An Ice Pack Alternative

Cold pack safety.  It’s summer.  More activity.  More injuries.  There is new info from athletes on how long to ice an injury.  It used to be  ten minutes max on toes, 20 min on, at least 20 minutes off.  Ice should always be  wrapped in something like  towels, t-shirts or sweatshirts.  That used to be the standard advice for an injury like a sprain.   Ice  shouldn’t touch the skin directly. That’s still true if using an ice pack or plain ice.  But -  there’s an exception to that .  It’s the ice massage.  Put some ice in a Styrofoam or Dixie  cup.  Tear off the bottom and massage directly on the skin  in a circular motion  for 5 minutes.  Or freeze water in an intact cup and tear off the top inch or so of the cup.  You don’t have to wear a bright ANSI safety yellow vest or something with reflective inks to practice safety measures.

Color catcher safety.  I’ve got a confession to make.  I like doing laundry.  I don’t enjoy putting it away.  But I like to get stains out of things, and don’t mine hanging things up to dry.  Wherever I live, I experiment to see the least amount of laundry detergent I can use and still get the clothes clean.  My favorite laundry product is Shout’s Color Catcher. This traps the dyes on the color catcher sheet.  I have given these as part of a housewarming gift, at bridal showers, and going off to college gifts.  These are great for shirts with different  bright colored stripes.  T-shirts, sweatshirts, vests – anything I’m washing for the first time, I use a color catcher sheet.  I basically wash everything  in cold water.  For environmental and monetary reasons. So take a load off and clean some clothes.

Shout Color Catcher

Shedding Some Light on the Subject

Candle safety.  I love the look of a candle.    But there are lots of things to be aware of.  Never touch a burning candle. Use a candle snuffer, trim wicks before using.  Lots of candle safety tips. Never burn candles near children, pets or anything flammable.   My parents house burned down when I was 18.  That’s one of the many reasons I burn mainly fake candles.  Or flameless candles, as they’re called now.  You can get them with timers, with “wicks” usually little black plastic or metal ones, and even  made  out of wax.  Thry don’t cast a bright light.  Certainly not safety yellow or very reflective.  But no clothing, like sweatshirts, t-shirts, or vests would be set ablaze by these.  Some have stripes, and different patterns.  Many are indoor/outdoor.  They don’t generate a lot of heat, which is great for the summer.  Most of them have a long battery life, so they don’t burn out  fast.  Those  can even be embellished with rhinestones or other gems.  Whatever kind of candle you pick,  let them bring some glow into your life.

Swirling safety.  My favorite kind of swirling is swirl art.  You know, that thing you do at a fair or amusement park with paints.  I really like those designs.  The picture is from a sweatshirt;, but gives the impression of the best of swirl art.  I love the bright colors, the almost safety yellow - it almost seems like reflective inks were used.  There are different ways to swirl.  A friend of mine went to an amusement park by herself to ride roller coasters.  She is in great shape.  As a triathlete and  as someone who works with horses, and a martial artist, she likes to be active.  The roller coaster gives a feeling of movement, which she likes.  Athletes are usually pretty safe on amusement park rides.  But anyone with neck or back issues needs to avoid the rides that really jostle you.   You don’t have to wear  vests to be safe.  Except if you’re on a boat.  Use some common sense to stay safe this summer.

My mom's favorite

Toaster Oven Safety.   It’s summer.  I love roasting things in the big oven.  But it’s too hot for that.  I prefer the microwave to the toaster oven.  I never quite got the hang of toaster oven cooking.  Except for making toast.  With everyone from my sister-in-law to Sonja Morgan of the Real Housewives of New York City on the toaster oven bandwagon, I thought I’d check it out.   It’s not super fast.  Doesn’t need a lot of bling.  What I found was it’s great for small quantities of food.   Two pieces of chicken, a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches.  Cover anything that splatters in foil, or make a foil packet.  Reflective side in.  That keeps the heat in.   Use metal -  such as  aluminum foil and metal trays.  Keep it clean.   Make sure  the cord’s not frayed.  Use a hot pad. Heavy duty.  Doesn’t have to be safety yellow or orange. That’s it  for the  toaster oven precautions and advice.

