Are you ready for holiday parties?

It’s that time of year again. Holiday parties are just around the corner in the Boston area, so if you’re planning on hosting or attending a party, take a moment to make sure you and your family are ready for such an event.

Follow the tips listed below to not only make the most of your holiday party, but to also help the people you love to make the most of their own events. It’s the season of giving, after all. So do your best to give, both to yourself and your loved ones.

Look Your Best

A big part of holiday prep before a party goes into looking good before the event starts. Start getting ready early so that you can take your time. Dry clean your holiday outfits and if you plan to host parties at home, make sure you take your tablecloth and linens to the cleaners, too. With so much cleaning to do, it is best to simply schedule a laundry pickup to save time.

While you’re working on looking your best, take a bit of time to make sure your home looks great too. If you’re hosting a holiday party at your home, have cleaners pay your residence a visit so that they can professionally clean your upholstery.

Stay Healthy

You will always look your best when you also feel your best. Taking care of yourself is an important part of your life no matter what time it is, but if you want to look great for holiday parties and not miss any fun due to illnesses, focus on staying healthy. Get a flu shot and take your medications (and make sure you have enough on hand so that you’re not rushing to your local pharmacy at the last minute). To prepare yourself early for all the holiday food you’re going to enjoy, stock up on digestive aids.

Too Busy Preparing for Holidays?

The thought of preparing for a holiday party can be overwhelming for plenty of people, especially those with extremely busy schedules.

If the thought of getting a party prepared sounds daunting to you, consider the family members who are hosting this year. It’s probably as difficult to prepare a party for your aging parents as it is for you. Think about sending help their way by hiring an experienced home health aide that can take some of the load off of them, and offer meaningful companionship should your loved one get the holiday blues.

Stay Warm

The holiday season can be bitterly cold in Boston and the surrounding areas, so do your best to stay warm. Check your home’s heating system and make sure everything is working the way it should. If you use propane, make sure you’re working with a fast, responsive propane provider that will be available to fill your tanks whenever you need. This way, you’re unlikely to experience any sudden emergencies that’ll occur if your propane runs out at an inconvenient time.

Consider getting some propane lamps and firepits to add a little warmth to your outdoor spaces during your upcoming holiday party.

Happy holidays from us to you. Remember that no matter what you celebrate, we sincerely hope you have a great holiday season. Enjoy safe, memorable holiday parties with the people who mean the most to you.

4 Ways to Enjoy Fall Foliage in Boston

If you feel like you haven’t spent enough time enjoying this fantastic season yet this year, don’t worry. We have just four simple and enjoyable ways to help you get outside and in that amazing New England fall foliage!

1. Take Your Exercise Outdoors

We all know how important it is to exercise our bodies — especially those of us who have jobs requiring us to sit down and stare at a computer all day. But, more often than not, motivating ourselves to get out, go to the gym, and do a workout is not nearly as enjoyable as we’d like it to be.

Luckily, there is an easy solution that allows you to both exercise and enjoy the fall weather simultaneously! You can try walking or biking on one of Massachusetts’ rail trails if you tend to enjoy walking, running, biking, or other more aerobic activities.

If, on the other hand, you’re more of a gym-equipment type, you could still take advantage of the beautiful fall season by going to a park with outdoor fitness equipment such as cardio walkers, sit-up benches and vertical ladders. Many communities in Boston offer outdoor gyms where you can easily mesh your workout time with some much-needed outdoor time. Find one in your neighborhood here. Exercising keeps you healthy and saves the time and costs of doctor’s visits and medicines from your neighborhood pharmacy, not to mention the pains of illness.

2. Take A Trip to the Park with Your Kids

Maybe bringing your exercise routine outside doesn’t sound great to you, or perhaps you simply would rather make your outdoor time family time. If you’ve got kids (who probably can’t get enough of being outside in the fall), a nice family trip to the park might be an excellent option for you. There are parks all over the city — from smaller parks in residential neighborhoods to larger, more public parks — and you can be sure to find one that is just right for you and your family.

Your children can enjoy the slides, swings, climbers, play structures, and when they are hungry, you can serve healthy sandwiches in a picnic shelter or on the lawn.

3. Go on a Walk with Your Parents

Speaking of family, don’t forget about your parents! A quick visit to your parent’s home can not only make their entire week but also help them enjoy the beautiful weather outside. As we age, it can get more challenging (or less desirable) for us to go out and walk around, but it is still crucial for our bodies to get movement.

So, stop by your parents and get them to go out on a little walk with you to enjoy the fall foliage. If you are genuinely too busy, you can also hire an in-home caregiver to do this, so they can still get out and move around before it gets too cold.

4. Go Camping

If you’re a camping fan or have an RV, you can completely immerse yourself in the stunning New England fall foliage by heading to a campground. Even if you’ve never tried it before, you can find a perfect leaf-peeping campground that will have you enjoying the fall season in no time!

