Tag Archives: sickness

Using Self-Isolation To Change Your Look

04/29/2020 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

One positive thing we can say about the COVID-19 pandemic is that it’s forcing a lot of stressed-out people to slow down and re-think their priorities. If you’ve been postponing essentials activities and projects before COVID, you’ve got no excuse to delay things any further. For busy dads, life before self-isolation could have been too hectic to take the time for self-care. Ultimately, if you’re working full-time or juggling tight deadlines, you might find yourself neglecting your appearance as a result of stress pressure. That’s where life under lockdown can give you the opportunity to shift your focus and transform your self-care routine once and for all. Are you ready to come out of self-isolation as a different man?

covid, virus, sickness, isolation, pandemic — Pixabay – CC0 License

Straighten that crooked smile

Most people tend to postpone major aesthetic improvements indefinitely.

I don’t have time for that.

People will notice.

It’s a long process.

However, you can use your time at home to finally focus on issues that have been affecting your self-esteem. A crooked smile, for instance, is one of the most complaint tooth complaints in America. Straightening your teeth is an involved process. Many adults are reluctant to wear braces to achieve the perfect smile of their dreams. However, not all braces are created equal. Fastbraces, for instance, can allow you to transform your teeth in under 120 days. You could come out of self-isolation with a brand new smile!

Start a skincare routine

Stress, lack of time, and hectic routines make it tricky to manage your skincare regime. However, looking after your skin is not just for women. On the contrary, men’s skin requires just as much attention to tackle common issues and slow down signs of aging. You can make the most of your time at home to look after your skin and invest in the right products. A cleanser can help to reduce oily build-ups – which are prone to happen when you stay indoors. Additionally, investing in an exfoliant and a face mask can help improve your complexion.

No gym? No problem

Can you lose weight under lockdown? The answer is yes. More importantly, you can look after your body and build muscle. You can find plenty of home workouts to help you stay toned and active when the gym is shut. Ideally, you should exercise at least 4 to 5 times a day to strengthen not only your muscles but also your immune system. If you’ve been struggling with an unwanted bulge around your midriff – unfortunately, a common issue for desk jobs –, seize the opportunity to melt it down!

Try out new styles

When was your last barber’s appointment? Chances are that the time for a haircut has come. But, with barbers’ shops being shut, you need to be creative. Why not experiment with your look while you can. Let your hair grow. Grow a beard. Try out new shaving styles. You might find it fun to discover new looks that work on you. Besides, daily shavers can also give their skin a rest.

A self-care routine is going to see you through the pandemic self-isolation. For a lot of people, improving your appearance can be detrimental to your mental focus. Not only does it give you something to be excited about, but it also gives new meaning to your life under lockdown. So what are you doing today to change your look?

Life, Parenting

Slapped in the Face by a Virus

05/16/2016 R.C. Liley 1 Comment

Have you ever been slapped in the face by a virus? I don’t recall ever having parvovirus b19 lay a ~~finger~~ dna strand on my face as a kid, but apparently it’s a common infection.

Earlier last week, our little girl had a few minor signs of a runny nose and unexplained crankiness which I think might be from a headache. At the end of the week, she was developing a little rash on her body and some on her cheeks.

The next day, that little rash exploded all over her body, was warm to the touch, and left our poor toddler with an extremely red and swollen face as if she had been slapped hard on both cheeks.

parvovirus b19, virus, fifth disease, slapped cheek, infection

As it turns out, this is called slapped-cheek disease aka fifth disease, which is said to be quite common in kids. Seeing my daughter covered in a bright red rash is bad enough, but her swollen hamster-like cheeks simply hurt my heart. Every time I look at the picture above, I feel that sunken feeling in my heart and stomach wishing I could make it all go away.

I’m usually the good one at maintaining composure when our child is sick, so you can only imagine how distraught my wife was all weekend. She was filled with constant concern and made sure to keep Avery happy as much as possible. Despite her ailments, Avery was her happy toddler self running around yapping about certain anatomy along with singing the intro to Little Einsteins at the top of her lungs. Kinda like this pic, but with a rash and swollen face.

virus, happy, parvovirus b19, fifth disease

She was scratching the rash, but Going Mom and was good about keeping her mind occupied with lots of reading and playing.

