Innovative Ways To Improve Your Health

Posted on October 28, 2021November 16, 2021 by Derek Grant

Being healthy means not being affected by injuries or illnesses. Your health isn’t limited to your physical condition. People should also protect their mental, social, and financial health.

Maintaining your health is a crucial way of maintaining your quality of life. If you’re struggling with physical, mental, or financial health issues, you may lack the means or motivation to engage in your favorite activities or achieve personal goals. Physical and mental health challenges can also impede your ability to work. Fortunately, there are many innovative resources you can use to improve your health to maintain or improve your quality of life.

Pharmaceutical products promote physical health.

Pharmaceutical products include prescription medications, topical ointments, and over-the-counter medications that alleviate symptoms or eliminate health issues. Pharmaceutical companies and medical scientists develop new medicines, conduct clinical trials, and produce medical devices. Patients benefit from better care and treatment outcomes when companies produce effective medications and medical devices.

Biopharmaceutical companies, such as Roivant, have developed new treatments for people with neurodegenerative diseases. Roivant Sciences has a subsidiary called Arovant, which introduced AXO-Lenti-PD in 2018. AXO-Lenti-PD is a gene therapy treatment for people with Parkinson’s disease. Vivek Ramaswamy founded Roivant, which also created Datavant, enabling health care companies and medical personnel to securely access and transfer patient information. Datavant improves patient care and ensures medical professionals have all relevant medical information available when treating patients.

Using a zero gravity chair provides physical health benefits.

You may wonder why you’d want a zero gravity chair. Is this a frivolous trend, or is this something that can benefit your health? NASA popularized reclining chairs when they produced a zero gravity chair for astronauts in the 1970s. Their objective was to reduce joint strain when shuttles launched into space. When you’re looking for a zero gravity chair in Canada, you must find one that enables you to recline without bending your joints or twisting your spine. This is known as neutral body posture, and it reduces stress on your nerves, spine, muscles, tendons, and bones.

Zero gravity chairs come in various sizes, supporting people up to 330 pounds and ensuring you can find a suitable chair for your physical needs. In addition to reducing joint strain and back pain, you’ll improve your circulation. You can even invest in a zero gravity chair with a massage feature to alleviate headaches.

Access mental health support with your smartphone.

People struggling with mental health issues can enhance their support through smartphone apps. Some apps provide teletherapy while others promote mood enhancement or offer tips to help users cope with depression. There are also apps for tracking your symptoms, which can be helpful between therapy sessions. Whether you need help managing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you’ll find a suitable app to support your mental health needs.

Managing your social health can start with your interests.

Socially healthy people can interact with others and maintain positive relationships. People may struggle with social health challenges due to their personality, traumatic events, or a recent move. One way people can promote their social health involves pursuing hobbies and interests. Suppose you love reading, which is usually a solitary activity. You can incorporate your reading interests into your social health care by joining a book club and interacting with other readers.

You can use apps to promote your financial health.

Your financial health references your financial status. Your income doesn’t necessarily determine your financial health. It’s more about your income to debt ratio. Use savings apps to accumulate savings each month and set aside funds for large purchases or your retirement. Use budgeting apps to track spending and manage your income to improve your financial health.

Being healthy ensures your quality of life. Thanks to biopharmaceutical companies, inventors, and apps, there are innovative ways you can support your physical, mental, social, and financial health.

The Basics of Pairing Tobacco With Drinks

Posted on October 28, 2021October 28, 2021 by Clara Kelley

Many smokers enjoy lighting up at the end of a long day but don’t know much about what drink they can pair their tobacco with. Finding the right combinations can be tricky even for the most experienced smokers, especially if you don’t have a lot of experience with wine, beer, and other types of alcohol. Fortunately, it isn’t as hard as it seems to find the right drinks to go with the tobacco products of your choice, and some basic rules can help you find the right match for almost anything. If you’re a smoker, keep reading to learn the basics of pairing tobacco with drinks.