Make sure you bring a propane tank for heating and cooking while you’re there so you can enjoy some lovely warm beverages and delicious camp cooking!

The fall season is arguably the most beautiful season in Boston. With the colorful and vibrant fall foliage, crisp weather, and delicious warm treats and beverages, most of us look forward to this time of the year. But, it can be all too easy to miss out on the glorious season if we’re busy with work and classes or even distracted by our screens. So, take advantage of the four activities listed above, and don’t miss out on this beautiful season!

Welcoming Fall in Boston

New England is known across the world for its gorgeous fall colors, and Boston is no exception. As temperatures begin to drop, it is also high time to prepare for the colder winter ahead. Here are a few tips on getting your home and life more organized as you welcome the fall season in Boston.

Clean Up Your Yard

Boston is famous for its stunning fall foliage, with vibrant shades of red, orange and gold. People travel from far and wide to witness the glorious colors, as the trees change from hues of green, and living in Boston gives you prime viewing of seasonal splendor.

However, falling leaves also need cleaning up to reduce the attraction for pests. Fall is also the time to get your vegetable patch in order for next spring.

Give your grass one final mow before the winter, feed the lawn, rake up dead leaves, trim back dead tree and shrub branches, power wash the deck and plant fall flowers. Take time to de-clutter your yard and clean your gutters, too.

If removing debris and leaves seems like a big task, why not consider renting a roll-off dumpster to make your clean-up project smoother?

Organize Inside Your Home

As well as tidying up outdoors, have a thorough clean and tidy inside your home. Clean out cabinets and closets and get rid of any clothes that you no longer wear. You could consider donating unwanted items to charity.

Store your summer garments for next year and make sure your warmer winter wear is conveniently at hand. Wash any items that need freshening up after being folded away over the summer, and buy anything you’ll need to see you through the winter, such as a new coat, sweaters and footwear.

You’ll soon want warmer bedding for the colder nights. Freshen up blankets and comforters with a trip to the dry cleaners to make sinking into bed on a cold evening even cozier.

Heat Your Home

Check that all your heating appliances are in good working order. After all, it’s better to arrange any necessary repairs in fall than over the winter.

If you use propane to heat your home, you’ll likely have noticed that prices have recently increased. Research suppliers and make sure that you have a reliable propane supply to fend off the cold when the temperatures drop even further.

Stock Up

Snuggling up at home is especially appealing on cold days, and having well-stocked pantry and medicine cabinets is a great idea for those times when you simply don’t want to go out or think about trying to order goods.

Fill your pantry with long-life staples, such as canned and dry goods, so you’ve always got a supply to fall back on.

The colder weather is, unfortunately, a peak time for catching bugs and getting sick. Stock up on fall medications to keep your family as healthy and comfortable as possible. Buy things like painkillers, allergy products, cough medicine, throat lozenges and nasal sprays, making sure to also have items suitable for younger members of the family, to get ready to stave off colds and germs. You might also like to add vitamin supplements to your list.

Don’t forget to buy seasonal personal care products too, such as items to prevent chapped lips, combat dry hair and nails and keep your skin in great condition.

Practice Self-Care

In today’s busy world, it’s all too easy to be so focused on taking care of others that people forget to take care of themselves.

Self-care isn’t a luxury; it’s essential.

You may have been focused lately on getting the kids ready to go back to school, and settling them in. Buying uniforms and supplies, arranging after school clubs, sorting lunches and transportation, helping with homework and dealing with other school-related matters can quickly start to take its toll.

Have you also been taking care of elderly parents? If you’re in need of a breather, get some valuable time to rest, recharge and feel more in control of your life with temporary respite care services. Your family will benefit much more from a rested you; being frazzled helps nobody!

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!

Spring Gardening: A Healthy Habit For Seniors

Gardening is a great way to make your yard look nice, but it’s also much more than that. Gardening is good for the mind and for the body. It’s also a lovely activity to do with your older loved one. The two of you can bond, and you’ll both reap the physical and mental benefits.

Gardening is good, safe exercise.

Many older adults do not get enough exercise. They may not be capable of going for a jog or even a long walk, but gardening is an approachable activity, even for adults with limited mobility.

If you garden alongside your older loved one, you can let them handle what they can, and then pick up the slack. For example, you can let them put plants in the dirt while you do the more demanding activities — like raking and mulching.

If your loved one has an in-home caregiver, you can also suggest gardening as an activity for the two of them to do together. Drop off any supplies they may need, like pots and potting soil.

Gardening has other health benefits.

In addition to being good exercise, gardening is a great way to get some vitamin D. Deficiencies of vitamin D are common in people of all ages, but especially in older adults who do not go outside very often. In exposing their skin to the sun for just a few minutes a day while they garden, your loved one can raise their vitamin D level. Like vitamins and supplements, this is good for bone health and mental health and it is free!

