The air may also be filled with allergens like dust mites, mold, and pet dander.  You are likely to acquire pet dander even if you have no pets, since pet owners who visit carry it on their clothing and unknowingly shed it wherever they go.

Children, older people, and asthmatics are most sensitive to pollution indoors.  But others may experience adverse effects after repeated exposure over years.

Indoor pollutants have become more important than they were 30 or 40 years ago, because people are spending less time outdoors and modern homes have become more airtight.

5 Easy Ways To Improve Indoors Air Quality

1. Keep the floor clean

Substances can build up in household dust over a long time.  Using a vacuum with a HEPA filter can lower your home’s concentrations of lead, fire retardants, and allergens. A HEPA filter, strong suction power, and rotating brushes help to keep the dust and dirt from escaping the vacuum cleaner.  Go over high-traffic areas multiple times.  Take care to get the edges, and also vacuum your walls and upholstered furniture.  Vacuum at least twice weekly.  Clean the filter regularly. Use a mop to pick up the dust still left.  Use a microfiber mop or cloth, dampened with water only.  You don’t need to add cleaning chemicals to the process.

Place doormats at all entryways.  Doormats help keep out dirt, pesticides, and other things you don’t want brought into the house.  The bigger the mat, the more pollutants it will capture, even when people don’t actually wipe their shoes.

Any home built before 1978 probably still has lead paint inside.  Even in newer homes, lead dust can be tracked in from outside, putting young children at risk for brain, nervous system, and kidney damage.  Pesticides from outdoors can also cause brain damage in kids.

Keep your home safer by asking people to take off their shoes when they come in.  Keep slippers or house shoes by the door.

2. Control humidity

Keep humidity at about 30%-50% in order to discourage mold, dust mites, and other allergens.  A dehumidifier or air conditioner will lower the level of moisture indoors.  Air conditioning also lowers the pollen count in the indoor air.

Here are some more dehumidifying tips:

• When you cook, bathe, shower, or turn on the dishwasher, either click on an exhaust fan or open a window slightly.
• Don’t water houseplants too much.
• Vent the air from the clothes dryer outside.
• Repair leaking plumbing.
• Remember to empty the drip pans of dehumidifiers or window air conditioners.

3. Don’t allow smoking indoors

Secondhand smoke is one of the major cause of indoor air pollution.

Cigarette smoke has over 4,000 chemicals.  Research has linked secondhand smoke to increased risk of childhood respiratory infections, asthma, and cancer, as well as SIDS.  The smoker also risks cancer, heart attack, stroke, and respiratory problems.

Final Smoke can aid you in stopping smoking, as well as support from family, friends, or a support group.  Remind yourself of your reasons for wanting to quit to take your mind off cravings.

Still, if you are unable to quit, smoke outside of the house.

4. Regardless of the age of your house, test it for Radon

The colorless and odorless gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer among Americans.  If you smoke as well, radon will exacerbate your lung cancer risk. Radon gas is radioactive and results from uranium decaying naturally in the soil.  It finds its way into the house through cracks in the foundation.  But whether your house is drafty or airtight, and even if it has no basement, radon can still get in.

Granite countertops emit radon, but experts are not certain whether they emit enough to pose a cancer risk.  Testing is not difficult or expensive and takes minutes, using a Radon gas home testing kit.

5. Keep a naturally scented home

Laundry detergents, laundry aids, and air fresheners in every form have synthetic fragrances which are loaded with different chemicals. A study found that one plug-in air freshener gave off 20 volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.  Seven of them were considered toxic or hazardous according to federal law.  The names of the chemicals were not on the label, since the law only requires the word “fragrance” to be listed.  The ingredients of the fragrance are protected as a trade secret.

Fragrances usually come from petroleum products and most have been tested to see whether they cause skin sensitivity, not to see if inhaling them can cause health problems.  Phthalates are used in fragrances as well as for softening plastics, and create hormonal disruptions in animal studies.

