Tag Archives: winter

Winter Wisdom – Keeping Your Family Healthy Through The Colder Season

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The colder months are upon us once more. And that means your family will be under greater threat of various minor health issues that could potentially ruin your winter fun. With the right plan of action, though, you can successfully keep those problems at bay.

Here are 10 simple ways to ensure that you stay on top of those seasonal problems.

#1. Insulate The Home

Cold temperatures are the most likely source of minor winter illnesses, which is why staying warm should be a priority. However, spending hours in a stuffy room with the heater on can leave you feeling less than 100% too. As such, improved insulation should be the goal.

Doors and windows will be the main source of lost heat, which is why visiting Windowsusa is a great place to start. You must not forget to install draft excluders and focus on the roof tiles and attic insulation, though. Failure to tick every box can leave the family at risk of picking up chills.

It’s important to get your HVAC working in style too, but they’ll count for very little if the insulation properties aren’t under control first. Make this your first step towards a healthy winter.

#2. Eat Well

Every parent appreciates the importance of good nutrition. This is even more crucial during the winter months as it can be the perfect way to boost the immune system, fight off colds, and flush toxins from the body. Start with a strong level of fluid intake, and you won’t go far wrong.

This is the perfect time to add warm soups and similarly comforting meals to your diet. It’s also an excellent time to think about high antioxidant recipes that can actively aid your health. Find a handful of meals that are loved by adults and kids alike. You will not regret it.

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying candies, chocolates, and other delightful treats too. Just be sure to build a healthy foundation of wholesome meals first to strike a sense of balance.

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#3. Stay Active

The winter weather makes it very tempting to wrap up on the sofa and binge watch festive films. While this is an ideal family activity for a day, you cannot keep doing it again and again. It’s imperative that you stay physically active. Otherwise, it will affect your health in a negative way.

Young kids can be taken to play centers while family walks and bike rides can be very fun as long as it’s not raining cats and dogs. If leaving the home isn’t an option due to the weather, try an exercise DVD or an interactive video game. It doesn’t matter how you squeeze exercise in, just do it.

Given that you’ll be eating a lot of candies and naughty treats over this period, there’s an even greater need to burn off the calories. The physical and mental rewards can be huge.

#4. Sleep Well

A good night’s sleep can have a huge impact on your general well-being at any time of the year. Still, the need for rest and recuperation is even greater in the winter months. It could be a key factor as your family tries to keep winter sicknesses down to a minimum.

Investing in a new mattress may not be on the cards. Thankfully, you can enjoy an equally positive transformation by upgrading the pillow, duvet, and bed sheets. Decluttering the bedroom can aid the cause too, not least because it reduces the threat of dust particles from causing an issue.

You may not like this one, but breaking the habit of using your smartphone in bed is perhaps the greatest upgrade of all. Try it for a week, and you’ll be amazed by the results.

#5. React To Illness

Prevention is the best form of protection, but you won’t be able to stop all bouts of flu. As long as you respond in a fast and efficient manner, it should be possible to minimize the impacts and stop the symptoms from getting any worse. Therefore, preparation is vital.

Over the counter painkillers and medications can work wonders for headaches. Meanwhile, experts at Pastendurance can help you overcome stuffy nose symptoms. A lot of rest and regular hydration should work wonders too. If possible, getting a little fresh air is another top solution.

The kids may require child-friendly medications, which is why seeing a doctor is advised. Or failing that, connecting to online GPS via the internet can help you gain the necessary support.

winter, family, health, tips, advice, kids

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#6. Keep The Home Clean

Whether a member of the household has been ill or not, a clean home is pivotal throughout winter. Viruses spread on surfaces very quickly, and this will be infinitely more likely if you do not keep them clean. Antibacterial wipes are an essential weapon against germs. Do not forget it.

Even shaking hands can see germs spread, so your family needs to be in the habit of washing their hands after blowing their noses. Furthermore, used tissues need to be disposed of right away. Leaving them on tables can see the harmful bacteria spread into the air.   