What are some high-quality tobacco products?

While anyone can walk down to the corner store and buy a pack of cigarettes, many people prefer to elevate their smoking experiences. There are a number of tobacco products to experiment with beyond cigarettes, like cigars, wraps, and pipe tobacco. Finding high-quality products can be difficult since there are so many tobacco brands, which is why you should take the time to do some research and find the products that you’ll actually enjoy.

If you’re been smoking cigarettes for a while, you may want to try smoking pipe tobacco. You can find a variety of interesting blends with strong flavors. You can find both mentholated blends and those that don’t contain menthol and make use of a spectrum of other tastes and spices. You can also make use of products like leaf wraps to enhance your smoking experience. These Al Capone wraps can be perfect for a relaxing night in by the fire with a glass of wine.

If you have any health conditions, are pregnant, or are taking prescription medication, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor before using tobacco products. Your doctor can tell you more about how they may impact your health or interact with your medications.

How should you pair your tobacco with drinks?

Many people want to know what tobacco product or blend would go best with their favorite wine or American light lager. A light lager generally refers to a lighter version of a brewery’s premium lager. While some of these beers have a lower alcohol content, many are just as strong as premium beer but contain fewer carbohydrates and calories. When consuming American light beer, many tobacco experts recommend a cigar with a mellow flavor and notes of citrus or vanilla.

Generally, as your beer style trends get darker, you should look for cigars and tobacco blends that offer a deeper flavor and more medium-bodied smoke. The malt flavor of a darker lager will often pair well with something that has both sweet and earthy notes. Red wine also goes well with a medium-bodied smoke.

White wine is more delicate, and a cigar with a bitter taste may provide a poor mouthfeel. Something mild with hints of cinnamon spice or coffee is your best bet if you want a great pairing for your favorite chardonnay. It’s important to find a tobacco product that won’t overpower the sweetness but still complements the oak flavor.

It can be enjoyable to pair a cigar with a cold glass of beer or a freshly opened bottle of wine, but finding the right pairings can take some trial and error if you don’t know what you’re doing. There is a lot of flavor diversity in both alcohol and tobacco, so much so that newer smokers may be surprised by their versatility. As long as you stick to the basic rule of pairing bitter drinks with a tobacco blend that can stand up to the strong flavor and using smoother smokes for more delicate drinks, you’re likely to enjoy the experience next time you sit down to relax.

The Link Between Tinnitus and Your Mental Health

Posted on October 28, 2021October 28, 2021 by Patrick Ryan

No doubt many people have experienced a ringing in their ears for a short while. Usually, this happens after exposure to loud volumes at a rock concert or in a manufacturing plant. Typically, the ringing will subside, and normal hearing is restored after a brief period. However, for some people, buzzing, ringing, or high-pitched whistling is a constant and persistent problem. People who experience constant ringing in their ears suffer from what health professionals call tinnitus. Tinnitus is a medical condition that is not caused by an outside source. If left untreated, it can lead to a series of other issues.

The most common form of tinnitus is subjective tinnitus, where patients experience a constant ringing or buzzing in the ears. This type of tinnitus is usually also associated with hearing loss. Tinnitus and hearing loss can develop gradually over time or appear suddenly. Usually, factors that lead to auditory damage and eventually tinnitus include exposure to loud noises or deterioration due to normal aging processes. While there is no cure for tinnitus, several treatment options may be available to help treat tinnitus symptoms and improve the quality of life for those with this condition.

As most people with tinnitus also experience some hearing difficulty, many patients benefit from treatments for both their hearing loss and tinnitus. Solutions such as medications, hearing aids, acoustic therapy, and behavioral therapy have proven successful. Tinnitus is unique to every individual, and the treatment options and conditions will vary based on a combination of factors. Tinnitus can occur at any age. Unfortunately, when tinnitus is associated with younger adults, the side effects can also be mental health issues. Let’s take a look at the link between tinnitus and mental health.

