New Year’s Resolutions for a Healthier Life

Each New Year brings new and exciting possibilities. We get to start on a clean slate and set New Year resolutions. Many goal-setters strive to improve their health. They set resolutions for the New Year, such as do more exercise, go on a diet, get more sunlight, etc. and aim to stick with them. Others get stuck. So I will share with you a few suggestions to live a healthier life.

Visit Your Elderly Parents Once a Month

Health isn’t exclusively about what you put into your body. Spending time with people you love also assists with health. Some elderly parents receive attention from home health aides. These professional caregivers help senior adults with everyday tasks such as meal preparation, housekeeping and personal hygiene, as well as offering meaningful companionship.

However, time with these in-home caregivers is not the same as spending time with your child. Visiting your elderly parent once a month gives them more time with you. You both get to share memories and bond during your precious moments. Spending time with your parents is the best way to show that you care. Your visits will benefit their physical and mental health as well as your own.

No one wants to do chores, but unattended laundry will pile up over time. Dust will accumulate and trigger allergies. You might also notice the odor. Not tending to laundry can turn your home into an unpleasant one and hurt your health.

A weekly laundry pickup and delivery will solve this problem. Not only will create a cleaner space in your home, you will also always look your best in clean and fresh clothing. Furthermore, delegating laundry gives you extra time to exercise, work on other health-related goals and spend precious time with your family, which is again beneficial to you and your family’s mental and physical health.

Be Environmentally-Friendly

Taking an environmentally-friendly approach to your living environment is not only kind to our planet but often ensures better health for yourself as well. For example, a lot of cleaning products contain chemicals and toxins that are harmful to the body. Resolve to start using green cleaning products this year. You won’t feel the disadvantages immediately. However, like the planet and climate change, these effects will occur in the long term.

Homeowners can also consider switching to a propane water-heating and space-heating system which are more eco-friendly than oil and likely to be cost-beneficial in the long run. Consult your local home energy supplier and also inquire about availability of propane tanks and delivery service.

Set Up a Health and Lifestyle Plan

Strive to become healthier now than you were last year, but it may not be easy to do it alone. You can enlist a loved one to keep your objectives on track, but sometimes professional coaching is more effective. Some pharmacies have a wellness coach who can set you up with a health plan and recommend proper exercises, vitamins, and supplements for your goals. Having professional support along the way lets you establish challenging but reasonable goals, with a higher probability of success.

Setting New Year resolutions around health is a great start for the year. I wish you the best as you continue your health journey in 2022!

Preparing for the Winter Holidays

Getting ready for the oncoming festivities and winter holidays can definitely be a hectic time. Winter in Boston is always magical, but when you’re in the mood to start preparing right away for what’s to come, here are a few tips to get you started.

Get Essential Chores Out Of The Way

Whether you’re preparing for the holidays or are planning to hold a party pretty soon, it’s crucial to have a list of essential tasks. Without having a list, you might end up forgetting important things like having fresh and clean tablecloths for parties or not having any snacks for your guests to munch on.

It’s best to start compiling this list as soon as you decide to get prepared because it gives you more time to add any tasks that might have slipped out of your mind. Don’t let the Boston chill get to your head or your festivities when you’re prepared ahead of time!

Look Your Best For the Holidays

Winters are undoubtedly a time for parties, family gatherings, and much more. When you’re gearing up for the festivities, you mustn’t forget to look your best for each event.

Consider dry cleaning fancy dresses and formal wear that you’re planning to wear this year so you can be prepared even for the last-minute party your friend is throwing two blocks away. You don’t want to be worried about last year’s stains when you’re out to celebrate!

Keep Seasonal Ailments Away

If you’ve started preparing for winter a bit earlier than usual, then it’s the perfect time to stock up on over-the-counter flu medicines as well as some regular cold medicine. Winters are a notorious time catching seasonal viral and more, so it’s best to buy some vitamins and supplements from your local pharmacy to keep your immune system strong.