Just make sure you have the right supplies on-hand for safety as you garden. Visit a pharmacy nearby to stock up on sunscreen, first aid kits, and wound care kits.

Gardening creates dirty clothing.

Your senior loved one’s new gardening habit may create a lot of dirty laundry. Clothing may get soil stains when you’re out playing in the dirt! Sunscreen stains can also ruin your clothing. I always take my stained clothing to the local dry cleaner near me. They know what they are doing when it comes to stain removal! In any case, it’s good idea to have a laundry pickup service take care of your loved one’s laundry. This will take the burden off them and lead to a better quality of life as they age at home.

If you are looking for a fun, safe way to get some exercise with your loved one, try gardening. You’ll have a lovely time out in the fresh air, and in the end, your yard will be that much more beautiful.

4 Ways to Prepare for Springtime

Spring will be here before we know it! This season represents a fresh new start. The warm air, budding trees, and birds chirping are all so enjoyable after a chilly winter. So, how can you prepare for the arrival of this rejuvenating season? Start with these suggestions.

1. Clean Your House

Spring cleaning is an age-old tradition. And indeed, this is the perfect time of year for a thorough, deep clean. Most people like to go room by room, as this makes it easy to divide the whole-house cleaning across a few days. Some important cleaning tasks to include are:

Pulling furniture away from the walls to clean behind it.
Wiping down ceiling fan blades and vent covers.
Washing your curtains or window treatments.
Cleaning light fixtures.
Wiping down window sills.
Changing your furnace and air conditioner filters.
Wiping down baseboards and doorframes.

2. Re-Organize Your Closets

How much stuff has accumulated in your closet that you no longer use? Spend a day sorting through your clothing. Donate anything you no longer need to charity, or throw it away if it is torn or stained.

This is also the perfect time to take winter clothes out of your closet and put your summer clothing in. Take your winter clothing, coats, and comforters to the dry cleaners before packing them into storage for the spring.

3. Restock Your Medicine Cabinets

Go through your medicine cabinet, and get rid of any expired medications. Then, head to your local pharmacy, and purchase items to restock your cabinet.

Make sure you have basic medications, such as pain relievers and anti-nausea drugs, on-hand. Stock some basic first aid supplies, like Band-Aids and antibiotic cream, too. You can even pick up your Rx refills at the same time to save yourself a trip.

4. Check Your Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Spring is also a good time to check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Look at the date on the back to see if the device is due to be replaced. Also, change the batteries to ensure that if there is an emergency, the alarm will alert you as intended. This is particularly important if you use propane for heating or cooking at home.

The arrival of spring marks a season of renewal and the perfect opportunity for a fresh, new start. With a clean home, an organized closet, a well-stocked medicine cabinet, and safe smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, you’ll be well prepared for springtime.

When There is No Parade on St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day is typically an occasion that calls for big parades and parties in the streets. But since most of us have still not received vaccinations against COVID-19, social distancing is still vital — which means this St. Paddy’s Day will feel a little different. There can still be plenty of fun, safe ways to celebrate the luck o’ the Irish! Here are a few ideas.

1. Plan a Camping Trip

With the weather growing warmer, this is the perfect time to plan a camping trip. Buy some sunscreen at the pharmacy, as you can sunburn even when it’s cloudy. Bring along a propane tank and a small grill, and enjoy a weekend in the woods.

Here are a few fun ways to work a St. Patrick’s Day theme into your camping trip:

Have a contest to see who finds a 4-leaf clover first.
Prepare a traditional Irish dish, like boiled cabbage and bacon, over the fire.
Drink an Irish drink, like Guinness or Bailey’s, by the fire.

2. Have a Costume Party on Zoom

Have everyone in the family make their own St. Patrick’s Day costume. You can dress up like leprechauns, rainbows, pots of gold, or even as a cabbages! Host a family Zoom call so everyone can admire each other’s customers from a safe distance. You could even have a costume content. Reward the winner with some Irish tea or a Guinness (depending on age).

3. Bake Green Cupcakes

This is the perfect St. Patrick’s Day activity for families with kids. Mix up a vanilla cake mix according to package instructions, but add about a half teaspoon of green food coloring to the batter. Bake and cool the cupcakes, then top them with green frosting.

You can also make green cookies and green soda simply by adding a few drops of food coloring.

4. Practice Irish Dancing

Irish dancing is lively, lighthearted, and fun — just what we all need right now! Look up some Irish dancing routines on YouTube, and do your best to follow along. It’s okay if you don’t master the steps. The goal is to have fun.

Hopefully we’ve inspired you to have some safe St. Paddy’s Day fun during these unusual times. At the end of the day, don’t sweat the cleanup. Save time by using alaundry delivery service, and revel in the luck and joy of the Irish a little longer.