Favorite Child

Did Mom really like you better?

Mom and Dad LOVE all of their children – but is it okay if they LIKE one more? Sometimes favoritism within a family is unavoidable – but we should never let it show. Research shows obious favoritism can have a big effect on sibling relationships. Acting out, anxiety and depression are just a few of the possible side effects. Jealousy and entitlement inevitably leads to bad behavior. It’s not just kids who suffer – adults can feel it too – especially if it’s reflected in a will.

Ellen Weber Libby, author of “The Favorite Child,” suggests those of us who are parents should do a favoritism check every once in a while. Ask a trusted friend if they notice you favoring one child over another and take the necessary steps to balance things out a bit.

Walking Website

Cliff  Walk - Newport, RI

If you like to walk – you'll LOVE this website...

Walking is a great way to take in some nature and get some exercise – but if you’re tired of taking the same old path there’s a great website for that. It’s Start Walking Now dot org. It’s sponsored by the American Heart Association and has a really handy map of walking options just about anywhere.

You can customize your search by area, length and difficulty of walk you’re in the mood for. It’s a great resource if you’re traveling too. Just type in the state and any other criteria you’d like and your options will pop up with regular, satellite or terrain map views. There’s even a place to log your walks. StartWalkingNow.org.

Fruit and Veggie Storage

Do you keep your fruits and vegetables in the same drawer?

Keeping certain fruits and vegetables together in the refrigerator will make them go bad a lot faster. Fruits release ethylene gas which speeds up the ripening of vegetables. Pears, melons and apples are the biggest culprits. If you keep your vegetables in the crisper drawer – find a different spot for the fruit. If you keep them on the shelves in your fridge – put fruits and vegetables on different shelves.

Back Pain Relief

If you’ve got back pain – there’s something that might help even more than pain medication...

I’ll tell you what it is, in a moment…Payoff:For people with back pain – relief may be in someone else’s hands – in the form of massage. A recent study found massage therapy can provide more pain relief and improved function than medication for some people. Patients who received weekly whole-body massage for relaxation, or focused massages to treat specific muscles, felt more relief than those who took over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen.

The massage treatment worked best on those who suffered from lower back pain. 39% of them said the pain was nearly or completely gone after 10 weeks – compared to 4% of the group that used traditional pain relief.

Cubicle Courtesy

Working in a cubicle can be a challenge...

You may aspire to be in that coveted corner office one day – but if you’re stuck in a cubicle for now, there are some rules. Here are a few cubicle courtesy reminders from Scot Herrick, founder of CubeRules.com.

• Stay off the speaker phone – even for the dialing part. It’s a lot easier for your neighbors to tune out a one-sided conversation. Take your meetings elsewhere for the same reason.

• Mind your volume. Keep your voice down, set your cell phone to vibrate – and use headphones if you’re watching or listening to something on your computer.

Herrick says it’s important to get comfortable with your cubicle. Think about whether you’d rather have your back to passers-by or not and position your desk accordingly if you can. Add some personal touches but keep it professional and neat if your cubicle is in a high profile location.

Pink Flamingos

You’ve seen them – or maybe even have one in your front yard – plastic pink flamingos...

I’ll tell you where they came from, in a minute…Payoff:Nothing says “wow” quite like a pair of plastic pink flamingos in the front yard. If you’re wondering who to blame – his name is Don Featherstone. He used to work for the plastics company Union Products – and he designed the first pink flamingos lawn ornaments in 1957.

Hippies rebelled against the pink plastic perch of their parents in the 60’s, which sent the flamingos into hiding with lawn jockeys for a while. By 1970, the plastic pink flamingo was nearly extinct. Their population picked up a little in 1972 thanks to the release of the John Water’s movie Pink Flamingos.

By the 1980’s the flamingos were back on their feet. In 87 the governor of Massachusetts proclaimed the pink flamingo “an essential contribution to American folk art.” There’s even a Society for the Preservation of Pink Lawn Flamingos.

Source: Don Feathersotone, author of "The Original Pink Flamingos - Splendor on the Grass"

Real Sunburn Relief

Got Milk? You’ll need some if you got sunburned...

Neal B. Schultz, author of “It’s Not Just About Wrinkles,” says a skim milk compress is one of the most soothing remedies for sunburn and even promotes healing. The protein in the milk acts as a chemical buffer to reduce swelling and pain – and as the milk evaporates, it cools the skin. Skim milk has a higher ratio of protein to fat, so it’s more effective than whole milk. The skim milk compress helps with poison ivy too.

To make the compress, mix equal amounts of skim milk and warm water in a bowl. You want it to be room temperature for the best evaporation. Soak a smooth cloth in the mixture, wring it out a bit and then let it sit on the sunburned area for about five minutes. Repeat every three to four hours.

Time for Tea

If your workday feels long – take a tip from the Brits...

