• December 1, 2020

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  • Pets

    Safety first: Tips for pet-proofing your home

    (BPT) - Welcoming a four-legged friend into your family is an exciting time for everyone, but puppies, kittens, dogs and cats can easily find themselves in serious trouble while exploring their new surroundings. It is important to remember that pets are naturally curious and explore their worlds with their mouths, so they will want to interact with or consume anything left out at their level. Because of this, your home is filled with potential risks, some obvious and others you might not expect. The good news is there are simple steps you can take to help keep your new pet safe.

  • Kitchen Bed Bath

    Eco-Friendly Home Cleaning Hacks

    (StatePoint) With families spending more time at home, messes are on repeat and cleanups are often an hourly routine. At the same time, many households are looking to reduce their environmental impact affordably.

  • Home Improvement

    Cook Up A Low-Maintenance Kitchen

    (NAPSI)—An increasing number of families are finding how much fun it can be to cook and eat at home—but an easy-to-clean-and-work-in kitchen can make a big difference.Here are five ideas on how to have one that can help you save time, effort, and expensive cleaning supplies.1.Be clever about cabinetry:  Choose simple, flat door cabinets without molding or raised panels which can collect grease and dirt. Soft-close doors help reduce touch points. 2.When you get down to it, the right flooring and a well-thought-out floor plan can reduce the likelihood of messes. The “work triangle”—from sink to refrigerator to cooking appliances—should be designed with an ergonomic flow in mind so moving around the room is easier, faster and less likely to result in spills.  Avoid textured linoleum or any flooring with wide seams and gaps. 3.Apply the same principles to appliances: Stainless steel is both beautiful and enduring and can now come in a fingerprint-resistant finish. If you store them in cabinets instead of on countertops, that’ll keep them cleaner.4.Hot ideas for stoves: Get sealed burners on gas cooktops; flat glass electric, and induction tops make it far easier to wipe up spills. A strong ventilation hood with dishwasher-safe filters will reduce dust and grease in the kitchen so it doesn’t settle on surfaces. 5.Be smart about sinks. Food-safe surfaces that reduce bacterial growth are important. A hygiene-friendly sink material solution, ­SILGRANIT by BLANCO, has a non-porous surface with a smooth stone-like finish that resists stains, scratches, chips, acid and heat. The Hygienic Plus surface acts as a shield against dirt and germs while reducing bacterial growth by up to 98%. Plus, the material needs no harsh chemicals to keep clean—just soap and water or baking soda, since the hydrophobic surface pushes away dirt and water so it easily drains away.6.A fact about faucets: Engineered with a solid brass body and a flexible, high-quality hose encased in stainless steel, the SOLENTA semi-pro faucet is both durable and easy to clean. It also provides the ultimate hands-free experience by combining reliable materials with a sophisticated start-stop technology so there’s less to clean while you’re keeping clean.Learn MoreFor further facts and tips, visit www.blancoamerica.com. 

  • Senior Living

    5 tips to celebrate friends and family virtually

    (BPT) - For most people, 2020 is a year of change. Remote work, social distancing and more have challenged people to find new ways to connect with each other. Fortunately, humans are resilient and their spirit for finding innovative ways to connect is alive and well.

Top Story

Oral steroids for asthma: An unequal risk

(BPT) - More than 25 million Americans live with asthma, but people across the country are affected differently. For example, people from Black and Hispanic communities are more likely to visit the hospital due to asthma symptoms and less likely to discuss an asthma action plan with their doctor. These hospital visits mean asthma may be uncontrolled for many people in these communities. And when asthma is uncontrolled, oral corticosteroids (OCS) are often used to manage flare-ups.

  • icon Posted: November 30

Real Estate

Pet Central

pets

Having a pet is a lot of responsibility, and we’ll help by giving you lots of tips and tricks! More >>

Fitness

Fitness

Our fitness articles will help teach you how to work out with gym- and home-based exercises. More >>

Crosswords

Crosswords

Enjoy the crosswords challenge in our free daily puzzles, from the harder Sunday crossword to the quicker daily. More >>

Sudoku

Sudoku

Every Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically. Enter numbers into the blank spaces so that each row, column and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9. More >>




Recent Headlines

Monday 11/30/2020
Survey: Americans don’t follow through on crucial annual eye exams
Posted: November 30, 2020

(BPT) - If you’ve fallen behind in scheduling and keeping your regular eye exams, you’re not alone. In fact, eye health is not an important enough priority for most people, according to a recent study by Johnson & Johnson Vision.