Mental Health Disorders

Tinnitus has been linked to a series of widespread psychological issues. Once this occurs, the patient will require treatment for both tinnitus and mental health. Many people with tinnitus have reported insomnia and feelings of fear or anger. The constant ringing noises can lead people to experience self-esteem issues while interacting with others. In turn, this can lead to depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Symptoms of tinnitus can often lead to feelings of isolation and social withdrawal as tinnitus can cause people to avoid situations where it’s difficult to hear.

Many facilities can offer mental health treatment for those suffering from tinnitus. Charlie Health, as an example, offers virtual intensive outpatient programs for a host of mental health conditions. These programs focus on therapy for anxiety in social settings as well as loneliness and can help address some of the problems that arise from tinnitus symptoms. Of course, patients also need to seek treatment for tinnitus.

Treatments

Tinnitus affects about 20 million people in the United States with permanent ringing in the ears. As discussed, there is no cure for tinnitus, but there are treatments to help ease tinnitus symptoms. Without treatment and therapy, the constant noise in the ears can be debilitating. It can impact the quality of life and even interfere with brain function.

Many people with tinnitus have turned to dietary supplement options, a natural solution for coping with tinnitus. Tinnitus911, for example, combines hawthorn berry, hibiscus, olive extract, and niacin to help target the cause of tinnitus. Herbal supplements can help ease the symptoms of tinnitus and target the headaches, migraines, dizziness, and nausea associated with it.

To treat tinnitus, hearing specialists and other healthcare providers use a variety of methods and techniques. Hearing aids are often suggested as a way to improve hearing deficiencies. Additionally, doctors try to reduce or mask the ringing or buzzing. Low doses of anti-anxiety medications or antidepressants can also help.

Tinnitus can be a debilitating disorder with much more serious consequences such as anxiety, depression, and eventually dementia. Treatments plans for tinnitus should focus on the hearing issues as well as the associated mental aspects. Early prevention and hearing screening will also help to mitigate some of the long-term consequences.

How Do Moving Truck Rentals Work?

Posted on October 18, 2021October 18, 2021 by Thomas Bennett

Millions of people move to different residences each year. There are multiple reasons for moving, which could include a work transfer, purchasing your dream home, selling your property, or personal issues, such as divorce or job loss.

In addition to home moves, people also relocate businesses. Consequently, the moving industry’s value peaked at $18.4 billion in 2019, although the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a decline in 2020. Moving industry businesses include professional movers, storage facilities, and truck rentals. Read on to learn how moving truck rentals work and other services you may need if you’re planning a move.

Moving truck rental services offer multiple vehicles.

Truck rental companies make it possible to rent the best truck for your moving needs in a matter of minutes. Visit the rental truck website and determine which type of vehicle you need to lease. Renting a box truck’s a good idea if you have a lot of things to move. You may also opt to rent a trailer, particularly if you’re planning a multi-day rental and want to take your time unloading at your new destination.

You can consider using a cargo van for smaller moves. Cargo vans offer up to 500 cubic feet of storage space, which could be sufficient if you’re transporting your child to college or moving to a studio apartment. You can also consider using a pickup truck to move items. Cargo vans and pickup trucks are suitable for transporting new furniture to your home or other items that won’t fit in your family car. Suppose you plan to build a shed or frame a room in your basement but only own a family car. Renting a van or a pickup is a great way to transport lumber and avoid paying delivery fees. Moving truck websites provide crucial information about their vehicles, ensuring you rent a vehicle that’s the right size for your needs.

Moving truck apps simplify the rental process.

Moving truck websites and apps provide essential information about vehicle options and prompt renters to enter the date and time they need the rental. The site matches the renter with a suitable vehicle available when they need it. You don’t have to call to make a reservation or find the perfect solution for your moving needs. The app prompts you through the process, enabling you to find the right truck for your moving needs.

Contact your insurance agent before renting a moving vehicle.

