Health and Beauty 101
Our crazy schedules often lead us to neglect the very areas that would reduce our stress and keep us productive – our health and beauty.
There is no substitute for good health; if we neglect ourselves here, we often end up costing ourselves more time than if we had taken a few minutes to take our vitamins, do our daily exercise, etc. Maintaining good health habits does take discipline, but they pay dividends in the end. Our health is reflected in our overall appearance as well – when we are healthy, our hair shines, our complexion is bright and sunny, and we look great. When we are not healthy, our hair is dull and our step listless and lifeless.
Key to maintaining good health is eating right, drinking plenty of fluids, getting exercise, and keeping a good attitude about life in general. Eating right in this day and age of convenience foods is difficult, but doable. Some simple steps to take in this direction include packing a nutritious lunch to stop the temptation to run for fast food at lunch, including simple pre-prepared salad mixes in your grocery lists, and stocking up on fruits and veggies for easy snacks. Keeping a water bottle at your desk makes getting fluids easier – I also suggest replacing at least one of your daily cups of coffee with herbal tea which has been proven to have immune boosting chemicals.
The toughest on this list for most of us is exercise. Many employers, recognizing the connection between exercise and good health, are sponsoring health club memberships for their employees. If you are one of these lucky employees, I suggest you take advantage of this benefit. If not, look into health clubs that lie on your route to work. Many health clubs have breakfast bars that allow you to grab breakfast after exercising, and day care centers that give your children fun activities while you are working out. Your kids will be very proud of Mommy for taking charge of her health, and you will be setting a great example for them.
If joining a club is impossible for you now, why don’t you look into buying several of the many exercise videos on the market today. Your children may find it fun to exercise with you, and these videos can be done at any time that is convenient for you. Fat burning workouts, videos on kickboxing, and even body sculpting videos are available to keep your workout interesting and varied.
Start your exercise program today!
Quick Cleanups For Those Little and Not So Little Mess Ups
Are you panicking when your little one spills his milk on the floor? Do you wonder if that juice stain on your light colored carpet will ever come out? We’ve all been there.
Especially when you have little “helpers”, you must be prepared for not-so-little messes! The best product I have found on the market to help with immediate cleanups are Clorox Disinfecting Wipes; they are premoistened with germ killing bleach and are ready to clean up even the most grungy messes. They are also quite handy for cleaning up cutting boards and counter tops after handling raw poultry or eggs.
Other ideas include having a centrally located paper towel holder always stocked with fresh paper towels, and fully in reach of little hands – and storing a broom and dust pan right in your kitchen.
A large garbage can should always be within close range of your cutting board – and should be emptied OFTEN. This prevents messes caused by your dog or kids kicking it over, or having it overflow onto a clean floor.
Another great idea for quick clean ups is a spray and mop product with a mop located in the same place as the broom. If you spill on the floor, you can quickly and easily spray the spot, and mop it up before it attracts bugs or worse, someone trips and falls on the wet or sticky spot.
An air freshener such as Lysol is also a great product to keep under your sink to eliminate telltale odors of kitchen mistakes or spills.
And for those carpet spots, keep some carpet cleaner close by, so you can quickly spray and scrub the area as soon as it happens.
There you have it: you are ready!
What to Ask Your Prospective Childcare Provider
To aid in your childcare selection process, I have compiled a list of sample interview questions for your consideration. Obviously, some of these apply to day care and some to nannies only; it is up to you to pick and choose those that you feel will help with your selection.
1) How long have you been caring for children? What do you like and dislike about childcare?
2) Have you every had any reportable incidents occur with children under your watch? How did you handle it?
3) Do you have CPR training? First aid training?
4) What are your philosophies on punishment? Do you use time-outs?
5) Do you allow TV, and how much?
6) What types of activities do you encourage the children to engage in?
7) What was your worst problem child? How did you handle him or her?
What books do you recommend for children?
9) Do you read to the children?
10) What are the napping arrangements?
11) What are the children fed during the day?
12) Do you have computer access? Are the children allowed to use educational programs on the computer?
13) What field trips or outings are planned?
14) How do you handle fights between children?
15) What are your policies on allowing sick children ?
16) Do you have guidelines on packed lunches?
17) Do you have a clean DMV record?
18) Do you pride yourself on being on time?
19) Any convictions or felonies?
20) What languages will the children be spoken to in?
21) What music do you listen to during the day?
22) Do you have pets that will be around the children?
23) Do you have any obligations during the day while the children are in school that would preclude running errands, picking them up when sick, etc?