5 ways to experience wine country from home
Posted: November 30, 2020

(BPT) - From canceled plans and trips to work from home and beyond, you’ve likely had to sacrifice a lot in 2020. But while you’re staying at home and doing your best to be safe during a pandemic, there’s one thing you shouldn’t have to compromise on — high-quality wine. And if you’re a seasoned wine drinker, you know that Napa Valley is the place to be.

4 driving safety tips that could save you money
Updated: December 01, 2020 - 2:35 am

(BPT) - Bad driving habits aren’t just obnoxious, they’re also dangerous — motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death in the U.S., with more than 38,000 people having lost their lives and nearly 4.4 million injured in collisions in 2019, according to the National Safety Council.

Cook Up A Low-Maintenance Kitchen
Posted: November 30, 2020

(NAPSI)—An increasing number of families are finding how much fun it can be to cook and eat at home—but an easy-to-clean-and-work-in kitchen can make a big difference.

Here are five ideas on how to have one that can help you save time, effort, and expensive cleaning supplies.

1.Be clever about cabinetry:  Choose simple, flat door cabinets without molding or raised panels which can collect grease and dirt. Soft-close doors help reduce touch points. 

2.When you get down to it, the right flooring and a well-thought-out floor plan can reduce the likelihood of messes. The “work triangle”—from sink to refrigerator to cooking appliances—should be designed with an ergonomic flow in mind so moving around the room is easier, faster and less likely to result in spills.  Avoid textured linoleum or any flooring with wide seams and gaps. 

3.Apply the same principles to appliances: Stainless steel is both beautiful and enduring and can now come in a fingerprint-resistant finish. If you store them in cabinets instead of on countertops, that’ll keep them cleaner.

4.Hot ideas for stoves: Get sealed burners on gas cooktops; flat glass electric, and induction tops make it far easier to wipe up spills. A strong ventilation hood with dishwasher-safe filters will reduce dust and grease in the kitchen so it doesn’t settle on surfaces. 

5.Be smart about sinks. Food-safe surfaces that reduce bacterial growth are important. A hygiene-friendly sink material solution, ­SILGRANIT by BLANCO, has a non-porous surface with a smooth stone-like finish that resists stains, scratches, chips, acid and heat. The Hygienic Plus surface acts as a shield against dirt and germs while reducing bacterial growth by up to 98%. Plus, the material needs no harsh chemicals to keep clean—just soap and water or baking soda, since the hydrophobic surface pushes away dirt and water so it easily drains away.

6.A fact about faucets: Engineered with a solid brass body and a flexible, high-quality hose encased in stainless steel, the SOLENTA semi-pro faucet is both durable and easy to clean. It also provides the ultimate hands-free experience by combining reliable materials with a sophisticated start-stop technology so there’s less to clean while you’re keeping clean.

Learn More

For further facts and tips, visit www.blancoamerica.com.

 

Six Ways To Protect Your Mail And Packages
Posted: November 30, 2020

(NAPSI)—Every day, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service works to protect your mail, USPS employees and USPS facilities. It’s just as important to it as it is to you that these items reach their destinations safely, and the Post Office could use your help to keep your mail and packages safe. 

Here are a few tips to consider this holiday season: 

1.Don’t leave your delivered mail and packages unattended. You wouldn’t leave important items sitting on the front seat of your unlocked car overnight. So don’t leave your mail and packages sitting in mailboxes or on front porches for any length of time.

2.Going out of town? Hold your mail at the Post Office. You can sign up for Hold Mail service on usps.com if you plan on being away from home for a few days. Your letters and packages will be held securely at your Post Office until you pick them up or request they be delivered to your home.