Contact your auto insurance agent to discuss your current insurance coverage before you rent a vehicle. Personal insurance plans may cover a pickup truck rental or cargo van but may not cover larger vehicles, prompting you to rent a smaller vehicle and move in stages. You could also pay for insurance and rent a larger vehicle.

Paying for roadside assistance is a good idea.

Add roadside assistance to your moving truck rental to ensure you’re covered if the truck breaks down while you’re moving. Roadside assistance covers emergency repairs, such as flat tires. You can avoid unexpected expenses or paying a towing company to tow the moving truck to a repair shop.

You might need to sell your home.

Suppose you have a work transfer and need to move right away. Consider turning to the experts at SellQuickCalifornia.com for an immediate solution. This U.S. company will buy your home, offering the best price possible with no out-of-pocket expenses. There’s no need to wait for the right time of year to sell or pay for repairs before closing. It’s possible to sell your home within a week. Whether you’re moving across North America or to the other side of town, quickly selling your home can simplify the moving process and reduce your stress.

Moving truck rental services help people locate suitable vehicles for their moving needs. Sophisticated apps make it possible to rent a moving vehicle in a matter of minutes.

The Importance of Proper Food Safety for Restaurants

Posted on October 11, 2021October 28, 2021 by Patrick Ryan

Restaurants are a key part of our neighborhoods. They’re where we go to enjoy a meal together with our family and friends, celebrating special occasions or just enjoying each other’s company. However, restaurants also have a responsibility to the customers they serve to make sure that their food, no matter how delicious, is prepared and served safely for people to eat. It breaks down into four steps for restaurants to follow, in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC.

1. Clean

If there’s one thing that the COVID-19 pandemic has stressed, it’s the importance of cleanliness. Restaurant workers should regularly wash their hands for their own personal safety from food-related bacteria, especially when handling raw products in the kitchen. Anyone prepping food should wash their hands for 20 seconds with soap and water before, during, and after preparing food and before eating.

Germs in poultry, seafood, and meats that can cause food poisoning can survive in many places and can spread around a restaurant kitchen. It’s important to scrub surfaces after those raw foods have touched them. Even fruits and vegetables to make a salad require regular rinsing and scrubbing to be safe for use. Restaurants may want to look into biohazard cleaners to properly sanitize everything from refrigerators to sandwich prep tables to make sure contaminants no longer live on those surfaces. Regular cleaning by restaurant staff between shifts can also help kitchen staff keep a leg up against dangerous bacteria.

2. Separate

The second of the CDC’s four tips for food safety is the separation of these foods to avoid cross-contamination. Raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can spread germs to ready-to-eat foods unless they are properly separated. It’s important that cutting boards that are being used for those proteins are not being used for things like fruits and vegetables. You can’t cut raw chicken breast on the same board as iceberg lettuce, for example, even if they are both being used on the same sandwich. Keeping those raw proteins away from other foods prevents any juices or leaks from dripping onto other products and spreading bacteria, protecting the crowds from ingesting anything dangerous.

3. Cook

In order to avoid having these pathogens and viruses impacting cuisine, it’s important that food is cooked properly. This can start with having the proper equipment to keep food safe. The Restaurant Warehouse offers up affordable options when it comes to ovens, grills, and fryers that help to bring foods up to the proper temperature to make sure they are healthy to serve. This includes having cookware that is clean and safe to use when cooking.

A food thermometer can help kitchen staffers determine if foods are ready to hit the dining room. Whole cuts of beef and pork should be cooked to around 145°F, while all poultry should kick to around 165°F. Of course, be wary of any odors or concerns over poultry, dairy, and vegetables that smell or look dangerous to serve.

4. Chill

Bacteria can multiply rapidly if food, particularly meat, seafood, and poultry, are left in what’s called the temperature danger zone between 40°F and 140°F. Eliminating this potential contamination starts with proper cooking but ends with proper storage. Commercial refrigerators should be kept at 40°F or below and should also be part of regular clean-up to make sure no rotting foods linger on the shelves of a fridge.

