Month: November 2023

2023-11-01T07:01:01

(BPT) – With the holiday season already underway, your schedule will soon be packed with festive get-togethers, cocktail parties and family gatherings. To help make the upcoming season a little more joyful and a lot less stressful, try taking a more proactive approach by starting your holiday prep and cleaning routines now — with a little help for the home along the way.

Below are some top tips, compliments of the MaidPro PROs to help you get your home holiday-ready so you can relax and enjoy the festivities more than ever this year.

1. Develop a gameplan

Before throwing a party or hosting overnight visitors, identify the main areas in your home that are due for a deep clean — and prioritize the rooms guests are most likely to visit. That may include your living room, dining room and powder room, as well as any guest bedrooms. Focus on decluttering these areas first so you are able to access surfaces in need of a deeper clean.

2. Start with a ground-up deep clean

Typical cleaning routines may include wiping down counters, dusting, mopping and vacuuming, but did you know there is a smart way to vacuum? Vacuuming in a zig-zag pattern is the best way to truly clean carpets. The fibers in carpets are primarily twisted loops that get dirty from all sides, so vacuuming in only one direction isn’t always effective. To fully clean carpets, work the vacuum across a room in one direction in a zig-zag pattern. Repeat the process from a right angle. This pattern provides the best results, saves time and can help reduce symptoms of allergies.

3. Deep clean the kitchen before holiday cooking

Before guests start arriving, be sure to deep clean the kitchen in preparation for holiday baking and entertaining. Deep clean the range, stovetop, surfaces and grates. Clean out the refrigerator to make room for party foods and be sure to dust the top of the refrigerator. Also give a fresh clean to all large and small appliances. Finally, wipe down kitchen cabinets to tackle any forgotten spills.

4. Make your guest room extra hospitable

Is your guest room doing double duty as an office? Has your guest bathroom become a catch-all area for things with nowhere else to go? Now is the perfect time to refresh and refocus. Enter your guest room with a visitor’s eye. Deep clean bathrooms and medicine cabinets (yes, people will look). Wash or spot clean area rugs. Dust all surfaces, including bookshelves, photo frames, and art — don’t forget the ceiling fans! Finally, clean trash receptacles and add fresh liners.

4. Prepare in advance for time-honored holiday stains

Holiday food, beverages and traditions can cause some unexpected spills and spots. To remove red wine, spray water on the stain to keep it wet. Cover it with white vinegar to neutralize purple and red pigments. Follow with liquid detergent and hot water to flush out the stain. For dripped candle wax, rub ice cubes over the wax until it hardens. Scrape up most of the wax and place a paper bag over the patch that has residual wax. Use a warm iron to press over the area to liquefy the wax, allowing it to absorb into the bag. For soot stains from the fireplace, grab a dry brush and scrub off as much of the soot as possible (avoid water). Apply some rubbing alcohol on the edge of a sponge or towel and blot until the last of the stain is gone.

5. Hire a PRO

Chances are you could use assistance to make your home clean, tidy and festive before the holidays arrive, so consider hiring a MaidPro home cleaner (a PRO) to make your life easier. MaidPro PROs are known for their attention to detail and commitment to customer service, using a 49-Point Checklist that offers peace of mind and the comfort that comes from a sparkling clean, orderly home.

Beyond deep cleans in time for the season, starting early will also provide the advantage of getting to know your cleaning PRO (and your PRO learning your needs and preferences) in advance of the busiest time of year. You’ll know what to expect from each cleaning session, ensuring quality and consistency throughout your home cleans, so you can dedicate your time to planning the ultimate holiday events and family gatherings.

Give friends and family a beautifully clean, entertaining-ready home this year — just in time to celebrate the holidays — with a MaidPro gift card. The gift of clean is simple with MaidPro’s electronic gift cards, available at www.maidpro.com/giftcards.

Ready to get started? Visit MaidPro.com.

2023-10-31T23:01:00

(BPT) – As Thanksgiving approaches, hearts are filled with warmth and the spirit of giving. It’s a time to cherish moments with loved ones and reflect on all of life’s positive aspects. While it’s common for families to focus on turkey feasts and football games this time of year, there’s a deeper layer that is often overlooked — the opportunity to instill meaningful values in children.

