Traveling Tips

Courtesy of Manheim, Michael Philip

I've been thinking a lot about airplane travel as I get closer to my annual Christmas trip to California.

A friend of mine went out west last week.  She flew out of Chicago okay, but lost her purse, so had no ID to show at the airport.  She was able to board the plane home with the assistance of a few things she happened to pack.  Magazines with her name and address and a bottle of prescription medication.  Good to know, right? 
Well,one of the things which was suggested to her was to carry with her, a copy of her driver's license.  Obviously, not in her purse but in her carry-on so if her ID was lost sometime in the future, she would have a copy of her picture ID with her current address.

I am everyone heard the story of the gentleman who refused the full pat down at the airport and drove to his destination in California instead?  Well, there has been a few tips offered on the Internet as to what not to wear at the airport.

There are the old standbys of  having as little metal on you as possible and empty your pockets.  Then there are some other added precautions

As a woman, it is better to wear pants to a skirt.

Avoid sweat pants and other baggy clothing.

An article by Morris Brown from ezinearticles.com has a few other suggestions for getting through airport security.  Avoiding under wire bras (I think most of us girls were aware of this before all the new rules) but also watches and other jewelry.

The other tip I like from this article was to make sure any electronic devices are fully charged so if you are asked to test the device, it will work.

Just a quick one

My apologies..I didn't mean to go so long since my last post.  I am a little overwhelmed by the information I am collecting to share with you all and I am trying to organize it in some fashion. 

So, random note, I love the section in Real Simple each month that shows different uses for everyday things.  One of the things I eager to try is using a bundt pan as a roaster.  Well, I tried it last week, didn't work so great.  Either their bird had a smaller cavity or the bundt pan had a bigger whole in the middle but my chicken just flopped over, leaning against the outside rim of the pan.  So, I improvised and put a cooling rack on a cookie sheet and cooked the chicken that way.

Now, some quick information about eggs information also gleaned from my Real Simple magazines.

First, storing your eggs.  They should be stored in the coldest part of the fridge.  Who knew?  The refrigerator manufacturers put those egg shelves on the fridge doors.   Also, I haven't had this problem, but eggs can absorb odors in the fridge, so it is preferable to store them in an airtight container.

This I thought was real cool and maybe one cold, snowy Saturday, I will give this a try...here is how you can tell if you can still use your eggs.

Get a bowl of water and put an egg in it.

- If it sinks, and lies on its side--the egg is fresh.
- If it sinks and stands, large end up--the egg should should be eaten in the next day or so.
- If it floats--throw the egg away.

I am hooked

I am addicted.  I have discovered a world of free samples.  I have found a few websites which pull together offers from all over the Internet for samples of all sorts of stuff.  So far, I have gotten samples of nutrition bars, Emergen C, hand lotion, Kashi TLC crackers, and yesterday, I downloaded a coupon, brought it into CVS and walked out with a hand sanitizer pen.  I should be expecting Wisk laundry detergent, Wellness dog food and  Dove deodorant samples.

I love getting these little packages in the mail with my little goodies.  Speaking of mail, if this is something you decide to pursue the samples, you should never have to pay for shipping.

So, here are the sites I have been going to:

The Freebie Blogger
Absurdly Cool Freebie Finder
All You Magazine's Sample of the Day

You can subscribe to each of these so that an email comes to your inbox every day.
The each have links to get your free sample. Some of them, you have to move fast because they have a limited number of product to give away.

Now, I know some of you don't like filling out forms and getting additional emails.  Well, often you have a choice as to whether the company sends you additional special offers or promotions.  If you do get additional emails, you can throw them into your spam folder so that is where any future emails go, you can open them and unsubscribe (there is usually a link at the bottom of the email), or, some people choose to open another email address where they have these emails sent.

If you have any particular sites that you go for for freebies..shoot me a comment.

Dr. Seuss and World Music

Good Evening-

There isn't a connection between the two but saw both of these and decided to put them into the same post.

DR. SEUSS
I saw this article from Pickthebrain.com by way of Wisebread.com, "8 Must Read Lessons from Dr. Seuss."  Great article.  Takes lines from Dr. Seuss' most well known books: Green Eggs and Ham and Horton Hears a Who and puts them in the context of real life lessons.  Here are a couple of my favorites:

"2. Trouble Your Troubles


“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!”


When troubles show up, you have to show up bigger. Don’t let troubles trouble you; you trouble your troubles by showing up with a “big bat!” But not literally…. You show up with a “big bat” by showing up with big courage, big faith, and big determination, if you do, you will trouble your troubles….
3. You Decide


“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”


How simple, yet how profound! You decide where you go, only you. You are only limited by your ability to believe in the impossible.


4. It’s Up To You


“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”


No one is going to rescue you, they’re not. You have to dig yourself out of the ditch. You have to care enough; you have to be motivated enough, to change things. It’s up to you.


Things only change, when someone cares an awful lot."

Click on the title above to read the rest.