3.Plan ahead. Ship using Hold for Pickup. If you are sending packages, you can choose the Hold for Pickup option on usps.com. The packages will be safely held at the recipient’s local Post Office until they can pick it up. If you are expecting a package, you can redirect it to your Post Office by selecting Hold for Pickup using Intercept a Package under Track & Manage on usps.com.

4.Customize the delivery. If you are expecting something you know will not fit in your mailbox and you won’t be home to receive it, you can authorize the carrier to leave it in a specified location. Visit usps.com, enter the tracking number in Track a Package, and select Delivery Instructions.

5.Secure the shipment using USPS Special Services. Signature Confirmation helps ensure the package ends up in the right hands by requiring a first initial and last name at the time of delivery. For your most valuable packages, you can opt for Registered Mail service. Registered Mail receives special handling from the time it’s mailed until the time it’s delivered.

6.Monitor your front door. If you have a home security camera system, and you catch any mail thieves in the act, save the video and alert the Postal Inspectors. 

For more great tips you can use not just during the holidays, but all year long, visit: uspis.gov. 

 
 "Every day, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service works to protect your mail. To help, don’t leave your delivered mail and packages unattended for long.https://bit.ly/33vl3SI"

Making A Pandemic Busting Purchase
Posted: November 30, 2020

(NAPSI)—You may not be able to treat yourself to an exotic vacation trip, an evening at the theater or even a dinner out these days but there are some other satisfying ways to treat yourself. Did you know that for the price of 13 steak dinners in some places you could buy yourself a beautiful 1966 Mustang or 1969 Corvette. Plus as a bonus, the cars will last a lot longer than a dinner and won’t increase your cholesterol!

What Makes A Car A Classic?

The Antique Automobile Club of America defines classic cars as those over 25 years old. One that’s rare or of particular historic interest (say one that belonged to a famous person or was involved in a noteworthy incident) are also becoming more popular. 

To help you begin or improve your classic car fleet, ask yourself these questions:

1.Decide where your cars will be kept. Your home garage? How many cars can you actually store there? Most people keep them parked in their driveway or garage.

2.What kind of cars do you want to buy? Certain years, makes, sizes? Read books and get catalogs about classic cars and research them online.

3.Are your friends or neighbors classic car enthusiasts? Would you like them to be? Many local meet ups happen up & down the country where friends/neighbors meet up and drive their cars. Great activity to do during this pandemic.

How to Get a Classic Car

You can buy vehicles from private owners, but it’s generally easier and probably safer to get your classic car from people  that specializes in selling them. One effective and entertaining way to get into classic car collecting is through a company called Clasiq. They offer free pre-purchase inspection from an independent shop on every vehicle (so nasty surprises) and a free, secure payment process that protects your funds, all through a truly independent classic car auction experience built by the collector community for the collector community.

Learn More

For further facts and tips on classic car collecting, visit www.clasiq.com. 

 

5 easy tips for healthy eating
Posted: November 30, 2020

(BPT) - It’s natural to want to eat healthy and fuel your body with the nutrients it needs to feel good. Figuring out how to actually eat healthy and make smart choices can be difficult if you don’t know where to begin! Start the new year off strong with these five simple tips to introduce better habits into your diet.

Winter wellness: 3 expert tips to boost overall health
Updated: December 01, 2020 - 2:34 am

(BPT) - As we head into the chillier months, the winter season brings simple pleasures such as hot cocoa, holiday music and cozy nights by the fireplace. However, the hustle and bustle of the season can also take a toll on your well-being. Stress and unhealthy eating associated with seasonal celebrations are paired with colder weather that makes many people want to curl up inside with a blanket. Plus, the ongoing challenges of virtual learning, remote working and staying home can also impact overall health.

more headlines »

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Online Features

Real Estate

Pet Central

pets

Having a pet is a lot of responsibility, and we’ll help by giving you lots of tips and tricks! More >>

Fitness

Fitness

Our fitness articles will help teach you how to work out with gym- and home-based exercises. More >>

Crosswords

Crosswords

Enjoy the crosswords challenge in our free daily puzzles, from the harder Sunday crossword to the quicker daily. More >>

Sudoku

Sudoku

Every Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically. Enter numbers into the blank spaces so that each row, column and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9. More >>




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