Tammie's Take~

4 Ways to Keep Warm During the Colder Months

Reviews · January 15, 2018

Sometimes it doesn’t matter what we seem to do, we feel the cold. That’s especially true for the ladies who tend to stay colder than men, especially in their extremities. To avoid getting sick in the first months of the year while the temperatures are often frigid, here are a few tips to stay warmer.

Keep the Fireplace Well Stocked

In homes that are permitted to have a natural wood burning fireplace, not running out of chopped firewood is priority number one. The last thing you want is to run out of prepared wood ready to burn in the late evening when the temperatures outside are less than friendly.

Finding the best splitting axe reviews is not easy, so if you don’t already own a suitable one, take care to choose carefully according to both your body size and arm strength. A quality axe that’s too heavy for you to easily swing up and down is an ineffective one; pick based on your height, arm strength and overall flexibility.

Fluffy Blankets

Gone are the days when a rough-feeling blanket is your only choice. Now there are soft, fluffy blankets with interesting designs for adults or little kids to cover themselves on cold nights. Whether using one to feel cozier while lying on the sofa in front of the TV or over the comforter to provide greater insulation throughout the night, you can never go wrong with an extra blanket, or three.

Also, consider whether you may have guests over during the colder months who are using your guest bedroom. They’ll surely enjoy the optional blanket and will feel it’s a thoughtful touch, whether they find that they need it or not. And, if you have one or more dogs in the home, they will love their own blanket too.

Play Games That Keep You Active

Playing games as a group is ideal because it creates a competitive environment to enhance gameplay. However, on colder days, playing games like Twister and other ones that involve you physically interacting with the game helps you stay warmer by preventing couch surfing or being sedentary. Other indoor games that stay away from the cold outdoors are excellent options too.

Eat Hearty Meals That Warm Your Body

A hearty winter stew or creamy chicken soups and thick, crusty bread to dip into it make for good winter warmers at the dinner table. The last thing you want is a cold salad, even it has some delicious dressing on it! Corn Chowder is another dish that remains popular to warm the heart up. Also, baked chicken pies with mash potatoes or Mac ‘n’ Cheese with cauliflower both remain favorites that are delicious when hiding from the cold indoors.

Staying warm on cold days is half the battle to avoid getting sick and developing a serious illness. The other half of the battle is feeding yourself well, so your immune system stays strong enough to ward off any winter germs flying around unsympathetically, ready to strike.

Coping When A Household Disaster Strikes

Reviews · January 15, 2018

For homeowners, there is nothing more upsetting than a household disaster striking, particularly when your home is exactly how you want it to be, and it ends up being ruined. The fact is that while you can never know if a household disaster will strike, what you can do is prepare in advance so that if it does, you are able to cope with whatever is thrown at you. Find out how to prepare for these kinds of stressful situations and make managing and coping with them that little bit easier.

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Invest in insurance

One of the most important things that you can do to prepare for a potential household disaster is invest in adequate home insurance that covers every eventuality. The fact is that after a home disaster, whether it’s a house fire, a flood, or storm damage, the cost of repairs can often be high, which is why having insurance in place to cover any damage to your home is crucial. Otherwise, should your home be damaged by a storm, for example, you may not be able to afford to have the damaged repaired.

Call in the experts

If you are going to have any damage done to your home fixed, it is always best to call in the experts. While you may think that you can deal with the damage yourself, often the work can end up being complicated and time-consuming, which is why calling in the experts is so vital. Let’s say, for example, that your home has flooded. Instead of trying to deal with the clean up yourself, calling in an expert team from a company like Restoration Eze, could be worthwhile doing. As that way, the cleanup and repair of your home will be performed to a professional standard and should be completed far more quickly than it would be if you attempted to deal with it yourself.

