Blood Thirsty Insects: 5 Tips to Avoid Ticks and Mosquitoes

April 8, 2015 by

Ticks and mosquitoes are two of the most annoying creatures in existence. These ancient bloodsuckers have been known to cause sickness and spread disease. Fortunately, families can stay safe my taking the necessary precautions. Before you start looking for a professional exterminator like Economy Exterminators , here are a few tips to help keep ticks and mosquitoes at bay.

Eliminate standing water

Homeowners should minimize the amount of standing water around their property. Standing water is actually the perfect environment for mosquitoes to breed. On a warm day, hundreds of mosquitoes can be seen swarming around a single mud puddle. Some of the other hot-spots for mosquitoes include empty flower pots, storm drains, garbage cans, and road ditches.

Keep the lawn mowed

Tall grass tends to attract the presence of ticks. You could use a natural tick repellent for yard and the surrounding areas to get rid of them. Alternatively, you could consider keeping the grass short. That way it would hold less moisture and the ticks will be forced to move to another area. Short grass also allows sunlight to shine directly onto the tick’s body. The sun’s intense UV rays can literally kill a tick in a matter of minutes. If you don’t mow your lawn, then you might find that you have an issue with things like ticks and other pests. If this happens, your next best call of action is to get a pest control expert in like Future Services, Inc.

Properly prepare for cookouts

During the summer, many homeowners love to host cookouts. Unfortunately, mosquitoes can pose a threat at night. According to experts, a few portable fans should be placed around the porch or deck. Mosquitoes are not powerful flyers, so the strong breeze produced by the fans should help to keep them away.

Professional mosquito and tick control

There are professionals who specialize in mosquito and tick control so call pest control experts today if you’re experiencing some pest related problems. When selecting a pest control service, be sure that they use all-natural products. After the tick treatment has been applied around the property, families will be able to relax in a tick-free environment. Children and pets can play outside with an extra degree of protection.

Check clothing

Hiking is a very popular outdoor activity. However, wooded areas are usually overflowing with ticks. Before heading out to a nature trail, families should tuck the bottom of their pant legs into their socks. This will help to keep ticks from crawling underneath their clothing. It is also a good idea to use a natural repellent.

Although ticks and mosquitoes are annoying, taking the appropriate safety measures will keep everyone protected. Do always keep these tips to avoid ticks and mosquitoes in mind.

Filed Under: Health, Home Improvement, House Matters

Benefits of SAD Lights

March 7, 2015 by

For people with Seasonal Affective Disorder, the seasons with less hours of natural light bring on senses of depression, anxiety and other gloomy, discouraging feelings that can be just as debilitating as other forms of clinical depression. It isn’t merely a personal dislike of times without much sun, but an actual, medical issue.

Treating any kind of mental health condition is always going to involve an element of finding out what works for you. For example, one of my best friends has recently started using green kapuas hulu and has found that this has boosted her mood. If you are tempted to try an alternative method of managing your mental health, you might want to do some research into the potential benefits of kratom.

Today though, we need to talk about light therapy. Light therapy is one method of trying to help people burdened by SAD to live happy, normal lives during all four seasons. The lights are specially made to simulate the feel of natural light while filtering out most UV content. Supporters of light therapy feel that the SAD lights positively influence the chemicals in the brain that affect people’s moods. While they are not for everyone, nor are they generally the only treatment for SAD when used, they are worth looking into, and light therapy lamp reviews may be worth checking out if you’re intrigued by them.

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Clockwise from upper right: Northern Light SunRise Alarm Clock, Verilux Happy Light Liberty 5K, Jenatzy Sunrise Light Box (All images from www.buysadlights.com)

SAD lights are placed in mounted boxes that are positioned at a comfortable distance from the user, usually within two feet. Some people may also wish to attend light therapy sessions with a therapist. Brighter lights require less exposure time per use than dimmer lights. Some lights, like the Lucia Light, flash in the users face to increase stimulation. You can learn more about Lucia Light here. Lights are generally on stands short enough to fit on tables or desks and come in assorted shapes and sizes, including rectangular, triangular and cylindrical. Some lights are attached to alarm clocks.

Since light therapy is used for various purposes, the light therapy box for a SAD sufferer must be one that is specifically designed for SAD.

For sufferers of SAD, seasonal affective disorder light therapy may be an option. Stores such as http://www.buysadlights.com/ have a wide range of lighting products.

Filed Under: Health, Home Improvement Tagged With: ,

Which Foods Are Troubling for Your Teeth?