It’s important to refrigerate perishable food within two hours and to thaw frozen food safely in the refrigerator, cold water, or the microwave. Do not do this on countertops, where bacteria can multiply at room temperature. Taking all of these steps can promote a clean environment and a healthy and enjoyable restaurant experience for your customers.

Ways to Prepare for Your Freshman Year of College

Posted on October 5, 2021October 18, 2021 by Jessica Bailey

Your freshman year of college is one that ushers in major change. While your academics will still be a major focus, you’re going to have to learn how to navigate life on your own moving forward. As with any new chapter in adulthood, planning ahead is crucial to getting the most out of your freshman year of college and beyond. Here are a few ways to prepare for your first year of college that will support you in your educational career.

Look for all the necessary tools for organization and your education.

Organization is one of the most important aspects of your education. After all, you will have to balance your college classes on top of any extracurriculars, social events, and work (if applicable). You can start by purchasing essential items like custom folders for important documents like syllabi from your classes, forms you need to fill out for classes or events, and even study guides for upcoming tests.

Of course, folders can be customized to include your school logo, designs that indicate what your pocket folder is designed to hold, or even be made from more durable materials so that you can carry it around with you on your way to class. Some other organizational tools you will likely need include planners, calendars, and notebooks for class notes and beyond.

Speaking to educational tools, one of the staples to have in your career is a great laptop. The best laptops for college will provide you with ample storage for your assignments and any necessary programs, plenty of speed so that you can easily open and run multiple programs at a time, and stay charged for hours at a time so you can rely on it to take notes when you’re sitting in a lecture hall. Whether you want a tablet/laptop combination or a plain laptop, getting all of your tech together is another major way to prepare for the path ahead.

Make your path to college easier with the right support.

Figuring out how to receive financial aid and scholarships, support your mental health as you navigate your packed schedule, and finding internships and jobs so you can get through college successfully is a lot to deal with. As such, you should look for an organization that can help you through the process of transferring from high school to college like the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS). This organization is a legitimate community (no NSHSS scam here) comprised of bright young scholars fully invested in their futures. Packed with resources to help you excel, joining the NSHSS is one way to make your transition to freshman year of college easier.

Master all of the adult skills you will rely on in college.

A lot of parents only think of college in terms of academics, but this isn’t the only focus you should have. Once you reach college, your life becomes your own. Taking the time now to learn the adult skills that you will rely on in college and beyond is critical to your success as an undergraduate. One such area that you should focus on now is your financial skills. Creating a budget based on how much student aid you have, what expenses you have, and how long you need to make this money stress will ensure you don’t run out of money too quickly.

If you don’t have much external support, you will also need to consider how you’re going to generate income for your college career. All of these adult tasks may be overwhelming, so it’s important to ask for help when you need it.

There’s a lot more to your first year of college than meets the eye. To stay on track and get the most of the college experience, use some of the tips above to prepare yourself in advance.

How Do I Improve the Air Quality of My Nail Salon?

Posted on September 21, 2021September 21, 2021 by Derek Grant

Running a nail salon isn’t an easy thing to do. As a business owner, you’re charged with providing customers with healthy nails, a luxurious experience, and a safe space in which to get the manicure or pedicure of their dreams. Not to mention the fact that you need to keep your professional manicurists healthy and happy, and attract new customers by staying up to date on all the new trends and technologies in the realm of gel manicures and acrylic nails.

One area that you shouldn’t ignore, though, is clean air. The last 18 months or so of the COVID-19 pandemic have made it abundantly clear that clean air is crucial—and hard to achieve! All sorts of businesses have revamped their clean air technology to make it more effective. As a purveyor of nail polish solutions to your customers, you should be rethinking the indoor air in your nail salon as well. The best way to achieve clean indoor air is to tackle the solution head-on. How do you ask? Well, we have a few ideas that might just do the trick.