While keeping the rooms warm is a priority, good air circulation is also required. Ensure that ceiling fans are working well before the coldest weather arrives.

#7. Quit Smoking

If you’re a smoker, there’s a good chance that quitting cigarettes would be your New Year’s Resolution. Why not take charge of the situation today by making the decision today. It’ll have a huge impact on your health while preventing secondhand smoke from harming your family.

Quitting isn’t easy, but the level of support is greater than ever before. Aside from patches and support groups, you could look at vaping as a way to transition into a smoke-free lifestyle. Or you could look at other consumables that provide nicotine without the smoke.

In truth, making this lifestyle upgrade will actively enhance many of the other issues and finances. Besides, it’ll avoid the need to stand out in the wet and cold smoking area at work.

#8. Manage Your Finances

Money worries are the most common source of stress, and it can have a damning impact on your mental health. When taking the festive season costs into account, along with the increased utility bills, staying on top of this aspect is crucial.

This is the perfect time to make simple upgrades. From adjusting your home entertainment package to finding a new energy supplier, those tricks will work wonders. Moreover, setting up an organized payment plan for any gifts that are bought on credit will help you maintain control.

Keeping on top of those finances should help you avoid stress, and this can prevent your body from feeling run down too. While it’s vital throughout the year, now is the time to take charge.

winter, family, health, tips, advice, kids

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#9. Wear The Right Clothing

While you will spend more time at home during winter than in the summer, going outside is still vital. Nevertheless, you must take extra precautions by ensuring that the family are wrapped up in coats, hats, and scarves. Failure to do this could invite chills and illnesses.

Perhaps most importantly, you need the right footwear. Walking in the snow with the wrong choice will lead to wet feet. Davesnewyork winter boots are a great option for Dads, but you also need to find suitable options for the wife and kids.

Apart from keeping out the cold, you must also consider the potential hazards caused by the ice. Slipping over could result in an unwanted trip to the E.R.

#10. Be Committed

Finally, you must remember that the above tips can’t be followed and unfollowed on a whim. Keep them in mind at all times, and the rewards will be huge.

Keep Her Warm and Fashionable with Bootzies: The Original Boot Tights

To avoid any confusion, this is an old post (as you can tell by the pictures of my daughter) that I simply updated. She grew out of the Bootzies, but they were enjoyed while they fit her. Hopefully you’ll give them a try for your little one!



Woot, Summer is gone and Fall/Autumn has arrived! For most of us, this means cooler weather and pumpkin themed everything is starting to appear.

Yep, even wildlife takes part!

Time to put away your little girls’ t-shirts and short-sleeved onesies and break out the long sleeves, pants, and socks. If your baby is anything like Avery when you try to dress her, the thought of dressing her in more clothes is daunting.

Going Mom and I essentially play a mini version of Twister sans the color dotted mat every time we dress Avery. What’s that? But you love playing Twister? Yeah, so did I, before dressing an unruly baby with crazy-limb flailing about.

A while back, I saw pictures of other babies dressed in boot tights called Bootzies and thought they were (for lack of a better, more manly word) adorable. I wanted these for Avery and knew they’d be perfect for when the Texas heat simmered down.

I reached out to Bootzies asking if they’d be interested in sending some of their Boot Tights in trade for a review, and they graciously agreed!

The creator of Bootzies, Christina, was inspired to create these functionally fashionable boot tights for her infant daughter, Julia. She thought it would be a cute to have cowboy boots for her, but obviously knew the real thing would not be practical. After a little brainstorming, Christina came up with Bootzies. These would allow babies to comfortably scoot, crawl and walk without losing her socks or shoes. Plus, it would always look like her outfit was complete!

Immediately after receiving 3 stylish pairs of Bootzies Boot Tights, I dressed Avery to see how she liked them.

