Learn Or Do

Only 27 more days to come up with your Halloween costume!  Back in the day, I don’t remember costumes being as elaborate as they seem to be today.  As a child, I remember having an elephant costume that I wore for like 3 years.  Then I graduated to an Indian brave costume that my brother had outgrown and wore it for at least 2 or 3 years.  The important thing after all was the candy!

It’s always a toss up for me about what candy I like most for Halloween – Snickers bars or M&Ms.   You can bet on some sort of chocolate if you trick or treat at my house!  I haven’t bought my Halloween candy for this year yet – saves me eating half of it.

Last year, I went all out – my trick or treaters got a spooky “hand” full of different kinds of candies.  I was a hit in my neighborhood – and now I’m worrying about how to top myself.  I’m hitting up Pintrest for ideas so hopefully the neighborhood kids will score big here again.

Need a “creative” costume idea?  Check out these links:

• Popsugar.com
• Purewow.com

And my Throwback Thursday picture?  Here’s my trick or treat picture from last year!

Essential Oils seem to be promoted everywhere these days.  Have you gotten on the bandwagon?  I love my diffuser and carry a little vial of Aveda Blue Oil with me for headaches.  Research has proven there are positive effects to using essential oils – but remember, don’t over do them with the diffuser.  The rule of thumb I’ve been told is to run the diffuser for 30 minutes and then turn it off for thirty minutes and so on.  And if you’re using oils topically, remember to dilute them to avoid skin irritation.

Here’s a short guide to what oils are good for what:

• Thyme: It can disinfect surfaces and support respiratory health too.
• Peppermint: Can help relax the airways, boosting alertness and strength.
• Lavender: It’s widely known as a sleep aid. But sniffng it can also reduce the severity of a migraine, research shows.
• Bergamot: Just a whiff can reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol within 15 minutes, reports Complementary Medicine Research.
• Chamomile: When applied topically, this is a powerful anti-inflammatory. It also can improve sleep as we all might know from sipping Chamomile tea!
• Lemongrass:  A spa staple, lemongrass oil is known to help reduce stress.

Want to know more about essential oils?  Check out this article from Shape Magazine.

This is my fourth week at my new job and I’m starting to feel like I’m settling in well.  The one trouble spot is still my commute.  My new office is 30 miles away from home and there isn’t an easy way to get there.  Between the traffic and the lack of a direct path, it can take me well over an hour to get home in the evening – less in the morning since I leave home at 6:45AM.

So this week, my challenge to myself is to explore new routes.  And quite frankly, it’s not a bad challenge for anyone who drives regularly.  What say you join me in leaving the comfort zone of the well trodden path and try out the roads less traveled?  I may not cut a lot of time off my commute, but maybe there will be compensation like a pretty view, a shop or a restaurant that might become a favorite along the way or just the new experience.

I’m going to check out alternative routes suggested by the Waze App – if you haven’t tried Waze, it compiles traffic information based on the cellular signals of your fellow drivers as well as their reports of road conditions.  I can tell you that although the reports of congestion can sometimes be slightly out of whack with my own opinions, the time it reports for you to get to your destination is generally spot on.

So download the app (if you haven’t already) and join me on the road LITERALLY less traveled!

I am currently suffering from my first cold of the fall season.  Weird – I haven’t had a cold forever but this one has sure made its unpleasant symptoms known.  I used almost a full box of tissues on Saturday!

If you want to track how the cold/flu season is progressing, I can suggest a couple of resources:

• WebMD Cold/Flu Conditions – click in on your state to see what symptoms are prevalent.  For example, right now Illinois is showing minimal cases of flu – but high levels of congestion, runny nose and coughs which are classic cold symptoms.
• Want a more colorful map?  Check out The WeatherBug’s Cold and Flu Map.

And the WeatherBug also reminds us that to avoid catching a cold you should:

• Wash Your hands: The cold virus easily enters through eyes and nose, often carried there on your hands. Washing hands and not touching eyes and nose will decrease the chance of catching a cold.

• Stop rubbing your Eyes and Nose The viruses (there are at least 200 different ones) that cause the common cold enter the body through nose and eyes. The quickest way to get infected is to touch a door and then rub your nose.