This holiday season is the perfect time to nurture your little one’s empathy, generosity, compassion and gratitude.

Here are four ways, suggested by Joy Turner, Kiddie Academy^® Educational Child Care vice president of education, that parents can seize the holiday spirit and inspire it year round.

Discuss the reason for the season

Amid the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations, it’s easy to forget the true meaning behind celebrations like Thanksgiving. Take some time this year to discuss what really makes this season special — quality time with loved ones and meaningful traditions.

Consider holiday traditions you loved as a child and how you can share them with your own family. Maybe there’s a special recipe, craft or family outing that you always looked forward to. You can also use the occasion to create new traditions — this is a great opportunity to connect your children to their culture and family and foster a deeper sense of self.

Conversations and traditions can help children understand the historical, cultural and familial significance of holidays while creating cherished memories and an appreciation for the season.

Encourage acts of kindness

Encouraging children to perform acts of kindness is a great way to teach compassion and empathy.

Try striking up a family conversation about different ways you can show thoughtfulness to others, and invite your children to be active participants. After discussing, challenge them to put their ideas into action — it can be as simple as sharing their toys with siblings or friends or making homemade cards for a local nursing home. Including little ones in the planning process and acting on their ideas ignites a desire to help others and provides a great way to unite and make a difference as a family.

Alternately, reach out to organizations or charities that need extra help during this season and ask how your young child can support their cause. Family Promise and Meals on Wheels are two examples of national organizations to get involved with.

Fostering these practices of kindness builds children’s self-esteem and instills values that will last far beyond the holiday season.

Redefine gift giving

Inspire your children to actively participate in the gift-giving process — which doesn’t always have to include a physical object such as a toy or a gift.

Giving can also involve discovering methods to bring joy to others through acts of kindness. For example, teach your children that they can display generosity by helping someone build their block tower or soothing a friend who’s sad.

Inviting your child to participate in these types of kind gestures will instill empathy and emphasize the significance and impact that performing acts of kindness can have on others.

Practice gratitude

Conversations of gratitude are often put off until families are gathered around the Thanksgiving table. Instead, try to make it a daily activity. Use this Thanksgiving — and the entire holiday season — to kick off a family thankfulness practice. One simple way to do this is by making gratitude jars with your little ones:

• Collect empty jars or containers around your home and decorate them with any craft items you can find: stickers, tissue paper, magazine clippings, popsicle sticks, buttons or even photos. Don’t forget to include a lid with an opening.
• Next, cut paper slips that fold small enough to fit through the opening.
• Once your container is complete, set your gratitude process — try keeping the jar on your children’s nightstands to develop an easy pre-bedtime activity.
• Encourage your children to write down one thing they are thankful for each day and add it to their jar.

This custom helps children develop an attitude for gratitude and appreciation for all that they have in life. Over time, the practice will become a valuable habit that will continue to serve your children long after the holiday feasts have been eaten.

2023-11-01T00:01:00

(BPT) – Chances are you know a caregiver. It could be the teacher at your child’s school, balancing classroom duties and caring for an aging parent after the bell rings. Maybe it’s your coworker who also takes care of a chronically ill spouse at home. Or your friend who makes time to catch up despite their busy schedule assisting their disabled sibling with everyday tasks.

With caregivers playing such a vital role for loved ones — a spouse, child, parents or even a friend — it is important that caregivers be supported too. Becoming a fulltime caregiver is usually not a role anyone is prepared to take on and can often come with challenges and emotional hardships. However, creating connection and building support networks can provide a safety net for caregivers and give them somewhere to turn when navigating new or difficult situations.

National Family Caregivers Month this November is centered around connectedness — focusing on the importance of supportive communities and resources for caregivers. An easy first step in showing up for the caregivers in your own life is to express gratitude and establish yourself as a means of support and understanding.

Need help getting started? Consider these 10 ways to say thanks to a caregiver in your life:

1. Write a thank-you note.

Whether short and sweet or long and detailed, a simple letter expressing gratitude and recognizing everything caregivers do is an easy way to say thanks and create connection.

