Hand Washing 101

Frequent, correct hand washing is the number one way to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses that make us ill. How do you wash your hands? How often? If you work in child care, food service, or health care you probably pass the proper hand washing poster several times each day. Do you ever bother to read it anymore? If you do read it, do you pay attention? For those of who don’t work with these posters every day, and even those of you who do, here’s a brief refresher in the right way to wash your hands. Look … Continue reading →

Expunge the Sponge

With all the recent blogging about germs and the many places in our homes they hide I thought it time to point out the biggest spreader of things-that-make-you-go-ewww in the house: the sponge. Most of us, me included until I started writing this blog, assume that the sponge we use to clean our kitchens or bathrooms simply must be be clean, after all it’s soaked in cleanser by the time you’re done, right? Wrong. Sponges are fertile ground for germs, particularly bacteria that love a nice, dark, moist home in which to grow. So what do you do? No one … Continue reading →

Germ Laundering

I was reading through a stack of old parenting magazines last week looking for anything I might want to clip and keep before recycling them and ran across an article that grossed me out. It was discussing a report on household germs and the places they show up where most people don’t think to look. Places like laundry. CLEAN laundry. Anyone else bothered by this? You think clean laundry would be, well, clean—apparently not. Some of the statistics were both depressing and disgusting; some items are COMING OUT of the wash with fecal matter, bacteria, and viruses on them. Yes, … Continue reading →

Hospitals and Drs. Offices Can Make You Sick!

You wouldn’t think it. I know I didn’t until my youngest daughter (when she was a baby), dropped her pacifier on the floor of a hospital room. I reached down to wash it while the nurse was giving me a very strange look. She asked for it and threw it away. We said that we could just wash it with soap, but she insisted that we shouldn’t risk it. I was a little confused. She continued to explain that although they do clean regularly, a hospital is filled with people coming and going that are sick. Most of their illnesses … Continue reading →

Decreasing Cold and Flu Times

It’s a fact: the best way to avoid getting sick is by washing your hands throughout the day. When you do, you should scrub for at least twenty seconds. A hand sanitizer (one that doesn’t need the use of water or a towel), can come in handy as well, especially when you are in a hurry. You can put one in your car, purse, child’s backpack, etc. Most hand sanitizers will dry out your skin, so you will also want to use a hand lotion in conjunction with it, especially if you use it often or have sensitive skin. You … Continue reading →

Picky Eater? Worried About Your Child’s Nutrition? 10 Tips to Get Them to Eat!

2. Let them help. They will be proud of how cool it was to be a part of making their meal, and more likely to eat it all up. Even just letting them get items out of the fridge or cupboards can get them excited about eating. 3. Choose what foods you know they love. Sneak in some other foods along with it, and see if they end up eating it! Everyone needs a good variety of fruits, vegetables, dairy and grains. Most kids get stuck on a few foods that they like, and won’t eat anything else. 4. Let … Continue reading →