All posts by R.C. Liley

I'm an ex-mutual fund accountant who left the cubicle world to be a stay-at-home dad to my beautiful little girl, Avery, who entered our life on 11/15/13 and handsome little boy, Wes, who joined our family on 11/19/17. Also happily married to my wife, Kelley, as of 8/17/07. Sorry ladies... :) Fitness and nutrition is of the utmost importance in our family and we strive to reflect this in our daily life. I always prepare our meals at home and only go out if it's a special occasion, and even then I tend to not get much. Food should be fun and a joy to eat, not something quickly consumed from a fast food chain or scarf down before the next meeting. I have come from strictly logging high miles to train for the next marathon to keeping exercise varied and focusing more on strength. I still enjoy going for a run when I can, but nothing crazy, and I prefer hill sprints while pushing my daughter, Avery in the stroller. She loves it and I get a great workout! I want to show the world how to appreciate their body and feed it real, wholesome food while moving more throughout the day. In doing so, everyone would be healthier, happier, and we'd all live in a better place as a result. I blog mainly about my life as a stay-at-home dad and frequently include reviews, participate in campaigns, and share my thoughts on fitness and nutrition. If you ever have any questions or thoughts to share, please reach out as I'm always open to listening or helping others however possible. That is, when I have free time since Avery is and my wife are the number one priorities!
Health, Lifestyle

5 Signs You Have A Pest Infestation

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Pests can cause a whole host of issues for homeowners regardless of where they live or the type of pest infestation they have. While you might not always be immediately aware of something making itself at home alongside you, sure enough, over time, there will be telltale signs that something is amiss and you have a pest problem. 

If you’re not entirely sure what type of issues you have or whether or not you do have an infestation and are making it up, checking for the following signs can give you a heads-up before calling pest control to help you eradicate your unwanted guests.

Foul Smell

Smelling a greasy or oily smell? This could indicate that you have cockroaches in your home, while a strong ammonia smell is associated with rodent urine and isn’t pleasant. If you have lingering odors you cannot shift, no matter how much you clean, you must identify the culprit and rid your home of your foul-smelling guest.

Nests

Bird nests, wasp nests, or bee hives, for example, are easy to spot visually and are usually found on the external parts of a building. But other nests, such as ant nests or rodents, aren’t quite as easy to spot due to them being under something. Ants will come up through the ground in an opening, and you will usually see a pile of dirt to indicate this, but rodent nests are generally in places such as wall cavities or under floorboards and are much harder to spot.

Damage

One of the biggest giveaways that something is amiss in your home is damage caused by pests. More minor pests might not cause much damage, but larger pests, such as raccoons, mice, rats, etc, will cause damage to your home if they gain access. Look for scratching marks on walls or furniture, items being chewed, etc, to help you identify the pest responsible and take the proper steps towards eliminating them. If you find yourself unable to handle the situation on your own, don’t hesitate to reach out to a Wildlife Removal company. Their expertise can effectively address the problem and prevent further damage to your home.

Droppings

Pest droppings are typically linked to rodent activity and present like tiny dark specks around your home, often in a trail following wherever they run free. If you notice the appearance of anything similar or something you cannot explain from your daily activities, then this could be pest droppings, and it’s probably a good idea to call in the professionals to help you catch and remove the offenders from your home.

Footprints

If a pest is running free within your home, be it coming and going from the outside sporadically to find food and warmth, or you have live-in issues where they’ve made themselves at home and won’t leave, you will see footprints or markings of some sort. For example, it would be via greasy streaks left by rodents or paw prints from larger pests. And lets face it, no one wants to live with a raccoon in house! But tracking them will identify how and where they are coming into your home and give you a starting point to block their access and give them a permanent eviction notice.

No one wants to live with pests in their home, but sadly, not everyone can prevent pests from gaining access all the time. When you discover evidence of pests in your home, the best thing to do is to call in the experts.

Going Healthy, Health

Skin Rashes: What Causes Them?

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Pretty much all of us have had a rash at some point in our lives. Some of us may even get them regularly. Rashes are areas of irritated skin that can take many forms – they can be red, scaley, bumpy or blistered. They don’t look pleasant, and can often be itchy or painful.

Some rashes are easy to diagnose like diaper rash. Others can appear without us realising and may require a bit of detective work to diagnose. Below are just some of the common causes of rashes.

Allergies

Allergic reactions and sensitivity to certain substances are the most common reasons for rashes. Such rashes can take several forms. 

Pure allergic reactions typically result in redness and small bumps called hives. Triggers for these rashes could include certain foods, medication, contact with animals or contact with certain materials like latex. 

If your skin is dry and irritated, this is more likely to be a form of eczema known as contact dermatitis. Causes of these rashes can include cleaning chemicals, soaps, detergents, certain cosmetics or even certain metals like nickel. 

Sites like Asthma & Allergy Associates can help you to explore treatment methods and prevention strategies. Once you know the trigger, you should reduce contact and look into hypoallergenic alternatives if they are an option. 

Stress

Some rashes are the result of underlying conditions. These rashes may be brought out by allergic reactions to substances, but can also often be brought out by stress.