To avoid potentially hazardous fragrances, try the following:

• Buy laundry products with a natural scent or no fragrance.
• Use mild cleaning products made without added artificial fragrance.
• Don’t use aerosol spray forms of deodorant, hair spray, air freshener, cleaners, etc.
• Open the windows, letting household chemicals escape instead of building up.  If outdoor allergies are a problem, use filtered air conditioning for ventilation.
• Freshen your kitchen naturally with baking soda and lemon slices.
• Houseplants have absorptive roots and leaves, and act as indoor air purification systems, according to research by NASA.  Make sure to use non-poisonous plants if you have children or pets.
• Use natural fragrance from essential oils.

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The imaging technology is comprised of dual cameras. The cameras allow physicians to examine the electrochemical and metabolic properties of a heart while under changing conditions. The advantages of viewing these physiological variables at the same time will likely have a huge impact in the area of cardiac diagnosis and treatment.

Cardiac patients with a diagnosis of acute coronary disorder now have the option of being monitored at home if they are at risk for re-hospitalization through a program called Connected Cardiac Care. Patients who participate in this program monitor their vital signs daily with telemonitoring device that also transmits the data to a physician. A telemonitoring nurse reviews the data and provides intervention if necessary remotely.

A similar concept is being tested by a group of Australian scientists to encourage cardiac patients to complete their rehabilitation programs following surgery. The trial is using a cellular phone to collect and transmit data to a central computer. Nurses are then able to review the data remotely. This technology, if successful, could be used by patients who find it difficult to make frequent trips to the hospital for the six-week rehabilitation program that’s recommended after heart surgery.

Stem cell therapy is an exciting innovation in the area of heart health. The first human received cardiac stem cells at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in June 2009. The clinical trial is using patients’ own heart tissue to grow stem cells. The stem cells are then injected into the patients’ hearts in an effort to heal damaged cardiac muscle. Twenty four patients participating in this break-through study will be monitored for six months with results scheduled for release in the latter part of 2010. This technology may enable patients to heal their own injured hearts that have resulted from heart attacks.

DecodeMe, a division of Decode Genetics, this year launched a test that detects genetic variations linked to a multitude of heart-related conditions. The test, costing $195, assesses an individual’s genetic risk for conditions such as heart attacks, atrial fibrillation, strokes, and clots in blood vessels. This information could possibly allow individuals at high risk for heart disease to receive early intervention before the problem actually manifests.

There’s a vast amount of exciting innovations on the horizon of heart health technology. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. among women and men. Hopefully, these breaking diagnostic tools and treatment options will at some point change this disturbing statistic.

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Every family may have slightly different Christmas traditions with regards to Santa Claus, but there are some very easy things any person can do to keep the belief in Santa at an all time high. The following 7 techniques will keep your child believing in the magic and wonderment of Santa Claus and you don’t have to be familiar with the history of Santa Claus to apply them.

1) Have your child write a Santa Letter. This can be a simple letter that your child can write to Santa Claus. Children absolutely love to write a letter to Santa, but they occasionally need a little parental guidance to pull it off.

Help your child include a special list of gifts they desire for Christmas into the Santa letter. Many children enjoy getting more creative by drawing or cutting out pictures that represent the gifts they want.

Once the child’s Santa letter is finished, simply mail it to the North Pole. Mail it to the following Santa Claus address: Santa Claus, 1 Candy Cane Lane, North Pole 00001. Don’t bother using a return address, you wouldn’t want it to return as ‘undeliverable’ for any reason.

2) Write a Letter from Santa and have your child receive it in the mail. Create a personalized letter from Santa by directly mentioning your child’s name and certain information about your child in the text. This will make for a much more believable Santa letter. Be sure to make these letters from Santa different for each child in the same household. The child will have no doubt that Santa Claus is coming to town after they receive their personalized letter from Santa!

“I can honestly state as a parent that the personalized letter from Santa has single handedly restored my son’s belief! The look of shock and amazement on his face when he got an ‘authentic letter from Santa’ quickly abolished any doubt he previously had about Santa Claus.”

Print the Santa letter on authentic looking letterhead, as this will help to reinforce the believability. Many different styles of paper can be found at your local office supply store.

You can add to the fun by getting your letter from Santa postmarked at the North Pole. Simply send your Santa letter inside another sealed, stamped envelope to: North Pole Christmas Cancellation, Postmaster, 5400 Mail Trail, Fairbanks, AK 99709-9999. (It needs to arrive by December 15th)

Many parents add a certificate for being on Santa’s “Nice List” along with the Santa Letter for added effect. Another great item to add with the Santa letter is a Santa Claus coloring sheet. Combining the personalized Santa letter, the nice certificate, and the Santa Claus coloring sheet is a sure fire method for keeping your child believing.

