Category Archives: ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

First-Time Parent? Here’s How to Make Your Home Child-Safe

First-Time Parent? Here’s How to Make Your Home Child-Safe

Hey there, new parent! Congratulations on the little bundle of joy that’s about to turn your world upside down (in the best possible way, of course). Along with all the cooing and cuddling, there’s something important we need to chat about: childproofing your home. It might sound daunting, but don’t worry, I’ve got your back. Let’s walk through this together, step by step.

The Great Baby Survey

First things first, get down to your baby’s level – literally. Crawling around your home gives you a baby’s-eye view of potential dangers. Look out for small objects that could be choking hazards, sharp corners, and any spaces where a tiny head could get stuck. Make a list of what needs to be addressed – it’s the first step in babyproofing your home.

via Pexels

Secure the Heavy Stuff

Heavy furniture and TVs can be a hazard if they tip over. Use furniture straps to secure bookcases, dressers, and TV stands to the wall. It’s a simple step that can prevent a big accident. Cabinets and drawers are like treasure chests for little explorers. Keep them out of harm’s way with safety latches and locks. This is especially important in the kitchen and bathroom, where harmful items are often stored.

Also, remember that babies and toddlers are curious about everything, including electrical outlets and pretty much anything that can cause bodily harm. Prevent electric shock by using outlet covers, and consider investing in gun safes to store any harmful objects safely. And if you use power strips, make sure they’re hidden or covered, too.

Baby Gates for Stairs and Dangerous Areas

Stairs can be a no-go zone for your tiny adventurer. Install baby gates at the top and bottom of your stairs. You might also want to gate off other areas, like the kitchen or home office. Also, coffee tables, countertops, and other sharp corners are head-height for your little crawler. Soften these edges with corner guards to prevent bumps and bruises.

Don’t Forget the Little Things: Miscellaneous Safety Checks:

  • Keep small objects, like coins and batteries, out of reach.
  • Move plants, both real and artificial, as they can be choking hazards or toxic if eaten.
  • Ensure blind cords are out of reach to prevent strangulation hazards.
  • Check your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they’re working properly.

Emergency Preparedness

Keep a list of emergency numbers handy, including your pediatrician and local poison control. Also, have a basic first aid kit at home – you never know when you’ll need it. As your baby grows, your childproofing needs will change. Keep educating yourself about the best ways to keep your child safe at every stage of their development. 

There you have it! Childproofing might seem like a lot, but take it one step at a time. Before you know it, your home will be a safe haven for your little one to explore and grow. Remember, the most important thing you can provide for your child is a loving and attentive parent – and you’re already doing that. 

​Tia and TipsfromTia.com are trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip, email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter, TikTok, or Instagram.

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME, TIPS IN ACTION

Essential Winter Road Trip Tips To Keep The Whole Family Safe & Happy 

Essential Winter Road Trip Tips To Keep The Whole Family Safe & Happy 

Whether you are heading to see friends and relatives over the festive period or plan on exploring a corner of your country that you’ve never seen, winter road trips are common. However, because of the often challenging weather and lower temperatures in the winter, making sure you are well-prepared for a safe trip is essential, in addition to your usual trip preparation. The good news is you can read all about how to prepare for your winter road trip in the post below. Just keep reading to find out more. 

Image sourced at Pixabay – License CC0

Make sure your vehicle is in top condition before your trip

The Birmingham you need to do before leaving on your Winter road trip is check over your car. It will be even better to take it to your local car repair shop and have them do a performance check so you can be 100% sure that your vehicle will be in tip-top shape no matter what wintery conditions you encounter. The best car repair shops often offer free performance checks as well, so you won’t need to break the bank to ensure you and your passengers are safe on your winter road trip. 

Check the weather before you travel 

You’d be surprised at how many people don’t check the weather or the route that they will be taking before they travel. Unfortunately, this can be incredibly dangerous when Road tripping in the winter because more surprises along the way can increase the chance of safety risks. For example, if you are unaware that heavy snow was predicted along your route, you may not fit chains to your tires that you will need and so increase your chances of getting stuck in the cold for an extended amount of time. 

It’s a very good idea to carefully check the weather in and around the area through which you plan to travel. The good news is this is now fairly easy because you can check localized weather online for the whole of your route.  Additionally, it’s a good idea to check whether there are any roadworks, delays,  or closures along the route that you plan to take comma these can lastly increase your journey time and also add significant delays and the cold weather that you will want to avoid.  One way to do this is to check the data that your GPS provides, as many will show up-to-date issues with roadworks, delays, accidents, and closures.

Leave plenty of time for the journey 

Another crucial aspect of winter road-tripping is making sure you leave enough time to complete your journey safely. This often means adding more time for traveling than you would do at any other time of year. For example, if it usually takes you five hours to reach your destination in fair weather, you may need to double this for travel in ice or snow.  Also, remember that driving in more difficult conditions is much more draining, so it’s best to aim to cover fewer miles every day than you normally would. 

Pack the right things 

When it comes to winter road trips, packing the right things will also be incredibly helpful and ensure you and your passengers stay as safe and comfortable for the entire journey as possible.