WORLD MUSIC
Periodically, I look for free music downloads for my iPod.  It's an opportunity for me to listen to new music, broaden my horizons.  Amazon.com always has various types of music available to download for free.  The ones that caught my eye tonight were world music downloads.  I just downloaded these so not sure how they are yet but if you page down on any of the links, you will see other free music from around the world.

Six Degrees Records Global Grooves Sampler
Altracao Presents: Music from Brazil
Big Sound 2009 Summit & Showcases

Cold and Flu season part II

Have to say--I tried the ibuprofen for the sniffles I had, think that and the Benedryl I bought on Wednesday, really seemed to help.  A note to those who have not purchased Benedryl in a while.  They have changed their packaging and it's called Benedryl Allergy now, just make sure to buy the stuff that makes you drowsy.

Anyway, there is a part two to this....A couple of days later, I was watching FOX Chicago news in the morning--the local, less incendiary FOX station.  There was segment with a doctor from the University of Michigan, Dr. Mark Moyad discussing the flu.  Here are the main points:

Flu Shot- get it now, takes 3 to 4 weeks to build up the antibodies.

Vitamin D- boost immune system--1000 IU.  This is a good vitamin to take anyway since most people are vitamin D deficient.

Often dehydrated and need electralites instead of Gatorade or Pedialite, a lower calorie alternative, Coconut Water--more potassium then an apple or bananas.

If you have a fever go in and see the doctor.  Fever points to the flu. 

The full segment is below.



To let the people you know, know you care, go to click here.  Kleenex will send a small box of tissue to anyone you request.  Have not lodged a full on campaign to my friends and family yet but my friend and her husband seemed to get a kick out of it.  And, hey, who can't use a tissue, especially this time of year.

It's Cold and Flu Season....Part I The Common Cold

As I am sitting on my sofa sniffling this evening, thought I would share some information I learned on a podcast of NPR's Fresh Air.  It was an interview with science writer Jennifer Ackerman, the author of  Ah-Choo!  The Uncommon Life of You Common Cold. 

I know advice like "wash your hands" and "don't touch your face" (easier said than done, and, that is based on scientific study) has been heard over and over again but there is more information that I wasn't aware of.

1.  There are places one might not think about where germs hang out.....I have been conscious about door knobs and phone receivers, but never thought about elevator buttons, copiers, office refrigerator and microwave handles, or hotel remotes.

2.  There are 200+ viruses that can cause the common cold.  This is why some colds last longer than others.  The most common is the Rhinovirus.

3.  Colds start typically start in the throat which is where the receptors are the viruses inhabit to do their work.  The body responds with inflammatory agents, which inflame the body's tissues, causing  runny nose and cough.  So, it's the immune system that cause the symptoms that make us feel so awful.

4.   Sleep deprivation increases risk of getting a cold.  Sleep deprivation is caused by less than 7 hours of sleep a night. Also, chronic stress can make one susceptible.

5.  Here are some of the conclusions from the many studies she researched on various remedies:

Vitmin C--can shorten colds but only minimally for the common person, can dry secretions.
Zinc--no real benefits--side effects of gels and sprays can cause permanent damage to sense of smell in some people
Chicken Soup--may have some medicinal benefit--lung special Nebraska whose wife made soup members of her family when they were sick.  He put some in a petrie dish and found the chicken soup had some anti-inflammatory effects.  Chicken soup has never been tested on humans so the extent of its medicinal benefits it not known.
Empathy--There have been studies done that empathy can cut a cold by a full day.

6.  Jack Waltney studied common cold for 40 years- He recommends two single drugs. 
At earliest sign of cold, one should take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, like naproxin or ibuprofen, or other pain reliever to ease cough and sore throat and first generation antihistamines, like Benedryl (the ones that make you drowsy) to relieve runny nose and sneezing.  The antihistamine limits build up of nasal fluid which can lead to secondary infection like sinusitis. 

If you find this useful, please feel free to pass it along.

Random Uses for Every Day Items in Your Kitchen

I love finding different uses for stuff I already have in my house which might potentially make my life easier.  The idea of re-purposing stuff is very "green." My Real Simple magazine comes up with suggestions every month.  Here are a few items that you have in your kitchen:

1.  Non-stick cooking spray makes your food slide off the pan but did you know that spraying it on your shovel will allow the snow to slide off easier? (April, 2010)

2.  I am not very adept at opening bottles of wine so inevitably when I do open a bottle, the cork breaks.   I was thrilled when I found out that if you use a coffee filter over the mouth of the bottle, I could pour wine for my friends without getting cork in their glasses. (April, 2010)

3. That tea steamer you bought a few years ago when you were gung-ho on using loose tea and it's been sitting in your utensil drawer with the other cool utensils you bought but never use?  Here is another use, next time you back cookies or brownies, you can use the tea steamer to dust the desserts with powdered sugar.  (April, 2010)

4.  Loved this one.  Lots of people hang up their pots and pans in their kitchens.  Cast Iron  pans are magnetic so you can tack up recipes or reminders for the week with magnets. (February, 2010)

5.  To keep your boots' shape, you can stick empty wine bottles in them (see #2).  I remember that my folks used rolled up newspapers to accomplish the same thing.

Do you have some ideas of other uses for items in your kitchen?