Talk to the pros about the new technology out there.

Sure, you could just buy an air purifier on Amazon and call it a day, but would that really inspire confidence in your customers? Or, would they take their nail health needs elsewhere? In the current economy, you simply can’t take chances. Just like you stay apprised of the new trends in the world of artificial nails and nail art, just like you have the best nail polish remover on the market and don’t compromise when it comes to manicure tools, you need to speak to the pros when it comes to clean air technology.

There are folks out there whose business it is to make spaces EPA-compliant and to maximize air pollution prevention. They can advise you on what your space actually needs in order to avoid poor air quality. When your customers see that you’re taking poor air quality as seriously as you’re taking nail care, they’ll trust your salon.

Offer a modest selection of take-home manicure tools.

One way to develop customer loyalty is to accept that people are going to want to avoid public spaces in the era of COVID-19, even though you’re taking your indoor air quality seriously. One of the best tips that the CDC has provided is to practice social distancing and practice avid hand washing. You can show that you respect your customers’ boundaries by partnering with a home manicure kit company like Try Sprig (trysprig.com) to provide basic DIY manicure kit tools.

Make it clear to your customers that they won’t get the whole mani-pedi experience by doing a DIY manicure, but that this is a way to help brittle nails and cuticles while the pandemic rages on. This will provide you with more sales of manicure tools, and customers who feel seen are likely to hurry back once COVID-19 is a thing of the past.

Shout your clean air commitments from the rooftops.

Don’t just keep your air quality commitment and home manicure innovations to yourself—shout it out from your social media accounts! Make sure to connect with your customers—or potential customers—on Instagram and Tik Tok on a regular basis. Consider posting reels of a step-by-step guide to a home gel manicure, or with the best manicure tips. This is a great way to stay connected and show people how much you care, and might be the way to achieve the best possible results even during this difficult time.

The ingredients to a successful salon are different, depending on your specific situation. Still, these tips are a great way to make it through these troubling times with the best results.

Can Stress Affect My Libido?

Posted on September 15, 2021September 15, 2021 by Derek Grant

Unfortunately, chronic stress and anxiety disorders rise cortisol levels within the body. High levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, is linked to anxiety and other high-stress emotions that negatively interfere with your sexual desire and libido.

With this knowledge at hand, it makes sense that you may want to dive deeper to figure out why this may be happening to you. If this is your current situation, then keeping reading to gain a better understanding and explore how to achieve a better sex life despite any struggles.

Understand how stress and anxiety impact your body.

As stated previously, excessive stress isn’t good for anyone. In fact, chronic stress is related to symptoms like headaches, fatigue, insomnia, stomach upset, weakened immune system, lack of sex drive, and other physical problems. Additionally, it also wreaks havoc on your mental wellbeing causing anxiety, depression, anger, restlessness, and apathy too.

Basically, too much stress is a recipe for living a poor quality of life. When it comes to your sex life, it’s just as damaging. The last thing a stressed-out person who has tons of other things running through their mind is concerned with is improving their sexual activity. For these reasons, it’s time to get stress under control so you can get the sexual health you deserve.

Try a supplement that may boost libido.

One valuable idea for older men who have erectile dysfunction or low sex drive is to take a male enhancement pill that has the potential to improve their ability to maintain an erection, orgasm, and better blood flow despite the adverse effects of stress. Supplements like VigRx Plus contain specific natural ingredients that are shown to enhance sexual performance, potentially heighten testosterone levels, and boost sex drive.

Some of these ingredients in VigRX include ginkgo biloba extract, Korean red ginseng, saw palmetto, and hawthorne berry. All of these natural ingredients and various plant extracts in VigRX work together to promote side effects like better stamina, increased blood flow, and heightened sexual desire.

As a disclaimer, make sure to speak with your doctor before taking any new medications. Once approved, you can look forward to seeing results on your sexual health in about two weeks of taking the VigRX supplement.

