Battery Booster

Tired of being at the mercy of your battery?

That smartphone or laptop isn’t so handy if the battery is always dying. There are some things you can do to get more life out of it. Once it’s fully charged – don’t leave it plugged in. That actually brings overall battery life down. You also want to avoid keeping it hot places – like the car or in the sun – that’s a battery killer too.

It’s not necessary to let your battery drain all the way before recharging it. It’s okay to do that once in a while – just not too often.

Parasites

Almost half of us are walking around with parasites!

Over 40% of Americans are carrying around some sort of parasite. These tiny organisms can cause big problems. According to Daniel Erno, author of “Stealth Germs in Your Body,” some of us are more prone than others:

• Got a cat? Wash your hands thoroughly after dealing with the litter box.

• If you like to hike or camp – DON’T drink the water out there – pack your own. Swimming in lakes and streams can pose a risk too.

If you’re tempted to eat raw meat – don’t. Not all parasites are tiny. Meet the Tapeworm. It can live in your intestine for more than a decade and potentially grow to 50 feet in length! It’s usually found in infected raw fish, beef or pork.

Talk to the Hand

The next time you want to know how someone REALLY feels – watch their hands...

You can tell how sincere someone is by watching their hands. People tend to gesture with their dominant hand when they feel positive or passionate about something. When we aren’t so sure – or don’t like something – that dominant hand tends to quiet down a lot. It’s because we associate things we like or feel strongly about with the side of the body we use the most.

Sleep Enhancing Toothpaste

Brush your teeth before bed!

There’s new toothpaste on the market that can actually help you get to sleep faster. It’s got natural sleep enhancers in there like melatonin and valerian. One more reason to brush your teeth before bed. Those sleep-friendly ingredients are absorbed fast by the lining of your mouth and gums.

Pearly Dreams, the brand that sells for about $20, is getting the most attention – it’s got mint and passion flower in there too but it doesn’t have fluoride - so don’t throw your regular toothpaste out just yet.

Bad Drivers

If you’re about to be rear-ended – what should you do?

You may be a good driver – but what about the other guy? Walter Irvine, driving instructor at the Skip Barber Racing School, has some tips on how to handle their mistakes:

• If you’re about to be rear-ended – take your foot off the brake. That lessens the impact.

• If a car is heading straight toward you - try to get their attention by honking or flashing your lights. Don’t watch that car – look for your escape route.

• At a four way stop - establish eye contact with other drivers. If you see them looking at you, you know it is safe to proceed.

K9 Stress

If you’re stressed out – so is your dog!

Dogs are especially sensitive to our moods and a recent study found a direct link with stress levels between dogs and their owners. When people are stressed – they tend to have less interaction and eye contact with their dog and it can really upset them. Dogs rely a lot on your tone of voice and body language. If you’re sending out negative vibes – chances are your dog will react. Here are some signs your dog is stressed out:

• Excessive barking, yawning or digging.

• Head, ears or tail held low.

• Disinterest in food.

• Restlessness or hiding.

If you’re feeling stressed out – do yourself and your dog a favor – take a few minutes to play or bond together, it will do wonders for both of your stress levels.

Separate Checks

Does your waiter or waitress mind if you ask for separate checks?

The next time you dine out with a group – go ahead – ask for separate checks. Your waiter or waitress shouldn’t mind at all. As a matter of fact, the fewer people on one check, the bigger the tip usually is for them. There’s nothing wrong with paying your fair share. If you’re uncomfortable with the separate check thing amongst the group – ask your server quietly before you sit down – then play dumb when the multiple checks arrive at the end of the meal.

Name Game

If you have trouble remembering people’s names – stop talking...

If you’re bad with names – join the club. It’s one of the most common social memory problems out there. There’s something you can do to really make that name stick. Stop talking. In social situations, we naturally jump right into a conversation with someone we’re introduced to. When we do that, our brains skim right over that name and into the subject matter.

The next time you’re introduced to someone – pause. Take a moment to repeat that name to yourself and let it sink in. You can even slow things down for a second by asking them to repeat it. Watch their mouth say the name – and you’ll remember it.

Post-Workout Perk

If you feel tired or sore after that workout – do this...

There’s something that can reduce any pain you might feel after an intense workout – coffee! According to University of Georgia researchers, drinking two cups of coffee after a workout cuts the discomfort in half.

If you feel drained or wiped out after the fact – fight the fatigue with the one-two punch of an energy bar and a cup of coffee. That combo can restore up to 60% of your lost energy.

Wasted Groceries

If you’d like to save some money on groceries – ty this...

The next time you get back from the grocery store – don’t just shove those items in their spot. The average American wastes HUNDREDS of dollars a year on groceries they forgot to use. There’s an easy way to avoid that. When you’re putting stuff away – rotate the stuff from the back to the front – just like the stores do. Chances are your family members will grab the stuff front and center and at eye level first.

Softer Sheets

Most of us wash our sheets all wrong....

Do you use hot water to wash your sheets? Don’t. Go with warm – hot water breaks down the fibers and wears them out faster. The same goes for drying them. Use a low or medium setting to avoid over drying them.

We’re also supposed to use mild detergent for sheets – and add it to the water BEFORE the sheets go in. Use half of what the bottle says – it will be plenty. Your sheets will feel much softer without residue from too much detergent.

Daydreaming Blues

If you tend to daydream – that could make you sad...

Daydreaming can now be added to the list of stuff we like to do that’s bad for us. A recent study tracked over 2000 volunteers who agreed to be contacted at random times. They were asked what they were doing and what they were actually thinking about – and then had to rate their own happiness. When they were focused on the task at hand – they were significantly happier than when they’d been daydreaming.

On average, people spend 47% of their time thinking about something OTHER than what they are doing – UNLESS they are having sex. That’s when 90% of the participants reported being most focused – and happy. The prime time for daydreaming was commuting to work.

Source: TrackYourHappiness.org

Good Typo

Have you proofread your resume? There's one typo to leave in...

Before you go to the trouble to correct the word “resume” on your resume to include the accents over each “e” – don’t bother. That’s one typo you want to leave in, especially if you’ll be submitting that resume online. That accented e will convert into a random symbol in several document readers.

Before submitting your resume online – it’s a good idea to save it into a plain text document and take a look. There’s a good chance some of the formatting and features such as bullets and bold will either be omitted or converted into something else completely.

Photo Food

If you’d like to lose weight – grab your camera.

One approach to losing weight is to keep a food diary – recording everything you eat. That can be a bit tedious. There’s an easier approach that can be just as effective. Take a picture of what you eat – before you eat it. It can help you in a couple of different ways. First, it makes you stop and think and really look at the portion before you dive in. Secondly, at the end of a day – or week – you can scan over those choices and see how balanced and well behaved – or not – you’ve been.

Save On Gas

Would you like to save a little money on gas?

The best time to fill your gas tank is when it’s ¾ empty. Filling up before that just means you’ll be hauling around some extra weight which uses more gas. The best time of DAY to fill up is in the morning. The cooler the ground temperature – the denser the gas – and the more you get for your money. The best time of the WEEK to fill your tank is Tuesday or Wednesday. Stations generally hike up the price a bit right before the pre-weekend rush.