2. Send them a personal gift.

Gift cards and other small tokens of gratitude are a great way to express thanks and provide caregivers with something for themselves, encouraging self-care and prioritizing caregiver well-being.

3. The gift of time, so they can do self-care.

Another way to encourage self-care is by stepping in for a caregiver for a few hours, allowing them some free time to take care of themselves and do what they enjoy.

4. Make regular visits.

Caregiving can often be an isolating role, as many of the people receiving care may have limited mobility or spend most of their time at home. In this, it’s important to physically show up for the caregiver in your life and spend quality time with them.

5. Gift them a journal or planner.

An important role of caregivers is to keep track of appointments, medication schedules and more. Gifting a journal or planner to help them stay organized can be an easy way to support their everyday life.

6. Express your gratitude with food.

Not only does cooking a meal for a caregiver help alleviate some of their workload, but it also is an effective way to connect with those around you and spark meaningful conversations.

7. Exercise together.

Many studies suggest that exercising with a caregiver and the person receiving care can improve both mental and physical health, making it an easy way to show thanks and prioritize well-being.

8. Plan a movie night.

Express thanks by arranging a movie night, setting aside time to connect and bond over a favorite movie of theirs.

9. Have a portrait taken.

A powerful way to create connection and meaningful memories is by having a portrait taken of caregiver and care recipient, gifting an image that will always remind them of the vital role they play.

10. Create a team of support.

One of the best ways to support the caregiver in your life and express consistent gratitude for all they do is by surrounding them with a network of resources and creating a Caregiver Support Team.

Whether it’s by saying thanks, helping to establish a caregiver support network or simply spending quality time, showing up for the caregivers in your life can have an immense impact on their well-being, and in turn, can improve the quality of care they provide.

For additional resources and to learn more about how you can ensure the caregiver in your life feels supported at every turn, connect with Careforth.

2023-11-01T00:01:00

(BPT) – By Daniel J. Boffa, MD, MBA, FACS

Lung cancer takes the lives of about 127,000 people in the United States annually — nearly the same number of people who will die from colon, breast and prostate cancer combined. And yet 1 out of 5 people who smoked could have saved their life with a simple test — a low-dose CT scan — catching the cancer before it spreads to lymph nodes and other vital organs.

Tragically, this simple test — one of our best weapons against one of the most dangerous cancers — is not being used frequently enough. As a result, tens of thousands of people are lost each year to a disease they could have beaten.

As a surgeon who cares for lung cancer patients and a leader with the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, I have heard many reasons from people over the years about why they have not participated in lung cancer screening. We need to get past these barriers to save more lives. In the spirit of Lung Cancer Awareness Month this November, I would like to openly respond to some of the concerns I have heard to hopefully convince more people to seek out screening.

I cannot afford it.

Screening for lung cancer with a yearly CT scan is covered by many insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid. If you are 50 or older and smoked or still smoke, ask your doctor if you are eligible for lung cancer screening.

I am not ready to quit smoking.

Although there are great benefits to quitting tobacco smoking, quitting is not mandatory to be screened for lung cancer.

I have not smoked in years, so I would have already gotten cancer by now.

Lung cancer can show up many years after you quit.

I feel fine; I don’t have any symptoms.

Screening works by finding cancers early. If you wait until you have symptoms, the cancer is much more likely to have already spread.

The treatment is worse than the cancer.

Newer treatments are less toxic and less invasive with fewer side effects and complications. Importantly, screening works by finding early cancers, which are generally easier to treat for patients.

I am claustrophobic.

The CT scan is completely open and only takes a few minutes.

I don’t have a ride.

Many screening programs can help arrange transportation.

If they find something, there is nothing they can do anyway.

Screening works by finding more curable cancers.

My primary care provider never brought up screening for lung cancer.

In medicine, “no news” is not always “good news.” Just ask.

I smoked, so whatever happens, I did it to myself.

Nobody deserves to die of lung cancer. Nobody. The question is not about blame, but accountability. If you made the choice to smoke, then you need to be accountable to the people who count on you.

I am scared.

Nobody wants to look for something they don’t want to find. I am terrified every time I get a colonoscopy. I don’t want to become a cancer patient, and I don’t want to stop my life to be treated. The reality is, cancer is a common experience, and about 40% of us will get some form of cancer in our lifetime. Why not catch it early, when the treatment is easier, and a cure is most likely?