One of the most important things to make sure you pack in your vehicle is plenty of warm layers of clothing and blankets. These can then be layered over the top of one another to help everyone keep warm during the journey or if you get delayed because of the weather. In particular, making sure that each passenger has a warm hat and gloves can really help them keep their body temperature up even in the coldest of conditions. 

You may also want to bring some of the small instant heat packs that are activated when you fold them.  These are usually pretty cheap and come in rechargeable options that you need to boil once you have used them, as well as disposable options that can be incredibly welcome in an icy emergency.

It also makes sense to ensure that you have supplies such as food and water in case you get stuck in the snow. Food dense in calories and that will not freeze work well, so things like candy bars and protein bars are always a good idea. Flask of hot beverages such as coffee or tea and also be a welcome refreshment during a wintery road trip. However, do remember that if you bring cold water, you must be sure to keep it inside your vehicle; otherwise, it will freeze, and you won’t be able to drink it right away.

To make sure you can get yourself out of any sticky situations on the road, pack a shovel that can help you out of the snow drift, and an ice scraper so you’ll be able to see through your windshield and believe it or not cat litter. yeah that’s right, cat litter can help struggling tires get purchased on the road in honest and snowy conditions! 

Make sure your wheels are ready for ice and snow 

The cat litter trick mentioned above can be helpful in an icy pinch. It’s often much better and more reliable to make sure your tires are properly equipped for winter driving. First of all, this means checking them over and sharing that they have a healthy tread and are not overly worn as the more traction on the road, the better.  Many people even choose to replace their tires with snow tires when they know they will be traveling in more challenging winter conditions. 

Finally, it makes a lot of sense to have a set of chains fitted to your tires because these will ensure maximum traction in the snow and ice, making your journey much safer.  Indeed if you plan to be covering any sort of challenging terrain at all, such as hills or steep roads, tire chains are crucial, so be sure to invest and fit them before you leave on your winter road trip. 

​Tia and TipsfromTia.com are trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip, email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter, TikTok, or Instagram.

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

4 Tips For Having An Active Lifestyle With Dementia

4 Tips For Having An Active Lifestyle With Dementia

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with dementia, you’re not alone. According to reports, over 55 million people live with this condition worldwide. Common as it is, dementia makes living a normal life and staying active challenging, affecting your ability to complete normal daily tasks. Regardless, experts say staying active and involved can improve your life, despite the condition. It reduces the risks of falls by improving balance. It also improves sleep and helps battle isolation by staying socially connected. The following tips can help you stay active when living with dementia. 

  1. Simplify your daily routine

Image credit 

Start by making your daily tasks easier to manage by simplifying your routines. What specific actions to take depends on your daily activities, but the goal is to cut down on how many tasks you have to handle each day. For example, you can set up direct debits so that your recurring bills are paid automatically. You can also invest in different tech solutions designed to automate other recurring tasks. Doing this will free you to participate in more engaging physical activities. Also, you can organize your medications by storing them in boxes labeled with days and times. Your doctor or pharmacist can help with this arrangement. 

  1. Consider performance-boosting supplements

Performance-boosting supplements can support your cognitive function, reduce fatigue, and improve physical performance. Most of these supplements have also shown a lot of promise when it comes to improving overall health, allowing you to remain active regardless of your condition. Supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and folic acids are great for improving cognitive function and staying physically active. You can also consider products like a phenylpiracetam solution specially formulated as a dietary supplement to improve focus and physical performance while reducing fatigue. Such products are available on websites like https://science.bio. However, it’s important to speak with your doctor before purchasing any supplement. 

  1. Join a social group to exercise

Exercising regularly offers immense benefits, but sticking to a fitness routine on your own can be challenging. Consider joining a social group dedicated to others with similar conditions as a way of staying active. This option is killing two birds with one stone. One, you’ll be able to participate in specific physical activities designed to improve your condition. Two, you’ll be surrounded by others like you, making for healthy social connections and keeping isolation or loneliness at bay. Today, you can find activity groups for people with dementia in almost every modern city. Plus, most of them come with carers offering extra hands of support.

  1. Look after your hearing and eyesight

Image credit 

This point may sound obvious, but it’s important to look after your hearing and eyesight so you can continue enjoying your favorite outdoor activities and handle your daily tasks. If you use hearing aids, take good care of them and ensure that they’re always working properly. If you wear glasses, ensure they’re the right kind for your sight and fit perfectly. Also, take proactive measures to improve your eyesight.

​Tia and TipsfromTia.com are trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip, email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter, TikTok, or Instagram.

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

How To Ensure Older Loved Ones Eat Well

How To Ensure Older Loved Ones Eat Well

There are many things to worry about as our loved ones get older, especially if they want to stay in their own homes (as many people will) and you’re not able to be with them all the time. You’ll worry about their health, their mobility, and their overall well-being and happiness, and you might even worry about whether or not they’re eating – that can be a major issue that you don’t realize is a problem until you find it is!

The good news is there are some measures you can put in place to ensure your older loved ones eat well, which means they’ll be healthier in general. Read on to find out what some of those measures are. 