3) Have your child leave milk and cookies out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. This is simple enough to do with your child. It lets your child know YOU still believe, too. Make it a bonding experience for you and your child by baking the cookies together on Christmas Eve. Don’t underestimate how powerful this can be for creating joyful memories of Santa Claus, for both you and your child. Did you know that Santa’s favorite cookie recipe is Chocolate Chip?

Put the fresh cookies on a plate next to a glass of cold milk. You can even put a short letter to Santa Claus next to the cookies and milk. These tasty treats will give Santa the energy he needs to continue traveling to the millions of other households awaiting his arrival.

Don’t forget to leave some crumbs on the table Christmas morning. Your child will feel honored that Santa Claus ate the whole plate of cookies and drank all of the milk before rushing on his way.

4) On Christmas Eve, have your child sprinkle reindeer food on the lawn. Santa Claus gets milk and cookies on Christmas Eve, but what about Rudolph and the rest of the joyful gang? What do they eat? Well, reindeer food, of course!

You can make a batch of environmentally friendly reindeer food with common grocery items such as oats or granola. (Do not use potentially hazardous items, such as glitter in your reindeer food. Although this may make the reindeer food appear to be magical in some way, it can be extremely dangerous if ingested by small children, should they decide to ‘sample’ the reindeer food. It can also be potentially hazardous to the small animals outside such as rabbits, dogs, or cats that may eat the food.)

Once you have the reindeer food mixed up, walk outside with your child on Christmas Eve night and explain the importance of making sure Santa’s sleigh team stays fed. Sprinkle a small amount onto your yard near bushes or trees.

This healthy reindeer snack will give Rudolph and the rest of the reindeer the nourishment they need to continue flying Santa’s heavy sleigh into the night. Your child will be proud for helping Santa Claus on his journey, and is sure to raise the belief in Rudolph and the other reindeer as well.

5) Leave Santa Claus tracks in your house on Christmas Eve. Being sure to not stain your carpet, leave some dirty boot prints by the fireplace (or doorway). Be sure to draw attention to the Santa Claus footprints on Christmas morning. To a child, this is solid evidence that Santa had been to their house.

6) A month or so after Christmas, send your child a postcard from Santa Claus on vacation. This not only keeps your child believing, but reminds your child that Santa is in their hearts all year long. It also answers the common question posed by children after Christmas, “Where is Santa Claus now?”

Be sure to make the postcard from somewhere very warm and sunny. After all, Santa does need a break from all that North Pole snow.

7) Mail your child a birthday greeting from Santa Claus. This technique works in tandem with the personalized Santa Letter you mailed your child previously. Mailing your child a simple birthday card from Santa is an excellent way to keep your child’s belief high throughout the year. Your child will think, “Wow! Santa actually knows my birthday!” The shock on your child’s face will be priceless.

Parents that have extremely intelligent kids or kids that are getting slightly older will genuinely need to utilize all 7 techniques mentioned above to keep their child believing in Santa Claus.

These techniques will assure your child is one of the millions of children that write Santa Letters each and every holiday season… one of the millions of children that believe wholeheartedly in Santa Claus.

A reputable, inexpensive website that offers all of this as a service can be found here: www.PackageFromSanta.com

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Celebrity fans of American label Shoshanna include Selma Blair, Taylor Swift and Nicole Richie. It’s more well known for its summery dresses and bikinis, but they have a good selection of partywear too. Designer Shoshanna Gruss reveals some of her tips for the party season…

What is best to wear for your different holiday parties this year?
Family Affair:  A pretty dress with an embellished neckline or embroidery, something you can throw a cardigan over, move around and have fun in. 
Office Party:  Simple shift or sheath dress that will take you from a day at the office to the party that night, with a change shoes and accessories.
Girls Night Out:  A great strapless dress in a bold color like a violet or red is perfect.  Add a cropped leather jacket or blazer to give it some edge.

What is the must-have accessory to spice up any outfit? 
I think a statement necklace is the ultimate piece to pair with a dress for the season.  It can instantly change an outfit.