Have a spot of tea in this afternoon. There’s a brew and flavor for everyone. Find one you like and make a point of brewing a cup mid-afternoon. The caffeine will give you a boost – and taking a few quiet minutes to sit and enjoy teatime can help boost your mood and energy more than having another cup of coffee on the run.

If you opt for a variety box of tea you can enjoy a different taste sensation each day to make your new routine a little less routine.

Messaging Manners

How are your social messaging manners?

If a keyboard is a primary source of communication for you – you could be overdoing it. Here are a few bad messaging manners to avoid:

• Excessive exclamations – if you use more than one, its overkill.

• Over initialing - OMG and LOL are handy – but try to stick to short words and phrases that don’t need to be decoded.

• Message volley – especially on Facebook. Too much back and forth between two people on a public post is annoying – take it private.

• Rapid fire texting – unless you’re both alone, chances are it’s really annoying to anyone near either of you.

• Tagging unflattering pictures – have a heart. Go ahead and let the other person know there are some pictures up – but let them tag themselves.

Common Cold Cure?

There’s something you can eat that really will help treat or prevent a cold...

Got a cold? Get some garlic. James A. Duke, author of “The Green Pharmacy Guide to Healing Foods,” says garlic can actually help prevent and treat the common cold by boosting immunity. In one study, people who took a garlic supplement had significantly fewer colds or cold symptoms than those who didn’t.

For prevention or cure, Dr. Duke suggests adding a clove or two of garlic to all soups, sprinkle some on toast, or mix some diced up garlic with olive oil for dressing or dipping.

Licking Your Wounds

You may have heard that dogs have healing properties in their saliva that can help heal your wounds...

If you let your dog lick that scraped knee to speed up the healing – cut it out! Your dog may mean well – but that mouth, canine teeth and gums are filled with bacteria and can even cause infection for a human.

If you’ve heard that dog saliva has healing or protective properties – it’s not untrue all together. Scientists at the Veterinary School of Medicine at the University of California studied the properties of dog saliva to determine whether it killed E. Coli and S. Canis bacteria – and it turns out it did. By licking her puppies, a mother dog is actually protecting them against disease.

Most dogs will instinctually lick their own wounds and even try to lick yours. It’s best to give them a “thanks, but no thanks,” and opt for hydrogen peroxide and a BandAid.

Planting Produce

If you’ve got some fruits and veggies that are going bad – don't throw them out!

There’s something in your fridge or on the counter that could really help your plants outside – old fruit. If you can rummage up any overripe bananas, bruised apples or lettuce that has lost its luster – go ahead and mix some up with that soil you’re planting with. Those unused fruits and vegetables will enrich the soil with vitamins and minerals and it makes more sense that just tossing that pricy produce into the trash.

Vacation Must

There’s one more thing to do before you leave for vacation...

...call your credit card company. Credit card companies are really cracking down on thieves - and while that’s good for you, it could also be a hassle if you’re away from home. Unusual activity on your card can send up a red flag and freeze things up. More charges than usual or charges from unusual places are bound to happen on vacation and those may trigger denial from the credit card company.

Before you leave, give the credit card company a call and let them know you anticipate using your card – especially if you’re traveling overseas. Just be sure to keep your card safe and notify them immediately if it gets lost or stolen. It’s a good idea to pack that phone number too.

Workout Wardrobe

Is it better to work out in baggy clothes – or tight clothes?

When it’s time to get dressed for that workout – do you throw on some baggy sweats and a loose fitting t-shirt? Or do you wriggle into something form fitting, stretchy and tight? According to Andrea Cinque-Austin, creative design manager of apparel for New Balance, you’re better off in the tighter ensemble. She says wearing something too big blocks you from watching your form which could lead to injury. Baggy clothes also tend to soak up sweat and cling to your body. Andrea also says to avoid sportswear that glows or looks shiny – those fabrics wear out a lot faster and accentuate your imperfections. The most flattering and functional choice is Lycra black, which has a matte finish and is designed to absorb and breathe simultaneously.

It’s worth finding workout clothes you really like and that are flattering. The better you feel about yourself, the more likely you are to feel motivated to get active.

You're the Expert

If you’re an expert on something – write a book!

Everyone’s an expert on something. If you’ve always wanted to write a book – or know someone who does – you could both make some money. According to Marc Ostrofsky, author of “Get Rich Click,” the eBook world has opened up some opportunities for just about everyone. Writing your book is pretty straight forward, after all, you’re the editor and publisher. There is a ton of advice online to get you started. The trickiest part is marketing and selling your eBook. The good news is there are now websites that will do the tricky part FOR you. Sure, you’ll have to give them a commission - but it can be a very effective first step for a budding expert or author.

The sky is the limit with your area of expertise. A guy named Jacob Hiller made more than a million bucks selling his book “The Jump Manual,” a guidebook designed to help amateur athletes increase their vertical leap. He let the site ClickBank.com handle the marketing and selling for him.