Photo by Askar Abayev

Home Care

If you’re not able to visit your loved one every day because you have a lot of work, you have a family to take care of, you live far away, and so on, then it can be hard to know whether or not they’re eating and how well they’re eating if they are. 

That’s where home care can be useful. When you arrange for a nurse to visit your loved one at home, they’ll be able to check them over and determine whether or not they’re eating as they should. Although the nurses won’t be able to make anyone eat, you can get a full report and then take other steps if you need to or have peace of mind if they do happen to be eating well. Plus, the home care will ensure everything else is fine too, so there won’t be anything to worry about.  

Eat With Them

If your older loved one isn’t eating properly (and potentially getting sick because of it), you could try to eat with them more often. That’s not going to be possible for everyone, especially if you don’t live close by, but if you can eat with them at least one or two days a week, you can ensure that they’re getting enough to eat and that the food is healthy – you could even bring it yourself. If you can’t physically be with them, you could try video calling when you eat – even if you’re not in the same room, you can still have a meal together in some form. 

In fact, as well as eating with them (which doesn’t just mean they’ll actually eat, but is also a wonderful thing to do to keep them company because loneliness is a big issue in later life and can cause illness), why not provide them with food? As we’ve said, you can bring the meal you’ll eat together, but you can also bring more food that can be frozen and then reheated as needed – if they’re unable to cook or don’t like to when it’s just them, this could make a huge difference. 

Organize A Food Delivery Service

There are many different food delivery services available these days, and you can choose whether you want the food delivered ready to eat (you’ll just need to warm it up) or whether you want to be sent all the ingredients to make it yourself. 

That means there’s sure to be a food delivery service that will suit what your older loved one wants. Perhaps they can’t get to the store very easily, but they love to cook – being sent ingredients would be ideal. Perhaps they’re not keen on cooking, so they’re not eating; in that case, full meals would work out perfectly. You can arrange it online and be sure they’re getting wholesome, tasty food every day. 

​Tia and TipsfromTia.com are trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip, email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter, TikTok, or Instagram.

ORGANIC HEALTH & HOME

Greener Home Upgrades: Keeping One Eye On The Environment

Greener Home Upgrades: Keeping One Eye On The Environment

Image – Pixabay CC0 License

Building a better home is a goal shared by millions of homeowners. Whether completing your final prep before winter or planning your projects for 2024, going green should be a priority. 

Aside from protecting the environment, many updates will have a positive impact on your health and finances. Focus on the following ideas to unlock the best results.

Read: 8 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HOUSE GREENER

Boost Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency should be at the top of any conscious homeowner’s agenda. Heat loss can be very problematic in the winter months, making this the perfect moment to improve roof and window insulation. However, improved efficiency levels can also be achieved through many other steps. Switching to LED lights, low-flush toilets, or eco-friendly kitchen appliances can all work wonders.

Building an energy-efficient home may require an initial outlay, but you will see monthly energy savings. Some projects also add to the value of the property.

Fix Faults To Prevent Waste

Making positive additions to the home is vital. Nevertheless, you should never overlook the need to rectify any problems that already exist in the home. A plumbing contractor can help detect and stop leaks from pipes or the boiler system. In turn, you will waste less water and electricity. More importantly, you will prevent escalating damage to your plumbing systems—and property damage attributed to leaks.

Aside from making the home more eco-friendly, it will lift a weight of stress from your shoulders. Until you fix these issues, they’ll continue to play on your mind.

Convert Rather Than Extend 

When taking on home upgrades, many people look to extensions as a way to avoid the need for moving. However, rather than extending out or up, you could look to convert the basement. In addition to unlocking the potential of a space that is currently unloved, it will reduce your use of new materials. Similarly, there will be far less demolition work, meaning fewer items need to be disposed of by your builder.

As an added bonus, a conversion will cost a fraction of the cost compared to a two-story extension to the rear or side of the property. 

Add Renewable Energy

Reducing your energy consumption is one thing, but turning to renewables will take things to the next level. A solar roof panel contractor can help you utilize sunlight to power your home. Meanwhile, air heat pumps and biomass boilers can work wonders for your home. Powering the home without requiring fossil fuels will reduce your carbon emissions. Likewise, it will continue to reduce your monthly bills.

In fact, you can often sell some energy back to the grid. When added to the fact it makes your home more attractive to prospective buyers, it’s no wonder sales are through the roof.

Choose Greener Materials

Working with organic materials and sustainable items will reduce your ongoing carbon emissions. This could mean using stone materials in your interior designs. Likewise, wood and organic fabrics should be incorporated where possible. Or, if you are building a deck, opting for a timber solution is probably the best bit. Aside from boosting the bid for a greener home, it will improve the vibe.

Smarter choices will require a conscious effort at the start of the process. In time, though, this will begin to come very naturally.

​Tia and TipsfromTia.com are trying to keep you looking good and
feeling good from the inside out. If you’ve got a problem or a tip, email me! Be sure to Like and share on Facebook or Follow on Twitter, TikTok, or Instagram.