CBD may help to alleviate some anxiety.

If you’re trying to nip your stress levels quickly to improve your sex life, then you may be open to considering alternative medications and supplementation. One idea is to start taking CBD. This hemp-based marijuana alternative has many health benefits. Though you should note that CBD is not regulated by The Federal Drug Administration (FDA).

For this lack of regulatory services from the FDA, you want to ensure you’re buying high-quality CBD products like this CBD broad spectrum oil that might help to alleviate some of your stress, anxiety levels, inflammation, and poor sleep. This broad-spectrum CBD dropper is formulated to support a healthy lifestyle by sourcing natural ingredients and offering specific dosages based on your desired mg of CBD. Plus, it has been tested for purity overall quality to ensure you’re getting what you pay for.

Again, before ingesting any CBD products, it’s worthwhile to speak with your doctor to understand if CBD would produce health benefits for you. If it can help to lessen the negative impacts of stress and anxiety, then it’s a great step towards feeling sexual desire again.

Workout your stress with positive activities.

Since humans are fairly complex creatures, there are a lot of different factors that contribute to stress levels and low libido. On the other side of the coin, exercise is one way to benefits all of these various components in our lives. There are so numerous health benefits to working out.

So, working out is a great place to start when wanting to negate your stress. Just half an hour a day is a smart step towards finding positive coping mechanisms to handle stress and anxiety as it barrels through. Regular workouts are obviously good for your physical health. However, workouts also have benefits for your immune system, sexual health, and mental health too.

To be specific, just twenty minutes of exercise has the potential to increase sexual arousal by 169%. With this fact at hand, it’s a no-brainer that consistent workouts should be a staple in negating stress and enhancing your sex life.

How To Keep Things Cool for Your Kids This Summer

Posted on September 7, 2021September 7, 2021 by Rosie Bennett

The long, hot summer months may seem unending for parents who are trying to keep their kids busy and cool. There are only so many trips to the zoo or the water park that a parent can take—all of these things cost money and take time out of work. If only the kids could stay cool and engaged at home, while parents are able to get some work done!

Good news, folks. It’s possible! Plus, it’s possible without breaking the bank, which is what most parents actually want to hear. With a few easy life hacks, you can have your kids sitting in the cool air or even enjoying a water slide without leaving your home office. Want to learn more? Read below for all the details.

First things first: Fix up your AC unit.

An inefficient air conditioner is the last thing you need as a parent trying to keep your kids (and yourself) cool during the summer months. Think about it—the air conditioner will be running overtime, pushing cool air through debris or clogged vents and ducts, and costing you a pretty penny on your energy bills at the same time. The efficiency of your air conditioner has a clear connection to lower energy bills and happier kids, which means that the efficiency of your air conditioner also has a clear connection to a happier you. What this means, essentially, is that the first step should be calling in technicians to improve the efficiency of your AC this summer and maybe even install a smart thermostat or programmable thermostat so that you can automate temperatures.

Did you know that you can rent water slides and bounce houses?

Okay, you might think that this sounds crazy but it actually makes a lot of sense. On a hot day, your kids will be overjoyed to have a bounce house or water slide to enjoy in the backyard. It means hours of (safe) fun that keep your kids happy and engaged. Renting a water slide in Long Island, for example, is as simple as going online and reserving your rental. You can even get it for a whole day and share the costs with other parents. It’s a great way to have the kids enjoy hot summer days while you stay inside in the cool air conditioning.

Freeze healthy snacks ahead of time.

This is what your appliances are for! Making smoothie popsicles or other fun, frozen treats can help your kids cool off and stay healthy at the same time. Plus, having frozen or cool snacks prepared ahead of time means that you can just point your kids in the direction of the freezer instead of interrupting your workday to get them a sandwich or cut up some fruit. Make sure to buy popsicle molds that are dishwasher-safe so that you can save on clean-up time later.

Join forces with other parents in the neighborhood.

