Mommyfest

How Exercise Can Help Relieve Stress

To have a strong body, you need to exercise. A regular weekly exercise routine will help you maintain a healthy weight and can also help deal with what ever stress you may be going through. An exercise routine of half an hour a day is all you need to start relieving stress. Below are a few reasons why exercise is good for you:

Sadly, even if you already know that exercise is good for you, why is it that you can always have an excuse not to do it? A common excuse is … not having the time to exercise. But the truth is, you need to find time to exercise so that you can have the time to deal with the many stresses in your life. Another common excuse is not knowing what kind of exercise to do.

Have you considered exercising in the morning - just before your day gets busy? You do not have to go to the gym if membership to one is going to be another excuse. You can try walking in your neighborhood or you can even try exercise videos - there are so many varieties available right now - all you really need is a good pair of shoes. If you are unsure of what type of exercise to do, just remember to stick with a routine that you enjoy - any activity that is at your pace where you do not over exert yourself.

Is Your Medicine Cabinet Up to Date?

It’s been a while since you’ve gone through your medicine cabinet. You feel like you have some time today so you decide to clean it out and restock. Here are a few simple tips you can follow and you do not have to worry about doing it again until next year.

Get a box and dump everything from your medicine cabinet in there. Clean out your medicine cabinet. You can use some white vinegar. Now, go through each and every item in the box. Go through the medicines first. Make sure to dispose of expired prescriptions. Don’t forget to remove the labels on all of them because it has some of your personal information. The general rule of thumb is to throw out anything that is old, since their effectiveness is diminished. Maybe you have accumulated two or more of one product. Check all expiration labels. Keep the newest one and throw out the old. When you are done going through all of the items in the box, return to the medicine cabinet what you have not thrown out. Now is a great time to organize your medicine cabinet.

Depending upon the size of your medicine cabinet, you may want to prioritize those items you use on a daily basis, such as: deodorants and razors, which you can keep on the first shelf. You may want to use plastic cups to keep your Q-tips in; or disposable razors as well. Place all ointments and creams on another shelf, such as Neosporin and the like. Medicinal products can be put on the top shelf. It depends on your preference. Glass bottles, however, should be kept on the first shelf. Replenish whatever creams or ointments you threw out, and any other necessary items you need to have on hand. For example; over the counter antacids; vapor rub; cough syrup; toothpaste; toothbrushes, and the like.

Make sure you have enough band aids; ointments; and other necessary items you may need, especially if you have children. Cleaning out your medicine cabinet can be done once a year as long as you replace or throw out those items which are expired or no longer useable during the year. Wasn’t that easy?

Fun Nature Family Walk

Have you ever gone on a nature trip with your family? If you haven’t, now is the time to do it - weather permitting. Before you go though, here are some things to consider:

Choose appropriate clothes and shoes for your nature trip. Make sure clothes are comfortable. You could wear light and layered clothes of course depending on the weather. You may want to bring a light jacket or raincoat too. Wear sneakers or hiking boots or any closed toed shoes to make sure your feet are well protected. It may be nice to bring binoculars too as you can never tell what sights await you.

Teaching our kids about nature and also the animals who live in our planet is a great practice because our kids can learn all about specific habitats, the animals who live in them, and the importance of preserving them for future generations.

Yes, our kids can learn about nature through books but, they discover more when they see and walk among different trees and flowers and discover the different species of birds and insects. It makes life more real for our kids and makes their easier to relate and understand nature.

Whether you are taking the whole family to the zoo, or to a reserve where extinct birds can be found, now is the time to do it. Our earth’s natural resources are vanishing as the population continues to increase. While there are still parks which preserve the beauty of nature and wildlife, no one knows how much longer conservation will continue.

Start with a family nature walk. This is a fun time of learning and appreciating nature and the grand treasures it holds.

How Good is Your Nail salon?

There have been some incidents of infections from nail salons due to their inability to keep their instruments clean. If you enjoy getting manicures or pedicures, here are some tips on what to look for in a nail salon.

Upon first glance, your favorite nail salon may look quite clean. The dangers, however, are there and may be unnoticeable. As you know, most of the instruments used in a nail salon are put into an ultraviolet container. Merely dunking their tools into a dish of soap and water is not sufficient to rid them of the bacteria which they may carry.

In addition, pedicures can be just as dangerous because if the instruments used are not properly cleaned, or the tub in which you place your feet is not disinfected. While it may seem as if these instruments are cleaned before reuse, you may be in for a surprise. There have been cases where women have developed fungal and bacteria infections to their fingernails and toenails. Yuck!

Have you noticed that after a manicure, your nails break more easily? This usually requires you to keep on going back to the nail salon month after month. The reason for this is that the enamel is worn down during filing, leaving your fingernails open to breakage. This then requires you to go back; and this process happens over and over again. Plus, if you notice that your nails are being poked and prodded more aggressively than usual, it is a disaster waiting to happen. If bleeding occurs, use Neosporin immediately – carry it with you. Their use of alcohol will only aggravate the situation.

The next time you decide to go for a manicure/pedicure; use vigilance. Know what is used to clean and sterilize the instruments if at all, or are they merely put into the ultraviolet case. Is the tub merely washed with soap and water; if so, this is unacceptable. Do the instruments seem dirty to you; are there traces of cuticle skin on them. I know some women who bring in their own instruments to be used for their nails. I think that is smart. Manicures and pedicures may be relaxing, but it pays to be extra careful when choosing salon.