What are the key dress trends to look for this holiday season?
Bright Bold Colors, Sequin and Shin, Embellished Necklines

How do you take your daytime outfit from the office to a party?
Start with a simple dress shape, like a shift that can act as your blank canvas.  During the day keep it simple with flats and delicate jewelry.  Slip into fabulously high heels, and throw on a pair of great earrings or a vintage necklace for the office party later that evening.

How do you find the best dress for flattering your body type?
You have to find a shape that works for you and stick with it.  Try on every shape you can until you find the one you are most comfortable in and shows off your best assets.

What are some ways to up the glamour of your favorite little black dress for the holiday season?
Accessories are the best way to glam up a LBD.  You can use so many different kinds of colorful jewelry to stand out, play around and have fun with it.  Also, a bright bold lip is a great way to spice up an outfit.

What in one must-have holiday piece that can be worn for every party occasion this season?
I think the perfect dress for any occasion is a simple shift- you can wear it so many ways (from a day at the office to a party at night) and make it look like a different dress with a change of accessories.  It’s my go to dress for every holiday party this season.

What are your personal DOS and DON’TS for holiday party dressing?
NO Holiday Sweaters
DO Have Fun with Color
DON’T Be Afraid to Stand Out
DO Shop Your Closet- Mix and Match Old Pieces with New

Warehouse Christmas Collection

On buying the ultimate party dress…

• If you’re splashing the cash on your ultimate party dress you want to be able to wear it again and again. Go for an exquisitely cut dress that accentuates your body’s curves in a luxe fabric.

• It doesn’t want to be a glitzy ‘in your face’ dress, that will date after one season, as you’re going to vamp it up from party to party with on trend accessories.

• You can find relatively cheap and ‘of the moment’ jewellery, bags, tights, belts, gloves on the Great British high street that will update this dress from season to season, keeping it bang on trend and keeping the cash in your purse for more fun nights out..

Strapless Digital Print Dress £38.00

Making the most of your strapless outfits…

• Make the most of your strapless dress by getting your hands on Wonderbra’s Ultimate Strapless bra. It really is the ultimate party accessory. The new hand shaped structure means you get a great cleavage and it won’t slide down, so you can keep dancing all night.

• Layer up an assortment of glam necklaces in the same colour palette as your dress – chunky sparkly beads, ethnic metal beads, chains, diamantes, long strands of stones. Raid your jewellery box and pile them on. More is definitely more with this look.

• Oversized chandelier earrings that graze bare shoulders are sooooo sexy and look great with short hair. Long hair? A gorgeous updo is essential.

• If you’re a minimal kind of girl when it comes to jewellery then let your dress do the talking and give a nod to the party season by carrying an oversized jewelled clutch

Warehouse Christmas Collection

Ways to update last year’s dress…

• If it’s a mini dress that you’re reworking go warrior princess with OTK (over the knee) fantasy boots worn with same colour tights. Trust me, these are essential, as you really don’t want to rock that Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman look.

• If your dress is short why not start the night wearing an oversized sharp-shouldered suit jacket with it? Haven’t got one yet? Shame on you! Get yourself down to a charity store quick speed and pick up a man’s double breasted tuxedo on the cheap. The contrast of a man’s suit jacket with a saucy little slip of a dress underneath is too sexy for words.

• If you’re wanting to revive a solid coloured strapless dress add four diamante chain straps to each side of the bodice et voila you’ve got a very now Art Deco style strappy dress.

• Buy a couple of metres of velvet ribbon two-three inches wide in the same colour as your dress. Make an oversized bow and sew (or get a dressmaker to) the ends onto the bodice of your dress and you have a brand new one shoulder dress.

• If you wore that dress last year with bare legs then this year go for solid opaque tights finished off with a sexy on trend ankle boot. So cool, so modern, so now.

Now you’re party ready, grab your bag and head out of the door! For more style advice visit www.ultimatestrapless.co.uk

You probably want your kids to make the best food choices and maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout their life right? Grocery shopping is a great way to ensure this since their supermarket skills are nurtured and these replicate to wiser choices in the future, nutritionally speaking.

Don’t be discouraged by the boredom or worse the whining since that comes with the territory. Just make sure that the kids are involved right before you make that trip to the store.

Plan it.