• Cover Your Mouth: When coughing or sneezing, cover nose and mouth with elbows or arm. Coughing into hands and then touching doors and water faucets will spread cold virus.

• Stay Home: If you feel sick, stay home. Your friends and your coworkers will appreciate it if you keep the cold out of the office and their homes.

• Avoid Cold Sufferers: if possible, avoid being close to people who show cold symptoms, if possible.

• Exercise: Research suggests people who exercise regularly get the cold less than people who exercise less.

Now I’m going to go make a cup of tea and try not to sniffle – have a great day!

What’s so wrong with a nap on the front porch?  Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

This Throwback Thursday, let’s talk about the library.  When I was little, I used to love to go to the library.  I loved books (still do) and the library was always an adventure – activities, story time and all those lovely books just waiting for me.

Today’s library is a very different place from the hushed haven I remember.  Today, my local library has a coffee bar and serves as a meeting place buzzing with activities.  It’s a multimedia hub and still fabulous – but I miss the hush and smell of books and carpet that was such a part of my childhood visits to the library.

Last week, this photo from my childhood was posted on Facebook – it’s during story hour at the library and I’m the 4th child from the left.  I’m guessing I was around 3 years old.

Do you have any favorite memories of the library?  Let me know in the comments!

I have Onychoschizia.  Sounds horrible doesn’t it?  Well don’t worry – it’s just a fancy term for splitting fingernails.   The term onychoschizia includes splitting, brittle, soft or thin nails and the condition is more common for women than men.

According to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, the cause is usually rooted in how often women have their hands in and out of water.  I scrubbed floors yesterday so the Spic & Span in the bucket of water probably didn’t help anything either.

My new friends at the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology say I should be wearing gloves when I do housework – but that isn’t happening.  They also recommend taking supplements including biotin.  Apparently if you take a 1mg tablet 2 or 3 times a day, 1/3 of people see improvement in their nails in about 6 months.  Wow!  Not great odds for help for my nails any time soon!

I’m falling back on my old faithful remedies – trim my nails back and shape with a good file, a coat or two of Essie Grow Stronger polish, and Aveda Hand Relief hand lotion as often I can remember to use it.

If any of you have a good remedy, let me know – I’d love to try it!

Take a breath people – it’s almost October so the end of the year is coming at us fast now.  So today I challenge you all to take a little “me” break and do something nice for yourself.  Can’t think of anything?  Try one of these:

• Stop by the drugstore and get yourself one of those facial masks.  Most of them are less than $5 and a little pampering never hurt anyone.
• Make a cup of tea and sip it while staring out the window.  Bonus points if the window is open and it’s sunny where you are.
• Treat yourself to a candy bar or ice cream cone.  Chocolate is always a lovely indulgence.
• Get a pedicure.  Enough said.  (On a budget?  Giving yourself a pedicure counts too!)
• Turn up the radio and dance to a good song.  It doesn’t matter if someone sees you – DANCE!

That should get you started – let me know how you indulged yourself today in the comments!

I’m currently in a love-hate relationship with my alarm clock.  I’m not a morning person.  I’ll never understand people who wake up cheerful even before the alarm rings.  And while I am not one of the people who hits the snooze multiple times, I do not enjoy the alarm.  Especially on Monday morning.

Did you know the ancient Greek philosopher Plato had an alarm clock?  It was a water clock that was devised to make a sound with a pipe at dawn.  The Roman armies also used water clocks to sound gongs to wake them — although personally, I think maybe having the water splash them might have been more effective.

Mechanical alarm clocks date back to 15th century Europe.  Americans waited until the late 1700’s to put our own particular spin on the device.  According to Wikipedia:

The first American alarm clock was created by Levi Hutchins, of New Hampshire in the United States, in 1787. This device he made only for himself however, and it only rang at 4 AM, in order to wake him for his job.

Digital alarm clocks came into vogue in the 1970’s and often included an AM/FM radio element that started showing up with clocks in the 1940’s.  Many people use their cell phones or tablets as alarm clocks now but I’m old fashioned.  I still have a digital alarm clock – that goes off at 5:35AM these days.  Ugh….

 

This is less funny “haha” and more funny “hmmm….”  Have a great weekend!