Avery with fifth disease virus_reading

Cousin Ashlee also spent the night and they had a blast playing together, so that helped tremendously!

All weekend long, the symptoms of the virus plagued our sweet girl. We were more concerned about the infection and mild fever than she was, but it sucked nonetheless. As I write this, we are on day 3 since the rash appeared and slapped her face, and I’m happy to say it’s slowly going away. Her swollen face is slowly returning to normal and the rash, while still all around her arms, legs, and back, has lessened.

With fifth disease, there really is no treatment other than letting it run its course. We’re doing just that and are thankful it hasn’t dampened her spirits one bit.

Have you, your kids, or someone you know ever had fifth disease?

Did you see lots of swelling in the face too?

Food, Life, Parenting

How Many Turkeys Are Eaten on Thanksgiving?

11/24/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

The following Thanksgiving fun facts are brought to you by the National Turkey Federation where you can more info about Turkeys (if the name doesn’t make it obvious) year round.

Avery is still battling a vicious cold/sinus infection and it breaks our hearts to see her so miserable with those swollen eyes and solemn mood. By nighttime, it’s as if we gave her a sedative while reading a book before bed. Last night she was out before I turned off the light for her and Going Mom who always sings to her before putting her in the crib.

Lots of love, green smoothies, and hugs with her blankie and Lamby are going on here. Hopefully these work synergistically to do the trick!

To start, here’s what the NTF has to report about the number of Turkeys consumed on Thanksgiving…

In 2013, more than 240.0 million turkeys were raised. More than 200 million were consumed in the United States. We estimate that 46 million of those turkeys were eaten at Thanksgiving, 22 million at Christmas and 19 million at Easter.

Nearly 88 percent of Americans surveyed by the National Turkey Federation eat turkey at Thanksgiving. The average weight of turkeys purchased for Thanksgiving is 16 pounds, meaning that approximately 736 million pounds of turkey were consumed in the United States during Thanksgiving in 2012.

Yeah, 46 million, that’s a lot of bird! I’ll happily enjoy one of those 46 million in the form of an organic, free-range gobbler with our family on Thursday.

Another interesting tidbit….

Benjamin Franklin, who proposed the turkey as the official United States’ bird, was dismayed when the bald eagle was chosen over the turkey. Franklin wrote to his daughter, referring to the eagle’s “bad moral character,” saying, “I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country! The turkey is a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America.”

Sooooo, we could be eating bald eagle for Thanksgiving instead? Hmmm, that would take a lot more bird!

We all think Turkey is to blame for our need for a nap after the big meal, but…

Many people report drowsiness after eating Thanksgiving dinner. While turkey often receives the blame, recent studies suggest that carbohydrate-rich meals may cause sleepiness by increasing the number of tryptophans in the brain. Yet, the unusually large, multi-coursed, carbohydrate-rich meal most people eat on Thanksgiving is more likely the cause.

Maybe try a few grain-free options in place of the high carb food. It’s more filling and typically has much more to offer nutritionally.

Compare the White and Dark Meat

White meat is generally preferred in the United States while other countries choose the dark meat.
A turkey typically has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat.
The two types of meat differ nutritionally. White meat has fewer calories and less fat than dark meat.
The rich flavor of dark meat is especially valued in soup and stew recipes. Dark meat holds up well in rich marinades and is a perfect choice for grilling and barbecuing.

I like both white and dark. My favorite is white mixed with tart cranberry sauce since it tends to be more dry; the dark I can eat alone.

A few more facts….

Only tom turkeys gobble.

Hen turkeys make a clicking noise.

Domesticated turkeys cannot fly.

Wild turkeys can fly for short distances up to 55 miles per hour and can run 20 miles per hour.

June is National Turkey Lovers’ Month!

Of course there’s much more out there, but I thought it would be best to stick with one source and share some of what they had. And what better source than the National Turkey Federation? Check out their handy link with tons of info on how to buy, store, prep, and eat your turkey.

Okay, back to lots of love with the help of Lamby and blankie….squeeze!