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I appreciate how these are pants and socks in one which makes dressing her easier and she doesn’t have socks to pull off right away. I’d say she took to liking them rather fast. Just minutes after having them on, she looked ready to start marching…..and she doesn’t even walk yet!

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And with that, I let her march/crawl around the house to get a feel for her new attire. Starting in the kitchen, we crawled around to check things out.

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Let me note right now that the Bootzies provide little traction for your crawler when on a wood floor. The carpet is fine, but smooth surfaces provide a challenge when crawling since they slip around. Once they can walk, the grips on the feet will come in handy, but until then have fun watching them scoot around!

Of course, all is well when there’s a walker around to help stabilize in the standing position.

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All of the movement must of made her hungry, because before I knew it, she was reaching in the freezer looking for food.

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I guess she lost her appetite after only finding frozen broccoli and brussels sprouts since she quickly moved on to see what was happening out of the front window.

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I later tried on another pair which I think are my favorite. Dressing her was even easier since I had a better hang of it, and still really love not messing with socks that will ultimately get pulled off within minutes.

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This time we started in her room where she had to check out her mini bell wreath on the closet. Then she moved on to her giant farm animal cards and seemed quite interested.

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From there, we migrated into the kitchen where she handled the slippery surface better than before.

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She even moved some of the rug just to stay on the wood floor. I guess she likes a challenge!

Bootzies, baby fashion, apparel, clothes

I’m very excited and grateful to have these Bootzies to dress Avery in as the temps drop and the seasons change. Not only are these precious, they make the hassle of cold weather dressing much more bearable!

Besides being slippery on hard floors like wood or laminate, my only other minor issue with these is the grippy part of the foot will easily get turned to where it’s on top of her foot. Obviously, that makes it slippery, but I’m hoping that as she grows, this will not be a problem. Either way, these will get a lot of use this season!

Want to pick up some Bootzies for the little fashionista in your life? With sizes ranging from ages 0 all the way to 4 years old, there’s bound to be a style you’ll love for your little one. Check out their online store here and put in your order before the cold sets in.

Be sure to show Bootzies your love on Facebook and Twitter too. Send pictures of your baby in Bootzies to info@bootzies.net for a chance to have them showcased on their Facebook page and added to their online Gallery.

Have you seen Bootzies before?

Do you have a little girl you know that these would be simply precious to wear?

Full disclosure, Bootzies provided me their products free of charge, but all opinions are strictly my own.

A Full Body Pumpkin Workout for the Family

Happy Halloween! If you partake, that is, otherwise, happy weekend! I’m just dropping in to share a fun and quick full body workout the whole family can do. Just choose the pumpkin appropriate for your level and get to it!

With the fall and winter season among us, we all have pumpkin on the mind. Carving for Halloween, eating for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and every day in between (at least for me). The odds are you have one of these globular gourds in your home.

Why not put it to use before carving/eating for a full body workout you can do anywhere there’s a pumpkin laying around? Whether you do one round or ten, it’s sure to get your blood flowing!

Perform each of the following:

  • 10 x Bent Pumpkin Row
  • 10 x Front to Back Lunge on Right Leg Holding Pumpkin to Chest
  • 10 x Front to Back Lunge on Left Leg Holding Pumpkin to Chest
  • 10 x Squat to Overhead Pumpkin Press

That’s one round. Rest 30 – 60 seconds and show that pumpkin no mercy! Here’s the video in case a visual reference is helpful, or if you just want to laugh at me exercising with a pumpkin.

The pumpkin you saw in the video will be gutted today and will be Avery’s first time getting her hands dirty with guts as we perform our first family carving. I’m keeping it tradition with triangle eyes and a jagged tooth this year, but I promised something better next year.

Hope you and your family all give this full body pumpkin workout a try. If you do, please let me know how you liked (or didn’t like) it. Of course, if you don’t have a good squash laying around weights, a medicine ball, or body weight will work too.

Have a great weekend!