You’re not alone in this struggle, and that’s worth remembering! If you’re in Long Island, for example, look to parent groups on social media to find other folks who are also looking for a good idea (or a few good ideas) to keep their kids cool and happy. Make a schedule that has the kids hanging out in different homes throughout the week. Share the costs of inflatables and other party rentals to make things more affordable. A small change to your schedule can take a major load off your shoulders. Plus, you might just make some lifelong friends in this way.

There are plenty of creative ways to have fun on hot summer days. Whether it’s calling a rental company or cleaning your AC unit’s dirty filters, take these concrete steps and enjoy a fun summer (with low electric bills) sooner!

How Do I Prepare My Home for Extreme Weather?

Posted on September 7, 2021September 7, 2021 by Siera Brown

Extreme weather includes heatwaves, tornadoes, hurricanes, ice storms, and blizzards. Extreme weather events can disrupt electrical services, damage buildings, and wash out roadways.

Extreme weather can cost homeowners thousands in repairs. Homeowners can prevent significant damage by taking steps to prepare their homes for extreme weather. The exact steps vary based on your location, but following this guide will ensure you’ve done everything possible to protect your home from extreme storms.

Identify the types of extreme weather you could experience.

Every region of the globe deals with different weather systems. Suppose you live in Miami-Dade County. You’re more likely to deal with hurricanes than blizzards, while Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, and Kansas experience more hail storms than other locations in the United States.

Each type of weather system carries specific risks and has specific safety recommendations. Kansas typically experiences dozens of tornadoes each year. Several states experience blizzards. The southwestern United States is prone to drought, putting residents at risk of water shortages and forest fires.

Some regions face different storm risks at different times of the year, making it necessary to perform seasonal weather preparations. Identify the common extreme weather threats in your area and make a checklist of event-specific steps to take before a storm.

Take specific steps to protect your home from standard weather systems in your area.

Hurricanes are powerful storm systems with high winds and heavy rains. Although these massive storms can cause significant damage, there are several ways you can prepare your Doral, FL, home for the next storm. Right before a storm, hire experts to prepare your home to withstand the force of the hurricane. Even if you have impact windows, you may want to have your windows boarded up to protect them from debris. You can also contact South Florida contractors at the start of hurricane season and have them assess your home for potential threats. Contractors help property owners determine how to prevent property damage from floods and debris during significant storms. You can also invest in a priority response agreement, ensuring you have a team of experienced professionals who’ll help you restore your property after the hurricane passes.

Perhaps you live in the central part of the country and face a more significant threat from tornadoes. You can use the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommendations to build a safe room where you can take shelter during storms. Installing impact-resistant windows and securing your doors can also help prevent property damage during a tornado.

Your roof can collapse under the weight of heavy snow. Clear your roof before snowstorms to prevent a collapse. Clear snow from walkways and doorways to make it easier to exit your home after the storm. Insulate your attic and seal your doors and windows to prevent drafts.

Adding insulation to your attic and having a programmable thermostat installed can help you regulate your home’s temperature if you experience extreme heat where you live. You can also install fire-resistant siding and shingles to reduce the risk of fire damage if there’s a forest fire in your area.

No matter where you live, a generator can come in handy.

When it’s time to renovate your kitchen, it’s time to install a generator. Generators keep the appliances in your new kitchen operating. You’ll also be able to provide power to your light fixtures and run your furnace or air conditioner because you’ll have power.

Make sure your generator’s installed correctly and has good ventilation to prevent carbon monoxide from building up inside your home. Hire an electrician to connect your generator, ensuring critical systems and appliances have electricity during power outages. Keeping the power running can prevent pipes from freezing during blizzards and enable sump pumps to operate during heavy rainfall, preventing or limiting flood damage.

Extreme weather can damage your home, causing thousands in repair bills. Investing in superior storm-resistant windows, fire-resistant shingles and siding, and installing a generator can help you protect your home from storm damage.