Be positive

One of the most important things to do when a household disaster strikes is to remain positive at all times. The fact is that it may not be easy to do, but no matter what has happened to your home, it pays to remain positive about things. The situation may seem dire right now, but in time, as the damage is repaired, your home will soon be back to normal. It might be difficult to remain positive about the situation that you are in, but it is important to remember that things will get better.

No one likes to imagine that a household disaster will strike their home, but the fact is that you cannot always control what happens. A fire could break out and burn down your kitchen, a river could burst its banks and flood your home, or a storm could take out your roof. The fact is that you never know what’s around the corner or the impact that it will have, which is why knowing how to cope should the worst happen is so vital. To ensure that you are prepared for anything, take note of the tips and advice above.

Five Tips That Will Help Your Elderly Parent Through the Cold and Flu Season

Reviews · January 8, 2018

Cold and flu season is never a fun time for anyone, but for the elderly, it can be especially rough, and even serious depending on their existing health. Finding ways to get through the season and contracting as few germs as possible is key. However, try as you may, it’s almost impossible to avoid all the bugs out there. So, if your elderly parent is currently suffering from a cold or has the flu, here are some tips that can help make it a little easier for them.

Set Up a Humidifier in Their Home

A humidifier can offer all kinds of relief when they are suffering from a cold or flu. It can help to ease dry sinuses, cracked lips, and bloody noses (common when you have a nasty cold). Sometimes, it’s worth it just to use the humidifier at night when you are forced to breathe through your nose due to your clogged sinuses. Having a cool mist humidifier run while you’re sleeping will keep your throat moist so you don’t get a painfully dry throat.

Instead of paying top dollar for a humidifier, you can always make one for your parents. Visit the DIY Experience website and look at the various types of humidifiers and instructions on how to build them. You’ll find options for beginners and those with a little DIY experience.

Pick Up Some Vapor Rub

Another really simple product that can help to make a huge difference is vapor rub. The rub can be used on the chest and it can be quite handy to put a small dot under the nose so it is breathed in. It can be applied throughout the day and night as needed.

Plenty of Hot Beverages

Hot beverages can make a huge difference to a person’s comfort level while they are sick. Herbal teas are best with a bit of organic honey in them. This will coat the throat, help to soothe a cough, and honey helps to boost the body’s immune system.

Get More Sleep than Usual

In order for your body to fight off the germs, it needs energy, which can leave a person feeling extremely exhausted. It’s a good idea to encourage your parent to get as much rest as possible, whether they take naps or just rest in bed. If your parent is finding it hard to sleep because of their stuffed up nose, provide an extra pillow to prop them up.

Good Ol’ Chicken Soup

If there’s anything that’s going to make a person feel better, chicken soup is just that. Not only is it easy to eat when you’re stuffed up, but it’s also easy on the stomach and can even help to reduce inflammation in the body. This means the symptoms of the cold will be reduced.

Making It Through the Season

By using these tips you’ll be able to help your elderly parent through the cold and flu season as smoothly as possible.

Living With PTSD – Dealing With Disorder

Reviews · January 8, 2018

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When someone you care about is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it can be life-changing, for both of you. The changes in your loved one’s personality can be scary, overwhelming or even frightening. It’s crucial for you to understand, despite these emotions, you are not helpless, and that your support can make a tremendous difference to your partner, friend, or family member’s recovery. As difficult as it may be, with your help, your loved one can overcome PTSD and move on with their life.

PTSD can take a heavy toll on relationships and friendships. It can be hard to understand the sufferer’s behavior. They may be less affectionate and far more volatile. You may feel like you’re walking on eggshells all the time or even living with a stranger.

It’s very hard not to take the symptoms of this disorder personally, yet it’s vital to understand that someone with PTSD will not always have complete control over their behavior and actions. Your loved one’s psyche is in a state of constant rigidity, making them continually feel vulnerable and unsafe.

It’s common for people with PTSD to withdraw from friends and family. While it’s important to respect your loved one’s boundaries, your support can help them to overcome feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and despair.