Mountain Safety.  I’m not even talking about the dangers of actually climbing or driving on a mountain.  I’m talking about  just being in the Mountains.    My  number one advice is to stay hydrated.   The sun has more of an effect.  It’s abouy 25% more intense than at sea level.  Exertion and exercise take more effort.  And drinking and some sleep medications may hit you a little harder.   At altitudes above 8000 feet, it starts to get harder to breathe and sleep.  Wear layers, because the temperatures can change very quickly.  I keep a variety of clothing in my car. For every season all year round.  Sweatshirts,  t-shirts, hats, vests.  I keep a coat and reflective sun glasses in the car.  Winter or summer. Even cooking is different .   To quote from the USDA  “ At sea level, water boils at 212 °F. With each 500-feet increase in elevation, the boiling point of water is lowered by just under 1 °F. At 7,500 feet, for example, water boils at about 198 °F. Because water boils at a lower temperature at higher elevations, foods that are prepared by boiling or simmering will cook at a lower temperature, and it will take longer to cook.”  Meat, poultry and eggs are examples of this.   And baking  is different, too.  The leavening gasses expand more.  So consult a high altitude cookbook before baking.  Cookies are about the same.  But I take mine out 2 minutes before the recommended minimum baking time.  If the recipe says bake for between 10-12 minutes, I usually take mine out at 8 minutes.   Just be aware of some of the differences, and your mountain stay can be safe and fun!

Lucky Bamboo

Gardening safety.  I actually used to have a very green thumb.  Now I just wear green - green  t-shirts, sweatshirts, vests.  I had enough plants that they’d fill the bathtub whenever I went on a trip.  You’d never know it  by my indoor or outdoor plant selection.  My only plant right now is the Lucky Bamboo.  Grows in water with minimal light.   But I can put them in funky ceramic vessels. That can be placed on reflective surfaces.  Which I love.  I partially  blame  my current black thumb status on  too many cross country moves.  And cats.   I know that I could put rock on the surface of indoor plants to discourage plant digging.  But  I had a cat who would still eat the dirt.  So I was off indoor plants.  As for the outdoors,  I am allergic to anything I’ve been tested for in 3 states.   My mother is much less allergic than me.  Even she would break out in a huge, disfiguring rash every time she went into the back yard.  I love the look of flowers.  Bright colors - yellow, orange, fushia.  I also love vegetables, and I am going to be safe and stay out of the garden this summer.

She's safe, but fragile

Mermaid safety.  It’s not  just for Ariel, Disney’s Little Mermaid.  Her bright red hair and princess status make her a merchandizing bonanza. A friend’s five year old is obsessed with her.  She’s got at least 4 of the dolls, a dress, nightgown, t-shirts and sweatshirts.  Hats and a hoodie.  So do many of her friends.  I go more for the handmade ceramics, like the dish at the right.  Of course, not something I’d want a child to play with.  Reflective inks so that the shirts glow at night with a mermaid design is more what I advocate.  With a safety yellow or orange accent.   Have fun and stay safe this summer!

She delegated

Bridal safety.  Many brides lose sight of the fact that a wedding is just a big party.  A big party with huge emotional  overtones.  Be reflective and you can cement relationships. The safest thing to do is  delegate parts of it that you don’t care about  as much.  Give people the budget constraints.  Then let them choose. You don’t always have to be the traffic director.   Especially if they are paying for all or part of it.  Let your bridesmaids choose their own fashions.  Give them the length and a color swatch and tell them the tones you are going for – like bright or pastel or metallic.  And any other restrictions you have.  Let your groom and his mother choose the music  for dancing together.  And let the groom choose- vests or no vests- on the suits or tuxes. If you  can’t agree on the cake flavors, have a different  one on each layer.  Or a groom’s cake.  Or cupcakes.  Ask your mother what’s the most important aspect to her, and try to please her on that.  Remember to have fun and  have a “to go”  plate packed for the two of you.  Most couples say that they were so busy they didn’t eat the meal they spent so much time and money on.   Nothing  is perfect.  So enjoy the day and  be sure to leave time to pamper yourselves.