When you’ve managed to slip on some ice or snow and are feeling sore all over, it’s best to have pain gel on hand to help you out. When you’re fully stocked and ready to go, no winter ailment can keep you confined.

Arrange for Professional Care

Understandably, holidays can be a busy time for you and your family. It can be quite concerning when you have an elderly loved one who can’t attend your celebrations. Ensure that they’re getting the best care even when you can’t devote your full attention to them by getting professional respite care.

Professional living assistance by certified home care aides can ensure that their needs and ailments are being taken care of holistically and that you don’t constantly have to be running from here to there trying to take care of it all.

Don’t Forget About Yourself

The holidays can be stressful, and you need to ensure that you’re giving yourself some TLC from time to time. Keep your mind relaxed and your body healthy when you’re taking little breaks to take care of yourself.

Whether it’s your laundry that needs to be taken care of through a delivery service or taking a soak in a hot tub, there are many self-care activities you can do in no time at all. You can also look for sitters for your elderly loved one to ensure that while your needs are being taken care of, theirs don’t go amiss.

Enjoy your winter festivities when you keep these tips in mind to make the holidays hassle-free for you!

Top 5 Halloween Celebration Ideas to Consider in 2021

Need some spooky season inspiration? Well, then you’ve come to the right place.

It’s that time of year again when the leaves begin to drop, the weather gets crisp, and ghosts roam the streets. And while there are tons of fall activities to do this season, it can be extra fun to get into the spooky spirit too.

Keep reading to learn 5 Halloween celebration ideas for 2021.

1. Throw a Costume Party

If you want to have a wild Halloween night, invite some friends over for a costume party.

To prepare, put up some Halloween party decorations, put out party food and drinks, and get the spooky music blasting. And if you’re over 21, make some fun Halloween cocktails or get pumpkin beer!

Pro tip: if you want to have the perfect costume, get it dry cleaned or altered before the party.

People in costumes celebrating Halloween — Young People in Costumes Celebrating Halloween. Group of Young Happy Friends Wearing Halloween Costumes having Fun at Party in Nightclub by doing Scary faces. Celebration of Halloween

2. Make Spooky Treats

If you’re over eating Halloween candy, make some spooky treats instead! Here are some desserts you can make:

Caramel apples
Rice Krispie treat mummies
Pumpkin bread
S’mores dip
Ghost shaped sugar cookies
“Bloody” red velvet cake
Candy corn cupcakes

Pro tip: need to lay off the sugar because of overall health or medications? Make savory food like bandaged wrapped severed toes! Don’t worry, they’re just pigs in a blanket.

3. Watch Scary Movies

There’s no better time to watch scary movies than Halloween night! So grab your popcorn (and maybe some candy) and get ready for a fright. Here are some of the best ones to watch:

Scream
IT
Halloween
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Us
The Strangers
Children of the Corn
The Conjuring

Pro tip: if you’re not into scary movies, watch a movie like Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, or It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.

4. Play Halloween Games

If you have children, playing games is a great way to celebrate this holiday. Here are some of the best Halloween games you can play:

Bobbing for apples (or donuts)
Halloween scavenger hunt
Pin the spider on the web
Guess the candy corn count

Pro tip: invite the extended family over for a tournament! It’s also a great way to spend time with elderly family members who need companion care.

5. Decorate Your Home

Even if you’re not planning Halloween parties, it can be fun to decorate your house for the occasion. Here are some awesome decoration ideas:

Jack o’lanterns
Fake spider webs
A bubbling cauldron (dry ice)
Hanging ghosts
Candy jars
Colorful glass pumpkins
An outdoor scarecrow

Pro tip: if you’re making jack o’lanterns, make sure you have first aid supplies nearby just in case!

Did You Like Those Halloween Celebration Ideas?

No matter which of these Halloween celebration ideas you choose, you can’t go wrong. So whether you throw a big costume party or watch a few scary movies, you’re sure to have a blast. Just watch out for any ghouls and goblins on Halloween night!