The author Scott Turow once wrote that “courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to proceed in spite of it.”

Be brave for your family and friends; for those you help, and for those who could use your help. Be brave for those who already were, and lost, or for those who wished they had another chance to be.

If you are 50 or older and smoked or still smoke, ask your doctor about lung cancer screening.

Daniel Boffa, MD, MBA, FACS, is Chair of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Quality Assurance and Data Committee. He is also a professor of thoracic surgery, Division Chief of thoracic surgery, and Clinical Director of the Center for Thoracic Cancers at the Yale School of Medicine. Committed to increasing the survival rate of cancer patients, Dr. Boffa’s clinical research focuses on early detection of lung cancer and preventing tumor metastasis.

2023-11-01T02:01:00

(BPT) – The holiday season is here, which means it’s time to start planning gifts, dinners and more. If you’re looking for a way to add more personal touches to your celebrations, embrace the spirit of homemade holidays.

Making personal dishes, gifts and mementos offers a unique opportunity to connect with friends and family. Mopria wants to help you win at homemade holidays this season by offering the following four tips.

1. Get organized

Stress less and enjoy the holidays more by planning ahead. Stay organized by making lists so you can see everything you need to do and buy as the holiday celebrations approach. With your phone in hand and your printer nearby, you can easily make lists and print them off to keep a hard copy wherever you go.

For example, if you’re preparing a large meal or hosting many guests, print off the recipes you need — or scan them from books and family recipe cards — and make a master shopping list. This way, you can keep track of all the necessary ingredients, even if you have to go to multiple stores along the way. The same idea applies to keeping track of all the gifts you intend to buy for friends and family!

2. Preserve special memories

Honor and preserve cherished moments by creating scrapbooks. The great thing about scrapbooks is that they’re infinitely customizable. Start by choosing a theme. For example, you can create a scrapbook of someone’s wedding and include photos, handwritten notes and quotes to mark the occasion. Or, if you have a traveler in your family, you can create a scrapbook of maps of the places they’ve visited to add more context to their trip photos.

There are plenty of scrapbook designs online and cutouts that you can print, cut and shape to decorate the borders of these special memories. Whether a beginner or a pro, there’s no better way than a scrapbook to honor your memories and let your creativity flow.

You don’t even have to go to your local print shop to get started. Simply download the Mopria Print Service app in Google Play for your Android Device, and don’t forget Mopria Scan on Google Play so you can upload and print non-digitized photos.

3. Create holiday gift tags

Do you like to make homemade jams, bath salts, body scrubs, candles and cookies for friends and family? Personalize and elevate your homemade gifts by creating holiday gift tags.

Gift tags can take a plain Mason jar and turn it into a specialty jam gift someone may find in a boutique shop. Not only will they make your gifts look more professional, but they also add a touch of personality.

Create tags and labels with seasonal or meaningful designs. You can even include a special note with well wishes and suggestions on how to use your homemade food or beauty care product. Add the recipient’s name, date and even the ingredients, so you can track who the gift is for, when it was made and what it contains so you don’t have to guess when handing out presents.

4. Greeting cards

Whether it’s your first year sending one out or an established holiday tradition, sending out holiday greeting cards is a great way to mark the season. Instead of using a printing service, you can design and print your own holiday greeting cards in the comfort of your own home.

By printing your own cards, you’ll have more options for personalization. You can easily find free or affordable greeting card designs and templates online that you can customize to fit your style and message. Print and send the perfect card to your loved ones near and far to let them know you’re thinking about them this holiday season.

Homemade holidays have never been easier. Using these four tips, your holiday shopping, gift-making and gift-giving will be a breeze, so you can spend more time with your loved ones this season.

The Mopria app allows you to print directly to any Mopria certified printer from your Android device. Check to see if your printer is Mopria certified at Mopria.org/Certified-Products. Happy crafting!

2023-10-31T06:01:00

(BPT) – With Hire Heroes USA^® and Sperling’s Best Places, Navy Federal Credit Union surveyed over 1,000 Veterans nationwide about the most important characteristics of their ideal job and their financial preparedness for civilian life.