February 16, 2015 by

Try as you might to stick to a healthy diet, your teeth just aren’t as strong as you’d like them to be. What gives? Teeth professionals, like Kool Smiles, know that there’s more to it than getting your daily dose of fruits and veggies. Certain foods – even the healthy ones – may be doing more harm than good when it comes to your teeth. This is why it is a good idea to make sure that you visit a jacksonville dentist as they can help put your mind at ease. As this way you can have your teeth checked regularly and you should be able to keep them healthy. If you are interested in a recommendation for a dentist then you should check out someone like Thomas E. Cooke, D.D.S.

Juicing 101 for Healthy Teeth

If you’re making an effort to eat healthier, you may have pulled your juicer from the back of the cupboard, vowing to make fruit and veggie juice at least a couple of times a week. While fruits and vegetables are undoubtedly healthy for you, many of them are packed with sugar and acid, which can wreak havoc on your teeth. You don’t need to avoid juicing entirely; just follow these tips to make sure you’re keeping your smile happy, too.

  • Always use a straw when sipping! This will limit how much the acids and sugar come in contact with your teeth, which will keep them healthy.
  • Get most of the juice from vegetables, especially the green ones. They won’t make your blood sugar spike the same way that fruits and sweeter veggies do. Leafy greens are the best options, like kale, spinach, and collards, because they contain a lot of phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium, all nutrients that are good for your teeth.
  • Use fruit sparingly when juicing. Thrown in just a handful of berries or half of a pear or apple. Opt for ripe fruits, which are less acidic than unripe ones.
  • Use a bit of wheatgrass in your juices or smoothies. Wheatgrass is considered a super food because of its many health benefits – it’s energizing, packs in a bunch of vitamins, and is a great source of amino acids and minerals.
  • You may not think that oil has a place in juice, but adding a bit of coconut oil will provide antibacterial properties, which is excellent for teeth. All you need is one teaspoon! You won’t even notice it’s there, other than the delicious hint of coconut.
  • When you think of cranberry juice, you may be thinking of the sugary sweet kind. Regular cranberries and unsweetened cranberry juice is delicious too, without being so detrimental to your smile. Plus, cranberries have compounds that prevent bacteria from sticking to your teeth, which can ward off cavities.

Foods That Go CRUNCH!

You love a good crunch snack, but which ones are bad for your teeth and which ones are healthy??

Many snack foods – the same ones that are bad for your waistline – are bad for your teeth. Chips, crackers, and pretzels are bad for your teeth for two reasons: first, they get stuck to your teeth, and second, the carbohydrates break down to sugar, which can ruin the enamel.

Crunchy fruits (pears, apples) gets rid of bacteria and plaque. Plus, these fruits are packed with good-for-you fiber. Raw veggies are great for your teeth (and body) too, and they increase saliva which acts as a defense against gum disease and cavities.

If you’re doing all the right things but your teeth still aren’t looking as you would like them do, you could even contact someone like San Diego cosmetic dentist to help you achieve the smile you’d like.

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: , ,

One View, One Pledge, One Million Clean Toilets

November 12, 2014 by

“This video should serve as a wake-up call for most of us. The little things we take for granted, like having a clean toilet, could mean the world to others and could definitely help save lives,”

– Dennis Chua, Domex Brand Manager –

 

How many Youtube videos do you watch every day? Here’s one that you absolutely MUST watch.  Every unique view this video gets, counts as a pledge. And for every pledge received, P5 will be donated by Domex to UNICEF’s sanitation program which aims to improve access to basic sanitation in deprived areas around the world.

1 unique view = 1 pledge = P5 donation

That means that just by taking a few minutes to view the video below you are already helping less privileged communities gain access to clean toilet facilities.  Encourage your family and friends to watch the video as well. Join the Domex One Million Clean Toilets Movement and help save lives together.

Community welcomes arrival of clean toilets in “Fiesta” video

It’s a scene typically played out during fiestas: People rushing to the streets, drawn to the sound of a marching band. Everyone is smiling, eager to see the “star” of the celebration. But instead of showing the face of a movie celebrity, a beauty queen or a politician, the video reveals an unlikely, yet welcome sight—a new, clean toilet facility.

Aptly titled “Fiesta”, the Domex video, produced by Unilever Philippines, is available on Youtube and shows how underprivileged Filipinos welcome the “arrival” of clean toilet facilities in their communities. “The video aims to make people realize the value of a toilet which most of us, unfortunately, take for granted,” said Dennis Chua, Domex Brand Manager.

The “Fiesta” video contributes to the efforts of Domex’s One Million Clean Toilets Movement. Each unique view translates into a pledge for the advocacy campaign which collects pledges from households to conscientiously maintain their own hygienic bathrooms. For every pledge received, Domex will donate P5 to UNICEF’s sanitation program, towards improving access to basic sanitation in deprived areas around the world, including the Philippines.