Types of rash conditions that are often triggered by stress include psoriasis, eczema, rosacea and stress-induced hives. Stress may also increase your chances of developing infection-based rashes like impetigo due to lowering the immune system.

Finding ways to destress can help reduce flare-ups of these types of rashes. There are many stressbusting techniques that you can try.

Bites/stings

Animals and plants can often cause rashes when they sting or bite. These may take the form of a large red bump, or an area of small bumps (hives). 

Nettles, ants and mosquitoes are a few common culprits behind mystery rashes. Such rashes are often not a concern, but you should see a doctor if they grow or get more painful. This post at MedicineNet explains more as to when to worry about an insect bite. 

Using insect repellent sprays may prevent bites. It’s also advised that you cover up your arms and legs when exploring areas of long grass or boggy areas where bites and stings are more likely. 

Sun exposure

Sun exposure can cause all kinds of different rashes. Sunburn (which is technically more of a burn than a rash) is the most obvious. Heat rash and sun rash are other types of rash that are more similar to an allergy.

Wearing sun lotion, keeping cool and not spending too much time in direct sunlight can stop you from getting these types of rashes. Some people are more susceptible than others due to their complexion or underlying skin conditions – if you are more likely to get rashes, you will need to be more careful in the sun. 

Viruses/bacteria/fungus

Various infections caused by bacteria, fungus or viruses can lead to rashes. Examples include chickenpox, measles, shingles, cellulitis, impetigo, ringworm and athlete’s foot are all examples.

These types of rashes tend to cause a greater level of pain and itchiness and are often accompanied by spots, blisters or bleeding. It is important to see a doctor for these types of rashes as they may require prescription medication to treat. Some can also be contagious, so it’s important to cover them up.

Lifestyle, Tips

What To Know When Getting A Body Piercing For The First Time

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Getting a body piercing for the first time is somewhat exciting and a little daunting at the same time. After all, if you’ve never experienced a piercing before, such as your earlobes as is fairly common at a younger age, then you won’t really know what to expect.

Everyone has a different pain threshold and when it comes to the piercing itself, the level of pain can vary from one to the next. Regardless, it’s important to know exactly what to expect when getting a bodily piercing, wherever that may be located.

Here are a few things you’ll need to know when getting a body piercing for the first time.

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Do your research

First and foremost, do your research. It’s important that when it comes to getting piercings, you know what each one involves and what to expect from the piercing process itself. This guide to dermal piercings, for example, is useful for anyone who might be getting this type of piercing for the first time.

Research is important because you want to know the ins and outs of what is essential in an invasive procedure. There are some risks and side effects to piercings that are good to know about, especially if you’re going for piercings in more unique areas of the body in general.

With a bit of research, you’ll get a better understanding of what to expect and hopefully, that will ease some of the concerns or anxiety you might be feeling toward an upcoming appointment you’ve booked.

Know your budget

Budget is an important one as the price it costs to get a piercing can vary from one person to another.

Knowing your budget is useful, especially when it comes to making sure you’re not being ripped off or paying too little for a certain piercing specifically. 

The price of a piercing will include the piercing of the body part itself and then whatever piece of jewelry you use to be the first piercing you wear. Remember, that for many piercings, you have to wait a number of weeks for it to heal before you can take it out.

Therefore, it’s good to pick something you like and can wear for a long period of time to begin with. A budget is good to have so that you can save before the appointment and have a bit more scope for your choice of piercer and the jewelry you might want. 

Consider your pain threshold

What’s your pain threshold like? It differs from one person to the next but the amount of pain that can be experienced when getting a body piercing can vary depending on where you’re getting pierced.

It’s known that certain parts of the ear can be more painful than others. Sensitive areas like the chest can be more sensitive, so it’s useful to know what you think you can handle, even though the pain is temporary and short-lived.

Choose a licensed and qualified piercer

One of the most important decisions to make when it comes to getting a body piercing is choosing a licensed and qualified piercer. There are some piercers that offer great value for the piercing but they might not necessarily have all the qualifications and licenses to do piercing professionally or at least to a high standard.

It’s always worthwhile going with an experienced piercer for peace of mind. At the same time, you want someone who knows what they’re doing and more importantly, can recommend the appropriate aftercare needed.

Get recommendations from trusted family and friends

If you’re struggling to find someone to pierce your body that you trust, then it’s worth getting recommendations from trusted family and friends. This is helpful when it comes to procedures such as bodily piercings where you’re putting your health and safety into the hands of a stranger.

Most piercings are fairly harmless and don’t involve much in the way of recovering, however, it’s something that’s definitely important to get right. Even if it’s a small piercing, there’s a risk of dirty tools being used to the wrong advice given when it comes to aftercare of the piercing itself.

Invest in high-quality jewelry

Finally, when it comes to any body piercing, it’s better to invest in high-quality jewelry, than the cheaper options which may cause more problems when it comes to the risk of infections, etc. Make sure to look for stainless steel jewelry types as these tend to be the best when getting a body piercing.

With these tips, you’ll feel more confident as you walk into your first body piercing appointment!