The seasons have changed once again, and winter is now in full swing.  In many parts of the country, heavy snowstorms are already happening, and we’re not even into the thick of winter.  We even got snow in Louisiana earlier this month!

What some of us may not realize, is that the dry, cold winter air can be harsh on those who suffer from chronic illness.  People with such conditions as emphysema, COPD, fibromyalgia, and mesothelioma–just to name a few–can find themselves with worsening symptoms at this time of year.  I’d like to share a few tips to help keep yourself more comfortable and healthy during this time of year.

ADD MOISTURE TO YOUR HOME’S AIR

Frosty air makes us turn our heaters on, and when the heat is blasting throughout our homes, it’s very drying to skin and our respiratory systems alike.  Heated air can cause flare ups of such skin problems as psoriasis and eczema, and dry out nasal passages and cause breathing issues.  Investing in a good humidifier can help alleviate some of these problems.  In the winter, it’s important to get a humidifier that has adjustable levels so your living room doesn’t end up feeling like an Amazon jungle.  Move the humidifier to the room you are in–when you go to bed, bring it with you.  When one of us is feeling stuffy, I like to add a few drops of essential oils such as peppermint or eucalyptus to help us breathe better and get to sleep.

DON’T NEGLECT YOUR SKIN

As I mentioned above, skin often suffers in the heated air as well–and cold winds, too!  Even if you don’t have a chronic skin condition, now is the time to bump up your skin care regimen.  Using creamy, rich body wash is the best way to begin moisturizing.  While you are still in the shower, you can also take the step of using the innovative new product called in-shower lotion, which glides on wet skin!  It truly does help seal in your skin’s natural moisture. If you prefer regular lotion or body cream, use that instead. For your face, consider using a moisturizing cream with SPF.  Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean the sun has gone anywhere.  And finally, apply a lip balm several times a day.  Repeat the lotion and lip balm steps before bed as well.

FOLLOW YOUR DOCTOR’S ORDERS

Most importantly, follow any advice your doctor gives you in regards to the cold weather and your illness!  If he or she tells you you should not be outside when it’s cold, stay in!  If you are given the all clear to enjoy the wintry wonderland, take it outside but remember to pamper yourself when you come back in by taking advantage of the advice in this post.

Are you a person who has one of the chronic illnesses (Click here to learn more about mesothelioma) that might be affected by winter weather?  Please share your experience and tips in the comments.  

Lately, I have been hearing about learning apps on smartphones and I was really curious. Even though I am no longer in college, I realized that people like me can also benefit from these online learning apps to learn whatever we want from the endless lists of subjects and topics available for everyone.

These days, children learn to use electronic devices from a very early age. As we look around us, especially in public places, we see even toddlers stay glued to smartphones or tablets. Regardless of what the child specialists have said, parents are introducing their little ones and exposing them to these electronic devices. It usually starts with the parents allowing their little kids to watch the pre-school learning videos and cartoons as a means of keeping them quiet or occupied while the adults can enjoy a peaceful and undisturbed meal in the restaurants.

Since these little kids are so used to smartphones or tablets, they can easily pick up and learn through learning apps. Parents are now relying on the best online learning apps as a potent tool of learning for their pre-schoolers as well as elementary school children.

The trend of learning using smartphones, tablets, or iPads is fast spreading across the globe, affecting students’ learning habits. Students ranging from pre-schooler to college enjoy the benefit of free video learning apps to help them understand and remember easily.

Modern kids are very open to these learning apps, and parents and teachers alike are finding that kids learn faster through these apps. Teachers are now encouraging parents to allow their children to learn through apps to help their children improve on their studies. Educational information from textbooks is now stored in apps and the apps are designed in such a way to capture the children’s attention, such as using popular cartoon characters to draw their interest.

This Google play homework app can be easily downloaded onto any electronic device. Once downloaded, it is available at all times for students to have access to educational videos whenever convenient. Most of the learning apps are user or child-friendly for  little children to learn how to control the app. The lessons provided are very interactive activities, and children will not be bored with the different activities such as word games, coloring games, or even origami.

With guidance from their parents, children can benefit from the wide variety of online learning programs provided through these learning apps.

My older son’s birthday is right around the corner, which means it’s time for me to start looking at party invitations! I love to make them myself, but it’s not always easy coming up with the right graphics, font, and design for the theme I’ve chosen.

This year, I will be checking out the party invitation maker Basic Invite!

With Basic Invite, it couldn’t be easier to make the perfect party invitation for birthdays or any event.  No matter what event you need an invitation for, there are hundreds of choices!

Here are a few of my favorites.

I think my big boy, a guitar player, would love this one!

Hands down, the best thing about making birthday party invitations with Basic Invite is the fact that almost all of the work is done for you, but you still have complete control over the final product.  Let’s say you find a style you like, but you don’t like the colors of the graphic.  You can change it! With just a couple of clicks you can choose from over 180 color variations for any part of the design.  I also love that the wording of the invitation is already done to match with the theme you’ve chosen–no more having to come up with witty, rhyming quotes to make your invite cute 🙂

If you’re still not 100 percent sure you’re happy with the invitation you’ve created, Basic Invite will send you a printed sample of the finished product before you place an order.  They want you completely satisfied before you get ready to send those invites out!

Basic Invite is the best place to choose and design everything from birth announcements, to save the date cards for your upcoming wedding, to totally unique quinceanera invitations.  Don’t forget that the Holidays are coming up on us fast–and yep, they’ve got designs for that too! Get a head start on your personalized cards with Basic Invite.

Don’t you just love it when an old guy or an old gal comes back at something and teaches the youngsters a thing or two? This often happens in sports and, obviously, happens much more in some sports than others, but it’s always fun to see.

One of the sports where this hardly ever happens is in tennis. There have been a few great names of the past who have done amazing things at relatively advanced years. Illinois’ own Jimmy Connors was something of an evergreen player – with a career spanning two decades. In fact, Jimbo carried on competing really well against far younger players, staging one of the most remarkable come-backs in any sport ever when reaching the semi-finals of the US Open in 1991 at the ripe old age of 39.
Things like this just don’t happen in tennis! It’s a young guy’s game.

But the same might be happening right now. Roger Federer is surely the greatest male player in the history of the game and in the modern era when it’s all about power, few guys go on much beyond 30. So at 32, Roger is no spring chicken any more. But this is a man with record-breaking 17 Grand Slam wins under his belt.

And although Roger has been sliding down the rankings over the last 12 months in particular, he clearly isn’t done yet. He’s reportedly been working very hard on his fitness and the next year will be fascinating. At the time of writing, he’s reached the Australian Open quarter-finals where he’ll play Wimbledon winner Andy Murray.

He’s a 12-1 shot with Betfair, the world’s biggest betting exchange, to win the whole tournament. This probably accurately reflects his chances of winning. And a small bet on Federer to win in Melbourne might be a good fun punt.

With Betfair, you can also lay bets back, so if he beats Murray, you could lock in a profit whatever happens next. But it’s not just about this game so much as the rest of the season. To see him get back to anything like his imperious best would be wonderful, and if Jimbo could get close at 39 – the best ever can get a lot closer at 32-33. Watch this space!