Knowing how to demonstrate best your love and support for someone with PTSD isn’t always easy. You can’t force a recovery, no matter how much you would want to, but by merely being there and spending time together, you can play a significant role in their healing pathway.

Don’t pressure your loved one into talking. It can be challenging for people with PTSD to talk about their traumatic experiences. It can even make things worse. Allow your loved one to take the lead, rather than attempting to push them into a course of action. PTSD is different for everyone, but most people will know what makes them feel calm and safe.

Learn everything you can about PTSD. Knowledge is power and more you understand the symptoms and the treatment options available, the better you’ll be to help.

There are many avenues of support, including Emotional Support Animals. Although there are strict emotional support animal laws, your loved one may qualify for an ESA; this is dependant on a diagnosis from a professional mental health practitioner. Speak to your doctor for assistance.

Listen without prejudice. While you shouldn’t push anyone with PTSD to talk about how they feel, when and if they do choose to open up try to listen without judgment. Make it clear that you’re engaged and that you care, but don’t try to give advice.

Explore other avenues for anger. People who have PTSD exist in a constant state of physical and emotional stress. Since they usually have trouble sleeping, it means they’re always exhausted and physically strung out—increasing the likelihood that they’ll overreact to day-to-day stressors. Anger is a normal emotion, but when this spirals out of control, it can have severe consequences on an individual’s relationships, health, and state of mind. There are ways of getting anger under control by exploring the deep-seated issues and finding more constructive ways to express this emotion.

Through patient understanding and looking after yourself as well as your loved one, PTSD is not insurmountable and can be overcome.

DIY Formula 5 Creative Ways to Use Wrapping Paper

Reviews · January 8, 2018

With the holidays over, there can be an abundance of leftover wrapping paper lying around. When it comes to this leftover festive wrapping, there are several options. It can either be saved until the next holiday season, or it can be used in creative and fun ways. From decoration to packaging, here are five creative ways to use leftover wrapping paper.

Envelopes

One fun way to use leftover wrapping paper is to use it to cover your envelopes or even make your own. While not every envelope can be a fancy decorative one, this is a clever and stylish way to use old wrapping paper to make your letters even more fun. There are many different websites that offer tutorials on how to do this most effectively.

Lining

By lining drawers and shelves with leftover wrapping paper, you can introduce a splash of color into a place in your home that was previously very dull. These pieces can make a piece of furniture or a shelf pop a bit more. It can also be easier to clean. When the paper gets dirty, you can just remove it and replace it. This also makes it easier to change the color scheme of any given room. Rather than repainting an entire piece, you just have to change the lining.

Locker Organizer

Lockers can be a wonderful way to showcase your unique sense of style, whether at work, school, or the gym. A locker organizer can be a stylish way to help you keep things together, and leftover wrapping paper can make it a truly unique piece. Websites like DIY Formula offer simple, step-by-step instructions to help you make any project that you can think of.

Packaging

Not only can old wrapping paper be a clever and creative way to cover books, giving them a unique and festive flair, it can also be a wonderful way to wrap up breakable things that are being packed away. Some decorations are more fragile than others, and by using the leftover wrapping paper, you are not only keeping them safe and unbroken, you are also guaranteeing that, the next time you open that particular box, you will be greeted with colorful decorations to unwrap.

Decoration

If you have an empty space on your walls that needs a new piece of art and a beautiful piece of wrapping paper, why not kill two birds with one stone? By putting a piece of leftover wrapping paper in a frame, you can have a beautiful piece of art to hang on your wall at a fraction of the cost. Leftover wrapping paper can also be used to cover a bulletin board, giving it a unique look. If your paper is holiday themed, it might be a little less useful year-round, but there are plenty of colorful papers that you can use.

Leftover wrapping paper may seem like an object that only has one use, to be burned in the fireplace after the holidays. However, there are many creative, and at times festive, ways to use leftover wrapping paper.