“By watching the ‘Fiesta’ video and asking our friends to watch it, we are not only raising awareness for toilet appreciation and sanitation, more importantly, we are helping less privileged communities gain access to clean toilet facilities,” said Benjie Yap, Unilever Foods and Home Care Vice President.

Clean toilets, germ-free communities

All over the country, people are welcoming the construction of new toilet facilities and the repair of dilapidated ones, since becoming aware of its role in disease prevention, especially among children.

According to the Department of Health, of the estimated 3,420 diarrhea-related deaths among Filipino children under 5 every year, around 2,000 could have been prevented by access to safe water, improved toilet sanitation and personal hygiene.

“This video should serve as a wake-up call for most of us. The little things we take for granted, like having a clean toilet, could mean the world to others and could definitely help save lives,” Chua said.

Filed Under: for the HOUSE, Health, Press Release, Products We Love Tagged With: , ,

When Acne Isn’t Acne

October 21, 2014 by

For the most part of the year, I’ve been battling with breakouts (and breakdowns) which I thought were due to hormonal imbalance (which I also thought were causing my emotional breakdowns :P) Last Sunday, I finally found time to see a dermatologist. This was something I was considering for a while now, but if it wasn’t for a friend of mine recommending I should take the steps by looking into sites such as columbiadermsc.com, I didn’t actually think this would happen. I’ve thought about it so much, but I’m glad I finally decided to take my skincare game even more seriously. Lo and behold, I found out that I’ve been using the wrong skin care products on my face! AND I also learned that the acne I thought I had was not acne at all! With this being said, if you do suffer from acne, if you choose to buy cbd oil online or make a change to your skincare routine in anyway, being consistent is key.

I really should have seen a dermatologist sooner and not experimented with just about all the skincare products I could afford. Apparently, my self-diagnosis was just a big misdiagnosis. It was already too late before I was told that you can actually consult an online dermatologist if you are unsure regarding the health of your skin. I now wish I had done something before it was too late, but here we are.

Since I thought I had hormonal acne, I bought a tea tree cleanser which can help control my breakouts. However, the doctor told me that tea tree oil was doing more damage than good on my skin (good thing I hadn’t had time to buy that new BB with tea tree oil I wanted to try). She told me that salicyclic acid wasn’t a friend to my skin and I should avoid products that contain it. It also turns out that I shouldn’t even be using moisturizers on my face. I was already producing more than enough sebum to keep it moisturized naturally. So what was causing the breakouts? Dermatitis.

‘Tis a Thing Called DERMATITIS

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Perioral Dermatitis and Seborrheic Dermatitis to be exact. This caught me again in surprise as I’ve always associated seborrheic dermatitis with dandruff which I didn’t have – or so I thought. I didn’t have those white flaky stuff we usually associate with “dandruff”. Well, there’s another myth debunked!

Seborrheic Dermatitis isn’t just dandruff. It can occur not just on the scalp but on other parts of the body that tend to be oily such as creases of the nose, around the lips, behind the ears, outer ear, and the chest. Have you heard of cradle cap in infants? That’s seborrheic dermatitis too. Though she cannot pinpoint the exact triggers, it may be caused by stress, changes in the weather, excessive sebum production, or infrequent shampoos. The dermatologist said that this form of dermatitis is chronic (meaning I have it for life, huhuhuhu) but can be managed with proper skin care and healthy diet.

As for the other –itis, it resembles acne but it isn’t. Perioral dermatitis is characterized by acne-like bumps around the mouth, on the chin, in the folds around the nose, under the eyes, and on the forehead. It’s on the T-zone which is why I thought it was hormonal acne. According to the dermatologist my seborrheic dermatitis could be the man cause for this. It is also aggravated by toothpaste dripping on my chin. Yah, I’m a child like that – letting toothpaste froth drip down my chin while I’m brushing my teeth. 😛 My using heavy skin creams and sunscreen makes it even worse – which is why I’m staying away from moisturizers for now.

New Skin Care Regimen

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For the next week, I’m on Tetralysal (lymecycline) and Hydrocortisone+Erythromycin cream. No more tea tree oil cleanser also. I’m back to using Cetaphil for keeps. Cetaphil and Physiogel are the only cleansers the dermatologist recommends. She also recommended that I change my shampoo to Head & Shoulders or Gard. I’m to also use a ketoconazole shampoo once a week. It has only been a couple of days since I’ve changed my regimen and followed the prescription yet my skin’s already visibly cleared a bit. Hopefully, all the redness will be gone before Saturday.

Are you having problems with your skin too? Please do see a dermatologist ASAP. You won’t want to waste your money on skin care products that aren’t really suited for your skin.

Filed Under: Beauty on A Budget, Health, Mom's Corner Tagged With:
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