

You Apply Blush Wrong

Your grandmother probably taught you that blush only belongs on the apples of your cheeks, but this old adage is no longer true. You want to run it along your cheekbones to accentuate them and give your face a tighter, younger look. Concentrating it in one area gives off that clown-like look. Blush is not something you wear so that it is noticed. It is something you wear to enhance your natural facial structure. It is critical to choose the right color for your skin tone too. If blush is too dark, it can make your face appear bruised and it drowns out the rest of your look.

Your Lip Liner is Obvious

This was cool back in 1990, but nowadays, less is more. You want your lip liner to actually match your natural lips. It should also be within the lines of your natural lips. This is not a way to make your lips appear plumper or larger. There are other, more subtle, ways to do this. When you find a color that matches your lip color, you do not have to worry about it being obvious between lip gloss or lipstick applications. Look for a creamy pencil for the best results.

Eyeliner on the Lower Lids Only

Eyeliner can work wonders when used correctly, but applying it only to the lower lid is a big rookie mistake. This will drag your face down and make you look older than you are. It also narrows your eyes and takes away from that awake, fresh look that all women want. You want to use a liner on both the top and bottom lids. You also want to keep this close to the lash line and then smudged. This will give you a more natural look and will open up your eyes. You can also choose to only line the top lid to help reduce the risk of that raccoon eye that often occurs whether or not your liner is waterproof.

Filed Under: Style/Beauty Tagged With: aging, anti-aging, beauty, makeup

Losing Weight: Diet Versus Exercise

February 14, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

You always hear that to lose weight you must consume a healthy diet and exercise regularly. This is not inaccurate as both do lead to weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight. However, one is more effective than the other in helping you to shed the pounds. This information will help you to make the right choices when it comes to shedding those extra pounds.

Diet

The key to a successful diet is not being overly restrictive. For example, some people try to do too much at once and this backfires. Cutting to 800 calories per day is not only unhealthy for most people, but it is just not enough to be satisfied. If you are not satisfied you will not stick to your diet for very long. You need to make sure that you can eat at least two to three meals a day that are satisfying plus a snack or two. This is why most people do not cut below 1,200 calories. 1,200 allows you to still eat a decent amount of food and get your necessary nutrients in so that you feel good as you strive to regain your health.

With a 1,200 calorie diet you can do a 300 calorie breakfast, a 200 calorie lunch and a 500 calorie dinner. This will leave you 200 calories for a snack or two. If you snack smart, this can be as many as three snacks. Or, if you are not really into snacking, you can use this extra 200 calories for something like a glass of wine after a long day.

Exercise

Regardless of whether you need to or not you should exercise for 30 minutes at least three times per week to maintain a strong heart, lungs, bones and muscles. However, if you never exercise, but only eat right, you will maintain a healthy weight. If you restrict calories and never exercise, you can lose weight. However, you want to exercise during weight loss because this helps to build muscle and lean muscle will contribute to burning more calories, thus increasing your weight loss. It also works to tighten and tone which will help to prevent some loose skin as you lose weight.

Exercise should consist of cardiovascular exercise, flexibility training and strength training. This will give you overall benefits that help you to fight disease and age-related issues like osteoporosis, heart disease and reduced lung capacity.

Which Works Better?

You can exercise seven days a week, but if you are consuming twice what you need to lose weight then you are either going to slowly gain or just not lose depending on your activity level and how many calories you burn. Now, with dieting, you are restricting calories to just what you need. Most people cut 500 calories per day and this alone will knock off a pound per week. Of course, the more a person weighs, the faster the weight will come off, but it will come off anyone who is cutting calories every day.

The bottom line is that you should be doing both to maintain overall health, but diet alone can result in weight loss.

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: dieting, exercise, Fitness, Health, weight loss

Winter Dry Skin: Cold Weather Complexion Protection

February 13, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

Lower temperatures are related to dry, itchy skin. This is almost inevitable for every woman. However, you do not have to deal with the itching, cracking and dryness anymore. There are things that you can do to beat Old Man Winter and maintain your soft, healthy summer skin all year long.

Moisturize a Lot More

If you are moisturizing once per day like most people can get away with in the summer, then you need to step it up. It is not uncommon for a skin care routine to need to change with the seasons. For your face, you want to stay with an oil-free moisturizer, but with the rest of your body an oil-based cream or lotion can work to your benefit in the winter months.

Don’t Skip the Sunscreen

Just because the sun is not noticeably shining does not mean that it is not able to do some damage. Regardless of the season, you need to ensure that your skin is protected from the sun. While you will likely not have to do your entire body as you are probably covered up from the cold, you do need to make sure that any exposed areas, such as your hands and face, are well-protected.

Give Your Hands a Hand

Your hands dry out easier than other areas of your body due to the fact that the skin is thinner on them. When the weather is cold, it makes keeping hands moisturized even more difficult. One good tip is not to expose them. Wear gloves when you are outside to maintain some heat. You should also moisturize frequently. A good rule of thumb is to apply lotion or cream every time after you wash your hands. This will eventually become a habit and you will notice that your hands are far less dry.

Humidify Your Home

The lack of moisture in the air is exactly why your skin dries out in the winter. You cannot control the outside temperature, but you can control the temperature in your home. If you can only do one then put one in your bedroom at night. Your skin is repairing itself as you sleep so having a humidifier in your bedroom will be to your greatest benefit. Be sure to apply lotion or cream before bed and then sleep in a humid room. You will wake up with skin that is softer and healthier than when you went to sleep.