Getting Ready for Winter

The colder weather is coming, and we’re still in a pandemic. Putting a little effort into preparing now will make the winter a whole lot easier to handle. Here are some great tips to keep in mind while you’re getting ready for winter.

a house in winter snow. — Photo by Kelly Lacy on Pexels.com

Stay Healthy

Winter is already smack dab in the middle of cold and flu season, and now we have COVID-19 to worry about as well. Stock up on hand sanitizers and cleaning supplies, but don’t hoard! Just pick up one or two extra each shopping trip until you have a small supply to get you through the winter months. Don’t forget to get your flu shot at the local pharmacy. Now it’s even more important than ever to keep up on your vaccinations.

Stay Warm

Even with lots of preparation, unexpected problems may occur like a broken furnace or power outage. You don’t want to be without heat in subzero temperatures. Your local pharmacy or supermarket might carry small space heaters. Also, consider buying a power generator, if you don’t have one yet, in case of power outages. If it’s a propane generator, then make sure you get a reliable propane supplier. Now is also a perfect time to take all your winter coats and down comforters to the dry cleaners, so they’re fresh and clean when you need them. Your summer clothes should be cleaned and put into storage too, if you still haven’t done so.

Prep You and Your Family’s Skin

Harsh temperatures can wreak havoc on the skin. It can even cause some pretty gnarly diaper rash for your little ones. My local compounding pharmacy in Newton makes a fantastic diaper rash cream called Baby Ease, which you can buy online. Make sure you have plenty of body lotion and rash cream, which, of course, can be found at your local pharmacy.

Check on Your Loved Ones

If you have elderly parents or loved ones who live alone, make sure you check in often during the winter. You may even want to consider getting companion care services from a home care agency. Even if your elderly loved ones are still healthy, the cold months can bring in the winter blues. A professional caregiver can keep an eye on your loved one’s behavior as the nights get longer, watching for mood changes. Home caregivers are also trained to provide meaningful conversation and engage seniors in activities at home. A little extra help and companionship will keep your loved one mentally and physically healthy.

Hope these simple tips will help you and yours be ready for a safe and healthy winter.

Winter Hazards for Our Pets

If we humans find snow and ice such an inconvenience, imagine how our furry companions feel! The rock salt that we spread all over the ground to help combat the slippery ice can actually wreak havoc on the sensitive little paws of our doggy friends. The salt can also be damaging to their noses, skin and even digestive systems if ingested. So how can we be more careful in the wintertime to protect our precious puppies?

Keep Your Pup’s Feet Dry

It’s a good idea to rinse or wipe your dog’s feet off if they’ve been walking in the salt and ice. But make sure to dry them afterward. Wetness behind your dog’s toes can lead to bacterial or yeast infections, so it’s essential to keep their feet dry after spending time outdoors. Golden retrievers and labs are prone to skin infections due to wetness, as are most dogs with longer fur. If you own a long-haired breed, it’s a smart idea to keep the hair around their nails trimmed. This can cut down on bacterial growth.

Buy a Cute Dog Jacket and Booties

It’s impossible to keep your dog’s feet dry during the winter. So if you have a dog with sensitive skin, it might be worth it to buy your pal some booties. Dog booties are great to have for walks and playtime outside in the cold temps and look adorable. You might as well buy a matching jacket for those booties to complete the look. The jacket will give your dog an extra layer of warmth for those winter walks. Salt and ice melting products can easily stain fabrics, so when I don’t have time to remove the stains when I do the laundry, I would throw my dog’s outfits in with my clothes when I make my weekly trip to the dry cleaner near me.

Keep Up With Regular Vet Visits

Dogs can sick in the wintertime just like us. If you notice your doggy has a cough, or is fatigued and just “off”, be sure to take him or her to the vet right away. Sometimes special compounded medications or antibiotics with different strengths or flavors may be necessary to suit your pet’s unique biochemistry, so don’t try to treat them at home without the advice of a professional pharmacist.

Dogs are special. They keep us company, keep us safe, provide companionship for elderly and those with special needs, and they’re our best friends. Be sure to take care of your furry friends this winter, just like they take care of us!