Is It Time To “Rightsize” Your Life?

Are you tired of maintaining a big house and yard? Got empty bedrooms, a huge family room and utility bills that make you feel like you’re being robbed?

You’re not alone. Today, mid-life couples and individuals of all ages are scaling back to more convenient living arrangements. That can mean fewer square feet, but an exciting new home design.

In order to visualize your “right sized” life, visit some of the popular-sized homes designed for people with small families or homes and condos designed for people looking forward to retirement. When you understand the square footage involved and the room arrangements, you will have a better idea of how much you could keep and what you would get rid of.

Sometimes you have to sell the program to yourself, especially if you and your spouse have spent decades making your present home beautiful. A person’s identity, however, should not be tied to an oversized home that is difficult to maintain.

Right sizing doesn’t always mean going to a smaller place. It could mean going from two homes to one, which creates a big need to cull possessions. Or it can mean adding to a home in order to make room for parents or grandchildren. The important trend today is a shift to well-planned living quarters that suit a person’s age, stage of life and situation.

Discussing your wish to rightsize will help others accept it. Talk about it with your spouse, your grown children, and your parents, recommends Ciji Ware in her book Rightsizing Your Life: Simplifying Your Surroundings While Keeping What Matters Most.

Paring down a lifetime of possessions, and furnishing a new home with things that have meaning, will not be easy. Depending on the size of your home, the process could take from a few weeks to a couple of years. If right sizing is in your future, better start now.

Whether you ultimately move or not, your home will be better organized and have less clutter.

Summer Activity: Newseum in Washington D.C.

It’s summer and the kids need activities to keep them occupied. There’s an exciting new attraction in Washington D.C. The Newseum includes 250,000 square feet of theaters, exhibition galleries and television studios on seven levels.

Its two-level Walter and Leonore Annenberg Theater is equipped for 3-D and a 4-D experience that takes visitors on a time-travel trip spanning more than 150 years. About 200 of its seats are “motion” types that move, vibrate and perform other tricks geared to the on-screen action. There are valves in seat backs that spray puffs of air and water.

Celebrating freedom of speech and the press, the Newseum stands between the White House and the Capital at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 6th Street.

If you can, take a trip there with the entire family: you’ll all have fun.

How To Protect Yourself In The Summer Heat

Since summertime is here, and hot weather is inevitable, let’s remember to take precautions against overheating.

Though heat-related deaths and illnesses are preventable, there were 2,600 heat-related work injuries in one recent year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Muggy or humid conditions add to the discomfort. Excessively hot and dry conditions can create a more dangerous situation.

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) recommends:

• Drink plenty of fluids regardless of your activity level. During heavy work in a hot environment or strenuous activity of any kind, drink two to four glasses of cool fluids each hour. Don’t drink alcohol, beverages with a high sugar content or very cold drinks.
• Replace salt and minerals lost through sweating by drinking a sports beverage. Discuss beverages with your doctor if you are on a low-salt diet.
• Wear appropriate clothing. At home, wear as little as possible. When going out, choose light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses with UVA and UVB protection.

• Use sunscreen. Sunburn affects the body’s ability to cool itself. It causes a loss of body fluids, skin damage and pain. Apply a product rated SPF 15 or higher 30 minutes before going out.
• Pace yourself. When working or playing sports in a hot environment, begin slowly and pick up the pace gradually. If your heart begins to pound and you begin gasping for breath, STOP all activity. Move to a cool area or at least into shade to rest, especially if you feel lightheaded or weak.
• Watch each other. When working in the heat, monitor the condition of co-workers and have them do the same for you. Be wary of confusion.
• Stay cool indoors. If you don’t have air conditioning, go to a place that does. Even a few hours in air conditioning can help you stay cooler when you go back into the heat.
• Don’t depend on a fan to cool yourself. When the temperature is in the high 90’s, fans will not prevent heat-related illness. Cool showers could help you cool off.

Please tell how YOU stay cool in the summer.

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