Set up a game plan, call it a grocery plan even and get the kids in it right from the word go. Start by discussing with them the best choices in terms of healthy snacks and meals, then for fun, ask them to hypothetically enlist the things that you will require.

Allow them some excitement by allowing them to choose a few items for school lunches and snacks. Have them keep an open eye for flyers for sales or alternative healthy foods to buy.

Grocery games: tag, this is it!

Consider how old your kids are and fill their plates with as much as their age permits them. Divide the grocery list and let your kids find some of the items. If they do, have them cross off as your cart fills up. For their sake, stick to the list as much as possible. It’s an effective way of sticking to the budget and teaching them discipline by being a fine example.

Incorporate some maths in all the excitement by letting your kids keep track of the price list by using a calculator to know how close they are to the final cost.

That is not all of it.

• Ask them to, for instance, place oranges that weigh close to two pounds in a bag.
• Probability: ask them to guess how much apples weight (choose a number like 5), then weigh to establish how close they were.
• For more mature kids, have them work out the prices hypothetically and guess the total price. Compare this to the real thing.
• Become shopping detectives. Have them spy out certain items like a pineapple canned with its own juicy goodness or whole grain bread costing less than 3 dollars or better yet a cereal: 4 grams fiber and 7 grams of sugar per serving.
• Scout: try finding a new fruit like a papaya or dried cherries.
• Compare prices. Tell them to consider national brands to store ones and decide the one that is a money saver.
• Have them decide, between a large and smaller packing, which one offers a better value for your money.

Take one step each time.

Do not over do the whole thing. One hour or less is just about enough. No need to tire the kids with too much since this is supposed to be a fun activity, not one that becomes dreaded over time. Remember there is only so much they can do so taking it a step at a time is the best approach.

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And I’m not talking about the occasional adjustment, I’m talking about those men who habitually do it 24/7 and 365 days out of the year.

You know the ones I’m talking about….

You’ll often see them walking through the mall resembling an infomercial for terminal jock-itch.

I can honestly say in my 54 years, I have never reached down and grabbed my genitalia; readjusting it in public view.

And please don’t say “That’s because you probably don’t have much down there to adjust.”

Because I do…it’s just that I have it neatly tucked in my briefs; not flapping around like an elephant trunk in either boxer shorts, or worse….commando.

And if on the rare occasion I do need to adjust myself I will either go to the restroom, or if a restroom isn’t handy I’ll find a secluded corner somewhere and do it in private – not in front of someone’s grandmother at Starbucks.

Not too long ago while I was sitting in the bookstore, I noticed a gentleman walking down the main book isle adjusting himself.

No….let me take that back.

He wasn’t merely adjusting himself, he was GROPING himself like a horny little chimpanzee in a zoo cage. In the short time it took him to walk down the isle, I watched as he groped himself as least THREE times.

And that’s not the worse part.

After he selected a book off the shelf and began skimming through it, he kept reaching down every so often and patting his crotch. Patting it as if it were his pet dog, like to say “Good boy…good boy.”

I wanted to scream, “JESUS CHRIST…WHY DON’T YOU TELL IT TO ROLL OVER AND PLAY DEAD!”

I’ve often wondered if some men habitually touch themselves because they fear that one day it may fall off. And perhaps they’re just checking to see if it’s still attached.

Well….for whatever reason, I think it looks barbaric.

Look, I enjoy my boy toy just as much as the next guy, but for heaven sake dudes, STOP PLAYING WITH IT IN PUBLIC.

And go buy yourself a nice pair of supportive underwear that will keep it in place.

Like this well-hung gentleman…..

Convenience:

This service couldn’t really be more convenient, especially if you work in an office like me. Food is delivered each evening for the following day and each bag or bottle is labelled and identified in your menu for that day. At the beginning of the week you get a daily time line of what you should be consuming when and there is never long between meals or snacks so it’s quite easy to wait until the next bit of food. I was impressed with the freshness and quality of all the food, even though not all of it was exactly to my taste. I think it’s a good idea to be clear about your likes and dislikes to get the most from the detox. Most of the meals can just be popped in the microwave, it’s all been prepared for you.