Skip Hot, Long Showers

When it is cold outside it is very tempting to take long showers with the hottest water that you can stand, but this is counterproductive. Hot water actually parches the skin and causes further dryness. You should limit your showers to 15 minutes maximum and then only use lukewarm water. You want the temperature to be comfortable, but as cool as you can comfortably stand it.

Grease Your Feet

Your feet, like your hands, need some extra love in the winter months. A good idea is to use a pair of cotton socks and petroleum jelly at night. This should be done after using a file or pumice stone to help remove calluses and excessive dry skin.

Filed Under: Style/Beauty Tagged With: beauty, caring for skin, Health, skin care, winter skin

Five Tips to Save on Shopping

February 13, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

In today’s economy there is no such thing as saving too much money. There are some ways to stretch your household budget without really sacrificing anything. These are more about critical thinking and less about doing without. Incorporating even just one of these will have a positive impact on your family budget.

You do not Always Need the Store

If it is something that you do not need right away then take the time to look for the item for free. For example, if you know you will need a new tree for the holidays, then look into getting one for free. You can often find one on those free community websites or you can find one at things like yard sales for a fraction of the price. The same goes for decorations. Other things you can often get really discounted or free are things like lawn furniture, home furniture, clothing and most home items. Since these items often carry a hefty price tag, finding them at a discount, or free, can save you a lot of money over the course of a year.

Consider Purchases in Advance

You can usually find coupons or other ways to save money by being a patient purchaser. You should also be on the lookout for sales when you are doing your regular shopping. For example, things like deodorant, shampoo and soap are things you will always need. Just because you have not run out yet does not mean that you should not buy these if you find a good deal. Whenever something you use regularly is on sale, you should pick it up. This is a great way to save quite a bit of cash over a year.

Make Substitutions

Just because you have been buying a particular brand does not mean that it is the only brand you will like. In fact, generic items really only cost less because the packaging and advertising are not there to jack up the costs like they are with name brand items. Most things like food items and toiletries can be bought in generic brands and they will be as good and work just as well as their name brand peers.

Make a List and Stick to It

Most people go to the store with items in mind that they need. However, they often leave with things that they really did not need. These unnecessary items can add up quickly and buying just one unnecessary item each time you head to the store can result in you spending at least hundreds per year that you did not mean to spend. Think about how far an extra $500 per year will go. Stop buying those unnecessary items and you will have several hundred bucks that you did not have before.

Shop at Multiple Places

Everyone has their favorite stores, but expanding your horizons could result in major savings. For example, use at least two grocery stores and compare their prices. Make your lists so that you get the items from the store that costs less. Saving just $20 a week is $80 per month that could pay a small bill or be put back for something fun at the end of the year.

Filed Under: shopping/gifts Tagged With: keeping a budget, saving money, shopping/gifts

Dealing with Embarrassing Foot Problems

February 12, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

With spring just around the corner you want to get your feet ready for sandals and being without socks. However, there are some foot problems that can cause embarrassment and make summer fashion trends difficult to impossible to wear. However, you can do things to get your feet ready now so that come spring, you can wear those hot sandals without any fear.

Corns

If you wear tight shoes often, then it is almost inevitable that corns will occur at some point. It is important to ensure that your shoes fit properly and that the toe box is wide enough to wiggle your toes. To get rid of those corns, you can head to the drugstore and grab a corn remover. These are generally effective and get rid of corns within a month or less. If for some reason this fails to work for you, then your doctor can remove them.

Nail Fungus

This is actually quite common and is often seen in those who get regular pedicures. It is important to choose only the cleanest of salons, or save time and money by doing your own pedicures at home. To get rid of fungus requires at least 12 weeks of using a prescription anti-fungal medication. Since spring is close, you will want to get started with this as soon as possible.

Athlete’s Foot

This is not exclusive to those that spend hours a day in the gym. In fact, you can get it simply by going barefoot at the gym or public pools. Always wear shower shoes and never go barefoot in public. There are over-the-counter creams and lotions that will help to clear this up. It only takes about a week. If you have been properly treating this for two weeks with no results, then it is time to go see your dermatologist.

Ingrown Toenails

These are both painful and unsightly. These often occur just because with no actual cause, but shoes that are too tight and short toe nails can also result in this. Pain, redness and pus could indicate infection so if you are experiencing any of these, head to your doctor. There are treatments that can be done to help this issue.

Plantar Warts

Warts are contagious, but not highly. There are over-the-counter treatments that freeze them off, but if this does not work your doctor can freeze them off. These are not dangerous, but they do look awful. Avoid being barefoot in public to help prevent this.

Dry Skin

Dry skin can crack, callus and it just looks awful. This can be fixed, but it takes work and you should get started today. First, always apply lotion to your feet after showering. You should first use a pumice stone or foot file to slough off some of the dry skin then apply some lotion and massage it in well. Using petroleum jelly at night is also helpful. You should apply lotion, then petroleum jelly and then sleep in cotton socks. Your skin will absorb this throughout the night and calluses and other rough spots are softened. It is important to do this every night and then about once to twice a week once your feet are in the condition that you want them.

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: beauty, feet problems, foot care tips, foot health, Health, style