Willpower:

Willpower is definitely required. Don’t kid yourself into thinking that this is the quick and easy fix, it will require some determination. However, once you get over the first 3 days, it’s plain sailing from there on in and actually I quite enjoyed it. You’ll get much more than your 5 a day and feel better as a result. If you start the detox with a bad headache rest assured that’s just your dependency on nasties found in your regular diet. My vice was caffeine but I’m so glad the detox forced me to cut down. There are a few extras you get with the food designed to help your body detox like teas, scrubs and supplements. The supplements take some getting used to… I suggest just hiding them in juice or soup.

Weight Loss:

You all want to know… how much weight did I lose? The answer is 4lb. Not bad for 6 days or willpower and yes, people can lose 4lb without resorting to a detox, but this was about more than losing a few lbs. It was more about giving myself a boost and stopping the cravings of all those foods that I eat without thinking and really shouldn’t.

Other benefits:

Post detox Diet:

I’m sticking to cereal for breakfast, soup for lunch and then a dinner of protein, carbs and plenty of veg. I’m drinking about 2.5 litres of water a day and trying to only have one glass of caffeine-free diet coke. Let’s hope this helps me build on the loss from the detox and shift a few more pounds.

	Make a big deal of everything. Sure, we all have things we really care about, but what do we gain by insisting it’s our way or it’s no way? Stress. It’s amazing how the tension evaporates from our shoulders when someone says, “I’m fine with that”, or “That could work.”
	Have the wrong pet, or be the wrong owner. If you think your pet always looks like this, or perhaps that your pet would like to kill you, then it’s time to think outside the litter box. Your style might not work with this pet, and changing how you spend time with your pet might make you both happier. Or maybe someone else might love the little scoundrel more.
	Make your mother look like this. Everyone wants to be treated with respect, or at least with courtesy. Know when you’re having a bad day and don’t take it out on those closest to you. They love you, but hey, you have a lot of say over what words come out of your mouth.
	Eat a lot of junk food. Eating a lot of fatty snacks is a wonderful luxury, and a growing source of grief and grumpiness. When we put on pounds we lose the spring in our step, and like it or not, feeling heavy is a drag. When did we forget how fantastic fruit is? Be an emperor and eat some grapes!
	Insist on doing life on your own. We all need some time to ourselves — even extroverts (such as when they vote). Everyone needs to have friends, to share good times and get through bad times. When we think that two heads aren’t better than one then we’re also saying two hearts aren’t better than one. People need community, and it’s often just a smile away.
	Don’t get enough sleep. This is an excellent way to make not only yourself but lots of people around you grumpy. And unlike eating too many fatty snacks you can generate gallons of grumpiness very quickly. There are some types of fun that require staying up really late and listening to either drunken people yelling or long-dead actors on TV. But surprisingly, most things in life can happen within our usual sleeping cycle.  Cut out a bit early and wake up feeling refreshed.
	Drink more than you know you should. What are we, still 15 years old? Bio-chem students might seem a bit nerdy but they do know an essential secret: that alcohol at high levels is toxic, messy, and a great source of vitamin G (yes, G is for Grumpiness). Don’t be like this pumpkin — all orange and dumping their insides. You’ll still have fun.
	Try to do too much. This isn’t just about work, but about all areas of our lives. When did overdoing everything become a national contest? There will always be more things to do than we have time for and the skills for. Working together on projects is a great way to make headway and to share the joy of progress. We need to be able to say “no”, ask for help, and find a new balance of quality and quantity. If your life is a parody of a soccer Mom then it’s time for a time out.
	Treat small mistakes like the end of the world. Things go wrong — every day — but rarely will they bring down the sky. We have a vested interest in the current moment of our life and when it goes wrong it can surprise us. People can get frustrated and defensive. They can even go beyond grumpy to all-out anger. Be kind and forgiving to yourself and those around you. Instead of making a big deal, try a shrug and say “Oops” when things go wrong. You’ll find most mistakes are quickly forgotten.
	Take all the credit. We all contribute, but in different ways. Each day is part of a long term project called life, and the task that just got done is threaded through the lives of people who helped along the way — whether you know or appreciate them or not. Celebrate victories with gusto, and small successes too — prevent grumpiness by acknowledging shared efforts. We aren’t living in cold caves like smelly cavemen. Enjoy sharing the spotlight, and be thankful for living in community.

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